Should We Stay or Should We Go - Our Travel Journal

  Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash Tomorrow we are leaving the snow and ice behind and escaping to warmer temperatures. We are spending the winter in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, as we have done for the last three years. In the past we have left right after New Years.  It was always a rush to get all the Christmas decorations boxed up and then try and get us packed for three months away. This year we have given ourselves an extra week and it's been far less stressful. Over the course of the last 10 days we have been able to take our time to do what needed to be done, appointments, shopping, and sorting. I've even managed to have a PJ day in there. This year will be slightly different as I am starting off our time by going on a girls' cruise for the first week.  So, tomorrow I fly to Fort Lauderdale and Sunday John will fly to Punta Cana to get us set up for the winter.  I think I may like this arrangement!  I have already written out our first big shoppin...

Photo by Matt Ragland on Unsplash  Reflecting on our trip afterward brought a clearer understanding of what could have been done differently. While we were focused on enjoying each place, there were details we missed that would have enriched the experience. It's easy to feel like you’ll remember everything, but in hindsight, I see how helpful it would have been to plan more thoroughly or to take notes along the way. So, what are the lessons we've learned? Do More Research Before our travel, we did searches on what the must-see spots were in each place we visited.  Due to the limited time we had to plan the trip (and the amount of stops we were going to have on this trip) we didn't do a deep dive into what we were going to see.  After the trip, I looked into each location further and discovered things I wish I had known beforehand, as well as historical spots I regret not learning about in advance. Take Time to Sit and Enjoy the Location It was very easy to get caught up i...

  Photo from ncl.com We are seasoned Norwegian cruisers.  We've been on many Norwegian cruises, enough that we are now Platinum. Our preference is typically for smaller, somewhat older ships, as we enjoy port days and exploring new destinations. These smaller ships can access ports that larger, newer ships cannot.  Our review should be read with that lens.   Norwegian Prima was the first ship built in the Prima class of ships.  It was built in 2022 and is now over two years old.  It can hold 3,099 guests. Embarkation Embarkation was simple and fairly quick.  We selected an arrival time , which they tell you would be strictly adhered to.  (we did not test this.) This meant that the crowd within the terminal building was very manageable. Once we checked in, received our pass card, we were given an embarkation number.  We then had to sit in the waiting room and wait until our group was called.  About 20 minutes later, our group number ...

As we left the Azores behind we began the last leg of our journey - 5 days at sea.  This was our first time crossing the ocean on a cruise ship.  Our friends had done it twice before and assured us that it was a great experience.  On their previous sailings they had experienced good weather and smooth seas. We were a little skeptical.  We typically cruise for the ports.  We enjoy sea days as a chance to catch up on our sleep and to catch our breath between busy ports.  5 sea days in a row was not something we would normally want to do, but we were up for the experience. As we were sailing towards the end of November we weren't expecting hot weather.  We were hoping for warm enough weather where we could sit out on deck, enjoy the sunshine, and read a book.  Unfortunately, we had some rainy weather that also produced some wind, so we were unable to enjoy the outside decks.  For two of the days they had the decks closed. After the first couple ...

 Our last stop on this part of our trip, before beginning to cross the Atlantic, was Ponta Delgada, in the Azores. The Azores are a group of volcanic Islands that are approximately 1,600 km off the coast of  Portugal. Ponta Delgada,  located on the island of São Miguel, is the largest city of the Islands and the capital of the Azores. With a history that dates back to the 15th century, Ponta Delgada is a charming town with a lot of old world character. It is known for its picturesque cobblestoned streets, whitewashed buildings with black volcanic stone accents, and beautiful coastal views. It was a rainy day while we were in port, and as it was a Sunday, most things were closed so we spent the day walking around the town. Praça Gonçalo Velho Cabral Our first stop was at  Praça Gonçalo Velho Cabral - the town square which serves as a public gathering space. It was here that we saw the  Praça Gonçalo Velho Cabral (the city gate).   The Portas da Cidade h...

  Reflecting on the past year, I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to travel as much as we did. We began our year, as we have for the last three years, by escaping the Canadian winter for three months to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  It's a perfect way to spend the winter months. Once we returned back home in April, we stayed close to home for the Spring and Summer, spending some of the time up at the lake where we have a trailer. We wrapped up the summer with a glorious week visiting friends in Newfoundland. It  was the perfect way to end the summer. Our Fall travels consisted of a week spent at my sister's home two hours north of where we live, house and cat sitting, while she was travelling. We also had a quick road trip to visit our son and daughter-in-law in Virginia. Our highlight of the Fall was an incredible month-long European river cruise with two of our boys, followed by a transatlantic cruise from Rome to New York City. What an unforgettable adve...

Lisbon is also known as The City of Seven Hills, and after spending a day there we know why.  We walked up and down so many steep hills that day, and most of them were cobblestoned which made it much worse. There are so many things to love about this vibrant city, but the hills weren't one of them. If nothing else, it showed us just how much we are out of shape. Lisbon is the second oldest capital in Europe, next to Athens. It was originally settled by the Phoenicians around 1200 BC. Over the centuries the Romans, Visigoths, and Moors all had a turn ruling the area.  In 1147, Lisbon was recaptured by King Afonso I of Portugal, marking the beginning of its development as a Christian European city. During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon became a global hub of trade and navigation, fueling Portugal's maritime empire.  Although Lisbon was built up in the middle ages, the defining event that shaped "modern" Lisbon was the devastating earthquak...