Finally, we (Owen & Dolores) are able to use the Future Cruise Credits issued to us by Azamara as a result of the Covid-affected voyage that began 2/20/2020 in Cape Town, SA. We'll fly to Barcelona and progress right-to-left on the diagrams above. Coincidentally, the ship for this cruise is the same ship as the Covid cruise - Azamara Quest.
We're missing the person we wanted so much to join us - E Glenn Jackson, god-father to our first-born, and great friend of us both since 1969. He died during the cruise in his home in Lakeside, Callifornia. RIP, Glenn.
Two notables we hope to meet on board are Ed Murphy who was the Executive Officer on USS Pueblo when that ship was captured by the North Koreans, and Ron James who is a wine-and-dine expert with his own web page. Ron & his wife were on the fated voyage mentioned above, as were Ed & Cathy who will also be along.
Persons O wants to see in Spain are Per Erik Bergquist, his second cousin, and Per's wife Anna. They live near Álora in the Málaga area. Per Erik is a Swede who retired to Spain. The common person is Sofia Carolina Linstrom, their great-grandmonther.
We're missing the person we wanted so much to join us - E Glenn Jackson, god-father to our first-born, and great friend of us both since 1969. He died during the cruise in his home in Lakeside, Callifornia. RIP, Glenn.
Two notables we hope to meet on board are Ed Murphy who was the Executive Officer on USS Pueblo when that ship was captured by the North Koreans, and Ron James who is a wine-and-dine expert with his own web page. Ron & his wife were on the fated voyage mentioned above, as were Ed & Cathy who will also be along.
Persons O wants to see in Spain are Per Erik Bergquist, his second cousin, and Per's wife Anna. They live near Álora in the Málaga area. Per Erik is a Swede who retired to Spain. The common person is Sofia Carolina Linstrom, their great-grandmonther.
On 30 October we cranked up the minivan, drove to the Boca Raton area and checked into the Waterstone Resort by Hilton.
We drove the first and last parts on A1A in the usual resort Saturday traffic. In Boynton Beach we were held up by the people streaming into a music festival of some sort.
Farther down the beach, A1A goes through a very wealthy section where the homes on the left are on the ocean. All are gated. Most of the foliage including trees are done up in topiary. One can't see through the growth to see the houses. Makes our neighboring Ponte Vedra Beach look like Al Capp's cartoon Dogpatch.
The hotel is on an inlet off the ocean, boats going past, drawbridge raising for the big ones, jet skis, etc.. The bar & dining area is open air next to the pool, very informal. Pictures later.
We had a relaxer, then ate dinner (D had salmon, O had shrimp fra diavolo) with suitable wines. Good enough food, good service, great atmosphere.
Then up to the room to sit on the veranda and wait for sunset. We have a good angle for it, but the ocean is east and the sun sets west so we can't combine them. Sunset was ok, partly obscured by cloud.
31 October Boca Raton
Up, loafed with in-room coffee (terrible).
The we finished the Spanish Health Form questionnaire and received the QR codes needed to show Delta and Spanish immigration.
Then breakfast on the outdoor bar level, again watching boats come & go.
Down A1A we went. At Hollywood we cut inland to I-95 to go around Fort Lauderdale where a boat show is in progress this weekend. We went out I-195 to Miami Beach and drove around it while D took pictures of the older art-deco places.
Out to Cheap Parking at the Marriott complex and put the minivan into a long-term lot there. The shuttle took us to the central terminal where we checked into the MIAHotel.
Then O found we couldn't check in on-line. So, down to the Delta check-in counter to show out documents. We received our boarding passes but still can't get our luggage tags until we get there in the morning. Crazy.
Owen has visited Spain in the distant past. In the 1964-66 time frame, he made four Polaris patrols on the submarine USS Woodwrow Wilson which operated out of Rota in Andalucia, near Cadiz, in the Sherry wine triangle.
Those patrols plus another one later gave Owen about 270 days in the Mediterranean, all of it underwater, including ten passes through the Straits of Gibraltar.
Duty prevented him from traveling very far in Spain, but he did visit the Rota area and Jerez de la Frontera.
At left is a street scene from Rota's old city wall taken in 1965. At times around 1,000 years ago, Rota was on the frontier between the Visigoths and the Moors.
1 November Photo Link
Up, coffee in the room, prepared, got the breakfast voucher and went into AirMargarita for breakfast. Then checkout, hike the luggage to the Delta desk. Luggage checked through to BCN. Up to the Delta lounge for nibbles and a bloody mary - mimosa.
The little 737 came along a little late but the turnaround was fantastic and we took off on time for JFK. The ride was boring, the best kind. I did see Virginia Beach VA below us (NAS Oceana is easily recognized). We landed way early in a beautiful sunny day.
Delta runs a shuttle from the C concourse to the B concourse. We took it, then hiked quite a distance to the Sky Room. We pulled up there to wait. It's convenient, since it's adjacent to our departure gate - B32. The Room here is vast and nicely operated. Lots of food and drink options.
Our flight 168 is on the departure board as On Time, B32, and At The Gate. What could be better? More later.
Up, coffee in the room, prepared, got the breakfast voucher and went into AirMargarita for breakfast. Then checkout, hike the luggage to the Delta desk. Luggage checked through to BCN. Up to the Delta lounge for nibbles and a bloody mary - mimosa.
The little 737 came along a little late but the turnaround was fantastic and we took off on time for JFK. The ride was boring, the best kind. I did see Virginia Beach VA below us (NAS Oceana is easily recognized). We landed way early in a beautiful sunny day.
Delta runs a shuttle from the C concourse to the B concourse. We took it, then hiked quite a distance to the Sky Room. We pulled up there to wait. It's convenient, since it's adjacent to our departure gate - B32. The Room here is vast and nicely operated. Lots of food and drink options.
Our flight 168 is on the departure board as On Time, B32, and At The Gate. What could be better? More later.
