Ron & Mary's Grand Odyssey From Rome to Cape Town Live
Award-winning travel journalists Ron and Mary James invite you to join their incredible three-month journey from Rome to Capetown! Explore ancient wonders, sail the seas aboard the Azamara Quest, and indulge in the South African Winelands. This grand voyage includes 40+ ports, a Venetian interlude, and a Christmas celebration unlike any other. Daily updates will transport you to this adventure – grab your virtual passport and come along!
Countdown to Ron & Mary's Great Rome to Cape Town Adventure
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
A Day in The Gambia: Sacred Groves, Crocodile Pools, and Playful Monkeys
The sun rose over the Gambian coastline, casting a reddish-golden glow across the bustling port of Banjul. We exited the ship into the already steamy morning and boarded the shore excursion bus that would transport us through the smallest country on mainland Africa. A...
Discovering Maltese Heritage in Every Sip: Wine Tasting at Ta’ Betta Wine Estates
The last part of our Malta tour was a wine tasting at a local winery. Ta’ Betta Wine Estates was unlike any we’ve encountered. It began with three of the friendliest winery dogs greeting our group at the entrance, where city views peeked over the top of...
Exploring Malta’s Timeless Charm: Mdina’s Silent Streets and Valletta’s Majestic Coastline
Malta has always been one of our favorite Mediterranean ports, offering everything a traveler could ask for—fair weather, dramatic ancient architecture, fantastic food, and a fascinating history. Just sailing in and out of Valletta is an experience in itself, with...
Exploring Contrasts in Corfu and Argostoli: Highlights from Greece’s Ionian Islands
Shared with Public We’re enjoying our first and last sea day on this leg of the cruise, as we sail toward the tip of Italy’s boot and on to Sicily on the smooth Ionian Sea. Our recent stops at Corfu and Argostoli highlighted contrasts and similarities among Greek...
Kotor and Our Lady of the Rocks
Our latest visit to Kotor featured a shore excursion that blended luxury, history, and local charm. We skipped the old town in favor of exploring Porto and Perast, Montenegro, taking in the beauty of Our Lady of the Rocks, and soaking up the stories of the long bay....
Greetings from Dubrovnik, Croatia
“Greetings from beautiful Dubrovnik! It is a cool, sunny day, much better weather than our previous visit during last August’s sweltering heat and overwhelming crowds. While still busy today, it was not nearly as packed as during summer’s prime travel...
A Fun Night at the Stud Farm
We had a truly an Az-amazing Evening at the Lipica Stud Farm in Slovenia! Having toured the farm on a previous visit, this time we were excited to see the famed white horses perform. Events like this, arranged at no extra cost to passengers and designed to immerse...
A Lovely Day in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Our first port on our Azamara grand voyage was Koper, Slovenia. We had already been wowed by Slovenia’s people, beautifully preserved towns, and natural beauty during an extensive tour in 2017. (Our cover story on our experiences can be accessed with this link....
Travel Gods Weren’t Smiling
It’s been a crazy couple of days since we left Rome, but we finally made it to our ship, our home for the next 62 days. I won’t go into details of the challenges we faced, starting with a sudden change in embarkation ports. No matter how experienced you...
Great Roman Dining: With a Little Help From My Friends
We have many ways to choose restaurants when we travel. Typically, we rely on YouTube, TripAdvisor, and Google Maps for ratings, menu info, hours, and more. Once you learn how to sift through these sources—separating the wheat from the chaff—you can feel confident...
WINE TIME WITH TOM GABLE
Since starting to write about wine in the 1970s as a financial journalist covering the evolution of the California wine industry, as a syndicated weekly wine columnist, and then continuing as a freelancer when I switched to the PR profession, I’ve always searched for...
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Ron & Mary’s Ultimate Granada Tapas Crawl
Free tapas – yes, free! It’s a hallmark of the Granada food scene. While the tradition of a free tapa (small bite) served with drinks is rare in most of Spain, Granada honors it with style and gusto. Tapas in Granada is a social event that locals refer to as...
A TAPAS DANCE: WALKING IN ANTHONY BOURDAIN’S FOOTSTEPS
Saint Anthony Bourdain inspired our whirlwind of eating and drinking in Granada for several days during our stay. We were determined to walk in his footsteps. The late great chef provocateur filmed an episode of “Parts Unknown” here in 2013 featuring five tapas bars....
Basque Country Bliss: San Sebastian
Unveiling San Sebastian’s Culinary Coast and Cultural Charm San Sebastian, Spain is a Basque jewel nestled on the country’s rugged northern coast. This city, proudly called Donostia by locals, transcends the typical Spanish experience. It’s a city of many...
Discovering 10 Affordable Restaurants in Rome Loved by Locals
When in Rome, dining like a local is one of the most authentic ways to experience the city’s rich culinary heritage. Thankfully, you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy some of the best dishes in town. From hidden trattorias to bustling street food joints,...
WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINES
CLICK ON ANY COVER TO READ THE MAGAZINE
WDT Multimedia Magazines
BUY THE PRINT VERSION BELOW FROM OUR PARTNER MAGCLOUD
OUR CURRENT EDITION
Tapas, tapas, and more tapas! Discover the secrets of Spanish cuisine in our latest 236 page issue of Wine Dine & Travel Magazine. Plus, explore the world with our talented travel writers –and it’s free!
Wine Dine & Travel Videos
RON & MARY’S EDITOR’S NOTES
WDT BLOG: RON & MARY'S LATEST ADVENTURES
SAN SEBASTIAN SPAIN
MADRID SPAIN
GRANADA SPAIN
Our Last Lunch in San Sebastian: Geralds Bar
Our last wonderful lunch in San Sebastian was at Geralds Bar, the same friendly place where we enjoyed our first meal on this visit. As much as we love pintxos bars and fine Basque restaurants, sometimes we need a break. Geralds offers just that — delicious...
Basque Country Bliss: San Sebastian
Unveiling San Sebastian’s Culinary Coast and Cultural Charm San Sebastian, Spain is a Basque jewel nestled on the country’s rugged northern coast. This city, proudly called Donostia by locals, transcends the typical Spanish experience. It’s a city of many...
Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid
It’s warming up in Madrid – high 80s, low 90s. So we search for interesting things to do that get us out of the sun. A little later today we will visit the nearby Madrid Archaeological Museum. A few days ago, we escaped into the 20-acre oasis that is the...
Almost Homeless in Madrid
Almost homeless in Madrid. When we last posted, we happily boasted about our travel day from San Sebastian to the Spanish capital. No problem storing our bags, an on-time train, and a comfortable ride in first class. The travel gods were smiling. We should have known...
The Magnificent Alhambra
Yesterday, Mary and I made our third pilgrimage to The Alhambra, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, looming over the ancient city of Granada. It is a stunning example of Islamic architecture and a symbol of Moorish power and the shifting tides of Christian rule in Spain....
TAPAS WITH ANTHONY BOURDAIN
“𝑨𝒉, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒂. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒙, 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍.” ~𝑨𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒏 Saint Anthony Bourdain inspired our whirlwind of eating and drinking in Granada last week. We were determined...