Back to my cocoon, also known as apartment 1212 at 15 Craigside.  Looking forward to doing essentially nothing until our next potentially monumental journey: We fly to Iceland to see some geo-cold sites, then board the Azamara Journey for 18-nights from Rekjavik to Greenland, ending up in Montreal.  Of course, there is one primary reason we will be on this cruise.  The next total solar eclipse.  Sun will stay dark for 2 minutes and 18 seconds on August 12. Will you see this event from where you live?  Google AI says: Upcoming Total Solar Eclipses: August 12, 2026: Greenland, Iceland, Spain. August 2, 2027: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia. July 22, 2028: Australia, New Zealand. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ] For those in the United States, the next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on August 22, 2044 . [ 1 ]   How old will you be in 18 years? Some reviews of the Azamara Journey. Google AI says: The Azamara Journey is hi...

  Bus took us to board the American Cruise Line Melody. their newest on the Mississippi.   Watch this 11 min 23 sec video to get a full tour of the boat.   In general: While ships are designed for open, deep-sea navigation, boats are for smaller inland, river or coastal waters. Remember U-boat during the world war, for the German Unterseeboot?  Stands for undersea boat.  So yes, a submarine is a boat. A very large yacht is still a boat. The Melody was actually launched in 2021, measures 269 feet long and 56 feet wide, and is a boat.   Holds up to 180 passengers and has four decks.  Known for large staterooms, with standard rooms of 250 square feet.  The fourth floor has suites, and our room 418 has 405 square feet.   You can read the details here. It is nearly 400 miles from Memphis to New Orleans.  Maybe a 6-hour drive,  Our itinerary, which will take 13 days, or 12 nights, to complete    Frankly, I am surp...

I'm the guy who feared coming to Graceland because I had read that: Memphis was the most dangerous city in the USA. However, according to Google AI: Based on data from late 2025 and early 2026, Memphis has experienced a   significant, historic reduction in crime , though it still faces challenges regarding its reputation and overall safety levels compared to other U.S. cities. But more than that, I had also forgotten about the history of Memphis, and how influential this city was to the future of the USA and World. Our bus ride from Graceland to our American Cruise Lines ship was a guided tour through the city of Memphis.   Tour guide Bob convinced me that Memphis is an amazing city. Sure, they haven't totally controlled crime, but they have done something wonderful about their  homeless problem , and if you can recall some history, this was where Martin Luther King was assassinated, changing the nature of civil rights in the country. Heard of St. Jude?  Here is...