Visiting North Africa & sailing the Mediterranean

I boarding the Viking Saturn in November - excited to be visiting new ports and cities, sailing round trip from Barcelona. 

We made stops in Marseilles, visiting Aix en Provence (Lavender EVERYTHING!), Rome, Corsica, Malta, Tunis, Algiers, and Casablanca.  

We then headed back through the straights of Gibraltar, and toured several Spanish cities including Cadiz and Malaga before returning to Barcelona, with a quick post cruise stop in Madrid.  

I fell in love with Malta, the history  - especially its role during WWII, and hope to return in the future. The Co Cathedral of St. John is a must see! 

Northern Africa was completely foreign, yet friendly and welcoming. The exotic spices in the air, with a fascinating blend of French and Islamic architecture  --  and the food was fabulous!  

We also had the opportunity to visit several  WWII sites in Algeria, including the Commonwealth Military Cemetery and the Hotel St. John  (now renamed) where the Allies planned the Italian Invasion.