The city
Royal Alcazar Palace in Seville Alcazaba in Malaga
After another day at sea we arrived in Almeria, in south-east Spain on the Med. A city dominated by an imposing fortress, the Alcazaba – the Citadel – but sadly closed for the day for filming of a new Wonder Woman movie.
On the movie theme, the nearby desert resembles the western area of Texas, and has been the location for films including A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. A mini theme park puts on spaghetti western shows.
Our next stop was Malaga, a city overlooked by tourists flying in and dashing for the Costa del Sol.
It is as trendy and noted for fine dining as Barcelona, and its Gothic cathedral is surrounded by narrow pedestrian streets full of traditional Sail across the Strait of Gibraltar October is #Choosecruise month – the national annual campaign from industry body Cruise Lines International Association which highlights holidays at sea and on rivers. The Irish Sunday Mirror will be showcasing cruise holidays, news and offers throughout the month... so get on board!
shops and modern bars.
For art lovers, there is the Picasso Museum in the city of his birth, with more than 200 works from private family collections.
We also stopped at Gibraltar, a perennial favourite.
The highlight of our cruise was the gathering in Cadiz of all four Fred Olsen ships: Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch. The Captains in Cadiz event was marked by a quayside fiesta before the fleet departed in formation, sprayed by water cannons from fire tugs.
As they disappeared over the horizon we began our two-day cruise back to Southampton, with plenty of time to enjoy everything the fantastic ship has to offer.
out for the naughty Barbary macaques in Gibraltar – don’t hold out a phone, they will snatch it and when they find it’s inedible sending it smashing down the rocks!
spain.info, visitportugal.com