After leaving Amsterdam, a full day at sea awaits – perfect for settling into the joys of life onboard. Our first stop is Saint Malo, a medieval walled city overlooking the English Channel with a fascinating history of piracy. Then we move westwards along the French coast to Brest, an important naval base with a rich maritime history, before heading down to Montoir-de-Bretagne, from where you can visit the city of Nantes, the former home of the Dukes of Brittany. La Pallice (La Rochelle) is next, with its Renaissance architecture and timbered houses, before we cross into Spain. Visit the pinxto bars of San Sebastian, sample the cheeses and natural cider of Gijón and feast on Galician seafood beneath the Tower of Hercules in La Coruña. Our next sea day has a thrilling twist, as it coincides with a solar eclipse. Finally, we enter Portuguese waters, sampling port wine in Leixões and the famed pastries of Lisbon, where we end our journey.