Last night found us again in Portland, gathering with long-time friends and wine lovers for an evening of catching up, laughter and, of course, indulging in good food and wine. Each couple brought a few bottles from their cellar and a dish to share, topped off with a fabulous cake to celebrate the night’s birthday boy. Most in the group have retired or are nearing that goal, and everyone has spent time abroad and enjoys travel. Our conversations inevitably include sharing details from the most recent journeys and upcoming trips as well as contemplations on as-yet unexplored destinations. Last night Harry and I reviewed our recent Maui visit, and Carrie intrigued me with tales of her cruise around the Caribbean and through the locks of the Panama Canal (that’s on my bucket list!). The coming year promises mostly domestic trips for the group for both work and leisure, but soon our thoughts turned to where we want to go but haven’t been yet. River cruises in Europe seem to have a broad appeal. In the past we’ve contemplated a group excursion on barges down the canals in France. We’ve promised that if we win the Powerball lottery this week, we’ll treat everyone in the group! Last night our thoughts turned to Rhine and Danube excursions. Rick, who served in the army in Germany for three years in the late ’70s, said the Christkindlesmarkt cruises would be really fun. He recalled his visit to the Christmas market in Nuremburg shortly after he arrived in Germany and noted what a great atmosphere and lovely products it offered. We also agreed that a summer cruise through the wine country there sounded heavenly, while visiting the great cities of Prague and Budapest also tempt us. I hope that soon these musings will turn into solid action, and sometime in the next few years I’ll be blogging about my adventures on the great rivers of Europe. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor