Traveling on the Celebrity Constellation back to US

Cruise has been great!  This is first chance I´ve had to send any emails.  All the ports have been terrific!  The following is a short rundown on my visits until now:

Sunday, 11/7/10 -  Palma de Mallorca, Baleric Islands, Spain -  Really lovely city/town with charming old town area.  Decided to take Hop-On Hop-Off bus around town to visit all the sights. Visited Bellver Castle which overlooks the city.  Walked around old city for rest of day before going back to the ship.

Monday, 11/8/10 - Alicante, Spain - Been here before so decided to go to small fishing village recommended to me by another passenger from the ship.  Took three trams (Trains) to get to this village (Denia).  Took about 2.5 hours to get here & spent an hour before heading back.  Train coming back was a bit late and i was worried that I would miss the connection but connection waited for us & I made it on the ship right on the deadline.  If I missed connection I probably would have missed the ship.  Whew!  Got to stop cutting it so close.

Tuesday, 11/9/10 - Malaga, Spain - This is also a very lovely city with a great old town. Visited the Gibralfaro Castle on top of the hill in the morning.  Large site but not too many rooms to visit only super view of the city.  Was going to visit Mijas, which is a village in the hills about 1.5 hours out of Malaga.  You need to take a train then a bus to reach this village.  Decided to only take train & survey the situation.  I didn´t want to cut it too close for getting back to the ship.  Worked out great.  Headed back to town & visited the Alcazaba (Arabic fortress)  which is a Moorish fortification of the 8th century, was buit on a hill in the center of the city, in the middle of the 11th century for King Badis of Granada.  Next I visited Malaga's Cathedral, built in between 1528 and 1782. Influenced by the baroque styles and the renaissance, the interior is richly decorated with the 17th century choir stalls of mahogany and cedar wood.  Walked around some of the old streets & explored the Flower Market & Central Market which was super.  Got back to the ship in plenty of time today.

Wednesday, 11/10/10 - Day at Sea.  Great day to recuperate from rush past few days.  Ship is really lovely.  Food is great.  Public areas elegant.  Fellow passengers very cordial & friendly.  Cabin is lovely & staff are superb.  Have met several wonderful people on board.  Really having a great time.

Thursday, 11/11/10  -   Funchal, Madeira,Portugal  - Had another great day today!  Have been here before so decided to just wander around the city.  I took the Teleferrico up to Monte where there is a Tropical Garden.  It is huge & I spent a couple of hours here.  There is so much to see but it is situated down the hill so had to climb back up before I took the Tobagans down to mid level.  These are wood chairs, somewhat like a basket & they run down a street with two guys on the back guiding you.  Took a public bus back to center of town before exploring the Central Market.  Wonderful fruit, interesting fish & an overall lovely, old market.  Walked around the Old Town before heading back to the ship.  Got back at the deadline again.  I was last passenger to board.

Friday, 11/12/10 - Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain - Had an absolutely lovely day here.  Was able to join two other passengers for a cab excursion to Teide National Park.  This is a UNESCO World Heritage site & is spectacular.  It is located in the center of the island & is the only subtropical alpine area in Europe.  It consists of an immense caldera 17 km across.  It also has an active volcano.  The landscape is unique & resembles the moon.  It is also know for a it unique 3 m Teide bugloss which displays hundreds of tiny bright red blossoms in springtime.

We also visited a few villages.   One of the towns we visited on the way was Puerto de la Cruz & there was a wonderful tropical nature park, Loro Parque, here that was spectacular.  It has dolphins, parrots, penguins & other wildlife along with a replica of a Thai village.  We didn't have time to visit but did go to entrance & take some pictures.   This is a coastal town that has the feel of Palm Springs.

Leaving today for 7 nights at sea aboard ship so will not be able to communicate until I get back to NY.

Basque Country - Pre-Cruise - San Sebastian & Barcelona

All is well & visits to all of the cities in past days have been really wonderful.  Weather has not been as good.  Mainly cloudy with rain & heavy winds but still able to have a great time.  Monday is All Saints Day here in Spain and a national holiday so all business´s & shops are closed.  I decided to hang around San Sebastian for Saturday & Sunday before venturing out to my other planned visits.  Here goes ...

 

Saturday, 10/30/10 - Left Bilbao for short 1 hour bus ride to San Sebastian.  As I mentioned before, I was able to find a room in an apartment in Gros which is a suburb of San Sebastian.  It is a 15 minute walk into the old town or about a 5 minute bus ride.  The woman that owns the apartment was a real delight!  She only spoke Spanish but couldn´t have been more gracious or cordial.  She kept the apartment spotless.  The bathroom was a sort distance away from my room & didn´t present any problems.  It was very quiet, almost like being in the countryside.  She didn´t like to keep the heat up & it was about 66 degrees except toward end of my stay (5 nights) she did put up the heat but it wasn´t a real problem.  Again, she was a highlight! 

 

San Sebastian is a lovely town.  Tourist Office was great help is my planning for visit to this area.  They also turned me on to a transportation card that you purchase for 2.60 euros & charge it up as you need.  It gives a significant discount for travel, e.g., .74 euros against 1.25 euros for a single trip.  It also works on the regional buses.  Walked around the old town late afternoon & evening to get oriented.  This really a super city.

 

Dinner time is usually celebrated here by going from place to place eating Pintxos (the Basque version of Tapas).  What a great way of having dinner!  I went to several places to sample their wonderful dishes.  Most of my visits were from recommondations in Rick Steve´s Guidebook and they were right on.  One of the places, La Cuchara de San Telmo, was from my sister-in-law´s friend, who visited the area about 2 week ago.  This was the best of all but the other places were also very good & each place has its own specialties.  Another popular place is La Mejillonera, which features fried seafood & steamed mussels.  One of the specialties of this area which I really love is seared Foie Gras!  Ummm, delish!  At about 3.30 euros each, this is a bargain compaired to New York standards.  Other places visited & really good were Borda Berri & Gioz-Argi plus there were a couple of others I tried.  There are also large varieties of fish ¨Pintxos¨ that utilize shrimp, crab, smoked salmon & cod.  All of them yummy!  The only problem with this event is by the time you get finished you are both very full & have spent more money then you expected but se la vie!

 

Sunday, 10/31/10 - Took bus this morning to a funicular that scales up to Mount Igeldo.  The funicular was built in 1912 & runs along a track and is fixed to overhead steel cables.  It consists of two wooden carriages that take the passenger on a 320-meter trip over a 160m drop on a 33% incline.  The funicular links Ondarreta Beach with the Igeldo Amusement Park at the end of the line and is one of the most famous landmarks in the city.  The Amusement park is a bit kitchy but would be fun for the kids.  Views are spectacular from atop the hill.

 

Afterwards, I walked along the bayfront & stopped for picture stop of the Palacio de Miramar.  It was built by Queen María Cristina upon the old site of the San Sebastián monastery. The palace was designed by architect Selden Wornum and constructed between 1889 and 1893. This palace imitates the style of English country houses, but incorporates neogothic features, a local tradition.  The entire palace is surrounded by large gardens, offering wonderful panoramic views of the bay.

 

My next stop was La Perla.  This is a very exclusive spa located on the bay & is well known for it ambiance & health treatments.  Got a price list & then continued along the bay through to the port.  Visited the Aquarium-Palacio del Mar which is very well designed and layed out.  Has a historical area before getting to the sea life displays.  The complex opened in 1928 and was completely refurbished before re-opening to the public in 1998.  Rest of day was wandering around the town both old & new.

 

Wanted to have sitdown dinner this evening but opted for going back to Pinxtos bars since it is so much fun & food is sooooo good!

 

Monday, 11/1/10 - Today was the holiday so I took excursion to three cities that were recommended by the Tourist Office.  First place I visited was Hondarriba which is a border town with France that has two parts:  the lower port town & the historic, balcony-lined streets of the hilly & walled upper town.  The highlight of the upper town was the Army Plaza where Charles V´s austere, oddly squat castle is located & is now a state run Parador (inn).  Tourist Office here was also very helpful with great suggestions. 

 

Walked the old town walls & winding streets before heading down to the port & taking a small ferry boat that takes about 10 minutes to go to Hendaye, the first border town in France & gateway by rail to rest of French destinations.  Weather was very blustery with high winds & after ferry ride walked to Atlantic Ocean where there were several people kite surfing and regular surfing.  It was quite a thrill to watch them get set up & then glide along the shallow surf & waves with their kites.  The center of town was a bit away from this area so just decided to head back to Hondarribia. 

 

This is where an event of my day turned ugly & worrisome.  I took a bus to Irun & then a train to reach another really beautiful medieval village called Donnibane.  I have a Dorada card which gives a discount on Renfre trains in Spain.  I took out my wallet & when i put it back, I guess I didn´t do a good job.  Later that afternoon I realized I had lost my wallet.  I was really distraught since all my debit cards, credit cards & ID except for my passport was in this wallet.  Lesson - always split up your cards!  By the time I realized what had happened it was too late to do much.  I wanted to call my credit card companies collect but it is almost impossible in Spain unless you know the special numbers.  None of the Tourist Offices or hotels that I asked could tell me how to go about doing this.  It was a very frustrating attempt.

 

Back to my excursion.  Donnibane is situated along an inlet to the ocean & hugs the waterway with heavy stone buildings & fortifications.  It is also the location of a home of Victor Hugo, the author.  The visitor´s center is located there & they have a free short, audio presentation on a day in the life of Mr. Hugo.  The young fellow at the visitor´s center was also extremely helpful & gave me some good ideas for other visits in the area.  It was already dark when I took a small 3 minute ferry across the inlet to San Pedro where I caught a bus back to San Sebastian.  Went to Pixtos bars again for dinner.  Several were closed but was still able to fill myself up with goodies!  I decided to go back to Irun by train to see if anyone had turned in my wallet.  Was able to go & return before last train back.  Unfortunately when I arrive, all offices were closed.  Was a very unnerving evening.

 

Tuesday, 11/2/10 - Well off for my adventure to France.  There were three cities I wanted to visit here.  First was Bayonne, which was really quaint & charming with it´s old town & small (touristic). Les Halles (market).  It is noted for establishing Europe´s first whaling industry and inventing the bayonet.  It is also famous today for it´s ham  & chocolate.  There are several chocolate shops throughout the old town.  Town was really  great to wander. 

 

Since I was in France I thought maybe I would have better luck making a collect call here.  I have Travelex travel insurance & one of their benefits is help when there is a problem.  I was able, with their instructions, to get through to them & they would transfer me to any of my card, free of charge to me.  I think this is a great service.  They also gave me some good recommendations.  I contacted one of my debit card to put a hold on the account.  I was hopìng they would send me a replacement card to Barcelona but they are unable to do this.  They will only send to current cardholder´s address.  Real bummer.

 

Well, back to my sightseeing.  Nothing stops me!!  Took a local bus from Bayonne to Biarritz.  This is a very upscale resort town in France.  Decided not to spend much time here, only about an hour.  It is also very lovely & the beaches & views were superb.

 

Took another bus to my final city on my itinerary for the day, St Jean de Luz.  I can´t believe how beautiful & different each of the town´s/cities I have visited since being in Spain can be.  This is a gem of town.  The church is where Louis XIV & Marie-Therese were married.  There is a famous baker here that is know for their macaroons - Macarons Adam.  They still bake these tasty delights that Louis XIV enjoyed during his visit.  The streets meander through this old town.  Their is a stone wall breakfront that separates the town from the beach.  You can walk along it as a prominade.

 

Upon leaving St Jean de Luz I decided to head to Irun & it´s tran station to see if anyone turned in my wallet since I know I lost it either at the station or on a train.  I took a French train to the border town of Henadye & then the Spanish train to Irun.  I checked around at the ticket counter´s & all to no avail.  One of the agent told me to go to the superintendent´s office.  I went & when I inquired he asked me if my name was ¨Cory Lynn¨ & then handed me my wallet!  I was amazed & very thankful.  Believe it or not I asked & was given permission to hug this guy.  I was so very happy to get back my wallet.  After examining it I realized that about $100 in cash was gone & one debit card & one credit card.  Everything else was still there.  I don´t believe I have been so happy or relieved for a long time.  It would have been a great hardship & huge hassle if the wallet wasn´t found.  I guess I´m blessed.  I was able to call collect again & get my debit card reinstated & also cancel the two that were missing.

 

I went to a local restaurant near where I´m staying for dinner.  It was OK but uneventful compared to the Pinxtos that I have been eating throughout.

 

Wednesday, 11/3/10 - Kind of an easy day.  Decided to do laundry at local Wash n Dry.  Cost was expensive.  12 euros ($17) for wash & dry.  Know I could have done it cheaper in Barcelona but did it here anyway.

 

Took suggestion of fellow in Visitor´s Center in Donnibane this afternoon to visit two other towns.  Fist I went to Victoria-Gasteiz which was founded in 1181 by the King of Navarre, Sancho VI as 'Nueva Victoria' on the hill where the old settlement of Gasteiz was.  The old town is on the upper portion of a hill.  It is know for the Church of Santa Maria which is curently under construction.  Very interesting structures abound & was really worthwhile visiting here.  I visited an old stagecoach inn - El Portalon that was several floors of rich woods & decor.  It is currently an upscale restauant that serves local cuisine.  The tourist map that was provided to me by the office in San Sebastian was extremely helpful in directing & explaining the main sights.

 

While checking my emails received one from my roommate for cruise.  He is having very bad back problems & canceled his trip.  Looks like I´ll have my own cabin on the ship & rate was better than I expected.  I guess in his delirium he decided to contact the hotel & tell them he was canceling.  It was my reservation with my guarantee & he was only an add on so I cannot for the life of me understand why he would contact the hotel instead of me.  Anyway when I called the hotel, of course, they informed me that the reservation was canceled but I was able to get it reinstated.  The trials & tribulations of travel, Oh My!

 

I took bus back to San Sebastian & got on another local bus that took me to Oiartzum which is a very small village near San Sebastian (30 minutes by bus).  Also set on top of a hill.  This village is small & unique with a huge church and lovely town square.  Got here very late so didn´t stay too long.  Went back to San Sebastian for dinner again at my favorite Pinxtos bars.  Had Iberico Pork Short Ribs, Foie Gras (of course), & several seafood dishes.  Only went to couple of places since food was soooo good again.  I have to get up early so headed back to room.

 

Thursday, 11/4/10 - Took 15 minute bus ride to train station for my 6 hour trip @ 7:48am to Barcelona.  Trip was pleasant & uneventful.  Train was very comfortable & scenery varied on this trip.  Arrived in Barcelona on time & headed to Hotel.  Stayed at Hotel Coronado.  Have stayed here several times on previous visits.  Prices very good & location not too bad.  Everything fine.  Walked around a bit & went to Caracoles Restaurant (one of my favorites) for chicken.  Place is a bit pricey but very good & amazing atmosphere.