We have been at-sea heading for Southampton, UK,since leaving Miami on Sunday.  Before bringing you up to day on our cruise, one item regarding Donald Trump.  His re-election as president   will definitely change our relationship with the world.    His stance has always been America first. With Europe. The Ukraine War will be probably be settled, with Russia gaining some territory.  Interesting that Vladimir Putin has not yet congratulated Trump. His view about NATO is clear.  He wants every member to pay their share. His "pal," Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, will hold a summit of 50 European leaders today in Budapest, which will be our final European Christmas River Cruise stop. He identifies well with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has had good relations with Saudi Arabia.  Iran has tried to assassinate Trump, so there is a problem there. China will also see some added tariffs, and there is that Taiwan matter.  ...

Today is like the end of summer, for tomorrow begins September.   But you can enjoy life until Tuesday, for Monday is Labor Day, a national holiday. All things considered, the world at this very moment is doing fine: Internationally: The Hamas attacked Israel on 7October2023.  There will be a  three-day cease fire beginning tomorrow in the Gaza Strip to vaccinate 640,000 Palestinian children against polio , which has no cure.  The first case in 25 years was just reported, so maybe this is a possible first step to a larger truce to come. Two doses of two drops of a live virus to be taken orally.  2000 medical volunteers will do the job.  The world yet awaits that expected revenge response from Iran on Israel. Russian invaded the Ukraine in February 2022, and remains in control.  But the fact that Ukraine has lasted this long, and is  now into Russian territory , is a surprise.  The U.S. is approaching a  trillion dollars for the Afgh...

Now that the Summer Olympics bubble burst, how are you handling the withdrawal effects?  Well, the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics begin in 543 days.  Cortina d'Apezzo is 270 miles from Milan.  Interestingly enough, the following Winter Olympics returns to France in 2030, with some events scheduled for Turin, Italy.  They had no competitors.  What happened to the Orient or the Americas or the Southern Hemisphere?  The very first one was held a century ago, 1924, in France (Chamonix).  The USA has hosted four times, with Salt Lake City the most recently in 2002. What more can be said about the Paris Summer Olympics?  If American women were their own nation, they would have come in third behind the USA and China, even with the loss of Jordan Chiles' bronze medal. Did you know that in the very  final event of these Olympics, the USA women's basketball team beat host France, 67-66, for the gold ? 36-year old Steph Curry is why the USA men's basket...