Loves' 2023 World Cruise

May 6 through May 8, 2023 Overcast and in the 60s Well all good things must come to an end.   Rich caught a cold and we decided not to do the 10 hour tour of Normandy from LaHavre France.    We really wanted to see the WWII Memorial and the beaches where the Allies landed and turned the tide of the war, but we’re sure our fellow guests wouldn’t have liked a 2 hour - each way - bus ride with Rich hacking away.      Our next stop was Dover England on Sunday and we took a tour of Canterbury, the town that has so many stories to tell.   Romans built the town around 200 AD and later abandoned it.   In the late 6th century, the King of the region where Canterbury is located converted to Christianity and supported the building of the first cathedral in Canterbury.   It became one of the most important centers of Christian religion outside of Rome.   In 1174 Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in the cathedral.  For his followers Canterbury became the most important destination for pilgrims

  May 3 (Wednesday), 2023 Mostly sunny, 68 deg F Our first time to set foot in Portugal.   Lisbon, the capital of Portugal,   is one of the oldest cities in the world, claiming a written history dating back 2700 years.   It is a large city built on seven hills and has a population of around 3 million inhabitants in its greater metropolitan area.   It has a very protected harbor entry that opens up into a lake fed by the Tagus River.   Like most cities on the Iberian Peninsula, it has been ruled by different peoples over the years, including the Romans, Moors (Muslims) and Germanic tribes and hence there are remnants of distinct cultures throughout the city.   Its golden age was between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 17th century.   That is the period when Portuguese explorers discovered a sea route to India and established trade throughout the world.     Portugal is known to have colonized over 50 countries spread across Asia, South America and Africa.     We took

  May 1 (Monday), 2023   Mostly sunny, high 68 deg F Cartagena was a surprising treat.   We were there only about 5 hours and would like to have stayed much longer.   Cartagena has been an important port city because of its strategic location on the Mediterranean, protected harbor, and rich mineral deposits, particularly silver, zinc, lead and iron, located in the hills around the city.   Because of this the city was a target for various powers throughout history, including the Romans and Turks.     Our tour first took us north to the town of Cabo de Palos, a resort destination town with several golf courses, lots of condos, and beautiful beaches.   Along the way, we passed through the mining area which is now abandoned.   In places, the terrain resembles a blast zone.   Our guide told us how the last company (French) to operate the mines did the unthinkable by dumping millions of tons from the mineral extraction process over several decades into the Bay of Portman, east of Cartagena,

April 30, 2023 Partly cloudy, high 68 deg F Barcelona is one of our favorite cities in the world.   It is a very walkable city with distinct neighborhoods such as the Old Town where Picasso’s museum and former residence is located, Gothic Quarter, an extensive beach and harbor area and the modern area where Gaudi’s basilica, La Sagrada Familia, is located.   Barcelona has some of the most striking architecture in the world. It is the Capital of the community of Catalonia, a part of Spain that has a distinct culture.   Many Catalonians speak their own language - Catalan - that some say sounds like a combination of French and Spanish. We have had the good fortune to visit Barcelona twice before.   We decided to go on our own in the morning and walked about a mile each way on the street called La Rambla in the Gothic Quarter.   It is a favorite for tourists and locals alike with shops, hotels, restaurants lining both sides of a fairly wide treelined walkway.   In the afternoon we toured L