Viking Cooking School California Style...

Viking Sky offered Cooking Classes during our voyage. We took advantage of a California Cooking Class today and thoroughly enjoyed it. We started out as two and two more members joined us halfway through the process. Our menu consisted of Ojai Mandarin parfait, Pan Roasted Halibut, and Crab Cakes. Our Chefs were wonderful and we learned many new tricks that will be easy to try at home. Enjoy a few moments of our cooking class and try one out next time you are aboard a Viking Ocean vessel! 

Happy Travels,

~ Cindy 

#MyVikingStory #ZamsZanyTravels

Sights and Sounds of Porto.....

The Best of Porto: Fado, Vistas & More was our Viking excursion in Porto, Portugal. Our guide shared her beautiful city with us. We even had a live presentation of Fado with two terrific instrumentalists and a male and female singer. The day would not be complete without a taste of Porto. The UNESCO World Heritage Site district of Ribeira is a must-see. Traveling down the Douro River in a rabelo gave us a new perspective of the city from the river standpoint. Lovely day!

#MyVikingStory

A Stroll Through Malaga, Spain....

Malaga, Spain is a beautiful seaside Andalusian city. Key sites are the Gibraltar Castle and Alcazaba Palace. It’s also the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and many Roman ruins can be found. Enjoy a quick look at a few of Malaga’s famous sites.

If traveling with Viking Ocean Cruises, be sure to ask the cruise or excursion director about your tour guide. Guides seem to be varying deeply in experience and ability to grasp the English language and ability to relay historical information about the area which is supposed to be a key element of the tour(s). 

Happy Travels,

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory

Cartagena.... A View From the Sea...

Entering the harbor and viewing Cartagena from the sea ....watching the Viking Sky dock....a glimpse of what’s to come.  Enjoy the view!

Happy Travels,

~ Cindy

#VikingCruises #MyVikingStory #Zamszanytravels.com

A Stroll Through Cartagena...

Viking Ocean Cruises offers a nice Tapas and Wine City Tour. We strolled through Cartagena and stopped at three tapas locations and enjoyed some interesting Tapas and delicious wines and Sangria-like beverages. The city has some Roman ruins and digs going on and it was interesting to see how the city handles “remodels.” Enjoy a few moments of our walking tour and this lovely city. 

#MyVikingStory #Cartagena #TapasWineCityTour

A Quick Visit to El Born...

During our time in Barcelona aboard the Viking Sky, we visited the Picasso Museum on our own and it was an incredible experience to see all his works. Fortunately, it put us back in the El Born area of Spain and we found ourselves walking over familiar territory. There is a dig going on right there and it was nice to see some progress had been made since our last visit. Definitely a worthwhile experience for all ages. 

Happy Travels!

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory 

Flamenco and Tapas...perfect duo for an exhilarating evening...

Our first excursion with Viking was to an evening of amazing Flamenco dancing and tasty Tapas in Barcelona. A very festive evening filled with good food, new friends, and intriguing dancers. 

Dancers ranged in age from 16 and up. All were very passionate about their performances and everyone was enthralled with their expertise and interpretation. Our guide mentioned on the tour bus that they often improvise. This was a professional group that tours and is well known.

It was a fun evening and we’re looking forward to more exciting excursions. 

Happy Travels to all,

~ Cindy 

#MyVikingStory #VikingOcean 

La Predrera....Casa Mila...a Gaudí Treasure

La Predrera, sometimes nicknamed “The Quarry” is one of Gaudi’s trademark works. Casa Mila was built as a residence and apartments. Definitely purchase your tickets online and opt for the Premium guide. You will skip all the lines otherwise expect a lengthy wait. Better headphones plus immediate access to the rooftop on the elevator are very welcome. 

Happy Travels,

~ Cindy

La Sagrada de la Familia...a Gaudí Must-See

If you’re in Barcelona be sure to visit La Sagrada de la Familia. This was our second visit to this beautiful Basilica. We saw more construction and parts of the facade that have been finished since our last visit two years ago. Be sure to get your tickets online before you go. It really saves time and quick entry. Their audio guide is very helpful and available in many languages. They even have a senior rate. The audio tour Senior rate is 17E. 

The Road Less Traveled....Bay of Fundy and a Few Highlights of Our Canadian Adventure!

Road trips are always an adventure and this one took us to Canada back in the summer of 2015. Highlights of this particular trip are The Bay of Fundy, Hopewell Rocks, and St. John, New Brunswick. 

Reversing Falls is an unusual phenomenon in St. John and one to be sure and check out if you're in the area. Traveling onward we experienced a lot of fog as we entered The Bay of Fundy National Forest, plus a road we weren't quite prepared for. 

Viewing the mud flats during low tide at the The Bay of Fundy reminded me of milk chocolate, but not a place I'd like to get stuck in! 

Justin ventured down to the sea floor and took some beautiful pictures of Hopewell Rocks.

These are just a few highlights of our Canadian adventure with more to come!

Happy Travels,

~ Cindy 

Charming Honfleur, France...

During our France’s Finest River Cruise with Viking River Cruises, we visited charming Honfleur, France. A lovely sea town with quaint shops, restaurants, and medieval architecture. 

Originally, Viking did not have it on our itinerary, but due to the flooding of the Seine River and being moored in Rouen, a deviation had to be made. It was such a delight and I recommended that Viking put it on their list of optional excursions.

Fortunately, they did! We will be visiting this charming town again during Viking's Trade Routes of the Middle Ages. There was a jeweler that caught my attention but wasn't open last time. Hopefully, they will be open on my return trip! 

Happy Travels,

~ Cindy 

Viking River Cruise Cities of Lights: Bamberg Highlights

Traveling with Viking is always an adventure for us. One such adventure took us to Bamberg, Germany during our Cities of Lights River Cruise. We enjoyed a lovely included walking tour through the beautifully preserved Old Town area which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We sampled some smoky beer, Rauchbier, that my husband really liked. This was our first river cruise and Viking ignited a spark in us to strike out to new regions of the world. 

Happy travels to all! There's a whole wide world out there that awaits us!

Enjoy a few highlights of our Bamberg experience!

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory

Viking's River Cruise 'Cities of Lights': Highlights from Mainz and Rudesheim

Ever since I began seeing the Viking ads on Downton Abbey, I knew that I had to have that special experience at least once. Deciding which river cruise to take first was the problem. There are so many possibilities and they continue to add new itineraries. "Cities of Lights" won the toss! Twelve days, 10 guided tours and 4 countries took us to some incredible sights.

My video features a few of the highlights during our Mainz and Rudesheim excursions. We visited the Gutenberg Museum during our Mainz morning walking included tour and in the afternoon we took an optional wine tasting excursion in Rudesheim and enjoyed some delicious vintage. A very enjoyable way to spend our day. 

I hope you enjoy a few moments from our Mainz and Rudesheim visit.

Happy travels,

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory