This truism became obvious to us while embarking from the port of Barcelona on a much-anticipated tour of the Western Mediterranean aboard the SS Silver Wind. As lines were cast off from the ultra-modern cruise ship terminal, we beheld from deckchairs on the ship’s fantail the eclectic architecture of this centuries-old Catalan city: A gloriously jumbled panorama of buildings constructed in medieval, rococo, art nouveau, Thau School cubist, and art deco styles. This view, slowly diminishing into the churning wake, was enhanced by a chilled flute of bubbly expertly delivered by one of Silversea Cruise Line’s famously attentive waiters, and perfectly set the mood for a 12-day voyage that would include some of the most beautiful sights to grace Europe’s southwestern shore.
SETTLING IN While we explore our floating home, we are transformed from world-weary adults into awestruck children, delighting in the many restaurants, tea rooms, lounges, spas, conversation nooks, and observation areas: all of them available to us as part of the all-inclusive fare serviced by a staff to which passengers are not required to tip. Silversea’s “no tipping” policy, in our view, positively transforms the cruise travel experience into the stress-free vacation it was meant to be. The fact that there is one crewmember serving every three passengers additionally enhances the Silversea experience. We settle down in our port side stateroom (all cabins on the Silver Wind face the water; 80 percent have teak-decked balconies) and study our itinerary. In France: St. Tropez and Cannes. In Monaco: Monte Carlo. In Spain: Palamos, Malaga, and Cadiz. And in Portugal: Portugal and Lisbon. Chatting with some of our fellow passengers – an activity made easy because the all-inclusive policy eliminates the need to keep track who paid for the last round of food. With our waistlines soon be subjected to close to two weeks of gourmet cooking, we vowed at the onset to take advantage of the ship’s fitness center. On the subject of cuisine: We were told by Ralph de Klijn, the Silver Wind hotel manager, that his chefs can accommodate virtually any special dietary need.
ST. TROPEZ No matter how well-traveled you may be, it is impossible not to be excited upon awakening at the first port of call on an extended cruise. And our first glimpse of the charming, pastel-colored buildings lining the wharf of St. Tropez particularly ramped up our enthusiasm. This once sleepy fishing village is now a hot spot for both celebrities and those who aspire to fame. The town gained international notoriety in 1956 when Brigitte Bardot, the cinema bombshell of her day, caused a near riot when the French actress decided to vacation here.
CANNES Already 300 km from Barcelona, the next morning found the Silver Wind anchored within sight of Cannes, a charming town renowned for its “jet set” cachet and world-renowned film festival. Much like neighboring St. Tropez, visitors here quickly discover that the city’s economy is primarily based on shopping, with people-watching running a close – and less costly – second. The hotel-lined La Croisette, the portside Promenade de la Croisette, is ideally suited for this latter activity. Several of our fellow Silver Wind passengers made a beeline to the beaches for a swim.
MONTE CARLO, MONACO What could possibly exceed the thrill of exploring St. Tropez and Cannes? For us, it was stepping off the gangway to see the tiny principality of Monaco. The shallow draft of the Silver Wind permitted us to dock inside the harbor alongside some of the world’s largest and most luxurious private yachts. The naturally formed harbor of Monaco was first mentioned in historical records dating back to 43 BC, when Julius Caesar’s fleet dropped anchor in the natural harbor while en route to southern Italy. Today, Monaco is a regional banking center whose iconic casino, built in 1865, stands watch over a harbor jammed with boats and marinas. Surprisingly, the permanent population of Monaco is just over 3,000 people. By late Monday afternoon, we back on the aft lounge of the Silver Wind, taking tea and chatting with cruise mates while admiring the sea of enormous yachts crammed into the harbor.
PALAMOS New day, new port, new country: Palamos, Spain. This quaint village on Costa Brava boasts a busy commercial marina and a wide, tree-shaded beach. Restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs, cafes and stores line the streets of Palamos. Hopping aboard a tour bus, we were able to appreciate the sandy beaches that make this part of Spanish Catalunia so popular with European vacationers.
DAY AT SEA: Having a quiet day at sea while in transit to the next port o’ call was a welcome break: it gave us a chance to relax and enjoy the activities and companionship on board. We should note here that we are vegetarians, so we were delighted find at least one vegetarian entrée on every Silver Wind lunch and dinner menu. Fortunately for us, we discovered an Indian family aboard ship that had made arrangements with the Silver Wind chef for the daily preparation of vegetarian curries and other Indian cuisine. With a word, the chef increased the size of each meal so that we could not only share the company of this delightful family, but also their wonderful food.
MALAGA, SPAIN Because Malaga has an important link to Islam—Muslims controlled it for more than 700 years—it may be useful to share some of its history. Back in 770 BC, the Phoenicians from Tyre founded the city. The name Malaga is thought to be from the Phoenician word for “salt” because fish was salted at a place near the harbor. In the 8th Century, during Muslim rule of the Iberian Peninsula, Malaga became an important trade center, and was ruled by the Caliphate of Cordoba. The famous explorer Ibn Battuta, who passed through the region around 1325, characterized Malaga as “one of the largest and most beautiful towns of Andalusia [uniting] the conveniences of both sea and land, and is abundantly supplied with foodstuffs and fruits.”
CADIZ Cadiz proved to be our favorite Spanish city: It has a large and very pleasant Old Quarter where we spent hours admiring beautiful boutiques and even buying a few treasures. The old central quarter is the most beautiful part of the city, and is famous for its picturesque charm. Just a few meters from the port, the narrow and cobbled streets open onto palm-shaded squares, lined with well-populated cafes and homes built in the Moorish style. Situated on a narrow spit of land surrounded by the sea, Cadiz is a beautiful city and also the oldest city in Europe, dating back 3,000 years.
PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL As a tourist destination, the town of Portimao doesn’t have much to offer. Much of its port economy is dependent on fishing and freight transport. Portimao was another ancient trading port vital to the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians. Some historians believe that this city was once the famous Portus Hannibalis, named by the famous Carthaginian General, Hannibal Barca. During the Arab occupation, the city was called Burj Munt.
LISBON As all good things must come to an end – so did our wonderful cruise aboard the Silver Wind. As Portugal’s capital and its largest city, Lisbon is the country’s economic, cultural, and political center. It is also home to two agencies for the European Union. Founded by Ulysses, the legendary Greek explorer, Lisbon has been occupied by the Romans, Visigoths, and, in the 8th Century, the Arabs. Arab rule of Lisbon lasted from 711 ADE to the mid-12th century. Moorish architecture is still in evidence in Alfama, the old part of the city that survived the 1755 earthquake. Today, the kind of ultra-luxury cruise travel offered by lines like Silversea is more affordable than ever. In addition to its all-inclusive cruise fares; Silversea offers dozens of voyages at substantial savings.
For complete information, see Silversea Cruises’ comprehensive website at www.silversea.com.
