Two Days in the Azores

The first stop on the current itinerary finds us 850 miles due west of Portugal on a volcanic archipelago consisting of nine major populated islands. The islands are a possession of Portugal but are characterized officially as the Autonomous Region of the Azores (in Portuguese they are Açores). Considering the autonomy we found it oddContinue reading “Two Days in the Azores”

The State Department Has Some Advice For You

Extra Protection While Traveling The United States State Department has a program to help you while you travel internationally. Travelers are urged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. The State Department uses security messages to convey information toContinue reading “The State Department Has Some Advice For You”

Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn

The Old Faithful Lodge is the original lodge in the very first National Park in America, making it a popular destination for well over 100 years. The Old Faithful Inn sits right in the middle of one of Earth’s most active geyser fields and very near its namesake, the Old Faithful geyser. Named after theContinue reading “Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn”

Travel, Credit Cards & Identity Theft

Credit Cards for International Travel These are interesting times we live in when it comes to financially protecting ourselves. Just the simple pastimes of shopping and travel can expose us to financial fraud and it does seem to be getting worse. A couple of years ago our son and a friend where cruising with isContinue reading “Travel, Credit Cards & Identity Theft”

Trimani Enoteca, a Wine Bar in Rome

We spent the entire day walking thru Rome with a late lunch on the Via Veneto. It was getting dark by the time we returned to our hotel but it was still too early to call it a day. We were staying only five blocks from the Termini and referring to our planning notes foundContinue reading “Trimani Enoteca, a Wine Bar in Rome”

Ways to Save Money on Booking a Cruise

Getting the best deal on booking a cruise is a process very much like getting the best fare on a flight. Like all businesses, cruise lines want to get the most for every cabin and, like the airlines at the moment of departure, anything unsold has no future value. Economists call these items non-fungible, meaningContinue reading “Ways to Save Money on Booking a Cruise”