LIVE from the Prinsendam - 24 day Med Rivieras & River Explorer - please join us

[DeeniEncinitas]

WOW JACQUI!!!!!

For the last few days my sinuses have been miserable and today I’m finally better And caught up on all the pictures your reviews and food!

Those videos were so good. I am so amazed how you can juggle all of this and enjoy your cruise!! Appreciate 100 times over for giving us a glimpse into your journey.

Denise😊

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I also enjoyed all the fabulous music -- had no problems with the uploads.

 

Your pictures are also great.

 

Thank you so much for taking time to do this for all of us.  Feel like I am right there with you all.

 

Food looked wonderful.

 

And now Jose is a star!!

[kazu]

 

Just a bit more of this magnificent church if you don’t mind.

 

 

 

 

The museum - Incan children mummies

 

 

This is how the church was originally before the roof caved in.

 

 

If you look here with the supporters that worked like rebar (went into the cement) and the brown on the bottom that looks like a triangle, that is where the cement was slowly added bit by bit to raise the church back up before it went down the cliff.

 

A truly magnificent building and a couple of shots of it as I was enchanted.

 

 

 

 

This is part of the roof that DID NOT collapse.  You can see why with the clever supporters put in this section.

[kazu]

Last shot of this church.  You can really see the crack here in this arch.  All from when a part of the church was nearly over the cliff.

 

 

 

Nope, not eating here - tourist spots.  We’ll be going to a side street with Paolo’s help and recommendation.

 

 

Look at the optical illusion this walkway creates.  It looks like it’s moving, but it’s not.

 

 

And now, we are approaching the moving part of our tour.  Well, in all honesty there were many moving parts hearing the stories of expulsion and then welcoming back (they always invited the Jews back when they had economic problems).

 

 

Beautiful church isn’t it?  (Sorry for the blurry picture). Sadly it has a place in infamy.

[kazu]

At one time LIsbon had the highest percentage of Jews in the world.  By the time this massacre and other things were done, they had the smallest.

 

During on expulsion, the Jews were told they could go - “convert, die or leave” but they could only go on one day.  Women and children were taken to the ships and told to wait for their husbands (sound familiar?) and the men were brought to the town to convert.  When they refused, they were all massacred.

 

Another one occurred at this church.  The women and children were sold into slavery.  All so sad 

 

But, here at least, is Lisbon’s apology to the Jewish people for the past.

 

May it not be repeated anywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

 

Just because I liked the pic.  Farewell LIsbon.

 

 

 

We are boarding the Prinsendam.  DH waving to me from our balcony as I make my way to the terminal building for a small purchase.  No luck - already closed.  LOL.

 

And, of course, my escargots.  They were seriously good 🙂 

 

 

[travelnap]

Jacqui, Hope you two have a great time on the Prinsendam's final voyages with HAL.  Love your pictures of Lisbon.

Edited April 15, 2019 by travelnap

[kazu]

Here is tonight’s dinner menu.

 

I wasn’t thrilled when I saw it but I take it all back.

 

The salad was delish.  I could have had it for a main course and the sea bass was very, very tasty.

 

I have a couple of pics on the camera so I will post them a bit later (need to get them on the IPad) but the meal was good.

 

I don’t take pics of all the food (unless people want more food porn) - just the different stuff and the delicious stuff.  LOL.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow is the cruise ship stuff and Cadiz.

 

How many Flamenco pics do you all want?  LOL.

We went back to La Cava.  Best performance yet IMO.  Recording is not allowed and of course we got the CD/DVD whatever the heck it is but I was allowed to do a tiny bit, so with luck and good wifi, I will upload them for you all.

 

Some of the pics will be blurry as they were moving so fast.

 

All I can say is it was truly a Flamenco Espectaculo 😄 

[kazu]

Gala night - you saw the escargots.

 

We liked the watermelon gazpacho.

 

 

In Cadiz where we have been a few times, we headed for a small church area and watched as they prepared for Palm Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a great spot and basked in the children playing after (not screaming) and the locals all dressed for this so important day.

 

And with that, knowing tomorrow is a short day, I am determined to get DH up in time so I will bid you all Buenos Noches

 

And will catch up some more tomorrow.

 

Good night as we sail away from delightful Ceuta.  If you ever have the chance to come here it gets full thumbs up from kazu.

[ger_77]

You and I share an affinity for escargots . . . and love, love, love the watermelon gazpacho!  I'm thoroughly enjoying the food porn - not for everyone, I'm sure, but I'm a happy camper!

 

Smooth Sailing!   🙂🙂🙂

[DeeniEncinitas]

The pictures and narrative from you was wonderful, BUT the BEST PIC IMO IS JOSE ON YOUR BALCONY NS GIVING YOU BACK”I Love you” making a heart with his hands❤️ He is so like my husband in many ways👍 Gala night 👍👍👍 escargot 🐌 is one of the best and I always get them in PG. Gazpacho I always want more 🙄

Thank you Jacqui

Denise😊

[cat shepard]

I cast my vote for any pics you want to take the time to share. And thank you in advance!

[kazu]

8 hours ago, ger_77 said:

You and I share an affinity for escargots . . . and love, love, love the watermelon gazpacho!  I'm thoroughly enjoying the food porn - not for everyone, I'm sure, but I'm a happy camper!

 

Smooth Sailing!   🙂🙂🙂

Thanks!

7 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

The pictures and narrative from you was wonderful, BUT the BEST PIC IMO IS JOSE ON YOUR BALCONY NS GIVING YOU BACK”I Love you” making a heart with his hands❤️ He is so like my husband in many ways👍 Gala night 👍👍👍 escargot 🐌 is one of the best and I always get them in PG. Gazpacho I always want more 🙄

Thank you Jacqui

Denise😊

 

My pleasure 🙂 

6 hours ago, cat shepard said:

I cast my vote for any pics you want to take the time to share. And thank you in advance!

You’ll be sorry 😉 

[kazu]

We are in Cartagena today - but I am still on Cadiz for report purposes - LOL.

 

So, as I was saying, we found a lovely spot by an old cathedral

 

 

and while we were watching we thought it would be wise to savour the flavour so a copa de vino was a must 😉. 

 

I was too late to get a good shot - but the Spanish really hate that the KKK copied this.  The people wearing the cones in Samana Santa are petitioners - coming to beg forgiveness.  

 

 

 

The pretty square we were at

 

 

 

 

 

Then, feeling hungry we went for a walk to find a local establishment.  Very simple lunch 

 

 

 

The sandwich is lomo, queso y juevo (beef, cheese and egg).  I’ve never had this version before and it was very tasty.

[Despegue]

Is this watermelon gazpacho an appetizer? Have not seen it on the menu...but it sounds great!

enjoy Spain and the Elegant Explorer!

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Despegue said:

Is this watermelon gazpacho an appetizer? Have not seen it on the menu...but it sounds great!

enjoy Spain and the Elegant Explorer!

 

It was served automatically on Gala night.  Wasn’t on the menu.  Sort of like the beginning at the Pinnacle Grill.

[kazu]

Soon it was time to head back to the ship to meet our roll call group for our walk to our private Flamenco show.

 

When kazu says it’s a 7 minute walk, she means it.  Short and easy and Irena had the doors already open for us so no waiting outside on the narrow sidewalk thankfully.

 

Here we all are at La Cava:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see the back seats are empty.  Everyone pretty much had a good view.  La Cava holds 55, but some of the views are not great so I was happy with our number of 39.

[kazu]

Some of the pictures will appear blurry, sadly.

 

They were moving so fast, it was hard to get focus in time.

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

Our male dancer was absolutely amazing.  We cheered enthusiastically and he added more dancing to show his skill.  His feet were absolutely incredible and his passion wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you see the flower in her hair?  

 

She was dancing so hard that it fell out on the stage.  It got moved to the step by a good roll call member who was closest to it so she didn’t trip on it and then passed back to her when she was done.

 

[kazu]

And then we had the senior.  (Usually one female dancer is younger - an apprentice although this one that I showed earlier was very, very good and then there is the very experienced one).

 

OMG the expressions and passion on her face and in her movements.  A wonderful dancer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then our male really showed off.

 

 

The finale - with the three of them together

 

 

And they sit down simultaneously to signal the end.

 

 

[kazu]

These are very short, tiny snips.  I didn’t want to abuse the privilege.

 

Recording an entire performance or even much is forbidden as these are professionals.

 

It is in hopes of showing you some of the footwork.

 

It’s dark again because of the lighting - I hope one of them works.

 

Looks like some of them are sideways - sorry about that.  Couldn’t find a way to turn them around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

Walking back from the Flamenco show:

 

 

New friends who we are doing a lot of tours with.  I think we are going to have a lot of fun 🙂. Hoping she can copy this pic to her iPad for herself as they are a fine looking couple 🙂 

 

 

 

Just a close up of this:

 

 

Los dos amigos. 

 

[kazu]

A sea gull at the sea view pool.  As you can see he was scared of nothing.  I was very close before he decided to fly away :

 

 

Beautiful Cadiz - 

 

 

This is the appetizer that we didn’t order on Gala night.  Our waiter was raving about it so they brought us a taste to share.  The regionally inspired dish.  We weren’t keen on it. 😉 

 

 

Our seafood devilled eggs (this is what we ordered) .  - I really liked this one - so did DH.

 

 

It was a rough time choosing that night (Gala).  Prime Rib, the salad I love and liver and onions.  We both opted for the liver and onions and there will be plenty of prime rib during the cruise. (At least, I hope so))

 

Our neighbours who had the prime rib said it was very good.

 

[kazu]

Gala night was very good.

 

We do main dining and for the record, (for those that care) everyone was dressed very nicely indeed. 😄 

 

Our piano player Daniel is quite good so a glimpse of the show and up to the Crow’s Nest for happy hour.

 

I like the new system of happy hour with any drink for $2 more as it let’s us order some really good wine.

 

Leo in the Crow’s Nest has already memorized what we are drinking 😉 

 

here is the bar menu from the Crow’s Nest:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am drinking the Miracle and DH the Carmenere 😄 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just caught up.

 

The food looks delicious.  Your pictures and videos are wonderful -- no problems with.

 

I always felt that people on the Med and European cruises always dressed up well for gala and formal nights.