Silver Spirit Transatlantic Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale November 9, 2015

The infamous silver box has arrived.

And the countdown begins in earnest.

I thought there was a thread on this trip but for the life of me, I could not find it. Here's hoping I am not being redundant!

We are looking forward to this cruise!

The thread is in the roll call section.

We are also looking forward to the trip. See you and Larry in Barcelona!

hello from valencia.

just a gorgeous day here, sun glistening off the water. sounds of the extremely busy harbor filling the air with the shrill cries of the gulls.

debating our next move as we are so lazy this morning, just exhausted from the trip here and the stress of leaving.

happy to report all luggage arrived, we were picked up at the airport and expeditiously brought to the port. only a quick wait to get aboard and then another short wait to get into our appointed suite.

DH now sitting on the verandah in the fresh air, reading a book.Quite a luxury for him.

we had planned to go to the mercado central on foot, but now may just stay aboard. we have been here before, and done the tourist and not so tourist stuff.

enjoyed dinner in la terrraza last night with Victoria and Bob who endured our attempts at conversation, which sometimes didn't make much sense or rambled, and which we will maintain was due to our fatigue. their thoughtful, unexpected and much appreciated gift of french blue iris, yellow lillies, babies breath and greenery are displayed in a coppery undulating glass vase, which matches the color of the vase holding the white orchids( provided by Silversea).

many other warm, smiling and familiar faces of pax and crew.

spirit looks to be in good shape. not full, perhaps over 400 pax aboard.

we look forward to the wonderful days ahead of us.

Sounds idyllic - hope that the jetlag passes soon, and that you enjoy the stops in Spain before the long haul home! Two of our friends just got off Silver Spirit in Rome a week or so ago, and had a great time.

Spinnaker2, so glad you both arrived along with your luggage. That must have been a relief! Your beautiful descriptions of the start of this voyage make it an "arm around the shoulder, come along with me" joy to read! Thanks for the invitation! :)

Candy, thank you for posting while on board the Spirit. Happy to hear Larry and you made it safely w/all bags and are now enjoying the warm embrace/serene ambiance a Spirit crossing provides. Look forward to more posts--pls pass our warm regards along to Emtbsam/Bob & Victoria and EnglishUSA/David when you get the chance.

Spins,

Enjoy that cruise and don't waste you time doing anything trivial .... just keep telling us what you are doing!

:)

Jeff

Have a great trip. Sounds like you all are in great company!

hello from valencia. just a gorgeous day here, sun glistening off the water. sounds of the extremely busy harbor filling the air with the shrill cries of the gulls. happy to report all luggage arrived, we were picked up at the airport and expeditiously brought to the port. only a quick wait to get aboard and then another short wait to get into our appointed suite. DH now sitting on the verandah in the fresh air, reading a book.Quite a luxury for him.

Glad that Candy and DH arrived with bags, meds, etc., all safe and sound. Earlier this am, she sent me a picture via e-mail. This size sent seems a little small. Hopefully future ones will come in a little large format to improve the quality. Since I am handy at picture-posting, I am her "assistant" for these tasks. Happy to share!! See below. Looks like a very large and nice balcony area.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 125,903 views for this posting.

Here is the view from their suite into harbor of Valencia. Looking good?:

Glad you are all onboard and have a great cruise!

Great Photos.

Ok everyone.

Admit blurry photo taken from iPad.

Apologies but you get the feeling I hope.

Aside from the noises of the machines loading the cargo, 'twas a nice view.

We underway to next port.

And we declined the fancy invite for dinner with a special officer person, which was the first formal night.

Instead we had a quiet dinner and relished the food and each other's company.

The doors to our verandah are open. Curtains billowing in the breeze. We hear the sounds of the boat moving at an even pace, not too fast as we haven't far to go until the next port. Gentle wave sounds. Cool air moving in our suite.

Life is good, very good.

Blurry photo notwithstanding, your description is detailed enough to give a very clear picture! Wish we were there too... 6 weeks to wait!

Close the door, the AC will shut down. [emoji17]

DT....thanks for writing what I was too afraid to do.

Scary thought!

Here are some photo samples sent from Candy while on the Silver Spirit and being in and around Cartagena, Spain. More to come!!

Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located on the Mediterranean coast, SE Spain. Its population is 218,210 and has a metropolitan area of more than 400,000 residents. Cartagena was founded around 227 BC and had its heyday during the Roman Empire, when it was known as the New Carthage.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 32,224 views for these postings.

From Candy, here are some visual samples from in and around Cartagena, Spain. This includes the light at Fort Christmas, the early morning fog, a fishing boat return to harbor with lots of birds following and a sampling of the shoreline and battlements.:

Thanks Spinnaker2 and thanks Terry! There are sure a lot of birds around there! :) Fishing boat right?

We have arrived in Malaga. Up early and out the door in order to go with chef David for the Malaga Market visit.

While DH did not go, there were about 24 in the group. Off we went like ducks following the mother duck, in this case Chef David, on a short but brisk walk to the market.

Our mission was to purchase food for the tasting presentation. First we walked around to get the lay of the land so to speak.

Our first encounter was with Mario, a gregarious fellow who wanted to show us various local produce, and passed around a bota of wine, after advising that we had to "abierto la boca", open our mouths for a sample. he shared some almonds, raisins and other dried fruits and nuts with the group.

After touring through the market, most of the group left. Chef David and I walked around and made purchases for the tasting, and carried them back to the ship, with the help of another couple, who fortunately were still in the market.

Last night was the meet and mingle, nice to put faces with posters.

The weather is cooperating, cool and dry.

My wife did that same tour with David on the Spring, 2014, crossing. It was one of her cruise highlights.

Just to add a few things to the post Spinnaker2 started...

We were able to take the shuttle from the Eurostars Hotel at the WTC with all our luggage thus saving the trouble of finding a big enough cab.

There are many familiar faces on board both among the officers and staff and passengers. The welcome received from the officers and staff has been simply wonderful -- it is what keeps us coming back to see old friends. We understand that there will be a fair turnover of officers and staff just before the Grand Voyage in January.

In Valencia, we chose to walk to the oceanographic museum/aquarium. It was about a 20 minute walk through an industrial/port area and then into a lovely residential area. The walk took us past the El Corte Ingles department store - very conveniently located. We purchased our tickets to the aquarium at the pier to save time in case there was a line, which there wasn't. In fact, it was not crowded at all for a weekday. We spent about two hours but missed the dolphin show which is only done several times a day. I guess the dolphins need their siesta as well.

Since we have been to Cartegena several times, we opted for the tour to Murcia. There were only 8 of us on a big bus. Murcia is a charming old city and we felt it was well worth the 45 minute drive each way.

Today, we chose to go to Mijas, another 45 minute drive. This time we only had 7 people on a minibus. While we don't normally shop much on vacation, Mijas did have some interesting things in the boutiques, and the views to the coast were simply lovely.

Back to the ship in time for lunch with the Spinnakers and then back out to the central market with them in our quest for dried mushrooms.

Dinner will be in Stars this evening. Last year when we dined in Stars, I felt the food was way too salty for my taste, so this year, I asked the maitre d' if there was any way they could accommodate a request for no salt. He sent a menu to our suite, I picked out what I wanted, and as with all special requests on Silversea, it will happen. What lovely service.

After coming in third in trivia on day one, we surprised ourselves and came in first yesterday.

Lunch with the Spinnakers and then back out to the central market with them in our quest for dried mushrooms.

Was there a mention about going to the central market?? YES!! Earlier today, Candy sent me a large number of pictures from visiting there in Malaga. Below starts the first six of them, including Chef David being shown. You'll be able to recognize him.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 125,978 views for this posting.

Did they find seafood, cheese, meats, etc., at the market? Maybe some chorizo? You be the judge! Mushrooms?? More to come!!:

Here is round two from the Malaga Market. Yes, here is more chorizo, etc. Málaga is in the Andalusia part of Spain. Having a population of 568,479 in 2013, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. It is the southernmost large city of Europe. Look interesting!! Always like exploring markets in large cities. More to come!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 188,864 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

In this market grouping, here are some chorizo, anchovies, tomatoes, seafood, etc. Per Candy, the grapes from this area are supposed to be very sweet! Does all look good and colorful?:

Thanks for the pics spinnaker2 with an assist from Terry. Thanks for the assist Terry!

Below is round three from the visit by Candy and others on the Silver Spirit for touring at the Malaga Market.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 55,315 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Here is Mario giving free samples of wine, nuts, raisins and lots of commentary. Plus, other options from there at the Malaga Market, including, yes, some mushrooms!: