My very own
Pastel de Nata
(Custard Tart)
from the
Pasteis de Belém.
After an overnight cruise southward, our next port of call is the island of Mallorca where a short walk around the ancient walled city of Alcúdia led us through quiet residential streets lined with potted plants into the busy centre of town filled with tourists shopping or sitting in outdoor cafes sampling the local cuisine. Valencia, having visited this city of contrasts before, we took the day off, walking city streets but looking forward to our ships’ complimentary Azamazing Evening (always a spectacular event), this time the venue is at the stunning futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, built on a river bed when the city diverted the river due to flooding. Scenes from our Azamazing Evening Next, Alicanta, Spain, a port with beautiful sand beaches and famous for it's prominent landmark Santa Barbara Castle, some 1300 years old, on top of Mount Benacantil, where one can ascend by foot or (our choice) elevator. Cartagena, a port city and naval base, was founded in 220 BCE. We bypassed visiting the old town favoring a visit to an Andalusian horse farm Hacienda El Bosque, where we were treated to learning about the breeding and training, watching a flamenco dancer dance in unison with a horse, and taste the hosts offerings of tapas and wine. Excerpts of the stampede Our last stop in the Mediterranean, The Rock of Gibraltar. Layers of fortifications, now a British Overseas Territory, was in past history settled by the Moors and ruled by Spain. Ascending to the top via cable car, we took in the views of the town below plus, by turning our head North, seeing Europe, and South, Africa. Encountering the famous apes of Gibraltar, Barbary Macaques, actually a monkey, delighting the tourists with their antics. As we made our way down, we visited St Michaels Cave and the great siege tunnels constructed in the 1700's and extended during WWII. The famous apes of Gibraltar, Barbary Macaques Arriving at Cadiz, Spain, we opted for a 4 mile hike in the Metropolitan Park of Los Toruños and Pinar de la Algaida Marshes. Our second day was spent walking through the narrow streets to get a feel of the city. Arriving in Lisbon,Portugal brought an end to this second leg of our voyage. Instead of touring the city proper, we opted to hire a guide and drive into the countryside, visiting Sintra, a picturesque Portuguese town that is set amidst the pine-covered hills of the Serra de Sintra. This hilly and slightly cooler climate enticed the nobility and elite of Portugal, who constructed exquisite palaces, extravagant mansions and decorative gardens. During our excursion, we stopped at jewel of coastal Portugal, Cascais (pronounced Cash-ky), a delightful fishing town, and is the Lisbon’s coastline most popular holiday destination. The town is situated on a beautiful coastline, and during the summer it is a bustling resort. On the drive back to our ship, we stopped at a Lisbon suburb, Belém, to view the waterfront and most important, sample the most iconic pastry, the Pastel de Nata (Custard Tart) from the Pasteis de Belém. My very own Pastel de Nata (Custard Tart) from the Pasteis de Belém. Next - The final leg - Lisbon to London
4 Comments
Suzanne Supanek
6/28/2018 02:05:11 pm
Spectacular, as usual, Mort! We’ve been, and will return, to many of those places, but my photos can’t compare to yours. BUT my phone fits in my pocket (and most people don’t know the difference!)😘❤️‼️
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Donna and Gene Bologna
6/28/2018 10:12:13 pm
Your photos & descriptions are wonderful. It is so nice to see so many
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Jamie Berman
7/2/2018 07:02:00 am
Thanks for sharing these fascinating pictures! My personal faves are the black & white arts & science centre reflection photo, Africa on the Horizon, the Apes of Gibraltar photo #3 (love the eyes) and the photo with the purple flowers & clouds.
Reply
Mort
7/2/2018 04:57:08 pm
Glad you enjoyed my offerings. If you wish, pick your favorite and I'll print it (tell me the size) and bring it when we come to visit. The tart was to die for.
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