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Foray into France: Part IV (Calvados, Monet and the beginning of the end)

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After the beaches and Normandy, it seemed that the main “draw” of the river cruise part had come to an end, but I was excited to still have two more days and new things to enjoy. After the World War II day, we didn’t get into our next port until after sunrise, but we would have a chance to sail again and explore two small villages that day.

I always like the days when you can just look out the window and see what’s up and coming with the day ahead.

On our original plans, we were to take a coach up to Chateau Gaillard, but due to some kind of car show/race, many of the roads were closed, so our excursion plans were changed. People could either make the steep climb up to the Chateau, or they could do a walking tour of Les Andelys and visit a small Calvados producer. I saw enough of the chateau from my room… lol. The walking tour sounded great!

It really was lovely. In general, the stores would be closed on Sundays, but as more boats are docking, more vendors choose to open. It’s a quaint village with ABC (another bloody church). This one was particularly funny. The church was locked, so our local guide went to the bartender across the road because he had the key and could open it for us.

Our visit there was short before we boarded the bus and headed to Les Fermes des Ruelles. What an adorable place with adorable people! This is a family owned farm and Calvados producer – fully committed to the environment and sustainability. We got to hear all about the worms that he uses to till his fields and the many species of birds that returned after he got rid of all pesticides. His products also tasted WONDERFUL! Michel chose to only speak French, but part of the fun of the trip was the interactions between his translator and him.

Our total time at this port was brief, and we took off on the river again in time for lunch. The Seine closer to Normandy definitely had better sightseeing. Still, it was nothing like the sheer beauty and magnificence of the Douro. I have yet to be on the Danube or Rhine, either. Even so, I love the peace of making our way down the river. We docked next at Vernon. The main reason for this was for the ride into Giverny the next morning. Still, we elected to do the brief walk in town, saw ABC, but headed back a little early since it was the night for the last fancy dinner aboard the ship.

This was our first Tauck tour. It seemed that on this one, the tour directors wanted passengers to be sure to stay with the guides much more than those we’ve taken with Uniworld or Scenic. On Uniworld and Scenic both we had quite a bit more free time or moments when the guide would tell us we could either stay with them OR go off and explore on our own. I mentioned in my review that I wish there had been a little more opportunity to do that. We’re adults. Tell us when we need to be back to a meeting point and then allow us to follow or not.

The chef’s signature dinner that night was definitely showstopper! I had one of the best soufflés I’ve ever had in my life, and my friends said that their food was amazing as well. The night ended with a cabaret that was FAR better than I was expecting. Four women performed dances, and one of them sang for about an hour. The main singer performed “My Way” in both French and English. Her eyes first filled with tears, and then they were streaming down her face. Tears were streaming down mine as well.

Then, as the days had all flown by, it was time for the final excursion on the boat: Giverny. Now, I have mentioned that I am not one for art museums. I had no interest in going to the Louvre. That is true. However, to see Monet’s house and gardens? That is a different story entirely. I also understood that it would be one of the most touristy spots we had been to since Versailles, and I hated the crowds and heat there. But it was a nice, cool morning in Giverny, AND Tauck had private access half an hour BEFORE it opened to the public, and that made ALL the difference. We were never surrounded by people, and it made it a very special experience.

This final bus ride was VERY short as it seemed we practically rounded the corner to get to the one-street town of Giverny. This was a good thing. Ha! I had a very late night and a lot of poor drinking choices after the cabaret, and I was FEELING it. I was glad the weather was good! We began in the gardens. I must have taken hundreds of pictures. I went to one of those virtual Monet immersive exhibitions in Cincinnati last May, and I really enjoyed it a lot. But then, to actually BE there in the REAL gardens and the house was overwhelming in all of the best possible ways. We had time to explore the town after. We walked to the end of the street and ABC to see Monet’s grave. We also had access to the museum. Interestingly, Monet’s actual works are at the Orangerie in Paris, not in Giverny. Still, being there was phecomenal.

Once back on the boat, there were several activities planned for the afternoon including some tours and a painting class. I’ve neve done one of those “sip and paint” kinds of things before, so I thought “Why not?” We each chose a famous painting and were given very vague instructions of what we should do as we created our own interpretation of it. We had a very rough sketch in pencil and then began to mix our colors and “fill in.” I liked it enough that I’d like to do it again. My friend Julie liked it enough that she’s thinking about taking a class. The Bear did not feel that way AT ALL. Cooking is his art, and when the painting in front of him felt out of control to him, he despised it. I didn’t mind so much that my painting was out of control. I didn’t like it enough to keep it, but it made me smile while it was happening. SOME of the people on board though, WOW! There were some real artists in the group.

I didn’t choose to take part in any of the other activities of the day. Instead, I sat up top, had a few more glasses of wine, and read my book.

Our driver was coming to pick us up at 9 AM the next day to take us to Reims and Epernay for a few days as this first part of our journey had come to a close. I reorganized the suitcase and packed up the room and reflected on what a wonderful trip it had been.

I hope to do another river cruise sooner rather than later. I think I’d really like to go more towards those central European countries where I haven’t been, yet. Between Uniworld, Scenic, and Tauck, my favorite line for river cruising is Scenic-by more than a nose but not by a mile. I feel so thankful that I have a chance to have these experiences in my life, and I was glad this trip wasn’t over, yet! I still had the pop of champagne to experience at the end! If you want to experience the part of my trip after the ship with me, you can get there here.

Foray into France: Part III (Joan of Arc and D-Day)

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The reason that we originally booked this particular cruise, and one of the reasons we were lucky enough to have Paul and Julie join us was inching closer. I was definitely surrounded by World War II scholars. My amount of scholarship on war is slim. This includes the Hundred Years’ War. My knowledge of Joan of Arc before this was that she dressed in men’s clothing and was burned at the stake – end of knowledge. I love trips for the beauty, for the culture, but also for learning. These days in Normandy were GREAT for all of that.

The Bear is the only one who cooks at our house, and he LOVES it. It’s a passion for him, so I always know if a trip into the market is a possibility he will be there, so in Rouen, we began our day taking the walk to the market. Rouen is a LOVELY city. You can see the mix between English and French influence everywhere as Normandy went back and forth and back and forth over the years between each country. The market was small, but the food was so fresh it glistened. Since we were in France, we were again eating cheese in the morning, and it was wonderful! We got to hear the story of the heart-shaped cheese of Neufchatel and how love can be a little salty…

We returned to the boat to spin right back around and go back again to learn a little more about the history of the lovely town of Rouen. The major landmarks in the small city are Notre Dame de Rouen and the Gros-Horloge-which is a big, beautiful clock. Then, nestled in this very charming town there is a spire that marks the place where Joan of Arc burned to death. Up until this point, this cruise had not felt like an “ABC” cruise -which many tourists had dubbed the “another bloody castle” or “another bloody church.” In Rouen, we doubled up on the gothic cathedral and then the modern and very Scandinavian Joan of Arc church. I thought Rouen was adorable. I also thought it was significantly more geared towards tourists and shoppers than some of the other places we had been to this point on the trip.

We stopped at Richard’s cafe (Apropos, since the Bear’s name is Richard) and had lunch. Then, we had some exploration time. Our guide had mentioned a Joan of Arc museum that included some interactive elements and that she said was different than what you would normally expect from a museum. I knew it was in the Archbishop’s palace, and it sounded really interesting, so I suggested that we try that for our free time.

We did, and I was DELIGHTED. However, I may have been the only one in our group who was. Ha! it ended up not really being a museum. Instead, you watched a movie projected on walls in several different rooms. In each room, you would watch approximately a 10 minute clip where the trials of Joan of Arc were reenacted. (Spoiler alert: so that she could be canonized, she was found “not guilty” after her execution.) You move from room to room in the palace. It was very corny, and very Disney, and totally up my alley.

In my favorite moment of the day, after you see her burned, you ascend to a small watchtower at the top of the palace. Turns out there is only one way out from the watchtower, and it’s the same way you go in. I neglected to mention that when we entered the first room, there were the four of us and three other adults in the room. Just before the lights went off, two teachers and about 30 young school children – third grade or so- entered. Hahahahahahah. NONE of us have children or planned on vacationing with them. To be fair, the children were very well behaved. At one point, we had to ascend MANY stairs on a winding staircase to go towards the top of the building. Then, even more to the watchtower. I was near the back of the group- one man was behind me. When I entered the watchtower, I saw the panicked faces of Julie, Paul, and the Bear. Around them were thirty yelling children. Julie yelled to me “turn around!” I tried to, but the man was still behind me, and he had to be able to go up to go back down. She yelled again, “Turn around!” with so much panic I almost pushed the poor man down the stairs. It was definitely a highlight of my day! I’m still sad I didn’t get a picture.

We spent time sailing through the salt cliffs again that afternoon until we got to our docking spot for that evening in Duclair.

That evening, we had a five minute bus ride to the Chateau de Taillis for dinner. It was definitely a hot night, and we met the owner outside for a cocktail reception. Many of us started grabbing chairs and tables and looking for shade. It was a lovely spot, but the heat was unprecedented in this part of France where it is more often cold and rainy than hot and steamy. Still, dinner was quite good, and we had a chance to meet some new people at our table. One of the couples had been traveling for 35 days! It’s amazing to me how many people will string several trips together. The grounds were lovely, and they had friendly goats and other animals that we were able to greet after dinner.

The next day would be a long and emotional one with the two hour ride to the D-Day beaches.

We had our earliest departure at 7:45 as we set off for yet another hot day. Our first stop was at a convenience store/ rest stop- The Bear called it the “Buc-ee’s of France” before we picked up our amazing guide, Florent “Flo” Plana. I’m not sure about the guides the other groups got, but I feel so fortunate he was ours. He has a mission of telling as many stories of as many World War II veterans as he can, and he seemed to simply know EVERYTHING. He’s not just a guide. This is his life’s work. During the summers, he guides. During the winter, he seeks out veterans in the United States and Canada to hear more stories.

We started our day at Pont du Hoc. It was impossible for me not to visualize the soldiers as they made that climb. Looking at the bunkers and the collapsing walls just added to the emotion of the day. From there, we went to Omaha beach. It was surreal to see families spending the day enjoying the unusually warm weather. In my mind, I pictured the ships and heard the guns. Carl Sandburg’s poem rang in my head while I looked out in awe:

Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Shovel them under and let me work—
I am the grass; I cover all.

And pile them high at Gettysburg
And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun.
Shovel them under and let me work.
Two years, ten years, and passengers ask the conductor:
What place is this?
Where are we now?

I am the grass.
Let me work.

We had a break in the day as we went to a lovely lunch at Chateau le Cheneviere. I can definitely see myself wanting to return there to spend more time in Normandy. I know the Bear would really have loved a chance to go to more museums and see more history than we could during the time that we were there.

Our final stop for D-Day was at the American cemetery. We stopped at the wall of the missing. As Flo was telling us the story of one of them men, bells began to play the Star Spangled Banner. Everyone paused and listened. That was followed up by Taps. I just let the tears roll down my face as I thought of where I was, and I what I was seeing. Then, some young American service people ran out of the gates, and I felt such gratitude. It was an interesting time to be in France. I will say that everyone we encountered in Normandy still talked about how grateful they were for what the Americans did in the 1940s. Our guides told us how parents taught them to respect and thank us. The whole day was emotional and remarkable. Seeing all of those crosses in such a silent and sacred place. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

We took the two hour drive back to the boat and saw that most of the very small town had been taken over for a music festival. We cleaned up and went to dinner for a seafood buffet then listened to the sounds as we sailed away for the next day in Les Andelys. It was hard to believe it was getting to be the end of the trip already!

Foray into France 2025: Part I (Pre- cruise)

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Since my mom started taking trips to Europe with her boss back in the 90’s, I have been VERY interested in going to Europe. Then, as the Bear and I got more and more into the wine world and more of our friends had been places, it became a near obsession for me. Still, neither of us are very daring- particularly in unfamiliar situations- and the idea of going on a big trip overseas, with just the Internet or travel agent to plan, seemed daunting.

I glommed onto the idea of a river cruise. We did our first on the Rhone on Uniworld in 2022, and the European travel bug only got worse. As soon as we were home, I had decided I wanted to do another river cruise in Italy, but realized that there really weren’t any great ones that got me to the gorgeous interior of Italy, so we went with a land tour with Tauck in 2023. We enjoyed the land tour just as much but missed having a hotel that moved as opposed to us moving. I “accidentally” planned a river cruise through Portugal for the following year with Scenic and had ANOTHER amazing time. When we returned from the Douro, I started looking at small ocean cruises on Seaborn and Regent Seven Seas. (We like to travel fancy, what can I say). I knew that the Bear (my husband, Richard) REALLY wanted to do Normandy and D- Day. I had been researching many of the small boat ocean cruises, but I kept drifting back to the rivers after our other amazing trips. Many told me that the Tauck boats were the best, so I ended up booking the Impression from the Seine through my sister-in-law with Fairy Godmother travel. She specializes in Disney, but can book almost anything. Then, the Bear surprised me on our Douro cruise when he said that he wanted a few more days! (He has NEVER said that before!) So, I came up with the idea of tacking a few days on at the end in the champagne region. He was all for it! Then, I contacted my European expert friend to customize a few days in Reims and Epernay for us. I asked if anyone else wanted to go, too – and to my surprise and delight, two of our long time “winey” friends decided to join us.

Well, surprise and delight and – a little concern. Our friends are VERY experienced world TRAVELERS; whereas, the Bear and I are TOURISTS. We enjoy people ferrying us around, leading us by the noses, and telling us what to do and where to be. I was worried our friends would be bored and frustrated. Still, they reassured me multiple times on the trip that they really loved the sailing time, the views, the plans already being made. They would wake up early and go exploring on their own before getting to hear more about the places on the slower paced tours, and found a way to make it work for them.

After a year of anticipation, it was time to embark on the trip in June 2025. Since we had already done a previous trip with Tauck, we got to take advantage of the “gift of time” . I’m not sure if this perk is going to stay around forever, but it’s pretty amazing! You get one day before or one day after at a hotel paid for by Tauck. They also take care of the transfers associated (from airport- to hotel- to ship at the beginning or vice versa at the end.) And the hotel is the quality you would expect from Tauck. Our reservation was at the VERY five star Intercontinental Le Grand in the heart of Paris with a view of the opera house. Ooooh la la indeed!



So, according to the Bear, a trip across the pond MUST be done business class. I’m definitely not one to complain about that! However, the PRICE of those flights is astronomical, so a few years back I invested in the best travel card ever- the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It covers travel insurance, Global Entry, and a HOST of other things… But. most importantly, are the points. We use the card to pay for most things in our day-to-day life. Most years, the card pays us back for at least one of our round trip business class tickets. This year, I used 300k points and $2,500 total for the two of us to fly on Air Canada.

Our trip on the way there had a stop in Toronto, and it was the FIRST thing on the trip that I was really excited about. When you book an overseas flight business class on Air Canada, Toronto has a “Signature Suite” that is more than just their regular business class lounge. I love flying business class, and I also love lounges. We got to start at the rather nice United lounge in Austin before Toronto.

I will say based on some YouTube videos and things I saw, I expected the Signature Suite to be a LITTLE swankier and feel a little more like a high end restaurant, but it definitely wasn’t bad. The food and the wines were good, and it was a nice included interlude between flights.

When it was time to board, we got all settled into our little cubbies. (I love having a dedicated overhead bin and all kinds of storage space, a lay flat seat, and the other things that come with business class.) They started bringing food again, and by the time dinner service was over, there were really only about four hours left of the flight- barely enough time for a nap. I mean, sure, I could forego the dinner service, but it’s all part of the fun to have some little bites…

We actually landed in Paris around 10 AM and about 20 minutes early. We had heard horror stories about CDG, but on both ends of out trip it was empty and easy to navigate. Since we were so early, we did have some trouble finding our driver. But after a few phone calls and texts, they sent us SOMEONE. His sign said “Emirates” not “Tauck,” but our names were on his sign, so we went with him!

We got in a nice Mercedes van, which seemed to be the regular for our trip. He did get the backend stuck on a fence, which was a pretty funny way to start. Still, off we went. Paris traffic is NO JOKE. The city has been made EXTREMELY bicycle friendly, which has made it EXTREMELY vehicle UNfriendly. Motor bikes whip in and out of lanes, but cars sit still. It took us almost 2 hours to go 17 miles.

Once we got to the hotel, our room was ready!!!! We went upstairs, cleaned up, and took a pretty solid nap for the next four hours or so!

As I have said, we are not very good “travelers.” We struggle with what to do without someone telling us, but we have friends who have been in Paris MANY times. And we definitely know our way around a bar… (that’s actually one of the reasons we go with the cruise lines we do- we want all of our drinks included.)

So, off to Willi’s we went. The streets of Paris were what I had always seen in movies. Flower shops, bakeries, statues galore… and SO many people.

The wine list at our first stop was great. With all the food we had eaten over the last 24 hours, we only ordered a “few bites” before we went to our NEXT bar- the iconic Harry’s New York bar where you are supposed to go find your college pennant. I was looking all over for mine, but in a crazy coincidence, I was actually sitting right beneath the Baylor pennant and didn’t even see it until the Bear pointed it out to me! After a cocktail there, we ventured back to the hotel for – you guessed it: another cocktail (or two) in the hotel bar before going back to the room for the night.

I have found that I have the most trouble the morning AFTER a long flight. Jet lag doesn’t hit me until later, and it affects EVERY part of me. I sweat, I shake, I’m disoriented. It’s a mess. (I’m guessing the cocktails didn’t help), BUT our transfer didn’t come to take us to the ship until 3 PM, so there was no way I wanted to waste a day. We looked at the map and saw that the Louvre was not far away.

Confession: I had no interest in going INSIDE the Louvre. I do like museums – history museums, science museums… BUT I don’t enjoy art museums. I know… I know… No culture right? But, to me, it makes no difference whether I am looking at the art on a computer or a print of the art, or the REAL thing… I just don’t care that much. I still wanted to SEE the Louvre, however. So, off we went. In the “okay, some things can be kept private, Tamara” part of this blog- we got about a mile away from the hotel, and my body decided it needed to evacuate everything I had put in it for the last 24 hours. I had the SAME thing happen to me on a walking tour in Porto- also the morning after our flight. I got to find out the hard way that Parisians REALLY don’t care if you’re having an emergency in Paris. I walked into a hotel, and NO WAY was the hostess at the café going to let me use their restroom. I told her we would take a seat and would buy food. She said they didn’t have any reservations available. I told her it was an emergency. She told me there was another café a block up the street… I did make it: BARELY. And why is it that every restroom in Europe is either at the TOP of a long windy staircase or in a basement? We did have to buy a soft drink and water to use that restroom, but it was worth it. (Side note: I am fat. I’m not curvy or thick. I’m fat. France was VERY hot and crowded while we were there. On more than one occasion, people oinked/snorted at me on the street in Paris. It is what it is. I’m just throwing that out there in case anyone who is self-conscious happens to be reading this and would be very bothered. I’m self conscious, but I’m not very bothered. I ignored it, but it stung. )

We continued our walk across the street through Tuileries Garden to the Lourvre. We saw the very cool little Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel… and when I spun around, I realized I got my first view of the Eiffel Tower!

We went back to the hotel after that to cool off for a little bit. (I am INCREDIBLY glad I brought my neck fan. I was thinking I wouldn’t need it, but Europe was under a heat dome while we were there, and the streets were SO stuffy. Plus, the air circulation in those old buildings is so bad!) Then, we took one last excursion to the truffle shop and bought some truffles there – and some chocolate at another shop we passed- to take home.



Back at the hotel, the groups were starting to gather for the Tauck transfer. It was pretty easy to tell us apart from the people there for the Paris air show. Paris is a VERY chic city, and one group of people were wearing suits that cost far more than my entire wardrobe. They were young, fit, and looked rich. We Tauck people ranged in age from a few teenagers to people in their late 80s. I would say that the median age were likely in their early 70s. (I’m 52, the Bear is 49). This particular cruise of 90 people were all from the US. We all looked like we were prepared to be led around cities.

Two large luxury busses came to pick us up and we went through Paris for about a 20 minute ride that took us only about three miles.

I was glad the river was at a level where we were close to the city center at Port de Javel bas, because I had heard when it’s too high, the port is a long way away.

So… an entire blog finished, and we had yet to board the Sapphire! I’ll pick up there for part Deux!

Delightful Douro: Days 6 and 7- The End.

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We woke the final morning to our last day in the Douro wine region. Our tour director, Filipe, kept reiterating how we were moving from the gorgeous area to the cold, rainy Atlantic region. Actually, I liked them both!

But the bus ride up through Pinhão to the village of Provesende was so out-of-this-world GORGEOUS, I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Every time I’d go to put my phone back in my purse, I’d find myself sticking the lenses against the bus window again. We even stopped on the way for one quick photo opportunity. We knew this visit was going to be a quick trip because the boat was leaving the dock to meet us in Regua again before we went back to Porto that afternoon. We considered staying on the boat because we knew how pretty the journey would be. Still, since the bear was feeling well enough to do things, he didn’t want to miss another day. And, AGAIN, so glad we went! If we stayed on board, we could have had a walking tour in Regua, but we really kinda did that on our own at the beginning of the trip.

We began wandering another quaint village, again with so many empty homes, and always another church…

Then, we went to Morgadio da Calçada. Here we had a chance to explore the lovely bed and breakfast, watch a basket weaving demonstration and sample and buy some excellent Niepoort produced port, grown at the manor house.

After our quick trip, we returned to the boat. Lunch was an all seafood buffet as we took off less than five minutes after we arrived on board. They were QUICK with pulling up that gangplank. That afternoon, we participated in a local cheese, meats, and sausage pairing by our wonderful chef and sommelier.

Once back in Porto, we had the opportunity to attend a concert at the Sao Francisco Church. Again, we discussed the possibility of not going. I’m not sure why we even bother having this discussion all the time! We ALWAYS end up going and always being glad! We took the short walk to the beautiful church where a string quartet accompanied two opera singers with some of the most recognizable and beautiful music ever – whether it was Mozart or West Side Story, the sound was clear and beautiful. As they ended with “Con te partirò,” I was wiping the tears streaming down my face.

Once back on the boat, Guido led us in a fabulous music quiz which involved a lot of “bonus points” for doing various things, so the very competitive bear ended up belting “Sweet Caroline” into a microphone and “encouraging” me to join a conga line as we did “The Locomotion” around the whole third deck. We didn’t win, but we did come in third place.

We knew we had one day left of our trip, and both of us were still feeling a little sad that we had missed the Lello bookstore before the start. When we heard the briefing letting us know that our afternoon in Porto would be free, we went to the website to buy a “ticket” and schedule a time to visit. The bookstore tickets aren’t actual tickets – they are 8 euro vouchers that can be redeemed for purchase, but without a voucher and a time, without a tour, you are unlikely to get in.

The last day was one of the hardest choices for me for excursions. We knew we didn’t need to do the tour of the city because we had already done the main focal points for that, and we didn’t really need to go to ANOTHER church, but the other two choices were to go to Guimarães to see the palace and the city… OR to Quinta da Aveleda for the gardens and the tasting. Well, usually if the option says “tasting,” I’m there, so off we went.

The garden here, OH MY! Have I said a few times during these blogs “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen?” Well, when everything is “the most beautiful” I have to keep repeating it. It was a traditional English garden – only not so traditional. It combined the redwoods of California with the eucalyptus of Australia with the cherry blossoms of Japan, all making for one incredible family retreat just outside the winery itself. All full of wildlife: ducks, peacocks, and even miniature goats who were glad to greet any visitor handing them a treat from the ground.

We got to wander through the huge cave where they were making their own brandy before trying some of the wines grown on their property.

Back to the boat for the last bus ride before we were on our own for the afternoon. This time, we were FAR smarter as we went to the top of Porto – we called an Uber! We probably could have made use of the hop-on-hop-off bus, too but the Uber was easy and inexpensive. The line for our chance to look around the bookstore wound around the block, but it was very well managed, and we got in within fifteen minutes of our selected time. It was definitely the MOST touristy place we’d been to on our trip, and somewhat overwhelming, but every bit as beautiful as we expected.

We wandered our way slowly back down the streets of Porto, stopping in interesting stores to look at souvenirs and stores full of MASSIVE collections of port wines. The riverfront was VERY lively on this Sunday evening- musicians playing everywhere, indoor and outdoor restaurants open, people walking everywhere!

And then, just prior to dinner, our boat left the dock one last time to do the “six bridges tour” where we began at the mouth of the Atlantic ocean and made our way back to our final point for the last time, having the opportunity to observe the houses and the graffiti along the banks. Again, we were told that our trip was too short and we should do the 10 day trip instead. Already, we’re considering booking that for October 2026.

Our final dinner included one of the best lamb chops I had ever had! And just like that, it was time to say our goodbyes and have our luggage ready for pick up the next morning.

We received notification the next morning that our flight would be delayed for an hour- no big deal, we had PLENTY of time in Newark. When we let the tour directors know, they also delayed our transfer an hour, which was lovely!

The Porto airport is small and easy, and everyone can have lounge access if they pay for it. We had ours included with our business class flights. It made me smile that even at the airport, you could get the wonderful tarts and cod dumplings!

We had made a pretty big mistake that I’m glad didn’t turn out to be a tragedy! We realized that no one had so much as glanced at our passports when we got off the plane in Portugal, but we didn’t think much of it. When our flight started boarding, we went to go to the gate only to find that we were to go through passport control AFTER the lounge, and there was QUITE a line. OOOPS!!! We won’t make that mistake again (maybe). In the end, the line only took us about 10 minutes, and we were fine – our flight had been delayed by a few minutes more.

We had a relatively small plane to go back to the US. It only had one aisle and business class on United was a 2/2 configuration. All seats behind us were 3/3. Still, the flight was comfortable, the wine and food were good, and the view of New York coming into Newark was lovely.

And being delayed in Porto was actually an advantage because it cut our 5-hour layover in half! We arrived from Newark back in Austin at just before midnight -exhausted and trudging to our Lyft, but had an AMAZING journey.

We still have a few more little trips before next summer, but our next BIG trip is Tauck on the Seine for Paris to Normandy in June 2025. We can barely wait for that adventure, but for now, I was so glad to get to spend time with this one again!

Delightful Douro: Days 4 and 5 of 7

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It’s so weird, by day four of every trip, I start to feel like it’s getting a little too long. I’m surprised that we’re only half way through, and I start wondering if I made a mistake booking. But always, by day seven, I’m sad it went so fast and wish I could have more time.

So on the morning of Salamanca, I was going back and forth in my brain. Is it going to be too hot? Do I really want to go for an hour and forty minute bus ride- each way? In the end OF COURSE I went, and OF COURSE I was glad! It was our one day in Spain. I was bummed to realize that I had gone to bed early the night before and forgotten that the Flamenco dancers were going to be on board! I was sad to have missed them. Anyway, on our day in Spain it was SUPPOSED to be in the 90s. It said so all week, but I had EXTRAORDINARY luck with the weather, and it never got above 84. It stayed cool and breezy in the shade. The same had been true all week. We had AMAZING weather. I don’t know that I would want to do this cruise in August, but I sure do want to do it again in October.

All free bags of laundry needed to be done by the fifth day of the tour, so that morning, we shoved our laundry bag FULL and left it on the bed. The bear and I are not small people, and I managed to get a pair of capris and a shirt in there, and the bear got two full days worth of clothing, including all undergarments, all in the same bag.

Sadly, he was starting to feel some tour effects that morning. Too much drinking, too much eating and just some regular tummy tightness. Regardless, he was up for the day. We had a quick pit stop about an hour into the ride at a lovely Casa Conrado for coffee and restrooms. It looked like I would expect a café in Spain to look!

Then, off again for the last 45 minutes of the trip. By the time we got to Salamanca, the bear was feeling a little worse for the wear from the winding roads. Still, he started to perk up some after we got off the bus.

In Spain, we met with a local guide. Many of the times in Portugal our tour directors doubled as local guides. They were all Portuguese people, often from villages just kilometers away from where we visited. Our guide started us in Plaza Mayor, surrounded by the golden buildings of Salamanca.

From there, we went to visit the central market for some lovely olive and Iberico ham.


Then, we wandered the city streets past the old location of the university and gorgeous parks. We ended up at the Cathedral. We got to hear the story of why the frog is on the front of the university and how an astronaut made its way into the beautiful sculpted baroque and gothic mixture in the sculptures on the cathedral entrance.

After this, we had nearly three hours of free time. What the bear and I have learned is that we are TERRIBLE at free time. We’re not shoppers. We could have gone to a couple of museums, including an art deco one, but three hours to fill is a lot for us. Since we knew in advance that we would have time in the city, we did some research and found a one Michelin star restaurant just a 10 minute walk from the cathedral. We LOVE one Michelin star spots because they’re usually wonderful without being pretentious or fussy, so off to Víctor Gutiérrez we went! I asked the bear if he was sure he was okay because I didn’t know if a 13 course lunch menu would be good in his tight tummy, but he thought he would be fine.

The restaurant was very small, but it didn’t matter that we didn’t have a reservation. We had emailed the day before to see what the dress code was, and there wasn’t one at all, so it was fine that the bear was in shorts and I had was wearing a summer dress. There were only about six tables total in the restaurant, but we were able to walk in, and the server remembered us from our email. We were not expecting them to speak English, but it was a pleasant surprise that she did. There is no menu; it was a prix fixe of wonderful goodness with a wine pairing if you like. I chose not to do the pairing, but took sips of the bear’s wine to try.

This Peruvian, Japanese, Spanish infusion meal was so thoughtful and so lovely. It had the best “kale chips” I’ve ever had. But by the time we got to the tennis ball sized filet with the meat course, I was so full I could only take few bites – a shame because the merengue dessert was so lovely and delicate. It was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! For the two of us it was right at 200 euros, which we felt was more than reasonable. We’ve been known to spend a lot of money on pairing menus in the past (looking at you Joel Robuchon). This fabulous meal did the PERFECT job of filling our free time and our tummies. We walked back to Plaza Mayor with about 30 minutes left to do a lap of the square and look down the side streets.

The winding bus ride on the way back to the ship was tough on on the bear. We did make another stop at the café on our return to be sure we never spent more than an hour riding.

When we got back to the room, all of our laundry was done, pressed, and folded. After such a long day, we ordered some light room service for dinner, but I couldn’t resist getting one of those amazing Portuguese tarts straight from the oven! Room service came quickly, and you could order anything you want from the room service menu OR from the restaurant at any time for no extra charge. There’s a mirror behind the photo, so you ARE seeing double. Since our room didn’t have a balcony, there was no table, so we just put the food on the small vanity and ate in bed.

I went up to the deck that night to catch the sunset before putting a period at the end of the day. I watched the dance party under the stars that our amazing entertainment director, Guido, had put together and considered participating. Instead, I decided that fantastic bed was calling me.

The next morning the bear was still struggling, so I set off for the excursion solo. I could either go see a museum of rocks in the Coa Valley or tastes of sugared almonds and olive oil. THIS decision was one of the easiest for me, so off to more food I went! The village was tiny but beautiful. It did, however, make me sad. Portugal has one of the lowest birth rates in the world and the population is forever getting smaller. Each of these quaint villages is full of empty houses because people have left to find other work in other parts of the world, and Portugal itself is getting left behind.


We had a chance to stop at the home of the lovely Isabel. She is the 6th generation to live in the house and her daughter Andrea stays there with her. She teaches cooking classes at her home, Casa Painova. This is one of the opportunities that is only available to Scenic cruises to come join her for demonstrations. I was so mad at myself! I forgot to bring any money with me, so I wasn’t able to buy their olive oil or almonds! It’s easy to forget your money on a Scenic cruise. Everything is prepaid, so you’re never having to take out cash for anything.

On the way back, we stopped briefly at a lookout point, and I saw one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen in my life. But it seems I say that A LOT on this trip! They were ALL gorgeous!


When I got back to the boat, the bear was still having a hard day. I tried to get him to take a Zofran. I always get some prescribed for trips where I think it’s possible one of us could end up feeling sick, but he still thought he might be feeling better on his own. I knew our cruise was starting again, and I wanted to be up top. Plus, we had been informed that there would be a traditional Portuguese BBQ.

I felt terrible for the bear because he wanted to partake so badly. He LOVES sardines and cod and all of the things that I mostly tolerate. I tried them.. AND the Morcela (pigs’ blood and rice made into sausage). I’m always willing to try EVERYTHING. I tell people I would have eaten the bat soup in Wuhan, and I’m not kidding. Now, there is A LOT I don’t like, but I’m always glad I tried. The sangria with the BBQ was WONDERFUL.


After the bear went back down to the cold, dark cabin, I grabbed my book and watched the scenery go by (and drank a little more sangria). I am NOT the cook in our house, he is, but I was in LOVE with those Portuguese custard tarts (Pasteis de Nata). There was a cooking class going on, and I assumed (correctly) that if I went, I would get one!

After that, there was a lecture on cork (Portugal produces most of the world’s cork) and a trivia game I could have attended, but I decided that the deck and the vinho verde were calling to me.

At this point, the bear did decide to try a Zofran, and within a short time he was feeling human again. It may have been the Zofran, it may have been just the time, but we were BOTH so glad it could come out and be among the living again- albeit carefully at first.

There were more games and a band on board that night, but we went to bed quite early. The turndown service still came by and gave us our nightly chocolates and the minibar restocker brought me more diet Coke and a bottle of wine. We said those people were like ninjas! They were in and out of our room with service so quick it was amazing. We decided to make it a movie night. There was a pretty good selection on the in-room television. We had already watched the documentary A Year in Port , which I would HIGHLY recommend. It could be good to watch BEFORE you go, but I may watch it again after because I got to see all of the places mentioned. Instead, we watched Sully, because who doesn’t like to watch movies about airplanes crashing in New York two days before they fly into New York?

We thought we heard the music start upstairs in the lounge and were surprised by how loud it was. Turned out, it was a festival outside, as we realized when we heard cannon shots the next morning to start our final day in the port wine region- which will also lead me to my final blog of this journey…

Delightful Douro: Travel and Day 1 of 7

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The bear and I did river cruise #2 and our third trip to Europe as something of a happy accident. After our Uniworld Cruise on the Rhone and our land tour through Tuscany with Tauck, we decided we’d like to do another river. I had really wanted to go to Spain, but there were no opportunities for river cruises. I THOUGHT the bear said, “I’ve always wanted to go to Portugal” So after going into research mode, it seemed like Scenic would fill the bill with some of the larger rooms and our requirements. We like a luxury tour with all of the logistics handled for us. We also like an all inclusive including tips, excursions, and all alcohol (at all times) on the boat. There are only four companies that do that: Uniworld, Tauck, Scenic, and now Riverside, who bought the Crystal fleet.

As happy as we were with Uniworld, and we were QUITE happy, I’d say we were even happier with Scenic because of a few minor touches here and there. Next year we travel with Tauck on a river cruise from Paris to Normandy. Anyway, when I told the bear that I had scheduled a cruise in Portugal, he told me that he’d never mentioned that’s where he wanted to go. So, our trip was a happy accident. In the end, he decided he wished we’d stayed longer and wants to go back…

Regardless, off to Portugal we went!

We left Austin on Saturday, July 6, for our Monday cruise. We were BRIEFLY delayed in the Austin airport due to lightning, but no big deal because we were flying KLM business class direct to Amsterdam, so we had access to the Delta Sky Lounge, which was lovely. The bear insists on business class for flights of more than 6 hours, and I can’t say that I will ever complain. The price of our flights, however, are generally almost as much as the whole vacation, so I try to make sure to buy one of the tickets with credit card points to take the sting out of it. We LOVE our Chase Sapphire Reserve for all of the included benefits (Door Dash, Priority Pass, Instacart, Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, Travel Insurance and more), but REALLY love it because we generally get enough points a year for one round trip business class ticket. We did this year.

We love the flights where everyone gets their own cubby… KLM was PRETTY good, and you do get the cute little gin filled houses at the end when you fly with them. We just wish there had been more storage around the seats themselves. Also, we were both VERY warm on the flight. We should have complained, but didn’t… so neither of us slept as well as we would have liked on the 8 1/2 hour overnight flight, thus, we were groggy and grumpy for our 2 hour layover in Amsterdam. From there, another 2 1/2 hour flight on a small plane into Porto before we were quickly greeted and whisked away to The Intercontinental Hotel in the heart of the city. Since we booked the hotel with Scenic, we got transfers included from airport to hotel, then hotel to boat the next day. My sister-in-law, Andrea, is an amazing travel advisor which can be important when you book with Scenic because they’re not necessarily the best at communication prior to cruising. You may be better off having someone do the legwork for you.

Knowing that there may be many things closed in Porto on Sunday, the bear had done some research beforehand for a place to go get a bite to eat. So after our 18 hours of travel, we cleaned up, had a drink in the BEAUTIFUL hotel bar (pro tip- if you’re an IHG member- which is free to join- they give you a voucher for two drinks when you check-in), then set off on the streets to find Orpheu.

There was A LOT going on in the city, and I don’t think I knew how hilly it was going to be, but we were feeling pretty good, and Google maps was kind to us as we weaved into a spot off the beaten path. It was in an alleyway behind a street. The outside tables were set up on stairs outside, and we were served INSIDE the restaurant through an open window. The temperature was PERFECT (in the 60s and sunny). We ordered WAY too many tapas, but enjoyed our sardines and our traditional sausages before we took the rest back to the room to have for breakfast the next morning.

Since I knew we’d have the morning free and I wanted a chance to see as much of Porto as I could, I had prearranged a private walking tour through Viator. I had watched and read a MULTITUDE of “What to do in Porto” videos and ALL included a visit to the Lello bookstore. Viator contracted out to Castro Travel and we were to meet with Diogo at 9 on our first morning. I woke up somewhat jet lagged and oddly shaky, sweaty and out-of-sorts. Then, I used a sunscreen that kept getting in my eyes, so I wasn’t feeling great, but I was still excited to see the city.

Diogo was prompt and met us right at our hotel for our private tour. We took off to the streets first stopping at the iconic train station. Tiles are all over the buildings in Porto, but the ones in the train station were breathtaking! There’s also a cool food hall called the “Time Out Market” adjacent to the train station that has some of the best chefs doing pop-up food stands all day long.

Then, we really started walking up our first hill, For context, Porto starts at about sea level and then climbs to 240 feet in a distance of only a little more than half a mile. Roads in most cities are considered “steep” at about a 10% grade. Many of the grades in Porto go from 15% to 20%. It is challenging walking around Porto. And it’s all on cobblestone. So we went to see where the public hangings used to occur and looked out over the city. Still, I felt shaky… and began to feel sick. This is the TMI part of this blog, but… I had the need to go back down the hill to visit a Starbucks restroom. Bathrooms in Europe are often difficult- and this one was no different. It was down a narrow winding staircase… So I shakily made it there – and immediately threw up.

Good news? I started to feel a bit better. We then walked up the hill again and around the corner to one of Porto’s lovely six bridges to look at the city below. Then, Diogo asked us if we wanted to walk down to the waterfront. This was a mistake on our part because we decided it would be a good plan. So we wound down, down, down, through the old cobblestone streets- VERY slowly because of shaking knees and shaky me. The waterfront was VERY quiet in the morning. (We went back on Sunday evening, and it was lively and fun). Then, it was time to trek back up the hill.

Much to my embarrassment, this proved too much for me. I did make it back to the top, but felt TERRIBLE. I apologized to the bear and to DIogo and cut our 3 hour trip into only an hour and a half. I was done. Diogo mentioned that we could take our time and that he knew I still wanted to go to the bookstore. I thought about it and asked him where it was. He said “Thirty meters.” I thought about it again and then he said, “But it’s straight up.”

Unfortunately, I was done. Whether it was jet lag, my being out of shape, the food from the last night… who knows. I told the bear he should continue, and I’d take a rest. He chose not to continue the walk either. I felt bad that I had ruined our morning, but later he admitted that the walk was more strenuous than HE thought it would be, too. I mentioned it to our driver back to the airport on Sunday, and he said, “I don’t know why ANYONE tries to walk up and down those roads. I tell everyone to take the cable car up to the top and walk down – slowly.” Well, our hindsight is 20/20.

Fortunately, however, once back at the hotel, I was able to take about 45 minutes to regroup, and then told the Bear that at the very least we needed to go see the Bolhao market. We also wanted to go see a shop that we had seen Jamie Oliver visit on a YouTube show. So off we went to A Pérola do Bolhão. We got some tasty cookies and sardine pate there before making our way to the two-story market! So glad we went back out!


After finishing there, we returned to the hotel and our transfer came to take us to the boat with two other couples – one from the US, one from Australia. That was one of the fun parts of this ship. Scenic is an Australian company and had a more diverse population than Tauck and Uniworld. I would say that only about 15 to 20 percent of the passengers were American. The largest group seemed to come from the UK.

I chose Riverview suite 221 on the boat. It is the only one of its kind. It has the full wall window, but it does not have a small balcony like the other rooms. This one tiny difference saved me about $1,000. I knew that we would spend minimal time in the room, but I didn’t want one of the lower deck rooms with just a small window. I also loved that it had an included minibar, which could be customized, and one free bag of laundry done per trip. (Plus, you could have two items pressed each day.)

The boat has four decks. The bottom deck has the small rooms and the galley, the second deck (mine) has the large dining hall and the gym. The third deck has the bar, the larger suites, and the small dining room (Portobellos) where every guest is invited once per cruise. There is also the “river cafe” in the bar which offers lighter lunch options and a case of snacks that is always available and always changing. They have a very fancy coffee maker as well! The fourth deck is the top of the boat, including a covered area for sitting and a small pool. We saw a YouTube video before we went that we thought explained things quite well and very accurately.

Like most river cruises, every night before dinner there was a cocktail reception and a briefing of the things to come. Unlike other river cruises, the boats on the Douro only sail during daylight hours because the river is so narrow.

All three meals were included every day on the boat (except for lunch the Salamanca day). Breakfast was always the same, but it was an extensive buffet, or you could order special eggs to the table. Lunch was also a buffet, including a carving station – or you could get the lighter fare of sandwiches or snacks at the river cafe in the bar. Then, dinner was always a three course meal with LOTS of options, including pages of wine choices that were all included. This is just a sampling of some of the food including room service and the decadent tarts- Pasteis de Nata- that you could find EVERYWHERE. (I will likely include more specific food pictures in later blogs- particularly our night at Portabellos).

We ended most nights on the boat with a port or a port cocktail! I didn’t even know those existed, but now I know I love port and ginger ale…


At the end of each night, the schedule for the next day would be on the television in the room and on all the televisions on the ship. There were usually PLENTY of choices! In general, there were about three choices for the morning and sometimes more in the afternoon. And there were always activities occurring on the ship. All of these are included.

But for the first day of sailing, there was only one excursion. It was to be a museum in Regua after we set sail at 545 AM. After a long two days, it was nice to sleep in our VERY cold (by our choice) room on one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in – ever!

This was a lot of blog for the first in a series, and the boat isn’t even moving, yet…