Tuesday, May 21, 2019

We are going on a New Adventure

with only 2 more sleeps, we are really excited to be flying to Venice to explore and then get on our cruise on Holland America Veendam for a 12 night cruise to Dubrovnik, Albania, Greece, Naples, Rome, Florence, Monte Carlo, Toulon France then to 5 exciting days in Barcelona.

Am I packed?  No but April is!  Must go and pack now.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

CRUISING.....the Eastern Meditteranean

On April 10th, April saw an ad in one of our local newspapers for a Europe Cruise Sell Off!  It was a small ad and it could be easily missed but this ad had some key words that just drew her eyes to it......Turkey, Italy, Greece ... just the places that were on our bucket list ! and it included air to Rome and home again. And it was going to a lot of places we wanted to go to.  And it was all in one cruise.  Who could pass this one up???  And with the option of extra days in Rome after the cruise.....And we were cruise virgins!!!!

So we booked on April 14th to leave on May 26th....  But I must add here that I had already had a trip planned and booked to Italy with my high school friend - Terry Finch to begin on June 14th.  This cruise would fit perfectly into my plans...

So, we are off on another Quipay Adventure.  I should also say this is our Anniversary cruise....


May 26th, 2012
Patiently waiting for KLM flight to arrive and board.  April wants this holiday to begin....















May 28th, 2012
Nancy and April - our 16th Anniversary cruise
Finally boarded the Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas in Rome. 





Saturday, July 7, 2012

July 6th 2012 at the Calgary Stampede Parade

Today we got up early (5 am) so we could get a place to sit to view the parade.  Hurried to get breakfast and drive to the rapid transit station...free parking is available for users of this wonderful train...got to the Heritage station, parked, got on the train an got ito Calgary and found a place to sit.

Guess what??  The chairs were still in the back of the vehicle, not with us!  No seats available to purchase because every one had been bought weeks ago.  What to do....

A wonderful woman, Scouter Liz of the 13th St Cyprians scout troop, who was looking after the bleachers where we inquired about seats offered the three of us chairs.  We took her up on her offer and sat in the perfect spot to see the 100th Anniversary Stampede parade.


Thursday, June 7, 2012

CHANIA, Tuesday, June 6th, 2012

Our cruise got turned around and what we were supposed to do at the beginning of our adventure is nnow happening at the end.  We should have visited Crete on May 31 but instead we visited the Port of Call June 6th.

We had booked an excursion to tour the island but we slept in and missed the tour....so we had a leisurely breakfast and took ourselves on our own trip...The city bus was waiting right outside the security gate and for 3 eruos we bought a return trip into Chania then ffound a Hop on Hop off tour and took it instead.

The  views from the top of the mountain are incredible.  Many apologies for no pics but I cannot upload my camera pics to mycomputer...Justax osnefrick that I have not learned yet. Will postmore later.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Rome airport adventure, Sunday May 29th 2012

What an amazing holiday so far!!!  We arrived in Rome and went right to the hotel because we were very tired.  Stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn.  Let me tell you about our misadventure to get to the hotel.

On our itinery, we were told to call the Hilton on a courtesy phone in the airport.  Guess what...?  There is no courtesy phone in the airport and any vendor I asked told me their phones were just for show and did not work.  OK.  Let's go and find the courtesy shuttle ourselves.  No where, when coming out of the International part of the Rome airport is there a sign of any sort to tell people where to get the shuttle.  So we asked.  One person sent us up a ramp..imagine two old farts pushing heavy luggage on a cart UP THE RAMP!!!!  We made it to the top but no sign again, for any shuttle.  So we asked again.  This time the young man sent us back down the ramp and across the road (taking our lives in our hands as we tried to cross to the other side on a crosswalk!!).  Asked a taxi driver who did not speak any English and who asked some one else and they asked someone else.  Finally someone told us to keep walking, that we could not miss the shuttle.  By this time we wanted to take the taxi but they would not drive us to the hotel.  The distance was not long enough and they may miss an expensive fare....  So much for that idea.

We kept walking and walking and finally found the sign for the shuttle to the Hilton.  By this time we had been cruising around the airport inside and out for TWO hours.  So, yes, by time we arrived to our room. it was definitely nap time!!!

The Hilton was a pleasant hotel, no frills but certainly clean and well cared for.  I would recommend this hotel.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

cruise

a quick note to let everyone know we are in Athens and will catch up soon.....

Sunday, May 27, 2012

DON'T WE HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO NOW???

Puerto Vallarta was a nice, relaxing and comfortable adventure.  We enjoyed our time there in March but now we are off into the wild blue yonder again.  I have been going over my check list and have everything ready for the house sitter, dog is taken care of, wished Denise a happy birthday when we were passing each other in the Calgary airport (she was on her way to a business meeting and I was on my way back home from a school reunion.), packing almost done.  Think we are almost there.

So, where to this time you may ask.  Long story...... In early January, my girlfriend from Florida and I planned a land trip to Italy taking in Rome, Florence and Venice and a few other places in between.  April was reading the local paper and showed me a great deal on a cruise to the eastern mediterrean and it had 5 of our bucket list.  How could we pass this up???

Long story short, I figured that if I could fit this cruise into the beginning of my land cruising with my friend Terry, then is as a go.  Guess what??  I could be done with a 5 day touring time at the end of the cruise before Terry arrives..  And we are off............