March 26, 2025 – Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Partly Cloudy – Low 70s

Welcome to the Canary Islands. 

Port Information.  There are seven main islands in the archipelago (we are going to visit two of them on this voyage, Tenerife and Lanzarote).  The Canary Islands are located about 60 miles off the coast of Africa in the North Atlantic Ocean and have a total population of 2.25 million people (about 43 percent of the population of the archipelago lives on Tenerife).  The name has nothing to do with the little yellow bird but comes from Canariae Insulae  or “Island of the Dogs”. The islands are an autonomous community of Spain and Santa Cruz, where we are docking today is a co-capitol of the Canary Islands.  Tenerife also has a tragic place is history – in 1977, two Boeing 747s collided on the runway killing 583 people.  Mount Teide, which is the tallest point in Spain as well as all the islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the third-largest volcano in the world, when measured from its base.

The day started windy and gray as Splendor approached Tenerife.  I captured some of that from our suite.

It was too windy and chilly to eat out on the veranda 

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so breakfast was at Table 10 at La Veranda. 

I did get some nice shots of Santa Cruz as the ship pulled alongside.  There is another, much larger ship here today, Aida Cosma carries 5500 passengers and has over three times the gross tonnage of Splendor.  It is a huge ship. From the open deck, I was able to get some very nice pictures of the city as well as other ships moving through the harbor, one of which came very close to Splendor (maybe a bunkering ship).

We are not on tour today – we have been here a few times and the tours were early and more strenuous.  Our plan is to walk around Santa Cruz.  We left the ship around 11 AM and after checking out the vendor shops on the pier (we will come back and spend more time there later) we caught the ship-provided shuttle to the “Centro” section of the city. 

The actual center of town is connected to the pier area by a walking bridge.  The bridge is unique in that its totally covered in artificial grass – that, at least, makes it easy to see.  

In the distance, there is the Auditorio de Tenerife, designed by famous architect, Santiago Calatrava, who has bridges everywhere and almost designed the now defunct, Chicago Spire. Although the auditorium has been on several of our past tours, we have never been inside.

Our first stop, and it’s a difficult one to miss, is the Plaza de Espana.  The main feature is the huge fountain (almost a lake) that features fountains that go on and off four times a day to denote the high and low tides.  That won’t be happening today, since the fountain is completely empty. 

At one end of the dry fountain is a statue, which is made of stainless steel and called “Lo Llevo Bien” (“I’m doing well”).  The statue created by sculptor Julio Nieto in 2014 stands about 15 ft tall (weighs about a half ton) and resembles a man/tree.  The branches contain the names of individuals who donated to keep the sculpture in Santa Cruz (it was a traveling exhibit).  At the foot of the statue is sand from the 2021 Volcanic eruption on La Palma (supporting the people of La Palma).

Nearby is the Monumento al los Caidos (Monument for the Fallen) commemorates the casualties of the Spanish Civil War.  

It consists of an 82 ft tall obelisk in the form of a cross surrounded by statues of winged victory, “The Fatherland”, and two soldiers with swords.  The soldiers are very impressive standing over seven ft tall.  

The monument is mired in controversy because of the dictatorial aspects of the Spanish Civil War (and some changes to the monument may be made in the future).

The Plaza de Espana also has a “living wall” of flowers.  A very impressive colorful array of various flowers.

There is also a City Sign in the Plaza – sign was so big that I couldn’t get it into one frame no matter how far I stepped back (trees in the way).  

I took another picture of the sign from a distance.

It was just a short walk to another plaza, the Plaza de la Candelaria.  The plaza contains a smaller monument and dates back to the 16th Century.  It sits on the site of the remains of the Castillo de San Cristobal.

Santa Cruz has a pedestrian walkway – Calle de Castillo – that features regular and upscale stores on both sides of the street.  

The street is named for the Castillo de San Cristóbal (ca 1577) the first real fortification of the island of Tenerife.  The castle is gone but parts of it remain underneath the Plaza de Espana and can be visited.

We started walking on Calle del Castillo and found out pretty quickly that it was uphill.  Our goal was at the top of the hill – a park of some kind with trees and grass.  On the way we saw a Micky D’s – a pretty nice one – I tried to get an idea of what things cost here but it was too crowded. 

Continuing up the Calle del Castillo we came across a small bronze statue of a horse mackerel, known as "El Chicharro," which is a tribute to the fish that was a staple food for the city's fishing community. 

There is also a nice park near the fish statue as well as an upscale restaurant and condos.

On the street running parallel to the Calle, we saw a very impressive statue.  A Google search turned up the name, La Unión y El Fénix Español.  

While I was expecting a bit of brilliant history associated with this statue, this installation was put up by a Spanish insurance company founded in 1879.  The vast majority of its buildings were crowned with an architectural figure, in which Ganymede appears on a Phoenix. Ganymede was the son of the King of Troy – he was kidnapped by Zeus and made cup-bearer of the gods. Ganymede is the largest moon of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. This image was also the company's distinctive feature.

We stopped for a while and sat on the benches which are in the middle of the walkway.  It was midday so the Sun was directly overhead and no shade.

I was hoping to get a local beer and we stopped at an outdoor seating area near the top of the hill. We couldn’t stay long because we might have been the only people not smoking.  So we abandoned that idea and instead crossed the street and that took us to the Plaza del General Weyler.  

This wooded plaza is named after General Valeriano Weyler, a Spanish General who was a prominent historical figure of the island. The plaza was completed in 1983.

On one side of the plaza we found a nice indoor / outdoor restaurant where I checked out the menu for a local beer.  Even though there were few, if any, smokers in the place, it was pretty much an upscale restaurant (full menu) so we decided we would be better off if we got back to the ship and had lunch there.  The problem was that the complimentary shuttle ran every 30 minutes are was due to leave for Splendor in less than 20 minutes.  Let’s just say that it was a good idea that it was downhill because we sprinted – Ellen sprinted and I went as fast as I could.

We got to the bus with about a minute to spare and soon we were back at the pier.  We spent a little time at the vendors across from the ship and came away with a nice cap from Tenerife for $5.  What a deal.

We had lunch in La Veranda and the theme was “Italy”– I had the chef make me spaghetti aglio e olio and I put together a beautiful salad and assorted grilled Italian veggies.  

Along with an iced tea that made for a brilliant and delicious lunch.

After lunch, we went out on the veranda and took up spots on the covered corner on the starboard side of the ship.  At lunch, the veranda was full but it was now empty except for us.  No wind, warm, and quiet with a wonderful view of Santa Cruz.  We stayed there most of the afternoon.  Why not?

In the late afternoon, we went to the Observation Lounge to get seats and take in Fabiano.  Ellen had them make her a Chai Latte 

and I had a strawberry daiquiri.  The view of Santa Cruz was just as neat from the Lounge.  Fabiano’s set was great – can’t get enough of his piano stylings and the seats were comfortable – no jeans for me.  And the view from the Lounge was also quite nice.

At about 7 PM, we went for Dinner in the Compass Rose.  

Dover Sole for Ellen, Salmon for me, a salad with blue cheese dressing, mashed potatoes and spinach sides, cheesecake and coffee and tea.

We went to the show, which tonight was a production show new to us – “Diamond Run”. 

The show is a spy thriller about a man of mystery and a jewel thief both after a blue diamond.  It did have a James Bond vibe.  It's a new show created for Seven Seas Splendor.  After a few minutes, we decided that it was probably not our type of show so we called in a day and headed for our suite.

May 25, 2025 – North Atlantic Ocean – Cold and Rainy – 60s

Quite a bit of chop out there but we are in the North Atlantic.  You could feel it and see if from the suite and at breakfast.

I got up to La Veranda just as it was opening and probably because of the choppy conditions, there were very few people up there.  Today, I opted for chocolate chip pancakes and two eggs over medium – another good start to the morning.

My talk today is “Forensic Detectives: Identifying America’s Fallen Heroes”.  

I asked how many vets we had in the crowd and three hands went up.  I have been talking to one this whole cruise (he’s been in the military for 30 years).  The talk went well and ended on time.

We followed our post talk routine for the rest of the night – listening to Fabiano in the Observation Lounge (a little more choppy up there than usual).  We went to Sette Mari La Veranda for dinner tonight and found seats away from the work station we always sit at.  I had their version of tomato soup (probably the same as downstairs) and a nice salad from the salad bar – I do like the focaccia appetizers dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and the chunks of parmesan cheese.  There must have been a pasta on the menu tonight (can’t recall) that got us up here.  They do have some interesting deserts and tonight the decaf coffee was flowing. 

After dinner we went to the Splendor Lounge to hear an abbreviated set from Rhyme and Rhythm.  At 9:00 PM, there is a Beatles Thing in the Atrium featuring the Regent Singers and Dancers.  The Atrium got filled up pretty quickly and we could hear the music in the lounge so we stayed there.  After a while, we decided to go to the room and I tried to get a picture of the singers with limited success.

Relaxing in the room was a good idea.

March 24, 2025 – At Sea – North Atlantic Ocean – Cloudy and Rainy – 60s

Gray day at sea.  

I couldn’t eat at Table 62 in La Veranda because of the cold and sprinkles so I found a nice table inside (#10 for two with a window view).  This will be my table for the next few days as the weather does not look to be warm in the morning. Cereal starter, two plain pancakes, and scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese made up another good breakfast.

Another iced mocha in the Coffee Connection and a look at today’s talk.  It’s a relatively short one and should have no trouble with the 45 minute limit. The place is pretty full today because of the nasty weather so I like to get the last table aft.

We ate lunch in the protected area next to the Pool Grill. It was cold and windy so you had to grab your food quickly and get under the roof and out of the wind.  I had the salad bar and some pizza – a great combination on this ship. 

Today’s talk, “Forensics and History: The Lost Dauphin of France”, doesn’t get as much play as the rest of the series but, because there are lots of sea days, it is on today’s schedule.  The turnouts have been consistent and the talk ended a bit early.  I thought that the flashing light during the talk was some kind of time signal but it wasn’t.  I chatted with some people outside the theater.  The Augmentin has really improved the way I feel and how my voice feels.  I don’t know if it was a sinus infection but it was something that responded to antibiotics. 

We have come up with a new approach to dinner.  At 6:00 PM, we go to the Observation Lounge to here Fabiano (who is fantastic) and maybe have a drink but mostly for the nuts. At around 7 PM, we go to dinner, generally the Compass Rose where another Dover Sole gets the hands-on treatment.  I have gone back to the San Marsano Soup, a green salad, and today, the pasta pesto (spaghetti). 

We aren’t going to the show tonight so we spent time in the Atrium seating area.  Very comfortable and generally quiet.

March 23, 2025 – Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands – Partly Cloudy – 70s

Another successful Atlantic Crossing. Smooth sailing all the way.

Port Information.  Splendor is docked in the city of Mindelo situated on Porto Grande Bay (a large natural harbor) on the island of Sao Vicente.  There are three low mountain ranges on the island with the highest peak in the Monte Verde range (2441 ft).  With a population of approximately 70,500 people, it is the second largest city in the Cape Verde Islands an archipelago consisting of 10 islands, all formed from magma rising from the ocean.  93% of the inhabitants of this island live in Mindelo. The city has a strong historical and cultural relationship with Portugal and Brazil and has a wild Carnival along the lines of Rio and New Orleans. 

I was on the veranda in La Veranda when the sun rose around opening time.  

The views of Porto Grande from the veranda were fantastic and yet the place was essentially deserted.  

I should mention that besides me at Table 62, there was a couple (I pegged them as Danish) that were there all the time in the booth just a few feet from me.  Other than that, everyone else must have been inside (at breakfast).  I had pancakes and eggs over easy this morning – another perfect breakfast.

From the open deck, I got a great panoramic shot of Porto Grande.

Another wonderful Iced Mocha from the equally wonderful barista and servers at the Coffee Connection was the highlight of the morning.  I may not be drinking much in the way of beer and cocktails but I am making up for it with these coffees.

We had lunch in a sheltered area near the Pool Grill - out of the wind and chill.  I was not pleased with the Impossible Burger I had earlier in the cruise so I have not been ordering them.  I gave it another try today and this time, only the burger came as ordered so I was able to put together the burger I wanted (without the unknown white sauce) and it was the best IB I’ve had in a long time (and I have had a lot of them on recent cruises).  Since, I am not working today, I ordered a beer (I wanted a Stella but they didn't have one so the imported beer I got was a Corona).

We are touring this afternoon – “Panoramic Cape Verde” (I guessed at the name because I don’t remember the actual name of the tour).  The group met on the pier at 1:00 PM and walked a short way to our mini-bus (maybe 20 people on this tour).  We got good seats, in front on the right side just behind our guide, Esteban (Steven), a nattily dressed young guy with decent English language skills. This is the route the tour will take.

We drove a short way through Mindelo and then headed out of town to our destination, - the summit of Monte Verde, the highest point on the island. There are no real guard rails on the road up to the summit – just a small rock wall.  The road is not all that wide so you have to watch out for mini-buses coming the other way and with a ship in town, there is a good chance of other tours here.  It is also a very windy road – it didn’t bother me, however.  The driver did a good job of getting us to the top (or almost to the top since the top is just a bunch of TV and microwave relay units.

The summit is an excellent spot to see basically the whole island and especially Mindelo.  However, by the time we got up there, low clouds had moved in making the views fuzzy.

Water is scarce on the Cape Verde Islands.  The northern islands including Sao Vincente are essentially deserts getting about 4 inches of rain annually – the southern islands get about 6 inches and are also technically deserts.  While at the Summit, Esteban pointed out what looked to be a large blanket hanging up all spread out.  This, he said, was a “humidity” capture blanket.  

The air is humid at high altitudes and the blanket captures the water and it then goes drop by drop into a container.  The lack of rain explains the generally brown or black appearance of most of the island and the lack of vegetation. I have to admit that when I looked at that blanket all I could think of was mold.

Desalination plants are also in use on the island to provide needed water.  We didn’t see any on our excursion,

From the viewpoint, we could also see the east side of the island,

and Catfish Bay, a large volcanic lagoon on Praia Grande.  There is a striking difference between the black volcanic mountains and the brown sandy beach.

We then headed down the mountain and toward the east coast.  This gave us a chance to see the brown sand up close.  

We stopped at one beach frequented by surfers (the surf seemed to be challenging that day) (yellow flag) for some fantastic beach views including a panoramic shot.

Ellen put her feet in the water and it was somewhere between cold and OK. 

Our next stop was at a Turtle Farm at Calhau, 

where turtles of all ages are protected so they can lay and hatch eggs. Near the turtle farm, there was a very interesting chart alongside the road.  There were several species of fish shown and along with the pictures was a ruler that indicated the legal size of each fish.  So fishermen could measure their fish (hopefully not each one separately) to see if they needed to be thrown back.  I guess enforcement of fishing is pretty strict in Cape Verde.

We also saw a huge solar farm that was probably sending power to the island grid.

The bus then drove inland to the valley of Calhau, an area that has groundwater and wells – the valley has several farms and substantial vegetation (mostly palm trees) – there are also animals on these farms due to the availability of water.  It was a stark contrast to the brown and barren landscape of the rest of the island.

Our next stop was a lookout point where you could see the ship, the harbor, and Mindelo.  Lots of pictures here.

I asked Esteban about an unusual rock structure in the harbor.

He said it was a lighthouse - every year there is a contest to see who can swim to the lighthouse and back (seems like a long way).

Our final stop was a mini-tour of Mindelo.  We saw some government buildings and a very colorful building housing the Centro Nacional de Artesanato.  

The sides of the building were decorated with circles of all sorts of colors – we found out that the lids used to be on oil drums.  Painted and placed on the walls made for an interesting effect.

The bus stopped and some people went with Esteban on a mini-walk. We stayed on the bus. I noticed that the sidewalk had these footprints installed. This is called “The Soul of the Islands Walk of Fame”, which is kind of like the Walk of Fame in Hollywood.  These are people who have contributed to the history, arts, and culture of the Cape Verde Islands. 

Next stop – the port.  It was a very interesting tour.

We got ourselves ready for dinner but stopped in to see an early show (6 PM) in the Constellation Theater starring Andy and Tammy Heath.  Andy plays the guitar and the two of them create a smooth harmony.  The highlight was the full rendition of “American Pie”, which turned into a singalong with the audience.  Nice pre-dinner entertainment.

Another nice dinner at Compass Rose (still at #115 and still with Sharina and Christian) – a different soup for us tonight – Potato Leak Soup – it was Ok but I am going back to my San Marsano Soup tomorrow (the soup has really helped the soreness in my throat).  Another sole got deboned and I had the salmon with mashed potatoes and spinach.  Dessert and coffee finished it off.

We were done early enough that we caught the 8:45 PM set of Rhyme and Rhythm in the Splendor Lounge. Nice post dinner entertainment.  We passed on the show tonight – perhaps something rock like.

Went to the room early – comfortable and quiet.