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- A glorious day in the Sonoma Valley
Australasia
Europe
Middle East
- Egypt
Tips
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The gardens of the Basilica of St Castor in Koblenz, Germany

wp-17609561804214021945738278191425.jpg

20/10/2025 / 2000 x 2000 px

The gardens of the Basilica of St Castor

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travellingsimply

A pleasant sojourn in Victoria, Vancouver Island.

A pleasant sojourn in Victoria, Vancouver Island.

We were up bright and early this morning to catch the car ferry to Vancouver Island.

The 90 minute ferry ride was pleasant gliding across the Strait of Georgia and past the Gulf Islands.

On the island we took in a few of the main sights and attractions in Britain Colombia's capital city, Victoria.

First up was a wander around the colourful streets of houseboats at Fisherman's Wharf and a drive up to Beacon Hill.

On the way back towards the city, we passed through James Bay, one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods to wander the streets looking at the beautiful Victorian houses.

A short distance away in town, we spent time marvelling at the majestic Parliament Building and visiting inside before crossing the road to look inside the beautiful Empress Hotel.

We finished with a walk around the city and the Inner Harbour.

The last stop of the day was at the renowned Butchart Gardens. While the trees were still bare, cherry blossoms bloomed and, daffodils, fresias and delphiniums provided colourful displays in the garden beds.

#vancouverisland #canada #butchartgardens
#travel #traveltips

A sunny Sunday in Vancouver. The sun was out and

A sunny Sunday in Vancouver.

The sun was out and the city looked completely different from yesterday.

We had clear views from our apartment building's rooftop to Canada Place, Stanley Park and the mountains beyond which have a hint of snow on their peaks.

We stopped by Christ Church on our morning walk. It's a pretty little church in downtown Vancouver, the oldest church building in Vancouver and these days, surrounded by high rises. Inside, the choral Eucharist was about to commence so we stayed for a while watching the pews slowly fill up. Listening to the choristers was a wonderful start to our day.

Continuing into Denman Street which is lined with cafes and restaurants, we ended up at the "laughing" sculptures at English Bay. It was cold and gusty but the walkway which takes you between the Bay's beaches was full of people eager to make the most of the sunny day.

Late afternoon found us across the harbour in North Vancouver at The Shipyards and Lonsdale Quay. The pier gives excellent views across to Vancouver. The precinct is full of bars and eateries and an ice skating rink.

A leisurely Sunday in Vancouver comes to an end as we prepare for a busier day of sightseeing tomorrow.

#vancouver #canada #travel #traveltips #travelblog

A day on solid ground. We flew into Vancouver la

A day on solid ground.

We flew into Vancouver late last night and quickly settled into our beautiful apartment in the vibrant Gastown district.

Our apartment's floor to ceiling windows and balcony provide expansive views over the city.

Keen to see the local area before the forecasted rain in the afternoon we laced up our walking shoes and headed out early.

Our walk took us along the seawall around Coal Harbour and into Stanley Park, a large greenspace in the city. Lots of Saturday walkers and joggers were in the park making the morning.

It was encouraging to see the city of heading into spring with the cherry blossoms and daffodils beginning to appear around the city.

Our long walk brought us back to our apartment through the streets of Gastown past the world’s first steam clock which was still blowing steam despite telling the wrong time.

#vancouver #canada #travel #traveltips #travelblog

Last night and this morning! A short post today.

Last night and this morning! A short post today.

We spent our last evening on the ship humming along to familiar and catchy tunes before a delicious meal at the Italian restaurant.

And, we were awake early this morning when the ship glided past Lady Liberty into the Hudson River.

We had decided that we would take the opportunity to wander in New Jersey before our flight later in the day to Vancouver. However, the day dawned bleak, grey and cold so instead we've settled for the comfort of airport lounge.

#newyork #newyorkcity #travel #traveltips #travelblog

When we travel independently, we always look out f

When we travel independently, we always look out for festivals, concerts or shows we can attend. It's always a good way to immerse ourselves into the city or country we're travelling in.

On this trip things have been different. With the shorter day stays it's not been possible to seek out local entertainment.

Our disappointment has been overcome with the variety of onboard entertainment. Dedicated cruisers often tell us how much they enjoy the evening shows when they're on a cruise.

We have to agree. Night after night, whether in the theatre or in the more intimate venues scattered around the ship, extremely talented singers, musicians, dancers and comedians have entertained us with shows that could rival any on land. From musicals to rock tributes and comedy to magic comedy there was something for everyone.

With filming not encouraged during the show, we hope you enjoy a few snaps.

We'll be back on land tomorrow and ready for the next part of our trip. Stay tuned.

@norwegiancruiseline
@norwegianbreakaway

#cruise #cruising #travel #traveltips #travelblog

This post is for those of you who are wondering ab

This post is for those of you who are wondering about the meals onboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Breakaway.

But first ...

The sun is shining brightly but the temperature has dipped as we get closer to New York.

Many passengers who've come on the cruise to escape an unusually bitter winter in the USA and Canada are still trying to soak up the sun and swim despite the chillier conditions.

For those who prefer to spend time indoors, as with other cruise liners, NCL have plenty of organised activities to occupy the long days at sea.

While we prefer to use our time reading during the day, we're enjoying the dining experiences and evening entertainment (more on this in tomorrow's post).

Now, back to the food.

With so many eateries and much variety of food available on board, we've maintained our regime of light breakfasts and salad lunches in the Garden Cafe. Each night though, we've enjoyed exceptional fine wine and dining experiences in the restaurants coupled with wonderful service by the hard-working sommeliers and accommodating wait staff.

Scroll through the see a small selection of the delectables we've enjoyed.

An in-depth review on our @norwegiancruiseline
experience coming up on our blog (www.travellingsimply.com) after we return home.

#cruise #cruising #travel #traveltips #travelblog

We slipped out of St Thomas to views of the sun go

We slipped out of St Thomas to views of the sun going down and the moon in the sky above.

We now have several days of rest and recreation on board as the ship makes its way back to New York.

So, we've swapped our big walking days with using the well equipped gym and doing our yoga routines on deck in the mornings. It's especially necessary after the wonderful meals and the extra dessert our waitress produced for us last night!

Onboard, we've been enjoying a mixture of dining at the good selection of speciality restaurants as well as the complimentary restaurants in the evenings. All have been exceptional and we'll share our experiences tomorrow.

In the meantime, the sun is still out and temperature pleasant enough to enjoy time on deck.

#cruise #cruising #travel #traveltips #travelblog

St Thomas in the US Virgin. Our last port of call

St Thomas in the US Virgin. Our last port of call before we start the return trip to New York.

Our ship had docked when we woke up. More catamarans and luxury yachts on the water. The scenery from our balcony looked calm and serene.

We spotted the waterfront esplanade and decided to take a good walk along it before exploring the city.

Almost immediately, we realised the road next to the esplanade is a major thoroughfare. Lots of traffic including many noisy trucks and American pick ups travel back and forth. Interestingly, the vehicles are left hand drive and they drive on the left hand side of the road.

The walk from the port towards the city took us past groups of coloured buildings which was obviously government housing.

The main township consists of one main street. Again, this is lined with jewellery and duty-free stores catering for tourists.

We took to the side streets to find some more colourful streets with beautiful old houses before walking up Blackbeard Hill past the old fort to the tower with its lookout on top.

There is a strikingly strong American presence in St Thomas. Much of the administration for the group of islands is conducted here by US citizens who live here.

#cruise #cruising #travel #traveltips #travelblog

A day in St Maarten. The island of St Maarten is

A day in St Maarten.

The island of St Maarten is unique because it's divided between two countries with one part French and the other Dutch.

Once on land, we found the island to be completely different from all the others we've visited until now.

Imagine a tropical paradise with beautiful golden and beaches and bays, aqua blue sea coupled marinas filled with luxury yachts.

Three main streets along with the seafront promenade make up the township of Philipsburg where we docked. The promenade was filled with bars and restaurants, Front Street is lined with duty-free, jewellery and designer label stores, Old Street runs for just a few hundred metres between Front and Back Streets. Back Street caters for the locals with jam-packed clothing stores.

We wandered the colourful but most empty streets while most passengers from the four cruise ships in port went to beaches like Malo where they could have the iconic experience of having an aircraft fly low over them while lying on the beach.

We were disappointed not to see many locals about. We did, however pop inside the quaint Methodist Church to find many attending Sunday service.

Catering for tourists seeking sun and sea, St Maarten didn't have the same vibe as the other Caribbean islands we've visited so far. It certainly wasn't what we had expected.

#cruise #cruising #travel #traveltips #travelblog

The sun was coming out as we cruised into Basseter

The sun was coming out as we cruised into Basseterre on the island of St Kitts this morning.

Once outside of the customary port area full of duty-free stores were had the opportunity to see how real life on this island plays out on a Saturday.

Locals were out shopping and socialising, a lone fisherman was on the beach selling his catch, fresh vegetable stalls (mainly root vegetables) were set up on the street and the marketplace and the supermarket was jam packed with Saturday shoppers.

We strolled to the township's main sights: children were having recorder lessons in the beautiful St George Anglican Church and reggae music emanated from the windows of houses in the backstreets.

Saturday traffic circled the roundabout where the Berkeley Memorial Clock (St Kitts' mini Big Ben) stands and unfortunately there was no match playing at the Warner Cricket Ground but the was lots of West Indian vibes everywhere.

Scroll through to see a little of what we found on this beautiful island today.

#cruise #cruising #travel #traveltips #travelblog

Day 6 on the cruise and we woke to find ourselves

Day 6 on the cruise and we woke to find ourselves docked in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

Beautiful island scenery greeted us from our balcony which was very different from the bustling port of San Juan yesterday. It looked idyllic.

Christopher Columbus named it Tortola (Turtle Island) after seeing all the turtles when he landed here.

The island's economy is dependent on tourism and "financial services".

While most of our fellow passengers headed to the beaches or on taxi tours of the island, we preferred to wander the streets and surrounds of the island's main town, Road Town to see how the people here lived.

We explored the small town area, its backstreets and peeked inside the small Botanical Gardens. We found a laidback atmosphere, unlike the other islands there is a definite West Indian vibe (imagine WI music blaring from cars), and despite the pleasure craft around the port, poverty is evident on the town streets.

We hope you enjoy snippets of what we saw on our walk today.

#cruise #cruising #travel #traveltips #travelblog

We docked in San Juan, Puerta Rico mid-morning and

We docked in San Juan, Puerta Rico mid-morning and were off the ship promptly. There was much to see in the Old Town where we wete docked.

More colourful houses and streets. Some well-preserved, others left to ruin! The two main features of the old town are the two forts built by the Spanish in the 1400's to protect their territory.

Beautiful old buildings, rum distilleries, bars and lovely squares everywhere!

We'd love to come back to see the rest of San Juan and the real Puerta Rico.

#cruise #puertarico #travel #traveltips #travelblog

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