November 17 - Elysium Lécrin (Motril, Spain)

This morning we arrived in Motril, a not particularly pretty port in the south of Spain.  Many of my shipmates took tours to Granada, one of the most beautiful places in the world IMHO, but I’ve been there several times both as a teenager and with Al, so I availed myself of another unique experience the ship offered.

I have to “set the table” for you first.  For several years while I’ve cruised on Seabourn there was a corporate Executive Chef who would come onboard to check on and tweek menus. His name is Michael Sandoval.  I had the pleasure of meeting him – in fact I danced with him a couple of times.  Now he and his wife Jasmin, who also worked for Seabourn, have opened a restaurant called Elysium Lécrin in the little village of Melegis in the Lécrin Valley about 25 minutes from Granada.  The tour that I and 11 of my fellow passengers took was the first offered for a tasting menu lunch at this new and very lovely restaurant.

Michael and Jasmin spent five years fixing up an old, dilapidated house built in the 1890’s.  When they bought it there were birds flying around and roosting in the attic and none of the windows had glass in them.  They completely redid the place retaining the old stone elements  and the character, but they added modern facilities and their own personal touches.  Now it has become a boutique hotel with five luxurious suites and a marvelous restaurant which I have no doubt will receive a Michelin star in short order.

They named their place Elysium Lécrin.  Elysium is a state of mind and body, a sensation into which you are immersed. For the Greeks and Romans, it was also a sacred place where the shades of virtuous men and heroic warriors led a blissful and happy existence amidst green and flowery landscapes.  They have achieved the desired result.

We took a short ride through the Sierra Nevada mountains which stretch down to the coast in this part of Spain.  Along the way we could see the first signs of snow in the distant peaks.  We went part of the way on the highway, but then we had to get off onto a twisting mountain road with lots of hairpin turns.  Our guide Maria told us we had to leave the main highway because the new bridge on that road which cost millions of euros is falling apart. We arrived at the venue and were greeted by name by Michael and his lovely wife.

These are a few shots of the Sierra 

We began our experience with a delicious glass of Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine, and an hors d’oeuvres of a tiny puff pastry filled with cream and caviar.  Then we were escorted down to the vaulted cellar where we sat at tables from which we could see the open kitchen and enjoy the 9-course feast.  I won’t bore you with descriptions of everything but I will include photos because I want to remember how good this was. I will say that I ate a few things I didn’t think I’d like at all, like eel and octopus, and Michael’s take on them was absolutely exquisite.  Each course was accompanied by a wonderful Spanish wine. 

This was an appetizer including a Pho broth

A second appetizer with some eel

That curved thing is octopus skinned and cooked in a pressure cooker until it lost all its rubbery texture and tasted delectable

A raviolo stuffed with oxtail

Squab with a black truffle gravy and some dried pumpkin

A pre-dessert dish with foir gras, an orange marmalade, and a crumble made of walnuts and diced celery

Dessert of mango, rice and cream

We were supposed to get back to the ship by 3:30 PM; we made it back around 4:45 instead.  It poured rain for most of the ride back through the mountain roads and Sergio, our driver,  did a splendid job. It was a marvelous day!  This evening I was invited to dine at the Captain’s table.  Two of my new friends who are Australians who live in England were at the table too.  They are great fun and I look forward to spending more time with them in the days to come.  I finished the evening with a Monica Vitte, my favorite after-dinner drink, in the Solis Bar and then a quick listen to some music up in the Observation Bar from my favorite duo Barry and Merle.  I’ve known them  for three cruises now and I’m always so happy they are aboard.  Besides being great musicians they are also really nice people.

That was my day.  It was lovely!

November 16 - Cartagena, Spain and sunken treasure

Today we’re docked in Cartagena, a port city on the southeastern coast  of Spain in the region of Murcia. (This is the first of two Cartagenas I’ll visit on this voyage because in December I’ll be stopping in its namesake Cartagena, Colombia.)

This place holds some very old memories for me.  As a teenager my family lived in Spain and my father came to Cartagena often as part of his work.  We made a few trips with him, but that was long ago and this part of Spain has grown a lot.

Cartagena has a fascinating history. It was founded around 2500 years ago by the Carthaginians and its name is a variation of Carthage.  During the Punic Wars around 250 BC the city was captured by the Roman general Scipio Africanus.  Following the fall of the western Roman empire it was invaded by Visigoths and Vandals until the Moorish conquest of the Iberian peninsula.  It stayed in that civilization’s hands until the “Reconquista,” the period when the Christian kingdoms in what is now Spain united and began taking back the peninsula. The ouster of the Moors was completed by Isabella and Ferdinand in 1492.  During the years of the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939 Cartagena was a stronghold of the Spanish Republican faction, the side opposed to Franco and his Nationalists who eventually won the war.

The downtown area of Cartagena has many lovely buildings built in the early 20th century.  Today was not a good day to go and see them because they were having the Cartagena Marathon today so there are many streets blocked off for the runners and lots and lots of people here cheering their favorites on. I could only see a couple from afar because I didn’t know how to get around the barriers that were set up. 

These three photos are what the streets looked like blocked off for the runners.

The Museum of Underwater Archaeology

 Down by the waterfront  is the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology which displays many ancient artifacts recovered from shipwrecks in the surrounding waters.  The most significant part of the collection of the museum is the 14.5 ton cargo of an early 19th century vessel called the Nuestra Señora de  las Mercedes.  She was part of a flotilla of ships carrying gold, silver, hides and quinoa from Uruguay to Cádiz Spain.  The flotilla was intercepted by a British task force off the southern coast of Portugal. Despite the fact that the Britain and Spain weren’t at war at the time, a British frigate fired at the Spanish ships when they refused to alter course to be inspected and a single shot hit the magazine of the Nuestra Señora and she sank with the loss of her cargo and 250 sailors.  I’m writing about this because I find the story very intriguing and I remember reading something about it in the news years ago.  An American salvage company reported finding the shipwreck in 2007. The company recovered half a million gold and silver coins and took them back to the US.  Spanish researchers figured out that the items came from the wreck of their ship and they began a legal battle to recover the treasure.  Peru entered into the lawsuit claiming the Spanish plundered the treasure from them and said it was rightfully theirs. A US Circuit Court finally ruled in favor of Spain in 2012, and in late December of that year the treasure was brought to the museum here in Cartagena. A story about sunken treasure ships has got to be a good one.  The whole find and trial was even given a name that sounds like it came from a Pirates of the Caribbean movie – the Black Swan Project.

November 15 - Ibiza, Spain

This morning we docked in Ibiza, Spain.   I was last here on my 70th birthday with Al.  That seems like forever ago now.

Ibiza is the third largest of the Balearic Islands and lies about 90 miles off the coast of Spain and the city of Valencia.  It has a well-earned reputation of being a party island and it's known for its electronic dance club music scene.  We who arrive on cruise ships which are only here during daylight hours will never experience the real Ibiza.  The last time I came, Al and I took the shuttle into town, walked around a little and then found a place to have a pizza and a drink.  While we were sitting at the little café, a glass of water was spilled on the very expensive camera Al brought with him and that was the end of the camera.  We tried drying it with the blow dryer when we got back to the ship and thoroughly cleaning it, but it still wouldn't work.  In some ways maybe that was good because he stopped lugging all that heavy stuff around with him.

Anyway, back to Ibiza. The name of the island is probably a variation of a Phoenician word meaning "fragrant island."  The previous occupiers of this place are the same who controlled most things in the Mediterranean in the last several millennia.  For a few hundred years it was under Moorish rule until the Moors were expelled from the Iberian peninsula.  It, along with the other Ballearic Islands, is now the Ballearic Autonomous Community, a region of Spain.

Because of its climate, beaches, and clubs  it has become a major tourist destination in the summer months, mainly from June to September.  Although Ibiza only has a population of roughly 160,000 more than 7,000,000 tourists arrive through its airport each year.  That has put a strain on the water supply and for that reason among others the government has imposed tourism taxes and moratoriums on new construction.

So, I didn't go ashore today.  Yes, I'm lazy, but that's not the total cause.  The last time I was here Al and I realized that the place is absolutely dead during the day, and even more so when it's off-season.  Instead I stayed on board and chatted with friends and took care of some business things I hadn't done since I'd been on the ship. I'll include a couple of photos I took from my veranda so you can at least see what it looks like.  

In the evening a gay couple from the St. Louis area invited me to dine with them.  They are two charming guys whose company I have enjoyed while at one of the bars before dinner.  They arranged for a special dinner in the main restaurant and we had a good time.  After I went down to the Club to listen to the music and perhaps dance a little.  Instead of a band, last night there was a DJ and an electronic dance party (maybe a tribute to Ibiza?).  In any event, the music was so loud I could barely hear myself think and I couldn't take it for very long.  I moved up into the far corner of the bar area and talked with some new Australian friends until we all decided our heads were going to explode so we called it a night.  It was still a lovely day. 

Oh, one more thing.   I can't remember if I've written about my new afternoon routine - my quest for the World's Best Adult Milkshake.   I think I have but just to recap, in the afternoon I go to the pool bar, pick out a gelato flavor and ask the bartender to create a milkshake for me using whatever spirits he thinks complement the gelato.  I have had some absolutely yummy ones!  Today's was a concoction of raspberry gelato, white rum, and chambord.  Here's a photo of Isram,  the latest contender for first place.

More tomorrow so for now Buenas Noches!

November 14 - Mahón, Menorca

Today we’re docked just below the town of Mahón on the island of Menorca.  I was just here twice on my spring cruise. During my previous days here I had taken a long tour of the island and then walked around in the town.  Today I made it up in time for breakfast and then headed ashore for a little walkabout.

You can see how Mahón is perched up above the port in this and the next shot

The town lies on a cliff above the pier area and there’s an elevator to take you up to the top.  It’s that or a whole bunch of steps so you know what I opt for.  It’s a cute little town with narrow streets, most of which are pedestrian only. This place has something I like very much – there are lots of benches placed along the streets where I can just sit and people-watch.  When I came in the spring it was much livelier because the season was just beginning.  We’re at the end now and so many stores and cafés are closed. I wandered for a little while and then on a whim as I passed a peluqueria (Beauty shop) I decided to go in and get a pixie cut haircut.  They were able to take me right away and I thought the lady did a grand job.  It was looking like it might rain so I decided it was time to go back to the ship.

I liked this little side alleyway. Those are shoes dangling from those strings.  I don't know if was an artistic thing or somebody airing his shoes out.

One of a number of statues around the streets

I ‘ve written back in the spring about some of the history of this place so I won’t repeat it here.  Suffice it to say that as with most of the other islands in the Mediterranean, Menorca has been invaded and occupied by many civilizations.  The Spanish are the current owners. Speaking of Spanish, there are quite a few crew members who are from Spanish-speaking countries and I have been trying to speak that language with them.  It has been amazing to me how much of my Spanish is coming back to me.  A long time ago I used to be fluent but as they say, “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”  I’m happy to report that it’s still in the recesses of my brain and it’s coming back.

You may have noticed that I skipped a port, Alghero, Sardinia.  The Encore did go there, but I called a sea day because I was tired.  There was a long tender ride to get on land and I’d been to Sardinia before, so I took a day off.  Friends who went in said it was a pretty typical little town with lots of very rough cobblestone streets.  I don’t do well on those so perhaps it was a good thing I didn’t go ashore.

This is what I saw of Alghero.

We have trivia every afternoon and we’re holding our own in this cumulative round.  I’ve been getting invitations to a hosted table every day and I’ve accepted perhaps half the time.  Other days I’ve dined with friends and we’ve been pretty spontaneous about where we eat.  We had a delightful Lithuanian violist perform one night.  I truly enjoyed her concert. We had a West End singer another night and I thought she was a little brassy.  And aside from that life goes on here.

November 12 - Ajaccio, Corsica, France

I’m back at the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. I was just here at the beginning of May and it hasn’t changed much. 

Before I go any further I should mention that I’ve skipped Civitavecchia, the port for Rome.  That was yesterday and it was the end of one leg of the cruise.  Nearly 300 passengers disembarked and 300 new people boarded – an opportunity to make more new friends!  I had to change cabins because I had booked the first leg of my voyage after the rest and the same cabin wasn’t available.  It was less painful than the last time I had to do it.  The biggest problem now is remembering to go to the correct door.  I only moved across the hall and up two doors.

Anyway, today is a gloriously beautiful day as we are docked here in downtown Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica. I walked ashore and headed first to the market across the street from the terminal.  It was quite different from my last visit.  It seems it’s the end of the season, tourist and growing for many fruits, so there weren’t nearly as many vendors.  It’s still fun to look at the cheeses, sausages and baked goods for sale.  It would be so lovely to have such an assortment at stores at home but we don’t.  

Don't these saisages look good?

These were all varieties of macaroons.

I left the market and continued walking to the main square, the Place Maréchal Foch.  I haven’t figured out why it’s called that. Maréchal Ferdinand Foch was a French general during WWI, but the square is dominated by a huge statue of Napoleon Bonaparte garbed as Caesar.  The statue is surrounded by  four lying lions guarding the emperor.  It’s quite an impressive structure and a very pleasant park.  There are palm trees and benches and one can just sit, listen and watch the world go by.

I can't help it; I love photos of laundry hanging off balconies and windows.

Napoleon as Caesar

I had intended to take a little train, sort of a Corsican hop-on/hop-off trip around the town.  It begins at the square but sadly the season is over and it isn’t running.  Maybe next time.  I continued walking up the Avenue Premier Consul (that was Napoleon’s title before he made himself emperor).  There are mainly cafés along the way with only a few shops in between  There were signs of preparations for the upcoming holiday season because some lights had been strung across the streets.  It might have been here before but I don’t remember seeing the most impressive light array.  At the intersection with the Avenue Eugene Machini (I have no idea who that was) there was an enormous crown made of lights suspended over the intersection.  It must look splendid at night.  I browsed in a couple of stores and then walked back toward the waterfront.  On the way I found a beautiful store that sells housewares which I don’t need.  But, they had the place decorated for Christmas and there were lots Christmas decorations.  I found several lovely ones which I bought to decorate my door on the ship.  Many passengers do that so I’m ready for it now too.

I would love to see this at night and all lit up.

It was too early for lunch at one of the cafés so I headed back toward the cruise terminal.  As I walked I noticed for the first time in the square next to the market a statue with flags in front of it and the base of the statue festooned with red, white and blue flowers and ribbons.  I walked over and saw that it was a monument to the Corsican soldiers lost in the WW’s.  The flowers around the base were interesting. As I got closer I saw that there were a series of separate arrangements, each with a ribbon emblazoned with the name of one of the municipalities here on Corsica.  So each town sent a floral tribute honoring those who died from their city or town.  They were there because the French too celebrate Armistice Day, November 11.  That’s something I should mention.  I know we have a holiday on Veteran’s Day and we place flags in cemeteries, but the English and French do much more than we do.  Many of the English passengers have been wearing poppies on their dresses or lapels.  Yesterday at 11 AM, the captain came on the PA system and read a passage from a poem by Laurence Binyon. He then called for two minutes of silence after which e bugle played the British bugle call “The Last Post.”  It’s very moving!  Every time I’ve been on a Seabourn cruise on 11/11 they do commemorate it in some way.  I think it’s so meaningful to them because essentially the British and French lost nearly an entire generation of young men in WWI, either dead or wounded.

This isn't the War Memorial just another statue at the waterfront

These are the War Memorial

I came back on board and had lunch with friends, played trivia with a new configuration of our team.  We lost half but gained new members that two of our existing team already knew (and I was assured are very smart).  I had dinner with  Ceci, a staff member I sailed with last fall.  This cruise has been a little like old home week.  The show was an excellent violinist from some place in Eastern Europe.  And of course I went to listen to music and dance just a little.  It was a good day!

You must know by now that I love sunset pictures and I just loved the way the skyline of Ajaccio looked as the sun went down.

Finally, I was reading something about Napoleon and I came across this quote which I think is pretty thought-provoking.  “In politics stupidity is not a handicap.”

Until tomorrow.