On our second to last port of call. My excursion for today was a walk to the top of a volcano on Rangitoto Island . . . about 800 steps!
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Auckland, New Zealand & Rangitoto Island
Having survived a day at sea, partying into the wee hours of this morning, we arrived in Auckland around 08:00. The indigenous Maori first called their home “Tmaki Makaurau, a maiden with a hundred lovers! Nestled between two harbours, this fertile volcanic land must have been iresistable to the early European settlers. With its cool,…
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Dunedin, New Zealand
On Day 5 of our cruise, which was November 11th, we sailed into Dunedin, New Zealand. Sealing and whaling may have brought the first Europeans to the Otago Peninsula, but it was religion that brought about the town. In 1848, a group of Presbyterian Scots founded the settlement and named it Dunedin . . .…
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Sydney, Australia
Sylvia and I have a bucket list of worldwide destinations to visit. We have been to most, but Australia and New Zealand are still there. We finally made arrangements to take a cruise to visit “downunder”. We flew for 5-1/2 hours from Ottawa to Vancouver, laid over for 3 hours, then flew directly to Sydney…
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Lisbon, Portugal
Malaga, Spain
Situated along the Costa del Sol, Malaga boasts beautiful beaches, picturesque gardens and a quaint historic quarterIts easygoing lifestyle and sunny weather make it a favourite vacation spot. Malaga was the last of the Moorish cities to fall to the Catholic Monarchs. With the conquest of Granada in 1492, Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula…
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Valencia, Spain
A taste of Valencia means the local specialty – – – paella. The origins of Valencia’s ‘foodie’ contribution to Spanish cuisine goes back to 714AD. Arabs invaded this Roman colony and called it Ballansiya. Then the Moors built mosques, traded silk and spices and ceramics and devoured these casserole dishes. The Catholics drove in 1238…
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Barcelona, Spain
Welcome to Barcelona. It is unlike any other city in Spain. It has personality. It’s the Paris of the Spanish Riviera with grand boulevards. Thriving arts. Culture. With proud Spanish heritage. Famous for Gaudi, the architect of modern cutting-edge buildings and facades. I took a walk along Las Ramblas, which is an awe-struck, tree-lined boulevard…
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Panama Cruise. Caribbean Pool Deck Party in Aruba
We arrived in Aruba on Sunday, December 27. After a day of touring, we enjoyed an evening on the pool deck, dancing, frolicking and eating and drinking Caribbean fare. Here are a few photos from this event.
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Panama Cruise. Aruba
If there is one island in all of the Caribbean, Aruba epitomizes what an island in the azure blue should be. Pixy dust, sandy beaches, as fine and soft as baby powder with warm bathwater lapping at the shore. In the 15th century, Spanish explorers arrived to colonize Aruba. However, the Dutch defeated the Spaniards…
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