Virgina and I started to travel in 2014. We have been to many countries around the world such as:
Dubai, Sri Lanka, Germany, Jordan, Indonesia, Scotland, Sicily, Crete, Shanghai, Jamaica, Greece, Ireland, England and so on.
This is our Trans-Atlanic cruise on the Queen Mary II, sailing from South Hampton to New York on May 17th, 2019!
We usually
have been doing something for my birthdays but decided it was time to celebrate Virginia's 84th birthday on a cruise also!
This trip goes from Barcelona to Catiz, then to Lisbon Portugal, the Azores Islands and on to Bermuda and ending up in Newark!
|
Personnal Travel Agent - Gerard Ramos - Vacations to Go
|
Gerard has been our travel agent for many years as we have cruised around the world to the Caribbean, the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, the South Pacific and more cruises.
He is is so helpful and responds quickly to questions one might have about traveling, especially in a time of uncertainty as far as Covid is concerned.
Gerard Ramos
Master Cruise Counselor
Vacations To Go
gramos@vacationstogo.com
My office hours: Tue-Sat: 8am-5pm (US Central Time)
US and Canada: 1-800-338-4962 ext. 7487
Feel free to tell Gerard you viewed his business as a travel agent on my website.
You might be interested in seeing the many places I have traveled to over the years. Can you imagine growing up on a farm in the 1940's, wondering if I would ever leave the farm? Ever see the ocean or exotic lands? Well, yes I have! Who would have guessed that!
|
Virginia's 84th Birthday Cruise with Friends
|
Virginia wants to go on a cruise featuring fine dining on the Mediteraneum and the Atlantic Ocean for her 84th birthday in October of 2022!
She said "We keep going on trips to celebrate Chuck's birthdays, so it is time for my birthday celebration!"
We have been talking to our friend LaVerne and she told me she thought if I
was going on the cruise, she would have someone to take the tours with, she is only 96 years young!
Here all of us are together 42 days before the cruise. On the left is Virginia, behind me is
LaVerne, on the right is Jean Elizabeth Bramer and in the middle is Chuck and his Harem!
Jean Elizabeth Bramer, will be LaVerne's cabin companion, and their cabin is three doors down from us, Virginia and Chuck's cabin. So far, four of us will be going! The party is getting bigger!
We will leave Barcelona, visit Malaga & Cadiz Spain, Lisbon Portugal, and the Azores Islands.
We were suppose to stop at Bermuda but there seems to be some problems with the port and the docking of cruise ships. Not sure what is going on but I always wanted to visit Bermuda. Maybe I will get there on a cruise just to Bermuda some day!
|
Covid Testing before Boarding the Ship - Chuck's Various Vaccinations this Year
|
|
Instructions from the Celebrity Website and our Home Test Kit.
|
Letter from the Travel Agent as to Testing Requirements.
|
|
Updated Covid-19 CDC Record.
|
Fifth Booster Vaccination for Covid-19 on September 29th, 2022.
|
|
Fifth Booster Vaccination for Covid-19 on September 29th, 2022.
|
|
I received my Monkey Pox Vaccination from the City of San Francisco Mayor's Office in the middle of September, 2022.
|
|
Flu Vaccination on October 4th, 2022, at the VA Hospital.
|
Shingles Vaccination
|
 |
Covid Testing on the Celebrity Beyond
Can you believe it, half way on the cruise and I became ill with a bad case of baterial infection in my sinus and throat. I went to the infirmary and had to take a Covid test. They said I was Negative!
This is the very nice nurse who is from South Africa. I told her I was all over South Africa years ago so we had a lot to talk about!
I was given a Vick's cough syrup and said it wasn't going to work. Too bad, so sad. I got worse everyday and finally got home at 12 a.m. Tuesday morning, eight days later.
I went to the VA and the doctor said I had two things happening, one, I had Covid and was probably over it. I did have a bad baterial infection that needed to be treated. He said he wondered about the effectiveness of the testing on the ship.
LaVerne also has a slight case of Covid so it was probably all over the ship, 3,000 plus and no masks plus the plane was sold out and no masks either!
|
|
Celebrity Beyond Cruise Ship
|
J
oining Celebrity as the third ship in the Edge series, the Celebrity Beyond boasts an revolutionary design to enhance each guest experience at sea. It has a capacity of 3,260 passengers (double occupancy), and was built in 2018. Launched in 2021. Maiden voyage in April 22nd, 2022.
The new two-story Sunset Bar and a redesigned Rooftop Garden brings you closer than ever to the water's edge.
Young travelers can experience a new adventure every day with Camp at Sea, while adults enjoy a moment of relaxation in the SEA Thermal Suite or the adults-only Solarium. Grab a quick bite to eat at Eden Cafe, or indulge in fine dining at the Cosmopolitan Restaurant. Guests will find plenty of dining options onboard to satisfy each taste.
The ship offers many options for entertainment as well. Visit the Theatre for live entertainment where the lines between audience and performance are blurred, or take a stroll through the three-story Grand Plaza.
The Magic Carpet also offers multi-level entertainment with breathtaking views as you soar up to thirteen stories above sea level.
At the end of each exciting day, guests can retire in comfort to one of the luxurious accommodations found on the Beyond, ranging from Single Staterooms to the indulgent Panoramic Ocean View Staterooms.
 |
 |
 |
Celebrity Electonic Boarding Pass & 100 Euros just in case we need them!
|
Spain & Portugal Weather in October
|
We will be sailing in the middle of October to the Azores and Bermuda so it looks like the weather may be perfect for us, around 70 degrees F. I checked the weather in October and it is the same for Spain and Portugal!
|
Private party for seasoned travelers by the Captain
|
The Captain told us they were celebrating a couple from England who had the most points from traveling the Celebrity cruise lines so many times! They had over 5,000 points. Virginia and I each have 45 points to spend someday!
They are a gay couple and I believe, were married years ago by the Greek Captain. We had to go over and chat with them as we are from San Francisco. A very nice couple, I think one is retired and maybe one is a police woman.
|
Chuck getting very friendly with Picasso! They say he was born in one of the apartments at the end of this building!
|
Malaga is one of the oldest cities in the world with close to three thousand years of history.
The Phoenicians originally founded a commercial center here in early 7C BC, which they named Malaca. The name is most probably derived from the word Malac - to salt. The Greeks and Carthaginians were briefly present and further established Malaca as a trading post. In 3C BC the Romans conquered the city and a created a colony that was federated to Rome until AD81, whereupon it attained the status of a Roman municipality. The city was renamed Flavia Malacita and quickly grew in importance, with the port used to export oil, raisins, wine and salted fish and meat. Malaga's port and the Roman amphitheatre were constructed during this time.
Following the Moorish conquest - 714-716 - the city came under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate of Cordoba.
With the rise and fall of various Muslim dynasties, the city eventually fell under the control of the Nasrids, in Granada. Malaga became the main port and the city was called Mālaqah. Enjoying great prosperity during this period, mainly due to the development of it's textile industry. The fortress - the Alcazaba was built in 11C and in 14C the Gibralfaro fortress was rebuilt and extended by Yusif I.
It took close to a hundred years before the Christians managed to re-conquer the city. Finally doing so in 1487. The new port was built and with the liberalisation of trade with the Americas, Malaga prospered. Between 1810 and 1812 the city fell into the hands of the French. Another important and sad event in Malaga's history was the execution of General Torrijos and his companions in 1831 (remembered by the monument in Plaza de Merced named after him).
The 1950s were the beginnings of new era for Malaga and the Costa del Sol. Tourism was just beginning to take hold and proving to be an invaluable injection into the local economy.
Wandering around Malaga today is like walking around an open air museum with Phoenician, Roman, Moorish and Christian influences. This rich artistic heritage has placed Malaga firmly on the map as the cultural tourist destination for 2014.
|
Tour - October 14, 2022 - Day 3
|
The Cathedral of Malaga is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Malaga in Andalusia in southern Spain. It is in the Renaissance architectural tradition. The cathedral is located within the limits defined by a now missing portion of the medieval Moorish walls, the remains of which surround the nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro. It was constructed between 1528 and 1782, following the plans drawn by Diego de Siloe; its interior is also in Renaissance style.
As I started to tour the cathedral I ran into a mother and daughter and we instantly became friends. We were told the cathedral needed to fix one of the towers but didn't have the money. We looked at all the gold, silver and so on and just wondered? Feed the poor! We did the deed and hung out at the confessional and decided not to confess for the time being. The daugher said we needed a drink so off we went to have a cocktail and talk about our confessions!
|
Cadiz is named after Neptune's son
and built between Hercules' pillars, history and mythology are more closely linked in Cadiz than in any other city in Spain.
Its origins date back 3500 years. Cadiz, the oldest city in the Western world, plays an important role in Greek mythology. Some legends speak of the fatal encounter between Hercules and King Gerion, situating it in Cadiz (called Gadeira and Erytheia): Hercules killed the three-bodied winged giant shooting an arrow at the joint of the three bodies. Cadiz itself is one of the \'Twelve Labours of Hercules\', that is, the separation of Europe from Africa.
The city of Cadiz was founded in 1100 B.C. by Phoenician sailors over the ruins of the one that the people of Tyre had built. They built a port and a temple, where supposedly Hercules´ashes were kept. Hercules presence survives to this day in the city's coat of arms where he stands between the pillars that announced the end of the world.
Cadiz began to grow from the 14th century onwards, reaching its golden age in the 18th century due to its position as the centre of sea routes and commercial trade. The importance of trade with the Americas was such that Cadiz monopolized all trade within Spain. Today, this past is still visible in its architecture; Cadiz reminds us of the typical colonial town: long and narrow streets, sunny squares, and magic gardens.
Later, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Cadiz became a fortified town in order to resiszt the repeated naval attacks perpetrated by the English. It was during this period that Cadiz enjoyed its most fruitful economic growth, monopolizing trade with the Americas and forming bridgehead both culturally and politically with the New World. Cadiz bravely resisted the Napoleonic invasion from behind its ancient walls, and it was here that, in the Church of San Felipe Neri, the very first Spanish Constitution was signed.
Between the years 1810 and 1813, during the Napoleonic occupation, Cadiz became the capital of Spain. With the loss of the Spanish colonies in America, Cadiz also experienced a loss in relevance in national affairs.
This three thousand years old city invites you to wander and relax through its beautiful narrow streets, finding along your way squares, small palaces and stately buildings. Its cathedral, Caleta Beach, typical barrios such as La Viña or Santa Maria are some of the places that make Cadiz not only the oldest city in the West, but also one of the most beautiful.
|
Tour of a Winery - October 15, 2022 - Day 4
|
|
Chuck's View from the 28th Floor
|
Returning to San Francisco from (SFO) the San Francisco International Airport.
Buntjer's Home Page