I had meant to get up early this morning but decided against it as I hadn’t slept well. Therefore it was breakfast as usual at ten up on level 13.
Our dutchies joined us and we then ventured forth to discover the delights of Malaga.
Walking seems to be the persistent essential on this cruise. They ‘could’ have an opening directly opposite the exit from the ship but NO they have devised a way of zig zag hallways that make it almost impossible to reach the exit without being totally exhausted BEFORE you even set foot on the new country haha.
Ok it’s not QUITE that bad but really!?!?
Our taxi man (although we didn’t know it straight away) was right in front of the exit. After telling him we didn’t want his services for the whole day or even half a day, he finally agreed to take us up to the castle lookout area then back down to the old town for €20 (€5 each). We usually find this the cheapest way of getting around in each port of call. Excursions in this port cost between €50-60 per person Unless you had a private driver which cost €100/hr. So we did good!! Highly recommend travellers to check out options at the ports if you aren’t definite about tours.
The lookout (the castle) had magnificent views including a view to our ship, looking over a bull fighting arena.
Bougainvillea everywhere, it was another picturesque landscape. Many photos later we jumped back into the car for the decent down to the old town of Malaga.
He dropped us near the cathedral and Christine and I went on an expedition whilst the others used the local wifi.
I think we won the lottery there because even if the entrance fees for seniors was €5.50 each, one could never have guessed the awesome sights that greeted our eyes.
Magnificent can hardly even come close to the description of the interior of this beautiful cathedral. And the photos just DONT do it justice. There were so many altars. Each one was about twenty feet wide then there was a division then another then another.
Wow talk about architecture and craftsmanship. Pure perfection.
The organ pipes which were in two sections, graced the central main altar area. SENSATIONAL.
Many many photos later we left here to join the dutchies for an ice cream. Then grabbed a taxi (lady driver this time) and had no issues negotiating the ten euros back to the ship.
It’s always the same when we re-enter the ship. Everything through the scanner and stepping through the metal detector just as you do at the airport. We always take our passports with us too just in case there are any issues in a new country.
There hasn’t been any issues with currency in any of the countries we have visited, although we did receive some coins in our change in Morocco. But at least they took euro or American dollar notes.
It was an early departure from the dock which is why it was only a quick visit to Malaga, that also meant it was lunch time. Usually one is spoiled for choice in both the dining room and the buffet, but sadly, this particular ship has fallen short in this area. We picked a few items for lunch and then went to check out the megatons of photos which faced us in the gallery.
I stopped for an hour to take up a ‘free’ face treatment from another Israel based company. I’m a bit of a sucker for anything that might delay the aging process and he’d promised to make me twenty years younger! It was all lovely and he was all lovely (mm mm) but then it came to the prices of everything. The machine thingy he’d used which heated up the face and looked strangely like something from sexpo was valued at €3,800 and the two creams at €580 and €380 each. Trying to remain calm and not become hysterical with laughter I said no not quite in my ball park, so he said to wait whilst he check with his manager and came back to offer two of the boxes of €580 plus the €380 and the sexpo machine €3,800 for a one time offer of €1,180. Even though t his was an elephant of a reduction I politely declined the offer and went back to the photos.
There are many deals for the purchase of photos and the dilemma is (at least for me) that when one finds some pics one actually likes of yourself, it’s hard not to select them. I’ve probably discarded around one hundred if not more pics and still have around twenty I really like. This is definitely going to be a challenge at the end of this voyage.
It isn’t a quick process and before we knew it, it was dinner time. Thankfully casual dress was the call this evening so we were ok. Phew.
The meal on the other hand was a different process. And tonight’s was almost inedible. We made several jokes about it being a slimmers ship, or the ‘skinny line’. Seriously, they need to pick up their act if they want good reviews.
For example tonight’s meal for entre I had soup which I actually finished. Christine had two wee pieces of cod which should have come out the colour I would have assumed was white as that is the colour of that fish – COD. But no! They had magically transformed it into a greyish brown dried up vaguely familiar in texture – something.
Next- (because we are not sure that 1. The main meal is edible or 2. That the main meal is any larger than a child’s portion – we ordered two each.
I had Mihai Mihai fish on a bed of red cabbage and the other main was a rice stuffed pepper. Christine had the same fish and then a pork chop.
Well…. let me tell you that Mihai Mihai I wished had been theirs theirs as it was totally awful and the red cabbage which tasted oddly like sauerkraut I think had been infected by the fish. Wow then I’m looking forward to the stuffed pepper when my first bite glued my jaws together!!
Christine’s fish was same as mine but she managed to get through the pork chop.
Really!?!? I love food but what they can do to food is simply incredible! And I’m not saying this lightly.
Dessert for me was safe- ice cream and fruit salad. Done.
Hahahaha but Christine’s on the other hand was something to behold. What sounded like a perfectly delicious dessert of coconut rice pudding was ‘false advertising!’ Her face said it all when her first mouthful was deposited back on the plate quite violently! Followed by “feck sake, what’s that!”
She offered me a bite and I followed quickly by “what the hell is that!?!?”
Haysus (Jesus) “what the!?!?”
What they can do to fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish is astounding. Some might call it a massacre-well WE DO! We are pretty sure that none of the food is tested by anyone in the kitchen before going out on the pass!
“Flip sake” as Christine would say.
It was like Masterchef gone wrong. As Christine has pointed out on this ship it’s not Masterchef but ‘master shit’ gone wrong. She wanted to speak to the master shit sorry master chef hahaha. We have complained about the quality AND the quantity of the meals but it doesn’t get any better.
I am more fortunate in a way as my gluten free meals are prepared in a separate kitchen so when they come out they can be larger proportions of the same atrocities!!
OMG we can laugh, but it’s not really amusing. At least Christine says her doctor will be happy next time she jumps on the scales!
Now, even lighter on our feet with the lack of food we daintily floated to the theatre for the show first then the zebra lounge to partake in a hot chocolate before retiring to bed.
Lady Boomer 