Barcelona Cruise Part 2: Canary Islands

After leaving Morocco we headed out to sea to the Canary Islands.  The first stop is Arrecite, a gorgeous island with a beautiful waterfront harbor.  

The walk from the cruise ship to the town is about a mile, but it is so cute! 

There is a museum with info about the battles for the islands, so of course, we had to peek in.

Then it was off to town. 

Just like Thailand, banana wraps with Nutella.

Which way to go? 

Next stop is Las Palmas, also in the Canary Islands.  This is a place we will come back to.  There are about 4 miles of boardwalk with the ocean on one side and hotels, shopping, and restaurants on the other.  

Also in Las Palmas is the Elder Science and Technology Museum.  These guys were ready to leave the beach to head there. 

The museum has a robotic rollercoaster that simulates an actual roller coaster, but indoors and robotic. 

Our next morning starts in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, another gorgeous island. 

We like to take photos in front of the sign so we know where we are! 

Such tourists! 

This is an awesome public toilet!  You go in and use the bathroom but when you exit, the doors lock behind you and a disinfecting spray hoses down the whole thing! While the WC is red the bathroom is self-cleaning! 

Some pics of our walking tour. 

We made it to this market, which we thought would be shops, but it was more of an open-air market. 

With cotton candy. 

So each stall had a different specialty

We didn't need any food, but it all looked amazing. 

More scenery

Heading back towards the boat.  Our next stop is Portugal. 

Barcelona Cruise Part 1: Morocco

This year for winter vacation we decided to head somewhere warmer, and so hopped on a plane to Barcelona.  Luckily we booked an extra day to get here, as we missed our connection in Dublin and had to hang out in the airport for 11 hours, but we did make it.  Our first day, we went out to get a quick bite to eat, pack, and get to the cruise terminal where we would board the Norwegian Sun for 11 days of cruising around Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.  

The view of Barcelona from the roof of our hotel.   Luckily for us, even though we missed a day of touring around, we have an extra day tacked on the end, too, so... we'll be back! 

We made it!  

Lucky for us, the lunch buffet is open, as is the ultimate beverage package.  BBC!

The soft serve machine is always open, too!  

At the time, it seemed like a good idea to attend a balloon making class, but instead of Christmas wreaths for our door, we wound up with these even better looking balloon hats!  

These two kids were amazingly excited to knock another continent off of their growing list of places they have been.  Tomorrow:  Africa for the first time.  

We booked a tour through the cruise to visit Casablanca and Rabat, Morocco.  When we got off the boat, it was still dark.  

Our first stop is a roadside McDonalds because everyone (ahem) was dying to use the bathroom.  Once we actually stopped, though, only about 4 people were brave enough to use the squat pot.  Lucky for us, we are pros!  

Back on the bus and driving to Rabat. 

Our first real stop is the president's house,Dar al-Makhzen .  We can't go in, just look. 

There is a large delegation of guards out front, so we just stop here, look, and turn around. 

Our second stop was the Kasbah des Oudaias, a walled city from the 12th century.  Inside is a maze of narrow streets and beautiful little buildings. 

We are wandering with the crowd to an overlook and some hot mint tea. 

After the tea, we make our way to this courtyard for a few minutes, then it is back on the bus. 

Our next stop is downtown Rabat, and we have about a 10-minute walk to the restaurant where we will eat lunch. 

We are here!  

The restaurant is two floors, and dining is family style.  

Sides are green beans, lentils, carrots, cukes, and tomatoes, Moroccan style, and 

Tandoori chicken with olives.  Amazing! 

Stretching out and getting ready to get back on the bus. 

This is a brief stop at Hassan tower, a tower that was started in the 12th century, but never finished.  It also has a beautiful mosque. 

Pictures don't do this justice, it is amazing! 

Our next stop is Chellah, a site of ruins and gardens.  

From Wikipedia:  The Chellah or Shalla, is a medieval fortified Muslim necropolis located in the metro area of Rabat, Morocco, on the south side of the Bou Regreg estuary. The Phoenicians established a trading emporium at the site. This was later the site of an ancient Roman colony in the province of Mauretania Tingitana. 

Leaving the Chellah, and heading back to Casablanca. 

I think this was the kids' favorite place of the day.  The Hassan II Mosque.  It is the largest mosque in Africa, and the minaret is 210 meters tall.  It is gigantic! 

It took us about 10 minutes to walk from where we are standing to the mosque.  Wow!  This was a great way to end the day. 

Back on the boat, headed to the Canary Islands!