La Foresteria di Planeta in Menfi & first cooking class

The wines of the Planeta vineyards were paired with our meals.  Fantastico!

The markets of Palermo, lunch at Zia Pina and an afternoon in Cefalu

Palermo wanderings and discovering the great seafood!

Cooking, Touring and Drinking in Sicily

Lou, Meg and Kay on a Sicilian adventure starting with a city tour on our first full day in Palermo.  Included were the Monreale Cathedral an afternoon by the sea in Mondello.

A Bit of Diversion in the Baltic Sea

Stockholm

Helsinki Cathedral - Senate Square Helsinki, Finland

The Church of the Spilled Blood, in St. Petersburg, is built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. The interior is covered with spectacular mosaics.

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Today's artists copy the masters at the Hermitage

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The palaces of Peterhof and Catherine the Great

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The well persevered old town of Tallin, Estonia

August 14-August 25 aboard Crystal Symphony. Itinerary included Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallin, Copenhagen and Oslo.

Magical Machu Picchu

Sorry for the delay in posting, here goes....

Most of you already know the story. I wrote a report on the Incas in the 6th grade and vividly recall the red construction paper cover and accompanying model of an Inca village. I've been wanting to get to Peru and Machu Picchu ever since. Now I can finally check this one off the "1,000 places to see before I die" list.

Very briefly - we flew to Cusco and then drove into the Sacred Valley of the Incas with some stops along the way: then took the train up to our hotel just below MP. The next morning we drove by bus up the switch-back road to the site. It was wonderful!! We walked throughout the site learning about the history and culture, then climbed to the high points for sundials and great views. I loved every minute of it. In the afternoon we took the Hiram Bingham train back to Cusco to stay at the beautiful Hotel Monasterio (a renovated monastery).

Bob- I did not submit to any ancient rituals (I try to avoid anything that may result in loss of life!).

The next day we saw some of Cusco, then flew to Lima. As much as I wanted to see Lima, I would have preferred to skip this and spend another night in Cusco rather than waste time with another flight. But, all-in-all a great trip. We left Lima Friday morning and flew to Quayaquil, Ecuador to meet up with the ship.

I was delighted to be met in Quayaquil by Sandra's (CHB) cousins who took me to dinner and to explore Las Penas. This is a neighborhood that spreads up the Santa Ana Hill and in recent years was transformed from run-down homes to a charming area that remains residential with it's local cafes, bars and shops. Each building has a photo on the wall that shows what it looked like prior to renovations. We climbed the 444 steps to the top where there is a lighthouse, a chapel, and great views of the city.

Photos: Machu Picchu (even Kimo remembered to come along), a hummingbird at MP (note that the wings are not moving while it drinks it's nectar - I'm told that this is to conserve O2 at the high altitude), a woman weaving at the side of the road above Cusco, the Presidential Palace in Lima and Las Penas in Quayaquil.

Going through to Panama Canal tomorrow which means that I'm almost home. Wish that I could stay on for a few more months!

Last Three Ports in Chile

Since I last posted, I've been to 3 ports of call. All have been interesting, but no great photos to show. First up was Puerto Montt with it's surrounding volcanoes. Not the most exciting place, but I enjoyed the shopping stalls with all the local arts and goods.

Next was Valparaiso with colorful homes built up the slopes of the surrounding hills. There are cable-car like funiculars at various locations to transit between the neighborhoods. A few of us went to the neighboring town of Vina del Mar to walk around and do a bit of shopping.

The last stop in Chile was Coquimbo. I did an excursion to La Serena and Elqui Valley. This is a very dry area where it only rains a few days per year. The surrounding mountains are brown and cactus-covered, but with lushly cultivated land along the riverbanks. Lots of grapes for making pisco (great drink!), nuts, fruits and other produce.

Pictures: one of the volcanoes behind Puerto Montt, knitted items at a market stall, a funicular on the hills around Valparaiso, one of the varieties of grapes for making pisco, and one of a couple of Moai's that I saw at a couple of museums. I guess I don't need to go to Easter Island now!

I leave for Machu Picchu early tomorrow morning. Will update when I return (probably over the weekend).