Day Valencia, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM In an era when a homogenizing global culture can erase the differences between cities around the world, it's refreshing to find one with such a well-defined personality. Valencia, now the third-largest city in Spain, was once the capital of the Kingdom of Valencia which, during its golden age in the 14th and 15th centuries, eclipsed Catalonia in importance. And it still has a plump and prosperous air, thanks in part to its worldwide trade in citrus fruits and vegetables.
Day Cartagena, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM "There are more than two millennia of history to embrace in this port city in Spain's southeastern Murcia region. While Cartagena is famously home to the second-largest Roman amphitheater on the Iberian Peninsula, the city is much more than just spectacular ancient ruins.
In addition to Cartagena's architectureâalong with that amphitheater, there are striking Art Nouveau buildings, neoclassical churches and ultramodern edifices throughout the cityâyou'll find many opportunities to shop for local and regional artisan wares. In the city, investigate the restored medieval fortress looking out on the bay from the city's highest point. Or take a short trip by car or bus to the historic Agrupa Vicenta Mines, the remarkable palm forest at Elche and the holy city of Caravaca. "
Day Melilla, Spanish Morocco, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM Melilla is one of Spainââ¬â¢s two enclaves on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, a remnant of the colonial past. As a pocket of Europe on the African continent, its border is rather heavily watched. But the town exists as a resort community and serves visitors well. Overlooking the harbor is Melilla La Vieja, a 15th century fortress converted to a holiday destination. Among its restored fortifications, the site hosts a number of museums, churches, memorials and a multi-storey complex of manmade caves that lead down to the beach. The town also holds the second largest trove of architecture in the modernist style, after only Barcelona, many by the prominent architect Enrique Nieto. It is a fascinating city much praised for its tradition of multiculturalism.
Day Tangier, MoroccoArrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM "Tangier is a place that descended from the godsâits hilly setting makes it one of the possible real-world locations for the mythical Pillars of Hercules that flanked the Strait of Gibraltar and guarded the entrance to the Mediterranean. It has been a bustling port since antiquity, repeatedly fought over by everyone from the Phoenicians to the Arabs.
Today, Tangier is every bit a modern Moroccan city, but until recently its history as an international zoneâit was periodically under the administration of several countriesâattracted a libertine counterculture of artists, musicians and writers such as Henri Matisse (who was drawn by the dazzling quality of the light), Paul Bowles, Jack Kerouac and the Rolling Stones. Tangier now positions itself as a bridge between Europe and Africa, as well as the center of Morocco's booming manufacturing industries."
Day Casablanca, MoroccoArrives 07:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and its most important port. While Rabat is the country's official capital, Casablanca is its economic and cultural hub, the place where Moroccans go to make it big. There has been a settlement here since before the Romans, and although the Barbary pirates and Portuguese also left their marks, it wasn't until the French colonial period that Casablanca truly came into its own. The modern city was the first in the world to be laid out by aerial survey, and was barely 20 years old when its name was framed forever in the Hollywood classic of the same name.
Day At Sea
Day Lisbon, PortugalArrives 07:00 AM "Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is a wealth of sights, tastes and sounds. An ensemble of neighborhoods both old and new, it's a city full of history, culture and tradition. After the devastating earthquake that struck in 1755, reconstruction began and the rebuilt Baixa area quickly became one of the city's busiest districts. From there, you can glance up at São Jorge Castle on one hill while in another direction you'll find Chiado, one of the trendiest and most elegant neighborhoods.
The spirit of Lisbon can be encapsulated by the soulful musical genre, fado, which can best be enjoyed in the Alfama, the city's oldest neighborhood. Enter one of the area's old-school taverns and listen to passionate renditions of Fado Vadio, sung by amateurs, often after a round of aguardiente, an anise-flavored liquor."