Highs and Lows of August

Posted on September 1, 2015 by blogqueendiane

highs and lows of august

August has been a roller-coaster month of real highs and lows! Continue reading →

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Mediterranean Cruise: Touring Athens

Posted on August 31, 2015 by blogqueendiane

Mediterranean Cruise: Touring Athens

On the fifth day of our Mediterranean cruise, the ship docked in Pireaus, a port about seven miles from Athens. We had 12 hours to spend there and didn’t want to waste a minute! Continue reading →

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Mediterranean Cruise: A Day at the Beach in Katakolon, Greece

Posted on August 25, 2015 by blogqueendiane

Mediterranean Cruise: A Day at the Beach at Katakolon, Greece

By the last day ashore of our Mediterranean cruise, we were pretty tired from the all-day shore excursions in the preceding days and decided to go to the beach at the port of Katakolon. (The port is also street side for olympia in katakolon greecenear Olympia, the site of ancient Greek Olympic games, but we’d already seen the site of the modern Olympic games in Athens… and we wanted to chill.) Continue reading →

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Mediterranean Cruise: A Day in Santorini, Greece, Climbing a Volcano and Exploring a Mountaintop Village

Posted on August 24, 2015 by blogqueendiane

Mediterranean Cruise: A Day in Santorini

When the ship dropped anchor in the Aegean Sea off the island of Santorini on the fourth day of our Mediterranean cruise, we had a fantastic view of charming white-washed buildings on the mountain top — and the surrounding deep blue water. Continue reading →

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43 Money-Saving Tips

Posted on August 21, 2015 by blogqueendiane

43 money saving tips

Here are some money-saving tips I practice; hope you’ll be able to benefit from some of them! Continue reading →

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Mediterranean Cruise — An Adventure in Montenegro

Posted on August 20, 2015 by blogqueendiane

Mediterranean Cruise: An Adventure in Montenegro

A trip to the Mediterranean has been at the top of my travel wish list for years, and I recently returned from a great seven-night Mediterranean cruise with an extra night in Venice at the end.

Am now madly in love with both Italy and Greece; they’re both so charming!

You always see the photos of the bright blue water surrounding islands full of white stucco buildings on hillsides — and it’s like that in real life.

My friend, M, and I met in Washington, D.C. at the airport and started the cruise in Venice, where we boarded the Celebrity Constellation. (We got off to a somewhat distressing start, but we can find the funny side of almost anything, so it was fine.)

Along with most of the 2,391 other passengers, we stood on the top deck and watched in awe as the ship pulled away from the dock and sailed slowly past the city of Venice, providing a magnificent view of the Grand Canal, ornate churches, smaller canals and centuries-old bridges that cross them. It was breathtaking!

Mediterranean cruise: Venice bridge from cruise ship

Continue reading →

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Mediterranean Cruise to the Greek Islands and Venice… Off to a Bumpy Start

Posted on August 19, 2015 by blogqueendiane

Mediterranean Cruise to Venice and Greece: Off to a Bumpy Start

One of my most fun friends, M, and I went on a “cruise-of-a-lifetime” trip to the Mediterranean this month. And we laughed all the way through Italy, Montenegro (who knew that was a country?) and Greece.

I checked my jumbo suitcase with my best cruise clothes through to Venice, boarded a plane in Charleston, S.C., and met her at Dulles Airport in D.C.

We caught up over lunch and flew from there to Newark, and then on to Venice.

The flight attendants gave us dinner at 10 p.m. and breakfast a few hours later at 2 a.m., then we and a bunch of other sleep-deprived travelers shuffled off the plane in Venice at 3 a.m. (9 a.m. their time).

Continue reading →

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Vacationing on Your Own: Pleasures and Perils of Solo Travel

Posted on August 12, 2015 by blogqueendiane

Vacationing on Your Own: Pleasures and Perils of Solo Travel

I’m into solo traveling — go on a lot of cruises and other getaways (like scrapbooking weekends, BlogHer conferences and visits to friends) alone and really enjoy it.

While there are lots of advantages to vacationing alone, there are also a few disadvantages. Continue reading →

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Highs and Lows of July

Posted on July 30, 2015 by blogqueendiane

High and Lows of july 2015

The beginning of July wasn’t super-exciting, but it got more interesting in the second half — at the beginning of my “vacation season!” Continue reading →

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Seven Ways I Saved Money in July

Posted on July 29, 2015 by blogqueendiane

7 Ways I Saved Money In July

Like every thrifty shopper, I’m always on the lookout for new and different ways to cut costs. Here are seven ways I saved money in July: Continue reading →

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