Random thoughts from the sea
Day 111, 2025 Grand World Voyage Friday, April 25, 2025; Barcelona, Spain. After all the partying and visiting yesterday between the passengers and crews of the Zuiderdam and Volendam, today we got around to actually seeing Barcelona. My sisters Eloise and Elaine, with friends Jett, Kelly and Jolanda from the
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Day 110, 2025 Grand World Voyage Thursday, April 24, 2025; Barcelona, Spain. Holland America exceeded my expectations with an amazing party and drone show tonight in Barcelona. I admit that early on I had my doubts about the Grand Meetup 2025, when Holland America’s Zuiderdam and Volendam – each on
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Days 108-109, 2025 Grand World Voyage Tuesday and Wednesday, April 22-23, 2025; Civitavecchia/Rome and Olbia, Sardinia, Italy. The news of the death of Pope Francis on Monday left an air of uncertainty on the Zuiderdam, as we arrived in Civitavecchia early Tuesday morning. This is the port for Rome, which
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Day 107, 2025 Grand World Voyage Monday, April 21, 2025; Naples, Italy. Boy, was Naples a wonderful surprise today! After spending my first visit here in 2007 going to Pompeii, four years later I ventured into Naples itself. It’s easy to do on foot, as the cruise pier is in
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Day 105, 2025 Grand World Voyage Saturday, April 19, 2025; Piraeus/Athens, Greece. I had one goal today in Athens – to discover the small bakery I visited with my friend Deb last fall on a walking food tour. It was our first stop, and we sampled the most delicious ring-shaped
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Day 104, 2025 Grand World Voyage Friday, April 18, 2025; Kusadasi, Turkey. I last toured Ephesus, near the Turkish harbor of Kusadasi, in 2007. While you might think such a historic site of ruins dating back more than 2,000 years wouldn’t change much in 18 years, it was well worth
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Day 102, 2025 Grand World Voyage Wednesday, April 16, 2025; Alexandria, Egypt. I’ve been to Alexandria, Egypt, twice before, both times making the three-hour bus trip to Cairo and Giza, where I stayed overnight. Today, the Zuiderdam is only here for one long day (6 a.m. until almost midnight), but
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Day 99, 2025 Grand World Voyage Sunday, April 13, 2025; Valletta, Malta. On the short list of beautiful ports to sail into, add Valletta, Malta. This relatively small country in the Mediterranean has a rich history that is broadcast for all to see – a sheltered harbor surrounded by fortifications,
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Days 96-97, 2025 Grand World Voyage Thursday and Friday, April 10-11, 2025; Gibraltar and Cartagena, Spain. Perhaps it is a Spanish tradition. Or Mediterranean. If so, it is one I could embrace. It’s the tradition of going out for a city stroll, sometimes after mass and sometimes just for a
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Day 94, 2025 Grand World Voyage Tuesday, April 8, 2025; Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Today I did a little jig as I returned to the Zuiderdam from a day ashore on Lanzarote. No injuries! When last in this port, I fell and fractured my patella. My goal today was to
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