April 8, 2026 Today we visited Rothenburg, a small town that still retains its medieval character. The Romanticists were charmed by this little town that was untouched by the industrial revolution of the time and insisted that it be preserved as it was. On the way, we drove along the "Romantic" route named for the movement that romanticized the past at a time when so many things were changing. Once in Rothenberg, we had a quick tour starting with the medieval wall that still

April 6, 2026 Today, we visited the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. It was a fun tour as our guide was a local actor who took on the role of an Englishman who "spied" on the construction of the Prussian Fortress built to ward off the advancing French. He wrote a book that caused great consternation with the Prussian military because it revealed too many details about the fortress. He involved the tour group with his "spying" and it was a fun way to learn about the fortress. You can

April 5, 2026 We travelled along the Moselle River to Cochem. The highlight of today's excursion was a visit to the Reichsburg Castle. The tour of the inside was amazing. There were beautiful ceilings and such interesting details in each room. There was a bust of Louis Ravené, who purchased and renovated the castle in 1868. The castle even had secret passages which could be opened with a little button on the floor. From the castle, we had a splendid view of Cochem and the Mos

April 3, 2026 After enjoying a beautiful sunrise, we bid farewell to the our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile, and traveled to meet the river boat in Trier. On the way, we stopped in Reim to see the Reims Cathedral. The stained glass was stunning. The details within the panes were exquisite. We next stopped at the American Cemetery in Luxembourg dedicated to fallen American soldiers who fought in World War II. Soon after leaving Luxembourg, we reached Trier and boarded

April 2, 2026 Today we did a panoramic city tour with Viking. The highlight was a stop at the newly restored Notre Dame after the disastrous fire in 2019. We were lucky and lines were short so we were able to go inside. We then rode to Giverny to see the house and gardens of Monet. They were beautiful and filled with spring blooms.

May 12, 2023 We sailed back into Fort Lauderdale early in the morning. We awaited our turn to disembark, went through customs and boarded...

May 5, 2023 We explored our final port without an excursion. We met up with our friends Sumi, Craig, Kelly and Polly after getting off...

May 4, 2023 At Ponta Delgado, we set off on our final Cruise Specialist excursion to the Furnas Village hot springs. We boarded the bus...

May 1, 2023 We enjoyed the peaceful drive through the beautiful Cork countryside. We stopped at Charles Fort which was built in the 17th...

April 30, 2023 "Captain William Congreve with his Son William" was Brent's favorite picture at the National Gallery in Dublin, the...

April 29, 2023 We tendered into Oban. It is a small, picturesque fishing community. It is known as the "Gateway to the Islands" and is...

April 28, 2023 I was still under the weather when we arrived at the Isle of Skye, our first port in Scotland. I was sorry to miss the...

April 25, 2023 Bergen was our last stop in Norway. I stayed on board as I had a sore throat and wanted to rest up for the Norwegian...

April 25, 2023 The spectacular sail in to Eidsfjord past the snow-covered fjords captivated us that morning. The small communities...

April 24, 2023 The port of Haugesund took us to the land Vikings once called home. Not far from Haugesund is Avaldsnes, once the home of...

April 23, 2023 Today we explored Kristiansand on our own. As we walked out of the port, we could see our ship reflected in the glass...

April 22, 2023 We sailed into Oslo past houses scattered throughout the forested hills. After disembarking, we walked to the new...

April 21, 2023 Hans Christian Anderson lived most of his life in Copenhagen. He is famous for his fairy tales like "The Ugly Duckling"...

April 19, 2023 Today we did a morning tour to the Keukenhof Gardens for the Tulip Festival. It was the perfect time to visit with both...

April 18, 2023 We spent two days in Amsterdam. On the first day, we visited Marken and Volendam, two quaint fishing villages, as well as...