I'm so glad I came back to Portugal because the first time I was here, I didn't have enough time to truly enjoy it. In fact, I remember taking wrong turns and ending up on side streets full of dog pee. This time, my experience was quite the opposite.
Irony of ironies. Today, is actually Friday, November 15, 2013, and I find myself sitting in the lobby of the Fenix Urban hotel right in the heart of Lisbon writing a blog about what I did in Lisbon EXACTLY 7 months ago to the day. It doesn't stop there. The above picture is a picture of me and Sandra, my friend from the spa. On this day seven months ago, she disembarked the Silver Spirit, and I caught her at the gangway for a goodbye picture. TODAY, she is in town disembarking the Crystal Serenity. She has actually been in many ports with me over the past month, but I have never been able to run into her. Our schedules never matched up. We were together in Venice, Dubrovnik, Valletta, Barcelona, and probably a few more places, but I never saw her. Today, she's off with a mutual friend, Filipa (acupuncturist), and they're going to enjoy a vacation in Algarve.
I have a theory that she found out that I have a thing for Irish girls, and so she's keeping a safe distance. Any thoughts?
Anyway, it's video time. Come walk around Lisbon with me.
The stones are EVERYWHERE. Lovely, yes, but no good for rolling luggage.
Weirdo Anime building?
We could see this from the ship at night time.
An absolute must in dining experiences is Fogo de Chão. And for this I thank Soraia, our lovely international hostess, for introducing us to this place. Here's how it works: when you want more meat, you put the green side up. When you're done, you put the green side down.
How smart is that?
Please sir, can I have some more?
Isn't she lovely? (Soraia, not Gabe, Reid, or Nenad).
The very next morning was the beginning of a brand new cruise with a new set of guests, and for us that meant one thing: Happy Back to Work Day. But this one wasn't so bad. We had a nice backdrop with which we were able to entertain ourselves throughout the day.
Rebecca is singing in the (not) rain.
April 17, 2013 Portimão, Portugal
From Portimão, I hopped on a bus with the guests, and escorted them to what would be a life changing place. Cape St. Vincent. This is the trip that stands out the most in my mind when I look back at my entire 8 months. No more words, just watch the video:
My longest running facebook cover photo to date.
Ancient Sundial and Compass
The was what they like to call, "The End of the World." It's the southwestern-most, point of Europe. And it's just incredible. I don't know how it happened. Driving out to it, the world is just flat, and then all of a sudden, cliffs. Cliffs are everywhere, to your left and your right. I had never seen anything like it before. In case you can't tell by the above pictures. We were in two locations. The first four pictures were taken in the area of the lighthouse in the above pictures. The final five pictures were taking from a nearby fort of Henry the Navigator. Anyway, it's one of those places that you just have to go to really feel it.
I just found my notes. Here's what they say:
Cape St. Vincent Named after the martyred St. Vincent, the cape is the site of numerous naval battles, including those between Admiral Rodney and the Spanish in 1780, and Admiral Jervis and Admiral Nelson against the Spanish fleet in 1979. As you stand on Europe's westernmost point, admire a steadfast lighthouse whose guiding beam safely directs hundreds of ships past the cape every year. Sagres Some consider Sagres to have been the headquarters of Prince Henry the Navigator's School of Navigation. The school may have been within the 17th-century fortress that was defended from the shore by mighty ramparts, and from the sea by lowering cliffs. Prince Henry is also reputed to have created a shipbuilding yard in the small natural harbour below. Take a guided tour of the town. Visit the fortress and the historic Hermitage, which dates back to the 7th century. Next, view a giant pebble wind compass known as the 'Rosa dos Ventos', then continue east to Lagos, one of the oldest settlements in the Algarve.
And then, we went back to spend an anticlimactic day in Portimão. (But, honestly, anything would be anticlimactic after Cape St. Vincent).
Here's what we did:
When in Portugal, you buy Port!
The irony of this moment is that today I'm blogging about Portugal from Portugal. I happen to by staying in Lisbon today waiting for my flight to Ireland. But the events that will be described took place over six months ago.
But first, I remember that after two days of sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, we made a little overnight stop in Hamilton, Bermuda.
April 6-7, 2013 Hamilton, Bermuda.
Just about everyone from the ship went to this one little club across the street from the ship. It essentially just became the crew bar all over again, only there were a lot of locals looking at our women. So, we had to stay close.
Marcy and Reid had a different idea.
Don't worry, he's gay and she's not interested.
So, we went and crashed their hotel for the wifi.
Since this was my second time to Bermuda, I was using it mostly to catch up on my blog, this blog actually. So, I posted a great many pictures of this place already in an earlier post. But since this was Jennifer's first time, she went out and had more of a grand adventure, and I would encourage you to check out her perspective on this Bermuda trip: Jennifer vs. the World: Bermuda.
After Bermuda, there were FOUR sea days before we hit land again (that's actually not bad). So, guess what happened? Party in the electrical workshop. If you look closely, it looks a lot like the club in Bermuda, which looks a lot like the crew bar. The only difference is that in this room, you can't hear anything because the music is too loud. Also, Captain Pontillo attended this party, so attendance was almost mandatory.
Four days later, land ho! (A preferable alternative to your common ship ho).
Portugal!
Well, the Azores, which technically belong to Portugal.
April 12-13, 2013 Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal
First of all, this was another overnight trip, but on the first day, I had IPM, which meant I had to stay on the ship until 6am the next day. Apparently, this was one of the most fun nights to be out having a good time, and thankfully, my good friend Jennifer captured it all, so once again, I encourage you to follow another one of her links: Jennifer vs. the World: Ponta Delgada.
To make up for my inability to leave the ship the day before, I signed up to escort one of the tours hoping that this will maximize my exposure to the Island in the little time we had before sailing away.
♫Stop, ♪ in the name ♪ of love♫.
I love this picture because it reminds me of the plazas in Mexico, especially one in Los Reyes, Michoacan.
Now this church had something interesting about it.
So far, everything looks kind of normal, but then in the back you notice this area that's blocked off with a grid.
So, you look through the grid and you see this whole other room.
But then when you zoom in your camera, you see this crazy elaborate jeweled Jesus down at the other end. Apparently, that's what's being guarded. I should go look for my tour escort notes, so that I can remember what this is all about...
Okay, so I lost that page. Anyway, what I remember is that this island was in some kind of trouble, and at that time they were gifted this elaborate Jesus. And so the people paraded it around and prayed, and they were spared of whatever impending doom was upon them. And as a result, they redo the processional every year in remembrance. In fact, we were there very near to the event, so all over the city you could see people preparing.
Anyway, back outside. Now, isn't this the smartest thing? The streets of Ponta Delgada are clean due to the invention of the poop bag!
Sure, the mosaic looks pretty, but let me tell you, this is not the country in which you want to be rolling around your luggage.
This guy must be important. (Referring to both pictures, above and below).
And this would be the "Botanical Garden" part of the tour.
As you can see, it was nice, and pretty (translation: somewhat boring).
And then, all of a sudden, BAM! Giant tree with roots! (Made the tour worth it).
Am I in Fern Gully?
But you don't have to take my word for it. Let's listen to the guy in the video.
(Please watch the videos, they save me a lot of typing).
Good thing I was prepared with waterproof jacket and umbrella!
YES.
With the tour over, I find myself back on the ship. But that's not the end of my Ponta Delgada experience. One of the great things about being on a cruise ship, is the perspective that you don't often get of a city, and that perspective is the one from the sea. Look how much you can see from a ship. Sail ins and sail outs are things that you absolutely cannot miss.
When not perfect weather gives you the perfect picture.
Picturesque.
I'm not done with Portugal, not in the least. Some of my best adventures have taken place in this little but great country. This post is just a preview. I will try to put the rest of my Portugal adventures into the next one.
Next time: Lisboa, Cape St. Vincent, and Portimão.
I'm back! I recently took a five month vacation from blogging so that I could have more adventures. I decided the stories would be bigger and better if I didn't have my mind focused on having to throw everything up on the web right away. So, here I am three days after my contract, sitting alone in my hotel in beautiful Aix en Provence, France writing. I know, I should be out there getting more stories right? Hey, maybe one day I'll be able to do two things at once, but for now take what you can get.
The following events took place on April 2, 2013
Atlantis! The not so lazy river.
It has been a dream of mine to go to Atlantis. I love water parks. My idea of fun in life usually includes a vision of a water park, and Atlantis is really the Mecca of water parks. Therefore, this day was nothing short of AWESOME. The above picture is what most people think of when they think of Atlantis. This is due to the fact that word got around that there is a ride when you can slide through a glass tube and look at sharks. Eric Cartman even does it in an episode of South Park (Season 16, Episode 4: Jewpacabra). Well, it's true, they do that have ride, and yes it's awesome. But you slide through so fast, you don't get to see much. So, they have a slow inner tube version of it right next door. I recommend that one. You know what else I recommend...?
Just walking under them yourself. This way, you're not getting wet and you can take as many pictures as you want.
♫ The Fluke is the Duke of Soul ♪
Jennifer gets schooled.
OMG! Flying Fish!
Before we go any further. I actually brought a waterproof camera with me, so I was able to capture a lot more that just what you can see through the glass tubes. So, here is a video of our day in Atlantis:
My partner in crime for the rest of my contract on board the Silver Spirit was Jennifer. Here's a link to her blog which also has pictures and video of this day: Jennifer vs. The World.
My friends, even if they blink in pictures.
Are you ready to go on some rides?
I don't know what's going on behind me.
The great thing about the layout of Atlantis is the fact that you can access almost every ride from the lazy river. The lines for the rides start from offshoots of the lazy river. So, you'll be floating a long, and then you'll have a choice of two directions to take. A larger choice that is for the most part straight and to the right, is the choice for more lazy river, but if you float over to the left and take the smaller route, you're now in a floating line for the next ride. How smart is that?
Water slides that go UP!
You can see in the picture above, that even rides that start from way up high, can be accessed from the lazy river. If you look on the left, you will see a conveyer belt of people. Smart.
Enjoying the calm, while it lasts.
Hey Indy, that looks important.
Break time, for a little bit.
Break's over!
Soraia, a wonderful international hostess, and incredible person. Her first time in a water park.
Apparently Nassau is a chain of little Islands, so you get off your own ship, and you can see Atlantis just across the water teasing you.
No problem though, I hired a taxi, and off I was to ATLANTIS!
Only when I got there, I found out that the water park cost about $100. I thought about it, but when I figured that I only had about four hours left before I had to be back on the ship, I decided to just walk about the casino. But only because I knew that I was coming back in a week, and that next time, we would all go together.
Clever name
It's good to be king.
There really isn't anything you can do in Atlantis without buying admission or paying for a hotel room. So, I headed back to the Pegasus fountain and took a cab back to the ship.
Next time Gadget! Next time...
March 23, 2013 Samana, Dominican Republic
This marks my first time on the Island that is both home to Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. Haiti still has a lot of voodoo whoo doo going on, so I'm grateful to be on the other side in Samana, Dominican Republic.
On the way there, via the ship's tender, we spotted the "Bridge to nowhere." The story is that the Dominican Republic built this fancy bridge to that island over there, but then they ended up not developing that island, so it really is a bridge to no where. No one lives there, and nothing is on it. Maybe some animals and bugs.
Within the first three minutes of arriving on Semana, we run into a troupe of street performers, and they are going all out. Here's the video:
I'm a fan of this picture.
So, I'm walking along the street with Jennifer and Reid, when a little boy with some flowers comes up to Jennifer and offers them to her. She says thank you to the little boy, and accepts his flowers, and continues down the road. Suddenly, the little boy fills with anxiety and follows Jennifer down the street with an up turned open palm. Jennifer doesn't notice, and this little boy starts to cry. So, I pull out a dollar, hand it to the boy, and say thank you. He runs away happy. At the first restaurant we come to I say to Jennifer, "Smile, and show me the first flowers that I bought you."
All in all, Samana was a cute little place. Not much to do, but not much to complain about either. The trip remains positive.
And Jennifer got flowers.
March 24, 2013 Road Town, Tortola
Ha! I remember how when I last spoke about Tortola, I left you with a video of it being a boring and empty place. Well, this time I came up with a solution: the shore concierge was looking for someone to take a group of people to the Island next door. So, I stepped up to the plate!
Norman Island!
Let me tell you a little about the shore excursion program. As a crew member, I'm encouraged to escort tours. For about every thirty guests, an escort can follow along for free. I basically get to take the excursion with the guest, and experience everything that they do provided that I wear my uniform and fill out a report on the trip after I'm done. So, I'm in this limbo place somewhere in between work and play (like every moment of my life in this job actually).
The shore concierge asks us to take many pictures of the excursions so that they can have a good idea of what everything is like so that they can better serve future guests.
For this particular excursion, I stepped it up and made a video. Please take a look at this video that I made for the shore concierge on my ship. I'm especially proud of it because of all the under water footage I took with my underwater camera. Enjoy:
March 26, 2013 Bequia, St. Vincent
I remember the last time I was here I was not able to get off the ship because of in-port-manning (IPM), so this time I was determined to see what this place was all about. And it turned out that I was in luck.
COCONUTS!
I'm coocoo coconuts!
Also, found a pizza hut?
And that was about it. Perhaps if I would have landed a shore excursion, I could tell you more about it. After the coconut and a brief walk around though, I found an internet cafe, and THAT is where our Bequia story comes to a quick, but happy, end.
March 28, 2013 Castries, St. Lucia
If you've read all of my blog, you know that St. Lucia is one of my favorite islands in the Caribbean. It's the island that has a little bit of everything, plus a few places where they filmed Pirates of the Caribbean. While I was pondering what I was going to do on my one day on my favorite island, the shore concierge came up to me and said, "Hey, Duke, do you want to go to the Landings resort?"
There are times when you don't say no to the shore concierge. This was definitely one of them.
Take a tour of my hotel room at the Landings resort on St. Lucia in this video:
You know it's luxury when they take the time to do THIS to your toilet paper.
I'm not even this OCD.
Because a video is worth 1,000 pictures:
If anyone reading this is living vicariously through me, please feel free to soak up everything in this picture, and take a few years off your life. Relax. Nothing is as important as you think it is.
