art, Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe, short breaks

Our Monday in Sofia, June 10, 2024…

I woke up feeling significantly better on Monday, June 10th. Bill and I decided to walk back down to the centrum and pick up some new art and souvenirs for his grandchildren. But first, we needed breakfast. So down we went to the big restaurant on the third floor of Grand Hotel Millennium, where we had our usual room temperature repast.

While we were having breakfast, I couldn’t help but overhear two American men talking. I mean, everybody in the vicinity who didn’t have hearing problems could hear these guys… One of them was talking about his diabetes and how he takes Ozempic to control his blood sugar. The other guy was talking about similarly personal stuff. It always amazes me how completely unaware some people are when they’re in public. I see it most often with my fellow Americans, who speak loudly enough for everyone to hear what they say. It’s kind of obnoxious behavior… and trust me, I know all about being obnoxious.

After breakfast, we went to the room to prepare for the day. We ran into our very nice housekeeper, who asked us if we were checking out the next morning. We said we were, and gave her the approximate time we thought we’d be leaving. She said if she didn’t see us, that we had safe and pleasant travels. I was very impressed by how kind she was during our stay.

I put on a pair of shorts so I wouldn’t get so hot and sweaty during the day’s walk. Then we got going, and made our way to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where I knew we could find art for the house. We made one stop at a Coffee Brothers for some fresh orange juice and a potty break. While we were there, we saw two more Bulgarian women passing us who were having very loud conversations, seemingly on the phone as they charged down Vitosha Boulevard at top speed. The women weren’t with each other. They were going in different directions, several minutes apart. One of them carried a ladle as she screamed into her cellphone and walked very fast down the crowded shopping district. I’m not sure what was going on with them.

We also saw the lovely violinist again. The same young woman who played so beautifully on Saturday came back on Monday to busk. I definitely liked her music better than the saxophonist who kept playing the same thing over and over again while we were at the Vitosha Street Bar & Dinner on Saturday afternoon. I love listening to talented musicians play music on the street. It adds so much character to European cities. I especially like buying their CDs. Unfortunately, the violinist didn’t seem to have any for sale.

Because we were going to buy some art, Bill decided to stop at an ATM. We went back the Ivan Vazov National Theater again, and I got a few more photos of the iconic building. This time, no one was playing basketball in front of it. There is a handy cash machine in the park like area around the theater.

We finally made it to the cathedral, where I noticed there weren’t as many people selling art as there had been on Saturday. We went to one stand when I noticed art that caught my eye. The colorful paintings were mostly of florals, but I noticed a couple of landscape paintings that reminded me of Sozopol, a Black Sea beach town Elaine and I visited in 1996. As soon as we approached the art, an elderly gentleman came around to speak to us. He spoke some English, although not as well as the much younger man who was with him.

It turned out the paintings that had caught my attention were of a different Black Sea town called Nesebar, which isn’t far from Sozopol. I’ve never been to Nesebar, but like Sozopol, it’s near Burgas and Varna, and is now a major resort town. The younger man told us that the paintings we were interested in were done by an artist named Violeta Stanoeva. She is an accomplished Bulgarian artist who has shown her work in France. Here is a link to her Instagram.

Bill had to go get some Bulgarian lev, so I stayed and talked to the younger guy, who kept singing the praises of the artist and the Black Sea coast. I was struck by how friendly he was, and I didn’t get the sense it was just because we were buying two paintings. I promised him that we would give a good home to Violeta’s paintings. Now that they’re hanging in my dining room, I kind of wish I’d bought another one. I really like her use of colors. I saw a few paintings on her Web site that I think are magical.

*This one wasn’t done by Violeta. I spotted it in a gift shop and decided I needed it.*

After we bought the paintings, we decided to have lunch. I noticed there was an Armenian restaurant called Egur Egur, very close to the cathedral. It’s not very often that I get to have Armenian food anymore, so we decided to go there for lunch. The restaurant is located in what used to be a music conservatory. There is even framed sheet music by the front door.

When we approached, a rather unfriendly waitress who didn’t seem to speak English pointed to a table. I would have tried Armenian with her, but she appeared to be a local, and I think she was the only one we encountered who didn’t speak English to us. I actually found it kind of refreshing… at least until she started yelling at one of the other servers, a very thin, Slavic looking young woman who managed to stay stoic. I’m not sure what the yelling was about, but it definitely changed the ambiance a bit.

I was excited to see that they offered khorovatz (Armenian kebab-shashlik-barbecue). Bill tried it for the first time in November, when we visited Armenia. It’s a very simple dish, but delicious if it’s prepared properly. So we ordered that, along with a couple of Czech beers and San Pellegrino. Bill had chicken and I had pork, and I actually asked for it by its Armenian name, which the waiter then translated for us. I don’t think he was an Armenian speaker, although he definitely looked like he could have been. Lunch was delicious, but more than we could eat! We probably should have just picked one and split it.

My only complaint about our experience at Egur Egur is that the chairs were uncomfortable for those of us wearing shorts. The hard wood dug into the backs of my thighs. A cushion would have been welcome. Otherwise, it was a very nice lunch. The waiter packed up our leftovers, although we ended up discarding them, because we couldn’t get them to refrigeration quickly enough. What you see in the last picture cost about $48.

After lunch, we started to head back toward Vitosha Boulevard, so we could find some gifts for the grandchildren. As we were walking, I noticed the yellow brick road and how striking it is in a city where there are a lot of drab looking communist era buildings. I read up on the history of the yellow brick road last night, and how it was put in to make Sofia look more like a capital city. Sofia is also unusual in that it has a church, a synagogue, and a mosque all within spitting distance of each other, and somehow they manage to coexist peacefully. If only the rest of the world could be like Sofia, when it comes to religion.

We went into a gift shop on Vitosha Boulevard and found some magnets, a mug, and a few little trinkets for the kids. That’s also where I found the wood carving pictured with the art by Violeta Stanoeva. I was lucky to spot it, as it was kind of tucked in a corner in the upstairs of the shop.

After our shopping was done, I was kind of wanting to take a cab back to the hotel, but we ended up walking… All told, it was about five miles. That’s not bad for someone with a cold and a pretty slack fitness routine. Below are a few more photos. I wish we could have seen more during our brief trip, but we have reason to go back. It better be sooner than 28 years, though, because in 28 years, I’ll be 80 years old!

*These fragrant trees were all over Sofia. They smelled heavenly!*

One place I wish we had visited is the TSUM (Central Department Store), which was a government store that used to be THE place for Bulgarians to buy stuff. The outside of the store has an impressive facade that looks like it came straight from the fanciest communist architect, ever. I went there in 1996, when it was still operating more or less the way it did in communist times. Since then, it was renovated and turned into a mall, and right now, the mall is pretty empty. People just go there to use the clean and free bathroom facilities now. But I do remember going there and buying stuff in the 90s… and thinking it was the picture of a communist era shopping mecca.

Armenia had a similar place called GUM, where I bought some things when I lived there. Now, what was once GUM is a regular store where one can buy rugs. There is also a GUM shuka in Yerevan, Armenia that sells fresh food. It’s not the same thing as the GUM store, though. I’m writing of a Soviet era department store.

I read that the architect of the TSUM was Kosta Nikolov, and his son was murdered by the Gestapo in Germany in the 1940s. Nikolov managed to get ahold of his son’s remains and properly bury them. He kept locks of his son’s hair and a finger as keepsakes. Then, as the TSUM building was being constructed, the architect embedded a box with his son’s remains in it within the building. Nikolov was following a Bulgarian folklore tradition that embedding a living person or a shadow of a living person in a building makes it stronger. Many people thought this was an urban legend until 2001, when workers doing the renovation actually discovered the remains. They decided to leave them embedded there.

Anyway… it sounds like TSUM eventually became something that was no longer a store for the people, but rather for people with the most money. That’s too bad. Especially now that it’s basically an empty shell of what it was… and is now owned by investors. At least I got to see it, though… even if it was years ago.

We decided to have room service on Monday night. The hotel makes it easy, by allowing people to order food through the TV. I had a salmon filet with asparagus and salad, while Bill had a club sandwich. We split a bottle of Bulgarian Chardonnay, sparkling water, and a piece of pretzel cheesecake. I think the cheesecake, like the other desserts we had, was the highlight.

One more post ought to do it for this series, then I will write my usual “ten things I learned” post. Stay tuned!

Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, churches, short breaks

Seven miles in Sofia! June 8, 2024

Bill and I slept in a bit on Saturday morning, enjoying the air conditioned hotel room and the fact that Bill didn’t have to go to work. We later made our way down to the third floor, where a huge buffet breakfast is served every day at the The Grand Hotel Millennium. The restaurant has two sides, each of which with its own buffet line, with eggs, sausages, baked beans, mushrooms (yecch), waffles, pancakes, etc. The left side of the restaurant also has a huge table with juices, vegetables, cheeses, pastries, cookies, and even candy. In the foyer, there’s a table with fruits, and another table with doughnuts, toasts, and a chocolate fountain.

There’s something for almost everyone at the breakfast buffet at the Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia. However, to be honest, there were a couple of things about the breakfast service that I didn’t like.

For one thing, the hot items were never hot. The eggs were usually room temperature, as were the sausages and potatoes. Granted, the staff would make fresh omelettes for those who wanted them. It never occurred to me to ask for one until I saw a Bulgarian family of four order a round of them– a man, his wife, and what appeared to be their twin teenaged daughters. Apparently, it was the father’s birthday, and they sang him a song, gave him a card, and even brought a couple of the desserts from the buffet for him.

The other thing I didn’t like was the coffee service, which was all self-serve and done by machine. It would have been nice if we could have just gotten a pot of coffee to share, rather than having to get coffee from a machine.

After we filled up on breakfast, we decided to venture into Sofia’s centrum. To get there, all we had to do was turn right outside of the hotel and start walking. I’d say it takes about a half hour or so to get to the absolute heart of Sofia from the hotel if you’re walking. However, there are also a couple of metro stops nearby and plenty of cabs to be ordered. Sofia even has bike lanes now, which I thought was very progressive. Below are some photos that capture my first impressions. The crumbling buildings are familiar, but the rest of it seems very new…

Bill and I walked awhile before we stopped for a rest and listened to a lovely young woman playing violin like a virtuoso. I love this about Europe, but especially Eastern Europe, where people really value the arts. The buskers are top notch!

A very short clip of the lovely Bulgarian busker…

We continued down Vitosha Boulevard and passed several very historic and important sites. The city center is home to the Sheraton Balkan Palace, which when I visited in 1996, was Sofia’s best hotel. Nowadays, it’s one of several nice hotels, and doesn’t even get top ratings. I remember going in there to pee once, back in ’96. I noticed around the Balkan Palace, there’s a huge excavation going on. Signs by the site explain what’s been found in Bulgarian and English.

The Balkan Palace looked different than I remember it, but that’s probably because of the huge archaeological dig going on in front of it. I seem to remember in the 90s, there was a square there. It might have been a parking lot, for all I know.

There are also some important, very old religious sites in Sofia’s center. Here are a few photos…

*Banya Bashi Mosque, Sofia’s only working mosque.*

In retrospect, we really should have stopped to tour these places, and the museums we passed. But I had my mind set on visiting the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. I had vivid memories of that special place from my first visit to Sofia, and I wanted to go there first. I even wore pants on the hot day, because I had a feeling it wouldn’t be kosher to wear shorts in such a holy place.

So Bill and I kept walking… and I took more photos of all I saw on our Saturday walk… Notice that English really is everywhere!

It had been so long since I was last in Sofia that I decided maybe it would be a good idea to use the GPS on my phone. So that’s what I did… and it was a mistake that added about two miles to our hike. We ended up in a strange part of town that took us past another cool looking church, the Orthodox Temple of Saint Paraskeva. What initially caught my eye was the playground in the back… but then I noticed the really interesting architecture, and the pleasant shade of the trees. One thing I noticed in Sofia were the fragrant trees. They smelled like lilacs, and maybe that’s what they were, but the floral scent perfumed the air in a very beguiling way. Alas… I didn’t think to take photos of the temple. I was distracted by these sights. Oh well. If we get back to Sofia, the Orthodox Temple of Saint Paraskeva is a place I’d like to visit.

I finally got frustrated with the GPS, which didn’t seem to be leading us in the right direction. I turned to Bill and said, “Screw this. I’m just going to turn off the GPS and wing it.” So that’s what I did, and before I knew it, I was seeing the gold domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

On the far left of the cathedral, there’s a Museum of Christian Art and crypt. A lot of people walked in there and immediately walked out, obviously wanting to venture into the cathedral first. We did the same. I would have probably enjoyed the museum, but by the time we got to the cathedral, I was tired, thirsty, hot, and very cranky. So we went into the cathedral and spent some time admiring the splendor and mystery of the ornate house of God, which opened to the public in 1912.

As I mentioned in a previous post, it is necessary to be covered up when you visit orthodox churches. That means no bare shoulders or legs. I did see this rule enforced at the cathedral, as people who didn’t wear appropriate attire were asked to either cover up or leave. I was glad I wore pants, even though I was pretty hot.

After we walked around the church, we decided to look for lunch. We strolled around where there were artists selling their wares. I knew I wanted to come back to the church later, just so I could pick up some new art. But I didn’t want to do that on Saturday, even though Saturday is probably the best day to be shopping for art. More people come out on Saturdays with their paintings and such, but I didn’t want to have to carry the art around all day.

We wound up having lunch at the Victoria Restaurant, which is very close to the cathedral. I spotted it by the umbrellas with Heineken logos on them, which by then, was kind of like an oasis. Believe me, after our hot, sweaty hike, I was ready for a beer. Bill and I both had Bulgarian beers, shared a bottle of San Pellegrino, and salads. I don’t usually like salads much, but when it’s hot out, I will opt for them. The Victoria Restaurant has a huge menu, though, and offers a lot of different items. If I hadn’t been so hot, I would have been spoiled for choice. I see the Victoria Restaurant is actually a chain, with locations in several Bulgarian cities.

*Yikes… terrible photo of Bill! I liked his salad better than mine.*

Below are a couple of photos of the cool Turkish barracks located next to the restaurant…

*Actually, this is the patio for the restaurant…*

After lunch, we walked around some more, finally making our way to the Ivan Vasov National Theater and the Church of St. Nicholas The Miraclemaker. I remember going to both places in 1996. The church was being renovated when I visited; I distinctly remember that it had scaffolding on it at the time. We had some trouble finding the theater, until Bill remembered that it’s located right next to Grand Hotel Sofia, where he’d stayed in 2008. While we were walking around the park where the theater is, there was a little concert/fest going on, with little kiosks selling Bulgarian food and beverages, and a female singer capably channeling Adele and Amy Winehouse. The weather grew warmer, and we were both pretty tired, so we headed back toward Vitosha Boulevard, where we noticed a place selling craft beer.

*Sofia literally has a yellow brick road.*

Since this post is getting pretty long and we didn’t do much on Sunday, the 9th, I think I’ll end here and continue with Saturday in the next post!

Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe, short breaks

Enjoying our last full day in Sofia…

My, how the weekend flew by. Unfortunately, we didn’t do much yesterday, because I needed to sleep off this cold I picked up. We did venture out for a very late lunch at a little Italian place near our hotel. Other than that, I’m afraid I spent most of my day in bed. It seems like no matter what, I’m liable to be sick on vacation, or having my period (which, at almost 52 years old, is no longer much of a problem for me anymore).

I am feeling a lot better today, though, so we walked back to the center of Sofia for more photos and to pick up some souvenirs. We bought a few things for our house, as well as gifts for Bill’s grandchildren.

We also found a couple of paintings ear the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is the same place where I bought a painting last time I was here. Of course, it was MUCH cheaper in 1996. But we did end up speaking to a couple of nice men who were selling art on behalf of a female Bulgarian artist. When we get back home tomorrow, I’ll try to find out more about her. I was attracted by a couple of paintings she did that reminded me of Sozopol, where I went last time I was here. But the paintings were actually of another seaside town starting with an N that I can’t remember the name of at the moment.

For lunch, we had Armenian food. I was excited, obviously, since I used to live in Armenia. I don’t think the waiter was an Armenian speaker, but we did manage to have barbecue (xhorovatz)… It was way too much for us to finish! I wish we’d had some wine, but we stuck with Czech beers.

I’m kind of sorry we have to go tomorrow. I’ve seen some interesting places I’d like to visit that are outside of Sofia. But now that we know how easy it is to fly here from Frankfurt, maybe we can come back and enjoy a longer visit… maybe rent a car and go somewhere out in the country, now that I’ve reacquainted myself with Sofia.

We’ll see…

Anyway, I’ll be writing my usual travel series blow by blow when we get home, so I’ll stop here for now. Here are a few photos:

Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, churches, Eastern Europe, short breaks

Worn out, sunburned, and sick with Bill’s cold…

Greetings from Sofia, Bulgaria. We’ve been here for two nights already. I had been hoping to go on a couple of excursions while we’re here. Sadly, I don’t see it happening, mainly because Bill and I are both sick with miserable colds.

We did manage to get out yesterday, though, and walked over seven miles. It’s very warm in Sofia, but I opted to wear pants, because I knew we would probably visit the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and they wouldn’t want people with bare arms or legs coming into the building. Sure enough, I was right, as I watched a strict church worker turning away visitors in shorts and sundresses. The alternative, of course, is to cover up.

Sofia is very different now than it was in 1996. English is everywhere, just as it was in Yerevan, when we went there in November. When my friend Elaine and I came here in 1996, Sofia was still very reminiscent of the days when Bulgaria was behind the Iron Curtain. Now, it’s more like any European city, albeit with its own flair. I’m glad we were here in the 90s. It’s interesting to compare things. Also… there are still a lot of crumbling buildings from the Iron Curtain era, so it’s not like things are completely different.

Bill had thought his sniffles were caused by allergies. Unfortunately, he has a cold, and has passed it to me. I’m not sure what we’ll see today, if anything. I might want to spend time resting… at least until my nose is less drippy.

I also got a slight sunburn yesterday. I forgot to put on sunscreen. Anyway… it is nice to be away this weekend, although I hate being sick, especially when I’m away from home.

I got a few nice photos, at least…

Champagne Bucket trips, Regent Seven Seas Cruise Lines

A warm welcome back to Tallinn, Estonia!

In June 2009, Bill and I visited Tallinn, Estonia for the first time, as Vision of the Seas pulled up to the rather primitive looking harbor. I remember getting off the ship and being serenaded by a local brass band. Royal Caribbean had local bands playing at each stop, which I thought was really cool. In fact, I even recorded some of their performance and put it on YouTube. Check it out!

This was a nice welcome to Estonia in 2009.

On June 25th, 2023, we were back in Estonia, having signed up for a “free” beer tasting excursion, courtesy of Regent Seven Seas. I immediately noticed, as we pulled in, that the port looked a lot more developed than it had in 2009. There was a large cruise terminal that I don’t remember being there when we visited 14 years ago. I also noticed what appeared to be an AIDA ship in port. It was unusually rusty. I didn’t think much of it, though, as we made our way from the Constellation Theater to the tour bus.

Our excursion was in the morning. I had a tough time choosing which trip I wanted to do. They were also offering a tour to a local museum dedicated to Estonia’s Soviet years. Since I spent two years living in Armenia, another former Soviet republic, just after the fall of the Soviet Union, I am especially interested in the history. But I needn’t have worried. We met our hilarious guide, Raul, who seemed to effortlessly channel the late comic Robin Williams as he delivered witty one liners and told us about Estonia. He added a fair amount of commentary about the Soviet years, making it very clear that the Estonians were delighted to be rid of that regime, even though the ensuing years after the Soviet Union fell apart were quite difficult.

When we visited Tallinn the first time, Bill and I walked from the port to the old town. It’s not that far as the crow flies. However, since 2009, there’s been a whole lot of construction. I think the walk today, while technically possible, would be more dangerous, due to all the traffic.

Raul explained that Estonia doesn’t have many inhabitants and, in fact, the COVID crisis was probably not so bad for their society, since they naturally “social distance”. He said that large families are not very common, and that their population is aging.

We started our tour in the “upper town”, which is different from how Bill and I did our self-guided tour in 2009. In fact, the one thing that disappointed me about Raul’s tour is that we missed the entrance to the old town, where “Fat Margaret” is. This tower, which dates from the early 16th century, is now home to the Estonian Maritime Museum. I remember taking some good pictures in that part of town. I also got a video of some Hare Krishnas!

Hare Krishnas in Tallinn, back in 2009…

And here are some of the more interesting photos I took in 2009…

But Raul did hit the highlights, including the beautiful Russian Orthodox church, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. I distinctly remember that when we visited in 2009, it was a Sunday, and there were many women with scarves on their heads in the church. I remember the heavy smell of incense and old ladies standing outside the church collecting donations from men.

It was Sunday when we visited this time, too, and we were reminded not to take pictures inside the cathedral. Those who did try to sneak pictures were quickly spotted and reprimanded, as a service was going on when we visited.

*Apparently, the port in Tallinn now has a mascot!*

We also visited a Lutheran church, just before a service was to begin. Raul was talking when the organist erupted into a rendition of “Amazing Grace”. It was actually very beautiful. I left the church with tears in my eyes.

The organist played beautifully!

We had a chance to view the lower part of the town from a picturesque spot in the upper part, where we got some photos and shopped for souvenirs. We picked up a new beer stein for our collection.

After our potty and shopping stop, we went to the lower part of town, where we stopped by a chocolatier and bought some chocolate. I still haven’t opened the box to see if they’re any good. A lovely young lady was playing a key harp (Nyckelharpa)– an instrument from Sweden that looks like a combination of a violin and a keyboard. I dropped a couple of euros in her hat, because I have a soft spot for buskers. She played well, and her music added to the atmosphere.

At the end of the tour, we went to a restaurant to taste local beers and eat fresh local sausages. It was at this point that Bill and I met Lynn and Ron, a very nice couple from Dundee, Scotland. The beer tasting was a treat for me, since I liked the three beers that were offered. Not everyone did. Especially the delicious cherry beer! No one discussed the beers or even mentioned who made them. They were simply served with the sausages.

As we made our way back to the bus, I thought to myself that we really do need to come back to Tallinn and spend a couple of days in the city, then maybe venture out to the countryside. Maybe after the train is ready, we can do that. Tallinn by itself is a really cool city– literally and figuratively. But I think the country as a whole is interesting, as I watched a great documentary years ago about Estonia called The Singing Revolution. I happen to own this film and found it fascinating.

A trailer for The Singing Revolution.

Raul did a great job of telling us about Tallinn and showing us the sights. I was sorry to be leaving Tallinn, as it really is such a neat city, with so much color and personality! The beer is pretty good, too!

The ship was going to be leaving Estonia in the early afternoon, as our next port was Riga, Latvia, which is quite a distance when you’re in transportation that moves as slowly as a cruise ship does. So, we sadly bid farewell to Estonia that afternoon. As Bill and I watched the skyline disappear, I looked up the rusty looking AIDA vessel that was sitting in the harbor and learned that it was a ship that was sold to new owners and is now flagged in Liberia. But it’s been sitting abandoned in Tallin’s port since November 2021. Another AIDA ship was also sitting in the port for over a year, but finally left.

We decided to enjoy the afternoon on our balcony, drinking some of the beers brought by the steward the night before. Unfortunately, they weren’t very cold. I think it’s because when no one is in the staterooms, the power is completely shut off. Anything plugged in is unplugged, and you have to use a card to get the lights to work. But it was still a pleasant afternoon’s cruise. We were blessed with nice weather, which I understand is not the case for those who are cruising this week!

*A former AIDA ship, sitting idle in port.*

After awhile, we decided to visit the Splendor Lounge on Deck 4, then have dinner in the Compass Rose restaurant. Aldo and Dimas– a singer and pianist– were there performing, playing slow hits from the 70s. I commented to Bill that I thought the playlist was a little depressing. Nevertheless, we enjoyed their performance, and then met another couple from Germany, who actually live near Wiesbaden and know Breckenheim (our village), because they go to a restaurant there.

George and Claudia were interesting to talk to. Claudia spoke some English, but was delighted when Bill spoke some German. I think she was very happy to talk to someone besides George, who was in a wheelchair and appeared to be profoundly physically disabled. I had first noticed them in the dining room. Claudia said that she and George had traveled all over the place together, and she loved America, because there was so much consideration for people in wheelchairs. For instance, in Germany, a lot of facilities have toilets upstairs or downstairs, making it hard for physically disabled people to access them. But in the United States, most modern buildings have ramps, wide doors, and wheelchair accessible bathrooms. I noticed that Regent Splendor, more than any other ship I’ve ever been on, also catered a lot to people in wheelchairs.

Claudia did not let George’s disability slow her down. She got up and danced, holding George’s hand as she sashayed to the music. She said she loved American rock n’ roll, especially Elvis Presley. And she reminded us that Elvis spent time in the Frankfurt/Wiesbaden area, back when he was in the Army. We will have to visit where he once lived!

*Taken on June 24th, just before the lounge opened.*

After we had dinner in the Compass Rose, we came back to the Splendor Lounge, where Aldo and Dimas had picked up the tempo considerably. More people joined us and there was soon much singing and dancing. It was a nice way to end a great day!

Bill and his cheese!

A little singing and dancing in the Splendor Lounge!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Our Monday in Sofia, June 10, 2024…

Seven miles in Sofia! June 8, 2024

Enjoying our last full day in Sofia…

Worn out, sunburned, and sick with Bill’s cold…

A warm welcome back to Tallinn, Estonia!