Hello from Norway and the Crystal Serenity! Despite sporting a layered look that included a sweatshirt, sweater and parka, I was shivering this morning on a windswept hill overlooking the tiny Norwegian frontier community of Longyearbyen. Located in the Svalbard island archipelago about 600 miles from the North Pole, the town is surrounded by stunning [...]

Me and my friend Jeff on the dramatic patio of the Il San Pietro hotel near Positano. The lunch we were served at the Il San Pietro di Positano hotel  was scrumptious, from the pasta appetizer  to the dessert. But I honestly can’t remember exactly what was on the menu.  I was focused on the [...]

All 296 passengers on the intimate, elegant Silver Wind seemed to be on the pool deck for our sail-away from Venice on  Tuesday.  Who would want to miss what has to be one of the most dramatic departure experiences at sea? We slowly advanced down the Giudecca Canal,  surrounded by a flotilla of water taxis, [...]