Welcome the new year with a promise to do something you dream of

Take the A Train -- or any train! If you've wanted to take a special trip, if you've had a cruise or
tour in mind, we remind you of tempus fugit, carpe diem. It's a new year. Dream, plan, act!

TRAINS, BOATS, PLANES! REACH FOR THE SKY IN 2025! PLAN NOW TO MAKE YOUR DREAM TRIP HAPPEN!

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

The gorgeous Amalfi coast awaits your planning, with orchards, winding
 roads and stately villas. It's in southern Italy overlooking the Tyrrhenian
 Sea and Gulf of Salerno. Savings can be had by planning now for summer.

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

IF YOU have long wished upon a star -- wanting to visit a particular country or island -- maybe see Paris or Rome, or take a train trip across Australia or Africa -- time's a wasting. Have you dreamed of climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge? Is Hawaii a lifelong dream? Why not now? Tempus fugit, carpe diem. "Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera," as the monarch of Siam said in "The King and I." We're not getting any younger. Planning is part of the fun. It's crucial to plan and narrow:

Bruce Keller takes aim at a street scene in Rome.

* WHAT'S YOUR wish? Shopping, culture or the rush of discovery? If you like theater, shows, opera or concerts, consider New York, Prague, London, Vienna, Milan, New York, Buenos Aires and Las Vegas. Architecture, antiquities up your alley? Think Rome, Venice, Petra. Cairo is cleaning up its act after decades of political unrest. Turkey is coming back on the radar after cruise lines left.

* Budget savvy or going for broke? Somewhere in the middle? Make a daily expense plan. Google Expedia for affordable travel.
* Who's traveling? Family, friends,  partners, college buddies, boyfriend, girlfriend? Maybe you're traveling solo and want to meet people? Figure out who can contribute and how much.

Egypt's pyramids are within
reach if you begin to plan now.

* Want independent travel, with room and time to strike out on your own?  Do you prefer everything organized and pre-paid for you?

* Off the beaten track to a "undiscovered" place? Or do you have your heart set on a tried and tested destination?

If purple mountain majesty
beckons, planning can 
make it happen.

BE DARING and creative. After answering the questions above, settle on basic preferences. If you truly want to see a place and can't coax anyone to come along, go solo. Put yourself out there and meet people. Look for singles-friendly

Cookie and Keller on their
second climb of Sydney's
famous Harbor Bridge.

tours. Or consider treating a niece, nephew, cousin, sib, friend. Most cruises have singles happy hour every day and LGBTQ gatherings.

Think outside the box. If you have your heart set on Malta -- a clean, progressive and welcoming place with great food, pretty scenery and friendly people -- don't be put off if the flights seem high.  Fly to Rome or Sicily, enjoy, then take a ferry to Malta.

HIT THE library or book stores.  Stock up on brochures, travel books, magazines.  We keep a huge box of files, newspaper clips, magazine pieces with features on places of interest. We're big fans of Rick Steves and catch his helpful shows on Public Television.

Enjoying a breezy tour on the Kona coast.

We also enjoy the Lonely Planet books -- and we hold out for the print edition, although Kindle is available. There are bargains to be had, too, with last-minute bookings. (In travel lingo, that usually means 60-90 days before the trip.) Look at Vacations to Go and other "last minute" websites. 
If you're "bucket-listing" remember the Seven Wonders of the World await:

Cookie and Keller at
sea, exercising at Zuma.

Colossus of Rhodes, the Great Pyramid of Giza. Why not take the leap?
Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Lighthouse of Alexandria, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Statue of Zeus at Olympia and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. All await your curiosity.

More information: www.britrail.com; www.celebritycruiselines.com

www.ncl.com;cunard.com; expedia.com

pearlseascruises.com

vacationsbyrail.com

 

Bruce Keller ticked one more item off his bucket
 list when he sailed on an America's Cup yacht
s Cup yacht on a recent trip in the Caribbean.  

COMING SOON: While we're on the subject of dreams, one of Bruce Keller's dearest wishes is to sail in an America's Cup yacht.   

The Caribbean and St. Maarten
beckoned for Bruce Keller
to fulfill his dream to sail
an America's Cup vessel.

To pilot the vessel was even a higher dream.  It came true! Cookie is not a lifelong sailor but Keller is.  He has long followed the adventures of the famed America's Cup racing vessels.  In a bargain with Cookie, he agreed to take tango lessons in return for a promise from Cookie. The deal he brokered was in return for his dance effort,  she would join him on a sail on one of the famed boats.  He did, she did. He has crushed toes and she has white knuckles to show it. Then we're off to Harrison's Caves on Barbados, a train trip in the British Isles and a visit to three museums in Spain dedicated to the life and work of the eccentric and brilliant Salvador Dali. Remember to explore, learn and live! Catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, art, family, nature and more:

www.whereiscookie.com

Please share the link.

 

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Make Christmas dreams come true with new food, fun, traditions

 

Christmas morning on Hawaii, "the Big Island," presents a double rainbow to passengers aboard
a Body Glove trip down the Kona coast. Today begins a two-part series on holiday wish lists.  
                                                                                                                                                             bodyglovehawaii.com

YULETIDE GREETINGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD! CONSIDER PLANNING A BUCKET LIST TRIP AS THE OLD YEAR ENDS AND A NEW ONE BECKONS DREAMS

Bruce Keller and Christene
"Cookie" Meyers afloat but
not stranded last Christmas.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

The holidays in Hawaii are always colorful.
 In downtown Honolulu, Nutcrackers surround
a  merry Christmas tree and shop windows
 herald the arrival of Santa and his reindeer.

IF YOU'RE HOME this Christmas, enjoy! But if you're yearning to kick the holiday up a notch, consider spending Christmas elsewhere next year.  Start planning now to get the best prices. Holiday hotels often sell out and prices increase for air as time gets closer. Here are a few ideas to jump start your dream.

At Oscar's in Palm Springs,
every day is a holiday with
great shows and lively crowds.
 

MUSEUMS and aquariums make wonderful family outings during the holidays and two of the finest we've visited are in Hawaii and New Zealand:                                                         New Zealand's Te Papa Museum

Honolulu's Bishop Museum 
IF YOU love music, Vienna has one of the world's most famous chorales, the Vienna Boys' Choir. Their Christmas concerts will give you happy goosebumps. This venerable Austrian city offers a



Skiing is a huge winter draw and favorite holiday
pursuit in many western states, here Montana.

 delightful old-fashioned Christmas with sparkling holiday decorations and warming, fragrant gluhwein. The city boasts gorgeous imperial architecture. Outdoor Christmas markets display hand crafted ornaments and a bounty of tasty snacks. www.wien.info        Yuletide worldwide

A tour guide in the
tropics dons his Santa
hat for a holiday tour.

IN PALM Springs, the Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Garden in nearby Palm Desert is a magical place. 

More than 750,000 twinkling lights illuminate the park after dark, and it's a wonderful way to see the critters. The city's WildLights Holiday Festival is a drive-through holiday tradition to delight locals, tourists and families.

Our favorite venue there is Oscar's Bar and Cafe, a lively cabaret fun any time.  The yuletide is special, though, with a delightful docket of drag shows with holiday flair. livingdesert.org; oscarspalmsprings.org

Las Vegas was our choice for a recent
New Year's Eve, here at the Bellagio. 

IN MY HOME state of Montana, skiing is a big winter attraction. Everyone knows Colorado has a lucrative corner on winter sports, but the Treasure State also offers resorts, B&Bs and a wide range of lodging at Big Sky, Whitefish, Bridger Bowl, Red Lodge and elsewhere. Lift tickets are cheaper, too, than in more famous resorts.
SINCE KEVIN Costner's TV's smash "Yellowstone," my beloved state has become a "bucket list" favorite for tourists, but there are still sanctuaries and unspoiled terrain to be found if you do your homework.  If you're a cross-country skier, Whitefish is close to Glacier National Park and its spectacular mountains. Glacier's breathtaking switchbacks and splendid cross-country skiing are tops. Happily, it's not yet "discovered."  In nearby Wyoming, Jackson Hole

Fireworks are a big draw
in many destinations,
here on Waikiki Beach.

Mountain Resort is a beautiful ski destination in the spectacular Grand Tetons. To access skiing in these two states, you can easily fly into Billings or Cody and rent a car. And Bozeman has many flights now, including a non-stop from Atlanta which my southern family uses. www.visitmt.com; jacksonhole.com

Vienna is a wonderful place for a holiday visit.
Palaces, parks and churches are aglow and a
renowned choir awaits to serenade you.
 

LOOK ON the internet for fun Christmas vacation ideas for families.  You'll find hundreds of ideas, of cities, towns and villages across the world offering everything from beach basking to winter sports.  Most tourist destinations have winter festivals and an opportunity to visit Santa. There are movie nights with holiday themes, tree lighting and fireworks festivals on New Year's Eve. One of the most spectacular fireworks events we've experienced is in Hawaii, on Waikiki Beach at Hilton's Hawaiian Resort. www.hiltonhawaiianresort.com

Strasbourg in France goes all
out for holiday light displays.

EUROPEAN CITIES and villages have celebrated the holidays for centuries. You'll find Christmas Markets from Vienna, Austria, to Cologne, Nuremberg and Freiburg in Germany, Ghent and Brussels in Belgium, and Prague in Czech Republic. Copenhagen in Denmark and many small Norwegian towns also have fabulous holiday displays.  We spent one yuletide in Bergen and Alesund on a Viking cruise and loved the festive immersion. Strasbourg in France shows off its local wares and goodies at Europe's oldest and most lavish market with Christkindelsmarik, dating to 1570. Performers tell the "Christ story" in elaborate costumes making the city a top Christmas destination. www.europeanbestdestinations.com/christmas-markets/

About to tuck into trdlenik
in Czech Republic are
Bruce Keller and Cookie.

Vienna and Prague offer delightful old-fashioned Austrian and Czech Christmas spirit. Both are known for magnificent Gothic architecture, a spirit of gracious welcome and unique folkloric traditions. These two magnificent cities create an other-worldly feeling at their famed Christmas markets. Shoppers find beautifully decorated wooden huts filled with treats, unique craft gift items and ornaments for next year's tree. My favorite delicacy is spit-roasted ham. Keller loved trdelnik, a traditional hot sugar-coated pastry with nuts and cinnamon.

IF YOU really want to feel close to old Santa, head for Rovaniemi - Lapland, Finland. Rovaniemi is just north of the Arctic Circle and Finns believe it makes a better home for Santa than the North Pole. You'll meet Kris Kringle in this frozen winter wonderland of deep snow and pine forests where kids make cookies with Mrs. Claus and enroll in Elf School. Families enjoy husky-dog rides, tobogganing and the Northern Lights. For a super frosty stay, check into the Arctic Snowhotel, made entirely of ice, with has an ice bar, ice restaurant, ice chapel, Finnish sauna, and snow sauna. Are you packed yet? www.arcticsnowhotel.fi/en/

Cygnet Theatre's multi-talented Sean Murray
plays an endearing Scrooge in the theater's
popular "A Christmas Carol." Soon, Cygnet
 moves to a new home to be known as "The Joan." 

BEST BETS: Two holiday shows up through Christmas Eve deserve special attention in the San Diego area. "Miracle on 34th Street" is playing at Carlsbad's New Village Arts Theatre. It's a delightful radio-play musical take on the beloved 1947 movie about a young girl and Santa. Inspirational, moving and fast paced, with a strong cast, it is a lively production about a little girl's yearnings, the need to believe and the uplifting power of love. Favorite holiday tunes are cleverly interwoven in this revamp of the beloved film classic. Then Sean Murray creates the world's most endearing Scrooge in Cygnet Theatre's "A Christmas Carol." 

Dancing, singing, comedy, lively
staging and a heartwarming story
 make "Miracle on 34th Street" a hit
 at New Village Arts in Carlsbad.

The venerable Old Town venue features director Sean Murray's poignant adaptation and his portrayal of the irascible but ultimately endearing Scrooge. A fine 7-person ensemble puts magic, music and imagination in this beautifully rendered production. As Cygnet wraps its tenure in Old Town, it prepares for its new larger home at the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center at Liberty Station. It will be known as "The Joan," in honor of its major donors. For tickets to both: newvillagearts.org; cygnettheatre.org 

Start now to make your bucket list 
a reality, here on the Queen Mary 2.

UP NEXT: New horizons for 2025. Why not take the trip or cruise you've been longing for? Start planning now for next year's holiday and you can make it work. Whether it's a summer or fall trip, or a goal for next Christmas, you can make it happen. If you're single, consider a low-interest loan or sharing a cabin. If you're a couple or family, figure ways to save and cut back on other areas and start a trip savings account.  Cruise lines sometimes offer deals for traveling with the family, as a single, or with generations. We'll offer ideas for holiday travel, and for fulfilling a bucket list dream.  It's possible to make a lifelong wish come true in the new year.  Think outside the box and remember, as a wise man said, "Everything you've ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear.” — So don't be afraid to embrace an idea and make it a goal. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, nature and the arts. www.whereiscookie.com

Meet Cesar Manrique: the artist who changed the face of an island

Cesar Manrique's imagination and love of nature fueled his passionate devotion to his native Lanzarote.  Here, one of his gardens incorporates relaxation with appreciation of native plants. Nature and art were one for him. 

ONE MAN'S VISION AND IMAGINATION MARKS CANARY ISLAND OF LANZAROTE

Jameos del Agua is a natural space inside a volcanic tunnel
transformed by Manrique into a world renowned concert space.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

CESAR MANRIQUE was born in 1919 in the town of Arrecife on the island of Lanzarote in the Canaries.

Few people outside of the islands knew of these volcanic places off theJameos  coast of Spain, but that would change with Manrique.  

Architectural genius changes an island

Cesar Manrique is
immortalized in sculpture.

Bruce Keller and Christene
"Cookie" Meyers at the home
of artistic genius Manrique.

An artist from childhood, when he sketched nature images, he left as a young man to study in Madrid, returning many times, his head buzzing with ideas. By 1966, he'd settled back in his homeland for good. What he created changed the island and put it on the world map.

FOR 25 FRUITFUL years, he transformed Lanzarote to an imaginative place, where nature and architecture blend. It's a playground for imagination.
Perhaps no single man has had a greater influence on a place. Only Gaudi comes to mind, in his contributions to Barcelona. For working with Lanzarote's volcanic landscapes, Manrique insisted there be no tall buildings. He imagined that vineyards could flourish in craters, and they do. His homeland's strange beauty captured Manrique's imagination and encouraged his dialogue between nature and art. This extraordinary artist was the main creator of most of the art, culture and tourism centers that now exist on Lanzarote, making it the Canary Island's showpiece.

Cesar Manrique ever at work.

MANRIQUE'S VISIONARY designs integrate elements of nature with comfort and style. They welcome the eye, asking the viewer to step in and enjoy.
One can tell the artist enjoyed life and its pleasures, and that he was ever aware of nature, which he revered during his life, 1919 to 1992.

One of Manrique's many creations.

Manrique loved color and cactus, as this display at his
home, now a museum, illustrates.
 .

   In Europe, he exhibited his work in Spain and France, where it was greeted with raves from both press and the public. He  traveled to exhibitions in Japan and after the death from cancer of his beloved partner Pepi Gomez, he moved to New York for a change of environment. There he was befriended Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and other famous 20th Century artists. But he was critical of the environment of New York, which he considered "inhumane." 

 

Painter, sculptor, architect Cesar Manrique transformed the Canary
 Islands' most interesting island, Lanzarote. Future blog pieces
celebrate the holidays as we showcase other creators. 

THE ARTIST'S   childhood friend Pepin Ramirez was president of the island and helped Manrique realize this idea to reflect the unique landscape and color palette of Lanzarote in the art and architecture on the island. Beside continuing his personal art career, Manrique gained attention with his commitment to protect Lanzarote from what he regarded as pernicious tourist development. Manrique was not against tourism but thought high quality tourism could transform the island and become its economic engine. This has come to pass.

 
www.fcmanrique.org/en/inicio/

www.hellocanaryislands.com

www.turismolanzarote.com/en/

COMING SOON: As we enter the holidays full tilt, we visit places that celebrate with specific cultural touches. From Hawaii to Madrid, French Polynesia to Brazil, Singapore to Sydney, we toast the holidays with art, music, food,  architecture and originality. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, nature, family and more. Please share the link: www.whereiscookie.com

Dolphins delight: Monkeys, yes, but Gibraltar offers spectacular sea life

The Bay of Gibraltar is home to fancy yachts, pleasure and fishing boats and a variety of sea life,
along with the famed monkeys. This visit was to track dolphins, and we weren't disappointed.

 

BAY OF GIBRALTAR OFFERS GARDENS, WILDLIFE, CABLE CAR, FRIENDLY FOLK 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

Dolphins frolic in the waters of Gibraltar, where they
are a main attraction for tourists and beloved by locals.

GIBRALTAR is famous for many things from its photogenic  primates to its enduring rock. Its most notable attribute is its strategic position at the mouth of the Mediterranean, at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula on the Bay of Gibraltar.
Because it is so near the Mediterranean's exit into the Atlantic, its enviable location has made it a contested body of water over centuries and the site of many sea skirmishes. The bloody 1607 Battle of Gibraltar between the Dutch and Spanish is the most notorious.

 

The Dutch surprised a Spanish
fleet during The Eighty Years
War, destroying many ships.

GIBRALTAR is also celebrated as one of the few places in the world offering a view of two continents and three countries. On a lucky, clear day, from certain vantage points, it is possible to see both Africa and Europe. You'll also have a chance to see Gibraltar, Spain and Morocco, if you're really fortunate.
Realizing how close the continents are -- divided only by the narrow Strait of Gibraltar -- one understands the bay's importance as a maritime link between the two continents.

And wildlife abounds here.

Cavorting with the dolphins, from left: Christene "Cookie"
Meyers, Bruce Keller, Rick Cosgriffe, Jane Milder.

WE'D SEEN the monkeys twice, but we did not realize until this most recent visit that some of the Mediterranean's best sea life viewing is also here. Three species of playful dolphin are vying with Gibraltar's endearing monkeys for headlines: the common dolphin, bottle-nose dolphin and striped dolphin. These amazing and playful, "tourist friendly" creatures visit the Bay and Strait of Gibraltar for food, shelter and to breed. You can see both dolphins and monkeys in certain tours and the monkeys are worth a look, too, if you've not seen them before. Hang on to your hat -- they're clever thieves. They're Europe's only wild monkey population, originating from the Atlas and Rif mountains of Morocco and brought by early settlers.

Shrieks of delight as dolphins approach the
boat in the Bay of Gibraltar.

THIS VISIT highlighted dolphins, which our homework showed could be seen near our ship, Norwegian Cruise Line's stunning Viva. We were met at the dock by a friendly driver who shared dining tips during a pleasant ten-minute drive to our dolphin watching boat.
There we joined a small, convivial group of fellow dolphin fans. We were delighted to find dolphins within five minutes from the dock -- the easiest and closest viewing we've seen in many dolphin outings on several continents.

Gibraltar's monkeys are long famous,
but dolphin tours are on the rise. 

A CABLE CAR ride to the Top of the Rock and Nature Reserve is another highlight. The viewpoint was not open on our visit four years ago and is a recent addition to other attractions as Gibraltar amps up its tourism push.  

Gibraltar's cable car offers stunning
views of the bay, and on clear days of
two continents and three countries.

The laminated glass floor and balustrade are  an impressive 1,115 feet above sea level, built on the foundations of a  World War II base structure. A plaque informs that it is a faithful reproduction of the original base used for an anti-aircraft gun during World War II. 

Gibraltar's architecture reflects its Moorish influence but it has long been a British Overseas Territory with 34,000 proud Gibraltarians. Its area is a scant 6.8 kilometers, bordered to the north by Spain from which myriad daytrips are possible.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS are all fairly close in Gibraltar.  The cable car station for Gibraltar's Swiss designed aerial tramway is near the southern end of Main Street, next to the gorgeous Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, known as the Alameda.  This wonderful place offers plants from all over the world, a calming respite after the cable car with its white knuckle, 360 degree panoramic view across three countries and both continents. 

Gibraltar's Botanic Gardens, known
as The Alameda, are meticulous.

The viewpoint was opened in 2018 by actor Mark Hamill, known as Luke Skywalker of "Star Wars" fame. A tasteful plaque commemorates the dedication. Although spectacular on a clear day, it can be unnerving to climb those metal steps to the viewing platform, then walk on glass to the view. I confess to a tinge of vertigo -- the same I felt in Madeira, at the top of its spectacular Skywalk. But it's worth the nerves. 
We felt welcome here, too, as Gibraltar has yet to join the ranks of tourism protesters

More information:

www.visitgibraltar.gi/ 

www.ncl.com/Norwegian/Viva
www.naturereserve.gi/experiences/cable-car/

www.visitacity.com/gibraltar/tours

 

 

Native son Cesar Manrique had his hand in transforming
the island of his birth, Lanzarote. Here his home and
studio is now an intriguing museum in the Canary Islands.

UP NEXT: Cesar Manrique was a gifted artist --  painter, sculptor and architect.  He is beloved and famous for changing the face of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The artist studied in Madrid and after several years exhibiting  around the world, he moved to New York, the mecca of art in the 1960s, then back to his native Recife on the island he loved and made more beautiful. We look at his fascinating architecture, remembering to explore, learn and live: www.whereiscookie.com