After enjoying the hotel and the Florida coast for two days (we always try to arrive early for a cruise) we boarded the Royal Princess, the newest, largest and most glamorous in the Princess fleet. Launched in Britain last year by Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, the 3500-passenger ship is loaded with innovations designed to keep loyal Princess guests happy while attracting a new generation of cruisers who demand good value along with sophistication and elegance.
A Mexican All-inclusive Features Fabulous Food
The award-winning Grand Velas Riviera Maya, situated just south of Cancun near Playa del Carmen, certainly has a great beach, inviting swimming pools, huge stylish rooms with jacuzzis and a can-do service attitude. What sets the five-year-old resort apart is the high level of its cuisine, not just in the five specialty restaurants but in room service and the three anything-but-ordinary buffet and a la carte eating places.
Germany – Wine, Food and Fine Cars
The authors travel by train through central Germany, sampling local wines, enjoying the unique regional food, and touring the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
Colorado Calling
Colorado is an immense state (8th largest in the US) with four national parks, 41 state parks and more than 50 mountains that soar more than 4000 metres above sea level. From the Blue Bear to the Blues Train, the Centennial State offers a kaleidoscope of attractions.
Boston – City Of Firsts…And Lasting Impressions
It’s easy to see why Boston and fine food go together. In our three days in the city, we enjoyed excellent cuisine, often in a setting that reflected Boston’s rich history. The Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in the US. Another first. Serving diners since 1826, it was built in the 1740s as a dry goods shop but its speciality now, of course, is succulent seafood.
Regina – Fine Dining Comes to Saskatchewan
The flat, usually cold, capital of Saskatchewan is well know for its potash, canola and as the home of the RCMP training centre. The province is the world’s number one producer of lentils, chickpeas and mustard. But we were blown away by Regina’s fine accommodation, the thriving downtown, the extensive park system, the genuine friendliness of the people and, most of all, by the quality of the cuisine.
New York – Endless Options
New York seems to alternate between madness and brilliance.
The madness part is easy to spot. Eight million residents and more than 50 million visitors each year make for congestion and queues, occasional frayed tempers and a colourful cast of characters ranging from drag queens to buskers to illicit street vendors.
Turks and Caicos – World’s Best Beaches
But this tranquil and tropical archipelago of 40 islands (eight inhabited), located where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic just south-east of the Bahamas, also boasts the clearest and brightest turquoise water we’ve ever seen, fantastic white sand beaches and several resorts that rate among the best in the world.
Sanibel and Captiva
The island is also committed to nature with its Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW). With a full-time vet, many students and a corps of volunteers, it’s dedicated to finding and healing injured birds and animals from the local counties. The clinic has an owl rehab centre and three fully equipped, modern operating rooms. More than 4,000 ‘patients’ are treated each year before being returned to the wild.
A Cruise to Burma
The 270 passengers on our ship, Aegean Odyssey, were among the first in many years to be welcomed to Burma (also known as Myanmar), now that the military/civilian regime has finally opened itself to democratic reforms. Part of that openness is the realization that tourists bring dollars and should be encouraged to visit.