Standing above the town of Braubach, Germany on the banks of the Rhine, is Marksburg Castle, an imposing and historic fortification. The castle was erected to defend the surrounding countryside but also to control the trade that passed through the region on the Rhine river. Of the over three dozen castles along the river, Marksburg is the only one to have never been captured or even fallen into serious disrepair.
The history of Marksburg castle begins in the 12th century, when the start of the castle complex was constructed by the Lords of Eppstein. The castle protected the town of Braubach below, but it also served to reinforce the Eppsteins’ right to collect customs duties on goods and traffic traveling along the trade routes.
The Eppstein family was powerful with four members of the family being Archbishops and Electors of Mainz, another was Archbishop and Elector in Trier. Electors were senior nobles in the Holy Roman Empire with the right to elect the Emperor.
The Eppstein family continued to hold Marksburg castle until 1283, when it was purchased by Eberhard II, Count of Katzenelnbogen. It was the counts of Katzenelnbogen who built the gothic-style additions to Marksburg, which provides the profile seen today. When the last Katzenelnbogen died in 1479, the castle passed to the Landgraves of Hesse through the marriage of the Katzenelnbogen heiress Anna to Heinrich of Hesse.
At that time the castle was strengthened to defend against the new artillery and Marksburg was enlarged to make space for its gun batteries.
In 1806 with the fall of Holy Roman Empire, French Emperor Napoleon granted Marksburg castle to his ally the Duke of Nassau. The Duke used the castle as a war prison and a home for disabled soldiers. In 1900, the German Castles Association took ownership of Marksburg castle with a payment gesture of 1,000 gold marks.
The castle was damaged by American artillery in WWII but the damage was also repaired by the American Occupation Army.
The old town of Cartagena is one of the richest, and full of character places in the city. It was constructed in 223BC, and was Hannibal’s capital city on the Iberian Peninsula, making it an area with plenty of historical monuments, squares, and buildings for you to discover!. It’s an amazing example of the beauty of Andalusian architecture, built within grotesque, little streets.
These giclée prints are available in several sizes, custom printed for each individual order on archival, museum grade paper using fade resistant inks.
Join us as we visit historic treasures, natural wonders and vibrant cities set against backdrops that are endlessly changing and visually magnificent. Celebrate a world of travel experiences with these decorating accessories that are perfect for framing.
Tucked in between Brazil and Argentina along the South American coast is the county of Uruguay. Its capital and major port is the city of Montevideo where over half of the countries total population of just three million live. A frequent port on many South American cruise itineraries the city is located near where the Rio de la Plata flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It is two-hundred fifty miles down river and east of Buenos Aries.
Where Your Ship Docks
Cruise ships normally dock at the Terminal Puerto De Montevideo which sits at the tip of a peninsula which covers most of the Tres Cruces barrio. A barrio is neighborhood or district and Tres Cruces means “three crossings”, referring to the three major transportation routes which meet in the area. The port is well developed but does not offer a terminal adjacent to the pier. However only a couple of blocks outside the port is a shopping district and public restrooms are available in the Port Market*.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Disembarking – This port has a developed cruise ship pier but the ease of disembarking varies by the individual ships gangway designs. For passengers using wheelchairs there can be a moderate ramp incline to deal with.
Port City Characteristics – This port has a well developed wheelchair friendly infrastructure. The port area is flat or has few inclines. Intersection crosswalks have few issues with curbs or other wheelchair obstacles.
Transportation
While Montevideo is a large metropolitan area, Tres Cruces is the heart of the historic city with most of the sites within walking distance of the port. Getting outside this area usually requires a taxi. While Taxis are common they are not cheap as gasoline is very expensive here. A majority of drivers only speak Spanish so be prepared with written names of your destination. Expect to pay about UYU100 for a ten minute ride. Tipping is not usual, but rounding up is common.
Montevideo is not a large city and it has a very efficient public bus transportation system. Getting around by bus is not difficult but you may need to use some Spanish. With a little help from a cellphone translator you’ll find the people are very friendly and eager to help you with which bus route you need to take to get to your destination.
Getting To and From the Airport. A shuttle is available between the airport and downtown for about UYS 800/950 or about US$45. A taxi should cost about UYU 1500 or US$70.
Currency
Currently a Uruguay Peso (UYU) is worth about US$0.03. Most merchants in popular tourist areas will gladly accept Dollars and Euros and most major credit cards can be used. If using currency expect small change to be in Uruguay Pesos.
Attractions
Just outside the port is The Port Market. Outside are street stalls and local shops and inside the main pavilion is a collection of cafes, bars and restaurants. The area is particularly famous for its steak houses.
Within the Tres Cruces area are a number of attractions of interest:
Locks Fountain at Av. 18 de Julio
Ramírez Beach, a wide sand beach & popular hangout
Galeria SOA, Candombe pedestrian Curuguaty
Palacio Diaz at Av. 18 de Julio
Ciudadela at Av. Intendente Municipal Juan Pedro Fabini
Fountain Plaza Cagancha at Dr. Enrique Tarigo
Galería Caubarrere Convención at Restos de la muralla de la Ciudadela at Buenos Aires
Mausoleo de José Gervasio Artigas at Prócer de los Orientales
Monument at Plaza Independencia
The Black Gallery Arte Contemporáneo at Calle Perez Castellano
Palacio Santos at Av. 18 de Julio
Monumento a Atilio Narancio
Palmera de Juana de Ibarbourou at Manuel Vicente Pagola
The season isn’t only just about Christmas. It’s about finding the spirit of good that resides in all of us, celebrating the joy of just being alive and sharing our experiences and good fortune with others. Judi and I wish you all happy holidays and may you find amazing travels in 2023 and beyond…
“May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face. May the road ahead rise up to greet you and may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.”
Anyone who travels much and has, on occasion, requested information from the internet or given their email address to a travel company knows about those ads in their inbox. Dozens of them claim things like:
Second person half price if you book with us! (actually if you book with anyone)
Our exclusive cruise savings! (that’s usually a big lie)
Plan your cruise with us get free wifi or a drink package! (it’s part of the cruise companies current promo)
The First Truth – Those above statements are all a lie or at least a serious misrepresentation. With a few rare exceptions, the price is the price (see the third truth below). The cost of cruising has a lot of price variability but at any given moment your cost is the same regardless of what travel agent you use or even if you book directly with the cruise line. The same goes for those free or discounted add-ons.
Much like pricing with the airlines, cruise prices fluctuate constantly based on how far away the departure date is and how quickly the cruise is booking up. When a cruise is first announced the pricing trends to the higher price with last minute bookings usually getting the best fares. The thing is those prices, at any given moment, are the official prices for everyone – independent agents, private individuals and large travel corporations.
The Second Truth – You get the best service if you use a travel agent along with the best price too. The cruise lines make higher profits if you book directly with them because they don’t have to pay commission, but there are no savings passed on to you. Travel agents are local and usually small businesses and getting to know an agent usually means you will get personalized service. They are much more interested in helping you as an individual. A recent travel industry poll discovered that well over 80% of travel agency bookings are with returning customers.
The Third Truth – There are specific situations, where an agent can save you money over the cruise line booking price. Everyone on a specific sailing is part of the cruise ships “group” and there isn’t any discount for just being booked on that cruise. A travel agent however gets a discounted price for booking a group (usually ten or more passengers) and they often share part of the discount by offering additional free perks or add-ons. Also if you deal with an agent affiliated with a large travel organization, they can often the advantages of a group booking for your cruise by combining all their agents bookings for that specific cruise into one group. Often we’ve gotten onboard credits, free tours or reduced pricing because we were added to an agencies group.
The Forth Truth – The cruise price can often be reduced after you book. Most cruise companies (not all) allow you to take advantage of a lowered price after you have booked and paid your deposit. Usually that window opens right after you book and closes when you pay the final amount, mostly at 90 days before the cruise. After 90 days you are subject to the cruise refund policy or your cruise insurance. This is another reason why you should use a travel agent. Many agents have automated systems that keep track of your reservation and will notify you of a price reduction without you doing anything. If your agent doesn’t have that capability, you should get in the habit of checking that cruises current price every few weeks and let your agent know of a decrease. Travel agents have contacts inside the cruise companies office that they routinely use for those price adjustments.
The Fifth Truth– You will usually get a better deal by booking while onboard a cruise. This is one of those rare times where the cruise line offers real exclusive deals. Usually they take the form of freebies like free gratuities, free drink packages or internet that you cannot get anywhere else. You also don’t have to worry about cutting your favorite travel agent out of their commission either because the cruise company will protect the agents account and commission. Just be sure and remind the onboard future cruise agent that you have a travel agent and their agency information.
While there are actually no exclusive discounts for any given travel company, there are a number of opportunities to save when booking a cruise. Over the years we have often saved between $500 and $1,000 by keeping track of the cruises changing price. We also never miss an opportunity to book a new cruise while on board.
StephensIslandLighthouse marks the north western approach to Cook Strait, at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. The light stands watch over one of the most traveled sea lanes in New Zealand
These giclée prints are available in several sizes, custom printed for each individual order on archival, museum grade paper using fade resistant inks.
Join us as we visit historic treasures, natural wonders and vibrant cities set against backdrops that are endlessly changing and visually magnificent. Celebrate a world of travel experiences with these decorating accessories that are perfect for framing.
The Intentional Travelers 