Travels with Boyd

So… “why Luxembourg?”, you might be thinking. Aside from it being a country I have yet to visit, it also happens to have a direct flight from Malta and is just a couple hours away from Kaiserslautern in Germany. And why would I be headed to Kaiserslautern? You will have to wait until the next post to find that out.

The added bonus, however, was figuring out the historic town of Bastogne in Belgium lies just about 40 miles away from Luxembourg City. As a huge WWII history buff, this city is a must see.

Day 1 – Monday, April 20

The direct flight from Malta was uneventful and I landed about 7:30 p.m and stepped off the airplane into chilly weather of about 50 degrees Inside the terminal, I was pleased to see this sign:

All public transportation in Luxembourg is free and all the buses are 100% electric and appear to be almost all brand-new. The trip to the Airbnb where I was staying would require 3 buses. Unfortunately, I couldn’t locate the third bus (the stop had been moved due to construction) so I ended up in a taxi for the last leg. I was in bed by 10:30.

Day 2 – Tuesday, April 21

Happy birthday to me. A year ago, I certainly would have predicted that I would be waking up in Luxembourg, but here I am. I decided to head to Bastogne today. It’s a bit of complicated trip on public transportation but after a couple of hours on a bus, train, and another bus, I arrive. One interesting note: you don’t need a ticket to get on the train in Luxembourg, but as soon as it crosses the border, a ticket checker magically appears out of nowhere to make sure you have a ticket for the Belgian portion of the trip. I did.

I headed straightaway to the Bastogne War Museum, where I spent several hours. The self-guided audio tour was excellent. The only disappointment was that the Bois Jacques, the forested area where U.S. forces dug in and endured the Battle of the Bulge (you may have heard of this from watching Band of Brothers), was a 45 minute walk from the museum and no shuttle was provided. It was late in the afternoon and I wasn’t really dressed for a long walk in the cold so I didn’t see it. I will next time.

I decided to spend the night in Bastogne and treated myself to a nice dinner at Wagon-Leo Brasserie where I tried a local delicacy, civet de marcassin stew. Yes, wild boar stew. And no, probably wouldn’t order it again.

Day 3, Wednesday, April 22

I was up early and was back in Luxembourg city before 9 a.m. I got the most expensive workout ever after paying 30 Euros (about $34) for a one day pass. Was it worth it? Hard to say, but I like to see the maximum number of pull-ups I can do every year on my birthday to see how I compare from one year to the next. I did 23, which is a couple fewer than last year. Not bad for 64 years old, if I say so myself. Don’t believe me? Here’s a video from a few days ago.

Later that afternoon, I went on an E-bike tour. It was a very enjoyable excursion and we covered almost 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) . Besides our guide, Malik, I was joined by two other couples, one from Minneapolis and the other from Australia. They were great company.

After the tour, I headed back to a charming area called Grund and then tried mafe and fufu at a nearby African fusion restaurant called Odum .The hostess was very gracious in showing me how to properly eat my dinner with my hands.

Day 4, Thursday, April 23

On my last day in Luxembourg, I decided to go on a long hike. I took a bus to nearby Rumelange and started 7.3 mile trek ending up in the town of Kayl near the Luxembourg-France border. It was a gorgeous day with even more beautiful country side. I happened upon a restaurant in Kayl where I enjoyed some really good sushi and spring rolls.

After lunch, I decided to head to Germany. Just as the bus I was on crossed over the border, we were pulled over by the police who boarded the bus and checked everyone’s identification. Interesting considering we were crossing over an unprotected border within the EU.

After checking into a hotel in Saarbrucken (which means “bridge over the Saar”), I enjoyed a nice Turkish dinner at a restaurant overlooking the… you guessed it… Saar River.

Day 5, Friday, April 24

I was up early for a bit of sightseeing in Saarbrucken.

After lunch, I got on a train for Kaiserslautern. Unfortunately, I got on wrong train but at least it was going in the right direction. There was a very nice older woman sitting near me who apparently noticed my concern when I realized what I had done. Though she spoke no English, I was able to make out most of what she was saying and got off two stops later at St. Ingbert, waited for about 15 minutes and got on the right train. On this train as we stopped at a station 3 or 4 stops from my destination, soccer fans wearing the bright red colors of the Kaiserslautern soccer team started streaming on board. One sat next to me, two beers in hand. By the next stop, he had helped me to buy a ticket online for my first ever Bundesliga 2 match. A nice surprise, but not the reason I was heading there. More about that in my next post.

Note: Click on any photo to make full size. For a deeper dive, click on the hyperlinks.

This trip came about as a result of a visit to Colorado last September to visit an old friend. I have known John since Kindergarten where we both attended Lincoln Elementary. I didn’t like him much, so it was just as well that we attended different grade schools. But years later, when we were in high school, we became close friends. After I finished college, I moved to Colorado for about a year and a half and John and I lived together in Denver for a brief time. Some time after that, we lost touch (my fault – sorry, John).

After a long hiatus from social media, I set out to reconnect with old friends and John was at the top of the list. During my visit to see John and his wife, Cathy, they told me of a trip they were planning to Europe in April, 2026. And so I invited myself to join them.

Day 1 – Friday, April 10

I figured out this morning that I needed a visa to travel through London, thanks to Brexit. 20 minutes and 40 Euros later, I’m good to go. At the airport, I find out the flight to London is oversold but somehow I got my boarding pass while other passengers around me are fuming. Some days, it’s good to be me. My good fortune to that point ended abruptly. I sat on the plane for two solid hours before we finally took off.

I sat next to a Brit named Justin – fascinating and worldly gentlemen who could talk intelligently on just about any topic. We had a wonderful conversation for almost the entire flight, so it flew by. When he found out I was American, guess what he wanted to talk about?

The flight to Seville was less pleasant. I got to listen to this for the entire flight:

I landed at midnight, then had to stand in a long queue for a taxi. Got to bed about 1:00 a.m.

Day 2 – Saturday, April 11

My stay in Seville lasted about 7 hours. John and Cathy had arrived a couple of days earlier and were staying at a different hotel. They picked me up in their rental car about 7:30 a.m. and off we went to Gibraltar.

After getting John and Cathy checked in to their hotel (I was staying in a nearby airbnb), we had breakfast. For those of you not familiar, this is a “full English breakfast”. And yes, those are baked beans and mushrooms.

With enough calories ingested to last us for a couple of days, off we went sightseeing

Rather than climb the Rock, we opted for a tour van. That turned out to be a wise decision – it is a long and steep hike to the top. Among the highlights were the Pillars of Hercules ,the Barbary macaques, St. Michael’s Cave, the Great Siege Tunnels, and the WWII Tunnels Experience.

We decided to walk back down instead of ride in the van. Not the best decision of the day.

Back in the city center, we had a drink at the Lord Nelson, a cool British pub where John befriended the owner who told us the only place in Tanger (tomorrow’s destination) where we might get a drink. Later we enjoyed a nice dinner at an Indian restaurant.

Day 3 – Sunday, April 12

Another early wake up call. I met John and Cathy at their hotel – a five minute walk and we headed to the ferry to go to Tanger. Unfortunately, we drove to the wrong ferry terminal at Algeciras, so had to ride a bus to Terifa for 30 minutes to get to the correct one. Luckily, we were able to still catch the ferry. It was an interesting process to go through airport-style security to get on the ferry and then stand in line for 45 minutes to get through the passport control – while the ship was moving. Do they throw you overboard if you don’t have the right passport or visa? It was a very bumpy ride of about 45 minutes on the ferry – you definitely needed to hold on to something if you were up and about.

Despite the mid-afternoon start, we saw a lot of sights while being driven around by a taxi driver who waited for as much as 30 minutes at each stop. Cathy got her wish for a camel ride; John reluctantly joined her and I was the photographer. I had my camel ride in Dubai several weeks ago and didn’t feel the need for another.

We returned to the hotel, where we had a private tour guide lead us on a walk for the better part of three hours.

Exhausted, we returned to the hotel and ate a late dinner in their restaurant. We tried several Moroccan specialties including Tagine.

Day 4 – Monday, April 13

Despite the exhaustion, I had another lousy night of sleep. I could hear voices outside the hotel in the nearby narrow alleys until all hours and then the call to prayer at 5:05 a.m. I did not answer it.

We took a short taxi ride back to the ferry terminal. You should have seen the look on the driver’s face when John gave the taxi driver a 100% tip for the $5 ride. You would have thought he won the lottery. $5 goes a long way in Morocco.

Now we are headed back to Spain. Security getting on the ferry boat for the ride back was laughable. Everyone is setting off the metal detector but the “security guards” don’t even look up. I could have brought an IED on board if I was so inclined. I didn’t.

We got back to the rental car at Algeciras about 1:00pm . We stopped for lunch in stopped for lunch Manilva. We continued on to Ronda while enjoying a wonderfully picturesque view along the way.

When John and I get together, he occasionally reverts to the mischievous (and somewhat obnoxious) little boy who I came to know, avoid, and eventually love so many years ago. This is a perfect example: that’s my suitcase that John just chucked across the parking deck. Why? Because John thinks it’s funny.

Despite very breezy and chilly conditions, we set out for a walk and saw some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. This part of Spain is absolutely breathtaking.

Later we had a fabulous meal at Restaurante Pedro Romero . Both John and I were in rare form, enjoying belly laughs throughout the evening as poor, embarrassed Cathy tried to quiet us down, to no avail. She didn’t stand a chance.

Day 5 – Tuesday, April 14

After one night in Ronda, we were off again. First stop – Setenil de las Bodegas. We walked a bit and found a little place to stop for a cappuccino.

The next stop was Caminito del Rey This was the most amazing hike I have ever done and I can’t imagine another one better! It is not for the faint of heart – two solid hours with fairly steep ascents and descents at times and, due to my fear of heights, had my heart racing at times. Thankfully, the weather was perfect. This would be brutal on a hot day.

This was a full day. Now we’re headed to Malaga where we will stay at the Hotel Benalma.

Day 6 – Wednesday, April 15

At the outset of this trip, my return plans were up in the air. I woke up this morning and decided I had officially hit the wall. I booked a flight back to Malta for Thursday.

I had the morning to myself so I enjoyed the breakfast buffet, grabbed a workout and took a walk on the beach.

I met up with John and Cathy early in the afternoon and we headed to the city center for some sightseeing and a late lunch. The Cathedral of Malaga was particularly impressive.

Day 7 – Thursday, April 16

I was up early for my flight and left the hotel about 6:30. I flew a couple of discount airlines for the first time: easyJet and jet2.com. Not very comfortable, but you get what you pay for and the price was reasonable considering I had booked the flights only a day earlier.

I have this amazing superpower. I attract screaming kids on almost every flight I am on. I got to enjoy this all way from London to Malta:

I landed about 7 p.m. in Malta. Thanks once again to Brexit, I have to stand in line for close to an hour to clear passport control because I’m returning from a non-EU country. And guess who was just a few feet behind me the entire time…

After finally getting through passport control, I opted for the longer ride to the ferry at Cirkewwa on the north of the island. This way I am sure to get a seat as those “damn tourists” are starting to fill the ferries. I arrived at the terminal at 8:30 and back to the apartment about 10 p.m. Another long day of travel and I have just a few days back in Gozo until my next trip. Stay tuned.

Note: Click on any photo to make full size. For a deeper dive, click on the hyperlinks.

I have always wanted to do a cruise, but for various and sundry reasons, it never happened. I decided this year would be the year. At one time, an ocean cruise on a giant ship was of interest, but now the thought of a cruise with 5,000 to 7,500 other passengers is as appealing as a colonoscopy to me.

River cruises, on the other hand, seem the best way to go. For this trip, I considered several options including a cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Germany and a cruise on the Nile in Egypt, but in the end, I decided to take an Avalon cruise on the Seine in France. France had not been very high on my list of countries I wanted to visit. The reputation of the French and how they treat American tourists was always in the back of my mind. Because of the cruise, I didn’t have a lot of interactions with the locals, but I didn’t personally experience any of the treatment from the French for which they have become somewhat infamous.

The cruise starts and ends in Paris. I am particularly excited about going to Normandy. I have always had a huge interest in WWII history and visiting the beaches where the Allies (including my dad) came ashore in the summer of 1944 is very near the top of my bucket list.

Day 1 – Monday, March 30

The trip got off to a good start. My Uber driver earned a big tip by finding a shortcut to the ferry and dropping me off just three minutes before departure, thereby saving me an hour of waiting time for the next one to arrive. And just two days earlier, the fast ferry to Valletta wasn’t even running because of rough seas. Today, smooth sailing.

I always get to the airport very early, because the lounge at the airport in Malta is very comfortable with great food. I was there four hours before departure with a book and an appetite. For the first time, however, the electronic gate to security wouldn’t let me pass because I was TOO early. So, I sat among the commoners with my book and reluctantly bought a cappuccino (the free ones taste so much better!) and killed an hour before being able to access the lounge.

The nonstop flight to Paris Orly was right on time. Two hours and 40 minutes from wheels up to wheels down. I love how I can get just about anywhere in Europe from Malta in 3 hours or less! After a chilly wait of about 25 minutes for the hotel shuttle, I grabbed a quick dinner of Tiger prawn Pad Thai (19 Euros) at the hotel and was in bed by 10:30 p.m.

Day 2 – Tuesday, March 31

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep. No bueno! After tossing and turning for an hour, I gave up on sleeping. So, I was first in line at the breakfast buffet and headed out to find the cruise boat to drop off my stuff before a bit of sightseeing.

The tram stop was right outside the hotel, and an hour later after a tram and two metro trains, I found the boat. There I was shown to my room and met some of the crew. Both the crew and the room were very nice!

From there, I got back on the Metro and headed to Montmartre where I had a wonderful lunch at a small cafe called Armande where I was joined by a lovely Parisian who ordered in French for us a delicious assortment of dishes. She then showed me around the area in 50-degree weather under gray, threatening skies.

I was back on the boat by 4:30 where I got settled in the room before the 6 p.m. safety meeting with the cruise director, a Bosnian named Marko, and the ship’s captain. That’s where I met Jane and Steve, a very nice and interesting retired couple from Boston. We immediately hit it off and they invited me to join them at dinner. I would end up spending a good deal of time with them during the week. We sat with Ron and Suzanne, a very friendly couple from the Dallas area. (Pictures of both couples come later.) There were three other ladies traveling together from St. Louis at our table.

Dinner was delicious: escargots de vin blanc (sounds better than snails, no?), smooth lobster soup with cognac foam, and filets de Saint-Pierre (grilled John Dory on mango-coriander relish) with ricotta saveur citron (lemon ricotta with berries) for dessert.

I’m tired, so back to the room by 9:30. On the way, I check out the fitness facility. It’s a bit disappointing but most of the guests aren’t here to work out. I’m going to gain some weight this week, I fear.

Day 3 – Wednesday, April 1

I’m up at 3:00 a.m. working on my blog because I can’t sleep again. I really hope this isn’t a developing pattern.

The breakfast buffet was very nice including a made-to-order omelet station. The morning activity was a guided bus tour, with Phillippe our guide, of the major Paris tourist attractions including …

We went back to the boat for lunch and then off to Versailles. It was magnificent and the best part was that our little group of 14 had access with our tour guide to many rooms not available to the horde of other tourists.

We were back to the boat by about 5:30 p.m. I sat with Jane and Steve again at dinner. Jane is hell-bent on fixing me up with someone and tells me that she has a number of girlfriends back in the Boston area who would love to meet me. I laugh – I’m still thinking about my tour guide back in Montmartre.

I chose cocktail de crevettes a la Normande (Normandy style shrimp cocktail) for the appetizer, soup cremeuse au chou-fleur (cauliflower soup), red beet sauerkraut with grilled shepherd’s cheese, thyme honey and parsley potatoes (might sound better in French, no?) and fresh fruit for dessert. Believe it or not, the red beet sauerkraut was the star of the meal.

The after dinner entertainment was a troupe of Can-can dancers. A very fun and lively show. I was ready for bed immediately after, about 10:00 p.m.

Day 4 – Thursday, April 2

The boat is underway and we are headed to Conflans today. I grabbed a light breakfast and sat next to a couple from Japan. Ki is Japanese; John is an American ex-pat. Everyone wants to hear my story about ending up in Malta.

I decided to grab a workout because we are on the river and won’t have an excursion until this afternoon. In the fitness room stands Alex, the Adventure Host, who shows me how to operate a fitness machine that I have never seen before. It’s hi-tech and complicated, but he shows me how to do 6 exercises and I get a surprisingly good workout. Perhaps I judged it too harshly earlier – a good lesson in not judging a book by its cover.

We arrived at Conflans (the confluence of the Oise and Seine Rivers) at 1:30.

After lunch, I hopped on a bus to Chateau de Malmaison, home to Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine.

For dinner, more good company. Most every meal, I sat with someone new and had the best time hearing about where they were from, where they had traveled, etc. By this time, I had met mostly Americans, but there were also quite a few Canadians and some Aussies along with John and Ki from Japan.

I had cuisses de grenouille a la Normande (sauteed frog legs), veloute de tomate (smooth tomato soup), joues de boeuf braisees (braised beef cheeks with roasted veggies and celery mashed potatoes), and for dessert tartelette aus pommes (thin apple tart). Another really good dinner.

I relaxed in the lounge after dinner. Watching a bunch of gray-haired folks dance to the oldies including “YMCA” by The Village People was not the highlight of my day.

Day 5 – Friday, April 3

I was up at 4:00 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep. The first excursion of the day was a hike up to the ruins of Chateau Gaillard which was built by Richard the Lionheart in the 12th century. Good thing I had packed my hiking sticks. Some of the less fit folks in our group were wishing they had opted for the other excursion.

After lunch, we set sail for Rouen and had time for a late afternoon guided walk through this historic and charming city.

Dinner tonight is goat cheese mousse, soupe a la choucroute (smooth sauerkraut soup), filet de porc a la Wellington (filet of pork) and made-to-order French crepes.

This fine fellow was the evening entertainment. He was a lot of fun. Here he is dancing with some of the staff. The ship’s staff were amazing the entire week – always so cheerful, efficient, and helpful.

Day 6 – Saturday, April 4

Saturday morning, the excursion took us to a couple of different abbeys. The Normandy countryside is so beautiful. The first stop was the Abbey of Jumeiges, founded in the seventh century.

The next stop was Abbey of Saint Wandrille.

In the afternoon, I visited Honfleur.

Back at the ship, we had a very interesting history lecture on D-Day to prepare us for tomorrow’s excursion.

For dinner, I chose tarte a l’oignon (carmelized French onion tart), soupe aus champignons (smooth mushroom soup), supremes de poulet aux morilles (sun-dried tomato-stuffed chicken breast with morel mushroom sauce, brocolli, and risotto) and creme brulee a la Normandie. This was the most disappointing meal of the trip – the soup needed salt, the chicken was dry and the creme brulee was mediocre at best. Maybe the chef is getting as tired as I am.

The company at dinner was great as usual. I sat with Ron and Suzanne again along with a retired policeman from Canada and his wife.

I was so excited about this dessert…sadly, it missed the mark.

Day 7 – Sunday, April 5

Today’s excursion is the main reason I chose this cruise. I grew up with a fascination for WWII and, as I mentioned before, my dad served in France in the Second War to end all Wars. Therefore, going to Normandy and Omaha Beach has been at or near the top of my bucket list for a very long time.

Our first stop was Pointe du Hoc. I thought I knew about all the famous battles on and around D-Day but this was all new to me. It was very cold and windy on the beach. A heavier coat, stocking cap and gloves would have been nice.

I was feeling the weight of the history of this place all day. Later, while walking by the American Cemetery, I was overcome. I can’t remember a time when I cried like this. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep or maybe I’m just still upset about the creme brulee at last night’s dinner. By the end of the day, I am physically and emotionally spent. Nonetheless, it was an incredibly memorable day and the only regret I have is not being able to spend more time there. I will be back.

Dinner tonight is lemon pepper crusted salmon, soupe aux oignons de style Normand (onion soup), demi queue de langouste (broiled half-rock lobster tail), filet de boeuf entier roti (beef tenderloin with sauce Bernaise). Unfortunately, the lobster is rubbery and the beef is tough. Oh well, no one’s perfect and for the most part, the meals have been outstanding. After a very hard day, I have one more glass of wine that evening than I probably should have. Oh well, at least I’ll sleep hard tonight.

Day 8 – Monday, April 6

Monday I have a bike ride scheduled and because the forecast is for chilly temperatures, it doesn’t start until 10:00 a.m. But, even at that time, it’s just too cold for a bike ride so Alex, the Adventure Host, LIz, and I have a workout together.

Galettes (savory crepes) are on the menu for lunch.

There are no activities planned for the afternoon except for a crepe making demonstration because we are on the water headed back to Paris. I take this opportunity to get a nap, work a bit on this blog, and start packing. Tomorrow is going to be a very early start. Then I headed up to the upper deck for the first time (the weather hadn’t cooperated until today). I got a cool video of the ship going through a lock. Watch below. On the way back to the room, Ron and Suzanne from Dallas invited me to join them for a dice game called Farkle. I scored a come from behind victory on the the last roll. Sweet!!

Last dinner on the boat. Tonight I have pate de porc (French pork pate), potage crecy (smooth carrot soup), carre de agneau al a menthe (herb crusted loin of lamb with ratatouille and soft polenta) and despite the fact that chocolate at dinner keeps me up at night, I go for the mousse a chocolat noir (dark chocolate mousse). What the hell, maybe I’ll sleep on the plane tomorrow. The chef is back in my good graces – excellent final dinner on the boat.

I go right to bed after dinner. I’m wiped out. But in a good way.

Day 9 – Tuesday, April 7

Of course, I don’t sleep well because I have to be up at 5:00 a.m. (and I just had to have that damn chocolate mousse) to get ready for departure. I ride with a couple from New York who I hadn’t yet met on the van to Charles DeGaulle airport. We have a nice visit and they have many questions about my move to Malta. So I tell that story for the umpteenth time. Security is a breeze and I get to enjoy this while waiting to board:

The direct flight is pleasant but for the young person behind me kicking my seat on and off for almost three hours. I decide to ride it out and resist the urge to get up and rip his head off. I’m mellowing in my old age. It’s a bright day and I capture some beautiful pictures from the plane.

My Bolt (European competitor of Uber) driver gets me to the fast ferry in Valletta with 45 seconds to spare. And I’m back to my apartment by 3:00 p.m. where I frantically search my bags for 5 minutes before remembering where I stashed my mailbox key. For those of you who have read my earlier posts, remember when I locked myself out before?

Inside my apartment, I find a puddle of water in the middle of the kitchen floor. An imperfect end to an otherwise perfect trip. And now I have two days to figure out where this water is coming from and get re-packed for my trip to Spain and Morocco. Stay tuned.

As I planned my trip to New Zealand, it made a lot of sense to extend it to include some time in Australia. Who wants to fly half way around the world for less than two weeks? 25 days is probably plenty, but I thought I would have one more stop on the way back to Malta. Vietnam? Istanbul? What about Dubai? Well, if for no other reason than it being close to halfway between Australia and Malta, that’s where I headed next.

Day 25 – Wednesday, February 11

Infuriated at myself for leaving my hearing aid charger in the hotel room in Adelaide (I still can’t comprehend how that happened!), I boarded the Emirates flight to Dubai.

Day 26 – Thursday, February 12

Emirates Airlines reputation is well-earned. Even flying in economy, I found the seats comfortable, the leg room adequate and the service impeccable. The plane had a lot of open seats and I found myself in a row all by myself so I was able to lie down and sleep for a few of the 13 hours we were in the air. Despite the screaming brat sounding off several times behind me, it was a rather enjoyable experience.

We arrived about 5:00 a.m. local time and my driver took me a short distance to my hotel. It was too early to check in, so I dropped off my bags and reluctantly headed out to kill about 6 hours, rather than crawl into a comfy bed for a nap.

I had done some research on the Internet and found that there was one audiologist office in all of Dubai who might have a replacement hearing aid charger. It looked like a replacement (at least in the US) would cost about $175. And I still hadn’t heard back from the hotel staff in Adelaide about if, when and how long it would take to ship the charger from Australia to Dubai.

I arrived just as the office opened and despite a bit of a language barrier, determined they did have what I was looking for and it would cost about $300. When I balked at the price, all of a sudden the price came down to about $225. Despite the one voice in my head saying: “Fork over the money and be done with it!”, I listened to the other voice screaming: “You’re not going to let these people rip you off, are you???” So, I left without a charger.

From there, I got back on the Metro (one of the cleanest and nicest public transportation systems I’ve experienced) and went to the Dubai Mall to kill a few more hours. I don’t even know where to begin in describing this mall other than to say it is the most obscene shrine to conspicuous consumption and capitalism that I have ever witnessed. Amazon and online shopping may have killed most of the malls in the U.S., but this one is alive and well, thank you very much.

Despite my tremendous fear of heights, I visited the Sky Views Observatory

I found some things expensive (like hearing aid chargers) and some things really cheap. My late lunch that included some meat on a skewer, French fries and a drink (huge portions) was less than $9 US and a haircut, wash and beard trim where I spent more than an hour in the chair ran about $19 US.

Back at the hotel, I fell asleep at 6 p.m. briefly but forced myself to stay up a couple of more hours before going to bed. The jet lag and constant travel was starting to catch up with me.

Day 27 – Friday, February 13

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. with terrible cramps in my shins. I guess when you’re in the desert, you should drink some water now and then.

I was first in line at the breakfast buffet that opened at 7 a.m. It was amazing with many savory Indian dishes. I tried as many as I could and all were delicious. I especially liked the hot tea drink they call “karak”“, which is very similar to chai tea.

The weather forecast was for full sun and mid-80’s. I was going on a small group tour of various locations in Dubai including the Burj Al Arab Hotel and Grand Mosque of Jumeirah. We then took a water taxi across the Dubai Creek to the district of Deira and the Spice Souk and Gold Souk (where no fewer than seven people approached me saying “You wanna buy a Rolex?”

From there, we went back to the Dubai Mall with an optional trip (for about $50 US) to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest structure. I had experienced the Sky View the previous day, so I was happy to opt for a quiet lunch at a Turkish restaurant in the Mall and enjoyed the water fountain show.

After lunch, it was off to the Palm Jumeirah, the archipelago of artificial islands. The traffic moved smoothly, which one would hope for with seven (7!!) lanes on either side of the median. There we stopped at Atlantis, the Palm for some pictures and ended the day at the Dubai Marina. The entire day left me virtually speechless, what with all the enormous skyscrapers and ostentatious displays of wealth.

Day 28 – Saturday, February 14

I woke up at 4 a.m. with a headache. Jet lag and bad air quality do not make for ideal sleep. I was picked up by a van after breakfast which shuttled me to a larger bus for the group tour to Abu Dhabi.

The first stop was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world (are you seeing a theme here?). It was here that I saw firsthand how differently men and women are treated in this culture. Women have to be completely covered (hair, arms, legs, etc.) when entering the mosque. One of the women in our group had bought a dark green cover-up with a hood. Although it looked very modest to me, she was forced to buy another outfit because the fabric of hers was too “sheer”. The store she purchased this new outfit in was conveniently attached to the mosque, complete with 50 or more other stores including a McDonald’s and a Starbucks! That doesn’t seem very “Halal” “to me.

The mosque was breathtaking. Before taking pictures, our guide told us that any physical contact between men and women is forbidden in the pictures. A husband is not allowed to put his arm around his own wife!

After that, off to yet another mall, this one called Yas Mall,, which is connected to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and the Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster (240 km or 149 miles per hour). There are 10,000 parking spaces there. Lunch was at a Texas Roadhouse (ugh!) in the Mall. I sat with a couple from France during lunch. They spoke virtually no English so I tried to make conversation using Google Translate, but it was too much work. We did, however, agree that the food sucked.

Last stop in Abu Dhabi was the Louvre Museum. I haven’t yet been to the one in Paris so can’t make any comparisons. Although art museums aren’t really my thing, I enjoyed the two hours we were allotted before heading back 80 miles to Dubai. When traffic allows, the speed limit is 120 km/hour (about 86 mph).

Back in Dubai, I had a Valentine’s Day dinner with a lovely American ex-pat who now lives in Dubai named Carolyn. Dinner, appetizer and a bottle of wine came to 880 dirham – a bit more expensive than my lunch on Thursday.

Day 29 – Sunday, February 15

Sunday morning, I had a late breakfast and grabbed a workout in the hotel gym, then rested until leaving mid-afternoon to what would turn out to be the most touristy, but most entertaining day of my time in the UAE.

I was heading out to the desert for to watch to ride a camel, watch the Arabian sunset, and then sit back and enjoy a barbecue dinner and live traditional music and dancing.

After driving about an hour, we pulled off the hard roads onto the sand and stopped. The driver got out and started deflating the tires – fully inflated tires dig deeper ruts in the sand, making it easier to get stuck. During the stop, we got out and several men approached us and, without asking, started put a shemagh on all of us. I thought it was included in the package, but later found out he wanted 65 dirham (about $18) U.S. for it. Oh well, it’s only money.

Once we arrived I paid 50 dirham ($13.60 US) for an extended camel ride and another 10 dirham ($2.75 US) for a picture wearing the traditional Arabian shemagh and thawb. When in Rome, I mean Dubai…

Dinner was a buffet with great food and lots of it. I enjoyed a front row seat for the performances.

The wildest part of the evening though was the departure. Dozens of white SUV’s jammed with tourists scrambling over sand dunes in the dark and all converging on a gate that allows only one vehicle through at a time. Watch the videos.

Day 30 – Monday, February 16

For the past several days, I had been emailing back and forth to the hotel in Adelaide about my charger. Apparently, it was going to take over two weeks for the package to arrive in Dubai. Well, I would be long gone by then, so I asked them to mail it to Malta (it arrived 22 days later).

So I got up Monday morning and two hours and 800 dirham ($220 US) later, I had a replacement charger. In a few hours, my hearing aids would be charged and ready to go.

There was a professional tennis tournament going on in Dubai, so I walked 45 minutes to the tennis complex and enjoyed a few hours of first round women’s matches.

Day 31 – Tuesday, February 17

This amazing trip is coming to an end. My driver picked me up at 6:00 a.m. I was flying on Turkish Airlines through Istanbul. Five and half hour flight there from Dubai. There is an amazing lounge in Instanbul – absolutely enormous – so I didn’t mind the 5 hours layover too much.

I landed in Malta and endured a painfully long line for passport control and finally made it via Uber to the ferry in Cirkewwa on the north of the island at about 8:30. The ferry left at 9:15 p.m. and I was at my apartment by 10:30. And this time I didn’t lock myself out.

This has been the best trip so far, but there are hopefully many more to come. I’m off to Paris in late March for a river cruise on the Seine. Stay tuned.

Note: Click on any picture to see full screen.

Day 18 – Wednesday, February 4

First time flying Qantas Airlines. It was a very nice plane and an uneventful flight of less than two hours. I arrived mid-afternoon and checked into the Flagstaff Gardens Hotel. I walked down to the Yarra River and hung out on a lounge chair and watched the boats and kayaks go by.

Melbourne is a very cosmopolitan city with a large immigration population including as many as 20,000 Koreans. I headed to Koreatown for dinner and was not disappointed. I’ve learned if you go into an ethnic restaurant and all the staff and diners are from that ethnicity, the food is always authentic and delicious. The bibimpap was both.

Day 19 – Thursday, February 5

Today is a group trip down the Great Ocean Road see the 12 Apostles. In my group was a couple from Colorado, another from Canada, an attorney from New York and two Americans sisters, one of whom lives in Scotland. There was a lot of time in the van so we got to know each other quite well by the end of the day.

The 12 Apostles are stunning but it was a long way to drive to see some rocks sticking up out of the ocean and take a few pictures. Other highlights of the day included a very nice lunch of lamb chops, a short hike through an ancient rainforest in Great Otway National Park and seeing a koala and some kangaroos in the wild. The drive back along the Great Ocean Road was very picturesque as well.

Day 20 – Friday, February 6

I spent about four hours with a private tour guide named Mark. We covered so much ground! The beauty of a private tour is being able to spend as much or as little time as I choose depending on my interest level and seeing so many hidden gems. Mark was so knowledgeable and interesting – the time just flew! I particularly enjoyed the Shrine of Remembrance . Watch at least the first couple of minutes of this video: Ray of Light Incredible! My initial impressions of Melbourne prior to this tour were a bit underwhelming – Mark changed all that!

Chinatown was the destination for dinner. Mark showed me an inexpensive restaurant where only the locals eat. It, too, was excellent.

Day 21 – Saturday, February 7

Saturday is another travel day but my flight for Adelaide doesn’t leave until mid-afternoon. Mark and I had quickly walked through the Queen Victoria Market on Friday. I decided to head there and spend more time and grabbed a Burek, which is a popular Turkish street food.

From there, I rode a local train to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which also houses the Australian Sports Hall of Fame. The tour of the Cricket Ground was led by one of the approximately 180,000 members of the Melbourne Cricket Club. Currently, there are about 175,000 on the waiting list for membership and the average wait is 18 years. There are currently over 6,000 members who have been in the Club for 50 or more years. The grounds hold about 100,000 spectators for matches but once held 130,000 when Bill Graham came there in 1959.

The tour was great, but left me no time for the Hall of Fame since I had to head to the airport for my one hour Virgin Australia flight to Adelaide. The flight was on time and uneventful. I checked into my hotel and had a sense of deja vu. Although the hotel was nice, it was located on a rather seedy street and was surrounded by all night massage parlors. Sort of reminded me of Frankfurt.

Day 22 – Sunday, February 8

On Sunday, the destination was Kangaroo Island, a 45 minute drive to a ferry where I would spend most of the 45 minutes wondering if I was going to lose my breakfast. I didn’t.

It was a very full day that included a stop at Raptor Domain with a birds of prey presentation, lunch and a tour at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, a visit to Clifford’s Honey Farm, Pennington Bay, and finally a wine tasting at False Cape vineyard.

Between stops we would peer out of the bus looking for wild kangaroos and koalas, but saw instead a highly venomous tiger snake, wild turkeys, and giant termite mounds. I got back to the hotel about 10:30 p.m. A very long day.

Day 23 – Monday, February 9

While millions were getting ready to watch the Super Bowl (Adelaide is 16.5 hours ahead of Chicago), I was on a bus headed for the town of Mannum on the Murray River for a two hour lunch cruise. (This would be only the second time since I started watching the Super Bowl in the late 1960’s that I would not watch the game live.)

The cruise was underwhelming but the lunch was nice. I did enjoy visiting a museum in Mannum where I learned all about an incredibly devastating flood that occurred in that area in 1957.

Day 24 – Tuesday, February 10

I started the morning with a guided tour of the Adelaide Central Market. This was the best market of the trip. Everything I tasted was amazing – meat, cheese, ice cream, sweets, falafel, you name it.

I took a long walk later in the botanic garden and then took public transportation to Hahndorf, a cute little village founded by German immigrants in 1839. Unfortunately, I arrived after 5 p.m. only to discover that most everything was closed.

From the Botanic Gardens:

From my trip to Hahndorf:

Day 25 – Wednesday, February 11

My flight to Dubai is scheduled to depart at 10:40 p.m. so I have most of the day to spend as I please. I slept in, had my last breakfast in Australia (no vegemite sandwiches this morning) and left my bags with the hotel staff.

I spent several hours at the South Australia Museum and discovered when I arrived that admission was free! One could spend days there and not see everything.

I later walked around a pedestrian mall area near my hotel. They were holding an autograph signing with some of the golfers playing in the LIV professional golf tournament starting the next day. You golf fans probably recognize this guy.

.(Ian Poulter, for you non-golfers)

I got to the the airport over three hours early because I had access to a lounge. I got to the gate about 30 minutes before boarding when I decided to take out my hearing aids for the flight. I start digging in my backpack to look for my charging case and after vainly going through every zippered pocket, I frantically tear through the contents of my suitcase. No charger.

Now mind you, I had spent over an hour lounging in my hotel room in the morning and had double and triple checked every inch of the room to make sure I was leaving nothing behind before I left the room. I called the hotel and, sure enough, I had somehow left the charger behind. There wasn’t enough time to go back to the hotel or even to have them send it over to the airport and hand deliver it. Ugh! What to do? More on that in the next post from Dubai.

Now it’s time to take off for my 13 hour non-stop to the UAE.

Note: click on photos to see full size

For the first time, I hired a travel company to plan the rest of my trip. It was expensive, but there are some advantages including drivers who meet you at the airport and transport you to the hotel (return trip as well), flight arrangements from Sydney to Melbourne to Adelaide taken care of and included in the price, most activities pre-arranged with a good amount of free time to chill or spend as I please. More than anything else, I found value in having them make a lot of the decisions I would otherwise have to make.

Day 14 – Saturday, January 31

My flight arrived on time, but where’s my driver? Dave showed up about 10 minutes late but made up for his tardiness with an apology, a friendly Aussie disposition, and some great recommendations

Dave delivered me to the Rydges Australia Square Hotel, about a 20 minute drive. It was quite nice with what turned out to be a very good breakfast buffet and free passes to a nearby Anytime Fitness.

Driver Dave suggested visiting Manley Beach, so I headed there after getting settled in the hotel. It was about a 15 minute walk to the ferry, located in the same harbor area as the Opera House. On the ferry I sat next to an Irishman who was visiting his son and his partner. He was a friendly chap and being Irish, I figured he wouldn’t turn down an invitation for a drink.  He didn’t, so I joined all three for a Guinness and then explored the area by myself. It was a beautiful day and there were lots bikini-clad girls on the beach (oh, and some guys, too).

I ended the evening with a nightcap at a pub near the hotel. This nice, young lady is an Aussie named Lilly. She introduced herself to me and we had a very enjoyable chat.

Day 15 – Sunday, February 1

Sunday was a full day. I was up early for a backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House, which started at 7:00 a.m. There were about 12 of us on the tour including a few Americans. Our tour guide was fantastic and we got to see all seven performance venues, the green room, some of the private dressing rooms, and had a light breakfast in the canteen where staff and performers eat.

After that,  met up with a local resident I was in contact with through my Couchsurfing app. Jasmin is Malaysian and had moved to Sydney a few years ago to take care of her aging mother.

She invited me and another local named Aiden to join her for a little picnic on the grounds of the Government House where there is live music once a month. The weather and the grounds were beautiful, and as an added bonus, Jasmin introduced me to the Governor of New South Wales.

After the band stopped, we took a quick tour inside and then took a relaxing stroll through the nearby Botanical Gardens.

That evening, I was scheduled for a Sydney Harbour Cruise. I opted for the provided driver rather than walk because the skies were threatening. Sure enough, as I exited the vehicle, the skies opened up and completely soaked me as I made my way the final 400 meters to the boat.

I did my best to dry off using cloth napkins (no one had a towel). I was aggravated, the entertainment was a cheesy couple with marginal musical talent, the food was mediocre and the amazing sights of the harbor were obscured by fogged-up windows covered in raindrops. Not a great end to an otherwise wonderful day.

Day 16 – Monday, February 2

This was a free day for me with no activities planned by the tour company.

Driver Dave has suggested the famous Coogee to Bondi walk. I headed out about 8:30 a.m. wearing a light jacket in the 64 degree weather. I’m glad I had it as I was hammered by heavy winds throughout the 3.5 mile walk. The views are amazing.

I spent some time exploring the tourist shops near the beach in Bondi and had a fantastic lunch.

I ended the day back in Sydney with a stroll over the Pyrmont bridge.

Day 17 – Tuesday, February 3

Today was a full day trip to the Blue Mountains tour to see the Three Sisters . Unfortunately, one can’t control the weather and after driving over two hours, we found the entire area was shrouded in fog.

During the drive, our host/driver pointed out the cameras on the freeway. In Australia, the use of cameras for law enforcement is quite invasive. They issue tickets for using your phone while driving ($1000 AUS!) and even fine you if anyone in the vehicle isn’t using their seatbelt.

Our first stretch break was about halfway to the destination. We had enough time to grab something to eat. I had a kangaroo meat pie. I wouldn’t order it again.

Despite the fog, it was an interesting day that included a stop at the world’s steepest railway and a nice little zoo on the way back to Sydney.

I returned to Sydney late in the afternoon and headed back to the Opera House for a cabaret show called “Gatsby”. I splurged on a seat near the stage which included some appetizers and a cocktail. Quite the show!

Day 18 – Wednesday, February 4

Now it’s time to fly to Melbourne!

Day 3 – Monday, January 19

note: you can click on most pictures to view full-size. The bold, underlined words are hyperlinks.

Monday somehow disappears when you fly 14 hours from San Francisco westward across four time zones to the South Island of New Zealand. After taking off Sunday evening about 10:45 p.m, we arrived around 10:30 a.m. local time on TUESDAY. I got maybe two hours of sleep on the flight and it has been about 42 hours since I woke up in Frankfurt, Germany to start this trek. Yeah… I’m a bit tired.

Day 4 – Tuesday, January 20

After arriving in Christchurch, we picked up our camper vans. Gary and Sarah got a bigger model, complete with shower and toilet. Turns out, the shower wasn’t needed, but the toilet came in handy a few times. I got the smallest model. It sleeps two, but I wouldn’t wish that on any couple. It was cramped enough for just me.

I was a bit nervous about driving a strange vehicle on the left side of the road behind a steering wheel on the right side. I must have jumped into the left front seat a dozen times over the next week thinking I was getting in behind the steering wheel. I was following Gary and Sarah, which I thought would make the driving and navigating a bit easier. Not so much.

Along the way, we encountered a few oncoming Jucy rentals (you can see the neon green and purple vans from a mile away) and I started to notice the driver and/or front seat passenger waving madly at me.

The drive to our first stop in Fairlie took a little less than three hours. The two lane roads were well- maintained but a bit narrow. During the trip, I recalled Gary’s driving style from the times I had ridden with him in the past. In a word – fast.

We set up camp, had a glass of wine and relaxed a bit before driving about 25 miles to the Blue Lake Eatery where we had a nice dinner and enjoyed a short walk around the nearby lake.

 

Day 5 – Wednesday, January 21

Despite running a serious sleep deficit, I woke up at 2:45 a.m. This is my first time sleeping in a camper van and while it’s certainly not the most comfortable of sleeping arrangements, I’m enjoying the novelty of it all. Whether it’s because of the thin mattress or jet lag, I can’t get back to sleep so I watched Indiana beat Miami (Yes! I HATE Miami) in the College Football Playoff National Championship on my phone, which I recorded on YouTube TV.

We walked a short distance in the morning to a little cafe where we had meat pies (the butter chicken one I had was amazing) and coffee. Then, we set out on a 3 hour drive to Wanaka where I encounter more madly waving Jucy drivers and my first taste of the treacherous driving on extremely narrow, tightly winding roads that I would get to “enjoy” for the next week. And all the while, trying to keep up with Gary.

 

After getting settled at the campground, we enjoyed a 7 mile walk around the lake. It was raining a bit as we started out, but turned into a gorgeous, sunny day. By the time the day was over, we had walked over 10 miles.

Day 6 – Thursday, January 22

It rained a bit overnight. I was up about 7:30 a.m. and walked a few blocks to find a coffee. Sarah and Gary slept in bit, but we were on the road by mid-morning after heading into town for a breakfast of meat pies again.

A few stops along the way to Queenstown, where we would spend the night at Driftaway Queenstown Holiday Park, the nicest campground so far.

The drive to Queenstown was more dicey than yesterday’s drive. We encountered more waving Jucy drivers, but I’m too scared to take either hand off the wheel. I’m not waving back on these roads!

In the afternoon, we took a fabulous hike that lasted about 2 1/2 hours. The terrain here was pretty rugged.

Then to re-rehydrate, we found a nice little microbrewery and had a great chat with some locals. There’s always the questions about Trump when they learn you’re American. No matter where these conversations take place, their opinions are strikingly similar.

Day 7 – Friday, January 23

I was awakened at 4 a.m. by pounding rain and I know we have a long drive ahead of us, at least 5 hours or more. Great!  Once again, we’re on winding, narrow mountain roads. The scenery is breathtaking, but I don’t dare take my eyes off the road for even a second. There are more waving Jucy van drivers and despite the intermittent rain and numerous “slippery when wet” road signs, Gary has the pedal to metal. The last 20 miles or so are the worst. One hairpin turn after another.

We stopped for stretch breaks and photos along the way and had a late lunch at the Hard Antler Restaurant before arriving at Orange Sheep Campervan Park in Franz Josef.

We finally arrived about 4 p.m. It was raining when we arrived, so I grabbed a quick nap in the van. The campground wasn’t as nice as the one in Queenstown, but the views were nice.

Day 8 – Saturday, January 24

I finally had a pretty good night sleeping. We were up about 9 a.m., then headed out for several hikes – one at the glacier, the Callery Gorge Walk and then an easier stroll around Lake Matheson.

Then it was back in the vans for a three hour drive to Greymouth.

The campground had a nice communal kitchen, so we decided to head to a supermarket instead of a restaurant. Sarah cooked while Gary and I did our best imitation of sous chefs.

Day 9 – Sunday, January 25

We were up by 7:30 with light sprinkles. There would be lots of driving this day, so just a cup of instant coffee and we hit the road. We made several stops on the way to Picton, where we could catch the ferry to Wellington on the North Island.

We stopped at a flea market in the middle of nowhere, Tauranga bay to see the seals and walked the longest swing bridge in New Zealand. That was terrifying.

We had a wonderful quick dinner  before getting to Picton and driving on to the ferry.

The ferry ride is about 40 miles and takes over three hours. Driving off the ferry in the dark while it’s raining proved to be the worst driving experience of the trip for me. Somehow, I made it to the Airbnb in one piece and we got to bed around midnight.

Day 10 – Monday, January 26

We got on the road and headed north. The first 40 miles or so were similar to interstates in the U.S. – wide and two lanes on each side of the road. I immediately notices how the topography changed compared to the South Island. There were scattered rain showers, but Sarah was driving the lead van for a change and that made following much easier. Further up the road, we encountered some very steep grades. The roads were still winding, but not as much as on the previous days. There were a few stops for pictures.

From this point on, we would no longer be sleeping in the camper vans. Good news for me! We stopped at Te Mata Park for a hike of about 4 kilometers. Later we arrived in Havelock North for a look around, then parted ways. Sarah and Gary headed to their Airbnb where they would enjoy some time without me around.

I grabbed a cheap motel room for the next couple of nights in a nearby town called Hastings and did a quick load of laundry. I then headed back into Havelock North to the cool Irish pub called the Rose & Shamrock, where I had possibly the best seafood chowder I’ve ever eaten.

Day 11 – Tuesday, January 27

Sarah and Gary missed me so they invited me to join them for breakfast at their Airbnb. I grabbed some bacon and pastries at a local grocery, narrowly avoided a collision in a roundabout (100% my fault) and drove nearly 30 minutes to where they were staying. Their hosts had provided them with fresh eggs from the chickens they keep on their property. Can’t get much fresher than that! To say that their Airbnb was incredible doesn’t do it justice.

We spent the afternoon touring on bicycles (about 15 miles worth) and enjoyed a couple of wineries along the way. The guy who rented us the bikes told us they used to rent e-bikes. It didn’t take them long to learn that tourists on e-bikes and wineries don’t go together. The weather was in the mid-70’s – gorgeous.

 

I left Gary and Sarah back their place and headed back to my motel. Later I found another pub near the Rose & Shamrock and ordered fish and chips.

Day 12 – Wednesday, January 28

I traveled by myself today, starting the day with a steak and cheese pie with cappuccino. I left Hastings about 8:00 a.m., headed to Rotorua – a 3 1/2 hour drive.   Intermittent rain and some hairpin turns at the beginning of the trip, but the roads eventually became straighter and less steep.

First, I had lunch at a Filipino restaurant near the motel. The owner couldn’t have been nicer and the food was great.

I then went to Whakarewarewa , where I learned about the history and culture of the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.

Gary and Sarah met me back the motel and Sarah cooked for us once again in the kitchenette in our two-bedroom suite.

Day 13 – Thursday, January 29

Today we headed to Auckland to return the camper vans and spend a couple of nights in a very nice hotel. As we’re getting ready to depart, I notice that one of my tires is almost flat. Are you kidding me??? There is a gas station very near so I slowly drive it there. As I am digging the jack out of the back of the van, a very nice local asks if he can help. He ends up directing me to a nearby tire shop.

Gary follows me there and about an hour later, the tire is patched and we are on the road.

Now we are on a wide, beautiful road with a  110 km speed limit (68 mph).  I’m happy, Gary can speed all he wants, and then about 40 miles from Auckland traffic slows to a standstill. I knew it was too good to be true.

After putting over 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) in 10 days, I returned the van with the only damage being a rock chip in the windshield.

The hotel that Gary chose is sweet.

The three of us enjoyed a drink at the rooftop bar and, later,  a wonderful dinner of small plates at Hello Beasty.

 

Day 13 – Friday, January 30

This morning I had a quick workout at the hotel, then took a ferry to Devenport where I was going to climb Mount Victoria. Somehow, however, I found my way into a Thai massage parlor and for the first time in my life, received a professional massage. It was glorious! And a much more relaxing activity than hill climbing.

 

Later, I went on a “free” walking tour in Auckland for a couple of hours. It’s really not free, since you are expected to tip the tour guide at the end. He was excellent and I gave him 40 New Zealand dollars (about $23 US).

For dinner, I ate dim sum at a place the tour guide recommended. 15 NZ dollars ($8.80 US) and it was as good as he said it would be.

Day 14 – Saturday, January 31

I didn’t get a chance to see Gary and Sarah Saturday morning to tell them goodbye. Gary and Sarah, the trip was epic! Thank you so much for including me.

Bags packed, I’m off to the airport. Australia awaits…

 

My trip to New Zealand had been in the works for many months. My good friend Gary, whose wedding I attended in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in January, 2025, had invited several of his friends to accompany him and his new bride Sarah on their one year anniversary trip.

I quickly accepted the invitation. Others had tentatively agreed to go, but as the trip approached, it turned out to it was just going to be the three of us.

As luck and geography would have it, Malta is located about 11,000 air miles from New Zealand or almost exactly halfway around the world. Whether traveling east or west, the trip was going to take at least 24 hours in the air, plus layovers – by far, the longest trip I have ever taken.

Because Gary and Sarah live in Chicago and work for United Airlines, they naturally were flying the “Friendly Skies”. So, I decided I would fly to Frankfurt, Germany and spend a couple nights before the 11 and a half hour flight to San Francisco where I would meet up with them before boarding the next flight to Christchurch, New Zealand.

Day 1 – Friday, January 16

Now when I travel, I will often look at the InterNations website (the networking organization for ex-pats that I’ve mentioned in previous posts) to see if there are any events that I can attend while I’m in town.

Sure enough, the Frankfurt chapter was having a networking event (drinks and snacks) at a Holiday Inn near the main train station. The hotel looked nice enough and was reasonably priced, so I booked it.

My flight arrived late afternoon and by the time I reached the train station, it was dark. I mapped the walk to the hotel which was about 15 minutes away and quickly found myself walking through a very seedy neighborhood with a lot of what appeared to be homeless and/or drug-addicted people milling around the sidewalks. Turns out my hotel was located just a block away from the red light district and the area around the train station is known to be an area best avoided by tourists after dark.

I arrived unharmed and attended the event where I enjoyed interesting conversations with ex-pats from Italy, Poland, Egypt, Tajikistan, and Iran, among other places.

Day 2 – Saturday, January 17

Today I headed out into the cold for some sightseeing after a very nice breakfast buffet in the hotel. I walked a good distance before spending time in the Frankfurt Cathedral to warm up a bit. After that, I walked to the river and took a boat ride. Thirty minutes downstream, turn around and head upstream. Saw a few skyscrapers. Yawn.

In the afternoon, I attended another InterNations event – a photo exhibition. I made my way back to the hotel – the public transportation in Frankfurt is excellent. Dinner was at a Lebanese restaurant where I had chicken shawarma. Lecker! (that’s German for delicious).

 

Day 2 – Sunday, January 18

To avoid a 20 minute walk in freezing weather through the crappy neighborhood near the train station to catch the S-Bahn to the airport, I opted for a taxi (49 EUR or about $58 US). I arrived 3 hours early only to find out after clearing security that the lounge I had hope to visit was in another terminal and would require exiting, going through security in the other terminal, then a second trip through security in this terminal. Not worth it. I’ll pay for my cappuccino this morning.

The long flight to San Francisco was uneventful with a catnap or two of maybe 30 minutes. About halfway through my nine hour layover there, Gary and Sarah arrived. By the time I boarded the flight to Christchurch about 10 p.m. local time, I had been up about 30 hours. Traveling is great; travel not so much.

Anyone growing up in the U.S. probably, particularly those of us with German ancestry, probably knows about German Christmas markets. Until now, the closest I had come to visiting one is the annual Christkindlmarkt in Chicago. Chicago Christmas market

It’s supposed to be authentic and I guess it did look a bit like some of the pictures and videos I had seen of the real thing. But… I always kind of wanted to spend some time in Germany around Christmas time and this year I finally had the chance.

While I was in Chicago earlier this fall, I went to with Mike (my friend and former football officiating crewmate with whom I was staying with temporarily) to watch a football game at the University of Chicago. On the bus ride there, Mike struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to him. Turns out, he was a German tourist named Martin in town for the Bears game the following day.  He had decided to attend a local college football game and was headed the same place we were. Mike invited him to join us and because I speak a bit of German, Martin and I bonded a bit as I helped him with some English phrases as he did the same for me with my broken German.

We spent the afternoon and part of the evening together. I asked him about where he lived and whether or not there were Christmas markets there. He lives in a Bavarian city called Regensburg and, of course, there are Christmas markets. When I suggested that I might like to visit him during the Christmas season, he graciously told me I was welcome. It was then that I decided to make the trip to Germany. And because I have other friends and acquaintances there, I decided to make a week of it and visit multiple markets in several German cities.

Day 1 – Saturday, December 13

While not originally part of my itinerary, I received an email notification from earlier in the week from InterNations, the networking organizations for ex-pats that I belong to. There was a get-together planned for Saturday night at the Christmas market in Valletta. There were about a dozen attendees and I ended up with a small group that included a German, a Dutchman, and two Brits. We enjoyed Gluhwein and interesting conversation. One of the group was particularly interesting: a sculptor from the U.K. who lives in Valletta and owns a sailboat that she occasionally sails to Sicily. A chapter for a future post, perhaps?

 

Day 2 – Sunday, December 14

Off to Germany – first stop, Munich. I got checked in to my hotel about 6 p.m. and immediately headed out to find a Christmas market. I found one about a 15 minute walk away called the Tollwood Christmas market. There was a nice crowd and an amazing variety of food options.

While enjoying a white Gluhwein (a first for me – I thought they were always made with red wine), I overhead American accents. I introduced myself to a nice young couple from Louisiana and enjoyed a nice conversation with them.

After wandering around the various food kiosks for quite some time, I finally decided on a waffle topped with gorgonzola, honey, and chives. Lecker!

Day 3 – Monday, December 15

I checked out of the hotel, stored my luggage at the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) and made my way to Marienplatz where the Christmas market there was just opening. The highlight was the Glockenspiel. wiki 

And just like Tollwood, lots of people, food options and beautiful handcrafted Christmas miniatures and ornaments.

From there, I took the train to Regensburg where Martin met me at the station. After getting settled in at his home and meeting his wife Sonya and daughter Amy, he took me to the oldest inn in the world (or so they claim) Restaurant info where we had all you can eat Rippchen (spareribs).

Day 4 – Tuesday, December 16

Tuesday was a day of exploring Regensburg with Martin. It is a wonderful old city of about 150,00 near the Danube River.   wiki

We strolled along the river, spent some time in the visitors center where I learned some of the history of this ancient city.  And, of course, we visited several Christmas markets.

After that, another delicious dinner of authentic German fare. Then a very nice gesture from Martin’s daughter, Amy, who presented me with a gift bag of Christmas cookies when we returned home.

 

Day 5 – Wednesday, December 17

Martin drove me to train station in Regensburg where I traveled back to the Munich. Only after arriving at the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) did I realize I could have saved myself about 45 minutes of travel time had I gotten off a couple of stops earlier. Kein Problem (no problem), I had allowed myself plenty of time. Good thing, too. I got a little lost on the U-Bahn headed to the airport. A nice fellow American from Seattle made the same mistake I did and we helped each other find our way back.

The hour long flight to Hamburg landed around 4 p.m. My young friend Peer, who lives in Hamburg, picked me up at the airport and drove me to my hotel. (I first met Peer when he was a foreign exchange student in Leroy, Illinois about 9 years ago. We have stayed in touch over the years.)

He and I found a couple of small markets near the hotel. Later, Mats (my other friend in Hamburg) took me to what turned out to be the most unusual one I visited on this trip. This one was located in the Reeperbahn, one of the most famous and infamous red light districts in the world. Reeperbahn

Among the items for sale were some rather large candles shaped like a certain part of the male anatomy. Sorry, girls, but I’m not posting that picture.

Day 6 – Thursday, December 18

I was on my own for most of the day. I started by visiting Miniatur Wunderland. Miniatur WunderlandI had been there once before a few years ago. The place is magical. I could have spent the entire day there. (The airport is my favorite.)

Next I happened up a very nice Christmas market near the Rathaus. This one had perhaps the best food selection of all that I saw during this trip.

Day 7 – Friday, December 19

I took a morning train to visit Peer’s mother, Kirstin in Lübeck.  I had met her and Peer’s dad on my earlier trip to Hamburg. Kirstin is a school teacher and a marathoner and when she completes the Chicago Marathon next year, she will be what is known as a Six Star Finisher (Tokyo, New York, Chicago, Boston, London and Berlin). Quite an accomplishment!

The weather was drizzly and gray but the company couldn’t have been better. Kirstin is a wonderful tour guide and told me all sorts of interesting things about the places we passed, including the statue of Merkur (Mercury). We visited several Christmas markets and had a warm drink in the cafe’ at Niederegger, the most famous manufacturer of marzipan in the world. Niederegger website

We finished our visit with a warm cup of cider, spiced up with real Ingwer (ginger). Not my favorite.

Later that evening, Mats took me to a hockey match.

Day 8 – Saturday, December 20

After a week in Germany, it was time to head “home”. And by that, I mean Malta. It’s kind of strange referring to this as home, but I guess I will get used to it eventually. As we ducked under the cloud layer upon the descent, I saw Gozo emerge. Yes, I think I can get used to this.

For those of you who don’t recognize the reference, click here: Movie It’s an absolutely hysterical movie. Watch it if you haven’t seen it. I chose this title for this post because I think it accurately captures my most recent travel adventure. First, a little background on this trip. I have an 18 year old daughter, Sydney. To say she is a reluctant traveler is an understatement. I practically had to drag her to the post office two years ago to apply for a passport. So when she asked me a couple of months ago if I would be interested in going to a concert with her in Europe, I jumped at the chance. I didn’t even bother to ask who the band was or where the concert was taking place. Turns out the band is Radiohead Band Tour description. While I had heard of them, and although they are quite popular and have been around since 1985, I knew nothing of them. In fact, after listening to a couple of dozen of their songs on Spotify, I recognized only one: “Creep”. This tour would include five cities including Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen and Berlin.

After a rather lengthy and involved process over two weeks including waiting behind 40,000 other ticket seekers in a virtual queue on the day the tickets went on sale, we ended up with two tickets for the first show of the tour on Tuesday, November 4 in Madrid, Spain. I asked Syd if she would be willing to extend the trip a few days for a side trip to Malta to see my new apartment and some of the tiny island country I will soon be calling home. She agreed. Let’s go!!

Day 1 – Saturday, November 1

The trip got off to an inauspicious beginning. I woke up to five text messages from Amtrak (my phone was on “do not disturb”) giving updates on the delay and then ultimate cancellation of our train to Union Station in Chicago where we could transfer to the “L” to catch our flight at O’Hare airport. Amtrak graciously arranged for a bus to take us instead. Since we were scheduled to depart around 9:00 a.m. and our flight was scheduled for 17:45, I wasn’t worried. (Note the military time – a bit of foreshadowing.) I had asked Syd the day before to text her friend (she is also the dog sitter while we’re gone who lives next door) and ask if we could get a lift to the Amtrak station. When that didn’t work out, I ordered an Uber. The town where Sydney lives isn’t very big and Uber service can be very spotty at times. Sure enough, no Ubers are available so we jump in Syd’s vehicle and head to the station, thinking that I would text one of the neighbors and ask them to fetch the car later in the day. Turns out, I missed the sign stating there is a two hour time limit, an oversight that would cost me a $25 parking ticket.

After a 2 1/2 hour bus ride and another hour on the “L”, we arrived at the airport with a couple of hours to spare. I got an American Express Platinum card not long ago for the main purpose of getting “Priority Pass” – free lounge access (along with their free food and drinks) in airports around the world. The only one available at O’Hare is the Swissport lounge in Terminal 5, the international terminal. This lounge has a 3 hour time limit and we were too early, so were forced to eat really lousy Chinese food and drop $42 in the process. Gotta love airports! About this time, I learn that our flight is delayed by about 4 hours. That also means our access to the lounge is delayed. And to make matters even worse, I had to spend the better part of two hours schlepping back to the Iberia Airlines counter in Terminal 3 to get new boarding passes because I couldn’t do it online. Ugh!

The only bright side to the delay was getting to sit in the lounge with free refreshments while watching my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers lose yet another close game. This time it was USC winning 21-17. Ugh! The flight ending up departing about 23:00, roughly 5 1/2 hours late.

I have a terrible time sleeping on planes, but managed to doze for a couple hours during the 8 hour flight. About two hours into the flight, an announcement was made asking if there was a doctor on board. Uh-oh…

Day 2 – Sunday, November 2

We touched down in Madrid about 12:15 local time but had to stay seated in the plane for the better part of an hour while the crew dealt with the sick passenger. Whoever it was must have been in first or business class because I could see nothing while waiting. That’s just as well.. 

We headed to the airbnb Airbnb listing , but had to kill an hour while the host finished up cleaning the apartment. We grabbed a quick lunch. Doner Kebab Delicias Syd is not the most adventurous eater so finding suitable places to eat proved a bit of challenge the entire trip. The chicken and fries did the trick, but this Doner was disappointing and not anything like the Berliners make.

Taking a nap upon arrival after traveling 8 time zones is highly discouraged by travel experts. Screw them. Syd hadn’t slept a wink and as an 18 year-old, she needs anywhere between 8 and 20 hours of sleep per day. She went right to bed and I dozed for an hour. I went out and explored the neighborhood by myself and stumbled across this gem. Matadero

Later, Syd and I at dinner here: Bar Toboggan. There werer limited choices for a teenage American palate and Syd couldn’t handle the gorgonzola gnocchi, but discovered the Spanish potato omelette. “Fire”, she said. She also enjoyed her first legal cocktail, a Moscow Mule. I had pigs ears and cuttlefish. When in Rome… er, Madrid…

Day 3 – Monday, November 3

While Syd slept, I headed across the street to a small “supermercado” (supermarket) for some breakfast food to bring back. On the way back, I stopped for my go-to European breakfast:

I then scheduled a two hour electric Tuk Tuk tour. Tour description Our guide, Mario, was excellent and we covered a lot of ground in two hours!

Lunch followed at Taberna Los Lopez restaurant website where Syd could enjoy another potato omelet and I had french fries covered in prosciutto and soft runny eggs. Delicious!

After that more walking around to see the sights and some shopping for Syd. She spent a lot of time and some money at Brandy Melville; not so much time and no money at Louis Vitton. Holy cow, is their stuff expensive!

Day 4 – Tuesday, November 4

Concert day has arrived. Syd had the tickets on her phone. I asked what time that Radiohead would begin playing and she said 10:30. Wow, that’s late, I thought. Might need a nap later. After sleeping in until mid-morning we headed on the subway to the Museum of History of Madrid wiki . Madrid’s public transport system is terrific and we had a subway stop just five minutes from where we were staying.

The museum was very good and we spent a couple hours there.

I guess TikTok is good for some things. Based on recommendations she saw there, we ate lunch at a cool place known for its bagel sandwiches restaurant website and later a sky bar with a fabulous 360 degree view of the city. Ella sky bar

We decided to get to the concert “early” so we left our place about 19:15. We took the subway to concert, found our way in, spent some time at the merch counter so Syd could by a hoodie (85 Euros!) and found our seats at 20:30, just as Radiohead played their first song! We were among the last of about 17,000 fans to arrive. Turns out, Syd is unfamiliar (go figure) with military time and thought 20:30 meant 10:30 p.m., not 8:30. It turned out to be perfect timing as far as I was concerned. The 2 1/2 hours that Radiohead played was more than enough for me. Syd has a great time, however, and that’s all the really matters. Because the concert started earlier than expected, we had to time for anything to eat there. Due to the very slim pickings at 11:30 p.m. (23:30 for you soldiers out there), we ended up eating a very greasy pepperoni pizza from Domino’s. So greasy, in fact, that Syd ended up with another souvenir – a grease spot on her new hoodie. 

Day 5 – Wednesday, November 5

Wednesday was travel day. We took a noon flight on Ryanair to Malta that lasted a little over two hours. We took a 15 minute Uber ride to Valletta to catch the ferry to the island of Gozo wiki where my apartment is located. My new landlord George met us at the harbor and drove us to Marsalforn wiki where he presented me with my new keys. Syd made a bee line for the guest bedroom and slept for several hours.

Day 6 – Thursday, November 6

I had a tentative meeting set for Thursday morning with the attorney who is assisting me with my permanent residency application. I took a Bolt (a competitor to Uber that operates in some European countries) to the ferry harbor only to find out the ferry I thought was departing at 8:45 wasn’t. With the next one leaving an hour later, I cancelled the meeting and headed back to the apartment, this time on the bus. 2 Euros is a lot cheaper than 15 for a Bolt ride. Not nearly as fast, but I wasn’t on a schedule. Syd and I spent a great day together, first walking around Marsalforn, then taking the bus to Victoria for lunch, sightseeing and a grocery store visit. Syd thought the chicken caesar salad she had for lunch was perhaps the best she had ever had. It must have been quite something for her to say something like that. Back in Marsalforn we found yet another “sky bar” (only 5 floors in this hotel) and enjoyed a couple of different cocktails made with Bajtra liqueur product description . Later we had a very good dinner at a restaurant called Smuggler’s Cave.restaurant website where I had a fantastic pizza and Syd had ravioli and an Aperol Spritz. On the beautiful stroll afterwards, I learned for the first time that Syd is a cat lover. Clearly, we need to spend more time together.

Day 7 – Friday, November 7

Friday wasn’t a great day. We took the ferry to Valletta on a windy day, meaning rough seas. Something else I learned about my daughter – she gets seasick. After a trip to the bathroom on the boat to lose her breakfast, we arrived in Valletta. We did a little sightseeing but Syd still wasn’t feeling that great. We found a place with outdoor seating to get her some lunch. I wasn’t very hungry after having leftover pizza for breakfast. The hot dog I ordered wasn’t quite what I was expecting. We headed to the airport and spent our time waiting in a nice lounge (thank you AMEX) for our flight back to Madrid. Naturally, it was delayed meaning we would miss the hotel shuttle I prepaid for. Yes, you have to pay for hotel shuttles in Madrid. On the flight I sat next to a nice Irishman who spends a lot of time in Malta on business. We immediately hit if off when he started badmouthing Trump after discovering I’m American.

I tried rebooking the hotel shuttle but it turned out to be too much of a hassle. So, 20 Euros later, an Uber delivered us to our hotel. Syd went right to bed and I had a salad in the hotel restaurant.

Day 8 – Saturday, November 8

It’s time to head back to the good old USA. Of course, with the government shutdown and the FAA ordering flight reductions due to shortages of air traffic controllers, who knows when or if we’ll get back to Chicago. (Turns out that international flights weren’t affected substantially.)

The hotel shuttle delivered us to the airport where we found another nice lounge to hang out in before the flight. Syd bought herself some rather pricey perfume and body spray in the duty free shop. She assured me it’s much cheaper than back in the States.

After a non-eventful nine hour flight, during which I slept not a wink, we landed in Chicago. After navigating customs, we’re back on the Blue Line heading to Union Station to catch an Amtrak back to Bloomington. We arrive around 5 p.m. and wait for our train which is scheduled to depart in about two hours. We no more than sit down and I hear an announcement that there is a train headed for St. Louis (with a stop in Bloomington) that is currently in the final stages of boarding. The line at the customer service desk is at least ten people deep so I grab Syd and head for the boarding area while trying to buy tickets for the train. (The app won’t let me change my reservation for the later train.)

We find what appear to be the last two seats in our train car, one in the middle and one in the very rear of the car. As the conductor comes by to check my ticket, there’s a problem. It seems that I bought two tickets for a north-bound train leaving Bloomington headed to Chicago. Ugh! Since the train is already in motion, the nice conductor lady decides not to throw us off the train, but rather asks me to call Amtrak to get it sorted out. After being on hold forever, my patience is rewarded with a $44 refund after the agent gets the whole mess sorted out.

After yet another Uber ride, this one from the Amtrak station in Bloomington, we are back to my former and Syd’s current home. And the best part? We’re home two hours earlier than expected and right in time me to watch the Nebraska – UCLA football game. At this point, we have been awake for about 21 hours straight. Syd heads straight to her room and I grab a badly-needed beer and the TV remote. Less than an hour later, I’m out cold and wake up a few hours later with the TV and lights still on. I vaguely remember Nebraska leading at halftime. I decide I’ll find out tomorrow and go to bed. 

Unfortunately, I don’t sleep well with two dogs wanting to share the bed. (Syd’s mother is out of town.) So at 5:30 a.m. I’m up and checking the ESPN app on my my phone. The Huskers finally win a close one, 28-21. The perfect end to a great trip.

This trip was planned 9 months ago and was originally going to be 8 or 9 days in Vienna and Prague with my good friend Ray. A lot has happened in my life since then – most notably my divorce after 26 years of marriage and subsequent decision to move to Europe to start a new life of travel and adventure. I had been thinking about moving out of the U.S., at least for a portion of the year, as early as the fall of 2016 when American voters elected the devil reincarnate as president. No more politics, I promise.

I had visited Malta in February of this year on what was truly a lark. I was visiting my son Bryce in Rome where he was studying abroad during the second semester of his junior year at Creighton University in Omaha. I decided to extend my trip a few days and decided to go to the Ryanair website to look for options. Ryanair is a discount airline operating primarily in Europe, similar to JetBlue or Allegiant. I was looking for a destination within an hour or two of Rome that was relatively cheap. The first destination on the list was Malta and the one-way fare was €25! I decided to look no further and booked a flight for Bryce and me. Because of the low fare, I splurged on a private tour guide and booked a beautiful hotel room. Long story, short… I fell in love with the beauty and history of the island in one short weekend. Little did I know at the time that I would be moving there less than a year later.

So, I decided to extend the trip beyond Austria and Czechia to include a trip to Malta to scout housing options and from there to Lithuania. Why Lithuania, you ask? To which I reply: Why not? Actually, there’s a bit more to it than that. After a trip in 2024 to Sweden and Denmark that I enjoyed immensely, I decided that I was going to visit all the Baltic countries at some point during my world travels.

Day 1 – Friday, August 22

A few weeks before the trip, I learned about a website called InterNations.org. Essentially, it is a networking site for expats all over the world. Since I am about to become one, I decided to join. Through the site, I got invited to several activities in the Chicago area and met some really interesting people, one of whom introduced me to couch surfing (more on that later). I decided to check out the InterNations group in Vienna and discovered a group of their members was getting together our first night in town for a local folk festival (think Oktoberfest, but on a much smaller scale). So, I signed up.

I arrived mid-morning and made my way to the hotel in Vienna. It was in a great location just a few steps away from a U-Bahn (subway system) stop. A few hours later, Ray arrived. We got settled, walked around a bit and then headed to Neustifter Kirtag. There we met 6 or 8 expats and enjoyed visiting over bratwurst, Hungarian Lángos, and a couple of beers. One of group was a 20-something year old Chilean named Claudio who lives in Vienna and works as a Spanish teacher. We hit it off immediately and hung out together most of the evening.

Day 2 – Saturday, August 23

I love hanging out with the locals. I’m a retired college football official and a number of years ago, I met a very large German (he’s 6’7”) named Mats from Hamburg who was also at an officiating clinic in Dallas that I was attending. We’ve since become friends and I’ve traveled with him in the past. In fact, I asked him to join us on this trip but he was unavailable. He did, however, put us in touch with a Viennese football (American, not soccer) official who agreed to show us around. Thomas Hofbauer spent the day with us and was the perfect host. We visited Schönbrunn Palace, Wien Museum, a Flakturm and had a delicious Wienerschnitzel for lunch. That evening, we met up with Claudio for Mexican food.

Day 3 – Sunday, August 24

Sunday was another glorious weather day filled with miles of wandering to see more beautiful sights including Schlosspark Belvedere which houses a large collection of Gustav Klimt paintings. We ended the evening at a sports bar watching soccer with Claudio, our new friend from Chile, and the local members of the Barcelona FC fan club.

Day 4 – Monday, August 25

This was our last full day in Vienna. More sightseeing and a late afternoon meetup with Claudio where he took us to the Prater (a famous amusement park), then down to the Danube River and finally, just before it closed, we rode to the top of the Donauturm (Danube Tower). A fabulous way to end a wonderful stay in Vienna.

Day 5 – Tuesday, August 26

We checked out of our hotel and headed to the train station. Vienna public transit is so clean, efficient, and safe – a refreshing contrast to the “L” in Chicago! After a picturesque ride of about four hours, we arrived. Our apartment was within walking distance to the station. For lunch, we had authentic Czech goulash. So good!

A few weeks earlier, I had used the InterNations app to find a member who lives in Prague. Turns out, Radu Coman is a Romanian who previously worked for Microsoft in Seattle. I asked for some sightseeing advice and the conversation eventually led to a dinner invitation. Ray and I had a wonderful dinner (except for the smoked eel appetizer – ugh!) with him and his wife at a very popular local restaurant. Afterward, they accompanied us on a lovely, after-dark stroll near the river.

Day 6 – Wednesday, August 27

My first full day in Prague started with a workout at a nearby gym where I bought a 4 day pass. Then a stop at a nearby grocery store where I bought some beautiful, fresh berries and hard rolls for breakfast at the apartment.

Activities for the day included a boat tour, the famous Charles bridge, hanging out on the river for a beer and a snack, hike up to Prague Castle. For dinner, Ray and I attended a dinner hosted by the local InterNations chapter. There we met several local expats including an interesting chap from Russia.

Day 7 – Thursday, August 28

Another beautiful day in Prague. The Communist Museum proved to be incredibly educational and interesting; the electric trike tour was awesome, and for dinner pizza followed by live theater.

Day 8 – Friday, August 29

The first day in Prague with less than ideal weather. We experienced a few light rain showers during our trip to Terezín, about 90 minutes from Prague on a tour bus. A very sobering day, indeed. The evil that human beings can inflict on fellow human beings is simply mind-blowing.

Day 9 – Saturday, August 30

Saturday was our last day in Prague with a late flight to Malta getting in about 11:00 p.m. Ray and I spent several hours at the zoo in Prague before heading to the airport.

Day 10 – Sunday, August 31

We stayed near the airport last night. Today we ordered a Bolt (a competitor of Uber operating in Europe) to take us to Valletta, the capital city. There we dropped off our luggage in a souvenir shop and explored on foot. Later we took a ferry to Gozo (the other inhabited island of Malta) Gozo wiki. By late afternoon we had arrived at our Airbnb in Xagħra. Xaghra – wiki

Day 11 – Monday, September 1

Monday was a big day. We explored the square in Xhagra in the morning and then met with a local realtor named Melissa Grech. She is a native Maltese with a delightful personality and accent. The plan was to look at properties on Gozo on Monday and Tuesday and on Malta on Thursday. At this point, my intention was simply to decide what area of Gozo or Malta I might want to live in and return at some future point and select an apartment. When I had corresponded with Melissa prior to the trip, she let me know that the apartment market moves fast and that any apartments I looked at would most likely not be available when I returned in November or December.

We looked at four properties on Monday with a couple more showings scheduled for Tuesday. All the apartments are completely furnished. I found two of the properties to be amazing – a 2-bedroom in Victoria for 1,600 Euros (about $1,850) a month and a 1-bedroom on Marsalforn Bay ( Marsalforn – wiki ) for 1,100 Euros (about $1,275). By mid-afternoon I had already decided that I couldn’t let the Marsalforn apartment slip through my fingers so I contacted Melissa and told her to cancel the Tuesday showings and start preparing the lease.

Ray and I spent the afternoon at the Cittadella ( Cittadella_(Gozo) wiki ) and had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant ( Kartell Restaurant ) that is a five minute walk from my new apartment.

The main square in Xhagra:

The penthouse apartment in Victoria was great, but…

This turned out to be the one:

Afternoon spent at the Cittadella:

We ended the day with a wonderful dinner and a walk around the area near my new apartment:

Day 12 – Tuesday, September 2

I started the day with a Bolt ride to Victoria to work out at what may turn out to be my regular gym. In the afternoon, we visited Dwejra ( Dwejra – wiki ), which just so happens to be one of the top scuba diving locations in the world! My newest hobby, perhaps? We spent several hours that evening at the March of the Coronation in Xhagra, which is part of the Festa Marija Bambina (a Catholic celebration).

Our last night on Gozo:

Day 13, 14, and 15 – Wed., Thurs., Fri., September 3 – 5

On Wednesday, we made our way back to Birgu, Malta to check into a different Airbnb. I found a new gym to work out in and we explored several areas including Valletta and St. Julian’s. The sights are simply amazing!

Our Airbnb in Birgu

Other sights in Malta…

Day 16 – Saturday, September 6

So… a little background to set the stage for the next couple of days. A few weeks before my trip, I heard about a website called Couchsurfing.com. couchsurfing.com In a nutshell. it’s like Airbnb for travelers, but you stay for free in whatever accommodations a host is willing/able to provide – a couch, an air mattress, a private room, etc. The idea intrigued me greatly, so I investigated it and decided it sounded like a great adventure awaiting me. There are two ways in which a traveler can secure lodging – one way is to hunt for prospective hosts by reading their profiles and contacting them directly; the other is to post a “public trip” where the website sends a communication to all available hosts in that region. I did both, not 100% sure that I would follow through if given the opportunity. Of the 5 hosts I contacted directly, only 3 responded and all declined my request. So a few days before heading to Vilnius, I booked an Airbnb for four nights.

I was checking my email the day before the trip and I see a message from Couchsurfing.com. A host is offering me a room! I quickly scan her profile and see that she lives in Klaipeda. She has hosted 56 surfers from 33 countries and has stayed as a guest in 6 countries. I assume this is a suburb of Vilnius and I quickly accept the invitation. Only later do I find out that Klaipeda is a 4 1/2 hour train ride from Vilnius. Screw it, I’m going! Here is her profile:

I was up at 4 a.m. to catch a very early flight to Lithuania. Ray caught a later flight back to the States. I arrived in Vilnius around noon and dropped off some of my luggage at my Airbnb. From there, I grabbed some lunch at an outdoor cafe in a park on the way to the train station. At about 9 p.m., I arrived in Klaipeda. I took a Bolt to her apartment, a Soviet-era walkup (of course, she lives on the top floor) built in the 70’s. After an awkward hello, Dalia invited me in. The apartment was modest, but neat. She asked if I was hungry and fed me some leftover chicken soup and hearty dark bread. It was a huge bowl of soup and when I told her I was finished with some soup still left, she said: “What? You no like??” Her grandson was staying at his mother’s so I had his bedroom all to myself. As I readied for bed in the lone bathroom, I noticed something strange – no sink! Just a toilet, washing machine and bathtub. So I tiptoed out to the kitchen and brushed my teeth there.

Day 17 – Sunday, September 7

I woke up early and Dalia offered to make me breakfast. She made me an omelet with bread and coffee. The coffee was wonderful. I couldn’t believe it when she told me it was instant. I invited her to accompany me sightseeing but she had things to do and declined. I told her I would buy her dinner in town after I got back. She protested, but eventually agreed. I headed to downtown Klaipeda in a light drizzle, stopped for a cappuccino to let the rain stop and then hopped on a ferry for a very short (500 yards maybe?) to the Curonian Spit Curonian_Spit – wiki. From there, I took an hour-long bus ride to Nida.

Nida was so picturesque! I spent several hours walking around watching the sailboats, eating sushi from an outdoor kiosk (delicious!) and climbing to the top of the lighthouse. At the top of the lighthouse, I struck up a conversation with a young couple from Vilnius. Since I was heading there the following morning, I asked if they would like to have dinner with me there on Monday night. Much to my delight, they agreed.

After returning to Klaipeda, Dalia and I went to dinner. She put on what I assume was her best dress. So cute! She was a wonderful host.

Day 18 – Monday, September 8

I got up early and took the train back to Vilnius which turned out to be perhaps the best place I visited on this trip. I arrived around noon and set out to find a gym. Lemon Gym This one was unique – 100% automated. There was no staff. In order to get into the gym, you had to download an app, register and purchase your membership. The app then generated a QR code that allowed you entrance. Very cool!

After that, I wandered around the Old Town, very near where I was staying.

For dinner, I met my new friend Mantas (his wife was unable to join us). After dinner, he led me on a private tour. I was was struck by how fiercely proud the Lithuanians are of their homeland and culture. Living in the shadow of the former U.S.S.R. and now Putin has not been easy for them. Something you should probably know if you ever visit here. They HATE the Russians! Vilnius at night is spectacular.

Day 19 – Tuesday, September 9

I booked a bike tour for today and, despite my paralyzing fear of heights, a hot air balloon ride for the next day. The tour was fantastic. I was the only American in the group. We covered a lot of ground in 2 and a half hours! We even visited the Republic of Užupis. Read about the constitution here: Uzupis – wiki

I got an email mid-afternoon asking if I could do the balloon ride later that afternoon. The weather forecast was calling for high winds on Wednesday and would most likely have to be cancelled. My anxiety level went up noticeably as I responded with a “yes, I’ll be there…”

I had lunch at an authentic Lithuanian restaurant and had cepelinai. Cepelinai – wiki Delicious, but so heavy. I would have gone back to the room for a nap but knew with the adventure awaiting me that there would be no chance of falling asleep.

The balloon ride proved to be one of the highlights of the entire trip. I was joined by eight others in the basket including three active duty American sailors and three young actors from California who were there shooting a movie. It’s a love story that will be streamed in 3 to 5 minute snippets on TikTok. Who knew there even was such a thing?

It took me quite a while to relax and enjoy the ride and all the while I was snapping pictures I videos, I couldn’t stop thinking: “Just don’t drop your d*** phone!!!”

Day 20 – Wednesday, September 10

This was my last day in Vilnius. I got in one last workout and spent a couple hours at the Museum of Occupation and Freedom Fight Museum website. It was another chilling reminder of the incredible depths of depravity some humans can reach and the pain they can inflict on their fellow man. This building once housed the KGB (secret security police of the former U.S.S.R.) and the Gestapo during the two year period during WWII when Nazi Germany occupied Vilnius.

I spent the late afternoon and evening enjoying more of the beautiful sights including a steep walk up to the Hill of Three Crosses. History of the Three Crosses. I ended the evening with a delicious dinner of Indian food. Cozy Restaurant – Vilnius Once was enough for the cepelinai!

Late meal on my final night in Vilnius. Feeling a bit melancholy at this point. I’m ready to get back to the States after three weeks of travel but realizing that this fabulous adventure is nearing the end.

Day 21 – Thursday, September 11

Today I take an early flight to Nuremburg, Germany where I will spend the day before heading back to Chicago via Frankfurt the following day. Little did I know that on my last full day in Europe, I would become a YouTube sensation.

It all started when I decided to head to the Old Town and grab some lunch. I just happened up a restaurant called Zum Guldenen Stern Restaurant website. It looked deserted, but at about 2 p.m., most of the lunch crowd had already eaten. Shortly after I sat down, I heard an American voice behind me, ordering his lunch. I struck up a conversation with him and eventually asked if I could join him. The rest, as they say, is history…

@emekaiwueze

American Friend Tries Lebkucken 🇩🇪 #nürnberg #germany #cookies #fyp #trending

♬ original sound – Emeka Iwueze

I made a new friend in Emeka. We spent the afternoon together sightseeing and completely oblivious to the fact that I would end up in his YouTube and TikTok videos. Emeka’s videos are shot primarily in Germany but he occasionally travels to other countries to try the local cuisine. I invited him to Malta and he assured me he’s coming for a visit! After he headed home, I found the Tucher brewery/restaurant and enjoyed chatting with the locals “auf Deutsch” (in German). For some strange reason, my German gets better after a couple of Hefeweizen!

Day 22 – Friday, September 12

After an uneventful and on-time arrival back in O’Hare, here I am waiting to tell the Customs officials that I have nothing to declare except this: “I just got back from having the time of my life”.

But wait, there are more and perhaps better adventures to come!

Welcome to my travel blog. As I embark on my new life and prepare to move seven time zones from my old one, it’s more important to me than ever to stay connected with the important people in my life. By documenting my travels here, I hope to share my experiences, stay connected, and inspire you to explore the wonderful world of travel.