Planes, Trains & Cruise Ships! Wow!

by Marcia King-Gamble

Airplanes for a long time were my home away from home. I ate on them. I slept on them. I even served guests on them. Since I was a flight attendant for a major international airline, travel came with the territory.  Home for a while was Hawaii, Seattle and New York. When I wasn’t home, I traveled to exotic ports. Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong were just some.

Then I transferred to New York and the scenery changed somewhat. India, the Middle East and South America became favorite haunts. Not only was I inspired by the incredible architecture, I got to shop my  heart out.  Flying out of the east coast meant dancing the night away at a London club, shopping at Harrods, and sightseeing when I could. Did you know some of the best consignment shops are in Paris?  India meant jewelry and  more fashionable clothing, and so did Hong Kong and Bangkok. I still have strands and strands of those wonderful Hong Kong pearls.

Travel also meant sampling the cuisines of the countries we flew into. I ate my way through Paris, Rome, and the south of France. Frankfurt has the best Vienna Schnitzel ever. Rome is the pasta capital of the world and holds the record for flirtatious men.  Barcelona’s museums are not to be beat.  And Rio... well once you experience Rio, you never want to go home. Rio has the best Sunday Market ever. Now back to food.  In the mood for Chinese or an authentic curry?  Count on London to provide you with both.

It's lunch time somewhere. Here I am in Venice enjoying some of  that pasta I mentioned.

Come winter, I followed the sun. Mexico City was a favorite place to land. There, culture is paired with a full bodied red. Try the prime cuts and you'll never be  a vegan  again. The Caribbean provided black sand beaches and delicious spicy food.  By now you should know I love to travel.

Trains are another favorite mode of transportation.  Sleeper trains, especially.  My first experience with a sleeper was in Egypt when I needed to get from Cairo to Luxor.  I boarded a high speed German train that whizzed me through some of the most intriguing countryside.  At the end, a farmer offered to take me off my spouse’s hands in exchange for his livelihood - the six camels he owned!

Since then I have ridden more trains than I care to mention, some luxurious, and some not so much.  What this experience has given me is a better appreciation for Europe. Europe makes traveling by rail so much easier.

Trains are also one of the most scenic ways to see Alaska. If you take the Alaskan Railroad, or for a cushier experience, the McKinley Explorer, you might never come home. Want something less exotic? Then hop aboard The Coast Starlight Express running from Los Angeles to Seattle.  I can’t think of a nicer way arrive in The Emerald City.

As for car trips, well they are just not me. I’m taking liberties here and substituting cruising instead. You unpack once and everything is at your fingertips.  There’s gourmet food, above par entertainment, and a service experience to rival none. I know of what I speak because I worked in this industry for years.

Yeah, I love cruising!

Here's a fun pic of me on last year's cruise.

           

If I've convinced you to pack your bags, then what are you waiting for? Let's go exploring. And if you want a taste of Junkanoo in Nassau, Bahamas, then pick up Tempting Andie, my latest novella.