Blog

In the morning, we drove 45 minutes to get to Kruger, and started our game drive. It took two days to see all of the Big 5. I should say Big 4.5; I feel fortunate to have seen a white rhino and its baby since in the whole park there are only 200 rhinos, and only 50 of those are black rhinos. The park is about the size of Delaware, and we focused on the “Southern Circle” while we learned about the park and animals from our guide Abrie who grew up in the area. I didn’t think it would be that much different to see the animals in their own habitat, but it was thrilling. One of the first animals we saw was a leopard climbing up a tree, fighting to keep his antelope from two hyenas.

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I went with a group from the ship and we came to a building with outside tables with the sign Mykonos Farmers above the pergola and we were immediately welcomed by George, the owner. He offered Greek coffee, and everyone was interested. The coffee came as an espresso, lightly swirled with a fine layer of foam; now my taste buds were up and awake with this morning elixir. Next, we were offered a delicious bowl of his own yogurt. Creamy with just the right amount of tang, and before we could take our second spoonful, George came out with his own local cherry preserves to dollop on the yogurt if we wished. I wished it and it was flavorful and sweet.

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One of the stops on my Emerald Douro River Cruise was Quinta do Tedo. The confluence of the Douro and Tedo Rivers, home to Quinta do Tedo, which we learned was actually an ecological reserve, had amazing vistas, with vineyards as far as the eye could see. Our guides shared the history and tradition of port, leading us through beautiful grounds, and treating us to in-depth tastings of their ruby and tawny ports, learning the differences between them. Needless to say I purchased several bottles of port in their gift store and can’t wait to share them at Thanksgiving.

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From the outside, this ship looks like a classic Miami Hotel. My first impression of the inside - the 4-deck Atrium was glamourous with swirling, sparkling stairs filled with Swarovski crystals! The Atrium is the heart of the ship and nothing proved that more to me than the live entertainment above the bar, light shows and the amazing amount of glass that let in a breathtaking view of blue water and blue sky. There are dozens of venues sprinkled throughout the ship including restaurants, bars, the casino, theater, and pools. Two of my favorites spots are the Lavazza Coffee bar and the Venchi Chocolate Bar.

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After our tasty meal (so much food!) we drove up to two different viewing points along the edge of the crater to enjoy the bird’s eye view of the lush green landscape inside the dormant volcano. We headed to the tea plantation, Fabrica de Cha Gorreana, the only tea plantation in Europe. The setting was beautiful.

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