This is my first post of 2020 and I present my personal 10 favourite photos of the year. These photographs will not necessarily be the ones which were most-popular on Facebook, Instagram or my blog. They even may have not appeared in any of these media at all; these are my personal favourites! I will…
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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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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! Â Nestled between two harbours, this fertile volcanic land must have been iresistable to the early European settlers. Â With its cool,…
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On Day 5 of our cruise, which was November 11th, we sailed into Dunedin, New Zealand. Â Sealing and whaling may have brought the first Europeans to the Otago Peninsula, but it was religion that brought about the town. Â In 1848, a group of Presbyterian Scots founded the settlement and named it Dunedin . . .…
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Sylvia and I have a bucket list of worldwide destinations to visit. Â We have been to most, but Australia and New Zealand are still there. Â We finally made arrangements to take a cruise to visit “downunder”. Â 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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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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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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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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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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