Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
Wednesday, 18 October 2016

I awake to another dark sky as we sail into the port of Malaga.  The sun soon rises, however, and another beautiful day begins as I make my way to the Pinnacle Grill for another breakfast of fresh fruit and perfectly prepared eggs Benedict.  It's too bad that the Port of Malaga tries to wring every Euro out of its visitors--charging 5 Euros for the shuttle from the ship to town center (and return) and 1 Euro for a map of the city.  I decline the second charge since I have come prepared with maps of  my own.

There is much to see in this capital of the Costa del Sol, including a fine but neglected cathedral (known as the one-armed lady since its second tower was never finished); a garishly painted Archbishop's Palace, which now houses a museum of local art--the building is fine but the paintings are not very interesting.

The city center, much of it closed to automobiles, has many examples of fine domestic architecture, almost as rich and varied as Barcelona.

The most important place for visitors is the Alcazaba (it differs from the Alcazars in other Spanish cities by the addition of several letters).  A visit starts at the bottom of the many-leveled fortress and continues to the top, offering fine views of the city and the harbor.  This is the largest and most complete Moorish Alcabaza in all of Spain, although it is less artistically beautiful than those in Granada and Cordoba.  Although the walk up is relieved by many areas to stop and enjoy the views, luckily there is an elevator to take me back down to city center level when I am ready.

All this exterion has made me hungry, so I stop for another wonderful lunch of various tapas.  For about $12.00 US, i enjoy three large plates:  tomato, mozzarella and pesto, bravo potatoes, and grilled chicken on skewers.  After lunch I find a bank with an ATM that takes my VISA card without any problem, so I now have enough Euros for the rest of the trip.  Warning to travelers:  although credit cards are readily accepted almost everywhere, even for small puchases, you have to have your PIN number as well as your card.

Fortified gastronomically and financially I can wander the streets at leisure enjoying the busy shopping areas and wonderful architecture.  My final stop before heading back to the ship is the City Market, an old structure that has been modernized and remodeled.  Behind an authentic Moorish entrance gate is a wide variety of every type of food imaginable, especially fresh fish.

It's almsot three o'clock when I reboard Koningsdam and I don't have much time before the Tapas Grill sailaway by the aft pool at 5pm.  By 6pm we are heading out to sea and toward another new port, Cartagena.

The web is very slow tonight, so I shall publish this and then add pictures tomorrow, or whenever the wifi picks up speed again.

I can hardly believe that I am almost up to date with my blog entries, as we prepare to dock in Malaga this morning.  The sun has not yet risen (it's 7am), so I can't give a rerport on the continuing fine weather.  But before reporting on my activies in Cadiz, I must raise an issue with HAL about which I am very upset.

The Gelato Bar is one of the new dessert venues on board the Koningsdam; indeed, it is completely new to the entire HAL fleet.  I was shocked to find that I would have to pay extra money if I desired a gelato dessert after lunch.  I find it insulting that after I have paid umpteen thousand dollars for the cruise, HAL wants me to pay for dessert as well.  Soon, they will be charging for each piece of bread, or each sandwich or pizza.  I am told "it's a revenue-generating venue," but given the lack of business I have seen, I think the charge discourages traffic rather creating it.  And it surely leaves a sour taste in my craw.  This nickle-diming pettiness is what is turning HAL into a faceless, insensitive organization.  And it convinces me more than ever that I will sail with Oceania whenever I can--there are no additional charges for anything.  Even the alcohol, shore excursions, and internet are completely free with the special booking package we selected for our trip in November.  I may choose to sail on HAL ships in the future, but I continue to have little respect for their organization--just as they seem to have little respect for this passenger.

Tuesday, 18 October 2016

Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain

Well now that I have vented I can return to the beautiful day in Cadiz. Except for the one day on which we were scheduled to visit Palermo, the weather has continued to be perfect. I was first (and last) here in 2010 as part of my transatlantic cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Rome on ms Eurodam (you do remember the year of the Icelandic eruption that interrupted many travel plans).  Cadiz is a compact mid-size city that offers the pleasures of wandering through the streets of old town, as well as some classy Roman ruins, and a promenade with wonderful seafront views.  I even manage to explore parts of town that I didn't have time to reach during my previous visit.  

For the modernist, the pleasures of the city are multiplied by a large exhibition of Henry Moore sculptures lining the square in front of the Cathedral.  For the antiquarian, Cadiz is arguably the oldest habitation in Europe.

Before heading back to the K-dam I stop for a tapas lunch and a little window shopping.  Cadiz is well-known for the quality of its leather, especially shoes.  There are several inexpensive pairs I am tempted to buy, but my suitcase is already overloaded and--spoiler alert:  Will and I will be back in Cadiz in November on our way from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro on Oceania's ms Marina.  And there might be room for shoes in some of Will's luggage!

Tomorrow we stop in Malaga, fifth largest city in Spain and regional capital of Andalusia's Costa del Sol.  The next three ports are new to me and I look forward to discovering new favorite places--and maybe buying Gelato in town just to spite HAL.

Ayutimento (City Hall)

Private Residence Entrance (Above) and Patio (Below)

Cadiz Cathedral Facade

Roman Arena Ruins

Seafront Chapel

Sent from my iPad

Lawrence F. Laban, PhD (retired)

Tucson, AZ 85742

Good morning from Cadiz, the westernmost port on this cruise.  After a very strenuous shore excursion to the top of teh Rock of Gibraltar, I enjoy the poolside barbecue dinner prepared by the Koningsdam chefs.  The meal can be enjoyed from 5:30 to 9;320pm, but when I arive at a few minutes after 6:00pm there is hardly a place to sit down 

Monday, 17 October 2016

Gibraltar, UK Crown Colony

After breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, I spend a relaxing morning, since we don't land in Gibraltar until 1pm.  The ship takes a very slow ride into the harbor and we have wonderful views of the Rock and the town beneath it.  The captain has again opened the bow for pasengers, but I actually get a better view from my veranda on the starboard side of the ship.  It is quite warm today and the sun is shining brightly.

I join my shore excursion group in a minivan that takes us to the lower station of the cable car.  It's a 6-minute ride to the top of the peak where there are splendid views all around and as far as the mountains in Morocco across the Straits.  There are also dozens of monkeys (Barbary apes) waiting to pose for tourists.

From here it's a rather long walk to St Michael's cave, in which the underground sculpture is alit with colored fairy lights.  The central portion of the cave is often used for concerts and is set up with row upon row of seats.  Our van awaits us as we exit the caves to take us to the next stop:  the defensive batteries.  Since our van is too large to drive all the way, although smaller vehicles and SUVs can, I decide to forego the mile-long uphill climb and instead find a convenient bench to park myself until the group comes back down.  

The shore excursion van drops us off in the cernter of town, at Casemate Square, a large open space with cafes and street entertainers.  South of the Square, Main Street meanders through the town, filled with shoppers looking for tax-free bargains at stores representing the most coveted labels on the planet.

I do my dose of window-shopping and get a quick view of the three major religions in the colony, the Scottish Presbyterian Church, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, and the Jewish Synagogjue.  From here it is a long walk back to the port and the Koningsdam, but I take it slowly and enjoy the vista of the Rock to my right and reclaimed land with row upon row of high-rise apartments and condominiums on my left.

Tonight will be an early barbercue dinner and evening relaxation on my veranda. The Koningsdam sails at 11pm, but I am long gone into dreamland by then.

This morning we are still sailing to Gibraltar and should arrive at 1pm.  At 11:00am the Captain will open the bow again and the cruise director will provide narration as we take the scenic route into the harbor.  I have not been here before, so I look forward to my first view of the famous rock.  I have signed on for a shore excursion, since thre are many hills to climb in Gibraltar.

Saturday, 17 October 2016
Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy 

After an Eggs Benedict breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, I am ready to leave the ship and explore the town at 10:00am.  The port provides free shuttle buses from the ship to the town center, even though it is a farily short walk.  There are several imposing municipal buildings along the waterfront, as well as much traffic.  But a short walk uphill takes me to the pedestians-only shopping street and then an elevator (just a regular elevator nothing fancy like in Lisbon), takes me to the upper level of the town and the remains of several medieval bastions and fortified towers.The most famous is the Elephant Tower, from which there are wonderful views of the sea and lower town laid out before me.  

City Hall

City Hall Courtyard

St Remy Bastion

View of Old City

View of Old City

Elevator to Old City

Elephant Tower

Cathedral Facade

Roman Ruins

View of Old City from ms Koningsdam

Balconied Residences

There are no must-see sights here in Cagliari, so it is fun just to wander through the uncrowded narrow streets, underneath rows of private balconies.  I pay a brief visit to the cathedal, whose exterior is a bothched 20th century reproduction of the original Norman front.  There is also a lovely campus of several musreums, but the exhibits are onlyfor die-hard Sardinian historians.

After wandering through the old Jewish ghetto (now elegantly restored and very expensive), I take the elevator back down and return to the ship in time for a late lunch.

Tonight I enjoy dinner in Sel de Mar Bistro:  escargot in shells (the most difficult to remove I have ever encountered, choucroute platter from Alsace and a new bottle of Pinot Noir.  This is one of the pay as you go restaurants, but with my loyalty discount, the whole thing comes to $12.00.