This morning started at 5 am. We jumped out of bed at the alarm, packed our pjs into our carry-ons, and headed down to breakfast. At breakfast, we met a few people (Nick and Lauren from Virginia, and Mary and Jim from Houston) Then it was time to board the bus to the airport and…

This was a day of hotel living. Ever read “The Man from Moscow” by Alexander Towles? This was the life. Upstairs, downstairs, the roof, the door, and then escape! After breakfast, we were tested again. This was the official test by Viking to ensure that all passengers are worthy for entry (think crossing the moat…

Getting to the end of the earth takes a couple of hoops and hops! First, we had to pack carefully. There will be no shops to stop in and buy whatever we forgot. No pharmacies. No Amazon. For this reason, we packed a First Aid bag that has all the remedies from our shelves including…

Today is our travel day, hooray. We have trouble, however, boo. 7:00 am Following the precise directions, we had our PCR test taken within 48-36 hours of our flight— not realizing that test results do not come within 24 hours. In fact, we have heard nothing from CVS since taking the test.  Trying to solve the…

We have been receiving memos from Viking daily. They are enthusiastic, and detailed, and usually come with a change of plan. Today’s memo announces that the Viking Octantis is presently taking a shakedown cruise to the continent. This is great news because in one of the previous missives, we discovered that despite our careful planning,…

I’m writing this a few days before we depart to prepare friends for their own dream trips. First, there is the mental commitment to go. Then the reality of a down payment. The final payment. The insurance. The medical forms… and more medical forms.  So here we are with bags packed, just a few days…