thefouramigosblog

Oh boy were we tired! I’m glad we came to Buenos Aires for 5 days. This way I don’t feel guilty sleeping 12 hours. Our bed was so comfy and the blackout shades made it seem like nighttime even though we finally woke at 10am. I can’t remember the last time I slept that late without being sick. Scrumptious!

Our first stop today was Le Pain Quotidien for cappuccino and croissants. I had almond Bruce had his with butter.

We decided to take the hop on hop off bus. It’s a great way to familiarize yourself with a city. For $35 each we were able to get 48 hours of use which works out well for us.

The ride from the first stop through the 22 stops takes about 3 hours. There are many high end stores in Buenos Aires many of them in the Recoleta neighborhood where our hotel is located.

I love the old buildings in Buenos Aires.

Sitting on the upper deck of the bus, allowed us to soak in the sounds, smells and views of this capital city. And just like any city, there were the high end stores, the well dressed city dwellers, and the multi cultural backgrounds of the tourists, mixed in with the poor, the homeless and the disenfranchised.

Reaching the Palermo neighborhood, we decided to get off the bus for a bit of a stroll and something to eat. We found a lovely restaurant, La Panera Rosa. We ordered the lunch special which included drinks, coffee, fruit, eggs, babaganoush, ham and cheese and lemon pound cake. I think that was dinner! I was stuffed!

We walked around the area taking in a local craft fair. There was also an Irish Pub, Sullivan’s, on a corner. Thought that was kind of cool sitting in the midst of all that is Argentine!

At our drop off point we visited Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

It was a very beautiful church next to the cemetery where Eva Peron (Evita) is buried.

Unfortunately, it was too late to go to the cemetery since it closes at 5.

We headed back to the hotel to check out the pool and sauna.

The pool was chilly so I went to the hot tub and sauna in the ladies room.

For dinner we had ice cream at Freddos.

A coconut dulce le leche cone was the perfect end to this fantastic day!

#buenosaires#freddos#hoponhopoff#basilicaNuestraSeñoradelPilar#evaperon#palermobuenosaires#recoleto

I love traveling but sometimes it can be a long and arduous process. That’s why creatures comforts while flying are so important.

We ordered our Lyft ride to Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

I earn 5x points on Lyft with my Chase Sapphire card, so it’s a no brainer to use Lyft over Uber.

Our ride today was ok. The car wasn’t great but the driver was friendly. So 👍 for Ethan and 👎 for the vehicle. He kept the windows open because I don’t think there was A/C!

No Priority Lounge or Centurion in Terminal 1 so as my daughter stated, we had to sit with the crowd. My access to these lounges comes with the American Express Platinum. It’s got at hefty $695 fee but all the perks make it worth it for us.

We flew economy from Fort Lauderdale to Houston. The legroom was tight but it was only a 3 hour flight.

From Houston to Buenos Aires we are flying Premium Economy. Two seaters with good legroom. A reclining seat and a gift pack with socks, eye mask, toiletries and dental kit.

The cost for economy was $1500 and premium economy over $2k. I used 240,000 Chase points and $11.20 and voila – decent seats for a 10 hour flight.

I can see why it gets harder and harder for seniors to travel internationally by plane. After over 14 hours of travel and luckily a bit of shut eye, getting through immigration was a bit of a nightmare. We had to walk about a mile to immigration and then the lines were very long. Luckily we chose the left line and it went a bit quicker.

I’m a little sad because many countries no longer stamp passports. Argentina is one of them.

Finally, through customs and baggage claim , we found our driver to take us to the Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires.

Our hotel room was $800 a night with fifth night free. But using points it was 25k a night totaling 125,000 points.

We had to wait for our room so we had coffee, tea and scones at one of the hotels restaurants.

Our room was finally ready and we took a two hour nap.

We have a Nespresso machine so I had a cup along with the macarons they delivered to our room compliments of The Management.

In Argentina you must eat meat. Our driver recommended a restaurant a short walk from the hotel. Delicious!

A little walk back to the hotel and now we are hoping for a good nights sleep!

#palacioduhau#parkhyattbuenosaires#unitedairlines#pointsandmiles#premiumeconomy#lyft#southamerica

Kadyn came for a visit during Christmas break and we decided to kayak for an afternoon. We picked her up at Orlando airport then drive the hour and a half to Ocala. On our way we saw a space launch out of the Kennedy Center. It was awesome but unfortunately, I was not prepared, so no photos.

We are staying at a Hilton and had dinner at Olive Garden.

We ate the buffet breakfast at the hotel and headed over to Silver Springs to meet up with Wet Rabbit Kayak.

The weather was predicted to be around 58 degrees and sunny. A bit nippy for us but Kadyn thought it would be fine. Bruce started out thinking maybe not such a good idea.

But the more we worked the more we warmed up. We saw a lot through our glass bottom kayak.

Grasses and sand.

We even saw a shipwreck.

And I had a manatee go right by my kayak. Unfortunately, all I caught was his tail. They are a lot bigger than I thought.

We saw alligators – some big, some small.

And lots of turtles!

Our guide Melissa was very good and she didn’t rush us.

It was beautiful kayaking here.

All in all it was a fabulous day!

And to top it off a little down time in the hot tub!

And out to dinner ending with a Christmas movie!

#werabbitkayak#silverspring#manatee#alligator#ocala

On our last port day, we headed into Antigua. It was a bit overcast but weather in the tropics changes rapidly.

Our tour in Antigua was booked with people on Cruise Critic. My experience to date is that we get a much better tour at a lower price through Cruise Critic. We had Lawrence of Antigua as our tour guide.

There were 13 people on the mini bus. Lawrence provided water, soda and beer. He gave commentary while driving around Antigua. Our first stop was Devils Bridge.

We spent an hour at a little beach not far from Devils Bridge.

We rented two lounges for $5 each and went swimming. Bruce did a little snorkeling but he didn’t see much and it was quite treacherous.

Our next beach was lovely as well and we spent another hour there.

It was a wonderful day and I love that beautiful clear water.

Alas, we set sail for Fort Lauderdale. Only two more days.

Tonight was our last formal night on the Enchanted Princess and we saw a great show, Rock Opera.

See you all in Florida!

#cruise#cruisecritic#enchantedprincess#antigua#lawrenceofantigua#devilsbridge#cruising

It was a misty morning so Bruce and I decided to walk around the port town of Martinique. We woke late which has become the norm on this cruise and looked out my balcony at dark clouds.

After drinking our coffee and tea we headed to the gangway and off we went. Steel drums playing and brightly colored clothing all around was a site to behold.

The streets were cobblestones and reminded me very much of European cities.

We visited the Cathedral of St. Louis and stopped to say a few prayers.

We stopped at a local bakery and had cappuccino and a French pastry.

We didn’t take a tour today but decided to walk through the city. There were many interesting buildings. If I visit again, I will travel into the rainforest to get a better feel for the Island. And many beautiful beaches are waiting for my return.

From our balcony, we watched as we sailed away from Martinique.

Tomorrow Antigua!

#travel#fortdefrance#bakery#martinique#cathedraldestthomas#caribbean#cruise

It’s very unusual for me to be tired, but I have found the loss of my sister Linda, the ongoing support for her husband Stan, my crazy decision to be a director in my 55+ community, and some family health issues, a tad bit stressful.

So for our first sea day it was all about relaxing.

But first I did add a little stress. As a member of Cruise Critic I was in charge of running the Meet and Greet. I’m not crazy about public speaking but here I was schmoozing with the captain and crew. The event turned out well, and I was pleased at how many officers did attend.

Finally that was over and I used my $150 certificate that I won and had a relaxing facial. Even with that it still cost $84. I’m not really sure why spa treatments are so popular on ships since they are very expensive but the ambiance was mellow and it actually soothed my inner spirit.

We did a lot of napping this day but managed to make it to dinner in the dining room. It was a formal night and I forgot to take pictures of Bruce and I dressed up.

The next day we were supposed to go to a beach on St. Thomas. Reports of strong riptides and heavy winds made us decide not to beach it or go snorkeling.

So what did we do? Went in the hot tub on the ship and then took a long nap.

We had a beautiful sunset from our balcony as we were leaving St. Thomas.

The Enchanted Princess was decorated for the holidays and is looking very festive.

On my birthday we went to Dominica. It was a typical Caribbean island with colorful buildings and stray dogs. The view from our balcony was not exotic like on some islands but the mountains in the background made it more interesting.

We took a ship your in the afternoon. Yes, we slept in again but of course, it was my birthday so that was ok. The tour took us to an overlook where we could see the cricket field, the most popular sport in Dominica.

Then a short visit to a botanical garden, which was very disappointing.

On our ride, we saw a magnificent rainbow.

The ride had a lot of hairpin turns but was quite fun!

Our final destination was the Jacu Waterfall. It was very nice and we would have gone in for a dip but it was chilly and rainy when we arrived.

Today we slept late again and wandered off the ship around 11:30. We grabbed a tour guide named Vernon who took us and four others on a tour around St. Lucia.

We stopped at several viewing areas. One to look at the ship and another at Marigot Bay.

This cute little girl posed for me at the top view of Marigot Bay.

We also stopped at a wood carving place where they made some beautiful wood artwork.

It was a wonderful little tour for $35 per person and we were able to see quite a bit of St. Lucia.

We had another beautiful sunset leaving St. Lucia.

Off to Martinique tomorrow!

#cruisecritic#stlucia#stthomas#dominica#enchantedprincess#cruising#waterfall

After an adventuresome trip to the cruise port, car fires and road closures, we made it to our ship, the Enchanted Princess. This ship is similar to the Sky and Regal.

The process of getting on board was a little slower than usual. Different stories were told from the debarkation process to the traffic situation. But once on board it was time to relax.

We met with a group of people for the sailaway party that I had been corresponding with on Cruise Critic. Afterwards, we had coffee with friends. As we waited to dine, we sat in the Piazza and listened to a beautiful string duo.

I won $150 at the spa raffle. This was amazing since I never win anything.

I signed up for a collagen facial on Sunday. I’m not sure what that is but it should be good. Anything to help this aging skin!

We ate dinner with two couples from Florida and a single woman from Los Angeles. I had fish which was very good. I forgot to take pictures of the food.

We went to the show, a comedian, which wasn’t very good and then tried our luck at slots!

Tonight from our balcony we could see a ship and land in the distance.

It was a little windy and rolling- nice for sleeping.

We slept in and woke to this beautiful view.

We lounged around on our balcony drinking coffee for me and tea for Bruce.

Ordering continental breakfast is still free on Princess.

Today our destination is Princess Cay, Princesses’ private island. We needed to take a water taxi to the island.

Last time we were here the ship had only 40% capacity and it was lovely. Today it was quite crowded. The water was a bit nippy especially now that I am a Floridian. So we put our feet in the water, then decided against snorkeling and went back to the ship for lunch. And some time in the hot tub!

I had an excellent fish bowl for dinner.

And Bruce had pasta. We sat with a couple we met from the first night as well as two other couples. The one advantage of traveling alonrbis we meet a lot of people.

After dinner we went to the show. Lady K, as she is known, is a Whitney Huston tribute singer. She was phenomenal.

Our cruise is going well – very relaxing.

Next stop will be St. Thomas, the day after tomorrow.

#enchantedprincess#princesscay#ladyk#travel#cruising#facial#cruisecritic

I have to admit that traveling gets a little harder with each decade of life. But while I’m still fit, I plan to continue this journey.

We traveled to the airport using Lyft. I get f points for each dollar spent using my Chase Sapphire card. Our driver was a nice man and our vehicle was comfortable with complimentary waters supplied.

We arrived at the airport at the same time as our friends, Sandra and Denny. They will be part of our four amigos this adventure.

Using my Priority Pass through American Express Platinum, we had access to the Turkish Lounge at Miami International Airport.

They had assortments of sandwiches and a mini strobe soup.

We ate well and enjoyed a relaxing time. Our flight was delayed by nearly two hours so connecting in Paris was a concern.

In Paris, Sandra needed a wheelchair so she and Denny went one way and Bruce and I another. I started panicking a little, because we were held up in security. But we made the flight. Unfortunately, Sandra and Denny didn’t.

It was beautiful coming into Dublin!

The Hilton had a shuttle from the airport which was convenient especially when we were very tired. I didn’t catch much zees on the flight over. We arrived in time to have dinner. I had a panini and Bruce had a seafood chowder. Then we shared an apple tart for dessert.

Sandra and Denny made it to the hotel by midnight. The airline had booked them on a 9:20 flight and gave them food vouchers.

This morning Bruce and I picked up the rental car. Then we met Sandra and Denny for breakfast before heading out.

We stopped at Finnegan’s Bar and Restaurant for a snack

We had apple tarts and ice cream.

Bruce had a cheesecake.

It was an interesting place with a lot of history.

The countryside was very green and dotted here and there with sheep and cows. We finally arrived at our lovely Place to stay, Churchfield B&B.

Sandra and Denny decided to rest while Bruce and I went to Killilagh Old Churchyard.

Now we are heading back to our B&B and a sunset trip to Cliffs of Moher. This was the best we could do!

For dinner we ate at a little pub across from Churchfields. I had fish and chips, Bruce had chowder and Sandra and Denny had burgers. We even listened to local musicians play traditional Irish folk music.

Last week we traveled to Connecticut for Colin and Renee’s wedding. These two looked dreamily into each other’s eyes and everyone could feel the love.

The wedding plans didn’t start out so great though. After a Thursday of setting up the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds and adding twinkling lights, flower arrangements and pumpkins to the barn and tent, Friday was nearly a wash out. It didn’t just rain. It was torrential down pours. The drains filled to overflowing and the tent was flooded.

Saturday morning, the rains slowed and through the help of many with pumps and shop vacs, everything was dried up.

And the rain stopped by noon just in time for the festivities to begin.

Renee dressed in the old building.

Colin looked so handsome in his Scottish Kilt. Bruce was so happy to spend time with Colin.

Kami and her clan traveled from California.

The many faces of Lily.

And Emmie was a whirling dervish!

The wedding was lovely and all smiles! Renee in her gorgeous gown with her sister as matron of honor.

Colin waited for his bride to be!

And now they are husband and wife!

After a beautiful ceremony we took time for family photos!

And I spent a bit of time taking candids of family and friends.

And if course Renee and Colin’s first dance.

The food was delicious – a giant charcuterie board filled with cheese, fruits and veggies.

And a pizza food truck with at least 10 varieties of pizza.

And dozens of delicious cupcakes!

What a great time! Wishing love and happiness always to this beautiful couple!

We ate our breakfast at the hotel before heading out to Krispy Kreme.

It was too early to check in at the Hyatt in Titusville so we visited the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. We visited the Visitors Center then drove the 7 mile drive seeing lots of birds.

We drove to the Manatee Observation Deck wherevwebsawblots of manatees and even a few calves.

Landon got a kick out of this sign on the port-a-potty.

We arrived at our hotel which is in viewing of the space center.

At midnight we wike the boys up to go to the fifth floor launch viewing area.

Everyone was a bit tired as we waited for the launch.

It looked like it was going to be a go but at the one minute countdown it was cancelled. We have another opportunity to see it tomorrow night.

Today we headed to Kennedy Space Center. There was so much to see.

An astronaut named Mike Baker shared his experience on the space shuttle. He showed pictures from space. After that we saw Heroes and Legends.

We had lots of fun moments with an educational component at Kennedy Space Center.

I was hoping the launch would be tonight but it’s postponed another night. We will be heading home to Delray Beach tomorrow to show the boys some of the fun stuff there. It’s been a fun trip but I’m looking forward to home!!

#kennedyspacecenter#launch#florida#manatees#merrittislandnationalwildliferefuge#titusville#krispykreme