Cruising and books

Thank you all so much for your lively discussion about our stay in Barcelona. I am grateful for your Comments and Likes. Barcelona done, we took a cab to the port and boarded the Vision of the Seas for a 13 night cruise home. It was a form of R and R, which we termed Relax and Read. We had a balcony that we put to use with ebooks and audiobooks.

Cartagena and Coca-Cola

On the first full day of the cruise we ported in Cartagena, which was quite different from Barcelona. They have created an incredibly nice, accessible pedestrian mall. The dock leads to a sidewalk with benches and some trees beside the yacht harbor. At the end is a crosswalk complete with smooth curb cuts, tactile warnings, and pedestrian Walk/Wait signals that chirped loudly during the Walk phase. The street itself is smooth and only two narrow lanes wide.

Across the street we were in the pedestrian mall. Long, wide, and paved with tiles. Yes, the entire thing is paved with ceramic tiles. We were hot and for no particular reason didn’t stop at a nice looking sidewalk cafe. A block later we found an American-themed, sidewalk eatery called the Cotton Grill. A hometown version of Johnny Rocket’s. Everything from appetizers to burgers to “unlimited Coca-Cola.” The proprietor told us they get locals for lunch and tourists from the ships. She stays busy all day. Local stores line both sides of the walkways with few of the American chains we found in Barcelona.

“The One-Armed Lady”

Day two put us in Malaga on Spain’s south coast. An intrepid walker might enjoy the trek into town, but a taxi seemed prudent. There was no real need to explain our destination. Everyone starts at the Cathedral of Malaga. The Renaissance cathedral was started in the early 1500’s, and construction was stopped in the late 1700’s. The design called for a large rectangular church with twin spires. For reasons which were lost long ago, the second spire was started but never completed. While the left rises majestically into the sky, the right has only the pillars on which the structure was to be built. It is affectionally termed “The One-Armed Lady.”

Barcelona was massaging, Cartagena smooth, and Malaga was downright rough. The ancient, square cobbles showed no mercy on my ride in the wheelchair. Relatively flat, we went slowly and loved the city. We needed to replenish our travel First Aid kit. Sandy found a local holistic pharmacy,  and we tried to explain that we needed Coban. She put us on a bit and then produced Coban by 3M. We truly enjoyed the time in her store. It is so much fun to travel and meet people. Around the world, sharing smiles and kindness is wonderful.

How many books?

The rest of the cruise involved relaxing on our balcony and reading. We were armed for the task with two dozen new ebooks and audiobooks plus what we already had on our Kindles. I lost count, but we read most. I love sea days, and a transatlantic cruise has lots of them.

Sandy and I travel light. We took one medium size suitcase, a carry-on size bag (we checked it, too), and a small backpack each. Mix and match, wash and wear, a small bag to the ship’s laundry. No tux for me, thank you. I had one, by the way, and gave it to charity. Meals were informal with care not to overindulge.

Azores and Nassau were no go’s

I don’t want to bash anybody, but I feel obligated to mention accessibility at two ports. The Azores are hilly. I was told not to expect wheelchair accessibility in Portugal. Steps and a steep hill greeted us, and we decided to stay on the ship. The view from our balcony was lovely, it rained, and we were glad we stayed onboard. Nassau was impossible with crumbling concrete, curb cuts that led to potholes, and a blocked sidewalk with no way to get my chair around. I have always had a soft spot for Nassau, and I hope they can get things repaired.

We arrived home fresh and relaxed. I had taken almost a month off from everything, it seems. It was time well spent, and I hope it can be done again. And I know you are wondering about this. Sandy and I both lost a bit of weight on the ship.

Thank you for stopping by and letting me share an amazing time that was fun and will help me immensely down the road. Comments are great, so let me know what you think or if you have questions.

Pictures: Main picture is a dark blue banner with Vision of the Seas written in white. Second picture is a yacht harbor with large sailboats in the foreground, our ship behind, and a mountain in the distance. Third picture is part of the cathedral. There is a large, wooden door with sandstone columns beside it, square stones above, and a row of stained glass windows near the top.