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!

  

 

In the Blink of an Eye

 'We've got all the time in the world!' was The Scout's mantra after we closed the door to our workaday world; now, nearly half a lifetime ago. Travel beckoned. So many places to explore and we had years ahead of us in which we could accomplish the task. 

Yes, we had all the time in the world.

All the time in the world

Yet, in the blink of an eye, the stack of filled travel journals has grown; the years and decades filled with travel adventures have flown.  I can't recall the last time he used that phrase.

Living on Borrowed Time

Sunset clouds Manson, Washington

Our activities while in the States included The Scout's high school reunion. It was there that I heard him remark, 'We are all living on borrowed time, aren't we?' His comment was in response to the news that, yet another longtime friend had passed. Within the span of a few weeks this summer, we've quite suddenly lost three good friends. Each was a well-traveled, active 70-something, seemingly healthy person who had suffered a fatal heart attack.  

Sunset in the Mani, Greek Peloponnese

Living on borrowed time. Is that the new mantra? I actually spent a few sleepless nights pondering that thought and others: Were we too old to travel? Had we become too old for our expat way of life?  How old are we anyway??  

So, what is 'borrowed time' anyway?  Its definition is 'to exist or function longer than the expected; death or failure has been postponed not prevented.'  

Are we living on it? Statistically speaking, The Scout wasn't that far off base.  

In 2025 the average life expectancy in the United States is 79.4 years, up 0.18% from last year.  Males come in lower at 75.8 years and females, slightly better at 81.1 years. We are both in our 70's.

Our Greek village, Agios Nikolaos, Peloponnese

I then checked life expectancy in Greece, hoping this Mediterranean diet and lifestyle might give us an edge. And it does. . .a bit! The average life expectancy back in 2023 (the latest data I could find) was 81.5 years.  Men fared better at 81.9 years and women at 85.2 years.

The Third Phase/Third Act

The 70-somethings in Cambodia

As you might have surmised by now, none of that was very uplifting. So, I took a more philosophical look at where we are; a place some refer to as the Third Phase of Life. It is defined as the time between leaving the working life and before advanced old age. It is a time for pursuing hobbies, traveling and spending time with friends and family.  Now, that was a bit better way of looking at it. 

Then I found an article that completely pulled me out of the blue funk my research had put me in:

70-something American expats in Greece

In Psychology Today I found this age referred to as the Third Act in the Theatre of Life. With fewer life minutes in front of us than behind, it is a time of intentional and joyful living. A time of gratitude, joy and acceptance. Insights deepen. It's a time filled with opportunities to thrive and flourish.

And the article concluded, 'It is where the richness of the life story lies.'  

How about that as a counter to 'borrowed time'?!

In the Blink of an Eye

In the blink of an eye, we've reached an age where we don't have all the time in the world anymore.  With fewer days ahead, we'd better be making the most of them.

Ready. Set. Pack and Go.

We'd been planning to step up the travel anyway after obtaining our Greek residency permits last July. We've outfitted ourselves with new - tiny - backpacks that comply with some of the low-cost European airlines' (Ryan Air and Easy Jet) carryon requirements. We'll be using those airlines and backpacks once our Kalamata airport reopens for the 2026 travel season. There's a lot of Europe still to be explored. 

Alaska Airlines goes international with new livery

We rejoiced at the recent announcements from our old favorite US regional airline, Alaska Airlines, that it is going international in 2026 with direct flights between Seattle and Rome and Seattle and London.  We will have new options for returning to the States. . . hopefully for a few more years yet!

Oceania's 'Indian Ocean Opus' is coming up 

We've given ourselves permission to splurge a bit on travel if it means getting to places we might otherwise never see. And we did just that on a cruise that will take us from Cape Town, South Africa to Singapore.  We will spend the month of December on board the Oceania Sirena visiting ports of call that we've only dreamed of:  Reunion Island, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, among them. 

I'll add that with a nod to 'borrowed time', we are this time buying travel insurance for the cruise. . .a sure sign that our travel mantra has changed.

Dame Patricia Routledge

It's taken some time to write this one and while I've been drafting and rewriting, it happened that a beloved English actress and singer, Dame Patricia Routledge, passed away at age 96. In an interview she gave at age 95 she recounted that many things she'd tackled in her later years, learning a foreign language, pursuing painting and other such endeavors among them.

And in the blink of an eye, she nailed it when she said, 'Growing older isn't a final act - it can be life's most exquisite chapter if you allow yourself to bloom once more.'

With that, I will close for this time around and as always thanks for the time you spent with us today. Happy and safe travels to you and yours.  

The Tastes of Travel

'Do they like Greek food?' I asked her, as she was pondering a trip -- with two teenagers in tow -to visit us.  Admitting that she wasn't sure, she added, 'well, your village has a Burger King, doesn't it?' 

No Burger Kings here - thankfully!

Absolutely, not! I replied, perhaps a bit too emphatically.  No Burger King! No McDonalds! No KFC! No, there is nothing with the ring of U.S. chain fast food or drink within 150 miles of us!  

Pork gyro - Greek 'fast food'

And we hope that it stays that way!  

Hamburger and chips - Greek style

You can get a burger and fries here in Agios Nikolaos, or our neighboring villages and Kalamata, but the U.S. teens wouldn't recognize them as the same food they consume from a ubiquitous fast-food drive in. Here the burger is a thick patty of ground beef, and the potatoes are not frozen but fresh cut slices; not called 'fries' but 'chips' (which we Yanks attribute to the British influence). I might add that here 'chips', as in our U.S. vernacular, 'potato chips' are 'crisps.'

We have pizza and Italian cafes in the villages, but again, it isn't what the teens would recognize as a 'U.S. pizza'.

'

A Greek-style 'Greek salad' aka horiatiki salad here

In the late spring, summer and early fall we have so many Greek taverna and restaurant options that we often don't get to them all in a given season.  And when we have visitors from the States, we take them to as many eateries as we can fit in during their stay so that they can have a taste of Greece.

Pork chop - Greek style

Several tavernas, cafes and eateries close for the winter, but there are always enough remaining open to keep us supplied with souvlakis, pitas, or multi-course Greek meals.  We do love Greek food!  But sometimes we are hit with a difficult to explain, 'culinary wanderlust', which leaves us dreaming about foods such as sushi, paella, grilled salmon, nachos with guacamole. . .all the things we don't have nearby. 

This year, after a nine-month stretch of no travel outside the village, we began fantasizing about our favorite non-Greek flavors and I can honestly say that as result of that, 'eating' played a big role in selecting the cruise we recently took.

The Tastes of Travel

Admittedly, in large cities throughout Europe, including Athens, one can find a vast array of cuisines from around the world. In fact, we've even found a small Hawaiian poke joint not far from Athens Syntagma Square. 

So, it was with a self-confessed foodaholic enthusiasm that we awaited what I now think of as our floating food fest, the cruise that in April took us to Italy, France, Spain and Malta. We were ready for the tastes of travel.

The Wine Experience was a great experience

Our eat-a-thon began in Rome's port town, Civitavecchia. We adore this history-laden town and prefer staying here instead of Rome prior to a cruise. The location of our hotel put us an easy walk from several wine bars. We chose the 'Wine Experience'. And what an experience it was! The small plates - bread, tomatoes, meats, cheeses, potatoes - selected by the owner to pair with the red wine we were quaffing just kept coming until we finally had to declare, Basta! (enough!). 

A berry good breakfast

You might be surprised at how common place are many of the foods for which we were lusting.  This photo represents my favorite breakfast on the ship. Fresh berries. Bowls of fresh berries!  A bit of Muesli, with a serving of strawberries and one of blueberries or blackberries was enough to brighten the start of each day.  Strawberries can be had in our area of Greece, but the season is short. Blueberries, when you can find them, are like buying gold nuggets. Blackberries are simply in scant supply. 

Steak and lobster a standard menu item -eating it on the fantail

We don't eat much Greek beef unless it is served in a slow-cooked stifado (stew) type dish. Greek beef is lean, very lean, and steaks are definitely not the Argentine or USDA type.  So, to see steak on the menu each night of the cruise was sheer delight. 

Asian specialties in the ship's Red Ginger restaurant

However, with so many cuisines to try we found ourselves eating a world of flavors that included. . .Thai satay with peanut sauce, spring rolls, sushi and sashimi. . .

Spanish tapas were temptations on shore and ship

. . .and the Spanish tapas. . .both on shore and on the ship, as we couldn't resist.

Spain's Iberico ham was sliced and sold in cones along with Manchego cheese

We felt like kids in a candy store visiting the public/municipal markets in the port cities we visited. Each offered so many temptations that it was impossible to try them all.

Civitavecchia 'market day' is every day

 And then there were the stops for cappuccinos when we simply couldn't eat anymore. There is no better way to spend a bit of time in a new city than to sip a coffee and people-watch.  One of our favorite memories stems from when we hopped a train to Nice, France and arrived too early to indulge in a Salad Nicoise as planned, so we sipped a coffee and enjoyed a Sunday morning stop at a French brasserie. 

A brasserie for a taste of France

It also seemed that temptations were tucked into window displays everywhere these two foodies looked.  While in Arles, France I found this delightful looking chocolate cat. . .it could have been mine for a mere 42 euros! But it was so cute I'd have never eaten it nor at the price would I have bought it.

French chocolate cat sat in a window display

Our cruise ended in Malta, where we spent a night before flying back to Athens. Our final food fest fling was in an Italian restaurant. The island country of Malta is less than an hour by ferry from Sicily and the Italian influence on its gastronomy is evident. Mama Mia! What a pizza we had. . .but the waiter was disappointed as he couldn't understand how we could eat only half a pizza. Here people ordered whole pizzas for themselves. 

Mama Mia what a pizza!

Our taste buds were satiated. Our travel itch had been calmed by all the new sights we'd seen. Our cravings for food favorites had been curbed. New culinary discoveries had been consumed. It was a great trip!

We've been back a few weeks and found ourselves eager to introduce our recent houseguests to the flavors of Greece again. 

Greek meze plates - an array of tastes

How about you? Do you travel seeking to try new cuisine or do you search for your old favorites? Tell us about it in an email or the comments!   Bon Appetit and Kali Orexi, until the next time. . .

Both The Journey and the Destination

When it comes to cruising, it is as much about the journey as it is about the destinations. 

Approaching Ibiza

I was reminded of that on our recent western Mediterranean cruise as we sipped room-service-delivered, piping hot coffee each morning on the balcony of our cabin watching some new port of call come into view. 

Morning coffee brought to our room at no extra charge 

Those coffee deliveries rank high on my 'feeling pampered' list and are among the reasons I so like cruising. But I am usually so focused on the vastly differing destinations that we are heading to -- both new and old favorites -- that my tales focus on them and not the ship that gets us to them. Yet, with cruising, the ship and its amenities are as important as those ports of call. 

Onboard the Oceania Vista

Our Mediterranean cruise was a rather last-minute travel idea for us. We decided to take it only three weeks before the sailing. We can do that because among the pluses of expat life is the ease of getting to other European countries.  Getting from Athens to Civitavecchia, Italy from where the ship departed was a three-hour journey; two for the flight and an hour for the shuttle from the Rome airport.

We chose this cruise because it would take us to four countries in 10 days, giving us an introduction to some new places and a refresher course of others. We'd not have more than a day in any one place, but long enough to get a feel for it and decide if we would one day return for a longer stay. 

Oceania's Vista, our ship, barely a year old

Oceania's Vista ship, barely a year old, was repositioning back to the Mediterranean for its summer season from the Caribbean where it had sailed last winter. It is one of the larger ships in Oceania's fleet, accommodating1,200 passengers and a staff of 800 who hailed from 51 countries.

We selected the 10-day segment based on the ports of call, price and our previous experiences with the cruise line. Oceania and its new ship didn't disappoint. Our standard class stateroom was simply spacious. Suitcases were stored under the bed after clothes were put in the large closet and the room's many drawers. Another plus for cruising is that we unpack once. No hauling suitcases from city to city, through airports and train stations.  

Our floating home for 10 days

Its bathroom was as large as that of a luxury hotel and the shower was so large that it could have accommodated several people.

Our cruise was a segment of the longer repositioning cruise that had started in Miami, Florida. It ultimately ended in Trieste, Italy, several days after we departed the ship in Malta.  Many of our fellow cruisers had been on the ship since it left the United States and stayed on until Italy.

With nearly a week of sea days spent crossing the Atlantic, those cruisers had time to take advantage of the educational and enrichment activities on board: among them, brushing up on computer skills or creating art in a dedicated studio staffed by two Artists in Residence. Several took advantage of the large culinary arts center where one could sharpen culinary skills under the guidance of the chef. 

With a port of call each day we had no time to indulge in any enrichment pursuits on board. We had plenty of culture and history indoctrination with our explorations.

Entertainment options included performances by a string quartets, singers and pianists. Shows took place each night in the ship's theatre, lectures on ports of call were held, and late-night dancing and music was regularly offered. A casino opened for gaming as soon as the ship entered international waters. 

Sun seekers at pool side

For the sun seekers there was a pool, and hot tubs, running track, a putting green, and a popular bocce ball court.  

One of three rooms that make up the ship's library

One of the most impressive amenities (especially for us, who live in an area without English language bookstores or libraries) was the ship's expansive, three-room library located next to Barista's specialty coffee shop. It was one of the most beautiful -- and well stocked -- libraries that we've ever seen on a cruise ship.

Medical center on board - well equipped and staffed

Of course, since it played prominently in our cruise experience (see my last post), I must note, the ship also has a well-equipped and staffed medical center. While one never expects to need it, it was great having it there when we did. (Medical care is not provided without cost. A visit to the doctor was $150US, medicine an additional $30US.)

Formal dining room is but one of many dining options

'Wining and Dining' is always a highpoint of cruising for us, and we had more options than we knew what to do with on this ship.  

Sail away happy hour Livorno Italy

Specialty restaurants including a steakhouse, Asian and Italian, were available at no extra charge (other cruise lines do charge for the specialty offerings). The days of dressing up and heading to a big stuffy cavernous dining room are over on this cruise line.  We could choose when and where we ate, whether to join others or to eat by ourselves. Casual dining or formal dress was up to us.

The ship offered a 2-for-1 Happy Hour each evening in several of its lounges and bars that brought the per glass price of drinks down to a reasonable rate ($14 to $15 was the average per glass rate for wine on board). 

Morning in Malta

Cruising isn't for everyone. And it is good we don't all like the same modes of travel. But for us, it is an easy and cost-effective means of having an introduction to places that would require a lot of time, effort and planning to get to otherwise.  Sometimes, as in this case, it was a quick but comprehensive get-away.

Thanks for being with us again.  We hope wherever and however you are traveling this spring and summer that you will have smooth sailing ~ and that you'll be back with us again when I write about the need for the tastes of travel~