Our home-away-from-home for the week is the Viking Sea - 2nd ship in Vikings fleet of ocean ships - with just under 1000 guests aboard. A delightfully simple layout with tons of cozy seating options abounds aboard. Definitely different from its rivals in this space. My deluxe veranda cabin category DV2 is located mid-ship on… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – the ship
Viking Ocean Cruise – Puerto Rico
One of the benefits of Viking's itinerary is the overnight in San Juan which allowed us a full day of exploring. After breakfast on board, we walked over to the Sheraton Old Town and picked up our wheels for the day. I won't hold it against Hertz but it's been 10 years since I had… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – Puerto Rico
Viking Ocean Cruise – Caribbean calling
Red-eye behind us, my travel companion Jerry and I connected for the second leg from Philadelphia to San Juan, PR aboard American Airlines flight 1496. It was nip & tuck as I had to sprint from gate c5 to a20 across what is a maze at PHL airport. AND wouldn't you know it - a… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – Caribbean calling
New Decade – New Luggage
2020 has arrived and with it a new decade of adventure and discovery! 2019 ended for me with 134,526 miles flown, 3 continents visited, and 9 different cruise ships sailed. That is why I took a bit of a holiday break from blogging and enjoyed quality time with family and friends at home in the… Continue reading New Decade – New Luggage
Azamara Cruise – a day in Buenos Aires
A peaceful overnight sailing from Punta Del Este brought us to the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. We all grabbed our bags and gathered outside the terminal for a day of discovery with our local hosts Abercrombie & Kent. Our first stop - and a colorful at that - was the Barraccas neighborhood where immigrants… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – a day in Buenos Aires
Azamara Cruise – Cooking class in Punta Del Este
A short cruise overnight got us to the summer resort town of Punta Del Este with its white sandy beaches and rugged coastline. Our group boarded a private coach for a scenic drive along the river and Atlantic Ocean tips that form the unique setting for this resort town complete with stunning homes and hotels… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – Cooking class in Punta Del Este
Azamara Cruise – Montevideo
Our two days at sea ended with Azamara Pursuit' pulling into the Montevideo harbor in Uruguay. The group disembarked for a bicycle trip and hosted lunch courtesy of Virtuoso. Uruguay is the birth place of the steak house movement with a ratio of 3 heads of cattle per inhabitant and a world leading per capita… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – Montevideo
Azamara Cruise – unknown French Cars
A life-long follower of the French car maker Renault, even I was stumped by the models I encountered in Uruguay. This ultra-compact 4-door was originally developed for the Indian market and found its way to South America, presumably for pricing reasons. In fact, the bulk of vehicles we saw in Brazil and Uruguay so far… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – unknown French Cars
Azamara Cruise- two days at sea
While I am still not entirely sure where the idea of a "White Party" aboard cruise ships originated from, our sail away evening bash leaving Santos was amazing. Awesome music tailored to the audience, a fantastic buffet of international cuisine, and spectacular decorations on the pool deck made it a night to remember. A lovely… Continue reading Azamara Cruise- two days at sea
Azamara Cruise – Santos & Tupi-Garani native tribe
After a rather rocky night across the southern Atlantic, we approached the harbor of Santos (Brazilian football star Pele's home-town). Pictures show you the approach and docking. We then gathered as a group for a great excursion courtesy of supplier Bedsonline/TravelBound. Our day consisted of a community give-back with a native Indian tribe. We visited… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – Santos & Tupi-Garani native tribe
Azamara Cruise – Highlights of Rio
Long and quiet nights of solid rest are a rarity these days for many of us. Our arrival day presented such an opportunity with an early dinner before heading off to bed. It refreshed everyone enough to tackle a day of exploration in Rio courtesy of #urbanadventures. First order of business was a visit to… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – Highlights of Rio
Azamara Cruise РPilgrimage to Maracaṇ
No visit to Rio would be complete without a pilgrimage to the "stadium of stadiums" - the legendary home of Brazilian Footbol commonly referred to as Maracanã. Built for the 1950 World Cup, Maracanã, officially called Estádio Mário Filho, was built to serve as the flagship venue. It was meant to become the biggest football… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – Pilgrimage to Maracanã
Azamara Cruise – Flight to Rio de Janeiro
An early morning ride on Bart and I was at SFO terminal 1 for my flight to Rio de Janeiro via Atlanta. After a bit of rest on the 9 hour leg from Atlanta, my seat mates Trixie, Debra and myself woke up to sunrise over Brazil. Stay tuned for more adventures all week as… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – Flight to Rio de Janeiro
Thankful for another great travel season
As I woke up on this Thanksgiving morning and am reflecting on another great travel season. Many thanks go through my head. Thanks to all whom either joined in on journeys or lived through them vicariously on this blog. The Oktoberfest group I organized this fall at Crystal World of Swarovski in Wattens, Austria. Thankful… Continue reading Thankful for another great travel season
30 years have passed since the world changed
It was an emotional Saturday for me - November 9th 1989 was the night that changed the world. Hard to believe it's been that long and yet, it feels like it was yesterday!To my loyal readers, befor going on about that historic night, I apologize for the silence on my part for the past weeks.… Continue reading 30 years have passed since the world changed
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