Oh the Places I'll Go

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...

 I booked my first cruise around the Baltic Sea for the summer of 2020, but, as many no doubt remember, that was the first summer of the Covid pandemic and all such trips were cancelled.  One of the most interesting ports on that aborted itinerary was to have been two days in St. Petersburg, Russia with opportunities to visit some of the Czar’s palaces and the Hermitage Museum, reputed to be one of the most beautiful art galleries in the world.  I missed the opportunity since travel to Russia has been off limits since the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent lengthy war.  However, Scott and I did find a Baltic cruise itinerary on a ship we liked --without a stop to visit St. Petersburg—for the summer of 2025.  We spent three days in Stockholm before boarding our ship, the Silver Spirit, and stayed for a couple of days in Copenhagen after disembarking. Some views of the Baltic Sea, our ship the Silver Spirit, and our veranda stateroom Although we couldn’t visit...