We arrived in Barcelona on December 26 and took the AeroBus to Plaça de Catalunya where we were met by Mark and Jeff. We shared a lunch at a tapas bar (your bill is determined by the number of toothpicks on your plate) and walked down Las Ramblas to their Airbnb.
From there we took a long walk to the cruiseport with all of our luggage. We stopped near the Christopher Columbus statue to fortify ourselves with an espresso (well, except for Greg) and the 4 little bottles of Baileys I’d been given on the plane.
The MSC Grandiosa is brand new and sparkly clean. Our cabin is small but everything works and it will do just fine. We caught up with Bryan and Erin at our dinner together. The younger generation set off to explore the ship after dinner, while Greg and I crashed after our overnight flight.
In the morning, we all met for breakfast and our Christmas gift exchange.
The annual Christmas stocking event, ready for the opening bell. Note Bryan’s secrecy wall hiding his assets.
Today was our first port, Marseille. The cruise ship offered a €16 shuttle from the commercial port where we were docked, to the city center. However, we discovered there is a free shuttle available if you walk a mile from the ship.
Marseille’s Cathedral de la Major was a short walk from the bus drop off. Built in the 1800s to replace the old Romanesque cathedral, the current church is in the Romanesque Byzantine revival style.
After the cathedral, Bryan and Erin split off for some sightseeing, Jeff rented a scooter to visit Notre Dame, the highest point in the city, and Greg, Mark and I headed to the Marseille MuCEM, the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean. The museum opened in 2013, and two years later won the Council of Europe museum prize.
Building J4, a striking modern building, includes a permanent exhibition and two temporary exhibit galleries. The core of the building is wrapped in metallic latticework. A gently sloping ramp winds around the building between the latticework and the building itself, offering views of the harbour and the adjacent Fort Saint-Jean.
Notre Dame, through the latticework
The 17th century fort, dating from the reign of Louis XIV, is also part of the museum complex. It is connected to the roof terrace of J4 by a walkway suspended over the Mediterranean.
Entrance to the buildings and fortress is free, while an exhibition ticket (there were 4 exhibits) is about $10. Mark and I visited two of the exhibits while Greg went geocaching. The first was on the 20th century French pacifist author Jean Giono, and the second on current Afghanistan artists, their work, and the oppression imposed upon them
The fort had towers to climb, ramparts to stroll and great views over the old town and marina.
I
Notre Dame (where Jeff went)
We rambled back to the bus stop, looking vaguely for an ATM (but Greg has the card) and bottled soda to take back to the ship.
Then back to the ship for dinner and a show.
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