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...

Dakar, Senegal Our shore excursion yesterday was a powerful reminder not to judge a destination by first impressions. As I did in an earlier post. Viewed from the ship, Dakar might seem unremarkable, with its low skyline and utilitarian port. However, the city...

Today, we’re in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, marking the halfway point of our incredible Grand Voyage, which began 31 days ago in Venice and will conclude in Cape Town on December 20. The journey so far has been nothing short of extraordinary! We’ve visited 28...

Ah, the French Riviera – a sun-drenched escape for the rich and famous, from Zelda and Scott (Fitzgerald) to Jeff ( Bezos) and Leo (DiCaprio). For us, though, the Riviera is memories of crawling traffic and impossible parking on a very crowded summer day years...

For over a decade, Mary and I have watched Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia climb ever higher, gradually dominating Barcelona’s skyline. The exterior of this towering marvel—a fantasy sand sculpture of spires, statues, and stained glass—is enchanting in its own right, yet...

It may be my last visit to Florence, Italy. The city was so crowded that it took a lot of the joy out of walking through its historical streets. Fortunately, our tour of the Ufitzi Galleries and an enjoyable lunch made the effort worthwhile. Just getting to Florence...

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...

  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...

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....

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...

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...

We enjoyed an informative and mouth-watering food tour yesterday, exploring the flavors of Rome’s Campo de’ Fiori, the Jewish Ghetto, and our very own neighborhood Trastevere. We haven’t been to the Italian capital in eight years, so a food tour was a...

We hadn’t even heard of Skara Brae before boarding our ship, so when it showed up on the itinerary, our curiosity wasn’t exactly piqued. It was one of those places you mentally shrug at, thinking it’s just another historical site. But the moment we set foot on the...

Who knew the Norwegian city of Bergen would make our favorite city list? It was completely off our travelers’ radar until we befriended Bergen natives Knut and Johanna Kristiansen on a cruise through the Suez Canal a few years back. They extolled the virtues of their...

One of the great attractions for us in Spain, and in Madrid specifically, is the cuisine. And any chance we get, we aim for hands-on experience to cook classic Spanish dishes. Luckily, Devour Tours offers cooking classes in Madrid. We’ve taken Devour’s tours and...

By Tom Gable Some wine drinkers dismiss Rosé as a sugary pop with few redeeming qualities and meant only for Spring and Summer quaffing. However, its increased popularity with foodies over the past few years has encouraged producers worldwide to offer a wider array of...

A tale of tapas in San Sebastian, Granada, and Madrid. Tapas, small plates of deliciousness, hold a prized place in the hearts and stomachs of Spaniards and lovers of Spanish cuisine worldwide. Tapas are more than just a bite to eat. They are an experience – a...

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. If anything, we were even more impressed this time as we learned new information about this sprawling complex and the people who lived there.

On Friday, we took a 35-minute train ride from Madrid to the ancient city of Toledo. Toledo's rich 2000-year history, narrow medieval streets, and eclectic architecture left us amazed when we visited a few years ago. It was a Roman colony, Visigothic and Islamic Al-Andalus capital, and later, Castile's political and military center. It was an amazingly tolerant place where Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures flourished together.

Saint Anthony Bourdain inspired our whirlwind of eating and drinking in Granada last week. We were determined to walk in his footsteps. The late great chef provocateur filmed an episode of “Parts Unknown” in 2013 featuring five tapas bars here. We planned to check out the same ones. But not all in one night, as Boudain and pals did. And not eating exactly everything he did. We're no match for his try-anything appetite, stamina, or even his biting, irreverent prose. Who is?

We usually focus on food and drink when we do a restaurant post. This one isn’t necessarily about food, although it was outstanding. This is about restaurant employees who go above and beyond good table service. Mary had a craving for paella, and we found a...

Most food lovers who pintxo crawl through San Sebastian’s old town are more than satisfied sampling these legendary Basque bites. Among them, though, are a passionate few who want to take their experience to the next level – that is, learning how to cook pintxos...

A great food tour is a far cry from just eating and drinking. Food is intertwined with history and culture, so you won’t know Madrid, or any other destination, without knowing its food. Our guides were insiders who had a passion not only for food and drink but also for the history and lore of the place they call home. At each stop, they shared stories a casual diner would miss if wandering on their own. Like the nondescript door where nuns answer a bell and sell homemade cookies. Or the tapas bar Hemingway frequented. Or the reason squid sandwiches are a Madrid favorite. The following are some highlights of our most excellent Devour Tours in Madrid.

More than 300 wineries thrive here in the moderate Mediterranean climate cooled by breezes from the Atlantic and Indian oceans, but they aren’t lined up, Napa Valley-like, on the main roads, preserving an appealing farm-country vibe. Our arrival in February coincided with harvest - and some of the area’s warmest weather. From our first base, the charming Plumwood Inn, we would explore Franschhoek and neighboring Stellenbosch, historic small towns considered by many to be South Africa’s wine and culinary capitals.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY WIBKE CARTER “The mountains are calling and I must go” is what is written on a sign in the lounge of my accommodation in the SalzburgerLand, and what a calling it is for the people who live in the mountainous region of this part of...

Grand Teton National Park is more accessible than Yellowstone, and even a little warmer, but winter shuts down many of the park’s roads. Temperatures hovered around 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit under a brilliant blue sky during our three-day stay, maybe breaking into the low 20s on one afternoon. That is perfect ski weather, but we weren’t there to ski. We were there to take in the Grand Tetons and see wildlife.

Often called the "Pearl of the Adriatic," Dubrovnik instantly transports you to a different era. Known to millions as King's Landing from the popular TV series “Game of Thrones,” this Croatian city crowned with distinctive red-tiled roofs is a lively living museum. Each step within the historic walls of Old Town brings you in touch with the city’s rich history and cultural heritage.