Category Archives: Cruising

Experience the joy of the season at European Christmas Markets

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While it’s true there’s no place like home for the holidays, there’s no reason why you can’t start your holidays at one or more of the fabulous Christmas markets held all over Europe. This year when you gather for the holidays, start thinking about making some new holiday memories starting with a fabulous getaway that includes some stops at Christmas markets. Your travel advisors at GetAway can plan your trip including some stops for shopping and enjoying some new holiday experiences. 

 Markets got their start in Vienna 

 Christmas markets are street markets designed to celebrate the holiday during the four weeks of Advent leading up to and sometimes, depending on which country you are in, past Christmas into January. They are thought to have originated in Vienna, but were made popular in Germany. 

Vienna, Austria, City Centre Christmas Market

The first Christmas market supposedly was in 1296 in December when Emperor Albrecht I of Austria granted shopkeepers a one-to-two day market so the townspeople could stock up before the winter. Christmas markets are held in town squares and the little, decorated wooden stalls offer arts and crafts items, candles, toys, Christmas decorations and figurines as well as food and drinks. Some town halls transform into giant Advent calendars with different windows lighted each night. 

Nutcrackers in Rudesheim Germany Christmas Market

Now, virtually every country including Germany, Denmark, France, Austria, Portugal, Spain and England have Christmas markets. So your GetAway advisor can plan plenty of sightseeing in a country and have your trip end with a fantastic Christmas market experience. You can fill that second empty suitcase you brought with your holiday gifts, and, of course, a couple of items for yourself! 

 Festive sights, sounds and food 

 The most famous Christmas market is in Vienna, which actually has a dozen or more markets located throughout the city. The largest market is in Rathausplatz, in the square facing Vienna City Hall. Markets in Vienna are, well, grand — like the residents strive to match the fabulous, grand architecture of the city. There’s lots of light displays and Rathausplatz has an ice skating rink. And, just a note, when markets are described as having stalls with items, we are taking upwards of 200 stalls. 

Christmas Market Mainz, Germany

Markets, no matter what city in what country, serve a variation of gluhwein. Gluhwein is hot mulled wine spiced with cloves, anise, cinnamon and citrus fruits. Red wine is the most prevalent, but you can find it done with white wine. There is usually a version of apple cider if you want a non-alcoholic beverage and, of course, hot cocoa. Gluhwein, where ever you are, is served in a mug which you put a deposit on. You can return for a refill, or keep the mug for the price of the small deposit. They make great keepsake souvenirs. 

Make sure to go to the markets hungry. In France, where you should wait until dusk to go shopping because the twinkling lights are magical, you can get oysters, champagne, caviar, poutine and freshly grilled meat. 

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Port wine: A Portugal treasure

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Port wine is to Portugal as Champagne is to France. Each of those spirits have to be prepared using strict guidelines and their ingredients have to be sourced from a certain area. The only sparkling wine that can be called Champagne must come from the Champagne Wine Region of France and the only wine that can be labeled “Port” has to be from the Douro Valley of Portugal. 

Whether you are a port person or a champagne connoisseur, GetAway Travel can construct a trip for you. We’re working on a port-forward trip right now! It takes you to the Douro Valley and it’s aboard a fabulous modern ship designed for river cruising. 

What’s all the fuss about location? 

 The narrow Douro Valley has its own microclimate which makes it the optimal area to produce grapes used in port. In the 1700s, Portugal’s prime minister took measures to distinguish the specific area of the Douro Valley as being the only area where true port could be produced. It set production standards, the same way there are standards set for only some sparkling wines to be known as champagne. 

Port Casks aging at Offley

The unique aspect of the valley is that the soil as well as the terraced vineyards, were transformed by hand. The vineyard owners worked the soil to produce specific grapes and the terraces were set up to retain water as well as drain water if needed. More than 80 types of grapes are produced in the valley. Many of the vineyards have to still harvest by hand because of the way they are set up. 

Port wine must be at least two years old before it can be sold to the public and producers are only allowed to sell 30% of what they make so there is always port wine aging with producers. The port “winters” in the valley in barrels or kegs because that type of climate helps the fortifying agent mix with the wine. It then is moved to Porto (where it gets its name) because the humid, mild climate there is better for continued aging. 

Port tasting in Porto

 Tell me more about port 

 Port wine is not a chugging wine, it’s a sipping wine most often served with dessert or even as a dessert. It is considered the most delicious dessert wine on the planet! 

It is a fortified wine (more on that later) and it is richer, sweeter, heavier and higher in alcohol content than normal wines. It has an alcohol content somewhere between 19 and 20%. Heady stuff, but it goes great with fine cheeses and rich desserts. 

There are two main kinds of port, ruby and tawny. 

Ruby is slightly less sweet than tawny and it has berry and chocolate undertones. Tawny has caramel and nut nuances, but aged tawny can also have undertones of graphite, hazelnut, almond, butterscotch and graham cracker. 

There’s also white port, rose port and vintage port. Vintage port is rare, it is made from the best grapes of a single type of grape. Port houses declare a port wine as “vintage” only a few times in a decade. 

very old Vintage Port

 Do they still stomp the grapes? 

 Yes, yes they do — and here’s why. Those bitter seed nibs in grapes do nothing to add to the taste of port and feet stomping the grapes slide over the seeds and they can be drained out later. Some vineyards do employ mechanical feet machines to crush the grapes and they cross their fingers not a lot of the seeds get crushed. 

The harvested grapes, all picked in one day, are put in granite treading tanks and stomped to release the juice and the pulp from the skins. It is a synchronized process to make sure all of the grapes get crushed. When that is done and the skins are floating to the top of the tanks, the treading continues to keep moving the skins under the juice so fermentation starts. When about half of the natural sugar has fermented, the treading stops and the skins are allowed to sit on the top of the tank and the juice is drained out. The wine is then fortified with a distilled grape spirit called brandy. The sugar turns to alcohol and that’s where the high alcohol content happens. 

View from Taylor tasting room in Porto

 Tell me more! 

 Drink port with rich cheeses like bleu cheese, chocolate and caramel desserts, salted and smoked nuts and even sweet, smoky meats. You can add it to chocolate cakes or chocolate sauces and it can be simmered to a thick sauce, similar to a balsamic glaze. 

Rosé port should be served ice cold. It’s very trendy to serve it cold in the summer with a twist of lime. 

White port should be served cold, tawny port should be cool, like about 50 to 58° Fahrenheit and ruby should be served at cellar temperature which is about 60°. Port should be stored on its side and set upright about 24 hours ahead of serving and decanted if possible. The shelf life of port is about halfway between wine and liquor. 

We could talk about port all day, but we’d rather you learn more on a trip to the Duoro Valley. Contact us about that trip, or any other fabulous trip you’ve been thinking about. We can be reached at:  (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel  

Riga, Latvia: one of the Baltic states crown jewels

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Riga, Latvia is a happening place. Really, Riga, Latvia? Yep, the city has a spectacular variety of architecture including one of the largest representations of Art Nouveau, it’s got lots of entertainment options, shopping, fabulous food and its fair share of quirky places to visit. Riga is one of the places you can enjoy during our July 2022 cruise from Copenhagen to Stockholm. More details here — Baltic tour — or give us a call at 262-538-2140. 

 Riga fun facts 

Located on the Baltic Sea, Riga is the largest city in the Baltic States with a population over 630,000. Its Old Town is a UNESCO site and it has churches that date back to the city’s origins in 1201. It has medieval buildings, wooden buildings and fabulous examples of Art Nouveau architecture. Five religious denominations existed peacefully in Riga, each with its own church. Latvia’s president lived in a palace in Riga. Latvian is the oldest European languages and most of the country’s population speak Russian, Latvian and English. 

It has the fifth fastest internet in the world! 

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Copenhagen: One of the happiest places on earth

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Sure, there are some theme parks that contend they are the happiest places on earth, but Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, has scored consistently as the happiest city in the world on the World Happiness Report. 

Really, there is such a thing! 

 At GetAway Travel we’ve got Copenhagen included in one of our upcoming group trips. We can help you plan a trip to just Copenhagen, or any place else you might consider your happy place.  

 Come on, get happy 

Copenhagen

More than 400 cities in and around Europe are checked out as part of the World Happiness Report. The report’s focus is on the environment of a country — social, natural and urban. Through the respondents’ answers, it calculates happiness, well-being, sustainability and resilience. 

Finland is the happiest country, but Denmark is second with Copenhagen ranking as the happiest city. Danes celebrate what they call “hygge” which translates to comfort or coziness. How can you go wrong visiting a country that values comfort? It ranks high in the areas of health services, housing, utilities, social network, leisure activities, climate and personal safety.  Continue reading →

Dining on Virgin – Vote Now for your Chance to Win

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Virgin Voyages is one of the world’s newest cruise lines. 

It promises to be different, with pop-up and immersive entertainment, experimental dining, unique parties and no kids!  It has all new ships and it’s own private beach to visit in the Bahamas.  

Now we figure the best way to check it out is to go on board ourselves in November to see which of our clients might appreciate it the most.  The Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady is currently sailing out of Miami.  We have our air tickets, our cabin and our dining reservations all set.  Let’s go have some fun!

Wait! Let’s talk dining 

This can be a travel challenge for us as Sue is gluten-free, grain-free and must also avoid seed oils.  You can envision how this provides certain challenges.  The Scarlet Lady has over 20 eateries.  A select number are reservation only, but all of them are included in your cruise fare.  The dining promises to be immersive and experimental – but will Sue like it?  To be fair, Paul eats everything (except for razor clams) so he can lead the way in adventurous eating onboard – but, will Sue follow?

You can follow 

First off – whenever we travel we post frequently to Facebook.  You can follow along to see and hear first hand about our travel, the ship and the onboard experience.  Please like us – we like you!

You can Vote 

Check out our first ever in the universe, amazing, and one of a kind voting options.  The person that correctly predicts how many stars Sue will give for our reserved dining meals will be deemed Grand Champion!  If you know Sue well you may have an advantage…or will you?  Really it’s up to the Scarlet Lady to deliver. 

The quiz will give you details on the dining options, a sample of what’s on the menu and then you just vote on how you think Sue will score it from 1 to 5 stars.  We won’t spam you – we don’t like spam…or razor clams.

Here’s the link to the quiz. Easy-peasey and lots of fun.

https://forms.office.com/r/GvxuJaYfXa

Our cruise is in Mid-November.  The winner will be announced just as soon as Paul tallies the scores, Sue scores her own and we find time to make Thanksgiving dinner for family after we get back.  Cheers!

St. Petersburg: Russia’s culture capital has much to offer

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It seems like you can’t watch a movie or television show which mentions Russia without seeing the iconic onion-shaped colorful domes of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The history of Russia is steeped in drama, color and culture and you can experience it first hand on the GetAway Travel July 2022 Baltics and Beyond cruise. We’ll be spending three days in fabulous St. Petersburg.  

 Architecture, antiques and aristocracy 

 The port city of St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great and it has some of the best preserved architecture from the extravagant era of the Russian aristocracy. There’s opulent baroque-style palaces, classic sculptures, royal gardens and grand cathedrals throughout the city.  

Many of the most famous art collections call the city home and there are world-renowned ballet and opera performances throughout the year. 

Visitors benefit from the fact that Russian rulers vied for years to create the most spectacular monuments to honor themselves and their families or mark crucial events in their lives. 

Steeped in history, the city is also home to some of the most romantic water backdrops. There are more than 90 waterways including miles of man-made canals throughout the city.  

Depending on the season, boat tours also include watching the opening and closing of some of the city’s drawbridges. The Palace Drawbridge opening and closing features music and a light show! 

St. Petersburg is very pedestrian friendly with much of the signage in Russian as well as English. Ask your travel advisor at GetAway about walking tours, boat tours and even Segway tours. And, of course, there is shopping and fine cuisine. You can hunt for bargains at the Udelnaya Flea Market on the city’s northern edge. There are more than 700 restaurants, cafes and tea rooms in St. Petersburg where you can enjoy the local fare. 

Don’t miss the Hermitage and Faberge Museums 

 The State Hermitage Museum is one of the largest museums in the world housing 3 million works of art including paintings and sculptures from nearly every European country as well as Asian, Greek and Egyptian pieces. It was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great to showcase her private collection and it is actually five interconnected buildings. There’s the Winter Palace which was the official home of the Romanovs, the Little Hermitage, the Great Hermitage, the New Hermitage and the Hermitage Theatre. 

Winter Palace St Petersburg

The Winter Place is the largest building and it was commissioned by Catherine to be a reproduction of the Papal Palace in Vatican City. There are themed motifs in various rooms including Gothic and Renaissance, fabulous chandeliers, sweeping staircases and, of course, artwork by Michelangelo, Raphael, Rembrandt and DaVinci. 

The Museum Faberge is in the Shuvalov Palace along the Fontanka River. As an added bonus, you can view the stunning statues of the four horses and their horsemen. Each statue is set at a corner of the Anichkov Bridge and the marble statues depict horses and their tamers in various stages of getting the horses under control. 

There are 44 fabulous Faberge eggs and at any given time, at least a dozen are on display in Russia. Some are lost and some are in other museums, but the Museum Faberge has the most significant collection. There are more than 4,000 art exhibits in two restored room in the palace. They give visitors a feel for the grandeur of the time when the eggs were created as well as the craftsmanship it took to make them. 

 But wait, there’s so much more! 

 St. Petersburg is home to St. Isaac’s which is the largest orthodox cathedral in the world. The Peter and Paul Fortress actually was one of the original fortresses built in the city and is houses the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg as well as the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology. The Peter and Paul Cathedral is considered one of the finest examples of baroque architecture. It’s tall golden spire topped with a golden cross and angel is a main symbol of the city. 

There is, of course, a Museum of Russian Vodka and for a small extra fee you can sample three kinds of vodka at the end of the tour. You can experience the fully immersive tour of the Freud Museum of Dreams or go to the Street Art Museum which is set up in a sprawling factory and industrial site. 

Baltic & Beyond Cruise Itinerary

 At GetAway Travel we can help plan your tours so you are sure to experience exactly what you want as soon as the ship comes into port in St. Petersburg. Or, perhaps you’d like us to set up a visit to several Russian cities? We’re here to help with all of your travel needs. We can be reached at:  (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or paul@getaway.travel 

Crystal Caves, Bermuda

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Things to do in Bermuda – sun, beaches, boating, golfing and visiting caves.  Well there’s actually a lot more, but let’s focus on the caves for now.

Our ship is docked in Hamilton and a very short cab ride away can get you to the amazing Crystal Caves.  A floating pathway spans a crystal clear underwater lake with an explosion of stalactites, stalagmites and soda straws every which way you turn.  The water is a mixture of rainwater (top inch), brackish mix of fresh and salt (next few feet or so) and salt water (densest so at the bottom0.   Do to the optical effects of multiple water layers columns under water appear like you can reach out and touch them (which you would never do in the cave), but are actually sitting in 60 feet or more of water.

The cave was actually our second stop of the day – the first being the UNESCO world heritage town of St George’s.  Settled in 1612 – it’s the first permanent British settlement and oldest continuously inhabited town in the new world.  But more about that later.

Cheers!  #love2getaway

 

I’m not a food blogger, but I do eat food

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As you’ve already seen – this week we are travelling onboard the Viking Orion in Bermuda.  There is a lot to like about this ship and the overall Viking Ocean experience, and we’re happy to report that certainly includes the food.  There are several dining options to choose from –

  • The Chefs table – a fixed menu with varying themes and wine pairings
  • Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant – a crowd favorite (you need to book early when you get onboard).  It’s a traditional restaurant recalling Italy’s beloved trattorias.
  • The main restaurant, simple called The Restaurant.  Daily changing menu with a focus on local cuisine
  • World Cafe – Casual atmosphere with inside and outside dining.  Buffet but elevated.  Chilled King Crab legs are part of the routine every night!
  • Wintergarden – Go here for High Tea in the late afternoon
  • The Pool Grill – very popular – excellent burgers

There is no extra charge for any specialty restaurants on board

They say you can eat with your eyes – so be prepared to be quite full!

Beef Carpaccio – The Restaurant

Beef Wellington – The Restaurant

Boar sausage Ragu pasta – The Restaurant

Prosciutto and Melon – The Restaurant

 

Calamari – Manfredi’s

 

Veal Saltimbocca – Manfredi’s

Grilled lambchops with Mushrooms – One of my breakfast (yes breakfast) choices in The Restaurant

 

Nordic Hotdog – The Pool Grill (has shrimp in mayo and pickled onions) – could be an acquired taste!

Grilled Prawns with a make your own cocktail sauce option – The Restaurant

Salmon Benedict

Poached Salmon

Hangar Steak – The Restaurant

 

Indian Samosa appetizer – The Restaurant

 

Grand Marnier Crepes – The Restaurant

Staterooms on board the Viking Orion

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We’re very fortunate to be spending the week in Bermuda on board the stunning Viking Orion.  Today we were able to tour through a few of the different stateroom categories and thought you’d like to see them.

Penthouse Jr Suite

405 square feet with tons of amenities, it is spacious, very well appointed and this one has a fantastic wrap around balcony.

Explorer Suite

750 – 1100 square feet depending on deck location.  It’s every bit as amazing as it looks

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Experience culture up close and personal on a river cruise

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Travelers are finding river cruises more and more attractive because they offer a great immersive experience into the local culture. GetAway Travel offers a great group trip on one of the industry’s premier river cruise lines. There’s more information here — https://getaway.travel/unique-getaways/spring-city-wine-house-burgundy-river-cruise

AmaCello

This river cruise slated for 2022 takes you through some prime wine country in France. You can sit on the deck in your recliner and catch some sun with vineyards and great cities and villages rolling by like a travel movie.

Entertaining, relaxing and intimate

If you haven’t taken a river cruise, at GetAway Travel we can whole-heartedly recommend one, because we’ve taken many. There’s a lot to like about a river cruise and a lot to enjoy!

There is a smaller group of people on board the ship and you can make new friends. Everyone gets a room with a view. Because you are traveling on a river, there are no buffeting waves like you’d experience on the ocean.  And everything is just a short walk from your cabin.

Wi-Fi is free so you can share your experiences real time with family and friends.

Once you dock, no pressure

Once you dock, you’ll find yourself in the heart of the city with plenty to do and see.

Excursions are included in the cruise package and you can pick your activity level. Choose a tour with an activity level that is gentle, regular or active. Do you want to take a walking tour with a guide? You get your own personal headset and it’s a local guide with plenty of local insight into the area and the culture.

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