May 17 Saint Jean-de-Luz France

This was a tender port and a large swell made boarding the tenders at the boat an interesting (and slow) proposition. We boarded the tender, endured the rolling and pitching and made it to the town. Disembarking in the harbor was much pleasanter. St Jean-de-Luz seen from Marina. We are aiming for the cluster of white buildings on the right hand side.

Early on a Sunday morning there wasn't much traffic along the streets

Pretty buildings

Eventually there were lots of local families strolling through town with the children and their dogs. It was a very happy place.

Returning to the ship was not a happy event as the swells were still pitching the boats about. Perserverance won the day, and successfully made it to lunch on Marina.
 

 

 

May 16 Bilbao

Bilbao is best known for the Guggenheim Museum. We've visited it before so when we took the shuttle into town we walked by it and just visited the city. The city is located along the Nervion river.

The Guggenheim, river side

The Puppy, guarding the front of the museum

Pretty buildings

Casilda Iturrizar Park

Pretty monument in the park

Frederico Moyuaren Plaza

Iglesia de San Jose de la Montana

Pretty building

Iberdrola Tower

 

 

 

 

May 14 La Coruna

 A lovely Spanish coastal town. It was walk down the gangplank and immediately into town. We walked about and visited the Mercado, which turned out to be a supermarket, not a bunch of stalls as we were expecting. There were some unusual things in this supermarket, at least for us North Americans

A machine that will squeeze oranges directly into your container (empty bottles on the left) 

I can't imagine this in the US -- DIY bread slicer. Simple, 4-step process

Igrexa de San Nicholas, inside

and outside

The town square is Plaza de Maria Pita, and this is Maria.

Government building, complete with a protest group in front

Every city should have its meridian plainly marked

cutting right through Maria Pita Square. Doesn't seem like it's centered on the building but maybe it's the mayor office or council chambers.

The shopping street, Rua Real

 

 

 

May 13 Porto

The shuttle bus took us into town, a trip of about 30 minutes from the port 6 miles outside the city. We arrived along the left bank of the Douro River. We walked about, mostly admiring the old buildings. 

Street art from the nearby tire shop

View across the river

Ponte daArrabida in the distance, very near the mouth

We crossed over to the right bank

Prince Henry the Navigator was born here, and now stands on a tall plinth pointing to the sea.

 

 

 

May 12 Lisbon

Lisbon is a favorite ever since we visited it on a Globus coach trip of Portugal and Spain. We arrived a couple of days early for the Globus tour and loved our time here then.  The rainbow promised good fortune while the clouds promised damp fortune. We took an umbrella. Good prevailed -- we were not rained on.

Praco do Commercio, with Dom Jose I astride his horse

Unlike other city signs we've seen, they've allowed this one to be covered in stickers.

Arco da Rua Agusta (Arch of Augusta Street)

From the other side with Dom Jose's rump framed

Praca do Rossio with Dom Pedro IV atop the column

Carmo Convent, destroyed in an earthquake in 1755, left without its roof as a reminder of the disaster. The Archeological Museum is now housed within the building.

Fountain in front of Dom Pedro IV

Igreja de Sao Domingo was not that extraordinary as a church

but I was concerned about it looked like it was falling down, or at least flaking apart

 

May 10 Funchal, again

We're back to Funchal again on this trip. We visited a different area of the city this time since we were docked closer and had no shuttle bus. On this side street I'm impressed by the tile work on the street.

The cathedral

Jacaranda along the street

There was a flower and garden show underway

African tulip tree

One of the tile images on the Ritz Madeira

Jardim Municipal do Funchal across from the Ritz

Rotunda de Infante

As part of the city festival there were parades down the Avenida do Mar e das Communidades Madeirenses. About the time the ship was departing there was a parade of cars. We saw some of them lining up. Only one Ferrari but also a bug-eyed Sprite!