WARNING: THIS COULD BE OUR DULLEST BLOG ENTRY EVER.

We're now halfway through the cruise, and have finally secured some Internet access . It’s been over a week since we’ve been on the web, and we’ve got the withdrawal shakes.

There are, however, more than enough diversions that make up for this. The Brilliance of the Seas is a medium-sized ship that has a nice vibe to it. We’ve been very happy with it thus far. The food has been great, the cruise director is excellent, and the entertainment and other amenities are really good as well. We've had lectures from a former CIA agent, dance lessons, art auctions, cooking demonstrations, exercise classes, etc. etc. On this particular cruise, the crowd is older, as is usually the case for trans-Atlantic cruises. But they are a well-travelled, interesting group of mainly Americans and Canadians, and it’s so easy to strike up conversations and make friends. On our first night aboard, Bonnie won a draw which put her in a slot tournament, and she came in 3^rd, which won her $100 in prizes. The cruise seems to be trivia-obsessed, and there are almost non-stop trivia contests of one type or another. So, of course, we’ve done our share, and not fared too badly. Sample questions: 1) How many times is the word 'love’ in the Bible? 2) Who did Walt Disney model Tinkerbell after? Answers below:

Our first two ports, Malaga, Spain, and Gibraltar, were exciting for us, since we hadn’t been to either before. 

MALAGA. Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso. One of the nicest things about this city is its compactness . It is very walkable with most of the inner city pedestrian-only It has beautiful landscaped parks, and a charming ambiance.. We followed a walking tour and visited the main sites in the day we had there. We climbed the Alcazaba, a Moorish fortress, saw the iconic cathedral, visited a century-old Roman ampitheatre, and went to see the collection at the Picasso Museum. It was a full day, and we filled it as best we could.   

GIBRALTAR. Home of the Rock, and a port we’ve always wanted to visit. There’s something special about the point where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. And it indeed looks like Prudential’s logo. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative and the views from the top of the rock were shrouded in fog. On clear days, you can see Africa, but this was not to be. We took a 3-hour van tour up the rock that took us to the highest accessible point as well as a number of other noteworthy sites such as an immense series of caverns so large that concerts are sometimes held there, an ancient Moorish castle, a colony of wild apes, and the very British city of GIbraltar itself . All were interesting and worthwhile.

We will not bore you with the details of our day-to-day life aboard the ship. Suffice it to say, we have settled into a very comfortable routine, and other than a cold, which has been plaguing us for weeks, we are having a wonderful time. If you have never cruised, we urge you to do so.

Our next blog will come in a week’s time, once we have landed in Tampa. We’ll conclude this entry with the answer to the two previous trivia questions:

1) The word love is mentioned 733 times in the Bible
2) Tinkerbell was modeled after Marilyn Monroe (who knew???)




  




 



 






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