Madeira

We left Barcelona and had two days at sea before we landed in Madeira. On our last trip we visited the Cape Verde and the Canary Islands and visiting Madeira meant that we would have been to the three major island groups off the coast of Africa.

Madeira didn't disappoint. The approach to Funchal was spectacular. Madeira was certainly the most picturesque of the three island chains off of Africa.

 

 

The city rises directly up from the sea and the mountains are literally covered with white houses adorned with red roofs. It is densely packed. The roads are narrow and twisty. It has a charm that quickly wins one over. It's easy to understand why it is such a popular vacation spot.

We chose a scenic tour that quickly took us out of the city and into the countryside which was pretty vertical. The views did not disappoint. As we climbed out of the city, we saw our ship anchored in the harbor. It is the one on the left.

 

 

 

 

Our tour was more about scenery than city life. Our one exposure to the city of Funchal, was one of the reasons we did the tour: a wine tasting at the famous producer of Madeira, Blandy's. Unfortunately this consisted of a ticket for a small glass of Madeira and a second glass one of our choice. No lecture, no tour, no information about the historic property, just drink and leave. Sometimes you don't get what you wish for.

On the other hand, we did get to walk done the main street in Funchal, which was pretty and full of life.

 

 

 

That was it. It was back to the ship, lift anchor and head off for seven days at sea. Sometimes you get a full meal on a cruise tour and some time it is an appetizer. This was the latter, but a tasty one.

 

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Barcelona

We arrived in Barcelona on an absolutely stunning day. The sky was clear and blue, the sun was out, and the temperature warm. Our initial plan was to go to the large market on the Ramblas and then walk around the Gothic Quarter before heading for lunch at a one star Michelin Tapas restaurant in the trendy Hotel Arts. Being on our own, we decided to take it easy and just do the market and restaurant.

The Ramblas was as crowded as it always is with people enjoying strolling, eating and shopping. It is the heart of Barcelona.

 

The street is several miles long and has some of the best architecture in the city overlooking it.

 

 

 

 

We had a savvy cab driver from the port and he managed to avoid the snarled traffic on the Ramblas and quickly get us to the market via side streets. It is the oldest market in Barcelona and arguably the best. It may also be the cleanest market we have ever seen in the world. Although there was a large fish section and lots of produce, meat and cheese, there was absolutely no smell and it was spotlessly clean.

 

Italy has it's prosciutto and Spain has its Jamon de Iberico Belotta piedra negro. As soon as we walked into the market we saw stand after stand of the ham. Suffice it to say we were shocked at the prices. On the other hand, we were able to buy a very small sample. It was fabulous.

 

 

 

 

The market had much to enjoy and we wandered around shooting and having a great time, but before long it was time to head for lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arola is not your standard tapas restaurant as we quickly found out when we ordered some tapas from the "traditional" side of the menu. Out came some creations that were unrecognizable as traditional tapas, but one bite into them and we were in food heaven. Patatas Bravas in the front, Calamari in the back, and Jamon Iberico on the side.

 

This was all accompanied by pan tomate, something we never had and a traditional bread dish in Catalonia. It was so simple, but so good that I didn't even take a picture. Imagine grilled slices of bread, cloves of garlic, fresh tomatoes, olive oil and salt on a plate. You first rub the garlic on the bread, then the tomato, pour on a splash of the oil and a pinch of salt, then eat. So simple, so rustic, so wonderful....

We then got creative with grilled octopus and steak tartar all washed down with a beautiful bottle of a Spanish blend called Finca Valpiedra. Remembering the great food, I almost forgot to mention that our table was on a sun kissed terrace overlooking the blue Mediterranean Sea and that we were served by this lovely young lady who spoke great English, but with an accent one would only find in Catalonia. She and the setting were truly delightful.

In Spain, lunch is a lengthy meal, even in a tapas restaurant, and we enjoyed every moment. After a phenomenal desert called Chocolate 2014, consisting of chocolate done six different ways, they presented us with the platter pictured below. What a great way to end the meal and what a nice, personal touch.

 

We left the restaurant in a perfect state of bliss, hailed a cab, took a quick run past the Sagrada Familia and headed back to the ship. What a perfect day for us, especially after the disappointment of not being able to see our friends Keith and Annick in Provence. It won't be twenty years before we return.

 

 

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