Cruise Diva's CRUISE
DIARY
~ Lisbon to Barcelona ~
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| Wind
Surf Internet Cafe |
Palma De Mallorca,
Spain
May
4, 2002 - Serene turquoise waters, lush green
mountains, and miles of sandy beaches... Mallorca is an island of
romantic beauty, plus the place to buy Majorca pearls in stunning
settings.
Wind Surf's Sports Coordinators were
on hand for an early morning guided walk to the old town, the most
interesting section of Palma. Two must sees are the striking Gothic
Cathedral (in the old quarter of town) and the Bellver Castle. High
atop a hill, the round Bellver Castle affords a splendid view of the
city and the harbor where Wind Surf was berthed. A shore excursion or
taxi tour are the way to see the castle and outlying sights, such as
Valldemosa.
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|
Sailing
into the harbor at Palma de Mallorca, Spain |
Mel and I were fortunate to visit
Palma on a previous cruise so we spent our time strolling through the
marina area and admiring sailing yachts skimming the offshore waters
on an idyllic sunny spring day. We also tackled our repacking for
departure in Barcelona. Never my favorite last-day task, at least it
was unhurried. We didn't need to put the luggage outside our door
until the morning of departure. Very civilized!
Captain Boylin formally introduced
passengers to his department heads and their staffs at his evening
farewell address in the Lounge and we sincerely wished we were
remaining on board for another week as so many of our fellow cruisers
were. It didn't surprise us in the slightest that over 140 of them
were repeat passengers. A few couples had completed 10-12 cruises on
Windstar vessels and I met one who had sailed on them 19 times.
We also learned that winds on
Wednesday had whipped up to a Gale Force Eight while we were at anchor in
Marbella. Of the 172 passengers left ashore there (who were ultimately
transferred by shuttle to Malaga) only one passenger registered a
complaint.
For our final dinner onboard, we made
reservations in the Bistro and weren't disappointed. We saved the best
for last.
As we had on each night of our
cruise, we joined the cigar "aficionados" and
"aficionados-to-be" at bridge deck aft of Compass Rose and
then stopped in the Lounge to bid farewell to the people who'd served
us so graciously all week.
I truly envied those passengers who
were sailing on to Nice.
Day Seven -> Barcelona, Spain
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