2024 – Queen Mary 2 Grand World– Part 5 –Walvis Bay to Southampton..5.1 Canary Islands – again

At sea again on April 18, I wrote Newsletter 18, without much to say, but needing a count for our shore excursion in Lisbon.  I only had 6 and I was hoping for 10. I alerted the tour team.

Liz and Amanda and I have taken to meeting on Deck 8, Aft, at 6pm while the weather holds.  It’s nice to be out in the fresh air before dinner.  We skipped the show.  Our own company is enough fun.

We were still at sea, the next day, April 19 and it was just an ordinary work day, but the weather was still nice, so Liz and Amanda and I were on Deck 8 again at 6.  Liz, counted as having embarked in Cape Town, had a party to go to,.  Amanda and I had pasta and garlic bread – which is a very white pizza, at the Chef’s Table.  I went back to my stateroom and had a 58 minute WhatsApp call with Patrick and Rose, back in Montreal, planning some of our summer theatre outings.  Then I went to see Michael Halverson, because I am a sucker for Cirque du Soleil people.  He turned out to be a magician, but at least, a good one. 

With yet another sea day on April 20, I was really catching up with my logging and blogging, which is a good thing.  I might get to take in a couple of lectures at some point soon.  In the World Cruise Lounge, I found out that our day in Lisbon, April 25, will be the 50th anniversary of Carnation Day, when Portugal overthrew their dictator to become a Democratic Republic.  We have a DV shore excursion that day, which will take us out of Lisbon proper, and that may be a very good thing.  I did a little more research on it when I got back to my computer, but didn’t find enough to recommend to the family, who wanted to see Lisbon.

The weather was still good, so it was sundowners on 8 aft again with Liz and Amanda and this time we did go to the dining room for dinner.  It was a good menu and we even managed a decent political discussion.  I had a little more of my own business to handle back in the stateroom, but went out again, after ten, for a nightcap with Ceri.   I really am ageing backwards and we were gaining an hour that night.

Still at sea on April 21. there’s a gastro-intestinal thing going around again.  The Captain thought it serious enough to get on the PA around 9AM and broadcast right into the cabins.  Wash your hands, people, it happens when we leave Africa.  The passengers boarding in Cape Town seem to bring it on. 

The Captain’s announcement also brought the news that the Country Fayre, where everyone gets rid of that which they do not want to pack, was cancelled.  It was to have been in The Queen’s Room.  Afternoon Tea had been moved to The Britannia Dining Room.  Hmmm…  Peggy and Liz and I had been invited to Anne’s 75th Birthday Party in The Queen’s Room.  I wondered where it would be now.  I called Andrew, but he wasn’t there and wouldn’t have known at that point either. 

I called Peggy and Liz and arranged to meet them outside Britannia at 3:25pm, where we could inquire of the Maitre d’ and proceed accordingly.

Then I looked at Lisbon and The Carnation Revolution again and was moved to write this to Dharmesh about it.  I included a link to what I could find on the celebrations and added  “Such festivities can be to be embraced or are to be avoided.  if you decide to avoid, I’d still be happy to have you on our tour to Obidos.”   Please let me know, sooner than later.   I have warned the tour operator we could be as few as six.  We’ll want the big bus back if you come.  

Dharmesh considered the situation and made the decision to come with us. When 3:20pm came around on my watch, I went to Britannia and was dismayed that Peggy and Liz weren’t there.  I eventually woke up to the fact that I was an hour early.  The clock had gone back last night. I gave myself a good talking to, found out that tea would be in The Queen’s Room, after all, and went back to call Peggy and Liz and tell them. 

And we all went to tea, and it was all very lovely, especially the cake, which was truly excellent. 

I don’t change my watch at sea, because it’s a FitBit, connected to my phone by BlueTooth, and, when the phone is in Airplane mode, neither of them picks up time changes.  I depend on my brain.  So, when I rushed from tea to meet Liz and Ceri in the Commodore Club, I was an hour early again, only I didn’t know it.  I drank two virgin Marys, while I was waiting for them and only wised up, after they had both arrived, what I thought was an hour late.  I ate three glasses of potato chips, too.  I had almost had dinner before cocktail hour even started.  Around 7:45pm, Ceri went off to eat with Andy and Liz and I opted for sushi at the King’s Court.  I also learned that the buffet’s fried chicken is pretty good, and they even have honey for it. 

Again at sea on April 22, I wrote and delivered another newsletter.  Dinner was at The Verandah with the Leighs, again.  We all tried different things and were pleased with them.  The traditional Verandah steaks are just too big.

Land Ho on April 23, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.  Liz and I had a plan for this port.  We would walk around the old town, seeing what it had to offer and end up at another Schére recommended eatery.  These seem to have replaced yacht clubs for the last month or two.  There is a good YC here, though, we passed it in our taxi back from the old town.  Must check it out next time.  First we had to get to the old town.

There was an information booth on the pier, where we got a map and general directions to take the yellow bus no 12.  It wasn’t all that easy to find yellow bus no 12.  We found a lot of blue buses and one of the drivers took pity on us and volunteered to drop us at no 12’s bus stop.  That was good, because it was a fair distance.  We gracias’d him when we should have obrigado’d, but I am sure he knew we were grateful. 

When the bus came, it was pretty crowded, but my white hair got me a seat, and a flirt got a conversation opened with a nice young local woman, who is studying to be a vet.  I told her about our plan and she had a way to improve on it.  We were to get off with her and she would show us to the top of a walking street that we could walk down into the old town.  That was perfect.  Here’s Liz at the top of said mall, happy as a clam:

The stores were the usual suspects, H&M, Zara, etc. but nice, and they had three banks with ATMs, right near the Casino.  !.  I got some Euros for tipping on our tour in Lisbon, and general spending. 

We crossed a big street at the other end of the walking street and found ourselves in the old town.  It was charming, cobbled and very old.  This looks like it was once part of a fort:

Looking for a bathroom, we popped into a university and were directed across the street to a museum of modern art, which turned out to be a real find.  It was free, had a nice clean WC, and the art was very good, too. 

This candid shot of Liz is my own art for the day. 

We toured four stories of art and walked up to the old cathedral.  We couldn’t get in but we got a chance to support a few buskers and see more nice old architecture, walking back to the main drag to catch a cab.  We got a nice female taxi driver who knew the way to Mundo Iberico, passing the Yacht Cub and El Corte Ingles, my favorite department store. 

Andrew and Anne were waiting for us at Mundo Iberico.  They have become real fans of Danièle and Jean’s recommendations.  This will be their third with me.  It didn’t disappoint.

I call that hog heaven.  We had jabugo, an assortment of cheeses, potatoes and the house salad, with beer, of course, even if mine was 0.0%.

Then we strolled down a nearby walking street that had El Corte Ingles on both sides of the street.  They had a gourmet shop right at street level that had excellent gelato, just what that meal needed to finish it.  I walked too much and was going to regret it, but it was a very good day.