I apologize for the delay in updating my blog, WIFI signal aboard the Viking was woefully slow that I could not download photos. I wanted to just write about our shore tours but that would have been extremely boring!
Anyhow, we flew back to the U.S., from Barcelona to Zurich, Switzerland where we took the connecting flight to Vegas (our friends Tommy and Oya Holgado flew to Los Angeles CA). We almost didn’t make our flights in Zurich due to a delay, luckily, the departure time was moved an hour ahead since there were so many passengers in our delayed flight.
It’s 2:15 am PST and my body is still getting used to the time difference. And the bad thing is I think I am coming down with “something”! Perhaps this is how my body is reacting to the 22-day cruise and travel time (and the excessive wine and splendid cuisine aboard the ship).
Anyway, it would be very remiss of me if I left my readers hanging in suspense if I didn’t finish my blog taking you vicariously to our travels!
VALENCIA is a very beautiful city and one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean and the birthplace of the famous paella (a dish consisting of saffron-flavored rice, seafood, chicken, chorizo, vegetables, etc). Valencia was first founded by the Romans in 138 B.C. and boasts of a diverse medley of ancient buildings – from Gothic to Baroque to Romanesque styles. However, part of the city also boasts of ultra-modern architectural buildings that look more in place in a futuristic movie. (Trini and I have been to Valencia in February 2018 also with Viking).
Since our tour did not start until noon, Tommy, Oya, Trini and I decided to take the provided shuttle bus to go explore on our own. We’re glad we did since although it was cold and windy it wasn’t raining yet. We strolled the square located near the cathedral at Plaza de la Virgen, commonly known as “Seu“. We passed by the Palace of the Borgias (Spanish Borja) which was featured in Netflix – Borgia. They were a very powerful family during their time.
As most of the stores were still closed we went back to the ship. A few shops catering to tourists were open where we bought the usual take home things – magnets to stick in our fridge.
The ship’s tour started with the expected rain, light but steady, and lower temperature! We did some walking always wary of slippery old cobblestones. The stroll took us through narrow serpentine streets admiring very old buildings. The tour guide pointed out the narrowest apartment building in the world – only a few feet in width! We visited their market which we almost missed since they close at 3:00 pm. Siesta is mandatory!
BARCELONA is full of history, stunning architecture and a rich culture. It is also the Catalonian capital. I’ve visited this tantalizing city so many times while I was in the Navy, the fifth time since I retired from the military. However many times I set foot here I still feel a different vibe compared to other cities we’ve traveled all over the world! The Bohemian atmosphere permeates the air and the laid back cheery attitude of the people you see strolling about is so contagious it makes you just go into one of the open cafes and just sip coffee or wine (or both) and let the idle hours pass by! If you haven’t been to this eclectic metropolitan city, I strongly recommend you do before Father Time prevents you to do it.
Barcelona is also famous for its iconic Basilica of the Sagrada Familia. Started by Antoni Gaudi in 1882, the construction is still ongoing after almost a century and a half (the Egyptian Pyramids took less time to complete)! Pablo Picasso (see my Malaga blog) also spent part of his life in Barcelona.
There is also a tall statue of Christopher Columbus found at the end of La Rambla which I will not post since it might offend some of my readers due to the controversy surrounding his abusive treatment of Indigenous Americans. His statue was erected as a reminder that he reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent.
The tour guide showed us the usual tourist spots around the city and the obligatory photo shoots around the Basilica. We didn’t go inside since it was not part of our excursion and you have to make a reservation in advance. Outside, a long line of tourists were eagerly waiting to see the interior of this colossal masterpiece by Gaudi. Trini and I are fortunate to have experienced this in 2018.
When the tour bus stopped near the Columbus statue, the Holgados and us, told the tour guide that we will get off and go on our own. She warned us to keep our wallets and backpacks in our front. We headed near the vicinity of the statue so I can visit the memorial of my shipmates (USS TRENTON was my ship; USS GUAM also had casualties) that died in a water collision with a Spanish vessel in 1977. Twenty-four Marines and sailors drowned when their liberty boat collided with the Spanish vessel. I visited this memorial twice already but for some reason I could not locate it again. I even went to the maritime museum and was given the direction to no avail.
Disappointed, we went to the famous La Rambla (most people call it in the plural Las Ramblas). This is a mile long tree-lined pedestrian boulevard (watch out for pickpockets!). We went to Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. We took our time browsing the sidewalk shops and enjoyed people-watching. We reached the crowded market past noon and we were famished. Trini and I ate tapas in a tiny restaurant (Pinotxo) back in 2018 and we liked their tripas. That’s where we ended but had to wait until some seats were vacant. Finally, after the owner asked a couple of customers to move so they can accommodate all four of us together, we were seated. After the waiter/owner served us hard bread which he scooped with his bare hands (hopefully sanitized) from a wicker basket and unceremoniously dumped in front of us, we ordered marinated sardines. After savoring this dish slowly and dipping the bread in its oil to soften it, we ordered another dish – caracoles (escargot or snails!). We picked the snails’ meat with a toothpick and they were slightly rubbery but savory. Again, we swished our bread in its oil. By this time, we mastered this technique although I noticed the other diners didn’t do this. Next, we ordered a skewer of venison that was surprisingly tender and and not so gamey. We asked for more bread and ordered the piĆØce de rĆ©sistance (not really the main dish since tapas are served individually) – tripas (tripes). Again, rubbery but delicious!
Hunger satiated, it was now time to shop for some pasalubong! Question: why do we always feel obligated to bring home stuff to giveaway even if you already have exceeded your baggage weight limit? You can even buy the same items in Costco for a cheaper price! Just kidding!
After aimlessly walking several miles, we took a taxi and went back to the ship. We rested a little bit then went to dinner and said our farewell to the restaurant staff who treated us daily like royalty (this also included the housekeepers)! That night, I wrote my survey regarding our cruise. Obviously, I wrote appropriate evaluations for those who deserved it and was honest enough to point out what can be improved. By the way, gratuities are charged to your room automatically but we still went around giving a few bucks to those we felt deserved a little bit more. You can tell how much they appreciated this small gesture. To lessen our baggage weight, Trini and Oya gave away stuff that we weren’t able to consume or use like granola bars, mixed nuts, shampoo and conditioner.
We recognized not only the Filipinos but also deserving hardworking individuals from Zimbabwe, Indonesia, and India. We wished them all Good Luck and hope to see them again in our future Viking cruises! FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS!
To all those who followed my blog, thank you very much for making it worth my time and effort to vicariously share with you our passion in life – TRAVELING!
Until our next travel, my friends! Stay safe always and enjoy life to its fullest….
The Senior Travelers' Blog Site 