Loving La Coruna

This cruise is running long, eh? I don't blame ya, it was a 14 day cruise - a lot of ports, and a lot of sights to see! But here we are, the last port for us.

We weren't expecting much from La Coruna. We were at the end of our cruise, and ready for Paris, so we just wanted a mellow day around town. We were happy to be back in Spain as they are known for their tapas. We discovered so much within the medieval old town in the Plaza de Maria Pita and the narrow alleyways. We found great food, beautiful coastal views and so much culture in the little, but long seafront city in northern Spain.

We grabbed lunch along the pier at a busy restaurant; fresh scallops and octopus. If we had more time, we would have spent more time in the city. Instead, we chose to walk along the pier with our ice creams.

We had two lunches and two desserts during the time we spent on La Coruna. We stopped for razor clams at another restaurant, and Spanish churros with chocolate sauce, a traditional dessert.

La Coruna reminded me why we cruise. This is what I love about cruising. We would never be able to visit these charming towns if it weren't for the cruise. It is through cruising that we find these beautiful places, and get the opportunity to live as locals for a day.

As the sun set, we sailed away and caught sight of the Tower of Hercules. It is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula at the tip of Galicia. The Tower of Hercules is a National Monument of Spain, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Next up: Paris!

Failing in Funchal

We ported in Funchal, Madeira on a Sunday. Madeira is an island of Portugal situated in the Atlantic by the Canary Islands.

We didn't have much planned for Madeira but we had read about the crazy toboggan ride down Monte, a must-do attraction in Funchal. However, because it was a Sunday, the attraction was closed! We ended up taking a bus into town, and came across a huge mall. Unfortunately, that was closed due to an emergency evacuation! There was also a marathon along the waterfront, so most of the roads in town were blocked off. Just our luck! It just wasn't a great day to port.

We ended up stopping by a cafe for pastries and cappuccinos.

As we left the port, the rain clouds had arrived, and it started to rain as we sailed away.

We had a lovely dinner in the main dining room that evening. We were served a variety of popular Filipino dishes; lechon, pancit (my favourite!) and lumpia.

Next up, La Coruna, our last port before Paris!

Trapezing through Tenerife

Tenerife was another "must-visit" on my bucket-list. Yet, it disappointed me too. Maybe we should have booked an excursion, but after many excursions on the other two Grand Canary islands, we thought it'd be best to explore this one on our own.  

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands. It is known for its many beaches, its active volcano (Mount Teide), and its many national parks.

We only made it to downtown Tenerife, and shopped among the other cruise passengers, but the atmosphere was jovial and celebratory. Street musicians were everywhere, and there was even a Chinese dragon parade! We made our way through the stores, and decided to find a marketplace.

After doing some quick research on free wifi, we made our way to La Recova de Tenerife. We love food markets, but unfortunately this one was closing as we arrived. But there were a lot of stands with fresh fruits and vegetables; there were ice cream stalls, butchers' counters, tea shops, florists, fish counters, and cheese stalls. It's always interesting to see the daily bustle and many locals shopping for their groceries.

We had a short and easy day in Tenerife. We felt recharged and ready for our next port: Madeira, Portugal.

Getting Guided through Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria, aka the island where I dropped my brand new iPhone 8 Plus down the side of a caldera... I'll get to that.

Gran Canaria is another one of the Canary Islands of Spain. Once again, we booked a tour through Royal Caribbean to see the city sights.

First, we stopped at the grand Cathedral of Arucas, one of the most iconic buildings on the island of Gran Canaria. The cathedral is known for it's neo-gothic architecture and its facade was carved by hand on black lava stone. It reminded me of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

We then enjoyed some free time in the town of Teror. Unfortunately, we were there quite early in the morning, so not many shops or restaurants were opened. We grabbed a cappuccino, and wandered around the streets for about an hour.

Next, we were driven up to the Bandama caldera, about 1, 870 feet above sea level to take in the panoramic views of the natural rocky landscape. So this is where I dropped my phone. My husband (fiance at the time) was taking a picture of me with my arms in the air (as seen below in the last photo), and I had put my phone in between my knees. Well, it fell. Down the caldera! It slid about 3 feet down a steep slope. I ended up having to crawl under the safety fence to grab it. Scary moment, but I'll take that as another lesson learned! Always put your phone away safely before posing for photos!

My small disaster aside, it was very calm, soothing and peaceful up on the caldera. There is a warm and comforting breeze. The views were awe-inspiring and well worth the visit.

Livin' La Vida Loca in Lanzarote

From here on out, I'm going to speed things up as this review is now a year and a half overdue!

We had an adventurous day planned in Arrecife, Lanzarote. Lanzarote is one of the seven Canary Islands of Spain. With its subtropical desert climate, it is known as the "Island of Eternal Spring." The island has breathtaking volcanic landscape with vast craters and uniquely shaped rock formations.

We started the tour with a short camel ride in the volcanic lands of Timanfaya, where subsurface bubbling belies the quiet landscape. I have never been on a camel before, and I was a little surprised they did it this way. I would have preferred to sit directly on the camel (with a saddle, of course).

While the camels had muzzles, the owners treated them very well. They were not whipped or kicked at any time. They were only gently pulled or nudged. You can tell they respected one another, and that makes me very happy.

We visited Timanfaya National Park and saw the geographical events of the recent volcanic eruptions in the unearthly landscapes of the beautiful park.

There were hot pockets everywhere in the park. Park employees showed us how hot the pits were by setting bushes on fire with the intense heat beneath; cold water was poured into the ground and shot back up into the surface as steam; and there was a deep pit where geothermal heat was used to cook the meat.

We also made a stop at the Bodega La Geria Winery, where lush vines flourish on barren lava fields. The winery is located in the heart of the wine country. It is also one of the oldest wineries on the island.

When we got back to the port, we stopped for a cappuccino. The harbour area was very walkable. It was small, but lively with old town charm and cobblestone.

Dinner is served late in Spain. We wanted to have dinner in a local restaurant and enjoy their seafood, so we walked around the area until sundown.

The food was delicious, and we were so so satisfied! Unfortunately, our gluttony ended up getting us in trouble.

While the ship looked like it was just around the corner, the path to the gangway was a maze. It took double the time we had expected, there was no shortcut, or direct path to the ship. We ran along the walls of the port, and through the port shops. This was the first time we were in panic mode. Thankfully, we made it back onto the ship. We ended up being the last passengers back on board, just five minutes before the gangway closed. As soon as we stepped onto the ship, they wasted no time in folding up the gangway.

Needless to say, we've learned our lesson!