20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA...

Well, we didn't descend that far under water, but after completing our Atlantis submarine excursion, we did receive dive certificates confirming we had submerged 143 feet below the Caribbean Sea's surface.

We were really excited about the Atlantis submarine excursion. It was recommended to us by a relative, and it did not disappoint. We were picked up at the Barbados cruise port and driven to the Atlantis headquarters to board the boat which would take us out to meet the submarine. A very Caribbean-colored building...

We boarded the Ocean Quest and sailed out to meet Atlantis...

I wasn't sure what to expect. The boat stopped only about a half-mile from the shore. Everyone moved toward the front of the boat and waited...suddenly something started to emerge from the sea looking like a large beluga whale...

Periscope up!

Finally, we could see the entire submarine surface...

Our boat tendered alongside the submarine so the passengers currently on the submarine could board our boat, and we could descend into the submarine.

So we turned in our boarding passes...

And descended down the ladder to begin our excursion. In my next post I will share photos of our journey under the sea.

Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner 

All photos were taken by my husband and me during our visit to Barbados in April, 2015.

THE CAREENAGE (IN PHOTOS)

The second port stop on our cruise was Barbados, an island we have always wanted to visit. After our submarine excursion (more on that in another post) we took a taxi into Bridgetown. Taxis from the port to town are even cheaper here than in St. Thomas ($5.00 one way). During my research for the Barbados port stop I saw photos of the wharf and promenade along the Constitution River or Careenage as the locals call it: where smaller vessels would careen (or tilt) for repairs) which runs through the center of town, and I knew I really wanted to see it.

Here are my favorite views of the Careenage area of Bridgetown...the photos this time.

The pedestrian-only, swing bridge over the Constitution River...

The boats docked in the lower part of the river.

The promenade along the river.

The view from the Bridge House restaurant.

 
Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner 

All photos were taken by me during our visit to Barbados in April, 2015.

THE CAREENAGE (IN WATERCOLOR)

Thanks to reading Julia Willard's fantastic travel and photography blog, Falling Off Bicycles, I recently discovered the coolest app: Waterlogue. The app allows you to take a photo and create a beautiful watercolor painting out of it. This app allows me to combine two of my favorites things, travel and photography with the third: art.

The second port stop on our cruise was Barbados, an island we have always wanted to visit. After our submarine excursion (more on that in another post) we took a taxi into the town of Bridgetown. Taxis from the port to town are even cheaper here than in St. Thomas ($5.00 one way). During my research for the Barbados port stop I saw photos of the wharf and promenade along the Constitution River (or Careenage as the locals call it) which runs through the center of town, and I knew I really wanted to see it.

Using the Waterlogue app, here are my favorite views of the Careenage area of Bridgetown...

The pedestrian-only, swing bridge over the Constitution River.

The boats docked in the lower part of the river.

The view from the Bridge House restaurant.

The promenade along the river.

Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner 

All photos were taken by me during our visit to Barbados in April, 2015.
Waterlogue images created by me.

WHAT I LOVED IN ST. THOMAS, U.S.V.I.

The first port stop on our recent cruise was St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. We were excited because it was our first visit to the Virgin Islands. The ship departed San Juan at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday night, and since the Virgin Islands are just a hop, skip and a jump from Puerto Rico, by 8:00 a.m the next morning we were docked in St. Thomas.

We did not to book a shore excursion; for our first visit we took advantage of the inexpensive taxis/trolleys ($4/person) that travel between the cruise ship terminal to visit the town of Charlotte Amalie. Having never been to St. Thomas, I didn't know what to expect, but here are four of my memories of our visit...

First: the view from our cabin balcony...this is one of the reasons a balcony cabin on a cruise is a must. We just opened the door and saw this gorgeous scene...look at that water filled with sailboats and the green hills dotted with houses!

Second: The picturesque, cobblestone alleys between the old pirate warehouses that sit between Dronnigens Gade, the main shopping street, and the waterfront.

These buildings are made from ship ballast, stone and molasses. You can see that in the texture of the walls of the buildings in the photo below.

Instead of pirate booty, these warehouses now contain duty-free stores and outdoor restaurants.

Third: The colors: I just love the brilliant colors you see everywhere in the Caribbean. Even on dilapidated buildings, the colors present so many photo opportunities.

Fourth: The white and dark chocolate from the Belgian Chocolate Factory. I am a dark chocolate fanatic! When I researched St. Thomas for the upcoming trip and read about the Belgian Chocolate Factory, it became the #1 shopping destination in this port stop. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. P.S. the white chocolate was for husband.

Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner 

All photos were taken by me during our visit to St. Thomas in April, 2015.