August 2020 archive

Viking – Stunning Views Remarkable Service

European River Cruise

Although the sites of the French riverside were the reason for us to go there for vacation, it was the staff on the Viking Heimdal that impressed us the most. Undeniably their online and television ads paint the picture of an effortless way to tour many cities. However, when you see how smoothly they run an ambitious operation, you must give credit to the staff that work incredibly hard over your cruise.

Firstly, the hotel manager and the cruise director have the most attention of the guests. Not only do they give you updates daily on the itineraries, but they are the point of contact for any of your needs while on your trip. Undoubtedly managing the whereabouts of all the passengers is a daunting task, but they seem to do it with a smile from early in the morning, to late at night. Indeed, I have admired how much they happily work while attempting to satisfy the requests of so many travelers!

Viking Staff

In like fashion, a long river cruise ship requires a crew to physically ensure the boat is docked securely at each port. Being that a river has numerous bridges, the crew needed to be at the ready in case high waters required the preparation of the top deck from possible damage as we passed under. Of course, I thought that this needed to be done. However, the efficiency we saw every day as the ship continued up the river was like clockwork.

While on board, the food is better than at most restaurants I usually visit! Regardless of your dietary needs, they have plenty of options. From breakfast to dinner, they fuel you up for as much activity as you can take throughout the day. Surprisingly, they have a small onboard kitchen, but they produce more food than expected on every day of the cruise! Thanks especially to Robbie Sheriffs, the hotel manager that coordinated all of our needs while on board. He and his staff made our vacation better than we expected! Thanks to everyone on the Viking Heimdal for a beautiful cruise.

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Vienne and Lyon – Cultural Heart of France

Roman Temple in Vienne, France ©TimeLine Media

Viking River Cruise

As our vacation on the Rhone River came to a close, we visited the cities of Vienne and Lyon. Besides become more populated as we went north, the terrain of the area also seemed to grow. As can be seen, we were hiking as high up the valley terrain as we could go. Vienne is home to many ancient Roman buildings that survive next to modern shops and cafes. Our tour guide pointed out the similarity of the design of the Temple of Augustus & Livia to buildings much closer to home. Thomas Jefferson, who visited Vienne while he was ambassador to France, used this temple as inspiration for buildings in the United States! Bring from Virginia, this was immediately apparent.

Night illumination of the Temple of August & Livia ©TimeLine Media
Vienne and the Rhone River from Mount Pipet ©TimeLine Media
Vienne with its ancient Roman Theater in the foreground ©TimeLine Media

During a hike up Mount Pipet above the city, you are given a beautiful panoramic view of the city. Directly below you is the Roman theater that holds up to 13,000 spectators. The theater was buried for centuries. In the 1930x, it was uncovered completely. It is subsequently used for modern performances including the Vienna Jazz Festival which attracts international performers and audiences.

Vienne and Lyon

Lyon is the largest city on this trip. The Rhone and Saone river converge here at this second largest city of France. To be sure we saw the art and food that elevates this city to international fame. From the galleries, to large food halls with chefs on large advertisements, they have impressive diversity of culture throughout. Following our arrival discovering favorite areas was easy in this accessible area. The Old Town was walkable and accessible. At this time, we interacted with more of the people visiting the area, and we had many friendly interactions. Especially at the photo store where I was able to get a few of my favorite images printed to give as gifts to our tour operators.

Little did we think that only a few months later more Americans would flood the city to support the Women’s National Soccer team! The finals of the tournament is scheduled to be in Lyon where the United States brought home the top trophy again. Although we were not there for such a large event, we can see how this city has the capacity to host such an important, international tournament. Picturesque views as well as the best that France can offer in food helps to put their best foot forward. We enjoyed our short trip, and we look forward to a future trip to the south of France!

TimeLine Mediawww.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Noserale Home Improvement – Professional Branding Session

Noserale Home Improvement renovation project in Reston, Virginia ©TimeLine Media
Noserale Home Improvement renovation project

Reston, Virginia

Ricardo Noserale of Noserale Home Improvement is another contact I made through networking. Occasionally, you form good working relationships with people you meet through business events, and Ricardo has become a trusted friend that I can depend on. As can be seen in the photos here, and in his work, he is much more than a handyman or contractor. Undeniably, he is a craftsman that takes pride in his work. Of course, I have seen this in work he produces for other clients, but also in my own home!

Ricardo finishing a concrete step outside a door ©TimeLine Media
Ricardo finishing a concrete step outside a door

On this occasion, Ricardo was working on renovating home in Reston. A screened-in porch was removed, and enclosed to make a new living room. While reviewing the plans that he had onsite, it was clear that this was a very large job that required a lot of skills to completely correctly. Given that he has years of experience in commercial and residential projects, Ricardo estimated two months to complete. These days in the middle of the job emphasizes his skills in both planning and construction.

Sweeping up prior to working on flooring
Noserale Home Improvement working on a sanding a floor with sparks ©TimeLine Media
Sparks flying while smoothing out the base surface

It is a privilege to see experts at work. Since this session, the homeowners are enjoying their large new living room. Ricardo not only is a master at construction, but he cares about how you will live in your home after he leaves. While it can be stressful to have work done in your house, rest assured Ricardo and NHI is a company you can trust to do it right “with no shortcuts”.

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

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