For the Love of Marti. . .

Corks popped and Prosecco toasts were made last Saturday night to celebrate one of the most significant accomplishments to have happened in the decade that we've lived in this slice of the Greek Peloponnese.  

Toasting the Marti's Fund milestone

We were celebrating a milestone for Marti's Fund, the volunteer-operated cat spay and neuter program in the Mani. A few weeks ago the program topped 1,000 cats whose lives have been made better since its inception a few short years ago.  That is such a significant accomplishment and has touched so many in this adopted expat home of ours. 

The 1,000th sterilization took place in late March 2026

The story of Marti's Fund is one of love: a love lost, a love found, and love shared in a small village in rural Greece. 

Love isn't a simple four-letter word in Greece. It isn't even a single word. The Greeks have more than five words they use when describing it. There's agape, an unconditional love, eros, a passionate love, philia the love of friendships, storge is familial love, that of affection and shared goodwill, and pragma, a practical, mature love often found in committed marriages. All have played a part in Marti's Fund. . .

Love Lost ~ the creation of Marti's Fund

Marti and Chuck Barlett in Dooley's Dog House store

Americans Chuck and Marti Bartlett moved to the Agios Nikolaos community in 2016 from Kirkland, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. There they had owned and operated Dooley's Dog House pet store and were tireless volunteers with regional animal welfare groups. 

We've been friends with them for nearly two decades, having met at Kirkland's The Grape Choice wine bar. The wine bar, besides being the local 'gathering place' much like television's 'Cheers', also served as host of numerous animal welfare fund raisers organized by the Bartlett's. A quirk of fate brought us all to the Mani, but that is a story for another time. 

Marti at Pantazi Beach cat shelter

Needless to say, they quickly became involved in animal welfare efforts here: rescuing dogs, adopting animals, feeding strays and working fund-raising events with MIAO (Mani International Animal Organization) the umbrella organization for a number of animal rescue efforts, now including Marti's Fund. 

Marti's unexpected passing in January 2020, rocked our Greek village; its reverberations were felt back in Kirkland. Within days of her passing, the Grape Choice 'family of friends' had organized a Go Fund Me in her memory. Donations were shared by that area's Cat Coalition and MIAO here. The funds for MIAO were earmarked for the spaying and neutering of cats.

Village street cats helped by Marti's Fund

'Our goal was healthy cats and limiting the cat population. Adoption wasn't and isn't our goal, it is to make life better for the cats,' Chuck says of the effort's intent.

With the blessings of MIAO, and a supportive team of local veterinarians, Chuck got the spay and neuter efforts underway. Pretty much a one-man, word-of-mouth effort in the beginning, he coordinated scheduling clinic appointments and payments. Sometimes he even helped capture unwilling cats. 

 'It gave me a purpose in life, when life wasn't very good for me', he says, of the Fund's early years. 

A Community's Love ~

Fundraising is key to helping the animals

The following year with the original memorial funds depleted, MIAO and Marti's Fund were at cross-roads. The program had become immensely popular. Residents were bringing in feral cats from villages far and near. Cat owners who couldn't afford the surgery's cost were also signing up.

Marti's Fund does not charge for any cat spayed or neutered through the program.  Those who are able, donate towards the cost of the surgery. In a few cases, the cost is paid in full to the fund.  The majority are done free of charge. That meant a call for financial help had to go out. 

And the communities responded.

Jean and I offer slices of cake for 3 euros

Fundraisers were and continue to be organized. Volunteers were recruited to work the fund-raisers. Artists and crafts people donated work to be sold at auctions and/or fairs.  Cakes by the dozen have been baked, sliced and offered for a 3-euro donation at countless gatherings. 

Village restaurant owners in Stoupa, Agios Nikolaos, Pantazi Beach and Thalames have hosted events. Businesses in the villages have donated auction items, in the form of goods and services.  Retail outlets - grocery stores, tavernas, the local nursery, and tavernas - have donation cans at checkout counters. 

Community support is strong - Marti's Fundraiser table

Nowadays MIAO and Pantazi Beach cat rescue and Marti's Fund are coordinating rescue and fund-raising efforts. The veterinarian team increased the number of weekly surgeries. Some cats were taken to Kalamata, our big city an hour's drive north of us to have surgeries there when the numbers were too great to handle locally.

And remember that The Grape Choice in Kirkland?  They have continued to host fund-raisers for Marti's Fund, having hosted three such annual fund-raisers in recent years. 

Love Found - and the future of Marti's Fund

Serendipity perhaps? Caroline Boris

Serendipity is described as finding fortunate things without looking for them. Such was the case with a serendipitous encounter at a Greek taverna between Chuck and Caroline Boris, an avid animal lover and regular visitor to this area from London.

Let's just say that encounter adds a new chapter to the story of Marti's Fund.  Caroline has been a committed supporter of Marti's Fund and in honoring her memory since that chance encounter.

Grape Choice Kirkland fundraiser

In July the two will be married. 

Instead of wedding presents, they are asking guests to donate to Marti's Fund.

Epilogue: 

Marti's Fund at work

Marti's Fund had its beginning with one man who chose to honor the memory of his wife, by creating a fund to pay for spaying and neutering homeless cats in the area. It was started as and continues to be a labor of love and remembrance.  Recently some of the administrative and fundraising workload has been shared by a Greek Canadian volunteer, Marisa Robins. 

I emphasize volunteer throughout this story because all of the animal rescue efforts - MIAO, Marti's Fund, Pantazi Beach Cats, Stoupa Cats and others -- are operated by volunteers, both Greek and expat. 

Chuck and Marisa thank the community member who had cat 1,000

While we celebrated the first thousand cats whose lives have been made better by this work, there are more than another thousand out there in need of help. There are currently more cats on the list for services than there are funds to pay for them. So, while organizers are committed, the key to the program's continuation is funding. 

 I can attest to the number of 3-euro slices of cake it takes to pay for a single surgery. We know the people involved and can assure you that all the money goes directly to the cats - this is truly a volunteer effort, an effort of love.

In closing I am giving you a chance to be a part of this story of love surrounding this grass-roots effort.  You can donate by using this link to Marti's Fund. 

I normally don't ask you to share my writing. But I am asking this time.  Please share this post or at least retell the story to others. You might just tell it to someone who needs to hear a Greek love story. . .or who wants to help some cats!

As always, thanks for your time. Wishes for safe travels to you and yours~

The Pontiki and Other Expat Mysteries

 Solving mysteries sometimes seems a way of life in the expat world.  

Sherlock Holmes - street art Alicante, Spain

We've had a series of them lately but the one that had us stumped the longest, was finally solved after five hours of investigation by three detectives, aka, technicians.

The Stone House on the Hill from the olive grove

Our Stone House on the Hill in the Greek Peloponnese has been the perfect setting for mysteries, particularly this year. Not the cloak-and-dagger type but more the everyday who-or-what dunnit-types that require the investigative skills of plumbers, carpenters, electricians and technology gurus. 

The Lemon Tree Patio on a dark and stormy day

Our dark and stormy winter provided a perfect backdrop for -- perhaps in retrospect, it could even have been an accomplice in -- the string of mysteries that have been solved in recent weeks. 

Sunshine and blooms welcomed us to Monte Carlo

Those of you following our travel tales on Substack know that in late February we took off on a ten-day escapade through the Italian and French Rivieras. The trip's purpose was three-fold: celebrating The Scout's birthday, taking a break from what seems the longest, storm-ridden winter in Mani history, and taking advantage of a favorite Trusted Housesitter's willingness to extend his stay in our area to care of our elderly Princess Cat.

 

While we were gone, the mysteries accumulated as rapidly as our collection of Agatha Christie's books and included: Some random interior and exterior lights not working - around here you don't know if it is one inter-related problem or two separate problems. Then the internet shorted out without rhyme nor reason as to why. However, if it was unplugged for a time, then reconnected, it would work for a few days and poof. . . quit again. 

Fireplace is not just for atmosphere

The Mother of all Mysteries though was why the furnace quit working. Anyone who's lived in, stayed in or visited a stone home during a wet, cold winter knows just how cold and damp the interior can be - especially when the heat goes off.  Thankfully, our sitter got by with the electric wall heaters and fireplace, and he worked around the other malfunctions.

Mystery of the Darkened Stairway continues. . .

Unraveling the mysteries began the day after we returned. The first investigator on the scene was Roland, a tall English-speaking German electrician, who's been in the area some 20 years. He came close to solving the case of the malfunctioning lights, but not quite.  Some clue has eluded him and he's still working the case of the darkened exterior stairway. He's assured us he'll be back when he can solve it. 

George, the local Greek Wi-Fi guru is an answer man with a booming voice and hearty laugh. He was also stumped by the circumstances of our faulty internet. It worked in both stormy and calm weather, until it didn't. There was no pattern of clues that could tie it directly to the weather nor the operating system itself. His investigation was thwarted by another storm that hit the same day he came to the house. The wind and rain were so strong it was too dangerous to put up a ladder, let alone climb it to the roof to check the antennae and its SIM card. While he didn't identify the culprit, he was able to do some computerized investigations and adjustments and get us up and running again.   

The boiler/furnace in its below ground dungeon

The mystery that had required the most detective work was the furnace, or oil burner, as they call them here. Basically, it is a heating system that burns oil to heat water that will run through radiators in the house to heat it. By whatever name, ours is a fancy, new-fangled thing we installed a year ago. Perhaps, too new-fangled, we snarled to each other, after the first investigators/technicians left. 

This team, an English-speaking Greek duo from Kalamata, who've been our go-to guys for years, spent two hours in the dungeon-like space where it sits at the side of the house trying to figure out the problem. Despite their handbooks and a variety of tools, they tried and failed to find answers.

Their parting words were, "You must call the installer, He will need to reprogram the system."  

The furnace dungeon and evaporation, not smoke, from it

We summoned Spiros, the Greek-speaking technician who'd installed our space-age, computerized furnace. He arrived at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. As the hours passed, we'd hear an occasional sputtering as the ignition sparked and then silence. Sputtering and silence for hours. We offered him the installation manual, an encyclopedia-sized guide he'd used for getting the thing programmed when he installed it. 

He declined it, smiling and assuring us it was a 'mikro provlema' (little problem). It may have been small, but it certainly had him stumped.  

Just before noon, with the help of Google Translate, he pronounced the mystery was solved and the furnace fixed!  

The pontiki, a mouse, did it!

 The little critter had chewed a little wire in half. Once that part was replaced, it started right up! 

The Pontiki Did It

We now have Dimitri, our neighborhood carpenter, figuring out the mystery of how to enclose the angled, uneven opening to the dungeon to prevent further pontiki provlemas!.

Mysteries are Mental Stimulation

When we socialize with fellow expats there is usually a point in our conversations in which we come to the agreement that there will be no need for Sudoku or other mind-stimulation games, no memory exercises nor frontal lobe stimulation necessary as we continue to age in our expat world.  There will always be a mystery lurking just around the corner, presenting us a mental exercise in not only how to solve it but how to find the right detective to work the case with us. 

Thanks for being with us again for another look into our expat life.  And a salute to those of you who continue to read this blog, TravelnWrite, as well as Travelnwrite on Substack, (also a free subscription). I've noticed that when you sign up for a free subscription, Substack likes to promote an upgrade to paid subscription, but I am not charging a fee for my writing. Just knowing that you are spending time reading what I've written is enough spending to my way of thinking!  Safe travels to you and yours~

When Paradise. . .isn't

 I am the guilty one.  I've led you to believe we live in a continual paradise. 

Cypress silhouettes, the sea and sunset. . .paradise. . .

I'm the one who so often writes about the wonders of this adopted Greek life - those glorious sunsets, the sweeping views of the sea and mountains, of our picturesque fishing village, and the charming taverns where we sip morning coffee or evening wine. 

 Days of bliss, I've led you to believe. 

A toast to sunset at Pantazi Beach - a blissful time of day

Much of the time, the days do pass blissfully, both at our Stone House on the Hill and in our rural Peloponnese community. But the reality is that sometimes even our adopted paradise . . .isn't!  

Victims from my Mediterranean garden hauled away - others burned

I'm guilty of not telling you how storms destroy that Mediterranean garden I've rhapsodized about growing. I haven't told you about the frustrations that come with internet and power outages and water shortages, that can leave us in the dark for hours and without water sometimes for days. Nor have I mentioned unrepaired roads with potholes so large they can crack the sturdiest of a vehicle's shock absorbers.  

Expats and locals could fill a book with tales of dealing with bureaucracy and of resorting to a 'do it yourself' solution when those dealings fall on deaf ears.   

Do it yourself road repair - a neighborhood effort

But then, where is the romance and glamour of expat living in those kinds of tales? It is more fun to write, and probably more fun to read about, those paradisiacal moments that we do have here. 

Every once in a while, though, we go through a spell that makes me think I should tell you about the other times. January was one of those spells. . . those times when paradise simply, isn't!  

The Morning After - not in Paradise

Yucca trunk remains after the storm

Two weeks ago, Mother Nature held us hostage in our Stone House on the Hill for the better part of two days and nights while the wind howled and shrieked around us and horizontal sheets of rain attacked structures and plants. Every so often there'd be a loud crash or bang outside. A window shutter slammed closed after the force of the wind ripped its clamp from the wall.  We had to wait for a break in the wind to even step outside to close the door shutters before they, too, ripped loose from the wall. 

We'd prepared for a storm- the Greek emergency alerts had given warning prior to its arrival - but not for a storm of the magnitude that hit. 

Pantazi Beach Bar this week

We've come to expect a strong storm or two and the cleanup it requires each winter. The kind in which churning ocean waves hurtle stones and sand from the beaches onto the roads and parking lots. There's always plenty of cleanup after a winter storm. But our most recent storm was merciless and left our village looking somewhat like a war zone. 

While not as bad as the storm that had just swept through Malta and Sicily, we had wind gusts of 106 km/hr, (65 mph).  The sustained winds were estimated to be about half that. Large established trees were pulled from the ground as easily as we pluck out a weed. Cliffs and hillsides gave way to small avalanches and dips in roads and parking lots became lakes.

My Mediterranean garden - not my happy place right now

Six yucca tree trunks snapped in our yard, one of which took down my clothesline. Lemons and oranges were stripped from their branches. We lost a large branch out of an olive tree, snapped as easily as a matchstick. Leaves were stripped from bushes, plants and trees. Large ceramic pots had been upended, many broken.

Most of these were damaged and ended up in the compost bin

Similar damage was reported throughout the villages in our area. Fourteen olive trees were uprooted in our friend's olive grove just south of us. There were no injuries to humans - for that we all are thankful.

Several friends were without power and/or water during the storm. We were among the lucky ones who had heat, lights and water to weather it.  We didn't lose water until a few days after the storm ended. Our 2,000-liter water tank ran dry as there was no municipal water coming to our house.

The Search for Water 

Water lines serving our area 

Municipal water is supplied via a haphazard system of small PVC pipes that sometimes lay on top of the ground. They wind down steep hillsides and through gorges, sometimes along remote hiking paths and other times at the side of roadways.

Sunday afternoon a neighbor joined us to hike into the hills and find the source of our problem. We finally found it near our home at the side of the road we travel to get to our home. A toppled Cyprus tree had caused an avalanche when its roots were ripped from the ground, burying the water pipe serving our neighborhood. 

We hired workers to unearth the pipe that afternoon. The municipality needed to reconnect the pipes.

Exit Paradise - Enter One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. . .

The tree that took out the water lines

Monday morning bright and early we were at the Municipality's water department, reporting our problem to one of two - both English-speaking -- clerks..

Much to our surprise, the visit was quick and efficient.  We made the report, we provided photos of the damaged pipe needing repair and of the area it was in, we dropped a pin on the exact location on a Google Map so the plumber wouldn't have to spend time searching for it. 

We were told that the municipal plumbers had a lot of calls to make so we offered to hire a private plumber. No, we were told, it would have to be prepared by the municipality.

No the repairs hadn't been made - we sent this photo

Next morning we received an email saying the plumber had made the repair and asking if we had water. 

No, we didn't have water. And no repairs had been made.

These two pipes still need to be connected, we wrote

We took photos showing water still flowing out of an unattached pipe and of the two disconnected hoses.  We sent them to City Hall. 

Next morning we called the nice human who spoke English.  Yes, he said, he'd seen the two photos we sent (the two appearing above).

Then he told us in English that the plumber had repaired the pipe and that we should check our meter because it might be leaking. . .

It wasn't paradise - was it  a remake of the movie, 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'?

We've got water again at our house!

That was when we hired a plumber. He came out and in less than a half hour made the repair pictured above, restoring water to our house.  

More Expat Tales

Our stormy weather continues as we await spring in the Peloponnese.  It is a good reminder for us to enjoy those good days when they finally return.  We appreciate the time you've read this tale of sometimes Paradise Lost, expat version.

And among the speakers are. . .

The Scout and I will be speaking about our expat life during a 'Greece Online Workshop' February 19th, sponsored by the Live and Invest Overseas organization.  Practical advice will be provided by a number of professionals including a Greek attorney and a real estate representative.  

I know a number of you are considering expat life in Greece and you may find this event to be of interest.  For a complete rundown of the details, click the link above.  

And a big Thanks to those who've subscribed to receive my Substack articles (Jackie Humphries Smith) as well as continuing to read my occasional postings here!  Until the next time, safe travels to you all ~

A Toast to Travels and A New Year!

 When last I wrote here I said our bags were packed and we were off on an adventure that would take us out of our comfort zones to new countries and into new cultures as we sailed from Cape Town, South Africa to Singapore. 

 

Setting sail from Cape Town, South Africa

We did just that with some 500 fellow cruisers in December as we crossed the Indian Ocean aboard Oceania's Sirena ship.  

Cruise port Maputo, Mozambique

The cruise line had been up front about some of the places we would visit. Among the things they advised:        

Some of our ports of call were in developing countries, not well established for tourism. We'd visit places where English was the third or fourth language, where there were no formal qualifications for local guides and restrooms and guest services might be in short supply.

Crossing the Indian Ocean in December

Some shore excursions would be done in convoy, they said, with buses all leaving and returning at the same time. (We didn't have that experience anywhere, but we took few of the ship's excursions.)  Buses in many cases were not new, and road conditions in places were somewhat, shall we say, minimal.  But after all, they are still developing countries.

From the ship in Columbo, Sri Lanka

Other stops were in popular tourist destinations like Mauritius and Phuket, Thailand that offered gorgeous beaches and ports of call designed for tourists.  We shared dock space with freighters in most of the places we visited but then we like the hustle and bustle of the shipping industries so that was an added bonus to our way of thinking.

It took a dozen sea days to complete the journey. It took three days alone to travel from Maputo, Mozambique (on the African continent to Reunion Island to the east of Madagascar). Another four days were required to travel between Mauritius and the Maldives.  We'd underestimated the vastness of the Indian Ocean.

Our ship off shore on tender day - Maldives

I did write dispatches from the Indian Ocean on Substack, the writing platform where I write as Jackie Humphries Smith @TravelnWrite. I mentioned my move to it in the last blog post.  And I thank those of you who've already subscribed to receive those articles.  (It is free, arrives in email format, just like this one, so hope to see more of you there). 

Street scene Male, Maldives

Just a bit of a reminder here for my subscribers (current and future): Google Blogger, the platform this is written on was sold to another company.  Mailchimp the platform that sends these posts to you is also changing in a few months. I will gradually be moving from here to the Substack platform and if you want to keep reading of our travels and expat adventures and misadventures, please do sign up there using the link above.

I will be writing more there about our Indian Ocean 'cruise of discovery'. I named it that about halfway through the cruise when we realized that not only were we discovering new places, but also learning a bit about ourselves as travelers 

Waves wetting our sixth floor cabin balcony

One of the first things that became clear about us was that we tired quickly of the sea days. And that was a surprise because sea days used to be a favorite of mine. These Indian Ocean sea days were rough, literally, rough. The kind of days you braced in the shower so that you didn't topple out and you staggered down the hallways.  Some days outer decks and pool areas were closed because of the wave action and the wind gusts ('mild gale' means just that we learned).  A larger ship would have offered more indoor activity space which we could have used to while away the hours.

Hambantota, Sri Lanka

Three of 11 ports of call were missed.  The sea was so rough in Mossel Bay, South Africa that the captain dropped anchor, set out the tenders we'd use to get to shore and two hours later pulled up the anchor having determined it unsafe to try and use them.  In Maputo, Mozambique we stayed on board for not having gotten a Yellow Fever vaccination (more on that and travel vaccinations in a later post). Galle, Sri Lanka, a UNESCO cultural and historic stop was switched for Hambantota (Where? you ask. So did we! I'll be writing about that visit on Substack.)

Tender to shore in Male, Maldives

We wouldn't call this trip a magical journey - yes, I know I am famous for labeling places and travels as being magical. This trip didn't make the cut.  BUT as with each of our trips we are certainly glad we went.  We saw some amazing places and other places we don't feel the need to visit again. Traveling by ship got us to those places without the fuss, muss and cost of traveling by airplane. We met some wonderful people on board our ship and some pretty amazing ones as well.  I will be telling you about them on Substack!

Touring by tuk-tuk in Sri Lanka

Thanks for being with us again today.  We wish you a Happy New Year and Happy Travels. (And while you are traveling, head over to Substack and sign up for Jackie Humphries Smith @Travelnwrite! )

Bags are Packed Are we Ready to Go?

 Our 'big' trip begins soon.  

A stop in Thailand on a cruise several years ago

And frankly it has been so long since we've undertaken such an adventure, that despite the bags being packed and pet care arranged, I keep wondering if we are really ready to go.  I am blaming this antsy feeling on our two-year Covid travel hiatus. Or maybe it was being confined to Greece during the long wait for our residency permits? 

Or could it be that I've forgotten how to recognize the nervous excitement of heading out into the unknown?

I love arrivals and departures at new ports of call

I've gotten out of the swing of living out of a suitcase and traveling to new destinations. Our travels in recent years have been primarily back to the States or countries only a few hours away from Greece. 

Just getting to the place from where our cruise will depart requires a 14-hour flight: four to Doha, and the following day 10 hours to Cape Town.  Yet, after that long flight, the crazy thing is that Cape Town is in the same time zone we are here in our expat home in Greece.

But once we set sail and start crossing the Indian Ocean to Singapore, we'll not only cross the equator a couple of times, but we'll change time zones. Another crazy realization is that it is only six times zones between South Africa and Singapore.  

Route map for the trip

Our Pacific Northwest home is further away from Greece than Singapore is from Cape Town. Yet they are some 5,000 nautical miles apart. 

Oceania Sirena

We will be aboard Oceania's Sirena for 24 nights on this cruise named the 'Indian Ocean Opus'. Sirena, considered mid-sized in today's cruising world, accommodates 670 passengers (double occupancy) and 400 crew members.  On sea days - those wonderful lazy days between ports of call --we'll be able to work out in a gym, read books from a library, attend lectures, classes and presentations and gamble in a casino, or watch a live show in the theatre. 

Our meal in Red Ginger on a sister-ship, 2023

We'll have a choice of any number of restaurants including specialty restaurants, Red Ginger (Asian) and Tuscan Steakhouse (Italian and steak) at no extra cost. No longer are there expectations to wear tuxedos and sequins and stilettos on fancy nights, the ship is simply 'resort casual' which does make packing a whole lot easier.

And these days we should even have good internet access as the ship now uses Starlink.

Oh, the places you will go

Several of the ports of call are in countries that I never dreamt I'd ever visit, among them: South Africa, Mozambique, Reunion Island, Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We'll also be revisiting some of our favorite places in Thailand and Malaysia.  

A Scene Phuket Town, a decade ago on another cruise stop

Forty-three years ago, we celebrated Christmas in Phuket, Thailand; back then, not quite the tourist destination it is now. It was one of the most memorable we've celebrated together.  I still laugh at the memory of a skinny Santa Claus who looked to be about 20 years old and who struggled with his cotton beard as he tossed candy canes into the crowd.  I'd have never imagined then that we'd be back so many decades later at Christmas.  

Are We Ready? that is the question

The bags are packed - actually quite lightly for as long as we'll be gone. Our philosophy is that fashion must give way to leaving room for 'finds' along the way. 

Actual pirate drill on the Red Sea

We've notified friends and family of our travel dates, hotel stays, and cruise routing.  We've jokingly told them if we are captured by pirates, to simply send money.  (Joking aside we realize parts of the Indian Ocean is notorious for its pirate activity. We were once on a cruise that had required pirate drills so would not be surprised to have one on this cruise.  And, frankly, 'at our ages' we know that it is wise to let those close to us know where we plan to be just in case, we find ourselves having more adventure than we planned.)  

At least a couple head scratches a day for Princess

We have a Trusted Housesitter, a person we've met on previous sits in the area, arriving the day before we leave and he will be in charge of serving our Princess while her regular staff are on vacation. 

The requirements for entry and exit visas and vaccinations have been checked for each destination - thanks to regular communication from the cruise line in the last half year since we booked this cruise.

A smattering of currencies collected on past trips have been tucked away in our hand carry luggage. Passports and residency permits are tucked in as well. 

Cruising to a new adventure

We'll soon be off and the one thing we didn't check until too late was our Surface, our travel computer. It works, but its external keyboard doesn't. (as I said, it has been a while since we traveled). I am not a fan of writing on a mobile devices so you'll likely not be hearing from us unless you are a FB friend or follower of our TravelnWrite page there, or if you signed up to follow me as Jackie Humphries Smith on Substack. I'll be posting photos and brief updates on those sites. 

My mantra as the trip nears is, 'IF all goes as planned'. 

So, 'if all goes as planned, I'll be back at this computer by the end of the year. Until then. . .

Our wishes for a happy holiday and safe travels to you and yours!