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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2023 15 The Parthenon in Athens, Greece Amsterdam, Netherlands, a perfect fit Gibraltar, UK, this Barbary macaque monkey jumped on Jack's head The famous white cliffs of Fecamp, France demonstrations, took dance classes and practiced what we learned in our Let's Dance! class here at Four Seasons. There were several exclusive ATW commemorative events held off the ship at several ports: Copenhagen at the National Aquarium of Denmark, Bordeaux at the Chateaux Giscours Winery and Vineyards, and Amsterdam at the National Maritime Museum. The two most frequently asked questions we were asked were what was your favorite place and where would you like to visit again? There are too many wonderful places to select just one and we want to visit countries we've never been to before thinking about returning to a place we've already been. One amazing highlight was being in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when we saw the annual processional as we walked up the Mount of Olives to the old city. Touching the western wall, seeing the Dome of the Rock, visiting the Church of the Sepluchre, dipping our hands in the Jordan River, seeing the Sea of Galilee, and visiting amazing ruins in Israel, Turkey, and Greece felt like walking in history. Other highlights included the sail-in to Kotor, Montenegro — it was like a fairytale — seeing the monkeys in Gibraltar, sailing the canals in Amsterdam, seeing all of the famous sites in London, riding a boat up the Thames, and sailing to our final destination, New York City on July 4th. After a gorgeous sunrise, we had our breakfast on the upper decks as we went up the Hudson River; patriotic music played as we sailed past the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline to dock in Manhattan. We had an overnight stay at the port with Broadway entertainment on the ship and had fireworks all around us. We disembarked early on July 5 and flew home first class. An amazing way to end an amazing trip. Trip planning was important to learn about prescription overrides that would permit a six-month supply versus the usual 90-day supply. We had a consultation with the Kaiser Travel Clinic six weeks prior to our departure to review our trip itinerary and the required vaccinations, booster, and international guidelines for a safe trip. Medical service was covered while on the ship. We also purchased travel insurance, in case of trip interruption and/or additional medical expenses incurred off the ship. The cruise included a luggage shipping service before and after the cruise for up to two large suitcases per person. That was extremely helpful and reduced the number of suitcases we took with us when we boarded the ship. We had to think about packing toiletries, bringing clothes for daytime and nighttime while accounting for different temperatures and weather conditions to cover 180 days. Laundry services were complimentary and the turnaround time was 24 hours. We made arrangements with a Four Seasons resident to check our home – turn on the water, flush the toilets, run water in all the sinks, start our car, and pick up our mail on a weekly basis. We turned off our air handling system, put our cable on seasonal hold, automated our bills for payment, had USPS informed delivery of our mail, paid our April property tax bill before leaving, and filed an extension for income tax. We ordered currency for the different countries we would be visiting and used a specific credit card that provided the best exchange rate for all foreign transactions. We communicated with family and friends via email and Facebook messenger while on our cruise. We have a private Facebook group page where I posted narrated pictures from each port we visited. We kept up-to-date on the happenings in Four Seasons through the Daily Reports and Activity Blasts. It was good to return home after being away for six months. We missed seeing family and friends and everything Four Seasons has to offer. You may be wondering what our next adventure will be. We're going on our first trip to South America and celebrate our 40th anniversary on the cruise. This time it will be a shorter trip – 75 days!