Sight Seas

The Pitons When and Where:            12/2001 – Castries                                            02/2022 – Castries 13 th Country Visited; 8 th  North American Country Visited Interesting Facts: -         St. Lucia is the only country in the world named after a woman.   -         More than any other country, St. Lucia has the highest rate of Nobel Prize winners among its population. Back in 2001, a few months after 9/11, my friend Allan and I took a cruise which brought us to St. Lucia.   We opted for a cruise excursion: an overland Jeep jungle adventure.   As we disembarked the boat, we passed through Castries, the capital. ...

Deutschland When and Where:            11/1998 – Munich, Dachau                                             09/2022 – Berlin 13 th Country Visited; 8 th European Country Visited Interesting Facts: -         Munich’s Oktoberfest is the world’s biggest folk festival.   -         17% of Americans have some German ancestry. -         Germany’s drinking age is 16.   In Bavaria, beer is considered a food. -         Gummy bears were invented by Ha ns Ri egel in Bo nn, hence the company name “Haribo”   My mom’s maiden name was Riegel.   -     ...

It's hard to believe how fast the last 10+ years have gone!  We have had quite a few adventures together.  Per my count, we have visited 20 foreign countries and have had countless amazing experiences.  I look forward to many adventures on the road ahead.  Happy birthday Joe! The Blue Lagoon, Iceland (2015) Zip Lining in Costa Rica (2015) Granada, Nicaragua (2015) Naples, Italy (2016) Havana, Cuba (2017) The Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland (2018) St. Lucia (2022) Perast, Montenegro (2022) Chania (Crete), Greece (2022) Oia (Santorini), Greece (2022)

The Most Serene Republic When and Where:            08/2012 – San Marino 42 th Country Visited; 26 nd European Country Visited Interesting Facts: -         San Marino is the world’s oldest sovereign state; it was officially founded in 301 AD. -         San Marino is the 5 th smallest country in the world and 3 rd smallest in Europe. -         Like the Vatican, San Marino is landlocked, and is totally surrounded by Italy. -         San Marino is one of the least visited countries in Europe. -         30% of San Marino’s economy is based in washing and bottling machines. During our 2012 Holyland cruise, Aaron and I visited the cruise port of Ravenna, Italy.   I noticed one of the cruise excursions was a day trip to the micronation of San Marino, ...

 Land of The Svea When and Where:              08/2008 – Stockholm                                     34 th Country Visited; 22 nd European Country Visited Interesting Facts: -         Stockholm is the largest urban area in Scandinavia. -         Sweden has over 95,000 lakes and more than half the land is forested. -         Swedish workers get twice-daily breaks called Fika where they consume a beverage, eat cake, and chat.     Of all the countries I’ve visited to date with the exception of the countries I’ve visited on this 2023 cruise, Sweden is at the top of the list.   Back in 2008, I took a Baltic cruise with my...

 Land of The Pyramids When and Where:              08/2012 – Port Said, Cairo, Giza, Alexandria 44 th Country Visited; 1 st African Country Visited Interesting Facts: ·        Egypt is home to the only remaining Ancient Wonder of the World. ·        The pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs and their families. As my cruise is in route to Africa, I reflect back on my only prior visit to the Mother Continent.    Aaron and I went on a Holyland cruise in August of 2012 that stopped for two days in Egypt.    The Arab Spring, which took place in January 2011, was in the back of my mind.    It had been a turbulent time in Egypt with riots breaking out, government buildings being burnt down and the government of Hosni Mubarak being overthrown.    I was nervous about Egypt, but I knew it was a place I had to see.   ...