MS EUROPA Nice-Bilbao 5/29-6/12/18, daily narrative and pictures

[Catlover54]

Thanks for the small camera tip, EV! I will consult with DH, who knows my strengths and weaknesses, and will show him the videos on these cameras. Even though iphone cameras get better and better, if I could carry just a little more weight more photo possibilities would open up.

 

Knotheadusc, I am glad you are interested in my cruise story on the Europa, she is indeed a wonderful ship.

 

 

 

Colorful and dynamic young world class, Australian raised violinist Ray Chen opened the Ocean Sun Festival with the following performance as we sailed from Bonifacio to our next port, Alghero:

 

 

 

 

His playing was ferocious and breath-taking and I felt incredibly privileged to be sitting just a few feet away from him as he played in the intimate and beautiful Europa Lounge that evening. He broke a string during (usually plays a Stradivarius) during the Brahms allegro, and was a bit embarassed though laughed a bit while fixing it mid-concert (did not have a back-up violin to just grab like he has done when he broke a string during other concerts he played).

 

He is a larger than life very colorful character with a great sense of humor and works to inspire young people to appreciate the beauty of classical music. I did not dare take an iphone picture during the performance but a ship’s photographer captured some imaged and video and incorporated them into a cruise DVD available for purchase at the end of the cruise.

 

Here is info about Mr. Chen:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Chen

 

https://www.raychenviolin.com

 

 

 

Listening to his exquisite performance, after another indulgent gourmet dinner in the MDR, I felt very privileged, and the concert reinforced my appreciation of this wonderful cruise.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

DAY 4, Alghero

 

 

I had no knowledge of Alghero, Sardinia, Italy, until I booked this cruise, and was pleasantly surprised. It was a tender port, with strong and competent Filipino sailors on the Europa helping both the fit and the frail (I am somewhere in between) onto the tenders without problems.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alghero

 

I did a town walkabout with a great guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

Alghero, though in Italy and not Spain, is also called “Barcelonetta”, little Barcelona. There are many interesting festivals in Alghero and on Sardinia throughout the year commemorating assorted saints, battle victories, and other excuses for eating and drinking. They even hold a surf competition and automotive ralleys (I was amazed at all the events held on Sardinia when I googled). Fun decorations for one of them were still up both in town squares and in alleys:

 

 

 

 

Pictures of the many centugenarians in Sardinia also adorned some of the walls, including of this 104-year-old lady, Rita, near a main square:

 

 

 

 

Was this lady looking down at the square below also one of them, or just a spring chicken 80–year-old tired of all the tourists?

 

 

 

Given all the wonderful little corners of the world and especially Europe I visit and where I say to myself, “I must come back here and stay at least a week when most of the tourists are gone,” I would need to live as long as Rita and with good health to achieve just 1% of my unrealistic goal.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

There are many churches in Alghero, though of course because less and less Italians other than the old believe in God and are catholics in name only (as in the rest of western Europe), many are just there for tourists, as de facto museums.

 

One had a black Madonna, (as does Montserrat outside Barcelona):

 

 

 

This was the inside of one active church, in Gothic Catalan style, which my iphone does not do justice to, which also had a commemoration to the Polish monk Maximilian Kolbe who exchanged his life for that of a fellow Jewish inmate, and was tortured to death at Auschwitz:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Kolbe

 

 

 

Some of the “off the tourist track” streets of Alghero were more rundown, with dilapidated stone ruins of another time next to middle class residences and feral feline squatters:

 

How many camouflaged cats can you find in this picture?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Floridiana]

What a wonderful review! Love your descriptions and photos!

I have just come back from a Western Mediterranean Mein Schiff 6 cruise with my family. A different experience, not bad at all but your ports would have been better for me. Never mind the caviar and French champagne. :-)

[TrulyBlonde]

Always enjoy your reviews. This one is exceptional and looking forward to the rest of your journey. thank you :)

[Catlover54]

Restaurants, Dieter Mueller and Venezia

 

The two small specialty restaurants on board are Dieter Mueller (dinner only, though the physical space is also used for late riser breakfast until noon where MDR breakfast options are served) and

Venezia, (open for lunch and dinner, no extra charge in either for food though if you get nice pairings, which I did, there is a reasonable fee).

 

 

Dieter Mueller is a Michelin starred chef who also cruises on the ship 70 days per year:

 

http://www.four-magazine.com/chefs/dieter-muller/

 

 

My dinner in Dieter Mueller (reserved right after boarding) had perfect service just as you expect in a luxury venue. The food was excellent and true gourmet, and included one of the four different menus during the cruise.

 

One of the pairings for the beef was a new wine experience that became my favorite wine for the cruise. The waiter was kind enough to write it down for me, for future reference when back on board again in a few weeks with a friend:

 

 

 

 

But, as on my last trip, I decided I still preferred both the food and the physically cooler and spacious ambience of the MDR, at my regular table, so I did not try to get in again. I also simply could not eat everything offered me on the complex menu by the enthusiastic staff, there was just too much food, too many courses. It was also a bit more awkward for me as a solo sitting close next to and unavoidably listening to the two gents next to me in their private conversation, so I left it for those who adore it. When I travel with DH it is also odd to sit next to a solo who is talking to no one, so we may start talking to her and that then works fine, but it is not the German way to bud into conversation of people next to you in a gourmet restaurant, so I did not, nor did they, and said nothing to me other than to say good evening when they arrived a bit later than me.

 

Venezia has an Italian maitre D’ who takes great pride in his product, and where I had the best spaghetti carbonara ever, among other delicacies, for a lunch ( no reservations) and succulent osso bucco another evening.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

Portofinolady, I am glad you are enjoying the review! I have not been to Portofino in several years and am reminded I must return, but off season, as it has gotten so busy.

 

The Munich philharmonic string quartet played Mendelssohn’s quartet in f minor op. 80, in the Club Belevedere, to a few dozen fans. It is a sad, turbulent, and evocative piece, and was exquisitely played. Mendelssohn wrote it after premature death of his beloved sister, and he died just a few months later at age 38.

 

Here is one recording of it, if you feel like a good cry:

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Isklaar]

hi Catlover, I'm enjoying review and photos, as ever.

 

If you get the opportunity can you tell me the basic differences between MS Europa and Europa 2?

[vistaman]

catlover , once again many thanks for the photo's

the Italian maitre d'h in Venezia started up the first Italian speciality restaurant on the ms Vistafjord in 1994:) the name of the restaurant was Tivoli - and after a short stay on the Royal Viking Sun he moved to Hapag Lloyd and i think all the passengers do like him very much!! When he is not there , it is simply another atmosphere.

and even in a not so great year for Bordeaux as 2007 every winelover will greatly appreciate the Pichon Longueville Comtesse 2nd Growth - the price on Hapag Lloyd wine list is not bad at all .

Floridiana, Mein Schiff is value for money for sure - unfortunately they refuse to sell a junior suite to a single even willing to pay double.

Isklaar - the Europa is formal and the 2 informal - I think together with Cunard and Silversea the ms Europa is one of the most formal ships. The Yacht Club on Ms Europa 2 is fo sure more lavish and luxurious as the Lido on the Europa. On the ms Europa passengers can book a table for dinner on the Lido and the buffets do have a daily theme and sometimes it is a set menu ( erlebniskueche - spanish French, most liked "cruise" dishes )

the 2 ships are rather different - even the ice cubes are different.

On the 2 if you want breakfast in the Weltmeere restaurant - it is a daily gourmet breakfast what on ms Europa is only available on seadays and on special occasions - however the breakfast is always lavish on Hapag Lloyd. 16 different breads and more...+ several fresh juices

The Europa is German - there is no international hostess anymore - so eventually speaking English by crew on board is "goodwill"

[Catlover54]

Vistaman, you described the differences between the

Europa and the E2 very well for people who have never been on, and you have been on both more than anyone here!

 

Isklaar, the E2 is also bigger but has more pax, 516, and has a somewhat different physical layout. It has average younger pax and it has some family suites which Europa does not, so in holiday times up to 10 percent of pax are kids, counting the older teens ( though well-behaved and with restricted swim hours and a separate optional dining area available with kids’ food like burgers and sausage, so they are less in the MDR and small venues, and separate kids’ excursions).

 

But both have the highest

mean passenger space all in compared with any other luxury line so far, and it is space that is accessible for all pax so one rarely felt crowded. I especially like deck 9 on Europa where many deck chairs face out to the sea rather than just the pool, and it has a 180 meter loop walk that takes you around the ship for exercize walking or jogging. ( On this last trip one sunny sea day the beautiful Spanish dancers were lying out there on deck 9 in their tiny bikinis relaxing —you can imagine the sight— and though it was my intention to just go around five times, as I was tired, everytime I passed them I felt inspired to keep going and work off yet a bit more of my extra fat :)).

 

One big difference is that seating in the MDR for dinner only is assigned, not open, on Europa. But you can come and go anytime you want between 7 and 9:30 to your table and do not need to eat coordinated with anyone else at your table, people understand that, and it is nice to have a guaranteed spot and not wait if you dine at popular times. There are less two-tops than on E2, and you can request one be assigned to you pre-cruise though are not guaranteed ( the regular Brit senior cruisers who loved Europa but spoke no German always had one).

Because people assigned two-tops often dine elsewhere in three other venues, or on overnights on land, the MDR maitre d’ can also arrange a table for two for a couple on some evenings ( a nice window table near me usually had two men at it but many nights new couples would show up). I gave notice to my waiter chief when I had specialty reservations, so others could sit at my two-top when I was not there.

Also, the sixers were not always full, so there are still ways to arrange to dine with new friends in the MDR, if you are not eating elsewhere where seating is open. Next to me at the window the sixer only had four guests, and as both couples were around 80 and from Austria, I think the maitre D’ had planned it that way ( they indeed discussed Austrian politics most evenings if they were not talking about the beautiful day).

 

I only have two cruises on each, and I like the Europa food, service and bed and chair comfort better overall than on the more modern and hipper Europa 2 ( I like softer furniture), and it has more classical music events. My impression was also that dining crew on Europa are less fatigued-appearing, more efficient, and friendlier than on my E2 trip last fall, ( and all better than on SB last spring) though pax were friendlier on E2. German-only announcements, programmes, and excursions could be more of a barrier, though not insurmountable, to people who speak zero German and do not read it a bit either, though upper crew are keen to help if needed.

 

The Europa space luxury truly made one feel like on a private yacht:

 

 

Both are more expensive than SB and SS and hard to get bookings on for solos especially, both have hot tubs that are only warm and not hot. DH’s problem on HL ( he did one E2 cruise with me) is that he is very social on cruises and speaks no German, and likes hot tubs (to which he goes daily on cruises) that are hot like on English ships, rather than lukewarm. We are therefore booked together on SB in a few months, but my next Europa trip before then is with a German friend.

 

As the pax are more older Germans on Europa, there are less who speak English than on E2, (but more who think they do, though all they actually know is a few travel English words), and more who remember the difficult post-war years ( or even the war), and do not particularly like Brits or Americans, but almost all remain polite regardless of what they think.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

The Spanish flamenco and tango dance group Ispacion ( 10 dancers, based in Madrid and Berlin) did a beautiful performance in the Europa Lounge (and a couple more later in the cruise). This was my third time seeing them and it never gets old. They were on board the entire cruise, dancing both officially and unofficially in various venues and at parties, and dined in pax venues, always dressed seductively even when not performing.

 

A voice announced on a background screen movie, as before,

“Tango is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire.”

 

I cannot post my videos through tapatalk and have given up on annoying photobucket hosting attempts, so until I get a new easy video host that interfaces with ipad ( suggestions?) I am limited to posting piccies of the high velocity dancing in dim light with harsh spotlights, taken with my iphone ( photography and short video without flash was ok at most performances, just not at the land performance and of course without commercial sales intent, so I was not cheating). Here are a couple attempts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These professional videos do more justice to the talents Ispacion displayed in their performances on board:

 

https://vimeo.com/161509522

 

 

 

Their website also shows this prior interesting production short called “Amores”, ( rated R?) which through dance and video makes clear what the stories are behind melodramatic Spanish music ( would be hard to do this on a small ship)

 

 

Stern-faced unsmiling Germans in the audience remained stern-faced when Ispacion performed, but then applauded loudly, (with a couple “bravo!” yelled out at the end — probably from someone who was half Italian), though I did see an occasional mouth corner turn up with reluctant joy during the performance, and audience mumbled agreement at the end that each dancer was as beautiful and talented as the other, hard to pick a favorite.

 

When I searched for these videos and found them on vimeo, my only annoyance was that a big ad popped up on my screen advertising special ladies’ socks for sore swollen feet, [emoji49], thus reading my mind and indirectly

reminding my not-so-lithe body, “do not try this at home” [emoji1323]

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[English Voyager]

Catlover54,

 

Having seen Ispasion twice, I felt that the dances were so highly stylised that the passion was sadly lacking in:

 

Flamenco such as this:

 

 

 

Tango/ Milonga such as this with my favourite couples:

 

1. Sebastian Achaval and Roxana Suarez:

 

 

 

 

2 .Sebastian Arce and Mariana Montes

 

[Catlover54]

Very nice tango clips, EV! I am also always amazed that women can perform such intricate dance steps in quite high heels without tripping. It is also good to see so many young people in the audience interested in tango.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[English Voyager]

Very nice tango clips, EV! I am also always amazed that women can perform such intricate dance steps in quite high heels without tripping. It is also good to see so many young people in the audience interested in tango.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Indeed--- especially when intricacy is combined with speed:

 

[Catlover54]

Day 5, Mahon, Menorca:

 

Morning sail-in:

 

 

View of old town walls from my suite:

 

 

 

British tourists abounded on this gin-producing island, which was controlled by England for fifty years or so in the early 1700’s before the French booted them out, but British influences remain in food and drink, architecture, and vocabulary.

 

The expulsion battle also allegedly led to mayonnaise, at least per this “nibbles” excerpt:

 

 

“. . . the leading belief is that the concept for the original mayonnaise sauce was brought back to France in 1756 from Mahón, a city on Minorca in the Balearic Islands, off the northeast coast of Spain. It was created for a victory banquet to celebrate the capture of Mahón by forces under Louis-François-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu (1696-1788), a marshal of France and a grandnephew of Cardinal Richelieu.Traditional sauces of the day were made of cream and eggs. As the story goes, the Duke’s chef had no cream and substituted olive oil, naming the new sauce “Mahonnaise” in honor of the victory. There are various reasons given for the evolution of the word to mayonnaise—from typographical error to the old French word for egg yolk, moyen and manier, to stir or to blend.

 

http://thenibble.com/reviews/main/condiments/mayonnaise/mayonnaise-history.asp”

 

 

Gin with lemonade, “pomada”, is sold in many bars, even before noon, but much as I love both gin and lemons, it was morning, so not being Menorcan, I held off

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

I did a half-day trip to Ciutadella about 30-40 min away on the other side of the island for a walk-about near ancient walls on the water, and the town square Plaza Borne with its obelisk and several hundred year old historical houses, one of which is now a theatre:

 

 

 

 

The city mascot of sorts is a sheep, aptly called a “ be” in Catalan:

 

 

 

This is because during the three-day late June festival of Sant Joan held each year, on the first day, a barefoot man carries an extremely clean and well-groomed docile male young sheep on his shoulders and parades around the local streets. There is a complicated story behind how this odd festival and tradition evolved over the centuries, (pagan roots before it became a Christian event and then apparently just a big regional party) but tens of thousands descend on this little island to participate in it, including attempting to touch the unfortunate sheep for luck. This link shows such a dolled up sheep and reviews the festival ritual, which also includes getting horses to rear up while in crowds. Note to self: be sure and never come to Ciutadella around June 23 and 24, as the lovely little town then becomes a mob scene:

 

 

http://menorca-live.com/festes-de-sant-joan-de-ciutadella-menorca/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

Near a lively little city market full but not too full of tourists, I saw what on initial glance I thought were loaves of bread:

 

 

 

 

However, once I read the sign saying “queso” it was clear these were big cheeses, of which I bought half a pound after sampling, in case the Europa’s 12 dinner cheese offerings were not enough that evening, to avoid nocturnal emaciation.

 

 

The little cathedral was pretty inside:

 

 

 

 

 

I am not sure what this person with closed eyes was trying to tell passersby when first put up over a nobleman’s doorway a few hundred years ago ( you can make up your own theory, and would love to hear if anyone knows what it really symbolizes):

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

I moved on to a much more modern art piece in a small park ( only women were taking pictures):

 

 

 

On this street, someone opted to hedge his bets between old and new, science and faith, when he installed this crude wiring setup on an old house but made sure it was at least protected by a saintly presence, in case something was not quite right:

 

 

 

 

Minorcan waters were supposedly often full of pirates back in the day, starting with attacking trade ships heading to and from wealthy Rome. Perhaps some looked like this:

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

As I had been nibbling on cheese with farmers bread, I limited my late lunch in the calm, cool MDR to this interesting egg, cucumber, cream, mayo ( aptly timed for Mahan), pesto, and more cold appetizer. This was a regular menu item available daily vegetarians liked a lot:

 

 

Then came a very nicely prepared proper crepe with fruit inside and out, and flavorful mango sorbet:

 

 

 

When I am not very hungry on cruises due to consuming twice as many calories per day as I do at home, I often eat lighter, vegetarian offerings, on SB and on HL, and they were quite good and creative this year, better than before on HL, e.g., various pastas incorporating cheeses or egg, Asian offerings with exotic spices, and various bean dishes.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Floridiana]

My mouth is watering!

 

To add another tidbit about the history of Menorca. Today's 8th generation of Floridians of European descent is from Menorca. They left the island for the Floridian east coast. After an unsuccessful attempt at surviving in the New Smyrna colony without adequate supplies, they relocated to St.Augustine.

[Catlover54]

The sun set close to 9:30. One of the experiences I enjoy most at sea is the sunrises and sunsets with broad expanse of horizon. This could be almost anywhere:

 

 

 

Most evenings after the shows, ( which ran 9:45-10:30 or 10:45), and a deck round or two, I spent about an hour having a drink in the comfortable Gatsby’s bar where the Austrian band “Impulse” performed. There was a core of four musicians and two singers, and sometimes three more would join on sax, trombone, and trumpet ( I am a sucker for sax). The musicians were very talented, but the audience was usually sparse.

 

Towards the end of the cruise the lead male singer thanked me while we were on an excursion together for having routinely come hear them play. I usually sat in front so with only a handful of pax listening, and a couple other features, I was hard to miss. I think most pax on this cruise just went to bed early, and it was sad that the excellent band had so few listening. This could have but did not interfere with musician enthusiasm.

 

A less than ideal picture cropped from a video I took of the band on another day:

 

 

The lead singer, the easy on the eyes Anne-Marie Schnabel, was quite expressive and sang mostly old favorites in English, and a few in German, varying by night from Elvis to 60’s and 70’s, and also chanteuse style songs in a solo performance one night. They had a Beatles’ hits night, and also played a few German pop star favorites like Udo Juergens’ haunting and popular “Griechischer Wein” ( “Greek wine”) song, and some Austrian pop tunes.

 

 

 

A few couples danced regularly, some expertly, some wisely in orthopedic shoes, others in designer best heels, though oddly many ( especially men) did not look like they enjoyed dancing and grimly cooperated going through the motions just to please their wives. There was always plenty of room on the Gatsby’s dance floor. I enjoy watching people having fun dancing, though my health problems preclude participation.

 

Most evenings a pleasant waitress would go around the room offering late night hot snacks from a tray, e.g., little sausages, salmon, cheese canapes, or mini-schnitzel pieces. Nuts and chips were always on tables.

 

I did not take a picture of Gatsby’s this trip, but here are some from before, it looks more or less the same now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

Day 6 and 7, Barcelona

 

We sailed into lovely Barcelona early in the morning to a brilliant sunrise that looked very similar to the prior night’s sunset, but then it clouded over.

People who had never been here and a few repeaters set off for the expected ship excursions to Sagrada Familia, other Gaudi areas, and Montserrat.

 

I had been here three times before, so this time I slept in a bit before independent easy-going wandering under the clouds, and then some fortification to prepare for the big event of the cruise that evening, a private concert for MS Europa guests in the historic Casa Llotja with the Cadaques Orchestra and soloists Xavier De Maestra ( harp) and Lucio Tena ( “the Paganini of castanets”).

 

 

Late light lunch was Prussian “Koenigsberger Klopse” ( simple ground meats with spices in a delicious white sauce), sample recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/meatballs-in-white-sauce-recipe-1447156 .

(There was a whole roasted lamb in the Lido, for those with larger appetites)

 

 

 

and a lemon dessert, with raspberry and real whipping cream of course:

 

 

 

Later, a light dinner from this assorted cheese selection with fresh European style breads ( there were assorted duck dishes in the Lido I bypassed):

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

Casa Llotja dot com has detailed info about history and pictures of this unusual beautiful building and I copied the next two pictures from there to show you its general layout outside, and of the courtyard, where we were welcomed with unlimited champagne pours:

 

 

 

 

 

This one of Neptune ( never my favorite statue guy, though he seems to be everywhere) is my iphone snap:

 

 

We had to hover in the courtyard longer than ideal, so I had more champagne and studied him more closely. Having recently had treatment for breast cancer, towards the end of the second glass my mind wandered a bit and I started imagining the maiden at his right foot appeared to be doing a breast cancer screening exam, so when the waiter offered me yet another glass, I passed.

 

 

Photos were not allowed inside the beautiful concert hall, unfortunately. I was in the first row and could have gotten some good pictures and video, but now I have to count on my memory for recaps of this fantastic concert, or the snippets the ship trip videographer filmed.

 

This was our program

 

:

 

 

Here are some links to some youtubes of the unusual stars:

 

Castanet concerto excerpt with Lucio Tena, who was born in Mexico and started out as a flamenco dancer, and then turned to castanet solos and has played for many decades, inspiring many young and old ( and especially the old). She was a crowd favorite, especially when she played this piece:

 

 

Here is Lucio along with the gorgeous ( in more ways than one) harpist Xavier Maestra, new album:

 

 

Xavier ( who is French, but a music professor in Hamburg), played this famous Rodrigo concerto, usually for guitar:

 

 

We returned by bus to the ship in the rain, and a welcoming sumptuous buffet in the atrium.

 

An excellent day on an excellent cruise.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Catlover54]

The ship overnighted in Barcelona, and the next morning I left for an architectural tour off the beaten path, not of Gaudi works, but works of Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

 

First stop was the Palau de la Musica, where we had a private, uncrowded tour.

Out front was a controversial sculpture:

 

 

Inside, one room tried to outdo the other in ornate beauty and symbolism:

 

 

 

 

Above, in the second photo, Beethoven is depicted off on the lower right, and the former music director is on the left of this complicated work of art, the symbolism of which is described in more detail here:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau_de_la_Música_Ca

 

The ceiling was inspiring, as was the music and acoustics when staff played Bach on the organ for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk