Category: TRAVEL (Page 42 of 45)

I expected to wake up in a different country this morning. However, due to some high winds, the captain reported that the Venice, Italy Port had been closed all night and we were lucky to even get out at 5 a.m. The Port had then immediately closed again just after we departed, or we would have been “stuck” in Italy for another day (I never thought I would think that!). These same high winds prohibited a landing in Slovenia, so there’s a country that I won’t be able to cross off my list.

We had plans to visit the Farmer’s Market and do a panoramic tour of Koper, but rather it’s a lazy day at sea in search of a quiet, safe landing spot somewhere along the Croatian coast. Koper changed to Split with the weather conditions, and will probably change again before the day is done. We do have an 8:30 dinner reservation in one of the ship’s private dining rooms called the Chef’s Table. Also, my wife had wisely scheduled two spa appointments for later this afternoon that suddenly became a popular idea with little left to do while stuck on-board. She’s been having trouble sleeping and just collapsed for a nap, afraid that she might nod-off and miss the pleasurable experience of an 80-minute Swedish Mindful Massage. That will be followed by a 50-minute Hydrafacial. After our late dinner, I feel confident that she will finally get a good night’s sleep.

I ran 5 kilometers on the treadmill this morning since the outdoor promenade deck was slippery and wet. The skies are at least showing patches of blue, but the sea is choppy and the winds strong and chilly. I hope this paints a clear picture (See Post #466) of the white caps on the blue water churning outside our stateroom balcony on deck number four because I don’t have a photo to share with any of you “visual” thinkers. Hopefully, my content here is descriptive enough for you “word” thinkers. I’m happy because I’m at my writing desk, and not trudging through the Slovenian streets in search of history with a tired wife.

After a hearty breakfast this morning in conjunction with a traumatic moment on the scale, it is clear that the unlimited food supply will soon be a problem, especially if we continue to be confined to the boat. We did book another trip on Viking this morning to take advantage of onboard discounts. It will be in October two-and-a-half years from now (928 days and counting I think she said). That should give us plenty of time to plan and pay, as we look forward to 12 days on the Nile River exploring the ancient Egyptian monuments that we’ve always dreamed of seeing. I can even ride a camel if I want.

I spoke to an older gentleman (at least I hope he was older) last night who would be exceeding his bucket list goal of visiting 100 countries once this trip was complete. I hope the one we missed today doesn’t leave him short. It made me think about how many countries I’ve visited outside of Canada, the United States, and Mexico? Before this adventure, there was only England, France, Italy, China, pre-China Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Macau, Belgium, Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Barbados, Cayman, Saint Martin, and French Polynesia (Tahiti & Bora-Bora). I will get to add now only Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece since we just passed Slovenia without stepping foot on land, and will also cruise by Albania with just a wave. If the weather holds up, it will bring my countries visited total to 23 – a long way from 100. We do have booked plans to visit both Thailand and Egypt along with any related airport stops so it will take the World Cruise that we envision five years from now to achieve that one-hundred milestone – if not longer. I don’t want to wish my life away at the expense of achieving this lofty goal.

They often say that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” My wife has pointed out that I think in “words” while she thinks in “pictures.” I think that she thinks in “Broadway” and I think in “Sports” is a better description of our differences. (See Post #454). I often convert pictures into words as I write, but I do possess a strong ability to visualize.  I took an on-line test to confirm, and it indicated that I was indeed a visual thinker, and can’t imagine surviving in today’s world without this ability, especially considering that the best way to communicate is through pictures. As I get better at blogging, I promise to incorporate more pictures and video into my daily presentations. In the meantime, I will do it the old-fashioned way.

I will say that I am better at word games than my wife. I’m good at unscrambling, defining, scrabbling, and cross-word solving. She likes video games better than I do, only because I’m afraid that I would be easily addicted. I do a 7 Little Words puzzle every day to help keep my mind sharp, and New York Times Crossword if I want a real challenge. I don’t do them in ink like my father who was a master. It saddened me when he stopped doing them along with reading when Alzheimer’s began to set in. I can only hope that doesn’t happen to me.

We’re comfortably settled in our Viking Star stateroom, awaiting our mandatory safety drill. My wife hasn’t slept well the last couple nights in Venice and needs a nap. Probably too many “pictures” in her head! The cold, rainy conditions have continued, but it’s really been no different than home. While others were scrambling for umbrellas, we trudged on like Portland rain troopers, focused on seeing the Top 10 tourist sites. There was some kind of a Union gathering in the Piazza San Marco that closed the museums early, so we had limited time to see the Italian artwork that really was of little interest to either of us. We would have liked to go through Doges Palace and planned to do that today, but embarcation was the priority. We did manage to tour the Teatro La Fenice, Ca’ d’Oro, Saint Mark’s Basilica, and a couple of Casino Royale James Bond landmarks. 007, in this case Daniel Craig, also made an appearance in Amsterdam on the Skinny Bridge during the movie Diamonds Are Forever, and was filmed in Corfu and other Greek locations for the movie For Your Eyes Only that we will visit later on this cruise. Roger Moore starred in this last thriller, but Diamond’s Sean Connery will always be my “Bond…James Bond.” I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on another of my travel adventures. 

To continue with our day in Venezia, we had drinks at Hemingway’s haunt, Harry’s Bar, devoured slices of Venetian pizza, and enjoyed a Gondolier’s serenade of Funiculi Funicula. It was too cold and rainy for the romantic ride that we both envisioned.  I was also able to explore, as part of my morning run, the parkland of Giardini, a garden area created by Napoleon, where our hotel was situated.

We’ve had plenty of time on the water, including the thrilling ride from the airport to our hotel that passed under the famous Rialto Bridge and through the Grand Canal. Water taxis took us to and from the hotel into San Marco, and eventually to the cruise ship. When we leave port tonight, it will be the last we see of Venice on this trip, but I’m sure we’ll be back. Italy is still my favorite country to visit. Addio, arrivederci, buonasera, ciao, salve, alla prossima, a presto!

This is my fourth trip to Italy, but the first time in Venice. After the ticket mix up at the Amsterdam airport, we arrived safely and on time. A speedboat took us from the airport to the Molino Stucky, a pasta factory once owned by the richest man in Venice now converted into a charming Hilton Hotel. The speedy ride down the Grand Canal was a spectacular way to enter the city, despite the rain. There is no other city in the world like Venice.

We enjoyed dinner at the hotel restaurant and a nightcap in the Skyline Bar with the highest viewpoint of the city. My wife was sleepless most of the night, so I got up early and quietly went to the fitness center to get my daily miles out of the way. Outside, the snow was blowing sideways, so there was little incentive to get an early start on sightseeing. The first shuttle to San Marco is 10:15 and then hourly. My wife was not happy that I woke her up after a tough night, but she will be excited to see the city, even through tired eyes. She’s already made it clear that this will be the last trip we’ll take in March to Europe. It’s a good thing we have our winter coats. 

Ciao!

We spent about 30 chilly hours in Amsterdam. Originally, we only had 45 minutes to change planes to Venice, so we extended our stay to see the city. Marriott Rewards points secured us a free room at the Renaissance, and the warmth of the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus allowed for a nap and two loops of the Dutch sights before our stop at the Anne Frank House. We had bought tickets in advance for this popular attraction. I found that Anne and I had one thing in common with her April 5, 1944 diary entry:

“When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived.”

This is exactly why I write this blog. It’s valuable to me now, but may be valuable to others in the future. My story is not yet quite as compelling, but I should have many years left to vent. As they once used to say, “I buy my ink by the barrel.”

We had an early dinner at Savini, an Italian restaurant right across the street, and promptly hit the sack, exhausted from lack of sleep and an eight hour time difference from home. It was an eventful St. Patty’ Day. However, there was no time for the two things that make Amsterdam famous: Heineken and Hookers.

I got up early and went for a run in high winds and 27-degree temperatures. The wind was so strong it would literally stop me in my tracks, or push me along like a rag doll, as I wound through the bike infested neighborhoods. My goal was to find the Red Light District, but instead found myself lost in a maze of canals and narrow streets, where everything looks the same. At the end of 3 miles, I’m starting to look for a cab, sure that I was nowhere near our hotel. Instead, I stopped at another hotel for directions and discovered that somehow I’m just a few blocks away. Relieved, I see the familiar “R” sign marking the entrance and make my way back to our room, wondering how I possibly found my way back from being so lost.

Our next stop is a “hidden church,” so well hidden, in fact, that no one can find it or knows where it is. The cab driver dropped us off in the vicinity, but it took inquiries with three other people to eventually find our way. It was an entire morning of not being able to find my way, yet we enjoyed the aimless exploring – a “Dutch Treat.”

Once we got to the airport, there were issues with our tickets. We were lost in the KLM system just as we had been lost on the streets of Amsterdam. Fortunately, we had arrived with plenty of time to spare. It gave me more time to write and “shake off all my cares.” Writing seems to be the solution for any hassle.

It’s a good thing that we got to the “Amster damn” airport three hours early because it took that long to get our ticket hassle resolved. Apparently, there was a booking error somewhere between the travel agent, cruise line, and airline. Our tickets for this leg were not paid for, even though we had to pony up for it a year in advance. We ended up having to pay again, after being shuffled from counter to counter, luggage in tote. Double-Dutch! There is a promise to reimburse, but that will also involve the bookkeepers – I won’t hold my breath.

Next stop Venice, another city that’s easy to get lost in. We’ll have three days before the cruise disembarks. In a way, we’re lucky to have made the plane. Now, we just have to get through customs. After experiencing the Dutch airport mess, I can’t wait to see what the Italians have in store for us.

Today is transition day. To those that aren’t retired, you might call it “hump day.” In my case, it’s making a transition from being a “homebody” to a world traveler. In a few days, we’ll start our journey east, a 10 hour flight from Portland to Amsterdam. We’ll arrive sometime around 1 a.m. our time, or about 9 a.m. in the city, having lost about 8 hours. Our Anne Frank tour is at 3 p.m. “My time” will soon be “our time,” as controlled by airlines and ship captains. 

I’m about to enter a world of schedules, with little flexibility. It’s a sharp contrast from today, the only day this week where I have absolutely nothing planned. That may sound boring to some, but it’s heaven for me: no pet appointments, no driving, no rush, and no hassle. My run is done for the day, and the only occasions that I will leave the house will be to walk the dogs. Once my wife comes home from work this evening, we have a call with our financial adviser followed by “date night.” It will be our final opportunity to anticipate what is ahead these next few weeks. I use the acronym ADORE to describe the three stages of any travel experience – Anticipation, DOing, and REflecting. (See Post #396). Right now, everything has evolved as a result of a two-year vision: saving, securing passports, budgeting, travel agent preparations, airline schedules, shore excursion & dining bookings, hotel reservations, advance ticket purchases, digesting cruise brochures & videos, arranging for pet care, conversations with friends who have done this adventure, new luggage, travel books, packing, and other planning. What have we missed? What could go wrong? (See Post #113).

While my wife is occupied with last-minute work details, I have little to do but dream. It doesn’t seem fair, but I am nearly five years older, have paid my work dues, and became age eligible for retirement. She still seems content with her career, but it limits her time for travel. My travel is only limited by cost, while she continues to build equity for future travel. It’s like I just graduated and she’s a Freshman. Is it preferable to be younger and have the four-year experience ahead of you, or to be in my position to reflect on the journey? She will probably live longer and continue to travel without me. We both have to cherish this time together, but we are definitely on different agendas in life. I consider myself lucky to have her loving companionship, a growing family, adequate financial security, good health, and a lifetime of memories. At least for the next two weeks, we’ll have plenty of time together and many new places to see. 

There was talk on the radio this morning that we are all fortunate to be living in these times. Disposable income is at the highest level ever, the average life span has now grown to 79 years, we’re enjoying the highest literacy rate in history, and we spend less time on home chores, meaning more leisure activity than any other generation. These are certainly all things to be thankful for, as we assess the benefits of our more comfortable, modern day lives. The majority of us are rich in time, health, and education. 

I live among the fortunate, and struggle with the reality that there are those who have not been as blessed. Admittedly, I don’t do enough to help, selfishly enjoying my retired lifestyle. I have the legs to run, the money to travel, and the security of a pension plus social security. I treasure these personal assets, along with companionship, family, and shelter. My wife still seems satisfied with a successful career, but begrudgingly has to manage her available days for travel. Including her weekends, holidays, and vacation days, all of which are no longer applicable to me as a retiree, she has about 163 days off every year. This is certainly a generous percentage of time-off, but it puts limits where we can go and for how long. We can factor-in long weekends and even business travel, but the maximum we can stay away is 14 days before she’ll need to get back to the office. 

As I’ve stated many times, I’m more than satisfied with my 80/20 rule, since travel can be exhausting. (See Posts #320 and #323). By the end of the first quarter of this year, this percentage will be closer to 65/35, including an upcoming 14-day adventure that is definitely the longest of our marriage. The second quarter of the year looks like 79/21, so a more affordable schedule of travel. We still have some holes to fill in for the rest of the year. We’ll also be under our $1,000 day travel budget, because of Marriott Rewards Points and companion fares.  Once my wife retires, we’ll be able to take longer trips than two weeks, so airfare will not be as big of factor as it is when confined to shorter excursions.

By choice, we’re currently tethered to a house, my wife’s job, an elderly mother, and three pets. However, once my wife retires, we’ll gradually cut some of these cords and do a 6-month cruise and eventually rent accommodations in Hawaii and/or Europe to use as a travel hub for these unexplored areas. This means that even though we will constantly be on the road, it will also be “home,” so the 80/20 rule will continue to apply. I would like to say that I will look forward to joint retirement, I’ll certainly enjoy the company, but that’s wishing as many as four years from my life, as well as saying goodbye to the youthful sixties. At that point, statistically I’ll only have nine more years to see the world, with the love of my life.