Good News!

We won our outbound overseas flight Air Canada Upgrade Bid! We have flown AC quite a bit and on most of those flights we have been offered the chance to bid for an upgrade. Here is a FAQ about that and you might be thinking, huh? That's what we've thought too in the past. So, we never tried it. Even with this upcoming Tel Aviv round trip we almost didn't try it. We booked our seats last summer in Premium Economy and had a 2-seat row on the side and figured it would be fine. Clay immediately after receiving the upgrade bid offer put in a bid of $750pp for each overseas segment to lie-flat Business Class. This would be about 50% of what Business Class usually sells for. Now we're just worried that we'll be spoiled for the flight home if his bid is unsuccessful for that segment! It made sense to finally give this AC upgrade bidding a shot this time as the overseas segments are over 10 hours each. Also, this Business Class is the lay-flat pods which is a whole other deal than BC we've had in the past or expect to have in the future. So, the final reason we had for not doing this in the past is that you get seats assigned at the last few days and you may not be seated together. We drew row 2 across the aisle from each other. Clay would rather have each had a window in front or behind. That was not available and we should probably consider ourselves lucky to have the upgrad at all and across from each other. I drew the window and he drew the center aisle. I have offered to switch seats with him even though the window seats do look preferable and more private. The way the pods are built, no stranger should be able to touch me no matter where I sit so I'm still happy. Clay had forgotten that he had placed an upgrade bid and I don't think he ever told me that he'd done it. So, we were lucky! At this point, I now have fingers crossed for the return upgrade bid to be accepted since the return overseas flight is 2 hours longer than the outbound! We'll see. I am still sure that Premium Economy would be acceptable, but it won't be like this Dreamliner Business Class. Hopefully, we won't have to find out. Getting excited.

Received Israel final documents

There were only some minor changes in this itinerary from the preliminary one. Hopefully that will remain the same. The only thing that went away was the diamond museum for a walk through a trendy neighborhood. We can live with that. AHI Travel very generously sent 2 universal currency adapter plug sets with the name tags and luggage tags. They also sent a passenger list. We booked this through Tulane Alumni. There are only 2 alumni groups on our tour and the other is Northwestern! We have 18 people listed. A small group! Only 3 are from Tulane and we could just as easily gone through Northwestern if we'd known. There are 2 others from North Carolina. Represent!

Next up, Israel

Fingers crossed that our next trip will go as described in the preliminary itinerary pasted below. We booked a trip to Israel with Tulane Alumni Travel.

Israel - Land of Cultural Treasures Preliminary Itinerary

Air Program: 11 days/10 nights (includes 1 air night) Land Program: 10 days/9 nights

Breakfasts: 8

Lunches: 5

Dinners: 4

This itinerary is subject to change due to operational conditions. You will receive an updated itinerary with your final documents. Your Travel Director will advise you of any additional changes on site.

Excursions require walking on cobblestones, unpaved paths or other uneven surfaces.

Day i

Depart gateway city

Appropriate in-flight meal service

AH1 FlexAir passengers depart for Tel Aviv, Israel. Please check your luggage from your gateway city to your arrival city. Your claim checks should have the following airport code: TLV.

Day 2

Tel Aviv, Israel

Carlton Tel Aviv

Appropriate in-flight meal service and dinner

Arrive at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport. Proceed through immigration to the baggage claim area and retrieve your luggage. After completing customs, AHI FlexAir passengers traveling on flights that qualify for the group arrival transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased seats on the group transfer should exit the baggage claim area and proceed to the designated meeting spot, where an AHI Travel representative will meet them. The meeting location will be provided with your final documents.

Transfer to Carlton Tel Aviv. Please note if you arrive at the hotel before check-in time, your room may not be immediately available.

Tonight, meet your fellow travelers at an exclusive Welcome Reception and Dinner at the hotel.

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Israel – Land of Cultural 'Treasures

Day 3

Tel Aviv

Carlton Tel Aviv

Breakfast

Enjoy a full American-style breakfast buffet at your hotel each morning.

Discovery: The Ancient Port of Jaffa. Just a few miles up the coast from Tel Aviv, Jaffa is one of the most enchanting, old-world places in Israel. Founded in 1909, on the dunes north of the old Arab city of Yafo (Jaffa), the newly built, middle-class suburb of Tel Aviv experienced rapid growth and an influx of wealth as Jews moved out of the overcrowded city. Experience this Old Town atmosphere as you stroll the cobbled alleyways, browse the flea market and visit with local artists.

Discovery: Dazzling Diamonds. Continue your exploration of Tel Aviv as you visit the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum. See displays and models of world-famous diamonds, learn how diamonds are created and about the different stages of cutting and polishing, and enjoy interactive presentations about these amazing gems.

Free Time: During time at leisure, stumble upon a local restaurant for lunch or browse the stalls of local merchants.

Discovery: Museum of the Jewish Diaspora. Beit Hatfutsot, or the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, gives visitors a compelling historical account of the Jewish people. Learn about 2,500 years of history, from when the Jewish tribes were exiled from the land of Israel land until current times.

Day 4

Tel Aviv/Caesarea/Akko/Tiberias

Scots Hotel

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Discovery: White City of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv boasts the world's largest collection of Bauhaus-style buildings with over 1,500 examples located throughout the city. In 2003, this Bauhaus District was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and was listed under the name, "The White City." Enjoy a drive through this "White City" as you admire the beautiful architecture.

Discovery: The Mediterranean Coast. As you depart Tel Aviv and travel toward Tiberias, enjoy a stop at Caesarea, an archeological park that was first settled in the 4th century B.C. A Roman port, a Byzantine capital and a Crusader stronghold — centuries of civilization are on display here in one of the world's greatest treasure troves. See many of the city's highlights including Herod's huge Roman theater, which was built on a semi-circular structure of vaults, and the magnificent hippodrome, which once featured gladiator games as well as horse and chariot racing. Gaze at Herod's spectacular aqueduct, which carried spring water from the foothills of Mount Carmel, and view the Crusader Wall and fortifications. After, see a multimedia presentation about the history of the city.

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AHI Travel — Preliminary Itinerary

Israel – Land of Cultural Treasures

Delight in local flavors during lunch with your group. Whether you're dipping fresh pita into hummus or eating shwarma, a sliced grilled lamb often served with bread, your senses will succumb to the flavors of Israel. Finish your meal with sweet baklava or knafeh, a shredded pastry with cheese and sweet syrup.

Discovery: Ancient Akko. Visit the walled city of Akko (historic Acre), the most complete and well-preserved town in the Holy Land, outside of Jerusalem. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, this old Arab port sits on a spit of land that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. The city's picturesque waterfront has magnificent stone buildings, beautiful archways, and a labyrinth of alleyways, churches and green-roofed mosques. The Old City is characterized by thick fortifications, imposing towers and splendid 18th-century ramparts. Situated underneath the city's magnificent Turkish architecture is one of its finest attractions, the subterranean Crusader City (1104-1291).

Continue to Tiberias and check in to Scots Hotel. Dinner is served at the hotel this evening.

Day 5

Tabgha/Capernaum/Golan Heights

Scots Hotel

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Discovery: Upper Galilee and Capernaum. Embark on a scenic cruise on the Sea of Galilee (weather permitting). Visit the ancient fishing village of Tabgha. Christian tradition holds that Tabgha was the setting where Jesus of Nazareth urged his first disciples, Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, to leave their fishing boats and follow him in his ministry. Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, believed by many to be the site of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In nearby Capernaum, visit an impressive ancient synagogue, which boasts an exterior with Jewish motifs, and the House of Peter, a home where Jesus is believed to have lodged.

Discovery: Olive Oil Flavors. This region is well known for growing high-quality olives. Savor the buttery flavors of freshly pressed olive oil during a tasting and tour at a local factory. Learn how the oils are made and taste local wines. Enjoy lunch on the property with your fellow adventurers.

Discovery: Golan Heights Winery. This area of Israel is recognized as one of the country's most favorable grape-growing regions. From Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, let your taste buds explore the flavors of the local vintages during a wine tasting.

Dinner is served at the hotel this evening.

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AHI Travel — Preliminary Itinerary

Israel – Land of Cultural Treasures

Day 6

Tiberias/Megiddo/Haifa/Jerusalem

David Citadel

Breakfast and lunch

Discovery: Tel Megiddo —A Focus on Archeology. Explore the archaeological mound of Megiddo, a UNESCO World
Heritage site that dates back approximately 8,000 years. These impressive ruins have more than 25 layers of settlements!
See the fortified cities and walk through an underground tunnel from the Iron Age, which once served as a water system.

Enrichment: Meet the People and Local Flavors. Enjoy an authentic Druze lunch in a family's home. The Druze cuisine is often characterized by special blends of spices such as turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and paprika.

Discovery: On the Slopes of Mount Cannel. Resting at the foot of Mount Carmel on a promontory that stretches into the Mediterranean Sea, Haifa is Israel's third largest city and a renowned high-technology industrial center. Israel's only natural harbor, the Bay of Haifa has provided safe anchorage for ships since the second century, when the town was just a small trading port along one of the Mediterranean's oldest sea lanes. One of Haifa's most striking landmarks is the Bahaq World Centre, which is situated on Mount Carmel's northern slope. The headquarters of the Baha'i religion, the complex has a palatial Seat of the Universal House of Justice (Bahlei World Headquarters); the gold-domed Shrine of the Bab; and magnificent terraced gardens with black iron gates, stone balustrades, fountains and manicured lawns.

Continue your journey to Jerusalem. Upon arrival, check in to David Citadel and spend the remainder of your evening relaxing or exploring Jerusalem.

Dinner is at leisure this evening..

Day 7

Jerusalem

David Citadel

Breakfast and lunch

Discovery: In-depth Jerusalem. Situated in the Judean hills, to the west of the Dead Sea, the ancient walled city of Jerusalem is the spiritual heart of three world faiths—Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Discover the many religious shrines, temples, churches and mosques housed in the Old City of Jerusalem. Visit Temple Mount, believed to be the site of the Temple of Jerusalem, the holiest place in Judaism. Temple Mount is also associated with the life of Jesus of Nazareth and in Islam, it is believed the Prophet Muhammad journeyed from here to heaven. Pause for a moment of reflection at the Western Wall. Walk along a portion of the Via Dolorosa, believed to be the route Jesus took between his sentencing by Pilate and his crucifixion, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the burial site of Jesus. During your tour, enjoy stunning panoramic views from the Mount of Olives, and see artifacts from excavations and informative multimedia presentations at the interpretive Davidson Center.

Lunch^. on falafel at a popular restaurant in the lively Arab Quarter, a neighborhood famous for its colorful souks (markets) overflowing with spices, mint tea, aromatic coffees, leather goods and many other interesting goods.

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Israel – Land of Cultural Treasures

Enrichment: Is it Finally Time for a Peace Deal? Tonight, listen to an expert present an assessment of Israeli-Palestinian relations during a fascinating lecture and discussion at the hotel.

Free Time: Spend time at leisure to explore the many wonders of Jerusalem and enjoy dinner on your own this evening.

Day 8

Masada/Ein Bokek/Jerusalem

David Citadel

Breakfast and lunch

Discovery: Judean Desert Drama and a Sea of Salt. Visit Masada, an isolated flattop rock overlooking the Dead Sea. King Herod chose this site to build a fortress for himself and his family. Later 1,000 Jewish rebels undertook the Great Revolt against Rome from this monumental fortress, which was the first site to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2001. After your intriguing tour, enjoy free time to explore more of the tbrtress/museum or shop. Then descend 1,378 feet below sea level to Ein Bokek on the shoreline of the Dead Sea, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. Surrounded by a barren expanse of mountainous desert painted in hues of red, beige, white, gold, mauve and purple, the Dead Sea is fed by the River Jordan, which flows from the Sea of Galilee. Relax on the beach or enjoy a swim in the salty Dead Sea.

Dine on local fare for lunch near the Dead Sea.

This evening, craft your own itinerary during free time and dinner at your leisure.

Day 9

Jerusalem

David Citadel

Breakfast and dinner

Discovery: A Poignant Monument. Yad Vashem is Israel's memorial and place of commemoration for the millions who perished in the Holocaust. Carved out of the hillside, the sprawling complex has 10 exhibition halls, each dedicated to a different chapter of the Holocaust. Tour the exhibition halls and galleries and see the Hall of Names, a touching memorial to the lives taken during the Holocaust.

Enrich merit: A Survivor Speaks. Partake in a question-and-answer session with a Yad Vashem guide and hear a personal account of his/her experiences during World War II.

Free Time: Machane Yehuda Market. Journey to the bustling Machane Yehuda Market where you can shop with locals at open-air stalls. Sample tasty specialties, or shop for clothing and spices on your own.

Gatherthis evening for a Farewell Dinner with your fellow travelers, and share your favorite experiences from your time in Israel.

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AHI Travel — Preliminary Itinerary

Israel – Land of Cultural Treasures

Day 10

Depart for gateway city

Breakfast and appropriate in-flight meal service

After breakfast, Al-II FlexAir passengers traveling on flights that qualify for a group transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased seats on the group transfer depart for Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport for your return flights home. Your Travel Director will provide the details.

Happy New Year 2018

We've spent the last 3 weeks in Florida at Mom's house celebrating the holidays. It was a good time. We did lots of shopping, cooking, eating, relaxing and TV watching. We did a bit of tourism by visiting art shows in Estero and Naples and taking a guided tour of the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.

It was a long drive to and from Copeland for the Fakahatchee tour but we made a day of it. Google Maps mislead us to arrive 45 minutes early so we took a preview ride in the car before boarding the tram for the naturalist-led ride. We saw a lot of alligators that day! It was interesting. There is a voluntary $3 per car entry fee and the tour itself must be booked in advance at $27.28 pp online. It was lucky that we were with a tour group of only 8. We drove out on I-75 and back on 41 to see the boardwalk portion of the park with a bonus of finding the Hanes Outlet Store. Sorry no photos. Clay did not take a camera and used his cell phone. His photos go directly online, but they are private and under his log in. I just haven't figured out a good way to get to them to post any here. Sorry!

We were delayed returning home by a bomb cyclone occurring on the East Coast the night we had planned to drive home. So, we remained in the relative cold of SW Florida while Raleigh broke a 1982 cold streak record by over 40 hours at about 220 hours at or below freezing. We drove home Sunday night/Monday on the first day over freezing. It was fine. The house was cold but fine. Clay meant to unplug the backyard pond's fountain but forgot and we saw more ice there than anywhere else!

A quick Birthday trip for me

As the US Federal government is scheduled to shut down when it runs out of money this Friday, Clay decided last week that it would make a great B-day gift from him to me to take me to DC this week. Good idea and the weather was forecast to be pretty nice for this time of year too. We wanted to go to the National Gallery of Art for their special exhibition of Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting. ( We missed the '95-'96 exhibit due to bad winter weather and the government shutdowns during the Clinton administration. That was a bigger deal than today's in my opinion but never to be duplicated it seems. Oh, well.)

We stayed at a nearby Holiday Inn Washingon - Capitol.  It must be fairly new, otherwise I don't know why we haven't always stayed there. It was amazingly conveninetly located and affordable. It was a nice big room with a small fridge and a big hard bed. (The hard bed was the only downside!) We paid a total of $106.88 for the one night in the hotel and we paid $49 for parking in the lot under the hotel. It was worth much more for the convenience of the location less than 2 blocks from the National Gallery.

We left home Saturday morning before Clay's stated goal of 5am. We stopped at a Bob Evans in Richmond about 7:30am. I wanted mush! It was about 40 minutes roundtrip out of our way, but it was for my b-day! It was good.

We got to DC about an hour earlier than we had expected to anyway. We parked the car as we had booked it in advance online independently of the hotel and left our stuff in the trunk. We walked around the Air and Space Museum and across the National Mall to the National Gallery. We entered and got bag checked and picked up a gallery map. We found the exhibit's line entrance back by the restrooms with no line! We used the restrooms, then picked up our exhibition brochure and entered the roped area. There was no waiting in line, but the exhibit space was jam packed. Still, it was better than missing it. We saw everything and were out before we were even expecting to have arrived in DC!

Since we still had hours before we could check in to the HI, we saw more of the National Gallery. We toured the French Impressionists, the Dutch and Flemish galleries, we found the Da Vinci. We still had time to kill and thought about eating. We hit the shops and went to the Cascade Cafe underground and between the 2 gallery buildings. We found it looking for the Gelato Bar which we found but it was looking sparse and picked over. We had a snack and Clay did have gelato. I was fascinated by a light show/moving walkway visible from our seats and we took the passage to the East Building. The light in the underground corridor reminded me of Star Trek engaging warp drive. The building is famous with architecture students/fans and I. M. Pei's name inside on a stone wall was almost rubbed off! Once outside, I pointed out to Clay Pei's 19 degree corner that had also been discolored by people rubbing it. We studied it for a while, at different angles it almost looked like a flat wall, not a building at all. In Clay's photos, it looks like a pyramid. We spent more time studying the building's approachs from outside and below than the art which we mostly skipped. We crossed the National Mall again to visit the National Museum of the American Indian. We had assumed it meant US Native Americans but it covered South America all the way to the Canadian Arctic. It was still interesting. They had an interesting cafe menu, too bad we'd already snacked. There was native people's arts and crafts market on in the atrium. There was a major exhibit about the Inka Road that looked permanent to me. Once again the architecture from the outside was as interesting as the building's contents.

We walked back to the hotel by getting bags x-rayed to pass through the Air & Space Museum. It was after 3pm and check in time by now, so we just stayed in the atrium area and gift shop and came in one side and out the other to avoid walking around the building again. There were a lot of food trucks parked along our path with mostly Mexican and Indian food that smelled good, but it was colder outside than we'd expected and we planned to eat at the hotel.

We got room 337 at the Holiday Inn. Since Clay didn't carry his camera on this quick trip, I am sure he didn't take any photos. It was a large, clean well-appointed room and the only negative for us was the too hard bed. There were 2 restaurants plus a Starbucks at the hotel and we chose the bar & grill option. We were tired, not that hungry and it was convenient and good.

We were early to bed as there was nothing on HBO or any other channel that we wanted to watch on TV. We woke up about 7am the next day. I think we both slept well. I used the Keurig in the room for decaf tea after dinner and 2 cups of coffee in the morning before we left. We stopped at the 2nd Bob Evans we passed in Woodbridge, VA on our way home. It was packed! Too close to DC I guess. It was at the Potomac Mills Outlet Mall exit too. I had mush again and it was 20 cents more and not as good. I still enjoyed it. We got home by 2pm. It is sunny and 65 F here. You'd never know it was December and my birthday is nearly over. I have one last special request. We'll go to El Cuscatleco for pupusas for dinner later. We went to Steak & Shake on my actual birthday. I am still heartbroken that they removed the mocha shake from their menu!

I almost forgot that this year's only supermoon coincided with my birthday weekend. It was spectacular, low and orange as we drove home east from dinner this evening.

Hopefully, Clay will link his cellphone photos later.

We're Home

Sorry. I guess I just kind of fell out of touch here. We arrived early in Miami. The ship cleared about 15 minutes behind schedule. It was another of those hurry up and get out of here disembarkations. We were sorry to say good bye to our cabin steward Joseph, who has been excellent. We were still outside before our predicted 9am at the curb. Matt & Mom had left Bonita Springs early but that was good as it gave them time to get lost. It was complicated by the fact that O's Sirena was also docked at the Port of Miami. The area around the port and airport is a ridiculous complex of little surface streets that end and begin and are closed for construction or one way. It was crazy. Clay and I had our GOES appointment at 10:30am at MIA. We figured from 9am to 10:30am would be plenty of time. I think it took us almost an hour to cover the 12 miles or so. Anyway, we arrived early and they took us right away. Clay went first. He stood at a counter while I sat in a chair a couple of feet behind him. His interviewer had a very accusatory tone as she questioned him about his visit to Libya for work and then Albania for pleasure. She asked him if he had ever been arrested or charged with anything for any reason at any time, ever ever. I could feel him sweat even though he knew he was innocent. As I have a charge as a minor that ought to have been expunged from my adult record, I was wondering how I would reply. As it turns out the man next to her called be up. He skipped almost directly from friendly chit chat type questions to my photograph and fingerprints. I think it was because his print scanner was dirty but he thought it was my Parkinson's Disease, he had to try 3 times before he got fingerprints that went through. He was so flustered that he just approved me and sent me on my way after that. I cannot imagine why CLT has no appointments for months.

Shortly after we got to Mom's house, I suffered a relapse of the respiratory infection I started this trip with in the Pacific North West. I started coughing, drowning in snot and finally spiked a fever the day we went to Orlando for La Nouba. Yesterday's flights didn't help me feel any better other than arriving back home.

We had a good visit at Mom's. We had a lot of good dinners out. It was great to see Judy who we picked up and dropped off in Sebring on our way to and from Orlando. We stayed at Springhill Suites and though the layout was different than Sumter, we still really liked it. That was the end of our free nights earned from the Marriott chain from our $1800/night Thanksgiving with a Macy's Parade view stay last year. I think we all really enjoyed La Nouba again and it was bittersweet to know the show is ending its run in December.

I thought Clay was being too prissy when he insisted on flying first class home from RSW. I would have rented a car one way but it would have cost as much as the one way first class flights! So, I didn't have a strong argument. In the event, I was so relieved we were in first class. Both flights, RSW to CLT and CLT to RDU were overbooked and every seat was filled. I felt so awful, that any bit of ease or comfort was a mercy. The flights were only 1.5 and .5 hours though so first class still felt like an absurd luxury however happy I was to have it.

So, we're home for a while. We're certainly home until I am recovered from whatever infection I have. I only hope I didn't transmit it to any of our family or friends!

Sea Day 13 - Straits of Florida

Sometime overnight Nate grew from a tropical storm to a hurricane. We traveled on parallel paths as predicted by the Captain until we turned east at the far western tip of Cuba. Things are much calmer and the ride smoother since just before dawn. I don't know if it was our final time change losing an hour last night or the rain clouds this morning, but when we each woke up to pee this morning it was already past 7am. Usually around 6 to 6:30am there has been light glowing around the balcony curtains indicating it is time to get up. We really weren't ready to wake up in the dark! We could see Cuba off the starboard side most of the morning. It is about 3:30pm now and we have just passed north of Havana. We've been too far off the coast to see land for hours though.

When we got back from Horizons after breakfast our cabin was ready. Our suitcases had been removed from beneath the bed and placed atop the luggage mat. Signal received loud and clear. Pack up and clear off! We were actually ready to pack yesterday and would have if the ship hadn't been dangerously pitching and rolling around. Today was a piece of cake.

We had breakfast and lunch in Terrace. We went to the big screen popcorn movie of Paris Can Wait at 1:30pm. We had never seen it before and enjoyed the revisiting of parts of the south of France we saw in 2015 on one of those 4 consecutive river cruises we took. Tonight I have requested to dine in the GDR for our last meal. There are a couple of dishes I'd like to have again so we'll have at least 4 courses!

We have traveled nearly 5000 miles from San Francisco and are less than 200 miles from Miami. In his noon announcement, the Captain expected to arrive in Miami well in advance of our scheduled 7am time. Since we sailed all day yesterday when we skipped Grand Cayman, I should expect that we will.

I'll assume the rest of the afternoon and evening will be uneventful and post this now. I anything noteworthy happens, I'll post an update.

On to a week in Florida with Mom! Looking forward to it.