Random thoughts from the sea
Days 96-98, 2026 Grand World Voyage Friday to Sunday, April 10-11, 2026; Nagasaki, Japan, and at Sea. Just steps from the docked Volendam I discovered a world of miniature art that, once again, challenges me to think beyond simply replicating a scene. After all, a photograph will do that. Artist
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Days 93-94, 2026 Grand World Voyage Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7-8, 2026; Naha (Okinawa) and Amami, Japan. The sound of children playing at recess told me I had arrived at my destination. Google Translate proved it. The “Amami City Obama nursery school.” While putting together a walking route in this
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Days 90-91, 2026 Grand World Voyage Saturday and Sunday, April 4-5, 2026; Kaohsiung and Keelung/Taipei, Taiwan. Who cares that I wore formal evening attire to a casual Italian restaurant in Taiwan? I didn’t even get any weird stares. Elaine hadn’t returned yet from her all-day tour to Taipei so I
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Days 87-88, 2026 Grand World Voyage Wednesday and Thursday, April 1-2, 2026; Hong Kong. It’s not news that I’ve come to enjoy clothes shopping while on a cruise. Perhaps because there’s no pressure to find something, or the styles in other countries suit me more. Losing a few pounds hasn’t
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Days 82-85, 2026 Grand World Voyage Friday to Monday, March 27-30, 2026; Phu My, Da Nang and Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam. While not as well-known as Angkor Wat, Hạ Long Bay in Northeastern Vietnam has been on my bucket list for years. Through travel-brochure photographs, I’ve long admired the otherworldly
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Days 80-81, 2026 Grand World Voyage Wednesday and Thursday, March 25-26, 2026; Siem Reap, Cambodia. When my alarm went off at 4 a.m., I wasn’t happy. But you can’t sleep in if you want to see a spectacular sunrise at the largest religious complex in the world. We joined hundreds
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Day 79, 2026 Grand World Voyage Tuesday, March 24, 2026; Singapore. Finally – I found an art supply store that carries the Tombow brush pens I’ve been seeking. But even in modern and vast Singapore, it wasn’t as straightforward as I expected. Singapore is a favorite port for cruisers. The
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Days 74-77, 2026 Grand World Voyage Thursday to Sunday, March 19-22, 2026; Komodo Island and Bali, Indonesia. Bali is a beautiful island, but the drive through an hour of more of traffic before reaching the more beautiful parts can be brutal. Last year I vowed I would spend a night
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Days 66-70, 2026 Grand World Voyage Wednesday to Sunday, March 11-15, 2026; Townsville, Cairns and Darwin, Australia. I stood on the sidewalk in Cairns, looking at the empty lot in front of me, then at my smartphone map, then back at the empty lot as if a building might suddenly
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Days 62-63, 2026 Grand World Voyage Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, 2026; Sydney, Australia. My first priority when choosing a cruise has become sailing with people I know and love. Unfortunately, I can’t get them all to sign up for every cruise I take. And with Holland America’s current practice
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