thefouramigosblog

Our third port day was to the City of Cadiz. The weather was less than promising, predicting rain, clouds and cool weather all day.

We didn’t plan a tour but thought we would walk to the old city, find some WiFi and savor some bakery delectable. I didn’t bring my Nikon either because of the rain so all pictures were taken with my phone.

It was a quick walk into town, maybe 10 to 15 minutes from the ship. The streets and alleyways reminded us a lot of Malaga.

We walked into a Catholic Church where We said a few prayers and then wandered a long the alley ways.

As we strolled through the streets, the rains and winds were getting quite strong.

We decided to head back to the ship for some spa time and to have coffee with friends. It was a lovely little city but unfortunately it was not a nice day for walking the streets.

Friday we had a tour from Lisbon to Sintra and Estoril. Our ship sailed up the Tagus River traveling past several iconic structures. Emerald forts are at the start of the Tagus River. Fort of Sao Lourenco do Bugio looked more like a little island with a lighthouse. The first fort at the mouth of the Tagus was Forte de Sao Julião da Barra originally built in the 16th century.

Belém Tower, built in 1519, stands tall and regal on the shores of the Tagus. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Lisbon with its colorful rooftops is the backdrop for the River. There is the Palacio Nacional da Ajuda and Palacio Nacional de Belém along with several castles.

The 25th of April bridge spans the River and connects Lisbon to Alamada. Originally called the Salazar Bridge when it was constructed in 1966, it later became the 25th of April Bridge after the overthrow of the Salazar Regime on that date. It was designed by the architect of the Golden Gate Bridge.

There is a large statue of Christ, Christ the King, standing by the bridge watching over the River. This statue was erected in the 1950s and represents Portugal’s gratitude for avoiding the horrors of World War II.

Another grand statue is the Discoveries Monument, celebrating Portugal’s age of exploration in the 15th and 16th century. It opened in 1958.

Our tour guide from Spain Day Tours, picked us up at the port for a whirlwind day. Our first stop was the Pena Palace in Sintra.

It was a magical palace with Moorish influence built in the 19th century although older parts of the palace were originally a monastery built in the Middle Ages. King consort Ferdinand transformed the ruins into a palace for the Royal family. Unfortunately Queen Marie died during childbirth of her 11th child so Ferdinand lived there with his 10 surviving children.

The rooms were decorated with furnishings from that era. The Queens room was the most opulent of them all.

From the wall of the keep we could see the Castle of the Moors which was built in the 8th century.

The town of Sintra resting at the base of the mountains was adorned with beautiful buildings and a historical palace.

We even had time to sample a local favorite pastry consisting of sugar, flour, eggs and almond.

Portugal is known for exporting cork and cork grows on trees. Here our guide showed us some samples of products.

We traveled on to the seaside village of Cascais where a large green statue of King Carlos looked out over the bay. He was the last real Royal before they became a republic.

The villages of Cascais were lovely seaside towns.

Our next stop was a visit to what was once a monastary but is now a cathedral.

When the monastery closed, one of the monks collaborated with a local baker and since the 1800s the bakery has been selling these delicious pastries.

We continued our journey to central Lisbon and were treated to famous cod cakes.

We walked many miles today but learned a lot about Portugal, it’s heritage and it’s food.

The streets were tiled with limestone. Over the years the roads started to deteriorate. The Portuguese have started a program to train people in this lost art of tile work.

One shop struck Bruce’s eye! I wonder why?

We fell in love with Portugal and would love to come back and spend sometime. Eight hours was hardly enough!

#Portugal. #Sintra. #Pena Palace. #Belem#25thofAprilBridge#TagusRiver

The trip to Casablanca was canceled but was not a surprise to many of us. Whether it was Covid cases, paperwork or air space that the Russians use, we did not get the real answer. As far as I could tell, Casablanca had not excepted any cruise ships into the port and we were supposed to be the first ones. Whatever the reason, we didn’t go and ended up going to Gibraltar. When I heard they have free roaming apes there, I was thrilled.

We booked an excursion with the ship, which I normally don’t do. We had to be in the theatre by 8:30am. As we all were herded in there like cattle, with our little sticky numbers, we were told that one tour was canceled and my tour was not going to the top of the rock. With that meant no visit with the apes. Bruce and I quickly decided that we didn’t want the half tour so we bailed out.

We quickly left the theatre and left the ship. No waiting. Yay! A tour guide was waiting outside the terminal ready to take us and six other passengers to the top of the rock for half the money it cost with the ship.

Two of our fellow travelers were Steve and Kim Costa. They own a travel agency, S & K Cruises and Adventures. They mostly do cruise traveling and points of interest at different ports.

We stopped part way up the rock to see the views. Here we came to a monument called the Pillars of Hercules.

Our first stop was St. Michael’s Caves. These caves are a network of limestone producing stalagmites and stalactites with a creative light show and set to music.

The passageways lead to an underground amphitheater which can accommodate over 100 patrons.

After we finished in the caves we met our driver Robert. I also saw my first ape.

Our guide Robert was very knowledgeable and friendly.

We climbed up on the skywalk and took in the breathtaking views.

Our next stop was the ape den where they had just put out food for the apes. These are the only free roaming primates in Europe and are known as the Barbary apes.

The apes and some of the babies kept leaping on to our van. Unfortunately they were so quick I could not get a photo. All in all I was happy with the primate visit.

Our next stop was the tunnels which were created by the British to defend the island.

After the tour, Robert left us in town to walk around. We quickly found a cafe so I could write my blog.

We visited an old graveyard which was quite lovely.

The old mailboxes and phone booths were of an era gone by.

Window boxes on historic old buildings were all around.

We finally headed back to port after a fun day on Gibraltar.

We missed the stop in the Azores but were delighted to arrive on the tenth day in Madeira. I woke early before sunrise to see the first bit of land we encountered in our long Transatlantic crossing.

As a member of Cruise Critic I usually join the roll call for my voyage so I can check out any important information regarding our sailing. One of the members scheduled a tour for Madeira and I quickly signed us up.

We all met on deck five at 8am and our group was the first group off. We had a very nice group of six. Two couples and two singles. Our driver Daniel loves his country and was a very enthusiastic and entertaining guide.

Our first stop was Camara De Lobos, with a beautiful view of the coast. We stopped a looked around the fishing village and saw a statue of Winston Churchill.

We traveled on to Cabo Girao also on the south coast.

A few kilometers ahead we stopped at picturesque Ribeira Brava before heading into the mountains.

We made several stops in the mountains and at one point we could see both the north and south sides of the island.

Large mountains loomed everywhere and long tunnels extended up to two miles through the mountains. Remnants of the old roads were still visible and they looked quite treacherous.

We stopped for lunch at an ocean view restaurant in Porto Montez. We ate fish and fried banana. It was delicious.

The north side of the island had beaches and man made tidal pools where people were actually swimming.

Heading back to port we stopped at several overlooks on the north side seeing magnificent waterfalls.

Our trip back to port was much shorter since we took a quicker leases scenic road. The entire trip was from 8:30 until 3:30, a long day with a cost of only 27 Euros per person.

#Madeira. #Salgueiro. #

When Bruce and I think of cruising, we think long voyages across wide open seas. This is our third Transatlantic crossing and we are heading to some exotic places. But first we have six sea days ahead of us.

To our dismay, internet and WiFi are basically non existent. So much so that Princess reimbursed the full WiFi fee. I will most likely post this first trip blog when we reach the Azores.

The first two days were quite stormy. The seas pitched and hurled and quite a few travelers were confined to their cabins. Bruce and I have good sea legs. In fact, I love the rolling during the night. I sleep like a baby.

Our first night we had dinner with two lovely couples. One from Boca Raton and the other from Mexico. We shared stories and experiences and missed the early show. But it’s always fun to dine with new and interesting people. We choose my time dining so we can go whenever we feel like it and are always willing to share a table.

The show was a group called the Westenders. They were terrific. They sang songs from our two most favorite musicals, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserable.

Day two we hit the gym – I did a stretch class and Bruce worked out with weights. We enjoyed the spa where we bought a cruise pass to their thermal suite. Love the heated beds and powerful jacuzzi.

Day three we had coffee with friends and also ate dinner with a group of people. It was formal night so we were dressed up. Bruce in his sport jacket and me in my sparkly top.

Day four we explored the ship and shops, had coffee with friends, and spent time at the spa. We decided to watch the movie under the stars which was a favorite, Bohemian Rhapsody. For dinner we ate hot dogs and pizza. They even provided popcorn and the lounges had extra padding with blankets. It was a great night.

Day five was absolutely gorgeous out. We spent time by the pool and hot tub and ate ice cream. We are getting to see a few familiar faces from our dinners and have people to stop and chat with.

Day six is another beautiful day. Lounging by the pool and enjoying the hot tubs. There are plenty of chaises because the ship is only 60% full.

Well we missed the Azores due to heavy winds and high seas. The ship has been rolling and rocking a bit but I have slept like a baby.

Two more sea days and we are enjoying every minute of them. We decided to try trivia. Not very good but it’s fun anyway. We also watched a battle of the sexes game show. That was a hoot. Of course the women won!

Tomorrow we head to the island of Madeira. Bruce and I are doing an excursion through cruise critic. I think everyone is looking forward to land after nine sea days!

#Princesscruises #Transatlantic. #travelblog

Post pandemic travel is an interesting affair. It used to be how much should I pack, do I have our passports and what shore excursions interest us. Now it’s do we have our shots, tests and masks.

For the Caribbean Princess, passengers must be fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid test two days prior to departure. We opted for a PCR test at CVS which is covered by insurance. Results are available in one to two days. When we went to bed the night before the cruise and still did not have test results, we planned to get a rapid test the next morning. Those can run up to $150 per test so we were hoping we’d get our results. They came in around 4 am. We were both negative.

We made it to the port early and had early boarding. One of the benefits of Covid was that we no longer had to do the life boat drill at the muster station. We watched a video in our cabin approximately 10 minutes long. Then Bruce and I proceeded to the muster station where we signed in using our medallions and that was it. Easy Peasy.

When I get on a ship, I immediately want to explore. I love all the wood finishing and colorful lighting. The Caribbean Princess was decorated for Christmas but that was a bit underwhelming. A tree here and there and some garland but not as much as I would have liked.

We stopped to have some water and a small bite to eat at the International Cafe

Our first night dining, it was my birthday. We had shrimp cocktail and ceviche, salmon, Mahi Mahi, and desserts. The waiters also brought me a small cake and sang Happy Birthday, off key.

We awoke the next morning to brilliant blue skies and the promise of a wonderful day on Princess Cay. We spent some time snorkeling which was great fun. The water was a bit chilly at first but as we snorkeled and saw all the beautiful fish, we quickly forgot the water temp

The little island had tiny cabins that you could rent for the day. Very colorful with the Bahamian feel, it felt like we were in paradise.

Now this being post-Covid, the Caribbean Princess was only 40% booked. That meant plenty of lounges and no waiting times.

After a fun day we headed back to the ship with one last photo of this lovely island.

One of the things I like to do on a cruise is sign up for a spa treatment and if they have a thermal suite, sign up for that. On the first day, I had a wonderful massage and Bruce and I used the thermal suite every day.

Bruce and I never seem to get bored on sea days. We usually sleep in a little, go to the gym, have breakfast and catch some entertainment. We also made some friends and had coffee with them in the afternoon.

For dinner, we usually eat with a table full of strangers who become friends. Afterwards there is some form of entertainment in the theatre. In past cruises we had to get there early for a good seat but this time, with limited passengers, we had plenty of seats and most often were not sitting next to other people.

Bruce of course loved to have his after dinner cigar.

On some ships the smoking area is really nice but not on this one. It was under a staircase, next to a bar with little ventilation. We didn’t spend much time there.

Princess gave me $300 in free play for the casino. So after the show, we’d go to the casino for a little while. We ended up leaving the ship with $400.

On Wednesday we went to St. Thomas. We didn’t plan a tour since we have been to this island. We walked around town and shopped very little. Bruce bought a mug for his tea.

We stayed in St. Thomas until 9pm. Some pretty awesome boats in the harbor.

We love sea days and we had quite a few. Our itinerary included St. Kitts but when we approached the island the Captain announced the waters were too rough and a storm was approaching. In actuality, it appeared that there were already three ships docked, two waiting and maybe not enough room for us.

We did get a nice view of the island. Hopefully I will get to St. Kitts on another trip.

We had coffee on our balcony every morning. It was a huge balcony.

Two of my favorite people were Max, the barista and Pavlo, the ice cream man.

On the Princess cruises, they now use medallions that open your doors, charge your accounts, hold bank money for the casino and even play onboard games. It makes everything a bit hands free and I loved that I didn’t have to unlock my door – it unlocked when I approached it.

It was a great little vacation and we loved being out on the water again. And as far as safety, Princess gets high marks for it health and safety protocols.

#princesscruises #covid #travel #testing #princesscay

After the rainy day, skies began to clear and we ventured out to dinner at Bamboo.

It was a very expensive restaurant but not quite as good as La Yola. I had red snapper and Bruce had sea bass.

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The portions were small, presentation was nice but taste did not live up to the looks.

The overall ambiance was nice and we had a quiet little table that looked onto the pool.

In the morning we woke to vivid blue skies and the promise of a beautiful day.

Our first destination was the loungers on the beach. Today we brought our snorkel equipment just to see if there was anything to see.

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The only thing I saw was a tiny little fish. I guess we needed to snorkel near a reef.

We spent most of the day enjoying the beach, pool and hot tub. We had another virgin pina colada for our lunch. It was entertaining watching all the different people around the pool. And you could always tell the European male in his speedo.

For dinner, we ate at the Grill. This was in the Golf Club.

The Dominicans begin decorating for Christmas on November 1st. Lots of lights and Christmas trees everywhere.

The restaurant had music tonight which was quite nice. I had red snapper again and Bruce had seafood paella.

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We finished dinner with a passion fruit cheesecake.

Today we head home. I’m writing this blog from the VIP Lounge in Punta Cana International Airport.

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This lounge even has a swimming pool. And a full buffet with sandwiches and hot dishes.

It was a wonderful but short trip to the Dominican Republic. I look forward to returning sometime soon!