You can tell that the Alaska cruise season is about to kick off as one ship after another is making its way up to the Pacific Northwest. Today's visitor at the Port of San Francisco is the refurbished Holland America Line ship Nieuw Amsterdam. Fully dedicated to its namesake city of New York - read… Continue reading Nieuw Amsterdam for a day
A day of Joy continued
Upon return to our cabin, we found this tasty and artistic pastry and chocolate tray on our coffee table. I can assure you that it not only looked amazing -it tasted heavenly. Norwegian Joy is an action- packed ship with attractions for every age. From amazing shows (Footloose anyone?) to waterslides pools and a video… Continue reading A day of Joy continued
A day of Joy – Norwegian’s newest vessel awaits
After a few weeks of silence, my schedule is picking up with some fun travels ahead. It all starts today after touching down at Vancouver international airport which is such a joy to fly into every time. Efficient, clean and oh so friendly and helpful "Aye". A short metro ride to the Wayerfront station got… Continue reading A day of Joy – Norwegian’s newest vessel awaits
The Great War revisited
Today's exploration took us two hours north of Paris to the battlefields of World War I - historians refer to it as The Great War. A century ago these fields and rolling hills of northern France / southern Belgium were mired in trench warfare with neither side able to make much progress and with thousands… Continue reading The Great War revisited
Cooking with Alain Ducasse
As an avid amateur chef, I look looked very much forward to today's experience at Michelin starred Alain Ducasse cooking school. Located in the posh part of Paris in the 17th arrondissement, the school offers ongoing classes in a variety of styles. Our mission today was to prepare a main course of guinnea fowl with… Continue reading Cooking with Alain Ducasse
Remembering D-Day
This morning we left the comfort of our ship early to drive to Normandy's landing beaches of Omaha, Juno and Gold. An emotional day awaited us that led to amazing conversations and sharing of life stories across nationalities and backgrounds. Viking Cruises outdid themselves with this intimate, appropriately balanced ceremony honoring the fallen & the… Continue reading Remembering D-Day
Giverny Gardens & Seine Valley
Daffodils blooming in spring are my favorite sign of a new season upon us. When they are located in the city of Giverny and formally owned by master artist Claude Monet, the experience will certainly be remarkable which it was. Our lovely ship Viking Kadlin (a traditional long ship) docked in Vernon - just across… Continue reading Giverny Gardens & Seine Valley
Paris – mon amour 💋
A stunningly beautiful spring day awaited our group this morning - once the dense fog had lifted. In town for a taste of Viking River's Seine and Normandy cruise, guests were given a choice of a guided city drive with Versailles or free time to explore. Who could ever resist the charme of this ultimate… Continue reading Paris – mon amour 💋
Is extra legroom economy any good?
With tens of thousands of miles in the air over the past 12 months, I had the opportunity to explore this question at length. The below blog will share what I have learned in terms of experiences aboard in relation to cost. (Above - Singapore Premium Economy) The model varies by airline as some require… Continue reading Is extra legroom economy any good?
Vietnam & Cambodia – final reflections
Back home after a 15 hour flight on Singapore Airlines. Vivid memories of a life-changing trip will be with us for a long time. I felt that the best way to capture my thoughts about this trip is through an FAQ format. So here you go: Would I do this trip again? YES absolutely Would… Continue reading Vietnam & Cambodia – final reflections
Vietnam & Cambodia – final leg
Our journey is rapidly approaching it's final day with a short flight from Siem Reap to Singapore on Silk Air. Sad to leave our oasis of the outstanding Belmond La Residence behind, I am giddy with excitement to show Greg the world class city that Singapore has become. It's main attraction is the Marina Bay… Continue reading Vietnam & Cambodia – final leg
Cambodia – the Crown Jewels – Part II
A restful night sleep and I was like new. I must admit that yesterday's heat got to me as mybody shut down by dinner time. It is definitely a "hot climate" here and humid so be prepared and take it slow. That said, we embarked early for our visit of Angkor Wat (city of monks)… Continue reading Cambodia – the Crown Jewels – Part II
Cambodia – the Crown Jewels – Part I
A short 36 min turbo prop flight later we landed in the jungle city of Siem Reap- home to Cambodia's Crown Jewels of Angkor Thom and Wat. Thanks to our expert ground team from A&K, we got picked up and whisked away to the Belmond La Residence hotel in the heart of Siem Reap. 59… Continue reading Cambodia – the Crown Jewels – Part I
Vietnam & Cambodia – bye bye Avalon Siem Reap
Our family away from home for the past 7 days celebrated with us for a farewell dinner and reception. While the staff is predominately Cambodian, the navigational crew is Vietnamese but all shared in the warm and welcoming professionalism that made this cruise an outstanding experience. Caring, compassionate, and efficient, these team members made our… Continue reading Vietnam & Cambodia – bye bye Avalon Siem Reap
Cambodia – countryside life
Our final two days in this mesmerizing country were spent visiting locals in their villages, schools and temples among other sights and sounds. An ox cart ride of 20 minutes was our introduction to this last of our various transportation modes. Bouncy and rough, our caravan of oxen bobbled their way along the raised road… Continue reading Cambodia – countryside life
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