Some Great Architectural Features of Tunis

Chandelier in Tunis

Floor of the Bardo Museum

Ceiling of the Bardo Museum

A few of the beautiful people of Tunis

Wall detail at Bardo in Tunis

Four months after my return from Tunis, I realize that I got to see some great architectural details. Tunis is one of those places if you can take the good and leave the rest, you will love it.  

Also, I found the people very attractive. They are also extremely polite, a bit shy and smile a lot. For the size of Tunis, the city is very friendly.

Cruise Blues: Single Supplements

Taken at Volendam

I want to discuss one of my pet peeves of the Cruise Industry, the dreaded single supplement. As I have stated in the past, I love nothing more than cruising solo. I have done it now a few times on Holland America and also once on NCL. I am taking the plunge and trying solo on NCL again in April. The first time around I went to Hawaii with NCL, which I feel was not a good fit for traveling solo. Romantic destinations like the Caribbean or Hawaii are better done with a significant other, my opinion.

St. Catherine's Palace at St. Petersburg

Europe is a good place to experiment with solo cruising. There are so many historic areas and museums to visit, traveling alone is just not a problem. I do have to admit on HAL (Holland America), I am extra spoiled by all the attention I get from the crew. Being alone at dinner or lunch usually prompts an officer to pass by and have a quick chat. The front desk staff always greets me by name and the cabin stewards are awesome. I am hoping for the same reception on NCL. 

Barcelona, Spain

I just couldn't pass up the great prices, and even though I am paying double, the price for a 7 day cruise in Italy and on the Adriatic Sea is an incredible bargain. I had booked HAL's Ryndam for the cruise from Barcelona to Dover, but the prices were not going down and I am not sure I would love such an old ship. I also like the medium size of the Norwegian Jade. Around 2,400 passengers is a great size. 

Back to the single supplement ... I have decided to look at it like when you stay in a hotel. Whether you are one person or two, you usually pay the same price for the room. Still stings, but lessens the hurt!

Some Great Architectural Features of the Palma Cathedral

inside the Palma de Mallorca Cathedral

I was having a very bad camera day on the day we went to Palma de Mallorca. For most of our Transatlantic cruise, I was so bummed that I had forgotten my camera. So I had to take most of the photos with my old Blackberry phone. Getting the right lighting was difficult. I think one day before we arrive in Barcelona, I found my camera tucked under my computer bag in my suitcase. Talk about a frustrating experience.

The ironic thing is though that the pictures I took turned out unique. I wouldn't call them good, but they are definitely different. I tried taking my usual architectural photos, but with the low light inside the Cathedral, it did odd things to the photos. Most turned out terrible. These are a few that came out interesting or okay.

Hoping I don't lose my camera next time I travel.

Note the way the light plays off the stain glass