Should We Stay or Should We Go

Our first port of call was Alicante, Spain, on the beautiful Costa Blanca. Our original plan was to sleep in a little, but as we were both awake relatively early, we decided to grab a quick breakfast and head off the ship. There was no need to waste a perfectly good port day! Alicante is a coastal city on Spain’s southeastern Mediterranean coast, known for its palm-lined promenades, sandy beaches, historic old town and lively waterfront. It has a lovely Mediterranean feel, with plenty of cafes and places to wander, and the city’s most recognizable landmark sits high above it all. Our plan for the day was to make our way to Castillo de Santa Bárbara , the castle that overlooks the city and its harbour. Perched on Mount Benacantil, about 166 metres above sea level, the castle has a long history dating back to the period of Moorish rule. Over the centuries, it was expanded and strengthened, and its strategic position made it an important defensive stronghold. Today, it is one of Alican...

After arriving in Barcelona, we met up with our transport and made our way to the ship. We were excited to get this final leg of our trip underway, but getting on board turned out to be quite the experience! It was, without a doubt, the longest embarkation process we have ever encountered on a cruise. The lineups to get checked in were at least an hour and a half long. After standing in the main line for about half an hour, we realized that we should have priority check-in and moved over to that line instead. At first, it didn't seem to be moving at all, but thankfully things eventually picked up and we finally made it on board. By the time we got to lunch, it was 4:30 in the afternoon! A little later than we had planned, to say the least, but we were on board and that was what mattered. Our home for the next 17 days is the Norwegian Viva , a relatively new ship that entered service in 2023. She is a large ship, measuring about 965 feet long and weighing in at over 143,000 gross...

And just like that, we went from six to four, and then four to two. Very early in the morning, son #1 and son #2 headed off to the airport to begin their journey home. It was hard to say goodbye after spending so much time together, but our travels weren’t quite over yet. A short while later, the two of us were on our way to the airport as well, leaving Malta behind and flying to Barcelona to begin the final leg of our trip. We have just embarked on a 17-day Transatlantic cruise that will take us all the way to Galveston, Texas. While we will miss having the boys with us, we are looking forward to meeting up with dear friends who will be making the crossing with us. We don’t get to see them nearly as often as we would like, so having 17 days together is something to look forward to. Before we leave our time with the family behind, though, I want to share a little story about our daughter-in-law and her first cruise. I have to admit that I was a little unsure how she would enjoy cr...

Our second, and last, full day in Malta, we decided to take things a little slower and do something different. We grabbed an Uber and headed to the south side of the island to visit the Blue Grotto. We hadn’t really taken the time to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea yet, and as it was the last day with Son #1 and Son #2, we wanted to spend it relaxing and enjoying our time together before the long travel day ahead. The Blue Grotto is a series of sea caves along Malta’s southern coast. It is known for the brilliant blue water and the way sunlight reflects off the seabed and lights up the caves. Boat tours take visitors along the coastline and into some of the caves. When we arrived, we all knew we had made the right decision. The water was gorgeous! After so much sightseeing, it was nice to be somewhere we could slow down and enjoy the view. We found a restaurant overlooking the Blue Grotto and the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and settled in for lunch. There was no need to rush. In fact, ...

We set aside a full day to explore Valletta, the capital of Malta, and spent our time wandering its streets, visiting historic buildings and taking in as much of the old city as we could. Valletta is a fascinating place, with a history shaped by its strategic position in the Mediterranean. Over the centuries, Malta was ruled by various powers, including the Romans and Arabs, before the Knights of St John arrived in 1530. Following the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, when the Knights successfully defended the island against the Ottoman Empire, construction of Valletta began in 1566. The city later came under French and then British rule, and endured heavy bombing during the Second World War. There is an incredible amount of history packed into this small walled city. We began at the old city gate and then made our way through the narrow streets. One of our stops was the Grandmaster’s Palace, built in the late 1500s as the residence of the Grand Masters of the Knights of St John. Over t...