It was still dark when we arrived. The sun didn't actually rise until almost 8 am and our tie up at the dock and ship's clearance. The late sun rise combined with the recent lost hours is disconcerting. We had breakfast in Marketplace in the dark. We opted for a full day ship's tour here. It literally lasted nearly every available minute of our time ashore here. I don't know if I every explained why we have done so many Crystal excursions. We booked this 3 month cruise within 30 days of sailing, so we didn't have a lot of preparation time, one. Two, we had $6400 of shipboard credit to spend. We've spent it all on excursions plus around $760 of our own money. So it was easier and more cost effective. Pasted below is today's tour description.
EXCURSION $139
FULL-DAY LA PALMA HIGHLIGHTS
From a historic sanctuary to evergreen forests to
faithful reproductions of traditional pottery, this excursion brings you the
very best of La Palma.
LEVEL
MODERATE
WALKING TYPE
DURATION
8 HOURS
Departing the pier, head to the oldest part of
the island and its landscapes of lush vegetation, soon arriving at La Galga
viewpoint. Situated on the right-side edge of a deep-cut gorge, the viewpoint
offers inspiring panoramas.
Continuing on, travel north to the evergreen
forest of Los Tilos, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that is home to such indigenous
plants as the Canarian holly tree, the strawberry tree, the Canarian bellflower
and heather. Make a stop to discover some of the forest’s botanic splendor and
learn about this unique habitat. Then, pass some of the island’s banana
plantations on your way to the attractive little town of San Andres, where you
will enjoy a brief visit.
Rejoining your motor coach, venture to the
Santuario de Nuestra Senora de Las Nieves, or the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the
Snows. Situated about three miles from the city center, the sanctuary is home
to the Canary Islands’ oldest religious icon, the Patron Virgin of La Palma.
The sanctuary’s original construction dates to the 15th century, with a
complete reconstruction in the 17th. One of the finest examples of its type,
the structure features an elevated high chapel, graceful half-barrel vault and
exquisite 16th-century Flemish and Andalusian artworks. The religious image is
made with terracotta and dates to the 14th century.
After a quick visit to appreciate the sanctuary’s
history, enjoy the gastronomic highlight of your outing: lunch at the Patio del
Vino restaurant.
Refreshed, resume your travels, marveling as the
San Antonio volcano comes into view on the horizon. A walk along the crater’s
edge offers a chance to witness fantastic vistas of the Teneguia volcano, the
southern stretch of the island and the salt flats.
Your excursion beginning to draw to a close, make
one more stop on your way to the pier. At the Molino Pottery Center, located in
an old windmill, admire fine examples of the unique pottery of the Benahorita
people, the ancient inhabitants of the island.
From here, a 15-minute transfer delivers you to
your Crystal ship.
As this excursion involves walking over uneven
surfaces, it is not recommended for guests with walking difficulties. It is
recommended that guests dress in casual clothing and wear sunscreen and flat,
comfortable shoes. Guests should bring along a light jacket or sweater. This
excursion will operate in all weather conditions. The order of sights visited
may vary. Pre-reservation of this Crystal Adventures excursion is recommended.
The tour went pretty much as described with one exception.The walk in the forest was straight uphill on a paved road with a corner included to get to the restrooms and back down. It was still scenic and the guide did talk about some plants but it was a killer forced march to toilets! I am not sure about the name of the lunch place, but it was a winery/tasting room in Fuencaliente. It was also the best lunch we can remember having on one of these tours. They served at the table and the mains were pork chops and grilled chicken with potatoes. Dessert was flan and bananas! We've seen a million banana plants today! Banana is not a tree, like palms, they are giant grasses. It was another beautiful, terraced volcanic island. We visited Mt. Tiede the first time we visited the Canaries and now a much smaller San Antonio today on our last visit for a certain strange symmetry. Mt. Tiede, btw, is the highest altitude in all of Spain.
We sailed away with Louis playing at 5 pm on the nose. It is casual tonight. We'll eat in Waterside tonight. Tomorrow is our next to last sea day. I may have mistakenly said we'd had our last day sailing the North Atlantic, but that will be tomorrow.
Tonight we got our final WC gifts. Thank goodness for that. We each got a box that is about 8x8x5 inches and about 4 pounds. Inside are wireless noise-canceling headphones. That means they are rechargeable with internal lithium batteries which means they can't be packed in a checked bag. They are foldable by Wrapsody so we can pack them in the travel pouches to reduce the size and weight but they still have to fit in our carry on and we each travel with only a daypack and they were pretty full outbound. This coupled with neither of us having any wish for such an item. We appreciate the Bose noise cancelling headphones that airlines loan first and business class but that's the beauty of the loan. You don't have to haul the big things around! We'll see what happens when we pack up. That brings me to the latest stress after Clay realized we'd booked miles first class tickets home through ORD. We booked an afternoon tour on our last day of this trip. He's been to St. Paul de Vence and the Maeght Museum but I haven't so I'd like to go. It is only offered on the day we should be packing from 1 to 6:45 pm. We've eaten every night at 6 pm! I told Clay if it is going to cause him pain to just go ahead and cancel it. I know it's going to cause me pain but since I don't plan a return visit, I'd hate to miss it. We'll see. It will be stressful either way.
Tonight we got our final WC gifts. Thank goodness for that. We each got a box that is about 8x8x5 inches and about 4 pounds. Inside are wireless noise-canceling headphones. That means they are rechargeable with internal lithium batteries which means they can't be packed in a checked bag. They are foldable by Wrapsody so we can pack them in the travel pouches to reduce the size and weight but they still have to fit in our carry on and we each travel with only a daypack and they were pretty full outbound. This coupled with neither of us having any wish for such an item. We appreciate the Bose noise cancelling headphones that airlines loan first and business class but that's the beauty of the loan. You don't have to haul the big things around! We'll see what happens when we pack up. That brings me to the latest stress after Clay realized we'd booked miles first class tickets home through ORD. We booked an afternoon tour on our last day of this trip. He's been to St. Paul de Vence and the Maeght Museum but I haven't so I'd like to go. It is only offered on the day we should be packing from 1 to 6:45 pm. We've eaten every night at 6 pm! I told Clay if it is going to cause him pain to just go ahead and cancel it. I know it's going to cause me pain but since I don't plan a return visit, I'd hate to miss it. We'll see. It will be stressful either way.
