International Bling

Seems that during every trip -- either with Beth or with late husband Ernie -- I am drawn to jewelry, especially earrings.  

Begin in the center with gold hoops from Venice.
Then to the right and clockwise we find
Rose quartz from Tromso Norway
Silver (2 pair) from Mexico
Amber/silver from Klaidpeda, Lithuania
2 pair from Alaska (Anchorage and Sitka)
Small pearl/sterling posts from Reykjavik, Iceland

And Beth has been her usual generous self, supplying me with a couple of new bags, the smaller of which will hold my travel jewelry (tho maybe not the ones shown -- wouldn't wanna lose them.)

Just 12 days from departure I am imagining the bling treasure that will appear on this Black Sea journey.  Hmmmm?

A BIT OF HISTORY

                           THE BALKANS THEN AND NOW...

1815 - 2016

THEN

AND THEN

AND NOW  ..... WOW!

Grateful for Beth

Beth is my travel partner.  It's not easy to be anyone's travel partner.  Beth has it all figured out.

I couldn't do any of our trips without her.

• She finds the choices of trips: cruise, land, combo, just us 2 or with other friends.

• She does alllll the research on each choice:  price, location, type of ship, where our room should be, where we will stop, what we will see, and more

• She does all the research about each stop along the way:  choices, walk vs ride, our own adventure or join the offered excursion, history, landmarks, places we should not miss, and more.

• She does all of the reminding:  update your profile Becky; get your TSA traveler number; create an online account with tour people; update the blog; and more.

• She makes me keep track of the money we spend.  I always spend more and she never spends anything extra. 

• She finds exciting old book treasures in her father's study.

No one else will likely read this post, but I wanted to publicly thank her for being a special travel partner.  I will add to the list of her special talents as we travel along.

We Paid Our $$$

Looks like a trip; reads like a trip.  Definitely costs like a trip!

1.  We paid our money.

Lots and lots of moola -- testing the limits of the credit card.

2.  We have air reservations and seats.

Maria the Magical Travel Planner always gets us
two seats together on the side.
Very nice -- Beth supplies the sleeping drugs.

3.  Before we depart we must pack our bags.

Regret -- I've never collected the patches and stickers
from all my travel.

Put together 1 and 2 and 3 and we have a trip!  Departing June 13.  Excited!

Oh Dear! Our World is Rocking! Will Our Plans Change????

Rough Seas not caused by Weather nor Water!

The climate of our international world has changed so significantly, we are unsure whether the trip we planned will happen or if it does happen, do we want to go and risk placing ourselves in situations we had not planned.

Something to Ponder.

Ponder

Ponder

And we still don't know what is going to happen.

Ponder more.

Decisions Have Been Made!!! Commitments Stated!!! Plans Finalized!!!

We know where we are starting from:

 The Glorious Southwest

and The Magnificent Northwest

And we NOW know where we are REALLY going;

Seattle - Paris - Otopeni

Hang in Bucharest for a few days

Check out the Black Sea, Romania

 Hop a Boat Up the Danube

Take a look at: 

Bucharest, Constanta, Cernavoda, Ruse, Arbanassi, 

Veliko Turnovo 

Vidin

Iron Gate & Kazan Narrows

 Belgrade

Vukovar, Kalocsa, Solt 

Budapest

Jump Ship

Wander Budapest

Pack a lunch, Hop a Train, Head to Prague

Wander Prague

Grab a Flight, Aim toward Amsterdam

More Wandering

Look to the West, Go West

(More details to follow)

 

Decision Time: Oh Dear! Oh Dear! Where is it safe to Go????

     OF COURSE WE HAVE A PLAN!!! OF COURSE OF COURSE!! A PLAN A PLAN!!!!

THE PLAN 

Well, right you are but that is just the baseline from which we will spread our wings and do our research and decide here we will branch off and ....  and  DO OUR OWN THING!!!!!!

Cruising from the Black Sea up the Danube to

Bucharest and then to Budapest

So ....... we are thinking go to Bucharest for an extra day, take the cruise then as we end in Budapest, why not stay a couple of nights and then head off to Prague?? Rome?? Berlin?? even back to London??