Mediterranean Cruise 2005

Sunrise arrival

Our last full day of this amazing adventure will be on the island of Menorca, smaller Mediterranean companion to Mallorca.  I’m actually glad we’re here rather than the larger, more trendy (and more crowded!!!) island.  As I’ve noted before, in addition to seeing the “big touristy must-see sights”, I really like seeing “normal life” areas just as much. 

The cool thing about this visit is that the dock for Voyager is down a narrow inlet leading to the capital city of Mahon.  This inlet is so narrow that, even with Captain Knut expertly guiding us slowly (maximum speed of 3 knots!) and carefully to port, the gentle wakes splash convincingly on the raised stone walls. 

Seeing the early light illuminate some of the homes along the way makes me look aft – and I am SO GLAD that I did!  The sunrise photos are excellent!  

Captain Knut performs an immaculate pivot in the middle of this inlet and uses the side thrusters to gently nudge Voyager against the dock with a gentle “bump”.  We’re here!  Let’s have some breakfast and get going!

Exploring Mahon

Mahon is a really cool little Spanish town that is (quite literally) just waking up as we disembark and start our self-guided walkabout!  The beautiful steps leading up to the main city square make us jokingly remember the “Spanish Steps” of Rome earlier in our trip.

While Paul and I visit a beautiful church and poke around the market and all of the amazingly colorful and fresh fruits and vegetables, Kathy and Geri are off (shockingly) shopping! 

Paul isn’t curious.  

The girls join back up with us in short order.  Paul and Geri then head back to Voyager for a relaxing afternoon. 

Kathy and I head out for some more exploration walking!   That, of course, means snagging a yummy treat for the walk, too!  There are so many lime trees right along the walk – it was tempting to just grab one and see if they tasted as yummy as they looked, but we didn’t.

We get a great view of Voyager from the walls above Mahon, but soon it’s time to head back to our ship for “one last night”. 

Leaving Menorca and wrapping up

While we were exploring Menorca, Paul and Geri got a private tour of Voyager’s bridge and some one-on-one time with Captain Knut!  I personally think they enjoyed the “chocolate tea time” just as much!

It is, however, time to disembark – and we gently glide back up the inlet, guided by our pilot boat.  Reaching the exit, a small lighthouse is ready to help guide ships to safely avoid hazards.  And then, we’re out in the open Mediterranean again.

A formal dinner on our last night at the Signatures restaurant allows us to get all dressed up and spend the evening recounting our adventures of the last 9 days!  It’s truly been an amazing vacation, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reliving it with me.  

In the morning, we dock in Monaco, but in appropriate fashion to make up for all the GOOD weather, it’s raining and we’re so pressed for time that there’s no touring or photos of any value.

As per Chaucer, “All good things must come to an end”, and that includes this trip.  See y’all next time!