Where The Ocean Meets The Sky

I'm alive and well. The ship has managed to avoid both icebergs and pirates and is still scheduled to arrive in Miami on Wednesday the 30th. At which point I will be sad, because I really have enjoyed myself (some credit must be given to Bonine, but....) 

The bed is so comfy. There are activities all throughout the day, but no one makes you do anything you don't want to do (save for the lifeboat drill... and getting off the ship in the end.) The food is across the board, some excellent, some unappealing, but there is plenty of it.

I've discovered I love looking out at the sea... The waves rolling against the ship... It's quite calming.

I tried both waterslides on board... even the one where the floor drops from underneath you and you basically plummet.

I got up on stage and sang karaoke one night. What song? Jolly Holiday, which I realized/remembered AFTER I got up there that it's a duet. I... did my best.

I've watched Disney movies I haven't seen in 30 years. I've watched ones that have been out for years but I never saw. 101 Dalmatians? Slightly less scary than it was when I was 5. Lilo & Stitch? Good. Lone Ranger? Guh.

Tomorrow we visit Castaway Cay.

Rocking The Boat

Day 4 of the WBTA, and Madeira Day! I woke up just as we were pulling into the port, so I hurriedly got dressed and went upstairs to get photos out on the decks. Then, a quick breakfast before heading to the meeting point for my Madeira excursion.

 Our excursion group, which consisted of about 20 people, boarded a bus that took us up a mountain. Then we got out and began our "nature walk," which was really a hike. We had a guide who gave us lots of facts about Madeira and the "levadas," or waterways, that provide people and farms with water. The hike lasted about 2 hours, and I can not call it fun, though I did get some nice photos.

Then we were driven to a restaurant where we were shown how to make a drink called Poncha, which is rum and honey and juice. We got to sample that, and we were gifted with a wooden stick for mixing our own Ponchas, should the need arise.

Back on the boat, well, after we set sail again, I got quite motion-sick. Not in my stomach but in my head. I was dizzy and miserable the whole evening. It convinced me that this will be my one and ONLY cruise. I did manage to participate in a pin trading event, but that was it. What a crappy day. 

Day 5; a sea day. I still felt terrible when I woke up. I had some breakfast but went back to bed. Around 11:30 I recalled that I had packed Bonine, and I wondered if it would help. I took one and 45 minutes later I felt so much better! I was able to get up and go do activities! I went to a concert, listened to karaoke, and, after dinner, helped create a volcano in the Oceaneer Lab.

One fun thing about this ship is that there are multiple chances to see Disney movies. They play on the TV, the ship's movie theater, out by the pool. I've caught Dumbo, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Tarzan, 101 Dalmatians, and Beauty and the Beast, as well as Pixar's newish movie Inside Out. Tomorrow they're doing a Frozen party. Let it gooo....

You can be blase about some things, Rose...

So I'm on the 2015 Disney Magic Westbound TransAtlantic (WBTA) cruise. We left Barcelona the evening of September 19th. I've been looking forward to this cruise for so long, it seems unbelievable that I'm actually here. Just lying on a bed. On a boat. On the open sea.

So far I think I like it. There is food galore, and a lot of it is delicious (I can't say "all the food" because I had an unfortunate encounter with some grapefruit yesterday.) There are different activities all day long. On Sunday I played Star Wars Angry Birds, made Flubber, watched a Broadway-style show, and took an afternoon nap. Yep. No regrets here. Around 7:30 pm that evening, we passed through the strait of Gibraltar. It was foggy, but you could still make out land to the north (the Rock of Gibraltar) and south (Africa... I presume.)

Our first port stop will be Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, on Tuesday. You do have to pay for internet on the boat, but you get 50 mb for free if you sign up on the first day. I'm going to see how long I can make that last. (Edit: pictures now posted!) See ya real soon!

Architecture & Animals

My second (and final) full day in Barcelona is complete..

When I was planning my trip, I made a list of about 10 places in Barcelona that interested me. Today I looked at that list, pondered, and finally settled upon Casa Batllo, a whimsical artistic house designed by the notable architect Gaudi. I walked there (about a mile and a half) and had to wait in line about 10 minutes to buy tickets. Once in, each person is given a set of headphones attached to an iPod-type device, which has audio and visual information programmed into it. I thought the place was neat, less so for the wacky artistic features and moreso for the clever, practical architectural features, like the ways the architect allowed natural night in, or how he designed the ventilation system.

Pictures from Casa Batllo:

After that, I considered my options, and decided to visit the zoo, with the hopes of seeing a red panda. I walked there as well and, surprise, was quite tired. I did enjoy the zoo, but alas, the red pandas were not out. Still, I got to see brown bears, zebras, and kangaroos, among many other species the Oregon Zoo doesn't have.

I used the subway for part of my journey back to the hotel. By then, I was limping. Stopped in a few shops to get things for dinner, and called it a day by 6pm.

Tomorrow I board The Boat, eager to sail the ocean blue. I will try to update once or twice on board, but photos and long updates will have to come after I'm back in the U.S.

In the meantime, enjoy some zoo pictures!

Hopping On

I will fully admit I did not want to leave my hotel room this morning. My legs are so sore. Sore in weird places. Hamstrings, maybe. What's a hamstring? I don't really know, but I'll bet it hurts.

Ultimately, what got me out of the room was the knowledge that this was only one of two full days I had in Barcelona, and I didn't want to waste it... and the fact that I was hungry.

I decided to do a hop on/hop off bus tour around the city... and then, you know, seldom hop off. I figured it would be a good way to see lots of Barcelona... without collapsing. Sure, I had to walk about a mile to Placa Catalunya to get my ticket and catch the bus, but I got a muffin on the way. €.90! NINETY CENTS for a muffin. I love Barcelona.

I had intended to use one tour bus service, but was talked into doing the other one by the guy selling me the ticket. I have no doubt a commission was involved, but since they were about the same price, I just went with it. Both tour companies have double-decker buses. I spent part of my journey on the upper deck, and changed to the lower one when I got too warm.

I hopped off exactly three times. One, at Park Guell, which I had read about and wanted to see. Unfortunately, it involved a trek up a big hill... And the park, being a park, is really best appreciated by those who are active. I was not feelin that. Still, I took in a few sights. 

At the entrance there was a ticket kiosk saying you could buy a "general ticket" for €8, not saying what the ticket was really for. I knew from my research that the park was free except for a couple of areas. But I bet a lot of people see the sign/kiosk and think it's for park admission and they pay. Lame.

Back on the bus, I made plans to switch from the "green" route to the "orange" one, as there are three stops that overlap. At one of these stops I spotted an Imaginarium store! So I disemarked and went in there for a bit. Then a trip into Starbucks to get some rations for dinner, and THEN I got on the orange-line bus. This route was more scenic. We got to see the Olympic stadium, which was neat. I didn't do the whole route, because one of the stops toward the end was in walking distance of my hotel. So I hopped off and called it a day.

So now I am resting, trying to decide what on earth to do tomorrow.

Here are some photos from around Barcelona....