* LIVE from the Rotterdam - 30 day Passage to Spain and Western Europe - Mar. 30th*

[kazu]

We have arrived in Cadiz. The winds picked up through the night and there was a bit of rock and roll here and there. More from the motion of the wind and waves it created. Nothing serious, but you could certainly "feel" it now and then.

 

Yesterday we went to our first culinary class.

 

We had a blast. Our Chef was very good and Jordan, our Culinary Class host was lots of fun.

 

We all split up and cooked different things. Seems I was the only one willing to cook the salmon. LOL.

 

Everything was out and ready to save time.

 

 

 

Our Chef

 

 

We were busy concocting. Mixing the lemon vinaigrette for the salmon

 

 

 

And the grilled prawn bruschetta

 

 

 

Our chef demonstrated a few tricks for us

 

 

 

Jordan insisted on this pic and said I had to post if I was going to post hers - LOL

 

 

 

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[kazu]

We all have aprons on which we get to keep!

 

 

And here is Jordan, our Culinary Arts Hostess:

 

 

Our finished products:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nice part is that we got to have the menu that we worked on in the Pinnacle Grill prepared by our Chef with wine!

 

 

 

I am pushing DH with the wifi so time to move on and hopefully I can get a bit more later.

 

Adios for now!

 

 

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[kazu]

And good morning from Cadiz!

 

Boy was it windy this morning. The weather is nice but the wind when we arrive was enough to knock you over.

 

The locals are mostly dressed in winter clothing!

 

We are enjoying sitting at a local spot enjoying watching the locals pass by and listening to them. Have to head to the ship soon as we are going to the Flamenco show at La Cava.

 

In the past, I arranged 2 private shows there for our roll calls and there Flamenco is top notch so Irena (manager of La Cava) has promised to save us 2 good seats. It's a HAL tour (the only way to do it now with them getting a HAL contract but we are doing it.

 

So relieved that DH is patient as I get some free wifi.

 

I was afraid I was going to have to start a "go fund me - Kazu" account for the internet. It has been dwindling fast but I am counting on more ports now and not using as much ship internet. Hope I am right.

 

Got the When and Where's and MDR menus sent up to the site that can't be named. So 0bnxshs who is handling our HAL cruiser information is going to be busy. ;). Sorry Rich.

 

Oops DH says it's time to go - so I will share a bit more later on the Culinary Class and Cadiz and of course the When and Where's and menu a tad later.

 

I need more free wifi - LOL

 

Cheers from beautiful Cadiz!

[0bnxshs]

(SNIP...)

Got the When and Where's and MDR menus sent up to the site that can't be named. So 0bnxshs who is handling our HAL cruiser information is going to be busy. ;). Sorry Rich.

 

Cheers from beautiful Cadiz!

 

Saw them this morning Jacqui. No sweat and I will get them up in the next few days. Hi to Jose and please continue enjoying!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Catching up as we did some yard work this afternoon.

Your cooking class looked like it was a lot of fun.

Enjoying your posts.

[innlady1]

Enjoying the read, jacqui. Do you have pics of the Retreat? Or whatever they call the former Seaview Pool.

 

Also, how does Cadiz compare to Huleva (sp?).

 

 

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[sotiris]

I am enjoying your posts and photos. Such a lot of work.

 

Can you give a hint as to the "site that can't be named "? I have an idea of what it is but don't know where to look once I get there, if it the right one. Is there a name I need to search for? Thanks for any help.

 

 

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[sotiris]

I may have been to eager when looking at my first guess. I couldn't see any info from your cruise so I will wait a few days.

 

 

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[kazu]

I am enjoying your posts and photos. Such a lot of work.

 

Can you give a hint as to the "site that can't be named "? I have an idea of what it is but don't know where to look once I get there, if it the right one. Is there a name I need to search for? Thanks for any help.

 

 

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The site that can't be named can be found by a bit of googling. Try HAL Cruiser Information and/or just think of HAL and FACTS.

 

It will take Rich a day or two to get the stuff uploaded. I sent him a pile.

[kazu]

Enjoying the read, jacqui. Do you have pics of the Retreat? Or whatever they call the former Seaview Pool.

 

Also, how does Cadiz compare to Huleva (sp?).

 

 

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I posted a few pics earlier in the thread Sheila, but I will see if I can find them and/or get a btter pic of the bird bath area. It's still a nice area to enjoy with ample seating so far.

 

Huelva is later on in the itinerary so I am not in the position to compare yet. Huelva is going to be different for sure though, I think ;)

[kazu]

Catching up as we did some yard work this afternoon.

Your cooking class looked like it was a lot of fun.

Enjoying your posts.

 

Thanks KK.

 

It was a lot of fun.

 

Comparing it to Oceania's it was.a lot more fun for us.

 

On O, they took the aprons back and we just ate our own food at the end. I didn't stay for that as with Noro going on I didn't think it was wise.

 

On the Rotterdam, we were given water to drink during the class, an apron (which is ours to keep) and enjoyed our same menu that we tried to make in the PG cooked by the PG chef with red and white wine! All part of the cost!

 

Oceania's was $89 pp if I recall correctly. Ours on the Rotterdam is $29 (hopefully mine will be free with the 5* benefit). At $29 it's a good deal IMO.

[kazu]

Good morning from lovely Malaga. It's April 11th here.

 

The sun is shining and it is supposed to be a beautiful 72 degrees.

 

Let me back track a bit to yesterday and to Cadiz.

 

Many of our roll call went to Seville or to Jerez de la Frontera. Having done both, DH and I opted to see some of pretty Cadiz which is a very pretty spot all on it's own. We had our Flamenco show tour scheduled for 2:30, so we had to be back in the showroom by 2:20 pm.

 

We stopped for a local coffee for DH and an orange juice for me. OMG, the orange juice here is so good. Their oranges are special. Orange trees abound in the town.

 

 

 

Interesting enough the orange trees you see in the town are not used for juice. They are exported to make marmalade as they are sour.

 

The oranges for orange juice are outside of the city, so, don't pick an orange if you are in town, it will be bitter!

 

DH let me use a bit of the time here to try to catch up some wifi and I wisely, did not push the issue too far. I knew there would be another some place.

 

Cadiz has a very important monument. The Constitution for all of Spain was signed here and this monument commemorates it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

After that we headed to el mercado (the market). The market here is very pretty. Flowers are very important to the Spanish here and you can see them all carrying their bread and flowers from the market and the old area.

 

I think we can all guess what Kazu had in mind. Flores!

 

 

 

Yes, the vase that Kazu has is tilting and needs gravity. The South African flowers from Madeira are heavy and they need to be cut and more flowers in the vase.

 

The stalks are too thick to cut so we found DH's favourite special scissor/knife/pruner shop. It's been around since the early 1800's.

 

DH went to see the owner and I explained the pruners had to be muy pequena (very tiny, less than 4") to bring them on the ship but srong enough to do the job.

 

DH bought scissors here years ago and is enchanted.

 

The shop:

 

 

 

We found our little pruners. Kazu was happy since now she can take care of her flowers. And we returned to the flower market to collect the needed flores.

 

Cadiz is a beautiful city. The old town (which once went to the water) is separated from the New Town by a wall which goes around. The wall was built originally to protect the town from pirates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

Just a few rambling pics of Cadiz for those that like that stuff.

 

I loved these trees. Stunning scent.

 

 

Narrow streets with stunning buildings.

 

 

Botannical Gardens

 

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

It was soon time to head back to the ship - we had to get to our Flamenco Show.

 

Now, I am no fan of most of HAL's hosted shows. We have struck out many times, but this was at La Cava where we have been for several times, so we had signed up.

 

The group was not that big, so plenty of room at La Cava.

 

We had brought some Maple Fudge candies to Irene (pronounced Irene - ay) at La Cava.

 

La Cava didn't disappoint. The tapas they served were really good. (Remember DH knows his tapas).

 

 

 

 

 

Aside from three kinds of chorizo (including the blood red which is VERY expensive) and breads, there was Manchego cheese, croquettes, potatoes (yummy in olive oil and spices), Spanish Omelette, etc.

 

Then it was time for the show to start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[KNOT2L82SAIL]

Kazu, your photos are awesome.

and....that unnamed site has your latest photos posted.

I am getting more and more excited about my upcoming cruise on the Rotterdam. She very well might replace the Amsterdam as my favorite. I love looking at the menus.... and invariably, when the food porn photos are posted, it is when I am starving! LOL

Keep enjoying your cruise and keep those updates coming. All of your hard... and expensive... work is most appreciated.

[innlady1]

Lovely photos. I love the market in Malaga. Two beautiful cities!

 

 

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[1of4]

I, too, went to Seville. Next time (I still hope I can cruise again) I am going to Jose's scissor shop! As a quilter that shop is a dream!

 

Dare I hope that spring has sprung on this side of the Atlantic, although only the crocuses are in bloom but I can almost see the tulips push towards the sunshine.

 

Lovely posts Jacqui. I am enjoying my virtual cruise!

[kazu]

I, too, went to Seville. Next time (I still hope I can cruise again) I am going to Jose's scissor shop! As a quilter that shop is a dream!

 

Dare I hope that spring has sprung on this side of the Atlantic, although only the crocuses are in bloom but I can almost see the tulips push towards the sunshine.

 

Lovely posts Jacqui. I am enjoying my virtual cruise!

 

 

Thank you KNOT2, innlady1 & Gail,

 

Gail that shop is a dream. Jose always buys something there. It's enchanting. All top notch stuff and well made. Mostly all made in Spain too.

 

It's not hard to find. Once you hit the market, turn left and it's on the right hand side just down a little bit.

 

Always busy too ;)

 

Now, to try to catch up.!!!

[kazu]

The male flamenco dancer wasn't as good (in our opinion) as we have had in the past. He was good but the others were better. On the other hand, the female dancers were better so, overall this was the best show we had seen at La Cava.

 

The HAL price for this tour is a tad steep, but I would recommend it. Do the afternoon show as the performance is longer (we had emailed Irene to ask about the two shows and she recommended the afternoon) and the tapas are plentiful. Unless you are in Cadiz overnight, it's the only way to see a genuine Andalucian flamenco show that is not tourista.

 

So, scary as it sounds, kazu & DH recommend this HAL tour and will do a review on the site accordingly.

 

We have one other we are doing later on in the cruise thanks to input I got from Loreto. So nice to have CC members who are willing to help.

 

I wanted to upload a couple of videos for you all, but I am struggling with that.

 

If I can figure it out, I will post them later.

 

In the meantime, here are a couple more shots of the Flamenco before I move on.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the past Flamenco dancers who have appeared at this famous taberna:

 

 

 

After Flamenco, we returned to the ship. Sail a way would be upon us very soon. Unfortunately, we hit a little "bump" as we boarded the ship. My little pruners were taken for security reasons and we were told they would be able to be picked up once on board.

 

We bid farewell to Cadiz. Here is our menu from that night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

The male flamenco dancer wasn't as good (in our opinion) as we have had in the past. He was good but the others were better. On the other hand, the female dancers were better so, overall this was the best show we had seen at La Cava.

 

The HAL price for this tour is a tad steep, but I would recommend it. Do the afternoon show as the performance is longer (we had emailed Irene to ask about the two shows and she recommended the afternoon) and the tapas are plentiful. Unless you are in Cadiz overnight, it's the only way to see a genuine Andalucian flamenco show that is not tourista.

 

So, scary as it sounds, kazu & DH recommend this HAL tour and will do a review on the site accordingly.

 

We have one other we are doing later on in the cruise thanks to input I got from Loreto. So nice to have CC members who are willing to help.

 

I wanted to upload a couple of videos for you all, but I am struggling with that.

 

If I can figure it out, I will post them later.

 

In the meantime, here are a couple more shots of the Flamenco before I move on.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the past Flamenco dancers who have appeared at this famous taberna:

 

 

 

After Flamenco, we returned to the ship. Sail a way would be upon us very soon. Unfortunately, we hit a little "bump" as we boarded the ship. My little pruners were taken for security reasons and we were told they would be able to be picked up once on board.

 

We bid farewell to Cadiz. Here is our menu from that night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

When it appeared that my pruners were not going to arrive, I inquired about it and was told I would get them back when we disembarked in Rotterdam. WHAT???

 

Kazu needs those pruners and had checked to make sure they were well within the limits of the prohibited items.

 

Now, kazu is usually easy to get along with and can "go with the flow", but there was no "going with the flow" on this one. I explained that I had plenty of pruners at home & bought them to use on the ship. I needed them for the very thick stalks of the South African flowers. Having been told "we'll see what we can do". I went to meet a friend and she reminded me I know the facts of HAL. Of course, I do. So I pulled up the prohibited items, double checked I was right and went back to ask to see someone from security WITH my pruners to tell me why I could not have them.

 

LOL - he had brought up the listing and was surprised to see I had it up on my Ipad. We exchanged introductions and he explained they were considered scissors which were limited to the 4" rule. My pruners were exactly 4" and he apologized they had kept them and turned them over to me. Now, I knew they were less than 4" as I measured.

 

 

I was able to prune my South African flowers and my new ones and this is the end result.

 

 

 

 

 

It was worth the effort to bring the pruners on. I may give them to the florist at the end of the cruise as he only has one pair (believe it or not)

 

The next day was Malaga. DH and I adore this city. We ave visited it both on land and during cruises. The people are friendly. The ambience is welcoming. And, it is a beautiful spot.

 

Unfortunately, our ship was "parked" in the wrong place. Too many ships in port today. So, walking into town was out of the question. A shuttle was provided - 4 euros pp for round trip to the City Centre (where the information booth is).

 

From there it's easy to walk to nearly anywhere.

 

We headed up the narrow streets and decided we would pay the 5 euro entrance fee to Malaga's magnificent Cathedral. It really is a sight to behold.

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

Oops, I think I forgot to post the When and Where for Cadiz, so here you go....

 

 

 

With the "specials"

 

 

 

 

And here is the When and Where for Malaga.....

 

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

Back to Malaga now....

 

The Cathedral in Malaga is truly beautiful. No flash permitted and I find the ipad is more kind when there is no flash so I took these with my ipad. Here is a mini tour of the Cathedral for you.

 

If you don't like Cathedrals just skip the next couple of posts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

At the end you will see the massive pipe organs. They go to nearly the ceiling. My pics don't do this cathedral justice but it is truly magnificent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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