Day Six of the mystery cruise and Saga Ruby returns to Europe – although when I mentioned that the day’s activities would include visits to a sugar museum and a rum distillery, a friend thought I had lost my bearings and had arrived in the Caribbean.
Which is ironic because Motril, on Spain’s Costa Tropical, claims to have introduced sugar cane growing to the West Indies centuries ago.
It’s only in the past few years that the region, sandwiched between the sea and the snow-capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada, stopped producing sugar cane. Now it has acres of custard apples, avocados and peppers, and claims to be the world’s largest exporter of cherry tomatoes.
Sugar was a key part of the economy for centuries, as now proudly displayed in the town’s museum built on the site of one of only three pre-industrial sugar mills to have existed in Europe.
The family-owned distillery produces the distinctive Ron Montera, aged in oak casks which fill a sizeable warehouse. Samples were eagerly tasted, and it looked like several bottles would be making it back to Britain to add to the Christmas spirit.
It was almost dark when Saga Ruby pulled out of port, with Captain Alistair McLundie teasing passengers by suggesting we might yet be heading out into the Atlantic again. But when morning dawned it was apparent we were heading north-east and most likely still in the Med – a supposition confirmed at lunchtime when the island of Ibiza appeared off the starboard beam.
Highlight of the morning was a chaotic version of Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook, during which TV chef Kevin Woodford pitched cruise director Jonathan Neal against Captain McLundie while using spices bought in a Casablanca souk to prepare rice and chicken.
Despite his best efforts, he was unable to get the captain to disclose our next destination, or to improve Neal’s woeful culinary skills.
Perhaps he should have plied them both with rum.
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