The resort that rocks!
Later I might head to one (or two) of the many bars, I've not actually tried counting, most of which have some form of music to enjoy. Otherwise there's bound to be a film on that I haven't seen yet - Dune was great the other night as I missed its release and really wanted to see it on the big screen. Or there's always some top quality show in the theatre and I've really enjoyed the late night comedy club, so I might head there and sit somewhere near the back!
It's great to have a day just relaxing, as the last four days have been full-on sightseeing; first to Lisbon, my second visit so I took the organised excursion to see the castles at Sintra and the town of Caiscais which was lovely. Next up was Porto, a city I have always wanted to visit and just never quite got round to it and 100% one I will be returning to, ideally on 23rd/24th June when they hold the Sao Joao fiesta which sounds like something everyone should experience. Here there was time to have a tour of a port cellar (of course), take a cruise along the Douro and soak up the lively atmosphere. This was followed by two days in Galicia, the northernmost part of Spain, visiting Vigo and A Coruna, two cities that feel relatively untouristy, with beautiful architecture and very friendly people willing to listen to my poor attempts at their language.
Tomorrow it will be Gibraltar, followed by another day at sea and then Malaga before we return to our original departure port of Barcelona. You might have guessed by now that I'm on a cruise, this particular one is with Carnival and I have to say it has been amazing. I know a lot of people might not think a cruise is for them but consider what you want out of a holiday and you might be surpirsed at how much a cruise could fit the bill. It's amazed me how close we've been docking, in most instances we're right next to the city so you have plenty of time to explore. That's another great benefit - sight-seeing without your typical touring holiday - only unpack once, no living out of your suitcase! I've really enjoyed the opportunity to sample places that I will most likely return to for longer in the future, especially Porto.
You can actually forget you're on a ship a lot of the time, there's just so much to do with countless quizzes, games and workshops, music all over the place, shops, an art gallery, a casino, lots of deck space for sunbathing, a couple of pools, some with hot tubs, a spa, gym with sauna and steam room, mini golf and so loads of clubs and spaces for the kids too, so next time you're trying to work out if you want something action-packed or something relaxing, why not give Carnival a try?