TODAY AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW

Putting on our travel clothes, grabbing our gear and hitting the road...... 

Today is the last full day before Departure....

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Tomorrow  is Departure....

Monday, June 13, 2016

And  the next Tomorrow is still Traveling

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

 Big day as we depart.

On this our last full day, every chore we can think of is being addressed. 

Today is spent: bathing Hana, doing final check list, weighing luggage, repacking, changing what we are wearing....

We had our farewell dinner of hamburgers last night, we are ready to hit the airwaves...

Magic Maria

Changes, Changes, Changes, Saved by Maria the Magician

Each time we decide on a new adventure we work with Maria Nelson at AAA Tacoma.

Each time, Maria finds great deals and keeps us insured, reassured, answers questions and negotiates with providers.

Maria's precious one

Maria and her precious two

On June 8, Maria learned that Air France was going on strike on the very days we were scheduled as passengers on their flight from Paris to Romania.  Ugh!


Magic Maria had already begun her abracadabra thang by the time we arrived for our pre-departure meeting with her.

Yup, all fixed.  New flights on KLM.  No more Paris (Charles DeGaulle airport) layover.  Nice long layover in Amsterdam (Schiphol) which has wonderful shopping and miles and miles of indoor walking from here to there.












If you're really curious you can explore Schiphol here

Count Down Has Begun!!!

Three Days to Blast Off!!!

As you can see, Beth can be ready to depart at a moments notice...

Leaving behind our precious darlin's

Cuddles Hana Susie Willis

and

Princess, the cat. 

Staff: Becky 

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!