Today, we met our son-in-law’s parents in Portugal while on a cruise. After navigating a city-wide power outage during lunch, we enjoyed city exploration and gifts exchanged. Despite delays due to the outage, we returned to the ship before departure. Tomorrow, we arrive in Tangiers with time constraints.
Alicante, rich in history spanning over 7,000 years, transitioned from prehistoric settlements to a vibrant Mediterranean port under various civilizations. Today’s excursion revealed the charming Old Town, Baroque Cathedral, and storied Castle of Santa Barbara. Experiencing local culture, including Las Hogueras de San Juan, enriched our visit before heading to Lisbon.
Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, has a rich and layered history that blends maritime significance, piracy, volcanic activity, and cultural evolution. Lancelotto Malocello, an Italian navigator, is credited with rediscovering the island for Europe in 1312, giving his name to Lanzarote. The Norman nobleman Jean de Béthencourt led the Spanish conquest…
Nana performed a ukulele concert on their sea day before arriving in Richards Bay, a vibrant South African port city known for coal exports and industrial activities. Papa went on a safari at Tala Game Reserve while Nana relaxed. They discussed South Africa’s political climate, especially the controversial Expropriation Act.
The King Neptune Ceremony was celebrated on a cruise ship, marking the transformation of first-time equator crossers into seasoned sailors. The event featured humor and trials under King Neptune’s watch. Later, in Seychelles, the family explored local attractions including a Botanical Garden, enjoyed a sunset cruise, and faced slow internet.
Yesterday, Nana and I enjoyed an exquisite 11-course Chef’s dinner on the ship, paired with wines. Today, we explored Komodo Island, meeting villagers and visiting a local school. We marveled at the stunning Pink Beach and encountered a Komodo dragon. Tomorrow, we dock in Bali, allowing crew to reunite with families.
The blog post details a recent cruise adventure through the Panama Canal and a visit to Manta, Ecuador. Key highlights include the canal’s engineering marvel, attending the Orange Bowl, exploring Montecristi’s culture, and purchasing local crafts, including Panama hats. An unexpected bus breakdown occurred, but excitement continues with plans to visit Machu Picchu.
January 4th, 2025 through May 9th, 2024. Well we started on the adventure of a lifetime yesterday. 128 day cruise around the world on Holland America Cruise line sailing on the Zuiderdam. I will try to blog our trip at our different stops so that our grandchildren (and anyone else that is interested) can follow…
We started our excursion today visiting Kakabeka Falls, the “Niagara of the North,” to admire Ontario’s second-highest waterfall. Next was Thunder Bay’s storied history at Fort William. We explored the Anishinaabe Encampment, home to Indigenous Peoples of the Anishinaabe nation. We learned about the beginnings of their commercial venture with Fort William and experienced the…
Another sea day rounding the corner of France getting ready to head up the English Channel. Nana went swimming again in the pool with Wolfgang. The ship was rolling a lot and there were other people in the pool so Nana and Wolfgang did not get too much swimming in. Nana and I took our…
papa carney 