Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? We’d hoped to spend ours on the new Screened Porch (thank you so much for all those kind comments on the reveal, by the way!!), but thanks to our air conditioner going out, we spent the weekend at the lake. Talk about a silver lining, right?!
Today I’ve got another Port of Call from our recent trip with Princess Cruises for you…Marbella, Spain…and it was as picturesque as its name is melodic.
It was our second stop of the trip, and the ship actually docked in Gibraltar, Great Britain. It took a quick history lesson to understand how we even had a stop in Great Britain on a Mediterranean cruise! #publicschooleducation 😉
The Rock of Gibraltar sits like a giant stone beast, facing Africa, and marking the passage between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean (so not actually in the geographic region of the UK). Five countries have battled for 13 centuries to take control of the passage from the Britons, and the result made for a cultural melting pot.
But for this stop, we selected an excursion a little off the beaten path…a day-trip to Marbella and Puerto Banus, along the coast of Spain.
Marbella is the most famous resort town on the Costa del Sol, but still manages to retain its original charm. Whitewashed houses line the narrow, cobbled streets of the old town, which is dotted with boutiques and outdoor cafes. A few blocks away sits the glittering Mediterranean Sea, with cafes in the sand, and rows of ritzy resorts.
Princess Cruises treated us to the excursions of our choice, and funny enough, Cassie and I chose the same excursion three out of the seven stops. We had so much fun exploring with her and her friend Christy, and hope to hook-up again in her hometown of Seattle sooner than later.
After wandering Marbella for several hours, we headed to Puerto Banus…home to the international yachting set, and from the feel of it, many young European socialites looking for a good time. We walked the promenade past the pulsing beach and pool clubs, and had lunch and sangria at a quiet little dive-bar in the sand, before heading back across the Spanish border to the ship.
One of my favorite things about cruising, was watching the ports fade in the distance as we sailed away…especially the majestic Rock of Gibraltar. Have you been to Gibraltar…the city itself looked industrial as we drove through, but many of our friends said the Rock itself was a great excursion.
*This post is created in collaboration with Princess Cruises, but all experiences, opinions and socialite-impersonating are my own. Thank you for supporting Hi Sugarplum sponsors!*
