Random thoughts from the sea
Days 82-84, 2025 European Odyssey Thursday to Saturday, Sept. 18-20, 2025; Alicante, Valencia and Barcelona, Spain. I may be spending about 10 months a year cruising, but in between I go back to the United States, to visit family, catch up on doctors’ appointments, enjoy real Tex-Mex food and repack.
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Days 78-80, 2025 European Odyssey Sunday to Tuesday, Sept. 14-16, 2025; Lisbon, Portugal, and Màlaga, Spain While the quick pace of ports continues, with the odd sea day here and there, my pace seems to have slowed a bit. Perhaps because the days are hot and sunny, or because I
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Days 76-77, 2025 European Odyssey Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12-13, 2025; A Coruña/Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and Leixõs/Porto, Portugal. I stood silently watching as pilgrims passed through the archway, past the lone Galician piper, and into the Plaza del Obraduiro in front of the Cathedral of Santiago. If they were
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Days 73-75, 2025 European Odyssey Tuesday to Thursday, Sept. 9-11, 2025; Portland, England, and Bilbao, Spain. My lack of port planning is starting to catch up with me. I spent time in the spring planning the Northern Europe part of this odyssey, but figured I would plan the second half
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Day 112, 2025 Grand World Voyage Saturday, April 26, 2025; Alicante, Spain. I stood – simply entranced — for half an hour, watching couples come together for a set of fast-paced swing to music from a portable sound box. Some obviously were couples, but others perhaps strangers drawn together by
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Days 96-97, 2025 Grand World Voyage Thursday and Friday, April 10-11, 2025; Gibraltar and Cartagena, Spain. Perhaps it is a Spanish tradition. Or Mediterranean. If so, it is one I could embrace. It’s the tradition of going out for a city stroll, sometimes after mass and sometimes just for a
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Day 99, Grand World Voyage Wednesday, April 12, 2023; A Coruña, Spain. I guess if I want to complete a “pilgrimage” to Santiago, Spain, I won’t be able to take a shortcut. I have several friends who have completed the legendary Camino de Santiago, or Way of Saint James, a
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Day 96, Grand World Voyage Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023; Cádiz, Spain. I was looking forward to exploring the streets of Cádiz but instead stayed on board for another day of knee rest. At least I have been here before. Cádiz is a Spanish city on a spit of land
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Day 95, Grand World Voyage Saturday, April 8, 2023; Málaga, Spain. Jo: My pre-knee-injury plan for today in Málaga, Spain, was an all-day trip to Grenada – not to the Alhambra, which I visited in 2011, but to the Albaycin Quarter opposite the Alhambra. According to the tour description, it
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