This is Sunday, so I'll avoid Donald Trump and his shenanigans.  We leave in two weeks for the Osaka Expo, then catch a cruise on the  Oceania Riviera from Yokohama to Vancouver .  This is a test whether I can travel much anymore.  Our gargantuan  Fall/Winter 2024 journey  worried me because I had trouble sleeping on the road, especially on cruise ships. So today, a potpourri of travel info: This is a matter that will keep changing, and then, maybe not, so keep up-to-date on  travel advisories for those wanting to visit the USA .  Here are two examples. Canadian citizen Jasmine Mooney had been traveling between her home country and the US on a work   visa   for years without issue—but a few weeks ago, she was   detained by US border authorities   after attempting to renew her documentation at the US-Mexico border. During a 12-day ordeal, she says she was held in cold and crowded jail cells and even put in chains at points. Moon...

I JUST NOTICED THAT THIS 12DECEMBER2024 POSTING WAS MISSING, SO HERE IT IS TODAY.  There will also be a posting for Sunday, 30March2025.   Note that I use Christmas-time European Cruise, for we were told on the ship that this was not a Christmas Cruise, but a cruise during the Christmas season, which sort of begins in November.  While some Christmas Markets open in later November, most start in early December.  We left Amsterdam on November 21, and saw no Christmas Market until Day 10. It was cold during the entire river cruise.  It snowed during our taxi ride from the Marriott Amsterdam to Viking Tir.  Tir is the Norse God of Heroic Glory. We had been traveling for more than a month when we boarded, so did not have of those luggage tags they mail to you (which we saw after we got home), but no problem.  They got our bags into our room.  Had lunch. Beer and wine come with lunch and dinner. Our room and view of Amsterdam harbor. Good size shower an...