 |
| Savannah CLICK ANY PIC TO ENLARGE |
Here is what we were up to during 2013.
It was our 13th and 7th
post-retirement years, respectively, and we continued to have the health, resources
and time – all of them diminishing, of course - yet still sufficient to be able
to travel and explore for new adventures, as well as to make like-minded friends
around the world. Life is full of
choices, and we have learned they must be seized while there is the opportunity.
How little time there really is. We lost 2 long term friends in their early
60s during the past 12 months. Carpe
diem.
This year, we were away from home just as
much as ever, but did not travel as far afield.
There are a LOT of fabulous sites right here in North America.
 |
| Wintering in California with friend Carrie |
One thing we have learned in our old(er) age is that we don’t like winter anymore, so in mid-January we escaped to the California Desert for 5 weeks at our usual Jan-Feb haunts: the marvelous Marriott resort in Palm Desert, where we own some timeshare weeks, plus another week on the Southern California coast north of San Diego.
 |
| On the Bump & Grind Trail above Palm Desert |
 |
| Our view at Palm Desert |
 |
| Sea lions and cormorants collect at La Jolla, CA |
 |
| A refined afternoon at the Palm Desert Polo Club |
 |
| Celebrating February birthdays in California with multiple occasion travel companions Lynn & Steve and Mike & Sue |
April and May used to be time for a trans-Atlantic cruise when the companies were repositioning their ships for the summer season, but since 2009, it has meant packing up the car with clothes and cats, and a 20 hour drive to our house in Hilton Head, South Carolina, with the flowering azaleas, magnolias, oleanders, and beautiful Spring weather.
 |
| Friends Suzy & Gordon carrying on in Hilton Head |
 |
| Cedar waxwings in a loquat tree outside the bedroom window |
 |
| Friends Betty & Rich, who influenced us in buying on Hilton Head Island |
Ebony and Zorro, our cats, love it in Hilton Head, too.
 |
| Our day trip to nearby Savannah with residents - and cruise buddies - Jules & Sue |
Ebony and Zorro, our cats, love it in Hilton Head, too.
In June, we did a very Canadian thing – travelling the passenger train from Ottawa across Canada to Vancouver. What a hoot. We had the largest accommodation space you could buy – a double cabin each - but it was still miniscule – and noisy, with oft-screeching tracks – yet we experienced 3 days and 4 nights of the stunning panorama of our magnificent country, good food and some interesting, international visitors who had come to admire Canada. Thanks Gerry and Myrna for the idea.
We followed the trip westward with a few
perfect weather days in Vancouver – renting a lovely house in Deep Cove on the
north shore - no rain, can you believe that? - added a week in Victoria seeing
old and new friends with whom we biked local trails, explored wine country, and
shared meals, then a further 10 days traversing by car the gorgeous interior of
British Columbia over the Rockies into Banff, Alberta.
 |
| Friend Christie with Colleen on the dock of our rental house in Deep Cove, BC |
 |
| Sue & Jake's son Geoff & wife Nicole, new baby Marcello, and 'the Monti-dog' in Vancouver |
 |
| At our Victoria condo |
 |
| Our view up the Gorge |
 |
| Victoria friend Francis, who cares so well for our condo |
 |
| Reconnecting with Victoria residents Alec & Linda, new friends from our Fall 2012 Marina cruise |
 |
| Making a new friend at George & Marg's cottage, Pender Island, BC |
 |
| Mission Hill Winery on Lake Okanagan |
In particular, many thanks again to Colleen’s high school friend, Tish, and her husband, Gerry, for their fun hospitality in their lovely West Kelowna home - wonderful.
 |
| Beautiful scenery everywhere |
 |
| The road to ourselves |
But Banff was not a bad place to be
trapped. The main problem for us, however, was that we had a one-way car rental
that HAD to be dropped in Calgary 3 days later, before our flight home out of
Calgary airport.
 |
| Engineer Colleen on duty at Craigellachie, BC, site of the last spike on the Trans-Canada railway |
 |
| The Spiral Tunnels near Field, BC enabled a major elevation change without the very steep grade (1909) |
 |
| The summit of Rogers Pass through the Rockies |
 |
| View from the Rimrock Hotel in Banff, Alberta |
After mudslides had been cleaned up
northward on day 3, we ventured on a circuitous 6 hour detour, for the normally
90 minute trip, and successfully made it into Calgary in time to spend an
afternoon and dinner, with longtime friend, Nina, Tish’s sister, and Nina’s
husband, Don. Having lost 2 friends this
year, as mentioned, we truly realize the importance of maintaining ties.
 |
| This year only a subset of this long time group of friends could convene |
During the summer, the Giffin Gang regrouped for probably the 27th year to cruise yet another stretch of the Rideau Canal, this year to Merrickville. Thank you Ed and Shirley for keeping this group together for a generation. Thank you Barry and Sandy for providing the boat yet again and another fun day.
 |
| Wineries: the helmeted, cautious Coles, Sue & Jake, and the un-helmeted, foolish Frasers |
We capitalized on cheaper airfares from the USA, and scooted over from NOTL to nearby Buffalo, NY, and flew to Hilton Head for another 10 days since it is always so dreamy there in the Fall.
 |
| Miles of bike paths in our neighborhood |
After two and a half weeks home, we were then
off on our annual big Fall odyssey.
First stop: France. We rented a
car at Paris airport and drove south into the Loire valley again, settling in
for 3 nights in Amboise, a charming town at the heart of the area renowned for its
exquisite castles – or more properly, châteaux
- such as Château d'Amboise, Chambord, and Chenonceau. There are more than 300 absolutely
grand structures built between the 10th and 16th centuries
in unbelievable splendor and extravagance by the French kings - and the nobility
who wanted to be nearby. In some cases,
these extravagant castles were just hunting
lodges! No wonder there was a French Revolution.
 |
| King Francois I's "hunting lodge" Chateau Chambord (1547) |
 |
| Chateau Chenonceau: Henry II's mistress built the wing over the Cher River 1555 |
Then Provence, for a bit, alighting high up in hills with Mediterranean views near Nice.
Part 2 was dropping the rental car in Marseille
and flying east on a 3 hour direct flight to the jewel of Istanbul. We were a
bit anxious about the simmering tensions between Turkey and their lethal
neighbour Syria in the months before our trip, but having been to Istanbul
before for only a single day, knew that we needed at least 4 days to begin to
understand this complex city.
In the end, these tensions did not affect
us in this humming, breathtaking metropolis of 15 million – nearly half the
population of Canada. Istanbulites were
friendly and always interested in helping us.
Quite a few people could speak English.
2 interesting links:
Welcome to Istanbul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSRUPXugq4
Timeless City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iglYVm01RHU
2 interesting links:
Welcome to Istanbul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSRUPXugq4
Timeless City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iglYVm01RHU
 |
| The magical Blue Mosque |
About 500 years later, in 1923, Turkey gained independence from post-WW1 Allied control, and set its own course to modernize, including another name change: Istanbul. Though still an Islamic country, it is firmly secular, by legislation put into place 90 years ago now which makes this a far different Muslim world than elsewhere. If you are going, do read first about their deceased, beloved leader, Ataturk, who set the new course, including the move in the 1920s from the Arabic alphabet to the Western one we all use, a daring and insightful move for the successes they now reap and share with the outside world. We were very impressed with Istanbul.
 |
| Exquisite tiles domes of the Blue Mosque |
We stayed in a well-located boutique hotel - perfect for us - in the shadow of the astonishing Blue Mosque – constructed in 1609 with overwhelming size, majesty and splendor.
Displaying 6 minarets, it is the #10 most
holy mosque in all of Islam.
Istanbul is the only city in the world to
span 2 continents, with the ancient and the business sectors located in Europe,
and the larger, more residential areas located in Asia, separated by the
Bosphorus Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara (which leads
to the Med).
Stunning vistas from Istanbul hilltops and
bridges of both an ancient and modern world are truly astounding. And the food
variety and quality is remarkable.
 |
| The Basilica Cistern: a cavernous underground water storage for the city built 532AD; also location for James Bond's From Russia with Love |
Istanbul is a happening place; during our
stay, Tiger Woods was in town to promote the upcoming Turkish Open, and towards
that end, hit some golf balls on the Bosphorus bridge from one continent to the
other. It used to be the 4th
longest bridge in the world at 1.5 km, so it would have been a mighty drive, but
in any event, this Western stunt did not impress many Istanbulites who had
their bridge traffic backlogged for 2+ hours by, as they said, a serial adulterer.
 |
| A chaotic street scene near the Spice Bazaar |
 |
| We discussed the Middle East with this young Syrian |
 |
| Cutthroat negotiating at the gigantic Grand Bazaar |
 |
| The Dolmabahce Palce: One home of the Ottoman sultans until 1923 independence |
 |
| The Spice Bazaar |
Segment 3 was a 26 day cruise on Oceania Riviera.
We sailed out of Istanbul in
the evening with the city on both sides lighted, through the Sea of Marmara,
into the narrows of the Dardanelles Strait, past Gallipoli and Troy and into
the Aegean Sea – famous names from Antiquity, mythology and World War 1.
What a magical experience Oceania
offers.
Among our port stops:
- - the excavations of Ephesus, a 10th
century BC Greek and later Roman city that was reputedly where Apostle John
wrote his Gospel, where one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World - the Temple
of Artemis - was located, where you will today find the restored, eye-popping
Library of Celsus, and where 1000s of tourists visit every month. It was our
second visit so we had prepared in detail after having been so overwhelmed the
first time. Whatever the truth of what
did happen here, advanced polytheistic Greek
and Roman civilizations left evidence of their love of art, architecture, advanced
plumbing and municipal organization. Trying to picture Apostle John preaching
here to largely pagan crowds on his way from Jerusalem does make one question
what he would think of humankind more than 2000 years after Jesus’ birth. With
continual wars, brutality and terror, have we progressed sufficiently?
 |
| The Library of Celsus (135AD) |
-
- the Greek island of Crete, where
we hired a car to drive ourselves around this unexpectedly charming place,
anchored as it is in Antiquity by its most famous attraction: the real ruins of
the Palace of Knossos, home of – more spirituality - the mythological half man,
half bull Minotaur, and the labyrinth, all dating from the 12th
Century BC.
- - Naples, from where we revisited
the breathtaking Amalfi coast: Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and the surreal Ravello,
all quintessential charming Italian coastal towns.
-
 |
| The enchanting Amalfi Coast |
 |
| Villa Cimbrone in Ravello |
- Rome and Florence, bastions of the Catholic church that led the re-birth of western civilization out of the ignorance and tyranny of the Dark Ages.
- On the Rome day, we ventured instead by car to Orvieto, north of Rome. In this very special, medieval walled, fortified, hilltop town is a huge, magnificent cathedral – way out of proportion for the size of the city because in 1290, Pope Nicholas IV decided to add Orvieto to a few other European cities for Papal palaces/cathedrals as they visited their territories. He did not survive to see its completion, but it was yet another touch point of our reflection on the absolute power of religion over the centuries.
- Then, of course, there was Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, where the Arts flourished unparalleled anywhere in the 1500s and 1600s. For us, Florence parallels cities like Rome and Paris: there would never be enough time in life to plumb all the interesting history of the city. Inexpensive Italian train rides provide easy access to Florence and Rome from port cities, but this particular return journey was somewhat too eventful, but that is a story for another time.
- Barcelona, another of our favourite cities, colored by the unique style of artist-architect Gaudi in the early 1900s, and the futuristic buildings erected for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Plus, we finally were able to go to an authentic Spanish flamenco show. These live events start late in the evening, and since we had only ever been to Spain by a cruise ship in the past, we were always back out at sea by the time the shows began. Not this time. Fabulous. Olé!
 |
| Hilltop village of Gordes, France |
 |
| Yet another wonderful bakery, Gordes |
 |
| Pastries beckon in Menerbes, France (There are a dozen more photos available on request!) |
 |
| Buying Bird-of-Paradise flowers in Funchal, on the island of Madeira |
 |
| Heading back to our home at sea after a day in Villefranche & Eze, France |
During our wonderful
month at sea, we made a lot of new and interesting friends, saw many wonderful
sights and had new and memorable experiences.
Part 4 – which rounded out 2013 – was 3 weeks in Florida: one was in Key West, a small city on the most southerly and westerly of the long string of islands dotting the Gulf of Mexico half way to Cuba, and connected by short and long bridges for a full 3 hour drive south of Miami. Laid back is the motto, as many know, but it was not quite as risqué and loose as we expected. Key West was made famous by Ernest Hemingway and his polydactyl cats – 43 of whom still inhabit his house-turned-museum, and by Harry Truman who had his Winter White House there.
 |
| Yippee! Palm Beach, FL |
 |
| Palm Beach: Can't be beat |
We had a further 2 weeks in Orlando, again trading into lovely accommodations using our Marriott timeshares. On the way, we paused for a hit of Palm Beach - one of our favorite spots.
In Orlando, we played with frequent travelling buddies - and new residents of nearby Winter Park - Suzy and Gordon, who devoted much of their time to organizing joint activities for us. We hadn’t been to Orlando and Disney’s Epcot for 12 years. It was all so enjoyable, we will definitely be returning soon.
 |
| The boys are loaded up for a day trip with Gordon & Suzy to The Villages, FL |
 |
| Lunch at the chateau-like Orlando JW Marriott with Gordon & Suzy |
 |
| Welcome to the world of Disney |
But it wasn’t all travelling leisure. Despite the travel, Colleen continued to work successfully wherever we were to fill and to coordinate our weekly/monthly rentals in Hilton Head and Victoria, BC. The amazing connectivity of the internet everywhere is essential to our travels as we continue to coordinate much of our lives through its miraculous access.
Now home a few days, we are working hard
to improve the health of one of our cats who is now a very sick boy - very
upsetting to him and us. Much of this has caused the lateness of our greetings
here.
Merry Christmas, belatedly, and a Happy
New Year. May it be healthy and happy
for you and your loved ones, and may we reconnect with you in the near future.
 |
| Stanley Park, Vancouver |
 |
| Outside the France showcase at Disney's EPCOT in Orlando |
“A thrill of Hope, a Weary World rejoices
For yonder breaks a New and Glorious Morn.” http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2009/12/o-holy-night-3-yonder-breaks-a-new-and-glorious-morn/
Happy Birthday, Jesus
______________
