 Cruising the Danube between Budapest and Bucharest (you dock in Giurgiu) is a special itinerary. Off the beaten path, you’ll see few tourist buses on this route. What you will see though is a chest full of unexpected treasures.
Very different from the Upper Danube itineraries, the Lower Danube has you sailing through five countries - Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania – the latter four part of the Balkans, each with unique histories, different religions, architecture, traditions and foods to excite your cultural taste buds. One thing in common – happy people who are excited to share their country with you.
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8/20/2020 Unforgettable Bavaria Bavaria, Germany's largest state, is home to spectacular events, great cities, fairy tale castles, two national parks and 8 UNESCO world heritage sites. And that's just the beginning.
Bavaria is a breath-taking region, and a perfect journey to add before or after a Danube river cruise. Take a look at a few of Bavaria's highlights along with several tour ideas. Searching for a different type of vacation experience? Maybe a unique trip for a family reunion or simply a group of friends? Time to truly unwind and unplug with like minded travelers? A luxury barge cruise experience could be just the ticket!  Photo courtesy of European Waterways
7/29/2020
8 Must See Treasures in Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city behind Moscow, was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great. Because of his love of Holland, he included many beautiful canals and bridges (342 of them) in the design, which is why the city is now also known as Venice of the North.
Beyond the canals though is a city rich in history, culture, art, beautiful gardens and so much more. It’s a popular stop for both Baltic cruises and river cruises between Saint Petersburg and Moscow. Here are 8 treasures not to miss while visiting this fascinating place.  In Central and Eastern Europe, you’ll find some of the most spectacular landscapes, architecture — castles, churches and war memorials—as well as some of the most colorful, inviting cultures in the world. But what is the best way to see it all? On a river cruise, of course!
Here's what you'll experience on a sample Danube itinerary.  With fabulous rooftop pools, jacuzzies, and wellness programs, exquisite cuisine and delicious drinks available petty much around-the-cloc - it’s tempting to many to never leave the ship. But I know that the main reason travelers choose a river cruise is because of the adventure—the amazing, breathtaking stops along the way. With that in mind, the countries you’ll explore on the Rhine are historic, romantic and truly awe-inspiring.
 Photo courtesy of AmaWaterways - AmaMagna Ocean cruises have been a popular way to vacation for decades, and for good reason. They’re affordable, convenient and offer travelers peace of mind knowing that everything they need for a fantastic getaway is all in one place. What could be better than that? Well, consider a river cruise.
3/19/2020
Vancouver Island - Nature at its best A land of extremes. Vast wilderness, exceptional walking and hiking trails, rugged coastlines, cozy beaches, abundant wildlife (furry, feathery and finned), quaint towns, small harbors, golfing, world class wines, beers and spirits, farmers markets, culinary delights, indigenous cultures, marvelous gardens, boutique inns, seaside lodges and elegant hotels.
This is Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  A charming town located approximately 30 minutes from our Rhine River cruise stop in Breisach, Colmar is considered to be one of the prettiest towns in France. Intrigued by this description, and wanting an opportunity to photograph half-timbered houses, I decided to take this optional tour, despite a little bit of rain. This tour did not disappoint.
Colmar was like stepping into the pages of a fairy tale. 11/21/2019
Sailing Through Ancient History It’s been a while since I’ve read about ancient history, but I’ve always imagined what it would be like to walk in the footsteps of Pharaohs, to wander among impressive ancient temples, curious how they were built. I find this all absolutely amazing, considering the sites and artifacts date back over 2000 years.
 When time and budget allows I always try to add a few days before and after a cruise to explore the surrounds, especially when traveling overseas. Flights are a big investment, so you might as well take advantage when you can. I did just that on my recent Rhone River cruise, with a self-drive trip exploring Provence and the Loire Valley.
Read about my pre-cruise adventure here. My post cruise adventure took me to the Loire Valley to check out a few chateaux. Having never been to this area I did not know what to expect, but I had this image in my mind of beautiful chateaux literally everywhere you look. Hmm, well, not quite! Finding them - another story. Thank goodness for GPS! Surrounded by forests they weren't always easy to find. Some had signs, others were more evasive. However, once found, oh my! The chateaux we saw were magnificent - interesting, beautiful, historic, breathtaking. 7/24/2019
The Luberon Region of Provence When time and budget allows I always try to add a few days before and after a cruise to explore the surrounds, especially when traveling overseas. Flights are a big investment, so you might as well take advantage when you can. I did just that on my recent Rhone River cruise, with a self-drive trip exploring Provence and the Loire Valley.
My pre-cruise adventure: the Luberon region of Provence. 7/17/2019
Cruising the Rhone River Longing to explore France's waterways for a while, I recently had the opportunity to cruise the Rhone on an itinerary from Avignon to Lyon. The three major rivers in France offer very different experiences, and this one intrigued me with the combination of Roman history, scenery and wine country.
The itinerary did not disappoint.  A few fun facts about the Czech Republic:
Prague is by far the main reason people come to the Czech Republic. The City of a Hundred Spires  The rivers of Europe have you experiencing a lot of old world charm in cities big and small. Amazing, photogenic old world charm, all with their own unique personalities.
For anyone wanting to explore ancient cities and historic castles, walk through charming wine villages, take in the lively city of Amsterdam or visit one of 40 museums in Basel, a Rhine and Moselle river itinerary is a great fit. Plenty of picture perfect moments await you on itineraries that include one or both rivers. Following are my top nine most photogenic places to see.  It's been over 40 years since I lived in Hong Kong, and 28 since I last visited. I know a lot has changed over the years, but I also know the traditions and essence remain the same. It was in Hong Kong that I experienced my first Lunar New Year, and where my intrigue of Chinese culture began.
I have very fond memories of my time there, and look forward to making my way back to this vibrant city.  This week we celebrated Veterans Day, in honor of all veterans who have served in the US Armed Forces, in war or peace, dead or alive. The official day is November 11, the anniversary of the official end of World War I.
Overseas celebrations triggered a fond memory of my visit to the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial near Carthage, just outside of Tunis. The experience was one I will never forget. What an incredible feeling. 8/2/2018
48 Hours In St. Petersburg, Russia The star attraction on a Baltic cruise for most people will be St. Petersburg, Russia. It was for me. I'd seen plenty of pictures of the iconic sites, which truly intrigued me, but I was also very curious about the people and what was "beyond these sites". What was it like to be in Russia?
Two full days touring St. Petersburg didn't make me an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But along with the seeing the iconic sites, I did get a glimpse of the beyond, behind the scenes if you will. For this I am grateful. I did not know what to expect, and while I had a few preconceived notions, I went with open eyes. 7/25/2018
My Baltic Cruise Review On July 4th, we sailed out of Copenhagen, the beginning of our 9 night Baltic cruise. We were treated to sunny days the entire cruise, and though I rarely let weather hinder my experience, I must admit that not having even one drop of rain was quite special.
A Baltic cruise had been on our wish list for a number of years, and this itinerary and timing fit perfectly into an already planned visit to Germany. In all honestly I would have preferred a smaller ship (a much smaller ship!) as it would have reduced some of the transfer time, but none the less, we packed in a lot of experiences. A Baltic itinerary is not one I would describe as relaxing. It is however, incredibly interesting, very rich in history, with each port offering unique experiences. Following are the highlights.  France - a land rich in history, art, wine, great food and delightful people. These are a few of the reasons that draw us to this wonderful part of Europe. If you are thinking about a river cruise, the lines that sail the region have done an exceptional job weaving these experiences into their itineraries.
How to choose? Despite many similarities, each of these five waterways have unique personalities., which, depending on what you'd like to experience, should help you choose one or at least narrow down the choices. Still can't decide? Choose one that best matches your dates and budget AND GO! You'll enjoy the experience no matter which area you choose. 2/1/2018
Lisbon, Portugal - A Photo Essay It was only a few years ago that I noticed only few articles about Lisbon and Portugal in general. Truly an under the radar destination. Fast forward to 2018 and Portugal is now high on the list of emerging destinations, with Lisbon quickly becoming a favorite city to visit.
12/5/2017
This Happens Once Every Decade Every 10 years, the small Bavarian town of Oberammergau transforms itself from a small, quaint town of 5300 residents to a host of over 500,000 visitors between mid May and early October. According to historical records, the residents of Oberammergau have performed the Passion of the Christ, depicting his trial, his suffering and his death, every decade since 1634. The next performance will be held in 2020.
So why am I bringing this up over two years away? Because if you enjoy faith based travel experiences and this Passion Play is on your "must see" list, you need to start planning for this trip - NOW! 11/2/2017
They're Really Not That Scary! I had the opportunity this week to learn more about New Zealand's Maori culture. A fascinating hour, well spent.
The speaker, a Maori himself, comes from a family with a long history of promoting this island nation. We were treated to a number of wonderful pictures, paintings and stories, including ones of his great grandmother dancing in New York City promoting New Zealand's culture. I wish I could share them here, but they were pictures from his own photo album. 1/19/2017
St. Petersburg - A Gem in the Baltics For many cruisers, ocean and river alike, a trip to northern Europe's Baltic region is on many a wish list. And for good reason. The area offers a different and unique experience, a view into a region that often times is a bit of a mystery.
Major cruise lines visit the Baltics (in the summer months only), with itineraries between Copenhagen and Stockholm and beautiful stops in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Read more about THE BALTICS - BEAUTIFUL STOPS ON A NORTHERN EUROPE CRUISE River cruise itineraries on the Volga are seeing great interest as well, traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg, exploring quaint villages and historical sites along the Volga River. Check out more details here. In most cases, it is St. Petersburg that draws curious and adventurous travelers to these itineraries. A real gem in the Baltics, St. Petersburg is Russia's second largest  Dreaming about a trip to China? Seriously think about including a Yangtze River cruise to the itinerary, especially if this is a once in a lifetime adventure to the region. A Yangtze cruise takes you away from the bustling cities of Beijing and Shanghai and rewards you with amazing scenery, centuries old relics and old world charm on the third longest river in the world.
Most cruises are 3-5 days and sail between Chongqing and Yichang. Some go as far as Wuhan or may start/end in Shanghai. Top river cruise lines including Avalon, Uniworld and Viking offer combined cruise and land packages that include Tibet and China's iconic sites, providing a great way to experience the cities and rural countryside. The best time to travel is between April and October, with April/May and September/October being the least warm. Quite different from their European counterparts, the Yangtze has no bridge restrictions or issues with water levels being too high/too low. This allows for larger ships and more onboard amenities. Intrigued? Read on and check out the fascinating port stops. |
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