5-1-16 MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At the end of the day we left Barcelona Harbor on the Orion after dinner.
Earlier we had slept in to deal with jet lag, hit the neighborhood caffé, for breakfast, saving about $100 compared to the hotel breakfast. Then we checked in with Nat Geo at the Majestic and did a morning stroll to see another Gaudí house in the area.
Then it was on the buses for a city tour before the ship. We saw the Olympic facilities from 1992 converted to local uses, a retired factory converted to exhibit space, a bullring, bull fighting being outlawed in Catalonia, converted to a shopping mall. After seeing the top of the mountain on the coast overlooking the city, to which we returned later in the day, we checked in at the ship for lunch and an emergency drill and intro to ship life.
The ship is very luxe with spacious cabins and facilities. After an alfresco lunch on the after deck, we were back in the buses for more of Barcelona, covering some of the same ground we had seen before but stopping on top of the mountain, Montjuïc, or Jewish Mountain, so called for a medieval synagogue on the mountain top. That was at a time when Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in harmony in Spain before the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella.
The views are of the entire coast, city, harbor which is extensive, running for miles along the Med coast and includes the airport. We saw distant mountains to the east, perhaps even the Pyrenees. After a short walk around the top of the mountain, we heard a presentation of Flamenco music by La Nave Bruja. Then it was back to the ship for ‘tails and dinner.
Nat Geo/Lindblad ship Orion in Barcelona harbor.
Our cabin with lots of electric outlets for US plugs, TV that gets MSNBC.
From the mountain the Barcelona Cathedral in the old city.
The Orion next to a 'real' cruise ship.
Cactus flower.
Mountain top Flamenco players, La Nave Bruja.
Flamenco singer dancer. See Facebook for a short video of the performance.
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