worldaltem: 2018

Monday, July 9, 2018

Day 141 London/Greenwich United Kingdom May 4, 2018

Greenwich, England is a borough of London along the Thames River and includes the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO Site. At the Royal Observatory, the world’s longitude is measured from the prime meridian. Greenwich Mean Time sets the global time standard. This was a fascinating museum. The building had additions added as the equipment became more sophisticated. It was interesting to see how the equipment evolved over time.

London is upriver from Greenwich (where we were docked). London is home to Buckingham Palace, the Parliament, Westminster Abbey and British Royalty. It is a major economic and cultural hub. London also has a tradition of arts and architectural innovation such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, Tower Bridge and the London Eye.

Saw cultural and historic monuments. Passed the Tower of London - home of the Crown Jewels and the resident Yeoman Wardens AKA Beefeaters (guarding the jewels), Thames River - admired the buildings along the famous Thames Embankment, Trafalgar Square - saw Admiral Horatio Nelson atop his column, The Mall - London’s ceremonial avenue which led us past St. James Park to Buckingham Palace. At Parliament Square, we did not hear the chime of Big Ben (under restoration), but saw the Gothic Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

At the port, the clipper ship Cutty Sark is one of Greenwich’s most historic landmarks. Enjoyed my time exploring the ship. The displays were thought provoking and helped increase my understanding of life on board. The tea had to be packed in tightly, allowing no room for shifting.

Streets of London

Buckingham Palace

London Bridge

Overview of the Royal and the Regal. Saw cultural and historic monuments. Passed the Tower of London - home of the Crown Jewels and the resident Yeoman Wardens AKA Beefeaters (guarding the jewels), Thames River to admire the buildings along the famous Thames Embankment, Trafalgar Square, and saw Admiral Horatio Nelson atop his column, The Mall - London’s ceremonial avenue which led us past St. James Park to Buckingham Palace. At Parliament Square, we did not hear the chime of Big Ben (under restoration), but saw the Gothic Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey pictured above.

Straddling the Prime Meridian Line in Greenwich, London, England

The Eye

The flag means the Queen is in Residence.

Fountain in front of Buckingham Palace

Prime Meridian Museum

Greenwich, a borough of London along the Thames River includes the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO Site. At the Royal Observatory, the world’s longitude is measured from the prime meridian, and Greenwich Mean Time sets the global time standard. This was a fascinating museum. The building had additions added as the equipment became more sophisticated. It was interesting to see how the equipment evolved over time.

At the port, the clipper ship Cutty Sark is one of Greenwich’s most historic landmarks. Enjoyed my time exploring the ship. The displays were thought provoking and helped increase my understanding of life on board. This is a cross-section of the ship showing how the tea had to be packed in tightly. No room for shifting.

Cutty Sark

Cutty Sark with London in the background.

Monday, May 7, 2018

HOME

I am happy to report that I am safely home. I do not have internet at my house so I have to walk to the Resident's Center to do a post. My internet will be connected next Tuesday.

We left the ship at 6:15 AM. Due to some luggage confusion when loading the buses, we never left the pier until 7:30. We had a scenic drive through London and got to the airport in plenty of time for our 12:40 flight. Since we were flying Business Class, we were able to enjoy the Lounge which was quite relaxing.

Our plane loaded and we pulled away from the gate on time. Then we were parked beside the terminal for three hours. Something about the overflow fuel tanks were leaking. Engineers had to decide what to do. Then, they were going to drain them which would take thirty minutes. We sat for three hours with the air conditioners running so they needed to refill the fuel tanks. I think it all sounded a bit crazy.

We got to Philadelphia after our flight left for Wilmington. I so wanted to be home in my own bed, but I was at the Marriott instead. We were directed to walk to the Marriott which meant pushing my 100+ lbs of luggage on a cart. I enjoyed a lovely salad for dinner. We had a quick breakfast and walked back to the airport pushing our luggage carts again.

Our flight to Wilmington was delayed about 30 minutes, but the pilot made up time in the air. I assume this was due to the bad weather coming up the coast. Our landing in Wilmington was uneventful and Donna and Leon picked us up.

Happy to be home and looking forward to chilling in my own house.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Day 138 Tuesday 5/1/2018 Leixoes (Porto), Portugal 7:30 AM- 1:30 PM

Took the most pictures of any day in Porto. What a lovely experience!

Porto is Portugal’s second largest ciy. Located on the rocky embankment carved by the Douro River. Found many picturesque neighborhoods, restaurants, and markets. Bridges are noteworthy and add to the beauty. Porto’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of cobblestone streets, romantic buildings spanning the centuries, and a Romanesque cathedral. Porto gave its name to the port wine produced in the region and throughout the nation. Small barcos rabelos, boats once used to transport casks of wine, provide a charming scene.

Tiles embellish everything in Porto. Some have historic themes and some intricate geometric designs. Many are blue and white. Fado's mournful songs speak of life, struggle and passion. The Portuguese cultural music “Fado” comes from fate and speaks of longing. Themes include betrayal, etc. These songs provide a window into the Portuguese’s heart. Songs are part of UNESCO Live Entertainment.

Douro River in Porto. Morning fog.

Luckily, the fog lifted.

Morning fog

Included tour - The Best of Porto: Fado, Vistas and More 5 hours 8:00 -1:00

Every port we went to, people have been drying clothing outside.

Day 136 Sunday 4/29/2018 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Malaga, Spain

Need to be packing, but here is a quick post of a lovely city and nearby mountainside town. I took a lot more pictures, but will do more posts from home when the internet is better.

Included Panoramic Malaga and Picasso Museum. 4 hours 8:15-12:15/12:30.

Visited Hillside Castles and the Beloved Old Quarter. The seaside Andalusian City of Malaga is one of the oldest cities in the world and has a rich history. Saw the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and visited the museum for one hour. Our guide provided a great tour. I do understand Picasso’s work better. Passed grand 19th-century buildings such as City Hall, the Old Justice Court and the Central Post Office. Passed the Alcazaba Palace, the best preserved citadel in Spain, and the residence of Arabian caliphs which was built in the 11th century. Brief stop at Gibralfaro Castle - an ancient legacy of the Moors which offers scenic views of the city below. In Malaga’s city center, we walked to the 16th-century Renaissance Cathedral, a beloved monument of Spain. Thirty minutes free time in Old Town to enjoy the architecture and visit the Cathedral. Very nice city. Marble promenades were beautiful.

View of Granada (Malaga), Spain from the overlook.

Chapel of Our Lady of the Rock.

Lovely Mountainside Villages of Mijas 4 hours 1:30-5:30 One hour drive.

Whitewashed spendor and Mediterranean views. An Andalusian village of Costa el Sol, the town of Mijas is nestled in the mountains. It is 1,400 feet above sea level and is known as “Mirador of the Costa del Sol” or “Viewpoint of the Costa del Sol”. Walked along narrow cobblestone streets looking at tiny whitewashed houses decorated with wrought iron, bougainvillea and jasmine. Also saw magnificent ocean views. Stopped at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rock. Enjoyed free time with an option to have a cafe con leche or coffee with milk. Shopped pottery, prints, clothing and paintings including local artists such as Don Clarke and Michele Lehmann. Donkey taxis either pulled carts for two or could be ridden by an individual rider. Each donkey must have an identification number. A lady was thrown from her donkey right in front of us. Luckily, she did not seem to be injured. The donkey man said our guide’s lollipop stick which she was holding upside down, frightened the donkey. Enjoyed my time in Mijas. Quaint cobblestone streets and alleys. Pretty white stucco houses, some buildings are from long ago, but others are new construction made to blend in with the old structures. Very pretty town. I would love to visit here again. Magnificent views. A house on the outskirts of town would be about $150,000 Euros.

Mijas was lovely.

This picture was taken just before the donkey was spooked and the lady was thrown to the street. Luckily, she was not hurt.

We could see these boats swarming around out in the water and I was told it was a sailing school. At the end of the day, the boats are towed back to port.

16th-century Renaissance Cathedral

In Malaga, Spain - La Malagueta Plaza de Toros as viewed from Castillo de Gibralfaro. The first bullfight took place in 1876 and bullfights still continue at this site. Bullfights take place Easter Week and in July and August. The bullring is 16-sided, a hexadecagon. Malaga is a beautiful, interesting city with much history and amazing architecture.