Author Archives: Sparky
TC2 Day 17: Barcelona to Madrid, Spain
This was a travel day and a very hectic one at that. It started with checking out of the hotel and, in doing so, letting the desk clerk know how unhappy we were with the new Travelodge policy to charge 1 euro for a glass of ice. I will make my unhappiness known to Expedia, … Continue reading
TC2 Day 16: Barcelona, Spain
This was a (mostly) leisurely day of exploration in Barcelona. But it wasn’t the day that we planned. Our main objective on this day was visiting the Sagrada Familia basilica which we had failed to get to on Day 15. So after a continental breakfast in our room, we walked to the Metro and traveled … Continue reading
TC2 Day 15: Barcelona, Spain
This was a “get to know Barcelona” day. The original goal was to visit a couple of sites of interest, ending at the Sagrada Familia, the famous not-yet-finished cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi. However, that plan had to be modified and we never got to the church. We started the morning with some much-needed nourishment … Continue reading
TC2 Day 14: Disembarkation in Barcelona, Spain
It was a wonderful cruise, but all good things must come to an end. We got off the ship around 8:30am, stood in line for a taxi for 30 minutes then rode straight to our hotel, the Travelodge in the Poblenou section of Barcelona. We then stored our baggage and went out to get our … Continue reading
TC2 Day 13: Valencia, Spain
The day in Valencia was a long one – we were off the ship before 10am and didn’t return until 6:30pm. Some of that was getting into the city and back again as we were about 45 minutes away by bus. But we didn’t take the bus all the way into town. Because the line … Continue reading
TC2 Day 12: Malaga, Spain
This was the second of our 4 ports of call. I have bittersweet memories of Malaga. It was where Jett, on the TC1 transatlantic trip, went to the infirmary and was diagnosed with a critical hemoglobin problem. We had to leave the ship the next day, cutting our dream TC1 trip short. This day went … Continue reading
TC2 Day 11: At sea
I am WAY behind on my blogging. TC2 ended this morning and I have 4 days to catch up on. I have had connectivity problems, both on the ship and on shore. I am now sitting in a cafe in Barcelona at 11:30pm using free WiFi. This was our last full day at sea. As … Continue reading
TC2 Day 10: At sea
Another day at sea. The ocean was choppy so the ship rolled a bit. We lost another hour of sleep – our 5th – so we got up late and barely made it to breakfast before the buffet closed at 11am. We spent some time in the casino, of course. I am still, inexplicably, ahead, … Continue reading
TC2 Day 9: Ponta Delgada, Azores
After 8 days at sea we finally saw land again. We docked in Ponta Delgada in the Azores Islands. This is a modern and fairly large city so we didn’t find any ruins or ancient homes. But we did find a nice harbor and a shopping area where we could buy some trinkets. And a … Continue reading
TC2 Day 8: At sea
Our final day before landing in the Azores. It was a bit cool – low 70s – but was a very fine day overall. We had leisurely meals and met some nice folks. In the afternoon we spent nearly 2 hours in the hot tub, talking to some lovely women, plus one son. We lost … Continue reading