A breezy but sunny day greets us for our day at sea as we power across at 19 knots heading towards the city of Cadiz. We crossed into mainland Spain timezone and are determined to make up for that missing hour of sleep.
After a brisk walk around the promenade deck following a hearty cooked breakfast of perfect eggs Benedict, we spend the morning on the lido deck reading in the sun as the ship continues to hold its course North East.
A relaxing day and before we know it it's time for dinner at Colour and Tastes. This is the second of Fred Olsens speciality restaurants. The venue is nicely lit and beautifully furnished. Being on deck 4 it does lack any window views as it's thelifeboat storage level.
I start with bao buns with crispy chicken filling & yum-yum sauce and J spring rolls.
For main J raves about the peking duck & pancakes so much so that I don't get a look in. It's presented as both medium rare slices of tender breast sat on shredded confit meat of the legs.
I have the Massaman lamb shank curry which falls of the bone it is so tender and is served with the most fragrant sticky jasmine rice.
Side dishes are the steamed pork sui mai with garlic & chili sauce and edamame beans.
Desserts - a simple collection of refreshing sorbets and a passion fruit curd mille feuille pastry
Tonight we are entertained by the ships company - songs written or performed by artists who have been knighted. Here on the Borealis it has the added element of the dance company who are as exceptional as ever.
Magnificently concluding with a Queen medley & recreating Bohemian Rhapsody to stunning effect.
Day 12(29th Oct)
The last time we were in Cadiz we were crossing the Atlantic on the NCL Epic and the heavens opened and a mist rolled in from the sea. We managed to take cover in & toured the impressive cathedral. Day-trip wise Cadiz a perfect gateway to Jerez with its bodegas of sherry and the Andalusian horse training which are well worth visiting; but this time as the weather is good we decide on following the marked circuit around the coast walls to find the star forts. It's quite a hike!
The cruise port is well placed and your ship will usually berth right opposite the town hall square. We are joined today by Mein Schiff 2 & so the town is quite bustling with tourists. Cadiz is also a major fitting yard for the cruise companies and in the shipyards can be seen the distinctive funnels of 3 older Carnival ships and a Royal Caribbean, all being refitted and updated.
Our walk takes us all the way around the spit of land that makes up the port of Cadiz. Protected on all sides by various star forts, it's an area that has many architectural styles. In some places it has a moorish feel yet in others you could be strolling along the riviera. It's also been used as Havana, Cuba in Bond films.
One building that dominates is the cathedral, which we visited previously. The plan is to visit the smaller often overlooked but equally impressive church next door but our walk has taken longer than we thought so we decide to recuperate with lunch first.
After lunch we head back into town for a little shopping. Leather and clothing are a good buy here especially if you're in the market for a new suit or have run out of shirts. A tiny craft shop has Dan equipped with a new wallet. One thing to bear in mind is the lunch siesta here can stretch a cpl of hours plus and this catches us out with regard to that smaller church I mentioned earlier. It will not re open until 7pm tonight which is too late as we depart at 8pm.
And so it is that we depart Cadiz at 8pm following Mein Schiff 2 through the twisty passage back to the open sea. Tonight is Lloyd Davies' second performance of the cruise and if anything it's even better than his first. A sort of Welsh male version of Victoria Wood as he mixes stand up comedy with songs at the piano.
Another superb set by Funky Blue in the Observatory is followed by a one off set by Howard Johnson in a tribute to the late Freddy Mercury which he does with great gusto. He is finishing his spell on the Borealis this week & will return in December. What is quite amazing is just how many passengers will also be returning then as well - now I understand why F Olsen cruises are so popular.
No comments:
Post a Comment