European Vacation 2007

A 14-night cruise with Sherri, plus two nights in Barcelona and one in London -- a trip spanning France, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Morocco.

Posted by Brian Hart on May 07, 2007 · 55 mins read

In the spring of 2007, Sherri and I took a 14-night cruise around Western Europe and North Africa aboard the Celebrity Millennium. We flew into London, boarded the ship at Southampton, and spent the next two weeks hopping from port to port — France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Morocco — before debarking in Barcelona for two nights and then flying home with a final night in London.

The Celebrity Millennium at anchor on open blue water under scattered clouds, seen from a small tender boat whose wake curves across the foreground.

Eight countries, a lot of walking, waffles and devil beer in Belgium, apes on the Rock of Gibraltar, and a solo lunch in the Tangier medina that’s still one of the best meals of my life. Gibraltar was my favorite port; Tangier was the most different place I’d been in my life to that point. I journaled the whole thing day by day, and the complete journals are collected below.

Contents

European Vacation 2007 Day 1

Leaving on a jet plane — the scramble out of New Jersey

Day 1 — USA

  • When: Friday, April 20, 2007
  • Where: New Jersey and Newark Airport

In the beginning…

We left on April 20. I took the day off so I’d have time to sleep in, get a haircut, finish up packing, and do miscellaneous tasks around the house to get ready. Instead I get a call from a co-worker at 6:45am letting me know that he’s sick and he needs me to teach 20 people how to use our software product for the last day of their training class. Sorry, I’m on vacation. Very Murphy’s Law though that I get the wake-up phone call on my sleep-in vacation day.

So now I’m up.

Haircut at 11am so I’m looking wash-and-wear all day. Sherri arrives home from work a little after 1pm. We leave for Newark. Vacation has begun.

The drive to Newark is mostly uneventful. I say mostly. The previous day our car vibrated in a weird way as I was heading to work… enough so that I pulled over to make sure I didn’t have a flat. It went away shortly thereafter, but we felt some more vibrating on the NJ Turnpike on the way to catch our plane for our 15-day vacation. Fortunately FSM smiled a big noodly grin upon us and we were delivered safely to Newark.

Hooray! Economy parking was full! Even though we clearly saw empty spaces in the economy parking lot, we didn’t argue when the Port Authority Lady gave us a voucher so we could park in monorail parking for economy rates. This is a good thing. I like the way things are shaping up so far. We even get a sweet parking spot along the fence.

We breeze through check-in, spend some quality time at the Presidents Club thanks to some free vouchers I had, then hop on the flight.

Six short hours later, we are almost to London-Gatwick. We’re just passing through, though, on our way to Southampton.

European Vacation 2007 Day 2

Untangling the English rail system, then embarking at Southampton

Day 2 — UK

  • When: Saturday, April 21, 2007
  • Where: Gatwick, Chichester, and Southampton

There’s a looooong line for customs, AND we haven’t slept, but at least we’ve deodorized. Some others in line, not so much. Next we gather our belongings and attempt to navigate the southern England rail system.

Here’s where I tangent for a moment. I’m not quite sure how the UK rail system evolved. It seems there are different companies providing competing services over the same rail. For example, if you want to go from Gatwick Airport to London-Victoria, you can take the Gatwick Express, Southern Rail, and others, I’m sure. Gatwick Express has special Gatwick Express rail cars, a man comes down the aisle selling food and drink stuffs, and there are no stops. Alternately, you can pay a little less and take Southern Rail, who have their own cars, no f&b cart guy, and they make a few stops along the same journey. You’ll start in the same terminal, use the same rails, and end in the same terminal, but two different companies are providing this service. But you’ll buy your ticket for any of the rails from the same ticket stall, and all of the rail network infrastructure is provided by Network Rail.

Got it? Good. I don’t.

The reason I mention all of this is because it was all very confusing to us when, after not having slept, we tried to navigate the rail system with our two weeks’ worth of luggage. First we couldn’t figure out which train platform we needed to be on. Then we weren’t super confident which train to get on. Then when we got on one we didn’t think it was the right one so we hopped back off. But a minute after it left the friendly rail person told us that it HAD been the right one… and there’d be another one in an hour. Sigh. Fast forward an hour and a half to Chichester (which is quite fun to say), the end of the line on the train we ended up hopping onto.

Next train that would continue on to Southampton was in an hour, so we were in for a wait. Long story short (too late?) we made it to Southampton in one piece, with only minor physical and mental scarring. The 5-minute taxi ride from Southampton Central to the cruise terminal made me super glad we didn’t try the Gatwick->Southampton drive, as I think it would’ve been a bit dicey.

The cruise terminal was uneventful. We noticed many other people carrying cruise booklets, the same booklets we were told by Celebrity personnel on the phone two weeks prior that they don’t send out anymore. :( But finally we’re onboard! Exhausted, but onboard.

Time to hit the buffet. It’s been a long day.

Tomorrow: Paris!

European Vacation 2007 Day 3

Le Havre and a jet-lagged bus dash to Paris

Day 3 — Le Havre, France and the Paris road trip

  • When: Sunday, April 22, 2007
  • Where: Le Havre and Paris

This is jetlag day, and we have an early shore excursion. This should be fun.

The boat docks in Le Havre, France. This is my second trip to Le Havre. The other visit was for dinner only, six years ago, when I worked for Celebrity/Royal Caribbean. I see an equally limited amount of the city this visit.

We wake up at a time our bodies perceive to be 2am and prepare ourselves for a long day. Geographically, Paris is not near the ocean, which is damn inconvenient for cruise ship passengers. This means a 2 1/2 hour bus ride, each way.

We board the bus, score sweet seats toward the front near another couple (Dave & Pat) we met while waiting to leave the ship, then proceed to poke along to Paris at around 50 mph. A fast driver, this man was not, and since the snail’s pace is seriously cutting into our touring time, the bus crowd grows restless. A coup is avoided when the tour guide pushes our departure time from Paris to 5pm after some suggestion of partial refund by Dave.

Anyway, we finally arrive, and we’re off touring, tagging along with Dave & Pat.

Brian, in a black striped polo and khaki shorts, stands smiling on the Trocadéro terrace with the Eiffel Tower rising behind him against a clear blue sky.
Brian at the Eiffel Tower, seen from the Trocadéro, Paris.
Brian, in a blue-striped polo, stands on a tree-lined plaza with the Arc de Triomphe and its carved reliefs behind him and cars circling the monument.
Brian at the Arc de Triomphe, Paris.

We walked… a LOT. We were amongst fast walkers. David is a former tour guide. Sherri is, well, Sherri… zipping around as she does. We hit many hotspots in a compressed timeframe. This was a solid exercise day.

At 5pm we reboard the bus. Like an old horse heading back to the barn, the driver picked up the pace on the return trip to Le Havre. Once back on the ship we manage to drag ourselves down to the main dining room for our first fancy meal. We ended up sitting with a lovely couple from near Manchester, England, Robin & Renee, and another couple, Bruno & Sandra, from Australia, who live about 3 miles down the road from Steve Irwin’s Croc Zoo.

I’m quite sure after the 2-hour dinner I was thoroughly exhausted. I’m also quite sure I found a little time for blackjack at the casino before turning in.

Next stop: Belgium. Amazing waffles, more trains, the devil beer, and the departure of the Australians.

European Vacation 2007 Day 4

Waffles, devil beer, and quaint Brugge

Day 4 — Zeebrugge, Belgium & Brugge

  • When: Monday, April 23, 2007
  • Where: Zeebrugge, Blankenberge, and Brugge

My triumphant return to Belgium after many years.

Besides chocolate and lace, Belgium is known for waffles. And devil beer. In fact, I needed two waffles that day, they were so delicious. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

We arrived in the busy port of Zeebrugge and boarded a shuttle bus that took us to Blankenberge. After some walking, a bloody finger, and a shared waffle, we hopped a train for Brugge. We managed to run into friends Dave and Pat (from yesterday’s Paris trip) on the train — a happy accident — so we spent the day with them. One member of our party swears that during the train ride they saw a cow sitting down. I am skeptical.

Brian, in a dark red polo and cargo shorts, stands on a cobbled Brugge street in front of a shop with a burgundy awning reading 'chocolats'; a Belgian flag and old stone buildings behind him.
Brian outside a chocolate shop in Brugge, Belgium.

If there’s a poster child for the quaint European town, Brugge is it.

A Brugge canal lined with medieval brick buildings and stepped gables; a small open tour boat full of passengers glides along the green water under an overcast sky.
A canal in Brugge, Belgium.

I paid to take a leak in Brugge. 30 cents Euro if I recall, which is near $.50 US. People could see me tinkle from the hallway, but nobody seemed to mind. Europeans are more carefree with their whizzing. Anyway, if I recall, the train from Brugge to Blankenberge only ran once an hour, so we didn’t have an excess of time for shopping and wandering. Unfortunate, since Brugge is charming and yearns to be explored.

Brian, in a dark red polo, leans against a weathered whitewashed brick wall on a Brugge street; a Gothic church with a tall turret rises in the background beyond tourists on the cobbles.
Brian on a street in Brugge, a Gothic church behind.

We arrive back in Blankenberge and shuttle back to the ship. Tonight we lose the Australian couple at the table. It will be the four of us for the remainder of the cruise.

Next stop: Amsterdam. Lots more walking, canal tour, the Internet cafe without Internet, and more running-into-people-we-know hilarity.

European Vacation 2007 Day 5

Walking Amsterdam, a canal tour, and a scenic sail-away

Day 5 — Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  • When: Tuesday, April 24, 2007
  • Where: Amsterdam

No shore excursions planned for today. Cruise ships dock in Amsterdam itself, so no shuttle buses or trains are required, simply a 10 to 15 minute stroll along the water. This is the view from our stateroom veranda towards the city. The building you see in the background is the central train station. Walk there, make a left, and you’re in Amsterdam.

Brian, in a black sweater and sunglasses, stands on a bridge over an Amsterdam canal lined with trees, gabled houses, parked cars, and bicycles; a red 'Sexy Amsterdam' sign is visible on the right.
Brian along a canal in Amsterdam.

This was the third day in a row where we walked.

And walked…

And walked…

…and walked and walked and walked. Oh! But we did take a canal tour like uber-tourists. And so we toured:

A row of ornate Amsterdam canal houses with red-and-white brick facades, white trim, and stepped gables, framed by bright green spring trees; bicycles and vans parked below.
Two bicycles leaning against the black iron railing of an Amsterdam canal bridge, with a tree-lined canal, gabled houses, and pedestrians stretching into the distance.

And then we drank.

As you can see, we managed to link up with Dave and Pat again. As with Belgium, we were just walking along and there they were.

One of the best parts of the Amsterdam day was watching the sail-away. You’re basically cruising along a river as the countryside slips by you.

I poured a Scotch and sat on the balcony for a few hours and had a grand old time. We even had some rowers catch up to the ship!

Amazing. A bunch of people were out on their verandas and on the top deck cheering them on. I didn’t think to pull out my GPS to see how fast they were rowing until it was too late.

All in all, an excellent city and an excellent day. We struck out trying to find Internet today. When we finally found an ‘@’ sign, the man inside said they were closed. Open door, but the place is closed. Mid-day on a week day. Go figure. Oh, and if you’re wondering, no I didn’t ask to see “the menu”.

Tomorrow we recover, for it is Sea Day #1. Some passengers love sea days; I do not. I’m bored and it’s too crowded. Most of the crew hates sea days, too, with the exception of the retail management and casino personnel.

Next entry: our triumphant return to France after all that time, with a visit to La Rochelle.

European Vacation 2007 Day 6

Sea Day #1 and the serendipitous dress shirt

Day 6 — Sea Day #1

  • When: Wednesday, April 25, 2007
  • Where: At sea

I lied in the last post. I thought I’d skip right to La Rochelle, but I might as well mention sea day.

What can I say… it’s a sea day. Sleep in late, annoy the housekeeping staff, try to find a free table in the buffeteria, read, pop by the casino, hope for better weather.

This is our first formal night. Like an idiot I left dressy shirts at home, because they weren’t on my super terrific checklist, so I had to buy one. I searched Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam, and wasn’t able to find one. Either the stores were closed (they take the Canadian approach to Sundays) or ridiculously expensive. Then, the night before, I was walking through the retail area on the ship and lo and behold, they were selling dress shirts. And they had my size! Talk about serendipity. At $30 it’s not the finest piece of apparel in my wardrobe, but it got the job done. All I had to do was keep my jacket closed so people wouldn’t see all the wrinkles!

The ship’s photo staff took our picture during dinner. When we saw the results the next day, we chose to pass. It would be this way for the other two formal nights as well. I swear that the two of us can’t seem to look good in the same photo.

So that was sea day. Tomorrow we’re back on dry land in La Rochelle, France.

European Vacation 2007 Day 7

La Rochelle didn’t quite WOW me

Day 7 — La Rochelle, France

  • When: Thursday, April 26, 2007
  • Where: La Rochelle

I was expecting more from La Rochelle. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it didn’t WOW me, either. There didn’t seem to be anything to DO here except walk around and shop. Like other days, we walked, a lot. We popped into a few shops. Sherri bought an English-language paperback for 12 Euros (US$17 or so). We strolled past restaurant after restaurant that all seemed to serve the same dishes and feature the same atmosphere.

… so we went Thai instead. Overall… dunno, this port just didn’t do it for me. In all fairness to the people of La Rochelle, it was probably me, not you.

Brian, in a striped sweater and sunglasses, stands on a cobbled pedestrian street in La Rochelle lined with pale stone buildings, shop signs, café tables, and parked scooters.
Brian on a pedestrian street in La Rochelle, France.
The fortified Gothic-Renaissance Hôtel de Ville of La Rochelle, with a tall clock-and-bell tower, crenellated stone walls, and French and EU flags; a crowd gathers at the entrance.
The Hôtel de Ville (city hall) of La Rochelle, France.

We didn’t manage to run into the boys at this port, somehow, though we were expecting to. Hmmm… the fact that we were expecting to probably meant that we wouldn’t. That’s how that works, right?

Tomorrow: Bilbao, our first stop in Spain. A peaceful river stroll, the world famous Guggenheim/Bilbao, a dirty beer glass?, and lots and lots of photos.

European Vacation 2007 Day 8

Bilbao, the Guggenheim, and a river walk promenade

Day 8 — Bilbao, Spain

  • When: Friday, April 27, 2007
  • Where: Bilbao

Bilbao was great! I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was exceeded. It’s a crazy hilly shuttle bus trip from the port into downtown Bilbao. We endured more shuttle bus chaos at the pier. If the shuttle is half full and there are FOUR other buses parked, waiting… maybe we can go ahead and leave? Just askin’.

We get off in Bilbao and head immediately towards the Guggenheim:

Brian, in a black polo and khaki shorts, stands at a stone railing in front of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, its curving titanium panels gleaming above the river.
Brian at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Obviously I have no idea what to do with my hands.

The museum is down by the river, where they have an excellent river walk promenade. So we strolled…

A wide tiled riverside promenade in Bilbao beside the Nervión river, with palm trees, tall modern sculptures, apartment blocks, and green hills rising under a blue sky.
The river walk promenade along the Nervión in Bilbao.

… then left the river walk and aimed toward town.

Finally we stopped for a late lunch. I had paella, forgetting they leave the shrimps intact. 🦐

Not much time left after lunch, plus a storm was a-brewin’, so we headed back to the ship. The stormy skies generated an arc or circle that exhibits in concentric bands the colors of the spectrum and that is formed opposite the sun by the refraction and reflection of the sun’s rays in raindrops, spray, or mist.

A bunch of locals were gathered to see the ship depart.

Crowds of people line a stone breakwater topped by a white lighthouse at the mouth of Bilbao's harbor, with the town and green hills across the water under a hazy sky.
Locals gathered on the breakwater to watch the ship depart, Bilbao.

That was our day in Bilbao. I’ll go ahead and write about sea day #2: nothing happened. It’s a sea day.

Next stop: Lisbon, Portugal!

European Vacation 2007 Day 9

Sea Day #2

Day 9 — Sea Day

  • When: Saturday, April 28, 2007
  • Where: At sea

Nothing happens on sea days. Move along.

European Vacation 2007 Day 10

Lisbon grows on me

Day 10 — Lisbon, Portugal

  • When: Sunday, April 29, 2007
  • Where: Lisbon

No tours planned for today. Technically this is my second visit to Portugal (we stopped in the Azores when I worked for Disney Cruise Line) but this was my first trip to the mainland.

It took some time for Lisbon to grow on me. We started out around 10am, early for us, at the “bottom” of the city, near the water.

Brian, in a striped polo and sunglasses, stands on a steep stepped Lisbon street lined with pink and yellow buildings and café tables; the hilltop Castelo de São Jorge is visible across the city behind him.
Brian on a stepped Lisbon street, the hilltop Castelo de São Jorge behind.

The city was still sleepy and it was chilly. There wasn’t much going on at this hour except for a marathon. We did what we’d done in the other cities: walk around, take pictures, eat lunch, window shop.

A long vaulted stone arcade at Lisbon's Praça do Comércio, with repeating arches, hanging lanterns, and yellow buildings; a woman walks through the light on the right and a yellow tram passes beyond.
The arcades of Praça do Comércio, Lisbon.

It’s hillier in Lisbon than I expected, but also I’d done no research. There’s an elevator that will save you some uphill walking. We walked along what I perceived to be their Champs-Élysées.

Relaxed in a square for awhile.

Lisbon's Praça Luís de Camões, a plaza with the bronze statue of Luís de Camões atop a stone pedestal ringed by smaller figures, surrounded by yellow and white buildings; people cross the square in the sun.
Praça Luís de Camões, Lisbon.
Brian, in a striped polo and sunglasses, sits on the grass in Praça Luís de Camões with the Camões monument and pale apartment buildings rising behind him under a bright blue sky.
Brian in Praça Luís de Camões, Lisbon.

We finally found an Internet cafe (our first of the trip, not counting the $.65/min one on the ship) at a Western Union and got our Internet on.

Then finally stopped around 2pm for an excellent lunch at Locanda Italiana.

All in all it was a fun day and a neat city. BTW, Lisbon is the site of a sister bridge to the Golden Gate in SF, called the 25 de Abril Bridge:

Brian, in a striped polo, stands on a broad concrete waterfront with the red 25 de Abril suspension bridge and the hilltop Cristo Rei statue across the Tagus river behind him.
Brian on the Lisbon waterfront, the 25 de Abril Bridge and the Cristo Rei statue across the Tagus.

Yes, the ship does go under that bridge on the way out of Lisbon. Yes, it looks like a tight squeeze. No, I didn’t have the foresight to sprint up to the top deck to watch.

Brian, in a striped polo, stands on the quay in front of the docked Celebrity Millennium, whose blue-and-white hull and lifeboats tower behind him under a bright sky.
Brian on the dock beside the Celebrity Millennium, Lisbon.

Next stop: Gibraltar. Dizzying heights (for one of us), the World’s Most Narrow Roads, and those damn dirty apes.

European Vacation 2007 Day 11

The Rock of Gibraltar — my favorite port of the trip

Day 11 — Gibraltar, UK

  • When: Monday, April 30, 2007
  • Where: Gibraltar

The Rock. No, not the high-energy Sean Connery/Nicolas Cage vehicle… this time we’re talking about the Rock of Gibraltar.

The sea was angry that day my friends. Like an old man trying to send back soup at a deli. Undaunted, I made my way to the top deck to admire the view. Since Sherri was nestled into bed reading a book, a kind Asian man wielded the family camera and squeezed off this shot:

Brian, in a black sweater, stands smiling on the ship's top deck behind the white railing and a satellite dome; the Rock of Gibraltar rises across the water under a cloudy sky.
Brian on the top deck as the ship approaches the Rock of Gibraltar.

I’ve given it some thought, and Gibraltar is my overall favorite port of the trip. This day had the right mix of walking, riding, scenery, beer, and monkeys. I wouldn’t want more or less of any of those.

We were booked into a shore excursion here, which ended up working out for the best. We were supposed to take a cable car to the top of the rock, walk down some, and then a tour bus would pick us up and take us the rest of the way down. Only, it was too windy for the cable car. So if we HADN’T booked a tour, we would’ve been on the hook for hiring a cab to make it up to the top, which could get expensive. Instead, our cab took us up the rock.

First stop was St. Michael’s Cave, where they have an indoor theater!

Outside the caves is where we had our first taste (so to speak) of the Barbary apes. This guy’s telling me a story:

Brian, in a navy striped polo, crouches beside a Barbary macaque perched on a stone wall atop the Rock of Gibraltar, with the harbor and bay far below through the trees.
Brian and a Barbary macaque atop the Rock of Gibraltar.

We walked downhill for awhile, dodging taxis on the narrow road. Then the bus picked us up and took us over to the Siege Tunnels.

Inside the Great Siege Tunnels of Gibraltar: a whitewashed rock wall painted 'THE GREAT SIEGE TUNNELS' in red, beside a uniformed red-coated soldier mannequin standing on wooden barrels.
The Great Siege Tunnels, Gibraltar.

The Siege Tunnels are neat. There are stellar views from the cutouts in the tunnels. You can even see the frontier and Gibraltar’s unique airport from there.

See the road across the runway? That’s the one and only way from Gibraltar into Spain, and is known as the Frontier… which, instead of reminding me of the Old West, always reminds me of The Last Starfighter instead. Anyway, they have to stop car and pedestrian traffic every time they want to land a plane.

Another interesting tidbit: many people come over from Spain to buy gas in Gibraltar because it’s cheaper.

After the tour, we stopped into the main square for a beer and a snack at Latino’s. Is 30 minutes too long to wait for garlic cheese bread? Me thinks so. I was wearing the cheapo shades I haggled from a Paris vendor for $6, sitting a little too high on my face. There was even a fancy Burger King on the square.

Obviously the weather cleared up in a hurry and the skies were beautiful. Back on the ship, I snapped a few photos while we left Gibraltar.

As you can tell, it was a memorable day. Gibraltar is definitely a place I’d like to visit again. Next time, hopefully I can remember to book a tour of the World War II tunnels, which are part of a separate tour.

Tomorrow is Tangier, Morocco, the strangest city on our voyage. Watch me as I pet the camel! That’s not a euphemism.

European Vacation 2007 Day 12

Tangier — the most different place I’d ever been

Day 12 — Tangier, Morocco

  • When: Tuesday, May 1, 2007
  • Where: Tangier

Welcome to Morocco! I should back up and tell you that our Tangier experience began the night before we arrived, when the Captain sent a letter to all the staterooms letting people know that Tangier could be dangerous so don’t act like idiot tourists and walk around with a giant map, hundreds of dollars in your hand, three cameras around your neck, etc. Duh. Basically: watch your back. The same advice I’ve taken to heart everywhere I’ve been since I was 14. Still, it was enough to give some of the other passengers second thoughts about leaving the ship.

That would’ve been a shame. I quite enjoyed my day in Morocco. We booked a shore excursion for today, as well, which ended up being a wise idea, as there wasn’t much to do near the shore, and there are cab drivers willing to screw you out of money.

This was a relatively early day for us: wake up at 7am to make it to the excursion meeting place, one deck down, by 8am. And it’s a good thing we did! Otherwise, we would’ve been late for leaving the ship an hour-and-a-half later, at 9:30!

It was borderline chaos as this was the only stop on the trip where we weren’t actually docked, but had to take a tender boat instead. That means confusion, wait times, etc. It wasn’t AS horrible as I anticipated when we first arrived at the meeting point, but still… it did take us 1.5 hrs to leave the ship.

We finally boarded a tender and made our way into Tangier.

The Celebrity Millennium at anchor on open blue water under scattered clouds, seen from a small tender boat whose wake curves across the foreground.
Our ship, the Celebrity Millennium, anchored off Tangier — the only tender port of the trip.
Tangier's white hillside town seen across the harbor from a tender boat under a dramatic cloudy sky; passengers sit at the rail in the foreground, one with windblown hair.
Tangier from the tender, photographed by Sherri.

Off the tender and on to our waiting bus. They couldn’t get the PA system working (it sounded like they had the gain turned up 300%), so I grew concerned we’d be listening to someone talk through what sounded like a McDonald’s drive-thru speaker for 3 hours. Wisely, they moved us to a different bus where the system was working a little better, and off we went.

For the next few hours we toured around the area outside Tangier. I don’t know, I was expecting desert conditions… but everything was lush and green. There were obvious signs of poverty, like where it appeared they would build an apartment building, get 92% done, then call it done and let people move in. It was weird. There’d be apartment buildings that were new-ish (but clearly lived in for 5+ years) where there’d still be construction debris piled up…

A cluster of Moroccan road signs in Arabic and French (Cité Universitaire, Aéroport, Hôpital Mohammed V, Royal Golf) beside a large billboard portrait of King Mohammed VI, with palm trees and white buildings behind.
Road signs beneath a portrait of King Mohammed VI — his image is everywhere in Tangier.

We stopped at several places where we could buy trinkets. I’m sure there’s a little arrangement between the vendors and the tour company owners and guides.

The scenery is quite stunning in places.

Tangier's whitewashed medina climbs a hillside above the harbor and its stone breakwater, boats moored below, under a sky of broken storm clouds.
Tangier's whitewashed medina rising above the harbor.

At one stop I paid $1 US to pet a camel. I found out later that it was possible to pay to RIDE one of the other camels. I wanted to do that!!

The last part of the tour was a walk through the medina area, near where we re-board the tender ships. It was so unbelievably cool! I fully expected to round a corner and end up in the first Indiana Jones movie. “Bad dates.”

There’s no way I’ll be able to reproduce the experience of walking through the medina for you here… I’m simply not that accomplished a writer. It was amazing, though. I took every opportunity to pause and soak up the experience; it was the most different place I’ve been so far in life. It wasn’t particularly clean, you would get a lot of stares, and the merchants were relentless in trying to sell their wooden camels, bracelets, handbags, toy drums, and wallets. It was authentic, though, and I savored that.

Anyways, the tour was over and I wasn’t ready to leave, so Sherri and I parted company (she headed back to the ship with the tour), and I headed back in the medina to wander around and grab a bite to eat. I stopped at a cafe and found a nice table for one outside that faced the main street. This was NOT a tourist’s restaurant – there wasn’t a big menu board by the street with laminated photos and someone trying to wave you in to the restaurant; it was on its own and unassuming. The waiter and I did not know each other’s language, but I was able to determine that a chicken dish was available and that I’d like one please. So I had my grilled chicken, french fries, and some sort of olive dish, plus a Coke, and watched Tangier life. It was one of the better meal experiences I’ve ever had in my life — not for the food, though it was satisfying, but for the atmosphere of the bustling market, the weather, and the friendliness of most of the people I encountered. I also felt very fortunate for everything I had in life.

Towards the end of my meal, Dave and Pat walked by… not entirely unexpected, given our previous encounters. I finished my meal and returned to the ship with them, and that was it for Morocco.

One more sea day (you know what happens on THOSE) and then the cruise is over.

Next stop: Barcelona, where we debark.

European Vacation 2007 Day 13

Sea Day #3 — eating, packing, tipping

Day 13 — Sea Day

  • When: Wednesday, May 2, 2007
  • Where: At sea

The third and final sea day. There was a ton of activity today! Eating, packing, tipping…

European Vacation 2007 Day 14

Debarking into Barcelona and Las Ramblas

Day 14 — Debark, Barcelona

  • When: Thursday, May 3, 2007
  • Where: Barcelona

The cruise portion of our vacation is over. The taxi line is chaos; fortunately there’s a police officer trying to maintain order and get people into cabs fairly. Still, no lines set up or anything? Disappointing.

We head over to our hotel, Le Méridien Barcelona, located on Las Ramblas (translation: “The Ramblas”), a major tourist drag in Barcelona. It’s around 11am, but fortunately a room is ready for us, so up we go.

After settling into the room, we’re off to wander Las Ramblas and try to find something to eat. Now, I’m not sure what to compare Las Ramblas to here in the States. Basically it’s a large pedestrian mall, stretching probably more than a mile (I’m too lazy to go look it up right now), with north/south traffic on either side. There are pet stores and bodegas scattered here and there along its length, as well as restaurants, and a LOT of those statue/mime people.

By lunch time we were starved, and I was determined to experience as traditional a Spanish meal as possible along Las Ramblas. Enter: La Boqueria, an amazing market near-ish the hotel. Name an animal or fish: it was here. The energy of this market was something to behold. So were the crowds. Still, we managed to find ourselves at a small restaurant inside the market, along the border. From what I understood, Thursday is paella day in Spain, so I knew that was on the menu for me. I learned how un-fun it is to disassemble an intact cooked shrimp; Sherri learned that Omelet means Quiche in Spain. Lessons learned. Oh! In my 33 years, I never ate a mussel until this day in Spain. It was my attempt to do-as-the-locals-do. It wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t my favorite, but I now know that if I were dining at an important person’s house and they served mussels and I had to eat them to avoid an international incident, I could. So I got that going for me.

More wanderings after lunch. You know us, we like to walk. For dinner we found an Italian place along Las Ramblas that wasn’t a complete rip-off, so we went there for an average meal.

Tomorrow: our big touring day in Barcelona.

European Vacation 2007 Day 15

A big touring day — Sagrada Família and Bonanova

Day 15 — Full day in Barcelona

  • When: Friday, May 4, 2007
  • Where: Barcelona

The next day was our big touring day. We had a bite to eat after walking around for awhile, then rode the big red tourist bus around the city.

Note that so far I haven’t shared many photos. At this point in the vacation we only had room for about 12 pictures for the whole rest of the trip. I had filled 2 x 1gb chips. We did manage to snap pics at La Pedrera:

Gaudí's La Pedrera (Casa Milà) in Barcelona, an undulating pale stone façade with wavy balconies of twisted wrought iron and a sculpted rooftop, framed by green trees.
La Pedrera (Casa Milà), Barcelona.

And Sagrada Família:

The Sagrada Família in Barcelona under construction, its stone spires and pinnacles surrounded by tall yellow tower cranes against a partly cloudy sky.
The Sagrada Família, Barcelona — still very much under construction in 2007.

Late afternoon Sherri and I stopped into an Italian place east of Las Ramblas for a late lunch, managing to polish off a pizza, an insalata caprese, and a bottle of cabernet. Feeling fine from lunch, we rode the tourist bus around some more, then made our way back to the hotel.

Dinner was at Restaurante Bonanova, a recommendation from high school friend Charlie Poe, who has extensive Barcelona experience. Bonanova was definitely an experience. First, there was a language barrier. We managed to sufficiently overcome that. We perused the menu but it was merely letters on a page to us. Instead, we went with the recommended specials. Sherri and I both enjoyed a salad with strange seafoods. I had lamb for the main course – with white asparagus, a first – while Sherri had some sort of fish. For dessert, I had this dish that looked like a Klondike bar with more chocolate drizzled all over it. Excellence. The whole time the staff was very friendly and understanding of our language differences. I sensed that Bonanova is truly a neighborhood restaurant… the staff knew many of the people who dined there. It will be on my list for a return visit.

Tomorrow: off to London.

European Vacation 2007 Day 16

A few weary hours in London (and a nearly lost bag)

Day 16 — Travel to London, a few hours in London

  • When: Saturday, May 5, 2007
  • Where: Barcelona and London

Saturday we’re off to London. Our flight’s not until 1pm or so, giving us time to casually make our way to the airport, where British Airways charges us US$130 for being overweight on our baggage. Thanks, British Airways! Anyway, we make it into London, and the bag we paid an extra $130 for DOESN’T ARRIVE. We have to report it to the BA baggage people, who inform us it will probably be on the next flight, later that evening.

We stayed in the Hilton Gatwick hotel, which is connected to the airport. We hike our luggage over to the hotel (less one bag), check in, and grab the Gatwick Express into London. In a quick half-hour we’re at Victoria station in London. What do we do? We walk, of course. It’s what we’re good at.

The Queen lives here. She Queens. And vacuums.

Me in front of the London Eye:

Brian, in a black sweater, leans on a riverside railing with the London Eye's white observation wheel rising behind him across the Thames, trees and a tour bus along the embankment.
Brian in front of the London Eye.
The London Eye seen across the River Thames under a clear blue sky, with sightseeing boats moored along the near bank and a bridge in the distance.
The London Eye across the Thames.

We also strolled through St. James’s Park.

The weather was gorgeous in London, but at this point, we’ve been traveling for 16 days, and we’re both fairly travel-weary. We make our way back towards Victoria station, pop into a pub for beer and grub, then head back to our hotel. Once we’re back to the room, I call over to the baggage claim people, looking for tracking information on the missing bag. On the fourth call, I finally reach a human. He has the bag! He’s just getting ready to leave for the night. Wait! We’re staying at the airport! We can pick it up now, then you won’t have to ship it back to the States! We throw on some clothes and sprint across Gatwick, rescuing the bag from near-certain permanent loss.

Sleep comes early tonight, and tomorrow’s a long day.

European Vacation 2007 Day 17

The long flight home

Day 17 — Return home

  • When: Sunday, May 6, 2007
  • Where: Gatwick to Newark to home

We’re up around 7am for our 10-something flight. Since we’re flying Business class, check-in and security are a breeze, which is extremely fortunate, as there are many lines in Gatwick that wrap around corners. It’s a wall of people, but we dodge it all because of our Elite SpecialPerson I-used-points-for-business-class status. The flight goes quickly, we recover our luggage and car in Newark with a minimum of fuss, and hit the road for home.

And that’s it — seventeen days, one ship, and a lot of walking. Thanks for coming along.

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