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cruisetravelbug
Thursday, July 2, 2020
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Balzac's Paris
Novelist Honoré de Balzac's home Photo copyright Peter's Paris |
"The house where the novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) lived for some seven years (1840-47) has recently been reopened after some restoration works. This is where he finalised a large part of his famous “La Comédie Humaine”, some 91 stories, novels, essays… How many have you read? I have only read one, “The Père Goriot” (Old Goriot). Balzac always lived beyond his means and, as he now and then had some unwanted visitors, he was happy to live in a house with several exits, including to the small narrow street on the back side. We are in the Passy area of Paris, in the 16th arrondissement, and this old little house is now surrounded by fashionable apartment buildings..." [read more on Peter's Paris].
Balzac's statue in the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise |
The Maison de Balzac is located in the 16th arrondissement at 47, rue Raynouard (nearest métro and RER stations are Passy and Avenue du Président Kennedy) - open daily except Mondays and holidays (admission free)/
Maison de Balzac - Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau
Maison de Balzac Profile and Visitor's Guide - Trip Savvy
Back to Balzac - Literary Traveler
To learn more
Balzac's Paris - a Guided Tour - University of California
Balzac's Paris: History and Modern Walking Tout
Sponsored content (mine!)
Cruises - my cruise website
Feel free to contact me if I can help you with your travel plans
Saturday, August 31, 2019
A step back in time to La Alberca
La Alberca's Paza Mayor |
In Spain, every village has its own distinct design. My friend Lisa Ch, sporting the La Alberca village ring we both bought there (this pic from later that year, when we reconnected in NYC) |
"When my parents came to visit in Madrid last year, they brought with them some of my old photos, a box of a few hundred slides I’d set aside years ago. It was a random sampling of the uncounted thousands of Kodachromes and Fujichromes I have sitting in the not-so-archival environment of my parent’s damp basement in Toronto.
There are a lot of things I prefer about digital photography over film, but film has digital beat when it comes to looking at old photographs. You get to hold the actual original thing, for starters, and you can see it without having to plug anything in. Slides can’t be perfectly copied in a keystroke, they’re one of a kind. And for that same reason, you see them only once in a while. They get put into deep storage and get forgotten about until they surface sometime later, like artefacts from the past.
Photo copyright Spain by Mike Randolf |
It's a great story.
Mike also has some great photos, they are really worth a look.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Sunset for the Travelling Boomer
The Travelling Boomer is signing off. Photo copyright Paul Marshman |
"For the past five years, I’ve been regaling you with stories about the pleasures of travel on this website. But today that comes to an end, and for a very good reason: it’s called climate change. Right now, the world is facing a climate crisis that threatens the future of all of us. And unfortunately, one of the things making it worse is travel. So I can’t in good conscience keep inviting you to go travelling and add to a problem that’s killing this planet..." [read more on the Travelling Boomer].
Paul is a brilliant man and has contributed so much the world of travel, but I think he has hit the nail on the head.
Thank you, my friend - and client - for all you have done. I look forward to learning about your next venture.
Monday, November 26, 2018
You'll need a new Brussels map
Ceci n’est pas une rue. Brussels honours artist René Magritte with a new street name. |
If you love Brussels, and are planning a return trip, you'll need a new street map. Here's why:
"If you could name a street in your hometown, what would you choose? Belgian citizens had the opportunity to mull just that question as part of an initiative to name 28 streets, squares, and walkways in the Belgian capital’s Tour & Taxis district*. The city crowdsourced the names as part of an ongoing regeneration project in the Tour & Taxis district—a formerly industrial area now set to become one of the city’s cultural and residential meccas. After receiving nearly 1,400 suggestions from the public, the final list was chosen by a jury of city officials, historians, and the site’s property developer, Extena...""[read more on Quartz].
*The district is named after the famous Thurn and Taxis, a German noble family that was a key player in European postal services until the fall of the Holy Roman Empire.
Street name signs in Brussels are in Flemish and French. There have been more going up lately. |
"Once a railway station and inland port, the district was a maze of warehouses, customs buildings and post and telegraph offices. By the early 1990s the area had fallen on hard times: lorry transport had rendered rail freight lines obsolete, while the introduction of a European customs union and harmonisation of standards drastically reduced incoming goods..." [read more on The Guardian].
"Did you know that the site once served as the largest freight station of Europe? The historic buildings were years ahead of the rest of Europe. The architects and engineers combined beautiful Belgian architecture with the most innovative technologies of the time. The result? Buildings that still have all modern facilities with an attractive, historic flavour..."read more on the official website].
"The eclectic mix of new names chosen by Brussels residents range from Passage de la Kriek, named after a famous Belgian cherry beer, to Ceci n’est pas une rue (This is not a street), inspired by the art of Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte. “To give a street a name, it gives it a certain identity,” Kris Verhellen, CEO of the Extensa development group which owns the former transport hub in the north of the city..." [read more on Reuters].
The new Brussels street names - and what they mean
- Allée des Douanes: Customs Alley
- Ceci n’est pas une rue: This is not a street (honouring Belgian artist René Magritte)
- Chemin du Bonheur: Path to Happiness
- Chemin d’Un Monde Meilleur: Path to a Better World
- Drève des Rêves: Drive of Dreams
- Drève du Parc: Park Drive
- Drève Maritime: Maritime Drive
- Drève von Thurn und Tassis: Tour and Taxis Drive
- Mer des Pavés: Sea of Cobblestones
- Passage de la Caricole: Passage of the Caricole
- Passage de la Frite: Passage of the fries
- Passage de la Praline: Passage of the Praline
- Passage de la Kriek: Passage of the Kriek (Belgian beer)
- Passage du Chicon: Passage of Chicon (a Belgian cheese and endive dish)
- Passage du Cuberdon: Passage of Cuberdon (a Belgian candy)
- Passage du Speculoos: Passage of the Speculoos (a Belgian spiced cookie)
- Passage du Stoemp: Passage of the Stoemp (a Belgian vegetable dish)
- Place de la Musique: Place of Music
- Place des Choukes: Place of Choukes (a Belgian term of endearment)
- Place des Grands Hommes Place of Great People
- Quai des Brumes: Quay of the Mists
- Rue Chantal Akerman: Chantal Akerman Street (a famous Belgian feminist and avant-garde filmmaker)
- Rue des Entrepôts: Warehouse Street
- Rue du Méandre: Meander Street
- Rue Isala Van Diest: Isala Van Diest Street (Belguim's first female medical doctor)
- Voie 1: Way 1
- Voie 2: Way 2
The Brussels city flag |
Tour & Taxis District - official website
Belgians chose “This is not a street” as one of 28 new Brussels street names - Quartz
Beer, chips and historic women inspire new Brussels street names
New names of the Tour & Taxis streets - Brussels city website
Ceci n’est pas une rue: Brussels to adopt whimsical new street names - The Guardian
Brussels Honors René Magritte & Other Painters With Bizarre Street Names - The Travel
This post was published previously on my citytravelbug blog
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Saturday, November 3, 2018
My late picks - November 2018
Flexible schedule? If you can get away last minute, here are some interesting sailings this month that still have space ~ and good deals!
Check out these escapes to warmth as the northern lands grow chilly...
November 11, 2018
15-Nights
Sailing from Papeete (Tahiti) to Auckland on Holland America's ms Maasdam
Very nice South Pacific cruise, offering great value.
Ports on this sailing include: Papeete, French Polynesia - At Sea - Rarotonga, Cook Islands - At Sea - Alofi, New Zealand - International Dateline - Vava'u, Tonga - At Sea - Savusavu, Fiji - Suva, Fiji - Dravuni Island - At Sea - Nuku`alofa, Tonga - At Sea - At Sea - Auckland, New Zealand
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
November 11, 2018
15-Nights
Sailing from Rome to Abu Dhabi on the Celebrity Constellation
A great choice if you'd like to disembark in Abu Dhabi
Ports on this sailing include: Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - Catania, Italy - At Sea - Piraeus, Greece - Suez Canal, Egypt - Suez Canal, Egypt - Al 'Aqabah, Jordan - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - Muscat, Oman - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
November 25, 2018
11-Nights
Sailing roundtrip from New Orleans on the Norwegian Breakaway
Wrap your Caribbean cruise with a little New Orleans jazz!
Ports on this sailing include: New Orleans, Louisiana - At Sea - At Sea - Ocho Rios, Jamaica - Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - Roatan, Honduras - Belize City, Belize - Harvest Caye, Belize - Costa Maya, Mexico - Cozumel, Mexico - At Sea - New Orleans, Louisiana
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
November 25, 2018
21-Nights
Sailing roundtrip Tampa on Holland America's ms Rotterdam
Lovely, relaxing 3 week long cruise... claim your deck chair!
Ports on this sailing include: Tampa, Florida - Key West, Florida - At Sea - Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala - Roatan, Honduras - Costa Maya, Mexico - At Sea - Tampa, Florida - Key West, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - San Juan, Puerto Rico - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands - St John's, Antigua and Barbuda - Castries, Saint Lucia - Soufriere Bay, Saint Lucia - At Sea - Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles - Oranjestad, Aruba - At Sea - Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - At Sea - Tampa, Florida
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
November 30, 2018
14-Nights
Sailing from Miami to Los Angeles on the Norwegian Star
A surprisingly affordable Panama Canal opportunity
Ports on this sailing include: Miami, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - Cartagena, Colombia - Panama Canal - At Sea - Puntarenas, Costa Rica - Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - At Sea - Acapulco, Mexico - At Sea - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - At Sea - Los Angeles, California
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
==============================================
None of these your cup of tea?
I'm happy to help you plan an adventure wherever you'd like to go.
Please contact me to begin the planning process.
Related resources
Roberta's picks - hand picked by me
Vancouver cruise opportunities - hand picked by me
Solo-friendly picks - a list of ships with single staterooms
Transatlantic cruises - the best itineraries, picked by me
Check out these escapes to warmth as the northern lands grow chilly...
South Pacific from Tahiti!
November 11, 2018
15-Nights
Sailing from Papeete (Tahiti) to Auckland on Holland America's ms Maasdam
Very nice South Pacific cruise, offering great value.
Ports on this sailing include: Papeete, French Polynesia - At Sea - Rarotonga, Cook Islands - At Sea - Alofi, New Zealand - International Dateline - Vava'u, Tonga - At Sea - Savusavu, Fiji - Suva, Fiji - Dravuni Island - At Sea - Nuku`alofa, Tonga - At Sea - At Sea - Auckland, New Zealand
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
Great Middle East cruise!
November 11, 2018
15-Nights
Sailing from Rome to Abu Dhabi on the Celebrity Constellation
A great choice if you'd like to disembark in Abu Dhabi
Ports on this sailing include: Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - Catania, Italy - At Sea - Piraeus, Greece - Suez Canal, Egypt - Suez Canal, Egypt - Al 'Aqabah, Jordan - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - Muscat, Oman - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
New Orleans cruise
November 25, 2018
11-Nights
Sailing roundtrip from New Orleans on the Norwegian Breakaway
Wrap your Caribbean cruise with a little New Orleans jazz!
Ports on this sailing include: New Orleans, Louisiana - At Sea - At Sea - Ocho Rios, Jamaica - Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - Roatan, Honduras - Belize City, Belize - Harvest Caye, Belize - Costa Maya, Mexico - Cozumel, Mexico - At Sea - New Orleans, Louisiana
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
3 weeks in the Caribbean
November 25, 2018
21-Nights
Sailing roundtrip Tampa on Holland America's ms Rotterdam
Lovely, relaxing 3 week long cruise... claim your deck chair!
Ports on this sailing include: Tampa, Florida - Key West, Florida - At Sea - Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala - Roatan, Honduras - Costa Maya, Mexico - At Sea - Tampa, Florida - Key West, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - San Juan, Puerto Rico - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands - St John's, Antigua and Barbuda - Castries, Saint Lucia - Soufriere Bay, Saint Lucia - At Sea - Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles - Oranjestad, Aruba - At Sea - Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - At Sea - Tampa, Florida
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
Panama Canal
November 30, 2018
14-Nights
Sailing from Miami to Los Angeles on the Norwegian Star
A surprisingly affordable Panama Canal opportunity
Ports on this sailing include: Miami, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - Cartagena, Colombia - Panama Canal - At Sea - Puntarenas, Costa Rica - Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - At Sea - Acapulco, Mexico - At Sea - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - At Sea - Los Angeles, California
View the itinerary
Interested? Please contact me for a quote.
==============================================
None of these your cup of tea?
I'm happy to help you plan an adventure wherever you'd like to go.
Please contact me to begin the planning process.
Related resources
Roberta's picks - hand picked by me
Vancouver cruise opportunities - hand picked by me
Solo-friendly picks - a list of ships with single staterooms
Transatlantic cruises - the best itineraries, picked by me
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Vancouver Spring Panama Canal saillings
Sailing the Panama Canal on the Coral Princess |
In the spring, there are usually only NORTHBOUND Panama Canal sailings to Vancouver, but this year there are two (2) SOUTHBOUND Panama Canal sailings from Vancouver... so take your pick!
You can choose between sailings from 17 to 22 nights - there is even an 28 night sailing that includes Alaska!
April 9, 2019: Island Princess - 22 nights |
22 Night Panama Canal cruise on the Island Princess
Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - Cartagena, Colombia - Panama Canal - Fuerte Amador, Panama - At Sea - Puntarenas, Costa Rica - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua - At Sea - Huatulco, Mexico - At Sea - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - At Sea - At Sea - Los Angeles, California - Santa Barbara, California - At Sea - San Francisco, California - At Sea - Astoria, Oregon - Victoria, British Columbia - Vancouver, British Columbia
Book with me now!
April 11, 2019: Emerald Princess - 22 nights |
22 Night Panama Canal cruise on the Emerald Princess
Itinerary: Vancouver, British Columbia - Victoria, British Columbia - Astoria, Oregon - At Sea - San Francisco, California - At Sea - Santa Barbara, California - Los Angeles, California - At Sea - At Sea - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - At Sea - Huatulco, Mexico - At Sea - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua - Puntarenas, Costa Rica - At Sea - Fuerte Amador, Panama - Panama Canal - Cartagena, Colombia - At Sea - At Sea - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Book with me now!
April 13, 2019: Oosterdam - 21 nights |
21 Night Panama Canal cruise on the ms Oosterdam
Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - Cartagena, Colombia - Panama Canal - Fuerte Amador, Panama - Fuerte Amador, Panama - At Sea - Caldera, Costa Rica - Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - Puerto Chiapas, Mexico - Huatulco, Mexico - At Sea - Manzanillo, Mexico - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - At Sea - At Sea - San Diego, California - At Sea - At Sea - Victoria, British Columbia - Vancouver, British Columbia
Book with me now!
April 18, 2019: Volendam - 20 nights |
20 Night Panama Canal cruise on the ms Volendam
Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - Cartagena, Colombia - Panama Canal - At Sea - Caldera, Costa Rica - Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - Puerto Chiapas, Mexico - Huatulco, Mexico - At Sea - Manzanillo, Mexico - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - At Sea - At Sea - San Francisco, California - At Sea - Victoria, British Columbia - Vancouver, British Columbia
Book with me now!
April 20, 2019: Coral Princess - 18 nights |
18 Night Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess
Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - Cartagena, Colombia - Panama Canal - Fuerte Amador, Panama - At Sea - Puntarenas, Costa Rica - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua - At Sea - Huatulco, Mexico - At Sea - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - At Sea - At Sea - Los Angeles, California - At Sea - At Sea - Vancouver, British Columbia
Book with me now!
May 1, 2019: Oceania Regatta - 28 nights |
28 Night Panama Canal cruise on the Oceania Regatta
Itinerary: Miami, Florida - Havana, Cuba - Caribbean Sea - Caribbean Sea - Colon, Panama - Panama Canal - Pacific Ocean - Puntarenas, Costa Rica - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - Pacific Ocean - Acapulco, Mexico - Pacific Ocean - Mazatlan, Mexico - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Pacific Ocean - San Diego, California - Pacific Ocean - San Francisco, California - Pacific Ocean - Astoria, Oregon - At Sea - Sitka, Alaska - Hubbard Glacier, Alaska - Juneau, Alaska - Wrangell, Alaska - Ketchikan, Alaska - Inside Passage - Vancouver, British Columbia
Ask for a quote - or book with me now!
May 16, 2019: ms Amsterdam - 17 nights |
17 Night Panama Canal cruise on the ms Amsterdam
Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale, Florida - At Sea - At Sea - Cartagena, Colombia - Panama Canal - At Sea - Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - Huatulco, Mexico - At Sea - At Sea - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - At Sea - At Sea - San Francisco, California - At Sea - Victoria, British Columbia - Vancouver, British Columbia
Request a quote - or book online now!
June 30, 2019: Queen Elizabeth - 21 nights |
21 Night Panama Canal cruise on Cunard Line's Queen Elizabeth
Itinerary: Vancouver, British Columbia - At Sea - At Sea - San Francisco, California - Los Angeles, California - Los Angeles, California - At Sea - At Sea - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - At Sea - At Sea - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - At Sea - Puntarenas, Costa Rica - At Sea - Panama City, Panama - Panama Canal - At Sea - Oranjestad, Aruba - At Sea - At Sea - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Contact me now for this rare Cunard opportunity!
Please contact me if you are looking for a fall Panama Canal sailing, or even 2020 - I have the information you need, and am always happy to help.
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