Air fare – check
Four Seasons Hotel – check
Winter coat, hat, boots, gloves, scarf – check
Not looking forward to the cold – check!

A slight change of plans as we have non-refundable airline tickets. We will not be shopping the large Christmas marketas it will not be open on our days in town, but will be perusing the local Christmas shops and Old Town Montreal as well as enjoying Four Seasons Montreal hospitality for a couple of days. Another country, another city, another Four Seasons eperience.

After a short 75-minute flight, we were in overcast Montreal. But thankfully no snow or rain! Just c-c-c-cold! I did ok bundled up but that just made it a little challenging to move! We decided to try using the wheelchair for this trip to see how we could use it for our international cruises coming up in 2023. Karen was happy to push me around Montreal and did a great job of navigating around people, pot holes, water hazards and other challenges. Taking our own wheelchair to the airport was a good experience too. Just gate check it and it will be waiting when you deplane at your arrival airport.

Accessibility Notes
If you are from the United States, you are well aware of ADA and its guidelines. In Canada and other foreign countries, it’s definitely different. Not to discourage you from traveling however! It can be done! It just may require a bit more patience and mobility. We spent the day in Old Town Montreal. The sidewalks are bumpy with divots. There are crosswalk ramps but they can also be problematic with large cracks or holes or water hazards to negotiate around as well as people. Some of the streets are on an incline, so proceed with caution or find an alternate route. Many stores and restaurants have steps to enter, many without handrails. Again, manageable if you are mobile at all and can use a cane to ascend and descend or have someone to lend a steadying hand. We were pleasantly surprised at the helpful folks who held doors for us or patiently waited while I used my cane on the stairs. Also, keep in mind that the restroom facilitioes may not be handicap accessible. Meaning there may be steps to navigate in order to use the restroom. Toilets may be lower and there may or may not be safety rails. Or tucked away in a corner and as small as the airplane restroom! Overall, I found the shop keepers and service staff to be most accommodating and helpful, as well as kind and appreciative of our visit and business.

On our day of arrival, we were pleased that our room was ready for us. We did not request it but were given an accessible room. We are now going to request an accessible room for all future visits. The toilets are adult height. The shower is a walk-ih/roll-in. There is plenty of room to navigate around the beds, chairs and desk area. Once we dropped our bags and bundled up, we headed out to do some local shopping. Unfortunately, Karen’s shopping list was unfulfilled. Still we saw the area around the hotel and scouted out a place for lunch. More about our food experiences below. A late lunch meant a late dinner. Upon our return to our hotel, we had a very nice note and amenity from Karen’s Four Seasons Washington, DC Family. Karen walked to a nearby Italian restuarant and brought back huge portions of lasagna and carbonnara, which of course we could not eat it all. We were in for the night, Karen ran into a former colleague from Four Seasons Orlando in the elevator. Both were surprised to see the other! She enjoyed a drink and catch-up on his travels and job.

Our full day in Montreal dawned bright and early. I had a restless night and kept Karen awake unfortunately. We had pre-ordered local bagels that were being delivered so it was up and at ’em in time to accept our breakfast. Shortly afterward, we bundled up again and headed to Old Town Montreal. First stop, Chateau Ramezay. Built by the governor in 1705, this was the first building to receive historical significance in Montreal as well as a UNESCO Heritage Site. The kind people that I previously mentioned were also at the Chateau, patiently waiting to enter while I navigated inside and Karen brought the wheelchair in as well. In a very generous gesture, they paid for our admission! Kind strangers with holiday spirit. We are looking at ways to pay if forward.

For more information visit https://www.chateauramezay.qc.ca/fr/

After the Chateau, we walked (well, Karen walked…) We visited the Noel Christmas store. What a great shop from the stained glass poinsettia windows to the many displays inside. Looking for a specific ornament? It’s here! What about Santas? Yes, also here. As well as Department 56 Christmas Villages and accessories. While initially we did not plan on buying any more Christmas items, we did add a candy cane bench for our village and yes, another ornament for our travel tree. If you love Christmas and didn’t get to the Christmas market, you need to stop here!

We passed by the Molson’s Bank. Not specifically designated a historical site, we still felt it was an interesting building to come across.

Holiday decorations in the Place d’Armes park across from Notre Dame were passed by as we enjoyed our walk back to the hotel through streets filled with historical and beautiful buildings with wonderful olde world architecture.

Montreal Food and Our Choices
First, let me say that there are plenty of options for all types of food. However, let me also say that it’s not inexpensive! Many places that had menu items that we were interested in were either closed or were not open for lunch on our arrival day. Many seemed to open at 5PM. Or only over the weekend. I guess we were not there at a prime visiting time. Our lunch left much to be desired both by the server’s ultimate reaction and the quality of the food that we did not eat. She was not empowered to make the decision to take the uneaten meal off our bill and we had to ask her to check with the manager. Any place else would have automatically done that. The reason we didn’t eat the meal? Big globs of fat in my French Dip. First bite…disgusting. So the sandwich was taken off our bill but we were charged for a side order of fries! Not a very happy dining experience for Montreal Day 1. Later that night our Italian dinner was OK. I would have liked a bit more flavor in the lasagna but I ate it! Next morning we decided to try the much touted Montreal bagels – made special by their use of honey as we were told. Karen and I are definitely both team NY bagel fans. Our Old Town lunch was at an upscale diner with upscale pricing. It probably goes down as the most expensive lunch I’ve ever eaten. Oh! and I must comment that Montreal and Quebec are decidely Pepsi towns which means finding Diet Coke (my preference and what I drink exclusively) any where is difficult. What does a bar do if you order a Rum and Coke? Use Pepsi? We finally had Poutine from the Room Service menu. That ended up being our dinner. We enjoy Basic Poutine but of course there are many variations of it out there. Overall, I have to say I think we were not pleased with our food choices and costs. But, you never know, right?

Stay tuned for Chapter 4 of Our Red Dress World Tour coming soon!

Chapter 4 teaser:

Travel as far as you can,
As much as you can,
For as long as you can.
Life’s not meant to be lived in one place.

Unknown

I decided to start decorating for Christmas early this year. I hope this isn’t my last Christmas, but then none of us ever knows what is in store for us. I just wanted to enjoy the decorations for a little longer. The tables are in place for the village scenes, the tree has its place in the corner, little touches here and there are appearing, the snowman lot is full but there’s always room for more! The Byers Family is singing Christmas Carols. Our German Advent Calendar is in place to count down the days til Christmas. The kitchen counter has new crafts to be completed and repairs to wreaths and other decorations, waiting for me.

One of the special items this year is my 1950’s Marx Tin Lithograph doll house that is under the tree. I remember loving this toy as a child and playing many hours with it. I had wanted to donate it to a hometown museum, but sadly they were not interested in it for their dollhouse exhibit. So, I decided to keep it and decorate it for Christmas, placing it under the tree like it was for me over 65 years ago (but without the holiday decorations).

I received quite an amazing reaction with my posting of this doll house on Facebook. Gave an idea to a few others and the most often comment was “love it!” I’m enjoying seeing it under the tree once again.

The village is now done. It ‘snowed’ this morning so there’s a light covering of the white stuff to soften the scenes. Another labor of love as we put it out each year. I wish we had more space to put all the houses out. Years ago, Karen and I merged our two villages together. Most of what you see in these pictures is from my village. I guess it’s what was unwrapped first! Again, we have a couple specialty pieces – Dad’s Diner in honor of Karen’s Dad and the Maple Syrup Factory in honor of my Dad. Candy Cane Lane is a favorite with the photographer using Kodak film (of course!) and Snowball Hill with lots of small snowbals on the ground. The Pretzel Stand is in memory of our Christkindle Markts trips to Europe/Germany/Austria. And what winter scene is not complete without the Hot Cocoa Stand? There’s a tree farm and wreath stand. And it’s over the river and through the woods and a covered bridge for the horse and sleigh. Shoppers are downtown; people are meeting friends on the streets. A soldier is home being greeted by his girlfriend as her brother gets ready to pelt them with a snowball! Lots of mini stories in Mistletoe. Enjoy the overall ‘drone’ pictures! For more pictures of previous years set ups, visit Facebook’s Under the Tree – Christmas Villages.

And that’s it for Christmas set up 2022! Karen and I wish you and yours peace, love, Merry Christmas and a very Happy, Healthy New Year!

Joy here, there, and everywhere…
In the smiles all around you.
Woven through memories.
In each new moment.
Joy from our home to yours at Christmas.

–Hallmark

A cruise of a very different magnitude from our cruise in Chapter One! We sailed aboard the Disney Magic for a 5-night Halloween on the High Seas itinerary to King’s Wharf, Bermuda.

Disney had a few hoops to jump through before we were approved to sail. I know it’s all for our protection and the passengers we will be on board with, but this seemed a bit much. Our cruise was the last Disney cruise to require COVID testing results 48 hours prior to sailing. And no help from Disney to get the required $40 (each) VISA to step ashore in Bermuda, Finally got our Visa approval for Bermuda 3 days before we sailed! Phew! COVID tests came back negative so we are good to sail the high seas – avoiding the Bermuda triangle of course!

Day 1 – Embarkation in NYC
After setting the alarm for o’dark thirty and driving to the pier in NYC for our 12:15 arrival, we encountered a very repetitive process of showing this ID and that ID at several stations as we traversed the lengthy terminal and finally boarded the ship. There was obviously a communication problem between the terminal and the ship as our cabin was not available at the time specified. I have to admit that I am spoiled with the guest services I receive at Four Seasons hotels as well as sailing many times with Viking. I had hoped for similar experiences with Disney, but felt somewhat disappointed. We found our cabin on Deck 6, mid-ship, put up our door decoration and headed out to check the lunch offerings.

Sailing out of the port was delayed thanks to NCLBreakaway in the berth next to us. We were lucky to sail past the Statue of Liberty before dark. And then we were off on the high seas!

On the ship, Disney offers a parking area for wheelchairs, scooters, strollers and other mobility devices near the elevators on deck 6. This is a great idea. The cabins are so small you barely have room to walk through. I took my walker, which folds up so we kept it in the room with us but it still took up valuable real estate and constantly seemed to be in the way. Another great idea is that Disney had onboard mobility rentals.

Note: The manual wheelchairs come in two sizes and there is no charge to use them. You are allowed to take them off the ship and use them in port. Just check with Guest Services. I wish other cruise lines would think about offering this service.

Note: The elevators are small, saying they carry 12 passengers each. We actually watched a group of at least 12 people crowd into one – kind of like a clown car at the circus! So just keep in mind that on embarkation day and debarkation day as well as after scheduled events and if you use a mobility device, it’s possible you may have to wait a while to get on an elevator. You may wish to consider walking forward or aft to a less populated elevator bank area.

About the food on board – well, this was another disappointment for me. Many times our food temperature was less that ideal. I do realize they are preparing food for hundreds of guests but the kitchen staff need to be more cognisant of keeping it at an acceptable temperature for maximum guest enjoyment. I don’t enjoy cold eggs, rubbery waffles or cold main entrees, do you? We heard this from others as well.

Anyone Can Cook – we went to two of these events. One was how to make a spider cake (which actually was not a cake but more of a mousse). The other was for lobster ravioli which was not served on the ship.Yet either could be special ordered in the dining room. I did not care for either one, truth be told. The chefs were personable and well versed providing helpful tips and instructions. Recipes were available afterwards. Karen mentioned that a few of the seafood items were “fishy” tasting, which is never good.

We also attended an excellent presentation on napkin folding.

Note: Better to have a well-starched napkin for napkin folding to avoid floppy folds however they are just a little rough on the lips and skin.

At night, the Halloween party and trick or treating were well attended and in full swing. The amount of candy that was given out was amazing! Our trick or treaters will never know that their candy came from Disney! The Disney characters were dressed for Halloween as well.

Note: if you want to see any of the shows on the pool deck, best to get there early and claim your spot. Or step back a bit and watch it on the Jumbo-tron screen.

There were many cute adult, family and children costumes. There was a father/infant son sailor pair, Popeye was there too, the Boy Scout from Up!, lots of Princesses fresh from the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Cruella and puppies, Stitch, Woody, Buzz and lots of people in Disney onsies as well as a special Mouseketeer named Karen!

The deck crew did a pretty good job of mopping up the water from the pool guests and rain, picking up towels and used dishes/glasses. There were always towels and blankets available.

Character pictures – always characters out and about. There’s a schedule posted for who, where and when and the lines are always long but seemed well managed.

Day 2 – Sailing the Atlantic to Bermuda

Our first sea day, time for breakfast, what to have for lunch a nap and Lumiere’s for dinner. Disney has a neat idea in that your servers in the restaurant follow you to a different restaurant each night. That way you get consistent service and get to experience the onboard dining venues. Our servers were Rendi and Julian.

Day 3 – King’s Wharf, Bermuda

Karen engaged the services of Mills Tours for the day. Our guide, MIllard, is a many-generation Bermudian with vast knowledge of his beloved island. Everything from horticulture to history, he was able to provide us with a pretty complete picture of the island. He drove us through the entire island with as many stops for photo ops or rest stops as needed. We saw Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, forts, the botanical gardens, the glass beach and so much more that we would never have seen on an organized tour. Karen climbed the 187 steps to the top of the lighthouse and walked the pink sand beach. She found a small piece of sea glass. Mills told us an interesting story about a visitor and the sea glass beach. We saw a very large banyan tree that is 270 years old and rivals the one we’ve seen in Maui. Karen and Mills took a short walk into the tree area. We stopped for a quick snack and drinks with our guide as our guest. We saw the smallest draw bridge and fed the ducks. We encountered a bit of rain but it lasted just a few minutes before the sun came back out again. Temperatures were comfy and warm. I think Millard is a treasure and certainly the unofficial mayor and friend to all.

Day 4 – King’s Wharf, Bermuda
We started the day with a light breakfast before boarding the glass bottom boat – the Bottom Peeper – with captains Zoe and Jesse. They were well prepared to accept my mobility issues and knew the right way to assist me up and down the stairs. Unfortunately their microphone went out so we missed out on a lot of commentary. Zoe was very informative when we headed down to the bottom of the boat. Lots of marine information about the corals reefs, fish and the HMS Vixen shipwreck we were passing over. Reaching a quiet cove, it was snokel time. This one little girl was a pro with her own pink gear from mask to fins. She’s done this before! Karen had fun in the water checking out the fish and area. Hopefully her underwater pictures come out good!

Day 5 – Sailing the Atlantic back to NYC

Another day at sea – time for a nap! And time to pack up the suitcases again. Last dinner in Lumiere’s, good-bye to our servers and the nice couple, Michelle & Thomas from Long Island at the table next to us. Pirates in the Caribbean night with fireworks to send us off back home. ,We also finally caught the live production show “Disney Dreams” which brought in many of the stories we are familiar with.

Day 6 – Disembark in NYC
Disembarkation was fairly easy. A quick balcony check and yes! the car is still there right where we left it! We decided to take our luggage with us and we headed back through the long terminal to our car, which was parked close by. Back to reality and a long drive home due to a few pit stops and heavy traffic issues. Sadly, we remembered way too late to get our passports stamped in NYC. Maybe next time.

Note: it was difficult to hear the disembarkation announcements over the PA while in Cabanas for breakfast. Yet we could hear the music and Watch Officer’s announcements just fine. So, if you are concerned about getting your luggage that you put out the night before and when you will be called to disembark, you do not want to be in Cabanas. Follow the directions left in your cabin with your luggage tags.

Overall: I did not enjoy this cruise as much as I wanted to or as much as I enjoyed our Disney Christmas cruise a few years ago. The main reason we took Disney was for the Bermuda destination and the timing fit well with our schedule. I did enjoy our time in Bermuda.

I felt that many children were out of control on this cruise and their parents were at their wits end. I overheard one parent telling their child what the expectations were for the day. I wish more parents would do that. We were all on sensory and sugar overload! And probably sleep deprived as well. I know that we were and I know the bags under my eyes were real! Disney has changed the cabin arrangements. No longer does the queen bed split into two separate beds. The cabin slept four yet with two adults who do not sleep together, one got the bed (me!) and the other (Karen) checked out the bunk bed (located in a drop down from the ceiling over the couch) the first night (not good as the kid in the cabin next to us kept kicking/hitting the wall) and the other 4 nights she slept on a fold-out sofa bed. But once that is made up as a bed there is no place else to sit comfortably unless you sit on the balcony. Just crazy that this was what is offered!

Entertainment – The music offerings on board were varied – a violinist who played Broadway tunes in the Atrium, a pianist who played Disney tunes and more in the Atrium (but no place to sit and enjoy since this was a major character picture zone), a live band in one of the lounges, the piano bar, Keys, with a talented player/singer. And certainly the live production shows. Normally we would have gone to each of the three offered, but time constraints prevented that for us. We did enjoy the show on the last night – Disney Dreams. We had front row seats! As this is what Disney does well for their handicapped guests.

The (quiet) Cove is an adults-only area that sadly isn’t very quiet at times. Or adult either. But it’s there if you need to escape the pool deck noise. So, please do not bring or let your children run through this area. And if you must listen to the game on your phone, please wear your ear buds! Not everyone is interested!

And, a personal note – I know many people do not care to be around smokers. My daughter is a smoker who is always considerate of others around her and goes out of her way to stand away from others. All the ships we’ve been on have a smoker’s area or two. Please, if you do not want to be around smoke, do not go to or through that area and then complain! The area they give smokers is very small and out of the way. You have the rest of a huge ship. Pick another route!

There was never a meet the captain and crew event – unless you want to count meeting Captains Mickey and Minnie and the gang. Even the last night sail away party was just another parade of characters on the atrium steps. Never saw the actual ship’s captain, but did hear him on the PA system.

• Things I miss when on a cruise:
• Room to turn around in the bathroom
• My bed and pillow
• My recliner/comfy chair to sit in
• My adult-height toilet
• My toilet paper
• My food closer (think home kitchen) and served warmer/hot
• A good nights sleep – well yes, this one is always iffy!
• The paper daily newsletters left each night on the bed
• Paper menus – QR codes and the Disney app had to suffice
• Included internet
• Stateroom water
• Port-side water

Yet, it all depends on the ship and unfortunately, Disney had a few failures. Another Disney surprise was the additional gratuity envelopes and recommended amounts in our cabin on the last night. We have already been charged a mandatory amount of gratuity to our stateroom account and Disney is asking for more! Additional grauities are subjective and should never be expected or required. Yet the actual parks and hotel employees of Disney are forbidden from accepting tips/gratuities. Interesting right?

This experience will be our last Disney Cruise Line experience. There are many other ships out there to sail on as I’m sure we will! Next cruise is on Oceania…looking forward to being pampered and spoiled again!

Chapter one starts Our Red Dress World Tour with a historical cruise up (or is it down?) the C&O canal in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. It was a beautiful fall day to be out and about in Georgetown with my daughter and travel buddy, Karen. The vessel was smaller than our usual cruise ships and not quite as comfortable. But the on board guide’s narrative was informative and the cruise was a chance for some more local history in our back yard.

A little information about our cruise, captained at the helm by Captain Franklin. The vessel is 80 feet long, 13 feet at the width, weighing 40,000 pounds and we traveled at speeds up to 1.5 miles per hour. There are 74 locks along the 184 miles of the canal, however not all are working locks. The locks are manual, requiring deckhands to lock and unlock for passage. The deckhands use long poles to push the boat off the edge of the canal. We had a couple of bumps along the way but had been warned that it would most likely happen as there is no keel to the boat. Each lock takes about 12 minutes to drain or fill, which recedes or raises about 9 feet. Many of the vessels that traversed the canal were family owned. There were many female captains (wives) and cooks (husbands) and skinners (children who tended to the mules along the tow path).

The C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio) canal is a grand ole ditch, which was started in 1828 by President John Quincy Adams, with a ground breaking ceremony. The earth was so resistent that gun powder was used as dynamite had not yet been invented.

Fun Fact: even though it is called the C&O canal, it never did reach Ohio.

After our canal journey we headed over to Ristorante Picolo for an Italian lunch in which we shared a delicious chicken parmesian and a meatball hoagie with truffle fries. A word of caution about the outside tables however – they may not be sitting on solid ground and may shift -as was the case with me – when attempting to sit. I had a very intimate relationship with the umbrella next to the table! Also, this establishment is not handicap accessible per se. After my mishap outside, we were taken to a side door for easy, no-step access to an inside table. There are multiple steps leading up to and into the ladies room which may prove difficult for some. I did not attempt them however.

Fill your life with adventures, not things.
Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.

Unknown

I have decided to call this next chapter in my life “Our Red Dress World Tour”. A few years ago, I said if I ever received a terminal diagnosis that I would leave on a world cruise. Well, I looked into that world cruise and decided it really wasn’t for me. Weeks on the same boat, with the same people, eating the same food and seeing the same entertainment even with interesting ports of call – Boring as well as costly! So instead, my always-ready-to-travel daughter, Karen and I are planning many epic and maybe not so epic journeys on land and sea for as long as I’m able to travel

Our first cruise is not as epic as some that we have planned but certainly historical. This cruise is in a local canal – the C&O Canal to be exact. The canal has been cleaned out and there is a short boat ride (60-70 minutes) which should be informative as well as interesting. We followed this cruise with a delicious lunch at Ristorante Picolo.

Our second cruise is a bit higher on the epic scale – aboard Disney’s Magic with an itinerary to Bermuda. We will be able to check that destination off our map and wish list soon. We are booked on Disney’s original cruise ship, which is a little cause for concern, but knowing Disney, I’m sure everything (except maybe Mother Nature) will be fine. We plan to drive to NYC where we will board the ship and cruise south to Kings Wharf, Bermuda. The itinerary on this cruise is entitled “Halloween on the High Seas”. I’m not a huge Halloween fan but it should be fun seeing the kids on board in costume having a blast. A great way to lift my spirits! This will be our second Disney cruise – our first being a memorable “A Very Merry Christmas” cruise a few years ago.

We also plan a trip to Montreal for the Christmas markets and a another stay at a Four Seasons hotel. It’s been years since I was in Montreal (not counting disembarking there and heading straight to the airport a few years ago after our Atlantic crossing cruise!).

Fingers crossed for Christmas in Las Vegas. HIghlights of this trip should be seeing ‘old’ friends and visiting Opportunity Village’s Magical Forest. Karen, Ed and I volunteered at Magical Forest many times. I even created several display cases of winter village scenes that were on display in the commissary area for all to enjoy. Vegas will always be very special to me.

Starting the new year of 2023 off right, the plan is to visit a couple of newer Four Seasons locations – one in the Bahamas and one in Fort Lauderdale. The main purpose is to escape the cold winter here and enjoy the sunshine there.

Another cruise is planned for April aboard Oceania, with a port stop in … Morocco! How cool is that?! Stay tuned for more later!

An epic cruise on Oceania is coming up in July. More countries to check off the wish list and map! More information about this journey later.

September brings about a special birthday party back home. My high school graduating class, for the most part, is turning 70 in 2023. Anticipating about 100 classmates or so will attend. I’m sure that our “Reunion Queen, Janet” has some great things up her sleeve for this event. The plan right now is a catered picnic in a local park as well as a casual get-together night at a favorite bar. Last year we had our 50th high school reunion gala that I was glad I was able to attend. I also put together a 50th anniversary edition of a yearbook for this event. The plan right now is to drive back to Rochester/Henrietta for this party with a possible 1000 Islands side trip.

The chapters will be filled in as we make future plans to travel and explore our world, from our back yard and across the ponds to countries we never dreamed we’d be exploring. An idea that we talked about today, as a matter of fact, is a Canadian Train adventure. More on that if we make it happen.

And so, that’s your introduction to what we have planned so far for Our Red Dress World Tour. Lots of interesting places to visit in our world. Lots of things to see and photograph, lots of memory books to be made. Oh and yes! I did buy some new luggage for all these epic journeys! So, stay tuned to this blog for updates and photos as each chapter unfolds.

Why did I change the name of our world tour you may ask? Well, we decided that since we are supporting and hopefully educating women on heart health, that the Red Dress movement was important to us. Men are not the only ones who have heart attqacks! For more on that check out http://goredforwomen.org.

Tourists see the world; Travelers experience it.

Unknown

I am very lucky to have a daughter that wants to spend time with me and travel! Karen’s work schedule is always last minute so many of our travel plans are last minute too! What to do with 3 days off? And…let the suggestions fly…

Speaking of flying, we landed on heading to St. Louis to visit Karen’s dear friend, Alisa, who recently moved there with her 3 boys, one who was recently promoted to Colonel in the Air Force. It’s been a few years since these two have gotten together in person. Usually it’s sporadic long distance phone calls to touch base. Alisa presented us with a Welcome to St. Louis bag full of local flavors including soda, beer, chocolate and a decadent slice of gooey chocolate chip cake, complete with cutlery, plates and napkins. What a nice treat!

Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA)

Literally in our back yard, this is our airport of choice for U.S. based travel. A short Uber ride from here to there is all it takes. It’s a small airport that services narrow-bodied aircraft. For larger aircraft and international flights we use Washington Dulles (IAD) about 30 miles away. As we headed into the blue skies recently we were treated to a great aerial view of the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetary, which is also near us. Unfortunately on the return flight our seats did not have a window suitable for pictures, but we flew by the Washington Monument and National Mall area.

Grant’s Farm

Grant’s Farm is a historic farm and long-standing landmark in Grantwood Village, Missouri, built by Ulysses S. Grant on land given to him and his wife by his father in law Frederick Fayette Dent shortly after they became married in 1848. It has also served as a residence of various members of the Busch family.

https://grantsfarm.com

This is a very interesting farm and home to a few Budweiser Clydesdales, young, old and retired. We participated in a behind-the-scenes tour and started the day with a Bud beer and water. When you see these large 2000+ pound beauties pulling the wagon, know that they all started out the same way. Being born at Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville, transporting to Grant’s Farm at about age 6 months and start their journey with learning barn manners. What are barn manners you ask? Well each horse has a report card with 20 things to accomplish before being sent back to Warm Spring Ranch to start learning how to pull the hitch. But before any of this, all Budweiser Clydesdales must have approximately the same markings – white blaze down the nose, 4 white ‘feathered’ legs and be male. There are 3 coat colors that will determine if the horse is on an East coast hitch team (darker coat), a West coast hitch team (lighter coat) or the St. Louis hitch team (more of a red coat). Lots to learn about these magnificent gentle giants. The gear (reins, collar etc.) that they wear weighs about 150 pounds. It takes the handlers – who always wear red shirts – about 5 hours to groom and dress the team of 8 horses before each appearance. There are two dalmation dogs that are also part of the team and live and travel with the horses. There are always 10 horses sent with the hitch, but only 8 that pull the hitch. This is in case one or two of the horses don’t feel like working that day. These horses are pampered and never forced to work. The line up at the hitch is tall and big near the wagon, with shorter, show-offs high-stepping and setting the pace at the front. The story of how Anheiser-Busch came to be is definitely an interesting one!

The Bavarian Village area is a great gathering place to eat, rest and relax with a complimentary beer or three, visit with a Clydesdale, see the Carriage House or use the rest room facilities. Adjacent to the Village is a petting zoo and carousel. The tram ride takes you from the front gate through the wilderness park with lots of animals and returns you to the front gate at the end of your visit.

Grant’s Farm is totally handicap accessible for walkers, strollers and wheelchairs. The pathways are smooth with no steps and a few gentle inclines/ramps. There is a tram that is also handicap accessible. Grant’s Farm is a free park courtesy of Anheiser-Busch. I love that they provide this to the community at no cost. You only pay for parking which you can save $3 if you purchase the parking online.

http://www.warmspringsranch.com

Gateway Arch

The Arch is the tallest monument in the U.S. at 630 feet in height. Its complex and subtle design based on a weighted catenary is unique in architecture and its structural system had never been attempted on such a large scale.

Although designed in 1947 and not built until between 1963 and 1968, its symbolic architectural expression is of such simplicity that it remains modern.

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/visit-play/arch.cfm

Four Seasons St. Louis

Another Four Seasons visited! This is #15!

Our resort-style hotel is set along the banks of the fabled Mississippi River in the heart of downtown’s entertainment district, just steps away from our most recognizable landmark: the shimmering Gateway Arch

fourseasons.com/stlouis

With 14 previous Four Seasons visits in the U.S., I can definitely say that this was not my favorite stay however, the view from our 14th floor room was pretty great as we had a view of the Gateway Arch and pool area. The chocolate arch amenity was my second favorite amenity, right behind the choclate Welcome to Las Vegas sign received on our visit there.

St. Louis Fun Tours

Meet Charlotte the Trolley! We decided to take this tour last minute and enjoyed the bouncy trolley ride through and around St. Louis, seeing many local sites. We stopped for a brief time at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Lous

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is a one-of-a-kind work of art. With its lofty vaults and radiant mosaics, the sheer scale of beauty is a thing of awe. More than a dozen architects’ and artisans’ concepts and works have coalesced in a magnificently well-integrated and harmonious whole. From top to bottom, front to back, the Cathedral Basilica draws one’s thoughts and emotions upward toward the contemplation of something transcendent.  

The museum and tours of the Cathedral Basilica offer any visitor a guided overview of just how much there is to see and learn about the historic site. The museum offers a glimpse at the history of the breathtaking church, its community, and events that led to its completion. Tours offer visitors the ability to learn more about the symbolism of many elements of the building while learning more about its rich history.

https://cathedralstl.org/about-basilica/museum-and-tours

In 1912, installation of mosaics in the interior began. Completed in 1988, the mosaics collectively contain 41.5 million glass tesserae pieces in more than 7,000 colors. Covering 83,000 square feet (7,700 m²), it is the largest mosaic collection in the world outside Russia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_Saint_Louis_(St._Louis)

Tiring of the Four Season food choices, we decided to have a chicken parm dinner from the Old Spaghetti Warehouse nearby, complete with soup/salad, bread, chicken, pasta and dessert. I need to remember to bring Rolaids our next trip!

I’m a travel addict on the road to recovery.
Just kidding…I’m on my way to the airport!

Yes, we did it! We deposited on our next cruise! On Oceania. 9 countries only 1 visited prior but not the city we will visit. Countless UNESCO sites. Summertime 2023 (not winter!) Verandah cabin – mid-ship (no mal de mer this time!). Time off from work already requested and on the calendar. Looking good right now! Time to review the shore excursions and talk to others on Cruise Critic to form friendships before we set sail! Where are we going you ask? Well, you need to stay turned to this travel blog to find out! This was just a teaser!

As usual, our thoughts turn to the question of where will our next travel experience take us? Many thoughts and ideas are discussed. The most recent discussions have been Australia/New Zealand and Northern Europe. As much as we like Viking for their Australia itinerary, we have always had issues on our cruises with them yet they offer the best itinerary along with other included amenities. And the air travel time and cost to begin this cruise is not ideal for either one of us. How do people sit in economy for 15+ hours? Or afford first class/business class where the seats become beds?

On our recent trip to Amsterdam this year we upgraded to Premium Economy, which we found was not much better in the long run than regular Ecomony seating. Karen didn’t receive the upgraded meal and when the person in front of you moves their seat back, it’s still a very narrow space for feet and any movement. I guess the pillow was bigger and the blanket softer, but really, is that what you are paying the additional money for? And if the captain keeps the seat belt sign on…well, you don’t get up for anything. Usually on international flights they are more lenient with the seat belt sign than on domestic flights, however.

We took a Christmas cruise on Oceania a few years ago and loved it. So, right now, we are leaning towards Oceania’s Northern Europe itinerary for next year. Shorter flights, and less $$ for 12 days; 9 countries. More check marks on the world travel map!

So as I often say…stay tuned!

UPDATE (July 1)

Well, I guess it’s no surprise – two women and difficult decisions. BUT! We are not planning to take a cruise right now. Instead, my daughter, Karen, has surprised me with a whirlwind trip to Paris, France! One place that she has been but I have not (other than the airport)! Plans are still in the works but I do believe it’s actually going to happen…in October.

A note about the cruise – Viking wanted the money for December 2023 now and with moving costs and all that goes into relocating to a new apartment (locally), that just can’t happen at this time. The Oceania cruise – well, it’s not that we didn’t want to go, but once again we were let down by not one but two travel agents to further the booking. It’s just sad when you can’t find good customer service out there, even in the discretionary, commissionable field of travel. I even approached the travel agency I used to work for in Rochester, NY. But I guess I’ve been gone too long and they didn’t want my business. Oh well…their loss because we will still continue to travel!

“I’m not always on a cruise, but when I’m not, I’m thinking about a cruise!”

Stuff is great but nothing beats experiences.
–Expedia 

LIfe is kinda funny and annoying as it sends you on your way through it. You make decisions based on many factors that are present at the time. People joke with us all the time about the number of times we’ve moved and that we must be experts at it by now. Little do they know!

Moving is stressful. Whether it’s across town or across state lines. It also comes with a hefty price tag. And lots of packing and unpacking. And lots of coordination between apartments here and there, movers to get us from here to there and many other pesky little things like forwarding mail, changing health insurance, notifying everyone of your new address (and then changing your mind!) and the list goes on and on.

Our latest move was supposed to be easy. We would move the small stuff throughout the month of June from the old apartment to the new apartment. We would then, with the help of a friend, move the big stuff at a later date. After months of apartment searching we settled on a new apartment in an area that we felt we could be happy in. As we started moving items in and worked on the move-in inspection list, we started to realize that we might not have found the perfect place to call home after all. We kept thinking of our apartment the last time we lived in nearby Arlington, Virginia. A quick search indicated that there was a top floor apartment with an acceptable floor plan available. After a quick call and some more paperwork, we were approved! Yikes! And we had just started changing our address too! Oh boy… And just when we thought things were going to be easier this time around!

The unfortunate part of this story is that we will have another month here in Fairfax, before we can now move back to Arlington and less time to complete things than we originally thought. The fortunate part of this story is that we are back where we are comfortable and welcomed by old friends, I can walk to nearby stores and Karen is closer to work for her commute.

Still can’t believe we are doing this! AGAIN! This place looks like a hoarders paradise with boxes and stuff everywhere. It’s going to be a long 6 weeks as we navigate around the disarray and then create a new home for us once again.

It’s always amazing the differences in apartments and leasing criteria. Some are easy. Some not so much. Some apartments are definitely move-in ready and some still need work done. A couple of our fussy requests are the handle locations on the washer/dryer and refrigerator. Not really sure how the previous tenants dealt with them in the ‘wrong’ position! There is a multi-item move-in checklist associated with apartment living that is supposed to be completed within 48 hours of move-in. It’s amazing the items on this list! And then, when it comes time to move out you are presented with a price list that is very exaggerated in cost to fix anything the complex deems damaged or otherwise not cleaned.

Even after all these years of renting and living in various states and complexes, apartment living is not really for me. The upside is, that I don’t have to do any maintenance so that it a plus! The housing market is so inflated that I just don’t understand how anyone living on a regular salary or retirement income can afford to buy and maintain a house. The amount of the down payment alone is scary not to mention the taxes! We had truly hoped to be homeowners by now. But in the current economy, that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

While I realize that you can have bad neighbors in a housing community, here are some of the things we have dealt with over the years as renters:

• Upstairs neighbor’s A/C was not properly maintained and flooded our apartment, damaging floors and furniture. Large noisy blower fans ran 24/7 to help dry things out. And the smell!
• Our heating unit condensor crashed in November and wasn’t fixed until January, supposedly due to a parts problem. I think it was more a budget problem. The unit ran constantly, and our electric bill was through the roof!
• Next door neighbor thought their dog was lonely, so adopted another dog. Just like siblings sometimes, these dogs did not get along at all and were constantly fighting, which only made the neighbors scream at the dogs constantly. And they only identified one dog to management to avoid paying extra fees. Their apartment had a very bad odor eminating from within.
• Stick-build apartment buildings are not good. We have a very hyper child above us right now and when s/he is awake there is no peace and quiet to be had. The floor joists take a beating from this child who jumps, runs, pounds and then screams and cries. Concrete construction is preferred.
• Upstairs neighbors constantly dropping heavy things on the floor, resulting in many OMG moments of shock to the ole ticker.
• Neighbors in two separate complexes smoking marijuana and the smell permeating our apartment.
• The use of PineSol in the dishwasher by the previous tenant. It took forever for it to dissipate.
• Professionally cleaned new apartment that was disgusting. A smell that could not be erased by cleaning and permeated the entire apartment. Opening windows did not help. Sprays only masked it temporarily.
• On the homefront, a small family-owned business across the street outgrew the neighborhood but was “grandfathered” in and there was nothing that could be done about the extra traffic, trucks and eyesore appearance.

And just in case you are wondering, yes, we talked to various complex managment about the apartment issues and the zoning commission/town board about the business across the street. Same answers always, “nothing we can do about that. If you don’t like it…leave.”

So, as you can see I’m not a huge fan of apartment living! I’m sure there’s more instances but these are the standout ones for me. I know you cannot pick your neighbors whether you live in a house or an apartment. Growing up, our next door neighbors were very nice. But as the years passed by and things changed, a lock was put on the fence gate and law enforcement was called on a regular basis over what could be considered trivial infractions by both parties.

Still not sure about your nice neighbor? If you have time, watch an episode or two on True Crime, Fear Thy Neighbor. You’ll be amazed at the stories. I’m just thankful that the situation at my childhood home did not end the way these stories do!

Fingers crosssed that this will be our last move for a while. Not sure how much more mover’s abuse our furniture and belongings can tolerate! Every time we move there is something broken. The movers just bring it in (or not!) and don’t mention it. And if we do see damage caused by them, the minimal moving insurance doesn’t cover it and the process to file a claim usually makes it not worth it.

Our first move from Las Vegas, we hired a nationally known company. I had two antique marble-top tables specially museum-crated to insure safe travels across the U.S. These were my husband’s grandmothers and I was now the caretaker of them. The marble arrived intact but the base was badly damaged. Another move, I specifically told the movers about the antique what-not shelves, again explaining family heirloom status. These arrived broken and the finish rubbed off to the bare wood when delivered. And yet another antique item, my grandmother’s Singer treadle sewing machine arrived with one of the castors missing. We have never found our monogram glasses. I think they also didn’t survive that first move. We’ve had movers drop our items, break and obviously repair our items, cut our items (they used car keys to remove stretch wrap) and we even had one ‘professional’ mover show up wearing flip flops. It really just boggles the mind! And of course, they all expect a tip! Here’s a tip…act professional and care about our belongings that you are transporting! And now we find ourselves, once again, getting moving quotes and hopefully picking a better mover than the last time.

As I re-read this post, all I can do is sigh deeply and cross my fingers and toes that this move will go smoother and will be the last one for a while. The newest lease is officially signed. Time will tell…stay tuned!

#movingfail

oops!

This is probably the most lengthy blog post to date, so grab a cuppa your favorite beverage, settle into your comfy chair and enjoy the read and beautiful pictures.

After much consideration and frustration with the cruise line policies and travel agency ineptness, we decided to change our April 2023 Viking River Cruise to April 2022. Viking wanted final payment for 2023 a year in advance after having thousands of our dollars for about 3-1/2 years prior. For the same amount of money due and a simple change of itinerary, we decided to go this year instead. (In hindsight, maybe we should have waited!) Each day, we published a ‘postcard’ from the day’s events on Facebook, which I’ve included below. This is something that we always do, in addition to Karen’s mailed postcards back home. It’s a great way to remind us of our travels and how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy them.

Day 1 – Amsterdam

We arrived after a delayed overnight flight and connected with Viking reps in Schipol airport to transfer to our Viking longship (vessel). Our originally requested cabin had an unresolved issue, so we were ‘upgraded’ and placed further down the passageway than we planned. 

Karen took a guided walking tour of the Amsterdam area and I took a nap. Everything seems good for now.

Day 2 – Amsterdam

We started the day with a brisk, windy walk to get to the included Amsterdam canal cruise. We try to get a head start by leaving before the group as I walk slower than most. Afterwards, we returned to the ship for lunch and then departed for the Delft walking and guided factory tours. The tour was interesting. We watched a master painter as he created a beautiful Delft platter. The paint is black with pigment that turns blue when fired in the kiln. Various amounts of water and paint on the paintbrush create the different shades seen on Delft blue porcelain. After our tour, Karen enjoyed a Heineken beer – her first of many more to come.

The Delft factory is handicap accessible with some ramps and minimal steps. The gift shop shows impressive works. Not all Delft is hand-painted however. The alternative is a transferable pattern. To know the difference, you need to look at the bottom mark of the finished piece.

We’ve met some very nice people on this trip starting at Schipol Airport and have enjoyed different company at each meal on the ship. There are no assigned tables on a river cruise. You simply sit where you want with people you want to meet and talk to. The first question always seems to be “Where are you from?” or “How many Viking trips have you taken?” And then instantly, you have meal-time conversation through dessert.

Tip: Talk to the excursion guide. Let them know if you need anything or if you will be leaving the group to be on your own. They know where the meeting point is and where the busses are. They can call you a taxi if needed. They speak the local language and can better instruct the taxi to your final destination…the ship!

Day 3 – Hoorn – an ancient harbor city founded in 716AD; chartered in 1352.

We were unable to dock in Hoorn due to King’s Day. Had we known, we might have brought something orange to wear! So we had to be bussed in. This is one of the things I take exception with Viking. King’s Day is the same day every year – it is the King’s birthday celebration. Yet we were not informed of a change in plans until the night before when tickets appearred in our cabin. The included morning walking tour was combined with the optional tulips and windmills tour that was to be in the afternoon. Our plan had been for an leisurely morning – maybe Karen would take the walking tour and then our optional tour in the afternoon. Everything was late that morning – blaming it on the King’s birthday celebrations. Viking uses busses to transport from ship to venue on a regular basis. When it was decided to break away from the walking group, we were given the wrong time to be back on the bus by an hour! Bus trips are not our favorite thing.

A couple of mobility notes here:

1. Try to use the front bus steps as the bus lowers in the front making it easier to get on and off. Mind the steps going up and the little toe-grqbber step into the seats.
2. The back or rear steps are steeper and may be more difficult to manage. They are also where the motorcoach’s restroom is located. And…it’s a very tight squeeze! We’ve found that some bus drivers do not unlock the restroom as they probably don’t want to clean it afterwards. It can also be a very ‘unhealthy’ place based on previous occupants. Use with caution!
3. Europe does not embrace any ADA guidelines, including reserving the front seats on motocoaches for handicap passengers. It’s hit or miss. We had several passengers with various levels of mobility difficulties on our ship. Yet, able-bodied passengers continually sat in the front seats. Honestly, all Americans should know better! When I mentioned this to the Program Director, she basically said there was nothing she could do about it as there were so many disabled passengers. Well, I have a suggestion – make the first two rows of seats for handicapped passengers! Simple, right?!

Since it was King’s Day – a major holiday – many people wanted the day off to celebrate so it was a bit difficult to hire motorcoaches, guides and a place for lunch. Mandatory lunch was off the boat at a restaurant. Buffet menu choices were limited and it was a bit chaotic in the food area. Busses left at 9:15. Late. Should have been 8:30. Didn’t plan on motivating in the morning but was mandatory if we wanted to do our optional excursion in the afternoon. Not happy about all of this. Lunch in a hotel then bussed again to the tulip farm where we were cautioned that the field might be plowed and most were except one small area. The farmer’s wife was amusing and informative about bulb harvesting. Also the windmill was a turbine model, not the old anticipated style. Sadly, that’s not how the excursion description was written or we may have decided to not purchase it. It was probably my least favorite excursion/day on the ship.

Day 4 – Arnhem – c.143, a picturesque town nearly destroyed during World War II

We awoke to beautiful scenery along the river as we cruised to Arnhem. But even on a ship, I didn’t sleep well. Body aches. At least we are cruising instead of bussing! Quiet morning planned. Easy morning playing Uno and relaxing in the Aquavit Lounge. Our afternoon excursion is at an open air museum. Lunch was enjoyed on the Aquavit bow. The open air museum was ok similar to Genesee Country museum back home. It had a collection of gathered buidlings and demonstations from around the area. There was an antique tram that had a few stops to hop on and hop off, making it somewhat easier to see more of the venue. The tram is wheelchair accessible via a scary ramp with expert assistance from the trainsmen; the pathways can be difficult to manage. Restroom facilities are available throughout the area and are accessible. Once again, the amount of time given to enjoy excursions is very limited. That evening was Holland night with music, food and costumes. Unfortunately, the food did not agree with me.

Day 5 – Kinderdijk – home of 19 remarkably preserved 18th century windmills

We docked a walk away from the UNESCO site of Kinderdijk (pronounced Kinder – dike) and proceeded to ride an old barge and visit a c.1738 working windmill and the miller. The miller gave us background on the windmill and showed us how to cover the arms. He climbed the trellis arm in his wooden shoes! Awesome volunteer guides. Karen got to pull the rope to start the windmill, which was a highlight for her.

There was too much walking to get back to ship for me. We ended up taking a “short cut” as pointed out by the guides but it put us on the bike path! YIKES! Bikes in Holland are everywhere! And they don’t like pedestrians in their way! Only two wheelchairs are available for use at Kinderdijk. These are hard metal chairs unlike a traditional wheelchair. Again, we need more time to enjoy excursions both included and optional. You decide if you have time to shop for a souvenir or go potty! Not time for both! And in Europe many of the restroom facilities are down a flight of steps with no elevator access available.

Day 6 – Antwerp – one of the world’s largest seaports; known for diamonds and chocolate

Antwerp, Belgium on our own. Best day so far. No rush, no groups. No crowded bus rides. Uber in and shuttle with 6 people back to the ship. Visited UNESCO Cathedral of Our Lady which was large and impressive. Karen enjoyed a beer and I had a unique not chocolate in the courtyard of the church. Then on to a sweet and a savory waffle at the Waffle House. Wow! the savory waffle was deee-licious! We shopped for chocolates and lace. Sometimes on a river cruise, ships raft next to each other, making it difficult to disembark and embark over another ship or two. Up stairs to the sun deck, across ramps connecting the ships, down stairs to gangplank that runs to the pier. And just a note, tour busses are not allowed in the city center so the walk to return to the busses for the return to the ship can be far away. See tip about taxis.

Tip: Check with the Program Director or ship’s Front Desk for a map and location of busses prior to departure. However, we did find out that the Front Desk personnel are not always knowledgeble about such things as they gave us the wrong area to meet the returning shuttle. If you miss the shuttle, you are on your own to get back to the ship before it sets sail!

Tip: So, taking a picture from the daily of the ship’s location may come in handy!

Day 7 – Ghent – an important center for flower seed and bulb trade

Once again, we were bussed in to UNESCO Medievil Brugges. As we walked into the square, we were greeted by church carillon bells and a May 1st Labor Day parade. We bought another ornament and Karen sent postcards. We ate pommels frites and watched the parade as it grew in size and went by. Back to the ship for lunch then we took a shuttle to Ghent and had a quick walk around. Cobblestones are killers and my old body was screaming at me for putting it through the ‘torture’ of it all.

Tip: If you are planning to use a rollator/walker, the bigger and thicker the wheels, the better!

Day 8 – Zeeland

Blue skies, white fluffy clouds and sunshine!! Yay!! Lunch on the open bow as we went thru 1 of 24 locks on our journey back to Amsterdam. Another bus excursion to Delta Works, which provided protection from the North Sea, to see dyke plugging bunkers and learn about the historic and tragic flood of 1953. Then to Verre which was a quaint little town. Walked around some and got the famous cinnamon buns (bolussen). No icing on them here. Just a glorious day weather-wise. Only so-so for the excursion. Tomorrow is Keukenhof – the crowning glory of the trip!!  

Interesting tidbit: All children are taught to swim at an early age.

Well it was a glorious day until… we were pulled out of our next day port talk and told I had contracted Covid on the ship and we were quarantined in our cabin until we could be sent to “hotel hell” for a specified waiting period, but we actually needed 10 days before we were allowed to return to the states. Passports are flagged so you cannot leave without a Fit to Fly certificate from the doctor. We were told Viking was supposed to be arranging everything from hotel to air to ground transportation. However, because we did not choose Viking insurance, we found out we were on our own! Glad we took out travel insurance this time around!! Now to gather all the costs incurred for hotel, meals and missed excursions, etc and file a claim then wait possibly weeks for reimbursement. *Sigh*

Day 9 and Day 10 – Amsterdam

We were placed in the Leonardo Rembrandt Park hotel – a sub-standard 3-star hotel based on Viking Cruises luxury status. While we were happy to not have to take the 2-1/2 hour taxi ride to a Brussels hotel as we were originally told, we were not happy with the Amsterdam hotel choice. The hotel offered us a meal package of 3 meals per day – mystery meals! They would not tell us what was going to be delivered but we would be charged for it. Just a lot of wasted food, sad to say. Servings for breakfast were hit or miss – some days we received scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage for 1, 3 bottles of OJ; 2 boxes of cereal; 1 container of milk and yogurt; 1 packet of wooden cutlery (think the dixie cup ice cream spoon!); pastries, salad, cold cuts. Yet we were always charged for 2 breakfasts. We opted out of lunch and dinner and did Uber Eats instead. We were given a Viking host to contact. She was probably relatively new to the task based our interactions and conversations with her. And as always, there was a bit of a language barrier and understanding.

I was unable to get to Keukenhof, but as Karen was continually testing negative, she spent the afternoon there. We didn’t get to do our Whisper boat ride as planned and that we had been looking forward to.

Tip: We took this trip the last week of April. Many of the tulip fields had been harvested and were brown with soil, instead of beautiful with the rainbow of tulips. We did pass a couple fields while on a bus but it’s not quite the same! Tulips are only really in bloom for 5-6 weeks. Better to plan an earlier in April trip for better viewing options if you are thinking of going to Amsterdam at tulip time.

After more daily testing and doctor visits, on our 6th day of confinement per Amsterdam standards, our doctor gave us clearance to leave the room, and our fellow COVID detainees (7 of us at this time) met in the hotel courtyard to share stories and breathe fresh air for the first time in days. It was always interesting to hear their versions of what they had and hadn’t been informed of by the same doctor and Viking/Viking host. Walking trips to a neighborhood grocery store supplemented the grocery items that Viking’s shopper did not deliver even though they were ordered.

Mother’s Day 2022 was spent in Amsterdam. Karen bought me beautiful yellow tulips and a wonderful tulip-patterned scarf in Delft blue. The lace doilie under the chocolate pictured above (from Leonida’s Chocolates) was another early Mother’s Day present. Not exactly what she had planned but it worked under the circumstances. By the way, it’s true what they say – Belgium chocolate is the BEST!

10 days later – bad, flavorless food, no Kleenex (REALLY?!) no wash cloths, no ice buckets, bad room service, no housekeeping (Karen changed all the linen on a regular basis to help keep us (her) a bit healthier, garbage in the hallway daily that was not picked up – just a truly bad experience overall. We were the COVIDS that no one wanted to deal with. And, the reason for no Kleenex or wash cloths? We were told because guests would flush them down the toilet causing plumbing issues. Americans love ice in their drinks; Europeans generally do not. Hence, no ice buckets. And, let’s talk a bit about the beds – a 3″ thick foam pad that slipped and slid and so did you! “Falling!” Karen can share that story if you ask her! When we packed for the trip, we packed extra clothes and medicines for 14 days. Our original trip was for 10 days; we spent a total of 20 days in Amsterdam/Belgium. By the time we were in the COVID hotel hell, we were running out of clothes. But! The hotel failed to tell us that they did not do laundry on the weekends, so we sink-washed what we could and waited over 2 days for it dry!

Our last day in Amsterdam, Karen and I took an Uber to Dam Square where a World War II remembrance ceremony was held the day before and we watched it on the TV. It was spoken in Dutch but we felt the emotions of the people gathered there. One more excursion, one more postcard, one more beer!

Of an interesting note:
1. The vessel can transport 190 passengers. Of that number, only 154 were on board at the time of sailing. Of the 154 on board approximately 1/3 (50 passengers!) contracted COVID on board. Viking let us down. They promised heightened safety and health protocols. Yet, many of the crew did not wear their masks correctly; at times the captain did not wear a mask at all. Passengers were required to be vaccinated and pre-tested negative for COVID.

2. The food on the ship could have been better, however major kudos to the pastry chef, who was responsible for my vacation weight gain! Over-cooked steak was probably the most often inexcusable failure!

3. Several times, we were served beverages in chipped or cracked glasses that managed to find their way out of the kitchen. Viking – quality control? Cutlery was whisked away, unused as if they were afraid we were going to steal it! At times plates were being removed by the servers who were anxious to move meal service along, before the food was finished.

4. Social distancing on the ship was virtually impossible. You ate at a table of 6-10, you rode on a bus with 50 others. Passenger masks were optional, but encouraged.

DIsclaimer: This is all our own personal experience and may not have been that of others. With both Karen’s and my hospitality background, we just expected more from Viking’s promise of luxury and safety because we know what is possible and what can be achieved.

Last tip: You will be tempted to buy some tulip bulbs, but don’t do it! These will be old, frozen held-over bulbs from last year that may not bloom. Better to shop a local U.S. bulb catalog and order for planting in the fall. Just remember if it blooms in the spring you need to plant in the fall!

Happy to be back home – cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and Karen was greatly missed at work, So life is back to our normal – sort of as I am still testing positive, yet not considered contagious.

This was probably our last Viking River Cruise, I’m a little sad to say. But other opportunities await us on our future travels, so… as they say…stay tuned!

Karen took over 2700 pictures. So difficult to choose a good representation to post!

NOTE: All pictures are the property of this blog and KLR Images and may not be copied, shared or downloaded without express written permission of this blog owner.

Enjoy these pictures of Keukenhof.

Enjoy these miscellaneous pictures too!

More flowers around Amsterdam and Belgium

We travel not to escape life,
but for life not to escape us.

–Unknown