Posts

Cruising the Lower Danube River from Bucharest to Budapest

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 Most of the people I know who have cruised the Danube River have sailed between Budapest and points north—through Austria and Germany.   We elected to cruise the lower Danube through the former Soviet-bloc countries of Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Croatia.   Our Viking River cruise began in Bucharest, Romania and ended in Budapest, Hungary.   This region, situated between the historically great empires of the Ottomans, the Habsburg Germans, and Russia, has a history of occupation, conflict, and contested borders alternating with periods of nationalist identity, struggles for independence, and self-rule.   We heard about these struggles during many of our guided tours and lectures on board the ship.   Having thrown off the yoke of Communism, the nations we visited are moving toward full integration as part of the European Union. After 22 hours in transit, we arrived in Bucharest, without our checked suitcases, which we had, unfortunately, left in Chicago....
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Exploring the Galapagos Islands

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I don’t have a bucket list,  per se , I’ve just been trying to see as much of the world as is possible while I am still able to travel.    However, the Galapagos Islands is one of those places that is a must-see for any world traveler, and maybe even for those who have more limited ambitions.    While exploring the Canadian Arctic on the  Silversea Endeavour  last summer, Scott and I met some people who had been to the Galapagos and recommended it highly.    One man in particular, said that we should book a two-week expedition on Silversea.    The more we considered the possibilities, the more enthusiastic we became.    Before disembarking the  Endeavour,  we booked a Galapagos expedition on the sister ship,  Silversea Origin.     The  Origin  was built specifically for use in the Galapagos and was put into service in 2020.    Throughout the year, it sails two itineraries in the...
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