Settling into my cabin on the M/V Athena, I as surprised that it is larger than expected and quite comfortable. I thought the 50-passenger M/V Athena might have smaller rooms but this is plenty roomy for two. Since I am traveling alone, I feel a bit pampered with the extra space. Read more...

James Bond was here. So was Batman. And Laura Croft the Tomb Raider.

No wonder filmmakers have chosen this Icelandic spot for movie magic. The Jökulsárlon Glacier Lagoon is spectacular and considered one of the top natural wonders in a country that is known for natural treasures. Read more...

Craving some sushi or maybe crab claws and lobster? How about spaghetti and meat balls or a burger piled high with your favorite toppings? Perhaps your taste buds are ready for a thick steak cooked just the way you like. The new Carnival Vista offers all that and much more. Read more...

We stepped off our airport shuttle bus, walked a few steps down a gang plank and were officially embarked on our 10-day cruise aboard the M/V Athena.

I’ve never met a ship I didn’t like but I certainly prefer the boarding process on smaller vessels. Instead of waiting in long lines with thousands of other passengers on the big cruise liners, it is such a breeze to board a small ship. Takes minutes, not hours. Read more...

Today, people can walk around with music in their ears whenever they want. They can plug in and tune out.

But back a couple hundred years ago, people didn’t have that luxury. Only the rich could afford musical devices. And those pieces of equipment were huge. Read more...

Oh, the things you can learn from a good tour guide. On a two-hour walking tour of Koblenz, Germany, with Heinz Gerd Reis, I learned about:

– The naughty spitting boy

– The woman in a boat who brought wine to Germany

– The horse statue with its rear end turned toward France Read more...

Centuries ago, farm families in Germany’s Black Forest would spend winters holed up in their mountain cabins.  Snowed in with few chores to do, the families – often with as many as a dozen children – would pass the time using natural resources they had at hand to create objects for use and to sell for extra money. Read more...

Why do dogs go through the ritual of tail sniffing when they encounter each other? Because they are looking for their own tail.

At least that’s the tale that Nez Perce speaker White Bull told on our S.S. Legacy cruise. Sounds about as good an explanation as any other. Read more...

He’s handing out bottles of water as we depart for shore excursions. He’s waiting to greet us back with glasses of warming liquor. He clears dinner plates from our dining tables. He even dresses in lederhosen for our German dinner.

And on this afternoon, he is teaching us how to make Rüdesheim Coffee in the Viking Kara lounge. Our maître d’ Mirko Kusan seems to be everywhere. I don’t think he ever sleeps. Read more...

His hometown calls him “the Man of the Millennium.” The technology he invented changed the world, our tour guide says.

Can’t say I disagree with those glowing tributes. After all, it might be because of what he perfected that you are reading these words today. Read more...