Our retirement plans are moving along quite well.

We sold our house and moved a few months ago. We both had mixed feelings selling. Our house was “perfect”, with a designer gourmet kitchen, a newly remodelled bathroom, and lots of french doors and windows. We were within walking distance of two small downtown areas with fantastic restaurants, an exercise facility nearby, and had good access to SFO and SJC. We had hoped to sell to a family who would enjoy our home as we had. We did have a number of qualified families present offers, but an investor’s all cash offer trumped everyone.

We are settling into the North Bay; and finding good restaurants and shops locally. Few are within walking distance. We do have an exercise failitity near by.

We are now planning two trips to Europe next year. I succumbed to Seabourn’s marketing onslaught and contacted a travel agent who books Seabourn cruises. We will take a cruise from Istanbul to Venice by way of a few Greek isnands next spring.

The Itinerary is facniating

0 Istanbul, Turkey VX 04:00 PM
1 Myrina, Nisos Limnos, Greece TR 10:00 AM 05:00 PM
2 Mykonos, Greece 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
3 Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey 07:00 AM 11:00 PM
4 Patmos, Greece 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
5 Rhodes, Greece 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
6 Thira (Santorini), Greece TR 08:00 AM 05:00 PM
7 Piraeus (Athens), Greece 07:00 AM 04:00 PM
8 Monemvasia, Greece TR 08:00 AM 05:00 PM
9 Katakolon, Greece 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
10 Nydri, Nisos Lefkada, Greece TR 08:00 AM 05:00 PM
11 Kerkira, Corfu, Greece 08:00 AM 05:00 PM
12 Dubrovnik, Croatia TR 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
13 Triluke Bay, Croatia TR 08:00 AM 05:00 PM
14 Venice, Italy 07:00 AM

We will explore Venice for three or four days then take a train to Florence for four of five days.
Cruises are not my preferred method of travel because you are forced to conform to the ship’s itinerary and come and go based on the ship’s arrival and departure at port. We enjoy finding those special places off the beaten path and spending more time there and less at tourist traps. Still there is no better way to get the flavor of coastal ports, to see a number of diverse destinations, and find some special places, than on a cruise. Seabourn is an all inclusive cruise line; there will be no unexpected additional fees for drinks on the cruise though Seabourn shore excursions are extra. My reading suggests that Seabourn’s shore excursions are typical and no better than you can book ashore (but ahead of time) and can be more expensive.

I will use VRBO or homeAway to book lodging in Venice and Florence.

I was planning an additional four weeks in Italy taking the train from Florence to Cinque Terre, renting a car in La SPezia and driving through Tuscany (Sienna, San Gimignano, Piza), checking out Monte Argentario, and on to Rome. My wife thought it better to do this trip in September to avoid the heat and crowds. As it turns out, she is correct and I’ve dropped this leg of our spring trip. More about this in a later post.
We will arrive in Istanbul a few days ahead of embarking on our cruise. Istanbul (Constantinople) is at the crossroads of East and West; Europe and Asia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the most historic cities on the planet and one of the most diverse I expect. We plan to walk the city and visit Istanbul’s bazaars.

I am researching the cruise destinations and shore excursions: where would it make sense to hire a local driver, where is it best to rent bicycles or a car, where is a day hike a good idea, what local foods are not to be missed. There are a host of things to know about before we leave. We do have plenty of time to learn, perhaps even to learn some Greek and Croatian phrases.

Let the adventure(s) begin, but sadly not this year; not yet.