thefouramigosblog

We slept in this morning and it was much needed. But we had time for a nice breakfast at the Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, then headed out looking for the Tram station. I really wanted to ride the tram.

It was a nice walk and the architecture in Vienna is amazing.

After several minutes of trying to figure out what ticket to buy, a man came to help. He actually caused more confusion because he didn’t speak English but we had fun with him anyway.

Of course, we got on the wrong tram and headed in the wrong direction.

After waiting for another tram we rode on that only to find we needed to get on a different one. It wasn’t stressful but just a bit comical.

We finally got off near the Old Town City Center. I thought this window display was interesting.

We went to St. Stephen’s Cathedral which is a must see in Vienna.

They have concerts at night but unfortunately we have an early morning tomorrow.

Inside the church we were able to hear mass in German.

Our next stop was St. Peter’s Church, a round building.

We listened to classical music from the organist. It was lovely and peaceful.

After St. Peter’s, we went to St. Michael’s which was plainer than the other two churches.

Now it was time to have our afternoon dessert. I had apple strudel and Bruce had cheesecake.

There were fabulously expensive stores everywhere. Louis Vuitton had a waiting line.

Beautiful architecture everywhere.

It started to rain but we were nestled in a cafe eating our desserts. We left when the rain stopped and headed back to our hotel for some rest.

The weather isn’t nice – it’s raining a bit. So we decided to eat in the hotel!

Tomorrow we are off on a train ride to Prague!

#vienna#applestrudel#anantarapalaishansenviennahotel#ststephenscathedral#stmichaelschurch#stpeterschurch#tram

Bruce and I were so tired that part of me wanted to blow off the tour I had already paid for. But I dragged myself out of the luscious bed and started getting ready to go to the Schonbrunn Palace and Garden Tour.

I stepped out on my balcony to check the weather. It was chilly.

As part of our stay, breakfast is included so we had a quick breakfast then the hotel called a taxi to take us to the palace.

It was the summer palace of the Habsburgs and Maria Theresa who reigned from 1740 to 1780, was responsible for the grandeur of the palace.

She was the only female ruler of Austria but still was not given the title of Empress. Maria Theresa had 16 children one of whom was Marie Antoinette. Another daughter married Napoleon Bonaparte and she returned to Vienna with their son, who was a very fragile child. He died a young man of 21.

The palace had 1,441 rooms and is done in the Baroque style.

We toured 22 rooms rich in color and adorned with large portraits and landscapes. One room was painted to look like porcelain.

The large white ceramic stove was the heating element for the palace.

Our guide Nicole from Roso Travel was very knowledgeable and enjoyable with her personal stories of the palace.

She explained the little details in the artwork including Mozart being inserted in the above painting although he hadn’t been born yet at the time this painting was commissioned. Many of these art pieces take years to complete.

After the tour of the house, we proceeded to the gardens. The gardens are not typical English gardens but have a Baroque style to stimulate conversation. They are also designed for quiet and privacy since privacy within the palace is limited.

It was a delightful tour and as we were leaving she told us the best apple strudel was at the cafe. We headed over to the cafe to indulge in the strudel.

Back at our hotel, we went to the spa and enjoyed a Finnish sauna and hydro pool.

For dinner, we ate at a little cafe across from a church. I had a chicken wrap and Bruce ate soup. He has been having trouble with his teeth and needs to eat soft things.

We enjoyed a light show at the Votive Church across the street.

It was a beautiful show set to music. Afterwards, bedtime. We are exhausted.

#vienna#schonbrunnpalace#anantarapalaishansenvienna#votivechurch#lightshow#gardens#baroque#mariatheresa#napoleon#summerpalace#strudel

When we got off the ship nobody seemed to know where the shuttle was. A large bus labeled “Sun Princess shuttle” was not it. I left Bruce with the bags as I ran around trying to find the shuttle. It was the furthest bus from the doors.

Finally, we are on the shuttle and get to the airport. Our airline is again furthest away from the door and the line is super long and not moving. Two flights have already been cancelled to Amsterdam, our first leg.

I realized there was a shorter line to just check bags. So we moved to that. The attendant tells us we are in the wrong line. I point to Bruce with his cane. She helps us check the bags and issues us tickets. I had boarding passes already with the seats I paid for. Now we have different seats- not together and both in the middle. Nothing can be done.

Luckily with my American Express Platinum, we have lounge access. Sweet. Time to relax and refresh.

We board our flight and we sit. And sit. Finally, we take off and we are landing in Amsterdam as our connecting flight is having it’s final boarding call. We run or try to run but it’s a mile away. We didn’t make it. I’m in tears. This is not easy.

We get rebooked in a flight out at 10 pm. Five hours in the lounge. Thank goodness for lounges.

We finally arrived in Vienna around midnight. More walking to get our bags with a little assistance in an electric cart. That saved some time and energy. Happily, our driver was waiting to take us to our hotel, Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel.

What a beautiful suite we have. Large closets, king bed, sitting area.

They even gave us wine and goodies to eat. Unfortunately, we don’t drink so the wine went untouched.

Tomorrow we will take a tour of a palace.

#vienna#sunprincess#anantarapalaishansenviennahotel#travel

Mallorca and Majorca are the same Spanish island, but “Mallorca” is the official, local Catalan/Spanish spelling (pronounced Mah-YOR-ka), while “Majorca” is an older Anglicized spelling commonly used in the UK. Both are pronounced the same way. Mallorca is the preferred spelling.

Whichever spelling you choose, it’s a charming island with a lot of history.

I bought skip-the-line tickets for the Cathedral of Mallorca but our conundrum was how to get there. Do we take the shuttle for $16 each, the bus for $3, or a taxi for $15? I think we thought too long and ended up walking the 2.5 miles.

We walked the waterfront the entire way. There were some magnificent boats or rather yachts.

Windmills stood tall atop the hills, overlooking the waterfront.

The old and the new enfolding the landscape.

We even found some canons on our way.

The weather was warmer than we expected. But it was a glorious day for a walk.

We could see the Cathedral in the distance.

Finally, we arrived but were held up by a military parade.

The Cathedral was beautiful. Sculptures honoring different saints were on the sides of the Cathedral.

The Nave and the Altar were magnificent.

The side chapels were exquisite.

They were so large and beautifully adorned that they could be their own churches.

Outside the Cathedral there were tiny alleys and walkways which you often see in European cities.

We found a little cafe and had a cappuccino and a pastry!

Some random photos around the Cathedral.

Mallorca is definitely a gem that I wouldn’t mind revisiting.

Tomorrow we arrive in Barcelona and disembark the Sun Princess! And into another adventure!

Bruce and I have been to this port before so today we decided to go to the Panoramic Lift and Conception Castle.

It was a beautiful day for exploring with bright sunshine and 65-degree temperatures. It was a pleasant walk of less than a quarter mile to our destination.

We walked through an interesting tunnel with artwork.

We bought our tickets from Get Your Guide and to be honest you could just go there and pay. It was $16 for our tickets with an audio guide.

It was quite a pretty walk around the grounds. Lots of peacocks which I’m used to in Florida.

First, we went through low-hanging doorways to get into the cisterns.

We climbed stairs to the tower area, which had magnificent views of Cartagena.

A slab of rock above the entrance was reused stone from ancient times.

The interior had small windows obviously for bows and arrows.

And several rooms had artifacts and reproductions.

We didn’t take the lift down but had a nice walk downhill.

A delightful day in Cartagena.

Tomorrow it’s Majorca!

#cartagena#spain#sunprincess#cruising#conceptioncastle#panoramiclift#vacation#europe

Our first port after eight days at sea was the colorful capital Santa Cruz De Tenerife. Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands which is part of Spain.

The weather was 64 degrees and overcast but it was pleasant for our walk around town.

Our morning coffee was delivered at 8 and we took our time getting ready. We’ve been here several times and didn’t make any plans. Several years ago we took a tour to the volcano and to a pyramid. Actually they believe the pyramid was made in the 19th century to do step agricultural planting. So today is just a little walk about town.

The Sun Princess is quite impressive as we watched the fueling process from the bridge.

Like many European cities, there were many statues as well as some very nice graffiti adorning the town.

We stopped at a cafe for a cappuccino and crepes.

The crepe was filled with a pistachio filling. It was good but my stomach didn’t like it.

We walked to the Cathedral of Santa Cruz which isn’t actually a cathedral but is the main worship center in the city.

Unfortunately, there was something going on within the church and tourists were not allowed to enter. I took this picture through the gate.

Santa Cruz De Tenerife had beautiful flowers and enormous trees.

It’s a very colorful place with vividly painted buildings.

If you ever visit this port and don’t go on an excursion, walking around town is a great way to spend a few hours.

There is a museum walking distance from the pier. We decided not to tour the museum but maybe next time.

We headed back to the ship early and I was lucky to get to use the laundromat. I thought it was a perfect time to do it while many passengers were off the ship. Princess has a laundromat on each deck for passengers to use with two washers and dryers in each.

Now for the next two days, we will be at sea.

#sunprincess#cruising#santacruzdetenerife#canaryislands#spain#cathedralofsantacruz#vacation

There are so many things to do on board a ship that sometimes I wonder how I’m going to get any relaxation. There are shows, trivia, casino, bingo, eating, dancing, listening to music, and getting acquainted with many people.

We try to do a few of the things but sometimes we want to pause and read our books. Or on this ship, there have been mindful meditations.

The pastries on the Sun Princess have been delicious and I’ve indulged way too willingly. So for the next few days, I decided to reduce my food and pastry intake.

As Platinum level on Princess, we are invited to a daily cocktail hour which some days we go to and some not.

We missed the big event with the officers since I wasn’t feeling well.

Another night of entertainment with the incomparable Janice Martin.

We enjoyed the acrobat shows in the Dome with Duo Fusion and Duo Kate and Vasya.

Tomorrow we will finally reach our first port, Santa Cruz De Tenerife.

#sunprincess#duogusion#janicemartin#duokate&vasya#cruising#transatlantic#vacation#ocean

Cruising the Transatlantic is not for those who fear the open ocean or may suffer from seasickness. There are many medicines to take to counter motion sickness. From Dramamine to magnetic bracelets and patches, Bruce and I are very lucky not to need anything.

We will have eight sea days before we reach our first port in the Canary Islands. And we love sea days. We wake late to a light knock on our door bringing us our morning coffee and tea. We are in an oceanview cabin so no sitting on the balcony. Instead, our cabin has a nice couch with a little table.

We take our time waking and look at the app to see what we’d like to do. We’ve enjoyed Enrichment programs and one on travel apps. And yes it was helpful and I learned a few things I will incorporate into my travel planning.

We usually spend some time in the casino. We’ve been doing well and hopefully we will get more free cruises.

We sometimes make it to the Eatery on the Sun Princess, a buffet on other ships, for a little breakfast. I don’t like to eat until after noon but Bruce needs three meals a day.

I have yogurt with granola and fruit nearly every morning if I get up there before it closes.

We’ve played in the casino a bit and have won some and lost some, but having a good time with it.

I have a cold so I’m trying to lay low. We were going to watch a movie under the stars but decided to watch it in our cabin. It was Song Sung Blue and what a good movie. I cried.

We’ve watched the nightly entertainment in the Arena. In particular, the phenomenal Janice Martin performed. She’s a musician, a singer, and an aerialist.

The ship is lovely with so many areas to check out. I might give the infinity pool a try.

We found this cross walk on deck 9.

And every day we get together with our newly found friends. What’s not to like about cruising.

#sunprincess#cruising#seadays#janicemartin#ship#ocean

Well, it’s travel time again. Bruce isn’t fully recovered from shoulder surgery but he’s doing pretty well. He can’t reach up yet and still has a bit of pain.

Our ride to Port Everglades was smooth but getting to our ship took over an hour. It’s tough on the driver but we tried to stay relaxed. Our neighbor Brad has started a little chauffeur business and he’s getting quite a few customers.

The Sun Princess is one of the newer Princess ships. It’s quite large and we will need to get used to it.

The buffet area is called the eatery and the theater is called the arena. The first night we saw a comedian, Wali Collins, who was really funny. It is an interesting theater in the round.

Yesterday we spent the day exploring the ship. It has a very nice gym with lots of stationary bikes and treadmills. On this ship, they overlook the pool area.

There’s also a section for adults only where we spent a little time resting on lounge chairs.

Coffee and cones is next to the pools. We couldn’t resist.

We played a bit in the casino and have been doing well. It’s a smoking casino but we found it to be not too smoky.

In the morning we attended Spanish lessons, which had a huge turnout. The instructor expected about 5 people.

We met quite a few people and had coffee with our new friends.

We enjoyed dinner last night. I had a Caribbean shrimp and a Mexican dish for my meal.

The show last night was phenomenal. It was a couple, Aerialist Duo Emyo.

Today we are off to new adventures on the ship since it’s another sea day!

#sunprincess#cruising#vacation#trabsatlantic#aerialustduoemyo#walicollins#seadays