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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Feb 20, 2025 12:00 AM Guadeloupe - in the warm rain...
I have been here many times but is was never raining. We went ashore at 10 am, but half an hour later it was raining cats and dogs. - Be patient! - say local Afroamericans...
Aftr an hour the sun returned - we were strolling the narrow streets of old part of Pointe a Pitre full of little shops and murals. Covered market was full of product and there were color fish on the fish market where they sell also whistling shells. Nor far from this pier there is eastern bus terminus.
We boarded there a bus to Sainte Anne. Sainte Anne has opinion to have the best beach on the southern coast of Guadeloupe. Driver collected 3 euro in cash for the ride but didn't give the ticket.
The bus was broken in the middle of the route and we were waiting to board the next one.
Sainte Anne Beach is really nice with white sand and palm trees.
Before return we enjoyed the street manifestation of local school with costumes, dances and steel drums. Lovely, but hot, wet and little tiring day!
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Feb 19, 2025 12:00 AM Champagne Reef. Dominica
In the morning we docked in the only port of lush green Dominica island. Warm rain... But our plan was to go to the Champagne Beach - some 7 kms east so my grandson can try snorkeling there. The name of the place "champagne" comes from the bubbling water in this place (Dominica is a volcanic island). There are corals, color fish and turtles... To save money (the tour from the ship costs 60 USD) we went out of the city of Roseau and started to stop microbuses - they act as public buses here - the fare is 3 Caribbean Dollars per ride. Soon we were in the junk vehicle headind uphill and downhill. The last stop was in the village on the coast. From here we walked around 1 km to the black sand/stoney beach. They charge 2 USD for the entry to the reserve and 5 USD for the rental of mask and snorkel (and fins if you wish). It is worth! There are corals and turtles/fish underwater but you must swim from the beach in the direction of little rocky islets. We returned the same way in the afternoon...
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Feb 18, 2025 12:00 AM The palms and beaches of St Maarten
At 8 am we already docked in picturesque Philipsburg, in the Dutch part of the island. Breakfast with a nice view of the bay surrounded by green hills.. Caribbean! One hour later we disembarked and started the walk to the town. Palms, rododendron flowers... Nice promenade along the clean city beach. I decided to take my grandson to Maho beach - the rare place where landing planes are passing over the white sand. From my experience I knew that there is public bus heading there and it costs only 2 USD pp. That's whet we did! It is very nice spot. There is sunset bar on the other side of the beach with a monitor showing plane arrivals. People are waiting with the cameras.... They also swim in the crystal clear waters. Lovely place!
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Feb 18, 2025 12:00 AM The palms and beaches of St Maarten
At 8 am we already docked in picturesque Philipsburg, in the Dutch part of the island. Breakfast with a nice view of the bay surrounded by green hills.. Caribbean! One hour later we disembarked and started the walk to the town. Palms, rododendron flowers... Nice promenade along the clean city beach. I decided to take my grandson to Maho beach - the rare place where landing planes are passing over the white sand. From my experience I knew that there is public bus heading there and it costs only 2 USD pp. That's whet we did! It is very nice spot. There is sunset bar on the other side of the beach with a monitor showing plane arrivals. People are waiting with the cameras.... They also swim in the crystal clear waters. Lovely place!
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Feb 17, 2025 12:00 AM My 45th captain!
It was sunset yesterday when we boarded without any problems our ship in La Romana tiny port. A friend from the crew recognized me already on the gangway.
Today we have day at sea - sailing to St Maarten Island. Lovely sun, many attractions. I have been invited to the captain's cocktail. Italian captain Enzo de Nunzio was greeting us at the lounge door. I introduced myself, receiving congratulations for my travellers output. We took a souvenir picture...
In the evening there was fantastic gymnastics performance in the theater. They payed the live music in several different places. What else should I expect?
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Feb 16, 2025 12:00 AM On flight to America
Lovely, sunny day in Madrid. All Iberia flights are departing from new, huge terminal 4. Allow a lot of time to go there - you will use crowded shuttle train. We have 9 hours flight ahead. And in Santo Domingo 30 deg. Celsius!For some reason it was not Iberia plane put the airbus 320 of charter company Priviledge Style. Thr flight was full. They served 2 poor meals. For lunch there were choice of chicken and pasta. For me in in the last rows only pasta left: noodle and sauce. No bread... They offered cerveza and wine instead... One hour before landing we got one sandwich with drinks. After 5 hours time difference we landed in Santo Domingo just before 4 pm. But the ship is more than 100 kms away. How to get there?
Katiuska with Costs logo in hand was waiting at arrival hall for all inclusive guests. Yes, we have the space and we can take you for 24 euro! Good deal! Soon we were on the bus driving east along the blue Caribbean Sea!
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Feb 15, 2025 12:00 AM Madrid after years...
Our hostal is 800 m from the Madrid airport. Metro is the most convenient way to get to the center of the city, but they introduced 3 euro suplement for each ride between city and airport. I decided that the best solution will be tourist ticket - for 15 euro it gives one day unlimited travel on Madrid subway and buses (except airport express bus) no supplements. Since my grandson is a football fan we went first to see famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Self tour around costs 35 euro and the young man said that it is worth. Then we went to Plaza de Espana, Royal palace, cathedral, Plaza Mayor and other places. For me it was a chance to refresh old memories. We have been also in the Plaza de Toros where I was watching real corrida in 1971... We returned to the hostal after 7 hours in the city - tired but happy!
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Feb 14, 2025 12:00 AM Stressing start
KLM "royal airline" disappointed me. When I tried to check-in online 30 hours before the flight they informed. "You are checked in. But to get the seat and boarding pass you must report to the counter in the airport. It was snowing whe we were going to the airport by train. At the KLM counter they said "Oh, your are on standby only!" Why? My reservation is confirmed since 3 months! Finally we got boarding passes and last seats on the plane. The flight was 2o min delayed and before take of they sent us to spray against the ice because it was snowing again. I was stressed because we had only 40 min to change the plane in Amsterdam. It was a run from the plane to the bus and from the bus to gate C5 where they were boarding us as the last passengers. Ufff... During 2.5-hours flight to Madrid they served drinks (wine, beer) and sandwiches. When we landed I called early booked Hostal Vicky (800m from rhe airport and they arrived to pick us). It was midnight when we reached their pension. Welcome to Madrid!
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Feb 09, 2025 12:00 AM With my grandson Kuba!
In mid-February I set off once again to the hot and sunny Caribbean. This time not alone, but together with my grandson Kuba, who turns 18 in March. Kuba is interested in the world and travel. He has been with me to Mediterranean ports and Stockholm before, but never overseas... I managed to find a two-week cruise that fits in perfectly with his winter school vacations.
From Gdansk via Amsterdam we will fly to Madrid, where we will have two nights so that Kuba can also get to know this interesting city. Then Iberia airline will take us to Santo Domingo. By land we will reach the small port of La Romana, where a beautiful white ship will be waiting for us. We will spend two weeks on it, making two 7-day loops around the Caribbean and visiting islands and ports in the Dominican Republic. The routes of these two cruises are shown on the maps above.
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Jan 19, 2025 12:00 AM No snow in Gdansk, but cold...
Yesterday in the evening I landed on time after 4h 40 min flight in Larnaca, Cyprus.
They have imm control free channels for the people connecting. But on this path is extra security cintrol: they want you to drink your water before they allow you to go onward! Two hours later I was at the gate for the next wizz flight - to Gdansk. The old lady here was not so pleasant - for the first time in my travelling she took me to the "cage" to check the size of my backpack. Fortunatelu it was soft and squizable. He did not charge more money...
I landed in Gdansk after 3 h 40 min - just before midniht. No snow at all but cold. One more interesting voyage is completed!
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