European Quest Port Plans ✔︎

Cold ... snow ... and some frozen fog as well. That's what most of February has been like. Most people probably would not care for weather like this. I don't mind much as such conditions allow me to focus on things I need to take care of indoors. In this case — making plans for shore activities for our cruise in May.

Our 10-day cruise is port-intensive ... only one day at sea. All but two of the ports are new to us. Quite a bit of research needed. The good news ... I now have a fluid plan for sightseeing. What that means is that I have a list of places and things that interest us. We'll pick and choose from that list based on weather and other considerations when we arrive in port. The only locked-in plan is for the Guggenheim in Bilbao. I purchased skip-the-line tickets for that venue today ... at a surprisingly reasonable €10pp.

Mostly we’ll be exploring the ports of call on foot ... with the help of public transportation as necessary. One exception is Brest ... we’ve rented a car to head out and explore the coast. We’ll be paying for the car on arrival, so we’re not locked into that plan and can change our minds later.

I enjoy researching and organizing trips. That said, it always feels like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders when I am able to put a check-mark next to this travel tasker.Read more