Thursday September 11, 2025
Hi Gang! We’re still in sunny Spain but today we’re docked in the city of Almeria. Almeria is a city in southeast Spain with a population of 200,000. One of their key buildings is the Alcazaba, an imposing Moorish fortress overlooking the city. Another is the fortified, 16th century Almeria Cathedral that has a Gothic ribbed ceiling.
On our tour today we visited both of those impressive buildings. We also toured the city center and saw the region’s emblematic Mudejar architecture, distinguished by brick and plaster elaborately decorated with geometrically patterned tiles.
Within the cathedral we saw the main altar, the 18th century cloister and the ribbed ceiling of the main nave. We also learned that the cathedral’s fortress-like construction helped ward off raids from Barbary pirates.
At Alcazaba, we learned it was constructed in the 10th century by the Caliph of Cordoba who placed it in its strategic position atop a rocky hill. We explored the formal garden, the medieval living quarters and mosques as well as the impregnable defensive section. Looking out from its massive walls you could just about envision the clash of empires sparring for dominion over this prized kingdom.
After that we took the bus back to the pier and boarded the ship. We grabbed lunch and then chilled in the afternoon. We got ready for the evening early since tonight at 6 PM is the Krew Kapers show. That’s the show that is put on by the crew. It’s always fun to see all their hidden talents. Hope everyone’s having a great Thursday!
The Wandering Italian 