Day 16: Cascais, Portugal

Got up late and spent the first half of the day walking around Casais. We wandered along the many narrow and colourful streets, browsed through little shops, visited the lighthouse and enjoyed a light lunch and Portuguese tarts by the sea while watching people laze and play on the beach. After lunch we drove along the west coast visiting various beaches, some tiny inlets and others hugh expanses. As the afternoon wore on it became quite windy and we came across a beach where there were many people kite surfing – it was quite a spectacle! There looks to be an enormous amount of talent and strength needed to control the kites and some of the wave jumps were extraordinary.

We made our way back to the hotel once again following the setting sun. Packed ready to leave for Barcelona tomorrow morning. Our holiday is more han half over already.

Day 15: Cascais, Portugal – Trip to Sintra

Awoke to a vivid blue sky, sunshine streaming in our room and the sounds of the ocean and seagulls. This is living. I keep telling myself I have to find time to check my emails but am not finding enough drive to do so. I know Rosaria will SMS me is there is anything urgent, so I relax and put if off for another day.

Had a spectacular day - traveled to Sintra to see the national palace, the palace of Pena and the castle of the Moors. The palace of Pena was amazing, it looked like something that belonged in Disneyland. It is perched high on the top of a mountain and is quite a steep walk to get there. Thankfully the last and hardest part can be done via a tram for 2 Euro. When we arrived at the palace we were greeted by a spectacle the palace is extremely ornate and colourful. It was built on the remains of a 16th century convent and used until the assignation of King Ferdinand.

After the palace we just made it in time to enter the gates of the Moor castle and had only 45 mins before closing time. My gosh, the moors must have been robust individuals to build so many amazing structures and so many of them like this one perched high up on a mountain with hundreds of steep steps. The views were amazing from both the palace and the castle but boy was I tried and my legs were killing me – I feel like a mountain goat!

We headed back to the hotel tried and happy accompanied by spectacular coastal scenery and a magnificent sunset.

Day 14: Lisbon, Portugal

Arrived in Lisbon to bright sun and a chilly wind. Had breakfast and said goodbye to many friends. Susan – we are sorry we did not get to say goodbye at breakfast.

We arranged to meet Avi and Noreen for dinner at light and set off at 10am to get our hire car and find our way to our Hotel.

Arrived at our hotel – The Farol Design Hotel in Cascais, which is about 20kms from Lisbon on the south west coast. What an amazing hotel and location! The hotel is very modern and located by the sea. Our room has great views of the courtyard and sea. We hurriedly unpacked, ate a fantastic lunch at their restaurant and set off to visit the city of Lisbon.

In Lisbon we started in the main square near the waterfront where we saw segways for hire and decided to have a go. They were fantastic fun and so easy to use – I now know what I want for Christmas! – just kidding Ron. We then walked to the medieval area and went into the Lisbon Cathedral Referred to as the Sé. For 2 Euros were allowed to past the main alter and go into the back of the church where they have an archeological dig going on and the remains of the first cathedral build in the 12th century. Next we walked the streets window shopping and Ron purchased some great shoes. Portugal is the 2nd highest producer of shoes and handbags in Europe and the quality and is fantastic and the prices are even better.

We meet Avi and Noreen at 8pm at a restaurant called O Faia which was recommended to them. It had local Portuguese cuisine and entertainment. A great night was enjoyed by all and we even met a German couple from the ship. We said our goodbye to Avi and Noreen as they were to head off for Boston at 9am the next morning. I’m sure we will meet up again some time in the future. I’m not sure how Ron will cope without Avi for intellectual conversation!

Day 13: Portimao, Portugal

The last day of our cruise.

The ship docked at 9am in windy overcast and cold conditions. After breakfast Susan, Noreen, Avi, Ron and I all left the ship to board the local bus and explore Portimao. It soon became apparent why there was no excursion arranged! The place was relatively run down and very unexciting and I in fairness the weather did nothing to enhance the place. We wandered around the town and had lunch a little café. One of unique features of Portuguese architecture is that they tile the fronts of their houses and many have tiles depicting the history of the place or dwelling.

The entire trip Ron and Avi have barely come up for air, from politics to spirituality and philosophy, they are leaving nothing uncovered – I think they are set on solving the world’s problems before we dock!

We boarded again at 3pm to choppy conditions and I was excited to hear that it may be a rough night – at last some sailing! To pass the time till sailing we all played scrabble and just before dinner we left to pack our bags.

Set sail at 4pm to full sails and choppy seas. Just before dinner an announcement was made reminding us of safety precautions to take should the sailing get a little rough. By the time we arrived at dinner we were rocking and rolling! The dinning room was the second lowest deck and soon the portholes were being pounded by waves and the increasing pitch soon emptied the dinner room. I was very excited and felt sorry for those who were feeling the effects of seasickness (including the crew). At the end of dinner the crew gave a great recital of ‘we are the world’ and we all sang along.

Ron and I left the dinning room and went up on the top deck to check out the sails and conditions – boy were we moving and rolling. Lights on the horizon were rolling from 45 to 180 degrees! Everything was very exciting until we entered the confined spaces of our cabin and then sea sickness set in. At first I was just a little nausea and then with just enough time to grab the plastic lined trash can dinner was ejected several times! Of course this was enough to set Ron off and so we were a pigeon pair of pukers! Once we were over the episode and thankfully the nauseas was gone Ron opened the door of our cabin to place the bags on the verandah only to be met with a face full of water from a passing wave!

The rest of the night we laid in our bed rolling from one side to another and the waves hit our windows. Having experienced the night (beaufort 7.5 – gale force winds) we are glad we are not staying on board for the 10 days at sea that it will take to get to Bermuda.
All said I would heartily recommend anyone to go on the Royal Clipper and know understand why they have a 66% return rate (the highest of any cruise line). Nearly everyone on board that we meet including Susan, Noreen and Avi are return travelers.

Day 12: Cadiz, Spain. Trip to Seville

What a fantastic day we’ve had today! We left the ship at 8am and headed by coach to Seville. As we passed cotton fields, olive groves and vineyards our guide Herman entertained us with stories, history and information about Spain. Herman visited Spain from Germany 30 years ago for a holiday and has never left.

Soon we arrived in Seville and what a beautiful city it was! It magically intertwines the old with the new in such a delightful way that around every corner is another adventure. We traversed our way through century old passage ways into quaint courtyards, surrounded by whitewashed walls, tiled patios and wrought iron windows. Surrounding the courtyards were little shops that sold beautiful handmade ceramic gifts. I’m totally amazed that only yesterday we were Tetouan where the culture and economic conditions were so different. Tangier is only 16kms away so it begs the question - how is it possible that one culture became so advanced while the other has stayed unchanged for centuries?

Our first major stop was at the palace of Peter the Cruel. This 14th century palace is an amazing mix of Arabic, Roman and Gothic architecture and while it is wonderful it does not compare to the Alhambra. Next it was onto the Cathedral of Seville, the third largest in the world and wow, I was totally blown away by it. I’ve seen the Vatican and Westminster Abbey but this is something else! The ceilings were so high and the gold and woodwork were nothing less than masterpieces. Every nook had something to marvel at, but for me the most impressive items were the burial monument of Christopher Columbus and the high alter which was the most ornate, intricate thing I’ve ever seen. It towered almost to the ceiling (I’d guess a 100ft) and was solid gold – I could only photograph just a small portion of it.

A late and leisurely lunch was had at the San Marci restaurant and then it was onto the Maria Luisa Park for a quick look before heading back to the ship. The day was delightfully finished with a unhurried walk around the township near the ship and Tapas and coffee at a local café which was heralded over by another ancient cathedral.

Day 11: Tangier, Morocco. Trip to Tetouan

Today we arrived in Tangier at 11am and at 1pm set off on a trip to Tetouan by coach. The countryside was quite different to that going to Merekesh and Rabat, instead of being a flat almost desolate countryside inhabited mostly by goat herders and olive trees we passed green undulating hills backed by the grandeur of the Rif mountain range. On the way we past Bedouin county women in native dress and many small bustling townships selling a multitude of vegetables and fruits. It was a shame to have to pass so many wonderful photo opportunities.

We entered the city of Tetouan and headed immediately for the Medina and Kasbah. We were lead through a maze of tiny streets and it felt like moving back in time hundreds of years. We were surrounded by a way of life and culture that has existed for thousands of years and one that I have only seen in movies and books. It is such a culturally rich place though the people are obviously poor. We had mint tea and almond biscuits in a beautiful tea house and were entertained by exotic dancers and musicians. All too soon it was time to get back on the bus and again another day has gone by without me seeing anything I want to purchase – who’d of though that was possible? Most of the places we are taken are full of things that appear to be obvious copies that are touted as the real thing for exorbitant prices.

Day 10: Port of Casablanca, Morocco. Trip to Rabat

Sailed into the port of Casablanca at midday. Casablanca is the largest city in Africa and is only 14 kms from Europe across the strait. Morocco is made up of 91% Muslims, 2% Jews and 7% Christians and all live in harmony as it is the most tolerant country for all religions. Their new king, Mohammed VI has made many advances including allowing women to take any occupation they wish, building highways between all cities before 2010 and spending 25% of his personal wealth to improve the plight of the poor. He is also the first of their kings to make the decision to only have one wife (a commoner) and is obviously very loved by his people.

We bordered our bus for Rabat at 1pm. Our guide for the day was a practicing Muslim woman who was very interesting and enlightened us to the ways of Muslims.

Our first stop was the Moroccan royal palace and then the new royal mausoleum. The later was built on the grounds of a previous mosque that was never finished and also partly destroyed by the great earthquake of 1789 which was 8.4 on the Richter scale and destroyed much of the area.

Next we were taken to the Kasbah des Oudayas. Kasbah (casbar) is the name given to a fort and this one was built in the 11th century to defend the city against the many Andalusian pirates that regularly tried to invade the region as well as the name given o a marketplace. Inside we were offered nougat, spearmint tea and almond biscuits. The fort overlooks the ocean inlet and was a wonderful place to sit and take in the colours of Morocco. From there we headed back to the ship for a pirate dinner and crab racing!

Day 9: Safi, Morocco – Visit to Marekesh

Sailed all night on rocky seas and awoke to entering the port of Safi as dawn broke on another sunny day. After an early breakfast we set off for a 12 hour tour to Marrakech but no before being advised to leave everything of value behind. On the bus we drove past miles and miles of land where nothing appears to grow. Houses are mud brick dwellings that are plastered with mud on the outside – life looked very difficult. Produce appears mainly, olives and goats. Most of the women in these areas are covered head to toe with bukkas.

Entered Marekesh after 2 hours of driving. It is a city that is growing fast but everything building built looks like it is being thrown together (no wonder everything falls down in earthquakes!). If they forget the plumbing they just push it into the side of the building without a thought to the ascetics.

First we were taken to the old city (Medina) which is inside the centre of Marekesh to see the 12th century Koutoubia minaret and then to the Bahia Palace. Inside we again saw wonderful Moorish (Arab) architecture. Next was the Djema el Fna square where thousands of people mingle to sell goods (mainly to the tourists) and perform. There were merchants everywhere selling spices, dried fruit which looked fantastic but it was suggested that we did not buy any for fear of possibly ruining the rest of our trip. There were snake charmers, acrobats, drummers and monkey acts. He whole place was very loud and exotic. We were forever having snakes placed on our shoulders and if you did not have your camera firmly in your hand the locals would grab it, take a picture and then demand 3 euros! We all quickly tired of the noise and bustle.

Next was a stop at a Persian carpet selling and then onto to his tourist shop. The carpets were fantastic but started off at a very expensive price ($6,0000 USD) which if you bargained well you could get for $1,300. We didn’t bother. His shop was like an Aladdin’s cave but on close inspection looked cheap, dirty and trashy. Most of us felt a little peeved going here as we had passed many great stalls and shops that looked like much better quality and now there was no more time. I’d say there was definitely some deals going on.

Lunch was next in an old palace, we were lead through narrow streets full of vendors to the doorway of the restaurant. You could really get lost in the back streets of Merekesh – and that’s a scary thought! Down we went into the restaurant in found ourselves in a beautiful place. The walls and ceiling completely covered with ornate plasterwork and tiles, the floors were carpeted with rugs in rich colours and glass domed skylights let in rays of filtered light. The food was wonderful and the hot portions was served in tangines. Dessert was thick slices of cooled orange sprinkled with cinnamon – Uhm, try it some time! This was the same restaurant used for the Hitchcock film “The Man Who Knew Too Much”.

Back on the bus and we visited the burial tomb of the kings, back to the square for another onslaught of snakes, monkeys and locals in the various Persian dress wanting you to take a photo. Then it was back on the bus again for the long trip back to the boat. While the day had been good, I’ll definitely place Merekesh on my ‘been there, done that list’ and leave it at that.

Just as you’d think they day was finished as we headed into port there was a dead body on the road (hit by a car, I’d guess). The bus simply swerved around it and drove on – life is definitely cheap in this part of the world – it may be just across the Mediterranean from Europe and a life similar to our own, but it a world away in culture.

Day 7: Montril, Spain.

Arrived at the port at 8.45am and after a leisurely breakfast we headed off for a 7 hour excursion to Grenada passing the Sierra Nevada ranges and onto the Alhambra. The Alhambra was the most fantastic places I have ever seen and while much of it is in ruins there were still many areas that remains much as it was over 600 years ago. It is considered one of the finest examples of Islamic art. It was a series of palaces build for the Sultans and it was the most amazing place. All the walls were covered with the most fantastic ornate plaster work, Arabic script and mosaics. There were also many beautiful gardens where the women of the harem and the sultan would spend their days.
After dinner we were entertained by a frog race!

Day 6: At Sea

Lazed the day away under the sun and sails. Starting to feel like all we do is eat and sleep. During he day there are various classes such as navigation, language and bridge. On board there is a large tour group from the Smithsonian Institute that are taking the cruise and learning about the influence of the Moors on southern European culture. They have several lecturers with them and they hide themselves away a lot of the time

listening to lecturers. Celebrated Ron's Birthday with a great dinner and our new friends.

Day 5: Ibiza, Balearic Island

10am we sailed into the very large harbour of Ibiza. It is apparently the second largest habour in the world after Pearl habour. Every where we sail people on the shore are taking photos of our ship as it only comes their way onced a year and looks very impressive when under sail. There was no excursion as the day was Columbus Day and everything was closed. We landed and walked around he city. At night we were entertained by a local dance troop.