20241130 Seabourn Sojourn Grand Africa Cruise Day 5/96 - Barcelona Day 4 - back on a boat again

Grand Africa Cruise Day 5/96 - Departing Barcelona on Seabourn Sojourn

Let's get this out there - today's entry won't be too exciting. We got up. We ate breakfast. We relaxed in the room. We took a bus to the port. We boarded Seabourn Sojourn. We sailed.

OK, that's the day in a nutshell.  Here are the details.

We each had our two big bags ready to go before 8:00 as they were coming to pick them up. That just left our carry-on bags to deal with. After breakfast, we did the last-minute prep things - brushing our teeth, taking morning pills, and so on, and got those bags packed. We sat on the bed and I promptly fell asleep for about 30 minutes. I guess I still need some sleep.

We were told to be downstairs at 11:35 for an 11:45 departure - no earlier, no later. So...we were downstairs promptly at 11:35 and everything was completely disorganized. They told us to wait, then to move to another room, then, before we got there, to go outside. We did and then got on a bus to the port. Because we were ahead of the scheduled onboarding time, they gave us a "scenic" drive through Barcelona before arriving at the port.

Once at the port, we grabbed our carry-on bags and headed into the building. The first stop was security.  They x-rayed the bags and we walked through the metal detectors. Trying to get non-English speakers to understand that my titanium hip was setting off the metal detector was a challenge. 

Then, we went through immigration control where our passports were stamped with an exit stamp. 

We went through Seabourn's onboarding team who collected our passports and vaccine yellow cards that documented our yellow fever vaccines. Finally, we were free to get on the ship.

We boarded on deck #5 making finding our suite, 533 very easy. Our big bags weren't there yet, so we could only do some minor settling in.

Chilled Champagne (yes, it said Champagne, not Prosecco) was waiting for us in the room - it's too bad that we don't like Champagne

The room is nicely sized with a large sitting area with a pair of chairs, a table, and a couch. 

This is looking from the balcony doors toward the entry door

The balcony is a nice size - unfortunately, on our deck, the balcony wall is metal - they are glass above us for better sea views

The bar cabinet has glasses and a mini-fridge below

Looking from the bed toward the balcony

We have a small walk-in closet with drawers, a safe, and plenty of hanging space

There is a make-up station between the closet and the bathroom

The bathroom is generously sized with two sinks, a tub and a shower

We aren't tub people, so this is a waste of space

We'd rather see the tub space be used for a decent shower - this is pretty tiny for 90 days of showers

A surprise - the first ship we've been on with a clock

There are USB-A and USB-C ports on each side of the bed plus a 220V plug

Most of the plugs in the room are 220V. There are a couple of 110V plugs, but if you want to plug in everywhere, you need plug adapters.

We watched the mandatory safety video in the room and then walked around a bit. At 4:00, we reported to our muster station in the main restaurant for the mandatory safety briefing. After the briefing, we wandered a bit around the ship. We stopped at the sailaway party, listened to the band, and saw the introductions of the entertainment and enrichment team.

Leaving Barcelona

The pilot boat, following, so the pilot could hop off once we were clear

Looking aft

Looking forward

Heading past the port's break wall

By the time we got back to the room, our bags had been delivered to the room. We returned and got unpacked.

By then, it was time for dinner. We decided to try the main restaurant. We sat with a couple from Denver and had an enjoyable dinner with lively conversation.

After dinner, we checked out the small shops on the ship before returning to the room. Tomorrow, we'll dock in Palma de Mallorca, Spain and we will head out on a tour. We're going to try to get a good night's sleep and get into the groove of cruise life.

20241129 Seabourn Sojourn Grand Africa Cruise Day 4/96 - Barcelona Day 3 - Montserrat - A serrated mountain monastery

Grand Africa Cruise Day 4/96 - Montserrat Monastery

We were up and at 'em this morning. We set a 6:00 alarm so we could hit breakfast right at 7:00 and leave immediately after to head to our pick-up point for our tour. Uber worked much better today than yesterday with a driver actually showing up and delivering us right to our destination.

Where were we headed today? Montserrat. Montserrat, literally the serrated mountain, is a small range of mountains, part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range, about an hour northwest of Barcelona. It is also home to a famous Benedictine Monastery bearing the same name.

The ride was uneventful and we arrived in just about an hour to the base of Montserrat. 

Our ascent was to be in a cog-wheel train.

This example was on display - it looked like it would be an interesting ride

This was the actual train - an electric passenger train - nothing special

We arrived at the top and took a look around.

The monastery building

A statue of the founder of the monastery, Abbot Oliva

The entrance

The Montserrat coat of arms over the entrance

A duplicate of a sculpture on the Passion facade of Sagrada Familia

Arches overlook the mountainside

A funicular train is available for rides to the top - we didn't take it

Our first stop inside was to see the Black Madonna or The Virgin of Montserrat. The wooden statue is said to date back to the late 12th century.

Starting the walk

We passed through multiple chambers and climbed several flights of stairs

One chamber offered a spectacular view of the organ pipes in the cathedral

We finally reached the Black Madonna. Christ is sitting on her lap. She holds a sphere that is available to touch and make a prayer on. It is said that if the Madonna grants your prayer, you are obligated to return to  Montserrat and express your thanks.

We made our way back down, taking in the sights.

When we reached the courtyard, I heard my name. It was the friends we made last year on our Alaska, Asia, Australia, and Arabia trip, Kitty and Harvey. After speaking last night, we knew there was a good chance we would run into each other today. It really makes the world feel like a smaller place when you meet friends in foreign places.

Garry, Arlona, Kitty, Harvey

We continued into the main cathedral for a look.

Hmm...what's that in the front?

It's hard to see - we'll go for a better look

There is an older set of pipes a bit farther back than the newer ones

Here's a better look at the front of the altar - it's the Black Madonna

I hadn't noticed when we were there that she sat right at the front of the altar area

This guy showed everyone the way out

Is that a coffin or a bathtub?

Back outside 

The pillars reminded us a little of the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon

Our tour included a small liquor tasting and an audio/visual exhibit that provided information about the monastery and the boy's choir that also studies here.

We walked up a hill for a better look around

Mountain climbing is a big sport on Montserrat

Several of the rocks have names - this is Elephant's Trunk

The sun, about to breach the mountain

We walked to the bus terminal to meet our tour bus for the ride back to Barcelona.

Interesting sculpture

Another scenic archway

With that, our time at Montserrat was over. We made the drive back to Barcelona. Montserrat left us a little underwhelmed. It was lovely, and nothing was wrong, but with the number of monasteries and cathedrals we've seen along with the multiple mountain ranges, for us, Montserrat wasn't that special. It all depends on the visitor's previous experiences, and for us, it was just OK. Your mileage may vary.

We did see this sculpture from the 1992 Olympics

We decided to make the 2.0-kilometer walk back to the hotel and find someplace for lunch along the way. We peeked into a few tapas places but nothing looked good. We wound up at La Real Hamburguesería, just two blocks from our hotel. We enjoyed burgers for lunch - they really hit the spot. 

Back at the hotel, we rested a bit and then got ready for tonight's gala dinner and welcome.

We went down to the lobby as requested at 5:35 for a 5:45 bus departure. Things were a bit disorganized. A couple of buses left with folks, but we didn't depart until well after 6:00. We wound up getting stuck by an accident, slowing our travel even more. Traffic in Barcelona is crazy essentially all the time. Watching cars, trucks, buses, scooters, and motorcycles weave through traffic, I'm amazed that there aren't more accidents. Eventually, we arrived at our dinner destination, Castillo de Sant Marçal.

The castle has been in the hands of the same family for 799 years

The castle was quite picturesque at night

The castle has multiple spaces and is used to host events and weddings.

Seabourn had appetizers and drinks available along with entertainment. A guitar trio and two dancers performed as guests arrived. Eventually, the doors opened and we were seated. Seabourn managed the seating, ensuring that couples were at the same table but not seated next to each other. This forced the ice to break and cruisers to begin meeting each other.

There was a fixed menu with a seafood appetizer, a lamb main course, and two dessert options including Sacher torte. Of course, wine flowed freely. The Seabourn host introduced various Seabourn folks who were positioned at each table - some direct employees plus enrichment folks like resident artists, lecturers, and instructors.

We also had entertainment that started after the appetizer and lasted through dinner. The Barcelona Guitar Orchestra, a six-member guitar ensemble, played throughout the meal, accompanied by a pair of female Flamenco dancers. It was a nice touch.

After dessert, we were free to head to the waiting coaches for the ride back to the hotel. We got back a little before 11:00. We needed to repack our bags as they will pick up bags from the rooms tomorrow morning around 8:00. Breakfast will be served until 10:00. We received a letter giving us an 11:45 departure time tomorrow morning. 

Our time here in Barcelona is coming to an end. Tomorrow evening, we sail and the real adventure will begin.