Cicchetti in Venice

To begin with, I honestly thought what the Venetian’s hype about those “sandwiches” would be. They name it Crostini, that is Canapées – more or less. Today I know: You have to get involved in it and enjoy Cicchetti like the tapas in Spain with a walk through several wine bars in Venice. Then you get behind it very quickly, what makes the special charm of these hearty little things.

Shore leave Venice

The early bird catches the Venetian worm. Between 6 and 10 am, the lagoon city shows up the most beautiful – before the endless tourist-lindworm rolls over the Rialto Bridge and overflows the famous St. Mark’s Square. “Early in the morning and late in the evening, you can enjoy Venice’s morbid charm and unique atmosphere the best,” the captain recommends.

Bari – seafood and pasta

Raw fish and seafood – everyone immediately thinks of Japan. Sushi, clear. Or of Peru. Ceviche, too. But what about Italy? In Puglia – and especially in the region around Bari – raw fish and raw seafood are indispensable to the restaurant menus. As indispensable as the orecchiette pasta in the streets of Bari.

On foot: 120 kilometers on the “Heidschnucken” trail

Just put the backpack on, lock the front door and see how far you can walk in six days. We made it from Hamburg-Fischbek to Soltau. Across the northern Lüneburg Heath – on the so-called “Heidschnucken Trail” [Heidschnucke is a group of moorland sheep from northern Germany]. Just walk, eat, sleep. Mobile phone only for emergencies, no I-pad, no appointment book.

Sweet shore leave on La Palma

The market hall of Santa Cruz de La Palma is cozy and clear. Many small shops line up around a square courtyard. It’s the usual offer of Mediterranean markets: fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, spices, flowers and a number of small bars for coffee or a quick glass of wine. But there is a special feature here in St. Cruz: freshly squeezed sugarcane juice – on request also with “shot” – that tastes like more.

Cádiz/Spain: Sea urchin in the lighthouse

The restaurant El Faro (lighthouse) in the southern Spanish city of Cádiz again was such a pilot’s recommendation. As a local expert pilots do not only know the waters of their hometown, but also the culinary world. The recommendation for El Faro came from a true gourmet.

Shore leave Lisbon: Breakfast in Belem

A special way to get to know foreign cities and countries is a visit to a bakery or pastry shop. The variety of different types of bread and the selection of the most diverse pastries regularly lure my captain on a discovery tour to the most beautiful pastry shops in the world. One of them he found in Lisbon, namely the Pastéis de Belém. The good: from the cruise ship, it is very easy to reach by bike or on foot. Here is the captain’s shore leave recommendation: “Breakfast in Lisbon”

Macaronesian Gin – summer in a glass

Most people like to bring some holiday souvenir back home. Our case is usually full with sausage and cheese from local markets and sometimes we bring also a bottle of wine. On Tenerife, we spontaneously packed a bottle of gin and two glasses as souvenirs. Macaronesian Gin. To be honest, I didn’t even know exactly then, what is meant by ‘Macaronesian’.

Shore Leave in Barcelona

I’m sometimes asked whether a captain has time for a shore leave now and then. Yes. He does. In consultation with his deputy, the staff captain, he sometimes can enjoy a short break. However, he never moves far from the ship. Safe is safe. But a lunch at a restaurant – preferably recommended by the local pilots – is a welcome interruption of board routine or a small tour through the respective port city. Barcelona in Spain is one of his absolute favorite cities. Here you can read the captain’s shore leave recommendation: “7 hours in Barcelona”