Spain 5 - Boarding the ship

Sunday April 7

Today was a lazy, relatively uneventful day. We had time til 12 noon to be out of our hotel room. We did not know how we should go to Tarragona to the ship and what was included in our booking. There happened already a good number of “our” people in this hotel. The pre-trip people and some which had come earlier like us. When you see this sign (on a name tag or luggage) you are not shy and start talking. 

I almost forgot to take a photo of the hotel. It was in a very good location for us. We had booked without included breakfast but today we went there to meet a couple which we know from a previous trip. We are excited to meet them again. We already know though that unfortunately we are not going to be in the same group on the ship. 

We are waiting for the time to pass in the lobby because there is not enough time for sightseeing. 

At 1 pm we are being driven in a taxi to the ship. It is Sunday and the traffic on the highway is not that bad.  But the weather and landscape is not that exciting though. There seemed the be many fields with rows of grapes. Undoubtedly a vine area. 

Finally the port but we drive and drive and it looks very deserted. 

We were happy to see the ship, were greeted so nicely by the crew but still had to settle with the taxi driver that I totally forget to take a photo. It truly was a strange place. 

We were led to our cabin which is perfectly fine and of course quite inviting. Have a look!

Breakfast and lunch are always buffet and we were encouraged to enjoy. 

We unpacked and organized ourselves a bit. It is nice when things are out of the suitcases and finally you knew where things are. 

At 6:30pm was the mandatory safety briefing. I will never complain about that. 

The young officer explained some things, then we watched a video (which we had already seen several times in the cabin while unpacking) and then we had to put the life vests on to show that we could do it. 

Did I mention that this trip is actually called a culinary one? OMG we are being spoiled!

Dinner is always “sit-down” with 4 courses. 

This appetizer is “Porto Carpaccio de Remolacha” (red beet with feta cheese and basil pesto) and it was so good even if this photo isn’t. 

The soup was “Caldo Verde” traditional with cabbage and chorizo sausage. 

James: turkey breast with red wine cranberry sauce. 

I of course had the halibut filet with potato herb crust on creamy spinach….

Oh no, also dessert!

Everything was paired nicely with wine of course. And then we were tired. After a little chatting it was time to settle in the cabin, look at the itinerary for the next day and decide whether it is necessary to set an alarm. 

Oh, I forgot to say that we got good news before we left the dining room. She ship got permission to go and dock in the Port Barcelona. Laws and regulations change all the time. It will do that in the night. It means that it will cut away about 3 hours of bus tour (1 1/2 each way) which will be great for tomorrow’s sightseeing. 

Ha-ha, this also means that the ship will rock us to sleep. Night night.