Our cruise on the Viking Octantis continues.  Tomorrow, a tour of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  But before my topic of the day, wines, first, some Trump news of relevance. President Donald Trump was the one who announced a  10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon .  Apparently, Hezbollah, too, will be included. The Commission of Fine Arts approved designs for a  250-foot tall triumphal arch , featuring eagles, Lady Liberty and a line from the Pledge of Allegiance.   This is a Trump-appointed board which also approved $400 million for Trump's White House Ballroom.   Will beome the tallest trimphal arch in the world, 86 feet taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, twice as that of the Lincoln Memorial and almost as high as the Capitol. Planned for Memorial Circle on Columbia Island directly across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. My interest in wines keeps evolving.  Our New Orleans Ritz-Carlton Hotel room had a March copy of...

But first, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs yesterday.  Also, this video shows that  Iran/U,S. peace talks are privately ongoing . In the meantime, to strengthen our bargaining position: Now,  three U.S. task forces will be available to support any invasion . The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed since January. The USS Gerald Ford arrived in the eastern Mediterranean in February. The USS George H.W. Bush was near the Horn of Africa on Tuesday and is expected to head towards the war region.   This aircraft carrier is also carrying 6000 troops.  Another 4200 military personnel are with the Boxer Amphibious Group and the 11th Expeditionary Unit are expected to arrive later this month. All the above will be to support approximately 50,000 U.S. troops already in the region. Boots on the ground? The last American killed in this war was more than a month ago, Today is April 16.  The two-week truce ends on April 22. In addition to better protect...

Well, we boarded the Viking Octantis, Pier 90, Manhattan.  Check-in was easy.  We thought maybe something went wrong, for we were among only a very few passengers at check-in. Had lunch on the ship. The ship departed at around 4:45PM. Crossed uner the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. After a while we walked over for dinner, but first stopped for some violins, In the main dining room, every night there is a sushi bar.  As our reserved meal tomorrow will be Italian, we had a Japanese dinner. There was also an adjacent bar of crustaceans. A portion of my meal, with hot sake and Glenfiddich on rocks, Walking away from the sushi bar, we saw a noodles bar, so overstuffed ourselves with a bowl. Stopped to listen to a duo. The Viking Octantis will be on a 12-day cruise to Toronto. As you know, this trip we're on features two cruises.  About that first one, I stumbled across a  video showing Cabin 333 on the American Melody riverboat,   This is a 350 square feet stateroom ...