I’m back and so well rested that I can barely complete my daily chores.  I read a couple of books, caught up with my daughter and managed to gain only a few pounds.

The boat we took flew the German flag on back and the French in front.  Called A-Rosa Stella, it was well staffed, very efficient and quite clean.  With 200 aboard I was expecting a few more Americans but there were only the two of us. Consequently we relied on the printed daily schedule as we often misunderstood both the Spanish and German announcements.

As I had never taken a cruise before I was befuddled about the entire operation from what to pack, how much money to bring along, expectations of meals and ports of call activities. While not an expert now, I will be more confident if I ever venture forth on another week of luxury.