Barcelona

25 April 2018

In Australia this day is an important one of rememberance for all the ANZACS who served at Gallipoli in WWI and in all wars and peacekeeping services. I thank all who have fought to keep Australia a free nation.

On my last day in Barcelona I took it easy walking and taking in the city and surrounds.

Arc de Triomf (Arco de Truiunfo)

Parc d’lestació Del Nord

The flowers of this tree fly around like cotton wool. I don’t think it is very good for my allergy but pretty.

Bus terminal

Sheryl and I stumbled across the best place for lunch. Mónibèric is a cured ham bar.

4.5EUR gets you a baguette with Iberian ham (prosciutto) and a glass of beer or wine or soft drink. Orange juice is extra. I had the local Cava, Sheryl had a beer.

Tent city protesting against violation of constitutional rights. Derechosgarantizados.org

These caught my attention.

You can’t sell or buy marijuana legally but you can grow and smoke it.

Rubber duckies!!

Can anyone understand this sign?

La Boqueria Barcelona(Barcelona Market)

This is the end of my trip to Barcelona. Tomorrow I return to my USA (Odyssey) road trip. Gracias merci Barcelona and Catalonia. I had a ball. Until we meet again.

Gothic Quarter Catalunya and Gaudi tour

24 April 2018

I did a free walking tour with Free Walking Tours Barcelona. Kim and Sheryl came along and we met another person from the cruise, Gloria. These are my favourite tours. You pay what you think the tour was worth at the end.

First stop the Roman Ruins.

William the Hairy the founder of Catalonia.

Sculpture celebrating the sport of Human Towers.

Some of the sites in the old part of Catalunya (Catalonia)

We had lunch in Bilbao Berria, a “pintxos” which is similar to a sushi train concept but delicious Spanish food. We have to open a place like this in Sydney.

This cost EUR5.85.

In the afternoon I did the Gaudi Free Walking Tour.

I cannot find the words to describe these brilliant works of art.

His first and last City commissioned piece.

Palau Gueĺĺ

Casa Batlló

Casa Milà La Pedrera.

Sagrada Famiglia overloads the optic senses. What to photograph? And the photograph doesn’t capture the feeling of this conglomerate of architecture.

We went to farewell Denny with a drink on his balcony overlooking La Rambla. Slowly parting ways with our cruise friends.

Montserrat Monastery Spain

23 April 2018

On the way to meet friends to go to Montserrat, I experienced Barcelona’s celebration of

St Jordi’s (St George) Day, a celebration similar to St Valentine’s Day, with a twist. The men give a rose to the woman they love, be it their partner, sister or friend and the woman gives the man a book.
The Red Cross (Crue Roja) had a stall selling roses and I introduced myself as a fellow volunteer. At the same moment, Denny (whom I met on the 15 day Transatlantic cruise) saw the stall and did the same thing. Bumping into each other in Barcelona, Denny and I discovered we had another thing in common, working for Emergency Services, not just dancing and travelling.

I then met up with friends for my adventure to Montserrat.

You can take a train to the Montserrat Monastery which costs 16EUR each way or have a friend like Stu who drove Taria, Sheryl, Kim and I, stopping off for some of the most spectacular views which photos do not do justice.

At Montserrat we were so in awe we took our time taking everything in.

I got my obligatory police photo.

The Basilica with the Black Madonna was packed with people to hear the boys choir singing.

There are so many trails you could spend a week here. We took theSant Joan Funicularto enjoy the views of Montserrat and Catalunya and to explore some of the walking trails.

We then took a slow walk up the mountain along the hermitage path to Sant Joan Chapel.

This is quite exhausting and the farmers markets were calling so we decided to put together a picnic before we returned to Barcelona.

We had a picnic feast of prosciutto, figs, potato omelette, several cheeses, nougat and fresh baguette.

Highly recommend at least a whole day at Montserrat but I would have enjoyed at least 3 days there. There is a lovely reasonably priced hostel at Montserrat.

Barcelona

22 April 2018

After 1.5 hours sleep I was awoken for the last time by cruise director, Andre’s announcements.

I disembarked, easily found a taxi to my Airbnb 6 minutes walk to Las Ramblas a perfectly central part of Barcelona. If you come to this amazing city it is a must to stay within walking distance of Las Ramblas.

My sons told me I would love it here and they are so right.

First I contacted friends from the ship Stu and Sheryl and found them staying 6 minutes from me, close to Las Ramblas. We met up and went for a sangria and tapas in Las Ramblas.

We looked up and found Denny staying at The International Cool Hotel Las Ramblas. Where else would Denny stay!!

Then went for a drink here. I can’t remember what it’s called or where it is. I went here again next day and found it is called Placa Reial.

I left here to go to my place as I was exhausted. It took 2 hours to do a 10 minute walk as I got lost but found a rooftop bar at the Hotel Colon.

With this view.

Still lost.

Back at the Cathedral again and it is a lot later. I kept losing GPS signal in the Gothic quarter. I now know to stick to the main roads when going back to where I am staying as the city is a rabbit warren.

Nearly back at my Airbnb as the Palau de la Musica is nearby.

I got hungry after all that walking so had dinner at 10:00pm.

What a day!!!

Final Day transatlantic cruise NCL Epic

21 April 2018

The last day of my 15 day transatlantic cruise is a sea day and sadly has come to an end.

However, Firstly I woke at 7:30am to watch my NRL game to find out that it would be televised live on the ship at 9:30am so I was able to get another 2 hours sleep. Unfortunately my Wests Tigers were beaten in the last minute to Newcastle Knights.

This disappointed me for a short time as I quickly remembered I needed to get in an enjoy my last day of this cruise where I visited lovely parts of the world and had fun onboard the Norwegian Epic.

One fun game played onboard was LRC (left right centre) it was the best $3 spent on each sea day. With the opportunity to win up to $200 and socialising with fun people. When we were down to me and another person fighting for the pot I had sweaty hands and felt a lot of pressure especially with 50 people chanting my name. Unfortunately I did not win the money but felt the love of many people.

Last dinner at the Manhattan room with Sarah Stu and Denny.

Final night of dancing with these friends.

Wonderful friends were made on this cruise. Luckily many will be getting off in Barcelona tomorrow so we can wean ourselves off the separation.

Malaga Spain

20 April 2018

Day 13 of this wonderful cruise took us to Malaga, Spain. Sheryl, Grant, Sylvia, Kim and I paid a taxi driver 80EUR for a two (2) hour tour of the city. Our taxi driver (tour guide) Jose Luis took us to the Castillo Gibralfaro de Malaga (Gibralfaro Castle in Malaga)

The Basilica Real y Santuario de Santa Maria de la Victoria has a crypt which is described as the scariest. What do you think?

Then upstairs there is “Heaven”

The museum has interesting artifacts including a velvet cloak hand stitched with silver thread.

Alcazaba of Malaga (sounds like something out of Harry Potter) is a foryress palace in the middle of Malaga.

A must do is have a drink and feed at El Pimpi, the oldest tapas bar in Malaga and owned by Antonio Banderas.

French contemporary art museum Pompidou Malaga

Dinner with these funsters Stu, Danny and Sarah.

After dancing in the Bliss every night could not pass up a snack at O’Sheehan’s. I worked up an appetite dancing as always at the Glow party. Then a quick snack with Alex at 4:00am because I had to be up for the Wests Tigers v Newcastle Knights NRL match at 7:30am.

Gibraltar UK

19 April 2018

I was excited about exploring the Rock of Gibraltar. I was looking forward to getting a photo of African coast from the top of the rock. I walked into town to get the cable car to the top of the rock hoping that by the time I got to town the walk would warm me up. It was so cold, windy and cloudy and I was inappropriately dressed so I returned to the ship to change clothing. With warmer clothes and 1.5 hours later I found the cable car queue was so long I was concerned I would not get back to the ship in time before sailaway. I explored the town instead. I find it very interesting that this is a British colony and the first language is Spanish. The currency accepted in all the stores is USD, EUR and Pounds.

The Trafalgar Cemetery is a tranquil spot.

The red telephone boxes are a novelty. You can see how cold I was here.

Have a giggle with one of my accent misunderstandings. Every time I say I am going to party many Americans think I am saying I am going to the potty.

Once back at the ship in the sheltered area of the Spice H2O deck you can see the temperature was quite different.

Sea day

18 April 2018

I had a day relaxing by the pool. There are all nationalities on this ship and I love all of the accents, mostly the American which remind me I am on an adventure like no other. I continually thank the universe that I have these amazing experiences. I know how I am doing this but at the same time full of amazement that I am.

These people live a reality that is a culture of travel and meeting and learning from diverse people. Other than retirees there are several people aged from 40 who have sold everything and are “homeless” exploring the world. Many have worked very hard and would have been classified as workaholics but decided to let work go and now enjoy life.

This evening I succeeded in getting front row seats for Piscilla Queen of the Desert. I approached the Cruise Director and told him of my connections to Kings Cross, Les Girls, Mitzi and Carlotta.

But first dinner with these lovely ladies. Julia BJ and Dorothea.

Then we had after show drinks with the cast.

Cadiz Spain

17 April 2018

11am I disembarked to explore this island. The food is so cheap and the delicious smells drew me to the best paella I have ever had and the cost was 3EURO. I would love if I could find such fresh good food to takeaway in the USA. Of course it is available in little Havana in Miami.

I walked aound with Maf and Meredith trying to capture some of the beauty in photos.

Bollards everywhere.

Maf and I showed some children who were in the school playground how a couple of gringos move.

gringos dancing

Of course ended the night dancing.

Norwegian Epic

15 April 2018 Day 5 sea day Atlantic Ocean.
Since leaving Bermuda I have been enjoying days of lying in the sun at the Spice H2O pool area, meeting lots of people and discovering new cocktails (my keto diet prior to this trip long forgotten), dancing until 3am and meeting even more people.

This cruise has many time changes and this morning I went to bed at 4am. I got up three (3) hours later to watch my NRL team Wests Tigers play Manly Sea Eagles. I was so excited that it was televised live into my cabin. Although at half time I ran up to the Irish bar O’Sheehans, as it was televised there as well, because I was worried that my yelling and cheering would wake my cabin neighbours.

But as there was no sound at O’Sheehans I ran back to my cabin and cheered into my pillow for the second half. What a way to watch my team win at Brookvale while I am on a cruise crossing the Atlantic.
After recharging with a sleep, lunch and another nap by the pool I prepared myself for dinner and tonights show.

This ship has wonderful shows and there was no way I was going to miss Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The show was as spectacular as the musical in Sydney and the movie. The Aussie accents and the pictures of the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville and reminders of Les Girls in Kings Cross made me homesick. I was a rebellious 16 year old who frequented Les Girls in Kings Cross in the 1970s and then after my first divorce in the 1980s I again became a frequenter, especially as I was working in the Rural Bank in Kings Cross at the time.

After the show on the Epic I had a drink with a couple of the brilliantly cast Bernadette and Felicia.

I will approach the cruise director and inquire how I may get a front row seat for the show on 17 April. As one of the few Aussies on board I think it a reasonable request.