On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 17:38:03 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

>On 6/12/2016 5:27 PM, graham wrote:
>
>>> We cruised from Amsterdam to Budapest along the Rhine, Main
>>> (pronounced like “mine” in English), and Danube rivers a few years ago
>>> and it was fantastic! You won't be sorry.
>>>
>> The thought of a cruise doesn't appeal to me at all. However, 2 friends
>> so enjoyed their Danube cruise last year that they are soon going on a
>> similar one in Italy.
>> I prefer to cycle - then one can bike off the calories gained by
>> indulging the evening befo-)
>> Graham
>
>Regular cruses have no appeal to me either, but the river cruises are
>different. They stop in the middle of the city. You could probably
>take a bike with you and do some cycling.

Even then, I just loathe cruises. I have a friend who has been all
over the place on cruises but really she is none the wiser about
anywhere she has visited. I would rather go somewhere, rent a condo
or apartment and get to know some locals, then you can really feel you
know something about that place.

Maybe fifteen years ago my younger daughter and I took her sons to the
Dominican Republic. We met many but one family in particular was a
'bonding' experience and to this day we are in touch and if either of
us goes there, or know people going, we fill up suitcases for them.
Oddly enough, although they do give them a cursory check, Air Canada
is quite prepared to skip the excess baggage charge on it.