Cruising: 2024-Oct Adventure OTS
(Orlando-Lisbon-Barcelona-Orlando)

We spotted an “off-season” cruise (going Eastbound in the fall) that we had to take advantage of. This allows us to take a transatlantic to Europe, and then take another transatlantic back again – without any international flights. The ship will dock in Lisbon, then heads to dry dock for 17 days – we then pick up the return cruise in Barcelona. We will use the 17 days in between to explore Portugal and the coastline of Spain. The planned itinerary is as follows:

October 22, 2024 – Tuesday – Depart From Home
We had a wonderful 6 days at home with family after our Quantum Japan cruise, but now it’s time to hit the road (and air, and sea) again. Our flight to Orlando is scheduled for just before midnight, so Daniel gave us a ride to Lynnwood City Center to take the light rail to Seatac at about 7:00 pm. We were very grateful to him because we didn’t have to take a bus which is a bit awkward with luggage. There were a couple delays on the train so we got to the airport over an hour later than scheduled, but still with plenty of time for our flight. Our flight left on time, was smooth, uneventful, and we were able to snooze a little bit.

October 23, 2024 – Wednesday – Orlando, FL
Our early morning connecting flight in Houston also went well, and we arrived in Orlando a little early and had our one checked bag collected by 11:00. We had a shuttle (Cocoa Beach Express, $28/person) reserved for 1:00 but there was a shuttle about to pull out when we got to the pickup point at 11:15 and we were able to take that one. It was a pleasant, partly sunny, warm day. Arriving at the Hampton Inn in Cape Canaveral we were able to check in right away. The hotel, room, and pool area looked very nice and clean. Pat grabbed some free coffee in the lobby and then we relaxed in the room until it was time to venture out for dinner. The front desk had recommended a restaurant a short 1/2 mile walk down the street called Kelsey’s Restaurant & Pizzeria. It had a menu with a wide variety of food including pizza, various Italian foods, sandwiches, salads, and seafood. Laurie had fish and chips while Pat had shrimp tacos with fries, all of which was very good. The short stroll back to the hotel gave our dinner a chance to settle before turning into our room for the night.

October 24, 2024 – Thursday – Orlando, FL
After a good night’s sleep we headed down to breakfast. The hotel had two separate areas set up in the large lobby with lots of different seating available. Hot and cold foods included scrambled eggs, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, sausages, potatoes, oatmeal and toppings, make-your-own waffles with toppings, various breads and spreads, fruit, cold cereal, yogurt, and a large assortment of beverages. Everything we had was fresh and delicious. To get in shape for our cruise tomorrow, we spent the day relaxing, reading, napping, and on our computers. After all that effort we needed food and took the five minute or so walk to Zarrella’s Italian and Wood Fired Pizza for a fantastic supreme pizza with a nice, crispy crust. Then back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the evening.

October 25, 2024 – Friday/Day 1 – Departure Day
Started our day early with the delicious breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby. Relaxed in our room until mid-morning when we took an Uber for the short ride to the port. Boarding went smoothly and we were onboard by 11:00. We waited in the Schooner Bar and Laurie went to make BOGO dinner reservations. The rooms opened promptly at 1:00 and, since we carried on our luggage, we unpacked immediately. Adventure is an older ship and shows it’s age in areas, especially in the room. We met our room steward, Miguel, who seems nice. After spending time getting electronic things set up, we ventured out to have a look around. In our quest for a Happy Hour spot, the Crown Lounge, Viking Lounge, Schooner Bar, and Duck and Dog British Pub were all packed. We ended up in the Imperial Lounge for an early Happy Hour. “Sparsh” from India provided us an okay first drink, but with a little nudge we got better second drinks. The last half hour our of our stay in the lounge there was some decent live music. Our first night in the dining room the food (prime rib and fried chicken) wasn’t that great (the prime rib was overdone). Our table is very nice though, a table for two against the windows which we had requested ahead of time. Our servers are Iputu and Amanda – both okay so far. Back in the room we relaxed and took care of a few things before turning in.

October 26, 2024 – Saturday/Day 2 – Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Bahamas
We got a slightly later start (6:15’ish) this morning and the Crown Lounge was already busy with people coming in for coffee. We can see that there is an abundance of Pinnacles onboard, and we heard that there is also a very high number of Diamond Plus. (The Pinnacles seem to hang out in large, annoying, clique-like groups.) Laurie was able to make his hot chocolate\coffee mix, while Pat had stopped at Sorrento’s to pick up a regular cup of coffee on her way up. Since the Crown Lounge was busy we sat in the Viking Lounge on the same Deck 14 as the Crown Lounge with a comfy couch looking out over pool Deck 11 and to the rising sun in the east. As we relaxed, we also watched as we pulled into Coco Cay alongside Allure which was already docked. A bit later we went to Windjammer to get more coffee and since it wasn’t too busy yet decided to eat. Everything was yummy and our table looked out towards Coco Cay and the pier everyone walks along to get there.

After observing all the people streaming onto the island and the increasing clouds, we decided to stay onboard. We went to the casino to use part of our $8 slot machine credits. Pat lost the $3 that she put in, but Laurie turned $4 into $54! Back in our room we read and did some computer stuff before hanging out on our balcony. We could see Coco Cay and a bit of the pier, but mostly we took in the gorgeous surrounding water in shades of blue and green dotted with other islands and rock formations. It was relaxing to listen to the waves as well as see them crash onto the islands and rocks. Happy Hour was spent in the Imperial Lounge. We saw the beginning of a game show that involved finishing the lyrics of songs played. The music was good. We arrived at Giovanni’s five minutes before our dinner reservation time and were surprised to find a long line of other people who also had reservations. It seemed very chaotic in the restaurant so we ended up changing our Giovanni’s reservation to another day and instead ate dinner in Windjammer. It was good to stretch out in bed for the night. Tonight was the first time change of turning the clocks one hour ahead. Now 4 hours ahead of home.

October 27, 2024 – Sunday/Day 3 – At Sea
We met up early (Laurie heads up first) in the Crown Lounge for coffee but soon took it to the Solarium. Our loungers looked out the window at the ocean – we just had to wait for the sun to rise to see it. We spent our morning there until about noon when we had lunch in the Windjammer then went up to the Viking Lounge to relax and read until a private event being held there kicked us out. Then it was down to our room to continue relaxing there. It was a sunny, warm day but very windy so being outside wasn’t an option for us, except for our balcony which was sheltered from the wind. Again we went to the Imperial Lounge for Happy Hour and saw a bit of a game show. It was formal night in the dining room and we had excellent tenderloin. The clocks moved forward another hour so we are now five hours ahead of home.

October 28, 2024 – Monday/Day 4 – At Sea
We had our early coffee in the lounge and stayed on to read until we went to an uncrowded Windjammer at 7:30 for breakfast. Then we had an extremely lazy day reading and napping in the Solarium until late afternoon.  We missed the Top Tier Event in the morning but here are the numbers: Pinnacle 528, Diamond Plus 991, Diamond 558, Emerald 126, Platinum 184, Gold 257 – a lot of pinnacles and D+! When we went to go to Happy Hour we realized we were actually running one hour ahead of ship time! (Oops – we changed our clocks overnight, while the ship didn’t!) The lounges were packed so we went to the Solarium Bar and got tropical drinks to enjoy with an ocean view. Since it was early we decided to have dinner in Windjammer instead of waiting for our dining room time. Everything was good and it wasn’t too crowded. Since we changed our clocks last night by mistake we don’t have to change them tonight.

October 29, 2024 – Tuesday/Day 5 – At Sea
Our usual Crown Lounge coffee, then Windjammer at 8:00 before going to the Solarium. It was a very windy day including in the Solarium which has an open roof over the pool but has a closed roof around the sides. We lasted until about 11:00 before getting tired of the wind and feeling cool so we headed to the room. We couldn’t even hang out on our balcony due to the wind and spray from the water – and we’re on Deck 7! So, we relaxed inside reading, watching TV, and napping until late afternoon. At Happy Hour we picked up drinks and found two chairs overlooking the Promenade for some people watching while we chatted. Again we had dinner in Windjammer which included some delicious fish and chips.

October 30, 2024 – Wednesday/Day 6 – At Sea
A repeat of yesterday. It’s a little less windy so the Solarium was okay but the upper deck was still too windy. A lot of the windows on the ship are coated in salt from the spray kicked up by the wind yesterday and overnight. We enjoyed some tropical beverages in the Solarium before returning to our room in the afternoon. Late afternoon we went to the casino to use up the free slot credits on our accounts. We turned $9 into $30! Happy Hour was back in the Imperial Lounge followed by dinner in the dining room. Another time change so we are now six hours ahead of home.

October 31, 2024 – Thursday/Day 7 – At Sea
Happy Halloween! The Promenade had a lot of decorations and the Windjammer had a huge decorated cake. Crown Lounge coffee, Windjammer breakfast, Solarium reading.

A partly cloudy morning turned into a rainy, foggy day but at least the winds and waves decreased some. The afternoon in our room was spent doing some computer stuff and catching up on news. Imperial Lounge was where spent our Happy Hour which included listening to some karaoke singers who were all pretty good. Dinner was in Giovanni’s where we had an excellent filet mignon dinner served by Hershey. We both thought this was the second best steak we ever had, after Ruth’s Chris in Las Vegas. We were stuffed and immediately returned to our room when we were done.

November 1, 2024 – Friday/Day 8 – At Sea
Through the early morning darkness we could see steady rain against the Crown Lounge windows. By sunrise the rain stopped but it was cloudy all day. Coffee started our day with breakfast later in Windjammer, then reading/napping in the Solarium until early afternoon. After a relaxing afternoon we had a short Happy Hour before we dined at Chops for dinner. The food was all excellent. We both had filets – which we weren’t able to decide if we liked these better than Giovanni’s or not as they were both outstanding but cooked differently. We were so stuffed we couldn’t wait to stretch out in bed. Another time change. Now seven hours ahead of home.

November 2, 2024 – Saturday/Day 9 – At Sea
A mostly cloudy day with peeks of sun. Less wind and smoother seas. Started in the lounge, then breakfast in the Windjammer, and ended with several hours reading in the Solarium. On the way to our room we picked up our daily complimentary coffees at Starbucks. We attended a lecture at 3:30 on the Canary Islands – the two islands we visit over the next two days. A quick stop at NextCruise and we returned to our room until Happy Hour, which we spent in the Imperial Lounge where we listened to and failed miserably at some very hard Beatles’ trivia. It was lobster night in the dining room which was delicious, but they were strict with the limit of one each without paying for another.

November 3, 2024 – Sunday/Day 10 – Tenerife, Canary Islands
A pleasant partly sunny day in the mid 70’s. Our usual lounge-Windjammer-Solarium start. The lines were long all morning for the free shuttle into town. We were here before where we had wandered around town, so we opted to enjoy the uncrowded, quiet ship. The whole area is built on the slopes of mountains or narrow areas along the water. There were small beaches and staircases leading into the water where swimmers, paddle boarders, and tiny single-person sailboats plied the water near shore. When we went to our room we sat on our balcony enjoying some sun and the view out over the water on the opposite side from the town view.

For Happy Hour, we tried out the Duck & Dog Pub, where Donald took our drink order. He’s very generous with his drinks, and gave us free water and soda to take back to our room! Hopefully he’ll be on our return cruise. There is seating inside the pub as well as outside right along the Promenade which is great for people watching and where we sat. At 7:00 we saw the show “Can’t Stop the Rock”, a very high energy singing and dancing show with all the Royal Caribbean performers and the ship’s orchestra. It was a good show. We went up to Windjammer for our dinner afterwards. With the daylight savings time change back home we are now eight hours ahead of home. (We now have a new captain, Jaret Barry, who is from Canada so we can actually understand his announcements!)

November 4, 2024 – Monday/Day 11 – Lanzarote, Canary Islands
We had our early morning coffee in the Crown Lounge. Laurie wasn’t very hungry so Pat grabbed some breakfast there as well. We headed up on deck to have a look around the port and decide if we wanted to walk into town. After going back and forth, we decided to head in since we stayed onboard yesterday.

The walk took about an hour with some inclines but it was a mostly sunny, pleasant day. Lanzarote is famous for its moon-like volcanic landscape, some of which we walked through and some we saw in the distance. The highlight of the town was a long lagoon with fishermen’s small (some tiny, one-person) boats moored in it, and buildings surrounding it including homes, restaurants, and shops. Then it was another hour walk back to the ship. We covered close to seven miles total. Being hot, hungry, and thirsty after getting back on the ship we headed right up to Johnny Rockets for some delicious milkshakes. Time to relax and cool off in our room for a while. For Happy Hour, Donald at Duck & Dog Pub took care of us again before heading to dinner in the dining room.

November 5, 2024 – Tuesday/Day 12 – At Sea
Election Day! Luckily we got our ballots in the mail just days before we left home. Our routine lounge, Windjammer, and Solarium routine before going back to our room mid-morning to do some computer stuff. We loaded up on cookies from Windjammer to take with us in Lisbon. Early afternoon, we went up to the pool deck where the ship had a horse racing game. Every passenger was given 3 Royal Caribbean dollars (left in our rooms) to bet on 1 of 6 horses for each of three races. We wrote our name and room numbers on the dollars and put them in buckets set up for each horse. The horses were numbered and dice were rolled to advance the horses forward across a finish line. A name was pulled from those who bet on the winning horse and that person won a bottle of champagne and $50 onboard credit.

It was kind of fun but a lot of wading through crowds to place the bets. We picked up our photos before heading to our room to get a start on packing. After a stop at NextCruise we again went to Duck & Dog Pub where Donald served good drinks. Dinner this evening was in Windjammer, a little earlier than usual, which allowed us to turn in early. Tomorrow begins our land adventure in Portugal and Spain!

PORTUGAL & SPAIN 18 NIGHT LAND TRIP

November 6, 2024 – Wednesday/Day 13 – Lisbon, Portugal
Laurie was up early and brought coffee back to the room, and a bit later Pat picked up a nosh at the Cafe Promenade. We were taking our own luggage off so we left the room about 6:30, and after a wait in the theater we able to leave the ship with no customs checks or anything. When we exited the ship we were presented with a beautiful, expansive view of Lisbon, despite some fog, that looked like a painting. Too bad we were in a moving line and couldn’t take a picture. We took a cab for the quick ride to our Airbnb which we couldn’t get into yet because it was so early. With luggage in tow, we just hung out on the street until the cleaning person came. She let us drop off our luggage and use the bathroom. Then we went out exploring, and had Pastel de Nata (custard pastries) and a shot of espresso (1.90 euros each). We also stopped in Livraria Bertrand which, according to Guinness, is the oldest continuously running bookshop in the world opening in 1732. The Chiado neighborhood is full of people and traffic, but they don’t get started here until 10:00 am. The apartment was soon ready and we settled in, hooked up electronics, and started laundry. Mid-afternoon we went to a bank to get some local currency from their ATM and then did grocery shopping at Pingo Doce about a 5 minutes walk away. It has everything we’ll need for our week stay here with reasonable prices. For dinner we had ham and turkey sandwiches and chips. In the evening we made plans for the next day. A long day!

November 7, 2024 – Thursday – Lisbon, Portugal – Day Trip to Belem
A mostly sunny day in the low 70’s. We headed out a bit after 9:00 and stopped at the Rossio Metro Station to buy a Navegante Card to pay for our transportation. With that in hand we walked to Figueira Square to catch the E15 tram for the ride to Belem, about 30 minutes away. We got off at the south end of Belem and started our walk at Belem Tower which is very prominent along the Tagus River (also called Rio Tejo) waterfront. Walking north on the waterfront esplanade we came to the very small Belem Lighthouse, but behind it was the magnificent Monument to the Discoveries, celebrating the individuals who participated in the Age of Discovery – a period of exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries. Taking a tunnel under a busy street, we went to get a closer look at the Jeronimos Monastery which had some very detailed architecture. We saw Pasteis de Belem, the supposed birthplace of the delicious Pastel de Nata custard pastries, and walked through the Garden of Alfonso de Albuquerque to end our walking tour. We caught a bus right by the park and got off in Commerce Square on the waterfront, the most famous square in Lisbon. There is a large statue in the square of Jose I on horseback.

On the inland side of the square is the iconic Arch of Triumph, built to mark the city’s resilience and rebirth following the 1755 earthquake. From there it was only about a 20 minute walk back to the apartment to rest and rehydrate. We read and did computer stuff the rest of the day, again having sandwiches and chips for dinner.

November 8, 2024 – Friday – Lisbon, Portugal – Day Trip to Sintra
The day started cool, cloudy, and humid. The sun didn’t come out until mid-afternoon after we were done with today’s adventure. We left our apartment about 7:45 and got the train (2.40€) from Rossio Station to Sintra for the 40 minute ride. In Sintra we walked a short distance to be packed onto the 434 bus (4.55€) to take us on a twisting road all the way up to the Pena Palace entrance – about a 25 minute ride. We weren’t interested in going inside the palace so we got a ticket just for the outside area (9€). It took close to 30 minutes to walk up to the palace itself. The palace is painted a variety of colors with some areas covered in tiles. There were turrets and spires, and a lot of detailed architecture. There would have been great views from various points on the palace ramparts if it wasn’t overcast. From there it was a very long walk with steep paths to the Moorish Castle. We could walk up to a certain point for free with some interesting ruins along the way. When we got to the point of having to pay to go further, we decided to save it for another visit since the castle would require a lot more inclines and stairs and Pat was getting tired. From there we made the hour long walk down (LOTS of downhill and stairs) to the city center which was extremely busy with people, cars, buses, and tuk-tuks.

We needed refueling at this point so we bought espresso and Travesseiro pastries, “Pillows of Sintra” from a local cafe, which were fabulous. Walking to the train station from town we saw the Sintra National Palace and the flamboyant town hall. There’s still more to see there so we’ll have to do a return visit in a future trip. We were back in the apartment about 2:30 looking forward to relaxing the rest of the day. Gouda grilled cheese sandwiches and chips for dinner.

November 9, 2024 – Saturday – Lisbon, Portugal
A beautiful, sunny day to go for a walk around Lisbon. Mid-morning we left the apartment and a short distance away started heading up to the Carmo Convent where we examined the outside but did not pay to go in. Behind the convent near a restaurant is a short flight of stairs that took us up to the Lift Observation Point where the Santa Justa Lift (elevator) lets people off to avoid walking the hilly inclines to get up to another neighborhood. This small terrace offered some wonderful views, and we saved 5.30€ each by not taking the elevator like regular tourists! Back down in front of the convent we saw the Carmo Fountain and Square. From the square it was more uphill walking to the Church of St. Roch. It’s said to be Lisbon’s richest church but has the city’s plainest facade. The inside is extravagantly decorated with (supposedly) gold, silver, ivory, lapis lazuli, and agate – but the door to get in was only watched by one young girl! It was gorgeous none the less. Upwards again to the Miradoro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara (St. Peter’s Viewpoint) with an outstanding panoramic view over a large expanse of Lisbon. We wandered around ending up at the top point of the Ascensor da Gloria (Gloria Funicular) in the Bairro Alto. Rather than pay to cram into the funicular, we walked downhill along it’s tracks into Praca dos Restauradores (Restorer’s) Square where the monument there celebrates the restoration of Portuguese independence from Spain in 1650. Lastly was Praca do Rossio (Rossio Square) said to be the “liveliest square in Lisbon”. The Rossio Train Station is off this area. A large part of the square contained small wooden buildings where vendors will sell their wares during the upcoming holiday season. Unfortunately these made it hard to see a beautiful fountain and monument on the square The the streets surrounding the square are filled with street vendors (hot chestnuts!), tons of restaurants with outside seating, and various shops including one selling only canned fish!

A quick stop at the grocery store and we were back “home” for the day.

November 10, 2024 – Sunday – Lisbon, Portugal
Another wonderful day for a walk – this time around the very hilly Alfama neighborhood. Just after 9:00 we made our way down the street to catch the iconic yellow E28 Tram to take us up near the top of Alfama. Not only were we packed in like sardines, but every tram we saw appeared to be just as full! From where the tram dropped us off about 20 minutes later it was a short but steep walk up to Miradouro da Senhora Monte, the highest point in the neighborhood with breathtaking views out over the city including the 25 April Bridge spanning the Tagus River and across to Castelo de Sao George. Going back down, our next viewpoint was Miradouro da Grace with a little bit closer view of the castle. We walked up to the castle but didn’t go in (we went in a few years back). The next viewpoints on our continued journey down were Miradouro da Portas do Sol and Miradoura de Santa Luzia, the latter having a tiled wall with a pergola overhead. Both offered dramatic views over Alfama and the river. Next up: ice cream! For 2.5€ each we bought some delicious single-scoop cones from a little store along the way. Last stop was Se de Lisbon (Lisbon Cathedral), the oldest church in Lisbon dating from 1147. Unfortunately, they were not allowing visitors today. On the rest of our walk to the apartment we stopped so Pat could buy a Lisbon magnet, and we checked out a restaurant where we plan to eat dinner this evening.

Time to rest up. About 6:30 we went to a small (10 tables, 1 waiter) restaurant called “Sto” which was 3-4 blocks away and had very high ratings. In the evening there is a Fixed Price Portuguese tasting menu for 38.50€ each. The meal starts with a glass of crisp white port and sharp sheep milk cheese. Then there were two choices for the next items so we got both items and shared. These included crispy croquettes, one Alheira (hunters meat) and one bacalhau (cod). Following that course we had fresh tasting sardine and tuna salads. For the main course one was Bacalhau Braga Style + Potatoes – cod with peppers, onion, tomatoes, and olives. The other was Portuguese Special Beef in a sauce with sweet potato chips. The desserts were a lime-caramel tart and chocolate salame. Everything was very fresh, extremely flavorful, and delicious. Along with 2 glasses of wine the total meal was 89€. Our day ended with a nice, long phone conversation with M&D. (Wish they were with us!)

November 11, 2024 – Monday – Lisbon, Portugal
The great weather continues. Today’s adventure entails taking two trains north along the river to Parque das Nacoes where the 1998 World’s Fair was held. The main item we could see from that event was a large oval pond with the flags of dozens of nations flying on poles along one of the long sides. First up was the Vasco da Gama Shopping Center, one of the largest in Portugal. We shopped in one of the stores where Laurie was able to get an HDMI adapter that he hadn’t found anywhere else. Then we viewed a statue of an Iberian Lynx constructed from waste (to highlight over consumption by humans and the endangered species it impacts). We strolled the riverfront with the Telecabine de Lisboa cable cars making round trips overhead. Prominent on the river was the Tower of Vasco da Gama constructed to represent a ship’s mast and crow’s nest. Supposedly this is the tallest building in Portugal. Lastly we viewed the Vasco de Gama Bridge, a very long bridge across the river with an interesting pattern of white cable supports by the tower end. There were gardens, restaurants, a science museum, and an aquarium along our route as well. Back to the train station for our return trip.

We stopped at the grocery store to pick up some food for the next two days and then settled back in our apartment for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

November 12, 2024 – Tuesday – Lisbon, Portugal
It was still sunny today but the temperature was only 66 with a good breeze so it was chilly. Didn’t matter because for a change we stayed in today. Spent time on the computer, Kindle, reading, etc. Meanwhile laundry was going as it takes over 4 hours to wash and dry a relatively small load in the washer/dryer combo unit. At least we get to pack virtually all clean clothes. After pizza and pasta salad we watched the latest Indiana Jones movie which was just okay.

November 13, 2024 – Overnight Travel: Lisbon to to Seville, Spain
Sunny but windy and cooler. We packed and relaxed in the morning since we had to be out of the apartment before 1:30. We took an Uber (only 5€) for the 25 minute ride to the Sete Rios bus/train station. Our wait until our 10:30 pm bus to Seville was about 9 hours! We had a nice bench for people/bus watching, chatting, and reading. Late afternoon we enjoyed sandwiches, pastries, and coffee from a nearby snack place. It got a little chilly as the day went on but it was finally time to board our comfy bus for the approximate 8 hour trip to a Seville bus/train station, which included several stops to pick up passengers. We were able to get some sleep on the bus. It started raining overnight and into our arrival at the Seville Train Station about 6:30 am.

November 14, 2024 – Thursday – Travel to Fuengirola, Spain
Early morning arrival in Seville was dark and pouring rain, but by the time we went to Enterprise to pick up our rental car the sun had come out and the rain stopped. We got a bigger, nicer car than we expected (Citroen 4-door) with a nice large GPS built-in and lots of other little extras. We even got an automatic instead of a stick shift for the same price! The almost three hour drive to Fuengirola went well. We found a short term parking spot (1€ for one hour) near the apartment which gave us time to meet the host, get the keys for the apartment, drop off our luggage, walk around a little bit, and have a pastry and coffee in a nearby cafe before having to move the car. Laurie has good memories of his time spent here in Fuengirola with M&D many years ago. Parking is not so good around here, and after circling the side streets we ended up in a parking garage about 4 blocks away that costs about 20 euros for 24 hours. It’s very windy and overcast today with the waves churning outside our balcony. The apartment looks nice and clean (3 bedrooms and 2 baths for the 2 of us!) but it’s really all about the fantastic ocean view from our 7th floor balcony! We can look left or right and see long stretches of the beach which is just across the street. Late afternoon we went a short distance away to a tiny supermarket to get a few things, and also pick up a yummy barbacoa pizza (8€) that had different meats and BBQ sauce on it. We relaxed in the evening after a very long day.

November 15, 2024 – Friday – Fuengirola, Spain
The day started out overcast and windy. But by about 10:00 it was getting better so out we went. Today we decided to visit the village of Mijas about 20-25 minutes away since Gibraltar was expected to have thunderstorms (our original plan). Looking out the back of our apartment building you can see Mijas spread across the mountains in the distance. Mijas is one of the area’s “white villages” with cobbled, narrow winding streets, whitewashed buildings and walls, and breathtaking views. Unfortunately, the weather was still cloudy, windy, and cool up on the mountain so the views weren’t great. But, we still had a nice walk around the hilly streets. On our way back we stopped at an enormous Carrefour grocery store and loaded up on some sandwich fixings, pastries, coffee pods, cold drinks, wine, and ice cream. After running the groceries up to the apartment, we went in search of cheaper parking than the 20€ we paid this morning for one day of parking. Just 3 blocks down the street from our apartment we found Parking Clubo Paseo Maritimo. We were able to get 5 days of parking for a total price of 35€, and we can go in and out as much as we want. It was good to have that taken care of. Leftover pizza, sandwiches, and chips for dinner, followed by ice cream for an evening snack.

November 16, 2024 – Saturday – Fuengirola, Spain
Today was an nice, relaxing day. Morning clouds turned into hazy afternoon sunshine before going back to clouds in the evening. We did computer stuff, reading, and napping in the morning. We also found out that our cruise out of Barcelona will be delayed two days because of recent bad weather delaying some of the work while the ship was in dry dock, so we had to make plans because of that. We are now planning to spend the two nights at the Ciutat del Prat and, since Royal Caribbean will reimburse us up to $250 for each of 2 nights we are getting half-board (breakfast and dinner) with the room. In the afternoon we spent time on the balcony reading, chatting, and enjoying a pleasant afternoon. Sandwiches and chips again for dinner. In the evening we watched the most recent Mission Impossible movie Dead Reckoning Part 1. It was good with lots of action.

November 17, 2024 – Sunday – Fuengirola, Spain
The morning started out warm with sun through heavy haze, then it turned mostly cloudy and a bit cooler. Since the village we planned to visit today (Ronda) is in the mountains and consequently, also in the clouds and we decided to stay in the area today. We used the washer in the apartment which doesn’t have a dry cycle, so we used a drying rack to spread out the damp clothes, hung a couple items in the closet, and a couple items over chairs on the balcony. In the afternoon we went on a walk along the water to Castillo Sohail, ruins of a medieval Moorish castle. It was an uphill hike to get to the top but then there were wonderful views out over the area. Walking back we took side streets to get a feel for the neighborhood – away from the beach area. Most businesses were closed as it was Sunday and it was pretty quiet.

Back at the apartment we relaxed until it was time to head out for dinner, which is typically around 9:00 pm in Spain. There was a restaurant around the corner and down a nearby pedestrian-only street, about five minutes away, that sounded interesting. En la Esperate Esquino opened at 7:00 and it didn’t take long for all the outside tables to fill up as well as some inside. It was a very casual little place that had great reviews. We shared Parrillada Pecado Y Marisco (Barbecued Fish and Seafood) which was a big platter of delicious, fresh seafood: 4 pieces of fish, 4 huge shrimp, 4 medium shrimp, 4 clams, 4 squid, and 4 razor clams along with a basket of bread and a squeeze bottle of aioli sauce that went well on the fish and bread. Everything else was well seasoned. To wash it all down we had some fruity Sangria. The total dinner was only 24€! A nice stroll brought us back to the apartment.

November 18, 2024 – Monday – Fuengirola, Spain
Today’s adventure was a  1½ hour drive to Gibraltar. We parked in an underground parking lot on the Spanish side of the border then walked about 10-15 minutes to passport control and then on through to British Gibraltar. We purchased a round trip bus ticket (4.80€) for the 25-30 minute ride to the cable car base. (The bus makes many stops in the town of Gibraltar.) Then it was a wait to purchase cable car and Nature Reserve tickets ($80 total for tickets). The wait for the cable car was over an hour but we finally made it to the top. It was a partly cloudy day but the views of the surrounding land and water, including the Strait of Gibraltar, were still outstanding. (Couldn’t see Africa today.) Our first point of interest was the Skywalk which is multi-level glass platforms with great views of Gibraltar and the surrounding waters. Also this area is where a lot of the macaque monkeys were hanging out, totally unfazed by all the people and vans in the area. Some were really comical the way they lounged about, often climbing to sit on top of the tourism vans. Several times we saw them steal someone’s bag of food, and proceeded to eat their bounty while fending off other monkeys. We saw another pounce on a woman’s head and try to unzip the backpack that was on her back. There were monkeys of all sizes including some adorable babies.

Next we hiked to St. Michael’s Cave which is a series of caverns with amazing stalactites and stalagmites with theatrical lighting. They also do a sound and light show but we just came at the end it.

Back to hiking around we saw other smaller areas of interest as we made our way down the rock. There was another whole area we could have explored but it was getting late. Next time! It was a long walk down over rough gravel and rock trails and lots of stairs, but we made it. It took a bit of walking around to find the bus back but we found it and took it to the border to cross back into Spain and retrieve our car. After the long drive to the apartment it was wonderful to have iced tea and sandwiches, then relax on the couch the rest of the evening.

November 19, 2024 – Tuesday – Fuengirola, Spain
We had wanted to go up into the mountains to the village of Ronda today but it was raining there. Instead, we had a relaxing day around the apartment where it rained a bit in the morning, became mostly sunny for a bit, then went back to mostly cloudy. Good for computer time, reading, laundry, and starting packing. Dinner used up most of the sandwich fixings and chips, then it was time for more relaxing.

November 20, 2024 – Wednesday – Travel to Lorca, Spain – Castle de Lorca Paradore
A beautiful, calm morning with a glowing horizon. We finished packing and were on the road about 8:45 for the 3½  hour drive to Lorca, Spain. We drove through beautiful country: mountains (some in the distance with snow), desert-like landscapes, farm land, and endless olive groves. The road up to the Parador/castle was narrow with lots of hairpin turns but we arrived safely. The hotel is beautiful as was our spacious room and fancy bathroom. Shortly after checking in,  we headed out to explore the castle ruins dating from the 9th century which were very interesting. There were lots of opportunities for scenic views out over the surrounding area.

The castle has been home to various groups: Romans, Visigoths, Muslim, Christians, and Jews. Within the castle ruins there are Jewish Quarter ruins from the late-15th century when the Jews were expelled from Spain. We saw foundations of their houses, including a large house with several rooms. This was next to the ruins of a synagogue which, because it was never converted into a Christian church, allowed it to be preserved in an exceptional state. We also watched a short film about the history of the Jews in Spain. It was 7€ to get access to this area of the castle.

Afterwards, we took advantage of our voucher for glasses of wine in the Parador’s cafe. Dinner wasn’t until 8:30 so we had a nice rest. Helios was a very nice restaurant with a combination of Spanish-Jewish-Arabic foods. Pat had a salmon dish and Laurie had a scrambled egg-cod dish. Both were outstanding. They also brought a complimentary appetizer as well as nut-crusted chocolate bon-bons after dinner. With bread, olive oil, and wine it was a great meal for about 48€.

November 21, 2024 – Thursday – Travel to Sitges, Spain
Our day started at the Parador with their complimentary buffet breakfast (for having joined Amigos de Paradores). It was great spread of lunch meat, sliced sausages, cheese, yogurt, fruit, bread, pastries, fruit juices, wine, champagne, etc. In addition, there were a few hot items that you could order such as various eggs and bacon. All of it was delicious. Soon we were loaded up (8:45) and on the road to Sitges. We stopped a couple times on the way and also, the GPS took us on a route that put us on a closed highway! We wondered where all the other cars were! Turning around and exiting the highway and then trying to find our way to another highway, we ended up on another closed road! Eventually, Laurie got us back on a major road. When we arrived in Sitges we found that streets were very narrow – with lots of them closed to traffic. Parking on the streets was impossible, and the parking garages were 30€ per day. We decided since we didn’t plan on using the car except to get a few groceries, instead we’d drive 30 minutes to Barcelona to return the car today, then take the train back to Sitges. That was more crazy roads and traffic, and a challenge to find the Enterprise garage, but we got the car returned and got some money back for returning it early. We were right at the train station so we took the train back to Sitges, and stopped at a Carrefour Express for groceries on the walk back to our apartment. Settling in we unpacked and cooked a pizza that we bought. The apartment is a very nice one bedroom, one bath, condo on the 5^th floor with a huge terrace overlooking the beach and Mediterranean as well as a church steeple which is lit up at night. The bell in the steeple gently chimes every quarter hour. Since we got in after dark we’ll have to comment more on the view tomorrow.

November 22, 2024 – Friday – Sitges, Spain
Early morning was cold, cloudy, and very windy. By mid-morning it warmed up, the clouds were mostly gone, and the wind died down leaving just a cool breeze at times. The sun felt wonderful. The view along the coast is spectacular from our terrace. To the left are the two church steeples, straight ahead is a long breakwater and a small sailboat storage area on the sand. Down the coast to the right is a curved expanse of beaches, each separated by a breakwater. Of course this is all backed up by the gorgeous blue Mediterranean.

There are many restaurants along the beach area, across the street from the sand beach. We spent most of the afternoon enjoying the sun on the terrace where there are a couple lounge chairs, three couches, and a large oval table with six chairs. Dinner was  pre-made cannelloni filled with a tuna mixture and topped with a white sauce (that we had picked up from Carrefour) which was delicious. Ice cream was our evening snack.

November 23, 2024 – Saturday – Sitges, Spain
A cool and partly cloudy day. We mostly hung out relaxing in the apartment. In the afternoon we went for a walk around the neighborhood, along the water and around the narrow streets. We finished up the cannelloni for dinner and the ice cream for dessert. A very laid back day.

November 24, 2024 – Sunday – Travel to Barcelona, Spain
The early morning was mostly overcast with passing drops of rain and even a rainbow. By the time we packed up and left the Airbnb at 10:00 it had cleared out somewhat and warmed up. It was a pretty easy half kilometer walk to the train station. For some reason, our first train skipped the stop that we intended to get off at, so we got off at the next stop and just caught a different train to the El Prat stop. From the stop it was then a short ½ kilometer walk to the Cuitat del Prat Hotel, our home for the next two nights before our cruise. We settled in and relaxed in our room, watching the movie “A Man Called Otto” which was good. Since Royal Caribbean is covering out hotel up to $250 per night we had booked the rooms with half-board (breakfast and dinner) and thereby have Royal Caribbean fund our meals. In the evening we had a complimentary glass of champagne, followed by dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, Simfonia. There was a set menu and we were able to choose an item from each of four choices of starters, entree, and dessert. It was all very good and plenty of food.

November 25, 2024 – Monday – Barcelona, Spain
Around 7:00 we visited the breakfast buffet included in our stay. There was a variety of cold and hot foods as well as beverages and we fueled up for the day. Again, all delicious. It was an overcast day, just slightly cool. In the afternoon we ventured out to the grocery store for a bottle of wine to take on the cruise. We spent some time online, watching CNN, and relaxing. We had another great dinner at Simfonia, but this time we didn’t get back to the room until 9:30 – past our bedtime.

ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS 11-NIGHT
MADEIRA (FUNCHAL) & WESTBOUND TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE

November 26, 2024 – Tuesday – Cruise Departure Day From Barcelona, Spain
A cool, mostly cloudy morning. We had the same breakfast as yesterday at Ciutat then returned to the room to pack up. We got an Uber to the port about 10:45. After going through the usual lines we were onboard at noon, then dropped off our luggage, went to make BOGO reservations, and then settled into our stateroom (8536 balcony). Our room steward, Iko from Indonesia (Bali), stopped by and took care of the few things we needed. He seems very upbeat and friendly. Aside from checking in at our muster station, we relaxed for the afternoon. Towards 6:00 we headed out to get reacquainted with Donald at the Duck & Dog Pub. Dinner in the dining room was delicious. Laurie worked his magic and got us a window table again.

Our waiters, Daniel and Javian, seem just okay. The Captain is Jaret Barry again and he has a great personality (second only to Captain Merrick Slaby). The cruise director is “Cruisin’ Susan”, and the activities manager is Moh. Tonight we moved the clocks back an hour. We are now 8 hours ahead of home.

November 27, 2024 – Wednesday – Cruising at Sea
A cloudy cool morning followed by a partly sunny cool afternoon. Early coffee in the Crown Lounge where Michael, the staff that tends to the lounge in the morning, remembered us. Breakfast in Windjammer and time reading in the Solarium. It was kind of cool there so we moved inside to chairs overlooking the Promenade before going back to the room. We had great seats for a “Welcome Aboard Event” when we got to see the captain and other top officers. We met a nice couple from Ohio, Fred and Linda, who we chatted with during the event. Then it was off to Windjammer for dinner before turning in a little early.

November 28, 2024 – Thursday – Cruising at Sea Happy Thanksgiving!
The day is warmer, mostly cloudy, and breezy. Our usual start, then we went to the Top Tier Event mid-morning. Another afternoon of relaxing, reading, and computers before stopping by the pub on the way to dinner in the dining room. They served a tasty traditional turkey dinner which Laurie had, while Pat chose the Beef Wellington which was okay. The fried brie with a cranberry sauce appetizer they served was excellent.

November 29, 2024 – Friday – Madeira (Funchal), Portugal
A 70ish, humid, cloudy day with a morning shower. After our usual coffee and breakfast, we decided to stay onboard since we covered what we wanted to see of Funchal on a previous cruise. We hung out in various spots on the ship, including our balcony, enjoying the city spread out – side to side, and up the mountains in front of us.

They started decorating the ship for X-Mas today, including a huge tree in the Promenade. We relaxed both on deck and in the room and had an outstanding sushi dinner at Izumi’s. All the different items were fresh and tasty, and we enjoyed every mouthful along with warm sake. Another time change so now we are 7 hours ahead of home.

November 30 – December 6, 2024 – Saturday-Friday – Cruising at Sea
The next few days were our usual early coffee in the Crown Lounge, breakfast in Windjammer, and reading and relaxing in various areas of the ship. These days were a mix of weather but none much more worthy than sitting on our balcony. Highlights include the addition of a large menorah in the Promenade, a delicious filet mignon dinner at Giovanni’s, two very entertaining shows by the Beatlemaniacs, several time changes bringing us to Florida time (3 hours ahead of home), and lobster night in the dining room.

December 7, 2024 – Saturday – Port Canaveral, Florida
A chilly (50ish) and windy arrival into port. Just after 6:30 we walked off the ship with our luggage and went right through passport control – no lines at all! A very quick and smooth exit. We then had to wait about an hour for our scheduled shuttle to the airport. Upon arrival we had about five hours to wait for our flight since it was running late. We also arrived late in DC and, with a bit of running, made it to our flight to Seattle, which pulled back just 15 minutes after we departed our first flight! We were very fortunate to be upgraded to first class where we were comfortable and fed. A good ending to a very long adventure! The Light Rail brought us to Lynnwood City Center where we got a Lyft ride the rest of the way home since is was late, cold, damp, and breezy. It was wonderful to give and get hugs from Daniel, who took great care of the homefront while we were away. Next up – we celebrate “Thanksgivakah” in a week, then get ready for our Yuma trip a week later.