ALGV Give back event - shoveled 20qm of rocks Each year, the emotional highlight of this conference is the ALGV community give-back activity. This year’s project was to finish phase 4 of a new elementary school in the community of Miches that serves 56 kids. About 50 of us split into sub-groups of four to… Continue reading Playa Esmeralda – Impact and Impressions

Nuremberg market My friends made their way to Nuremberg by train, while Jerry and I drove our manual geared Opel Astra wagon across German roads and (yes, a stretch of Autobahn) to the ship’ embarkaction point. Once aboard, we explored one of the most famous markets on the town square of Nuremberg. Our Opel Astra… Continue reading Christmas Markets – Nuremberg and beyond

Hamburg Hauptbahnhof It’s been nearly 20 years since I spent time in Germany leading up to Christmas and I admit that the magic of all the decorations and illuminations is intoxicating. Over this coming week, I will bring you closer to the German heartland on our Uniworld River voyage from Nuremberg to Frankfurt. Traditional green… Continue reading Christmas Markets – In Germany

Sunrise over Playa Esmeralda This current trip I am blogging about represents my fifth to the Dominican Republic over a 32 year time span. Sitting here after a stunning sunrise and reminiscing about my very first time here is a total trip down memory lane. In fact, it goes all the way back to my… Continue reading Playa Esmeralda – Dreams Resort preview

Sunrise over playa Esmeralda As another busy travel year winds down, one of my annually occurring highlight is kicking off. This time, in the Dominican Republic at the new Dreams and Secrets Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa situated on a pristine peninsula 1.5 hrs north of Punta Cana airport. Located not far from Club Med… Continue reading Playa Esmeralda – return to the DR

Outdoor museum Ballenberg It’s been a long while since I had an opportunity to spend summer time in my hometown of Belp. On my way to Genoa for Oceania’s newest ship Allura, I made a quick jaunt north of the alps for a couple of nights at my sisters. Stunning weather and perfect temperatures (much… Continue reading A Day at Home – Switzerland 🇨🇭

New Zealand’ capital Auckland No visit to New Zealand would be complete without a couple of nights in its capital Auckland. Located on a protected inlet, this magnificent city of contrasts is the perfect home base to explore the remote, yet close black sand beaches of Kerikeri as well as the Bay of Islands a… Continue reading New Zealand Revisited – Auckland part 3

Hobbiton set visit with dinner Our discovery of Rotorua and surroundings continued with another “must do” highlight to the film set of the Peter Jackson trillogies Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. This spectacular and unspoiled landscape is now a permanent film set. Located on the 12’000 acre Alexander Family farm a 50 minute drive… Continue reading New Zealand Revisited – Hobitton part 2

Skyline tram Rotorua Our supplier partner Delta Vacations (which is the airline’s own package provider) has chosen the adventure packed destination of Rotorua on New Zealand’ north island as its host for the annual gathering of top travel agencies. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of this elite circle and represent… Continue reading New Zealand Revisited – Rotorua part 1

Takhu the whale - memorialized in Juneau Whales are the largest mammals on our planet and they are central to the Alaskan story, especially in the Alexander Archipelago of the Gulf of Alaska where thousands of humpback whales come to feed every summer. It is in these waters around Juneau that the Hawaiian islands pods… Continue reading Look-back : Alaska re-visited – whales and more

Ocean Club Bahamas- a Four Seasons property - our host Toney The last few days of January each year are traditionally spent with Virtoso to kick off the year ahead. As the location for this year’s event was the newly reopened historic Pier 66 Resort in Fort Lauderdale, it only made sense to extend our… Continue reading Look-back: New Year – New Energy

Nagoya, Japan It is with great anticipation that Azamara Pursuit finally called on Nagoya- the birthplace of Toyota Motors. It is no secret for a young e who knows me, that as a lifelong petrol head, coming to these holy grounds was a dream for years. I be am finally here! Iconic Celica from 1976… Continue reading Japan – Pilgrimage to the mothership

Famous stone bridge in Nagasaki Our tour of Japan continued with a stop at the beautiful port of Nagasaki (site of the 2nd nuclear bomb dropped 3 days later than Hiroshima’s. This small town was actually not the intended target but bad weather led to a last minute decision to try to destroy Mitsubishi Shipyards… Continue reading Japan – Nagasaki

Korean theatre performance at Azamazing evening in Busan Similar to tge Jones act which requires foreign flagged vessels to stop in a non-US port, our cruise around Japan required a stop in another country. Thus, the Azamara Pursuit pulled into port of Busan in South Korea. this stop presented the opportunity to check off another… Continue reading Japan – A day trip to South Korea

Hiroshima - ground zero There was nothing easy about our stop today in the central Japanese city of Hiroshima, where in a few months time, on August 6’25, the 80th commemoration ceremonies of the nuclear bomb’s first use will unfold. For me, it was a day of reflection on the horrors of war that endure,… Continue reading Japan – A Heavy Heart