On November 3rd, the 6th day after returning from South America, we boarded a flight for Munich, Germany, via Atlanta. The sky was beautiful at sunset as we took off from Atlanta.
I loved having a window view of our landing in Munich the next morning. Germany was still surprisingly green below.
We had a long 61/2 hour layover in the Munich airport before boarding our flight to Barcelona.
Since we were no longer in the international terminal and couldn't access Delta's lounge, we tried out various chairs and waiting areas with limited success.
By the time we arrived at our Barcelona hotel, it was dark. As we explored the hotel, we discovered this beautiful pool, patios and a beach behind. We determined to get up early enough the next morning to further explore our surroundings and beach area.
We had this view from the deck of our room. If you look beyond the farthest palm trees, you will see the waves of the sea.
Of course, I needed to walk barefoot along the beach finding a few unusually colored shells.
This photo shows the pool, patio and the backside of our hotel. It was a pleasant surprise!
We took a taxi back to the airport to connect with our excursion which would give us an overview of the City of Barcelona and drop us off at our ship at the cruise port.
We saw this beautiful view of the city from the former palace which is now the National Museum of Catalan Art. Nearby was the site of the 1992 Summer Olympics which we drove past.
This Sagrada Familia which construction began over 140 years ago, is the design of famous architect Antoni Gaudi. We saw many famous Gaudi buildings all over the city. It hasn't yet been completed and it is the most visited tourist site in Barcelona.
Arc de Triomf is an arch in the manner of a memorial in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was built as the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair by architect Josep Vilaseca I Casanovas.
The Cathedral of Barcelona is located in the Gothic Quarter facing a large plaza, with narrow streets surrounding it. It was while we were walking around this cathedral, that we discovered a gelato shop.
We decided to indulge in a shared gelato which was a great choice.
We were dropped off at the cruise port terminal and pretty quickly we were onboard the Celebrity Reflection. After depositing our carryon items in our room, we grabbed a late lunch in the Ocean View Café. Dad rested his hip and leg while I explored the ship and took a few photos. We had the opportunity to upgrade to a balcony for a great price so we took advantage of that.
Steve snapped this photo of me on the balcony just before our sale away from Barcelona.
After our dinner in the elegant Opus Dining Room, I was able to take the picture below with Barcelona lights in the distance.
Our first port was the Spanish Island of Ibiza a trendy, colorful place that attracts a lot of tourists in the summer. Our group was taken through the countryside to visit the Can Marca Caves discovered in the hills of Ibiza and purported to be a place where pirates hid their stolen treasures. We climbed many stairs to get in and out of the caves which was an intriguing subterranean world.
After driving back through the beautiful countryside, we strolled around the town of Santa Eulalia, one of Spain's favorite resort destinations where the rich and famous park their yachts in the summer season. The waterfront promenade and beaches were idyllic and we actually enjoyed that most of the tourists were gone and the streets weren't crowded. They almost empty with many of the shops and restaurants closed for the season.
In the distance is the D'Alt Vila (Ibiza's Old Town), the fortified town-within-a-town with its castle and cathedral. We are interested to catch that next visit when Steve can tackle more walking.
Back on the ship, we photographed this lighthouse nearby.
Upon arriving at Cartagena, Spain we boarded a bus which drove us through the La Union Mountains and the area of southern Spain that made the Romans wealthy as they removed lead, silver, zinc, alum, etc. from the mountains. The mining in this region continued for centuries.
Our guide stopped at a local market for a bathroom break and we had a few minutes to browse the aisles. These ham legs were interesting to us. We can buy sliced prosciutto ham in a local deli. In Spain they seel the entire leg. These peppers seemed really large to us also. We always love seeing local grocery stores.
As we arrived close to the lighthouse of Cabo de Palos, we began to see these cute condo-style homes in the towns surrounding the beaches of the Menor Sea.
You can see the beautiful hotels and beaches surrounding the sea.
The lighthouse began service in 1865. We walked up the path to the base of the lighthouse to enjoy the panoramic views.
We drove back to Cartagena through the countryside where they have used irrigation to grow crops.
A Roman Theatre was built in the heart of the city now known as Cartagena in between 1-5 BC. The first remains of the theatre were discovered in 1988. During the 13th century, the Old Cathedral of the city was built over part of it. Excavation and restorations were completed in 2003 and the museum was opened in 2008.
This was a amazing site to see. Their ability to built such a facility without power tools, still boggles our minds. Remains of the Old Cathedral are seen in the background.
The plazas were beautiful and the whole area was within walking distance of our pier.
I was out walking around the deck at sunrise as we approached Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory with its own political system. Defence and foreign affairs are determined by the UK in London.
It is located on the southern tip of Spain's Iberian Peninsula. It was first settled by the Moors in the Middle Ages and later ruled by Spain. Spain ceded it to the British in 1713 but have tried several times to reclaim it. Gibraltar has an area of 2.6 sq. miles and is bordered on the north by Spain.
Just under 34,000 people live in Gibraltar and call themselves Gibraltarians.
Our first stop was to the cable car station for a ride up to the platform near the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. The area across the bay is Spain.
The long gray strips below are the airport runways. Directly on the other side of the runways, is Spain.
The top of the Rock is home to the Gibraltar Nature Reserve which is home to a population of wild monkeys called Barbary apes or macaques. If you are carrying anything even resembling food, they will grab it from you and run away. Even though they are well-fed, they like to pilfer food from tourists. Legend has it that as long as there are monkeys in Gibraltar, the country will remain safe under British rule. When the population dwindled during WWII, Winston Churchill arranged for more monkeys to be brought from Morocco and Algeria due to the strength of this tradition.
St. Michael's Cave is the name given to a network of limestone caves located in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. During WWII it was set up to be an emergency medical facility if needed. Fortunately it wasn't. It is now a popular tourist attraction and is also used for community events and concerts.
During wars between Spain and Britain for control of "The Rock" many tunnels were built throughout the mountain. Additional tunnels were built during WWII to make certain that the Allies could control the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.
Gibraltar, with its colorful military history, was one of the most interesting ports of our visit. While it is not currently militarily significant, it is a place where many ships stop for refueling and supplies. Tourism is also a staple of its economy.
