Barcelona Scenes, 2014

There probably aren't a dozen cities in which we have spent more time than Barcelona, so we had already seen pretty much all the things that interest us...apart from just being there. (Well, there are a few more things...a museum or two, the Liceu (no performances until the 19th, etc.)) Anyhow, the city was this time just a stop along the way to another, greater city, and we spent our day and a half in Barcelona merely visiting old friends. All those old friends always reward return visits anyway.

In or near the Bari Gotic, a stretch of the
Roman wall

In the chancel of Santa Maria del Mar, a favorite and very
unusual late Gothic church

The market was just a couple blocks from the hostel, and
always worth a visit, or two, or three

Casa Mila, aka La Pedrera, under wraps; we visited with
Norma and Marie

Us on the terrace

Caternary arches in the loft

In the Gaudi museum at La Pedrera, models of Casa Batllo,
before and after Gaudi's "renovation"; of course we walked
by the Block of Discord...

And visited our perennial favorite, Casa
Comalat

And the Family Sangria (!), still under construction...

Another favorite, the House of Points

One of its many gorgeous entrances

Sun setting on the citadel

And on the Cathedral

And on the Palau de la Musica Catalana

We've visited and toured the Palau a couple of times; but
this time, Vicki was determined to hear a concert there, and
we got, literally, the last two seats to a performance by
Raimon; the significance of which was mostly lost on us;
but we were at least dimly aware of being present at a
great musical event that could only occur at the Palau

Midnight Rambla

Debarcation In Barcelona

Our last night on the Epic was a flurry of food, packing, gaming, and howling at the moon. After breakfast the next morning, we debarked and headed on by shuttle from the port to La Rambla and our hostel there, the BeniDorm.

Norm and Marie; after a day with us in Barcelona, they headed
off on another cruise, all around Italy; they'll rejoin us in Paris
in a week

On terra firma again; two big Celebrity ships were already in
the Port of Barcelona...10,000 tourists hitting Barcelona from
this quay alone (there were other lesser cruise ships around
the harbor); Barcelona is to the Mediterranean what Miami
is to the Caribbean...

Bye, Epic; no longer first-time cruisers, we might well see
you again...

Chris Colon welcomes us to Barcelona...
reminding me of the old bumper sticker
that said "Welcome to Texas! Now go home!"

A last look at the Norwegian Epic, over the roof tops, from
La Pedrera

Not pictured department: the restaurants, and particularly the Garden Cafe buffet, where, alas, we spent most of our waking time. We enjoyed the cruise greatly, Vicki even more than me, and are sure to do it again, but the food thing en cruise can be a bit disturbing. I had lost 15 pounds while in New Zealand, then gained much of it back while at Fiji and with Rebecca and then at Carole's. Then comes the cruise and Norwegian's free-style gluttony approach...really good food, incredible variety, available at all hours and in whatever quantities...e.g., 2,400 lbs. of lobster tail served at the Garden just on seafood night. Even at the sit-down-and-be-served restaurants, the food, though not to rave about, was quite good, with the exception of a few Thai dishes, and the variety was fairly stunning. At one of the nutrition seminars we attended (!), it was observed that the average cruiser will gain 7-14 pounds on a week-long cruise. Looking around at the largely American, and therefore largely obese passengers, it appeared that many had already enjoyed quite a few cruises. A whole new meaning for heavy cruiser. So despite trying to eat sensibly and walking 10-15,000 steps a day and doing the stairs often, I am afraid I did not succeed in keeping a few more pounds off. I have to credit Marie and Norm for cruising as much as they do and still keeping very fit.

Also not pictured department: other passengers. Initially I felt like observing--you hear this often at assisted-living facilities--that we were among the younger (and therefore more attractive, well, photogenic) people on board. ("Everyone else is so old"). Imagine my shock at learning that I was eight (8) years older than the average passenger on board. So I spent more than a little of the cruise in reflection and self-examination (looking in the mirror: "do I look that old?"). But not very much. There was always another meal to go to. Pass the coconut flan, whippersnapper!

Pillars Of Hercules

We passed through the Pillars of Hercules about 11:45 PM Tuesday night. Lots of people were up on the 15th floor looking for the famed Straits of Gibraltar, including me, but it was pretty dark out there. I alternated between port and starboard and got at least a few decent night shots.

Ships passing in the night

A town on the Spanish side

A big town on the Moorish side

Next day, in the sea lanes 

Close by the coast of Spain, a white city in the haze...

Funchal, Madeira Islands

Our one port of call was Funchal, capital of the Madeira Islands. The Madeira Islands were the first of the "discoveries" of the Age of Discovery, in the earlier 1400s, by a team in the employ of the Portuguese prince, Henry the Navigator. (We visited the site of Henry's School of Navigation, near Sagres, in 2010). Among the Madeiras' other many claims to fame are 1) they make Madeira wine, 2) Funchal is the annual site of the world's largest fireworks display (according to Guinness), 3) the place is really scenic and beautiful and semi-tropical and historic, 4) Funchal is the #1 Portuguese port of call for cruise ships (sadly for Belem and Lisbon; and for the cruisers who miss them), and 5) the port McDonald's has free and unlimited wifi. Having been starved for nine days by slow ship-board wifi and high ship-board prices (75 cents per minute plus a $3.95 "set-up" fee), we concentrated on 5). Oh yes, the Madeira Islands are way off the northwest coast of Africa, about 500 miles west of Casablanca.

Debarking/embarking, more chances to be impressed by
the Epic...

Funchal Cathedral, 1506

Spring well underway in Funchal; more likely, it's never
anything but spring or summer in this place

Street scene

Nice Portuguese tile

In the fish market

Hasn't changed much over the centuries

Really ugly fish

We tried some Madeira (fortified) wine and
decided to wait until we get to Spain or France
to buy wine; I did sneak a small bottle of Ginja
back aboard...the wonderful cherry liqueur we
were enchanted by in Obidos in 2009

The flower market was pretty neat

Returning to the harbor, another view of the Epic, across
the marina

From the ship: Funchal is not a small place; said to be
110,000, but it seemed larger than that to me

Panoramic view from the 15th floor...wait!...what's that coming
up on the left, I mean, port?!

It's Funchal's Exact Replica of the Santa Maria, taking a load
of Epic cruisers on another cruise

Sailing away...more islands in the Madeira archipelago; nice
respite

Aboard The Epic

The Epic had more venues, restaurants, stores, theaters, facilities, etc., than I got to and certainly more than you want to see pictured here. Nevertheless, here are a few...

Any number of demonstrations, here, French cooking, most
a soft ad for the ship's many services, etc.

Or merely entertaining; all kinds of movies were shown...

Part of our stateroom/cabin/whatever

Ditto

Ditto again

Staff were helpful, cheerful, attentive

15th floor festivities...music, dancing, waterslides, pools,
hot-tubs, climbing wall, basketball/volleyball courts, etc.

One of the larger casinos afloat; Vicki says we lost either
$6 or $23, depending on accounting methods...

We took in most of all the entertainment

Thus

But the best-on-boat, by far, was this rock n' roll dueling
pianos thing, all requests, incredible voice/keyboard talent,
who could do anything from Bertold Brecht/Kurt Weill to
Billy Joel and Elton John, and more recently too (so I was
told); they did a very credible rendition of my request for
Blues Image's "Ride, Captain, Ride, Up On Your Mystery
Ship" which no one else in the audience really seemed to
appreciate...

And most especially this Michigan lady, Rhonda Hughes, I
think; her rendition of  "What a Wonderful World," part Louis
Armstrong, part Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion) was a KO

At Sea

So every day I checked with the bridge to make sure everything
was OK; steady as you go, etc.

And to learn many, many interesting facts about the Epic;
personally I think the beer bottle statistic is misleading since
most of the beer I saw consumed was Foster's, which comes
in cans and is the choice of cruisers everywhere (bigger cans)

Bow hot-tub apparently reserved for Leonardo di Crapio and
Kate Winslet

Most of the 9 or 10 days crossing looked like this

But some days it looked like this

I spent not nearly enough time here, the 7th floor jogging
track on the starboard side

The port side was reserved for shuffle-board; but no one
plays shuffle-board anymore, so I made it my own personal
walking/jogging strip

Salt spray on one of the 7th floor life-boats; the weather was
marvelous for the whole crossing, but for one front we passed
through in a day; the Epic rolls a bit in even the calmest seas,
however; 14 of its 18 decks are above water line, and the higher
you are the more you feel the roll