The Sunday Times - UK (2021-11-14)

Cruise Europe

is no hardship whatever the weather. In

fact, I’d have enjoyed a day at sea to

make more of the spa, or to get the

opportunity to curl up with a book in

Seabourn Square, a cosy lounge serving

cake and hand-roasted coffee.

A week is all too brief — those Seabourn

regulars have the right idea.

Sue Bryant was a guest of Seabourn,

which has a seven-night all-inclusive

cruise from Barcelona to Monaco

aboard Seabourn Ovation from £3,799pp,

with £365 spending credit per suite,

departing on May 14 (seabourn.com)

Vila, the highest part of the old town,

resplendent under a mostly sapphire-

blue sky, with only tiny puffs of cloud.

This is such a lovely time of year to

explore the Med. Everything is bathed in

golden light and there’s space to breathe.

I feel myself slipping into an almost

trance-like state, content just to wander

around each place, making mental notes

that a weekend in Mahon should really

be on my bucket list, along with a hiking

holiday in Provence.

The bubble bursts somewhat on our

penultimate day, in Valencia, as I draw

the curtains to a scene of gusting wind,

sunshine, drinking coffee, idly gazing at

the candy-coloured buildings along the

waterfront reflecting in the harbour.

This tour includes a short hike on

Cap Canaille, the tallest sea cliff in France

— a sheer wedge of limestone towering

1,293ft above a series of indigo coves. I

wander along a rocky path, the scent of

rosemary and myrtle in the air, keeping

a cautious distance from the unprotected

edge. I pluck up the courage to peek

over, and my knees almost give way as

I spot a lone climber picking his way

slowly up the rock face.

The dreamy mood continues as we

cross into Spain. Seabourn Ovation

makes a grand entrance into Mahon,

which lies at the end of a narrow

channel, mooring up right in front of the

waterfront Xoriguer gin distillery in the

shadow of the old town, high on a cliff.

We mooch around the town, all

honey-coloured ramparts and grand

Georgian mansions, and sample the

wares of the distillery for a souvenir to

add to the collection in our cabin. Gin

has been distilled on Menorca since the

18th century, when a group of local

entrepreneurs started making it for the

British soldiers stationed there, using

imported juniper and local wine alcohol,

rather than the usual grain spirit. It’s

piney and lemony — the taste of the

Mediterranean. I wait until after the

evening yoga class to sample it, though.

Unlike Mahon, which has a cheery

buzz, Ibiza exudes a sense of relief that

the mayhem has passed for another year.

We puff our way up the ramparts to Dalt

→Continued from page 9

The sleepy fishing port of Cassis in the south of France

spattering rain and huge, grey

waves crashing against the

wall of the dock. I’d planned

a cycle ride through the Turia

Gardens — which seems less

than appealing now. So we

hit the gym and cycle 12 miles

there instead before undoing

all the good work at a

Mexican-themed lunch

buffet of chicken fajitas,

refried beans, guacamole,

rice and black beans.

Spending a day on

board this beautiful vessel

Artworks are

scattered

throughout

the ship

Lounge on deck in one of the ship’s Veranda suites

d huge, grey

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Artworks are

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MIHAI BARBAT/ALAMY; ERIC LAIGNEL