Rebecca’s Avalon River Cruise – Part 4

Here’s the final instalment of Rebecca’s wonderfully descriptive travel blog. Read on to see what caught her eye and how she enjoyed the last few days in Europe.

July 19, 2023

Vienna walking tour yesterday morning. Glorious rose gardens, monument to Sisi (Princess Elizabeth married to Franz Joseph), the Power on Land fountain which represents the vast territory of the Austro-Hungarian empire and some Roman ruins in the centre.

Vienna walking tour continued. Special mention for St. Michael’s Church of which parts date back to the 13th century. The main altar is baroque. The fresco is from the 13th c. Shout out to the macabre ‘transi’ which represents the transition between being dead and alive. Awesome. Quite moving was the cross to commemorate the Czech political prisoners who were sent to Dachau.

We lucked out and were the only nerds who signed up for the Kunsthistoriche (art museum) in Vienna. So, essentially a private tour of the highlights which was an absolute dream. I’d been in 2019 on my own so this was a real treat. The building itself is gorgeous. One of the arches was painted by Klimt. Some highlights included a striking Caravaggio, the stunning Raphael Madonna of the Meadows, an interesting comparison between a beautiful Titian and a Rubens, a painting I loved because the chubby baby seal reminded me of Osa, my dog, a wonderful Vermeer (gratifyingly large compared to his other works) and a couple of Brueghels.

July 20, 2023

The last day of the cruise was in Budapest and lots of tasty Hungarian food on the ship. The first is my lunch plate and supper was a stuffed crepe for starter, cauliflower soup, chicken breast with creamy paprika sauce and little fried spaetzle-y things and the cheese plate for dessert. It had a couple of really nice smoked cheeses.

Currently at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. A happy surprise was the strong collection of El Grecos. I struggle to explain why I’m such a fan. I’m not a huge lover of religious paintings, but his style is so distinctive and unique, especially for the 16th and early 17th century. They’re just so alive, yet with a hint of melancholy.

Selections from the Egyptian gallery at the Fine Arts Museum in Budapest. I don’t recall having seen a mummified crocodile or an ibis before! The obsession with cats continues…

Some great pieces from the Fine Arts Museum in Budapest. It was a massive collection, but I had to search for some gems. Here are some I particularly enjoyed by Titian, Tintoretto, a Brueghel with lots of critters and a still life, a pretty Murillo, Angelika Kaufmann, tavern scenes with one by Velasquez, a couple of de Goyas and a sculpture of Andromeda. The building itself was a work of art.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

These were personal standouts from the Fine Arts Museum in Budapest. Mostly because they either amused me or had interesting messaging. I feel that yawning head, I might be the reincarnation of that child, Cranach’s Ill Matched Couple: Young Man and Old Woman (hahaha, old timey cougar), Jael and Sisera by Artemisia Gentileschi (I’ve never seen this bible story before…she’s driving a peg into buddy’s temple!), Allegory of Public Welfare by Brueghel and this beautifully rendered Wedding Portrait of Mary Henrietta Stuart, daughter of Charles I of England by van Dyck. It is the most expensive painting purchased by the museum in the last 100 years.

Last supper in Budapest! We went to a traditional Hungarian restaurant and it was soooo good. It had very cute decor right down to all the dried peppers dangling from the awning. We both had the goulash soup to start – excellent, A had the mixed cold meats platter and I had duck leg with red cabbage and potatoes. The waiter recommended that to me and it wasn’t a hard sell. What a lovely end to this wonderful adventure with my oldest friend.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

July 21, 2023

Out and about in Budapest: View of Castle Hill, St. Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion, Parliament at night, the super interesting Hospital in the Rock, no Osas allowed!!

---

There you have it, Rebecca’s fabulous experience with Avalon Waterways.

Interested in exploring Europe? Rebecca has visited much of the continent enjoying a variety of travel styles. She’s a great resource and would love to help you plan and book your getaway. You can reach her at rebeccaf@uniglobecarefree.ca.

Rebecca’s Avalon River Cruise – Part 3

A continuation of Rebecca’s Avalon Waterways river cruise. In this one, what happens when the water level is too low for the ships to pass, a Sound of Music Tour, plenty of delicious food and so much more!

July 17, 2023

Well, this proved to be more of an adventurous river cruise than anticipated, but not shocking given the heat in Europe. Low water levels forced us to swap ships to be able to continue down the Danube. We packed up and shuttled downstream where that ship did the same and were shuttled upstream to ours. The levels were too low between Regensburg and Passau. We’re now on the Avalon Impression, which is a bit older, but still very nice. The food was certainly up to snuff. Supper last night was a salmon with pineapple salsa and watermelon to start, the beef tenderloin with potato croquettes, and apple strudel for dessert…and of course, the cheese plate. This morning was Eggs Florentine and the hollandaise sauce was divine. Kudos to Avalon to handling this with minimal disruption and utmost professionalism.

Yesterday was a dream excursion for me…the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg and the surrounding area. A bucket list thing for me was our first stop! Mirabell Gardens where the Do-Re-Mi scene was filmed. The steps! The covered lane where they bike! I loved every moment.

Beautiful Salzburg where pics include the lock bridge, view of the hilltop fortress, the Hotel Sacher where Julie Andrews stayed during filming, the fresco-y bridge and adjacent buildings is where the actual Gestapo commandeered the space for their headquarters, the square has the fountain and square where the Nazi flag was unfurled in the movie and the cathedral which gives a super cool optical illusion of the golden crown descending onto Mary’s head as you walk closer to it.

We had a pretty awesome lunch in Salzburg at Meissl & Stadn. We’d been warned the schnitzel was the size of a plate, but stupidly didn’t believe them. I had the parsley potatoes which is the traditional side and they were butter soaked and delicious. I also tried an Almdudler (mostly because I wanted to say it) which is an Austrian fizzy lemonade with a slight herbal flavour. Very nice. They actually pound and make their schnitzel in the front window so you know this is some serious schnitzel. Also, the A/C was rocking and much needed. Sooo hot.

The last part of the tour was outside of Salzburg. We drove through the Lake District and stopped at beautiful Wolfgangsee. We then went to Mondsee and this is significant because of the trees that the von Trapp children dangled from in their clothes made of drapes and the church that was used for filming Maria and Georg’s wedding. Quite the baroque interior. An honourable mention is some gory religious art where some poor dude is being roasted alive. Mondsee itself was gorgeous so the bus pics don’t fully do it justice.

Okay, folks. I officially met my cheese match tonight. I have eaten Limberger, Livarot, French cheeses that run all over my plate, every blue I can get my hands on, but that innocuous cheddar looking thing just about took me down. The ammonia notes were reminiscent of a ripe litter box. My dining companion was assailed by the scent of…Heidiland cheese. Do not be deceived, in this cutely named cheese lies the heart of the beast.

July 18, 2023

Kudos to more excellent service on Avalon, yet they are terrible enablers. Today wasn’t a formal lunch. A small buffet in the lounge or a grilled lunch on the sun deck. That would have been awesome, but too hot. Our regular waiter noticed we were inside and really encouraged the grill. I said it was too hot so he offered to bring us a sample plate! What a doll! We’d already finished our buffet lunch, but gamely attacked lunch 2. The sausage and chicken were so yummy.

For some reason they have the Gala Dinner on the second last night. As always, their food did not disappoint. The starter I chose was salmon three ways, purée of eggplant soup, rock lobster tail with saffron risotto, beef tenderloin with truffled potato and a trio of desserts including a chocolate hazelnut profiterole, lemon meringue tart and a chocolate truffle. It was all really good, but the lobster and tenderloin were just perfection.

Rebecca’s Avalon River Cruise – Part 2

Earlier this month, Rebecca and her best friend cruised the Danube with Avalon Waterways. Here’s a recap of her first few days with Avalon.

July 13, 2023

Finally! Two years in planning! We boarded the Avalon View tonight to sail the Legendary Danube itinerary. Everything is wonderful and classy. For supper we both had the tuna teriyaki starter, I had cream of parsnip soup, pasta with prosciutto and green pea sauce and the cheese plate for dessert. A had pork cheeks with risotto (as should have I) and cherry ice cream for dessert. Looking forward to setting sail tonight in the wee hours.

Our happy, well appointed little stateroom on the Avalon View.

• 

• 

• 

• 

July 14, 2023

The German National Museum is in Nuremberg. Who knew? It is a a large, disparate structure combining modern architecture with a very old church and cloisters. It houses a massive collection from prehistory to the present. Some major highlights were Imperial Reliquary shrine, Teutonic shield, 13th c chess piece, a ‘distinctive’ spice grinder, animal shaped ewers, log coffin, lion holding a human head, a guillotine, and an anatomical model of a pregnant woman and an eye c. 1700.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

A walking tour through the perfectly preserved medieval town of Regensburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also the first town founded by the Romans in Bavaria (there are a couple pics). Some interesting points are the anatomy tower (here they dissected people illegally in the 14th century specializing in pregnant maidens who had drowned themselves), a glorious cathedral, and stonemason’s hut that is still in use to do repairs on the cathedral to the tune of 1.5 million euros per year, medieval merchants houses, the town hall and banqueting house, and some sweaty, happy ladies in the shade.

A wonderful view of the 12th century bridge as we enjoyed our delicious sausages at the Regensburg Sausage Kitchen, the oldest continuously serving restaurant in the world!! The history is very interesting and I’ve included the Wikipedia link here.

Two special mentions from the German National Museum that truly delighted me. The Behaim Globe and an ore composition from 1563. The ore thingy was just enchanting with all it’s bizarre little details. I have included the museum descriptions because they can do a far better job than I.

July 16, 2023

Yesterday we went on a very interesting excursion to the Nazi Rally Grounds just outside Nuremberg. So surreal and depressing to see where all that hate and insanity was spread. At Zeppelin Field a view of the unfinished Congress Hall from across the lake, the exterior (note the metal hooks at the top for Nazi flags) and interior views of of the Field, the Golden Hall with Hitler’s podium and the bleachers beside it. It was very poorly constructed and is falling apart. Several pics the guide showed of rallies there including one for girls. Just gross. The last pic is the house Hitler stayed in when he came to Munich for these rallies. Pay attention to history, people!! Do not make the mistakes of the past. We must remember.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The Nazi tour made a quick stop at the Palace of Justice and I got a better picture of the jail that housed Nazi War criminals and is still in use today. There were some fat, happy bumblebees cavorting on some flowers right outside. Other pics are the cathedral and a very saucy water fountain where the water is being sprayed from the women’s breasts.

Tonight’s repast: ‘vineyard snails’ (hahaha, it was quite nice escargot in a sort of soufflé), cream of celery root soup, tuna steak with pineapple salsa, spinach and potato mousseline, apricot dumplings and the cheese plate for dessert. All was delicious, but the dumplings were unfinished because, shockingly, I was quite full and they were heavy. My big excitement tonight was trying the notorious Limberger cheese. Whew! It’s a bold one! But, I enjoyed it and would definitely eat it again. The blue was an excellent variety.

---

It’s only been a few days but Rebecca has already experienced so much history, culture and cuisine! We know you’re excited to see what else caught her eye – stay tuned for the next blog coming soon.

Interested in exploring Europe? Rebecca has visited much of the continent enjoying a variety of travel styles. She’s a great resource and would love to help you plan and book your getaway. You can reach her at rebeccaf@uniglobecarefree.ca.

Rebecca’s Avalon River Cruise – Part 1

Earlier this month, Rebecca and her best friend cruised the Danube with Avalon Waterways. Here’s a recap of her European experience starting in Prague.

July 12, 2023

I finally made it to Prague and was reunited with my bestie since we were three years old! I missed a day, but hanging with this lady has made it all worthwhile.

Yes, please!! Our first and only supper in Prague. A Czech restaurant right across from the Cube hotel (perfection). It’s HOT here so pivo is in order! We both had delicious Urquell Pilsner and shared a pickled cheese (!!) appetizer to start. I had duck confit with braised red cabbage and toasted gnocchi and she had pork loin with mushrooms and mashed potatoes with grainy mustard. It was sooo good and so filling.

July 13, 2023

Last night in Prague we did the old time car tour! Very fun, but very bumpy on the cobblestones. A great way to take in this beautiful city. Some pics include the Dancing House, monument to WWII, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, a church converted to a hotel, the John Lennon wall and various stunning architecture and facades.

Food pics from today. One of the most glorious hotel breakfasts I’ve ever had at the Cube hotel in Prague. Then off to Nuremberg! We dined at the museum cafe and it was just excellent. That fried chicken was perfectly done and massive. Like a freaking pterodactyl. She had the cheeseburger and it was intense. Then we rolled around the museum moaning. Tonight was a great local restaurant where I devoured roasted pork shoulder (two pics…so.much.meat-that’s what she said) and A had the Nuremberg sausages. And massive radlers to drink. Happy, happy. Thank goodness there will be better portion control starting tomorrow.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

This afternoon in Nuremberg we visited the Palace of Justice where the Nazi war criminals were tried. You can visit Courtroom 600 where the first most prominent 24 were tried and then go through the detailed exhibition of the history leading up to the trials and their ultimate legacy. Having had the opportunity to visit many WWII museums and Auschwitz, I found this experience was a culmination and reckoning with all the ugliness of that chapter. I was very moved. We must never forget and need to understand the legacy of Nuremberg. PS Yes, there was a Funk tried at Nuremberg. No, not a relative, thank goodness. Another photo is two of the actual benches where the accused sat.

---

This is just the beginning of an art, history and food filled journey. We can’t wait to show you more of Rebecca’s experience.

Interested in exploring Europe? Rebecca has visited much of the continent enjoying a variety of travel styles. She’s a great resource and would love to help you plan and book your getaway. You can reach her at rebeccaf@uniglobecarefree.ca.

Silversea’s Silver Moon – March 16-28, 2023 – Final Blog

By Ed Buchholz

Ed Buchholz, the founder and former owner of Uniglobe Carefree Travel Group is cruising on Silversea’s Silver Moon.   Although Ed has retired and is no longer a part of our in-office team he is still an ambassador and mentor for Uniglobe and we are happy that he continues to share his travel experiences with us. 

When we left off, we had finished our two ports of call in the Azores.  Our cruise was two more days at sea.  I crammed in quite a bit in during those last two sea days.  In addition to my routine of walking on the jogging track after breakfast, there were a couple interesting seminars including the history of shipwrecks and a very interesting seminar of the rise of power of Putin and the Ukrainian conflict.

One of the things that I hadn’t tried yet on the ship was the sushi restaurant called Kaiseki.  Since Karen was still in Covid isolation and she doesn’t appreciate sushi like I do, I thought that was a great time to try it.  I was extremely impressed with the freshness and quality of the sushi.  I remembered to take a picture but only after, I had already started to eat it.

In the evening, after an early show, was an amazing chocolate display.  There is no doubt that I will have to start a serious diet after the cruise.

• 

• 

Finally, on our last sea day, Karen is released from jail (if you consider a deluxe veranda suite a jail). We had an awesome drink called Celine DaMoon at the salt bar before our final dinner together (finally) in the Atlantide Dining Room.

Getting off the ship was really very easy.  We had to be out of our stateroom by 08:00 but not off the ship until after 09:00.  This gave us lots of time to have a leisurely breakfast before getting off the ship.  It was not a mad rush and seemed easy.  Of course, we had to leave our luggage out the night before by 11:00PM, so had to make sure we had the right clothes for the next day.

A 35 Euro taxi ride to our Hotel Santa Justa which was a lovely, centrally located boutique hotel.  I would highly recommend it.  After check in we just took off for a walk around central Lisbon to see some of the sights of Lisbon.  Some pictures below.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

For supper, we found a lovely outdoor restaurant that served Cataplana.  This Portuguese dish is made in a pressurized clam-shell style of pressure pot and features a variety of seafood and vegetables.  Along with a lovely bottle of Portuguese wine, it was a delightful meal.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We had booked a guided tour to Sintra on our last full day in Lisbon.  The tour, booked through Viatour on the Uniglobe Carefree website was a highlight of our trip.  Without boring you with the history and significance of the Palacio Nacional da Penna, we’ll let some of the pictures visually describe the beauty of the palace.

These are also pictures of the National Palace of Sintra.

Finally, we stopped at the Quinta da Regaleira and the beautiful gardens.

We hope that you have enjoyed reading about this fantastic cruise experience.  Even though Karen caught Covid on board, we were extremely happy with the way they handled it, making sure that we both were looked after accordingly. 

Thank you for reading along and sharing our journey.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

You can contact the Uniglobe Carefree Travel Team here

Silversea’s Silver Moon – March 16-28, 2023 – The Azores – Part 3

By Ed Buchholz

Ed Buchholz, the founder and former owner of Uniglobe Carefree Travel Group is cruising on Silversea’s Silver Moon.   Although Ed has retired and is no longer a part of our in-office team he is still an ambassador and mentor for Uniglobe and we are happy that he continues to share his travel experiences with us. 

Land ho!  After 8 days at sea, we finally arrived at Horta, Faial in the Azores.  This island is nicknamed the Blue Island because of the hydrangeas in different shades of blue that span the landscapes of the island.  They are often used to fence in cattle (along with bamboo) into the different plots of land owned by different people.  Unfortunately, they were not in bloom at this time of year.

Horta, the capital of Faial, is a major seafaring centre and a regular meeting place for yachts and other vessels crossing the Atlantic.  The city is also a popular departure point for deep-sea fishing, scuba diving and dolphin and whale watching excursions.

The shore excursion I chose was a Coastal Walk starting at a unique looking swimming pool carved into the lava rock at the ocean’s edge, up to the Capelinhos Volcano.  Just 66 years ago, the island of Faial was 2.4 square kilometers smaller and had twice the population that it has today.  Capelinhos volcano was just one of the submerged, dormant cones in the area.

On September 23, 1957, the earth began to shake and it continued for a couple of weeks until the ocean waters just off the coast began to boil spontaneously and the next morning, a thick cloud of black ash and vapour water began to rise quickly reaching 1400m high. It increased in intensity and height and soon covered paths, crops, trees and houses but this was still just the beginning as lava and explosions continued for some time.

Miraculously, no-one died as there was enough warning to get out.  It did cause a mass exodus of people to the other islands, mainland Portugal and interestingly enough a large number went to the USA.

---

The next day was our second port of call to Ponta Delgada on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores.  This island is nicknamed the Green Island and you can certainly see why as it is extremely lush with lots of vegetation.

Ponta Delgada is a charming city with many impressive churches, convents and striking white houses.  It has a wealthy and illustrious past when the port was a crucial staging post between Europe and the New World during the Age of Discovery in the 15^th and 16^th centuries when Portugal was a major world power.

Our shore excursion (most shore excursions are complimentary with Silversea), started with a stop in the very pretty town of Ribeira Grande.  Some great architecture including the theatre, city hall and beautiful churches.

Next stop is Furnas Lake (Lagoa das Furnas). This beautiful crater lake was a little difficult to see because of the weather, however it is surrounded by the steep peaks of the ancient Furnas mountain and it’s lush, green rim.

Driving down and along the lake into the small civil parish of Furnas, you can see the steam from the many fumaroles, thermal pools and natural mineral springs.  Of course you can also smell the pools as well emitting a sulfur, rotten egg smell but not overpowering.  You could hear the bubbling and feel the heat of the geothermal activity.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our final stop on the tour was to the Terra Nostra Botanical Gardens.  Dating back to around 1775, a concerted effort over the years has been made to not only display the typical flora of the Azores but also species of plants and trees from around the world including some that were thought to be extinct.  At the start of the gardens is a thermal pool that is popular with bathers for it’s medicinal qualities.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

From our tour of the gardens we headed back to the ship and we were surprised that this island also has a thriving tea industry as well as growing pineapples in a series of hothouses.  Not what I was expecting in the Azores.

The ship wasn’t leaving until 19:00 so I had time to do a walk about the town of Ponta Delgada.  Some pictures are below but it was a very pretty city with intricate cobblestones of white and black with each design identifying a street.  This practice dates back to the 15^th and 16^th century since there were no signposts and most people at the time couldn’t read.

My next blog post will be after we arrive in Lisbon at the end of the cruise.   Thanks for reading!

Annette’s Next Trip

In the beginning of 2020 most members of our team had high hopes for new passport stamps. We, like many people, planned to get out and experience things we’ve never done before; or get back to somewhere special. Now that it’s 2021 and we’re hopeful that we might get to start travelling again over the coming months, as it’s safe to do so. We each took a moment to put pen to paper and write out what our next trip will look like.

---

Once travel opens up again I am hoping to get to Ireland.  It is a country I have wanted to travel to many times.  I have sent a few people there and had a few friends travel there that have enjoyed it so much.   There are so many places I want to visit.  The Guinness brewery, Cliffs of Moher, stopping at pub and going kissing the blarney stone.  I also enjoy seeing the castles and exploring the history of Europe.   My dream would be to stay in a haunted castle for one night.  I just think this would be so interesting.  I am sure I wouldn’t sleep that night but it would be a fun thing to do. 

Annette Frey

Dunluce Castle

Are you interested in visiting Ireland? Check out this awesome package currently available. https://www.uniglobecarefreetravel.com/shades-of-ireland or plan your own way when you reach out to our team of experienced travel agents by calling 306-934-3400. We’re here to help you get out and explore when the time is right.

Marcy’s Next Trip

In the beginning of 2020 most members of our team had high hopes for new passport stamps. We, like many people, planned to get out and experience things we’ve never done before; or get back to somewhere special. Now that it’s 2021 and we’re hopeful that we might get to start travelling again over the coming months, as it’s safe to do so. We each took a moment to put pen to paper and write out what our next trip will look like.

---

La Belle France was supposed to be my next trip – July 2021.  My husband and I told our daughter 4 years ago that we would take her to France to celebrate her earning a grade 12 bilingual high school diploma.  We certainly did not anticipate that there would be a global pandemic pausing our celebration.  Although disappointed we won’t make the journey this year, this gives us extra time to plan our trip.

Where does one even begin?  France is so much more than just Paris and the Eiffel Tower.  There are an endless assortment of attractions in this remarkable country abundant with stunning Gothic cathedrals, renaissance style chateaux and manor houses, 2000 years of history, gorgeous pastoral landscapes and immaculately manicured gardens. Thus far my daughter’s knowledge of France includes the French Revolution and the Great World Wars so she wants to see for herself some of the monuments that symbolize these eras.  Must sees include the majestic Chateau of Versailles (which checks off both the Revolution and WW1), the Pantheon, Les Invalides, my favourite French city Bayeux, Juno Beach, Dieppe and the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.  After exploring the North of France we plan to head South via the Loire Valley into the region of Provence for its lavender/sunflower fields, olive groves and a glimpse of the tres chic French Riviera!  So much to see and do but never enough time……….

What does your next trip look like? I am ready to help you start planning whether it’s for a local staycation soon or for something more exotic down the road. You can find a listing of our current packages and promotions here. Of course, if you don’t see something you love I’m always available to help create the dream vacation package that is perfect for you. I’m just a phone call or email away at 306-934-3400 or marcy@ungilobeyxe.com. Get to know a bit more about me by viewing my profile here.

Correna’s Next Trip

In the beginning of 2020 most members of our team had high hopes for new passport stamps. We, like many people, planned to get out and experience things we’ve never done before; or get back to somewhere special. Now that it’s 2021 and we’re hopeful that we might get to start travelling again over the coming months, as it’s safe to do so. We each took a moment to put pen to paper and write out what our next trip will look like.

---

April 14^th, 2022 will be my next big adventure!  This whole process began back in 2019 when we started planning my “Happy to be Alive” trip.  We had booked for May 2020 and then Covid hit, we had moved our dates to April 2021 and since we are still in Covid purgatory we are now rebooked for 2022.  My trip will be an Avalon River Cruise and I am so excited to spend a few days in Romania after the cruise to visit Dracula’s castle!  I have always been a Dracula fan and to visit Romania was number one on my bucket list.  What the last few years has taught me was that you are never sure of tomorrow so just get it done 😊.

This trip is going to be totally different from anything that I have done before, not because I will be seeing Eastern Europe and my first River Cruise but because it will be my first trip since the pandemic.  I am excited but also a little hesitant as who knows what the world of travel will look like post pandemic.  Will everyone still be wearing masks, will we still have to social distance, will every city we visit be crazy busy as everyone is excited to be settled into their new normal and travel has exploded?  So many questions and thoughts that go through your mind as you plan to travel during this crazy time but, tomorrow is not always a guarantee and mostly I’m so excited to get out and explore.

Bran Castle – Romania

What does your next trip look like? I am ready to help you start planning whether it’s for a local staycation soon or for something more exotic down the road. You can find a listing of our current packages and promotions here. Of course, if you don’t see something you love I’m always available to help create the dream vacation package that is perfect for you. I’m just a phone call or email away at 306-934-3400 or correna@ungilobeyxe.com. Get to know a bit more about me by viewing my profile here.

Jamie’s Next Trip

In the beginning of 2020 most members of our team had high hopes for new passport stamps. We, like many people, planned to get out and experience things we’ve never done before; or get back to somewhere special. Now that it’s 2021 and we’re hopeful that we might get to start travelling again over the coming months, as it’s safe to do so.  We each took a moment to put pen to paper and write out what our next trip will look like.

---

Jamie’s Next Trip

Lately, I have found that I need something to look forward to; some exciting light at the end of this dark tunnel that we have been in for 10 long months.  My husband and I decided to take a chance on a trip to Paris in June for our anniversary – 6 days with just the two of us, to a place neither of us have been.  We made sure that we would be able to change our flights if needed and the hotel we booked allows for cancellation until 48 hours in advance.  If this dream trip is not meant to be in June, we will make it happen at a later time…. we are hopeful, but if the last year has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is a given and flexibility is the key.

While in Paris, we plan to eat ALL the food, drink ALL the wine and take time to enjoy the city, sitting in sidewalk cafes, going on long walks, seeing some of the main attractions (hopefully without all the normal crowds), and we will plan to take one full day trip to experience something outside the city – likely the beaches of Normandy or Mont St. Michel.  We will cram in as many experiences as we can and sleep when we get home 😊

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

What does your next trip look like? Our team is ready to help you start planning whether it’s for a local staycation soon or for something more exotic down the road. You can find a listing of our current packages and promotions here. Of course, if you don’t see something you love we’re always available to help create the dream vacation package that is perfect for you. We’re just a phone call or email away.