Sailing across the Atlantic 2024 and escapades in Europe!

This trip was my second time crossing the Atlantic via Odyssey of the Seas,.It was even better this time as I knew what to expect with water all around for days.

Crossing the Atlantic was such a great experience that I did it again this year! The Ship was the same , the weather was great but the experiences compounded. If you haven’t sailed across the Atlantic as yet , get it included on your list of must do. We stated out in April from Fort Lauderdale Florida ,then on to Bermuda (unscheduled, to afford ill patrons medical care) First scheduled stop was Ponta Delgada , the Azores , Portugal . A lovely area with lush greenery and locals living within an old Volcanic called Sete Cidades. We took a bus tour organized by Royal Caribbean that traveled through the highlights of the city and stopping for historical sites as well as pictures of the old volcano. Wine tasting in town was fabulous as well as the views of the ocean while sipping. Port stops included Malaga, Cartagena, Cinque Terre and Rome where we disembarked . We boarded a high speed train from Rome to Venice and spent a few days there . I have to say Venice was not my favorite city for this visit, but experienced the famed Gondolas and St Marks Basilica which were on my “A” list for sometime. The sea food was great and so was the Pizza! I included pictures of those eateries and dishes in this post. While in Venice took a train ride to Verona which proved to be a very beautiful city with some great architecture and history. It is worth a visit if you are in Venice or close-by.. The islands off the coast of Venice are also interesting points to visit if you have time to go .The main ones are Murano ,Borano and Lido. We visited Moreno via boat from Venice ,its about a 30 minute ride ,beautiful scenery and great seafood when you get there!
Next was my favorite city on this trip ,Vienna! Flying over The Dolomites with their beautiful snowy peaks and colorful, green ,brown and grey hues . Vienna , just beautiful with beautiful people to boot. We stayed at the Holiday inn ,Vienna City which was within walking distance to restaurants, sightseeing, trasportation and mindful green areas for the senses. The staff at this Holiday inn were so welcoming, friendly, helpful and caring. Suzanna and her crew at the front desk made my hotel one of the best if not the best! If you are going to Vienna look at the Holiday Inn ViennaCity. Architecture was at its peak here in this city , from the Abertina to Hofburg Palace to the Opernviertel ,not to mention the pies-de-resistance Schönbrunn Palace! An experience that was also well worth the visit was to see the Lipizzaner Stallions in all their glory,the show is a must see when in Vienna. Side trip to Budapest is also recommended via high speed train it about 3.5 hours but well worth the time to go. See the glorious architecture which is afforded here. Plan to stay here about 5-7 days to make the most of this beautiful locale.
Spain was next for this extended European jaunt. Malaga by the beach with return to Ronda , Bullfight in Seville where I’m embarrassed to say I wasn’t aware the bull would be killed at the end. Sad for me so spent most of my time at the ring outside the ring. Please. Photos of the excursions to these cities .
Royal Ascot was the highlight of our visit to London this go around. The expedience did not disappoint and we would definitely do it again! Some other highlights included Guru Tours to Oxford, Ronda and London History walk including ,changing of the guards and back story of the King’s guardsmen ,the Gurkhas. Costco visit in Seville (using my card from home),cruising the Blue Danube which is the second longest River in Europe .The Danube travels through ten Countries in Europe including Austria and Hungary where we experienced it by boat.See these wonderful experiences in pictures here on my page.
I hope you all will enjoy this post and email me with any questions or to help you plan your vacation to any of these fantastic destinations !