TLCOhio

From our six different Silversea cruises, we have never had any kid "issues" or problem. The few kids we have seen have been nice, cute and well-behaved. Even the adults have been good and providing few, if any, problems. Planes, at times, might offer some challenges as such flights are usually full with ALL of kinds of people and a few "issues". We have two grandsons, ages ten and twelve, like kids, finding them mostly fun and interesting. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 246,693 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

WOW!! Friday was an amazing upswing for cruise stocks in general and especially for Royal Caribbean. From the Wall Street Journal late Friday, below are the charts for the three major cruise lines. Will be looking for any reporting to explain this major, positive upswing for the three major cruises, especially with Royal Caribbean. Any guesses and speculation as to why and how? The overall market was up on Friday, but not to that major of a degree. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/ From the Wall Street Journal, below are the stock charts for the three major cruise lines during the most recent week's trading. Big movements up, UP on Friday. Why?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

No! NO!! We want more!! Don't take the day off from posting. Your posting was absolutely wonderful. Great insights, thoughts and observations. Loved it all. Especially enjoyed you comparisons to Bora Bora and the amazing mantas, etc. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Had not been familiar with Vix. It is up, UP near $19 today. If that hot?? But when I researched to learn more, I found this: "VIX ETFs are highly risky, but when traded carefully, they can prove to be lucrative." True or not? Not sure my wife is comfortable with that type of "investing". Should I tell her otherwise? From the Wall Street Journal this afternoon, they had the below chart for Royal Caribbean. The past two days for RCL and many other stocks, things have not been good and positive. Early Monday am, Royal Caribbean was at $63.20. Now down to $60.39. That's a drop of nearly $3 a share in just two trading days. The other two major cruise lines were down also. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate these great details, background, visuals and follow-up. Sorry on the Internet/technical challenges. Keep it coming!! Very interesting and informative. Great historic perspectives about the changes in these areas. Loved you comparison of Dubai versus Abu Dhabi, etc. As to what is upcoming in the Saudi areas you will be visiting, a key travel website (The Points Guy) today had these details about what is coming for that rich and aspiring nation: "Saudi Arabia plans to spend $1 trillion on tourism infrastructure within the next decade – including major new airports, cruise hubs and resort developments along its coasts – with the goal of attracting more than 100 million travelers in the same period. It’s even opening its coastline to cruising for the first time with a new terminal at the Jeddah Islamic Port. The kingdom is also planning to add 500,000 hotel rooms, open an archeological attraction and launch a new airline, Riyadh Air, with the purchase of 39 new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with the option for 33 more." More on future travel trends at: https://thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net/cdn/tpg-travel-trends-2023.pdf THANKS for your patience and skill! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate these great details and follow-up from Lois. Glad that you loved Istanbul. It is an amazing city with so much to see and do there. BUT, as you encountered, things can be crowded and congested there. There, sadly, is a cost when a location is so super popular and of strong interest. Keep up the great sharing. You've got good reasons to go back to Istanbul and see more later. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate this excellent follow-up from Lois. Great to hear that you "loved Istanbul". Glad you have shared more at the Cooler, etc. Keep it coming!! From the respected and insightful The Points Guy travel website this morning, they had this headline: “2023 TPG Travel Trends Report” with these highlights that might of interest for those focused on the luxury cruising area: “We’ve all heard that 'travel is back' and people are taking trips differently than before. But what does that mean? Vacations are longer, and the line between business and leisure has blurred. Fears over a recession are looming but don’t seem to be hindering trips ... yet.” Here is more that is focused on cruising: "The commitment to luxury remains strong. Luxury cruises remain the one area where small and intimate is still the goal. Luxury cruising is booming. Six new luxury cruise lines have just debuted or are on the way, including four tied to high-end hotel chains." Many other trends and details are shared related to airlines, hotels, destinations, etc. Interesting overview and key points to consider. Things are not staying the same. Times are changing!! Right or wrong? Full story and report at: https://thepointsguy.com/news/2023-tpg-travel-trends-report/ and https://thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net/cdn/tpg-travel-trends-2023.pdf THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 53,918 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Great updating. Keep it coming!! Any good or interesting speakers and/or entertainment? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate Lois' great follow-up and background information. Very helpful. It can always change, depending on the ship, where sailing, etc. Did postal the Coolers asking for more details about your Silver Spirit sailing. I am sure you'll respond with more background later. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Love to hear added details from Lois about the food, staff, ports, speakers, etc. Tell us more! How full was the ship, the passenger mood, staff spirit, etc.? Inquiring minds want to know much more. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From the London/UK Telegraph yesterday, they had this headline: “How to spend a vibrant weekend in Istanbul" with this sub-headline: "Where to eat, shop and stay in the city of two continents, where history oozes at every turn.” Here are some of their reporting highlights by Terry Richardson: “No other city in the world straddles two continents; nowhere else has been the capital of two empires. This vibrant metropolis of 15 million people, sprawling across the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus Strait, is unique. Founded by the Greeks, later capital of the Christian Byzantine Empire, Istanbul blossomed anew at the heart of the Moslem Ottoman Empire following its capture by the Turks in 1453. Both empires bequeathed Istanbul a wealth of superb buildings, most concentrated in the old city centred on Sultanahmet.” WOW!! That is a great and true above summary for Istanbul and its amazing history. Here is one of the top highlights cited: "the greatest single building in a city full of wonders, the Hagia Sophia. Initially a church, it was converted into a mosque in 1453, made a museum in 1934 and converted once again to a mosque in 2020; standing beneath its 55m-high dome is a humbling experience." Many options to consider are outlined, including for places to stay, what to see, etc. Full story at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/turkey/istanbul/articles/istanbul-travel-guide/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 71,259 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

Cruising has done well for customers with many of us "Baby Boomers", those older, etc. But what about the "future" for needing to attract younger folks to cruising? From the Wall Street Journal yesterday afternoon, they had this headline: “Move Over, Retirees: Millennials Are Coming for Your Cruises" with this sub-headline: "As cruise lines navigate back to normal, they’re finding a surprising new wave of customers: millennial and Gen Z travelers. These younger passengers have their own reasons for thinking the boating life is cool.” They sent a reporter on a cruise to Cozumel to discover what got these Millennials and those young on board for a cruising future. For a couple of travelers in the mid 20's, their reporting had these highlights: “The pair was lured by a ceaseless flow of tropical drinks, an all-you-can-eat buffet, three pools, a casino and more—all included in one price. They are part of a generation exposed to cruises in the early 2000s (as kids with their parents), when companies increased their family-friendly programming. They had now returned on their own dime.” This WSJ reporter was curious as to "why millennials and Gen Zers were paying $1,000 and up for weeklong trips to a number of far-flung places." This writer shared: "Cruise ships have historically been havens for snowbird retirees and multigenerational family reunions, both parties drawn to their efficiency and relative affordability. But increasingly, those advantages are attracting people like me, a 20-something tourist looking to spend a few days in the sun without decimating her savings. Cruises are a tempting bang-for-your-buck option, cramming as much as possible into a few precious vacation days. Young customers are most often on board to celebrate, for a birthday, graduation, work promotion or even a divorce." Interesting points and background as to how the cruise business might change and evolve for the future. The article also noted how the cruise companies are adjusting their advertising messages and marketing techniques to attract a younger audience. Plus, how social media is used to target younger audiences. Us "older" or Baby Boomers are not being forgotten, they are just fine-tuning for the future audiences. Reactions and questions?? This lengthy and highly-detailed report also cited five locations of major interest to younger audiences, including: 1. The Mediterranean as "an affordable way to travel the world”; 2. Alaska for those seeking to "hike and fish as well as see glaciers, wildlife and historic gold-mining towns"; 3. Greek Isles as “Island-hopping in Greece offers both beach days and sightseeing days"; 4. Galápagos Islands as “Cruising is more than buffets and pina coladas for millennials”; 5. The Caribbean as "young travelers like smaller islands big ships can’t access, so there are less people". Some of these locations and motivations are similar as to why us "older folks" have sought to explore and enjoy many of these same destinations. Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/move-over-retirees-millennialsare-coming-for-your-cruises-b43fe7be?mod=hp_featst_pos4 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 71,259 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

As people and cruise lines seek to return to the future "normal" for cruising, what else helps people get excited about sailing again and being "in the mood" for these types of adventures? How about the movies? From the Wall Street Journal yesterday morning, they had this headline: “In the Mood For a Cruise? 10 Films That Will Float Your Boat" with this sub-headline: "Romance, laughter, tears and epic disasters await your viewing pleasure.” Among the movies cited were: 1931: ‘Monkey Business’ with the Marx Brothers’ "barrel-of-laughs" style; 1941: ‘The Lady Eve’ with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda) on a cruise ship; 1942: ‘Now, Voyager’ with Bette Davis and Claude Rains; 1948: ‘Romance on the High Seas’; 1953: ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ with Marilyn Monroe doing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”; 1957: ‘An Affair to Remember’ with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr; 1972: ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ with its all-star cast (Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters and Leslie Nielsen) as one of the first disaster films of the 1970's; 1978: ‘Death on the Nile’ with famed detective Hercule Poirot; 1997: ‘Titanic’ as the epic romance/disaster flick; and 2022: ‘Triangle of Sadness’. Not sure either ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ or 'Titanic' inspires all to go cruising. Right now? But this profile correctly makes this positive point for the why the Titanic movie is considered to be so important: “James Cameron’s ‘big’ movie captures the details of what a ship would look like at the time and the mix of classes thrown together in a tragedy.” YES, glad that the class "divides" are not sharp and out-of-control as happened on that Titanic ship. The ‘Death on the Nile’ movies do inspire me to want to return to the famed Nile River and see more in historic Egypt. Any cruise movies inspire you? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/best-movies-cruise-ships-de9bb011?mod=life_work_lead_pos1 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 102,437 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Appreciate this great follow-up. Excellent research in checking with your local bank, finding out their "partners", etc. Yes, our experience has been on many multi-country cruises that we can get by without a need to have local cash for many port stops. In many areas, credit cards work well and you can get by without loading up too much with local currencies. As noted, much depends as to how much of a "local shopper" you are, how much you are into street food, etc. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 102,437 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

From the Wall Street Journal, below are their charts for the performance of the three major cruise lines during this past week. Not all positive. Some ups and downs! Also, shown below is a comparison for Royal Caribbean versus the S&P 500 Index during the past month. RCL was not exactly matching the ups and downs for the overall, broader market. Other reactions, comparisons, predictions for the cruise lines and the overall stock market? Don't be shy? Who has a good Crystal Ball to predict the financial future? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals, Our firsts in these scenic areas! Now at 19,071 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/ From the Wall Street Journal, below are the stock charts for the three major cruise lines during the most recent week's trading. Generally downward on Wednesday and Thursday, but some up movement on Friday. Next week? Next month?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) From the Wall Street Journal, here is a comparison for how Royal Caribbean performed compared to the overall, broader S&P 500 Index during this past month. Quite a contrast? Not matched for up and down movements?:

For our South Florida friend, my report from last night's Broadway Series musical about the Temptations can be summarized in two words: Super Excellent!! Why? Amazing cast with extremely good singing, dancing, etc. There is also a "Real Story" there to go with the music and moves. Like in life, there were "Ups and Downs" that faced the various members of the Temptations over the decades. The cast was large and talented as shown below from my cell phone snap when they were doing their finishing number with all of the music performers seen on stage. This story weaves in with Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Barry Gordy, etc. Lots of fun memories and exciting to bring back some of the "Good Old Days". Hope you enjoy and have the same or similar such a talented cast. The staging and costumes were Broadway quality. The crowd loved it!! Great entertainment. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From the New York Times Travel Section coming this weekend, they will have this headline: “36 Hours Lisbon” with these highlights: “You’ll very likely hear many other languages than just Portuguese these days in the hilly, sun-warmed streets of Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, as millions pour in as digital nomads, service-industry workers, home buyers and tourists. For travelers, especially in the summer, this popularity can mean long lines to enter the Castelo de São Jorge or to enjoy a pastry from Pastéis de Belém, which can (almost) diminish the charm of the city’s colorful-tile-wrapped facades, centuries-old churches and melancholy fado music. Lisbon, once a slow-paced maritime city, is in development overdrive, which has not been without discontent: The cost of living has skyrocketed, leading to public debate (and protests) about the city’s future and to the cancellation of the 'golden visa' program, which granted residency to foreigners who invested in high-value properties. Visiting Lisbon thus involves a delicate balance: enjoying one of Europe’s most dynamic cities while being sensitive to the challenges that have accompanied its rapid boom.” This is kind of great news that Lisbon is popular and being discovered by more and more people. But such a "rise in interest" creates challenges!! This detailed profile offers many ideas for restaurants and bars, museums and attractions, shopping, where to stay, getting around, etc. Bring back many memories from our 2017 visit to charming and interesting Lisbon. Reaction, corrections, added suggestions, etc., for visiting Lisbon. Here is another highlight from this reporting: "The Lisbon of yesterday and today sit elbow to elbow in a sloping street called the Rua de São Bento. Climbing it from the intersection with Calçada da Estrela, you pass dusty antique shops, the Portuguese Parliament and the Casa-Museu Amália Rodrigues — a museum that bears the name of the Portuguese fado diva that it is devoted to — interspersed with establishments from the new creative class." Many options to consider. There are a wide variety of nice visuals included, plus more. Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/04/20/travel/things-to-do-lisbon.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 71,259 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

Appreciate this very good follow-up question. Have not been to the vastly new Istanbul airport. It is supposed to be nice and very Twenty-First Century. BUT, with all ATM's, whether at an airport, in city, etc., you need to check, be careful, etc., as to what added fees/costs might be charged/added, if it is with an established, regular bank, charging normal practices, etc. Generally an ATM is going to be better, but look carefully to see if any added/surprise charges will tacked on, etc. From Kagan in Istanbul, I did receive yesterday this "Flash News": "Blue Mosque was under restoration for quite some years... will be fully opened for visits from April 22nd onwards." Sound like good news!! We really loved visiting the Blue Mosque and soaking up its great history, charm, character and architecture. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 242,771 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Great, classy visual. Well worth the effort to get and post here. Keep up the excellent sharing. Wanting more!! And MORE!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate your great opening summary and comments regarding your upcoming Middle East "adventure". Lots of new and unique ports and stops. Looking forward to all of the details, visuals, impressions, etc. Loved Muscat and Oman from when we visited there in late 2018. During our sailing then, we passed through these "challenged" areas and had on our ship what our Captain called "specialists" to handle certain "duties". These folks carried special equipment, but the details were not revealed. Clearly this is a changing and unique part of the world. Sorry on your English gardens. I will leave that to Spins for her expert care and supervision. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,764 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

Great follow-up from Doicevita Diva. Wonderful hook-up at that lounge. Looking forward to the "Ain't Too Proud" Broadway Series program tonight in Columbus. Will do a follow-up report later. Below is a picture from June 2012 when the real Temptations were performing here. In this picture, one of the Temps (not shown) sat on a stool at the left) with the other four doing more of "moving" action. They sounded great!! As I recall at that time either two or three originals were a still part of the group. Love those Motown sounds from the 1960's, etc. Anyone else have great memories/connections with this excellent music from our past? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Yes! YES!! Love the Oldies from the Groove Yard. Especially from the 1960's and early 70's. This shared website is especially nice as many have video featuring the artists doing their top hits. Great walk down Memory Lane. Appreciate much. Going Wednesday evening to the Broadway touring show of "Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations". Love those excellent sounds!! Saw eleven years ago, what was left of the original Temptation perform live here in Columbus. They still had the "Moves" and super singing. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate these various comments and follow-ups. My big "take away" is that things can be confusing and fast-changing. Now, after Covid, it makes it so much more important to do your advance research and planning. Then, be prepared for the potential of added changes and later modifications. But, good news, things are getting more back to "normal". But, this below story makes the point that things are also evolving as to customer demand and travel interests. A key advantage for Silversea is that their smaller ships can better offer different and varied port location/options than the "same old, better there before" places previously visited. From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this headline: “What Do Americans Want in a European Vacation? Fewer Americans" with this sub-headline: "As the hottest spots get overrun with U.S. tourists, some visitors plan vacations to new countries and regions.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “For some U.S. travelers, this summer’s hottest European destination is one without other Americans. American tourists mobbed Europe last year, and 2023 is looking even busier. Reservations for European trips rose 8% over last summer. Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein said last week that 75% of seats on the carrier’s international flights this summer are already booked, even with added flights and seats. Searches are rising are searches for relatively obscure destinations such as Split, Croatia (up 73%), and Tirana, Albania (up 57%). The biggest gainer over the past year? Oslo, Norway, with a 307% increase. Airfares remain expensive, with the most recent consumer-price index for airline tickets up nearly 18% compared with a year earlier. Some travelers are instead looking to less-well-visited regions such as the Balkans and other corners of Eastern Europe. That is partly because of cost and partly because these tourists have already been to Paris and London, travel pros say.” Interesting trends and shift. Right? Here is more from this story: "Venturing to less-traveled parts of Europe comes with trade-offs. Major tourism hubs such as Paris or Rome have more lodging options and expansive transit networks, as well as plenty of English speakers at hotels, restaurants and shops. Going to a place such as Romania or Malta might not save much money, because direct flights can be rare, and connections take time." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-travel-summer-vacation-reservations-aa6b6bc6?mod=life_work_lead_story THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 242,771 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this headline: “Fed Official Backs Higher Interest Rates as Banking Stresses Fade" with this sub-headline: "Inflation is still much too high, says Fed governor Christopher Waller." Here are their reporting highlights: “A Federal Reserve official said he was prepared to approve another interest-rate increase because recent banking-system stresses haven’t produced a significant pullback in lending while high inflation remains supported by strong growth. 'Monetary policy needs to be tightened further,' Fed governor Christopher Waller said in a speech Friday in San Antonio. 'I would welcome signs of moderating demand, but until they appear and I see inflation moving meaningfully and persistently down toward our 2% target, I believe there is still more work to do.' The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point last month to a range between 4.75% and 5%, extending the fastest pace of rate increases since the early 1980s to combat inflation that reached a 40-year high last year." Below are the charts for the three major cruise lines. Not exactly a positive and upward week. Assume higher fuel prices, worries over a recession, lay-offs, etc., are continuing to concern investors and consumers. Right or wrong? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-official-backs-higher-interest-rates-as-banking-stresses-fade-873b37fc?mod=hp_major_pos1#cxrecs_s THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,764 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/ From the Wall Street Journal, here are the stock charts for the three major cruise lines during the most recent five trading days. Wednesday morning, especially for Carnival and Norwegian, saw very dramatic and significant drops. During the rest of the week, things stay down and/or flat. Will next week bring a "bounce back"?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) From the Wall Street Journal, here is their chart for Royal Caribbean since the first of this year. Things were on an upswing until mid February, but was slowly sliding downward since that point.:

Been to both La Caruna and La Rochelle. My live/blog details what we did there. For Portugal, plus NW Spain and western France, there are many, many very good options consider in this region. And, most are not as busy and "over-run" with tourists as happens at other popular Europe cities and locations. From From Conde Nast Traveler two days ago, they had this headline: “Most Beautiful Places in Portugal, From Douro Valley Vineyards to the Azores” with this sub-headline: "All 15 are worth planning a trip around." Overall, this profile summarize Portugal in this colorful manner: "With its Atlantic coast and Mediterranean climate, the country is scrappier than Spain and wilder than France—its charm is in its reluctance to be too polished, and Portugal’s prettiest places are raw, real, and natural." This report highlights two key locations that we visited as "day-trips" from our Lisbon location. Both were interesting and enjoyable. "Some say King Ferdinand II designed the palaces in Sintra to rival Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria; others say it was a romantic gesture for his lover, Elise Hensler. The Parque da Pena that surround the castle is filled with rare species of roses and non-native plants—folklore says he would instruct sailors and servants to bring back seeds and flowers to plant just for her. The colorful turrets, curved cupola, and chemin de ronde walkways seem to be wrapped in fondant icing in shades of ochre and red, and there are gargoyles, traditional azulejos, and acres of history to explore." “About an hour outside of Lisbon, Obidos is a walled hilltop town with narrow cobble-stone streets and whitewashed houses. Stay at eco-design hotel Rio do Prado, which in May 2021 started welcoming diners to its brand new restaurant The Market Man, a greenhouse that grows more than 2,000 plants to be used in its rural recipes. Head to Bar Ibn Errik Rex to try ginjinha, a local liqueur made from Morello cherries, and take a wander round the city walls (not necessarily in that order—the walls reach up to 43 feet and some don’t have handrails)." Full story at: https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-places-in-portugal#intcid=_cnt-bottom-recirc_ed94fbeb-025a-42fa-a106-99fe7f72f22a_text2vec1 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 33,333 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358