tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57779891449664238222024-03-13T04:28:19.082-07:00Resistant TravelerTravel experiences and suggestions from the viewpoint of someone who does NOT want to travel.Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-36667312181228130722022-08-20T20:02:00.002-07:002022-08-20T20:02:30.718-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 13, end of cruise - Monday, August 15, 2022 end in
Barcelona, Spain</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVK16HsrdpuRsDP_3VAnjBCaHZiWMrWTarQbubYPkKvD_KExdlvLxnRE59cw3D0CGyp3c9CoHd9BL4z2Kd3ctK-FWRNliKaSTP8qThbBc10u1HCATxmXiSQ30nTEv1QXI9PAEPvpthMSTSrtv2gVpKaXXDu9jCjvL5kKzQJi3sca50xUfKbVMA47m2/s4032/IMG_7886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVK16HsrdpuRsDP_3VAnjBCaHZiWMrWTarQbubYPkKvD_KExdlvLxnRE59cw3D0CGyp3c9CoHd9BL4z2Kd3ctK-FWRNliKaSTP8qThbBc10u1HCATxmXiSQ30nTEv1QXI9PAEPvpthMSTSrtv2gVpKaXXDu9jCjvL5kKzQJi3sca50xUfKbVMA47m2/s320/IMG_7886.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I mentioned earlier, we were required to be off the ship
by 9 AM.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dianne and I do not use the transportation the cruise
provides to the airport. We found it is usually 200-300% more expensive than
getting our own taxi. The cruise line offered a bus to the airport for 69 Euro each
(138 Euro total). We hired a taxi and it cost 39 Euro for both of us.</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-43405418001973372722022-08-20T20:00:00.002-07:002022-08-20T20:00:34.646-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 12 of the cruise - Sunday, August 14, 2022 Alicante,
Spain</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was pretty warm in Alicante at 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33
degrees Celsius). Dianne and I decided to take the shuttle bus to the beach
which was only about a two block walk from where the bus dropped us off.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the things Dianne and I noticed on the beaches was
there was small percentage of women, regardless of age, who would be topless.
It was not a large percentage, perhaps five percent. And when I say regardless
of age, it would be from small children and women from 20 years of age to women
in their 70’s. And this beach was no exception.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35UkLDYozZ8RhLv2UY-nWnsusuWUxh7_iszwS4rTkKni09zO_DUkABlcyVcj5DM1stQyQXSVzM269hciJNY2OVF4_nN14FkW6KFpeE7kdtWPoMTfGychi8rv7oFmDsCFeJ7WZe47l1_2xEJyOTj9tu3RcElarUt4hC_QqLkaNaJzjdDRmxWkFwRdf/s4032/IMG_7889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35UkLDYozZ8RhLv2UY-nWnsusuWUxh7_iszwS4rTkKni09zO_DUkABlcyVcj5DM1stQyQXSVzM269hciJNY2OVF4_nN14FkW6KFpeE7kdtWPoMTfGychi8rv7oFmDsCFeJ7WZe47l1_2xEJyOTj9tu3RcElarUt4hC_QqLkaNaJzjdDRmxWkFwRdf/s320/IMG_7889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The water in the Mediterranean was very comfortable. There
was no shock to the system going into the water. My guess is it was about 75
degrees. After a couple of hours on the sand and going in and out of the water,
we rinsed our feet and walked to a large plaza where various vendors were
ending their day.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whether it is a weekday, or a weekend, many vendors and
shops close at 2 pm for a couple of hours for a siesta. The only exceptions
would be café’s. This was a Sunday and Dianne found a couple of souvenirs while
the vendors were packing up for the day.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The instruction from the cruise line to each passenger was
to pack their suitcases, put the tags they provided on them, and leave them
outside the cabin by 10 PM (22:00) the evening prior to the last day of the
cruise.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That requires knowing what we will need or wear the next
day, and what toiletries we will need. Everyone has to leave the ship by 9 in
the morning so they can do a thorough cleaning of the staterooms. Timing wise, that
works fine because we need to find transportation to the airport for our flight
that leaves at 1 PM (13:00).</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-50162988301416218562022-08-20T19:54:00.007-07:002022-08-20T19:54:53.136-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 11 of the cruise - Saturday, August 13, 2022 Granada and
Motril, Spain</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Other than the port where we docked, there is nothing
special about Motril. However, this is where tourists can go to either the
caves of Narja or go to the Alhambra Palace in Granada.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The main export from this area was sugar, and now that
worldwide tastes have changed, they are growing mangoes and avocados. Based on
a year round mild climate, with winter temperatures around 60-70 degrees
Fahrenheit, they can grow vegetables for northern Europe in the winter where
they are experiencing freezing temperatures.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAqvOMTpSLL42ybvmUyMUQkWjIqDTW04uudrY3TudhVNb2u2ak_H1KqutkJQrr6WUc-TQ7po63Grj4yqrLgAkhCy-O6YpaxcpaH3Bj7pJsHp45a2gZbw3j8ooW6aN838qL-ijo9eiYPnBdyHHxhXz1P-ifl2q4ucQS7ZKhLOSLIp5E3Ly_Bnkh0JD/s4032/IMG_7883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAqvOMTpSLL42ybvmUyMUQkWjIqDTW04uudrY3TudhVNb2u2ak_H1KqutkJQrr6WUc-TQ7po63Grj4yqrLgAkhCy-O6YpaxcpaH3Bj7pJsHp45a2gZbw3j8ooW6aN838qL-ijo9eiYPnBdyHHxhXz1P-ifl2q4ucQS7ZKhLOSLIp5E3Ly_Bnkh0JD/s320/IMG_7883.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Dianne and I purchased the tour of the caves in Narja. While
we both took photos, there is no way to truly capture the grandeur, nor size,
of these caves.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dXM7661mLQrke3M5YMTh3xRzCMMG3sZLlTwjfce06Asro22Gwytg7yhnZ6e0KOGRIwHKyn_csKJnq4Q4dieoy5i48IplDQlFAUvZJ3W_5t7CpspC8TbQ6FzEp3Ond3SSlam1o7q3CxYAwVB-GAFVlgp9-wk47Zxj3BI4_tlLRa0P0O4IItAWr23Y/s4032/IMG_7884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dXM7661mLQrke3M5YMTh3xRzCMMG3sZLlTwjfce06Asro22Gwytg7yhnZ6e0KOGRIwHKyn_csKJnq4Q4dieoy5i48IplDQlFAUvZJ3W_5t7CpspC8TbQ6FzEp3Ond3SSlam1o7q3CxYAwVB-GAFVlgp9-wk47Zxj3BI4_tlLRa0P0O4IItAWr23Y/s320/IMG_7884.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Discovered in 1965 by several young boys while trying to
capture some bats, the caves now attract about one million visitors and has
transformed the area of Narja.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfOGsSK9rN9K6ZKMYLUgbTwf1DNsCzNzmDmHxZ4aGDaR-b1DcHak2bKR_orK75rNQxDft1WpVhAFJf-sZSmQ1cKGRtUt42U-v7tiiDQoVU2syt7770VMTutQreRerjGo7JV9rZIDNUGYOMvLHBqeJnb3V_joI4hi0mND0MWh29Rp8exo_hFECVLP1/s4032/IMG_7882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfOGsSK9rN9K6ZKMYLUgbTwf1DNsCzNzmDmHxZ4aGDaR-b1DcHak2bKR_orK75rNQxDft1WpVhAFJf-sZSmQ1cKGRtUt42U-v7tiiDQoVU2syt7770VMTutQreRerjGo7JV9rZIDNUGYOMvLHBqeJnb3V_joI4hi0mND0MWh29Rp8exo_hFECVLP1/s320/IMG_7882.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>On the bus trip to the caves it was also amazing to see a
couple of Roman aqueducts that were built over two thousand years ago that are
still standing today. What gets built today to carry water only lasts 100 years
at the most before falling apart. The Romans built things that could last 100’s
of centuries.<p></p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-80644112162233134942022-08-20T19:49:00.004-07:002022-08-20T19:49:54.647-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 10 of the cruise - Friday, August 12, 2022 Gibraltar,
United Kingdom</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlh-fYCgfuRCEFws3MeOxL6NGPZ2sODxwQgK-8cnibqyPaSrujO2aL68a6e5RHlbEkZYaxN_t5dtCX0calDhVLDwjobPH7gP6oa4WfFSybKOxlQ0mO3Vmxuf7lcIaKzbIN6pSw3CPRdGJOqL2WuNe9KJgxXFf8EhqTnYlijg_YofUdiZnMCUsRYOIX/s4032/Gibralter%20Lighthouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlh-fYCgfuRCEFws3MeOxL6NGPZ2sODxwQgK-8cnibqyPaSrujO2aL68a6e5RHlbEkZYaxN_t5dtCX0calDhVLDwjobPH7gP6oa4WfFSybKOxlQ0mO3Vmxuf7lcIaKzbIN6pSw3CPRdGJOqL2WuNe9KJgxXFf8EhqTnYlijg_YofUdiZnMCUsRYOIX/s320/Gibralter%20Lighthouse.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think the rock that sits on the northern straight to the
Mediterranean Sea is famous to everyone. It has been the symbol of safety and
security by Prudential Insurance for probably 100 years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was fascinating to learn about their self-governance and
the number of sieges that this area had to endure over 2000 years to become
what it is today. Other than World War II, the last one was from 1879 to 1973
and has remained in British hands ever since.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> It has the only Mosque that does not face Mecca, and instead of a quarter moon at the top, it has a full moon.</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2uO31ySDnnxQvRNJ55GKZzPFTVYtegONVXyEKaXLjSJpVrpEiRvm9zhf2I5ztNc6bWZiZhIyNVA_3E0yDquNMA4SF4BIMl1DvqrmUGMuMxNXpP7Mt09HPGX6lKD539v5D4BqkyQ1C386F6FNG0BFzHzMgxOMxSsFSI3IwnznQV0bHnP8d9yKVaEX/s4032/Gibralter%20Mosque.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2uO31ySDnnxQvRNJ55GKZzPFTVYtegONVXyEKaXLjSJpVrpEiRvm9zhf2I5ztNc6bWZiZhIyNVA_3E0yDquNMA4SF4BIMl1DvqrmUGMuMxNXpP7Mt09HPGX6lKD539v5D4BqkyQ1C386F6FNG0BFzHzMgxOMxSsFSI3IwnznQV0bHnP8d9yKVaEX/s320/Gibralter%20Mosque.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And it is a tiny community in size and population with only
30,000 residents. But with workers and tourists it jumps to more than 60,000.
On a clear day, which this day was not, you can see Morocco on the north
African continent. </p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-1787316719848330122022-08-20T19:45:00.003-07:002022-08-20T19:45:44.784-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 9 of the cruise - Thursday, August 11, 2022 Seville and
Cadiz, Spain</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From Cadiz, where we arrived today, it was a one-and-a-half-hour train or taxi ride to Seville. We did talk about going, and while it is
supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. It is also in the
interior while Europe is suffering through an extreme heat wave with
temperatures over 110 degrees Fahrenheit (44 Celsius), so we decided to stay in
Cadiz.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZvlCNh_vXJIgPkGpoiWs6T2XXnoHDBPbptpA-v8g5x5ncyeuSA8gFaxObcCKmlj4FAGCt-nDmzkRjE2L9fKdzf8TbSafEGcJEDn9HWGO8LXlHTFzmIhPwKOvjQ_jNLp3dFr5vm7G_UYjRUA38B0iQGWiGlb_VgY8CIC3T8sSD6AxJCLGrChit72D/s4032/Cadiz%201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZvlCNh_vXJIgPkGpoiWs6T2XXnoHDBPbptpA-v8g5x5ncyeuSA8gFaxObcCKmlj4FAGCt-nDmzkRjE2L9fKdzf8TbSafEGcJEDn9HWGO8LXlHTFzmIhPwKOvjQ_jNLp3dFr5vm7G_UYjRUA38B0iQGWiGlb_VgY8CIC3T8sSD6AxJCLGrChit72D/s320/Cadiz%201.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Staying in Cadiz was a great decision. We were given free
tickets to the Hop On-Hop Off bus and went around the city. Our first drop off
was at a large cathedral and all around that area were charming streets lined
with unique shops, restaurants and bakeries.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We found a couple of unique shops; one called Cork O Clock
had many items that used cork. Dianne purchased some gifts for back home and a
tote bag with the art work of Frida Kahlo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another shop (Herakles) had reproductions of Roman artifacts
that were found in Cadiz as well as other areas that were once controlled by the
Roman Empire. Dianne purchased a small charm based on an old Roman coin.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0NTplCdqIY-yeT4kBFSxKocUQ0WIwb0HPepCvHM-HENY2rvSVq683wAvFmfshzUZHrVJVuHwMHfIHdbX-1y6gAliCo9Ul6H7x_11cW6UPi1qCr-A6d2phG3beA9agn4Hi_TYpBxhvcOlxfp7sK0JOhBseOWH0xj-x3Cgb4viu0C-BACCM4iq-gnd/s4032/IMG_7861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0NTplCdqIY-yeT4kBFSxKocUQ0WIwb0HPepCvHM-HENY2rvSVq683wAvFmfshzUZHrVJVuHwMHfIHdbX-1y6gAliCo9Ul6H7x_11cW6UPi1qCr-A6d2phG3beA9agn4Hi_TYpBxhvcOlxfp7sK0JOhBseOWH0xj-x3Cgb4viu0C-BACCM4iq-gnd/s320/IMG_7861.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Food hint: Knowing that we would not be around for lunch,
and not knowing what restaurants to choose on shore, Dianne and I while at
breakfast both made sandwiches that we could have at lunch. That way we didn’t
have to choose a restaurant on shore nor come back to the ship for lunch.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After getting back on the bus we saw some lovely beaches and
decided that is what we wanted to do next.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since we did not have to be back on the ship until 10:30 PM
(22:30) we decided after walking the lovely streets we go back to the ship and
put on our bathing suits and go to one of the beaches. The weather was
beautiful at around 79 degrees Fahrenheit and we arrived around 4 PM (16:00). While
some people said the water is very cold because it is on the Atlantic Ocean, we
found it as warm, or warmer, than where we live near Malibu.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We stayed until 6:30 PM (18:30) and walked back to the ship.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The food on the Oceania Nautica is excellent with a wide
variety to choose from. There is the Terrace Café where you eat outdoors and
choose whatever you want from a buffet style to a couple of reservation only
restaurants to the main dining room where no reservations are required.</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-52530114048079956002022-08-20T19:42:00.002-07:002022-08-20T19:42:11.081-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 8 of the cruise -Wednesday, August 10, 2022 Casablanca,
Morocco</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The city made famous by the Humphrey Bogart movie of the
same name. It is the largest city in Morocco. We were, I take that back, Dianne
was able to negotiate with a taxi driver/tour guide to take us to the major
sites for four hours. He wanted $200 dollars and Dianne got his to accept $120.
And it was a beautiful, nearly new, Mercedes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were able to see a huge, beautiful mosque, a gorgeous
Jewish temple, and two markets; one just for tourists and the last one where
the locals shop. It was on about 25 acres and designed so you could easily get
lost. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLX99h_joct3e_cxXH2f-83QU8oBo7QpMP-uYPNqKSiEox3ppPOQdY-ScxUdEoJ-GnXNqgevsEbbdXXDieVusUWHFywIX-lFWuhAZJjMNsN6gUO5Dk3p9S8q2LuU1Lgxy7K5QytcPtEuq2bheXKkMjVwgIKlmDG-ehl4PnY5UIeDpUj6lkLSBpSDiu/s4032/IMG_7833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLX99h_joct3e_cxXH2f-83QU8oBo7QpMP-uYPNqKSiEox3ppPOQdY-ScxUdEoJ-GnXNqgevsEbbdXXDieVusUWHFywIX-lFWuhAZJjMNsN6gUO5Dk3p9S8q2LuU1Lgxy7K5QytcPtEuq2bheXKkMjVwgIKlmDG-ehl4PnY5UIeDpUj6lkLSBpSDiu/s320/IMG_7833.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dianne had the policy of completely ignoring the shop
keepers that tried to get her into stalls to see carpets, clothing, jewelry,
leather goods, tea sets, and more. They would say, “Come inside, it is free to
look. We charge you nothing. Just look.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The shuttle bus was one block from the last market, and we
caught it 5 minutes before it left for the ship. Otherwise, we would’ve had to
wait 30 minutes for the next one.</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-56388385426071598122022-08-20T19:39:00.000-07:002022-08-20T19:39:32.324-07:00<p> Day 7 of the cruise - Tuesday, August 9, 2022 Agadir,
Morocco</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today we arrive in Agadir, Morocco, a major city with a
population of around 924,000 as of the 2014 census growing from 346,000 in
2004. Based on the Atlantic Ocean as a beach community it boasts a great
weather year round with the winter temperature average around 69 degrees
Fahrenheit in December and January.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The shuttle bus took us near the city center where several
taxis were available for hire. For $25 per person we could get a 3-3.5 hour
tour of the city, the Kasbah atop a hill overlooking the city, camel rides, a
mosque, a large market with handmade items (120 booths/stalls), a huge market
(35 acres), and an old seaside town.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had a unique tea in the first market and our tour
guide/taxi driver had fair English language skills.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The taxi driver took as to a small seaside town. When we were ready to leave there was a very irate woman who demanded our taxi driver take her as a
passenger. She shouted she had been waiting over an hour for a taxi and none
would take her and she was there first.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5mYxChitNTXw38fofMPUWbawXtSphpkKNgP8Wx0kRQQxZ2OkIlKWyNHE9sCcIxqsws6FfsHvNMpjuM270rtfgCHZEI1sLgQr5GyH8RwZ7ArE23wXU0OgmM77Fb83L6lhV7BaXmfX6qqiDlqQ4OxqLIuc88satdJvuDYPC17JBvTd-bK4sGVeYG9C/s4032/IMG_7828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5mYxChitNTXw38fofMPUWbawXtSphpkKNgP8Wx0kRQQxZ2OkIlKWyNHE9sCcIxqsws6FfsHvNMpjuM270rtfgCHZEI1sLgQr5GyH8RwZ7ArE23wXU0OgmM77Fb83L6lhV7BaXmfX6qqiDlqQ4OxqLIuc88satdJvuDYPC17JBvTd-bK4sGVeYG9C/s320/IMG_7828.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Eventually a policeman had to be called to sort things out. What she
didn’t understand was most of the taxi drivers she saw where carrying
passengers from the ship and had been hired for hours. Until that was sorted
out she stood behind our taxi and argued with our driver and the others so we
could not back up and leave; fun in Morocco.<br /></span>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-1298526738572661322022-08-20T18:32:00.001-07:002022-08-20T18:34:30.763-07:00<p><br /> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 6 of the cruise - Monday, August 8, 2022 Lanzarote,
Arrecife, Spain</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today we were supposed to arrive in Lanzarote, Arrecife,
Spain, the most easterly of the Canary Islands. It is only 70 miles off the
coast of Africa and known as the island of 100 volcanoes. There were major eruptions
in the 18th and 19<sup>th</sup> centuries.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, with the weather on the Atlantic Ocean it was
too rough to dock and for the safely of the ship, the guests, and the crew the
captain decided not to dock and continue on to Moracco.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphdUyGiNR39DdTlFedXATooiD6ePrF4GZ1VTbOVlvHpGFDQFRD70jU9RYrviFT9VbzLM14tHindPrWOFcRfhc3cZCYHn5EO0_IZo8EoXh8BqwAOMjekWDUxJXi6e5VEDYZ4bkpDGun4CjzMJFleLtxeP4PcyblM9B5arzevl45CoGjdIHuzZTjJ63/s3009/IMG_0379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3009" data-original-width="2123" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphdUyGiNR39DdTlFedXATooiD6ePrF4GZ1VTbOVlvHpGFDQFRD70jU9RYrviFT9VbzLM14tHindPrWOFcRfhc3cZCYHn5EO0_IZo8EoXh8BqwAOMjekWDUxJXi6e5VEDYZ4bkpDGun4CjzMJFleLtxeP4PcyblM9B5arzevl45CoGjdIHuzZTjJ63/s320/IMG_0379.JPG" width="226" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just like the other islands we visited the temperature has
been around 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius), just beautiful weather.</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-34736318248374709892022-08-19T20:53:00.004-07:002022-08-20T11:29:21.865-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 5 of the cruise - Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain Sunday, August 7, 2022</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another of the Canary Islands with most of the shops closed
on Sunday. We walked to the Africa Market, an outdoor market with flowers,
food, fish and souvenirs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We made another stop at the modern art museum, which was free
to tour. My guess is on Sundays it is free. Dianne toured the art I sat and
read my book on finances.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The gift store was beautiful and Dianne purchased a 4 Euro
souvenir, a piece of wood to hold my cell phone upright. On it were the words:
Keep Calm and Lean on Me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOPAUCpx9qW4FpNe3_tAuRNWJgDvrfPaoitKs8IMH653BKW4IYB3pm_-ySbHcurwYhz9NRzjp7bDcubCRpZPXnsSMjzl95-5w1S8pxxRiy47AmC2Yo7m61VGJrNrrCgpTSs8mvYRzRjYOnlaal4GqWqD9__-hMMWwSP8BGAxAamU5BAKalQ-9NJ9H/s640/IMG_7819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOPAUCpx9qW4FpNe3_tAuRNWJgDvrfPaoitKs8IMH653BKW4IYB3pm_-ySbHcurwYhz9NRzjp7bDcubCRpZPXnsSMjzl95-5w1S8pxxRiy47AmC2Yo7m61VGJrNrrCgpTSs8mvYRzRjYOnlaal4GqWqD9__-hMMWwSP8BGAxAamU5BAKalQ-9NJ9H/s320/IMG_7819.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">On the cruise ship we have met some great people; an IT guy from
Texas and we discussed the investments he had for retirement, how he wanted them
repositioned, what he was earning, and how he might better deploy those assets.
He was working with two money managers and gave them each the same amount to money
to see who does better. And he is the funniest man my wife and I ever met.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We met a man who was the attaché to the U.S. in France for a
decade. He is an American who was born in France and obviously speaks fluent French.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So many interesting people and opportunities for business; we
are all similar in age and have similar goals and aspirations and can pay for the
services we want.</p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMK-74zT8Xt_idyaT0aZvm_HEm1_NtCrSq4nzK7GMhoNoR0r3We6dhrCSOo7r-JGfNP8jbpZEvkLRIuSwng9Xh4_cGLRkJs24LHqYcZvhkg6m5nUdetsq2jN7nN8NmUog5vORE-kC5J8Y_zZ63kkL8OybK9OFhsVsVrLGF_fzFGHqxzGZ1ogwFNgV-/s4032/IMG_7859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMK-74zT8Xt_idyaT0aZvm_HEm1_NtCrSq4nzK7GMhoNoR0r3We6dhrCSOo7r-JGfNP8jbpZEvkLRIuSwng9Xh4_cGLRkJs24LHqYcZvhkg6m5nUdetsq2jN7nN8NmUog5vORE-kC5J8Y_zZ63kkL8OybK9OFhsVsVrLGF_fzFGHqxzGZ1ogwFNgV-/s320/IMG_7859.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-40144782029332473282022-08-19T18:18:00.001-07:002022-08-19T20:54:06.396-07:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxojjzh_jZQhUmALvaLwrGXsX_saDz6MaG8uP8aUiF3yEhKCzrqROxlRtVMoERGK-gzbu2B0zhelyPhhXb8nNn4WLJOBsLfhIIY4ZT9DKN49resxc0fglz7YAUHTojQHMXbn2Ln4cAjfwVjF75d1nzneR3kdha5Bzaipykpz9-L6DTNxSRii9hVvI/s640/Santa%20Cruz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxojjzh_jZQhUmALvaLwrGXsX_saDz6MaG8uP8aUiF3yEhKCzrqROxlRtVMoERGK-gzbu2B0zhelyPhhXb8nNn4WLJOBsLfhIIY4ZT9DKN49resxc0fglz7YAUHTojQHMXbn2Ln4cAjfwVjF75d1nzneR3kdha5Bzaipykpz9-L6DTNxSRii9hVvI/s320/Santa%20Cruz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 4 of the cruise - Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain Saturday Aug 6, 2022</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>This was a lovely town with the typical Canary Island
architecture. There are beautiful black sand beaches with water that my wife
said was warm. I was not prepared to go in the water, but looking back I wish I
did and spent more time on the beach.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>In the town the streets were very narrow, and filled with
cafes. The unique thing was after a flood and a couple of meters of mud
deposited in the area, artists decided to paint the doors, all with different
themes based on the style and outlook of each artist. This made it very fun to
walk.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Along the promenade by the beach the mixed use buildings,
with a restaurant or store below and apartments above, had beautiful balconies
with flowers and plants for all those who walked by to enjoy.</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-30224724163323060422022-08-19T18:09:00.001-07:002022-08-19T18:09:42.350-07:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBiqbyyqRs-naz0JKeZ5bLloWTyg-K34SW22TxU7UEFNmQSNOg8gFvYQDgqPw0Uqtlah7lEiZUf5Ov_Hx_TGCV9ioaGpgYqSgfHxK0JIiaeRolv_OA5vjtN4cYDUQo1TLR2NznBCo394owqnaPM9iTOtFhvDSL7nnKUY0D6hZ4j0fwBKjiuzjFa0f/s4032/IMG_7723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBiqbyyqRs-naz0JKeZ5bLloWTyg-K34SW22TxU7UEFNmQSNOg8gFvYQDgqPw0Uqtlah7lEiZUf5Ov_Hx_TGCV9ioaGpgYqSgfHxK0JIiaeRolv_OA5vjtN4cYDUQo1TLR2NznBCo394owqnaPM9iTOtFhvDSL7nnKUY0D6hZ4j0fwBKjiuzjFa0f/s320/IMG_7723.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Day 3 of the cruise Funchal, Madeira, Portugal August 5,
2022</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first stop of the cruise ship was Funchal, Madeira,
Portugal. We took a wonderful cable car up to the Monte Palace and exquisite
tropical gardens. Originally a home in 18<sup>th</sup> century for Charles
Murray, the British Consul General, it was transformed into a hotel in 1897 by
Alfredo Guilherme Rodrigues.</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-60192509362903525762022-08-19T17:57:00.001-07:002022-08-19T17:57:50.789-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Day 1 of the cruise.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We boarded the Oceania Nautica today in Lisbon that will be
a 12 day cruise around the Mediterranean and we depart at 8 PM.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37p_Tc-1yQzrYq4Wfrz9eC_3dN7mxb6PM0wB4gYCTgfbuzIK_nhQMy42qD1ebFJD7aK3AsolHiSmaWvfnZkzPCVAYzWgVyPCjIR9LvOCPc-RDN63q3_MM9wHXNkIcI2KfBbymWbhJ3uBwkv4XJGaW49ougYg5IhJ1LKRd-rgxgikWlfCE53J_tNdF/s640/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37p_Tc-1yQzrYq4Wfrz9eC_3dN7mxb6PM0wB4gYCTgfbuzIK_nhQMy42qD1ebFJD7aK3AsolHiSmaWvfnZkzPCVAYzWgVyPCjIR9LvOCPc-RDN63q3_MM9wHXNkIcI2KfBbymWbhJ3uBwkv4XJGaW49ougYg5IhJ1LKRd-rgxgikWlfCE53J_tNdF/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" width="240" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p class="MsoNormal">Day 2 of the cruise. August 4, 2022</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We will be out at sea all day on the way to our first
destination.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was nice to sleep in and not have to worry about catching
a taxi, train or ship.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, my dress is usually casual, jeans and a Hawaiian
shirt. I decided to mix it up today and put on a pair of almost white cargo
shorts and a dark blue and red checked shirt. See the photo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I thought it looked good, my wife said she didn’t want
to be seen with me because I was also wearing dark blue Skechers casual shoes
with white socks that came up to my calf.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHjJwt8Gle71Lvd7BRTKRiZIK1yZA-rngKodid7Y5ljLFK8PUfXcnIsYCLZpHgvuJ-95cQGbZ7myrjpatDb6yOMDGCW76_zHfY1Z80rViFmD5fsJN36DI-w67pQADfwO7AmFCSGcQcshfaz8Ked58WZJBhnnUdv3qGiQLhLSAa4k6nGKeoKL2NPd6/s640/IMG_7794(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHjJwt8Gle71Lvd7BRTKRiZIK1yZA-rngKodid7Y5ljLFK8PUfXcnIsYCLZpHgvuJ-95cQGbZ7myrjpatDb6yOMDGCW76_zHfY1Z80rViFmD5fsJN36DI-w67pQADfwO7AmFCSGcQcshfaz8Ked58WZJBhnnUdv3qGiQLhLSAa4k6nGKeoKL2NPd6/s320/IMG_7794(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-89887399980509503152022-08-19T17:40:00.004-07:002022-08-20T20:33:52.066-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0BUQGR9dMj7-NoiOtX_MNd78xi5tq_P47MLxKoDOf4DZHGuRo9kIiTyqvjaiK3iT_EO578LDYy60oBX0EPnyMDaOKujQflj1jartM_D3t8FbUFXkXsgNKTqom2zUX7r_gH-BeBDX1DyAHDrTellVW6Y1vRZ6l_21PzNMOW9krfikaO-pCHnkMUAX/s4032/IMG_7775.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0BUQGR9dMj7-NoiOtX_MNd78xi5tq_P47MLxKoDOf4DZHGuRo9kIiTyqvjaiK3iT_EO578LDYy60oBX0EPnyMDaOKujQflj1jartM_D3t8FbUFXkXsgNKTqom2zUX7r_gH-BeBDX1DyAHDrTellVW6Y1vRZ6l_21PzNMOW9krfikaO-pCHnkMUAX/s320/IMG_7775.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Days
7 and 8 (August 2022)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cascais,
Portugal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>This
was a lovely seaport town that felt like being at a resort. When booked the
hotel from the photos online she had no idea how far it was from the city
center.</p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>The
first night we had a horrible room in a beautiful hotel. It was built as a
fortress in 1642 and converted to a hotel.</p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>The
room has two issues:</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. It
has one small window that looked out to a pile of stored patio furniture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2. The
Wi-Fi was not dependable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>The
Wi-Fi was important to Dianne because she had to still work. When it was 11 PM
in Portugal, it was 9 AM in Los Angeles. She needed to communicate with a loan
officer, an escrow company, and a real estate agent to get a home she sold to
close on time. And she could not do the work in the room. She had to sit out in
the lobby in her bathrobe to use Internet that worked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>She
was prepared to leave and find a room in a hotel in the city center. The
manager said a room opened up that she is sure we would like. It turns out it
was a junior suite with a large bathroom, fireplace, veranda and balcony.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>It
was on the corner of the hotel with one view to the south where we could watch people
on the beach, others surfing, and others with sail-boards. To the north we could
watch people flying on kites. The winds there were very strong. It was a fabulous
room for the same rate as the horrible room because we were ready to leave.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIFsoilE_6sJpqDCVIb52tx2RfJZf46L3hJASIyv7DHiPzMy4jU7U5z9wH3ZYdEHkVJHEGmwgmZqKgGI0M0xmGzjxg5ZTQ3FZPOIOQW4KKLGTpWOiK07DHYwB4YRGndJ5acvvjLdpvIiHfSuDO2_GyTQ3fKoGkn4VFa3ipOMMoFiFN9mRQzh6fAfJ/s4032/IMG_7774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIFsoilE_6sJpqDCVIb52tx2RfJZf46L3hJASIyv7DHiPzMy4jU7U5z9wH3ZYdEHkVJHEGmwgmZqKgGI0M0xmGzjxg5ZTQ3FZPOIOQW4KKLGTpWOiK07DHYwB4YRGndJ5acvvjLdpvIiHfSuDO2_GyTQ3fKoGkn4VFa3ipOMMoFiFN9mRQzh6fAfJ/s320/IMG_7774.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>During
our stay we walked over to a restaurant and hotel that was next door. The owner
had photos of himself with political dignitaries and movie stars. His name was Tony
Muchaxo and he was with famous people from ambassadors to kings and queens.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>While
Dianne and I were walking around the restaurant admiring the architecture, I notice
a man sitting alone at a table who looked like the man in the photos. I walked over
and asked if he spoke English, which it did perfectly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span>It
was Tony Muchaxo and he proceeded to have Dianne and I sit with him. He ordered
wine for us and we chatted for over 30 minutes. He is 92 and comes to the restaurant
every day. The man who served us has been working there for 40 years.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We came back that evening and had a lovely dinner while overlooking
the Atlantic Ocean.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">On our last day in Cascais we took an Uber into the city center.
They have a lovely small beach and we walked all around. As I passed a small bookstore
I noticed used books were for sale in a stand on the sidewalk. And one book caught
my eye; <i>The Death of Kings</i> by Rennie Airth.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfq209jIAXickxpyC8jFnnh5p27FDgkFDR3zZ_onB_XR38LLz-9U5DeIVix_g-YCxcvtiDTkgf9v2ATgcbN4ExddNP5NKhTUar7XJ9Gp35y6EO5YkP0lk9tvx_OkDt2dfzItd56sQx0ez15ad8g6zP8qCX5zbwIl9o_KOJDsOVD4D6i-6AfCiXMbN/s2016/Rennie%20book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfq209jIAXickxpyC8jFnnh5p27FDgkFDR3zZ_onB_XR38LLz-9U5DeIVix_g-YCxcvtiDTkgf9v2ATgcbN4ExddNP5NKhTUar7XJ9Gp35y6EO5YkP0lk9tvx_OkDt2dfzItd56sQx0ez15ad8g6zP8qCX5zbwIl9o_KOJDsOVD4D6i-6AfCiXMbN/s320/Rennie%20book.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I could likely finish all four books that I brought and having
one more for insurance was a good idea. Here was a mystery murder with my name on
the cover and it was only 5 Euro. Turns out I did read all the books I brought, and
it was great that I had this one too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After two days in Cascais we headed back to Lisbon to board
the cruise ship to see the Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Morocco and Spain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-65082986631486329922022-08-18T21:01:00.004-07:002022-08-19T17:41:20.309-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">2022- July Porto continued (Day 4, 5 and 6)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We arrived at the beautiful InterContinental Hotel, which as
right next to the major street construction. I think they were digging a subway
tunnel underneath.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9MLdyZx2PB5uNmg0g3ockfTePVqIyJii6N5lh0gVZ1RThEB5_x-5R8Z8guBwEgNw4GvUDKZCWUafaIZV7bLkCJe1SQeFdk25PW6ucrunvQWCp8JRHsTvhw8K212jwlzHbHZ8fSJKq0EsQ6g6KYTBmVXb-YpPkyVDLYFQ7F7VXT7eA8LiJELfjzlO/s4032/IMG_7741.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9MLdyZx2PB5uNmg0g3ockfTePVqIyJii6N5lh0gVZ1RThEB5_x-5R8Z8guBwEgNw4GvUDKZCWUafaIZV7bLkCJe1SQeFdk25PW6ucrunvQWCp8JRHsTvhw8K212jwlzHbHZ8fSJKq0EsQ6g6KYTBmVXb-YpPkyVDLYFQ7F7VXT7eA8LiJELfjzlO/s320/IMG_7741.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anyway, the first room we were given had a view to a missing
street. It was among the worst views I ever had, and this was from a very
expensive hotel.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My wife, Dianne, is great about getting a better room, which
we got. It overlooked a center courtyard and was quite lovely. This hotel did
not provide a breakfast with the room charge, and the buffet was about 24 Euro
per person. We passed on that and went to a local café.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Porto is the second largest city in Portugal with Lisbon being
the largest. Not only is it next to the Douro river, but it also extends to the
Atlantic Ocean.</p><p class="MsoNormal">We arrived in the evening and by the time we were ready to go to dinner it was already 9 PM. Dianne picked a restaurant by the river. It was crowded, noisy and way past my time for us to eat, and we were both getting crabby. This is the non-fun part of travel and why I would rather stay home.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As an outpost of the Roman Empire, you can guess it has many
old buildings and archeological importance. While we can see these things in person, I can enjoy, and learn all that by watching a travel program.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the Portugal’s main exports is port wine, which you might
also guess comes from the Porto region.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After Porto we head back to Lisbon on our way to Cascais.<br /></p><br /><p></p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-9744129671941105622022-08-17T09:29:00.003-07:002022-08-20T20:27:22.034-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR__8SqhrMbkBrrkUztaFCghCIc5sDGihDcyw8sbOrZkpegx7xmNlQ2UgznVqRY43ZIx0jISWVP-ldaFLS3AQ6wJJu6xLZOQZfqehTxOQwLODnMYUJThwjSHNMCO0eTAFps4JGUsn5uR3ttdG4aj_hQLQA0erAkm3Gl2nIe0ZXqeDvE-PknMCG85vk/s4032/IMG_7734.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR__8SqhrMbkBrrkUztaFCghCIc5sDGihDcyw8sbOrZkpegx7xmNlQ2UgznVqRY43ZIx0jISWVP-ldaFLS3AQ6wJJu6xLZOQZfqehTxOQwLODnMYUJThwjSHNMCO0eTAFps4JGUsn5uR3ttdG4aj_hQLQA0erAkm3Gl2nIe0ZXqeDvE-PknMCG85vk/s320/IMG_7734.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Day 1<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">2022-July Resistant Traveler blog Day 1- Lisbon</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>It has been several years since I have had to travel, or
TOUR, with my wife. For me the travel ban due to Covid has been a blessing. The
Covid-19 pandemic started in March of 2020. And our first trip was in July of 2022.
On August 1, the Oceania cruise line said negative Covid test results were no longer
required to board the ship.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Well, with the restrictions easing, and my step-daughter,
her husband, and two dogs moving into our house while they remodel theirs, my
wife wanted to get the heck out of Dodge. So she planned a trip to Portugal and
a Mediterranean cruise to Morocco and Spain. The trip is about three weeks.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Our first warning was Heathrow Airport requesting people
avoid their airport. They are short-staffed and thousands (and I mean thousands)
of suitcases are stacking up in the terminal and not getting to the intended
destination.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Well, of course we are booked through Heathrow, so we packed
an emergency carry on with necessary toiletries, medicines, and a change of
clothing. We lucked out and things turned out fine with our bags arriving with
us in Lisbon, Portugal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>We were easily able to get a cab at the airport and it took
us directly to our hotel, the Avenida Palace. This is a beautiful hotel located
in a great part of the city. It was walking distance to many restaurants,
cafes, and the river with more restaurants.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>When we checked into the hotel we used our passports. All
hotels and trains require passports to check in or buy travel tickets. And this
hotel also provided a wonderful buffet breakfast included in the room charge.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>On the first morning at breakfast we are sitting at a table
overlooking a lovely busy street when the server comes over with a makeshift
cake. It had three pancakes with Nutella spread between each, and on top was
free cut fruit and a single candle in the middle.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The server said this was a birthday greeting as he looked at
me. My first response was, “It’s not my birthday.” And then it hit me; yes,
today is my birthday. They must have noticed the date on my passport when we
checked in.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_7vE5DYhBT7oRNwzltZQK7_d2m1HS20aDbvgTxXRxpiv23q-sK6ZFVMQDXKQQCcDXzXN0ylHgvhiuQnpLrxSix85IszQ2ukbbMF9AF8nqp0JMQqwTguy3KloD1WwyvRTlJBj2S7XP3D8G6O59JWI1Q8ZHf0RKCd5_ubi4LKkRmpOud_feuPVuHBA/s1609/IMG_0068(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1609" data-original-width="1361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_7vE5DYhBT7oRNwzltZQK7_d2m1HS20aDbvgTxXRxpiv23q-sK6ZFVMQDXKQQCcDXzXN0ylHgvhiuQnpLrxSix85IszQ2ukbbMF9AF8nqp0JMQqwTguy3KloD1WwyvRTlJBj2S7XP3D8G6O59JWI1Q8ZHf0RKCd5_ubi4LKkRmpOud_feuPVuHBA/s320/IMG_0068(2).jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>We had a very similar experience in Paris, France about 15
years earlier. We were in the hotel, it was around dinner time, we were tired,
but we were hungry. I offered to go out and bring back some food.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>There was a nearby McDonalds and I brought back some
hamburgers, and that was our dinner.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The next day as we are getting on a tour bus I noticed the
date on the ticket was the date after my birthday. We realized we both
completely forgot about my birth day. It only comes once every 365 days or so,
so it’s easy to overlook.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>And that explains my comment to the server in Lisbon that
brought the makeshift cake, “It’s not my birthday.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>After breakfast we walked about 100 yards and purchased
tickets to the Hop On, Hop Off bus. If you don’t know how those work, you
purchase a ticket and it’s good for 24 hours. They have about six to ten
languages that explain the city you’re visiting. There are about 15 or 20 stops
where you can Hop Off and explore something in more detail, a museum, castle,
palace, zoo or whatever.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>When you are done with your visit you Hop On the next bus
that arrives and continue your tour of the city. The full loop, if you don’t
Hop Off, is usually around two hours. You get the history of a city anywhere in
the world with these bus tours.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Portugal is famous from amazing tile work, and the photo is just one of thousands of examples.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Wi-Fi</p><p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I have a lap top
computer that will not connect to any unsecured, open Wi-Fi network. While that
protects my computer from anyone able to easily hack into it while it is in
use, it also prevents me from using it to reply to emails and file them in my
customer relationship management (CRM) program.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>I am only able to reply to emails on my smart phone and
need to keep them all until I return home and can save them to the correct
client, tenant or customer contact records.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iPP6sfnIYtXZmcfTuo8pEla1soIjdhlFjB-19ATIDPCYlFfqZKDWSEVBuO7q6nFeH6TCR_a_SzZ25mrM4LzTbiPcKje39ndVM7BCyU7bLvDeCStTSt7alaXQ1fDPOVyvz7kDhrPoLL2CpBUwcog9UXLlC1gl-Wks6HGIMBdfrR1d-Uq3p9tmL4Lj/s4032/Lisbon%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iPP6sfnIYtXZmcfTuo8pEla1soIjdhlFjB-19ATIDPCYlFfqZKDWSEVBuO7q6nFeH6TCR_a_SzZ25mrM4LzTbiPcKje39ndVM7BCyU7bLvDeCStTSt7alaXQ1fDPOVyvz7kDhrPoLL2CpBUwcog9UXLlC1gl-Wks6HGIMBdfrR1d-Uq3p9tmL4Lj/s320/Lisbon%202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zRi56jZsvOVI6xFGtdVba6A7G_vQ9ssuTUKf_4Wy_3HjvNsFiHu96g6NX93yuThW5RU9YxsnpdJM_nX5Vwo9m2yDq80VzH4vjuhz_TrDzgKNoyTHEIXOh-Vm4RYHRlmZhibJfyiOHGovIU8Ip4Bi_PQIkBqMszpjOnZeWtjSmUJXmjTTycQfMa9z/s4032/Lisbon%20bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zRi56jZsvOVI6xFGtdVba6A7G_vQ9ssuTUKf_4Wy_3HjvNsFiHu96g6NX93yuThW5RU9YxsnpdJM_nX5Vwo9m2yDq80VzH4vjuhz_TrDzgKNoyTHEIXOh-Vm4RYHRlmZhibJfyiOHGovIU8Ip4Bi_PQIkBqMszpjOnZeWtjSmUJXmjTTycQfMa9z/s320/Lisbon%20bridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8s_CEIxSnWC8Z3NUMj-rrOqTAkUt16z0CFYrX_gQX0J5Y8Kf1RPFt8tNjWqHHBIkHTds_i5f5MIyEjUQQghDKt0Cpyok_1a1zpbdBITTPNdXBv6saUwMb4EhouiyPdPShOYpm4Cu81QuCnc0VhhqOzLFCz3MFE6u9cl0h4DJcGhlyWgGFtKZKZc6/s4032/Lisbon%20Palace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8s_CEIxSnWC8Z3NUMj-rrOqTAkUt16z0CFYrX_gQX0J5Y8Kf1RPFt8tNjWqHHBIkHTds_i5f5MIyEjUQQghDKt0Cpyok_1a1zpbdBITTPNdXBv6saUwMb4EhouiyPdPShOYpm4Cu81QuCnc0VhhqOzLFCz3MFE6u9cl0h4DJcGhlyWgGFtKZKZc6/s320/Lisbon%20Palace.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>After three days in Lisbon, it was off to Porto, Portugal,
and that will be the next blog post.</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-37896726004692842182022-08-17T09:27:00.006-07:002022-08-17T16:12:24.166-07:00<p> Day 4</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik98wCRrFSu86u55t4gFg0Nupl9yDptB0LgKV7qf8yQX7hdlnbY4b3XJeC_PwC1-L609yqHH27K2XLvOMK8JFY80dj1ZMv2wi7MM6AAFxOCkLGQFjuudA1OUpt9V-KQdCwLt4LCfq4wci4GbLMvauqlWTG5NyfD7Ymj1B9a4378xncLGVBSX72nuaL/s4032/IMG_7748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik98wCRrFSu86u55t4gFg0Nupl9yDptB0LgKV7qf8yQX7hdlnbY4b3XJeC_PwC1-L609yqHH27K2XLvOMK8JFY80dj1ZMv2wi7MM6AAFxOCkLGQFjuudA1OUpt9V-KQdCwLt4LCfq4wci4GbLMvauqlWTG5NyfD7Ymj1B9a4378xncLGVBSX72nuaL/s320/IMG_7748.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">2022-July Resistant Traveler blog update 2 – Porto, Portugal</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>We were in Lisbon for three days and then off to Porto by
train for a couple of days. Not knowing we should have purchased train tickets
ahead of time, we showed up at the station ready to leave on an 11:30 AM train.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Unfortunately, the 11:30 was fully booked, and the next train
that had seats would depart at 15:30, which only military people and European
people understand to be 3:30 PM. So, we had to cool our heals at the train
station for four, count ‘em, four hours!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Then when we arrive in Porto, we have no idea how to get a taxi.
There are no signs, there is no train personal to suggest anything, and a crowd
of people standing around, but no organized line.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Dianne, my wife, stopped one taxi that had passengers, and
the driver handed her a card and said to call that phone number if she wanted a
taxi. So, we called and finally a taxi arrives, BUT it is not there for us.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>It turns out the crowd was a line and while we are putting
our bags in the trunk an elderly lady tells us that people in Portugal wait
their turn and don’t steal the taxi from others who are waiting. She tells the
driver she will call the police, curses us, and kicks the cab as we depart.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Welcome to Porto.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>I will write some other blogs on our experiences in Porto,
the hotel, the street construction, the tour bus, the beaches, trolley and a
museum. Eventually we will get to the cruise ship for a relaxing and peaceful
journey.</p>Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-17717453957991109802014-09-06T07:10:00.004-07:002014-09-06T07:10:39.884-07:00Cruise Ship Attire<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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One of the things I forgot to mention about Oceania Cruise
Lines is the country club casual attire. Neither Dianne nor I like to dress up.
Sure, I’ll do that for weddings or a funeral, but I stopped the suit and tie
gig after I sold my pension administration company in 1989.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Now it’s either jeans or shorts and Hawaiian shirts in the
summer or jeans and long sleeve work shirts in the winter. And that’s fine for
most dining on the ship that I want to attend. We also knew ahead of time that
the weather would be rainy and chilly at 65 degrees most of the time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So before we packed for the cruise Dianne asked if I was
taking a pair of dress pants. I said, “No.” If she would have said, “You need a
pair of dress pants for any of the specialty restaurants on the ship,” then I
would have packed a pair. </div>
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We had a reservation for the Italian restaurant, Toscona,
for the night of our 15<sup>th</sup> wedding anniversary. Guess what? I had no
proper pants to wear. However, our cabin neighbor, Randy, loaned me a pair of
his pants. I’m a 32 regular, and he’s a 40 tall. </div>
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<br />
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Bottom line: Think ahead and be sure to pack all the correct
clothing needed for your cruise.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
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Here’s how I looked for our
anniversary dinner:</div>
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Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-69577273304093469212014-09-05T17:19:00.000-07:002014-09-05T17:31:33.429-07:00Sep 4, Travel Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We left Stockholm on Thursday, September 4, and traveled 14 hours to get home. Our first leg was to London, and after a 2.5 hour layover, to Los Angeles on British Air. They are one of the airlines that still serves food even on a short 2-3 hour trip. Maybe it's just the U.S. airlines that serve no food, charge for bags, meals, pillows, and using the toilet.<br />
<br />
In Stockholm the airport has a device that you place your shoes on to see if they will explode. You don't have to take off your shoes, but step on this device one foot at a time. One shoe was fine, but the other shoe had to go through the conveyor belt screening machine.<br />
<br />
Dianne took a photo of me with my shoe horn that I carry for just such an occasion.<br />
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<br />
<br />
We arrive in L. A. at 7:30 PM, which for me is 4:30 AM Stockholm time. By the time I get to bed at 11 pm, it would be 8 am in Stockholm, so I've been up for 25 hours straight. Dianne was able to sleep on the plane, but I stayed up so I could sleep when I got home.<br />
<br />
I'll need Friday and the weekend to decompress. The trip was a success in that I finished reading three books; two from John Grisham and one on persuasion techniques called <b><i>Influence</i></b> by Robert Cialdini.<br />
<br />
All of our luggage arrived where it was supposed to when we got to Copenhagen and again when we got home. However, I was given a great tip by a friend of ours. Pack a carry on case with a change of clothes and toiletries. That way if your luggage is lost on the start of your trip you still have clean underclothes and so on. Although we didn't need that, I did meet some other people on the cruise and their luggage arrived days later. One of those people never saw her suitcase.<br />
<br />
We set it up for our housekeeper to be here on Friday and do all our dirty laundry. That was a great idea of Dianne's. Now it's back to work.<br />
<br />
RennieRennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-62159055429909966972014-09-03T12:13:00.001-07:002014-09-03T12:13:29.883-07:00September 1-3 Stockholm, Sweden<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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We arrived in Stockholm early Monday morning and it was
terrific. We caught a cab right at the dock and it took us the Hotel Stureplan
which is a great trendy area in the middle of the city. More importantly our
hotel room was ready when we arrived at 10 am. It’s a great small hotel, with
about 100 rooms and very friendly staff. Our room rate even includes breakfast.
A friend stayed at another hotel, I think it was a Radisson, and the breakfast
was $35 extra per person. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The first day we paid for a tour on the Hop-on, Hop-off red
double-decker bus, and the ticket was good for 2 days. We plugged in the
earphones, tuned to the English channel and heard about the information at each
stop, and other places of interest that we passed by.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Our first time off the bus was at the Vasa Museum. If you
ever get to Stockholm, and don’t have much time, this is the one and only thing
that you must do. You’ll see a real five story original wooden warship from the
1600’s. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. Here’s a link to
the information on their website: <a href="http://www.vasamuseet.se/en">http://www.vasamuseet.se/en</a></div>
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On day 2 we used the Hop-on bus again, got off in “old town”
and also did a free 90 minute walking tour at 6 pm. We are far enough north
that it doesn’t get dark until around 9 pm.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On our 3<sup>rd</sup> and last day here we took a 2 hour boat
ride through the hundreds (maybe thousands) of islands that make up Sweden and got
off at Sandhamn. It was a quaint town with some streets no wider than about 6’;
that’s six feet. See the photos.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvBNpPWR5mODkA64yIX8aWDthZZqiLTkNfTGPYCAKtAoa32qUFKsZK3-mlyXFJENuusHHalL0B80fGqg9SY6jE8iIg7DB-Cdr3fZz1JUXzD-rGEKKjP5HpJ_-dKoFO-KeazepW9oJmXM/s1600/33+boat+&+Di.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvBNpPWR5mODkA64yIX8aWDthZZqiLTkNfTGPYCAKtAoa32qUFKsZK3-mlyXFJENuusHHalL0B80fGqg9SY6jE8iIg7DB-Cdr3fZz1JUXzD-rGEKKjP5HpJ_-dKoFO-KeazepW9oJmXM/s1600/33+boat+&+Di.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDJDkiw5e9kI7XvHBVe65hI4kYUovkRVCZp6ZrSAhI4mflIUPCZkTSMXpC9RGuVJMJ2SNGQ5E6WH4rFlke9ee5xEFHvQ4bdpQ2or81A6QOUr_0un8BY-r8WE9mM3UfCWT_ABrr3SQ4dM/s1600/45+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDJDkiw5e9kI7XvHBVe65hI4kYUovkRVCZp6ZrSAhI4mflIUPCZkTSMXpC9RGuVJMJ2SNGQ5E6WH4rFlke9ee5xEFHvQ4bdpQ2or81A6QOUr_0un8BY-r8WE9mM3UfCWT_ABrr3SQ4dM/s1600/45+street.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6p3TGzmZoZkk0ILmAyeI3q6SqYTBvphSgJpRgPQt5tCaV70W2ypezVZoUceMaa_PmGOON3pLC59oP7PH64wBNeYCGBXCDCbX1NXDo2L3Caq4-6ExIcJkRrJFsmDqXt7YW9SSH-blD7M/s1600/46+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6p3TGzmZoZkk0ILmAyeI3q6SqYTBvphSgJpRgPQt5tCaV70W2ypezVZoUceMaa_PmGOON3pLC59oP7PH64wBNeYCGBXCDCbX1NXDo2L3Caq4-6ExIcJkRrJFsmDqXt7YW9SSH-blD7M/s1600/46+street.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLshTTGnM9WtqqKPj-tI_D6KqZJsSNg2Xqq8VncL1Cp1IcK5CrwVlzeJg8rqCQHMoHKMaOW3pGIiQj4spZrTop4jaOhF7R4Y0hs3XjdIkPxWvd6zECQ7Lle-W3WRNi-XFG4tqFQ2ZvpA/s1600/47+1600s+beach+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLshTTGnM9WtqqKPj-tI_D6KqZJsSNg2Xqq8VncL1Cp1IcK5CrwVlzeJg8rqCQHMoHKMaOW3pGIiQj4spZrTop4jaOhF7R4Y0hs3XjdIkPxWvd6zECQ7Lle-W3WRNi-XFG4tqFQ2ZvpA/s1600/47+1600s+beach+house.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
This last photo is a beach house on the island from about the 1600s<br /><br />
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Tonight we pack and head back to Los Angeles.</div>
Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-59549695409516147782014-09-02T13:54:00.001-07:002014-09-02T13:54:36.002-07:00Aug 31, Tallinn, Estonia<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Never in my life would I have thought to visit Estonia, and
I probably couldn’t find it on a map if my life depended upon it. The city of Tallinn
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Here are some photos to give you a feel of the city:</div>
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Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-41984453393984994722014-09-02T13:44:00.000-07:002014-09-02T14:00:24.213-07:00Aug 28-30 St. Petersburg, Russia<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
If you cared to know, St. Petersburg is supposed to be the northernmost
major city of the world. It has about 5 million people. Peter the Great began
building here about 300 years ago, and I have to admit the palaces are
stunning. While he attempted to have more canals than Venice, the problem is
they all freeze in winter. As a young city, by European standards, there are
still many legends and stories since it's founding in 1703.<br />
<br />
My first taste of Russian hospitality was at the passport/customs window. I forgot
to bring my "tourist ticket" with my passport, and boy, was that a
problem. I could have gone back on the ship to get them for me and Dianne, but
the tour guide said they could just issue new ones. This did not make the
customs officer happy. I think they would have rather not let us in the
country. We spend 3 days touring Russia, and you'd think they would welcome
tourist dollars. I'm not sure I want to enter Russia, but we do.<br />
<br />
And I'm glad we did. The Winter Palace is now the Hermitage Museum and
contained art from all over the world; Picasso, Rembrandt, Cezanne, Van
Gogh, Matisse, and more. It was amazing.<br />
<br />
Dianne booked our tour through SPB Tours, and not through the Oceania cruise
ship. This worked out really great. We had our own tour guide for 14 people
total. During our three days we saw the Summer Palace, amazing churches and
monuments.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Here is a condensed list of what we saw in St. Petersburg:<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Day 1<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Walked along the Nevsky<b><i> </i></b>prospect/shopping
area</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>A visit to Peter and Paul’s fortress and cathedral</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Lunch at a local restaurant</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>An inside visit to the Church on the Blood on the spot
where some royal was killed</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>A visit to the Russian Museum</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Day 2</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Drive to Peterhof and take a subway ride</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Special early entrance to the Peterhof Grand Palace and
a walk in the Lower fountain</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Visit the park and the Upper gardens</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Lunch at a different local restaurant</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Drive to Pushkin (Tsars’ Village)</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Visit Tsars’ village park, the Catherine’s palace with
the Amber room</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Day 3</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>City sight-seeing tour by canal boat ride</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Special early entrance to the Hermitage Museum</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Lunch at another different local restaurant</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Excursion in the Yusupov Palace</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Inside visit to St. Isaac’s Cathedral</div>
Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-80210912427648247632014-09-01T09:31:00.001-07:002014-09-02T13:56:34.881-07:00Wednesday Aug 27 - Helsinki, FinlandIt's Wednesday, so this must be Helsinki, which is both the chief seaport and capital of Finland. Some king founded it about 500 years ago. This is common in Europe. Kings start cities.<br />
<br />
The weather sucks this time of year in the Baltic region. When we left Los Angeles it was in the 90's (32+ celsius). Here' is rainy with a high of 17 celsius (63 fahrenheit). Sometimes it stops raining and the sun peeks out. Sometimes we see the sun, but it still rains on us.<br />
<br />
While the days are long in the summer, with sunrise at 6 AM and sunset at 8:40 PM, in the winter, there's about 4 hours of daylight. I guess it's from 10 AM to 2 PM. That's got to be real depressing.<br />
<br />
Anyway, Helsinki is so unusual for a European city. It has museums, art galleries and stores for tourists to leave their money. (That's sarcasm if you weren't paying attention.)<br />
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<br />
<br />
Our next stop is St. Petersburg, Russia and there is only an 80% chance of rain.Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-70870835766304359032014-08-26T08:50:00.003-07:002014-09-02T14:04:55.680-07:00Lithuania and Latvia<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Monday, August 25, 2014, Klaipeda, Lithuania</div>
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This city on the Baltic Sea is the third largest city in
Lithuania. We were so, so, lucky to have decent weather while in Berlin a
couple of days ago, we are now experiencing the typical weather. It’s grey,
raining, and 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not a pretty down, but the ship
needs somewhere to dock for the day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDElYkQBSdofGPf10b9dMBv7AMv-N7lKzjTWFJSPsNaNQ2bETD3qctBqlrHWXWiMrLWFTxhtvwLK2nfEGVCSr4ci3AQeANDFcn6hyphenhyphenavCzuG05GTRZ2CXjzv6sDKKeCXA-MMWc79Z7aaos/s1600/25b+Lithuania.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDElYkQBSdofGPf10b9dMBv7AMv-N7lKzjTWFJSPsNaNQ2bETD3qctBqlrHWXWiMrLWFTxhtvwLK2nfEGVCSr4ci3AQeANDFcn6hyphenhyphenavCzuG05GTRZ2CXjzv6sDKKeCXA-MMWc79Z7aaos/s1600/25b+Lithuania.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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Dianne was able to find a store that sells amber that’s been
made into jewelry and purchased a lovely bracelet and earrings. I was able to
sit on a couch for an hour, visit with some others from the ship, and read a
book I had on my iPhone. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Today is Tuesday, August 26, 2014 and we are in Riga, which
is the capital and largest city in Latvia. It’s the third largest city in the
Baltic region, behind St. Petersburg and Stockholm. It’s a UNESCO World
Heritage Site based on its extensive German Art Nouveau architecture.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At this point it feels like the movie, “If it’s Tuesday we
must be in Belgium.” Dianne wanted to say thank you so someone in a shop and
said, “Achoo,” which is Lithuanian, but we’re in Latvia now, and it’s not the
same language.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Along Alberta iela there are the most wonder Art Nouveau
buildings. I took some photos, see attached and purchased some postcards. The
postcards look better than my photos because they can take them at better
positions than I can from the street. Dianne did comment on how beautiful the
city was, the parks, the flowers, and how clean the streets were. As will all
European cities they have beautiful churches, which we saw on our walk back to
the ship. Unfortunately, after a while it’s like, “If you’ve seen one, you’ve
seen them all.”</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9ShYcj6sCkL72QMOhxgLTWhM8hHSDvITomHiK-2zdeOnRRVM94uC8pXBZqfj4OH7tO8o61H7F-zmcYBLQ7Zqzo4OCGnliHpwHfh2JJ_qA7rmuw3LeZZ-HpFa2dZkys9zNzdV_KP6zvY/s1600/28+Riga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9ShYcj6sCkL72QMOhxgLTWhM8hHSDvITomHiK-2zdeOnRRVM94uC8pXBZqfj4OH7tO8o61H7F-zmcYBLQ7Zqzo4OCGnliHpwHfh2JJ_qA7rmuw3LeZZ-HpFa2dZkys9zNzdV_KP6zvY/s1600/28+Riga.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPSn8hhTDKYHchP_eYosplKzsk93OqkyxxfNMqRBFtVwa58HOpLHKKde4UOpWJ7iTgBgReGOm2Bp2qQYzMv_S-yZ5rjxZ0rQRjpRtBEEbd4c6lrXzzwfnn467V0Gg-G0sMSBXTXevIB4/s1600/29+ornate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPSn8hhTDKYHchP_eYosplKzsk93OqkyxxfNMqRBFtVwa58HOpLHKKde4UOpWJ7iTgBgReGOm2Bp2qQYzMv_S-yZ5rjxZ0rQRjpRtBEEbd4c6lrXzzwfnn467V0Gg-G0sMSBXTXevIB4/s1600/29+ornate.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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By around 2 PM I’ve had enough touring and I’m ready to head
back to the ship. Lunch sounds like a great idea and sitting down and reading a
book is what I look forward to, not another museum or church.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; my wife likes to
tour and I like to vacation. I define a vacation by the number of books I can
read. So far, I’m almost finished with my first one.</div>
Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-17964924831628616942014-08-26T08:48:00.000-07:002014-09-02T14:06:32.361-07:00Berlin, Germany<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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We left Copenhagen, Denmark, on Friday afternoon August 22,
2014, on the Oceania cruise ship, Nautica. Our first port Saturday morning was
Warnemunde, Germany. But that was just the port. We took a 3 hour tour bus ride
to Berlin from the port. Our group of 4 couples had a wonderful guide, Preston
Meyer, from some town in Oregon. He had back-packed around Europe the end of
the 1990s, and wanted to improve his German language skills. While in Berlin he
fell in love with the place and decided to stay and became a tour guide.</div>
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<br /></div>
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He was very informative about the history of the country,
the city, and was very witty. It appears while the city of Berlin shows off its
charm and architecture it is about 95 billion Euros in debt. An example would
be the airport which was scheduled to open in 2006, which was changed to 2008,
2010, and now they won’t even give a date for the opening. </div>
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<br /></div>
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During the reign of Friedrich Wilhelm I (1735ish), the city
of Berlin was very welcoming to people who were being chased out of other
countries, like the Jews. The city needed a labor force and this was a way of
attracting them. An amazing Baroque synagogue sits on a main street in the city
showing that the Jews did not need to hide in that era.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We were able to see a portion of the Berlin Wall that was
left standing as a reminder of the Soviet era occupation of East Berlin, and a
beautiful museum with an open air gallery. We also visited Check Point Charlie,
which was the gate where American servicemen could enter and exit East Berlin.
It appears to be controlled by some Russian mafia folks who are in costumes
resembling US soldiers and charge for photographs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmapoaNDHyNK-P12s-oycrQXRlO03mYmln95UC_CoZLpaw_mpR9ZC1qhMah-bx5hUgB2QE_Ni_PyiFvfXv6kaZBK4IJi5bfyz3x-PfGIZellqlcTRZQySmkPtS9wEt0J5b1DlZw-IefhY/s1600/20+checkpoint+charlie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmapoaNDHyNK-P12s-oycrQXRlO03mYmln95UC_CoZLpaw_mpR9ZC1qhMah-bx5hUgB2QE_Ni_PyiFvfXv6kaZBK4IJi5bfyz3x-PfGIZellqlcTRZQySmkPtS9wEt0J5b1DlZw-IefhY/s1600/20+checkpoint+charlie.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTES89yW_Cfs4erEXY7cl2MQ_uSUenyW5vpj0_zYNJ_i3GFKcODMMCTlVy6P3Qjcw0jW3uStMh0V3WVY89Re0_eDn9yFyrLOmcMaCt9oqlg_nJgXU6kKy23LKfLa_dVTX3O2szHVY2iiM/s1600/23+Dianne+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTES89yW_Cfs4erEXY7cl2MQ_uSUenyW5vpj0_zYNJ_i3GFKcODMMCTlVy6P3Qjcw0jW3uStMh0V3WVY89Re0_eDn9yFyrLOmcMaCt9oqlg_nJgXU6kKy23LKfLa_dVTX3O2szHVY2iiM/s1600/23+Dianne+wall.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHqZ4YAh9PMTMI6yIfq9fFF4yRh3_ER2flEX2XuMrEUTKdOSiuKSF6cu8JLYBFRwop_rlcoiO0Jp7K2Ls_IrokRlEUpBNbqSkQchGwiuMqRwx9NfRQsBgcgRc_xIQTqxjILu-zRK8gKw/s1600/24+Berlin+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHqZ4YAh9PMTMI6yIfq9fFF4yRh3_ER2flEX2XuMrEUTKdOSiuKSF6cu8JLYBFRwop_rlcoiO0Jp7K2Ls_IrokRlEUpBNbqSkQchGwiuMqRwx9NfRQsBgcgRc_xIQTqxjILu-zRK8gKw/s1600/24+Berlin+wall.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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After a day at sea, Sunday, August 24, 2014, our next stop
was Klaipeda, Lithuania</div>
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<br /></div>
Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777989144966423822.post-11297288037116782402014-08-22T02:54:00.001-07:002014-08-22T02:54:15.613-07:00Copenhagen, DenmarkHi Folks,<br />
Dianne and I arrived in Copenhagen on Wednesday, August 20. We left Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, August 19. We had to fly to Newark, change planes and then fly to Copenhagen. We arrived at the Marriott at 8:30 AM, and were told our room would be ready by 4 PM. Being the sophisticated travelers that we are, Dianne and I slept in the lobby of the hotel.<br />
<br />
This made the general manager very happy to see how comfortable his guests were, so he made sure our room was ready by noon. We were so exhausted that Dianne slept for 16 hours and I slept for 14 hours. Travel is so exciting.<br />
<br />
The time was such a blur, all I can tell you is that when we awoke at 6 PM on Thursday, we rented bikes and went to Tivoli Gardens. It's like a funky Disneyland with restaurants and rides set in the middle of Copenhagen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgRrK6iwdMekG7ZYqpOu725CBHlD1Es6DKLXCE4_ieGNnxbYYGkD_cJuVkRKY_wttuUD_N74CcvYKR_SZb-vqIfPR4OBQJRaMEwJGRAnGBiHxT8dtK8HHVSI6akfO-cmn511SsP1bVp0/s1600/Tivoli+Gardens+8-21-14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgRrK6iwdMekG7ZYqpOu725CBHlD1Es6DKLXCE4_ieGNnxbYYGkD_cJuVkRKY_wttuUD_N74CcvYKR_SZb-vqIfPR4OBQJRaMEwJGRAnGBiHxT8dtK8HHVSI6akfO-cmn511SsP1bVp0/s1600/Tivoli+Gardens+8-21-14.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
That's a photo of me and in the background is a stage where a ballet performance was taking place. Dianne refused to be in the photo because she didn't put on her makeup.<br />
<br />
From our hotel I could see two of the rides at Tivoli. The one on the left takes people up and spins them around at the end of a long chain. The one on the right takes people up like an elevator, and then drops them like a cable broke. Some of the other rides turned my stomach just watching.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-fuTjnmnq3stqiYMyri3Pr7EtalcPx_CCQDyW-XalEWdXUrUZdwZsR5z0CS5wIzZxnCyt9Uh01ASgaaDFE7ekxnj1njEmuW_1ZhsgqNQwcnhuGfG4RhOO-Ygr3vSpo2Xq9-TWct6LT8/s1600/Hotel+view-Tivoli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-fuTjnmnq3stqiYMyri3Pr7EtalcPx_CCQDyW-XalEWdXUrUZdwZsR5z0CS5wIzZxnCyt9Uh01ASgaaDFE7ekxnj1njEmuW_1ZhsgqNQwcnhuGfG4RhOO-Ygr3vSpo2Xq9-TWct6LT8/s1600/Hotel+view-Tivoli.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Friday we board our ship, the Oceania Nautica, for our Baltic cruise. First stop, Germany; the homeland of the Jews. Oh wait, that's Israel.<br />
Rennie <br />
<br />Rennie Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064028652767885204noreply@blogger.com0