Chapter 15: Ibiza
Youth rules
30.09.2023 - 30.09.2023 81 °F
View From Barcelona on Cunard on paulej4's travel map.
"Ibiza"
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Drawing back the 7105 window drapes, we find that we will soon be tied up adjacent to the Virgin Valient Lady. Sir Richard Branson's cruising concept--designed to be disruptive--has already moored. She is brightly lit but silent. If her reputation is accurate, nobody onboard has, at this hour of 7:00 in the morning--been in bed for more than a couple of hours. Adults only, my understanding is that she is the party boat, here docked on the party island in the Mediterranean.
A lot is happening at this early hour. The air traffic controllers at IBZ are busy this morning as flight after flight buzzes us en route to a runway.
On the Island of Ibiza, one finds Ibiza town, Santa Eulària des Riu, and Sant Antoni de Portmany, all nestled below Sa Talaiassa which looms 1,558 feet overhead. Having just returned from last month's Norway excursion, we didn't know what to expect from the locals since this island was invaded by Norwegian King Sigurd I in 1110 during his crusade to Jerusalem. He sought to unseat Muslim rule here. Nobody associated us as Norwegian invaders so we are fine. Ibiza was again conquered, this time for the Crown of Aragon, in 1235 and the Muslims were "deported."
Known for party, party, party, Ibiza is home to about 85,000 people. It's a great town to people watch. The demographic is considerably younger than those on our ship. Tattoos abound, body art is evident, and skimpy clothing is the order of the day. Our dear friend Sam, might refer to those on our ship as approaching the status of 'the wrinkles'. Ibiza is clearly a high end town, the shopping, while of course has more than its share of trash and trinket stores, also has some nice high end shops. The area we wandered through was really quite lovely. Do you remember the hilarious, gap-toothed actor Terry-Thomas? He hailed from here. The locals speak Eivissenc which is the native dialect of Catalan or Spanish. Tourism and expats mean that English, French, German and Italian are widely spoken as well. "Party Town," home to nudist and topless sunbathing and nightclubs Pacha, Amnesia, Space, and Ushuaïa, all regularly in the top three of DJ Magazine's annual top 100 global clubs' chart. At the International Music Summit, international DJs play on a huge open-air stage with stunning views below. We will need to check with our friends the Krause family about how that works because that scene is unfamiliar to us.
Up the hill in Ibiza Town is Dalt Vila. The main square, Plaza de Vila is just through the gateway. It's a lovely spot for us, sans DJs. There we are to search for: 1. Eyeglass frames for B4. 2. A hat for me. 3. Paella for lunch. 4. Gelato for after lunch. We succeed on three counts. The Queen was unable to find suitably remarkable frames. She seeks red or white, bold enough to provoke comments from others, such as, "I love your glasses."
The weather is perfect with nary a cloud to be seen, a slight breeze to refresh one's soul and the sun delivering an 81 degree day.
Sure, Cunard mismanages the coaches into the town. Requiring scores of seniors to trek to a bus embarkation spot only to find no signage, no customer service folks and no coaches is not "White Star" standard. But, eventually, all of us who would not normally be caught dead on a bus are shuttled 15 minutes into the fringe of the town so we could hike a bit further.
I had already gotten my five miles in but for my Queen, the arrangements could have been more, well, British Royalty.
While we did find multiple sunglass retailers--all of which were strangely the same company--no frames were deemed suitable. We were victorious in finding just the right sidewalk cafe for paella and sangria. So true, a great little cafe and great paella. What Paul neglected to tell you and what you may not know about him, is that he is a table snob. I never say 'yes' to a table offered in a restaurant for fear he will not find it acceptable. He rejected the table offered because we both wouldn't have a view for people watching. Instead, he asked for a table that slowly but surely came into the sun. Bad for him, with his propensity to skin cancer. He was more protected than me. I on the other hand was schvitzing to death. For my non yiddish speaking friends, schvitzing is sweating profusely. Paul is great at the best defense is a strong offense, so before i could bitch about it, he apologized for selecting the table. How do you bitch at someone who apologizes. Then he turned on the Paul Russell charm and i thought schvitzing wasn't so bad. Seated next to a sixtyish Dutch woman and her mum, we agreed wholeheartedly as she described politicians as "dickheads" and suggested that someone younger ought to be found to lead the nations of the world. A young couple ashore from their cabin on the Virgin ship Valiant Lady estolled a fellow passenger regarding their unsuccessful quest for "real fakes" of this item or that. Paul, ever the merchant - not - thought maybe we should start a brand called 'Super Fakes'. Not a bad name actually. Their ship, as earlier referenced, surely the only virgin within miles, already tied up, was beautifully lit when we arrived just before dawn.
Ibiza's is a continuously bustling airport. Jets and turbojets on final approach to the airport buzzed the Queen Elizabeth and Eivissa town from early morning until we departed. We spied many of those disgorged during our time in Eivissa, the main town where we spent our midday time strolling among the jetset, the pierced, tattooed, slender, breast flaunting beautiful people that one would expect to be here. (we fit right in)
After desert, we hiked back to the coach pickup point, returning to our ship in time to snag two lounges on Deck 12 overlooking the island and its bustling boat traffic which included one natural gas powered catamaran ferry dubbed, interestingly, Eleanor Roosevelt. In time for tea and scones with clotted cream and jam, we alternately read and dozed as we surveyed the hundreds of boats moored in the harbor below. A deck steward arrived just in time with a chilled damp cloth to make the afternoon even more wonderful.
Beneath us, fast ferries (like the interestingly named Eleanor Roosevelt) came and went, delivering and removing revelers and retirees alike.
We pity those who got up early to participate in an excursion to who knows where to see who knows what. For us, it is much preferable to be the Seinfeld couple, happy to be the duo about nothing. Had we not traveled the world as much as we have, the excursions would have beckoned more urgently. My mindset at the moment, admittedly influenced by my not great leg and runny nose, is that i am over excursions. The lines, the buses, the trash and trinket stores, no thank you. Think what you may of my attitude, but my style is much more a private tour or a day like we had, one about nothing. If there was true history to see, i would likely feel differently but that has not been the case. However, we have happily explored duomos and castles, UNESCO sites and bazaars enough to know that, at our continually advancing age, there is more to be had from enjoying one anothers' company than one with less life experience might understand.
We decided to skip dinner tonight. To say we have over indulged on this cruise would be an understatement. We did though go to the 8pm show. Roy G Hemmings was performing again. Being a Philadelphia Motown girl i was excited to see him again. I may not know the lines from the cult movies and missed a lot of great TV prior to Paul. But i know my Motown music! Now we're calling it an early night.
