Pretty flowers in the park.

As we research plans for early 2020, we’re finding the best route to use a travel agency when we know so little about the country and the places within that country that appeal to our tastes. Even so, this still is a complicated process.

At times, particularly on cruises, other passengers have described how much work they put into booking a single cruise, considering transportation to and from the airport or pier, public or private transportation while in the country, tipping policies, hotel bookings, and the many nuances of the cruise itself.

It’s interesting how most of us are drawn to water scenes.

When booking a cruise, the cabin number and its location within the ship can require hours of research and contemplation, let alone the choice for dining times; excursions either through the ship or privately; WiFi availability and costs; drink packages and the different pricing;  pre-booked spa services, if desired; and specialty restaurant packages often offered before sailing.

For an inexperienced traveler, this task can be daunting, if not overwhelming. For us, it was a trial and error process since we were traveling non-stop. For many travelers, this is a once-in-a-lifetime or once-a-year trip, for which they expect relative perfection.

An onlooker on the bridge over the stream.

Nothing is more frustrating than discovering a cabin above or below the disco (this happened to us once, and they moved us after three days of requesting a change). I could hear and feel the vibration of the music in my pillow at 1:00 am. (The disco often stays open until 3:00 am). Early on, we certainly learned a lesson after this experience.

But, these particulars are often unknown to the average traveler, and we often see long lines at the ship’s customer service desk with disgruntled passengers who wanted to change to a different cabin. Additionally, more experienced cruisers will wait in this queue for hours to request a free upgrade.

Sheep were running away when we stopped for photos.

There’s no way we’re interested in standing in line for two hours to upgrade our cabin. We strive to book the best possible cabin for our budget, thus far always with a balcony (this could change down the road), and if everything is working, clean and safe, we’re happy to stay put.

So now, as we work to book the next country we’ll visit, we do so with the utmost care and consideration. Soon, we have some details to share.

May your day be filled with wonders.

Photo from one year ago today, June 26, 2018:

Yesterday, we spotted this ostrich family near this vehicle. It was over four years ago we saw our first ostrich in the wild in Marloth Park. It was on December 7, 2013, that we’d spotted an ostrich standing next to this exact vehicle at this same property, looking at himself in the window of the vehicle. Click here for that post. Please click here for the one year ago post.

The work of local artists is on display.

We can’t imagine many locals purchasing clothing and household goods in these small-town shops with the high prices. Perhaps they wait until a visit to Dublin (544,000 population) or Galway (80,000 population) which as larger cities offer more choices for household goods and clothing.

Gift and craft shop on the main street.

There are no doubt prices are higher here than in many areas of the world we’ve visited, especially recently coming from South Africa, one of the most affordable countries we’ve seen to date.

We learn so much about local culture in these small towns and villages. The people are friendly, the architecture is interesting, and the restaurants and shops are many.

Pansies in a pot on the sidewalk.

The only item we purchased was sausage for Tom’s pizza from the butcher in a tiny grocery store.  It was as good as any sausage we’d purchased anywhere. Of course, we didn’t get out of the store without Tom buying a box of fresh-baked chocolate-covered doughnuts.

It’s not easy finding unique food items or snacks for me. Now that I kinked my diet to reduce the fat I consume while still having plenty of healthy fats, baking anything low carb is out of the question when most recipes require vast amounts of fat. Who knows if I’m doing the right thing for my heart?