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What a trip - all good from start to finish. Disney fantastic, meeting up with our US friends, all our stops on the Gulf Coast great. Weather was the best. 30 mins rain since end Feb, temp over 30C until we reached Spain. We had infinity coming out of ears - pools at St Pete &  Cape Coral. The cantilever spa on deck 15 of the Allure & the pool on the roof of the Barca hotel. It was spooky with my vertigo 9 floors up! Not as frightening as the Allure. I am not talking about climbing the wall, surfing, ice skating or the zip wire I did. It was on deck 6 standing by the merry-go-round. Under the zip 10 floors above - just imagine a brave soul, shorts, going commando & having an involuntary bowel movent. Can you imagine the spray pattern. The Allure was some ship. The public areas were superb. Central Park was planted with trees & flowers, inc birds & was lined with great restaurants, a nice cafe, tapas bar, Italian, super steak house & 6 course top chef place. Below this was the promenade, 3 floors open to glass roofs in Central park, shops, restairants, bars including one that climbed the 3 floors to Central Park. Then there is boardwalk on deck 6 open to sky and back of ship. Set up like a fairground, carousel, bars, fast food, Mexican & water theatre. Well equipped as well, every cabin was equipped with a device that could see into the future - open the fridge and you could see drinks prices from 2024. Wow!

Barcelona - Done

Last day! Yesterday went up Park Montjuic, high ground looking over city, site of 92 Olympics, botanic gardens & Palace of Catalan Art, fre entry 1st Sunday. Nice fountains to music at night. Sorry I made the benevolent leg donar sound like a fish yesterday. Went for a free guided tour around the Gothic Quarter - enjoyed it a lot. Wandered around harbour and took buses around town. T10 ticket is great. Sorting out train to airport & just going out for pizza. See you soon.

Barca Tour

Took a guided tour to Montserat & the main sights of Barca. It didn't start too well. We had a 14 seat coach with 12 passengers. It was absolutely full, lardwise. I had 2 sitting next to me who needed 3 seats & we had 2 women in front, Badonka & Weeble who couldn't sit together - insufficient butt room. The monastry at Montserat was nice - they had the black Madonna who everyone wanted to touch, the queue of Catholics was huge. They had a gift room for her and some kind sole had left his prosthetic leg. We went and visited the Castle & 92 Olympic site at Monjuic Parc, very nice, except that the coach had some trouble with the door closing system. We had a little burning smell & sitting at the back Mum said grab the escape hammer on the window, we might have to bash Badonka on the head to keep the aisle clear. Sagrada Familiar & Park Guell are some places, I can't imagine what was going on in Gaudi's head. SagFam was started in 1884 & still not finished - avoid that building company for your extension.

La Pedrera

Went night visit to Mila's house designed by Gaudi in 1912. It is v big with 4 apartments. Way out design with curves meant to represent a sea theme. Compare with other 1912 designs. This is the architect who started Sagrada Familiar Church 1884, still not finished, due for completion in 11 years. That's Spanish customs for you.!

Leave Allure. Arrive Barca

I forgot to finish the ladybird story. They were all over the place on a frantic mating event. There were gang bangs going on all over the place - on the decks, on the bars & on the backs of GOW sleeping fraulines. Lin told me they are so sex mad, they have their own version of VD. The last day on the ship was good, we chilled, went to the ice show. The skating was terrific. Lin was chatting to a Yank who was moaning about his wife sleeping a lot, saying she could do that at home for free. Anyway I glanced at him half way through the show and he was sound-oh. Guess what the music the dance was to - Nessum Dorma, check it out! Up at 5am, off by 7. Left bags at hotel, got T10 travel ticket, wandered the city, got 9:15pm tickets for La Pedrera night tour. Arrived hotel midnight & exhausted.

The Pond is BIG

Cruising 4 days now. The Atlantic is huge & deserted. We have been looking everyday now for dolphins, whales, birds, ships.......anything! We have seen nothing even with binoculars. What's happening - more forensics lectures, rode the zip wire 11 floors up, tea & cake in central park, relaxed in solarium, saw a great water show - cirque du soleil with acrobatics & high diving, trampolining. Fantastic. Grub great Neil & Des would not be able to contain themselves.

Day 3

Whatever happened to 1 & 2? Well, we have eaten, drunk, made friends been to art class, danced, gymed, eaten, drunk, made friends, sun bathed, played cards - YT triumph, dressed up, lost an hour in the day, cocktails, learnt all about forensics, seen Chicago, Roxie still gets off, went to bed 2:30am- we're exhausted. Weather great, calm & mid 20's.

In the Middle of......

Nowhere. What with no signs of life, we are now out of internet, telephone & satellite range. No TV either, right out of touch. Who cares - the only way we know what day we are is because the lift floor shows the day. We have already lost 3 hours 1 hour at lunch time, so no lost sleep, only lost eating time. We had a cracking meal at Chop Grill, I climbed the wall on the back of the boat... And fell off, & fell off & again. I saw a 12 year old climb to the top! Taught to jive - not a great success, but not too bad for an old goat with no sense of timing or tempo. Learnt more forensics, off to a show with Amy Abler? - you google, I've got no internet.

Dire Straits

of Gibraltar. Now day 10 of cruise & we sail past Gib tonight. Saw our first ships, 2 freighters. Still enjoying ourselves - more shows, Lance Ringwald, a retired US Olympian who does a comedy gymnastics piano & sings show. Had a nice sushi meal yesterday. Had my first go at surf flow rider - got a round of applause, but that was cos my trunks came off. Enjoyed but bruised. Ice skating later. Just sitting in cafe recovering with Darjeeling.

Malaga & Attack of the Sex Mad

Ladybirds - we docked today in Malaga & went ashore for a stroll through the promenades & park on the front. It was really very pleasant, nice boulevards & shaded park. On the way back we noticed more & more ladybird & when we got back they were all over the ship, in the pool, on the deck & in the spas. Lin met someone who was trying to rescue them - PugH isn't the only one. Spent some quality time in the spa that cantilevers over the side of the deck and then in the whirlygig pool that is donut shaped & the water spins around it 2mph or so. I could just about keep stationary, but Lin kept whizzing around & wiping me out - talk about Titanic v Iceberg! All the Germans went on tour, so had no trouble with sun loungers in Solarium. Just off for cocktails on balcony as we depart for Barcelona.