POST FROM THE PRESIDENT: Riviera Returns to Barcelona

This morning Riviera arrived in Barcelona. It was a nostalgic moment for many of us as it was just over a month ago that we christened Riviera in this beautiful city. As we sailed into the port, I confess I got a bit emotional thinking back on all the memories from the christening ceremony.

While we didn’t have much time to explore on our last visit to Barcelona, this time Daniela and I joined a Reunion Cruise shore excursion to visit some of the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí. First we visited Park Güell, a garden complex filled with Gaudí’s striking designs. Then we saw Gaudí’s most famous creation, the Sagrada Familia. Gaudí died in 1926 before it could be completed, and work continues on the church to this day.

Besides learning about the history of Catalonia, we also made some new friends. Peter and Elle Hecht from New Jersey are on their second Oceania Cruises sailing. They are having a great time and have already booked their third sailing, a Baltic cruise onboard Marina.

After the excursion we stopped for lunch at Marina Moncho’s, which sits right along the sea. The food was spectacular.

 

The pictures say it all. We had gazpacho, baby octopus and paella de mariscos.

Tomorrow we call on Marseille, and Daniela and I are looking forward to experiencing our first Culinary Discovery Tour: The Exquisite Flavors of Provence. There will be more stories from the Reunion Cruise coming soon.