Going Cruising, Madeira, Day 8!

Our next port of call, on December 8th, was Madeira (Funchal), Portugal, a small, volcanic, subtropical island north of the Canary Islands. This stop was our favorite port of call and probably the most scenic and beautiful. We were picked up at the dock by our tour guide and he proceeded to drive us around the entire island. He was very proud and knowledgeable about Madeira. Along the entire drive, we saw hundreds of banana and orange trees. Our first stop was at a small picturesque fishing village where Winston Churchill stayed after the WWII. He stayed here for several months while painting scenes of the island. We walked around the fishing boats and coastal wall and soaked up the breathtaking views of the ocean. It was a gorgeous day. Our next stop was at Cabo Girão, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe (1,932 feet). Words cannot describe how amazing the views were at every stop, hopefully the pictures can do it justice. Another spectacular location was Eira do Serrado, in the middle of the island, located near the volcanic crater high in the mountains, where you could see Nun’s Valley with a little village below. This village is where the nuns took refuge from pirates who frequently attacked Madeira during the 16th century. Our last stop was the Monte Sledges where Mike, Hayley, Tehya, and Ethan enjoyed a ride down the mountain in a basket woven sledge powered by two carreiros, or sledge drivers. Unfortunately, Josh was sacked out in the car and missed the ride! I guess we will have to come back again! The ride down the hill was about twenty minutes through the streets of Madeira. The kids screamed and hollered the whole way down and Mike took video of the ride as well. Finally, our tour guide dropped us off at the port where we climbed back on the boat and enjoyed a good meal and some rest. It was a fantastic day of unforgettable views of the ocean, cliffs, and countryside. We would highly recommend a trip to Madeira.

Going Cruising, Las Palmas, Day 7!

On 7 December, we stopped in Las Palmas, one of the many Canary Islands that belong to Spain off the western coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautifully warm day and we decided to just enjoy the beach. So, we quickly walked through the main shopping area and picked up our souvenirs and some beach toys and headed to the sand. We rented some chairs and towels and had a really relaxing time enjoying the sun and surf. The kids played in the sand while Mom and Dad enjoyed the views of the ocean and seaside. The beach stretched for miles and was lined with a boardwalk and hotels. Meanwhile, back in Germany, they were being buried with snow and freezing weather. That made us smile! We will be definitely coming back to enjoy the Canary Islands again! After the beach, we strolled back to the boat and enjoyed an actual indoor mall by the port. It was fun to walk through a mall again, something we had not done since leaving the States. That night, the kids enjoyed the magic show with their friends from the cruise, while Mom and Dad enjoyed a quiet dinner.

Going Cruising, Agidir, Day 6!

Our next port of call was Agadir in Southwest Morocco. We departed the cruise boat and met our personal tour guide at the dock. First, we drove through the city of Agadir and headed out to the walled city of Taroudant (about one hour east of Agadir). However, before reaching Taroudant, we made a stop along the road to look at the goats in trees. Yes, there were dozens of goats ,way up high in the tree branches, munching on the fruit. The kids thought it was really funny and we had never seen anything quite like that. Also, along the way, we had to make a detour due to a bridge that was out on the road, and we were forced to drive through a small river. The kids that was really cool and fun because it was very bumpy and rough. We would also do it again on the way home. Upon reaching Taroudant, we first roamed around the Palais Salam and enjoyed the gardens and freshly squeezed orange juice (it also had a clean bathroom). Then, we walked atop the city walls to get a good look at the city and its surroundings. Our tour guide then took us into the Berber market where we enjoyed a snake charmer show. He actually kissed a cobra and made them strike at him, really cool! The market streets were very similar to Casablanca’s with fruit, meat, and cheap tourist souvenirs. We also were shown a demonstration on the different types of rugs used by the nomads in the deserts. After Taroudant, we drove back to Agadir, looked at some camels and enjoyed a rather large lunch of fresh seafood at a local restaurant next to the ocean.  They brought out a huge platter of lobster tail, crab legs, calamari, whitefish, fried sardines, and about seven other types of fish.  At first, the kids were a little scared, as all the fish on the platter still had their heads!   After chowing on seafood, our tour guide took us to one last stop at the Kasbah overlooking Agadir. There we took pictures with goats and camels and enjoyed the beautiful view from the Kasbah. I guess you can say we rocked the Kasbah! Finally, exhausted we returned to the boat to celebrate Tehya’s ninth birthday. Tehya returned to find her room decorated with streamers, balloons, and a Happy Birthday sign. We enjoyed dinner in the restaurant where Tehya received a special birthday cake and was sung "Happy Birthday" to by the wait staff. Although she was sick from the waves rocking the boat, she really enjoyed her birthday. That night, the girls enjoyed the Celine Dion impersonator at the theater and the boys enjoyed their beds from a long day of touring. All in all, a very unique fun day.

Famous goats in trees!

Tons of goats up in this tree!

Driving through a river!  Scary!

Snake Charmer with cobra.

Snake Charmer.

Local boys enjoying a makeshift trampoline.

Being offered a camel ride.

Our lunch, a seafood platter.

Going Cruising, Days 3,4, and 5!

On Day 3, we checked out of our apartment and headed down to board the cruise ship, the Norwegian Jade!  It took two taxis to fit all of us with our luggage and strollers, but we finally made it.  We boarded the boat and went exploring.  We hit the buffet, the swimming pool, jacuzzis,  got the kids signed up for the wonderful Kids Club, and planned out our night.  We ate a yummy dinner in one of the restaurants and the boys went to play the rest of the night in the kids program.  Mike and I took the girls to see an acrobat show. Day 4 was a sea day.  We had lots to do on board the ship.  We were certainly not bored!  The kids planned out all our activities and we swam.  The girls and I even were picked from the audience to play in "The Family Feud!"  We didn't win, but we had a great time!  Later that night, we took everyone to see a American Idol type show, and Hayley was picked to be a judge!  The kids had a blast! On day 5, we ported in Casablanca, Morocco.  I hired a babysitter aboard the ship for Ethan, and he spent a few hours having fun with some other kiddos in the Kids Club.  Everyone else headed out to explore Casablanca.  We had beautiful weather as we wandered through the Old Medina marketplace.  It was quite a new experience for the children to see this type of market.  Poverty was obvious, as we could see the shopkeepers and stallholders showing their items to the tourists.  But you could also see the local people going about their daily lives buying food and filling up their containers of water at the local pump.  The alleys were confusing and windy, and felt very much like a labyrinth. Meat hung from the stall windows and carts of fruits and vegetables were on the sides, as well as bakeries, tea shops, etc...  It was quite dirty and authentic, and I was glad we had opted for the babysitter for Ethan.  The kids saw the local boys playing soccer in the streets, and the girls hanging out the wash, shopping, etc...  They got a feel for the conditions the people live in, and I think, some perspective as well. We came out the other side of the Old Medina and headed to the Hassan II Mosque.  It is the 5th largest Mosque in the world and overlooks the Atlantic.  It is also only one of two Mosques in Morocco that is open to non- Muslims for tours.  It was quite stunning.  Only at certain times of day do they conduct these tours.  Of course, we missed the tour, but we slipped in the exit as a tour group was leaving and did a bit of exploring.  We tried to look like we belonged with one of the groups finishing up their tours, but didn't quite succeed, as the girls and I almost went in through the male only exit!  Once we figured out how to sneak in, we looked around a bit before they finished all the tours and we had to leave.  Inside was mostly granite and marble, with lots of archways and columns and walls that have Moorish type intricate patterns and tiles.  It was quite something to see. We walked back through the market, and did a bit of shopping.  We met the mayor who shook hands and was very friendly and happy to show us around the market and introduce us to the local vendors.  At first, we thought he was joking or scamming us, but everyone locally knew, waved, or talked to him, he was dressed extremely nice, and he spent a lot of time promoting Morocco, eventually pointing out where his office was, and making sure we found anything we might be looking for.  He was so happy to show us whatever we were in need of and tell us all about his background and his time he spent going to school in the US.  He also knew everything about Casablanca, and took the time to answer all our questions.  We finally came to the conclusion that he was actually the mayor (confirmed later by google!), and we saw him giving the same treatment to a few other tourists as well.  Josh picked out a wooden box, that a snake pops out of  the lid and "bites" your finger when you open it.  Had to get one for Ethan as well!  We were happy to get back on the clean ship, but were very glad for the experiences we had in Casablanca.   Later that evening, Mike and I dropped the kids off for a "Hogwart's Party" at the Kids Club, and we hit the jacuzzi!  Great Day!

Old Medina, Casablanca

Hassan II Mosque

Casablanca

Fountain at Mosque

Mosque

Old Medina

Old Medina

Josh's treasure

Going Cruising, Day 2 in Beautiful Barcelona!

We woke up the next morning in beautiful Barcelona.  The city was bustling below our apartment.  First stop was to see the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, or in English, The Basilica of Expiatory Church of the Holy Family.  We could see it from the window of our apartment, so we knew just where to find it!  It was an enormous Roman Catholic Church designed by Antoni Gaudi.  Work began on this church in 1882 and is still going strong.  It is expected to be completed in 2026, in time for centennial of Gaudi's death.  It is slow moving progress due to the fact that it is completely funded by donation (and ticket purchases from us lowly tourists!) and refuses any government or official church donations.  It reminded us of a giant sandcastle dripping with wet sand, with 8 spires, as of now, (on completion should have 18!) and three facades representing the nativity, passion, and glory. We also walked down the Las Ramblas, seeing the sites along the way.  There were some very cool structures to look at, also built by Gaudi, such as the Casa Milà, a building of apartments that is all wavy and curvy because not a single straight line is used in it's architectural plan.  Often called the "ice cream cone house" because it looks like melting ice cream.   The kids' favorite was the the Casa Batlló, or House of Bones, which was a house that resembled a dragon.  The top was arched with the spine, the front was covered with scales, and you could see the large windows shaped like the eyes and mouth of a dragon looking at you!  At the very end of the walk is the huge statue of Columbus pointing the way to the new world.  The monument serves as a reminder that Barcelona is where Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand after his most famous trip.  The kids and I had read a biography about Columbus for homeschool this year, so seeing this monument had special meaning for us after studying him for several months.

Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família

Ethan discovering a turtle who holds up a column at the Basilica

Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família

Casa Milà

Casa Batlló

Las Ramblas, Columbus Monument way in the background