Denise's Mexican Riviera Cruise

Day 1

Off to a rocky start, but the day ended wonderfully.

Started by getting up at 4am, forgetting to call the cab, pulling my back muscles so I can’t walk upright and getting a couple minutes from home before I realized the passports were sitting on the dining room table and made the cab turn around!

It was all uphill after that.

The lineups at the airport were long, for both check-in and security, but not insanely so. I honestly thought that at six in the morning there might be three flights, tops. There were 15 between 6-8am!!!

When we changed planes in Calgary, as we were departing, there was a group of Ground Crew holding up a sign on the tarmac wishing us a good flight. What a great send-off!

Turns out the plane we were taking to LA was brand new, only 250 flight hours since leaving the factory! But, apparently there’s a downside - NO TV!! There were no seatback TVs and no drop down screens from the ceiling. Also, the panels on the life vest and oxygen compartments were taped shut because they were concerned about their “air-worthiness”!

Arriving into LA was great – we got to see the Hollywood sign! Unfortunately we couldn’t snap a picture because we’d already stowed all our stuff.

The Marriott Courtyard shuttle was quick and free and check in was fast and easy. The check-desk staff are amazing here. The beds are comfy. There’s complimentary coffee and fruit water in the lobby and there’s free wired and wireless internet in all rooms. I can’t recommend this place enough if you need to stay near the airport in LA.

Spent the afternoon and evening at the Santa Monica Pier. We took the bus to the pier, it was only $0.75 and we caught it just two blocks from the hotel.

On the bus ride there, we passed through Marina Del Ray and the cars on the road sure caught your attention: more Mercedes and BMW’s than any other cars, and more than one Porsche went by. Not that we can’t find those cars in Winnipeg – but not in those quantities!!

The Pier was buzzing with activity. So many people enjoying so many things: restaurants, midway games, rides, vendors. It had a great carnival atmosphere – and one Balloon Guy did an awesome SpongeBob SquarePants.

We went to the Aquarium; it was small, just one room, but had really neat stuff. Including baby sharks in eggs sacs, in three different stages, with one ready to “break out” in a month. It was absolutely amazing to see.

We ate dinner at the end of the pier, at Mariasol Mexican restaurant. Had a bit of menu shock at first, but it wasn’t what we thought. Turns out when you see the $12 price for appetizers, it’s not because they’re overpriced – everything there is meal-sized. Antojitos? I think not! Ended up having to decide between the Chimichanga and my craving for a Chicken Caesar because the Chimi wasn’t just a pre-meal snack but a whole meal!

After dinner the sun had set so we took some nice night shots of the lights on the rides. The ferris wheel looks great at night, the lights seem to have an infinite number of patterns. The waves seemed a bit big since there was no wind, but we’ve never been here before so what do we know.

We were supposed to catch the bus home again, but hubby was just too wiped and wanted the easy way out. We ended up picking a crabby taxi driver and were home in about 20 minutes, although $50 lighter.

We get on the ship tomorrow, but watching the news tonight it turns out there’s a big storm up and down the coast with big winds causing big waves. San Francisco has been hard hit too. Hopefully it doesn’t rock us too much because it’s expected to last all week. We’re not too worried though, since the Splendor is new and likely has the best stabilizers available.

Beautiful Banff Alberta

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the recent Ensemble Conference at the Fairmont Banff Springs in beautiful Banff, Alberta. Now I may be biased but this country of ours is so incredibly diverse and so naturally stunning I find it hard to understand why I ever felt the need to leave. Don't get me wrong I know the world is a big place with much to offer obviously but I'm just trying to make a point.

My journey began as all of mine do, with a fantastic flight on the ever friendly Westjet Airlines. The flight was on time and uneventful, which is just the way I like them. It was a crystal clear day and the ride up to Banff was relaxing and educational. Brewsters provided the transfers from Calgary airport right to the hotel, about an hour and forty minute drive. The driver of the coach was so informative, funny and very hospitable and made the time pass quickly. Calgary is a wonderfully hilly city, but its about an hour in to the drive before you hit the mountains and your breathe is taken away by the majestic scenery you encounter. It really is awe inspiring and I don't believe words can appropriately describe its natural beauty. But it's grandness certainly does have a way of putting life in perspective.

We arrived at the Fairmont Banff Springs at dusk and so it wasn't until the following morning when you realized just how amazing the setting was for this real life castle. We were greeted by the friendliest and most helpful front desk agents I've come across and this continued for the duration of the stay. No matter where you went or who you spoke with you were always greeted with an incredible smile and helpful hand. The opulent decor and timeless beauty of "the castle in the Rockies" were more than I have experienced anywhere else in my travels. At times I felt like I was walking on the set of Beauty and the Beast, wondering if I'd run into Belle at any moment. There were plenty of dining options from a casual deli style in the Castle Pantry, where you can purchase a sandwich and latte to go, to the exquisite Italian cuisine at the Castello Ristorante, or the Bavarian Cottage-style dining room named the Waldhaus Restaurant. They boast one of the finest spas in the country, the Willow Stream Spa. "Willow Stream brings to life the unique healing powers of the alpine air, the sacred waters and mountain magic." Although they kept me too busy at Conference to pamper myself, I have made a promise to myself I will go back soon and that a day at this lovely spa is tops on my list. There are fifteen exciting shops awaiting you at The Fairmont Banff Springs. Its almost like you never have to leave the property if you so choose, everything you need or want is available to you right here in this fabulous hotel.

I walked into the quaint town of Banff on my second day there. The Hotel is located just up the hill from the town and it takes approximately 15 minutes to walk down. Its a beautiful stroll through a mainly residential area and then across the bridge into the downtown area. The town consists of two main streets and is only about 2 blocks in length. It reminded me of small Swiss Village. There are plenty of shops and dining options here as well. I spent my afternoon reading a good Dan Brown book at the local Starbucks sipping my warm pumpkin spice latte whilst looking out at the majestic mountain range. I couldn't have dreamed of a more relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

My handsome husband Chris was able to join me for the weekend and against his wishes we went up to the top of Sulphur Mountain via the 8 minute Gondola ride. He has a fear of heights I think, and these four seat Gondolas make even the most seasoned travellers a bit nervous. If you can get over the nervous feeling of dangling about 4 storeys up by a thin wire, the views are absolutely incredible as you travel from 698m to an elevation of 2,281m at the Summit Upper Terminal. You can see all six mountain ranges from the deck which wraps around the whole entire building. We chose not to walk the 1 km over to the Meteorological Station as it was beginning to snow and the signs "walk at your own risk" made Chris even more anxious than he was.

For our last night in this picturesque town, Brewsters and Banff Tourism hosted a fun filled evening at the Brewster's MountView Barbecue. Located just ten minutes from downtown Banff, Brewster's MountView Barbecue is a corporate event and reception facility that furnishes a truly western experience. They had two large "donut like" tents, a central bonfire which provided warmth and atmosphere to dance the night away in country and western style. The band was fantastic and had us all up learning to line dance before dessert was served. The traditional buffet style country meal was delicious, with beans, salad, baked potato and BBQ hip of Alberta Beef and finishing up with fresh baked apple pie.

Overall it was an amazing trip for me and I can't wait to go back with the family. I want to thank everyone at the Fairmont for an incredible experience and to everyone else who sponsored us it is a trip I won't forget.

Until next time, safe Journeys!

Paula Ellis-Hunt

Final Chapter Rome to London

Sunday Oct 4
Everyone is up early and together for breakfast in the hotel for our last good byes. The dot to dot shuttle is here and it is off to Heathrow Airport to depart for home.
As Craig Hill, our Trafalgar Tour Director stated when we first began our journey together, "we start as strangers but leave as friends"
It was a wonderful trip and an experience to remember. I will be hosting the Journey's Travel Show with CJOB Radio on Sunday Oct 11, at 12 noon. I will be talking with one of the couples on the tour with their comments as well Craig Hill our Tour Director is going to be joining me and it should be very informative for those of you thinking of Coach Touring! So listen in to hear more of our Journey!
Deb Peters
Travel Consultant
Journeys/Renaissance Travel

Ron's Cruise 2009

Cooking Alaturka
Saturday, October 3, 2009

We left Istanbul this morning on our way to our first port of call in mykonos.But what a great decision it was to take the cooking class with Eveline at her little cooking school.We shared the experience with eight other couples, each person cutting, chopping, and mixing the ingredients for 5 separate dishes.
Eveline is a trained chef who came to work in Turkey as a chef in a large hotel.Then she moved over to rent a hotel property which she ran for herself.When the property was not available she didn't know quite what she would do so went back to her roots with this idea...teach people on location how to cook Turkish style meals.

We had a lot of fun creating the meal and learned a lot in the process. One of the items was a stuffed eggplant dish.I am not a fan of eggplant but this was exceptional.After the food was cooked we all sat together over a couple of glasses of wine to consume what we had cooked.We have he recipes to recreate for guests, and we have new knowledge which can be applied to other recipes as well.I strongly recommend this as a good way to appreciate the tastes of Turkey.

Her website is www.cookingalaturka.com

Ron's Cruise 2009

No Floods but lots of people in Istanbul
Wednesday, September 30, 2009

We arrived back in Turkey earlier today and got partially ripped off by a cabbie.Actually, since I agreed to the price I guess it was not technically a rip off. However, I paid just about twice the price it should have been to get to our hotel. Why? Because it is the meeting place for the International Monetary Fund countries and their hangers on.Just about every hotel in the city is overbooked. I am glad I guaranteed our reservation. We are staying at the Polat Renaissance. It really is a gorgeous property even though it is a few miles from downtown. It is a business style hotel located about 3 miles from the airport. They have a shuttle but we were tired and didn't care what we paid.The view from the hotel is beautiful overlooking the sea with dozens of boats on the water.It doesn't get much better than this.We will spend a couple of more days in Istanbul and then board the Regent Voyageur of the Seas going from here to a number of Greek Islands and ending in Athens. It has been many years since I was in Greece and look forward to reporting on it soon.



What a food find in a restaurant
Thursday, October 1, 2009

We are staying at the Polat Renaissance. It is not downtown but adjacent to a very nice area of homes and apartments, so it is not at all like the commercial downtown. Just 3 blocks away we noticed a small shopping area with a few stores and restaurants.As we are walking we notice a very nice restaurant with a bunch of flowers in front...and I mean big bunches with ribbons etc. We walk by it and conclude it looks like the best place.We are seated and handed a menu with pictures of the items we can choose from which is very nice to get a sense of how they will come to us plated.The restaurant is called Rumeli kofte & Et at Sipahoglu Cad. No 13 Yesilyurt. It is a family type business full of local customers and managed by a young man by the name of Ugur Yilmaz, who is one of the partners.The meal was excellent and I recommend the restaurant for service and taste, not to mention a pleasing environment. We choose to dine on the outside as opposed to inside and it was an exceptional evening.It seems we dropped in on opening night...explaining the flowers.It was pretty much a family affair and after a half hour or so we had become one of the family. It is clear they are nice people and I wish them all the success in their new venture.This was truly an exceptional experience and if you are in that area make it a point to visit. You won't be disappointed.And tomorrow we’re trying an entirely different food experience at a place called www.cookingalaturka.com .In the morning for almost three hours we will learn how to make a five course Turkish meal by participating in creating the menu items. Then we will sit down over a couple of glasses of wine to consume our creations.Both of these are sides of Turkey we never got to experience on our first go round in this country.

Rome to London Chapter 5

Fri Oct 2
Paris to London
Packed and ready to head for Calais where we said Good Bye to Tomo our coach driver in Europe and board the P&O Ferry to Dover. A nice sunny day and a smooth sailing, about 1 1/2 hour ferry ride gives everyone time to look around and have lunch. As we come into shore there are lovely views of the White Cliffs of Dover. We board our coach and head on the motorway into London, where we check in to the Jury's Inn Hotel and then say farewell to Graig, our magnificient Trafalgar Tour Director.
This evening our group ventured out by underground to the first original Hard Rock Cafe at Hyde Park Corner and then walked about Piccadilly Circus seeing the lights at night and many Londoners out on the town on a friday night.
Sat Oct 3
Up this morning and our group of 13 ventured out taking the tub to Westminster where we prebooked the London Eye and had a pod to ourselves taking lots of great photos.
We then walked back across the bridge taking great photos of Big Ben, the parliament building, and Westminster Abbey.
On our way to Buckingham Palace we make a enjoyable stop at a local pub called the Albert where we have a time to sit for a lovely cup of coffee and chatted with some very interesting locals. We then arrive at Buckingham Palace and manage to catch an informal changing of the guards, then walked along the riverside through the Admirality Arch to Trafalgar Square a famous memorial square to Lord Nelson and the Battle of Waterloo.
A pub lunch with traditional English style food, steak and cottage pies. Off for some shopping to the different squares including Leister square, the theatre district.
Everyone eventually made their way back to the hotel as some had ventured off to see the Tower of London. Most of our group opted for a quiet early evening, eating at locally at the hotel. Michele and I decided to take the tub to Victoria Station and we got last minute tickets at the Apollo Theatre for a musical "Wicked" which was absolutely phenominal and well worth doing to end our London experience.

Rome to London Chapter 4

Wed Sept 30
We arrived in Paris late afternoon and tour the city first by coach. Gabriella our local tour guide joins us and tells us of some of the beautiful historical sites and the culture of Parisians. Of course the biggest highlight was the Eiffel Tower which we stopped and had a lovely picture taken of the whole group. We also drive about the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre Dame Cathedral. We then get to our Parisian Hotel to settle in and freshen up. This evening we boarded the scenic cruise line for an hour long cruise up the Seine River, taking in all the sites with audio commentary. The illumination of the city was spectacular, including the dancing light show that illuminates all of the Eiffel Tower and takes place on the hour. We actually have a chance to see it on our 8pm departure as well as our 9pm return to the dock. It was back to our hotel, via the Champs Elysees, for a good night sleep as the next day wass a full day of sightseeing.
Thurs Oct 1
We are all up early and eager to see the sights of Paris. The first stop was the Palace of Versailles. We take a stroll about the court yard offering spectacular views of formal gardens, the canal that King Louis had man made and the beautiful countryside. Then inside to view the beauty and elegance of the Palace where the kings and queens of France lived. We were lucky to be one of the first groups there, walking into the large rooms and taking photos without the crowds ahead of you. From the Palace we are taken to the next stop," the Eiffel Tower" where we ascend to the second level by elevator and once again Gabriella told the history of the tower and pointed out highlights of the city from above. We all had some time to purchase soveniers by bardering with the local merchants and then we are off again next stop "the Louvre"
Into the main lower level plaza where we see the inverted diamond of the Louvre, made famous from the movie the De Vinci Code. We first have time for a lovely lunch with a wide selection of food and beverages. Then we were ready to walk through the Louvre with Gabriella, once again doing a fabulous job as we all had audio sets on to hear clearly the historical stories of many of the famous paintings and sculptures including the Mona Lisa, Venus De Milo and Michelangelo statues.
Back to the hotel for some free time to rest and freshen up. This evening we ventured out to a Parisian Dinner and Caberete, an optional addition for our group and well worth doing. The food was delicious, the drinks including champagne and the show including Can-can girls, accrobats and comedians including our own Tom from Winnipeg, who was picked from the audience to assist with the show. We all had tears in our eyes from laughter and a good time was had by all.
Au Revoir to Paris and on to London in the morning.

Rome to London Chapter 3

From Venice which we left later in the afternoon and travelled north through Verona, Milan and on to the Italian Lakes where wer stayed at the Continental Hotel. A very nice dinner included this evening and some socializing and good laughs were had by all. We are the off for a good night sleep to start our journey in the morning.
Arrivederci to Italy as we head for Lucerne, Switzerland. Away early to get ahead of the conjested traffic which can easily happen in Europe. A quick stop for washrooms and snacks then on to the Swiss Alps with spectacular views of traditional Swiss farmhouses set on the mountainsides.
We arrive in the village of Stans where we board the open car, funnicular railway and then transfer onto the modern cable car that takes us up to the top of Mt. Stanzahorn at a height of 6300 feet. The panoramic views were amazing, the weather was sunny and clear. We took a little walk past Heidi's cottage, up the paths to see more panoramic views from all sides. There was time to sit and have lunch taking in the views from either the revolving restaurant or outdoors on the patio. On our descent, we passed quaint Swiss farms with Swiss Brown cows and calves eating right along the mountain side.
We are then shuttled 5 minutes away, to board the private cruise line where you could sit inside or up on the top deck where we all chose to sit on such a beautiful day to enjoy the warm, sunny weather, have a drink and enjoy the scenic views of the lake with aqua bluewaters and spectacular homes of the rich and famous. The captain was excellent, speaking of the points of interest along the way and keeping it light with a bit of humor. There was a large statue of Jesus with his arms extended over the shoreline and he explained it was to signify the blessing of the lake and the people of Lucerne, but also being an avid fisherman himself he said they also say it is to let us know the size of the fish caught in the lake which got a good chuckle for all of us.
We docked into the city of Lucerne and a short walk up to our hotel to the Hotel Weinoff, a centrally located hotel in town. After checking in and freshening up we take a stroll to view the points of interest, including the Lion Monument, the old Swiss architecture, the covered bridge and we all noticed how clean and neat the city is. We had time for shopping and looking at the Swiss made merchandise, the most popular being the Swiss watches, army knives and clocks. Our included dinner was wonderful, Beef Stroganauf and a night stroll through the town to walk off all the calories. Once again we say Auf Wiedersehen to Lucerne and Switzerland as we head to France and say Bonsoir to Paris.

Rome to London Chapter 2

Sunday Sept 27
Into Venice after driving from Rome, we arrive to our quaint cozy Hotel El Burchito. Everyone loved this hotel because of its homey feel, filled with comfortable antique furnishings and excellent service as the manager was a five golden key member.
Had time to freshen up and we are off to Venice to experience a Gondola ride with the authentic drivers in their striped shirts and straw hats. We are serenated down the canals with music and champagne.
We then have time for an evening cruise lookin at the rich and famous homes along the canal. Back to our hotel for an enjoyable dinner included with the hotel.
A good night sleep is had by all and we are up for an early start on Monday to see more of Venice by day. We board the water taxi and cruise by some large ships and ferries. They come from the mediterrain and and Adriatic Sea, a four hour ferry to Greece.
Once we land in Venice, we meet our local guide, Guiddo who takes us round the streets of Venice and tells of the most interesting stories of the history of Venice. We cross the famous Rialto Bridge, squares and the residence of where Marco Polo Family lived.
We then come to the famous St. Marks square in time to hear the bells chime that have been ringing for 400 years.
We say goodbye to Guiddo and walk down the lanes and across the bridge into the Murano Glass Company where we see a demostration of glass blowing by master craftsmen. The Venician Glass is magnificent and worth seeing.
Once we leave the Murano Glass shop, everyon has time to shop and have lunch in the square. The ladies were quite pleased as some serious shopping was done. we board the water taxi back to the main land and then hop on our air conditioned coach and head north to the Italian Lakes.
The weather so far on our trip has been magnificent to say the least. The days in Rome and Venice have been 25 to 28 degrees celsius and looks like it should stay like this as we continue on our Journey from Rome to London with Trafalgar Tours, our group of 10 with Deb Peters and other travelling friends that we have met on this tour, a total of 38 passengers.
Our Tour Director, Craig Hill has also been magnificent and we look forward to more exciting days ahead, so stay tuned for the next chapter.

Rome to London

Deb Peters escorted group with Trafalgar Tours

We arrived safely in Rome on Friday, September 25th after a over night flight with Air Canada. Eventhough everyone was tired it was wonderful to be in Europe and for some of us the 1st time. The weather was close to 30 and sunny.

Trafalgar picked us up at the airport and took us through the Ancient Gates of Rome and through downtown to our hotel, The Rouge et Noir.

After meeting our tour director, Craig Hill, we settled into our rooms for a little rest and then it was off to a Welcome Dinner and Rome at Night Highlights.

Everyone slept well that night and we were ready to go after a continental breakfast at the hotel and we were off to see the Collesium. It was amazing. The history with our tour guide Danielle was detailed and very interesting and humorous. After lunch at a Cafe overlooking the Collesium we headed to the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. The great thing about our tour was we did not have to wait in any line ups. Michelangols masterpiece was magnificient.

The back to our room for a quick change and then to Dinner and the Trevi Fountain. There were many people throwing their coins into the fountain. One coin to return to Rome, Two to fall in love in Rome and three coins to marry in Rome.

Watch for the next chaper as we are off to Venice.