Month: April 2016

 

Gibraltar –

Most Americans only know Gibraltar’s silhouette as the long lasting Prudential Insurance logo, and know little else.  Well, I hope this installment of EarthlyLOCOmotion.com is not too lengthy, but there is quite a bit more to this tiny Country.  Gibraltar is a very small (only 7 sq. miles) but amazing place.  There are about 30,000 inhabitants here.  As the portal to the Mediterranean, the Rock of Gibraltar rises some 1400 ft from the sea.  It is not an island as it is linked to the Spanish mainland.  Gibraltar is a possession of Britain and in many ways classically British.  Most of the inhabitants (whether their descent be Italian, Iberian, Indian, Jewish Morocan or Maltese) – are united in preserving the British connection.

Within the “Rock” there are some 33 miles of tunnels.  Some are for auto traffic, while others are for pedestrian use.  Some of these were excavated during the various wars fought here.  Those have some museum-like exhibits with big guns and related armaments, as well as historical displays.

In a few days time I will be visiting Malaga, Spain so please check it out.

 

 

Madeira is an island approximately 350 miles off the coast of North Africa. It is a province of Portugal. It has been described as the island of eternal spring. Portugal is approximately 600 miles to the northeast. Funchal is the capital and is home to about one-third of the island’s 265,000 people.
Thousands of red tile-roofed homes cling the the steep cliffs that were once carpeted with fennel, their gardens overflowing with greenery and flowers.  The climate is as near perfect as it gets since it is in the gulf-stream flow of the Atlantic Ocean.  The warmest month has an average temperature of 73 degrees F, while the coolest is 61 degrees F.  This island receives a near perfect 28 inches of rain annually.  About 55% of that is in November-January.

Year round the clean, clear sea is excellent for bathing, snorkeling, water-skiing and fishing.  The streets, as well as the air are almost pristine.  Parks and cobbled streets are found to be prevalent.  There is an old town the is quite charming, and as you would imagine, very pedestrian friendly.  As with most of these european cities there is a great open food market which is filled with produce, meats, and fish.

I took a 3 hour bike tour while I was there and it was fabulous.  That day was sunny and 64 degrees F.   The tour took me from the old town to the new areas (as depicted in my photo images.)  While riding through the newer more cosmopolitan parts of town there were abundant opportunities to be either hit by cars and buses, or have car doors opened in your path.  The roads were similar to Rome but with more traffic circles.  There were no bike paths and consequently we were in the street with the rest of the vehicles.  Since there were 14 participants in the tour I believed my odds to be pretty good for not becoming a statistic.  I also remained near the middle of the group for some added protection.  I completed this outstanding tour without incident, and so did everyone else.  In just a couple of days I will arrive in Gibraltar.  Please await for heads up email for that one.

If you have the time and are planning a European holiday try to coordinate it so that you can either sail to Europe from the States, or better yet sail back to the States.  I prefer sailing back (west) because of the time zone changes giving you 6 or 7 additional hours, as opposed to losing them.  Either way there is no jet lag and you will have an amazing time meeting sojourners from all over our planet.  Another good reason for opting for sailing as opposed to flying is that these sailings are what are known as “repositionings.”  Basically moving the ship from one part of the world to another, with only a limited number of ports.  On this voyage I’ll be spending time in Funchal, Madiera as well as Gibraltar and Malaga, Spain before arriving at Monte Carlo, my point of disembarkation.  Consequently, these sailings are relatively cheep in comparison to those stopping at many ports.  So, if you like sea days (and there is a lot to like), this slow mode of transportation (18 MPH) might be for you.

I had a trip planned in January where I was sailing from Los Angeles to Auckland New Zealand.  Unfortunately, one day in I received an email about a death in the family.  The first opportunity to abort the trip and fly back would not occur for another 12 days when the ship arrived in Tahiti.  At that point I bailed and returned back to the states.  So the transatlantic voyage was in essence a “redo,” if you will.

I’m sailing (or cruising) on a small high-end ship known as the Seabourn Quest.  I use the term “sailing” interchangeably with cruising as it is a term which is a part of a rich nautical history and lexicon.  This ship has only 450 passengers but is not significantly smaller than a ship carrying 1,600 passengers.  It is equipped with all modern stabilizer equipment and is very comfortable.

I meet people from all over the world on board.  Most have a great appetite for exploration and more importantly, fun.  The crowd is for the most part very interesting to engage with.  I rarely get to my cabin before 1 AM, after drinking, dining, more drinking, and of course dancing.  It is a pretty good workout both physically and socially.  Because the first 10 days out of Fort Lauderdale are sea days, early awakenings are not necessary.  This allows for burning the candle at both ends.

Daily life is pretty relaxing.  Eating, reading, the gym, daily trivia,and usually some day drinking.  This cruise line is all inclusive, and high end as well.  So as you might imagine the scene around any bar on board is very friendly.  One can be as busy or as useless during these days at sea.  Therein lies the beauty of this experience.  On sea days there is no place to go and all day to do it.   After being at sea for some 6 days, we will not arrive in Madiera for 4 more.  Please login into the blog for that experience.  Meantime, I must return to the pool deck for some afternoon beverages.