Let’s see; where was I? Oh yes, another sail-away, this time from Barcelona. Of course, the big question is will I make it to London in time to sail on the Queen Mary 2 on Thursday. The Rome airport has re-opened (that is good), and planes will be taking off for North America. But the airports in northern Europe, including Britain, are still closed, (so that’s bad). I will try to post another blog on Sunday, but after that I may be silent for a few days since I don’t know what kind of power options will be available for my laptop. I may have to conserve battery life in case I need to contact airlines, travel agents, Cunard, etc. So keep all your fingers crossed for me. I’m having dinner in the Pinnacle Grill again tonight, and at 10:30 the Grand Dessert Extravaganza begins outdoors by the Lido Deck pool. Perhaps if I stuff myself enough and keep drinking enough wine I won’t worry too much about the transportation issues.
Friday Morning: Ibiza at last
One of the delights of travelling by ship is entering beautiful harbors in various parts of the world. The sea entry to Ibiza is particularly stunning, as we first pass the island of Formentera, the smallest of the Balearics, and then approach the hillside of the old city of Ibiza itself. It’s Ibiza “at last,” because I had made plans to spend some time here way back in 1995. But one meal in Portugal—I think it was the fish in Cascais—didn’t agree with me and I cut that trip short and returned home without getting to Ibiza. In all my years of travelling it was the only time that has ever happened.
The irony is that once we are docked Ibiza itself is somewhat disappointing. The Alt Ville, built up the sides of the hill leading to the old fortress, is charming, but the rest of the island seems to consist entirely of poorly designed and crassly built tourist high-rises. The world’s largest disco is still here and during the high season in July and August hosts eight to ten thousand sweaty bodies every night. Right now the beaches and clubs are deserted, so at least it is easy to get around. I visit two smaller villages on the south side of the island, Sant Josep and Sant Antoni de Portmany, where the lemon trees give fruit four times a year. The same tree will contain four different stages of maturity at the same time. Back at home, our lemon tree produces fruit only once every other year.
Friday Dinner:
• Selected charcuteri
• Escarole, mushroom, and romaine salad with Italian dressing
• Grilled shrimp over radicchio and mixed greens
• Chocolate ice cream
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