Overview
The Holland America Ryndam is a mid-sized cruise ship carrying 1260 guests. I sailed an 11-night itinerary from London to Barcelona on the Ryndam as she repositioned from northern Europe to the Mediterranean in September 2014.
The Ryndam is a sister ship to the Maasdam, Statendam, and Veendam, and has many similarities. The Ryndam and Statendam transfer to P&O Australia in late October 2015, but Holland America replaces the berths with the 2,460-guest MS Koningsdam, which launches in February 2016.
The Ryndam sails a similar itinerary between London and Barcelona in September 2015, and other ships repositioning between northern Europe and the Mediterranean also visit many of the same ports of call.
Be sure to click on the links on each page listed below to learn more about things to do in each of the ports of call.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
Two Days in London Before Cruise
Our overnight flight from Atlanta to London arrived about 8:40 am, giving us almost two full days in this amazing city before our cruise from Dover on the Holland America Ryndam. I had been to London several times, but my traveling companion had not. We bought an Oyster card at the airport to ride the London tube (subway/Metro) system into the city. It's like a debit card--you add cash to it and then swipe it when entering/leaving the tube station.
It also gives you a significant discount for each ride. You have to pay a 5 pound deposit when you get the card, but it's refundable to tourists (along with any unused credit left) if you turn it in when you leave. We started out with a 10 pound card plud a 5 pound deposit, added to it twice for a total investment of 21 pounds and we each got back 5.90 pounds when we turned in the card after our last ride. Great deal since we rode in from the airport and used the system extensively for about 36 hours. Most of the time, we only had to wait less than 5 minutes. I highly recommend this card to anyone going to London, and getting the deposit plus unused pounds back in cash makes the Oyster card even more attractive.
It took us about an hour to get into the city, but our hotel (Sloane Square Hotel) was only just across a small square from the Sloane Square tube station, so we didn't have to roll our bags much at all. Had to change trains, but I made sure we changed at one that had handicapped access so I would be sure we wouldn't have to use stairs.
As it worked out, but only had to go to the other side of the platform (about 10 feet) to transfer to another line.
Anyway, our room wasn't ready so we dropped off the bags and took the tube down to the Tower of London. Since neither of us had eaten much lunch, we got some fish and chips and ate outside the Tower on a bench. Nice lunch and nice day. We had purchased the Tower of London tickets over the Internet and only had to retrieve them before entering. We both enjoyed the included tour with the Beefeater (always funny and you learn a lot of Tower history) and stood in line for about 30 minutes to see the Crown Jewels (a must see).
Loved seeing a display of ceramic poppies that volunteers are adding to until they reach 888,000+, which represents one poppy for each British soldier killed in World War I. The last poppy is added on November 11. These amazing flowers completely fill the moat of the Tower when all are in place. We were told by the Beefeater than only 70,000 were in place during our late August visit, which is less than 10 percent.
Rode the tube down to Westminster Abbey, but it was closed. We probably would not have gone in anyway since admission is 16 pounds--same as St. Paul's. We walked around the church and walked over the bridge to get good views of Big Ben. Even heard the clock strike 5 pm. Walked from Westminster up to Trafalgar Square and then over to Piccadilly Circus. Nice day for walking -- not too hot. Threatened rain a bunch, but never got a drop. Were glad we had carried our raincoats to ward off the rain gods.
Took the Tube from Piccadilly over to Knightsbridge, where we walked around Harrod's a bit--I showed my friend who is a foodie the food court and we oohed and aahed over the expensive food/pastries/chocolate/sushi/meat/etc. By then, we were hungry, so walked back to our hotel and stopped at a local pub on the way for a beer and dinner. It was filled with mostly local people drinking and socializing after work.
We were back at the hotel by 9:00 or so, and in bed by 1030.
Alarm woke us up at 7:30 and we walked to an outdoor cafe for a roll and tea and coffee. We had tickets to see the inside of Buckingham Palace at 10 am. The inside is only open to visitors a couple of months a year, so we bought tickets in advance over the Internet.
Loved the Palace, and they didn't have a mob of people inside at one time. We actually got in early--about 9:45--just walked up from the taxi and they let us in. Finished the tour about 11 am and wen to see the changing of the guard in the front of the palace. (They let us out the back gate through the gardens). As always, it was packed, and we couldn't get close to the fence to see the "changing", but we did get a front row standing spot on the road where they marched/paraded, etc.
After the changing, we walked up to Hyde Park and down to the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, stopping for an ice cream along the way. Leaving the park, we ate a pub lunch, splitting a fish/chips since we had already had a scoop of ice cream.
Hopped on the tube to ride down to Westminster and crossed the bridge again to see the Florence Nightingale Museum (my friend is a retired nurse), which is next to a hospital where she once had a nursing school. The story of her life and all the photos were interesting.
From there we walked further away from the river to the Imperial War Museum. What a fascinating place! It covers British history from 1914 to the present, with a different floor (or more) on each of the big wars. We were only there for about 1.5 hours, but it's definitely worth a visit for history buffs. The World War I and Holocaust exhibits were especially good. They even had artifacts from the latest Afghanistan war. Many of the exhibits were audio or film, so a nice mixture to keep it interesting. They advised parents to not take kids under 14 to the 4th floor Holocaust exhibit. It was graphic and very spooky.
Another tube to St. Paul's Cathedral, and then back to the hotel. Walked to find a pub for our last London dinner, and enjoyed another good but expensive meal. Back at the hotel for shower and bed by 9:30. Looking back on our time in London, I'm impressed at how many things we saw and did. Nothing in much detail, but my friend can say she's seen many of the highlights.
The next morning we had a shuttle to Dover to board the Holland America Ryndam cruise ship.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
Dover - Tour of Dover Castle and Embarkation
Too quickly our time in London came to an end when we moved on to our next part of the adventure--a cruise on the Holland America Ryndam. We got up about 6:30 and went to a small cafe next to the hotel for breakfast before returning to the room and getting our stuff packed. We had an excellent "full English breakfast", complete with eggs, British bacon (like Canadian bacon) and a giant sausage, toast, apricot marmalade, and sauteed mushrooms.
Very filling, but we knew we'd get a late lunch.
We had purchased a transfer online. The shuttle bus picked us up at the hotel promptly at 8:30 am, and we rode down towards Dover. We were the next to last hotel picked up, so didn't waste a lot of time stopping for others. It was another lovely day in England--partly sunny with no rain and temps in the 60s/low 70s. The drive down to Dover was uneventful, but the motorway was busy with trucks/coaches/cars heading down towards the coast or the Chunnel.
We stopped for about 20 minutes at the Battle of Britain memorial that honored the 3000 pilots who participated in this extended epic battle in the early days of World War II. It's a free museum, and the views from the top of the bluff of the white cliffs and Folkestone on the coast are worth the short walk to the edge of the cliff. Since the USA did not join the War until 1941, many of us do not know much about the Battle of Britain, and it was an interesting short stop on our way to Dover.
The coach (our driver said it was not a bus) got to the Ryndam about 11:30 am and we dropped off 14 people who had not paid the extra fee to go up to visit the Dover Castle that overlooks the town. The nice thing was we also dropped off the checked luggage, so it would be in our staterooms when we got done with the Dover Castle tour.
We got to the Castle about 11:50 am, and stayed until 2 pm. It was an excellent place to walk around in the nice weather. This castle wasn't jammed with other tourists like the Tower of London complex was. The castle dates back to the 11th century, but it was also used during both World Wars because of its strategic location. The British built tunnels in the chalky white cliffs that they used for big guns, barracks, meeting rooms for big wigs like Churchill, and even an emergency room and hospital. Churchill and General Ramsey met at Dover Castle to plan the evacuation of British soldiers from Dunkirk.
The site has two tours of the tunnels that still exist, and both are included in the entry fee. We did the 20-minute guided tour of the hospital tunnels rather than the 45-minute one where the guns were based on the edge of the tunnel overlooking the channel. (We only had 2 hours and needed to allow time for the medieval castle). The hospital tunnel system was very interesting, and many pilots shot down over the Channel were treated or operated on inside these tunnels. Patients were moved to regular hospitals as soon as they were ready after surgery. We thought it must have been like a MASH unit from the TV series, only an earlier war.
We walked the 130+steps up a dark, winding staircase to the top of the Great Tower of the Castle, which afforded us spectacular views of our ship, the surrounding countryside, and the town of Dover. The inside of the Great Tower was somewhat renovated to reflect the way it looked in medieval times. Several "actors" were dressed in costumes and played characters who might have lived or worked in the castle. We chatted a bit with the "Crown Prince" and his "fiance". Quite entertaining and I bet kids loved it.
The dozen of us who did the tour all agreed it was a great experience to walk through/explore this important castle. I had seen it several times towering on the white cliffs overlooking the harbor when embarking/disembarking in Dover, and was glad to finally get a chance to see it up close.
We got to the Ryndam at about 2:10 and were in our cabin within 15 minutes, happy to see our checked bags there.
The mandatory lifeboat drill was at 3:15, so we dropped our stuff off and ate a hurried lunch at the buffet. After the drill, we briefly met up with some of the 14 other "Just Us Girls" group (JUGs) that we were traveling with, and agreed to meet them in one of the bars at 7:00 before our 8:00 pm dinner.
We returned to the cabin and unpacked. Soon it was time to get cleaned up for dinner. We met the JUGs in one of the bars at 7 and had dinner at 8 pm. Nice dinner with two tables for 8 next to each other. I had salmon/tuna tartare, a Caesar salad, prime rib, and lemon sorbet. My friend had grilled scallops, a spinach salad, prime rib, and a banana dessert. We enjoyed them all. Didn't do anything after dinner, but head to the cabin. My friend was going on a tour with the JUGs the next day at 7:30 am, so was going to have to get up early. It was a great first day on the ship. We docked in Portland the next morning.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
A Sunny Day in Portland and Weymouth in the UK
The Holland America Ryndam stopped for a day in the large harbor on the English Channel at Portland. This peninsular island is connected to the mainland by a narrow beach and is located on Britain's Jurassic Coast, which got its name from the 185 million year old rock bed it sits on. Portland has two features that have made it important--its white limestone and its huge harbor.
The limestone was used to build UN Headquarters in New York and St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Many visitors come to Portland to walk its beaches looking for fossils or exploring its cliffs and abandoned Tout Quarry. Portland Castle and the Portland Bill Lighthouse add to the scenery.
Weymouth is just a short distance from Portland, and a drawbridge connects the two towns. A shuttle bus takes cruise visitors from the port area into downtown Portland and it's an easy walk into Weymouth. The town center of Weymouth is interesting to explore, with lots of shops. If the day is warm and sunny, the beach is packed with tourists. This beach is famous for two things--it's the starting or ending point for those swimming across the English Channel, and it was also the launching point (along with the Portland beach) for over 500,000 Allied troops who were part of the D-Day invasion force in Normandy.
The Ryndam was in port for 12 hours, and many took shore excursions to explore this part of England.
One of the most popular tours went to ancient UNESCO World Heritage site Stonehenge and another combined a stop at Stonehenge with a visit to Salisbury. Those who love old English castles could visit either the ruins of Corfe Castle or the well-maintained Sherbourne Castle.
Many of Thomas Hardy's books were set in nearby Wessex, where he lived and wrote. A shore excursion took Hardy lovers to see his birthplace and village church where he was christened. Those who enjoy gardens liked the visit to the village of Abbotsbury, with its swannery and sub-tropical gardens.
Walkers could join a group to hike along the coast, with part of the hike along the beach and another on the cliffside. Finally, World War II enthusiasts who are interested in weapons could explore the Bovington Tank Museum, with its 300 fighting vehicles from 26 different countries around the world.
The alarm woke us both up at 6 am since my friend Rosemary had an early morning tour. She had ordered room service the night before, and it came about 6:45. She said the vegetarian omelet was delicious and hot, but the coffee was cold. After they left on their 4.5-hour tour to Sherbourne Castle, I dressed and went up to the Lido buffet for breakfast. It was delicious, and the buffet was quiet since many of my fellow travelers had gone ashore.
Before I knew it, they were back from their tour. I had a taco salad for lunch with the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) group up at the buffet. After lunch, three of us rode the free shuttle bus from the ship into Portland. The town was nice enough to provide good maps of the town and neighboring Weymouth (they are separated by a draw bridge). It was very sunny and in the low 70's. I think everyone in town was shopping along the narrow pedestrian streets that were decorated with hanging baskets of flowers and criss-crossed with brightly colored flags overhead. The large beach on Weymouth Harbor was filled with families enjoying the sand, sun, and cold water. We didn't see many swimming except for surfers and those with wet suits. The beach featured donkey rides, a carousel, and some Carnival rides and swings. Lots to keep people occupied. We all took our shoes off and strolled in the finely ground, cool sand, but didn't get our feet wet.
We returned to the ship about 5 pm, just in time to get cleaned up for the sailaway and dinner. Since this was the Ryndam's last visit to Portland, the military band played to send us off. They also brought a huge cannon onto the pier, which they fired twice. We were glad they warned us about the upcoming noise--I'm sure those that didn't hear the announcement were startled. After having drinks with the JUGs, we all went to dinner at 8 o'clock, mixing up the group so we could get to know each other better. (I only knew 7 of the group of 16 before the trip.)
I had tuna carpaccio, a green salad, grilled shrimp, and mango sorbet; Rosemary had clams, the green salad, English roast beef, and the sorbet. We all had lots of wine, and the JUGs got an after dinner Bailey's, which we skipped. It was about 10:15 when we finished dinner. Since the time was going to change forward an hour as the ship moved towards the continent of Europe, we went to bed. We didn't need to set an alarm the next morning for the first time since we came to Europe! A relaxing day at sea was a good way to celebrate Labor Day.
Leaving Portland, the Holland America Ryndam had a day at sea as the ship headed south for Spain. One of my favorite features of this class of Holland America ships is the wrap-around promenade deck. So, I went for a long morning walk around the 1/2 mile promenade on deck 6. The weather was in the low 60's and it was quite calm--perfect for walking and listening to my audiobook. We were following another cruise ship, so it was also very scenic and relaxing.
I returned to the cabin to meet my friend for the Mariner's Club (past cruisers) lunch. It was a very nice lunch, and we finished in time for the 2:00 pm wine tasting that featured a selection of four wines available for purchase on the ship.
The cellarmaster/head sommelier did a good job on the wine tasting. I always learn something every time I go to one of these. This time I learned that although Germany has both dry and sweet Reisling, the California Reisling is almost all sweet since the climate is hot and dry. We especially enjoyed the cheeses that went along with the wines. Having a cheesy taste in your mouth makes them taste different.
Following the wine tasting, we went to the tea. They were featuring Scottish shortbread, and I pictured the Walker's or other type of cookie like a Lorna Doone. Instead, it was more of a cake. Still good, but not what I had yearned for all day. After the tea, we went to play bingo in the theater. None of us won (I think about half the JUGs group played). One funny thing happened. Some of the long time residents of our town saw an old friend and her husband who once lived in Griffin, but moved to Texas about 30 years ago. It was like a mini-reunion, especially since one of our group and the woman she ran into at Bingo had grown up on the same street. These "it's a small world" moments happen often enough to make me always behave myself when away.
After bingo, we returned to the cabin to get cleaned up for formal night. Our group met for drinks at 7 pm and then had our two usual tables in the dining room. The meal was very good. I had lamb for the main course, which I always enjoy when cruising. The show was at 10 pm, so I hurried through my yummy chocolate souffle in order to make it on time. Liked the show--the first one with the singers/dancers. The ship had three shows that evening, which helped with the crowding in the smallish theater.
The next day the Ryndam docked at A Coruna, Spain, and many on the ship went to the third most important pilgrimage site (after Jerusalem and Rome) in Christendom--Santiago de Compostela.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
A Day in Santiago de Compostela from A Coruna, Spain
A Coruna (or La Coruna) is the captial of Galicia, Spain. The city sits on the Atlantic Ocean and has a lovely harbor and beaches. A Coruna also has an old city wall dating back to Roman times and Torre de Hercules, the world's oldest operational lighthouse, which the Romans built in the 2nd century AD. A Coruna has several museums, including one devoted to science and technology, another to fine arts, a military museum, and an archaeological museum.
The city also has an aquarium and the remains of a 19th century castle, the Fort of San Carlos.
The most popular shore excursion from A Coruna is to the Christian pilgrimage site of Santiago de Compostela, about 1.5 hours away. Other tours include a highlights tour of A Coruna, a visit to nearby Betanzos, a visit to an old Galician manor and its gardens, or a foodie tour that stops at a local restaurant for Spanish treats and wines.
A Coruna sits on the northwest tip of Spain. The Holland America Ryndam docked about 8 am. Since we had moved into the European time zone, the sun didn't come up until about the time we docked. My friend and and I ate breakfast at the Lido buffet before meeting our Santiago de Compostela shore excursion group of women in the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) group at 8:15 am.
The tour left the ship about 8:45. The Ryndam had 10 buses going to Santiago de Compostela, so it was a popular tour. Unfortunately, our guide's English was not very good, and I really had to listen hard to catch about half of what she said.
The other half went way over my head. Too bad since she probably told us something important. I wasn't the only one who had a problem understanding her, which meant none of us were thrilled with the tour. Her English was definitely better than my Spanish, but I'm not a tour guide.
Santiago de Compostela is the third most important pilgrimage site for Christians--behind Jerusalem and Rome. It is celebrated as the burial place of St. James, who is also known as San Diego, Santiago, and Jaime. James was selected as one of the 12 disciples by Jesus, when he promised that James would become a fisher of men. (I had to suppress a giggle when our guide said that Jesus told James he would teach him to catch men--just doesn't sound quite the same does it?)
It took us about 1.5 hours to reach the town, and as soon as we entered, we saw many pilgrims walking into the city (most had backpacks, walking sticks, and hiking boots, so they were easy to identify.) They had hiked the Camino de Santiago either the long "French Way" or one of the shorter lesser-known trails into the city. The French Way starts in southern France and crosses all of Spain on its meandering path to Santiago de Compostela. In ancient times, those who lived along the route provided free food and lodging for those who were doing the entire trek of several hundred miles. I doubt they do that today, but I've heard/read that even doing part of the walk is quite exhilarating and fun since you meet people from all over the world along the Way. The trail is marked with yellow arrows and some type of markers in the ground.
We toured the Santiago Cathedral, and it was beautiful. Unfortunately, the front of the church on the square was covered in scaffolding. The back was quite lovely, as was the interior. but it was packed. Most on our bus walked down into the crypt to see the silver coffin with the bones of St. James, and a few stood in the long queue to have an opportunity to embrace the statue of St. James.
Our guide gave us about 30 minutes free time, which we used to find an ATM and post cards and to do a little shopping. At 11:30, all 10 bus groups met in an old hotel to have a drink of dry rose and some appetizers. A group of troubadours also serenaded us and gave us a chance to buy one of their CDs.
Back on the bus at 12:30, we got back to A Coruna by 2:00 pm. Instead of returning to the ship, we walked around the town for a short time and tried to use the free Wifi at a shopping mall. Didn't work too well--too many users. There was another cruise ship in port, the Azura of P&O Cruises. I think the crew from both ships plus many passengers were in this mall using the free service with their phones, computers, or tablets. No wonder the service was so slow!
We had a late lunch at around 3:30 pm of salad and ice cream and then went back to the cabin to get ready for drinks and dinner. Most of the JUGs were dining at the Pinnacle Grill specialty restaurant, but two in the group other than us were not. We enjoyed dining with them and then went bar hopping a little after dinner and saw about half of the talented British singer/musician/tap dancer who was very good. In bed by midnight, with a day in in Leixoes (Porto), Portugal to look forward to.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
A Day in Leixoes and Porto, Portugal
Leixoes is Portugal's second largest port and sits on the Atlantic Ocean north of Porto. It's an artificial harbor and a large industrial port as well as an important harbor for sardine fishing. Although there are river cruises up the Douro River from Porto, large ships often dock in Leixoes, which is about a 30-minute ride by taxi from downtown Porto. Most visitors to Leixoes travel into the historic old city of Porto, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Porto is hilly, with spectacular churches, old wine cellars, fascinating architecture and great seafood.
Most of the cruise ship shore excursions from Leixoes include time in Porto. Those who haven't been should take a highlights of Porto tour so they can see the Cathedral of Porto, the Stock Exchange Palace, or take a short cruise on the Douro River. Other tours include a bus trip to Guimaraes, which was Portugal's first capital. It has a marvelous medieval King's Castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Branganca.
Leixoes is a suburb of Porto about 30 minutes away via car. The Holland America Ryndam cruise ship docked there early in the morning so that people could take tours of the surrounding towns or in Porto, which is Portugal's second largest city. It was about a 35 euro taxi into the center of Porto, which wasn't too bad since four people could share. Since I'd never been to Leixoes, I decided to just do a nice walk around this little town, hoping to see some local color.
My friend and I had a leisurely breakfast and walked the short distance to the port office about 10 o'clock. We had to board a shuttle to go outside the port since (like most European industrial ports) they don't allow cruise passengers to walk around the working port. The bus ride was less than 5 minutes and let us out at the gate. We quickly noticed that two different hop-on, hop-off buses had stopped at the curb to pick up passengers and take them into Porto. The fare to ride around the city for a few hours was only 10 euros per person. However, it was drizzling a little and we were reluctant to commit to a ride where we might not see anything if it really started raining hard. Plus, since we had left the ship a little late, we'd only have time to ride around and not hop on and off. So, we skipped the bus ride and strode off along the promenade that skirted the wide, sandy beach.
The beach was lovely, and even had some surfers (with wet suits) riding the small waves. We noticed a modern statue that was dedicated to the 152 fishermen who lost their lives in a bad storm (they were on several different small boats) in 1947. They left behind about 80 wives and 152 (same number, yes) children. Very sad reminder that fishing as an occupation can be dangerous.
Since neither of us had walked much the past day, we enjoyed the nice, flat walk along the beachfront. It drizzled rain on us on and off, but never poured. We visited an old 17th century fort on a small peninsula that went into the harbor, but the inside only had a small cafe and visitors weren't allowed outside on the walls.
We walked back to the ship down through the very quiet town (we decided most people were at work in Porto). It was not very scenic and most of the buildings looked rather industrial or like parking garages. Not too many people out walking other than us and a few elderly people doing their shopping. About the only interesting thing we saw were the many fish restaurants getting their charcoal grills going outside in front of the restaurants. It was about 11:30 by then, and the grills were already smoldering, awaiting the lunch crowd (not sure where they were going to come from). One even had his grilled piled with huge green peppers, which looked and smelled delicious.
Soon we were back at the Ryndam (about 12:30) and went to lunch after a short rest. Some of the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) started getting back about 2:00 (all aboard was 3:30) and they all enjoyed seeing Porto, especially the lovely churches and outdoor market. The town is really hilly, so the walking in Lexioes was better, although I recommend my readers who want to tour independently either take a taxi or take advantage of the hop on and off bus to visit Porto rather than Leixoes.
With a free afternoon ahead, four of us played bridge for a couple of hours. No exciting (or even very good) hands, but we had fun. We quit a little before 5 pm to get cleaned up for cocktails at 7 pm. Rosemary and I got ready early, so browsed in the shops (we had sailed about 4:30-ish) before meeting up with the others.
Dinner was another good one, but afterwards most of us decided to skip the show and go back to our cabins since we had an early morning tour in Lisbon the next day.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
Highlights of Lisbon
Lisbon is one of Europe's oldest capital cities and dates back to 1200 BC. The city is spread out on hills overlooking the Tagus River. Many of the important sites can be seen either on a highlights tour of Lisbon or on a hop on, hop off bus. Lisbon has two UNESCO World Heritage sites--the Belem Tower and the Jeronimos Monastery. Much of Lisbon was destroyed in 1755 by an earthquake and tsunami that killed about 30,000 residents of the city.
However, the oldest district of the city, Alfama, still remains and features small shops, great restaurants, and bars filled with gloomy music. Lisbon has interesting architecture, and art and history museums. Lisbon is also well known for its delicious custard tarts, seafood, and Fado music. If you are like me, a day in the city leaves you wanting to return and to see much more.
Cruise ship shore excursions in Lisbon focus on the diverse things to see in the city. For example, one focuses on the art of Lisbon as seen at the Basilica de Estrela and Tile Museum, while another visits the Park of Nations and the Oceanarium. Those looking for an overview of Lisbon can take a highlights tour via bus or on foot and funicular. Visitors who have been to Lisbon before can enjoy an excursion outside the city to the resort town of Estoril, medieval Obidos or Sintra, Cascals, and Queluz. Holland America a;sp has a bird watching excursion to the Tagus Estuary Wetlands, home to over 250 species of birds.
The next day in Lisbon was another beautiful day on the Holland America Ryndam, and 10 of the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) had a "Lisbon Highlights" tour that left the ship at 9:30 am. The rest of the JUGs either did a walking tour of Lisbon or went to the medieval town of Obidos. I had been to Lisbon before, but it was fun to see again.
Much of the highlights tour was on the bus, and we rode through the city up to a view point before getting off for a photo stop at a park overlooking the city. We then continued on the bus to the Jeronimos Monastery in the Gothic-Manueline style. It hasn't been a monastery for centuries, but does have the crypts of several Portuguese rulers, a famous poet, and Vasco de Gama the explorer. The church was packed, but we all enjoyed seeing it from the inside. It must stretch for about three blocks, and is only a short distance from the Tagus River.
Our bus group walked the 2-3 blocks to the Portuguese Maritime Museum, which featured all the famous Portuguese explorers and the maritime history of this tiny country. Because of their ventures outside the known world, Portuguese is now the 5th (or 6th) most spoken language in the world. It's still the primary language in Brazil, 5 countries in Africa, and parts of Asia like the Goa area of India (and of course Portugal). It was a nice museum, and history lovers would especially enjoy it. They had a re-creation of both the Queen's and King's cabins from the Royal Yacht, and another section was devoted to the barges the Portuguese Royal family used to go back and forth across the Tagus River as well as other small boats. The Royal Barge was built in 1778 and had 80 oarsmen, so it really wasn't small. It was retired in 1957, right after Queen Elizabeth's only visit to Portugal. (Note: I doubt if she messed it up, they probably did it to honor her.)
One of the last things we saw in the museum was an airplane that completed the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic. No, it wasn't the Spirit of St. Louis. This plane, the Santa Cruz, was manned by two men who flew from Portugal to Brazil. It wasn't a non-stop flight, as they stopped at almost every island between the two continents, plus the first two planes were lost at sea. The Santa Cruz completed the journey. Their flight was in 1922 and the entire trip took 79 days, but only 62+ hours of flight time.
Leaving the museum, we had photo stops at two well known monuments in Lisbon--the Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries, both along the Tagus River. Next to the Belem Tower was a relatively new memorial to the Portuguese soldiers (about 10,000 of them) who died in the wars with the Portuguese African colonies, mostly Angola. These wars were ongoing from 1961-1974. At the time, Portugal was ruled by a dictator who wanted to keep all of the colonies, so he was quite willing to send his troops to these far away lands. The wars were not popular, and the citizens overthrew his government, established a republic, and brought the troops home soon after.
Our bus drove under the almost-twin bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge on the way back to the ship. It's called the April 25th bridge and was built by the same firm that did the Golden Gate. It's even orange in color. From the bus, we got a good look at the Statue of Christ overlooking the Tagus River. It's a replica, but not as large as the Statue of Christ overlooking Rio de Janeiro.
We were back on the Ryndam by 1:30 and had a late lunch. Four of us played bridge for a while in the afternoon. We stopped long enough to watch the sailaway and got some great photos of the same monuments we had seen from the shore.
It was the second formal night, and we met for drinks at 7 pm as usual, and also had a group photo made. Then all 16 of us had dinner at the Pinnacle Grill. It was very good. I had steak tartare, a Caesar salad, and halibut with roasted Brussels sprouts. Dessert was baked Alaska made with Ben & Jerry Cherry Garcia ice cream. Many people got the steak, which also looked good. I think we all agreed it was a delicious meal.
After dinner, it was too late to see the production show, but I think I had seen it before. It was called "Heat" and had songs and dances about tropical places and things. Good show, but we had an early day on Friday to get up for--an all day tour to Seville, a new destination for me.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
A Day in Seville from Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz (pronounced Ca-dith) is the oldest continuously inhabited city on the Iberian peninsula. It sits on a narrow strip of land on the Atlantic and is a popular port of call for cruise ships since guests can find many things to do either in Cadiz or do a day trip to Seville or Jerez (pronounced Hair-eth). The old town is within easy walking distance of the port, and Cadiz features good shopping, restaurants, and lovely beaches.
However, the water is too cold for swimming. Since Cadiz is old, it has buildings dating back to Roman times, including an old theater. Cadiz also has watchtowers, churches, museums, and botanical gardens, all of which are worthwhile to see.
Seville is one of Spain's largest cities and dates back about 2,000 years. This metropolis has many historical monuments, including its Cathedral of Saint Mary, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The architecture of Seville is a mixture of Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance Revival style, so it's quite picturesque and fascinating. This city has sections once occupied by the Jews, Muslims, and Christians in medieval times. Many of the lovely 20th century buildings were built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It seemed like we saw at least 25 buildings constructed by different countries for this exposition. Most were palatial. We also saw a large outdoor arena and the spectacular Plaza de Espana also built for the same event.
Spain was obviously much richer in the 1920's than it is today.
Visitors to Cadiz have a wide variety of shore excursions to pick from. Most make the trip to Seville on a full-day organized tour or have a transfer to Seville to see the city on their own. They can tour Cadiz on an organized bus or walking tour to see the many sights of the old city. If staying in Cadiz and tired of touring, they can see a flamenco show, do some sherry tastings, or have a traditional Spanish meal in a local restaurant with a group. Some passengers on cruise ships go to Jerez for a sherry tasting and to see a horse show at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts. (This is a must see for horse lovers.)
The Ryndam didn't arrive in Cadiz until 10 am, and our all day tour to "Stunning Seville" left soon after we docked. Eight of the JUGs did this trip, four had a private tour, two went to the horse show/sherry winery and tasting mom and I did at Jerez (pronounced Hereth) in 2006, and two went to a "Taste of Cadiz", which had a drive to Jerez and more time at the winery.
Our Seville tour was long and hot, but we all knew that when we signed up. The drive passed along the beaches of Cadiz (no one swims, water is too cold) and skirted the old town, before driving past a new bridge under construction (named the 2012 bridge; it's a little behind schedule). Our guide told us that the unemployment rate in Cadiz was 42 percent and in the region 38 percent. That's sad, isn't it? One of the largest employers in Cadiz that closed was the boat repair/building/dockyards with 15,000 employees. We drove by, and it was a huge, ghost-like faciity.
The land was drier than our first foray into the interior at A Coruna, and we passed by olive tree groves, vineyards, and fields of cotton and sunflowers. After about an hour and a half or so, we arrived in Seville. In Seville, we visited the beautiful Cathedral, the largest all-Gothic cathedral in the world. It was once a mosque, but I think the mosque was mostly torn down when the Christians drove the Moors out of Seville a thousand or so years ago. The Cathedral was huge and had spectacular, gargantuan columns on the inside, and a lovely "orange" courtyard with bitter oranges growing on trees in the courtyard. They export these bitter oranges to Great Britain where they are used to make marmalade.
Inside the Cathedral is the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Or, at least one of them. A few years ago, Spain did a DNA test on some of the bones and compared the results to the DNA of Columbus' son, who is also buried in the Seville cathedral. They matched, so now Seville can say they have proof that Columbus is in the tomb. However, guidebooks and our guide noted that other sites also might be able to claim they also have bones since the Seville tomb only has a few bones.
We walked from the cathedral through the narrow alleyways of the old Jewish quarter, which looked much like a medina of northern Africa. Quite picturesque and lined with shops and cafes. Soon it was time for lunch, so we met up with the bus and rode to the Macarenas Hotel in the Macarena section of Seville. It was a buffet, and i think all the half dozen or more buses who did our shore excursions ate there. Just okay, not as good as the ship's food, plus the line was longer.
After lunch, we rode to the famous Alcazar, the old Royal Palace of Seville. Done in the Moorish style, the palace looked much like the Alhambra in Granada, with beautiful gardens, amazing tiles, and wood carvings. Very interesting. Our last stop was at the Spanish Square, a huge square built for the 1929 exposition. Very picturesque.
We got back to the ship about 7 pm, and Rosemary and I decided to skip the dining room dinner and just eat outdoors on the pool deck where they were having a Spanish fiesta barbecue. It ran from 5:30 to 8pm, so it was a little picked over, but the weather was perfect. Most of the rest of the JUGs did the same thing and we got some tables near each other. They had decorated the pool deck and had the serving tables all set up with party decorations. The food included Paella, local serrano ham, grilled chicken and ribs, and empanadas, Gazpacho, and creme Catalan.
At 9:30 pm the Ryndam had an excellent local flamenco troupe come onboard. We had seats right down front at the tables. We all loved the hour-long show. The ship didn't sail until almost midnight, which allowed some people time to go ashore for dinner or a drink.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
A Day on the Rock of Gibraltar
Like other British territories around the world, Gibraltar seems just as British (if not more so) than the homeland. Its strategic location has made this tiny piece of land (mostly rock) much more important than its size would indicate. It's almost impossible for a ship to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar if Great Britain doesn't want it to happen. It's not surprising that Spain and Great Britain continue to squabble over the territory.
Although it was once a major port for the British Navy, today Gibraltar's economy relies on its refueling and shipping operations and tourism. History lovers can appreciate the important role Gibraltar has played in wars across the ages. The Rock of Gibraltar is the territory's most visited spot, and its magnificent views, tunnels, and Barbary Macaques (monkeys) contribute to this well-deserved distinction.
Gibraltar is a tiny territory, and most cruise ship shore excursions include a visit to the Rock of Gibraltar. For example, the Holland America Ryndam had seven tours of Gibraltar. Shore excursion groups get to the top by either mini-bus or cable car and include a visit to some of the most popular sites--Top Station of the Cable Car, St. Michael's Cave, Great Siege Tunnel, Europa Point, Gibraltar Museum, Moorish Castle, American War Memorial, Trinity Lighthouse, or the Nature Reserve.
Most tour groups to the Rock of Gibraltar see some of the famous monkeys, but there's no guarantee.
Our guide had been a tour guide in Gibraltar for nine years and had seen the Barbary Macaques on every tour group he has led. It's illegal to feed the monkeys, and they have been known to snatch cameras, purses, etc. But, they are a "must-see" for a day in Gibraltar.
The Ryndam had more glorious sunny weather the day we were in Gibraltar, and it was even a few degrees cooler than in Cadiz and Seville. Rosemary and I had a nice breakfast before joining our tour of the Rock. Two of the other "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) were on the same tour, while some of the other JUGs did a similar tour that included a visit to a museum and not as much walking. The tour we did was called "A Stroll on the Upper Rock" and was very similar to the one Mom and I did in 2005 when we visited Gibraltar.
Gibraltar's roads are too narrow for regular coaches (buses), so we were on one of those mini-buses that holds about 20-25 people. Nice to have a smaller group. We rode the cable car to the highest station and stepped out into much cooler morning air at the top of the Rock. Beautiful views of the large Gibralar harbor on one side and the Mediterranean on the other. The day was so clear, we could even seen the coast of Morocco in north Africa less than 10 miles away.
Leaving the viewpoint, we walked down to St. Michael's Cave which was a hiding place for Spanish invaders a few hundred years ago. England has owned/ruled Gibraltar for over 300 years. St. Michael's was even used as a hospital in World War II. The stalactites (the ones hanging down from the ceiling) were removed from one large room used as a ward during the War since possible bombs falling might cause them to break loose and kill someone. This large room in the cave is now used for concerts and receptions. The night before we were there, they had a Scottish bagpiping group entertain a group of French tourists.
We left the cave and reboarded the bus. We were all disappointed we had seen no Barbary Macaques (monkeys) while walking down the trail to the cave, especially since we had stopped at one of the places they are fed by the government. We saw signs that the fine for feeding them is up to 4,000 pounds, but our guide said it was usually 500 pounds. Guides can also lose their license, thereby ending their career if they feed the monkeys. Our guide said we would see them at the cave, but alas, no apes. I was beginning to think I would have the biggest scoop of my writing career--to write that the monkeys had left Gibraltar and the British would soon lose the Rock, but we finally saw them on the way to the Great Siege tunnel at a place called the Ape's Den. Got some good photos. Legend says that as long as there are monkeys in Gibraltar, Britain will rule (kind of similar idea to the story of the ravens at the Tower of London.)
The Great Siege tunnel was built in the 18th century, so it's quite an engineering marvel. Spain decided to attack Gibraltar since the British were busy fighting the Americans. The British put huge guns(cannons) in the tunnel walls so that they could defend Gibraltar. The Spanish never captured the rock and the British rule continued. At the beginning of World War II, the number of apes on the rock decreased to 5 at the time Winston Churchill visited. He sent a General off to find more Barbary Macaques and they increased the herd to 31. Britain decreed that the herd should never go below 30, and today there are over 200. The Ape Dept. (or some such government agency) feeds the herds twice daily and monitors their health. All the monkeys have a tattoo on their inner thigh for tracking.
Walking in the Great Siege tunnel was uphill from the parking lot and downhill into the tunnel. It was quite interesting, although the hike back up and out was pretty strenuous. Inside the tunnel was a history of its use from the 18th century up to World War II and many exhibits on the historical figures, weapons, and uniforms. In World War II, Britain feared that Germany would try and take Gibraltar because of its strategic location, and so the tunnels were expanded and fortified for a possible siege, but an attack never came.
Leaving the rock, we took the bus back down to the town, and the four of us got off to do a little shopping and have lunch. The town (and the whole of Gibraltar) was decorated with white and red flags in anticipation of their National Day on September 10. It was a Saturday afternoon, and the streets were packed with locals and tourists. They were having a concert at an outdoor stadium, adding to the fesivities. We strolled a little and then ate lunch at a Moroccan cafe called the Corner Cafe. We had seen Morocco from the top of the Rock, so decided it would be a type of local cuisine. The four of us split a Lamb Tagine and a Chicken tagine, both served with couscous. The tagines were very good, and we washed it down with beer.
We walked the 20-30 minutes back to the ship, arriving hot and tired, but happy after our very good tour. Rosemary and I met the rest of the JUGs at 6:30 for drinks at the Crow's Nest before we all went to dinner at the Canaletto Italian Restaurant. It was excellent. Holland America had changed the restaurant into a tasting menu with small plates for sharing. They put our group at three tables in a small private room. We had five at two tables and six at the other. Our table just ordered all six appetizers and all five main courses. We all had plenty to eat, and it was excellent. I had the limoncello cream dessert, and some of the others got the tiramisu or the chocolate dessert.
After dinner, three of us went to the show to see a retired US male gymnast perform. His name is Lance Ringnald, and he did gymnastics for many years and participated in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games for the USA. His show combined acrobatics, playing the piano, juggling, and singing. He was in quite good shape for someone who was 44.
Bed at 11:30, and we set a clock to get up at 8 am, so we could go into Malaga and walk around before it got too warm. Most of the JUGs were going to Granada to see Alhambra, but I had been before and Rosemary decided that she would pass.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
A Day in Cartagena, Spain
Malaga is famous for its sunny location on the Costa del Sol. Its sub-tropical Mediterranean climate and relatively warm winters make Malaga a favorite vacation destination for northern Europeans. Malaga is Spain's fifth largest city and has a very busy port. The town is famous as Pablo Picasso's birthplace, but also has a charming downtown pedestrian area, a Roman Theater that dates back to the first century, and one of Spain's most well-preserved citadels.
Malaga also has a Picasso Museum, a Cathedral whose construction spanned three centuries, and a beautiful tropical garden.
Cruise ships like the Holland America Ryndam offer a wide variety of shore excursions in and around Malaga, and the Ryndam had nine diverse options. Many guests take the 2.5-hour bus ride to Granada to visit the amazing 14th century Alhambra. Other tours include the highlights of Malaga discussed above. Some shore excursion groups venture out of Malaga to see picturesque Mijas village, while others include horseback riding or a 4x4 vehicle exploration of the Genal Valley.
The Ryndam docked in Malaga about 7 am, and all the coaches going to Granada left soon afterward on their 9+-hour tour. Rosemary and I ate breakfast and left the ship about 9:30 am, taking the four euro (roundtrip)) shuttle into town. The bus dropped us just a few blocks from the Cathedral and the old town.
We strolled the streets of Malaga, but since it was a Sunday, many of the retail shops were closed.
The souvenir shops were open to sell wares to the guests on three ships in port (the Holland America Ryndam, the Hapag-Lloyd Deutschland, and the Majestic International Ocean Majesty). The downtown pedestrian walking area was quite nice and very large. Many of the streets were twisting and narrow, but the main street was wide and covered with huge pieces of very lightweight cloth that had advertising (mostly beer) painted on them. These flag-like pieces of material must have been 20 feet long and 15 feet wide and were about 4 stories over the street. Why? They provided shade on the wide main street for those walking underneath. Great idea.
We went in the main cathedral and also the church where Pablo Picasso was christened. Picasso was born in Malaga and lived there as a child. Rosemary and I also spent a couple of hours in the Picasso Museum. The fee was 8 euros, but included an audio self-walking tour.
After doing all our shopping, we decided to have a cold drink, so stopped for an excellent sangria before returning to the ship about 2:30 pm.
Back on the ship, we had lunch (Rosemary had one of their excellent hamburgers and fries, and I had a taco salad with romaine lettuce, well-seasoned chicken, guacamole, and lots of tomato salsa.
We met up with the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) for 7 pm drinks. Those who had gone to Alhambra looked more refreshed and perky than I expected. We had a nice drink before dinner, and then four of us went to the Le Cirque dinner while the rest of the group went to the dining room. The menu at the Le Cirque dinner had not changed since the last time I had eaten there, and it was an exciting, spectacular meal. We all did the wine pairings and enjoyed a prosecco with the first course; a very oaky, dark yellow chardonnay with the second; and a red with the main course.
We had the liver pate over rhubarb jelly for the amuse bouche, and it was as bad as I remember. One of the other girls is a pate lover, and she thought it was excellent. I had the delicous lobster salad for an appetizer, followed by a creatively-presented Caesar salad, and lamb. Rosemary and Juanda had the lobster salad, the butternut squash soup, and the chateaubriand. Carole had a "trio" appetizer of pate, smoked salmon, and caviar; the Caesar salad, and the chateaubriand. For dessert three of us had the hot chocolate souffle with vanilla gelato, and Juanda had the creme brulee. Needless to say, we were all four stuffed, but happy after our meal.
Our last port of call on this Holland America voyage was Cartagena, Spain.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
Last Day at Sea; Summary and Conclusion
Cartagena has long been an important naval port, and the city is covered with Roman ruins. The old city wall is just a short distance from the port. Unfortunately, many of the ancient Roman sites were destroyed in the Spanish Civil War prior to World War II. However, the city has a Civil War Museum, Naval Museum, Underwater Archaeology Museum, and many monuments and interesting buildings in the art nouveau style.
It also has the Peral Submarine, which was the first all-electric submarine.
Since exploring the town of Cartagena is fairly easy, all of the Ryndam's three available shore excursions were outside the city. The first visited the town of Murcia and the Fuensanta Monastery, the second was to the Palmeral de Elche, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is the largest palm forest in southern Europe, with about 250,000 palm trees. The third tour was to the Agrupa Vicenta, an old mine near Cartagena used to educate visitors about the importance of mining in this region of Spain. The mine has excellent acoustics, so musical performances are often scheduled.
Cartagena was our last port of call. It's very coincidental that mom and I were in the "other" Cartagena--the one in Colombia--on a Holland America Panama Canal cruise. Cartagena was smaller than Malaga, but had a nice pedestrian walking area. Rosemary and I ate breakfast on the ship and then walked ashore about 9:45 am--nice to not have to take a bus to reach the outside of the port area.
The downtown pedestrian shopping area was only about one-quarter of a mile from the ship.
We strolled the clean, paved pedestrian shopping area for a few hours, enjoying the different clothing and wares sold in Spain. We stopped for a sangria at noon, and then had lunch about an hour later. Rosemary had been wanting some Paella, so she got that and I had a pizza (I'm always boring). We each enjoyed a local beer with our lunch and sat outdoors in a shady, narrow street.
Cartagena is covered with Roman ruins, so we took a quick peek at some of them, but it was very hot, so we went back to the ship about 2:30 and had a nap. Guess it was the lunch and beer.
We had the last formal night, so we got dolled up in our formal wear and met the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) group for drinks at 7 pm. It was a nice dinner at 8pm and we all enjoyed the premium dishes offered (like surf and turf.) They had a vanilla souffle for dessert, but it wasn't nearly as good as the one we had at the Le Cirque dinner.
Our last day on the ship was a welcome day at sea.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
Our last day on the Holland America Ryndam was a day at sea. I woke up early (of course) and went for a nice walk on the deck 6 promenade. It was humid, but a nice morning for an hour's walk. Returned to the cabin to find Rosemary gone, so I went upstairs and joined a couple of the other "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) I found in the dining room. Rosemary was packing when I returned to the cabin.
I read some and stayed out of her way until she went to the 11 am cooking class. They learned to make about a half dozen tapas and had lunch afterwards. She and the other JUGs who did the class felt it was well worth the fee.
I took a shower and got cleaned up for lunch after she left, and then joined some of the JUGs who didn't take the cooking class for lunch in the buffet. After lunch, I did a little work on the Internet before going to the premium wine tasting with four of the JUGS group in the Pinnacle Grill. It was an excellent wine tasting, with five wines and a port--Nicholas Feuillatte Champagne, France; Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Malborough, New Zealand; Ferrari Carano Chardonnay, Sonoma, CA; Chianti Frescobaldi, Tuscany, Italy; Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, CA; and W & J Grahams Six Grapes Reserved Oporto Portugal. Nice wine tasting and interesting foods to taste along with it. I'm always surprised how much different wines can taste when paired with the appropriate food.
Our group gathered in the Mix Martini Bar for the last time and relived many of the fun times on our cruise. Enjoyed another great dinner in the Rotterdam dining room before returning to the cabin to finish the packing. The next morning we sadly left the ship after it docked in Barcelona.
It was a great cruise, with a great group of women. A cruise line like Holland America is an excellent choice for a group of diverse women like the JUGs. We did some things together and some separately since our interests differed. However, it was fun every evening to re-connect for drinks and dinner to share our experiences. Despite our age, interests, and personality differences, all 16 of us had a memorable, marvelous voyage. Many of those memories are due to the staff of the Holland America Ryndam and this delightful ship.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary cruise accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
The Holland America Ryndam is a mid-sized cruise ship carrying 1260 guests. I sailed an 11-night itinerary from London to Barcelona on the Ryndam as she repositioned from northern Europe to the Mediterranean in September 2014.
The Ryndam is a sister ship to the Maasdam, Statendam, and Veendam, and has many similarities. The Ryndam and Statendam transfer to P&O Australia in late October 2015, but Holland America replaces the berths with the 2,460-guest MS Koningsdam, which launches in February 2016.
The Ryndam sails a similar itinerary between London and Barcelona in September 2015, and other ships repositioning between northern Europe and the Mediterranean also visit many of the same ports of call.
Be sure to click on the links on each page listed below to learn more about things to do in each of the ports of call.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
Two Days in London Before Cruise
- Day 1 in London
Our overnight flight from Atlanta to London arrived about 8:40 am, giving us almost two full days in this amazing city before our cruise from Dover on the Holland America Ryndam. I had been to London several times, but my traveling companion had not. We bought an Oyster card at the airport to ride the London tube (subway/Metro) system into the city. It's like a debit card--you add cash to it and then swipe it when entering/leaving the tube station.
It also gives you a significant discount for each ride. You have to pay a 5 pound deposit when you get the card, but it's refundable to tourists (along with any unused credit left) if you turn it in when you leave. We started out with a 10 pound card plud a 5 pound deposit, added to it twice for a total investment of 21 pounds and we each got back 5.90 pounds when we turned in the card after our last ride. Great deal since we rode in from the airport and used the system extensively for about 36 hours. Most of the time, we only had to wait less than 5 minutes. I highly recommend this card to anyone going to London, and getting the deposit plus unused pounds back in cash makes the Oyster card even more attractive.
It took us about an hour to get into the city, but our hotel (Sloane Square Hotel) was only just across a small square from the Sloane Square tube station, so we didn't have to roll our bags much at all. Had to change trains, but I made sure we changed at one that had handicapped access so I would be sure we wouldn't have to use stairs.
As it worked out, but only had to go to the other side of the platform (about 10 feet) to transfer to another line.
Anyway, our room wasn't ready so we dropped off the bags and took the tube down to the Tower of London. Since neither of us had eaten much lunch, we got some fish and chips and ate outside the Tower on a bench. Nice lunch and nice day. We had purchased the Tower of London tickets over the Internet and only had to retrieve them before entering. We both enjoyed the included tour with the Beefeater (always funny and you learn a lot of Tower history) and stood in line for about 30 minutes to see the Crown Jewels (a must see).
Loved seeing a display of ceramic poppies that volunteers are adding to until they reach 888,000+, which represents one poppy for each British soldier killed in World War I. The last poppy is added on November 11. These amazing flowers completely fill the moat of the Tower when all are in place. We were told by the Beefeater than only 70,000 were in place during our late August visit, which is less than 10 percent.
Rode the tube down to Westminster Abbey, but it was closed. We probably would not have gone in anyway since admission is 16 pounds--same as St. Paul's. We walked around the church and walked over the bridge to get good views of Big Ben. Even heard the clock strike 5 pm. Walked from Westminster up to Trafalgar Square and then over to Piccadilly Circus. Nice day for walking -- not too hot. Threatened rain a bunch, but never got a drop. Were glad we had carried our raincoats to ward off the rain gods.
Took the Tube from Piccadilly over to Knightsbridge, where we walked around Harrod's a bit--I showed my friend who is a foodie the food court and we oohed and aahed over the expensive food/pastries/chocolate/sushi/meat/etc. By then, we were hungry, so walked back to our hotel and stopped at a local pub on the way for a beer and dinner. It was filled with mostly local people drinking and socializing after work.
We were back at the hotel by 9:00 or so, and in bed by 1030.
- Day 2 in London
Alarm woke us up at 7:30 and we walked to an outdoor cafe for a roll and tea and coffee. We had tickets to see the inside of Buckingham Palace at 10 am. The inside is only open to visitors a couple of months a year, so we bought tickets in advance over the Internet.
Loved the Palace, and they didn't have a mob of people inside at one time. We actually got in early--about 9:45--just walked up from the taxi and they let us in. Finished the tour about 11 am and wen to see the changing of the guard in the front of the palace. (They let us out the back gate through the gardens). As always, it was packed, and we couldn't get close to the fence to see the "changing", but we did get a front row standing spot on the road where they marched/paraded, etc.
After the changing, we walked up to Hyde Park and down to the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, stopping for an ice cream along the way. Leaving the park, we ate a pub lunch, splitting a fish/chips since we had already had a scoop of ice cream.
Hopped on the tube to ride down to Westminster and crossed the bridge again to see the Florence Nightingale Museum (my friend is a retired nurse), which is next to a hospital where she once had a nursing school. The story of her life and all the photos were interesting.
From there we walked further away from the river to the Imperial War Museum. What a fascinating place! It covers British history from 1914 to the present, with a different floor (or more) on each of the big wars. We were only there for about 1.5 hours, but it's definitely worth a visit for history buffs. The World War I and Holocaust exhibits were especially good. They even had artifacts from the latest Afghanistan war. Many of the exhibits were audio or film, so a nice mixture to keep it interesting. They advised parents to not take kids under 14 to the 4th floor Holocaust exhibit. It was graphic and very spooky.
Another tube to St. Paul's Cathedral, and then back to the hotel. Walked to find a pub for our last London dinner, and enjoyed another good but expensive meal. Back at the hotel for shower and bed by 9:30. Looking back on our time in London, I'm impressed at how many things we saw and did. Nothing in much detail, but my friend can say she's seen many of the highlights.
The next morning we had a shuttle to Dover to board the Holland America Ryndam cruise ship.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
Dover - Tour of Dover Castle and Embarkation
- Transfer to Dover and the Ryndam
Too quickly our time in London came to an end when we moved on to our next part of the adventure--a cruise on the Holland America Ryndam. We got up about 6:30 and went to a small cafe next to the hotel for breakfast before returning to the room and getting our stuff packed. We had an excellent "full English breakfast", complete with eggs, British bacon (like Canadian bacon) and a giant sausage, toast, apricot marmalade, and sauteed mushrooms.
Very filling, but we knew we'd get a late lunch.
We had purchased a transfer online. The shuttle bus picked us up at the hotel promptly at 8:30 am, and we rode down towards Dover. We were the next to last hotel picked up, so didn't waste a lot of time stopping for others. It was another lovely day in England--partly sunny with no rain and temps in the 60s/low 70s. The drive down to Dover was uneventful, but the motorway was busy with trucks/coaches/cars heading down towards the coast or the Chunnel.
We stopped for about 20 minutes at the Battle of Britain memorial that honored the 3000 pilots who participated in this extended epic battle in the early days of World War II. It's a free museum, and the views from the top of the bluff of the white cliffs and Folkestone on the coast are worth the short walk to the edge of the cliff. Since the USA did not join the War until 1941, many of us do not know much about the Battle of Britain, and it was an interesting short stop on our way to Dover.
The coach (our driver said it was not a bus) got to the Ryndam about 11:30 am and we dropped off 14 people who had not paid the extra fee to go up to visit the Dover Castle that overlooks the town. The nice thing was we also dropped off the checked luggage, so it would be in our staterooms when we got done with the Dover Castle tour.
We got to the Castle about 11:50 am, and stayed until 2 pm. It was an excellent place to walk around in the nice weather. This castle wasn't jammed with other tourists like the Tower of London complex was. The castle dates back to the 11th century, but it was also used during both World Wars because of its strategic location. The British built tunnels in the chalky white cliffs that they used for big guns, barracks, meeting rooms for big wigs like Churchill, and even an emergency room and hospital. Churchill and General Ramsey met at Dover Castle to plan the evacuation of British soldiers from Dunkirk.
The site has two tours of the tunnels that still exist, and both are included in the entry fee. We did the 20-minute guided tour of the hospital tunnels rather than the 45-minute one where the guns were based on the edge of the tunnel overlooking the channel. (We only had 2 hours and needed to allow time for the medieval castle). The hospital tunnel system was very interesting, and many pilots shot down over the Channel were treated or operated on inside these tunnels. Patients were moved to regular hospitals as soon as they were ready after surgery. We thought it must have been like a MASH unit from the TV series, only an earlier war.
We walked the 130+steps up a dark, winding staircase to the top of the Great Tower of the Castle, which afforded us spectacular views of our ship, the surrounding countryside, and the town of Dover. The inside of the Great Tower was somewhat renovated to reflect the way it looked in medieval times. Several "actors" were dressed in costumes and played characters who might have lived or worked in the castle. We chatted a bit with the "Crown Prince" and his "fiance". Quite entertaining and I bet kids loved it.
The dozen of us who did the tour all agreed it was a great experience to walk through/explore this important castle. I had seen it several times towering on the white cliffs overlooking the harbor when embarking/disembarking in Dover, and was glad to finally get a chance to see it up close.
- Embarkation Day on the Ryndam
We got to the Ryndam at about 2:10 and were in our cabin within 15 minutes, happy to see our checked bags there.
The mandatory lifeboat drill was at 3:15, so we dropped our stuff off and ate a hurried lunch at the buffet. After the drill, we briefly met up with some of the 14 other "Just Us Girls" group (JUGs) that we were traveling with, and agreed to meet them in one of the bars at 7:00 before our 8:00 pm dinner.
We returned to the cabin and unpacked. Soon it was time to get cleaned up for dinner. We met the JUGs in one of the bars at 7 and had dinner at 8 pm. Nice dinner with two tables for 8 next to each other. I had salmon/tuna tartare, a Caesar salad, prime rib, and lemon sorbet. My friend had grilled scallops, a spinach salad, prime rib, and a banana dessert. We enjoyed them all. Didn't do anything after dinner, but head to the cabin. My friend was going on a tour with the JUGs the next day at 7:30 am, so was going to have to get up early. It was a great first day on the ship. We docked in Portland the next morning.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
A Sunny Day in Portland and Weymouth in the UK
- Overview of Portland and Weymouth
The Holland America Ryndam stopped for a day in the large harbor on the English Channel at Portland. This peninsular island is connected to the mainland by a narrow beach and is located on Britain's Jurassic Coast, which got its name from the 185 million year old rock bed it sits on. Portland has two features that have made it important--its white limestone and its huge harbor.
The limestone was used to build UN Headquarters in New York and St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Many visitors come to Portland to walk its beaches looking for fossils or exploring its cliffs and abandoned Tout Quarry. Portland Castle and the Portland Bill Lighthouse add to the scenery.
Weymouth is just a short distance from Portland, and a drawbridge connects the two towns. A shuttle bus takes cruise visitors from the port area into downtown Portland and it's an easy walk into Weymouth. The town center of Weymouth is interesting to explore, with lots of shops. If the day is warm and sunny, the beach is packed with tourists. This beach is famous for two things--it's the starting or ending point for those swimming across the English Channel, and it was also the launching point (along with the Portland beach) for over 500,000 Allied troops who were part of the D-Day invasion force in Normandy.
- Cruise Ship Shore Excursions from Portland
The Ryndam was in port for 12 hours, and many took shore excursions to explore this part of England.
One of the most popular tours went to ancient UNESCO World Heritage site Stonehenge and another combined a stop at Stonehenge with a visit to Salisbury. Those who love old English castles could visit either the ruins of Corfe Castle or the well-maintained Sherbourne Castle.
Many of Thomas Hardy's books were set in nearby Wessex, where he lived and wrote. A shore excursion took Hardy lovers to see his birthplace and village church where he was christened. Those who enjoy gardens liked the visit to the village of Abbotsbury, with its swannery and sub-tropical gardens.
Walkers could join a group to hike along the coast, with part of the hike along the beach and another on the cliffside. Finally, World War II enthusiasts who are interested in weapons could explore the Bovington Tank Museum, with its 300 fighting vehicles from 26 different countries around the world.
- My Day in Portland
The alarm woke us both up at 6 am since my friend Rosemary had an early morning tour. She had ordered room service the night before, and it came about 6:45. She said the vegetarian omelet was delicious and hot, but the coffee was cold. After they left on their 4.5-hour tour to Sherbourne Castle, I dressed and went up to the Lido buffet for breakfast. It was delicious, and the buffet was quiet since many of my fellow travelers had gone ashore.
Before I knew it, they were back from their tour. I had a taco salad for lunch with the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) group up at the buffet. After lunch, three of us rode the free shuttle bus from the ship into Portland. The town was nice enough to provide good maps of the town and neighboring Weymouth (they are separated by a draw bridge). It was very sunny and in the low 70's. I think everyone in town was shopping along the narrow pedestrian streets that were decorated with hanging baskets of flowers and criss-crossed with brightly colored flags overhead. The large beach on Weymouth Harbor was filled with families enjoying the sand, sun, and cold water. We didn't see many swimming except for surfers and those with wet suits. The beach featured donkey rides, a carousel, and some Carnival rides and swings. Lots to keep people occupied. We all took our shoes off and strolled in the finely ground, cool sand, but didn't get our feet wet.
We returned to the ship about 5 pm, just in time to get cleaned up for the sailaway and dinner. Since this was the Ryndam's last visit to Portland, the military band played to send us off. They also brought a huge cannon onto the pier, which they fired twice. We were glad they warned us about the upcoming noise--I'm sure those that didn't hear the announcement were startled. After having drinks with the JUGs, we all went to dinner at 8 o'clock, mixing up the group so we could get to know each other better. (I only knew 7 of the group of 16 before the trip.)
I had tuna carpaccio, a green salad, grilled shrimp, and mango sorbet; Rosemary had clams, the green salad, English roast beef, and the sorbet. We all had lots of wine, and the JUGs got an after dinner Bailey's, which we skipped. It was about 10:15 when we finished dinner. Since the time was going to change forward an hour as the ship moved towards the continent of Europe, we went to bed. We didn't need to set an alarm the next morning for the first time since we came to Europe! A relaxing day at sea was a good way to celebrate Labor Day.
- Day at Sea
Leaving Portland, the Holland America Ryndam had a day at sea as the ship headed south for Spain. One of my favorite features of this class of Holland America ships is the wrap-around promenade deck. So, I went for a long morning walk around the 1/2 mile promenade on deck 6. The weather was in the low 60's and it was quite calm--perfect for walking and listening to my audiobook. We were following another cruise ship, so it was also very scenic and relaxing.
I returned to the cabin to meet my friend for the Mariner's Club (past cruisers) lunch. It was a very nice lunch, and we finished in time for the 2:00 pm wine tasting that featured a selection of four wines available for purchase on the ship.
The cellarmaster/head sommelier did a good job on the wine tasting. I always learn something every time I go to one of these. This time I learned that although Germany has both dry and sweet Reisling, the California Reisling is almost all sweet since the climate is hot and dry. We especially enjoyed the cheeses that went along with the wines. Having a cheesy taste in your mouth makes them taste different.
Following the wine tasting, we went to the tea. They were featuring Scottish shortbread, and I pictured the Walker's or other type of cookie like a Lorna Doone. Instead, it was more of a cake. Still good, but not what I had yearned for all day. After the tea, we went to play bingo in the theater. None of us won (I think about half the JUGs group played). One funny thing happened. Some of the long time residents of our town saw an old friend and her husband who once lived in Griffin, but moved to Texas about 30 years ago. It was like a mini-reunion, especially since one of our group and the woman she ran into at Bingo had grown up on the same street. These "it's a small world" moments happen often enough to make me always behave myself when away.
After bingo, we returned to the cabin to get cleaned up for formal night. Our group met for drinks at 7 pm and then had our two usual tables in the dining room. The meal was very good. I had lamb for the main course, which I always enjoy when cruising. The show was at 10 pm, so I hurried through my yummy chocolate souffle in order to make it on time. Liked the show--the first one with the singers/dancers. The ship had three shows that evening, which helped with the crowding in the smallish theater.
The next day the Ryndam docked at A Coruna, Spain, and many on the ship went to the third most important pilgrimage site (after Jerusalem and Rome) in Christendom--Santiago de Compostela.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
A Day in Santiago de Compostela from A Coruna, Spain
- Overview of A Coruna
A Coruna (or La Coruna) is the captial of Galicia, Spain. The city sits on the Atlantic Ocean and has a lovely harbor and beaches. A Coruna also has an old city wall dating back to Roman times and Torre de Hercules, the world's oldest operational lighthouse, which the Romans built in the 2nd century AD. A Coruna has several museums, including one devoted to science and technology, another to fine arts, a military museum, and an archaeological museum.
The city also has an aquarium and the remains of a 19th century castle, the Fort of San Carlos.
- Cruise Ship Shore Exursions from A Coruna
The most popular shore excursion from A Coruna is to the Christian pilgrimage site of Santiago de Compostela, about 1.5 hours away. Other tours include a highlights tour of A Coruna, a visit to nearby Betanzos, a visit to an old Galician manor and its gardens, or a foodie tour that stops at a local restaurant for Spanish treats and wines.
- My Day in A Coruna
A Coruna sits on the northwest tip of Spain. The Holland America Ryndam docked about 8 am. Since we had moved into the European time zone, the sun didn't come up until about the time we docked. My friend and and I ate breakfast at the Lido buffet before meeting our Santiago de Compostela shore excursion group of women in the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) group at 8:15 am.
The tour left the ship about 8:45. The Ryndam had 10 buses going to Santiago de Compostela, so it was a popular tour. Unfortunately, our guide's English was not very good, and I really had to listen hard to catch about half of what she said.
The other half went way over my head. Too bad since she probably told us something important. I wasn't the only one who had a problem understanding her, which meant none of us were thrilled with the tour. Her English was definitely better than my Spanish, but I'm not a tour guide.
Santiago de Compostela is the third most important pilgrimage site for Christians--behind Jerusalem and Rome. It is celebrated as the burial place of St. James, who is also known as San Diego, Santiago, and Jaime. James was selected as one of the 12 disciples by Jesus, when he promised that James would become a fisher of men. (I had to suppress a giggle when our guide said that Jesus told James he would teach him to catch men--just doesn't sound quite the same does it?)
It took us about 1.5 hours to reach the town, and as soon as we entered, we saw many pilgrims walking into the city (most had backpacks, walking sticks, and hiking boots, so they were easy to identify.) They had hiked the Camino de Santiago either the long "French Way" or one of the shorter lesser-known trails into the city. The French Way starts in southern France and crosses all of Spain on its meandering path to Santiago de Compostela. In ancient times, those who lived along the route provided free food and lodging for those who were doing the entire trek of several hundred miles. I doubt they do that today, but I've heard/read that even doing part of the walk is quite exhilarating and fun since you meet people from all over the world along the Way. The trail is marked with yellow arrows and some type of markers in the ground.
We toured the Santiago Cathedral, and it was beautiful. Unfortunately, the front of the church on the square was covered in scaffolding. The back was quite lovely, as was the interior. but it was packed. Most on our bus walked down into the crypt to see the silver coffin with the bones of St. James, and a few stood in the long queue to have an opportunity to embrace the statue of St. James.
Our guide gave us about 30 minutes free time, which we used to find an ATM and post cards and to do a little shopping. At 11:30, all 10 bus groups met in an old hotel to have a drink of dry rose and some appetizers. A group of troubadours also serenaded us and gave us a chance to buy one of their CDs.
Back on the bus at 12:30, we got back to A Coruna by 2:00 pm. Instead of returning to the ship, we walked around the town for a short time and tried to use the free Wifi at a shopping mall. Didn't work too well--too many users. There was another cruise ship in port, the Azura of P&O Cruises. I think the crew from both ships plus many passengers were in this mall using the free service with their phones, computers, or tablets. No wonder the service was so slow!
We had a late lunch at around 3:30 pm of salad and ice cream and then went back to the cabin to get ready for drinks and dinner. Most of the JUGs were dining at the Pinnacle Grill specialty restaurant, but two in the group other than us were not. We enjoyed dining with them and then went bar hopping a little after dinner and saw about half of the talented British singer/musician/tap dancer who was very good. In bed by midnight, with a day in in Leixoes (Porto), Portugal to look forward to.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
A Day in Leixoes and Porto, Portugal
- Overview of Leixoes and Porto
Leixoes is Portugal's second largest port and sits on the Atlantic Ocean north of Porto. It's an artificial harbor and a large industrial port as well as an important harbor for sardine fishing. Although there are river cruises up the Douro River from Porto, large ships often dock in Leixoes, which is about a 30-minute ride by taxi from downtown Porto. Most visitors to Leixoes travel into the historic old city of Porto, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Porto is hilly, with spectacular churches, old wine cellars, fascinating architecture and great seafood.
- Cruise Ship Shore Excursions from Leixoes
Most of the cruise ship shore excursions from Leixoes include time in Porto. Those who haven't been should take a highlights of Porto tour so they can see the Cathedral of Porto, the Stock Exchange Palace, or take a short cruise on the Douro River. Other tours include a bus trip to Guimaraes, which was Portugal's first capital. It has a marvelous medieval King's Castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Branganca.
- My Day in Leixoes
Leixoes is a suburb of Porto about 30 minutes away via car. The Holland America Ryndam cruise ship docked there early in the morning so that people could take tours of the surrounding towns or in Porto, which is Portugal's second largest city. It was about a 35 euro taxi into the center of Porto, which wasn't too bad since four people could share. Since I'd never been to Leixoes, I decided to just do a nice walk around this little town, hoping to see some local color.
My friend and I had a leisurely breakfast and walked the short distance to the port office about 10 o'clock. We had to board a shuttle to go outside the port since (like most European industrial ports) they don't allow cruise passengers to walk around the working port. The bus ride was less than 5 minutes and let us out at the gate. We quickly noticed that two different hop-on, hop-off buses had stopped at the curb to pick up passengers and take them into Porto. The fare to ride around the city for a few hours was only 10 euros per person. However, it was drizzling a little and we were reluctant to commit to a ride where we might not see anything if it really started raining hard. Plus, since we had left the ship a little late, we'd only have time to ride around and not hop on and off. So, we skipped the bus ride and strode off along the promenade that skirted the wide, sandy beach.
The beach was lovely, and even had some surfers (with wet suits) riding the small waves. We noticed a modern statue that was dedicated to the 152 fishermen who lost their lives in a bad storm (they were on several different small boats) in 1947. They left behind about 80 wives and 152 (same number, yes) children. Very sad reminder that fishing as an occupation can be dangerous.
Since neither of us had walked much the past day, we enjoyed the nice, flat walk along the beachfront. It drizzled rain on us on and off, but never poured. We visited an old 17th century fort on a small peninsula that went into the harbor, but the inside only had a small cafe and visitors weren't allowed outside on the walls.
We walked back to the ship down through the very quiet town (we decided most people were at work in Porto). It was not very scenic and most of the buildings looked rather industrial or like parking garages. Not too many people out walking other than us and a few elderly people doing their shopping. About the only interesting thing we saw were the many fish restaurants getting their charcoal grills going outside in front of the restaurants. It was about 11:30 by then, and the grills were already smoldering, awaiting the lunch crowd (not sure where they were going to come from). One even had his grilled piled with huge green peppers, which looked and smelled delicious.
Soon we were back at the Ryndam (about 12:30) and went to lunch after a short rest. Some of the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) started getting back about 2:00 (all aboard was 3:30) and they all enjoyed seeing Porto, especially the lovely churches and outdoor market. The town is really hilly, so the walking in Lexioes was better, although I recommend my readers who want to tour independently either take a taxi or take advantage of the hop on and off bus to visit Porto rather than Leixoes.
With a free afternoon ahead, four of us played bridge for a couple of hours. No exciting (or even very good) hands, but we had fun. We quit a little before 5 pm to get cleaned up for cocktails at 7 pm. Rosemary and I got ready early, so browsed in the shops (we had sailed about 4:30-ish) before meeting up with the others.
Dinner was another good one, but afterwards most of us decided to skip the show and go back to our cabins since we had an early morning tour in Lisbon the next day.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
Highlights of Lisbon
- Overview of Lisbon
Lisbon is one of Europe's oldest capital cities and dates back to 1200 BC. The city is spread out on hills overlooking the Tagus River. Many of the important sites can be seen either on a highlights tour of Lisbon or on a hop on, hop off bus. Lisbon has two UNESCO World Heritage sites--the Belem Tower and the Jeronimos Monastery. Much of Lisbon was destroyed in 1755 by an earthquake and tsunami that killed about 30,000 residents of the city.
However, the oldest district of the city, Alfama, still remains and features small shops, great restaurants, and bars filled with gloomy music. Lisbon has interesting architecture, and art and history museums. Lisbon is also well known for its delicious custard tarts, seafood, and Fado music. If you are like me, a day in the city leaves you wanting to return and to see much more.
- Cruise Ship Shore Excursions in Lisbon
Cruise ship shore excursions in Lisbon focus on the diverse things to see in the city. For example, one focuses on the art of Lisbon as seen at the Basilica de Estrela and Tile Museum, while another visits the Park of Nations and the Oceanarium. Those looking for an overview of Lisbon can take a highlights tour via bus or on foot and funicular. Visitors who have been to Lisbon before can enjoy an excursion outside the city to the resort town of Estoril, medieval Obidos or Sintra, Cascals, and Queluz. Holland America a;sp has a bird watching excursion to the Tagus Estuary Wetlands, home to over 250 species of birds.
- My Day in Libson
The next day in Lisbon was another beautiful day on the Holland America Ryndam, and 10 of the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) had a "Lisbon Highlights" tour that left the ship at 9:30 am. The rest of the JUGs either did a walking tour of Lisbon or went to the medieval town of Obidos. I had been to Lisbon before, but it was fun to see again.
Much of the highlights tour was on the bus, and we rode through the city up to a view point before getting off for a photo stop at a park overlooking the city. We then continued on the bus to the Jeronimos Monastery in the Gothic-Manueline style. It hasn't been a monastery for centuries, but does have the crypts of several Portuguese rulers, a famous poet, and Vasco de Gama the explorer. The church was packed, but we all enjoyed seeing it from the inside. It must stretch for about three blocks, and is only a short distance from the Tagus River.
Our bus group walked the 2-3 blocks to the Portuguese Maritime Museum, which featured all the famous Portuguese explorers and the maritime history of this tiny country. Because of their ventures outside the known world, Portuguese is now the 5th (or 6th) most spoken language in the world. It's still the primary language in Brazil, 5 countries in Africa, and parts of Asia like the Goa area of India (and of course Portugal). It was a nice museum, and history lovers would especially enjoy it. They had a re-creation of both the Queen's and King's cabins from the Royal Yacht, and another section was devoted to the barges the Portuguese Royal family used to go back and forth across the Tagus River as well as other small boats. The Royal Barge was built in 1778 and had 80 oarsmen, so it really wasn't small. It was retired in 1957, right after Queen Elizabeth's only visit to Portugal. (Note: I doubt if she messed it up, they probably did it to honor her.)
One of the last things we saw in the museum was an airplane that completed the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic. No, it wasn't the Spirit of St. Louis. This plane, the Santa Cruz, was manned by two men who flew from Portugal to Brazil. It wasn't a non-stop flight, as they stopped at almost every island between the two continents, plus the first two planes were lost at sea. The Santa Cruz completed the journey. Their flight was in 1922 and the entire trip took 79 days, but only 62+ hours of flight time.
Leaving the museum, we had photo stops at two well known monuments in Lisbon--the Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries, both along the Tagus River. Next to the Belem Tower was a relatively new memorial to the Portuguese soldiers (about 10,000 of them) who died in the wars with the Portuguese African colonies, mostly Angola. These wars were ongoing from 1961-1974. At the time, Portugal was ruled by a dictator who wanted to keep all of the colonies, so he was quite willing to send his troops to these far away lands. The wars were not popular, and the citizens overthrew his government, established a republic, and brought the troops home soon after.
Our bus drove under the almost-twin bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge on the way back to the ship. It's called the April 25th bridge and was built by the same firm that did the Golden Gate. It's even orange in color. From the bus, we got a good look at the Statue of Christ overlooking the Tagus River. It's a replica, but not as large as the Statue of Christ overlooking Rio de Janeiro.
We were back on the Ryndam by 1:30 and had a late lunch. Four of us played bridge for a while in the afternoon. We stopped long enough to watch the sailaway and got some great photos of the same monuments we had seen from the shore.
It was the second formal night, and we met for drinks at 7 pm as usual, and also had a group photo made. Then all 16 of us had dinner at the Pinnacle Grill. It was very good. I had steak tartare, a Caesar salad, and halibut with roasted Brussels sprouts. Dessert was baked Alaska made with Ben & Jerry Cherry Garcia ice cream. Many people got the steak, which also looked good. I think we all agreed it was a delicious meal.
After dinner, it was too late to see the production show, but I think I had seen it before. It was called "Heat" and had songs and dances about tropical places and things. Good show, but we had an early day on Friday to get up for--an all day tour to Seville, a new destination for me.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
A Day in Seville from Cadiz, Spain
- Overview of Cadiz
Cadiz (pronounced Ca-dith) is the oldest continuously inhabited city on the Iberian peninsula. It sits on a narrow strip of land on the Atlantic and is a popular port of call for cruise ships since guests can find many things to do either in Cadiz or do a day trip to Seville or Jerez (pronounced Hair-eth). The old town is within easy walking distance of the port, and Cadiz features good shopping, restaurants, and lovely beaches.
However, the water is too cold for swimming. Since Cadiz is old, it has buildings dating back to Roman times, including an old theater. Cadiz also has watchtowers, churches, museums, and botanical gardens, all of which are worthwhile to see.
- Overview of Seville
Seville is one of Spain's largest cities and dates back about 2,000 years. This metropolis has many historical monuments, including its Cathedral of Saint Mary, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The architecture of Seville is a mixture of Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance Revival style, so it's quite picturesque and fascinating. This city has sections once occupied by the Jews, Muslims, and Christians in medieval times. Many of the lovely 20th century buildings were built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It seemed like we saw at least 25 buildings constructed by different countries for this exposition. Most were palatial. We also saw a large outdoor arena and the spectacular Plaza de Espana also built for the same event.
Spain was obviously much richer in the 1920's than it is today.
- Cruise Ship Shore Excursions from Cadiz
Visitors to Cadiz have a wide variety of shore excursions to pick from. Most make the trip to Seville on a full-day organized tour or have a transfer to Seville to see the city on their own. They can tour Cadiz on an organized bus or walking tour to see the many sights of the old city. If staying in Cadiz and tired of touring, they can see a flamenco show, do some sherry tastings, or have a traditional Spanish meal in a local restaurant with a group. Some passengers on cruise ships go to Jerez for a sherry tasting and to see a horse show at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts. (This is a must see for horse lovers.)
- My Day in Cadiz - Trip to Seville
The Ryndam didn't arrive in Cadiz until 10 am, and our all day tour to "Stunning Seville" left soon after we docked. Eight of the JUGs did this trip, four had a private tour, two went to the horse show/sherry winery and tasting mom and I did at Jerez (pronounced Hereth) in 2006, and two went to a "Taste of Cadiz", which had a drive to Jerez and more time at the winery.
Our Seville tour was long and hot, but we all knew that when we signed up. The drive passed along the beaches of Cadiz (no one swims, water is too cold) and skirted the old town, before driving past a new bridge under construction (named the 2012 bridge; it's a little behind schedule). Our guide told us that the unemployment rate in Cadiz was 42 percent and in the region 38 percent. That's sad, isn't it? One of the largest employers in Cadiz that closed was the boat repair/building/dockyards with 15,000 employees. We drove by, and it was a huge, ghost-like faciity.
The land was drier than our first foray into the interior at A Coruna, and we passed by olive tree groves, vineyards, and fields of cotton and sunflowers. After about an hour and a half or so, we arrived in Seville. In Seville, we visited the beautiful Cathedral, the largest all-Gothic cathedral in the world. It was once a mosque, but I think the mosque was mostly torn down when the Christians drove the Moors out of Seville a thousand or so years ago. The Cathedral was huge and had spectacular, gargantuan columns on the inside, and a lovely "orange" courtyard with bitter oranges growing on trees in the courtyard. They export these bitter oranges to Great Britain where they are used to make marmalade.
Inside the Cathedral is the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Or, at least one of them. A few years ago, Spain did a DNA test on some of the bones and compared the results to the DNA of Columbus' son, who is also buried in the Seville cathedral. They matched, so now Seville can say they have proof that Columbus is in the tomb. However, guidebooks and our guide noted that other sites also might be able to claim they also have bones since the Seville tomb only has a few bones.
We walked from the cathedral through the narrow alleyways of the old Jewish quarter, which looked much like a medina of northern Africa. Quite picturesque and lined with shops and cafes. Soon it was time for lunch, so we met up with the bus and rode to the Macarenas Hotel in the Macarena section of Seville. It was a buffet, and i think all the half dozen or more buses who did our shore excursions ate there. Just okay, not as good as the ship's food, plus the line was longer.
After lunch, we rode to the famous Alcazar, the old Royal Palace of Seville. Done in the Moorish style, the palace looked much like the Alhambra in Granada, with beautiful gardens, amazing tiles, and wood carvings. Very interesting. Our last stop was at the Spanish Square, a huge square built for the 1929 exposition. Very picturesque.
We got back to the ship about 7 pm, and Rosemary and I decided to skip the dining room dinner and just eat outdoors on the pool deck where they were having a Spanish fiesta barbecue. It ran from 5:30 to 8pm, so it was a little picked over, but the weather was perfect. Most of the rest of the JUGs did the same thing and we got some tables near each other. They had decorated the pool deck and had the serving tables all set up with party decorations. The food included Paella, local serrano ham, grilled chicken and ribs, and empanadas, Gazpacho, and creme Catalan.
At 9:30 pm the Ryndam had an excellent local flamenco troupe come onboard. We had seats right down front at the tables. We all loved the hour-long show. The ship didn't sail until almost midnight, which allowed some people time to go ashore for dinner or a drink.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
A Day on the Rock of Gibraltar
- Gibraltar Overview
Like other British territories around the world, Gibraltar seems just as British (if not more so) than the homeland. Its strategic location has made this tiny piece of land (mostly rock) much more important than its size would indicate. It's almost impossible for a ship to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar if Great Britain doesn't want it to happen. It's not surprising that Spain and Great Britain continue to squabble over the territory.
Although it was once a major port for the British Navy, today Gibraltar's economy relies on its refueling and shipping operations and tourism. History lovers can appreciate the important role Gibraltar has played in wars across the ages. The Rock of Gibraltar is the territory's most visited spot, and its magnificent views, tunnels, and Barbary Macaques (monkeys) contribute to this well-deserved distinction.
- Cruise Ship Shore Excursions in Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a tiny territory, and most cruise ship shore excursions include a visit to the Rock of Gibraltar. For example, the Holland America Ryndam had seven tours of Gibraltar. Shore excursion groups get to the top by either mini-bus or cable car and include a visit to some of the most popular sites--Top Station of the Cable Car, St. Michael's Cave, Great Siege Tunnel, Europa Point, Gibraltar Museum, Moorish Castle, American War Memorial, Trinity Lighthouse, or the Nature Reserve.
Most tour groups to the Rock of Gibraltar see some of the famous monkeys, but there's no guarantee.
Our guide had been a tour guide in Gibraltar for nine years and had seen the Barbary Macaques on every tour group he has led. It's illegal to feed the monkeys, and they have been known to snatch cameras, purses, etc. But, they are a "must-see" for a day in Gibraltar.
- My Day in Gibraltar
The Ryndam had more glorious sunny weather the day we were in Gibraltar, and it was even a few degrees cooler than in Cadiz and Seville. Rosemary and I had a nice breakfast before joining our tour of the Rock. Two of the other "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) were on the same tour, while some of the other JUGs did a similar tour that included a visit to a museum and not as much walking. The tour we did was called "A Stroll on the Upper Rock" and was very similar to the one Mom and I did in 2005 when we visited Gibraltar.
Gibraltar's roads are too narrow for regular coaches (buses), so we were on one of those mini-buses that holds about 20-25 people. Nice to have a smaller group. We rode the cable car to the highest station and stepped out into much cooler morning air at the top of the Rock. Beautiful views of the large Gibralar harbor on one side and the Mediterranean on the other. The day was so clear, we could even seen the coast of Morocco in north Africa less than 10 miles away.
Leaving the viewpoint, we walked down to St. Michael's Cave which was a hiding place for Spanish invaders a few hundred years ago. England has owned/ruled Gibraltar for over 300 years. St. Michael's was even used as a hospital in World War II. The stalactites (the ones hanging down from the ceiling) were removed from one large room used as a ward during the War since possible bombs falling might cause them to break loose and kill someone. This large room in the cave is now used for concerts and receptions. The night before we were there, they had a Scottish bagpiping group entertain a group of French tourists.
We left the cave and reboarded the bus. We were all disappointed we had seen no Barbary Macaques (monkeys) while walking down the trail to the cave, especially since we had stopped at one of the places they are fed by the government. We saw signs that the fine for feeding them is up to 4,000 pounds, but our guide said it was usually 500 pounds. Guides can also lose their license, thereby ending their career if they feed the monkeys. Our guide said we would see them at the cave, but alas, no apes. I was beginning to think I would have the biggest scoop of my writing career--to write that the monkeys had left Gibraltar and the British would soon lose the Rock, but we finally saw them on the way to the Great Siege tunnel at a place called the Ape's Den. Got some good photos. Legend says that as long as there are monkeys in Gibraltar, Britain will rule (kind of similar idea to the story of the ravens at the Tower of London.)
The Great Siege tunnel was built in the 18th century, so it's quite an engineering marvel. Spain decided to attack Gibraltar since the British were busy fighting the Americans. The British put huge guns(cannons) in the tunnel walls so that they could defend Gibraltar. The Spanish never captured the rock and the British rule continued. At the beginning of World War II, the number of apes on the rock decreased to 5 at the time Winston Churchill visited. He sent a General off to find more Barbary Macaques and they increased the herd to 31. Britain decreed that the herd should never go below 30, and today there are over 200. The Ape Dept. (or some such government agency) feeds the herds twice daily and monitors their health. All the monkeys have a tattoo on their inner thigh for tracking.
Walking in the Great Siege tunnel was uphill from the parking lot and downhill into the tunnel. It was quite interesting, although the hike back up and out was pretty strenuous. Inside the tunnel was a history of its use from the 18th century up to World War II and many exhibits on the historical figures, weapons, and uniforms. In World War II, Britain feared that Germany would try and take Gibraltar because of its strategic location, and so the tunnels were expanded and fortified for a possible siege, but an attack never came.
Leaving the rock, we took the bus back down to the town, and the four of us got off to do a little shopping and have lunch. The town (and the whole of Gibraltar) was decorated with white and red flags in anticipation of their National Day on September 10. It was a Saturday afternoon, and the streets were packed with locals and tourists. They were having a concert at an outdoor stadium, adding to the fesivities. We strolled a little and then ate lunch at a Moroccan cafe called the Corner Cafe. We had seen Morocco from the top of the Rock, so decided it would be a type of local cuisine. The four of us split a Lamb Tagine and a Chicken tagine, both served with couscous. The tagines were very good, and we washed it down with beer.
We walked the 20-30 minutes back to the ship, arriving hot and tired, but happy after our very good tour. Rosemary and I met the rest of the JUGs at 6:30 for drinks at the Crow's Nest before we all went to dinner at the Canaletto Italian Restaurant. It was excellent. Holland America had changed the restaurant into a tasting menu with small plates for sharing. They put our group at three tables in a small private room. We had five at two tables and six at the other. Our table just ordered all six appetizers and all five main courses. We all had plenty to eat, and it was excellent. I had the limoncello cream dessert, and some of the others got the tiramisu or the chocolate dessert.
After dinner, three of us went to the show to see a retired US male gymnast perform. His name is Lance Ringnald, and he did gymnastics for many years and participated in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games for the USA. His show combined acrobatics, playing the piano, juggling, and singing. He was in quite good shape for someone who was 44.
Bed at 11:30, and we set a clock to get up at 8 am, so we could go into Malaga and walk around before it got too warm. Most of the JUGs were going to Granada to see Alhambra, but I had been before and Rosemary decided that she would pass.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
A Day in Cartagena, Spain
- Overview of Malaga
Malaga is famous for its sunny location on the Costa del Sol. Its sub-tropical Mediterranean climate and relatively warm winters make Malaga a favorite vacation destination for northern Europeans. Malaga is Spain's fifth largest city and has a very busy port. The town is famous as Pablo Picasso's birthplace, but also has a charming downtown pedestrian area, a Roman Theater that dates back to the first century, and one of Spain's most well-preserved citadels.
Malaga also has a Picasso Museum, a Cathedral whose construction spanned three centuries, and a beautiful tropical garden.
- Cruise Ship Shore Excursions in Malaga
Cruise ships like the Holland America Ryndam offer a wide variety of shore excursions in and around Malaga, and the Ryndam had nine diverse options. Many guests take the 2.5-hour bus ride to Granada to visit the amazing 14th century Alhambra. Other tours include the highlights of Malaga discussed above. Some shore excursion groups venture out of Malaga to see picturesque Mijas village, while others include horseback riding or a 4x4 vehicle exploration of the Genal Valley.
- My Day in Malaga
The Ryndam docked in Malaga about 7 am, and all the coaches going to Granada left soon afterward on their 9+-hour tour. Rosemary and I ate breakfast and left the ship about 9:30 am, taking the four euro (roundtrip)) shuttle into town. The bus dropped us just a few blocks from the Cathedral and the old town.
We strolled the streets of Malaga, but since it was a Sunday, many of the retail shops were closed.
The souvenir shops were open to sell wares to the guests on three ships in port (the Holland America Ryndam, the Hapag-Lloyd Deutschland, and the Majestic International Ocean Majesty). The downtown pedestrian walking area was quite nice and very large. Many of the streets were twisting and narrow, but the main street was wide and covered with huge pieces of very lightweight cloth that had advertising (mostly beer) painted on them. These flag-like pieces of material must have been 20 feet long and 15 feet wide and were about 4 stories over the street. Why? They provided shade on the wide main street for those walking underneath. Great idea.
We went in the main cathedral and also the church where Pablo Picasso was christened. Picasso was born in Malaga and lived there as a child. Rosemary and I also spent a couple of hours in the Picasso Museum. The fee was 8 euros, but included an audio self-walking tour.
After doing all our shopping, we decided to have a cold drink, so stopped for an excellent sangria before returning to the ship about 2:30 pm.
Back on the ship, we had lunch (Rosemary had one of their excellent hamburgers and fries, and I had a taco salad with romaine lettuce, well-seasoned chicken, guacamole, and lots of tomato salsa.
We met up with the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) for 7 pm drinks. Those who had gone to Alhambra looked more refreshed and perky than I expected. We had a nice drink before dinner, and then four of us went to the Le Cirque dinner while the rest of the group went to the dining room. The menu at the Le Cirque dinner had not changed since the last time I had eaten there, and it was an exciting, spectacular meal. We all did the wine pairings and enjoyed a prosecco with the first course; a very oaky, dark yellow chardonnay with the second; and a red with the main course.
We had the liver pate over rhubarb jelly for the amuse bouche, and it was as bad as I remember. One of the other girls is a pate lover, and she thought it was excellent. I had the delicous lobster salad for an appetizer, followed by a creatively-presented Caesar salad, and lamb. Rosemary and Juanda had the lobster salad, the butternut squash soup, and the chateaubriand. Carole had a "trio" appetizer of pate, smoked salmon, and caviar; the Caesar salad, and the chateaubriand. For dessert three of us had the hot chocolate souffle with vanilla gelato, and Juanda had the creme brulee. Needless to say, we were all four stuffed, but happy after our meal.
Our last port of call on this Holland America voyage was Cartagena, Spain.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
Last Day at Sea; Summary and Conclusion
- Overview of Cartagena
Cartagena has long been an important naval port, and the city is covered with Roman ruins. The old city wall is just a short distance from the port. Unfortunately, many of the ancient Roman sites were destroyed in the Spanish Civil War prior to World War II. However, the city has a Civil War Museum, Naval Museum, Underwater Archaeology Museum, and many monuments and interesting buildings in the art nouveau style.
It also has the Peral Submarine, which was the first all-electric submarine.
- Cruise Ship Shore Excursions in Cartagena
Since exploring the town of Cartagena is fairly easy, all of the Ryndam's three available shore excursions were outside the city. The first visited the town of Murcia and the Fuensanta Monastery, the second was to the Palmeral de Elche, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is the largest palm forest in southern Europe, with about 250,000 palm trees. The third tour was to the Agrupa Vicenta, an old mine near Cartagena used to educate visitors about the importance of mining in this region of Spain. The mine has excellent acoustics, so musical performances are often scheduled.
- My Day in Cartagena
Cartagena was our last port of call. It's very coincidental that mom and I were in the "other" Cartagena--the one in Colombia--on a Holland America Panama Canal cruise. Cartagena was smaller than Malaga, but had a nice pedestrian walking area. Rosemary and I ate breakfast on the ship and then walked ashore about 9:45 am--nice to not have to take a bus to reach the outside of the port area.
The downtown pedestrian shopping area was only about one-quarter of a mile from the ship.
We strolled the clean, paved pedestrian shopping area for a few hours, enjoying the different clothing and wares sold in Spain. We stopped for a sangria at noon, and then had lunch about an hour later. Rosemary had been wanting some Paella, so she got that and I had a pizza (I'm always boring). We each enjoyed a local beer with our lunch and sat outdoors in a shady, narrow street.
Cartagena is covered with Roman ruins, so we took a quick peek at some of them, but it was very hot, so we went back to the ship about 2:30 and had a nap. Guess it was the lunch and beer.
We had the last formal night, so we got dolled up in our formal wear and met the "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) group for drinks at 7 pm. It was a nice dinner at 8pm and we all enjoyed the premium dishes offered (like surf and turf.) They had a vanilla souffle for dessert, but it wasn't nearly as good as the one we had at the Le Cirque dinner.
Our last day on the ship was a welcome day at sea.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
- Day at Sea
Our last day on the Holland America Ryndam was a day at sea. I woke up early (of course) and went for a nice walk on the deck 6 promenade. It was humid, but a nice morning for an hour's walk. Returned to the cabin to find Rosemary gone, so I went upstairs and joined a couple of the other "Just Us Girls" (JUGs) I found in the dining room. Rosemary was packing when I returned to the cabin.
I read some and stayed out of her way until she went to the 11 am cooking class. They learned to make about a half dozen tapas and had lunch afterwards. She and the other JUGs who did the class felt it was well worth the fee.
I took a shower and got cleaned up for lunch after she left, and then joined some of the JUGs who didn't take the cooking class for lunch in the buffet. After lunch, I did a little work on the Internet before going to the premium wine tasting with four of the JUGS group in the Pinnacle Grill. It was an excellent wine tasting, with five wines and a port--Nicholas Feuillatte Champagne, France; Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Malborough, New Zealand; Ferrari Carano Chardonnay, Sonoma, CA; Chianti Frescobaldi, Tuscany, Italy; Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, CA; and W & J Grahams Six Grapes Reserved Oporto Portugal. Nice wine tasting and interesting foods to taste along with it. I'm always surprised how much different wines can taste when paired with the appropriate food.
Our group gathered in the Mix Martini Bar for the last time and relived many of the fun times on our cruise. Enjoyed another great dinner in the Rotterdam dining room before returning to the cabin to finish the packing. The next morning we sadly left the ship after it docked in Barcelona.
- Summary and Conclusion
It was a great cruise, with a great group of women. A cruise line like Holland America is an excellent choice for a group of diverse women like the JUGs. We did some things together and some separately since our interests differed. However, it was fun every evening to re-connect for drinks and dinner to share our experiences. Despite our age, interests, and personality differences, all 16 of us had a memorable, marvelous voyage. Many of those memories are due to the staff of the Holland America Ryndam and this delightful ship.
London to Barcelona Cruise Travel Log
- London - Two Nights before Ryndam Cruise
- Dover, England - Embarkation
- Portland, England
- A Coruna, Spain
- Leixoes, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Cartagena, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain - Debarkation
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary cruise accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.