Traveling with Timmy https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com Travel Blog Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:57:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 193310686 …and that’s a wrap… https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/and-thats-a-wrap-3/ https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/and-thats-a-wrap-3/#comments Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:56:45 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18636 August 23,2024 Reykjavik,Iceland

We again woke to cold, cloudy skies…had cappuccinos, worked our puzzles and then we grabbed a taxi to the National Museum of Iceland. What a treat.

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The settlement of Iceland began in 874 AD by Norwegian explorers.

The National Museum contains wonderful artifacts and does a fine job of conveying the history of this beautiful country of less than 400,000 people.

I loved coming upon this loom. I once spent an entire summer learning how to weave, so I’m very appreciative of this ancient example.

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We spent 3 very pleasant hours exploring the museum and learning some history.

Back at the hotel we had burgers for lunch. They were as delicious as they were enormous.

We were so sated from lunch that we couldn’t even imagine going to dinner, so we canceled our reservation, packed our bags and turned in early because we had a 5:00 am wake up for our flight home.

August 24,2024 Reykjavik, Iceland

I took these photos at 5:05 and 5:15 am as we had our last cappuccinos …

The taxi fetched us at 5:45 and we enjoyed beautiful views on our way to the airport.

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We passed the volcano and I took some video …here’s a screenshot from the video. The skies were dark from volcanic ash.

Timmy is the best sport. Ever.

Airport check-in went smoothly. The security lines were long, but we had access to “Fast Track” and were in the near empty lounge in no time.

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The lounge tv was tuned to a cartoon channel…featuring Puffins 😊

Before long we were taking off…to the first blue skies in three days.

Last selfie of the trip ♥

The omelette and croissant were fine…the rest…not so fine. Anyway, we left on time, and although we arrived early, our car service was waiting. Yay! Once home we did several loads of laundry and I was in bed and asleep at 6:30 pm. True story. 6:30 pm.

Our summer adventures are over, but the memories will remain forever. From Dover to Reykjavik…we had the best fun. I know how fortunate we are to be able to travel like we do and I am grateful every day for this life we have. Thanks for following along ♥

August 25,2025 Long Island, NY

We woke early and were greeted with sunshine and warmth! Yay. Double yay. I walked our community and chatted with several neighbors. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place with such wonderful folks.

Claire turns 14… At 6:00 pm we headed over to James and Kristin’s to celebrate our sweet Claire.

Claire with Gracie. #granddaughters

Claire and James

The birthday girl 🩷🩷🩷

August 29,2024

Among the greatest joys of my life …spending time with these two. I feel like I won the lottery today…because Claire and Isabel were both free to join me for lunch at Funchos.

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Nachos, tacos and a whole lot of love.

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…a Fun Day and an Eruption… https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/a-fun-day-and-an-eruption/ https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/a-fun-day-and-an-eruption/#comments Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:03:36 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18505 August 22,2024 Reykjavik, Iceland

It was raining when we woke, I made us cappuccinos and we worked our puzzles.

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After a while I headed to the gym…the treadmill was fantastic. Although it didn’t have Mahjong, I throughly enjoyed the simulated “hikes”.

We set out across the open tundra for a visit to Harpa. When we last visited Reykjavik in 2021, Harpa was still closed due to Covid.

The Edition hotel is situated in a prime location …right on the waterfront, ten minutes from the Rainbow street and directly across from Harpa.

Despite the freezing cold and biting wind, we paused long enough for a selfie …because that’s what we do 😊

The Harpa is a concert hall and convention center. The first concert was held in 2011. It is an amazing piece of architecture. The steel structure is covered with geometric glass panels in different colors. It is magnificent in bright sunshine and still pretty spectacular on cloudy days.

We spent some time exploring the building.

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Although there were two cruise ships in port…there were few visitors and we were able to really enjoy the space.

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The highlight of our visit was participating in the Circuleight Experience. Circuleight is an immersive art installation and performance experience. It combines visual arts, music, and technology. I can’t really describe it, other than to say, it was a very, very cool experience.
You enter a room and you are immediately immersed in sound and colors. At first we just sat and listened and watched…

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…then we got up and interacted with the projections, thus changing the art and becoming part of it…truly a wild experience.

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Our original intent was to walk along the harbor, but the wind was just too much… so we headed back to Tides for lunch.

North Atlantic lobster rolls …really yummy.

As I took Timmy’s photo, the manager offered to take this one.

After lunch, I layered up and set out to explore. Central Reykjavik is quite compact and I remembered from our last visit that once you move away from the harbor area, the wind becomes less ferocious.

There are some cities that you just fall in love with and Reykjavik is definitely one of them…it is cool and quirky and the people have a laid back vibe…

Here we have the iconic “Rainbow Street”. The Icelandic street name is “Skólavörðustígur.” The street was originally created in 2015 as a symbol of support and celebration for the LGBTQ+ community in Iceland. It was first painted for the Reykjavik Pride festival, which is one of the largest LGBTQ+ events in Iceland. The idea behind painting the street in rainbow colors was to create a statement of inclusivity and love. The rainbow has been repainted and maintained over the years. I love it.

I walked up the slight incline, snapping pics along the way…although less windy, it was still pretty darn cold.

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The store fronts are off beat and very cool.

At the top of the Rainbow street we have Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran church. It is for sure a towering presence. I love the architecture.

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As many times as we have passed by this church on previous visits, we’ve never entered it …because it’s usually mobbed with tourists. And although the Norwegian Star and RCI Jewel of the Seas are both in port, there were hardly any visitors present.

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I stayed long enough to warm up, then continued my exploration of Reykjavik.

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Every local that we spoke with said this has been a cold rainy summer. One cab driver said it’s the worst he can remember in years.

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Most folks were well prepared for the weather

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This is a speakeasy type bar

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I continued my walk outside of the main shopping district and headed towards the neighborhood surrounding the Hotel Borg…we stayed at the Borg in 2021, as part of Crystal’s pre-cruise program. It is charming, old school luxury in the Art Deco style. The neighborhood is quiet, has a sweet park and lots of really good restaurants.

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I also hunted down the most famous Hot Dog stand in all of Iceland. We ate here on our night time “Foodie Tour” in 2021.

After my expedition around Reykjavik, I returned to our hotel, took a nap and then we layered up and left for dinner.

So I have on a base layer, a wool sweater, fleece vest, scarf, my puffy and I added my wrap because I was an ice cube when I returned from my afternoon walk. Tim’s wearing a sweater and his windbreaker.

Back on Rainbow street I found a storefront that I failed to photograph in the afternoon.

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We’ve had several memorable meals in Reykjavik during our previous visits and I especially wanted to return to the Swordfish Grill. Our dinner was fabulous…the cuisine was expertly prepared, visually beautiful and so delicious.

My drink, the “Smooth Operator” had tequila, vanilla syrup and grapefruit juice , Tim’s was called the “Woodflower” it included Woodford bourbon and elderflower liqueur. Both were delicious.

Oh that bread…

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We shared the langoustine tacos. Beyond delicious.

Almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

My grilled salmon with sweet potato.

Tim’s shellfish pasta and a side of French fries.

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So much yumminess…hot chocolate cake♥

When we left the restaurant, the wind had died down, so we walked for awhile.

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For the second day in a row…a cloudy day gave way to a magnificent sun set.

What a way to end such a fun day.

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We almost couldn’t believe the sun set…because there was not a single smidge of sun during the entire day.

On the way back to the hotel, we took a shortcut through this food hall…so warm and cozy.

Back in our room, the sunset continued to delight us…reflecting off the Harpa.

I took a bunch of photos…here are my favorites. Did I mention how much I love our hotel? Especially our room location.


When I checked my newsfeed, I found that the volcano had once again erupted, and the Blue Lagoon’s guests had to be evacuated. The eruption was so sudden and the evacuation so urgent that guests in the Blue Lagoon were not able to change or shower. It must have been terrifying. Lots of social media posts from frantic folks.

Here’s a screenshot from the Blue Lagoon website. All I can say is that I’m glad we decided not to stay at the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon. Yikes.
We had a fun day … loved the wild art installation at the Harpa, dinner was super, as was the sunset and we feel like we totally dodged a bullet when we changed hotels. Thanks for following along ♥

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…a Rocky Beginning… a Super Ending… https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/a-rocky-beginning-a-super-ending/ Mon, 26 Aug 2024 01:37:32 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18384 August 21,2024 Reykjavik, Iceland

On our last morning on board Symphony, we woke to a steady rain, had coffee, said goodbye to Fernando, who insisted on walking us off the ship and proceeded to a tent to collect our luggage. There is no terminal in Copenhagen at the “old port” where we were docked, so the whole leaving was a bit chaotic …and the rain exacerbated things to the nth degree…to say the least.

Timmy took these photos as we waited in line, in a leaking tent, for 40 minutes for a taxi. I have no clue why I didn’t arrange for a car service to take us to the airport. No freaking clue.

…anyway we finally made it to the front of the line and made our way through rain soaked streets to the airport.

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Our first time in Copenhagen airport…very interesting …the entire airport felt like a gigantic shopping mall…few places to eat, many places to shop. Very, very, very poor signage.

We wandered around for about 15 minutes looking for the Iceland Air lounge. Turns out they share the SAS lounge. The lounge is basic with comfortable seating. We saw several folks from Symphony waiting, including our friend Frank.

Around noontime I grabbed some pasta and beets. Very tasty. And the cappuccino machine produced a quality product.

At 2:00 pm we departed on time…by then the skies had cleared.

I have a love hate relationship with Iceland Air…here’s the love part…Champagne and yummy snacks when you board.

The flight was uneventful, I watched a movie, ate a few bites of the meal…

…and before you could say “Puffin” we were on the ground in Reykjavik.

The airport Duty Free grocery store is very popular because everything in Iceland is quite expensive.

We anticipated cooler temperatures, but were not expecting a “feels like” temp of 38 degrees…honestly…it felt more like 28. And oh that wind, though.

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We’ve been to Reykjavik several times, and so whenever I see this house, I know we are close to the city.

When we booked this cruise last December, we decided to spend three nights at the Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon at the end of the cruise. We booked our flight home with Iceland Air because they have a program where passengers can have a stop over in Reykjavik for up to seven days. This is a total win/win…it breaks up the long flight home from Europe…and the cost for Business Class seats when we booked was 30% less than Delta. At some point in January we became aware of a new volcanic eruption near the Blue Lagoon. The eruption subsided, then it flared up again in March and again in May…with each new eruption the Blue Lagoon was evacuated and closed for several days. In May we decided to cancel our Blue Lagoon hotel reservation and booked the Edition Hotel. The volcano lay dormant all summer, but the expectation, based on seismic activity was that a new eruption was imminent.

Our room was lovely, super high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows over looking the harbor and Harpa concert hall.

In addition to the espresso machine we had a tea kettle with a great selection of teas.

We unpacked and rested in the room and were happy to note the improving weather.

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We had reservations at one of the hotel’s restaurants: Tides. Dinner was really yummy. We shared this appetizer…1000 day aged Feykir cheese salad…endives, pickled pears and walnut dressing.

The bread was amazing…like a popover…with olive oil and thyme inside.

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North Atlantic lobster and homemade ravioli

Grilled Chicken

Some sort of delightful berry concoction

The lobby bar looked so cozy, but we were exhausted so headed to our room…

…just in time to catch the setting sun reflecting on Harpa.

Although our day began with a bit of chaos, our flight was smooth and we had a great dinner. Thanks for following along 💙

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…It’s not Goodbye… https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/its-not-goodbye/ https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/its-not-goodbye/#comments Sun, 25 Aug 2024 10:33:51 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18229 August 20,2024. Copenhagen, Denmark

Yay! Sunny skies in Copenhagen …remember last segment? Pouring rain…

Starboard side view…

After coffee and muffins, we hopped the shuttle and set off in search of a canal boat tour.

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Didn’t take long to find a canal …or a boat tour…

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That’s the “Little Mermaid”…she sure is tiny…especially from the canal…

Symphony looking beautiful

Very cool watching the float plane land

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Riding so low to the water reminds me of Venice

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Hard to believe that kayakers and paddle boarders are brave enough to share the canal…

This might be the Opera House

Our guide said this is the oldest boat on the canal

Some of the bridges are quite low…

Keep your hands in the boat ♥

This is either an old warehouse or a government building…

So many folks out enjoying the great weather

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We thought about eating lunch in the city…but hadn’t done any research …so many places along the canal were crowded and appeared to be tourist traps..so we enjoyed lunch in one of our favorite lunch spots in all the world…

…this is what I consider a perfick lunch…salad, a piece of chicken and sweet potato fries…followed by a berry cobbler with vanilla cream.

After lunch I set out to explore the area near where we were docked…which is the “old port”.

I walked to the end of the pier and discovered a pretty promenade along the waterfront…

As I walked along, I came upon a cool marina …

…I love wandering around marinas and checking out all the different boats. As I continued my stroll, I discovered what at first appeared to be a large park…lots of folks, a concession stand and …tour busses…why would there be tour busses?

…the Little Mermaid. The tiny bronze sculpture is based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It is only 4 feet tall, is a major tourist attraction and has come to symbolize the city of Copenhagen.

I had to muscle my way through the crowd to get my photo. Then I performed some serious cropping …

A short distance from the Little Mermaid stands this cool statue…I was able to walk right up to it and snap this pic. The waterfront park is lovely, I walked around for a bit, then I sat on a beach and watched as bus loads of tourists hopped off, ran to the statue, took their photos then left. I was glad to have discovered the mermaid on my walk and grateful that I was able to sit in that pretty park and people watch. But the people watching grew tiresome and I moved on to a quieter bench overlooking the canal.

Back on the ship, I fetched Timmy and we visited Jsa at the gelato counter …then wrote some postcards in Tastes.

Late afternoon, we had the space pretty much to ourselves. (The pool deck tables were completely occupied on this beautiful day).Davend stopped to say hello…

Preparing for our last dinner on board

Timmy loves his consume’

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Bojan is a treasure and we enjoyed chatting with him each evening. I will miss him and his hospitality 🩵

Salvatore Hasard and his wife Patricia came by and we reminisced about Endeavor.

…one last “sparkling water on ice with lime and a straw” to take to the show. Petar and Rodion pretending to fight over who would make “the usual”.

…and oh what a show!!! Anna Alonso performed a one woman show with the Crystal Showband and she killed it! She sang and danced songs from her Brazilian roots.

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…we loved every minute of the show.
Then we popped over to the Avenue Saloon to say goodbye to the staff. We still had a few things to pack so we couldn’t stick around for CJ Marvin’s set. He was filling in for Neal, whose voice abandoned him. We were sorry not to be able to say goodbye to Neal…he was such an important part of our overall enjoyment of this cruise. And it was a most enjoyable cruise indeed 🩵🩵🩵

We’ve had so much fun …from the White Cliffs to the Little Mermaid, it’s been wonderful.
Next up? Iceland for a few days. Thanks for following along🩵

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Malmo Castle and a Pretty Walk… https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/malmo-castle-and-a-pretty-walk/ Sat, 24 Aug 2024 08:34:43 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18269 August 19,2024. Malmo, Sweden

Here’s the view upon opening the curtains. Coffee, muffins…then the treadmill.

The treadmill is on the starboard side of the ship…similar view here.

Timmy decided to make himself an egg salad sandwich for lunch…he added peppers for some crunch😊

After lunch, I hopped on the shuttle for the short ride into Malmo…

It’s a cool city…the third largest in Sweden…

I hopped off the shuttle and set my GPS for the Castle…about 20 minutes away…

As I walked, I came upon this pretty park and added about 10 minutes to my walk to check it out…

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That’s the Castle…it’s called…wait for it…Malmo Castle.

These swans live in the moat

Beyond adorable

I knew when I set out that the castle would be closed…

There were a few bronze statues in the courtyard…here’s one

Walking back towards Lila Torg…I snapped some photos

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The city felt vibrant with lots of folks about on a sunny day

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I took the shuttle back after having spent a pleasant few hours…

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I think this has been the first time I’ve had the mushroom soup since the reboot 🩵

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Such a perfick salad

Tim says his Wiener Schnitzel was excellent

We were really looking forward to seeing Salvatore Hasard in the Galaxy…he was wonderful. We first met Salvatore on Endeavor in 2021. He plays multiple instruments, has a fantastic voice and is genuinely funny. Oh and he’s very charming too!

So another great day in the books … thanks for following along 🩵

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We Stayed on Board in Rostock… https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/we-stayed-on-board-in-rostock/ https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/we-stayed-on-board-in-rostock/#comments Fri, 23 Aug 2024 20:45:44 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18162 August 18, 2024 Rostock Germany

We opened the curtains in the industrial port of Rostock, Germany with no desire to spend upwards of 45 minutes on the shuttle into town. I went to the gym, then we had lunch…

…well I had lunch…Timmy had iced tea.

After lunch we went out back and watched the port activity for a while…

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So far this is my best mirror selfie😀

We enjoyed the end of Alexandre’s set in the Cove…then dinner in Waterside…

This lobster was so sweet

Timmy loves his consume’

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We enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we ate

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Radomir is a treasure

He de-boned my sole expertly

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Just as the sun set a ferry pulled into port…

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We listened to Viktor before the Galaxy show…

…somehow we got to chatting and ended up late to C J Marvin’s show…thus necessitating back row seats 😢 CJ does a show called “Rocket Man: a Tribute to Elton John”. It is excellent and highly entertaining. Not an especially exciting day…but it ended with some great music, a super dinner and a fantastic show. Thanks for following along ♥

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..a Sea Day and Some Fantastic Music… https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/la-sea-day-and-some-fantastic-music/ Fri, 23 Aug 2024 10:19:44 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18120 August 17,2024 Crystal Symphony in the Baltic Sea

We opened the curtains to cloudy skies and calm seas

Sea days promote lazy mornings …

…but eventually I made my way to the treadmill and Mahjong

By lunchtime the sun was out…

…and so was the Sushi

…Asian buffet 🩵

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…an afternoon of reading on our balcony

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…Viktor in the Cove before dinner…Viktor is as charming as he is accomplished. He asked Timmy for a list of his favorite “popular” songs so he could learn them…turns out…he knows them all🩵

…Caviar requires Champagne 🩵

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Barley risotto…so yummy

Tim’s pheasant

…lots going on in this pic

JAZZ & BLUES NIGHT in the Avenue….Yay!

Pizza and Baileys

Pisco Sour ♥

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Carlos Rayan is one of the most talented musicians we’ve encountered …we feel #sofreakinglucky that we’ve been able to enjoy his many performances while on board Symphony.

Tomorrow is not promised. Every day is a gift. …Cliches, I know…but I am trying every day to manifest them. Thanks for following along ♥

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Some Cool Architecture…Sushi & a White Party https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/some-cool-architecturesushi-a-white-party/ Thu, 22 Aug 2024 23:05:12 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18034 August 16,2024 Riga, Latvia

We opened the curtains and found ourselves in the middle of Riga. Well not exactly the middle of the city… but it sure felt like it. The sound of traffic was real when we slid the door open. We expected to see a harbor, a port, maybe a breakwater…we got a Circle K gas station 😀

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After coffee and muffins in our suite…I headed for the treadmill. Turns out the starboard side of the ship featured a pretty water view. You may have noted that we are no longer indulging in “second breakfasts”

Lunch in Marketplace…salad and some sort of protein for me…

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After lunch I set off for the city of Riga… I had no expectations but had done a little research before I left the ship. Riga was founded in 1201 and is one of the most populous cities in the Baltic states. Riga’s historical center is a UNESCO heritage site and is known for its Art Nouveau architecture.

The walk from the ship into the city center took about 10 minutes.

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On the way into the city lots of streets were blocked off as work men were setting up for some sort of event. Here’s the stage going up.

The weather was threatening to rain…temperatures were in the low 70s and I walked and walked enjoying this very cool place and marveling at the lack of folks in a city of over 800,000.

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It really was eerie …walking at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and barely spotting another person.

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Finally…proof of life in Riga

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I’m totally in love with these buildings

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This is one city that I really wish I’d hired a guide to take a walking tour with. Oh well, next time.

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This is probably my favorite building.

Can you stand how adorable these tables are?

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After walking for about two hours, I nearly missed this square…I came into it as I exited the back door of a cool little shop.

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Latvian Riflemen Square…a vestige of Russian occupation.

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Heading back I took a different route and attempted to walk along the waterfront…

…however I was stymied on multiple occasions because of the preparations for the upcoming event…I tried to find out what the event might be…no luck.

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Sailaway found us on the balcony…

We sailed down the Daugava river into the Baltic Sea…

As we sailed into the Baltic, the skies changed in the most spectacular way…

…one minute we are in the river…

…the next we are in the Baltic…in a fever dream…

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We were loving the Sailaway so much that we just hung out on the balcony and then left for dinner

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Dinner in Umi Uma…here we have Timmy and Johnathan discussing a most important topic…Sake’ vs Beer

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So Timmy snapped this photo because we were reminded about the very first time I used chopsticks…we were on Crystal in 2015…he was teaching me how to hold them and I was struggling…so very uncoordinated…and there was a woman sitting across from us and she just kept starring at me and whispering to her husband…I was mortified, we left early and I never wanted to return. When I relayed the story to our new Crystal friend Marty, he insisted we return with him later in the cruise and he requested silverware and we had a wonderful dinner. I hope we run into that woman again someday…I’m going to to show her this photo.

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Timmy looks out the window and says: “See that ship? It’s a warship” Really? From this distance? Yup…he looked it up on Vessel Finder…and sure enough…it’s a warship.

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Meanwhile we just kept eating…and eating

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Anna Alonso killed it at the White Party…she is beyond talented…the best of the best.

Zuye and Margharita at the reception desk.

Anna and Alexandre

Timmy chatting up the band after the party.

We had a terrific day and a wonderful evening. Thanks for following along. 🩵

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A Very Sad Day for Crystal https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/a-very-sad-day-for-crystal/ https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/a-very-sad-day-for-crystal/#comments Tue, 20 Aug 2024 15:18:17 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=18025 **In Loving Memory of Slavko Drobnjak , Symphony Food and Beverage Manager**

Today, Timmy and I mourn the sudden loss of Slavko, a dedicated and hardworking member of the Crystal family for over 20 years. Starting as a young and enthusiastic team member, Slavko quickly made his mark with an unwavering commitment to excellence, eventually rising to the position of Food and Beverage Manager. His passion for his work was evident in every detail, and especially evident in the hospitality he extended to every guest.

Slavko was a mentor and friend to many. His leadership was defined by kindness, a strong work ethic, and an infectious enthusiasm that inspired everyone around him. He was a true professional who took immense pride in his role, ensuring that every dining experience on board was nothing short of exceptional.

Though he is no longer with us, Slavko leaves behind a legacy of dedication and excellence that will long endure. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.

Slavko, you will be deeply missed, but your spirit will forever sail with us on every future voyage.

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Some Days are just Extra … https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/some-days-are-just-extra/ Mon, 19 Aug 2024 16:16:19 +0000 https://www.travelingwithtimmy.com/?p=17859 August 15,2024 Visby, Sweden

When I opened the curtains. …like a fever dream…

It was such a glorious morning, we asked Fernando to set us up on the balcony

Yes, that’s my coffee cup from home…IYKYK

So we’re having breakfast and this happens…

…a crew drill for a “man overboard” situation …it was very interesting and the crew were very efficient.

We walked off the ship and took the 15 minute shuttle into Visby…

The shuttle bus left us off near this pretty little park and we set out to explore

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…old town in the distance…

We strolled through side streets …taking in the vibe.

Must be an important church…tourists lined up to enter…we decided to keep walking…

The neighborhoods are charming and offer lots of photo opportunities…

The weather was perfick…just about 70 degrees…

…I wasn’t kidding about the photo ops

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I climbed some stairs to catch some cool views

That’s the sea beyond the rooftops

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Okay, so here’s the top of the stairs…and that’s Timmy waaaay down there on the bottom step…on the left…in the black shirt…

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As we entered this square…I parked Timmy and took off for a bit…

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The sign said “Old Church ruins”.

…sure enough…old church ruins…

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.When researching Visby, ChatGPT recommended Bakfilkan for lunch…it had great reviews on Trip Advisor…

…so we found the restaurant on a small side street…just off the square…We were lucky to snag two seats outside…

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…yummy bread in the bag, Tim’s beer and our Octopus appetizer

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These are smoked shrimp…first time I’ve ever had them…really delicious

Tim’s mussels and fries…how it started…

We were seated next to each other…so it was a challenge to take photos …

Me: Timmy, you are too close…Back up…way up…

… Midway through…

…almost done…

So much yummy food…we did our best but couldn’t finish 😊

These little fish came with the check…

…we slowly made our way back to the shuttle pickup spot, enjoying the beautiful weather

Across the way from the shuttle bus stop is a cool little beach

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…and a nice walkway along the waterfront.

Back on ship we wrote postcards to the Bugs..we stayed on the pool deck reveling in the sunshine…then Tim headed to our room for a nap…and I made my way to deck ten aft…

…we were underway at 4:00 pm…

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I eventually made my way back to our room, roused Timmy and we headed out to another wonderful evening…

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…Mai Tai’s in the Cove…

…Anna and Alexandre sounded marvelous…

Dinner in Tastes…Fried prawn dumplings

Hamachi Crudo

Street Tacos…the swordfish is perfectly cooked…

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I’d forgotten just how much I love the Mongolian Lamb chops…so yummy

Chef Marcin Wulff…

Dark Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Carlos Rayan…. ”My Guitar, My Life”…what a talented musician, what a show.

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After Carlos’ show…we stopped into the Cove and enjoyed Viktor Luzin on the piano…then called it an early evening. This day was extra…a fun visit to a picturesque town, amazing lunch and dinner…then four extremely talented musicians #sofreakinglucky

Thanks for following along🩵

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