Scrabble Update

Our 19 day Scrabble tour, cruise and tournament ended aboard the Celebrity Equinox yesterday while sailing past Nassau.  Can you figure out who was the third place winner acting truly surprised?  I even won money!

From Tenerife in the Canary Islands

Tour bus taking our group around the island stopped and could not start again, so am taking this chance while at McDonald's to post a picture from this island where mangos, avocados and bananas grow in abundance.  A banana grove is on the lower right hand side of the picture behind the trees.  Beautiful place!

Palma De Mallorca

Palma De Mallorca, Spain

Travel to Mallorca’s north coast to explore the picturesque village of Valldemossa. Nestled in the hills of the Tramuntana range, Valldemossa has long been a source of inspiration for famous writers, artists, musicians, and philosophers including Polish composer Frederic Chopin. Visit the ancient La Cartuja Monastery, originally built as a royal hunting lodge and later inhabited by Carthusian monks.

A three dimensional sculpture on the 14th floor of the Equinox ship, Celebrity line.

Another bus tour of the city today.  Valldemossa is the mountain town the tour visited.  It was the home of composer Chopin and author George Sand.  A local village pianist performed fifteen minute concerts for tourists, Chopin works of course.

We visited La Cartusa monastery in the mountain town of Valldemossa.  The monastery is said to have been constructed in 1399.  The monks had their own pharmacy of healing herbs.  It was dark in the monastery, and the pharmacy was lit by candles.   There was a smell of mustiness.   The ancient potery and glassware on wooden shelves held the monks' medicines.

Then on to Valencia, Spain

From the art museum in Valencia.  This was a painting in the museum, about twelve feet wide by eight feet, located in the foyer.