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The Marco Polo's Western Europe cruise was really the second leg of a back-to-back cruise that started near Rome and ended in Lisbon.

Friday May 10 0900-1800 Lisbon, Portugal. A day in Lisbon (photos) is not enough when you consider all that the city has to offer; however, one can still pack quite a bit into a few hours. I was on the lookout for photo opportunities and there were quite a few. I even poked into a museum (Jeronimos) or two (Torre de Belem) or three (Museum of Design). I had visited Sintra, Cascais and Estoril before so I concentrated on the waterfront for the most part. I must say that I just like the sound of Portuguese and trying to imitate some of the place names can be a challenge. A good example is Leixoes (pronounced something like lay'-shush) which is the port area where the Marco Polo was tied up in Oporto.

Saturday May 11 0800-1800 Oporto (Leixoes), Portugal is an old city (photos) that has retained its original architecture and is attractive in its up and down streets. The city is situated on the Douro River with the opposite side of the river, Vila Nova de Gaia, warehousing the wines and displaying all of the famous brand names in big letters. The port wine, of course, is excellent and inexpensive so one has to take some back to the ship. It, however, disappears fast and one does not have to worry about transporting breakable items after the cruise is over.

Sunday May 12 at sea was most pleasant as the weather was noticeably warmer than the Mediterranean which I judged to be about ten degrees below the average daily maximum temperature. In any event, I believe I even ventured into the tiny pool once or twice.

There are ample activities and entertainment onboard to require watching the plan of the day so as not to miss too much. I must tell you that I am the ship's balderdash champion twice in a row. Now if somebody had showed up to challenge me, it might have been more interesting.

Monday May 13 0700-2100 La Rochelle, France. It was my first visit to this beautiful port town on the Bay of Biscay, situated in cognac country and I found it most enjoyable. Of course, there are many seaside towns that are nearly as pretty but this one is certainly a local favorite. As this area was used heavily during the war for logistics resupply, bombing leveled it all and what is now visible has been the result of complete rebuilding. My hat is off to the industry of these people.

The port is characterized by a number of towers (photo) and a number of harbors with locks to protect the vessels from high tides. The 10-month, 33,000 nautical mile Volvo Ocean Race, formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, was underway and the sailboats were about to arrive in force with the next leg north to Goteborg. The city also has a relatively new aquarium that is a prime attraction.

Tuesday May 14 at sea was a quiet day with the French coast barely visible for the most part. Once the ship had rounded the northwesternmost part of France, the wind and wave action helped it on its easterly course.

Wednesday May 15 1130-1900 St Malo, France. The picturesque port town of St. Malo required tendering but these operations went quickly and smoothly. Although this entire area was flattened by the constant bombing of World War II, the city has been beautifully rebuilt (photos) and is a joy to visit. I caught a tour bus to beautiful Mont St. Michel and in an hour of driving, mainly east along the Emerald Coast, the pyramidal outline of the fabled tombolo turned into a fairyland-like church and fortress (photo). The tides can be considerable in this area, reaching forty feet at times, but this was low tide and a number of passengers opted to take a guided walk out on the flats. The photo opportunities seemed endless but with a digital camera, there is very little reason to hold back. It will take a bit of editing, no doubt, somewhere down the line.

Thursday May 16 0800-1000 Le Havre, France. The chalk cliffs (photo) of the area signaled our arrival in the busy port of Le Havre located at the mouth of the Seine River. A small number of passengers opted to bus to Paris, some three hours one way, but most were content to enjoy the port town's attractions.

Friday May 17 arrived 0700 at Dover, England. The white limestone cliffs (photo) shown brightly in the early morning and debarkation was prompt and easy. The 70-mile bus ride from Dover to Heathrow was pleasant as I sat in the front row and felt as if I were driving. The entrance to the Chunnel was passed and relatively little traffic was encountered so that the drive was completed in only two hours.

All in all, it was a great trip as Europe always seems to deliver.


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