It's kind of hard to believe that this chapter of our journey is coming to an end. We landed in Barcelona on January 5 and by this time tomorrow we'll be on a plane headed to Miami (assuming we're not included in the new travel ban).
It's been a great trip. It has allowed us to revisit some familiar places and we have enjoyed learning a little more about them. Additionally we've been to some new places such as Mallorca, Spain, Malta and Casablanca, Morocco which were interesting and unique.
We don't pick favorites because every place is different but we're very interested in spending more time in Mallorca, Madeira, Lanzarote and our last port Malaga, Spain.
Along the way we've met some terrific folks such as Anne and her daughter Beth from Australia who were on the first cruise with us. Beth, good luck in your last year of high school!
The second cruise we enjoyed visiting with Jack and Louise from Canada who like us are "global wanderers" (sorry we never got back together), Jeff and Steph (Jeff is from the U.K. and Steph is originally from Bulgaria) and some folks I'll bet we see again, Jim and Joanne from Ft. Myers.
The world is mostly made up of really nice people. It's a shame that a few have to ruin it for the majority.
One exceptionally nice person we came in contact with yesterday was a bus driver in Marbella. Her kind actions are a story worth telling.
When we got to Malaga yesterday morning we decided to try to check out another coastal town about 40 miles away called Marbella. As usual I knew nothing about it but Beth was familiar with it. She even told me that the Obama's had vacationed there a few years back (She think's it was just a girls trip and Barack was left at home).
Well hearing about that made me even more intrigued because I wanted to see where our tax dollars went so I was excited for the opportunity.
Getting from Malaga to Marbella was easy. It was a short bus ride on quite possibly the most comfortable bus I've ever ridden. If only I could have half that much padding and leg room on tomorrow's flight!
Marbella was a very nice and somewhat typical Spanish beach town. There was a long promenade along the waterfront as well as a picturesque historical district with it's narrow alleyways filled with shops and cafes.
We only had a few hours so we really only scratched the surface of what seemed would be a fun place to spend more time.
When we got back to the bus station and started to board the bus going back to Malaga, the driver noticed there was an issue with our tickets. Her English was as minimal as our Spanish but she said something along the lines of "please come with me".
She took us back into the station and showed the tickets to the agent. We weren't exactly sure what was going on but finally figured out that when we bought the round trip tickets that morning in Malaga we had been overcharged. We're pretty positive this was accidental because the agent who sold us the tickets had been very helpful and friendly. She made sure we were refunded the amount of the first tickets and that new tickets were issued at the correct price.
Now to me this is the best part of the story. The total amount we were overcharged was a little over five dollars!
All she had to do was tear our tickets as we boarded. We would have been on our way and never known the difference, but she wasn't going to allow that to happen. We thanked her in Spanish (one of the few words we know), English and maybe even a few other languages as we got of the bus. There were some great life lessons in her actions that I hope I will remember and apply.
Back in Malaga we had a few hours to enjoy this really special city. We had spent a few days there a few years ago (this is where I forgot some of my clothes the first time). We really enjoyed it then, and it had seemed to only get better. The waterfront park was pristine and had been expanded to include a new art museum.
Art is somewhat a centerpiece of Malaga because it is the birthplace of Picasso. There is a small but very interesting museum dedicated to him and his art which is located right next to the home he was born in, which obviously is on the national historical registry.
Malaga also has a very nice beach that we were able to stroll for a short while before heading back to the ship.
We set sail for Barcelona under clear skies and totally calm seas.
As I'm sitting here this afternoon those words from one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs are starting to once again(and again and again) play in my head...."and those harbor lights, oh they're coming into view. It's been a lovely cruise" or in this case cruises!
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| Malaga Port |
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| Start of the Beach in Malaga-Several Miles |
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| "The Cube" in Malaga-Part of their new Art's Complex |
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| Cathedral Door in Malaga |
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| Malaga |
