Category: Destination Info

Nashville offers more than just BBQ

After completing our last season as managers at the Beaver Island Lodge, we were exactly back where we were 10 years ago when I wrote the story “Wide Open Spaces Ahead of Us”. Our first trip then was also to Nashville, where Han’s oldest friend in the US had moved to.  Sadly Ric passed away …

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Port of Call Civitavecchia, Rome

Port of Call : Civitavecchia/Rome Storms have been severely affecting the port of call schedules on this cruise, probably a result of the time of year. The new captain of the ship, who took over the reigns in Barcelona, is a native Italian.  He first tried to get us to Livorno, after the port city …

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Port of Call: Marseille France

Port of Call: Marseille France. Here is a thing to remember for the future: the guests on a transatlantic cruise are completely different from the ones embarking for a Mediterranean cruise. The first group is mostly adult, attentive and respectful, the latter act much more entitled and the pools and sundecks are all at once …

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Port of Call: Barcelona

Our next Port of Call Barcelona was also going to be the end of our Transatlantic cruise. Impulsive as we are, especially where it comes to travel, we looked at options to extend our cruise and found that a bunch of our newfound friends were continuing the ride from Barcelona into the Mediterranean; some were …

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Port of Call Málaga, Spain

The next port of call Málaga, had been on the menu for several days and finally the weather allowed us to anchor in the cruise port. It was still mostly overcast, but a visit to this summer tourist jewel is a must for its renaissance architecture, magnificent food culture, waterfront avenues and close proximity to …

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Port of Call – Palma de Mallorca

Again there was a last minute change as future Port of Call – Palma de Mallorca was placed ahead of the Andalusian City of Malaga. Reason? The same storm system that had taken Gibraltar out of the line up, prevented us from going to Malaga. So, the Regal sailed north to the island of Mallorca …

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Port of Call Cadiz, Spain

The message from the Captain came the evening before, while departing Madeira: a weather system in the southwestern Mediterranean forced the ship to set course for Cadiz, rather than Malaga. Perhaps because of its out-of-the-way location, Cadiz is a hidden gem that not everyone seems to know and visit, so we were happy with the …

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Port of Call Madeira, Portugal’s Year-round Resort Island

After  seven days on the Atlantic, the time had arrived for a day at Port of Call Madeira, Portugal’s Year-round Resort Island. The weather had been pretty good, so the island of Madeira was on the schedule. A great indicator on a cruise ship that you’re nearing land is that you all at once see …

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A Fourteen Day Trans-Atlantic Princess Cruise

A Fourteen day trans-atlantic Princess cruise was on the menu, now that a land vacation seemed out of the question because of Covid concerns and different international procedures. Beyond a 5 days Bahama’s cruise on Carnival in 2016, we had not done much cruising except for some Caribbean Tallship Trips when Windjammer Barefoot Charters operated …

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Caught on Beaver Island as Covid 19 becomes a global pandemic

After a couple of years globetrotting as interim innkeepers, we decided in 2019, to reply to a job offer on the website workingcouples.com, for a seasonal management job on Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan. Boutique Hotel Beaver Island Lodge with 14 rooms and suites and a separate log cabin was looking for operational managers …

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