At sea, from Spain to Portugal

Early in the morning, we passed the famous Rock of Gibraltar and entered the Atlantic Ocean where we would spend our last day of this voyage. All day we headed northwest, with a gentle breeze behind us, pushing us along. It was a day to sit on deck and watch the world go by. Lots of other vessel traffic accompanied us, as we were in a major shipping lane. However, we did have more exciting visitors. One white wagtail, a small land bird, decided the ship was a great place to stop and visit. Many seabirds passed by, including a few curious Northern Gannets, our first for the trip. And just before lunch, a group of bottlenose dolphins decided to bowride on the ship. They came for a visit, riding the wave we push out in front of us. These are a large oceanic form, with lovely pinkish bellies. Some even dashed out ahead and leapt high into the air, certainly thrilling the crowd of onlookers leaning over the bow for a better view.

This was also a day for reflection on our voyage. We sailed over 2,500 nautical miles and landed at five different countries. We visited some of the most culturally important sites in all of history, and many lesser known yet equally spectacular sites as well. We did our fair share of shopping, as well as eating and drinking of the local specialties.   We saw plenty of spectacular sunrises and sunsets, saw a few seabirds, and enjoyed some wonderful weather. Overall, it was truly an epic voyage through the Greek Isles, Iberia, and the Western Mediterranean.