I began my journalistic career at the age of 32, following the conclusion of my ’sabbatical decade.’ From 1980 through 1990, I bicycled across America, pedaled through Europe and island-hopped the South Pacific.
After backpacking through Bali, bussing through Java, hopping a boat to Singapore and crossing Malaysia to Thailand, I flew into Burma, tramped to Dhaka and endured a 32-hour train ride from calamitous Calcutta to bustling Bombay.
From there, I hopped a plane for Greece and traveled to Switzerland before returning home, where I settled, quite naturally, into a career of travel writing.
I publish a magazine, The Avid Cruiser, http://www.avidcruiser.com/blog
“Your magazine is the best cruise magazine and also one of the best — if not the best — travel magazines I have ever read.”
From 1996 to 2009, I contributed to HEMISPHERES, United Airlines’ award-winning inflight magazine. Until the magazine changed publishers in 2009, I wrote HEMISPHERE’s “Afloat” column.
The North American Travel Journalism Association, awarded my article, Ship Shape, which appeared in the September 2005 issue of Hemispheres, in the category of ‘Best Cruise Writing.’ I also publish C Magazine, a cruise magazine distributed in the Benelux countries, with my business partner in Europe, and I contribute to numerous other publications, including TravelAge West.
I make my home in Asheville, North Carolina and live part of the year near Copenhagen, Denmark.
When in Asheville, I enjoy mountain biking, hiking, lingering in coffee shops and frequent trips to the gorgeous Biltmore Estate.
When in Scandinavia, I enjoy biking, lingering in coffee shops and trying to learn Scandinavian words.
To get home in Scandinavia (from Copenhagen’s International Airport to Helsingborg, Sweden), I go to Hamlet’s Castle and hang a right. No kidding!
My work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and numerous consumer magazines. I am the author of four books, including Remembering Charles Kuralt,’ a biography that Publisher’s Weekly called ‘a sweet and lovely homage, a welcome commemoration.’
But enough about wonderful me. My goal is to provide you with content that engages you and compels you to return often. Thanks for stopping by . . .
Bon Voyage, Ralph Grizzle
Head in the direction of the Casino. I walked left for less than two minutes from the Baer Bus landing and took the public elevators up, exited at street level on Avenue de la Costa, walked uphill (to the left) until in front of Jardins du Casino and turned right on Rue des Iris.
From your ship or tender landing, look for the Bataeu Bus or the "Boat Bus," which operates between Quai Rainier and Quai des Etats-Unis from 8 a.m. until 7:50 p.m. Cost for what the company advertises as an "unforgettable moment in the harbor" is 1 euro. A day ticket is 3 euros and includes use of local the busses. Kids under 7 free. For more info: http://www.cam.mc
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Sunday afternoon, and I am strolling Rua Diogo Leite. It is here that Porto's popular wine cellars are situated, world-renown for their ports. I've yet to duck into one of the cellars, Sandeman's, for example, but I am in high spirits nonetheless. That's because the sunny scene here on the River Douro is a happy one. A small band/choir performs traditional songs so lovely that the gathering crowd has a hard time moving on. Against the backdrop of the river and the colorful buildings on the hillside of the opposite bank, one woman in the choir sings loudly, and slightly off key, but with such spirited bravado that she engages the emotion. Once again I experience the true pleasure of travel.
In A New Earth, the writer Eckhart Tolle gives one reason that travel brings such happiness. Tolle posits that a great deal of thinking, say 80 percent if you want to quantify it, is bad for us. Why? Because thinking typically takes us to the past, where regret is prone to rear its ugly head, or to the future, which is the domain of fear and uncertainty. During travel, much of this type of thinking is absent. Quite simply, we are content to absorb all that is new before us and live in the moment. No regrets of the past, no fears of the future. I don't know if Tolle is right in his assumption, but I do know that I often seem to be happiest when I am in motion. How about you?Comments [0]
Several companies offer weeklong cruises on the River Douro. The cruises usually begin (and end) in Porto, with included hotel nights in Lisbon before the cruise begins. Tied up alongside the pier near Porto's wine cellars today is Uniworld's Douro Queen, which will embark mostly American and British passengers today at 4 p.m. "This has been an amazing year for Douro river cruises," says Cesario Santos, hotel director on Douro Queen. "It seems that people are suddenly becoming aware of northern Portugal's beauty and tourism potential. The emphasis in the past has always been on Lisbon and the south." I can certainly vouch for Santos' sentiment, and it's clear that those departing Porto today are in for a real treat, especially with the harvest in full swing in this wine-producing region. "It is a stunning landscape," says Santos, who comes from Porto. " You don't have one single spot on the river that isn't a 'wow.' "
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At Porto's Cais da Ribeira, diners enjoy the fish restaurants and tascas (tavernas) situated in the charming old buildings along the pier.
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Igreja dos Carmelitas. Built in the first half of the 17th century, the church brings together Classic and Baroque styles, with gilt-carved pulpits and alter pieces.
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The Oceania@Sea internet facility is well-equipped, the staff is courteous and helpful, and the classes (in Photoshop and other software applications) are educational and well-conducted. But internet access on Regatta has been a source of frustration for a number of passengers. One couple told me that slow internet access was the topic of conversation last night at their dinner table. That's a pity. Certainly, I have heard a fair number of complaints too. People are understandably disappointed. More than one person I spoke with had purchased a new laptop or iPhone for using the WiFi on board. But internet is largely non-functional, wired or unwired, at least on this particular sailing. I don't think I've ever experienced slower access - certainly, not since 1989 - and like a few others, I've given up altogether on trying to use it, especially at a cost of 95 cents per minute, the highest per-minute cost I know of at sea. However, I never complain without offering solutions, and here are a few suggestions: 1) Manage your expectations. Internet on Regatta likely will be slow and definitely will be slower than what you're used to at home. 2) Plan to use internet ashore. In Bordeaux, I found WiFi plentiful and free, as I did in other ports. 3) Data enable your phone. I have a Blackberry plan with an unlimited international data plan. Make sure you provision your phone before leaving home, and familiarize yourself with the usage rules. While my AT&T plan gives me unlimited data for $65 per month (a plan that I've heard is no longer available), some plans charge per kilobyte accessed. Reasonably priced roaming packages are available from many carriers. Of course, I welcome other suggestions. Please comment with yours. You might ask if our society is too addicted to internet (not likely if you're reading this online), but in fact internet access on ships now permits people to cruise who otherwise could not. See "Our Ship, Your Office" http://www.avidcruiser.com/blog/2008/07/16/our-ship-your-office/
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Most staterooms on Regatta feature balconies, so don't mistake the photo above for the view from stateroom 7103. In fact, the photo was taken in front of one of the doors leading from the public area on deck five to the partial promenade.
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Following are directions to get from the ship to central Porto. From the quay at Leixoes Port, cross the River Douro to the Mercado metro station, a 10-minute walk across the only bridge you will see from the ship. Purchase a ticket for €2.90 to take you to the city center and back. Be sure to validate your ticket by waving it in front of the yellow machine that reads Validar (validation is electronic). Uniformed English-speaking metro officers were friendly and helpful with the ticket purchase during my visit. From Mercado station, travel in the direction of Estadio do Dragao and exit at Trindade to explore the city center and old city. The journey is about 20 minutes each way, excluding the 10-minute walk.
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