FLAMENCO AIN’T MY THING!

April 16, 2018

Let’s get down to brass tacks.  I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the entertainers on this cruise (and I can’t always say that).  The comedians, the performers, the musicians, the singers and dancers.  All super.  Tonight, since we are doing an overnight in Barcelona, Angela, the cruise director, announced that she was bringing on local talent, a Flamenco act – think hand clapping, foot stomping, a guitar player who sounds like he is using only 3 strings, and a singer who sounds like he is singing, “Ee-yi-ee-yi-oo” for every song.  Flamenco ain’t my thing!

When Ronnie (Veronica) and Frank came into the theater to join us for an hour of great conversation before the performance started, Ronnie said, “I had to drag Frank here, telling him it will be out last time for the cruise to talk to David and Bonnie.”  Bonnie assured them that the only reason she came was the same.  And she described the singer as I listed it above.  After the first song/dance Frank said, “Bonnie, you were exactly right!  I didn’t know you speak Spanish.”  God bless the F-Troop, they put their hearts in it!

We may have gotten on local television today.  I’m not sure.  But there is a chance.  We took the ship’s shuttle to the main street, Las Ramblas (if you remember when a terrorist drove a van onto one of Barcelona’s streets running over people and killing several, it was that street).  Then we followed the map (looking for two hump back whales named George and Gracie) to the Barcelona Cathedral – one we had never visited before.  As we progressed along we noticed police vans, the kinds you see at protests and demonstrations to haul unruly folks away.  And as we got closer we heard a man speechifying on a loud speaker system.  And up closer there was a square full of people.  We walked around the very outside and exited the square as quickly as possible.  Bonnie was uneasy and the cameras were no longer pointed at us (when we entered the square I noticed the camera panning the crowd and seemed like they zoomed in on us – probably just my imagination) so we hustled on out.

The Cathedral was beautiful and I recorded 30 seconds of the huge pipe organ playing.

Getting into the Cathedral we had to stand on line (or in line) for 30 minutes (my beloved says 40) to get in.  They were letting in groups of about 40 at a time (she says 30).  First time we’ve experienced that.  We were two groups from the front when four people – adults – walked to the front and tried to sneak in.  An alert guard yelled at them and sent them to the back of the line where they belonged.  Along with several of my fellow line standers, I applauded heartily!

Well, this is the last blog for this cruise. Turn in next week on Sunday night, and we’ll do this again.  Different ship.  Different route.  Same satellite internet.

TTFN

He ate both of the chocolates that were on our pillows tonight!! I ate chocolate last night before I went to sleep and I think that is what caused me to be up at 4 am. So more sugar before bedtime. Just popcorn.

Well, as I said I was up at 4 but did manage to go back to sleep about 5:30. We got up about 7:30 and were just getting into the port area about 8:45 as we were having our breakfast. We have sailed out of this port before but never into it.  Two ships were already docked a big Costa ship and another smaller ship. We backed up  and passed the Costa ship and the captain moved our ship sideways in between the two ships. I predicted that he would do that. Go Bonnie. When we came back from our adventure there was a MSC ship and another costa ship docked. There were people everywhere.

We had a good walk and it would have been great but it rained. Fortunately I had brought the ponchos but no umbrellas. The first time it rained as we were walking to the church but stopped when we got there and stood in line to go into the church. It was beautiful inside. The organ was magnificent. The ceiling was at least 50 feet high.

In one part of the church on the outer walkway there were graves under the walkway. I heard someone comment on a grave marked from the 1600's. Wow!  David said we were walking on top of peoples graves. Inside the church there were several coffins of saints and priests in some of the naves. So many beautiful statues and paintings. We had to potty when in the church and found their WC and spent .50 euros to use the facilities. We only had one .50 euro coin so we both went in at the same time, in the one marked “men” but it was a two potty one.

After the church which we had to exit out the back where we didn’t come into we had to figure out how to get back to the front and then what little alley did we come down to get there in the first place. We finally found our way back on to the street off of La Ramblas that we had walked up through the demonstration. I recognized a gelato store
that we had passed earlier and of course we had some. Then, we stopped in a huge pocketbook store just to smell the leather. Made me think of my Dad.  Then, we browsed an art store and I bought two packs of colored pencils, one called metal colors and the other one florescent colors. Only 2.10 euros each.

Well went we got to the corner of La Ramblas and turned in the direction where we would find the shuttle it started to rain again and this time in earnest. By the time we got to the shuttle it was raining harder. We got on and were soon headed back to the port. The driver very kindly left us out under the covered area. We went through security, and I didn’t set off anything and then we went back on board. It was 3 pm so we found 2 seats in the café and stopped for a bite of lunch. I had a tasty tuna Panini. He had a beef and chili pie.  Then we headed to our room.

After an short nap for him and a shower for me, we packed up our stuff. According to the Matt family scale we are both just at 20 kilos which is what we are allowed on Norwegian Airline. We dressed and headed for supper arriving just a couple of minutes late. I had watermelon for an appetizer and a chicken and leek pot pie with a sugar free chocolate tapioca pudding for dessert. The pudding I did not like so I didn’t eat it.

Then, it was off to the Flamenco show!! It was really not good at all. One guy playing the same 3 notes on the guitar for 45 minutes, one guy saying aiyee over and over again for 45 minutes with 3 women or one man or one woman stamping their feet on the floor. There was no tunes to the music just lots of hand clapping, stomping of feet and yelling.

We have put our luggage out and they have taken it. We have to be out of the room by 8 so we will be up early. We are to be in the fusion lounge to wait for our 9:45 departing and then, shuttle to the airport. Our flight is 9 hours and we leave here at 6:30 pm Barcelona time. See you all on Wednesday. I will text  when we get to Ft Lauderdale.

Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie