After yesterday’s debacle, we were definitely having an easy start to our Barcelona adventure, so we began with a leisurely walk from our hotel into the El Born district. 

Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed.

A lovely easy day today after our very full-on weekend.  The weather in the UK is unbelievable, it’s gone from rain everyday for weeks to glorious, hot sunshine

The longest day here in Britain and we’re off to bonnie Scotland, in particular to Drymen, which is a village that sits in the hills at the western end of the Campsie Fells

Back in Old Blighty and its goodbye to Julie before Denise and I hop on the train back to her home in Eastbourne in East Sussex.

Our last day in Croatia today.  We had had a quick look around the Old Town Centre on Thursday night when Joe was with us, and today we want to discover it a little bit more. 

So, it’s goodbye to Dubrovnik and hello Split.  Up early this morning, packed and in a taxi to the bus station to take the Promet bus to Split.

After two days of historical sightseeing in the Old Town in Dubrovnik, we thought it might be nice to have a less hectic day today so decided to catch a bus and head out to the little town of Cavtat

It’s been a busy 36 hours – I arrived at London Heathrow from Calgary at lunchtime yesterday on Westjet, never heard of them before but can highly recommend them – a very comfortable journey with wonderful service. 

First stop Dubrovnik!

Last night we arrived at the beautiful Chateau Lake Louise after a short drive from the very quaint Lake Louise train station where we had disembarked from the Rocky Mountaineer.

So here we are on yet another different adventure – a journey on the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver via Kamloops to Lake Louise.

A very pleasant couple of bus rides north of Seattle took us to Anacortes, a city in Skagit County, Washington and the dock and terminal serving the San Juan Islands.

….we had so little time here, only 18 hours, so we needed to make the most of it. 

We’re coming to the end of the Alaskan part of our trip, so we took the opportunity to drive into Anchorage today.  Just 45 minutes’ drive from Girdwood where we are staying, Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city. 

It’s a busy weekend in the US as it’s Memorial Day tomorrow, the federal holiday for honouring and mourning US Military personnel who died serving in the USA Forces.

So we got cut loose by Viking this morning when we got dropped off by coach at Anchorage Airport where we had booked a rental car, so we are now having to fend and think for ourselves again!!!!  

Sadly, our last port on what has been an incredible 10-day cruise.   In previous blogs I have alluded to William H Seward, President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of State who purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, and we are now in the city named after him. 

Named after a Spanish Secretary of the Navy,  Antionio Valdes y Basan, Valdez enjoys a breathtaking setting at the tip of a deep-cut fjord in Prince William Sound. 

We’ve got the next two glorious days relaxing on the boat, cruising around and admiring the spectacular scenery of Alaska.