27-April 2012........... A I write this part of the narrative we are still in the Atlantic making our way towards Malaga Spain
Some might find it odd they we chose to make our very first Trans Atlantic Crossing on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, yet that's exactly what the Browns, Orrs and Marquis set out to do.
The trip for us began as we started planning, what was soon to become our annual visit to Hank, Cindy and Caleigh. My main concern was that there were no painting projects in store for me upon my arrival and other than that, the only event influencing when it was we traveled was the arrival of Baby Isabella. Both she and Natalie cooperated and we were set to travel on the 12th of April 2012.
The ship, Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Sea .(Johnny boy is a major stockholder)........ complete with ice rink, rock climbing wall and miniature golf course was due to set sail April 15th from San Juan Puerto Rico as it repositioned itself to the Mediterranean for the Summer season abroad. For the most part, repositioning cruises are wonderful value as we were able to book a suite with a balcony for a mere $879.00 plus a few surprise charges along the way. All in all it seemed like a great price, even with the add-ons, gambling and exorbitant drink prices.
We departed John Wayne airport, after paying the Feds and the county assessor's office what they felt they were due and flew to Puerto Rico via Dallas. All went as scheduled and we even arrived with all of our bags. We had decided to spend a few days in San Juan prior to the voyage. Old San Juan is chock full of the history of pirates, explorers and a couple of nice forts.
We ended up staying a 50cent bus ride from old town out by the convention center. Not totally accustomed to riding the bus, the exact change rule got us off to a bad start........quarters in hand we headed for Old Town about ten minutes away.
After a traditional Puerto Rican breakfast at Subway, we hopped an open air trolley to familiarize ourselves with the town which is really quite small and very easy to navigate. After checking out a few forts around town we arrived at Ponce de Leon's White House which seemed a bit modern for someone who had passed thru several hundred years ago.
While we had our liquor in tow, we still needed to secure an adequate supply of mixes, lemons and limes for the voyage. The local CVS store provided us with all that we needed. Royal Caribbean made it quite clear in their pre-boarding documents that smuggling liquor on board the ship was a punishable offense and could lead to your removal from the ship and then you were responsible for your own way home..........a bit severe, I thought. However, as experienced cruisers we were ready for their scanners and inspectors.
During our walk about the city we came upon a museum that was featuring the Body Human exhibition which we decided to visit the next day. The Orrs opted out so it was just the four of us that took in the museum. It turned out to be most informative with many surprises along the way. I had missed the exhibit when it came thru Southern California, but was glad to eventually get to see it here in Puerto Rico. We quickly re-named the Body Human to the Flank Steak display, since once you remove the human skin that's about all you were left with. Lunch and a few beers at one of the many sidewalk cafes was a lovely way to end the visit to town.
Several more cruise ships had arrived that day glogging the town's transportation system as well as its sidewalks. Then it was back to the confines of our hotel room, a quick snack and a bit of gambling and we were ready for our voyage on the "Adventure of the Seas".
As we could see our cruise ship from the hotel, a short cab ride was all that was needed to begin the boarding process.......a few formalities, some missed forms and we were on board ready to begin our eating marathon and our commemorative voyage across the Atlantic, something that I truly felt all travelers should experience in their lifetime's.
Since six straight days at sea is quite a long time, Royal Caribbean offers you a few land stops prior to heading out to the open ocean, very thoughtful of them. Our first stop was to be Saint Thomas in the Virgin Islands. On our last two visits there, we noticed the various cruise ships and the masses they disgorged on the Island. Now we were a part of that exodus. Truly one of the downsides to cruising is that when an assortment of cruise ships are in town and the local population doubles or quadruples, this detracts from the feel of the Island.
The group as a whole attempts to avoid the structured tours provided by the cruise ships because of the costs involved and prefers to do these side trips on our own. The usual mark-up on these tours is two to three times the cost of the outings should one purchase these excursions on your own.
On our last trip to St. Thomas, we spent a wonderful day on the other side of the Island at a spot called Meagan's Bay. Bob and Debbie had also been there so it was decided that this is where we should head. We bought a seat on the shuttle and set off for a relaxing day on a beach that had been voted one of the ten best beaches in the world. It would have been just that, hadn't the other cruise ship passengers found the beach as well. We did manage a spot on the beach at the very end of the bay with a few beers in hand and warm water it did turn out to be a very pleasant day.
We had heard from Val, our neighbor in Catalina, that their might be some Catalina residents on our cruise ship with us. Bob was quick to spot them on his walk down the beach which eventually lead to sharing a few dinners with them on the ship. The own the commercial laundry at Pebbly Beach as well as the newly renovated Avalon Hotel and also the Aurora Hotel on the next street over....small world.
Straight back to the ship and we were on our way to Phillipsburg, St. Maarten Island just up the way. We spent the day on a lovely beach lounging at the camp Bob had in readyness with buckets of iced beer standing by. The horseshoe shaped bay was reminiscent of many we had sat on in Mexico. A lively promenade with the usual assortment of omnipresent trinket vendors and wondering masseuse. As this was our last port before the crossing we needed to make sure that we were well provisioned for the journey Tonic at $3 a can on board takes a little of the pleasure out of cocktail hour.
The routine looks to be that we are all back on board between three and four, and leaving the port around five or six, just in time for our "sail away" cocktail hour. None of us smugglers were caught bringing our liquor on board and we think that their detection efforts were simply directed towards their written warnings and not in their physical inspection methods.
We tipped our cabin steward first thing, to insure a fresh supply of ice each day at five.
Don and Barbara have elected the earlier seating and the rest of us have chosen the later seating beginning at 8:15. The floor shows are nightly at 7and 9pm so it still makes for an early evening should you choose.
The ships design includes a 3-4 story “main street†walk way about thirty feet wide. Storefronts and bars line the street as well as sidewalk dining. A rather novel and attractive design with the formal dining rooms, casino and theaters at opposite ends. The ship, while one of the older ones in the fleet is very attractive and well maintained. Susan had read some reviews to the contrary but we have not found this to be the case.
There is buffet style dining available around the clock and three main dining rooms offering a sit down formal type of service. Our assigned dining area is a wonderful table for six by the window and the waiters assigned to us couldn’t be more accommodating. As with most cruise ships, there is no shortage of food. While not overly successful, I’ve tried to cut back to just one main meal a day which is usually dinner and then fill in with a bit of fruit and salad at lunch time. Regrettably, I’ve not made it to breakfast yet, but Susan manages our coffee service in the morning.
On the nights when the Orrs don't join us we'd invite our new best friends from Catalina. Its interesting to get their take on the Island as he is in business are and subject to the whims of the Island Company. As usual, Don and Barbara have manage to meet and talk to almost everyone onboard the ship. That would be 2092 passengers and 1500 crewman. Susan and I are a bit more reserved and speak only when spoken to.....Don, so loves meeting and talking to people that he can draw out a guy's life history in an elevator ride.
As we head into the open waters of the Atlantic, I don't fear the icebergs as much as the desolation of the next six days at sea. In our favor, the weather was absolutely perfect during the crossing. Each day Bob would fight for deck space in the sun and out of the wind. Most days wind wasn't much of a problem but the crowds were. Bob really needed more practice in Avalon securing a spot on the beach before doing battle with the Europeans and their proprietary demands for a place in the sun.
While Don disagrees, there seems to be more foreigners going home than Americans traveling abroad. Might be that you just notice the accents more than when English is spoken..........I think I'll just defer to Don.
Don does have an interesting gay couple next to them, very flamboyant and way over the top. They have been on the ship for six months and are headed home to Malaga Spain. The play dress-up each nite and seem to be in competition with the other as to who can be the more outlandish. Bob spotted one of them downstairs the other nite in a digitally lit suit in hot pinks and greens. Never without a cap or a hat or a boa, the two are quite a kick and a very positive addition to the mix onboard.......they are hard to miss. We managed to run into them in town and they filled us in on their six months adventure which they plan to repeat next November........quite the life!
As I'm not much of a joiner, my days are mostly filled by reading and the occasional trips upstairs to sit in the sun. I must admit Im not a very good cruiser and tend to retreat even more so into my reading. While I've had the occasional stroll around the deck, a game of miniature golf and the infrequent visit to the casino, my days are spent looking at the sea roll by while all the time hoping to see another vessel, or a bird, or even so sea life. We did see a long line fishing boat early on but nothing since then.
Susan on the other hand loves her slots and has even taken a flash dance class that was performed and filmed a few nites ago . She was quite the star. All the girls have their new Ipads so have been on quite a learning curve. The camera is magnificent and quite an addition to the trip. Internet connection is spotty, slow and very expensive. Susan manages to log on and is able to play some of her activities even after logging off. I on the other hand subscribed to 30 minutes of wifi, pronounced weefee and spent the next 19 minutes trying to pick up one e-mail from Natalie that had picture of Isabella.........no dice. I'll try again today when I have to use up my remaining 11 minutes.
As I've said, six days at sea while relaxing has not motivated me to any higher endeavors. Susan claims I'm even more of a slug than usual.......probably very true. I just am looking forward to stepping back on land and into some other routine. Our crossing has gone thru five time zone not including the three from California to Puerto Rico which has required us to advance our clocks one hour each nite for the last several nites. This has resulted in all of us jumping out of bed at the crack of 11am for the last few days.
On April 24th we arrived in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Supposedly this was the jumping off point for many of the explorers to the New World. While I'd never heard of Tenerife, I certainly knew of the Canary Islands. For the most part the Islands are the result of volcanic activity but unlike the Hawaiian Island they lack the foliage and lushness found on a tropical Island.
Off the ship, we boarded the Big Red Double Decker Bus, seen around the world, for a tour of the city. The jump on, jump off bus is quite a handy way to see any city in a fairly inexpensive way. We got near the end of the tour and jumped off at what looked to be quite an interesting market. I always love these markets that sell just about anything you need for the day..........fruit, vegetables, meats, bread and fish. Our stroll about the market left us in the mood for a snack and beer which lead us to our first experience with the local Sangria and Tapas snacks found at most cafes.
After that we set off on foot in search of a weefee which we located a few blocks later on the way back to the boat (ship). Since we were using the guys free wifi we felt obligated to buy a few beers and Sangria from him. Also had our first experience with a Spanish ATM and our introduction to the Euro. Bob had purchased some Euros back home and was able to front us for awhile. So I reloaded my money clip and we moved on and back to the ship.
That nite was formal (to me that was the jacket I drug from home and finally found a chance to wear) but dress up nite is usually quite something. The girls look great and the meals are just a bit more special than the normal faire. The boys next to Don and Barbara go all out on those nites and our dressed to impress.
While the food has been consistently good, consuming those quantities on a regular basis is getting a bit much.................I really don't need to gain an extra 10 pounds going to into swimsuit season.
The next day found us on the Island of Lanzorate, still part of the Canary Islands. We noted with some surprise that there was going to be a $25/couple bus charge to the center of town. The ever frugal Don got off the ship and found us a rental car and we were on our way to explore the Island.
A bit of misdirection lead us to the center of town and boy, were we glad we hadn't been dropped off there. We wove our way down to the beach and re-grouped and then set out for the south end of the Island to Playa Blanca. We came upon, albeit, a bit touristy, a delightful little town on the water with a series of shops, bars and one very special place.
I got talked into having my feet cleaned by a tank full of fish. Your shoes come off, you hop on a stool, and you emerge you feet into the clear aquarium of small and hungry cat fish that went absolutely nuts for my crusty feet. Supposedly its quite the thing all over the area to rejuvenate and cleanse your feet. Once you got buy the tickling sensation and the fish nibbling on the tops and bottoms of your feet it really was quite a wonderful experience.
We moved across the street for a beer before heading down to the promenade for a walk along the water. There were bars after bars along the way until we decided it was now time to stop and have a beer and a bite to eat. No luck. So it was back in the car and on to Puerto del Carman. This spot was even better than the last. A much prettier spot where it appeared folks would come with their families rent a house and spend a week or two. It looked to be reasonable and quite the area to loose yourself in.
Not knowing our timing back to the boat, Bob and I (the earlyon time arrivers to the airport) were a bit anxious about the timing back to the ship. We took a rash of shit all the way back to the ship. Even with a slight misstep back into the center of town we arrived back at the ship with forty minutes to spare. Bob and I were still the goats of the day.........................but a fine time was had by all.
We cruised that nite and awoke to another $12/couple bus fare to the town of Madeira on the Portuguese Island of Funchal. Since all of these Islands are off the coast of Africa, I'm checking the lost continent off my bucket list. All of us found Madeira to be the favored stop on the trip. Aside from the bus fare (Bob and Debbie walked) we somehow all managed to meet up just outside the local fruit/vegetable and fish market.
At the fish market we had our first look at the Espada, a local fish that lives at a depth of 3000 feet, is butt ugly but a must have dish when you are here. I had an Espada sandwich on a local bread with a beer and it was wonderful.
Bob and Debbie found us just as the four of us were finishing lunch and we set off to explore some of the quainter aspect of the town. The narrow alley ways and the painted doors gave quite a unique look to an altogether charming town.
Its dress up nite again and as usual I'm pulling out my linen jacket that will sure to impress anyone I come in contact with. A great dinner. Susan had the lobster and I the prime rib. Afterwards Susan and I headed to the casino. I had been consistently avoiding the place but lost my resolve and sat down to a game of blackjack. Up and down over the course of the hour when Susan came up and said she was leaving. I then proceeded to catch the hand from hell. I had my largest bet of the evening, about $40 or so and was dealt two kings with the dealer showing a 3.......easy money unless her down card is an 8 and she draws a ten......which is exactly what she did and I went home a loser but had had a hand that I won't soon forget.
We are at sea today and will be in the port of Malaga at 6am on the 28th. We are then off the boat and will pick up our rental cars. The Marquis have decided to join us at our next stop or Nerja, at the extreme south of Spain, east of Gibraltar. From there its north to Granada then out to the coast and north to Barcelona.
We leave the Orrs in Barcelona on the 6th and then Susan and I will continue to France for our visit with the kids. Then for us its back to Barcelona for the flight home.
I'll try and update you in the next few days after our arrival in France............
Love to all,
Gary and Susan
The Arrival
28th April Made It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and not a single iceberg but one helluva rainstorm when we arrived in Malaga, Spain. Disembarked the vessel
With our 2092 new best friends. From what we could tell, with the exception of the boys who call Malaga home, the rest of us were looking for taxis, buses or rental cars. We had made arrangements to have both cars delivered to the cruise port by 9am.after locating a cell phone we could use, we made contact with the Sixt agency who said they would be there in the next 20 or so minutes.
True to their word, they arrived and we piled into two brand new rental cars. We had a Peugot (sp) that was just perfect. Took all our bags with a bit of room to spare plugged the GPS into the cig lighter (thanks John) and we were on our way to Nerja. Had a bit of a roundabout start as we tried to get out of town a few minutes later, with a frustrated Marquis family following, we made it to the A7 and on our way to Nerja where we had booked a Hostal with partial ocean views.
It seems when we come out of a tunnel our GPS takes a major dump and we lose all info and have to re-boot the system. That's exactly our situation as we approached Nerja.
A few failed attempts at getting to the center of town resulted in a bit more frustration but eventually we did find the hotel.......parking, however, was another problem. Underground parking came at 29 Euros a day found some free parking after checking into the hotel and set out for an inspection of the town and a bit of lunch. Great lunch, but in the wrong section of town.
Our first impression of Nerja was not a favorable one which had we turned left out of the hotel instead of right we would have ended up in a most scenic section of town. We did manage to get our bearings and had to agree with Rick Steves, that this was well worth the visit.
We had a coffee in the plaza and watched a continuous flow of people headed to the church to what we assumed was a wedding. They continued to come and go for the entire time we were there. We later surmised that they were all headed to the same church where ceremonies were being conducted by the priest one after the other, factory style. One group would leave and new another would follow with a new Bride and Groom........quite a production.
After finishing our coffee and watching a pigeon being run over by a car, Bob felt it was time to move on. A walk about the town proved to be delightful, the rain left and the sun arrived to end the day.
Its now cocktail hour on the veranda and soon we'll head out for a late bite since the evening hours start later than we would prefer. I'm we'll get used to it.........
Bye, Again
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