Category Archives: Uncategorized

Guayaquil, Ecuador:  The Panama Hat is not from Panama

Today we are docked in Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, with about 3 million inhabitants.  To some this is “Chocolate City” for it is from Guayaquil that the world’s first cacao exports left in the 18th century.  To others it is … Continue reading

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A Little More Time Along Lake Michigan

The is the last day of our rebooted family vacation in Michigan. We are heading south back to Grand Rapids taking the longer route along Lake Michigan. We had driven around Manistee last night to find a place to eat. … Continue reading

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The Soo Locks: A Visit to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

This summer with us all fully vaccinated, my mom suggested that we recreate a trip that we took as children. My brother, sister, and I all met in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a four-day road trip “up north” with Mom. … Continue reading

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Lunch with the Count de Rully at his Chateau in Burgundy, France

Today our river cruise ship is docked in Macon, France in the Burgundy region.  The focus in this area is on wine and gastronomy.  There are small villages here with four-star restaurants and the fields are filled with vineyards as … Continue reading

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Belle Isle: A little bit more of Brittany

Today we are docked just off of Belle Isle, France.  Like our previous stop, the island is in the Brittany region of France.  It is the largest of Brittany’s islands and less than nine miles from the Quiberon peninsula extending … Continue reading

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Disneyland Paris Past and Present

We got up to catch an early morning train from Paris to Chessy where the train station is just at the entrance to Disneyland Paris.  From the Les Halles metro station right at our hotel, we caught a direct train, … Continue reading

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I’m just wild about Harry: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London

As my frequent readers know, I am a Harry Potter fan.  On one of my last visits to London, I took a bus out to see the Warner Brothers Studios in Leavesden.  Today the Harry Potter theme continues with the … Continue reading

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My Walking Tour of Bruges Continued

After leaving the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, I walked across the Maria Bridge and went to Walplein Square, one of the busiest squares in Bruges.  With its outdoor cafes and the De Halve Mann Brewery, it is a … Continue reading

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Touring Bruges on foot (or in a boot)

Our host at Maison Le Dragon was very obliging and served breakfast a half hour early to accommodate our touring schedule.  Boris is off to see battle sites from WWI.  I was scheduled to do my very first balloon tour, … Continue reading

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Budapest Revisited

Because of the problem with my foot we were unable to participate in some of the cool tours that Uniworld is offering as alternatives to the panoramic tour.  You could go on a walking tour of the city, including the … Continue reading

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