watching and waiting. Photo courtesy of V M
tags
We got our flight back from La Martinique to Europe included in the price which was 1,600 euros for three weeks for two which is a deal in my book!
It took us a long time to give in to cruising fever but we did finally succumb three years ago with a one week cruise around the Med I was living in Nice, France so it was relatively easy to hop on a cruise liner from Genoa or Marseilles.
Last minute deals are Always available wherever you live
We had been on several Mediterranean cruises many were booked at the last minute and never with a balcony as budget could not stretch to that, plus we discovered that apart from sleeping we were practically never in the stateroom .
Last November we decided to sail further afield and for a longer period so we did our research and booked to the West Indies from Marseilles with MSC. We do sail Costa too.
So here is the tip! Cruise companies like MSC and Costa reposition their cruise ships from the Med to the Caribbean every season in November and sail back to the Med in March or April , rather then sending an empty ship across the Atlantic , they often offer super deals and we got our flight back from La Martinique to Europe included in the price which was 1,600 euros for three weeks for two which is a deal in my book
Where did we go ? Marseille , Barcelona , Malaga, Santa Cruz, Tenerife then five days at sea (no the sea was not rough and no we did not get bored) six islands including Barbados, St Kitts, St Martin, and the Martinique
The down side was as the return flight was included at the end of the cruise we were given no time to visit but were flown straight home from La Martinique ; so that is on the bucket list is for next year I appreciated the the ship itself , the MSC Preziosa which is not a giant ship remains at a humane level , passenger number wise
A few useful links I used but there are a lot more out there
Please share your cruising tips with us , we would love to know where you went !
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SEVILLA IN FOUR DAYS
Getting there
We took an Easyjet flight down to Sevilla in Southern Spain on a four night city break. We had thought that September would be cooler but we still had extremely high temperatures , 36 and above , however, no rain.
Getting Around
Sevilla is pretty easy to get around and we took a taxi on arrival because we have never been here before and it was an evening flight and paid 28 euros but we took the shuttle bus , EA back to the airport for 4 euros each which we got at la Plaza de Las Armas . During our stay we walked to many of the sights as Sevilla is a good walking city albeit tiriing as many city breaks are but sometimes we used the Metro L1 or the tram .
The last two days we opted for the Green, Sevirama, Hop on Hop off bus for 18 euros each which was our best buy actually because it is valid for two days. We took it in the afternoon and the following morning of our flight back.
Day One
We headed straight to the market in Triana to fill our backpacks with fresh fruit and cheese. Excellent choices and not expensive at all.
After the market we went to the Alcazar and I strongly recommend that you either get there incredibly early or that you purchase a fast track ticket , there are a few options on Trip advisor that you can get before your trip.
We spent two hours at Alcazar which is one of Sevilla s must visits !
After Alcazar we went to the Cathedral which is really unique in its magnificence the visit cost us 9 euros per person but you get to see the tomb of Christopher Columbus , well there is a debate about this.
Day Two
Today we went to the Bull ring and took a guided tour , although I am not a fan of bullfighting I still think that it is worth visiting as the guide was very informative and you get and audio with it .
Day Three
This morning we headed over to the Sevilla football stadium which was unfortunately closed for visitors due to refurbishment but the shop is fun. https://www.sevillafc.es/
In the afternoon it was our hop on bus to Plaza de España We stayed for two hours before hopping back on to see the Macarena district and la Plaza de Hercules which is where we ate most evenings . If anybody has any good restaurant addresses for our next trip to Sevilla then any feed back would be much appreciated. :) http://www.andalucia.org/es/turismo-cultural/visitas/sevilla/otras-visitas/plaza-de-espana-2/
We chose the hotel Zaida in the old town but regretted not getting one with a pool . Zaida was charming.
Day Four
Morning trip to the Museo de Bellas Artes , just next door to the hotel. Fabulous architecture and Baroque collections. Second best after El Prado .
The Plaza de las Armas is a shopping centre worth seeing to pick up some souvenirs before we got the shuttle from the bus stop opposite.
http://www.centrocomercialplazadearmas.es/
Oh ! Don’t stop the Carnival 2025!
Oh, don’t stop the carnival, especially as we could all do with some colour, some great music, dancing, and warm comforting carnival food to chase away the winter blues.
There are many carnivals to choose from and it’s not too late to book that last minute January and February Carnival break in Brazil, Trinidad, good times Rollin’ New Orleans, sophisticated and elegant Venice to name but a few.
Grotesque, flowery and fruity?
All carnivals have their own theme and style and I favour the crazy street fun of the Nice carnival ,the theme is King of Music this year Menton being just a short car ride or better still train ride along the coast the lemon and flower filled floats offer a carnival with more elegance a more sedate attraction but by no means boring! The theme for Menton’s Lemon Festival this year is “The Tribulations of a Lemon in China”, Can’t wait!
Dates
Nice Carnival
Menton Lemon festival
Brazil
New Orleans
http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/schedule.html
Trinidad
http://www.gotrinidadandtobago.com/trinidad/carnival/
Venice Carnival
http://www.venice-carnival-italy.com/
All Carnival Dates – Carnival Inspiration
http://carnivalinfo.com/2014/10/21/caribbean-world-carnival-dates-2015/
Antigua Carnival this year’s dates:
J Bowell 2015 all rights reserved http://www.horizonssouth.com/
A Christmas in Provence.
Provence s Markets and Traditions
What better time to visit the region of Provence than at C
hristmas when the enchantment of its Christmas markets and traditions abound , when its food markets overflow with festive delights and its Santons fairs help adorn the local nativity scenes.
Provence more than any other region seems to not only have safeguarded its Christmas traditions, but also knows how to put them on display and enchant us, a visit to the region now will remind the traveler of what Christmas is really all about, just a short drive from Marseille/Aix or Nice airports this is the home of winter wonderland.
Here the festive season begins on December 4th and continues for eight weeks until Candlemass, February 2nd. It s all about preparations and anticipation and if you live in Provence then you have two important things to do on December 4th ,the Feast of Saint Barbara, first you need to plant your wheat or lentil seeds in three dishes representing the Holy Trinity, because as the Provincial saying goes “Quand lou blad vèn bèn, tout vèn bèn,” or “When the wheat grows well, everything goes well so if your seeds sprout you are in luck and a prosperous year ahead is assured.
Next you need to get those Santons arranged in your nativity crib as there is no Christmas celebration without them in Provence. Santons in France date back to 1775 in Marseille, and are handmade, painted (or not) clay figurines of different sizes, there are the traditional religious figures , such as the Virgin Mary, Joseph the three wise men but Nativity scenes in Provence also have the people and artisans who would have lived and worked in an 18th and 19th century villages of the region – there is indeed a figurine for each tradesman and craftsman, the miller ,the water carrier the baker ;as all the decorations are symbolic you are not allowed to forget the well or the olive tree.The infant Jesus is only placed in the scene on Christmas Eve.
I try to buy one santon a year to add to the family crèche or crib and always enjoy a shopping trip to Marseille’s Santon Fair which runs until December 31st 2014 where the stalls sell literally hundreds of different santons , along with handmade decorations , gifts and antiques. The most famous Santon fair takes place in Aubagne – Marcel Pagnol s birthplace -and is well worth the visit to help you complete your collection.
Many santonniers are family run businesses and most French families have a favourite ones and stick to them. My favourites are from The Escoffiers based in Aubagne . and the Aix based, Fouques
Don’t like Christmas pudding? Try their thirteen symbolic desserts , the traditional Provence extravaganza for Christmas Eve the Lou gros soupa with mulled wine includes nuts dried fruit , fresh fruit and candied fruit
You truly can’t beat a traditional Christmas in Provence.
J Bowell originally published @ http://www.horizonssouth.com/
Horizons South 