Perth Post
The main thing we wanted to see in Perth was the Swan Tower and its bells from St. Martin in the Fields (see earlier post.) and by the time we got to the tower I thought post would be titled … Continue reading Perth Post
Tag: Holland America Line
You Owe Me Five Farthings. (Say the bells of…)
One of the great joys of living in Sitka is “change bell ringing” from the tower of St. Michael’s Cathedral. Change Ringing is not playing a tune, but the repeat of a mathematical sequence of different bells. The sequence is … Continue reading You Owe Me Five Farthings. (Say the bells of…)
Frebo
Fremantle, Australia was the last port Pop sailed into before reaching Calcutta and the CBI Theater in World War II. In one of his letters he described an “armada” of allied shipping gathered in this staging area, although, to me, … Continue reading Frebo
Why Cruise Ship Life is a Lot Like Living in Southeast Alaska.
Being on a cruise ship is somewhat like living on an island in Alaska. Sometimes you run out of stuff and can’t replace it easily. During much of our kids’ growing up it was difficult to get fresh milk that … Continue reading Why Cruise Ship Life is a Lot Like Living in Southeast Alaska.
Fringe Flash – Adelaide
Adelaide boasts that its Fringe Festival is the second largest in the world (Edinburgh is first.) But more importantly it’s “The Biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.” Which is code for “Bigger than Sydney’s” and we landed in the middle of … Continue reading Fringe Flash – Adelaide
Doin’ OK in Adelaide
In Albania the standard greeting is “Mire Dita, Si Jeni?” “Good Day, How are you?” As an American I always answered in the optimistic, “Doing great!” or “I’m well.” Once someone caught me up and asked “Why are you always … Continue reading Doin’ OK in Adelaide
It Must Be Raindrops
Sometimes things go wrong on a ship. It is a big mechanical conglomeration of parts that is beat around by high winds and seas that rise 30 feet. Parts of it pop out of the water and slam down again … Continue reading It Must Be Raindrops
Community Radio and Kangaroos.
Each Community Station is unique but somehow we are all the same. This was to be our one shot at seeing Australian Wildlife in the wild. Instead we found a community radio station. Kangaroo Island is an island nearly 100 … Continue reading Community Radio and Kangaroos.
QVB in the CBD
A highlight of the Central Business District (CBD( is the Queen Victoria Building (QVB). It’s one of those Victorian iron and glass structures that followed the first world’s fair at crystal palace. It was an architecture style that was used … Continue reading QVB in the CBD
Sydney Opera House.
The Sydney Opera House is one of those iconic structures that define a city, like the Eifel Tower, the Statue of Liberty or Big Ben. But perhaps it is misnamed. It is more an overall performing arts center. The concert … Continue reading Sydney Opera House.
The Rocks Is
The Rocks is (I labored over this, “The Rocks is” sounds bad but “The Rocks” is a district so I am counting it as a singular) the birthplace of Sydney, on a peninsula of land in the harbor. Now the … Continue reading The Rocks Is
Community Knitting Project — Sydney
Texture can evoke memory. I’ve not used a paper straw in years. But here in Sydney at “The Tea Cozy” they’ve given me a paper straw and the taste and texture of it bring back childhood memories. We’re having tea … Continue reading Community Knitting Project — Sydney
Evaporating Waterfalls — Milford Sound
The Rough Guide to New Zealand suggests that the best time to visit Milford Sound is during a rainstorm. I suppose this is a good attitude to have since it rains 180 days a year (sound familiar) delivering around 7 … Continue reading Evaporating Waterfalls — Milford Sound
Doubtful Sound but Familiar Names.
Doubtful Sound was named by Captain Cook because he was doubtful that if he sailed in he could get out again, so he gave it a pass. He left the exploration of the sound to the Spaniard Malaspina. Both … Continue reading Doubtful Sound but Familiar Names.
Fjordlands National Park — Dusky Sound
On Wednesday we sailed through Fjordland National Park on the South Island. We visited three sounds, Dusky, Doubtful and Milford. Dusky Sound was our first sailing destination at 8 in the morning. Dusky was named by Captain Cook, and on … Continue reading Fjordlands National Park — Dusky Sound
Albatross, Penguins and Timber, Otago Bay, South Island.
Dunedin, on New Zealand’s south island, is Garlic for Edinburgh and when we sailed into Otago Bay, on which Dunedin and its seaport Port Chalmers are located we could see a similarity with Scotland. One of the main exports from … Continue reading Albatross, Penguins and Timber, Otago Bay, South Island.
Art Deco Town – Napier, New Zealand.
Napier reminds me of what I imagine Los Angeles to have looked like in 1940, a mission style art deco with a pleasing climate near the sea. In an earlier post I talked about the earthquake that destroyed Napier New … Continue reading Art Deco Town – Napier, New Zealand.
Cars older than Cuba’s – Napier, New Zealand.
One of the saddest things we had to do to move to Alaska was sell our 1928 Model A Ford. We sold it in 1980 when we moved because we didn’t think we could drive it over the mountains to … Continue reading Cars older than Cuba’s – Napier, New Zealand.
It Fell Like A House of Cards — St. John’s Cathedral, Napier NZ.
“It fell like a house of cards.” That’s what an eyewitness said when the brick Waiapu Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist collapsed in an earthquake in February, 1931. There was a service going on inside at the time, … Continue reading It Fell Like A House of Cards — St. John’s Cathedral, Napier NZ.
Happy People — Mount Maunganui
The itinerary said our port of call was Tauranga but we really docked in Mount Maunganui and we had a plethora of options. We could visit the massive thermal area at Rotorua, do a canopy walk through the redwoods, visit … Continue reading Happy People — Mount Maunganui
Extreme Sports into the Sunset
New Zealanders are thrill seekers, or at least they think people visiting them are. In Auckland we had the option of bungee jumping off of all sorts of urban structures, climbing all sorts of urban structures, zip lining, and being … Continue reading Extreme Sports into the Sunset
Lunch in Devonport
We got an email from Suzi’s sister Nancy who told us that Pat and Paul Kaufman were in Auckland. We’ve known Pat and Paul for years. When I called Paul and he asked me what we had planned. I told … Continue reading Lunch in Devonport
America’s Cup!
On Saturday morning I woke up and my lags hurt. It was worth it. On Friday we got to do something that I had always wanted to do for a long time, (but I’m not sure Suzi was as enthusiastic), … Continue reading America’s Cup!
Lost Day at Sea
We went to bed on Sunday night and woke up on Tuesday morning. For us Monday, January 29, did not exist. We crossed the date line and are now through a quarter of the world’s time zones. On Niue a … Continue reading Lost Day at Sea