Our shopping completed, we set sail from Barcelona for Cadiz, Spain. Here we headed for the local Corte Ingles to, well, okay, shop. We were looking for Ines Rosales tortas. Found them and headed back to the ship. When we got there, Gordon couldn't find his wallet. Out we went, retracing our steps and checking in with every shop we'd visited. No wallet.
Back at the ship once more after an exhausting run around town, Security advised us that the shore team had found the wallet just at the foot of the gangway and turned it in. Thank heaven and the shore team.
Next stop was Funchal on our favorite island, Madeira. As we've said in previous posts, we know the town pretty damn well but we'd never gotten to the north side of the island. Our tour took us to Santana and the North Coast.
Nice views!
A stroll along a levada reminded us of how much fun it is to hike them:
Santana provided lunch and a look at the famous straw-roofed huts:
And a final stop in Machico for a shady stroll near the beach:
We sailed for the other Portuguese islands of Ponta Delgada and Horta in the Azores. Local color:
Last stop, St. George's, Bermuda. Before landing in Bermuda, everyone on the ship had to be tested for Covid. A word about that: Every once in a while, we'd hear gossip about someone "having Covid". Did they? In this world, a lot of people are hypochondriacs (we know a few ourselves), so if they sneeze, it's panic stations. We never spoke to anyone who could confirm or deny any of it. 'Nuff said.
In St. George's, we visited the Crystal Caves. We've had this tour scheduled twice. Third time's the charm, and it was fun. Our local driver had a great sense of humor and the guide at the caves was a stand-up comedian.
Upon arrival in New York, we had a private transfer from the dock to JFK and had only one near-accident in mid-town Manhattan. Almost ran over a dude who had his head up his phone. Or someplace.
The wiener dog contest was tough going this time, but in the end, Pati won by a dog. Gordon 11, Pati 12.
Our next cruise will take us to Cape Town, South Africa for a holiday cruise and a visit to the wineries and animal preserves.
A final thought: when we were in Norway, we made an important discovery. In the picture below, our ship is located at the little arrow on the left side. The red lines are roads. So, that being said, it appears that the road to Hell is, at least, paved.
