The sun was rising when I was going to Gdańsk Airport. Sunday morning – security has no much passengers to serve. The flight to CPH was on time… The same on the second flight CPH to Rome. But SAS put .budget passengers to the last 5th group and they check if for sure yo have only one piece of luggage!

in Rome FCO airport I had only 20 min to run frm the gate to the 3-track railway station. Station is out of the terminal – see the above map. Italian organization is poor, but I was there in the last minute. Buy ticket in advance on internet Trenitalia site – to Civitavecchia it cost only 11 euro! There is also Express Leonardo to Termini station but costs more…

Already on the train heading to Civitavecchia I found new friends – they are also going to the ship. They live in New Jersey!

They are carrying five times more luggage than me!

I know the Mediterranean quite well; I first traveled here by ferry in 1974 – half a century ago! It’s a region of beautiful landscapes, fascinating history, and culture worth returning to, to refresh my memories and see something new along the way. I’ve just had the opportunity for a cheap sea voyage to the eastern Mediterranean. From Gdansk I’ll fly low-cost to Rome and board the well-known “Costa Fortuna” ship in the port of Civitavecchia. The route of the cruise, which will end in Athens, is shown on the map:

Bye, bye my lovely Wojtkówka! But not for the long time… I will see you again on May 16th!

In my opinion city of San Francisco has one of the most picturesque locations in the world. Today in the morning I had still enough time to take a walk to Chinatown (they say it is biggest Chinatown outside of China).

It is still picturesque but not as lively and colorful as years ago.

Then I walked to the Business District crowned by the Transamerican Pyramide and other skyscrapers.

Then I went to the UN Plaza to photograph enormous City Hall and Opera Building where in 1945 UN was erected.

Wow, it is time to go to the airport! Budget travellers took bus 292 for 2,25 USD from Mission and 5th Street. It tooks more than an hourr to get you to SFO. Happy journey!

Today on the morning I disembarked the ship in San Francisco, California. From Pier 27 we took the old tram (1,50 USD for senior) Market Street and check in in our Bartlett Hotel. It was lovely, sunny morning.

Bus 120 from Market St took us to the Golden Gate Bridge – it is the icon of San Francisco

It took us two hours to walk to the end of the bridge and back.

Then it was the time to go to the less- known places like Fishermen Wharf, to take the famous cable car and climb up to the famous Lombard Street. This was my 5th time in San Francisco and I was happy to refresh the memories. Tomorrow I will be flying back to Europe!

After 5 days at blue Pacific Ocean today in the morning we reached port of Honolulu. The immigration control was very quick and soon we started the walk under the huge, shady trees to the palace of Queen Iolani. I was here several times, so no reason to pay 28 USD for one more entry:

But the park around the palace with great banyan trees always impress me. Then we vere walking to the hostoric churches and monuments. Do you remember king Kamehameha?

Hawaii has interesting history and folklore. Mild climate, tropical flowers and trees. And of course fantastic beaches. First on our route was modest Moana Beach – life guard is prasent, but no crowd at all:

If you will cross coastal park in the Moana Commercial Centre free wifi connection is waiting for you. Here I had a chance to check my mail. Thank you dear friends for your letters and messages! Now I will guide my companion to the famous Waikiki Beach. In the late evening we will be departing to San Francisco, where I will disembark the ship on 23rd April.

Aloha from blue Hawaii!!

On the route from Tahiti to Honolulu we crossed again the equator. The king Neptune arrived to give the permission to sail forward to the northern hemisphere:

We had a lot of fun, great music, dancers and newbies kissing ugly mahi-mahi fish:

I liked most unlimited ice cream and beaitiful sirens from Neptune’s Court:

I suffer only because I cannot smuggle the rum on Fiji (this port was cancelled) and the rum aboard is very expensive. I like this travel anyway…

Beautiful islan of Moorea is visible from Papeete. We sailed there during the night… I was surprised! I was severeal times to Moorea always arriving from Papeete by ferry. In the meantime they built little pier for tenders coming from the cruise ships but not in the ferry dock in Vaiare, but in the north of the island – at the entrance to Opuhonu Bay. That’s where our ship is anchoring.

At the tender pier tour organizers were waiting (50 USD for 2 hours trip) But I liked more Polynesians drummers and pretty dancers welcoming us here.

Local ladies in flower crowns were offering pareo, shells and other souvenirs. I decided not to stay here but to walk in the lush green scenery deep to the end of Opunohu Bay.

After more than an hour walk I reached completly new museum Fare Natura, where weak internet is available. Unfortunately clouds came in this moment covering the area with fogg and spraying us with litte, warm rain. We wanted to walk onward to Cook’s Bay but….

Morea is lovely. For me with its palm, breadfruits and tropical flowes is even nicer than Tahiti.

In the evening wie will sail north to Hawaii. It will be five full days in the ocean. Sorry, internet on the ship is very expensive so you can expect next message only from Honolulu. Maururu dear friends ! 🙂

It was hot and humid morning when I saw once again the green, clouded mountains of Tahiti.

We docked in the central Papeete – the capital of this island – just steps from the coastal promenade and marina where the famous Polish saillors: Teliga, Baranowski, Chojnowska-Liskiewicz once docked their yachts. When I disembarked the ship I noticed many changes: they built nice passenger terminal, full of souvenir stalls. On the pier a group of ladies was playing ukulele and singing for us:

in front of the terminal local ladies in crowns of flowers offered expensive tours to the well-known places on the coast of the islancharging 50 USD for 2,5 hours tour. I have been here many times, so why should I pay? I took a pleasant walk around the city, passing small catholic cathedral, enjoying tropical flowers and trees.

The visit to the municipal market was obligatory to see once again many lei (shell necklaces) and crowns made of tropical, natural flowers. They made them on the spot.

I came to the conclusion that Tahiti is more expensive than ever. In the supermarket a bottle of local rum costs equivalent of 26 dollars US – more than on the ship! Black pearls costs 200 USD and more. Only the price of the French baguette is reasonable: US 60 cents. No need to change currency to euro or USD – western cash is widely accepted. In the evening we will sail to the nearby island of Moorea. Greetings from Polynesia!

In the middle of the day bad news ariived from the bridge: Powerful cyclone is forming between Vanuatu and Fiji. Captain decided not to visit Suva on Fiji – we will be escaping to the east, sailing directly to Papeete

I have been introduced to the new poople on the ship. As a result I have been upgraded from my weak inside cabin to the balcony with the window. Lucky me!

On sea days the crew offer many kinds of entertainment. We had also a chance to meet our officers and ask the questions:

There are nice sunrise and sunsets in the ocean:

It was a hard night on the Australian train – the car of the 1st class was junk, with noisy ventilator switching on and off! That’s traveller’s destiny.

We disembarked in empty Brisbane Roma Station at 5 am (but 4 am local time) Then we took a local train to be closer to the Cruise Terminal and shared the taxi with our new friends – they are from Arizona and are also boarding our ship.

We will embark “Luminosa” in the middle of the day. Then we will spend 3 days in the Pacific Ocean, sailing to Fiji. Please keep the fingers crossed for the weather, dear friends! 🙂