After two relaxing days at sea we arrived in Tenerife, Spain, which is the most populous island of the Canary Islands.
I had originally looked for a private tour in Tenerife, but could not find one that the numbers would work, so decided on one of the ship’s tours. My criteria included a bit of history, local food and, of course, some local wine.
For more
One of the regular onboard events of a Regent Cruise that I look forward to is the Connoisseur Wine Lunch. I was not sure if I was going to be able to get a seat at this lunch as it was booked out on DAY ONE! Luckily for me they decided to move it to Compass Rose so they could include more people.
The Connoisseur Wine Lunch is hosted by the Head Sommelier, which was Alan on this cruise. The menu is crafted by one of the Restaurant Exec Chefs. Both the Chef and Alan ensure that the wines and food are well matched.
NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut, Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay. Reims, Champagne, France
| Appearance: | Light pale straw, persistent tight bead |
| Nose: | Pleasant mix of brioche, apple and pear aromas |
| Palate: | Refreshing, balanced |
| Finish: | Medium length |
| Oz’s Rating: | 3 out of 5 Reliable as always |
São Vicente, Cape Verde is where I had my first steps in Africa… Well a part of Africa as it is around 450kms (300miles) off of the west coast of the African Continent.
BTW the country tag line for Cape Verde is “No Stress”, I can see why.
São Vicente was discovered by the Portuguese on Saint Vincent’s Day in 1462, hence the name. However, due to its arid landscape and lack of significant natural resources, it remained largely uninhabited for centuries, primarily serving as a place to graze cattle. I did not see a single cow whilst we were traversing São Vicente, though they could have been on the other side of the island.
In the 19th century this all changed due to its location and safe and deep anchorage, the British established a coaling station there to refuel the steamships that were traversing the Atlantic. Transforming Mindelo, the largest city on São Vicente into a thriving and cosmopolitan city. It was a very quiet place on the Sunday we were there.
The influx of international merchants, and ideas create a unique cultural melting pot, making Mindelo the cultural capital of Cape Verde. It even has its own Carnivale… Seems to be a theme. I wonder if you could do a cruise up the coast of Brazil and across to Cape Verde that would take in each port’s Carnivale. Maybe something I should suggest to Regent???
A few random photos from the Atlantic Ocean during the sea days between Recife and Cape Verde.
Saragassum is a free floating seaweed that originated in the South Atlantic and then ends up in Florida and along the Easter Sea Board of North America.
The first wine lunch of the cruise was the Craft of Caymus Vineyards Food and Wine Pairing lunch. Regent Seven Seas’ wine lunches are usually very good. Let’s see if you think that this one was.
Looks like an interesting line up.
Time to get to work!
For more
Our fourth and final port in Brazil was Recife. Recife is home to around 4million people and is the forth largest city in Brazil.
The beaches along the coast of Recife are some of the most dangerous in Brazil due to the abundance of sharks, sounds a bit like Adelaide. It also has a high crime rate apparently, looked pretty quiet to me, but then my tour for the day was a cruise along the waterfront with a brief visit in the town.
Our arrival in Recife required some good seamanship by the crew, enjoyed this from my balcony…
In the port facility there was a local band that was playing and seemed to be having a great time.
