Skip to content

Writer on Deck

Random thoughts from the sea

  • Home
  • Cruises
    • 2025 Grand World Voyage
    • 2024 Caribbean Holiday
    • 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
    • 2024 Majestic Japan
    • 2024 Ultimate Alaska
    • 2024 Grand World Voyage
    • 2023 Caribbean Holiday
    • 2023 Grand South America & Antarctica
    • 2020 Grand World Voyage
    • 2023 North Atlantic Adventure
    • 2023 Grand World Voyage
    • 2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
    • 2019 Voyage of the Vikings
    • 2018 Grand Asia
    • 2017 Grand Asia
    • 2013 Cruise Flashback
    • 2013 Galveston to Dubai
    • General Cruising
  • Between Cruises
    • Train Journeys
    • Travel Photography
  • About

The Pleasure of Getting Lost in the Ancient Souks of Tangier

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 33, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024; Tangier, Morocco. Finally — a day for sketching. I spent almost an hour seated on the sidewalk at a small Moroccan café, sipping mint tea in the shade of an umbrella (although it was cloudy). No rain in sight, at least

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
2 comments

Trekking in Gibraltar: In Search of the Perfect Gin

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 32, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024; Gibraltar. I hardly recognized Gibraltar today for all its growth since my previous stops here in 2011 and 2013. The first time we took the traditional tour to the top of the rock to see the caves, views and especially the

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
One comment

Windy Day in Cagliari Doesn’t Refresh Memory of 2011 Visit

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 30, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024; Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. I visited Cagliari on the Italian island of Sardinia in 2011 and can’t remember a thing about it. Mom and I were on a Mediterranean cruise with a similar itinerary to this one, and most of our port

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
One comment

Tunisia: Ancient City of Carthage to World War II Cemetery

Posted on December 10, 2024December 11, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 29, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024; Tunis, Tunisia. A new country for me! Tunisia is my first and only new country on this Mediterranean cruise, although as I haven’t been to the Med in more than 10 years, a lot of it seems new, including several new

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
4 comments

Too Much in Malta to See in One Visit; I’ll be Back Soon

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 27, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Friday, Dec. 6, 2024; Valletta, Malta. Malta was a wonderful surprise — a beautiful island country just 60 miles off the coast of Sicily. I mostly saw it through a bus window – not ideal, but I comforted myself knowing I will be back five

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
8 comments

Egyptian Antiquities Still Impress Second Time Around

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Days 24-25, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 2-3, 2024; Cairo, Egypt. My first (and only previous) visit to Cairo was in 2013, on the first cruise from which I blogged. I just went back to read my Cairo post (then labeled “Dear Diary” and pretty much a chronological

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
3 comments

Eating Our Way Through Another European City – Athens

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 22, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024; Athens, Greece. It would be easy to eat your way through the Mediterranean. In almost every port, Holland America offers some kind of foodie tour. If not, there are plenty of private food tours from Viator, Tours By Locals and other

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
5 comments

Despite Double Booking, a Wonderful Thanksgiving in Sicily

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 20, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024; Catania, Sicily. There is a downside to spending months at sea, moving from one ship to another, from one cruise to another. And that is keeping track of your plans to explore each port. Today it caught up to me, and

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
4 comments

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Must Be in Sorrento

Posted on November 29, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 19, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024; Naples, Italy. Naples is one of those ports with a lot of fun options. We dock right in the city, and as long as you are careful about avoiding pickpockets, you can walk around on your own. Of course, you should

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
6 comments

Walking in Michelangelo’s Vatican Footsteps Overwhelms the Senses

Posted on November 27, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Days 17-18, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 25-26, 2024; Rome, Italy. Oh, to be Jeff Bezos! Actually, maybe only to have an extra $9,000 laying around. I suppose it is wrong to have such thoughts of envy – the fourth of the seven deadly sins – while walking

Continue reading
2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
9 comments

Posts pagination

«Previous Posts 1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 63 Next Posts»

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Writer on Deck and receive notifications of new posts by email.

I’m a writer in love with the sea, sailing, travel and sketching.

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • X
  • Pinterest

Recent Posts

  • Bittersweet Goodbye to Dear Friends After 124 Days Circling the Globe
  • Final Port a Great Excuse to Party as World Voyage Nears End
  • The Day the Lights Went Out in Lisbon; We Just Partied On
  • Alicante’s Magical Spirit, Energy Makes For Entrancing Repeat Visit
  • Don’t Visit Barcelona without Deep Dive into Gaudí Architecture

Recent Comments

  • John W on Bittersweet Goodbye to Dear Friends After 124 Days Circling the Globe
  • John on Bittersweet Goodbye to Dear Friends After 124 Days Circling the Globe
  • Dick Weeks on Bittersweet Goodbye to Dear Friends After 124 Days Circling the Globe
  • Maureen Sternberg on Final Port a Great Excuse to Party as World Voyage Nears End
  • barbara morris on Bittersweet Goodbye to Dear Friends After 124 Days Circling the Globe

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • June 2022
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • January 2015
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013

Categories

  • 2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
  • 2023 Caribbean Holiday
  • 2023 East Coast Voyage
  • 2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
  • 2023 Grand World Voyage
  • 2023 North Atlantic Adventure
  • 2024 Caribbean Holiday
  • 2024 Grand World Voyage
  • 2024 Holiday Cruise
  • 2024 Majestic Japan
  • 2024 Ultimate Alaska
  • 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean
  • 2025 Grand World Voyage
  • Between Cruises
  • Cruise Flashback
  • Cruises
  • Galveston to Dubai 2013
  • General Cruising
  • Grand Asia 2017
  • Grand Asia 2018
  • Holland America
  • Train Journeys
  • Travel Photography
  • Uncategorized
  • Voyage of the Vikings 2019
  • World Cruise 2020
WordPress Theme: Donovan by ThemeZee.