Where in the World are Mike and Jan?

Fakarava doesn’t mean a whole lot to the average traveler. However, to a scuba diver, Fakarava is overwhelmingly noteworthy for one thing: the Wall of Sharks. This tiny atoll has the world’s largest population of gray reef sharks, numbering around 700 individuals. The reason they congregate here? Their strict, long-term protection; the high-volume, year-round availability of prey; and strong tidal currents that allow them to rest and breathe efficiently.

Here is an interesting adventure story about these islands. In 1947 the Kon-Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl’s homemade balsa wood raft, sailed for 101 days and 4,300 miles from Peru. It braved rogue waves, severe storms, and dangerous sea life until it was caught in a rushing current near Fakarava, at Raroai Atoll. Unable to exercise enough control over its path, the craft was unable either to steer through one of the atoll’s passes or to miss the atoll altogether. As it approached the coral reef making up the atoll, it was hit with a series of massive breakers, some over 15 feet high. The Kon-Tiki finally crashed into the atoll, which is part of the Tuamotu Archipelago. The six-man crew saved themselves from drowning by lashing themselves onto the balsa logs making up the raft. They were able to avoid being sliced to pieces on the sharp, jagged coral reef, making it to a motu (small island) where they were rescued several days later by local villagers who noticed the floating debris of the smashed Kon-Tiki.

In and around the atolls of the South Pacific, life is controlled by the twice-per-day inflowing and outflowing tides. This was true of our 10 days on the Aqua Tiki II. Each phase of the tide lasts about six hours. The tides are also complicated by swells breaking over the reef rims, adding more water to the circular atolls, which then must flow out of the pass back into the open ocean. The Aqua Tiki II is a 59-foot catamaran specializing in scuba diving, and sails out of Fakarava. Our expedition was crewed by Captain Greg, formerly of France, now living in Papeete; our dive guide, Victor, from the island of Tahiti; and our cook/hostess Poe, who lives in Fakarava.

The boat accommodates up to eight passengers. On our trip there was a small and comfortable group of five: Louis from Quebec, Vanessa from Mexico City, Chris from Germany, Stephanie from various locations in the European Union (EU), and Mike, from the United States.

Fakarava is a little over an hour’s flight from Tahiti. The normal itinerary of the boat is to load up passengers in Fakarava and then spend eight days sailing around the Tuamotu Archipelago, with two days in each of four locations. The Tuamotu Archipelago is historically named The Dangerous Archipelago — not because of the many hundreds of sharks you will encounter there, but because most of the islands sit just a few feet above sea level, unlike the “High Islands” such as Tahiti and Moorea, which have volcanic peaks.

This is the rainy season in this part of the world and there was plenty of rain, along with the accompanying high swells, large waves, and strong currents. Pass entries through the atolls can be treacherous under normal circumstances, with currents reaching in excess of 10 knots, creating standing waves known as “mascarets.” The entries can be much harder under heavy weather.

The Aqua Tiki II is equipped with advanced navigation, safety, and communication equipment, which is especially important because assistance, if needed, would be a very long distance away. Captain Greg was always on alert so that there was no danger of being “Kon-Tiki’ed.”

Because of the heavy weather, the boat had to change its itinerary slightly, and we didn’t make all of the anchorages, but we still had eight great days of diving with two dives/day.

Mike went diving in Fakarava about three years ago, and considered it the best dive he had ever had. On this trip it was magical to be there for a full 10 days of diving and gawking at sharks, manta rays, octopus, dolphins, and many schools of thousands of colorful tropical fish.

Having dived there before, Mike knew it would be a relatively intense experience, with strong currents and fairly deep dives. Due to the topography of the seabed, the current flow was sometimes pretty complicated. If a diver got into the wrong depth or position, he or she could be swept away from the group. Fortunately, that never happened.

Unlike most dives Mike had done in the past, every diver had to have a dive computer. Decompression stops were a possibility on many of the dives, and several times people had to do short ones. Victor, our dive guide, was always on top of the plan, keeping everyone safe, but never being intrusive. We were lucky that all of the passengers had the experience and skills to keep themselves out of trouble and not hold up the group.

Some of the photos and videos below were kindly provided by the crew and passengers.

**Note: Today marks Year 8 of our traveling the world, during which we have stayed in a room in a hotel or on a cruise ship every single night, all these many years. “Home” for us is each other and wherever we are in the world.

The divers enjoying the underwater life.

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The last time we visited Nassau, in 2011, we walked along a walkway with riprap reaching down into the ocean. The riprap was full of iguanas taking in the rays. (See the second photo.) In the 14 years since then, the port constructed a faux village when you disembark the ship, which you arrive in after a 10-minute tram ride and five minutes of walking. It was filled with restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops. That in itself is a disappointment, but the true horror came when we walked out and discovered there were six gigantic cruise ships in Nassau that day, discharging around 20,000 passengers into the small town. Truly, this was overkill – crowded and LOUD. If we ever dock again here, we decided we would just stay on the ship.

In the faux port village, we heard an announcement mimicking a 1990s K-Mart store. It began: “Attention shoppers.” We didn’t listen, so we didn’t get the message! It seemed a bit anachronistic. Once we left that circus, the streets of the town were equally crowded. There were more jewelry and diamond stores than could ever make a profit. It is a wonder that anyone purchases Caribbean jewelry, since it can’t easily be returned if it breaks apart, for example. Several years ago, Mike went scuba diving on one of the islands and Jan walked around the downtown, passing many jewelers. One man tried to hand her a flyer for his store with a discount on a purchase. Jan said, “No, thanks. I’m not into jewelry.” He looked at her coolly and asked, “Then why are you here?”

Generally, port cities are great for walking around, even aimlessly wandering if you haven’t planned a tour or anything special. This was a special kind of hell. We lasted about two hours and returned to the relative quiet and serenity of the ship, minus a good number of its passengers. It was heaven after being jostled by 20,000 people. Nassau was almost – almost – as busy as Rome! – and not in a good way!

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We’re back in the Azores for a second time in 2025. Last time, we rented a car and drove all around Sao Miguel Island, which was a lot of fun. We experienced four seasons in one day! This time, we opted to explore the capital city, Ponta Delgada, which is where the cruise ship docked.

Ponta Delgada is the administrative and commercial center of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It was founded as a small fishing village in 1450 and later became one of the main stops for ships traveling to the Americas. Believe it or not, the city is a hub for one-of-a kind pineapples, which are the only ones in the world grown in greenhouses. Cultivated since the 1840s, these pineapples can only be harvested two years after they are planted. Their flavor is said to be very sweet and less acidic than normal, with hints of citrus and coconut due to the rich volcanic soil. The island also produces 30 tons of tea annually, as it has the only tea plantation in all of Europe.

One fascinating element of the city is Calcada Portuguesa, the traditional mosaic sidewalks created by calceteiros, pavement artists. The designs are created with small hand-laid stones of contrasting black volcanic basalt and white limestone. We marveled at the intricacy as well as the back-bending work it takes to shape designs on your knees all day long for years to create these beautiful works of art. We have provided several examples below.

Ponta Delgada has a gorgeous church, the Church of St. Sebastian. The downtown is filled with cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, and bakeries (all featuring the marvelous Portuguese pasteles de nata, custard-filled pastry cups). The architecture style is colonial, and even in November, the squares were filled with flowers. A walk along the coast shows a harbor filled with a plethora of pleasure boats. It all makes for a nice day out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

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A popular cruise stop, Cartagena is located on the Mediterranean as the sea narrows, heading toward the Strait of Gibraltar. It is fascinating due to the Roman archaeological ruins here, which can be seen through fences all over the Old Town. Walking around, parts of it are heavily reminiscent of Rome.

The city has an important place in military and commercial history. Hannibal departed from Cartagena on his expedition to Italy.

The Romans conquered the city in the third century BC and renamed it Cartago Nova. The Roman Theater they built is still an attraction today, albeit with ongoing archaeological excavation.

The feeling of the city is very modern, with shops, restaurants, and cafes. We took a free walking tour and got to hear about some of Cartagena’s rich history. Our previous post shows a museum we entered as well as some of the farther reaches of the old town. If you stop here on a cruise, a walk down Calle Mayor is highly recommended.

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ROME: The Eternal City. ROME: 2,777 years old. ROME: One of the World’s Most Desired Destinations. ROME: On every block, there are museums, churches, archaeological ruins, monuments, shrines, arches, columns, villas, fountains, art galleries, palaces. ROME: By far, the most crowded, busiest city we have ever visited, ever, ever. We were forced to walk in the street many times due to the mass of people headed toward us on the sidewalks. Many people just plowed forward, not moving an inch (as most people do as a courtesy) as we passed. Crowds almost removed our arms at least a dozen times. Subways and buses were sometimes like sardine cans, just packed and jammed with people – and sometimes, barking dogs. It was the most crowded location on earth – and this was in late October/early November, formerly the “shoulder season,” never as busy as summer. We wonder what summer was like?? We assume this craziness is due to the fact that people simply are traveling more these days. But hotels in Rome were running $400-600 per night, so we don’t understand how so many people are visiting. (Gone from the US since early September, our entire two months of hotel stays in Europe have been absolutely free – thanks to the millions of points we earned with Hilton stays.)

All of that aside, Rome. Is. Fabulous. There is so much to see! Just walking down a random street, you come upon ruins and ancient buildings. On the winding little streets in the heart of Rome are thousands of cute restaurants, cafes, and small retail shops. Most of the restaurants serve Italian food – of course. When we tired of pizza and pasta, we sought out Japanese, Turkish, Mexican, Thai, American, and Chinese restaurants – to name a few. They are there if you search for them.

Probably the most noteworthy thing about the city is its sheer history and the age of its most prominent attractions. We have provided the ages of some of the attractions in the photo captions. It is jaw-dropping to stand inside the Pantheon, for instance, mouth agape, as laborers built it before Christ roamed the earth. Maybe it is even more thrilling for an American, as our cultural monuments date only to the late 1700s.

Visiting the Vatican was interesting, although it is another country and is only surrounded by Rome. We published a separate blog on Vatican City last week. We also wrote a separate blog for Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome. Included in this post are the areas around the Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Appian Way and Trastevere districts. Trastevere is quite lovely, as we discovered on our first visit to Rome 20 years ago, but for some reason it has attracted more graffiti than any one place deserves.

Another area we explored was the very south of Rome in the area of the Appian Way. It took 45 minutes by bus (for €1.50!), and we went to the Parco Dell’Appia Antica. Here, we found the Felice Aqueduct and some beautiful ruins of arches and old monuments – it was like walking through an archaeological site. It was not at all crowded, like the tourist areas of Rome. Here, the crowd was mostly locals walking their dogs and playing ball with their children. It was very peaceful and quiet.

So, given the busy-ness, would we return??? Yes, in a heartbeat. There was so much to see and a lot of places we haven’t yet gotten to, even after a solid three weeks in the city. We left some sights – and tastes! – for the next visit. We just hope it isn’t as crowded in the future, but who knows?

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Follow us on our trip into the world’s smallest country, Vatican City, a city-state that consists of just 0.17 square miles and is completely surrounded by the City of Rome. Surprisingly, there aren’t metal detectors and security checks to get into St. Peter’s Basilica per se, just to gain access to St. Peter’s Square. We waited in a security line for about 20 minutes. Almost everybody “beeped” as they went through the metal detectors, but nobody was stopped or put through additional screening, such as wanding. In other words, it was really just security theater.

Once inside the Square, anyone could move anywhere they desired and even enter St. Peter’s with no additional precautions. Overall, the crowd was very happy and exceedingly polite, and we didn’t notice any altercations. The guards seem to enjoy barking orders, like “Move along!” “Up! Up! Do not sit there!” “Don’t go there,” and “No sitting.” You will see in the photos why that last one is so ironic.

Everyone was waiting to see the Pope at the Noon Blessing and Angelus. Until then, it was sitting and waiting and taking photos. The statues on the colonnades – all 140 of them – watch everything you do. When there was activity at “the apartment window” to hang the Papal Coat of Arms, everybody came to attention and got ready. When Pope Leo appeared, there was applause and yelling. He spoke in Italian and Latin. During his presentation we tried to use Google Translate to see what he was saying. Strangely enough, Google Translate indicates that it can’t translate Latin from voice input. But it didn’t give us any Italian translations during those passages either. There were Jumbotrons for people to see him up close, as he was a tiny dot high above the square. The screens did say before the event that we could get a translation into our own language if we downloaded their app, but we didn’t try that.

Afterwards, people lined up to enter St. Peter’s. In our travels through Europe, the most grandiose and largest churches and cathedrals charge admission and control the number of entries per hour. Not here! Here comes everybody! All were able to enter free of charge in a line that kept moving. Once inside, you are able to roam around at your own pace. Some areas are roped off, but what is overwhelming is the number of domes (11) and the sheer amount of decorated ceilings, walls, and floors. One’s jaw drops. Just amazing. So, journey with us. The photos are more or less in chronological order from arrival to departure, three hours later. It is one of the best free attractions in the world.

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We love history – especially “history” where we can walk around, see, touch, and experience live. Ostia Antica has been on our travel bucket list since 2009! But every time we visited Rome, we either didn’t have enough days, or the day we planned to go there – it rained. Keeping an eye on the weather, we went on a spectacular day, sunny and warm, and not too many tourists. It is an easy day trip from Rome, as it is less than 20 miles from Rome and is its ancient seaport. A train from the Pyramide metro station gets you there in about 30 minutes. (As an aside: If you tap onto Rome’s transit system – bus, subway, train, or tram – with a credit card, you can travel on all of these systems, and transfer freely, for €1.50 for 100 minutes. That was our total price for the trip!) The system is very easy, with no standing in line for tickets. With the transports arriving often, there is no need to be at a stop at a certain time.

Ostia Antica was named for its location at the mouth (ostia meaning mouth) of the Tiber River. It is now a large archaeological site, with building frames preserved and a large collection of intact floor mosaics. We were astounded by the floors! The oldest archaeological remains date back to the 4th century BC, with most buildings currently visible being 100 years younger than that. Most likely, the city was first founded as a naval base, then gradually expanded as a commercial port.

The city is somewhat reminiscent of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but walking around here, there isn’t the sense of tragedy that you feel in those cities, when people experienced a sudden volcanic eruption that they couldn’t outrun. Ostia Antica just faded over time, with its harbor silting up (rendering it unusable), commercial activity shifting to newer ports, pirate attacks, and general economic decline. The silting of the port has led to the city now being a full two miles from the sea, but the sand dunes also preserved a lot of the city.

One enjoyable aspect of visiting here is that you can wander wherever you want. There are ropes where excavations are taking place, and where it might be dangerous. But overall, you can walk anywhere and explore anything. There are no security guards looking forbiddingly – nobody to tell you to “get off” or “don’t go there.” Of course, the floor mosaics are also off-limits, which means they are preserved and fun to look at. We found info and translations for some of the mosaics, but not all – so it is up to our – and your – interpretation. Have fun in Ostia Antica!

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Tuscany is exceptionally beautiful. Many movies have been set or filmed there, making use of the luxurious scenery. Some notable ones include Under the Tuscan Sun (of course), Life is Beautiful, A Room With a View, The English Patient, some of the idyllic scenes in The Gladiator, and of course, our favorite – Hannibal.

Driving into the City of Siena from its train station to the north, we were struck by the hills, valleys, and steep roads winding up and down. During our stay, we were always climbing stairs or heading up hills. It was well worth it. Siena is tiny, but rich in art and architecture.

Siena has retained its medieval layout, with streets/walking paths snaking through the hills as they did 2,000 years ago. We didn’t really encounter many sidewalks – you walk along the sides of the streets and silently hope you won’t get run down. The Siena Cathedral is on such a street, dates from 1263, and includes the Piccolomini Library, the Baptistry, and the Crypt. It is beautiful beyond words, and hard to believe it exists in this small town.

Being in a small town really opened our eyes. We couldn’t take the mechanics of travel quite so casually. In all of Italy, Uber is considered a limousine service and is priced accordingly. A trip from the train station to our hotel, less than a mile, was €48! We opted to wait for and take a taxi, which was €11. But on the morning we were leaving, we had to take a taxi back to the train station and weren’t allowed to book it ourselves. Either the hotel staff has to book it, or you get a taxi at a taxi stand at the airport or train station. It is a little scary not having that control. Our hotel said it was booked, but we didn’t stay in an actual hotel, just an apartment house, so there was nobody onsite the morning of our departure to help if the taxi didn’t show or if the taxi was late. We had connections to make later in the day…so we were a bit nervous. The taxi did show up on time, and the day had a happy ending, but we didn’t care for the process.

Also, in this small European town, as in the others we visited, almost every restaurant opens at 11:30 am or noon, closes around 2:00 pm, and opens again for dinner at 7:00 pm. There are a few exceptions, mostly pizzerias, but it is hard to eat if you are an early diner. We typically eat breakfast and skip lunch, so we are ready for dinner earlier than their opening times. Also, we were charged a coperto everywhere in Italy – €2-5 just for sitting at their table. Sometimes, you get stale bread given to you (to soak up sauce, called “fare la scarpetta”) and sometimes nothing (when you are paying for the privilege of a chair, napkin, and placemat). We consider it to be a forced tip, but it is a surprise the first time you are charged for something you didn’t order.

We were in a small cafe one morning for a breakfast of cappuccino and a croissant. We looked at the case and all the choices, finally pointing to the item we would share: “That one!” The man shook his head and said, “No.” We were puzzled: “No?” He told us that that particular croissant was reserved. We thought he was joking, and laughed. He stared at us and asked what we wanted. We said, “We really can’t have that one?” He again said it was reserved for someone, even though it was sitting in the case with all the other offerings. Dejected, we chose another.

Our stay in Siena was five days, longer than is necessary to “see everything,” but we had a few rest days and took it slowly. When you buy tickets to the cathedral complex, they are good for a full three days, so no need to rush. The days were a bit like a retreat, just biding our time away from the busy-ness of Milan, Florence, and coming up, Rome. It was a little bit of heaven on earth.

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Wow! Michelangelo – Dante – Botticelli – Da Vinci – Vespucci – Galileo – Donatello – de’Medici – Florence Nightingale – even Machiavelli! – were all born in Florence. What an interesting and majestic array of talent. And Florence itself is a very compact city. We were there for five days and as we wandered around, looking for new streets where we hadn’t yet been, we eventually found that we had already passed most of the museums, churches, and monuments — several times.

Our lovely hotel was just across the Arno River near the Ponte Vecchio, which is one of the few internationally known bridges that has shops filling its crossing, called an inhabited bridge. There is a gap in the middle of the bridge to facilitate views and photos, but the rest is jewelry/art/souvenir shops (originally butchers, tanners, and farmers). There had been a bridge in this spot since Roman times. In WWII, the Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge in Florence to survive.

We will be returning for more of Florence in the future, and as usual, we didn’t try to do everything. There is the Uffizi Gallery, which we saw many years ago, and will be due for a second visit soon. The Florence Duomo is impressive, and is free to enter. We tried to see it both early and late in the day, and the line wrapped around the church with what looked like a two-hour wait: not something we were interested in. We could have gotten in faster had we bought a ticket, which would include access to the bell tower (climbing 414 steps), the dome (climbing 463 steps) and the baptistry. But we weren’t about to climb all of those steps, so it just wasn’t worth it to us to buy a ticket! We passed one morning at 9:00 am (the Duomo opens to visitors at 10:15), and there were already about 100 people in line.

Michelangelo’s David! There were no steps to climb, so we paid €20 each to enter the Galleria dell’Accademia to behold this marvel. There are no words. Unveiled in 1504, Michelangelo started sculpting it when he was 26 years old and completed it in three years. It stood outside the Palazzo Vecchio, in the elements, for 369 years before it was moved indoors. You gasp when you see the statue, as he is 17 feet tall. It is one of the most amazing humanmade things we have ever seen. It was like being in the presence of The Sacred – which we also felt the year we first visited Yosemite. We had seen videos and photos, and knew what to expect (just like seeing David). But in person, standing in Yosemite Valley and looking up and around, there was just awe – and tears. Same for David.

Seeing the veins in his arms and hands – his fingers and toes – his curly hair – his kneecaps – all perfect, it is evident that Michelangelo had studied anatomy at his young age. When we looked at other sculptures after we studied and admired David for 45 minutes or so, it was amazing to us how the arms and legs on the others just looked like smooth tubes, with no anatomical definition. See the photos below!

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With palaces, churches, museums, piazzas, chocolate shops, cafes, arcades, and history – everywhere – Turin is a city to be reckoned with. She’s not giving up any power, glory, or titles to other, more well-known Italian cities.

From 1861 to 1865, Turin was the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Thus, you can barely walk a block without running into grandiose buildings and very decorative palazzos, gardens, and churches. It is most impressive. We only came to Turin because we had never visited the city before. We thought it would be modest…a place for some quiet days. Impossible. No modesty here! But we will say that compared to other Italian cities we have been to, there were fewer people. We suppose not having the press of Florence, Milan, or Rome, it doesn’t attract as many visitors.

The first church we visited, Our Lady of Consolation, was not to be believed. It is decorated with lots of gold, paintings, and statuary. But we also then visited the Palazzo Reale, the Royal Palace, and the story is identical there – gold and more gold everywhere.

Chocolate and Turin have a love affair going way back – to 1560. Turin chocolate makers discovered how to turn chocolate and other ingredients into solid bars. “Meditation bars” are suggested: you don’t eat a piece of chocolate, but you put it in your mouth and think about it, taste it, discover all of its flavors as it slowly melts and dissolves on your tongue. Turin makers also conceived of the famous Bicerin – a cup of hot coffee, cacao, and cream, which can be found at every coffee shop here.

Our delight as we travel is always aimless wandering to see small alleyways and crannies that would be missed if we only did “the greatest hits” in a city. We stumbled upon delightful small shops, interesting buildings (like the symbol of Turin, the Mole Antonelliana), and fun & whimsy, the true mark of a culture. It was a magical city for us and will be on our list for a return visit!

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Milano! Known, among many other things, for culture, fashion, food, and architecture, we experienced all of that. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the Milan Duomo both occupy a lot of space on Duomo Square. Both are giants, and both bring standing room only to the area. The glorious Duomo (Basilica of the Nativity of Mary) took more than 600 years to build and is one of the largest churches in the world. Visiting in 1867, Mark Twain commented on the Duomo: “They say that the Cathedral of Milan is second only to St. Peter’s at Rome. I cannot understand how it can be second to anything made by human hands.”

The Galleria was just two years old when Twain visited. He said it was a “vast and beautiful arcade,” stating, “I should like to live in it all the time.” We had that opportunity – the Galleria Vik Hotel was our home during our time in Milan. It is one of the most unique locations we have ever stayed in, and we want to stay again!

We last visited Milan in 2015, mainly to attend the World Expo. We saved most of the touristy things to do for future trips such as this one. In turn, we didn’t try to do everything this time, either – there are still sites to see during future visits.

A quick tip for frequent travelers, which is in our Tips for Travelers section, is to stay for increments of five days when staying on points in Hiltons or Hilton-affiliated properties. When you use four days of points, you get a fifth day free. This time we stayed five days for free. We told the staff as we were leaving that we liked it so much that we would stay 10 or 15 days next time.

A visit to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum was quite interesting. It has areas of scientific and technological innovation, as Leonardo inspired a lot of inventions. But the part pertaining to Leonardo’s drawings, imagination, and vision was just wonderful. He was a man way, way ahead of his time.

A free walking tour was on our agenda, and we spent some time with our guide, Fabrice, a couple from Munich, a woman from Brazil, and four cheeky guys from the UK who were a lot of fun. We told them that we got to know a couple from Wigan (a village halfway between Liverpool and Manchester) who described themselves as “pie-eaters,” but we couldn’t understand a lot of what they said. They confessed that they couldn’t understand people from Wigan either! Then they told us the funniest thing: the village is so fond of savory pies that they place their pies between two pieces of bread (called a barm, or a pie kabob) because the pie is too hot to hold, and the bread – or, barm – soaks up the gravy and drippings. Carbs encased in carbs! Way to go.

High-end fashion is everywhere. We truly felt like tourists, with our travel clothing. But we have photos of some of the latest clothing and shoes. High fashion? You decide!

Finally…ice cream! We found the very best shop on earth and tried to avoid it, but we failed…twice. It was very crowded, but it was the best thing we ate in Milan. Some people would be shocked to hear us say that, but we only speak the truth. On to Torino!

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Beautiful Innsbruck, Austria! We both remember it as the location of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics, so for us, it was always bigger than life. But what we found on this, our first visit here, was a city with a compact Old Town and lots of charm. The place name means “bridge over the River Inn,” and the river runs along the Old Town. The river has a nice walking path along it, and we took it to get to our destinations around town as much as possible.

Our hotel was in the area where many of the Olympic venues had been located — our bus stop was named “Olympiaworld.” The football arena across the street is Olympiahalle, and it is located on Olympiastrasse. We got the idea, for sure! Speaking of “our bus stop,” it was so convenient that our hotel gave us free bus passes for our entire week in Innsbruck. Apparently the city provides them for anyone staying in a hotel there for more than just a few nights. We just hopped on a bus whenever we needed. But, nobody really used the bus ticket machines to validate their tickets or tap on/tap off. Everyone seemed to get on and off at will. We wondered if any authorities ever pulled random checks to see whether people have passes or not.

The Old Town is the heart of the city. All of the historical attractions, restaurants, and sights to see are there. It is easily walkable in an hour or two. Everywhere in the city, the Alps dominate the background. Winter sports are what the city lives for. Even so, our weather was warm (upper 60s) and mostly rain-free. We were told it was a miracle that our week consisted of such gorgeous weather.

Sometimes we like to see movies in the local theaters when traveling around. In some countries, like the Netherlands, they will nearly always show movies in their original language, with Dutch subtitles. In larger cities in many other countries, such as Paris (where we saw Top Gun: Maverick, for instance), they will have some theaters that show movies in their original language. But Innsbruck, being a smaller city in Austria, only offered movies dubbed in German. So no movies for us there. We will have to wait to catch up on current ones.

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When we discussed the possibility of going to Swarovski’s Crystal World (just outside of Innsbruck) with our hotel staff, they noted that one-quarter of their guests come here specifically to go there! The attraction garners between 500,00–600,000 visitors each year. We saved two euros each by booking our tickets on line in the morning.

The weather in Austria has been especially nice, and warm, with temperatures in the mid-60s. We have been told how lucky we are! Crystal World wasn’t especially busy, which made it a very pleasant experience. We do note that the park could have more and better signage, as we had to finally ask an employee where the actual museum was with all the various rooms. It is under the lawn on top of the Giant, Riese, of course! But even the signs in the outdoor garden would mention a feature (with no arrows!), then the next several signs would not mention it. We wandered around quite a bit, convinced that we had been sold a ticket of – confusion. But we figured it out.

On some attractions, the presence of crystals wasn’t always obvious, but on most, the glitz was on full display. The museum has a total of 16 chambers, each designed by a different artist. Some were very commercial, just showing Swarovski creations, but the ones we show below were the more interesting rooms. Those that use mirrors and light to full advantage were a bit disorienting and dizzying. They also tended to be somewhat dark, but oh, what an experience! It was well worth the admission and an entire day.

We ate at the onsite restaurant and were just delighted by the price, the portion, and the taste. It was excellent. We can wholeheartedly recommend Crystal World to anyone traveling through Austria—it was a terrific experience all around.

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Bavaria, Sweet Bavaria. We made it to Munich for opening day of Oktoberfest, our third time there. To start the festivities there is a proclamation, the tapping of the first keg, and a volley of gunshots. Everyone is happy, smiling, and courteous to each other. Entrance to the fairgrounds is free, and like a typical American-style state fair, there are rides, attractions, games of chance, food booths (especially sausages), and, oh yes, lots and lots of loud singing – and drinking. Don’t forget the drinking! Very important.

We don’t try to do everything in Munich, as we save stuff for future visits. We spent our first two days with our dear friends from Zurich – Yasmine, Onur, and Carmen – who took the train in on Oktoberfest’s Opening Day to spend two days with us. The last time we saw them, Yasmine was pregnant with Carmen, so it was great to meet her in person. We had a lot of fun catching up and discussing world events. Carmen is now two years old and is adorable and precocious. She speaks/understands Arabic, Turkish, English, German, and sometimes other languages she hears at daycare. Yasmine said not long ago she was getting Carmen ready to leave the house. Apparently she wasn’t moving fast enough, as Carmen started saying, “Andiamo, Andiamo!” (Italian for “Let’s go, let’s go!), surprising Yasmine with yet another language.

With our remaining time, we took in the Residenz Munchen, a former palace turned museum, and the heart of the city, Marienplatz. A photo can never do full justice to a glittering gold palace, but we tried! The Residenz is over the top! One thing to note, in the midst of all the luxury, is that they provide a very generous number of places to sit and contemplate the ornamentation. It also is a very modest admission price, about $10, as compared to similar places like Versailles. It also wasn’t near as crowded as Versailles, which, even as large as it famously is, was uncomfortably crowded the last time we were there.

We can’t wait to return and visit even more places in Munich. The food is great, and the people are very welcoming. We encountered quite a number of Americans who are traveling around Germany. So, scroll through our photos and take a glimpse into a very small part of the large, glorious city of Munich. There will be more photos – and places – in the future!

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Our first venture out traveling the world after a short respite turned dramatic in the middle of the night. Just as our plane was about to fly over Greenland, about half way to our destination, we heard a passenger screaming and yelling, “Help me!” over and over. A while later we were informed that our 11-hour nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Frankfurt would be diverted to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland. The captain informed us that the passenger had attacked the flight crew and was being taken off the plane to be arrested. She not only attacked the crew, but she resisted arrest when we landed at 2:00 am and attacked the police. Promised that we would be on the ground for about an hour, it turned into 3+ hours. We had diverted an hour south of where we were, so in all – 16 hours in tiny, cramped airline seats. Many people missed their connecting flights, but everyone was ready to disembark once we landed.

Gander airport has an unusually long runway and is often the diversion airport for emergencies in that part of the world. It is famous as the location where 38 passenger planes carrying almost 6,700 passengers and crew were diverted to on September 11, 2001. That is quite a number of people to deal with for a town with a population of only 10,000, since “the plane people” had to be housed for several days. That story inspired the Broadway musical, “Come From Away,” which we saw in New York several years ago. We had no idea we would be making an unscheduled stop there, too.

So now…..Frankfurt am Main! Frankfurt is a very pretty and historic city. Much of it was destroyed in WWII by Royal Air Forced bombardments in March 1944. Nevertheless, it looks great. Walking along the Main River is rejuvenating, as lots of pedestrians and bicyclists used the walkways.

The Old Town was the busiest place we encountered, filled with tourists during this autumn shoulder season. In anticipation of the beginning of Oktoberfest, lots of people dining outside were enjoying the large one-liter steins of beer.

We only spent a couple of nights in Frankfurt and were still trying to recover from our extra long flight to get there, so we don’t have too much to share from there. On to Munich for Oktoberfest!

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Danny Kaye sang – Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen! (If you are under 60 years of age: google him!)

It is a wonderful city – it feels stately and storied, and simultaneously feels youthful and fresh. Our last blog, on Tivoli Gardens, talked about how there were rides for today’s teens and adults as well as the older rides, tried and true. The same goes for the city. But “new” isn’t always new! The most-photographed scene in the city is Nyhavn – New Port, or New Harbor – and it was dug 350 years ago by Swedish prisoners! Our city walking guide, Martin, said they kept the prisoners in an underground dungeon for 15 years before they let them out – only to dig the canal.

One thing to know if you are going to visit – budget for one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Denmark has placed a 25% “Value Added Tax” (VAT) on everything – groceries, restaurants, tickets, bakeries, hotels – making the resulting costs really high. It is a very common thing in Europe, but Sweden and Denmark are among the highest. They don’t add it to the bill the way they normally do sales tax in the US. It is more like the way we pay for gasoline in the US, where the taxes are included in the posted price, but they do indicate what portion of the bill the taxes were at the end. The word for it in Danish is abbreviated to MOMS. For the first couple of receipts we got, we wondered whose mom we were supporting. Oh, we’re helping to support all the Danish moms, dads, and kids.

Most burgers and sandwiches are $20-30 US, while most dinners start at $40 and rise steeply, depending on the restaurant and the extravagance. We looked at the menu for an American diner here, and breakfasts for one were $25-30, while dinners were over $50. So that we didn’t have to face that every day, sometimes we bought grocery store salads for dinner, which were very good and very fresh. Pizzas cost $20-25, but they do feed two people! And some places run lunch and dinner specials, which helps a bit. We do note that the value of the US dollar has declined against most currencies this year. It has declined about 10% against the Danish Krone in the last few months, so that has also made it a little more expensive.

Bicycles are everywhere, and crossing a bike path is fraught with danger, as they go pretty fast. On our walking tour, our guide said the bicycle culture is called Viking Biking, as it is so expensive to own a car here. He told us he saw the Minister of Justice arriving at work one morning – on a bicycle! And he has seen the King and Queen both biking in the city…with no security guards! Amazing.

We stayed in Old Town, and we feel it is worth it, even though hotels are quite expensive. Being able to walk everywhere within 15-30 minutes is a real plus. Taxis and Ubers are expensive, and being farther away from the city center would have meant time wasted traveling. There are castles, palaces, museums, great old buildings, parks, gardens, churches, and canals everywhere. Every cuisine imaginable is a few steps away – as well as famous Danish bakeries. In many ways, some of the places felt just like Amsterdam, as there were bikes crowding the sidewalk and many bridges crossing canals. Also, some of the areas were designed by Dutch architects. Our photos will give you a taste of what there is to see. The biggest bargain was Tivoli Gardens, as we mentioned in our last blog. At this time of year, nothing was very crowded. But the temperatures were uneven – one day, warm enough not to wear a jacket, while the next day needing both a jacket and sweater. But we have been told that winter will disappear for good in about a month, and summer will finally kick in. The locals all stubbornly eat outside, even when it is chilly, so summer will be all the more welcome when it comes.

One tip for travelers: we don’t know if everyone would enjoy it as much as we do, but as we are traveling around we like to watch movies that show the local sights. When we were in Bruges, we enjoyed watching the movie, In Bruges. The day after we were in Machu Picchu, we saw an old Charlton Heston movie, The Secret of the Incas, which was filmed on location there. While we were here, we watched a rubber monster flick made in Copenhagen in 1961 called Reptilicus. It was very schlocky and funny, but the best part was seeing Tivoli Gardens and the squares we had been walking around that day, and how they looked in 1961 – most hadn’t changed much! Try looking up a locally-set movie sometime as you travel, and stream it. It is very enjoyable.

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Tivoli Gardens! – the world’s third-oldest amusement park, opened in 1843. It was visited by Walt Disney four years before Disneyland opened in 1955. Hans Christian Anderson was a frequent visitor. The only other time we were in Tivoli Gardens was in late August 2012 – and only at night. We missed out on all of these beautiful spring flowers, and the feeling of a city coming back to life after the deep cold of winter. So this time, we visited during the day. There are no photos of Tivoli at night in this blog because, honestly, we were too tired after walking around all day – and spending many daylight hours – to wait until dark. The lights don’t go on until about 9:00 pm, and even then, it is still light outside in this northerly city. If we had waited until 9:00 for the lights, the park would have closed an hour later. But the beauty and whimsy you will see in the photos surpasses any need to see the place at night.

There are no demarcations here between children’s rides and adult rides, children’s areas vs adult areas – the park is all one piece. It feels like you are in the 1800s – it is genteel and garden-like. Modern rides have likely taken the place of outdated children’s rides, as money has to be made catering to everyone. The entrance fee to the park was about $25 for adults, which does not include rides. You can, of course, add a ride pass for a fee, or make it an annual pass. If you wish to take an a la carte ride, prices are between $8-15 US.

Hungry? There are more than 60 restaurants, from top-tier restaurants for which you need a reservation to hot dog and hamburger stands. But being here, you mostly get a sense of walking through a beautiful tree- and flower-filled park. There are lots of benches and so many beautiful areas that just take your breath away. The photos below give you a good idea of what it is to visit. It was well, well worth the entrance fee, and of course, we would recommend it to families as well as single travelers or couples. There is really nothing like it.

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Not intending to, we have visited the largest (Stockholm), second-largest (Gothenburg), and now third-largest city in Sweden, beautiful Malmo. Malmo is across Oresund Bay from Copenhagen, our next stop. The city has a rich history of its own, complete with a castle (dating to 1434) and several squares that are irresistibly charming. On the Main Square, Stortorget, is the Town Hall, which is absolutely stunning. On the Little Square, Lilla Torg, are some older half-timbered buildings, cafes, and beautiful trees that bloom in the spring. Tulips are everywhere, and bridges abound as you walk across the canal at various points.

One day, it was warm enough to walk without a jacket. Then the weather turned, and it was actually cold walking with both a sweater and jacket. We met a British man named Jonathan in the hotel who came to Sweden for business, and stayed – for over 20 years. He told us that Sweden has six seasons, not four: Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring, Winter, Spring. He said it gets warm, and everyone thinks that spring has arrived: they put away their cold-weather gear and get ready for the warmth. But – uh, oh! – winter returns and it gets very cold once again before winter retreats for good! We certainly have experienced that on this trip.

Malmo – and all of Sweden, in fact – has an extensive food scene. From Ukrainian to Asian to Swedish (meatballs) to American diners to British pubs – all happily coexist here. Prices are fairly expensive. Dinner in a nice restaurant could cost around $45-60 per entree. Breakfasts have been provided in all the hotels, and they have been lovely and filling, featuring fresh-baked breads, croissants, and pastries. We would gladly return to Sweden in a heartbeat – such a beautiful, historic country.

An additional comment for Americans who hesitate to travel to countries where English is not the first language: I know we have touched on this subject in the past, but we run into those people in the US quite often. In fact we heard on a podcast just this morning that 50% of Americans don’t have a passport. In the month we have been in Sweden, we haven’t found anyone who doesn’t speak enough English that we couldn’t communicate with them. Most people speak it fluently. One must always remember that someone traveling from a small country which has its own language to anywhere else has to communicate with everyone else. Nearly always, that is with people, from whatever country, using English.

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Gothenburg (or, in Swedish, Goteborg) is such a delightful city! It is Sweden’s second-largest after Stockholm. Gothenburg is the city council’s preferred city name in international communications, so we are using that. Since Sweden was neutral in WWII, the cities were spared the extensive bombing that other European cities experienced. So the Old Town, and ancient buildings, are largely intact.

Our hotel is in the city center, almost adjacent to the central train station, and the Old Town, called Haga, is just a 20-minute walk. On the weekend, Haga was jammed with people enjoying the sunshine and the offerings found in the many cafes. The temperature was around 56F (13C), but with the wind blowing, it felt wintry. The locals laughed at us and said – this is nothing like winter! In fact, some said it was unseasonably warm.

Haga was Gothenburg’s first suburb, dating to 1648. The buildings today are used as boutiques, restaurants, and cafes serving Fika, the cherished Swedish ritual coffee break with pastries, which you can enjoy several times a day if you wish, at any time. You take a break from the world and just concentrate on your coffee and goodies. By the way, we were a little perplexed about using the city’s trams to travel to this district, and once aboard, with two teen girls next to us, we asked if they spoke English? “Of course!” – they replied. Everyone, everywhere in Sweden, speaks English. Most shops and most advertising is in English, or at least in both Swedish and English.

Gothenburg has many parks. We wandered through Tradgardsforeningen, which gradually became Kungsparken. Both were spectacular, with spring flowers and romantic landscapes. The Central Canal runs through the parkland, adding to its lovely laziness.

There is a central city market that is touted in “Sights to See,” but we visited on an uncrowded weekday, and found it to be mostly meat vendors with a few restaurants. Usually, markets sell souvenirs and home goods, but we didn’t see anything like that. All in all, it was fun to walk around town and take photos. Everyone is very friendly and always willing to help, or answer questions.

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267,570. Unbelievably, this is the total number of islands that constitute the country of Sweden – more than any other country in the world. Stockholm itself is built on 14 islands, with 57 bridges connecting them. Consequently, Stockholm is called the Venice of the North, with water, water everywhere, and walking through the city center always involves two or three bridge crossings. The presence of so much water also makes it chillier than cities that are more inland. When we first arrived, it was 38-42F (3-6C), which is fairly cold for two travelers who normally follow the sun and who have light rain jackets. After a few days, it did warm up to about 60F (15C), and that was delightful.

On the trip here from London, we had the pleasure of sitting next to an exceptionally friendly 23-year-old named Gabriel, and we talked for the entire flight. It turns out that his grandfather, Evert Taube, is a famed Swedish author and artist – one of Sweden’s most respected musicians and known as a troubadour of the Swedish ballad tradition. Gabriel was warm and friendly, and gave us tips on what to see, as well as some cultural info. He works as a bartender, and when we stopped in, days later, to visit him at work, he was like a machine, mixing drinks and taking order after order. It was very busy, so not like a Cheers bar where you can have a chat with the bartender, oh no – Gabriel is in constant motion.

The best advice Gabriel offered was: Use cards only; no actual cash is necessary. Usually, our first stop is at an ATM, so that we have cash for small pop-up vendors and such. But, we found that every tiny coffee stand, and even a farmer’s market stand with fresh fruit and veggies, took credit cards. The strawberries we bought were other-worldly – smallish, tender, and as sweet as candy. It is hard to find those in the US!

By the way, as time goes on we are finding less and less need for cash. We spent five days in London before we arrived here. We never used any cash there, either. But if you feel more secure with a little cash, as we say in our Tips For Travelers section, be sure to carry a card that doesn’t charge foreign exchange fees, and always charge your purchases in local currency, wherever you are.

Copenhagen has the feel of an old, illustrious European world capital, like Vienna. It has large ceremonial buildings everywhere, with many re-purposed as amenities such as museums. The buildings are replete with scroll work, statues, angels, gingerbread, and other embellishments, marking them as dating to the end of the 19th or early 20th century. Old Town, Gamla Stan, is cobblestoned with many old buildings. It is utterly charming and a delight for walking around. Our favorite sight of all was stumbling onto the cherry trees blossoming in Kungstradgarden. They are famous, and always bloom in mid-April, but we hadn’t heard or read about them. It is so much better to happen upon them unprepared rather than to go looking – our delight was double what it would otherwise have been.

Our only advice, beyond what is above, would be to visit between May and September, when temperatures are warmer. You would miss the cherry trees, however, and they were certainly glorious and memorable.

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London. Oh, glorious London! If we were here for a year, we wouldn’t run out of sights, different food, museums, churches…anything. London has it all. We loved our short stay, but as always, we are moving on.

Close to our hotel just outside of Victoria Station, we got to see Westminster Cathedral (not Abbey) for the first time. It is the largest Catholic Church in the UK. We were so impressed! It is free to enter, although everyone was making a donation. If you look at our first photo, the black brick you see above the main altar, which runs around the church, is how the church was originally built – it was inexpensive and fast. But since then, benefactors have been found to build and decorate the stunning altar area and also the glorious gold mosaic side chapels.

Sherpa Food Tours gave us a tour to remember. Our main guide was the Handsome and Sexy Nick (as he likes to be called) and the lovely Sevina (as we like to call her), who is learning the ropes. We had delightful conversations with both of them, had quite the tour of London around SoHo and the Seven Dials area, and tasted some great bites. It is easy to tell that Nick majored in drama – there was never a quiet moment, and ever-present were funny stories and impersonations. It was a delightful way to spend a few hours during our stay.

Mercato Mayfair is not to be missed! Set in the former St. Mark’s Church, all the food we tried from several vendors was just delicious. We met up with a friend, Weiqi, whom we first met in Reykjavik and had only talked to for 10 minutes or so during our original interaction. But since meeting her in Iceland, we have followed her on Instagram, and so we feel like we are old friends by now. We got to hear about her life in the UK and also how things are going in her native Malaysia. She was so engaging and knowledgeable! Very glad we were able to reconnect in such an unusual venue.

Another of our favorite days in London was just walking around, nibbling, taking photos, people watching, stopping for coffee – we call it aimless wandering, and it was quite pleasant and enjoyable. Big cities do draw us in, as there is so much to do and so much to discover. We will return to London again and again, as we always find something new here. But we are moving on – to discover a new favorite city.

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What an island! Beaches. Mountains. Meadows. Lakes. Forests. Volcanoes. Rain. Sunshine. Fog. Except for the volcanoes, we experienced all of that in the eight hours that we drove around San Miguel Island. The more coastal areas were sunny and warm, while the mountains were foggy, and it was misting. With the wind blowing, it was a bit chilly (upper 60s all day), but in the sunshine, it was glorious. It was a really fun and interesting day.

We did not have a reservation for a rental car, but we managed to snag one as walk-ins. We read a man’s comment that he rented a car here “for free…it only cost 30 euros.” We have him beat – our rental was just 25 euros for a manual transmission car (45 euros for an automatic). We rented it from Autatlantis, which had an office very close to where the ship docked. The car cost was unbelievable for a day of driving. In comparison, when we visited Bermuda a few days earlier, renting a mini electric car was – are you ready? – $180 for the day! And, when the cruise ship’s excursion to two different places was $79 each, we visited five or six of the places in the Azores for 12.5 euros each. Such a bargain!

As always, we encourage travelers to take out on their own when they can. We saw so many more things, at a lower cost, than we ever could have on an excursion. And the aqueduct, which we discuss further down, wasn’t mentioned on any ship’s excursion that we read about. Based on the size of the road, we think it unlikely that many buses venture that way. Cutting across the island, we drove up some fairly steep roads, such that we kept up a good speed, so as to make sure the car could make it all the way. But we saw a lot of back roads that few visitors will ever see and, as usual, everything worked out just fine.

The scenic viewpoints on this Portuguese island were all called Miradouros, and they are well-marked and exceedingly frequent. We were able to get photos of some beautiful vistas. Driving along, we saw signs for “cow crossing,” and at one point, watched as a man took his cow on a walk on the shoulder of the highway, leading her with a rope.

We got a few photos at Furnace Lake, but didn’t see any volcanic activity or fumaroles. Visiting the gorgeous Our Lady of Peace Church, a climb to the top found the church doors locked but cows peacefully grazing behind it. As is usual, we were driving around using Waze for our GPS, and for an hour or so, it guided us on an extremely narrow road wide enough for a car and a half. Amazingly, we never encountered another car coming in the opposite direction. Had we broken down, nobody could have found us! But…as we drove along, we came upon the island’s ancient Carvao Aqueduct. It was suddenly there, taking shape out of the fog. So wonderful to stumble upon this. It is thickly covered in moss and plants, and we just did what the locals do – stopped on the road (there was no shoulder), put on our emergency lights, and walked around taking photos. For the five minutes we were stopped, no other cars came from either direction!

We loved, loved, loved our day on San Miguel Island. When we can get here again, we will rent a car and visit the places we were unable to see this time. it is only 40×9 miles, so we thought we would see all the nooks and crannies. But….no. When a location was 10 miles away, we naturally assume it will take 10-15 minutes. Not on this magical island, where 10 miles = 45 minutes of driving. Everything took much longer than we expected. But that is why we always plan to return to places and why we don’t try to see everything in a day. We shall return!

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Wow! How would you like to be the inspiration for someone as renowned as William Shakespeare? That is the legacy of Bermuda. The island was founded “accidentally” by Juan de Bermudez in 1503…but it wasn’t inhabited until 100 years later! He “claimed” the island for Spain, but Spain never inhabited the island.

In 1609, the British ship Sea Venture, bound for Jamestown, Virginia, was stranded in Bermuda by a hurricane for nine months. They stumbled onto the island – guess how? – by accident!…and had no choice, really – they saved the ship and its 150 occupants. Bermuda then became a British colony, with its first capital being St. George.

We didn’t get all the way over to St. George. Our cruise ship got in a little late, and we disembarked a little late. A taxi around the island, round-trip, is around $150. Buses and ferries are only $5 per ride, but the ferries weren’t running to St. George, and the bus is slow. We were warned by the ship that anyone missing the “All aboard” would have to make their own arrangements to meet the ship at the next stop, the Azores, which is 1,900 nautical miles away. We didn’t for a moment think that they were kidding! So we stayed in the Dockyard, the general port area, so as not to be late. It was very enjoyable, actually.

The old military fortifications were all still there, and creatively reused as retail and restaurants. Old cannons were still there, along with the walls that now serve as…..billboards! Everything was very clean, and the people are so friendly. Restaurant prices are quite high, since many items need to be imported to this isolated island. Sandwiches and taco meals averaged $25. We had heard many years ago that the best way to visit was by cruise ship, since hotel prices are through the roof – and they are! The cheapest we saw was $450 per night with taxes/fees, all the way up to $1,400 per night. In our experience, the costs were second only to Reykjavik. But it was warm, welcoming, clean, and friendly for a day’s visit. We hope we can return with more time to explore the rest of Bermuda some day.

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Two names, two distinct personalities, two nationalities, one island: Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. The island was divided in 1648 by the Treaty of Concordia. What a wonderful island it is! Sint Maarten, the Dutch (southern) side, has most of the resorts, pedestrian-friendly walkabouts, and shopping. Saint Martin (the northern side) has the French cuisine and lots of natural, undeveloped beauty. Together, they make for a great leisure experience. We had only ever been here, for a day at a time, on three different cruises. The day trips achieved their purpose of giving us a taste of the island activities, and wanting more. So we have been here for two weeks, taking it all in.

Not surprisingly, most of our photos are of the waters of the Caribbean, along with beaches and boats. Our days of leisure have been taken up with walks, lounging on the beach, scuba diving, and rides around the entire island. Speaking of riding around, we beg to differ with the island’s designation as The Friendly Island. While everyone, indeed, is very welcoming, we have been stuck in loads of traffic, and we have renamed it The Congestion Island. Traffic creeps along on two-lane roads. A three-mile trip can take 30-40 minutes. Somebody told us, “Oh, that is because of the bridge.” There is one road that has a bascule, or moving bridge, over a gap between Simpson Bay Lagoon and Simpson Bay. Seven times a day, it rises to the allow boats to pass through and stops traffic to do so. But traffic is stop-and-go in some areas not really affected by the bridge, so we think the problem is that the roads were never widened once the tourism boom took off. It is agonizing to just sit in traffic. So, we didn’t drive very much, and have just enjoyed the area where our hotel is situated.

Mike went diving on three different days, seeing some gigantic lobsters in shipwrecks as well as scorpion fish. One day, the divers were followed around by 7-8 barracuda. An underwater helicopter wreck (with the blades still intact!) provided an intriguing, and different, site to explore. The water was cool, but warm enough for a “shorty” wetsuit, and visibility was mostly pretty good, even on a day when it rained.

Some of the restaurants we visited were very good, and some not quite so. The one that stands out is Reveil Matin, a breakfast/lunch restaurant owned and managed by an American man, Daniel. He was ever-present whenever we ate there. The interesting and varied menu is one you might expect in Manhattan or Los Angeles, so it was fun to explore different tastes and some out-of-the-box combinations. And, speaking of restaurants, we ran into one very weird thing, the reason for which we can only guess at. The McDonald’s restaurants on the Dutch side were open all day, every day. But while driving on the French side, we wanted to stop for a soda. When we got to McDonald’s – get this – it is closed every – are you ready? – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! Why? We suspect that it is forced to do so, so as not to compete with the more expensive, locally-owned restaurants during the busiest days.

As you can see from our heading, we are two days away from 3,000 days of homelessness. We are still enjoying our lifestyle tremendously and feel like we are learning so much about the world and its different cultures. It is amazing to have this life, for as long as we can do it. In an article in the New York Times this week, we read an article about people working in Dubai. One interview was with a woman from Kinshasa who received her law degree in Dubai and is employed with a prestigious law firm there. She was unsure whether she would stay there forever. Her quote is one that we love: “Maybe the future is just participation, not belonging. Maybe we are done putting down roots and will just keep moving.” – Laureen Fredah

Another comment on the same subject: we watch a movie on our iPad together almost every night. While we were here, we watched The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952, before either of us was born). We were laughing as the Hemingwayesque character played by Gregory Peck was telling his wife, played by Ava Gardner, that he only wanted to travel, while she just wanted him to be “normal,” like her, and live in one place. We were laughing because we have heard that same discussion from other people, sometimes from friends and family, asking why we didn’t just want to be “normal.” Sometimes we have watched that (somewhat sad) discussion between a couple where, like Gregory and Ava, only one of them wanted to act “normal.” We are lucky that both of us are happily abnormal (notice no quotation marks for that one).

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Ensenada, Baja California – is known as La Cenicienta del Pacifico – the Cinderella of the Pacific. Who knows how cities receive these designations, or why? But that’s the story.

Calle Primera – First Street, is the tourist shopping and eating center. It is filled with what locals call Curiosidades – curiosities, trinkets, souvenirs. We certainly found a lot of strange things for sale there, some of which are shown in our photos. Cuban cigars were very popular and ubiquitous, as was tequila and cerveza. Everyone had a shop, and everyone tried to guide us into their store, especially if we focused on any one of their items for more than a second or two.

Breaking our hearts were the 3- and 4-year-old children shyly asking if we wanted to buy bubble gum or bracelets. We wished we could buy something from every single one. They stayed close to their mothers, who were also walking around hoping to sell something to make a little money for the day.

All in all, walking around felt a lot like Tijuana or other Mexican border towns. Ensenada is just under 70 miles from the border, so it almost qualifies. Many cruises stop here to fulfill the cruise ships’ duty of visiting at least one foreign port during a voyage, per the Jones Act of 1920, also known as the Merchant Marine Act.

So, all in all, if you need a last-minute souvenir from Mexico, a beer, or just some fresh air after being on a cruise ship for weeks, Ensenada fits the bill. It is good for moseying around and taking some fun photos.

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A full day on Oahu! Our cruise ship arrived at 7:00 am and didn’t depart until 11:00 pm. It has been 15 years since we stayed here for a full two weeks, so exploring was on our agenda. But first, Waikiki Beach called. It is always fun to visit here, and it truly looks the same year after year. The Moana Surfrider Hotel claims part of Waikiki Beach for its ocean frontage. It opened in 1901 as the first Waikiki hotel. She is a beauty. We always get an açaí bowl, filled with granola and a variety of fresh fruits, and eat it on the front porch rocking chairs! We don’t know if is our imagination, but it looks like the portion size has gotten a little smaller since the last time…but it is still very good.

The Polynesian Cultural Center is about 35 miles north of downtown Honolulu, featuring singing, dancing, drumming, and costuming from the various islands that make up Polynesia. Everything in the park is very loud and very energetic. It is several hours of various demonstrations, lots of people, and lots of walking. A most interesting place!

Do you know what a malasada is? Hawaii has taken over this Portuguese treat as their own. It is a hot, freshly made (hopefully) donut filled with custard cream. We first had these in Hawaii 20 years ago, but then also had them everywhere in Portugal, where they were about 50 cents each. In the late 1800s, Portuguese farmers with experience in the sugar industry arrived in Hawaii and brought their beloved malasadas with them. So today, they are equally claimed by both places.

In downtown Honolulu, we found Penny’s Malasadas Waikiki – fresh donuts made to order and filled with your choice of custard or jelly. The price was significantly more than what we paid in Portugal (the donut’s birthplace) several years ago. At Penny’s, the price was three for just over $9.00. Oh, they were worth it, though! How often do you get hot, delicious donuts with warm custard?? We told the woman (the owner, we think) that she should have franchises around the world, like McDonald’s – yes, they were that good. She said she would love that, but for right now, this is her only location. Seek it out if ever you are near Waikiki Beach…it was very much appreciated and totally worth it.

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Food tours are a terrific way to explore a city, since food drives travel around the world. What is the local delicacy? What should we not skip? Where can we find the best food the city has to offer?

We have taken 43 food tours around the world. Since we have been to Puerto Vallarta several times, and explored the tourist areas, we were ready for a small neighborhood experience – eating our way around the winding streets! We booked A Taste of Pitillal. Pitillal is an old neighborhood, a historical pocket, and Puerto Vallarta grew around it. It is a delightful – and old – barrio. There are no designer shops, nor even high-tech shops. It is a throwback to what small neighborhood shops and restaurants were many years ago.

Our tour was led by Al, who has lived here for many years. He was determined to only take us to the best and most authentic places. We enjoyed several different kinds of tacos, a seafood tostada, a churro made before our eyes, a chili cheese tamale, and fabulous popsicles containing real fruit. More than anything, though, the history we learned as we walked about, and meeting a great group of fellow travelers, made it all so worthwhile.

One thing we realized at the end of the day was that the food was good – BUT, “authentic Mexican food” was exactly the same as that which we enjoy in California. This is most likely due to the fact that many Mexican immigrants established restaurants so that they could share their “tastes of home” with people in their new country. And it is them, and their descendants, who provide such great Mexican food in California…even if the restaurant is not a mom-and-pop operation, but a chain restaurant! So, it isn’t necessary to travel to Mexico for good Mexican food. It can be had all over California. We have tried Mexican food in the Midwest and in several European countries cities. It is much better today than 20 years ago, but is still, to our palates, “Mexican-ish.” Try it in California if you can’t get to Mexico!

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The Peace – La Paz, Mexico is the capital of Baja California Sur, and is on the coast facing the Gulf of California. It is just about 100 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. It is a typical small Mexican town, upgraded with amenities for cruise ship passengers. It is a little startling when you dock, though, as docking for ships is in Pichilingue, some 13 miles north of La Paz. There is absolutely nothing in Pichilingue, so if you want to see La Paz at all, you are forced to buy a $12 RT bus ticket to get there. The good part for locals, we guess, is that it provides jobs for bus drivers, bus escorts, and ticket sellers whenever a ship is in port.

The main attraction in town is the 3+ mile long Malecon, an esplanade along the waterfront. It features 17 sculptures, small huts with chairs to enjoy the views, and kiosk businesses. Across the street from the Malecon are all the more fashionable restaurants and tourist shops. We had to walk several blocks to get to the town’s most famous building, the cathedral. Compared to others, it was not so grand or large or beautiful. What was unusual were the Stations of the Cross on the walls, with descriptions in English. Not being near to the US border, we can only guess that the English is intended for the tourists who visit.

Across the street from the cathedral is the Velasco Gardens and the 1910 Juarez Theater, the trinity of history in the town. Nothing else is very remarkable, other than views of the Gulf. We wanted to get a Baja Fish Taco while here, so we went into a restaurant opposite the Malecon, which had good ratings and looked to be “high-end.” We waited about 30 minutes and were served tacos that were cold, soggy, lifeless, and uninspired. Fast food fish tacos in California are several notches above these “authentic” ones. When we told our server that they were cold and soggy, we got a shrug and “sorry,” accompanied by the bill. We have learned our lesson! We think we discovered the reason they had good ratings online. We posted a negative review, and shortly thereafter, several ecstatic reviews suddenly showed up below ours.

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Did you ever hear of the Pericu people?? We hadn’t, either. They were the people who lived in Cabo when the Europeans arrived around 1828. But the area had been inhabited for 10,000 years, with native people subsisting on shellfish, seeds, and roots. Believe it or not, during all of that time there were no organized fishing operations, scuba diving boats, paragliding equipment, or even bars every few feet. A Japanese castaway, Hatsutaro, claimed that when he arrived in 1842, there were only two houses and 20 inhabitants.

Cabo has grown a little: along with its neighboring town, San Jose Del Cabo, there are now just over 300,000 people living here! Tourism is everything – everyone is hustling to build their water sports businesses, tours, restaurants, and retail shops. We have been here several times before, so we didn’t venture into the Old Town, which is a distance from the port where we entered.

The climate here is tropical desert, with the highest February temperature ever recorded being 98.6 degrees F. Today, it is a mere 75 degrees F, which is pretty perfect. The main beaches are Playa El Medano and Playa del Amor, and they are crowded today, likely because cruise passengers have joined the locals and other tourists.

The scuba diving is pretty good here, even though there are a lot of divers in some areas. Mike went with Manta Scuba Divers, who were very helpful and responsive. The water was a little on the cold side, requiring wet suits. One of the guides, Baptiste, who was from France, even used a dry suit. The visibility was mediocre, but there was quite a bit to see for a heavily-dived area, a boat ride of just a few minutes from the port.

While we have felt perfectly safe here during the daytime, some websites recommend that you hire security services if you want to go out to bars and nightclubs at night. Uber operates here, but it isn’t always the safest option. Taxis are safe if they are registered and certified, but how do you know that when you are just hailing a taxi at night? We don’t know, as we have only been here on cruise ships. We haven’t experienced what it would be like to vacation here for an extended period of time.

PS – a personal “Yippee!” for us – yesterday marked seven years of our nomadic, ever-traveling life. We are still happy and still in love with capricious travel. Thank you, everyone who follows us and everyone who has encouraged us over the years.💙💙

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Santa Barbara is one of those places that is new…reinvented…different…every time you visit. We were there for a day in April 2022 on a cruise, and wrote a completely different blog, and description, than this one, as we took a guided trolley tour. Our current visit consisted of a very lazy walkabout in the city, putting our noses here and there, and being fascinated with the interaction of the beach and the sun.

The first time we visited Santa Barbara together was on our Mini-moon a few months prior to our Honeymoon. Then, the main drag, State Street, was open to traffic. Today it is a pedestrian-only mall with some vestiges of outdoor dining stalls left over from the pandemic. As we walked along, vendors started assembling booths for a blocks-long farmer’s market. There were comfortable lounge chairs in the street in which to relax, and the feeling, overall, was that life in Santa Barbara is pretty darn nice and relaxed. Since the city contains a state university, there were lots of students laughing and chatting in the coffeehouses we passed.

Overall, we found Santa Barbara to be fairly quiet, with not much traffic, nor many shoppers, just two weeks before Christmas. Most likely, the weekends are a bit more frantic. But it was so sweet not to encounter the overwhelming tourist crowds of summer. It was a perfect getaway!

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Solvang?? It all started in 1911, when a group of Danish Americans bought 9,000 acres of land 140 miles north of Los Angeles to establish a new city and get away from the harsh midwestern winters. So they built what they knew, a Danish-looking town with many turrets, towers, and half-timbered buildings. There is a statue of Hans Christian Anderson, one if their most prolific writers. At this time of year, all of Solvang is like a European Christmas market, decked out in lights and decorations, selling every sort of ornament you can imagine.

A visit by Denmark’s Prince Frederik in 1939 attracted tourists to visit, but eight years later, the Saturday Evening Post ran an article on Solvang, and the tourist train really revved up. The city now gets over a million tourists per year. We visited seven (!) bakeries, all featuring Danish delights, but to our credit, did not buy any. This is likely because in past visits, we bought a few too many!

Danish royalty visits abound. Queen Margrethe of Denmark toured Solvang in 1976. During its centennial in 2011, Prince Henrik of Denmark visited.

We arrived in time for breakfast at The Belgian Cafe, where we have eaten waffles for over 20 years. When we have taken out-of-state guests to visit, we take them there and tell them they must have the best Belgian waffles in the world. It was true during this visit, too. We are glad that other European countries are represented in Solvang as, from our experience, Belgian waffles are the best in the world.

As we were walking down a side street, we decided to do an impromptu dance, although we don’t dance and don’t know how to dance. There was no music other than that in our heads. So we did a little slow dance. After a few steps, we thought we would try a waltz. It looks so easy in movies. We had no idea, however, and ended up going in circles, saying, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3. Honestly? It did not work out. Our third attempt a few steps later was just a modern dance, moving around a bit….only to the music in our heads. We had fun with that one, as we weren’t trying to do something with actual steps or rules about which we were clueless. When we finished and started walking again, a group of women across the street yelled to get our attention, then cheered and clapped for us! We had no idea anyone had seen us. We waved back, and carried on.

If you are driving the iconic coastal route between Los Angeles and Big Sur, the views are unimaginable and something to behold. A delightful stop along the way is Solvang – good for a few hours of shopping, eating, snacking, and picture-taking. It is the closest thing to Europe on the west coast.

CREEPY! (Yes, the eyes go back and forth.)

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The zoo! More specifically, the San Diego Zoo, considered one of the best in the world. 12,000 rare and endangered animals. 100 acres of natural enclosures. Zealous about conservation programs. We have seen some of these animals in their natural environments, like koalas, camels, flamingos, and ducks (duh). But many others are either too dangerous or too rare to be able to view them anywhere except a zoo.

We felt a thrill seeing some of the beautiful animals, but the thrill was filled with some dismay that they are so limited in how far they could roam. The California condor was absolutely magnificent, and the netted area above it was fairly high, but it is sad that it cannot spread its wings and soar for miles, over mountains or deserts, seeking prey. The polar bear walked back and forth over the same short route, possibly seeking cooling water from the heat with its overly warm fur coat. The only animal for which we waited in line was the panda, but all we could see was one, sitting high up on a ridge.

The zoo was exceptionally clean and inviting. The rather steep entry price goes toward conservation and upkeep of the animals, but also gets you a free guided tour tram ride around the park, with commentary about many of the animals. Also free is the aerial sky ride, but it doesn’t allow you to see many animals – it is mostly transportation from one side of the zoo to the other. Every few steps, there are volunteers to guide you and/or give you information about what you are seeing. Food and drink kiosks are everywhere, as are restrooms. They seem to have it all down to a science.

So, should you go, or should you skip it? It is a full day of walking and gawking. We felt it was spectacular, knowing the money we spent on admission and snacks went toward helping to conserve species. For example, the magnificent California condor population was down to 27 individuals in 1987. All of those in the wild were captured for breeding, and the San Diego and Los Angeles Zoos began the task of improving the world population (breeding and releasing into the wild), as they are one of the rarest species on the planet. They were successful! At the end of 2023, there were 561 individuals in the world — quite a feat. We are glad to have participated, if only just a tiny fraction.

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After a lo-o-o-ong break, we are taking some short trips while we are still here in Southern California. We have been taking care of business, family matters, and medical issues.

Julian is a cute, fun tourist town to visit in California. It originated during the Gold Rush, and there are still stores, restaurants, orchards, wineries, pretty views, and all things “Apple” – pies, cakes, pastries, butter, cider, and – even – an Apple Burger, if you can believe it! The burger was pretty good. It was stuffed with apple shavings and topped with caramelized onions and maple mustard, all of which gave it a slight sweetness and nice texture.

The town is very walkable – just three or four blocks with businesses lining both sides. There were quite a few people visiting, beating the weekend rush, when families arrive to “pick your own apples” and join in the many activities, including free music all weekend, hikes in the state park, old gold mines to tour, picnicking, a wolf center, breweries, and even a museum.

It was great to get out, and Julian is just a two-hour drive from Orange County, though when you are there, it seems like you are farther away. The trip climbing through the mountains has spectacular views and a lot of serenity. We hope you can “feel” that through the photos!

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Long, long after we forget the taste of tagines and couscous; the smell of flowers and herbs; the eye candy of colored fabrics, rugs, and clothing; the sound of the Call to Prayer five times per day emanating from the minarets (beginning before 5:00 am); and the touch of the softest leather on earth — we will remember the terror every single time we stepped out of our riad, into the small/narrow/skinny/tiny/crowded lanes of the medina, fighting crowds of people just to walk through, and then — (Dramatic Pause) — having moving motorcycles suddenly behind us, beeping-beeping-beeping, and trying to get through when there is no room for people, let alone a parade of motorized vehicles! Twice, they hit Mike; twice, they missed Jan by less than half an inch. All the other medinas in all of the other Moroccan cities were pedestrian-only walkways. Here in Marrakesh, along with motorcycles, were delivery trucks (!), construction trucks, carts, full-size chicken trucks filled with live chickens, bicycles, and even donkey carts, all yelling at pedestrians to let them through. It made an already-chaotic place just absolutely ridiculous. We will never forget it.

We have to say, overall, that the Moroccan people are exceedingly sweet, gentle, and generous. They are quick to smile, quick to wave hello. That has made our time here so lovely. In many ways, though (and some people will think this is great, others not so much), the country is one of the least modern that we have visited. Credit cards aren’t widely accepted, overall — even in large sit-down restaurants, and we had to keep getting cash for that reason. Every taxi ride and every purchase was a negotiation. One day, we negotiated with a taxi driver to take us to a destination for 30 dirham ($3 US), which typically is more than enough to get you around town in any of the cities we visited. Returning from that same destination that day back to our riad (accommodation), we offered that same amount, and the driver looked at us as though we were crazy. He said, no, it will be 50. We countered with 35, and he used some choice Moroccan words and drove off in anger, leaving us standing in the street. There are several Uber-type businesses in Morocco, but not a single one of them ever worked for us. Most of the time that we tried these apps, a driver agreed to pick us up and then quickly canceled. After that, there would be a long wait for another driver to accept our ride…and then the driver would cancel. Since most taxi rides were $5 or less, we usually lost patience with the app and canceled it ourselves and found a taxi. Or we walked. Since most of the time we would have to walk the last five or 10 minutes through the medina to our riad anyway, walking to go back “home” was often the best option.

It is easy to get completely lost in Marrakesh’s medina, although GPS on Google Maps was excellent for directions to anywhere. (The city can be written as Marrakesh or Marrakech, with an S or a C, but spelling it with a C is French, while with an S is more authentically Moroccan. So we choose – S!) The favored language here, after Moroccan and Arabic, is French, so once again we are grateful that we have been studying French for three years on Duolingo. We have been able to read menus and signs even though we still can’t speak any French except for the courtesies and the simplest concepts, such as “left, right, yes, no, stop,”etc. In Tangier, due to its proximity to Spain, Spanish was the favored foreign language. Throughout Morocco, we sometimes had to use Google Translate to order food or ask for something, and it all worked out well.

We were warned that shopkeepers in Marrakesh would follow us around and drive us crazy, but that is simply not true. If you showed interest, they moved in to help, to bargain, to show you more. We stopped at one small stand to look at some items, but said we were just looking. We visited there the next day, and the young man said disdainfully – “Oh, you were here yesterday. Why don’t you just make up your mind? You’re not buying a car!” But nobody was overly aggressive at all. Food is very inexpensive. A tagine — food cooked in a portable clay pot that cooks in an oven (and also the name of the pot itself) — can be had for $4-7. It is a complete meal, with a piece of juicy meat in the center surrounded by soft, tasty vegetables – a beef tagine is reminiscent of pot roast with onions, potatoes, and carrots. You easily could pay $15-20 for this in the US. An extra-large, extra-cheese pizza is $6. Cans of soda are usually $1 to $1.20.

As for safety, there wasn’t a moment that we felt in danger. For a few seconds, a man tried to pickpocket Mike, but we moved away quickly and the man kept walking. We met a new friend from Mexico named Lola, who said that she and her companions were looking for a restaurant at night when a man offered to guide them to a good one. When they arrived, he demanded money. Lola gave him 2 euros, but he got angry and said that wasn’t enough. So they scraped together some more money, and she relayed that it was a little scary. We normally don’t venture out late, so we always felt fine. The vast majority of Moroccans and kind and friendly, so we didn’t find security here to be an issue whatsoever.

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It’s not an ancient quote, as it comes from Tom Hanks, but it aptly describes our desert adventure: “The desert…I couldn’t tell where heaven stopped and the earth began.” It is all one. It is heat and sand and camels and dirt and quiet and – did we say camels? What a neat day!

We went into the wild with a company called “Insiders,” which provides motorcycles with sidecars to roam around the city or the desert. Nabil was our fabulous guide and driver – both on the highway and off-roading over rocks, stones, and cliffs! And – can that man talk! He is young, but full of stories and history and opinions and questions and musings. He is very complex and interesting. So, our day stretched a bit due to our lengthy conversation(s).

The pictures can tell the story far better than we can. We stopped at a pottery facility (won’t say factory, as there really was no machinery – it is all handmade), and Mike was able to wear a coverall, slip into a dirt pit with a potter’s wheel, and make a bowl from a lump of clay. He needed assistance from the expert, but it looked like a bowl when he was done. These jobs are passed down through the generations, and they often work many days with no time off, as it is all they know to do.

Off-roading on a motorcycle and sidecar was very bumpy and occasionally terrifying, but since we are still alive, now we call it FUN. Nabil was telling us how he had never really crashed, when the wheel caught on the side of a big rock and stopped dead. “You crashed!” Jan said when we were moving again. Nabil said, “No, technically that was not a crash. It was the rock, not me.” Okay. We will give him that because we liked him so much!

Lunch was an experience. We were at a desert camp consisting of tents in the desert, and our meal went for a fascinating three hours. We started with Moroccan tea and cookies, and an hour later, it was time for the main event. We had chicken kebabs, grilled veggie kebabs, beef patties, sweet/sour salad, potatoes, cheese, beets, bulgur, and cauliflower with freshly baked bread and lemonade. Three desserts came later. It was all outstanding.

The views while riding through the desert in the open air is something never to be forgotten. You could feel the heat of the sun but also the rush of the air on your skin, neutralizing the heat. The scenery is very bleak and beautiful. Some buildings looked forgotten and abandoned – and some of them were, but others that looked that way were still in use. We encountered many other quad, off-road, and motorcycle riders near the camp where we had lunch, and even saw some huge tour buses on these tiny roads. Because the road has been so heavily used over the past five years, it has huge potholes, and the sides of the road have disappeared. For many miles, we drove on the shoulder so that cars, vans, and buses could have what was left of the asphalt. It rearranged our innards a little, but that is a small price to pay for the glory of the day.

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What can we say about Rabat? The truth is – it is a Moroccan city like every other Moroccan city! Even though it is the capital, is doesn’t feel like other world capitals we have visited. We didn’t see many – or any – government buildings (but we also didn’t seek them out). We visited the oldest part of the city, the medina and Kasbah, which both are close to the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Morocco forms the northwest tip of Africa, with part of it along the Mediterranean and a larger part along the Atlantic Ocean. Rabat is 55 miles north of Casablanca and 130 miles south of Tangier and the Strait of Gibraltar. Since it guards the entrance to the Mediterranean on the southern part of the Strait, it is a historically important piece of real estate and it must have occurred to many passing through that it might be advantageous to control it…and many civilizations have.

We have been exploring the city both by foot and by taxi, no longer surprised by another person sharing our taxi. It is $1 US per person to taxi anywhere in the city, although private taxis cost seven times that, or more. The taxi drivers have been friendly and very eager to try out their English skills. We took a food tour and asked our guide, Mohamed, where he learned his excellent English. He told us what so many others had: in school, and watching reruns of “Friends” in English. Our food tour was very good, as we roamed through the medina and stopped at tiny stores we would never dream had anything to offer us. Photos and descriptions are below. If you are ever in Rabat, his food tour was Moroccan Food Tours. He encouraged us to ask questions, and we did, as we were the only two on the tour.

Our hotel is connected to a mall, so it is easy to visit the food court and grocery store as often as we need to. It is also close to the Botanical Gardens, which were quiet, well-tended, and just beautiful. We stopped to wave to a little girl, and her grandfather greeted us in English, asking where we were from. It turns out he had worked for the Peace Corps, and we had a nice conversation. The Moroccan people are warm and generous, and we are finding it a delightful country because of its friendly, smiling citizens.

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Fes, or Fez, is the oldest imperial city in Morocco and is the country’s cultural center. It is large and sprawling, but like the other cities we have visited in this country, the medina (meaning “city” in Arabic) – the labyrinth of snaking pathways filled with businesses – is the main attraction and the beating heart of the city. The medina in Fes is particularly crowded, and truly, one gets jostled around, and elbowed, more frequently than could be expected. Nobody tries to wait, nobody says “excuse me,” nobody apologizes when your arm is nearly removed. In fact, Jan was walking with our tour guide and asking a question, when a young woman didn’t feel like going around them, or ask to be excused; she literally grabbed their shoulders in her hands, pushed them apart, and got past by squeezing in between them. So – not for the faint hearted, indeed!

So, what is in the Fes medina? Lots, it turns out. Our guide started at the top, the newest part, and walked down with us through the centuries, as the medina spread up the hill. We went from modern day down to the year 808 – quite a fascinating journey. And every once in a while our guide would announce, “You are now passing from the 13th century to the 12th,” etc.

One of the oldest businesses is the Chouara Tannery, and it operates as it did 1,000 years ago – giant soaking vats, with workers hand-carrying the hides being processed with no machinery. One of the mixtures the hides are soaked in is water mixed with…pigeon droppings! Where does all that guano come from? Well, turn out, it is quite a profitable business, mainly for women. They keep pigeon roosts on their rooftops and collect the dropping. They earn about $10-12 per pound from the tannery. The men work in both bare feet and boots, sloshing in the vats as they move the hides. We watched for a while, and it looks brutal. We found out why Moroccan leather is so prized – the attention to detail, and the process of soaking, drying, soaking again, and then stretching the leather. Also, the dyes are all natural, made from seeds, plants, and grains. The array of leather items they create, and the colors, are quite dazzling, though.

We learned a lot about ancient architecture. The medina was purposely built to be confusing as a defensive move. All of the arches leading to another area had wooden doors that could close off a section of the medina. Some of the smaller passageways had gates across them that were left open during peaceful periods. In times of potential invasion they would be closed and were designed to look just like another entrance to a home, so that the invader would never suspect that it disguised a passage through the city. The streets were purposely narrow, with low openings so that an army couldn’t march in as a unit, and riders on horseback were too tall for the low, narrow openings. Few of the wooden gates exist today, as it is all open to visitors and locals. It is a very fascinating city.

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The beautiful story of how Chefchaouen came to be called the Blue City: In the 1930s, Jews were fleeing Hitler’s growing reach, and some came to Morocco. Choosing to paint their homes blue came from the Jewish tradition of weaving blue thread into their prayer shawls to remind people of the sky, the heavens, and a gentle nudge toward the spiritual side of life.

We took a day trip from Tangier to Chefchaouen, which takes a little over two hours with a coffee break. The Moroccan countryside is very pastoral, with olive groves, some grazing sheep and cattle, small villages here and there, and lakes and rivers. Entering the oldest part of Chefchaouen, the medina, is surreal, because you are thrown into a blue labyrinth of tiny walkways, as well as offshoots into other walkways or, more likely, another cluster of homes. Some houses are blue on the ground floor only, while others embrace the color up to the rooftop. It really is quite something to see.

For sale along the way are all of the usual souvenirs – small golden camels, tote bags bearing the city’s name, hundreds of carpets, blankets, and djellebas, and some beautiful artwork depicting the Blue City. We visited a communal bakery, where an older man was baking the community’s breads and tagines. For lunch, our tour group enjoyed traditional couscous and a chicken tagine served with crusty bread. One woman in our group, Andrea, got a lovely henna tattoo on her hand, which took about 15 minutes. You can see it in the photos below.

Andrea is a young American woman who works in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. She said she had been to Morocco many times and was in love with it. Andrea said she had given a lot of thought to buying a home in Morocco and retiring there. We have spoken to other locals about foreigners buying property in the country, and they said there is no problem doing so. It appears that Morocco has made itself open to travel and retirement by foreigners more than many other countries. It is one of the most visited countries in Africa, and works hard to encourage tourism. It was obvious as we were walking around Chefchaouen. As an example, when our group was watching the man baking bread in the photo below, he kept stopping his work and encouraging individuals in our group to take photos with him, but not asking for money for it.

Vendors weren’t very aggressive until we got to Uta Hamman Square, and there, surprisingly, it was young men employed to fill the restaurants and cafes. The same men must have asked all of our group five or six times each if we wanted to eat at their restaurant. When we replied that we had already eaten, their reply was – Come in and have a drink! And when we said we didn’t drink, they said: But we have nice beer!

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“We’re not dead YET!” We have said that over and over again in this very touristy city, as there are no traffic lights, no “Walk” or “Stay” signs. The formula here for crossing streets – even wide boulevards with lots of traffic coming! – is to start walking (at a crosswalk, or not) into the street, hoping and praying that every car will wait until you have crossed. Our taxi driver did this as we drove from the airport, and we just thought he was being polite to jaywalkers. But it is just how you do it here! We are NOT dead yet, but every time we cross the street, we feel pretty vulnerable.

So, Chicago is called the Windy City – not particularly because of the wind, but due to politicians in the past who talked too glibly as well as too much. But Tangier is truly the Windy City. As we have walked along the Mediterranean, there have been places where we have almost been toppled, the wind is so strong. In other places, it just howled past our ears. Tangier is on the Strait of Gibraltar, but we did not experience wind like this in Gibraltar, nor in any of the coastal cities of Spain.

Morocco has a special connection with the United States, as it was the first country in the world to recognize the newly-formed US in 1777. Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah became the first monarch to help the US. Since the US did not have a Navy at that time, Morocco’s aid was vital for shipping and trade in the Mediterranean, and American ships were also threatened by Moroccan pirates. Tangier is home to the oldest US diplomatic property in the world.

One tip we can give travelers to Morocco is to bring your ATM card. You can look at the Getting Cash section on our Tips for Traveling the World page about ATM cards from banks that will reimburse your ATM fees. We use one of those accounts rather than going to a money changing company, though we rarely have to deal with cash, as credit cards are taken nearly everywhere around the world…but not so much in Morocco. As soon as you get here, go to an ATM and get a few hundred Dirham (MAD). Right now they are worth 10 cents US, so a 20 MAD bill is worth $2. That makes it easy to figure out what prices are, if you are used to US currency. None of the taxis we have used have had a credit card machine, and even the Uber equivalent here, an app called InDrive, doesn’t allow you to pay by credit card, but instead calls a driver who will expect to be paid in cash. Many of the sit-down restaurants also won’t take credit cards. And take note that from our experience, businesses that accept credit cards will accept Mastercard or Visa, but not American Express.

Tangier! What is it like? The first impression one takes away is how orderly and clean everything is. It seems to be well-tended, and we have seen lots of workers picking up trash. It is a very family-oriented destination, as the beach dominates a U-shaped bay. Everywhere we go, there is the sound of children yelling and playing – fine on the beach, not so much at breakfast in the hotel. That is kind of a free-for-all and it wasn’t unusual to see a 3- to 4-year old standing in the middle of the room screaming at the top of his lungs. But kids will be kids, and here the kids are free to be themselves. We went to a movie earlier this week, and the 15 or so kids in the theater were loud, constantly talking/yelling, and moving around….a lot. The staff tried several times to get them under control, but had limited success. One of the locals told us he never goes to the movies in Morocco for this very reason.

The Kasbah was a place we were very interested in, as growing up, “Take me to the Kasbah” evoked both mystery and exotic destinations. The Kasbah here, once the center of military and political life, is now a museum. So we paid our $5 entrance fee to the museum we thought was the Kasbah Museum, only to find out that we were duped. Several men, and our taxi driver, told us it was the Kasbah Museum, but this museum chronicled the travels of Ibn Battuta, a world explorer contemporaneous with Marco Polo, but not as well known. Over a period of almost 30 years, starting in 1325, Battuta racked up over 60,000 miles traveling to 38 countries – an amazing accomplishment in the days of traveling via ships, camels, or horses – or walking! On a guided tour a few days later, we found out that the Kasbah Museum is about 10 minutes downhill from this one. Our guide said, “Couldn’t you read the front of the building? It clearly says – Ibn Battuta.” Well, of course we saw it, and just thought the Kasbah Museum was in honor of him. When we tried to visit the actual Kasbah Museum, it was closed. Next time! However, the surrounding area is known as the Kasbah, and of course, there are many cafes and shops with “Kasbah” in their name. At our hotel, the watering hole on the top floor is called the “Kasbar.”

We were very happy that we had taken a taxi to this part of town, as it was all UPHILL. It would have been a very challenging climb. But our taxi cost $2 US, and we happily paid it to have avoided the climb (we later found out that the going price for locals for the same trip is 40 cents). When we finished in the Ibn Battuta Museum, we just got lost in the medina, the ancient paths and alleys filled with small shops and restaurants. We went whichever way looked most interesting, took photos, and just kept heading downhill. Finding our way out was pretty easy. It felt like a wonderland – exotic doors, crenellated roofs, pretty bougainvillea, multicolored carpets, shoes, and clothing – just terrific. We have a photo below of a man waiting, leaning up against a building wearing a striped djelleba. A wonder-full wandering!

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Q: What do a hospital, residence, public park, palace, church, and concert hall have in common?? A: They are all wonderfully designed by two of Barcelona’s most famous architects – the legendary Antonio Gaudi and the lesser-known Lluis Domenech i Montaner.

First, the fabulous Art Nouveau hospital complex – St. Pau Recinte Modernista, by i Montaner and his son. Its construction was started in 1902, and it was in use until 2009. The complex consists of 12 pavilions connected by underground tunnels, with lots of green space in between. Several of the buildings were open to tour, and one had a stained-glass exhibition. It was whimsical and beautiful, and we imagined what it was like to be a patient here, with domes overhead, colorful tiles, and beautiful paintings.

Second, there is Antonio Gaudi’s first residential project – Casa Vicens (1883-1885). Over the past 20 years or so, we had visited the famous Gaudi homes, but had never heard of Casa Vicens. It is on a narrow residential street, and you can see the tiles as you approach it from down the street, knowing you are about to see something very special. Both inside and outside, it is covered in bright tiles, elaborate wrought-iron fencing and window treatments, carved wooden screens, different ceiling treatments in every room, and even a fanciful rooftop area. To live inside Casa Vicens would be an absolute delight. The great architect started out by thinking outside the traditional box, and the result is a very original, colorful residence. We absolutely loved it.

Third, the public park – Parc Guell – but there is a twist! We visited Parc Guell during our first time in Barcelona, almost 20 years ago. We jumped off the Hop On/Hop Off bus, hiked up the hill, and swooned over Gaudi’s designs for the public to enjoy in a park setting. So the other day, we (this time) took an Uber. We had read that there was now a fee to enter, which isn’t surprising, but takes away the delight of just stopping by, and wandering through, a public park. (A few months ago we found the same disappointing situation at the base of the Eiffel Tower.) However, when we went to purchase tickets, we were totally shocked – not only was the park “sold out” for the day, it was also sold out for the next three consecutive days! Nothing we read online had prepared us for that eventuality. So, having paid to be taken there, we took a few photos from outside and walked to other destinations nearby.

Fourth, a palace! This was yet another Gaudi building we hadn’t heard of before – Palau Guell, also commissioned by the man who commissioned the park. His palace is just off of La Rambla, so we combined a refreshing saunter down La Rambla with a visit. Once again, we just stood, agape, at the grandiosity and beauty of the residence, as a grand staircase leads to a multistory room with arches, a starry dome, a beautiful staircase leading to the upper floors, and even a pipe organ! The organ was playing in this grand room. It sounded very clear, and we could believe that it was being played live, but it likely was a recording. And, in usual Gaudi fashion, the rooftop was decorated with fanciful ventilation towers/chimneys.

Fifth, there is La Sagrada Familia – there has always been La Sagrada Familia! The Church of the Holy Family has been under construction since 1882. Originally scheduled for completion this year, Covid slowed down the work. But it has been announced that it will be completed in two years – 2026. We have included photos in the past, so this time our photo is a close-up of some of the detail that you normally don’t get to see. The building is constantly surrounded by tourists on all sides. One day, in a taxi back to our hotel, we were heading toward La Sagrada, only for the driver to veer away from it, as the traffic and tourists slow down both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Sixth, a concert hall – that would be the Palau de la Musica Catalana. It was conceived by i Montaner, who also designed the St. Pau hospital complex. The Palau de la Musica is a delight for the senses. Not only do you get to hear great music while there, but your eyes are always scanning the ceiling, the dome, and the wall mosaics, so that you don’t miss a single thing. We always try to book a concert here regardless of the musical genre, just so we can take in the surroundings for an hour or two.

After all of the glorious photos of these architectural wonders, we included some other various items we spied. We also visited the Musical Instruments Museum, which was free admission with the purchase of tickets to another concert at the l’Auditori, a more modern concert hall. This visit to Barcelona was a mixture of the new and the beloved, and it felt pretty perfect. Now, we are off to Morocco! The Moroccans are no slouches when it comes to architecture either!

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Rio! What a city! Jan and Mike had never been to Brazil together, although Mike had been there about 25 years ago for Carnival. It hadn’t seemed to have changed much in that time, though the weather was different, as that time Mike remembers it being HOT all of the time. There are many interesting and beautiful things to see, and we visited the indoor attractions, mostly, because it rained with thunderstorms most of the time while here, which kept the temperature down during this visit. On our last day, we wanted to ascend to the top of Corcovado Mountain and visit the very-famous Christ the Redeemer statue, but it was raining, and the mountain was covered in clouds and fog. So that is something for next time, when better weather is prevailing. However, we could see the statue most days from wherever we were in Rio – Christ the Redeemer does look very protective of the “Cariocas” – as those born in the city are called.

When we walked into the Royal Portuguese Reading Room, on the list of the five most beautiful libraries in the world, we GASPED! And so, we have started our photos below with those from the library. A security guard looked at us, concerned, when she heard the gasp. It is utterly gorgeous, utterly engaging. We hung back, looking a ninth, tenth, eleventh time – to fully capture the details in our minds’ eyes . It was hard to finally leave.

We had a similar experience at the St. Francis Museum, which was a former church totally bedecked in gold. It is amazing to behold. And at the other end of the ecclesiastical spectrum is the Metropolitan Cathedral, St. Sebastien. It was built between 1964 and 1979. Its four banks of stained glass windows are meant to symbolize four attributes of the Catholic Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

The other main attraction where we spent a day was the Botanical Gardens. We approached the ticket office to purchase tickets, and found to our dismay that they only accepted cash in the form of Brazilian Reals. (Even the tiny Museum of St. Francis accepted credit cards, where the price was just a few dollars). Additionally, there wasn’t an ATM nearby to get any cash – that was a 15-minute walk! (Since every venue accepted credit cards, and the thunderstorms deterred us from walking around very much, we didn’t feel the need to get local currency. Unlike getting euros for multiple countries in Europe, every discrete country in South America has its own currency. For a few days, it just isn’t worth it, as there is always a minimum you must get from ATMs – plus, there is a fee, plus we get credit card rewards. And in some countries like Argentina [see the previous post], American currency is much preferred.) So, the men in the gift shop showed us a map for how to find an ATM. We remarked that even tiny museums like St. Francis took credit cards – they said, “Yes, but this is the government!” It made no sense, as each ticket costs about $15. We started walking, and one of the men caught up with us after a few minutes, telling us the manager heard our conversation and would give us free admission! Wow! Many thanks to Bernardo, who kindly gave us access to such beautiful, magical gardens. It was so peaceful and quiet, and all in the middle of a bustling city of almost 7 million people!

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The Paris of South America. The Most European capital city in South America. For us, Buenos Aires was the New York City of South America. We found little neighborhoods, sprawling districts, beautiful late-19th century buildings, parks, government buildings, churches, markets, fun retail shops, lots of antiques stores, and seedy-looking blocks of once-radiant buildings and businesses. So…a lot like New York, more so than the other capital cities we visited in this part of the world.

The main story we have is concerning the mosquito problem. There have been several waves of mosquito infestation, as starting in January, Buenos Aires experienced more rain than usual. The leftover standing water helped with hatching millions of mosquito eggs. We saw photos where a woman had dozens on the back of her white shirt, thousands were inside an apartment, and an awe-inspiring plume of mosquitos in the distance that looked like a tornado funnel! So, they were still here when we arrived. Jan has the skin they like – they turn their noses (proboscises) up at Mike’s not-so-inviting skin. The total wasn’t as bad as Tahiti: Jan had 20 itchy bites, including clusters on the bottom of her feet (ouch!), while Mike had, as always, ZERO.

Some other interesting things we have observed have to do with their currency problems. Argentina has gone through a series of defaults and currently has a an inflation rate of over 250%. All of the prices are changing constantly, so don’t be surprised if you see changes in prices in a few days. When walking through some of the public market areas, one sometimes hears an almost constant call of “cambio!” That is people advertising to sell the local currency at other than the official rate. When in stores, you often see signs saying they will give discounts for US dollars. Taking advantage of this, in one store we bought a $90 item for $65 US in cash. So if you come to Argentina, you may save money by carrying some US dollars. But keep it in a safe place to avoid pickpockets. Also, if the inflation is as high when you come as it is now, use credit cards and don’t bother to get any local currency, as it loses value quickly.

This past week, it rained (with lightning and thunder) almost every day, so we mainly stayed inside and only ventured outside for a few meals and some necessities. And thus, we did not explore as much of the city as we would have liked. So we are showing you the places we did see, and now have a reason to return in the future.

For the first few days, we stayed in the San Telmo District, the up-and-coming Bohemian art district. Most notably, there is a lot of street art and the fabulous San Telmo Mercado, with shops and cafes and restaurants. The glass dome and wrought iron structure dates to 1897, when it was designed to cater to the large number of European immigrants arriving daily. It was a neighborhood that was very youthful, alive, a bit badass, and thoroughly enjoyable.

The rest of our time has been spent in the city center, nearer the shopping areas and historic district. There are some beautiful, old buildings now in use as shopping arcades and malls. We visited a few, with stunning photos. The rest of the time, when we ventured out between rain drops, we took photos of buildings and stores, as usual. It has been a great place to visit, except for the mosquitos and excessive rain. Maybe we will have better luck next time with both.

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Poor Uruguay is sandwiched by two large countries, Brazil and Argentina. It is peaceful, stable, and its capital city, Montevideo, is very pretty – and very European. It would be easy to guess that you were somewhere in Europe as you explore the Old Town.

A free walking tour was on offer here, as it is in most large cities, so we joined the tour and walked around with the friendly guide, Martin, for more than two hours. We got a history lesson and loads of tips as to the best places to visit in the city, as well as where to dine. But we were only there for a day on a cruise, so our visit was just to catch an overview of the city. Like other South American cities, the city is filled with tango dinner shows and even has a tango museum. Carnaval is also very popular here, and the festivities last longer than in any other city in the world.

A visit to the Port Market was very interesting, as it is known for restaurants with huge parrilla (barbecue) grills. Located across from the port, originally all of the city’s trading and sale of fruits and vegetables took place here. The steel and glass construction, which you can see in the photos, was made in Liverpool, England, and shipped here. It was beautiful to see, but it was quite crowded with both locals and visitors. There were at least three cruise ships in port that day. We will be returning to Montevideo in a few weeks on another cruise, so we will get to see more of this vibrant city.

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We heard…people speaking English with British accents. We saw…the British flag flying at the dock. We found…British and American brands in the grocery store. We paid for everything…in British pounds. And, we can swear…the penguins we encountered were talking to each other with British accents! Welcome to the Falkland Islands, one of the UK’s southernmost territories. They went to war over the islands in 1982, against Argentina, who had last attempted to gain sovereignty over the islands in October 1832, and were evicted less than three months later. Great Britain had set up a garrison on the completely unoccupied islands in 1765, and after brief British, French, and Spanish rule, all had abandoned the place in 1811.

We were surprised to hear how touchy the Argentines and Falklanders still are about the sovereignty of the islands, considering the very short time Argentine has held them historically. When walking around Ushuaia, we saw a large sign on one of the buildings declaring (in Spanish of course) that the Falklands belong to Argentina. We were told not to walk around the Falklands wearing light blue and white (the colors of the Argentine flag), as it might be considered a political statement, nor to offer to pay for anything in Argentinian money.

In 2013 a referendum was held concerning the islands’ sovereignty. There was a 92% voter turnout. A total of 99.8% voted to remain under British sovereignty, with only 3 people voting for Argentinian sovereignty. So, apparently the question is settled, though there are still hard feelings on both sides.

After months of using our fledgling Spanish (where, remember, we had moderate success asking questions but didn’t always understand the answers), we were able to speak to everyone in English. It made for an easy day. The temperature was in the mid-60s, but the wind was ferocious, as you can imagine. There aren’t really any trees, just small bushes, so the wind rips into you.

As usual, the ship’s excursions are exceedingly expensive. The tours to see penguins were either $200 or just over $400, and they were all-day trips. Just outside of the Visitor’s Center in Port Stanley, we found a shuttle bus that would take us to see the penguins at Gypsy Cove for $20 round-trip per person, leaving every 10 minutes from the port and then every 10 minutes or so when you wanted to return. It is just the end of the nesting season, so there was one colony of about 30 left, on a hillside overlooking the bay. It wasn’t a big investment in terms of money or time, so we were quite pleased to see them in their natural habitat. We continued walking along the top of the hill, with marvelous ocean views, then we saw Ordnance Point, and caught the next shuttle bus back to town.

Upon our return to the capital, Port Stanley, we walked along the ocean, visited the local church and grocery store (a choice of good peanut butter), and chatted with some locals. They said even though it was quite windy, it was a nicer day than the several previous ones, as the fog was so thick, you could hardly see your own hands. And the ship’s crew had been hoping that the sea conditions would be good so that our tenders would make it in from the ship (often, this is not the case). The conditions were fine, but they had warned us that if we heard a continuous sounding of the ship’s horn, we were to return immediately, before passage became treacherous. But everything worked out well. It is an interesting place to visit – speaking English in the South Atlantic! We enjoyed the oddity, as it were.

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So, first of all – this is our first post ever from Argentina. And secondly, how many times do we get to post on February 29???

Ushuaia bills itself as El Fin Del Mundo, i.e., The End of the World. It also brands itself as the Southernmost City in the World. Is it? Well, sort of. Across the Beagle Channel to the south is a tiny place called Port Williams, population 2,500, that also calls itself the southernmost city. Ushuaia certainly is larger and has more to offer, but Port Williams is definitely farther south. We’re staying out of this one!

We found Ushuaia to be remarkably like an Alpine village in Switzerland or Germany. You will see this, as we did, in the European architecture in the photos. Mike’s old business partner rode a motorcycle all the way down to the bottom of South America 40 years ago or so, and his comment was that the farther south you go on the continent, the more European it looks.

A former prison now serves as the Maritime Museum. The penitentiary was in use from 1902 until 1947. The security of the prison was reinforced by the harsh weather conditions and the geographic isolation of Ushuaia. However, President Juan Peron ordered it closed in 1947 for humanitarian reasons, and the convicts were transferred to other prisons farther north in Argentina.

We thought it would be fairly cold, being just 700 miles north of Antarctica. While it was very windy, the ambient temperature was in the low 60s, which was very pleasant for walking the city. The most amazing thing to us was that there were nine large cruise ships in port, along with many yachts, ferries, and smaller boats. We thought the main street wouldn’t be walkable with the crowds, but found the opposite. Apparently, most people left the city for Tierra del Fuego National Park, viewing penguins, or other excursions.

We will have the opportunity to view penguins rather comfortably in the Falkland Islands, so we didn’t want to take a bus for several hours to do so. There have also been opportunities to travel out to islands by speedboat to visit some penguin colonies, but we read that they are commonly called “vomit boats” and take more than an hour, so…no, thank you!

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The title of this blog is “Just Pictures.” These photos are the best of many hundreds that we have taken of the Pacific Ocean over the past week. Some were taken as early as 6:00 am, others at twilight, just before total darkness set in. The colors – of the ocean, the clouds, the land, the sun – change with the day and our ship’s position. There are sometimes other boats and ships, sometimes just nature, sometimes snow-capped mountains, sometimes swirling water, sometimes reflections in the water, sometimes dwellings in the distance, sometimes “bergie bits” (iceberg chunks), sometimes a shipwreck (well, once!), sometimes sun….different feelings, different days.

We enjoy looking at each photo for a minute or so, reflecting on what is there, rather than just quickly scrolling through. Rod Stewart sang, “Every picture tells a story.” Different photos evoke different emotions. Some are thrilling, while some are calming. But they tell the story of our past week, sailing down the long, long coast of Chile – approximately 1,800 miles from our start in San Antonio, Chile. We found the journey, and the views, extraordinary.

This trip has been much more scenic – and in general, just “more” of everything – than we had expected. And, having heard all of our lives how rough the ocean was passing around the tip of South America, it has been much calmer than we had expected. Some of this is probably due to the protected “passage” route the ship has taken, the time of year, and some luck with the weather. The crew has mentioned a few times that this has been some of the best weather they have seen in different areas. All of those factors have assisted us in our our photographic endeavors.

These photos are not in any particular order, just places and scenes we liked and photographed. We won’t provide captions or commentary – make them your own! Each is a meditation, a snippet of life down here, approaching the end of the world. We hope you’ll just enjoy them, and perhaps put this part of the world on your bucket list.

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Just like Sally Field (upon winning the Best Actress Oscar for Places in the Heart), Punta Arenas is saying to us: “Right now, you like me!” Indeed, we do. This is a great city down here near the end of the world. Walking around, it felt like a charming, small New England town. Most of the buildings were from the turn of the last century, with highly decorated “gingerbread,” and beautiful to behold. Right in the center of town is the main square, once again the Plaza de Armas, with monuments, fountains, trees, and lots of people. On the square is the cathedral (which we couldn’t enter) and Palacio Sara Braun, which we could enter – for $4 US. It was half price with Chilean pesos, but this is our last day in Chile, so we only had dollars.

Sara Braun is an interesting woman. Her family was Jewish, and in 1862, in her early 20s, she and her family left Latvia, then part of the Russian Empire, as anti-Semitism was on the rise. The Chilean Government had established Punta Arenas in the middle of the 19th century to assert sovereignty over the area and was interested in drawing a significant population to the area. The Braun Family arrived in the city in poverty, but profited from the Chilean government’s perks to help populate it. Her family became very influential and philanthropic. By the time of her death in 1955, she was one of the richest women in Chile.

Her mansion is pretty much the way she left it. We had free roam through the two stories, and the architectural details and furniture were all quite elaborate. We saw chairs with embroidery on the backs and arms that looked pristine…and there were no signs saying not to touch them or sit on them (which makes us think that people likely do both).

There was also an event taking place in front of the Punta Arenas Cathedral (aka Cathedral of the Sacred Heart) that was marking the 40th anniversary of one of the first public protests against General Augusto Pinochet. The protest took place at that location 40 years ago today as Pinochet was about to accept a military honor. There were posters with newspaper headlines from that period on display and photos of people being arrested. The event was quite elaborate and was like a play that lasted about 20 minutes. There was a choreographed presentation by people with stockings pulled over their faces, and a man sitting above them with a pig’s mask on and a furry gorilla coat. It was very passionate, and when they played a Chilean protest song, the crowd sang along. Since we don’t know a lot about Chilean history of that period, we didn’t comprehend all the details, but it was interesting to see, nonetheless.

And what also must be mentioned are the sights we have been seeing as we have cruised south along the Chilean coast. The first two photos are representative of the beauty we have seen, hour after hour, day after day. We are about 1,000 miles north of Antarctica, and Punta Arenas is the coldest city in Latin America, with more than 100,000 inhabitants, but today was fairly warm, in the mid-60s, and very sunny. The sun makes every scene shimmer and glimmer, and the scenery has been fantastic.

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Puerto Montt is famous for being the jumping-off point for other nearby attractions in Patagonia. We weren’t expecting too much, but were surprised by how large a city it was. There was a part near the waterfront and the mall on the waterfront that was a little more developed and designed for tourists. But we also walked through an area where the street was gravel and filled with card tables covered with fruit and vegetables for sale. You will see the large black hunks of – something – for sale. We didn’t understand what it was until we looked it up. Our Spanish is good enough to ask basic questions, but then – the answers come back in a barrage of Spanish, and we only understand one in every five words!

The weather was pretty nice – around 64 degrees, with sun coming through the clouds. It drizzled a little, as well. We had been warned of cold temperatures and rain, but we found the day to be pleasant. The morning sun and clouds were magnificent, as you can see in the first photo. But other than the ocean’s natural beauty, we didn’t find anything extraordinary in the town. As we walked along the waterfront, we were surprised that the walkway was newly built, clean, wide, and stretched for several miles. In that regard, it was easily equal to boardwalks in much larger cities. We found it impressive. It was a fine stop on a cruise, but we don’t see any reason to travel here just for the city itself.

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Santiago has been our home for almost three weeks. Each and every day, we have awakened to sunshine and temperatures in the upper 80s and mid-90s. It is steamy, sultry, friendly, busy, and fairly inexpensive. It has a nice subway system, and hopping a ride to anywhere in the city – even the most distant stations – costs just 75 cents. The Hard Rock Cafe is just down the block. We ordered the same meal here that we had in Reykjavik this past summer. The cost here? $23. The same meal in Reykjavik? $100.

We visited the Bellavista Arts District, and saw beautiful street art, highly decorated restaurants, and many (American) chain restaurants. We visited the great Chilean poet’s home in Bellavista, Pablo Neruda’s La Chascona. It gave us a better sense of him, his life, his work, and his place in Chilean history. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. Probably his most iconic line/quote is: “I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.” His home was quirky and…complicated, in that it was on many different levels connected by outdoor staircases, even though he started construction when he was getting older, when most of us would think twice about having to walk up and down stairs every day.

A free guided walking tour of the city gave us insight into Santiago’s past and introduced us to some of its more famous buildings. The city’s beginnings were in and around the Plaza de Armas, where today you can find the Cathedral and other government buildings. It is a lovely park with fountains, sculptures, benches, cafes, restaurants, and stores. Each time we visited, it was full and very lively.

The Plaza de Armas has a rich history. In 1541 the Spanish were attempting to quell a Mapuche Indian rebellion. The Spanish lost control of the entire city, except for the Plaza, where the last of the defenders remained. The situation looked hopeless for the surrounded and greatly-outnumbered conquistadors. There are various versions of the story, but according to one, a conquistadora, Inés Suarez, took control of the situation and personally cut off the heads of seven prisoners, throwing them at the Indians outside the Plaza. The audacity of the act, combined with the idea that the screaming red-headed woman was a demon, caused enough confusion and panic that the Spanish were able to reclaim the city. Supposedly the room where the decapitations took place is now occupied by a tourist information office.

Another highlight for us was visiting the General Cemetery of Santiago, the Cementario General, where 2 million people are buried. There are grand mausoleums built to resemble chapels, Roman temples, and ordinary houses. There are “streets,” where the buildings are lined up as if in a neighborhood, with trees, flowers, and benches to rest your weary feet (the cemetery consists of over 200 acres!). Some structures are very modern, pristine, and well-cared for; others are facing the ravages of time and look a bit dilapidated. But we realize that some families still have descendants to care for a grave and decorate it with flowers, while for others, their family lines may already be gone. It is humbling and interesting to visit cemeteries. Compared to others we have visited around the world, the General Cemetery was fairly busy. There are thriving flower businesses before you enter the grounds, and many people were walking, driving, and bicycling while carrying flowers to visit graves.

So, would we return to Santiago? Yes! We saved some of the tourist sites for the next time we are here, and were able to relax and do a lot of reading. We discovered two interesting new friends from Guernsey in the Channel Islands, Karen and Jonathan, and talked through the world’s problems and history over several days. And during our walking tour, we met the fabulous Coco and shared a delightful lunch with her. All in all, it has been a wonderful place to stay. And now it is time to move on, as we always must.

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Lima is a wonderful city in its own right – colorful and friendly, and with a terrific Old Town. It is one of the largest cities in the Americas, with almost nine million people living within its city limits. Los Angeles, by comparison, has a population of less than four million. But so many people just consider it as the jumping-off point for Machu Picchu, just a flight away in Cusco. We found a lot to do along the waterfront, as there is a long malecon, a cliff top walkway, that stretches forever. We walked it from different entry places on several different days. The views were unforgettable, and the water seemed to be a different color, as well, depending on the time of day and the day itself.

Lima was “founded” (although it had never been lost) by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 on the Feast of Epiphany, and thus was called the City of the Kings. This name quickly fell into disuse, and the more common name, Lima, taken from the indigenous Quechua language, became standard among the indigenous and Spanish alike. Pre-Incan and Incan inhabitants had lived here for hundreds of years.

The markets we visited were especially lively, selling whole fish, whole sides of beef and pork, and chickens with their feet still attached. Also for sale were fruits and veggies, flowers, and even household goods and souvenirs. If you can’t find what you want in the sprawling markets, it likely doesn’t exist! Lima is a really lovely city and a great place to spend time. We look forward to our return to the city.

Mike went scuba diving at a small fishing village called Pucusana, about one hour’s drive south of Lima. The busy bay is packed with small fishing boats. The dive site Mike and the other 10 divers were taken to that day was just a few minutes from the bay. On the way, the boat stopped by some rock outcroppings to show the divers some of the local wildlife, including penguins, pelicans, seals, and some impressively-large sea lions. The air was warm, but the water was cold, due to a cold current along the coast, and everyone was wearing full wetsuits. Visibility was moderate, and quite a few fish were in the area. Even though the diving conditions weren’t perfect, just getting to dive is always enticing, since it is fun getting wet. As with every other place where people can dive, Mike plans to do more when we come back.

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