Iberia - Lisbon, Gibraltar, Malaga
May 11-15

Three final stops in the Iberian Peninsula before we get off at Barcelona. Lots of sights to see in these old towns (that's going to be our summer modus operandi).

Lisbon

It was overcast and raining but the view was still stunning out our cabin porthole at 7:30am when we were awakened by the pumps for the bow thrusters.

The bridge over the Rio Tejo was built as a replica of the Golden Gate bridge. Even in the same day-glo orange. Two differences though, it's longer (someone claimed it to be the 4th longest suspension bridge in the world but without the internet we can't check), and it has railroad tracks on a lower deck. We only saw catenaried electric passenger trains going across.

A shuttle bus dropped us off at the main city square. It was our first taste of grand "Old Europe" architecture and monuments.

First objective: get some euros. Easier said than done, at least for us dummies. In typical fashion, Bob dyslexiaed his PIN number for his British Visa card (it's 2029, not 2092) and the ATMs finally invalidated it. Terry brought a US Visa card that wouldn't work. Banks wouldn't give us a cash advance since we didn't have our passports on us. Luckily Bob's wallet contained $21 which we traded for about €15 and we knew we had to spend a frugal day. Entrance fee to even one museum could wipe us out.

Looks like a day of walking the real people's town. Did we mention Lisbon is hilly - this is one flight of three to get to the top of a hill in the residential area. Once there it was downhill in three directions but we saw where the real people live.

Then a passing trolley car took us on a long winding ride up some hilly streets toward the old castle. With only four wheels mounted amidships, this little trolley bucked fore and aft more than the boat. They're much smaller than the ones in New Orleans, by the way.

At the top of a hill, we found great views of the city, the castle, and the seemingly mandatory red tile roofs of each building for miles around.

Turning around when a church bell rang 1pm, we saw an open door in an old unmarked building and investigated. It turned out to be a church done up in the same peach and pink colors as all over the city.

Back to the boat by 6pm.

Papa, Momma, and Baby Tug - the Tug family.

Gibraltar

When entering the sea lanes between Europe and Africa, you first notice the traffic picking up. There were often 6 other ships in sight. Africa sticks out further and the first land you see is the Moroccan coast (below)

We found out everyone takes a picture of Gibraltar as soon as it appears on the horizon. One of the laws of the sea.

For a bigger panoramic picture, click here

Population: 30,000. The entire country is 3 miles long and 3/4 mile wide. You can walk everywhere but the summit is 900ft high. Scooters are everywhere and seem to think the yellow line in the middle of the road is their lane.

It was too windy for a cable car ride to the top of the rock and St. Michael's Cave was closed by a rockfall (that morning!). We spent the morning walking the streets of the 1 mile long downtown area, visiting a couple of pubs, and sleeping through the movie at the museum. How grand.

Prices are quite reasonable, even for beef and vegetables at the markets. Cheaper even than in the US. Hordes of tourists of course. Maybe we'll come back here for the winter since it never gets below 50ºF and there are golf courses just across the border in Spain. Gotta check apartment prices on the internet sometime this summer.

Malaga, Spain

Malaga is the coastal city of Andalucia in southeast Spain. The city was Moorish until the 11th century and an ancient castle protected the town from pirates and the English until the 1800s. Today it's a bustling financial center with a lot of industry south of the city. These two pictures look south from the castle to the city center.

For a bigger panoramic picture, click here

We got smart and took a city bus up to the castle. Not much in the way of a museum or explanations in English but a well preserved (or reconstructed) fortification. The interior areas are set in gardens or wild flora. A good place to spend a lazy hour or two contemplating the long walk down.

Above: The old city perimeter walls were right at the harbor and are now completely gone. The park area to the right surrounds what is now the main street and is a wonderful strolling area. At the far end of that street is a handsome roundabout.

More views from the castle.

A bullfighting ring right downtown, past the roundabout.

The walk down was all cobblestone, about a mile long, but nicely landscaped most of the way.

Even the downtown areas had many narrow pedestrian streets. These petunia shrubs were scattered all over the city center. Actually that's not one shrub but a series of bowls stacked up with individual plants draping down to form a continuous display. It must be quite an undertaking since petunias are annuals and must be renewed each year.

With about 3 more hours to kill, we stopped in a couple of local bars and happened across what might be a unique wine bar (see bottom of page).

Back near the harbor BMW had a road show pavillion displaying their new "1" series. Here's a spy photo although Autoweek probably already has them on the cover.

There were some beers in Portugal, Gibraltar, and Malaga of course.

First we had to try a Ginja in Lisbon. This is a very sweet red cherry liquor that is not at all sticky and has none of the flavor of artificial candy found so often in cheap Kirschwasser.

Portugese beers: Sagres - Bold yellow. Medium carbonation. Strong, balanced generic lager presence. Obviously a mass-market beer. Gassier than American brands and more filling. Doesn't seem suited to hot summers.

Super Bock - "Sabor autentico". Also a rich lager though with some off flavors. Draft at a corner cafe. Maybe stale.

Window shopping in Lisbon unveiled this unobtrusive store with a fantastic selection of single malt Scotches.

Glenfiddich Single Barrel 40yo - €1295
Glenfiddich 31 yo - €300
Macallan 1861 Replica - €214
Lagavulin 25yo - €279
Talisker 20yo - €157
Laphroaig 40yo - €249
Oban 32yo - €325

1€ = $1.30
 

Gibraltar was what we expected but a bit less than we hoped for, not having any real ale. But the city center has at least 2 dozen real British pubs such as the Ye Olde Rock (below). Good liver and bacon at that one (Bob's choice, Terry had the fish and chips). We saw Tetleys, Double Diamond, Guinness, Green King IPA, Draught Bass, Caffertys Smooth, John Smith's Smooth, Stella, and Bud - all on tap. Also bottled GK Abbott and canned Scrumpy Jack. All (imperial) pints were about £1.40 (cheaper than in Britain by about 50 pence).

On the way back to the boat we happened on the oldest bar in Malaga. The Antigua Casa De Guardia is on the main street just a few blocks from the harbor. Inside there's a few bottles on the wall but the main sight is 21 casks of wine that form the bar back. 16 had spiles and were "on tap" that day.

The typical drink is a 3oz glass of one of the fortified wines straight from the cask. Prices went from €0.85 to 1.00. When get your drink the bartender writes your tab in chalk on the bar to keep a running tab. When you pay he wipes off the chalk with the heel of his hand.

We talked for a couple hours with a local who spoke no English and a couple of Brits who happened in. Tasted 6 different wines and had a wonderful afternoon.

About the wines. All are about 17º so are somewhat fortified, All were quite sweet and sticky. The Sec and the Moscatel were most to our liking but everything was very similar to our uneducated palates. Names: Pajarete, Seco Trasanejo, Lagrima Trasanejo, Malaga Quina, Lagrima Anejo, Moscatel #1, Moscatel #2, Pedro Ximen, and more that we can't remember.

It was late afternoon and the place was mostly empty but the remains of a busy lunch crowd were still on the floor - prawn shells and cigarette butts tossed haphazardly in buckets under the bar. Make a note to get a franchise for this operation - preferably on Bourbon Street.
 

As this is written it's our last day at sea. Still have to finish this report, repack 3 big suitcases to be hauled off tonight for tomorrow's docking, eat a couple of more times, see one last show (an acrobatic act), and one last trivia game. We keep busy.

All in all, a good cruise. No storms. Interesting sights. Good food. Met some nice people. Had a good time. Terry didn't sunburn at all. And our clothes still fit. Recommended.