Our intrepid readers have jaunted off on some incredible journeys over the last year. They’ve explored rivers in Alaska, cooked paella in Spain and photographed wildlife in the Galapagos — and shared their travel stories along the way.
The latest “Wish You Were Here” installment recounts the adventures of a Walnut Creek couple exploring the Arabian Peninsula. Find even more reader travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.
Wish You Were Here
Walnut Creek residents Mary and Louis Kastner celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a 32-day cruise that included, among other excursions, a stop at the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. (Courtesy the Kastner Family)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Walnut Creek residents Mary and Louis Kastner celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a 32-day cruise through the Mediterranean and Suez Canal aboard the Oceania. The couple boarded the ship in Athens and disembarked in Abu Dhabi, where they visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, pictured, during “a day spent with Tours by Locals touring this amazing city in the United Arab Emirates,” Mary says.
The cruise sailed from Greece to Turkey, along the European Riviera, through the Suez and around the Arabian Peninsula, with stops including Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Emirates. “We were celebrating 50 years of marriage and were in Muscat, Oman, on the actual anniversary hearing about Omani marriage customs. We can’t praise the trip more highly — amazing guided tours and comfort on the ship especially in ‘our spot’ in a double deck, lounge chair in the Serenity lounge.”
TRAVEL TIPS: Wait to go. The Kastners are glad they went when they did, but say, “The Red Sea is vast, and we can’t believe what is going on there now. We hope for peace in this area again.”
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Join the fun! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.
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