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D & P Viking Neptune WC 23
  • Paulette Welch

D & P Viking Neptune WC 23

We are embarking on a world cruise on the Viking Neptune, scheduled to start in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 23, 2023, and end in London, England on May 9, 2024, with loads of exciting stops, and new countries along the way. Read more
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  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 106 - Richards Bay / Durban

    April 6, 2024 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We wanted to go out today in search of exotic African wildlife on a game drive through one of Africa's oldest nature preserves. The Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park which has more than 8,8000 sq mi, the park is a sanctuary for the wildlife of Zululand, including its small population of rare white rhinos, however, the seas were not favorable so we are went on to Durban, however weather winds and seas were not favorable in Durban either… 🙄. Durban means "bay, lagoon" and it is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Durban is on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean, Durban is South Africa's busiest port and was formerly named Port Natal. North of the harbor and city centre lies the mouth of the Umgeni River; the flat city center rises to the hills of the Berea on the west; and to the south, running along the coast, is the Bluff. Durban is the seat of the larger eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which spans an area of 987 sq miles, and had a population of 4.2 million in 2022, making the metropolitan population one of Africa's largest on the Indian Ocean. The city has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, wet summers and mild, dry winters. Too bad we missed it and are off to our next stop - Port ElizabethRead more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Sea Day 107, S. Africa

    April 7, 2024, Indian Ocean ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    The Wonders of Kelp
    With a long history entwined with humankind and a profound potential as a renewable energy source, kelp and other seaweeds may be the most underappreciated plant life on the planet. Stone Age man harvested mussels and other shellfish off the kelp that grew off the shores of today's South Africa. Scholars further believe that kelp forests have flourished around the coasts of the Pacific Rim for some 12,000 years, attracting a huge diversity of marine life close to shore, from turtles to mollusks. Humans were at the top of this food chain and followed the fish-and the kelp—in a millennia-long migration from Northeast Asia to the Americas.
    Much later in the 1800s, Scottish Highlanders harvested, dried and burned kelp to produce soda ash, known today as sodium carbonate, still used as a water softener today. During World War I, countries from the United States to France used it to manufacture gunpowder. In addition, some kelp is processed into alginate, a thickening carbohydrate used in ice cream, jelly and toothpaste.
    But the most beneficial use of kelp is just being uncovered. Some Scandinavian countries such as Sweden are harvesting vast amounts of the plant from their long-established kelp farms and working to convert
    its methane and sugar into bio-fuel for automobiles. Over time, massive open-ocean farms could be planted to provide a source of clean energy. And with kelp's staggering growth rate— up to two feet per day —the fuel supply could be infinite.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Sea Day 109 - to Capetown, South Africa

    April 10, 2024, Indian Ocean ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Civilization was built on salt and, therefore, on the sea.
    This is a bold statement, but without salt, humans would not have been able to preserve meat, fish and seasonal food for storage or transport, a practice that dates at least as far back as the 1st century BC. Salt was also used to render the land of conquered enemies useless. So coveted was the mineral by communities, explorers and armies that it was regarded in the same way we regard currency today. In fact, the word "salary" is derived from sal, the Latin word for salt.
    Italy's Via Salaria is just one of the many roads built to ease the transport of salt from the sea to the great cities of empires. Along coasts all over the ancient world, salterns extracted the mineral very simply through evaporation, a process that worked best in warm and dry climates. In the Roman Empire, ceramic vessels with narrow necks were used to hasten the process over an open flame. When the water was boiled away, workers broke the vases to get to the salt. Later, some cultures left shallow pans in the sun, letting the water evaporate in its own time.
    Traditional salt farms still exist all over the world. Large pans or reservoirs separated by levees are sculpted into the sands, creating an enormous shimmering
    patchwork. Like millennia before, the water is simply left to evaporate, then collected for processing before finding its way to your dining table.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 108 - Port Elizabeth was aborted

    April 10, 2024 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    GQEBERHA (PORT ELIZABETH), SOUTH AFRICA
    Previously called Port Elizabeth, the city's name was changed in 2021 to the Xhosa and Southern Khoe name for the Baakens River that flows through the city. Along with the surrounding towns and townships, Geberha forms part of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Its urban coastline is dotted with picturesque, Blue Flag beaches which are popular hotspots for locals and visitors alike. In addition, the city serves as a gateway to the Eastern Cape's wildlife and great outdoors, including safari adventures to witness the "Big 5" game species.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 110 Cape Town - City Tour

    April 10, 2024 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
    Cape Town enjoys one of the world's most picturesque settings at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain. The cosmopolitan city is the gateway to dramatic coastal splendor, a thriving wine country and a rich array of cultural venues that embody the spirit of the "Rainbow Nation." The city's heritage took root in Company's Garden, where 17th-century European settlers grew food to stock ships rounding the cape. In and around the celebrated Victoria & Alfred waterfront, historic architecture an delicious cuisine reflect an array of African, Dutch, English, and Malay influences. We took a bus ride along the wild beauty of the Cape Peninsula. We toured the Atlantic seaboard to Camps Bay and toward Hout Bay's small historic fishing village. We stopped for pictures along the beautiful beaches. The water is super cold considering the proximity to Antarctica and the ocean currents. Then, drive through the scenic Chapman's Peak Drive and proceed to the Central Garden. Table Mountain closed due to wind and clouds.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 111 Dock Cape Town

    April 11, 2024 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    A Convergence of Oceans
    Jutting into the ocean from the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point is often demarcated as the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. But another rocky headland in South Africa lies even farther south on the continent, and according to the International Hydrographic Organization, the international agency that sets standards of surveying and nautical charting, the oceans converge here, at Cape Agulhas.
    Identifying an invisible border between oceans might seem arbitrary. But to hydrologists, the line is quite detectable. Here, the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean's Agulhas current and the colder waters of the Atlantic's Benguela current converge. One way to imagine this confluence is to think of the cold water as a shield that turns the warm water back on itself. Of course, this is a simplistic way of describing a complex exchange in which the currents do in fact mingle with each other. The complex give-and-take relationship between the oceans is illustrated further by the tendency of the line to shift seasonally-often as far west as Cape Point. Of course, this latter point might make any layperson believe that the border between oceans is, well, fluid.
    But there is more to consider. Vast underwater forests
    of a cold-water species of kelp stretch east all the way from Cape Point, ending rather abruptly at Cape Agulhas, thus proving the latter as the easternmost reach of the Atlantic and the westernmost of the Indian Ocean. And so it is that, rather surprisingly, seaweed provides the final assessment.
    Due to 25 mph winds we are stuck in our slip and we were not allowed to get off the ship. We had lunch with Heather and Jon and watched Barbie after dinner.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 113 Sea Day and Namibia

    April 12, 2024 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA
    Named for the whales that lured fishing vessels to its plankton-rich waters, Walvis Bay, or "Whale Bay" in English, enjoys a deep harbor and bthe protection of the Pelican Point sand spit. The port was long valued by explorers making their way around the Cape of Good Hope, but it was the British who occupied it by 1884 and eventually incorporated it into their Cape Colony. Today, Walvis Bay is the gateway to the rich culture of Swakopmund, where German architecture recalls the settlers supported by the Kaiser. Natural beauty can be admired here: The coast is awash in golden dunes spilling over from the Namib Desert. Walvis Bay, Namibia.
    “The Namib Naukluft Park is a national park in western Namibia, situated between the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and the edge of the Great Escarpment. It encompasses part of the Namib Desert (considered the world's oldest desert), the Naukluft mountain range, and the lagoon at Sandwich Harbour.
    The region is characterised by high, isolated inselbergs and kopjes (the Afrikaans term for rocky outcrops), made up of dramatic blood-red granites, rich in feldspars and sandstone. The easternmost part of the park covers the Naukluft Mountains. More moisture comes in as a fog off the Atlantic Ocean than falls as rain, with the average of 106 millimeters of rainfall per year concentrated in February and April.
    The winds that bring in the fog are also responsible for creating the park's towering sand dunes, whose burnt orange color is a sign of their age. The orange color develops over time as iron in the sand is oxidized, like rusty metal; the older the dune, the brighter the color. These dunes are the tallest in the world, in places rising more than 300 meters (almost 1000 feet) above the desert floor. The dunes taper off near the coast, and lagoons, wetlands, and mudflats located along the shore attract hundreds of thousands of birds.
    'Namib' means "open space", and the Namib Desert gave its name to form Namibia – "land of open spaces". We arrived in walvis Bay, Namibia at 2:00 pm and we lined up to go into the Star Theater at 2:30 and were not the first to clear customs. We waited for Heather and were interviewed by Namibia TV. We were greeted by local dancers at the port and boarded an off road vehicle for our sunset excursion in the desert. We stopped at the Goanikontes-Oasis and walked around for a time seeing their set up including a children’s petting zoo, play ground, etc. The we continued our adventure to the spot we were entertained by dancers, percussion band and singing. Our cruise director danced with the locals and we climbed to the top of the hills for the best pictures of the area. Were served cheese and crackers and wine and beer before returning to the ship for dinner. Namibia was so clean and had lovely housing near the Port and along the road ways.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 112 Wind Docked Cape Town

    April 12, 2024 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The Urnes-Style Broochnd
    Distinctive emblem of our Viking heritage
    You may have noticed this intricately wrought design element throughout the ship, from our wine labels and notepads to the masthead of your Viking Daily and your menu covers. The motif is believed to have first been forged into a brooch by Vikings, excellent metallurgists who created a variety of jewelry.
    A brooch bearing this striking design was unearthed in a churchyard in Pitney, Somerset, England and was dated to as far back as 800 AD. It was believed that the carefully forged piece, made of copper alloy bronze, depicted a fantastical beast entwined with snakes.
    Scholars noticed an undeniable similarity between its motif and that of the wood carvings found on the doors of the 12th-century Urnes Stave Church in Norway, and so came to call the design "Urnes style." Today, the distinct look is well known for its depiction of thin, stylized animals interwoven with snakes in tight circular patterns. Their heads, typically shown in profile, are dominated by almond-shaped eyes, suggesting their wide-eyed struggle against evil.
    The churchyard brooch may have been used by a Nordic woman to fasten the drapes of her hangeroc, or
    overdress. For Viking, with its precisely curved lines and deep earthen origins, the brooch motif has come to embody the Viking spirit of innovation, discovery and exploration that we strive to emulate.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 114 leaving Namibia

    April 13, 2024 in Namibia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    1 of 7 Sea Days to Senegal Sailing the South Atlantic Ocean
    The Atlantic Ocean is divided in half, north to south, by the Mid Atlantic Ridge, or MAR. Longer than the Rockies, the Himalayas and the Andes combined, this underwater mountain range is the longest on Earth. Remarkably, it follows the "S' shape of the open ocean almost exactly, suggesting that, eons ago, this was the point at which the world's land masses we conjoined as the super-continent known as Pangaea. The MAR was first discovered as early as 1872, when the crew of the HMS Challenger set out to research a path for a future transatlantic telegraph cable. Sonar confirmed the ridge's existence 1925.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 115 - 2nd Sea Day to Senegal

    April 15, 2024, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    The Age of Discovery's expeditions down African shores en route to India, Indonesia and beyond were largely motivated by the desire to bolster trade and grow empires. Geographers and cartographers accompanied explorers on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, charting the coast for future journeys.
    But theirs were not the first maps of the great continent. Long before, the Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy (c. 100-c.170) created one of history's earliest renderings, albeit from strictly a Mediterranean perspective. In Geography, Ptolemy's Africa (named
    "Libya" on his map) comprised only Northern Africa, depicted as a horizontal and amorphous oblong stretching west from Egypt to the Strait of Gibraltar.
    Hundreds of years later, expeditions discovered just how far south the coast of Africa went. Most notably, Sebastian Münster (1488-1552) compiled descriptions and sketches from various journeys to create the earliest known "full" map of Africa, published in 1554 but still a crude representation. Thirty years later, armed like those before him with data collected from coastal voyages, Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) authored the first atlas of the world, featuring a more complete vision of sub-Saharan Africa.
    By 1856, J. Andriveau-Goujon (1832-1897) had captured the contours of Africa's shoreline more precisely, but the continent's unexplored interior remained largely blank. His incomplete map seems to have motivated history's great British explorers-David Livingstone (1813-1873), Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890), Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904)-tO assemble their expedition teams in the name of Queen Victoria. By 1880, Andriveau-Goujon published another map, this one detailing their finds.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 116

    April 16, 2024, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    The courage of explorers sailing into unknown waters made the Age of Discovery and the world's first global trade possible. But these bold merchants and seekers of new lands could not have gone far without learning how to manipulate the most basic element that made preindustrial motion on such a grand scale possible: wind.
    In the tropics, Northern Hemisphere winds blow down from the northeast, while Southern Hemisphere winds blow up from the southeast. During Henry the Navigator's day in the 15th century, these currents were harnessed to launch Portugal's first foray into trade.
    Back then, the southerly winds from Lisbon down to the west coast of Africa, upward toward the Azores and east back to Lisbon were thought of as a wheel upon which sailors could ride their ships. In the ensuing centuries, captains continued to seek courses that followed wind direction and learned that prevailing winds made some places easier to reach than others. Ships were thus funneled into trade routes. But it was not until the 18th century, when the mercantile fleets of England were crossing the Atlantic with regularity, that "trade winds" entered the lexicon, a name that fit their function.
    The ocean's wind currents have left a long and lasting legacy. They not only pointed kings and explorers toward their empires; more profoundly, they laid the foundation for today's landscape of global trade.
    Today we had room service breakfast, crafts, Baggo, Trivia, lunch in the restaurant, crafts and room service for dinner.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 118 5th of 7 Sea Days to Senegal

    April 17, 2024 in Senegal ⋅ 🌙 32 °C

    Frenchman Alain Bombard (1924-2005) pushed his 15-foot inflatable Zodiac l'Hérétique into the ocean in 1952, wanting to prove that humans could survive at sea without provisions. During his 113-day westward voyage, he lived off the fish and water of the sea. In 1956, self-styled adventurer Henri Beaudout (1927-)
    made the crossing from Canada to England on his raft L'Egaré Il, fashioned from wood and rope.
    The 21st century, too, has witnessed its share of courageous seafarers. In 2003, another French citizen, Maud Fontenoy (1977-), was the first woman to row across the ocean, starting in the archipelago of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon-off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador-and arrived in A Coruña, Spain in just under four months. In 2010, Polish adventurer Aleksander Doba (1946- ) became the first to kayak across the Atlantic using muscle power alone. He rowed from Senegal to Brazil in 99 days. Three years later, he set off from Lisbon and landed in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, a journey of 6,300 miles completed in 196 days. In 2017, he left the shores of New Jersey to begin a 110-day voyage that landed him in Le Conquet, France. His crossings may be the most inspirational: He started his first at 64 years old and his third at 71.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 119 - 6th Day to Senegal

    April 19, 2024 in Senegal ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    It has been well documented that Spanish galleons, en route to the New World, voyaged first to the Canary Islands in order to harness the northeasterly trade for the trans-Atlantic crossing. These winds still blow today.
    And in the 21st century, scientists are observing that they not only give sailing vessels a boost; they also carry millions of tons of Sahara sands across the ocean.
    The Sahara Desert spans some three million square miles, almost the size of the continental US. Each year, 182 million tons of it is lifted from the desert dunes and transported in a west-southwest direction some 3,000 miles. It is estimated that 27 million tons settles in the Amazon basin, the world's largest rainforest. This global cross-pollination of sorts adds phosphorus, nitrogen and iron to the jungle's soils— nutrients that are often lost to rain run-off and flooding.
    NASA and the French space agency CNES track this migration of sand through CALIPSO, the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation orbiter. Since 2006, it has kept watch on the movement of the planet's particles, miniscule when taken alone but forming massive plumes when they take to the atmosphere. The Amazon is not the only ecosystem that benefits. In the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, plankton feed on the fallen dust. Their growth provides food for other marine animals. It has also been
    gested that atmospheric sands block sunlight, which cools the oceans and may weaken the strength of hurricanes.
    The idea of using part of the Sahara desert for a solar farm to produce energy and lessen our dependency on fossil fuels is thought to have negative consequences to this ecological balance discussed. Pictures are from Senegal.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Last Sea Day to Senegal - Day 120

    April 20, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Why the ocean is blue
    Poets, artists and journeymen have long regaled the soothing beauty of the "ocean blue." It is a common belief that the oceans of the world are merely reflecting the color of the sky, like a vast global mirror. But to understand exactly why the ocean appears blue —just as a rose appears red and an orange appears orange— helps us to remember how the colors of the light spectrum work.
    The light spectrum consists of seven wavelengths of
    "spectral colors," most of which are absorbed by the atmosphere and by the molecules that comprise the physical world. The unabsorbed colors are reflected back to us. The rose is red because its petals have absorbed every color in the spectrum except red.
    The water molecules of the ocean absorb the wavelengths of red, orange, yellow, green, indigo and violet, but bounce back the wavelengths associated with a blue hue. Of course, this is not always the case.
    Various water depths or the amount of light being filtered through the atmosphere can create different shades of blue. This explains, for instance, why far-flung tropical waters that surround unspoiled islands often appear turquoise or indigo: the pristine air and shallow depths alter both the light coming into the water and
    the spectral color being reflected. Green or even red oceans are explained by algae or sediment floating near the surface. The molecules of these objects absorb the blue and reflect back their own color composition. Pictures below are from Senegal    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Senegal - Day 121 - Sunday

    April 21, 2024 in Senegal ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    What do you do in Senegal on Sunday? You take your smelly goats and wash them by the ocean. We visited the Gorée Island to explore the Gorée Island and learn about its dark history in the slave trade. We bussed over to the local ferry (decorated with mistletoe, Harlan and snowflakes) to get to the island. It was founded by the Portuguese in the mid-15th century. There are no cars or bicycles allowed on the Gorée Island, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. We walked along its narrow tree-lined streets and sand and stone pathways to the colonial-era houses with bougainvillea draped over their wrought-iron balconies and visited the Maison des Esclaves ("Slave House"), a former market for the purchasing of African slaves which housed them in deplorable conditions before they were led through the infamous "Door of No Return" and shipped overseas. Sadly - Approximately 20 million Africans were shipped across the Atlantic between the 16th and mid-19th centuries, with an estimated several thousand passing through Gorée Island. Today, the house is a museum and memorial to the slave trade, with somber exhibits chronicling this dark period of human history. We stopped in a local cafe for a drink and listened to a kora (a calabash gourd) player before boarding the ferry and returning the Neptune. Senegal’s population is 40,000 million but 3 million are in Dakar, and there are 90 % Muslim 10% Catholic who all live in peace together. See picture of Senegal in preceding sea days.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 122 1st Sea Day to Canary Islands

    April 22, 2024 in Chad ⋅ 🌬 39 °C

    SAILING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
    Once a divider of continents, the Atlantic Ocean today brings nations together. Medieval Europeans believed "there be dragons" beyond the ocean's glaring horizon. Once they considered that another world lay on the other side, the Atlantic became an avenue of conquest and trade. The ensuing crossings altered the history of the world. The Viking Leif Eriksson was the first European to make the voyage, stepping foot on North America around the year 1000. Columbus journeyed there nearly 500 years later, followed by countless explorers who would bring their cultures to the New World. Today, transAtlantic cables on the ocean's bed allow for instantaneous communication and jets "hop the pond" in a few hours' time.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 123 - 2nd Day to Tenerife, Spain

    April 22, 2024, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    The Canaries: Islands by Another Name - For centuries, the Canary Islands-Spain's lush, volcanic archipelago off the southern coast of Morocco-have been thought of as a bridge between Europe, Africa and North America. The source of this notion is uncertain, though it may have emerged because Spanish galleons sailed south here in order to reach the New World on northeasterly trade winds. The islands, then, provided explorers a final glimpse of Europe; their serene-sounding name seemed as fitting as the birdsong that might have seen brave sailors off to an uncertain crossing. However, it turns out that the bird is named after the islands, not the other way around.
    The Spanish name, Islas Canarias, comes from the Latin Canariae Insulae, meaning "Island of Dogs." It was a Mauretanian king who, according to The Natural History by Roman historian Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), coined the name Canaria for the large dogs that inhabited today's island of Gran Canaria. By some accounts, the king had actually seen monk seals, which from the Latin means "sea dog."
    Still, the legend persists that the indigenous Guanches, the original inhabitants, considered dogs holy and even feared them. Ancient Greeks may have been speaking about the Guanches when they returned from far western islands talking about the "dog-headed ones" who held canines as sacred. Proof of this origin story
    might lie in the Canary Islands' coat-of-arms in which two dogs flank a shield and crown. And so these "islands of dogs" may well be watched over by canine spirits after all.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 124 - Canary islands

    April 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    (Santa Cruz De Tenerife), Spain The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 100 kilometres west of Morocco and the Western Sahara. They are the southernmost of the autonomous communities of Spain. The islands have a population of 2.2 million people and are the most populous special territory of the European Union. The seven main islands are, from largest to smallest in area, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. The archipelago includes many smaller islands and islets, including La Graciosa, Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Oeste, and Roque del Este. It includes a number of rocks, including Garachico and Anaga. In ancient times, the island chain was often referred to as "the Fortunate Isles. CANARY ISLANDS (SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE), SPAIN
    Fertile and green, Spain's Canary Islands overflow with exotic flora spilling down mountainsides to coastal pueblos. The archipelago's capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, exudes equal parts Spanish flair and island tranquility, brimming with lushly painted buildings of all colors, cosmopolitan shops and a city park where birdsong and the trickle of fountains echo the soothing sounds of Tenerife's rural reaches. The volcanic Mt. Teide, Spain's highest point, watches over much of the island Its rich and luxuriant hills harbor fruit plantations and vineyards that produce some of the nation's finest wines. The Orota Valley gently slopes down from Teide to the Atlantic and Puerto de la Cruz; the former fishing village transformed into a spi town for the 19th-century Victorian set and today welcomes endless strolls amid its fine boardwalks, leafy squares and seaside charms.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 125 - Sea Day to Morocco

    April 24, 2024, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    AGADIR, MOROCCO
    Rising from the rubble of a devastating earthquake in 1960, today Agadir is a thriving modern city. European-style cafés line the avenues and boulevards resembling the atmosphere of a Mediterranean resort. The beach is a welcome attraction for locals and visitors alike, and the marina provides a scenic backdrop while shoppers browse a blend of locals stores and well-known international brands. Due to high winds we docked at 11:30 PMRead more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 127 - Casablanca, Morocca

    April 26, 2024 in Morocco ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
    Casablanca lures visitors with its heady mix of neo-Moorish splendor and French influence. Known as "Casa" to locals, its streets exude an atmosphere of bygone days. Made famous by the 1942 eponymous film, today it is one of Africa's most important ports. Parisian-style boulevards unfold past cafés and colonial buildings. The city's medina is a maze of warrens pulsing with old-world energy, the hollers of carpet merchants and the fragrance of incense. The most impressive structure is the Hassan Il Mosque, the country's largest and most magnificent.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 126 - Agadir, Morocco

    April 28, 2024 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    AGADIR, MOROCCO
    Situated on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Agadir is the capital of Amazigh culture-the Indigenous people of North Africa.
    Historians believe the Amazigh migrated to Morocco from the Middle East and are descendants of the pre-Arab population.
    Today, there is a resurgence to promote greater recognition of the Amazigh ethnic identity, with images and music infused in modern culture. Visitors can enjoy a warm welcome in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and remote villages, and gain insight into their customs and traditions.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 129 Seville (Cadiz), Spain

    April 28, 2024, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    SEVILLE (CÁDIZ), SPAIN
    Cádiz lies on Spain's breathtaking province of Andalusia and gained incredible wealth during the 18th century; riches from the Americas were unloaded here after the Guadalquivir River to Seville silted up. This scenic southern region is home the matador and world-class equestrian art. Seville, city of polyamorous suitor Don Juan, boasts plenty of its own glories. Its grand cathedral, Alcázar Palace and Tower of Gold were built from the coffers of Spanish kings, but its fiery flamenco defines its true spirit. It is best to ponder it all while sipping sherry at a bodega.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 128 Tangeria, Africa

    April 28, 2024 in Morocco ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    TANGIER, MOROCCO
    A pivotal port city linking Africa and Europe, Tangier lies just eight miles across the Strait of Gibraltar from the Iberian Peninsula. Long coveted for its strategic location where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet, numerous empires called it their own throughout history. The city's vibrancy and multicultural air attracted all manner of artists in the late 20th century, including Henri Matisse and Paul Bowles. Tangier's ancient, walled medina brims with the pleasures of Morocco, from intricate carpets and finely made slippers to fresh dates.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 130 - Lisbon, Portugal

    April 30, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    LISBON, PORTUGAL
    Lisbon has inspired explorers for centuries with its stunning setting at the Tagus River's mouth. Its labyrinthine streets carry echoes of 16th-century navigators who sailed on the winds of the Age of Discovery. The city prospered greatly from its trade.
    And today's streets are lined with the legacies of wealthy builders, including the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, stunning works that introduced Manueline architecture. Savoring local cuisine and port wine are favorite pastimes here. On any evening, the strains of fado spill from clubs in the historic Alfama District.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Day 131 - Lisbon, Portugal

    May 1, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    LISBON, PORTUGAL
    Throughout Lisbon, fascinating monuments tell this proud city's story. Along the riverfront, in Praça do Comércio, an equestrian statue at its center represents Portugal's King José I, who capably rebuilt the city following the devastating 1755 earthquake. Among the most recognized of Lisbon's monuments is the grand Monument to the Discoveries on the banks of the Tagus River, displaying statues of more than 30 contributors to exploration, whose bravery and spirit still shape the culture of this vibrant European capital.
    We traveled around in a tuk-tuk around the most beautiful and interesting areas of Lisbon, while sampling Portuguese cuisine. Our driver will was our guide, pointing out the sights and stopping for us to enjoy a few culinary treats. We stopped at one of Lisbon's most visited plazas, Praça do Rossio (Rossio Square); here, we again tasted a traditional Portuguese liquor, Ginjinha, that amazes everyone's palate. Then we drove to the São Pedro de Alcântara belvedere overlooking downtown Lisbon for a photo stop, and then visited the Alfama District, Lisbon's most emblematic quarter. Here, we were able to sit and taste cheese and wine from the different regions of Portugal.
    After which we returned the Neptune ship and had drinks with John, Steve, Allen and dinner with Heather and Marie at 8.    Read more

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