Avignon - First full day of cruise

I woke up very early.  Stuffy and having trouble breathing via my nose so took the CPAP off and just rested until Bob woke.  Got ready for breakfast.  This cabin has a coffee machine so Bob made a cup and we will wait until 7am to head to the dining room.

Today our tour is of Tarascon.  It is a bus ride to the area and then a walking tour.  We are in the blue group today.  We have arranged with Vantage that the six of us will always be in the same group.  The drive to Tarascon took about 30 minutes.  Lots of fruit trees along the way.

We walked into this village.  The first thing we saw was the castle.  It is open to the public.

The front of the castle.  It really is impressive to see how some people lived.

The moot used to be filled with water.  Today, just grass and weeds.

The interior courtyard of the castle.

The Rhone river on the other side of the castle.

Next we visited the Royal Collegiate Church of Saint Martha.  In about 48 AD Martha and her companion saints, left Palestine.  Arriving by boat, they were cast up on the shores of Provence.  When Martha arrived in Avignon, she was begged by the inhabitants of Tarascon to deliver them from a monster, the Tarasque, who devoured men and beasts.  Martha led the monster in the name of Christ, to come with her back to the village where she led it to the people who killed it.  Or so they say.

A stone statue of Tarasque.  Looked like a giant turtle to us.

The church was built in the 13th and 14th century.  During Allied bombings in 1944, the spire and belfry were destroyed.  The spire was rebuilt to its 15th century state and the church exterior was restored.

After our walk we stopped and bought a bottle of wine and then a coffee and pastry for Bob.  Then back to the bus for the ride back to Avignon.

Lunch with the gang and now nap time. Could not sleep.  The cabin we have is on the upper deck and this area of France is very windy.  So the chairs on the outside deck get blown around and we heard it in the cabin.  So I got a cup of tea and worked on my cross stitch project.

They are having a French lesson this afternoon and then a talk on Avignon.  Tomorrow we do a walking tour of Avignon.  We were here several years ago.  Looking forward to seeing it again.

Leaving Barcelona Going to Avignon and Embarkation

We were up early for us and finished packing.  To breakfast with Frank and Judy and then we gathered in the lobby to board the bus to the airport.  We checked three bags as I have too many liquids and did not want to make my suitcase any heavier then it was.  So it cost us an additional 90 euros.  But since they wanted 285 euros to send the stuff home, this seemed like a bargain.

Our flight from Barcelona was fine.  It turned out that we were in seats 22E and 22F with Frank in 22D and Judy in 22C.  Since no one came for A or B, Frank moved over and we were able to spread out.  The flight took about 45 minutes.  When we arrived in Marseille we had to wait for our luggage which turned out to be one of the last ones off the belt.  BTW, Maureen's lost case came out first.

We stored our luggage on the bus and went back inside as we had to wait for two other flights to arrive.  We finally we on the way by 1pm.  The drive to Avignon was about 50 minutes.  When we arrived at the boat, we were greeted by the cruise director and directed onto the boat.  Check in was quick and we were taken to our room which is very nice.  We had upgraded to a suite before we left home.  Very spacious.

The large wooden thing is the TV.  It swings all the way around so that you can sit on the sofa and watch or sit in the bed.

This sitting area is across from the desk.  I will try and take a better picture of the cabin when it is all made up and neat.

A light lunch and then to the cabin to unpack as the luggage had arrived.  Another interesting fact, the entire crew including officers all work to get the luggage on board.  We unpacked and put everything away.  Now Bob is taking a nap and I am working on the blog.

They had a Captain's Welcome in the Peppermint Lounge.  We were all given a glass of champagne and listened to them tell us what was going on.  Plus a safety film about life jackets, etc.  Cory and Anne arrived during the talk.  They were the last ones to arrive.  Great to see them again.

Dinner in the Compass Rose.  We had a nice round table for six.  Sarah was our waitress.  Seems like they now hire more people from the Asia then from Europe.  Dinner consists of an appetizer and soup which you do not have a choice, then a choice of one of two entrees, and then a choice of either two desserts.  Both Bob and I had a butterfish which was very good.

After dinner, Bob and I walked up on the top deck.  We stayed overnight here in Avignon.  Then back to the cabin and lights out.

Barcelona Day Three - Updated

Breakfast with Frank and Judy in the Lounge.  Lots of Vantage people there today.  We have opted not to take the tour with the group.  They are going up to Monstserrat monastery and we have been there before.  So we will be on our own this morning.  Our plan is to take the Metro to Las Ramblas and then visit the Picasso or something in the area.  Tonight we are attending a buffet and a Flamingo demonstration.

The walk along Las Rumblas.  The other times we have been to Barcelona, the Rumblas is full of mimes etc.  Maybe because we were there on week days, they were not around.  It loses some of the flavor without them.

We walked up to the Metro station but then decided to go into the Arena.  This is an old bull ring that they have made into a shopping mall.  Great use of the space.  Bob bought a converter as he does not like the one we have.  We walked around the mall for a while and then decided to take the Metro to Las Ramblas.  I thought we would visit the market again but Bob wanted to go to the Cathedral.  So we walked down the Ramblas for a bit and then crossed over to the area where the Cathedral is found.  It is a beautiful Cathedral.  I waited for Bob as he went inside.

The beautiful Cathedral in the heart of Barcelona.

We then walked back to the Metro and came back to the hotel.  We had a light lunch in the lounge and then a nap.  Both of us are tired.  I could not sleep so I am updating the blog.  I am coming down with a cold and my nose is plugged.  Makes for interesting breathing.

In the afternoon we packed up our suitcases as we have to have them out of the room by 6am.

Tonight we are attending a buffet and Flamingo Demonstration.  So we met the group in the lounge for a pre dinner cocktail.  There will be 11 of us going to the show.  We met Dagmar in the lobby and headed to the Metro to the theater.  It is interesting that they allow you to buy a ten trip ticket and both Bob and I can uses the same ticket.  Once one person inserts the ticket and enters they pass the ticket to the next person and off you go.

The buffet was very good.  Lots of regional dishes.  We sat with Maureen and Mark (I think I said his name was Matt before and Maureen has still not received her luggage), Frank and Judy.  After the dinner we headed into the theater for the show.  Talk about loud.  I had to hold my ears most of the evening.  The dancing was great but both Bob and I thought it was too long.  Although most of the folks loved it.  Then Frank and Judy and Bob and I took a taxi home as Judy and I did not want to walk from the Metro late at night.

You are only allowed to take pictures at the end of the performance.  I did take a video and will try and post it later.

One of the passengers had his pocket picked earlier in the day.  He lost about $1000.00 plus a credit card.  By the time he was able to call the credit card company, they had already spent over $600.00.

To bed as we need to be up early in the morning for our flight to Marseille.

Barcelona Day Two - Updated

We awoke and headed to the lounge for breakfast.   Vantage has arranged for us to use the special lounge during our stay at the hotel.  Very nice feature.  We gathered our stuff and met the group and headed out for the morning tour.

Our bus drove around the city and the guide pointed out some of the buildings that Antoni Gaudi designed.

Next we drove to Park Guell.  When we visited Barcelona two years ago, this park was free for amy one to enjoy.  Now they have decided to charge you an entrance fee.  Some of the local people do not think this is fair so if you live close, you do not have to pay but the rest of the city residents have to pay to enjoy the park.  The park is typical Gaudi built.  Since we had been here before, I decided not to walk down to the bottom of the park and Bruce, another from our group, and I walked back toward the bus area.  We sat on a bench and talked until the group rejoined us.  Bruce and his wife Susan live in Bakersfield, CA.  This is their first Vantage cruise but have done a river cruise once before with Uniworld.

Our next stop was at La Sagrada Familia.   We have visited this Church many times and it is fun to see the progress being made.  It is said that it will be complete by 2026.  It was started in the late 1800's.  It is an amazing building.

This side of the building is the only side that Gaudi drew.  This is the Nativity Facade.  This facade is a triumph of life expressed through the birth of Jesus.  The building began in 1892 and is the one Gaudi left at the most advanced stage.  In 1926, before he died, he saw the St. Barnabas bell tower crowned.  The other three, dedicated to Jude, Simon and Matthew, were finished in 1930.

There are several sculptures on the facade that show the life of Jesus starting with the marriage of Mary and Joseph.  And continue throughout Jesus's life.

Once you enter the Church, you are greeted by this statue at the front of the Church.

 The stain glass windows are very different from what they think Gaudi would have designed.  They are very colorful and represent the seasons of the year by color.  Blue being winter and red and yellow is summer.  Or so they say.  The people are not sure that Gaudi would appreciate the changes.

Next we returned to the bus for the ride back to the hotel.  We grabbed a bite to eat in the lounge and then back to the room for a nap.

When we got up, we decided to take the Metro to La Ramblas.  On the way I stopped at the desk and asked about sending my stuff home.  Seems it would cost 285 Euros.  I said no thanks.  Will go to plan B.

Walked the Ramblas and went into the market.  When Bob edits his pictures, I will post some of the items you can buy.  Sheep head eye included, pig feet, all parts of the cow, etc.

Took the Metro back to the hotel and now catching up with the blog.  The plan is the have a drink in the lounge and then head out to dinner here near the hotel.  We will meet Frank and Judy in the lounge.  So I had better get ready.

We had drinks in the lounge with several of the other people who are traveling on Vantage.  Sharon and Herman from Washington State, Kay from Houston, Tx, Bruce and Susan from Bakersfield, CA, Maureen and Matt from Buffalo, NY, one other couple and Frank and Judy.  Lots of good stories and laughs.  I often think the local people must think Americans are strange.

We left the lounge around 7:30pm and walked to one of the local restaurants.  I had found it on the internet and so it looked good so we thought we would try it.  Casa de Tapas Canota.  We started to sit outside but Judy felt she was having a breathing problem so we went inside.  Bob and I ordered five different dishes which were all really good.  And the prices were also good.  Eating this way we do not over eat.  Which is something new to us.  We walked back to the hotel and headed back to our room.  We read a bit and then lights out.

Barcelona Day One

After checking into the hotel, Crowne Plaza Barcelona, we unpacked and I put together a pile of clothes I am going to send home so that my suitcase is much lighter.  I tended to overpack.  Something I do all the time.  Cannot seem to get it right.  Oh well.

We took a walk around this area of the city.  We have always stayed close to the port when we were here before.  This time it will take a Metro ride to the Ramblas.  Those who have visited Barcelona know that Las Ramblas is where the action is.  At any rate, we took our walk and stopped at a small cafe where we had some tapas for lunch.  We did sit outside as the weather was beautiful and they put the umbrella up so that we could sit in the shade.  Bob had not taken his hat so shade was important to us.

We returned to the hotel to take a short nap and then Judy called as they had just checked in.  Seems Vantage routed them from Washington Dulles to Zurich where they had at least two hour layover and then to Barcelona.  So they did not get to Barcelona until around 2pm.  We met them in the lobby and did some catching up.

Then entire group gathered at 6pm for a drink and some chatting and then Dagmar had a talk about what to expect here in Barcelona.  Then we all headed up to the restaurant here in the hotel for a welcome dinner.  Food was okay.  I guess typical restaurant food.  But we sat with Frank and Judy and had a very nice evening.

Returned to the room as we were the only two who were not jet lagged.  All the others had just flown in that day.  We read for a while and watched the BBC for some news updates.  Learned that Ricky Flowers won the Players.  Good for him.  Looks like it was an exciting finish.  We have not been in Ponte Vedra for the last few years during the tournament.  Maybe next year.

Lights out for the night.

Rest of the Cruise - Updated

Sorry I have not kept this blog up but internet was very expensive and slow.  So I am now going to tell about the rest of the cruise.  It was very relaxing.  A total of eight sea days.  Lots of things to do but we decided to just do our own things.  I did lots of cross stitching and Bob did lots of reading.  We did do our water exercises every day.  We had a light breakfast and then waited about one hour and then had the pool to ourselves most days.  The water was heated a bit but the air and winds were cool.  So not many people wanted to be in the water.  The problem was when you got out and had to get to the hot tub.  This was a cold walk and not many wanted to do it.  I was glad when we got to the ports and the sun was shining.  Made the walk a bit better.

We did a self tour in Lisbon.  Bob wanted to buy a waterproof watch and we found a small shop that had several for him to choose from.  Then we walked around a bit and back on the shuttle to the ship.  In the square we found these figures.  Not sure what they are suppose to be but we found them interesting.

In Cadiz, I did not get off but Bob took a walk around the city after lunch.  In Malaga we took the shuttle to the center of the city.  We wanted to have lunch at a place that Ante had recommended.  But it meant taking a taxi or bus and we decided to skip and just walk about the city.  We have been to all these ports before so no tour.  I returned to the ship by the shuttle and Bob stayed in town to do some more wandering.  And then in Alicante, neither of us got off the ship.  The walk just to the  end of the port was long and there was no shuttle.  So we just stayed on the ship.

Most nights we ate in one of the three special restaurants.  The last time we sailed with Celebrity, the dining in the main dining room was not so good and they tended to rush us as we were always a table for two.  So this time around, we pre booked our reservations.  That meant we only ate in the main dining room three times.  The last time we ate there we were with the group plus another couple from Florida that Jack and Barbara had met on a previous cruise.

Because we were such good customers, the last two times we ate in Murano, they treated us to special dinners.  The first was Steak Diane and then last night they prepared a seafood platter for us.  Two lobster tails, some shrimp, a couple of scallops, a piece of fish and some calamari.  All very good but too much for both of us.  Since we both had the same amount of food.  After dinner, we met with the Ponte Vedra group in the library and toasted our new found friends with a glass of port that Dan had brought on board.  The Ponte Vedra group are staying on for the next cruise.

This morning was disembarkation.  We had a light breakfast and finished packing the carry ons and went down to the Martini Bar to wait for our number to be called.  We decided to leave a little early and had a long line to go through passport control.  Then we collected our bags and got in another long line to wait for the taxi.  When we arrived at the hotel, we were met by Dagmar who is the Vantage City Rep.  Our room was ready and it is quite nice.  Much larger than the room we had on the Equinox.

So now we are waiting until the group arrives.  We were the first ones to arrive.  Might grab a light lunch and wander around the city.  We are in an area we are not familiar with.  They are offering a walk about at 3pm but we might head out before then.

Six Sea Days and then Azores

We sailed the Atlantic Ocean for six straight days and finally arrived here in the Azores.  The weather has been cool and some days rain.  But we have survived.  We got to swim everyday for at least one hour.  Yesterday, when we swam, we met two men from Ft. Lauderdale.  They are originally from Rhode Island and Boston.  Turns out Dan graduated from Johnson and Wales.  He told us about some of the classes he took.  Right now he is taking a year off to travel with his partner, Jeff.  Nice guys.  And Bob was happy to learn more about Johnson and Wales.  For those who don't know, Liz our oldest granddaughter, will be a freshman there in the fall.

We have eaten most nights in the special restaurants.  Only two nights in the main dining room.  Food is okay.  We are not starving.  But trying to watch what we eat so that the exercise we do is worth it.  We have eaten with Barbara and Jack, Dan and Brenda and Charlie and Martha two night.  We will eat with them again tonight as it is Charlie and Martha's 40th anniversary.

Today we just walked around town for about an hour and half.  Stopped at a local cafe for a coke and internet but this site was in the local language so I had to enter this back on the ship.  We do get some internet time but not enough for blogging.

Tomorrow we be the first of two more sea days and then we are in a port every day till Barcelona.  So until Lisbon, this will be the last entry.  Will try and post pictures after Bob edits them.