Stuff We Did! (and then took pictures of)
09/05/2026
Remembrance
07/30/2026
After 14 hours and 8 timezones, our Mediterranean adventure finally begins at our Athens hotel - the absolutely stunning Electra Palace
07/30/2026
Check out the view from our balcony, not too shabby!
07/30/2026
Exploring the charming Plaka and Monastiraki neighborhoods
07/30/2026
Our first old building of the trip (Roman Agora, 11 BC) - and trust me, it won't be our last!
07/30/2026
I had no idea what it was then, but I do now - Hadrian's Library (132 AD)
07/30/2026
Some tourists get put off by all the graffiti in Athens, but I think it lends a certain lively energy to the city
07/30/2026
We stop in at a random restaurant (Xenios Zeus) for some wine and calimari, yum!
07/30/2026
I didn't take any photos of us actually eating dinner at our hotel's Rooftop Garden restaurant, but here it is without us in the picture
07/31/2026
Athens day 2 starts with an 8 AM hike up to the top of the Acropolis
07/31/2026
And yes, the only way to get crowdless pictures of the Parthenon (447 BC) like this is to book an 8 AM guided tour
07/31/2026
Of course you only get about 15 minutes before the ravening hordes show up, so use your time wisely!
07/31/2026
A well executed selfie
07/31/2026
Old Temple of Athena (525 BC)
07/31/2026
The Erechtheion (421 BC)
07/31/2026
Looks like our 15 minutes are up, here come the crowds
07/31/2026
On our way back from the Acropolis we stopped in at Daphne's Restaurant for a gyro - best food I had on the whole trip!
07/31/2026
We spent most of our time in Athens wandering around lost, but we usually got to where we needed to go sooner or later
07/31/2026
Later that evening we stumbled across a really cozy little wine bar in Plaka ("Fine Wine") where we sat down for a few glasses
07/31/2026
I'm an inveterate planner, but sometimes just winging it does wind up taking you to the most memorable places
07/31/2026
After that we sat down at the Diogenes Restaurant for a "just ok" dinner (not as good as that gyro I had anyway)
08/01/2026
Athens Day 3 started with a lovely breakfast at the Rooftop Garden and then more random wandering around Plaka
08/01/2026
You can see why we fell in love with this place, right? We're definitely going back someday!
08/01/2026
I have no idea what this is, but it's old (the structure, not the person)
08/01/2026
One last look at the Acropolis and then it's time to head to Piraeus and board our cruise ship
08/01/2026
Back aboard the Sun Princess, next stop Santorini!
08/02/2026
Day 2 of the cruise brings us to Santorini, where we take a tender in to the old port at Fira
08/02/2026
Another well executed selfie
08/02/2026
Yep, that's our ship alright
08/02/2026
Instead of waiting in line for the cable car (pictured above my head), we'll be taking a short tender ride to the new port and then a bus to Oia
08/02/2026
Oia was pretty hot and crowded and we didn't have time to do much of anything there, so I guess we'll have to go back someday
08/02/2026
Our last stop before heading to the beach was Megalochori - a more traditional (and less crowded) village
08/02/2026
After all that bus riding and sight-seeing we were rewarded with an hour to cool off and have a beer on the black sands of Perivolos Beach
08/02/2026
Opa!
08/03/2026
Day 3 of the cruise was a blazing hot sea day, so we basically just lived at the pool
08/04/2026
Day 4 of the cruise brings us to the bustling seaport of Bar, Montenegro (which sadly is not Kotor, but oh well)
08/04/2026
After a quick bus ride out of town we are all set to explore the medieval ruins of Stari Bar
08/04/2026
But first we must run the usual gauntlet of tourist trap restaurants and souvineer shops
08/04/2026
We finally made it into the ruins, where it was (surprise, surprise) blazing hot and rather crowded
08/04/2026
Although much remains intact, the old city was largely abandoned in 1878 after being heavily damaged during the war with the Ottomans
08/04/2026
Dramatic scenery!
08/04/2026
We packed these little portable fans thinking they were silly and that we'd never use them, but boy howdy did they ever come in handy!
08/04/2026
I don't remember what this was, but it likely dates back to the 6th century
08/04/2026
Stylin' amid the ruins
08/04/2026
Soaking in sweat and our energy utterly exhausted, we exit the ruins and grab a seat at Konoba Cardak Brbot for some iced tea and a bite
08/04/2026
Kathy enjoyed her Greek salad, while I was less impressed with my so called "kebabs" (could just as well have been Jimmy Dean pork sausage links)
08/04/2026
A quick stroll down the cobblestones brings us to Caffe Bar Citadela where we enjoyed some pomegranate beers (no, seriously)
08/04/2026
And that's it for Bar, cheers!
08/05/2026
Day 5 of the cruise brings us back to Greece, specifically the island of Corfu
08/05/2026
On our way to old Corfu Town we encountered the sprawling "New Fort" (1576)
08/05/2026
Once again it was super hot and super crowded....
08/05/2026
....so we took just enough pictures to make it look like we actually did something and then skedaddled back to the pool
08/05/2026
Here's Faliraki "beach" with the Old Fort (1386) in the background and the Old Fart (1962) in the foreground
08/05/2026
We didn't have many great meals on this trip, but we sure did put away a lot of great gelato!
08/05/2026
Not to mention gallons and gallons of lemonade
08/05/2026
It's a long way to Sicily from Corfu, so it was an early sailaway - adio Greece!
08/06/2026
Day 6 of the cruise brings us to Sicily, specifically Messina
08/06/2026
A quick bus ride brings us to the seaside resort town of Taormina
08/06/2026
Oddly enough, it was blazing hot and super crowded - go figure!
08/06/2026
We missed a massive Mt Etna eruption by one day, which in retrospect was probably a good thing
08/06/2026
The Cathedral of Taormina (1400)
08/06/2026
The Church of St Joseph (1875)
08/06/2026
We were only there for two and a half hours, so it was a bit of a whirlwind
08/06/2026
We did set aside enough time for a sit down meal, something that most of the other people on our excursion missed out on - neener!
08/06/2026
Ristorante Porta Messina set us up with quite the spread
08/06/2026
I was pretty excited to try some honest to gosh Italian food, but it wound up being a little bland and I think the lasagna I make at home is actually better, oh well
08/08/2026
After another blazing hot day at sea, cruise day 8 finds us off the ship early and having a little bite of breakfast in Barcelona
08/08/2026
Then it was off to the amazing Sagrada Familia for a self-guided tour
08/08/2026
Well done Mr Gaudi!
08/08/2026
I mean seriously, wow!
08/08/2026
Checking out the fruit high atop The Tower of Passion (seriously, I am not making this stuff up)
08/08/2026
An artfully staged selfie, and it should go without saying that Barcelona was super crowded and blazing hot
08/08/2026
After all that churchiness, we headed off to Ciutat Comtal for some sangria and tapas (the latter consisting of inedible shrimp and some sort of bland potato dish)
08/08/2026
Then we did a little random sightseeing on the way to the Gothic District
08/08/2026
This scenic litte square in the city center is better known as Placa de Catalunya
08/08/2026
Eventually we reached the Gothic District, which was quite lovely (and crowded, and blazing hot)
08/08/2026
Vague recollections of an amazing rooftop bar across from the Cathedral of Barcelona (1298) eventually led us to the Hotel Lamaro - and holy instagram, check this out!
08/10/2026
After yet another blazing hot day at sea, cruise day 10 finds us in Gibraltar
08/10/2026
It was a little too early in the morning for any pubs to be open....
08/10/2026
....so we just did a little shopping instead - and you just gotta love a town that's all wine shops and cigar stores!
08/10/2026
And yep, definitely British
08/10/2026
A preview of monkeys to come
08/10/2026
In the afternoon we hopped a tour bus and headed to Europa Point
08/10/2026
Yep, that's Africa!
08/10/2026
Smooch!
08/10/2026
Then it was time to go Up The Rock - and yep, that's our ship
08/10/2026
Believe it or not, Gibraltar is home to Europe's only colony of apes - who knew?
08/10/2026
Our guide said that the moms like to bring their babies out for walks to show them off, which sounds quite human to me
08/10/2026
After that we spent a lot of time looking at old military exhibits inside the tunnels - a little of which goes a long way!
08/10/2026
Unfortunately, our ship was in a hurry to get on to the next port so there just wasn't enough time to sit down to a proper fish and chips and beer dinner
08/10/2026
Until next time!
08/11/2026
Cruise day 11 finds us in Cartagena (the other one) and aboard the good ship Y-Ole
08/11/2026
Lots of gorgeous scenery to enjoy as we sail along the Spanish coast
08/11/2026
And yep, it's just one old fort after the other out here
08/11/2026
Gotta love that Mediterranean blue water!
08/11/2026
Better still, gotta love a boat that has sangria on tap!
08/11/2026
As noon approached, the sun was starting to get mighty hot...
08/11/2026
So, the captain dropped anchor and we all jumped into the water
08/11/2026
Even Kathy!
08/11/2026
Soon enough it was time to weigh anchor and head back to the ship
08/11/2026
After changing clothes we headed into town in search of some (better) tapas
08/11/2026
Unfortunately, it was so blazing hot that after about 20 minutes we pretty much lost the will to live (not to mention our appetites), so that was it for Cartagena!
08/12/2026
Cruise day 12 has us parked and waiting for the total solar eclipse somewhere off the coast of Majorca
08/12/2026
Kathy readies her eclipse photography rig
08/12/2026
Everything was going great, but then just before totality some clouds jumped in the way
08/12/2026
So, oh no, we missed it
08/12/2026
But wait, no we didn't! An opening suddenly appeared in the clouds and we were treated to a stunning Pac-Man sunset!
08/12/2026
So, we missed out on totality, but we still got to see an amazing eclipse sunset, yay!
08/14/2026
After another blazing hot day at sea, day 14 of our cruise starts in the bustling Italian seaport of La Spezia
08/14/2026
Most people waste their day taking the bus to Pisa, but not us - we hopped a ferry to the stunning seaside villages of the Cinque Terre instead!
08/14/2026
First point of interest - Porto Venere
08/14/2026
San Pietro Church (1198)
08/14/2026
Now we're in instagram country - Cinque Terre #1, Riomaggiore
08/14/2026
Cinque Terre #2, Manarola
08/14/2026
Cinque Terre #4, Vernazza (ferry doesn't stop at #3, Corniglia)
08/14/2026
And finally, the end of the line - Monterosso al Mare
08/14/2026
If it's a beach you're after, Monterosso al Mare has you covered!
08/14/2026
After what turned out to be a nearly two hour ferry ride, it was time for a little breakfast bite and some souvineer shopping
08/14/2026
The original plan was to take the train to Vernazza and poke around there for a bit, so we went to the station and waited....
08/14/2026
And with the blazing hot sun beating down on us, we waited and we waited and we waited.....
08/14/2026
When the train finally showed up (45 minutes late), we decided to scrap our Vernazza plans and go straight to our 1:30 date in Manarola
08/14/2026
Yep, it's the fabulous Nessun Dorma - quite possibly the most instagramable restaurant on earth!
08/14/2026
Honestly, it's so amazing you just have to pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming!
08/14/2026
And what did we do in this fairyland, you ask? Well duh, we donned aprons and we made pesto of course!
08/14/2026
You start with some freshly harvested basil plants...
08/14/2026
And you pluck off the leaves (no stems!)
08/14/2026
Then you grind up your garlic, oil, pine nuts, and salt
08/14/2026
Then give your basil a good rinse in cold water
08/14/2026
Lastly, add the basil and parmesan cheese and then mash the heck out of it until you have pesto - and if you can sing opera while doing so, all the better!
08/14/2026
Then have a giant meal with your pesto and some great wine and all sorts of other stuff and, wow, you've made a terrific memory!
08/14/2026
Good advice!
08/14/2026
Not wanting to mess around with the trains again, we decided to take the next ferry back - it took longer, but it dropped us off right at the ship
08/15/2026
Came day 15 and Ye Old Wall O' Magnets was telling us that our cruise was over and it was time to pack up and get off the ship
08/15/2026
A bus ride from the port of Civitavecchia got us to a train station in Rome, and then a cab from there got us to our hotel - the fabulous Palazzo Naiadi!
08/15/2026
And not being slacker tourists (or particularly smart for that matter), we immediately set out for Villa Borghese in the blazing heat
08/15/2026
Once there, we then toured the Borghese Gallery (Kathy is into the art stuff, Mark just tags along and feigns interest)
08/15/2026
Next, we visited Santa Maria della Vittoria church so that Kathy could check out The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
08/15/2026
Kathy was reportedly moved to tears, so it definitely lived up to expectations!
08/15/2026
The Fountain of Moses was right across the street, so we took a picture of that (before realizing that there's stuff like that around every corner and it's hopeless trying to photograph it all)
08/15/2026
After a hot and sweaty day of chasing culture it was time for some cool wine at a sidewalk bar (Casina Esedra)
08/15/2026
And then more wine at the rooftop restaurant of our hotel (Seen)
08/15/2026
And then a sunset dinner (and more wine)
08/15/2026
And then wine under the stars at the rooftop pool
08/15/2026
And then another round by the pool
08/15/2026
And then a nightcap in the hot tub on our private terrace (hey, if you're only gonna do two mights in Rome, may as well go five stars, right?)
08/16/2026
The last day of our trip starts with a lovely breakfast at our hotel and then a sweaty hike to Trevi Fountain (1732) - yes, it was already blazing hot
08/16/2026
Wandering the sweltering streets of Rome trying to find the #%!@$# colosseum (70 AD)
08/16/2026
Aha, there it is!
08/16/2026
Woof, not even two fans could get the job done
08/16/2026
I have no idea what this stuff was, I was too busy trying to stave off heat stroke
08/16/2026
Next stop, The Pantheon (25 BC)
08/16/2026
I prayed to all the gods for some water, but the answer was "no"
08/16/2026
Heading back out into the sea of humanity in search of Piazza Navona
08/16/2026
Aha, there it is!
08/16/2026
Deciding that we'd seen enough culture and history for one day, we sat down at some random cafe and had ourselves a couple of gallons of cold water, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
08/16/2026
Then we somehow managed to stagger back to Casina Esedra for some wine
08/16/2026
Deep thoughts
08/16/2026
For our last supper, we decided to give Ristorante Cotto a try
08/16/2026
It was OK, although admittedly a bit bland and unremarkable
08/16/2026
Come on tripadvisor.com, why you let me down again? Next trip I'll have to do better food research!
05/15/2026
The three gameketeers
03/28/2026
Harriet Island staging area for No Kings 3
03/28/2026
Harriet Island staging area for No Kings 3
03/28/2026
Arriving at the capital building
03/28/2026
200,000 strong!
02/07/2026
Heading off to Ft Lauderdale for our annual Caribbean cruise!
02/08/2026
Safely aboard the good ship Sun Princess and ready to set sail
02/08/2026
Checking out the Sanctuary Club with our shipmates Nadim & Pamela
02/09/2026
Shirt matches ocean, such coordination!
02/09/2026
Interesting bar service here, ring bell....
02/09/2026
....get champagne!
02/09/2026
Kathy's turn
02/10/2026
A visit to the Spellbound magic club
02/11/2026
Off to San Juan we go (again)
02/11/2026
After picking up some popsicles at Senor Paleta's, a visit to pigeon park
02/11/2026
Making new friends
02/11/2026
Making more new friends
02/11/2026
Trying out some fresh squoze guava cocktails at the Nico Rooftop Bar
02/11/2026
Next stop, some charcuterie and a nice cool glass of rose at the Atelier Rooftop Bar
02/11/2026
The old men and the sea
02/12/2026
Off to St Thomas we go (again)
02/12/2026
The rest of the gang
02/12/2026
Taking the ferrie to St John, fingers crossed that the clouds go away
02/12/2026
Oh well, a cloudy day at Trunk Bay Beach is still better than a nice day most other places
02/12/2026
Stylin!
02/12/2026
And then it started to rain, time to head back
02/12/2026
Buh bye St Thomas, see you next time!
02/13/2026
A lovely dinner at the Sanctuary Restaurant (despite the graphics, not quite Valentine's Day)
02/14/2026
Happy actual Valentine's Day!
01/29/2026
Kathy's bathfitter.com project, before...
01/29/2026
...and after
12/13/2025
The NBS gang
11/27/2025
Happy Thanksgiving from the usual suspects
10/03/2025
The 40th anniversary of our first date starts with a couple of glasses of sangria at Heathers
10/03/2025
Kathy lost the tiny little diamond chip from her wedding ring earlier this year, so I upgraded it
10/03/2025
Next stop, Spasso (our first ever visit) where we had a lovely dinner
08/28/2025
Our Holland America adventure in Alaska starts at the Princess Riverside Lodge in Fairbanks (go figure!)
08/28/2025
A little cloudy, but warmer and dryer than we were expecting, so cheers!
08/28/2025
Trying out my grizzled Klondike prospector face
08/28/2025
Checking out the gardens (and note the fashion pose, you'll be seeing it again)
08/29/2025
Day 2 in Fairbanks, getting ready for a jaunt down the rainy Chena River on the Discovery III
08/29/2025
Yep, our one and only rainy day in Alaska, but the gorgeous fall colors evened that all out
08/29/2025
I prepare to wrestle a moose during our stop at an Athabaskan fishing village
08/29/2025
Our Fairbanks river adventure over, we load up on souvineer crap and then hop on a southbound bus to Denali!
08/29/2025
Of course no drive through the Alaskan interior would be complete without a stop at Moocher's bar in Nenana!
08/29/2025
Wondering which will collapse first, the roof or the floor?
08/29/2025
We arrive at the Holland America Denali Lodge just in time for the first snow of the season!
08/29/2025
After a long day of riverboats and busses, time for some drinks and a sit down dinner at Karstens
08/29/2025
And then back to our room to enjoy the view from our balcony
08/29/2025
Not too shabby!
08/30/2025
Day 2 in Denali and the Nenana River is raging!
08/30/2025
All set to jump on the bus for our 6 hour wilderness tour (photo courtesy of the lady who always seemed to be around when we needed a picture taken)
08/30/2025
Yeah, after a while you do just kinda start to OD on all the gorgeous scenery
08/30/2025
But then they start throwing caribou at you!
08/30/2025
And grizzly bears!
08/30/2025
And a moose!
08/30/2025
Our photographer lady absent, we manage a well executed selfie!
08/30/2025
And one more for good measure
08/31/2025
So much for Denali, time to jump on the McKinley Explorer and head south to the Whittier cruise port (and no, they wouldn't let me drive)
08/31/2025
So, basically ten hours of this
08/31/2025
Hey, works for me!
08/31/2025
We finally make it to Whitter and board the Nieuw Amsterdam, now it's a cruise!
08/31/2025
Cheers to HAL and their Neptune suites with the giant wraparound balconies - finest accommodations at sea!
09/01/2025
Day 2 of the cruise finds us exploring the waters around Hubbard Glacier ala the old timers - spyglass in one hand and glass of fine wine in the other!
09/01/2025
Of course others of us are more into the whole woobie thing
09/02/2025
Day 3 finds us steaming into Glacier Bay just as the morning mist begins to burn off
09/02/2025
Oh look, an iceberg just calved!
09/02/2025
Scenery not too shabby here
09/02/2025
Not even from inside our suite
09/02/2025
Our try at a sunset selfie was only marginally successful
09/03/2025
If it's day 4 it must be Skagway and yet another gorgeous sunny day - time to break out the shorts!
09/03/2025
I always seem to find the train stuff wherever I go
09/03/2025
"Hey Kathy, stop so I can get a picture of you in front of this sign that says Skagway on it"
09/03/2025
If you ever fancy a glass of craft root beer along with some candied smoked salmon, Klondike Brewing got you covered!
09/03/2025
Oh, and beer too (if you're into that sort of thing)
09/03/2025
Eschewing the halibut and crab, we opted for some subpar poutine instead (oops)
09/04/2025
Day 5 brings us to Juneau - home of the Mendenhall Glacier, whale watching, and cheesy HAL photography
09/04/2025
Oh, and touristy totem poles
09/04/2025
Oh come on, who among us can resist a touristy totem pole? No one, that's who!
09/04/2025
A short bus ride brings us to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center (overlooking what I can only assume is Mendenhall Glacier)
09/04/2025
Hiking down to Nugget Falls (and don't let my photographic trickery fool you, with five cruise ships in port there were massive crowds of people everywhere)
09/04/2025
And was the hike to the falls worth it? Of course!
09/04/2025
Even the little "lake" was breathtakingly beautiful, go Alaska!
09/04/2025
Another short bus ride and we're on the boat for some whale watching
09/04/2025
Thar she blows!
09/04/2025
FWOOOOSHHHH!
09/05/2025
Day 6 brings us to Ketchikan and a fun e-bike ride through the woods
09/05/2025
Not sunny yet, but don't worry, it will be
09/05/2025
And if you were anticipating action shots of us on the bikes..... uh, no, not gonna happen
09/05/2025