Today I was up and out by 8:00 a.m.and, taking the subway this time, back to the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotti). I had signed up to take a cooking class and we had to be there by 9:45 a.m. Even with my exquisite sense of direction, (I walked a few blockes the wrong way when I exited the subway station – pretty standard for me) I got to where I needed to be in time to have a cup of coffee and a croissant before going into the class. The company is called “Cook & Taste” and I saw it recommended on TripAdvisor for things to do in Barcelona. It’s…

I started my day with breakfast on the terrace. Isn’t this the most elegant setting? It was just coffee, juice and pastries but somehow tasted better presented like this. The birds sang to me the whole time.Very pleasant.       Then I set off to walk the length of La Rambla which is a long (1 ½ mile) tree-line boulevard, lined with vendors of all sorts but mostly flowers and souvenirs.         Despite the English similarity, La Rambla doesn’t mean “to ramble” although that is what you do. It actually comes from the Arabic times and means “dry river bed”.  When the Barcelonans took over in…

Day 8 The only negative to “at sea” days is that everyone in on the ship. Despite that, this ship has so many venues that it is rare you really feel the crush of the crowds. Today we are still crossing the Mediterranean. I originally thought I would snag a deck chair and hang out topside all day, but it was windy and a bit too chilly. I found various nooks out of the way and spent the day reading. I roused myself long enough to watch the ubiquitous fruit carving demonstration. The chefs always make it look so easy. In the afternoon, I dressed for dinner and spent the…

Day 6 I got a call late last evening from the cruise desk telling me that the “shuttle drivers” in Rome called a strike and my transportation into Rome from the port had to be cancelled. That happens in Italy – the train went on strike the last time I was here. So I had to make a choice – I could take a taxi to the train station, then travel the nearly 2 hours by train into Rome, walk around for a few hours, then make sure I catch the train back in time to board the ship. Or I could forgo a rushed Rome and enjoy a pretty…

DAY 4 Today was a lazy day at sea. I mean LAZY! I slept in, got sort of dressed then went in search of a late leisurely breakfast. See the picture of my view over smoked salmon, capers, and French bread. That’s the bow of the boat. With as many passengers as this ship has, you would think it would be hard to manage to get these solitary moments, but I find little nooks and crannies all over the ship. Exhausted from my efforts, I found a deck chair and spent several hours watching the coast of France go by in the distance.  What a life. I then, mustered the…