Traveling with the Jones

Sailing on the Baltic Sea into Visby, Gotland

In the middle of the Baltic Sea lies the island of Gotland, home of the medieval town  of Visby, also known as the “city of roses and ruins”.

Home to a well-preserved wall that rings the city dating from the 12th century, Visby is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s location in the middle of the Baltic Sea has long made Visby a popular port, with sailors and pirates.

Today it’s a vacation destination for Scandinavians, and a popular stop on Baltic cruises.

Have you visited Visby?

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Geysers, thermal springs and mud have been attracting visitors here since the 1800s.

A faint smell of sulfur and hissing steam from roadside vents greets as you drive into the city of Rotorua, on New Zealand’s North Island.

A city of less than 60,000 permanent residents, Rotorua lies on a large volcano that last erupted 240,000 years ago but has significant geothermal activity.

Rotorua’s geothermal activity is one of the world’s most extensive and accessible through its geysers and mud pools.  

Māori Cultural Performances

At Te Puia, Native inhabitants harnessed the geo-thermal waters for bathing, cooking and therapeutic use.

Besides experiencing the spectacular nature show from the geysers and mud pools, visitors to Te Puia get to experience Māori storytelling, or kapa haka.  

Guests gather outside the Marae (meeting place).  A traditional karanga (welcome) marks the start of 45 minutes of song and dance inside the meeting house. Once inside, visitors are treated to the seductive poi dance, the ferocious haka (war challenge), and the complex tititorea (stick games).

At the gift shop, thermal mud products are popular souvenirs.

Getting to Rotorua

Rotorua is 37 miles (60 kilometers) from Tauranga, a common New Zealand cruise port.  We visited Rotorua while on a Holland America cruise – taking a day trip from Tauranga booked independently with Tauranga Tasting Tours and Charters, who provided a fabulous small group trip.

However you visit New Zealand, you won’t want to miss Rotorua.

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The polished shine of Chicago’s Cloud Gate sculpture captivates visitors to Millennium Park.

Nicknamed “The Bean,” British artist Anish Kapoor’s sculpture design was inspired by liquid mercury.

Weighing nearly 100 ton, 168 highly polished stainless steel plates with no visible seams create The Bean.  Its surface reflects and distorts Chicago’s skyline.

Visitors walk around and under Cloud Gate’s 12 foot arch. On the underside, a concave chamber known as the “omphalos” (Greek for “navel”), warps and multiplies reflections.

As you walk around The Bean, its unique reflective properties distort your reflections like a fun-house mirror.

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