Friday, 11 October 2019
The lift was built by the French architect Raoul Mesnier Ponsard,an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel.
Thursday, 10 October 2019
Yes, the most wonderful thing about cruising is waking up in a city like Lisbon.
Lisbon, the Lovely.
3000 years ago the Phoenicians,traders from Lebanon,sailing for the tin of Cornwall,named the then tiny settlement Alis Ubbo,a calm roadstead. Over the centuries with new conquerors of this fortunate slip of land,it was renamed Olissipo,then Felicitas Julia (after Julius Caesar), then Al-Oshbuna. In 1147 the English crusaders assisted the first King of Portugal,Afonso Henriques,to take Al-Oshbuna from the Moors,who had it under control for 300 years,and probably from this time the city was known as Lisboa.
In 1498 Vasco De Gama discovered India.Spice trade followed.Lisbon benefited greatly.Portugal became one of the richest countries in the world.
In the 18th century gold and diamonds poured into Portugal from Brazil.
Then a disaster struck.In 1755 earthquake,fire and tidal wave destroyed much of central Lisbon."The silver lining to this horrific event was that it acted as a precursor to the scientific study of seismology".
The destroyed section was re-build in a grid pattern - the streets interact at right angles and form a pattern of squares when viewed from above.
In 1910 the monarchy was ousted.
In 1932 Salazar became The Prime Minister.
In 1974 The Carnation revolution disposed of Salazar. Called Carnation, because the soldiers filled the guns with carnations, not bullets.
In 1985 Portugal became member of The EU.
Lisbon has the second largest suspension bridge in Europe ( The largest in Europe,The Great Belt Bridge,is in Denmark. Japan has the largest suspension bridge in the world.) Completed in 1966 on the lines of San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge,at first known as The Salazar Bridge,now called The 25 April Bridge,after the date of the Carnation revolution.No foot passengers are allowed on the bridge.
One day I am hoping to climb The Statue of Christ (resembling that in Rio De Janeiro).Apparently paid for by the women of Portugal in thanksgiving for the fact,that the men were not actively involved in The Second World War.
3000 years ago the Phoenicians,traders from Lebanon,sailing for the tin of Cornwall,named the then tiny settlement Alis Ubbo,a calm roadstead. Over the centuries with new conquerors of this fortunate slip of land,it was renamed Olissipo,then Felicitas Julia (after Julius Caesar), then Al-Oshbuna. In 1147 the English crusaders assisted the first King of Portugal,Afonso Henriques,to take Al-Oshbuna from the Moors,who had it under control for 300 years,and probably from this time the city was known as Lisboa.
In 1498 Vasco De Gama discovered India.Spice trade followed.Lisbon benefited greatly.Portugal became one of the richest countries in the world.
In the 18th century gold and diamonds poured into Portugal from Brazil.
Then a disaster struck.In 1755 earthquake,fire and tidal wave destroyed much of central Lisbon."The silver lining to this horrific event was that it acted as a precursor to the scientific study of seismology".
The destroyed section was re-build in a grid pattern - the streets interact at right angles and form a pattern of squares when viewed from above.
In 1910 the monarchy was ousted.
In 1932 Salazar became The Prime Minister.
In 1974 The Carnation revolution disposed of Salazar. Called Carnation, because the soldiers filled the guns with carnations, not bullets.
In 1985 Portugal became member of The EU.
Lisbon has the second largest suspension bridge in Europe ( The largest in Europe,The Great Belt Bridge,is in Denmark. Japan has the largest suspension bridge in the world.) Completed in 1966 on the lines of San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge,at first known as The Salazar Bridge,now called The 25 April Bridge,after the date of the Carnation revolution.No foot passengers are allowed on the bridge.
One day I am hoping to climb The Statue of Christ (resembling that in Rio De Janeiro).Apparently paid for by the women of Portugal in thanksgiving for the fact,that the men were not actively involved in The Second World War.
The joy of cruising is waking up one morning and finding yourself in a town like CADIZ.
Cadiz the enchanting,was founded about 3000 years ago by Phoenicians,traders from Lebanon,who named it Gadir-Castle.
Julius Caesar held his first public office here and the town was the third most important town in the Roman Empire.
When America was discovered,Cadiz became a haven for the fleets leaving for the New World and then bringing from there the goodies.
In 1587 Sir Francis Drake,a British sailor,burnt all ships in the port.
By 1770 Cadiz was wealthier than London.In 1812 it was the capital of Spain.
Cadiz is situated in Andalucia on the Atlantic coast,and the winds can be strong and cold,as I found out when I was sitting on the upper deck of the Hop on Hop off bus.The town's 140 000 inhabitants and the visitors enjoy the sun,sea, horses, sherry.
Today brandy and sherry from Jerez, and olives and olive-oil from Seville, are exported from Cadiz.
Cadiz is famous for flamenco,the music of the gypsies.
Julius Caesar held his first public office here and the town was the third most important town in the Roman Empire.
When America was discovered,Cadiz became a haven for the fleets leaving for the New World and then bringing from there the goodies.
In 1587 Sir Francis Drake,a British sailor,burnt all ships in the port.
By 1770 Cadiz was wealthier than London.In 1812 it was the capital of Spain.
Cadiz is situated in Andalucia on the Atlantic coast,and the winds can be strong and cold,as I found out when I was sitting on the upper deck of the Hop on Hop off bus.The town's 140 000 inhabitants and the visitors enjoy the sun,sea, horses, sherry.
Today brandy and sherry from Jerez, and olives and olive-oil from Seville, are exported from Cadiz.
Cadiz is famous for flamenco,the music of the gypsies.
The cruise on Britannia, to Canary Islands, 23 September -7 October 2019
had too many "gremlins",as the captain called the numerous problems we had encountered during the 14 nights on board ( every cruise is counted in nights, not days),I would call them great big "shreks".
No internet for 4-5 days,no TV for as many, and when the services were "back to normal",the signal was lousy.I connected to the wi-fi outside the ship only,the best internet was in the Port of Cadiz, quite excellent, in fact, as was everything else-comfortable seating in an immaculate area,toilets spotless.
Marco Pierre White,the first British and the world's youngest chef to win three Michelin stars, was on board the last 3 days.He hosted a masterclass at £100 per person and a dinner at £150 per person.I took part in neither.
The entertainment was mediocre,there was nothing of interest for me except BALSTAF, a French/English acrobatic duo. Quite excellent.Had seen them once already, and knew would enjoy the experience.
FlyRights gave several concerts.Having seen them twice on other ships,I cruelly re-named them FlyWrongs and did no want to be disappointed again,so gave them a miss.
The juggler Pete Matthews and his flying axe I liked enormously on three occasions,this time I decided to watch a delightful animated film TANGLED,in my cabin.
I went to the cinema to see POMS with Diane Keaton and was shocked how thin, emaciated her body was.The film was thin on story,too.
I thought I would enjoy THE FAVOURITE.I did not. It is an unpleasant film.I do not understand why it was made.The film reminds me of EAST is EAST, I think it is called,a film about a Pakistani family in England.Quite a distasteful story.
I did sit one afternoon in Crow's nest,at the very front of the ship on the 16th floor, the latte was weak and the milk had the strangest of smells,as is so often the case on a cruise ship, they use dried milk I dislike.
The library is next to the Crow's nest.It is the worst library I have ever been to at sea.The designer had no idea whatsoever what joy reading a book in a cruise ship's library can be.No joy in this pokey small space with uncomfortable seating,no side tables.
The library on the Queen Victoria - divine. On the Queen Mary - spectacular.Cunard really knows what the traveller wants.
And Britannia is a flagship in the P&O fleet.The library is not the only trick the P&O had missed.The minuscule cabins like mine, C 622, with not enough storage and a bathroom you shouldn't try to swing a cat in.The balcony too tiny to make oneself comfortable in.The mattresses hard and the pillows like bolsters.But the dinners were second to none.How an elephant of a ship manages to provide every evening excellent meals for so many people,is truly remarkable.
The joy of cruising is waking up many mornings in a new city, or in a new country.
No internet for 4-5 days,no TV for as many, and when the services were "back to normal",the signal was lousy.I connected to the wi-fi outside the ship only,the best internet was in the Port of Cadiz, quite excellent, in fact, as was everything else-comfortable seating in an immaculate area,toilets spotless.
Marco Pierre White,the first British and the world's youngest chef to win three Michelin stars, was on board the last 3 days.He hosted a masterclass at £100 per person and a dinner at £150 per person.I took part in neither.
The entertainment was mediocre,there was nothing of interest for me except BALSTAF, a French/English acrobatic duo. Quite excellent.Had seen them once already, and knew would enjoy the experience.
FlyRights gave several concerts.Having seen them twice on other ships,I cruelly re-named them FlyWrongs and did no want to be disappointed again,so gave them a miss.
The juggler Pete Matthews and his flying axe I liked enormously on three occasions,this time I decided to watch a delightful animated film TANGLED,in my cabin.
I went to the cinema to see POMS with Diane Keaton and was shocked how thin, emaciated her body was.The film was thin on story,too.
I thought I would enjoy THE FAVOURITE.I did not. It is an unpleasant film.I do not understand why it was made.The film reminds me of EAST is EAST, I think it is called,a film about a Pakistani family in England.Quite a distasteful story.
I did sit one afternoon in Crow's nest,at the very front of the ship on the 16th floor, the latte was weak and the milk had the strangest of smells,as is so often the case on a cruise ship, they use dried milk I dislike.
The library is next to the Crow's nest.It is the worst library I have ever been to at sea.The designer had no idea whatsoever what joy reading a book in a cruise ship's library can be.No joy in this pokey small space with uncomfortable seating,no side tables.
The library on the Queen Victoria - divine. On the Queen Mary - spectacular.Cunard really knows what the traveller wants.
And Britannia is a flagship in the P&O fleet.The library is not the only trick the P&O had missed.The minuscule cabins like mine, C 622, with not enough storage and a bathroom you shouldn't try to swing a cat in.The balcony too tiny to make oneself comfortable in.The mattresses hard and the pillows like bolsters.But the dinners were second to none.How an elephant of a ship manages to provide every evening excellent meals for so many people,is truly remarkable.
The joy of cruising is waking up many mornings in a new city, or in a new country.
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