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Cindy Glaze - Cruise Planners, 7238 Tropical Drive, Weeki Wachee, FL (2026)

04/08/2026

Unexpected greetings form Lisbon, Portugal. To quote Robert Burns, "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

All is well, but we've had an eventful two days. One of our ladies was sick enough yesterday to warrant a hospital visit. The tour bus driver dropped her and Cindy off at the hospital before taking the rest of the group to the hotel where it was "Charles in Charge." After seven hours of waiting and treatment, she was dismissed with a prescription to be filled. It was close to midnight, but the pharmacy across the street appeared to be open, so we took a shortcut by climbing over a low wall. The pharmacy doors were locked, but the lights were on and the sign indicated 24/7 service. A lady and her baby came into the vestibule and she said she had forgotten her credit card, but that we could open the door by swiping a credit card on an electronic reader. What, since when do you have to pay to enter a store? She explained that it was a security measure and that the card wouldn't be charged. The card was swiped and we all went inside. We hollered out to see if anybody would help us, and we knocked loudly on a door. The lady who went inside with us explained that there is no pharmacist there, and that we should help ourselves to anything we needed on the shelves. You were then supposed to scan your items for purchase before exiting the store. The helpful lady opened the door to go out and suggested that we go with her so we wouldn't get locked inside. The next hurdle was getting transportation to the hotel, but Cindy's Uber app was not working. Therefore, we traipsed back across the street and got a security guard to call a taxi for us and made it to the hotel around midnight.

Fast forward to this morning, and all seemed to be going according to Hoyle. However, after we were seated on the plane, the pilot announced that our plane had been struck by lightning over the ocean on its way to Portugal. They were attempting to make repairs and didn't know how long it would take. After another half hour, the pilot announced that the repairs would take at least four hours and that we should get off the plane. A short while later we learned that the flight had been cancelled and we would not be leaving until tomorrow. No problem, Cindy entered her office at the Lisbon airport and made hotel and transfer arrangements for today and tomorrow. We went throuh customs, collected our luggage and were back at the hotel in time for dinner. Glad you're not here!

04/07/2026

Greetings from Lisbon, Portugal. We got off the ship this morning in Porto, and our previous driver who delivered us to the ship was waiting for us. It was a four hour drive to Sintra, and our previous tour guide met us there. The town dates back to Moorish times, but its current character was shaped in the 19th century when Portuguese royalty transformed Sintra into a summer retreat. We had an hour and a half to eat lunch and do some last minute shopping. We slopped around in the rain all day, and I am happy to report that the cork shoes purchased at the beginning of the trip kept my feet completely dry. Carol found herself a pair of cork shoes today to go with her previously purchased cork hat and purse.

Sardines are considered a national icon of Portugal. Deeply rooted in the cultural and economic fabric, they represent Portuguese heritage, featuring prominently in local cuisine, traditional festivals, and the historic canned fish industry. We went inside a store selling decorative tins of sardines and other types of canned seafood, but canned sardines are not high on this author's list of must-have sourvenirs.

We boarded the bus and drove up a curvy road through the clouds to an elevation of about 1640 feet in order to tour the Pena Palace. The palace is located on a craggy outcrop in the Sintra Mountains, and it was still raining and cold as we waited in line for a transfer bus from the parking lot. The palace is a premier 19th-century castle commissioned by King Ferdinand II in 1838. Built on the ruins of a 16th century monastery, it combines eclectic styles inluding Neo-Islamic. A 1994 restoration returned the exterior to its original vibrant shades of red and yellow. We couldn't see the whole castle at one time from our vantage point on the ground, but the TV in the gift shop was broadcasting pictures of the entire castle. We can understand why it has become renowned for its fairytale appearance.

Our fabulous tour of Portugal ends tomorrow when we head to the airport to catch our flight home. Thank you for taking this virtual journey with us. You, too, can be a part of our next journey, as there are a few openings left for our African safari in September. Please message us for all the details or call us at 352/597-9924. You'll wish you were there!

04/06/2026

Our cruise is winding down, and I would be remiss if I did not tell you what a great experience we have had onboard the Riviera Rose. Riviera Travel is owned by a London based company, and it was founded in 1984. They have recently expanded to serve the American market, and I am so glad we took a chance on them. The prices are reasonable compared to some of the other river cruise companies, and all of the excursions were included and run very efficiently. The service by all 35 crew members was great, and they all wore more than one hat to make the week special for the 84 guests onboard. I urge you to keep them, and Glaze Getaways, in mind the next time you want to take a river cruise in Europe.

There were two excursions on offer this afternoon, so three members of our group went to visit a port wine cellar while the rest of us took a 60-minute bus ride to Guimarães. Guimarães is northwest of Porto, and is considered the crib of the nation, as that is where the fight for independence from Spain began in 1128. (Of course, at that time, Spain was not known as Spain, and Portugal was not known as Portugal.) The terrain in this area was different than what we saw earlier this week. The ground is fertile, and two of the major crops are grapes and eucalyptus trees which are planted in tandem, much like the olive trees and grapes in the Douro Valley. The grapes here are used to make green wine. It is not green in color but signifies "young" wine meant for quick consumption, produced in a lush, green region, offering a crisp, refreshing, and often lower-alcohol, low-cost option. It is not aged in barrels, but put in stainless steel vats for 3-4 months before bottling. The eucalyptus trees mature in 7 years, and they are a good cash crop for the farmers because there is a big market in the country for custom made eucalyptus furniture.

Upon arrival in the city, the bus dropped us off at a 10th century castle on top of a hill overlooking the city. We enjoyed strolling downhill through the city, and we stopped a few times to admire the buildings and architecture. We took a tour of the palace built by the Duke of Braganca in the first quarter of the 15th century. After some free time for shopping, Carol and Lee showed off their new cork fashion accessories, as we have all become a big fan of the local cork products. We reboarded our bus and made our way back to the ship in time for dinner. Wish you were here!

04/05/2026

Happy Easter from Portugal. After a relaxing morning aboard the ship, we departed at noon for a one hour drive to Quinta da Avessada. Quinta is a Portuguese term for a farm or vineyard, often featuring a manor house. Grapes grown above 1650 feet are not in the official port wine demarcation area, but there is a high plateau above that line and muscat grapes are grown there on the flat land. Quinta da Avessada is a historic 160-year old wine estate, and it was the first in the region to plant muscat grapes and produce muscatel wine.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with a sample of muscatel wine before entering the dining area for a traditional Portuguese meal. One course of the meal was soup served in a pot, but we're not too sure about what we were eating. After lunch we visited their small museum where we learned about traditional wine stomping. Most of the producers in the area are members of a cooperative, and they use machines to press the grapes. However, this estate still produces a small amount of wine the old-fashioned way which calls for 20 men to get in the vat and stomp around for five hours. There is a man outside the vat who is responsible for using a cane to tap out the prescribed rhythm for the first two hours. After that, the men have drunk enough wine for it to be a fun party, so there is no need for the continuous tapping. Though the original method called for bare feet, this farm has the stompers wear rubber boots. We saw a storage room where each generation of the family have stored samples of their wine in big barrels, and it is trotted out for special occasions.

We returned to the ship in time to eat again. Wish you were here!

P.S. - Please be sure to follow us on the Glaze Getaways page, as the Cruise Planners page will not be available in 2027.

04/04/2026

Greetings, once again, from the Douro River. We had a leisurely morning on the river before docking at Pinhão, whereupon we took a stroll around town with our tour guide. She pointed out a beautiful tree with pink blooms and round leaves which is known as a "Judas tree." Legend has it that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, hanged himself from one of these trees, and the leaves are round which represent the silver coins. The trees bloom around Easter time each year.

Pinhão is pronounced pin-yow in English, and it means pine nut. We walked along the cobblestone streets and saw some old wine vats made of cement. The interior of the cement vats were covered with pine resin, but it is mostly stainless steel vats that are in use today. We reached the train station which opened in 1880. It is famous for its 3024 hand-painted tiles, arranged in 24 panels depicting wine production in the Douro as it would have been a century ago. The guide pointed out another tree, the Melia. There were small seed pods from the tree all over the ground and in previous times were used for making rosary beads.

Back on the ship, we watched the world go by and noticed how much the farming terraces reminded us of the terraces we saw in the Sacred Valley of Peru. Some of the terraces here were built over 2000 years ago beginning with Roman occupation. However, the majority of traditional stone-walled terraces were constructed from the 17th to the19th century. Olive trees in the fields are used in place of fences to designate property lines and also define borders between grape varieties. Therefore, each winery also produces their own brand of olive oil.

Upon reboarding the ship, we enjoyed lunch as we cruised down the river. We debarked in a different location this afternoon and took a 30-minute bus ride to Mateus Palace and Gardens. The house was finished and occupied in 1744 by a Portuguese duke. We walked through the chapel and the gardens, and then we had a tour of the house. The furnishings are all original, and some of the books in the library are from the 1400's. Wish you were here!

04/03/2026

Greetings, yet again, from somewhere on the Douro River. We were on the bus by 7:30 this morning headed east to Salamanca, Spain. Salamanca is sometimes referred to as the "Golden City" due to the way the sandstone looks when the sun is shining on the buildings or when the streetlights are lighting up the night. We arrived in Salamanca about 9:30 a.m. and walked to meet our tour guide at Plaza Mayor in the historic center of the city. Salamanca originated as an Iron Age settlement before becoming a Roman hub on the silver route. Renowned for the University of Salamanca (founded in 1218 and one of Europe's oldest), the city features Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture. The frog in Salamanca is a famous, tiny stone carving hidden on the intricately decorated facade of the university's 16th century entrance. It is a major symbol of the city and represents a good luck charm for students, who traditionally pass their exams if they can spot it without help. (Frog "things" were seen everywhere in the souvenir shops.) During our shopping free time we saw another item that is iconic in this region of the Iberian Peninsula. We thought it odd to see pig legs hanging by their hoofs, but this is the black Iberian pig which gets a distinctive flavor by eating acorns from cork oaks. The black Iberian pig is ingrained in the local culture and tradition, and annual festivals are held in their honor.

We walked by a 16th-century, Gothic-style Cathedral which was restored in 1992. In keeping with tradition, one of the quarrymen was given permission to add a slightly more modern figure, as a symbol of the changing times. Hence, the building now sports an astronaut on the facade. Just imagine the ideas people must have about that astronaut if they do not have a tour guide with them to make the explanation.

After some free time, we met the rest of our group for lunch which was followed by a Flamenco show. The dancing ladies were very entertaining. Their footwork was dynamic and they used a high-energy technique characterized by rapid, powerful strikes against the floor. They wore specialized, high-heeled shoes designed with nails in the soles to enhance the sound.

We walked back to the bus loading area and boarded the bus for our two hour ride back to the ship. A good time was had by all. Wish you were here!

04/02/2026

Greetings, again, from somwhere on the Douro River. Yesterday evening found us docked at the Lamego pier so we could enjoy dinner at Quinta da Pacheca wine estate. We got there just before dark, so we were able to appreciate the beautiful grounds. There was an estate representative on hand to preside over a port wine tasting prior to entering the lovely glass-walled dining room. There were five different types of wine/port wine on offer to try with our meal. (Some of us just enjoyed the vintage water unique to the Douro Valley.) At about 10:00 p.m., we returned to the ship which remained in port overnight.

We had a leisurely morning after the ship cast off from the pier around 7:30 a.m. to continue its eastward journey. The landscape was lovely and the vistas were ever-changing from forest to terrraced wine vineyards to olive groves, to rock cliffs. By late morning, we entered the Valeira lock with a lift of 109 feet. That was an interesting operation, as the upper deck had to be prepared to pass under a bridge. The deck umbrellas were lowered and the guard ropes around the pool area were removed.The pilot house and the aft restaurant was cleared of people so their roofs could be electronically lowered. This required the captain to drive the ship from a small control box located at the side of the ship. (Chuck was on hand to assist with this operation.) By the time the ship was fully raised in the lock, there was very little space above and one could easily touch the overhead bridge.

Mid-afternoon had us disembarking the ship at Pocinho pier and boarding our bus for an hour long drive to the historic walled village of Castelo Rodrigo where about 50 people still live in this small medieval settlement. On the drive to the village, our guide told us that grape vines, olives, and almonds are the only crops that can grow in this rugged landscape. We saw many examples of where all three crops were grown very near each other in the same fields. Most of the reaping is still done by hand, as the terrain doesn't really allow for mechanized harvesting. Upon arrival, we strolled around and walked through the church. We then made an obligatory visit to the souvenir shops.

We boarded the bus and made our way just over the Spain border to Vega de Terron. The Douro River is the dividing line between Portugal and Spain, and the ship had moved there while we were touring. This is as far as boat traffic can go on the Douro, as there are no locks on the river past this point. We will be spending the night in this port, as cruise ships on the Douro are not allowed to operate at night due to safety concerns. Wish you were here!

04/01/2026

Greetings from somewhere on the Douro River. The ship stayed overnight in Porto, so this morning we were treated to an overview tour of the area. Porto is built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro River. It has an outstanding urban landscape with a 2000-year history, so the historic city center is characterized by narrow cobblestone streets. We proceeded to an overlook area near the river where we were afforded nice vistas of the old city as well as the area across the river known as Vila Nova de Gaia.

Port wine, as a fortified, recognizable style, began in the latter half of the 17th century. While wine was produced in the Douro area for centuries, fortification was adopted to preserve it using the "English method" of adding brandy to impove stability. Although produced in the Douro Valley, the wine is named after the city of Porto, where it was traditionally aged in cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia before exportation. The storage facilites are called cellars, but they are really just large warehouses.

We returned to the ship and began our journey inland on the river. We passed under some bridges, and one of them was a wrought-iron railway bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel which opened in 1877. As we cruised out of town, the landscape became dense forest occasionally dotted by small communities. We have gone through two locks today, and one of them was the Carrapatelo Lock with a lift of 115 feet, making it the deepest in Europe. Several members of our group took up seats at the front of the ship to watch the action. Wish you were here!

03/31/2026

Greetings from Porto, Portugal. We started off from the hotel this morning at 8:00 a.m. and headed north. After about two hours, we came to the small town of Tomar. There is a famous Knights Templar castle there on a hill overlooking the city. This was the last stronghold of the Knights Templar, serving as their Portuguese headquarters for nearly 700 years. Founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, the Grand Master of the Templars, the town and its castle were established to defend the borders of the young Christian kingdom against the Moors. The Knights Templar were a military and religious order that combined the discipline of a monk with the duty of a soldier. The castle area is a massive complex that served as their monastic home. The men took vows of poverty and lived under rigid military and spiritual discipline, acting as monks during the day while also defending the territory.

A standout feature of Tomar Castle is the Charola, the Templar Round Church. Its design was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and it is considered one of the most significant religious structures of the Templars. Inside is a stunning central octagonal space surrounded by a circular gallery. The altar is adorned with beautiful carvings, and the walls are covered in frescoes and intricate stonework. The paintings and panels depicting scenes from the life of Christ were added in the 16th century.

After touring the castle for about an hour and a half, we continued our journey north and arrived in Porto around 2:30 p.m. Located along the Douro river estuary in Northern Portugal, the city dates back to the 1st century BC when, under Roman rule, the city played an important role on the main trade route between Lisbon and Braga. We got our first glimpse of the Riviera Rose as we rode along the shoreline. She will be our home for the next week as we cruise inland on the Douro River. Wish you were here!

P.S. - Today is the anniversary of our 48th year of having fun together as a married couple.

Greetings from Porto, Portugal. We started off from the hotel this morning at 8:00 a.m. and headed north. After about two hours, we came to the small town of Tomar. There is a famous Knights Templar castle there on a hill overlooking the city. This was the last stronghold of the Knights Templar, serving as their Portuguese headquarters for nearly 700 years. Founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, the Grand Master of the Templars, the town and its castle were established to defend the borders of the young Christian kingdom against the Moors. The Knights Templar were a military and religious order that combined the discipline of a monk with the duty of a soldier. The castle area is a massive complex that served as their monastic home. The men took vows of poverty and lived under rigid military and spiritual discipline, acting as monks during the day while also defending the territory.

A standout feature of Tomar Castle is the Charola, the Templar Round Church. Its design was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and it is considered one of the most significant religious structures of the Templars. Inside is a stunning central octagonal space surrounded by a circular gallery. The altar is adorned with beautiful carvings, and the walls are covered in frescoes and intricate stonework. The paintings and panels depicting scenes from the life of Christ were added in the 16th century.

After touring the castle for about an hour and a half, we continued our journey north and arrived in Porto around 2:30 p.m. Located along the Douro river estuary in Northern Portugal, the city dates back to the 1st century BC when, under Roman rule, the city played an important role on the main trade route between Lisbon and Braga. We got our first glimpse of the Riviera Rose as we rode along the shoreline. She will be our home for the next week as we cruise inland on the Douro River. Wish you were here!

P.S. - Today is the anniversary of our 48th year of having fun together as a married couple.

03/30/2026

Greetings from Lisbon, Portugal. Ten of us flew yesterday from Tampa to Lisbon via a 4 hour layover in Boston. (There were supposed to be eleven of us, but Erika Trenkler had emergency surgery on her arm just a couple of days prior to the trip and was unable to accompany us. Get well soon, Erika!)

It was a six hour flight, and due to the time difference we didn't arrive in Lisbon and get through customs and immigration until about noon today. It's hard to sleep on an airplane, so it was a tired group that met our guide, and then we went straight into a tour of the Lisbon area.

We visited Jerónimos monastery which was built over a 100 year period from 1502 to1602. There were elaborate carvings and tile work both inside and outside depicting biblical figures as well as strange animals. After touring the monastery, we walked to a bakery next door and sampled their famous pastel de nata: a pastry made of crisp, flaky paper-thin layers of golden dough with a smooth yellow custard on top that is caramelized. This small tartlet is one of Portugal’s most iconic desserts. Its origins date back over three centuries to the Jerónimos Monastery. At the time, monasteries would use egg whites to starch clothes, resulting in lots and lots of leftover egg yolks….which were, in turn put to good use in pastries and cakes. The monks at this monastery created a recipe for the pastel de nata, which, even today, remains a closely guarded secret.

Next up was Belem Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a 16th-century fortress symbolizing Portugal’s Age of Discoveries and maritime history. There was a small souvenir market there so, of course, we had to shop a bit.

We then visited Monument to the Discoveries which is a tribute to the explorers and navigators who shaped the course of history. Located on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary, the monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery.

Making our way to the hotel, we did a drive by tour of some of the monuments and buildings in the historic center of Lisbon. Wish you were here!

03/30/2026

Greetings again from Lisbon. We left the hotel this morning at 9:00 a.m. and rode for about two hours southeast of Lisbon headed for the small walled city of Evora. Leaving Lisbon, we crossed over the wide Tagus River on the Vasco da Gama Bridge which is almost 11 miles long. Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who, in 1497, discovered the first direct sea route from Europe to India via the Cape of Good Hope. We saw some commercial salt pans along the river bank after crossing the bridge, but they are mainly used now as a nature conservation area which seasonally sustains a large flamingo population. There is also a large stork population in the area, and we saw lots of stork nests built on power poles alongside the highway. The landscape changed to rolling hills dotted with olive groves, vineyards, and cork oak trees. The grape vines are pruned every year after the harvest, so they were just beginning to grow their leaves back.

We made a pit stop just before entering the city and were able to get pictures of both olive trees and cork oak trees. A cork tree must be 25 years old before the first cork is harvested, and there must be a regrowth period of 9 years in between harvests. A number designating the previous harvest year is painted on each tree trunk so they will know when it can again be stripped. The quality of the cork gets better with each successive harvest, with the better quality commanding more money. The tree trunk underneath the cork is red for a while after stripping, and it is said that it is blushing from being naked. Portugal produces about half of the world's cork supply, and it is manually harvested. NASA uses cork materials as part of the thermal protection system on the space shuttle. It is used in many other products such as furniture, flooring, insulation, fashion accessories, clothing, and shoes.

At Evora, the driver dropped us off at the ruins of Diana's Temple which was built by the Romans in the early first century AD. It is on a hill inside the wall, and we were able to stroll down through the historic center of the city instead of climbing up. The buildings are white in order to combat the intense summer sun which helps to keep the interiors cool. The cobbled streets are narrow, and we enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds of this ancient city. There is an old aqueduct which runs through the city, and some of the houses shared a wall with the aqueduct.

We visited the Bone Chapel inside the Church of St. Francis which was built in the 17th century. The chapel is famous for its walls and pillars covered with the skulls and bones of approximately 5000 people, designed to encourage reflection on human mortality. The entrance bears the chilling inscription: "We bones that are here, for yours we wait."

We then had some free time for lunch and shopping. There were so many fun cork products in so many stores, and it was hard to decide what to buy. However, Cindy could not resist buying a pair of cork shoes.

We stopped in for a visit at the cork museum and had a private tour where we learned many interesting things about farming cork trees. We previously had no idea that the cork tree is actually a variety of oak tree. The cork is like a hollow log when it is cut from the tree, and it must be boiled in order to flatten it out. After leaving the museum we walked a little further to the bottom of the city where we were met by our bus for the return ride to Lisbon. Everyone reflected on what a great day we had in Evora. Wish you were here!

03/23/2026

Here's a huge shout-out to mother-daughter duo Nancy and Abbie Dinkel. They have been traveling around the world with us for several years, and today they surprised us with this wonderful gift they crafted from the heart. It's a 16" x 24" picture of world landmarks made with "Diamond Dotz." Diamond Dotz are teeny tiny pieces of colored plastic that sparkle and must be painstakenly applied to the patterned surface with a special tool. It's rather like a paint by number picture. Even more amazing is the fact that they took the time to search the web, find the landmark picture they liked, and then sent it to the Diamond Dotz company for custom fabrication. After spending hours upon hours working on this masterpiece, they even had it custom framed and gave it to us ready to hang. Nancy and Abbie, we thank you for this wonderful gift, but mostly we thank you for your friendship and the fun we have when traveling together.

To all our loyal followers, we are leaving Saturday for a trip to Portugal, so be sure to follow us on our new page, Glaze Getaways.

Cindy Glaze - Cruise Planners

04/08/2026

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