Madrid / SPAIN

Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid

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Today, the Botanical Garden boasts 90,000 plants,1,500 trees, and five greenhouses filled with non-endemic species. As we strolled the garden, workers were busy replacing spent displays of tulips, iris, and other spring blooms. Not much else was in flower, but it was still a joy to claim a bench and relax with other visitors lost in conversation or a good book. Busy-body magpies entertained, gliding through the jasmine-scented air. It was a splendid way to spend an afternoon, refreshing body and soul, on a sultry Madrid day.

RON & MARYS EDITOR'S NOTES

THE BOOKING GAME

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A multitude of apps, internet sites, and tools make it easy to book and we generally use a combination of them when doing our research and making reservations. Over the decades of booking our travels, we have made plenty of mistakes but with each error; we become a little wiser and a little more cautious as we do our booking due diligence.
Here are some lessons we’ve learned.

RON & MARYS EDITOR'S NOTES

Cruise Fever

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The Return to Cruising Survey coincides with the nearly first anniversary of the suspension of cruising in the United States. One year ago, we were in Oman aboard the Azamara Journey, preparing to fly home after mounting COVID fears truncated our exotic voyage. That was our last voyage to date and the ship’s as well. It’s now docked with two sister ships in Glasgow, Scotland. Little did we know when we walked down the Journey’s gangway that cruising would come to a standstill.