There’s a natural allure to the world’s wonders, I think. Manmade or natural, the awe of the spectacles is real. Sometimes books and videos are not enough to quell the curiosity. For me one of these is the Panama Canal. So we decided to check it out for real.

Our excursion begins a mere 7 days after our winter migration is over. We leave Florida (by train as you may know) and are in Canada exactly one week; there’s a lot to squish into a week when you know you’re off again imminently. Priority one is always my folks, but other errands and priorities weigh in, too.

Flying out of Toronto is never a pleasure, and the weather (cold, rainy and generally nasty) means probable delays. We are heading to Ft Lauderdale to spend a night before we embark on the Island Princess. Pearson is busy. The people who think that travel is slow are misinformed. The airport and our flight are full.

The flight was, as expected, delayed by 35 minutes and we can see the driving rain pummel the tarmac. Once on board we settle in and the Captain informs us that he will make up some time. En route we experienced quite a bit of turbulence; luckily it’s a short flight. Only 3 hours.

We land in Ft Lauderdale and immediately feel the warmth. A can takes us to our hotel and we quickly get to bed. It’s almost 9:30 pm and a day in transit has taken its toll. The next day will be another full day of getting settled into our “home” for the next couple of weeks.

I arrange an Uber to pick us up and make a couple of stops before getting to the ship. First stop: a new Yeti for Rudy (he left his other 4 water bottles at home 🤣). Second stop: refill Rudy’s cannabis prescription as we don’t travel with anything like that. Final stop: the Island Princess.

The embarkation process is super quick and easy. We are informed that the cabin will be ready at 1:30 pm. It’s 11:30 am so we grab a seat and a cocktail.

Our cabin is D517 (the 9th floor Dolphin Deck). It’s a mini suite and we are very happy with the accommodation.

We enjoy the inter coastal view from our balcony and watch the water craft of every size and description coast by. Everything from small fishing boats to mega yachts to pontoons to commercial touring boats. And then suddenly a loud booming noise crashes into the otherwise peaceful scenery. We look up and around only to find a group of fighter jets swooping in.

It was a spectacular private air show. Wow. What a start to our adventure on the high seas!

Our dinner reservations are for 5 pm. A table for four arranged by our travelling companions awaits. But first, a welcome aboard pre dinner drink is in order.

The ship is older and smaller but it has a feeling of elegance and dignity. The common areas are beautifully decorated and full of natural light.

After dinner we are lured to our bed another transit day has sapped our energy.

The next two days are spent at sea. Eating, relaxing, strolling, eating, being entertained, drinking, sleeping, eating, reading … ahhhhh.

We make our way to Cartagena Colombia.

Trains are fascinating. They’ve been the stuff of great adventures, infamous crimes and the setting for many movies and books. Simply, they are something for everyone.

A few years ago we ventured on the Rocky Mountaineer, a beautiful (and pricey) way to see the Rocky Mountains in western Canada. It was strictly for scenic travel. This year we combined adventure and purpose by taking the Amtrak Car Train for part of our migration back to Canada from Florida.

The car train transports people and their cars from Sanford FL to Lorton VA. Here’s how our journey went:

It all started with a Google Search and adding the Amtrak app. From there we chose our date (April 22). There are a number of options for travel: coach (seats of four facing each other); roomettes (two seats facing each other that convert to bunks in a private cubicle – that’s what we chose) and bedrooms (slightly larger than a roomette and also with a private toilet – it’s what we would choose next time). Two passengers and two cars booked. The booking process was a breeze.

On the day of departure we leave our place around 11 am in order to get to the station before 2:30 pm which is the cutoff time for loading cars. It’s about 90 min from our place to Sanford. As you approach the station there’s plenty of signage and attendants to guide you. At the car check in booth you are given a magnetic number for your car to stick on the door or place in the windshield. The checkin clerk provides a pamphlet with the number written on it to you. You leave your keys in the car with the driver window down and you take what you need for the trip as your car is no longer accessible.

We walk into the station which is a large and sunny terminal with seats similar to an airport gate area. There’s a small convenience store and a food truck outside. Rudy gets us checked in and reserves our dinner. Good thing we are a bit early as there are 3 dinner seatings: 5, 7 and 9 pm. The early time is popular with seniors! We like to eat early. Sleeper passengers have meals included. Coach passengers can access the lounge for drinks and snacks and light meals (such as a burger or grilled cheese).

The boarding process is fairly quick and you leave the terminal area to walk to the train right outside the doors. Each car is numbered and you know your car and room number from check in where you get a boarding pass and dinner vouchers. Boarding starts at 2 pm.

We easily find our room which is on the second floor. It’s tiny but functional. The room is equipped with an electrical outlet (bring a multi adapter for all your devices as there’s only 1 outlet), pillows, several bottles of water and more at the comfort station and a folding table.

As we get settled in, our room attendant, Johan, greets us. We let him know we are newbies and so he gives us a few tips: 5 pm dinner is announced and everyone gets in the hallway to walk to the dining car (for us it was two cars away) so he suggested we go to the lounge prior to as the lounge is adjacent to the dining car and we can avoid the line up! Also, for breakfast the dining car opens at 6 pm for sleeper guests and then at 7 pm the coach passengers can access; his advice was to head in at 6:30 to avoid the congestion. He let us know that he would convert our room to bunk beds at around 9:15 pm as he helps with dinner service. There’s a full bathroom with showers and towels in the first level. Anything we need use the call button.

The conductor makes an announcement at around 3:30 pm to advise that we will be “coupling” and should remain seated. Shortly after there’s a few jerky bumps and then we start to roll. 4 pm departure and we are on time.

We make our way to the lounge prior to dinner. There’s a variety of beverages and we each get a libation – wine for me and gin/tonic for Rudy. In the lounge there’s seats and tables where others are playing games or just sitting. We meet some nice folks and enjoy a chat while we sip. Such interesting conversations and from all over North eastern USA.

At 5 pm they announce dinner so we shuffle to the dining area. Tables are decked out with linens and silverware. Everyone has to share a table so we meet another couple who joins us for dinner. Dinner is a menu selection of hot entrees including pasta, steak, salmon or chicken. Starting with a salad and roll and finishing with a choice of desserts. Wine or beer is complimentary with dinner.

After dinner we venture back to our room (with more libations of course) and we set up the iPad to watch downloaded shows. There’s wifi on board but it’s not streaming worthy. It’s great for playing games, texting and even a FaceTime call to my folks.

As the sun sets, we are chugging through Georgia and there’s an announcement about the paper mill in Jesup. The announcer advises that the sulphuric odour is from outside and will pass. He wasn’t kidding. Yuck!!

The Paper Mill opened in 1954 and has been smelling the area ever since.

Johan arrives after 9 pm to convert our room and I climb to the top bunk. It’s a bit tight and has no windows or much air circulation. But even so, I was able to get some sleep. I tend to toss and turn quite a bit due to pain and this was no simple feat in my bunk! I don’t know how people do it regularly… Once I heard Rudy snoring I knew things were okay.

At 6 am I could see slivers of light through our privacy curtains and I waited until 6:20 to rouse Rudy (who was still asleep and snoring). We both used the restroom and then ventured to breakfast in the dining cart. While there, Johan reconfigured our room back to a seating arrangement.

Breakfast was a choice of hot and/or cold items. Cereal, quiche, fruit and coffee were all available.

We are now in Virginia and crossing the James River. From time to time there are announcements of notable landmarks. Such as the beautiful Victorian homes of Fredericksburg, Ashland the area where Secretariat hails from and Quantico. The scenery is gorgeous!

It’s 10 am and we are rolling into the Lorton Station. We are a bit late due to traffic. Train traffic is a thing.

Off loading passengers is followed by the vehicles and there’s an announcer who lets you know what numbers are ready. I’m not sure how the numbers works but Rudy has 110 and I have 209. As it turns out, there were over 500 human passengers and over 350 vehicles on board. So the wait could be ???? Some of the people we met and chatted with said it’s random at best and unless you have priority (an extra fee and only 28 spots – sold out by the time we booked). It’s a beautiful sunny day so it’s fine with me.

The homestretch …

I think we are now “trained” enough to try this again in the future.

When I moved to Toronto as a teenager, going to the Eaton Centre was a priority. I attended college in Willowdale (Don Mills and Finch) but I was drawn like a magnet to downtown. In my uber excitement of finding a store called Simpsons which was hiring, it never occurred to me that I was looking at a 90 min commute on the TTC. That’s the public transit system in Toronto (and to this day is inadequate) which for me was a 30 to 40 minute subway followed by a 40 to 50 minute bus ride.

I will never forget finding my way to the HR department of Simpson’s and them telling me on the spot that they had openings in ladies wear on the 6th floor. It was a huge area of ladies clothing and I was going to be a floor clerk. My new boss, Betty, a wonderful woman who took great passion in her work, showed me around. There were 7 of us in the department. 2 in the fitting rooms and there were 2 at least on the floor at any time. There was no Sunday shopping then.

Simpsons was a great store and I loved many aspects of it. In 1984 or 1985, Simpsons became The Bay (short for the Hudson’s Bay Company) and I was done college. A few of my colleagues from Ladies Wear were let go. Betty took an early retirement. The Bay was less formal and reduced the personal shopping experience to more”self help”. No more staff to assist you on the floor or in the fitting rooms.

Although it was a blow, it didn’t seem too bad a first. The Bay, after all, was one of Canada’s original trading posts back in the day. It had survived a lot over the years.

One things for sure, The Bay in downtown Toronto was an iconic landmark and one of the last to convert from Simpsons. The Arcadian Court hosted many dignitaries and posh clients while the seasonal decor (especially Christmas) was a sight to behold. No road trip to Toronto was complete without an excursion to The Bay.

Today I read that The Bay was seeking bankruptcy protection. They will likely close all 80 stores. I’m so sad to hear this news. And I hope there’s something of this legacy to salvage.

For the past few weeks we have been inundated with trade wars amongst our close ally and trading partner, namely, the 🇺🇸 USA. There’s been a surge of buy local and other “team Canada” rhetoric. It makes me chuckle to think of the Starbucks franchisee that has to spin it somehow. Is a Starbucks considered Canadian if the franchisee is? It is a pretty messy request to “buy Canadian” given the very blurry lines of commerce and trade.

Which brings me to The Bay. Team (economic) Canada couldn’t save it?! I read with such dismay, some of the online comments. Some speculating on the reasons for the failure of the business:

• The managers were too greedy
• The pricing was high (compared to Walmart)
• No one shops in person anymore

There were plenty of others but I was stunned. The Team Canada folk are apparently fickle. They would rather support Amazon or Walmart for price and convenience. Isn’t it worth a higher price and inconvenient location to support Canada 🇨🇦?? I guess not.

I will forever have fond memories of The Bay and the people I worked with over the years and 3 different locations.

So long, old friend.

Our final day of the trip is spent in Paris. First we get breakfast in the hotel (which by the way is gorgeous!) if we can make it there …. What a line up!

The hotel is very modern (fits in well with an area of Paris that is totally different from the rest) and the technology employed in every department is very interesting. For example, at the elevator bank you tap your room key in the panel and it tells you what elevator (A through H) to get on. There are no floor buttons on the elevator so you get to stop only at your room. Sorry kids!! There’s a robot in the restaurant to collect dirty dishes. Lights in your room come on once you insert your room key into the light slot. When you leave and take your key all lights turn off. There are no dials in the shower; it’s a push button select for either the rainfall ceiling head or the wand. There is an iPad in the room which controls everything and provides hotel info as well as tourist info, menus and translation.

We are on the 20th floor and can see the Sacre Coeur from our window (when the fog lifts)

Rudy gets a quick bite and in no time we are back on the bus for a panoramic city tour with a guide. Our guide, Magnus, is from Sweden. His English is good, but I find it a bit odd that a foreigner is the guide. Once he gets going it’s interesting information because he includes tidbits like how to order a coffee. That may sound simple enough but what you think you order and what you get are often very different. He also reviewed how not to annoy the service staff in coffee shops: order and change your mind, order takeout but eat in, don’t say “bonjour”, invite your friends to use the toilets (which are pay facilities unless you’re in a restaurant) .. I think he was speaking from experience.

Paris is an amazing city and we certainly only scratched the surface. Rudy’s not an art guy, so we skipped the Louvre again. But here’s what our tour covered:

The bus returns us to the hotel and we do a quick stop to gather ourselves. I’ve booked us on a private walking tour of the St Germaine and Latin Quarter areas for the afternoon. There’s a company which connects local guides with tourists. They have the ability to customize itineraries and group sizes.

I’ve booked us with Welly. A young (33) hipster who lives in Paris. In fact, he tells us that he completed high school near our hotel. His English is impeccable since he did a year of school in the USA. We was studying accounting when he realized it was not for him and he took up touring people 4 years ago.

We have arranged to meet him at our hotel and we head off promptly and make our way to the subway. He shows us how to purchase tickets and navigate the system. We are only going three stops, but it’s fascinating to see how the system works. Especially since we are only familiar with the Toronto system which is, in comparison, a very small operation.

Once off the subway we head into the fresh air of St Germaine. It’s the area where artists and writers used to congregate and hole up at the plentiful cafes. On line they are memorialized as artsy hangouts from yesteryear, but Welly let’s us know they are now mostly tourist traps.

And with that we end our tour … so long Paris. Until we meet again 🇫🇷💗

First thing in the morning we, along with our luggage, are hustled off the ship onto the bus. Our day will end in Paris with a couple of stops en route.

First stop is just across the border in Luxembourg. At the American Cemetery commemorating the Battle of the Bulge (so named because of the area on the map). Here lies the general responsible for the troops in battle: General Patton. There’s nothing more sobering than seeing the graves of the brave young (mostly) men who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms.

From Luxembourg we continue into France 🇫🇷 where we take a break in Reims. It’s the unofficial champagne capital and the site of the second oldest Roman historical sites outside of Rome itself.

The large cathedral in town is the oldest church in France and is where prominent historical figures were crowned king.

See you in Paris!

Our day started with a scenic cruise along the Middle Rhine. There were amazing sites to see on both sides of the ship, but we stayed in our (warm) cabin and were awed.

Lorelei Rock can be seen in the above photos; one on approach (right) and one as we pass (left). It’s a massive jagged rock that juts into the river at a narrow point. Many perished there.

Koblenz is the city where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers intersect. There is a river meeting point called the German Corner.

The imposing statute of Kaiser Wilhelm stands at the corner.

The German corner is also a place where they pay homage to significant events. There is an American flag that was raised in solidarity after 9/11 and these three panels are parts of the Berlin Wall.

Arch bishops were in charge in medieval times and therefore cathedrals are prominent on our tour. However, we learn that Martin Luther brought about changes and the Protestant religion was formed. Cathedrals are opulent and flashy where their Protestant counterparts are more simple and humble.

During the war French soldiers met with German girls and the children born were called “Schangels”. These children were not readily accepted and were teased so they acted out. Koblenz adopted the “Schangle” as their city mascot and manholes in town bear his image. There is also a fountain in the town and Schangel spits water in the warm months.

Later, back on the ship, we are invited to a taste of Germany dinner.

Later that evening we head out for a special tour in Winnigen. It’s a small hamlet known for its wine making.

The legend of the wine witch is told that a woman who was using local herbs to heal was declared a witch and imprisoned. However when the towns mayor became deathly ill and could not be healed, he summoned the witch from prison. She cured him! The wine witch is now celebrated at the annual wine festival. The largest in the region.

We strolled to the town church for an organ recital.

Fair warning: our next day in Cochem was a write off for me. I became violently ill in the night. As it turns out, so did others. I guess the taste of Germany did not agree with me. Luckily my private nurse, Rudy, was very attentive 💗

See you in Trier!

Today we were docked in Mainz. We looked outside and it was drizzly and chilly, so we made an (easy) executive decision to skip the morning city tour. Having done a minimum of 10K steps each day, we decided on a leisurely self guided morning.

We ventured to the lounge terrace area indoors and enjoyed a lovely breakfast. There were only four of us and so it seemed we were on a private yacht. Coffee, juice, fresh buns with cold cuts and cheese, fruit, pastries and a selection of yogurt and oatmeal as well as other cereals. If we wanted there was also eggs made to order or pancakes. The drizzle stopped, but the temperature was cold and the skies overcast.

At 10:30 we left the ship and wandered into town. As is typical, there is an Aldstatt (old town) with a central cathedral. We passed a casino and a shopping mall.

In the town is the Gutenberg museum showing the history of the printing press and written communication through the years. It opens at noon so we keep walking. In the town centre is a Christmas Market; it was just opening up.

After a while (and about 5K steps) we head back to the ship. Just in time to miss the wet snow that starts to fall.

Back on board we relax for a while and then I take in a Christmas cookie workshop with Chef Bobby. He’s Bulgarian so I’m guessing his actual name is something difficult to pronounce. Chef is showing us coconut macaroons and vanille kipferl.

Rudy finds it amusing that I would like to take a cooking class 🤣.

At 6:30 pm we listen to the cruise director, Simon, talk about the next days events. We will be cruising through the Middle Rhein where castles, fairy tales and folklore abound.

Then its time for dinner and we join two other couples for a traditional German tasting menu.

See you tomorrow!

Today was a double header. We started out docking in Germersheim Germany and took a short bus ride to Speyer. This quaint, ancient town is nestled between rolling hills and vineyards. We are in the Rhineland region famous for wine production dating back centuries.

Walking from the parking area adjacent to the cathedral, we pass through a pretty park area with green space and historical monuments.

The cathedral building process was started in 900 ad and completed in 1030 or so. It was destroyed and rebuilt and refurbished many times over the centuries. It’s an imposing Romanesque structure that is quite simple and stark compared to the gothic style. There’s a lengthy and interesting history around the museum from the early years where kingdoms changed hands based on victories in war and marriage contracts.

The front of the cathedral boasts a massive courtyard and the beautiful round window is the centrepiece.

Speyer is the origin of the pretzel. I found this tale so interesting. The bishop of yore tasked the local baker with making bread that he could look through and see the sky. The baker formed the dough in the shape of arms parting and voila! The pretzel was created. It’s prominence is carved in stone on the cathedral’s facade. You see the bishop holding a pretzel as you enter the building.

The bishops residence is located across the courtyard and today is a lovely yellow house.

Another interesting fact about this ancient town is that it is on the spiritual El Camino trail. Pilgrims walking the trail would notice the shell symbol on the ground in the courtyard and know they were on the right path. There’s even a monument in town depicting a barefooted pilgrim on his mystical journey. Folklore suggests that anyone touching the pilgrims feet will have a safe journey.

I’m with Rudy so the blessing passes on to me as well!

Behind the cathedral we meander over a bridge and through small alleys and streets. It’s fascinating to imagine medieval lifestyles as we enjoy the beauty of the architecture and the festive decor.

There’s another very interesting (and timely) tale in Speyer. A cartoon artist, Thomas Nast, who immigrated to the US (and drew for the Civil War) us from this quaint town. He gave us the image of Santa 🎅🏼 that we know today. The jolly St Nikolaus!

We emerge from the old town into the Main Street which is adorned with shops, eateries, pretzel booths and of course a market. Along the street are live spruce trees decked out by local school children. It’s an annual tradition.

The Main Street area leads up the original city gate which is an imposing tower.

We return to the ship and immediately sail on for Mannheim.

I phone my folks to update them and find out this region was among their favourites for venturing out on my dad’s motorcycle! He told me about their adventures and how they swam in the Neckar River!

In Mannheim the sun is setting as we dock and we are transported to the city centre where a lively Christmas market is waiting for us at the city’s water tower.

After leaving the market (and having enjoyed the delicious experience) we venture across the road and warm up with a coffee and a little something extra.

Back on the ship we continue the festive spirit….

See you tomorrow….

Today we woke up in Kehl, Germany. It’s a drizzly, grey day and it looks cold! We gather our gear and head out for the 15 min walk to the buses waiting to take us into Strasbourg, France. Our tour guide on the bus introduces herself and then does a countdown from 10 as we cross the Rhine and just like that we are across the border into France. Strasbourg has actually bounced between being French and German for years during the 1900’s. But now it’s France and people speak French or German (and of course English).

The bus drops us at a bridge leading into Petite France. It’s part of the old town that was known for where men with syphillis would be kept in history. Now it’s quaint and definitely festive!

As we walk along the cobbled streets, the rain peters out. The markets don’t open until 11:30 am so the only people around are tourists (and there’s a lot of those) and delivery drivers. How they manage on the narrow passages is amazing to observe.

When we enter the cathedral we are amazed at the size. The sheer magnitude of intricate detail is astounding.

Once the tallest building, it’s size is still formidable. Notre Dame is a masterpiece of gothic architecture and services are still held every week.

Inside is also the Astronomical Clock. It’s a work of art, science, math and physics. We were able to see the clock in action.

In addition to the clock. Another highlight is the stained glass. There’s a very interesting history as Hitler ordered the glass removed. George Clooney made a movie about how the glass (and many other precious artifacts) were rescued after the war. Monuments Men also stars Matt Damon and thanks to the efforts of the men in real life, the glass was returned to its rightful place. Since Strasbourg has been both a German and French city, it was spared destruction during the war.

See you tomorrow in Speyer!

Today we left Zürich by bus en route to Basel; the third largest city in Switzerland. It is located at the mouth of the Rhine and borders France and Germany. It’s a bustling university town (the Pope gave his blessing to open the university several hundred years ago!).

As you enter the city, you see several examples of the architectural styles of the famous Herzog and de Meuron. The old part of the city was (as we are now knowing as typical) once surrounded by a wall and a moat. Fortifications were common in medieval times but modern city expansions have resulted in some destruction of such structures. In Basel, the moat has been filled with long narrow parks. When you drive along side the former moats, the streets are called “grabbe” rather than Strasse.

Part of the medieval fortifications included city gates as in this photo. Lucky us, we arrive on a Monday morning and catch the trash collectors busy at work. There are real spruce trees everywhere and lots of lights which would be visible in the late afternoon in the dark.

Christmas markets are everywhere in town. Where there’s a square or public space you will find either a market with colourful stalls or a festive display of trees and decorations. It’s truly a magical and festive experience.

From Basel we are transported to our ship (home for the next several days). It’s our first Viking tour. The bus brings us to the dock and we enter the ship Herja. We are escorted to our cabin and are greeted by a huge bouquet of flowers. Thank you Gill!

The cabin (308) is a two room suite with a full bathroom. There’s a tv in both the sitting area and bedroom; tv offers tons of movies and other shows. There’s a balcony (but it’s cold out) and desk area.

As the ships sails to Kehl, we have to pass several lochs.

See you in Strasbourg!