Day 11 - Cádiz and Jerez

We arrived in Cádiz just before 06:30. We were up and about as we had an early excursion and needed to get some breakfast. Being so early, we had breakfast in the buffet instead of Epicurean. This meant we could be in and out in about 30 minutes. We returned to our suite to collect our gear and headed for the gangway. We had a short wait but then were directed to our coach.

On the dot of 8:30 we set off from the port and made our way through the morning mist, across the river and the Salinas (salt pans) to the town of Jerez de la Frontera. Our guide, Alba, was very interesting and had a wealth of information, history, and stories to keep us informed for the whole journey. 

When we arrived in Jerez, the coach gave us a tour of the town before we were dropped and guided around by Alba. Jerez is a charming town and it was a real pleasure wandering around and seeing the magnificent buildings and churches - and, of course, the Alcazar (though we didn’t have time for a tour). We did get a chance to stop and wander by ourselves for a while and found a booth outside the main market where we all enjoyed a coffee and some churros. It was a bit rushed, but there was more on the agenda.

Back on the coach, we headed across to Cádiz. Again, we started with a coach tour of the city to get our bearings and to ensure we saw the main sights. We were then dropped back near the harbour and started our walking tour. Leaving the bus, we headed for Plaza de San Juan de Dios; this is an irregularly shaped plaza because it once was bounded by the embankments of an ancient arm of the sea that used to cut through this part of Cádiz. Over time, it developed as a commercial area, especially with the growth of trade with the Americas. The plaza was sited just outside the original city walls, next to the Puerta del Mar (sea gate), which allowed access from the port. One end is dominated by the Town Hall, and the Baroque tower of the Church of San Juan de Dios helps frame the space. We walked through the Puerta del Mar, and Alba started to explain about the native stonework. Unfortunately, workmen were renovating an hotel behind us, and every few minutes, another barrowload of rubbish was ejected from the top floor down some plastic chutes. This drowned much of her commentary, so we moved on, through the Arco de la Rosa, to the Plaza de la Catedral. 

This was a wide open space in front of the huge Baroque Cathedral (Catedral de la Santa Cruz sobre las Aguas - Cathedral of the Holy Cross over the Waters). Because construction took so long, the cathedral shows a mix of styles: baroque, rococo, and neoclassical. It was built in a period when Cádiz was experiencing a “golden age,” especially because the trade with the Americas was booming. Wealth flowed into the city, and people wanted grander architecture to match its importance.

We took photos and heard more history from Alba, but would save a visit for later. We continued the tour down small roads leading off the plaza and through the quaint shopping streets lined with small independent shops. It was really quite charming. We continued as far as the flower market and then looped back round to the Cathedral Square via another route through the streets. Just off the square, we stopped for a beer (included in the excursion) before saying a fond farewell to Alba. We had the afternoon to ourselves.

We walked back to the Cathedral, paid our entry fee (well, strictly speaking, Trevor did), and then downloaded the audioguide to our phones. As we walked around, signs identified which audio commentary described the chapel, carving, or area where we were. It worked very well and was informative without becoming boring. The Cathedral was huge, with three naves and a huge vaulted crypt. There are 16 chapels around the walls. We spent a long time wandering around and taking it all in. Leaving the Cathedral, Jane and Trevor headed off in one direction, and we crossed the square to get some gelato. Wandering the streets and alleys, we were looking for a particular shop we had passed earlier during the tour. As we zigged and zagged, I saw Simeon Wood coming towards us. I stopped him, and we said how much we had enjoyed his show last night. He was very gracious and stopped to chat with us. In the end, I think we chatted for the best part of an hour, and then, because of the time, we walked back to the ship with him.

We had a quiet hour in our suite before preparing for dinner. The ship cast off just after 17:30 and started on the 600 nautical mile trip north to La Coruña. We decided that we weren’t needed on the Bridge, so went down to dinner. We started with the Gambas Pil Pil, which was delicious with its huge, succulent prawns. For the main course, Di selected the Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak. She wasn’t totally happy with this as it was a little chewy. I selected Paella, which was quite delicious. The entertainment tonight was the Headliners, again. Like last time, this meant that I skipped out from the restaurant early and made my way to the theatre to grab some good seats for the show. As it happened, I got there so early that the doors were not yet open. Even still, a queue was forming.

I grabbed four prime seats that ensured we had a good, uninterrupted view of the stage, then settled down to wait for the others to turn up and the show to start. The offering tonight was called Unbelievable. It was a “brand-new magic and illusion show” with dancing. The show was quite excellent with some brilliant illusions. Few (if any) were new illusions, but they were all performed brilliantly and it was impossible to see how they were achieved. I must say that I think we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

That was it for the day. The next show in Havana wasn’t until 22:15, and we couldn’t be bothered to wait for that, so we called it a night and returned to our suites. It had been a brilliant day and Cadiz has found its way onto our “must return” list.

Day 10 - Adrift off the coast of Africa

The “Grand-class” of cruise ship that is Ventura may be optimised for Caribbean and Mediterranean cruising, but its design doesn’t lend itself to Atlantic swells. Overnight, we have been fighting our way north against a 45-knot headwind and some significant swells. We have been making 18 knots, but the ship was very twitchy. We had to put our clocks forward by one hour during the night so that we are on the same time zone as Spain.

We had a leisurely breakfast, then made our way to the Arena Theatre. Today’s guest speaker (they have had them most days) was Linda Sage. She has clearly had a very interesting career as a psychologist working within the Criminal Justice System. She was giving the first of three talks on serial killers, sex offenders, and murderers. The theatre was full. Whether this was people with a genuine interest, people taking notes, or psychopaths basking in their cleverness and anonymity wasn’t clear. Whatever, the underlying interest, she had a very engaged audience. The next talk in the series is “Women Who Kill” - again, I will be watching for anyone taking notes or recording it on their phones.

After the talk, we stopped off in The Glasshouse for a coffee. The front of the ship was getting quite a bashing and was far more noisy than we had been experiencing at the stern. We enjoyed our coffee and then headed back to our cabin, where we sat on the balcony with our Kindles and several magazines for a few hours. It was delightfully warm, and the sea was slowly quietening down after the overnight skittishness. By 16:00, the sea was starting to wake up again and became quite choppy.

It was formal night again, so we dressed up in our finery. Di had a last-minute change brought about by the choppiness of the ocean and her original plan for higher heels than usual. She decided that she didn’t want to fall off them and break an ankle, so there was a change of shoes and associated outfit. We had dinner as usual in the Bay Tree restaurant. Di and I both started with the Crispy Pork Shoulder with Fennel and Mustard. Though I enjoyed it, Di was less keen. For the main dish, Di chose the Prime Fillet of Beef Medallions drizzled with a Rich Red Wine Jus, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I chose the Pan-fried Sea Bream Escalope with Baby Caper Dressing, which was wonderful.

In the theatre, after dinner, we had a show from Simeon Wood, who was a flautist but played seven different wind instruments (including an NHS walking stick!). He was immensely talented and quite droll. He put on a superb show, and again, we look forward to another later in the cruise.

It’s an early night tonight as we have an early start in Cadiz tomorrow.

Day 9 - Lanzarote

We sailed overnight, arriving in the port of Arrecife at about 07:15. By 08:00, they were letting guests leave the ship for a day on Lanzarote. 

The weather forecast, starting at 22C, was expected to reach 28C, but with some cloud and a breeze picking up during the afternoon. From our position on the stern of the ship, we could see from our dock along the east coast to the south and across the strait to Fuerteventura on the horizon.

We left the ship and started to walk into Arrecife. We had no specific target, just a general walk and mooch around. 

The route from the Cruise Terminal took us through the marina where there was an impressive little selection of shops, restaurants, and even a supermarket. (Gratuitous picture of Flamingo for Kim and Ellie). 

Being Sunday, these could well be the only shops that were open. (We heard one couple bemoaning that it had been a 45-minute walk into town and everything was closed; what do they expect, it’s Sunday!). 

We continued our walk, sticking close to the coastal promenade. 

We found our way to the Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa. This is a 17-story modern hotel remarkable because of its height and the green glass with which it is clad. It seemed like a good spot for a drink, so we asked if there was somewhere to grab a coffee and they directed us to the Blue 17 Roof Top Restaurant. 

We were shown to a corner table with a view across the south of the island and west across the city. It was a magical spot. We sat and enjoyed a Weissbier each, and watched the world go by (and the flights arrive and leave the airport nearby). We finally dragged ourselves away from the view and started the walk back to the ship. We stopped in at a clothes shop in the marina and both managed to find something that suited our tastes and budget.

Have taken our gear to the room, we headed for the buffet. We had evidently hit a peak time. While we were able to get a table, it was bait for a scrum to get the food. Indeed, I checked with Di whether it would have been considered poor etiquette to yell “Get you fat, Northern arses out the hell out of my way and stop dithering, you moronic old Trumps; some people are trying to get food not sight-see”. Di confirmed that this would not be considered good etiquette, so it probably just as well that I held my tongue. One of the observations I have made on this trip is the weight difference between the guests from up North compared to those from down South. It sounds ridiculous but I can almost guess someone’s accent by looking at them, and their size difference is such that many seem to have their own gravitational field. (I’m surprised the ship doesn’t need to make more use of deck cranes to save wear and tear on the gangways).

Sail Away was at 17:30 (give or take) and involved reversing out of the the harbour and a sneaky handbrake turn as we turned north on the next leg of the adventure... the 590 nautical mile trip to Cadiz. The Captain has warned that we may get some "motion" as we fight through the trailing effects of ex-hurricane Gabrielle which is made landfall in Portugal today. (He suggested that those in the cheap cabins near the waterline might have to row harder to ensure we make Cadiz on schedule).

 We met up for drinks before dinner and then proceeded to the restaurant. Tonight’s menu was as good as usual. Diane started with the melon, and I had Deep-fried Sesame Crusted Halloumi; we followed with Pan-fried Gammon Steak and Charred Golden Pineapple Rings for Diane and Crispy Panko-crusted Plaice Fillet with Brown Butter Caper Sauce for me. It really goes without saying as to how good it was.

The show in the Arena Theatre was a vocalist from the West End stage called Tanya Edwards. She has recently been touring with Soul II Soul. It was very popular and the other loved it. Me, not so much. I don’t find that soul music moves me. It doesn’t make me feel like clapping along, or tapping my feet. It just washes over me. She is performing again later in cruise and I’m sure we will go along to see her again.

We are definitely getting some "motion" on the ship tonight. We decided to head for our cabins after the show.

Day 8 - Gran Canaria

We left Tenerife at 22:30 last night and sailed at a leisurely pace throughout the night. We arrived in the port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria at 06:30 this morning. 

Other than the lights from the harbour, it was still pitch black. What wasn’t apparent until later was that the port is an ugly container port, but in the pre-dawn blackness, with lights on the working vessels and cranes, it looked quite attractive. Once the sun was up, it looked very different. From our balcony, I counted 14 ships in the inner harbour or waiting outside the breakwater to come in.

We went up to breakfast a little earlier than usual as we had an excursion booked for 10:00. While we were eating, we heard an announcement from our Captain (James Brown) to say that he was departing the ship on leave… and going on a cruise through the Mediterranean on Aurora. He then announced his replacement and welcomed him on board.

We disembarked just before 10:00 and climbed onto our coach. We didn’t have far to go, but the port is certainly not a simple walking distance from the town. We stopped in the old part of town (Vegueta) and our guide, Diego, walked us through the alleyways and squares, explaining the history and the architecture. 

One of our first stops was the covered market, where the locals purchase their vegetables, cheeses, fish, and meats. It was a riot of colour and smells and an enjoyable interlude. 

The next proper stop was at the Casa de Colon (Christopher Columbus Museum). This is located in what used to be the Governor’s House and tradition tells us Columbus stayed there in 1492 while one of his ships was repaired. The building is a huge mix of architectural styles and is built around a peaceful open courtyard. 

There are exhibits related to Columbus’s voyages and a mock-up of his cabin. There are ship models of La Niña, La Pinta, and Santa Maria. There are ethnographic displays and upstairs is an impressive gallery of paintings (some owned by the Museo de Prado). It was a very interesting interlude. 

From the museum, we went to the main square dominated at one end by the Cathedral of Santa Ana and at the other by the Casas Consistoriales - the old town hall. Whilst the Cathedral is an imposing building, there is nothing attractive about it. We didn't get the opportunity to have a look inside.

We didn’t spend long in the square as we had to cross to the “poor” quarter where we were stopping for a light snack. We sat down at two ranks of tables and were served a soft drink, a beer, or some wine. Then, when everyone was served, they dished up tapas of Canarian potatoes in a fiery red sauce. Entertainment was provided when one waiter tried to juggle a tray of drinks and ended up decorating the pavement with shards of glass and pools of beer. It was further enhanced by me dropping some of the hot sauce on my stone-coloured chinos and my polo shirt. As I write, both are now soaking in the vague hope that they may wash out. 

We returned to the bus and were taken to the Botanical Gardens. We had about 30-40 minutes for a quick look around but hardly scratched the surface. They were quite impressive, with extensive stands of the native shrubs and trees. We were soon ushered back to the bus and taken back to the port.

Once back on board, we both had a nap, accompanied by the sirens and alarms of the working port.

We sailed away from Las Palmas soon after 17:30 and did a sneaky about-turn in the harbour so that we could sail straight out of the entrance rather than reverse up. We stood on Jane and Trevor's balcony watching the world go by and chatting about the success of various sports teams during the day— the England Women's Rugby win over Canada, the significant lead Europe had in the Ryder Cup over the Americans, and some of the day's football results. We went to the Bay Tree restaurant for dinner at 18:30 and took our places at our usual table. Di started with melon (though it wasn't on the menu), and the rest of us had grilled sardines on toasted ciabatta. For the main dish, Di selected the lasagne al forno, while I had Texan beef brisket chilli. Whilst nowhere near hot enough for me, the chilli was very tasty indeed.

The entertainment tonight was advertised as a comedian, Manuel Martinez. In fact, he was more of a witty magician. Hailing from Cuba, he switched from Spanish (his opening was all in Spanish) to English. He was excellent, working the crowd mercilessly and constructing some long-running jokes/tricks.

It was quite clear at the end of the show that the audience were eating out of his hand and loving every minute of it. We were delighted to hear that he has a further show later in the cruise.

We all called it a night after the show. Jane and Trevor have an early start, tomorrow, and a quiet evening suited us well, too.

Day 7 - Tenerife

We covered about 117 nautical miles overnight from La Palma to Tenerife. We looped around the northern part of the island, and at 6 o’clock this morning, we docked in Santa Cruz.

Jane and Trevor were up early. They had an excursion across the northern side of the island, but as we know Tenerife so well, we didn’t really bother with an excursion for today. We had a leisurely breakfast and slowly got ourselves together, ready to have a wander around Santa Cruz.

Leaving the ship, we walked along the promenade towards the auditorium, then crossed into the city and started to zig and zag through the walkways and streets. It was while we were walking this first stretch that Diane realised she had left the ship without her hat or her sunglasses. I volunteered to go back, but said we could just pick up a cheap pair of shades or a wide-brimmed hat. This gave us an objective— we needed to find suitable shops. 

We headed for the Mercado Municipal Nuestra Señora de África. It was 2006, the last time we had been there, and we couldn’t remember what we would find. Well, it wasn’t sunglasses. 

There were ceramics, there was a vast fruit and vegetable market, and there was meat and poultry. As tempting as it all looked, I wasn’t convinced that they would enhance Diane’s looks. We marched on. The next stop was El Corte Inglés. They sold everything. At a price. We wandered around but couldn’t find anything at a price we were willing to pay (given that these would just be a stop-gap). 

We left and crossed the road to a shopping mall called Nivaria (the ancient name of Tenerife). There we did find some suitable sunglasses, and after stopping for a delicious coffee, we headed back.

Our target was the older part of town and specifically the Teatro Guider. There was a wonderful bronze face mask that I had remembered from the last visit. (This is more than the girl in the coffee shop, who didn’t recognise the photo, and tried to send us entirely to the wrong place.) We stopped at the Teatro and took some photos, then moved on to Iglesia de la Concepción. 

The church is regarded as the mother church (parroquia matriz) of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and is often called “la Catedral de Santa Cruz” even though it is not a cathedral. The original chapel on this site was built by the Spanish conquerors shortly after they arrived. The construction of what became the church began around 1500 under Father Juan Guerra. The architectural style is Canarian Baroque, with elements typical of colonial architecture in the islands. 

We went inside and wandered around, marvelling at the incredible statuary in the side chapels and the stained glass. At 13:00 we were all turfed out and the church was closed (Our Lord was having lunch, apparently). 

We walked from there to the Plaza de España. Plaza de España is the main square in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and one of the most emblematic places in the city. Its significance is historical, cultural, and civic. The square was built in 1929 on the site of the Castillo de San Cristóbal, a fortress that had defended the port since the 16th century. The castle is notable because from there, the defenders of Tenerife repelled Admiral Horatio Nelson’s attack in 1797, during which Nelson lost his right arm. The current look of Plaza de España comes from a major redevelopment in 2008 by the famous Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron (who also designed the Tate Modern in London). At the heart of the square is a large artificial lake/pool, symbolising the Atlantic Ocean and designed as a calm reflective space. Scattered around the square are a number of incredible statues representing fallen soldiers: the statues stand as sentinels, holding swords, symbolising both military valor and civic duty.

We left the square and headed back to the ship. Trevor and Jane had returned from their excursion, but we didn’t get time to chat as they were heading off for a walk. We grabbed a cold beer and sat in the buffet with a snack. We got talking to a couple from Cardiff about travel, photography, photo books, backups, family, and heaven’s knows what else. We headed back to our cabin for some Kindle time and a rest on the balcony (though it got too hot for me, so I went inside).

We have been tracking Zoe throughout the day as she drove from home across to Ottery St Mary to pick up a new car. It's good to that 280 miles later, she's virtually home. We had also monitored Kim, and she seemed to be stuck in traffic on the Chichester bypass, when we looked.

We met up for dinner. We were surprised that, though we went down to the restaurant early (it doesn't open until 18:30), it was already filling up. We suspected that this was because the headliners were putting on a brand new show this evening, and everyone wanted to get across to the area to ensure they got a seat. (We had a plan for that.) Diane had some melon as a starter, and then chose Traditional Beer-Battered Haddock Fillet (Jane and Trevor also selected the haddock). I started with Hot Crispy Pulled Pork and Apple Bonbon. I followed this with Char Siu Pork Fillet Medallions with Japanese Ponzu Dressing. This was absolutely delightful.

This was where our plan kicked in. I am not a great one for desserts, so I left the others to choose their sweets while I nipped to the other end of the ship and snaffled four excellent seats in the Arena. The Arena was filling up fast and there were ushers spotting the odd vacant seats with more than 20 minutes to go. Di, Trevor and Jane arrived and took their seats. (I was told that I had chosen well.) The new show was called "Beyond Reality" and was sensational. It was a backdrop of digital life, with lasers, VR headsets, suits with lights that changed colour and each part could be switched on and off in time with the music and action. We were told specifically that we were not allowed to take any photos or use any recording devices (hence no images for the blog). Apparently, they are so paranoid about the copyright that they are not even allowed to send images to other headliner troupes in the fleet. As I said, it really was sensational but almost impossible to describe.

Day 6 - La Palma

We had a very smooth crossing overnight, and soon after 6 a.m. we were approaching La Palma. Looking out from our balcony, it was still pitch black with the exception of the luminescence from our wake. There was no hint that the sun might be on its way to work, but I had every confidence that it would have set its alarm. We had an excursion planned for the morning, so agreed to go for breakfast at 7:45.

Expecting to be out on an excursion at lunchtime, we made sure that we had a good breakfast (though I avoided the coffee, knowing I would be on a coach for a number of hours). 

We disembarked and headed for our coach. The excursion was “Silk, Scenery and the Sugar Estate” and our guide, Lilia, gave us interesting running commentary throughout the four hours. From the port, in Santa Cruz, on the east coast, we wound our way up through the mountains, and through the tunnel to the west side, and made our way to El Paso. We stopped in El Paso and were surprised that we saw nobody wearing a Stetson or riding a horse. What we did see was a museum dedicated to the heritage industry of silk making. It was intriguing and the curator bombarded us with many amazing facts: it takes 500 cocoons to make a 300g skein of thread, each cocoon can produce 1 kilometre of thread, and that for 35 days all the silkworm does is eat and poop (which sounds a bit like a long cruise).

We climbed back aboard the coach and were taken to a small park at Los Llanos de Aridane. This was created by a local artist and musician, Luis Morera, who was a colleague (or student) of César Manrique (Lanzarote). It was a charming place with some bizarre fabrications and sculptures. We didn’t stay for long, but it was worth the stop. 

From there, the coach took us to Tazacorte to visit the Hotel Hacienda de Abajo, which was one of the oldest sugar plantation houses on the island. The estate was originally worked by Don Juan Fernández de Lugo (nephew of Alonso Fernández de Lugo, the conqueror of La Palma), who built a sugar mill at the end of the 15th century or early 16th century. Through time, ownership passed through other prominent local families, notably the Sotomayor-Topete family, by marriage and inheritance. These families added buildings, residences, and decorative works. 

The Hacienda is composed of four main buildings arranged around an internal garden; this garden was once the estate’s huerta (vegetable garden) and orchard. The Hacienda was restored in about 2010-2012, converting it into a hotel while preserving its historical identity. After we had looked around the hotel and the gardens, we were treated to tea, a banana (the whole area is surrounded by a sea of banana plantations), and a slice of cake. 

The last stop on our excursion was to Mirador de Tajuya. This was the spot where observers watched the last major volcanic eruption on the Island in 2021. It had a view straight across to the caldera and along the lava flow which reached the sea after ten days. The lava caused huge destruction of homes and agriculture and, in places, was 60m deep. When the volcanic activity died down, there were still areas that remained evacuated because of the gases that were still venting. The lava cut off a couple of villages, but they have already had a new road driven across the lava field.

We arrived back at the port just before 2 p.m. and, after stopping for an ice cream, wandered back to the ship. Whilst we enjoyed the excursion, I couldn't say that it encouraged me to return— not because it wasn't interesting— but more because it is so similar to Tenerife, which we know so well. We spent the afternoon on our balcony enjoying some Kindle time.

We met up with Jane and Trevor before dinner, but only after a call with Zoe who gave me the news that our heating at home needs a £600 part... but having said that, seems to have kicked back into life since Ross called. That was "great" news! We went down to dinner and stared at the menu for a while. Then Di and I both selected the Tortilla de Partatas to start with. For our main course, Diane selected the Sun-dried Tomato and Mozzarella Arancini, while I chose the Oven-roasted Cod Supreme with Green Olive and Cherry Tomato Caper Sauce. After dinner, we avoided the Arena Theatre which was featuring the Bloxed Beats again. I think once was enough. We went, instead, to Havana where Paris Adams was performing a Night at Nashville. I'm not a lover of country music (having once offered to write a filter to prevent it getting played on BBC Radio) but I'm sure she was very good, and would certainly have been better if they had got the sound balance right. As it was they had gone for volume rather than quality.

Day 5 - Land at Last

The lights of Land became visible as we drifted during the night. Another are member had lost his mind and couldn’t wait to be rescued. He there himself into the water and started swimming towards the lights. That was the last we saw of him.

We met up for breakfast a bit earlier this morning. We had arrived in port and were eager to get off the ship and go for a walk during the morning. This part of Funchal is familiar to us as we had holidayed here in November 2018. We disembarked and walked out of the port area, passing the Cristiano Ronaldo hotel and museum. 

We Climbed the steps up to St Catherine’s Gardens and wandered around the lake before turning back towards the town and dropping down to the promenade. We walked the full length, as far as the old fort. It was interesting seeing the ticket touts trying to sell rides on the cable car when I could clearly see the queue stretching out of the building, along the road and round the nearby park. I heard one guy admit the queue was at least 2 hours! We were not interested anyway (having done it last time). We carried on to the fort and then looped up through part of the old town before dropping back to the promenade. 

We arrived back at the ship in time to have a quick comfort break and then a glug of water.

Next on the agenda was an excursion “Leisurely Scenes of Madeira”. We climbed aboard the bus and took the last couple of seats. No sooner had we sat down than we set off. The first stop was west of the port, passing Reid’s Hotel, and the Vidamar where we stayed last time. We then looped inland and up to a viewpoint at Pico dos Barcelos where we were able to stretch our legs and take some photos. 

From there the coach wove its way back and forth up the switchback roads, with vertiginous drops to keep us alert, as we climbed to Pico do Serrado. The bus driver certainly earned his money on that drive. Again we stopped and were treated to a cup of tea and some cake in a restaurant before having some free time to wander about and take photos. It was an absolutely beautiful spot and the drop to the valley floor was breathtaking, but we were 1904m up a mountain, and the valley floor was virtually sea level. 

The bus then started on the descent, time and again having to stop to allow traffic coming up the hill room to get past. Our next stop was Cabo Girão which is one of the tallest sea cliffs in Europe at 580m. The glass viewing platform gave us some entertainment as people panicked at the thought of crossing it. We took our photos then stopped for a beer before climbing back on the coach and heading back to the ship.

We left Funchal at about 5pm, heading the 290 nautical miles to Gran Canaria.

We met up with Jane and Trevor for dinner, as usual. Di started with Chilled Tandoori Salmon with Kachumber Salad, and I had the Salt Cod Fritters. The for our main dishes, Di chose Roasted Pork Fillet Medallions with Fruity Cider Jus, and I selected the Arroz de Marisco. This latter dish was brilliant and one that I would certainly choose again. It almost becomes boring looking for superlatives to match the dishes that we have on offer every evening.

From the Bay Tree restaurant, we went to the Havana. We had, sort of, decided to give the entertainment in The Arena a miss. It was a pair of comedians doing “Eric & Ernie” and somehow it didn’t’t seem right. We watched the gig in Havana: Sounds of the 70s” until it ended and decided that the follow-on “Deal or No Deal” was not our cup of tea. We went to Tamarind, found a nice spot and sat and chatted. By 9pm. We decided that it had been a full day, and it was time for bed.

One last bit of news: Ellie was declared footballer of the week at the after school club. I expect nothing less. What’s more I wish to see her collect the Ballon D’Or in the future!

Day 4 - Still at Sea

The First Mate had completely lost his mind. He was ranting about the endless sea and attacking anyone who ventured near. For our own safety, we had to throw him overboard. The last we saw of him he was attacking a shark. The ship’s carpenter is recovering from his wounds, but suffers bouts of delirium. The ship’s doctor is tending to him as best he can. We are optimistic that we might drift towards land in the next day.

I was up before 7, but that seems to be the way my body clock works. It was still pitch black outside, and when the sun struggled in and clocked on for the day, it revealed thick cloud from one horizon to the next. A couple of small rents in the cloud provided a bit of daylight. The wind speed was about 6 knots, and the temperature was 15°C. There was plenty of time for the day to improve, once the sun had had its morning coffee.

During the morning, we went along to sign up for the “Trek the Deck” walk, in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Di signed up and donated, but didn’t feel like doing the walk. She went off to attend a lecture on gemstones. I stayed to do the walk and was joined by Jane and Trevor. The route was clockwise around the foredeck. It was a short loop, and there was quite a crowd participating. This meant that, at first, it was very slow, but as people dropped out, we were able to pick up speed. The aim was to complete nine laps. We weren’t counting at first, but when everyone stopped, we assumed that was the nine finished… we then continued, and I completed a further nine laps at my normal walking speed.

We always get an announcement at the midday bell. We were told today that we had covered 1144 nautical miles since leaving Southampton, and we have a further 230 to go before arriving in Madeira tomorrow morning. I noticed that the Navigation screen on the TV now shows Madeira creeping onto the screen from the bottom.

We had a light lunch in the buffet. Trevor was late joining us, having been to a presentation on Frederique Constant watches. (Trevor likes his watches!) He resisted temptation (for now). We all had a quiet afternoon with our Kindles. Diane and Jane went off for a presentation at 4 p.m. on Coeur de Lion jewellery. Despite the fact that Di won the raffle and gained a bracelet and necklace, she was disappointed with the content of the presentation, which really imparted no value at all.

It was another formal night. There was a lot of “getting ready” to do, so we started well in advance. Once we were decent, we gave Zoe a call, just to say hello and check that Jasper was ok. Ellie had just been given a clean bill of health at the optician, and was revelling in her new football kit. She was wearing the No. 10 shirt with Messi emblazoned across the back. She’s also got some football boots and shin pads. The call was remarkably clear and we chatted for about 20 minutes.

Dressed in our finery, we proceeded down to the restaurant for dinner. The menu was another Marco Pierre White special. All four of us started with the Pan Fried Tiger Prawns in Garlic and Chilli, then the girls selected Roasted Rump of Lamb à la Dijonnaise and Slow-braised Lamb Shoulder, while Trevor and I both chose Turbot Fillet with Parmesan Crust served on Mussel and Somerset Cider Broth. We were all delighted with our choices. 

As soon as we had finished, we split up. Trevor headed for their room with the remains of the wine, Jane sought out the ladies, and Di and I headed along to the Arena to ensure we got some seats for the evening’s entertainment. Like yesterday, the theatre was filling up fast and by 20:15 it was full. We had excellent seats with a good view of the stage. The entertainment was provided by Aaron Kavanagh (who had provided the Elton John tribute act on the first evening). Tonight his show was all about the music that has inspired him. It was wonderful and we all agreed that it was the best show we had seen on any of our cruises. He was an immensely talented young man with a repertoire spanning Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, Les Mis, Bobby Darin, and even Elvis. We will certainly watch out to see if he does another show while we are on board.

Trevor and Jane went back to their suite after the show, but we headed for Havana, where the house band was playing. We stayed for about half an hour, but then we too headed back.