Barcelona, Spain - Street Performers

Just had to add a few more photos of the street performers on Las Ramblas Street in Barcelona. (I thought it took me a long time to get makeup on and get ready) - these were really fun to see and watch!

Cinque Terre, Italy - just loved this place!

Could not stop taking photos! Found padlocks on the fence along the trail - reminded us of the one we first saw in Moscow. The bride and groom lock the padlock then throw the key into the ocean.

The views of these little towns is just beautiful!! We stopped on a cliff side bar to have a beer and enjoy the view before taking the train back to Le Spezia!

Cinque Terre, Italy

We tried several ways to travel between the villages. We took the public ferry to Vernazza. Then the Train to Manrolla. We walked along the cliff side trail to Riomaggiore. Then we took the train again back to Le Spezia.

We are so glad we took the ferry - it was wonderful to see the villages from the water. The walk between Manrolla and Riomarriore is only about 30 minutes and is very level. The train is mainly inside tunnels in the mountains - only breaking out to stop in the small towns.

Manarola and the cat

While we were having lunch - we noticed this very lazy cat - asleep on top of the canvas covering a boat. He turned over and stuck his legs straght up in the air. It makes us miss Jake.

Thanks so much to Trey for taking care of Jake while we are gone!!

Cinque Terre, Italy - wonderful fish lunch

Our lunch was really wonderful. The chef brought a fresh fish to our table to show us the size - then went back and cooked it with a little olive oil. We not sure which was the best - the beautiful location or the taste of the fish. They brought a small glass pitcher of local white wine - which was also good.

Cinque Terre, Italy - Vernazza

Part of the Italian Riveria - Cinque Terre has 5 small villages located at the bottom of the mountains next to the ocean. The first village we visit is Vernazza. Each of the 5 villages is really unique - but they all have the steep hillsides with colorful houses rising straight up and small narrow streets. One of the important aspects of Cinque Terre is the hike along the side of the cliff linking the 5 villages together.

Le Spezia, Italy

We were really looking forward to seeing the Cinque Terre Region of Italy. This is a coastal region where the mountians meet the sea. Our ship is at anchor in Le Spezia - a small working class town with a nice harbor. We are taking the public ferry past Porto Venere to the Cinque Terre Region. We only see Porto Venere from the ferry. The Church of San Pierto was also used as a fortress. The colorful houses rise like stair steps from the Mediterrean

Marseille Harbor

Alexander Dumas wrote the book Count of Monte Cristo. The story is about the imprisonment and eventual escape from Chateau d'if. This is an island fortress prision (Alcatraz is similar). Marseille is a huge shipping harbor for France. I snapped this photo as we were sailing from the harbor.

Avignon France - The Pope's Palace

The Popes actually moved from Rome to Avignon France in the 1300's. They built a huge palace and cathedral and relocated all administration of the Catholic Church. The town of Avignon sets above the Rhone River in the center of Provence. The Pope's even started a vineyard. Part of the bridge with Roman arches still remains. Many of the rooms in the palace still have remnants of the fresco's from over 700 years ago.

Van Gogh's hospital

In Saint Remy we visited the mental hospital where Van Gogh spent most of the end of his life. He painted over 150 paintings from the Saint Remy Region including scenes of the moutain range visible out of his window, the olive trees, the garden wall and sunflowers. There is a replica of his room set up. The church and courtyard cloister gardens are beautiful.

Marseille France and Provence

The limestone cliffs soar over the landscape as we enter the Provence Region of France. The first stop is a mountain top fortress village of Les Baux. The castle ruins date back to the middle ages. It is really cool and windy this morning -we are traveling with 2 other couples (Diana and Jim from Canada) (Ernest and Aelutta from South Africa)and sharing a guide and mini van.

Street Performer -he only moves when you pay for a photo

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Tapas

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Tapas in Barcelonia

Tapas are wonderful and found everywhere in Spain. Take your plate to the bar; pick out your selections - small items usually on a crostini (bread) with a toothpick. The count your toothpicks to total up your cost.
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Street Performers on Las Ramblas in Barcelona

The main strolling street in Barcelona is Las Ramblas traveling downhill from Plaza Catalunia to the Column of Columbus at the port. The center part of the street is line with trees and is pedestrian only and has shops that sell everything from birds and bunnies, to flowers to souvenirs. There were many street performers including this guy perched on a post - only moving when someone paid to have there photo taken. One guy was all flowers, there were several monsters, a southern belle, John Wayne, and a Nero!

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Street performers in Barcelona

An angel wearing gold paint with huge wings
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Internet on the ship

Not sure if I have complained about this already - but the ship's internet is really horrible. It is our biggest complaint!
I cannot upload a photo from my camera (through my lap top) on the ship. So every photo on the Blog has been taken with my Blackberry camera and I am using the small keyboard on the phone (similar to texting) to write a post. I am very slow. Also, I can only send one photo at a time (that I have figured out). So while we are on ship this is the only way I know how to post. I have great photos on my real camera - but for now this is it!
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La Boqueria (market) in Barcelona Spain

Darrell loves visiting food markets- but this market is huge! These crabs and lobsters are still moving. The market had everything - every fruit, vegetable, meats, olives, spices, mushrooms, bakery, etc. Andrew Zimmer from the Travel Channel had done a show from there recently. It was crowded with real people buying stuff for dinner!!
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Nativity Facade of the Holy Family Cathedral

Barcelona Spain - Gaudi incorporates amazing sculpture into the portals of the church. The east side has the Nativity scene (shown here) and the west side has the Passion scene.
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Spires from the Gaudi Church

We took the lift (elevator) inside one of the Towers. I freak out with heights - but the views were really amazing. The construction process of the church is evident everywhere - including 330 feet up!
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Sagrada Famila Cathedral in Barcelona Spain

This Cathedral is the most famous site in Barcelona. It was designed by Antonia Gaudi and construction was started in 1883. It is expected to be under construction for at least another 50 years.
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Barcelona Spain Olympic Park

You just can't get away from Modernista Architecture in Spain. Frank Gehry (the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain) designed this "Fish" sculpture for the Olympic Park for the 1992 games in Barcelona.
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Darrell's friends

Darrell hangs out in the smokers' corner (aka the leper's lounge). So he gets to know all the smokers (needless to say a fairly large group) and their wonderful stories. His friend (to Darrell's left) is Lou Dimaggio who is a comedian from Hollywood and has been on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Lou has been on the ship since we boarded in Stockholm. Darrell gets all the shipboard news first!
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Valencia Spain's Modern Architecture

These buildings are amazing!! These are the planetarium, the Oceanographic Center and the Center for Arts and Sciences buildings.
Valencia built a greenbelt around the outside of the old city walls along the river with parks, playgrounds, the opera house, pools, water parks, and these futuristic buildings.
(Wish Trey and Matt could have gone to the Planetarium!)
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America's Cup Yacht Racing

Valencia hosted the 2007 America's Cup Yacht Race in 2007. BMW's Oracle yacht headquarters was next to our ship's terminal.
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Towers, cathedrals, gunshots, TV news cameras..

The very center of Valencia is Plaza Real. We were inside the beautiful Cathedral of the Virgin and heard what sounded like a canons firing. So we followed the crowd around the corner and hundreds of people were watching and sometimes yelling. The guns fired 12 times (it was noon also) then some important guy came out of the Bishop's house and made an announcement about holy water (which of course we didn't understand).. About 20 tv cameras covered the event. Where was Lauren and WBBJ?
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Valencia Spain

The next bull fight is in 2 days - signs are everywhere.
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Bull Fighting in Valencia

There is a huge bull fighting ring in the middle of center city in Valencia, Spain. The Matadors are idolized in Spain.
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Hello to our family and friends!

We are having a wonderful trip - but we miss our family and friends! We think of you often and talk about you frequently!! We will be home in less than 2 weeks!

Catie Beth - get better soon!!
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Cruising friends

We have shared tour days with Stephen Hales from New Orleans, Gail Popeney from Los Angeles and Nancy Hales from New Orleans! Stephen speaks Portuguese and our day in Oporto was wonderful!
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Party in Horizions with "cruise critic" friends

Cruise critic is a web site set up to exchange information about all things cruising! We have met many nice people on board during both sections of our cruise. A big hello to Nancy and Tom in Des Moines, Iowa! And Dave and Laura in Los Angeles! And
Al and Lindy in South Africa! We enjoyed traveling with you all!
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Straights of Gibraltar

We have sailed into the Mediterranean Sea through the Straights of Gibraltar aka Pillars of Hercules. We passed by about 5 miles from the coast of Africa.
The day is sunny, beautiful in the Med. The band is playing and we are enjoying a day at sea on Regatta.
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Seville Spain -High Altar at Cathedral

65 feet tall clothed in gold leaf with 36 scenes from the life of Jesus - This is Spanish Catholic splender at its best. We just sat there in awe!
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Seville Spain Cathedral

Spain is wonderful! This cathedral is huge (3rd largest Christian Church in Europe)! Soaring flying buttresses and bell tower.
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