We just returned from a half-day tour of Hamburg, Germany.  And, no, the hamburger wasn’t created here; according to our guide, it was created in the United States.  He did say, however, that the residents of his city are called

 … finish reading Hamburg

It was thirty-five years ago that I last was at Blarney Castle, and I have a photo to prove that two husky Irishmen eased me over the edge of the high wall to kiss the famous stone back then. For

 … finish reading Blarney Castle

One thing I like about cruise ships is the pleasantness and politeness of the crew.

For instance, we have moved our clocks ahead five nights in a row as we crossed time zones.  It means the crew loses an hour

 … finish reading Kudos to the Crew

The two memories of Ponta Delgada we’ll recall when this trip is in the books are a brightly colored rooster and an unexpected stop for beer, both dependent on a credit card and Earl’s curiosity.

We’d been inside the local

 … finish reading Vladimir and the Talisman

The Azores have never been on my list of “Must Sees,” but given the weather in the North Atlantic I am thrilled that we came here instead of there.  Even though we couldn’t get the ATM to give us Euros

 … finish reading Ponta Delgada