End of another year...

Thursday, December 31. Cool again.

We all waited for a bit of the chill to be burned off this morning before we started on our 'walk'. A one and one half hour forced march led by Gail and Fellette. Jim and I bring up the rear watching out for enemy snipers and protecting the vulnerable and naive ladies leading us.

Back home before lunch which was very robust bean soup and a short respite before we four ventured out again, this time to a movie some 15 minutes away. It was about 20 minutes into the movies when I suspected that's it may be a Horrow Movie. But, I reasoned, it was a Western! That hunch turned into a reality as the movie moved along. I think there were 12 deaths, maybe more, all graphically shown, all by gunshot. The blood and gore was endless. Eventually it became comical and I could not stop laughing. It was wonderful as I achieved another goal today: I watched a horror movie all the way through!

Back home for a bit of a communal quiet time disturbed only by a phone call from the neighbour who advised of water running down our yard towards the front ditch. Wally, is in Maui, Craig was not available so Jeanette and Robert went out and surveyed the situation. It was determined that the irrigation system had sprung a leak and a text to the man, Steve resulted in it being resolved in short order. Thank you neighbour Gwen, daughter Jeanette and son-in law Robert and Steve, the sprinkler man.

Gail and Jim prepared a lovely fondue dinner for us four and it was delightful. We watched the New York festivities, had a cool glass of champagne and toasted each other, put on frilly hats and had goofy time before we called it a night.

Happy New Year. 

The happy gang on a short break while walking. 

A rare shot of Fellette and her husband. 

Yup, those are grapefruit.

Caitlyn and Nathan at a New Year's Eve Luau in Maui. 

Happy New Year from Lincoln Hills, California. 

Day two in Sacramento...

Wednesday, December 30. Cool.

After last nights home cooked dinner and a little wine, we both slept well indeed. Coffee was around six and we finally emerged from the bedroom about eight.

Breakfast and then some catchup and off on a bit of a drive and then a 2 1/2 hour hike/walk along the American River and lunch in a quainsy town called Auburn which was in its heyday about 125 years ago.

Back home and some of us had a nap and some played with their iPads etc. Before dinner we drove around the 6700 unit site to look at the Christmas light and visit the clubhouse that is about the size of an arena but laid out and furnished more like a five star hotel. Only in America as they say.  

After dinner we played Rumicbes for some time before retiring at 10:00. 

Good day, relaxing yet active. 

We four on the trail by the American River this crisp morning. 

In cute little Auburn. Founded in the early 1800s I believe. This was a firehall.

Guess who.

A town full of interesting characters and history, see the names of the bars. Not sure if they refer to sandbars on the river or drinking establishments. 

This is Jim and Gail's home.

This over the top house front is alongside a drive and is visible from a kilometre away. It looks like he had it professionally done and asked for "The Works!"

Home again...

Wednesday, June 17. Sunny, all the half way round the world.

We were up at 5:15, coffee, dressed, breakfast and ready to disembark at 7:15, we got off at 8:00. At the airport in jig time and through all the security stuff and sitting in the KLM lounger munching cheese on a bun with tea by 10:00.

Soon we were in the plane which took off at 1:35 and we landed in Vancouver at 1:35. Nine hour flight and nine hour time difference. I slept for maybe three hours, Fellette somewhat less. The journey from the airport home took 1 1/2 hours due to traffic.

We were in the garden having tea and surveying the damage incurred by our 19 day absence within minutes of arriving home. Not too bad: nothing that a little weeding and some watering won't fix in a couple of days. Fellette picked some berries and snap peas and we retired to our house. Jeanette and Alicia came for a visit which is always nice. Happy to be home and looking forward to bed tonight for sure.

This will be THE LAST POST folks, until we take off someday for some place interesting. 

Hope you enjoyed the trip.

Seated and ready for the day. This was eight hours after we got up. 
It was a very long day today.

10 minutes after take off. Nice way to start the journey home.

The TV monitor at our seat showing our progress.

KLM handed out these little bottles of Amsterdam Historic Houses just before we landed. 
One for each of us. A small amount of liqueur in each.

Checking the garden this afternoon.

The acorn squash have gone amok!

Same as the onions and potatoes.

We thought that the birds would have the cherries by now but they are not quite ripe enough for them.

Into the raspberries for tomorrow's breakfast. They need to have some long drinks of water.

If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium...

Tuesday, June 16. Cloudy and mild, clearing later, great day.

Well today is our last day in this fantasy world that we have been in for some time. I am writing this in the morning around 10:00 as the ship is docking in Zeebrugge, Belgium. We are scheduled to get off around noon for a walking trip through Bruge. We have been here before but it is the last chance to get out before we head home.

Tomorrow at this time we will be at the airport and the long travel day ahead awaiting us. We leave at 1:00 pm  and arrive at 2:00 pm, Lord willing. We will be out of kilter for a few days but at least we will be in 100% control of our life and can crash any time we want to.

The view the last two days has been a far cry from the green, green fields of Ireland. Somehow, all big cities have a certain similarity. Looking out the balcony windows we could be any where in the world in some industrialized city: grey looking with containers piled high and uninteresting warehouses as far as I can see.

Fellette is busy packing the bags as I write this, and  all done as I finish this.

*********

Our day went well. We had a guide who was obviously  Belgian and proud of it. He was also a history buff and we became saturated with facts about this tiny country within an hour. I am befuddled as to state one or two facts about this country because we had over 1000 facts given to us before we had done two hours of walking.

We started with a tour of a chocolate factory which was very interesting and then we continued our history lesson while strolling through the streets of this very busy but beautiful city. The weather could not have been better and it got better as the day went on.

We managed to squeeze in some power shopping for chocloates, a wee gift or two and also time for a refreshing Belgian beer before heading back to the ship. We had about 10 minutes to freshen up before heading down for dinner where our friends were kindly waiting for us. The menu was fine and the evening was delightful.

We noticed that the ship was headed in completely the wrong direction as we came out from dinner and never did find out why we are heading due west when we should have been going due east. I suggest we will know what happened before the trip is over.

The packing started as we waited for our tour to be called.

Everything is well organized, these tags let us know when we can get off tomorrow morning. 

One of the old gates to enter the city, some few hundred years ago.

The old city had canals as a measure of defense.

Almost like Amsterdam, but a bit neater in some regard.

In the Chocolate Museum, [?]. Given to the troops in the British Army in South African in 1900. We have one such tin.

Yup, you guessed it, made from chocolate!

Our chocolatier, he has been at it for some 20 years.

How do they get these perfect berries in this climate?

Too many people here is the only problem!

A canal cruise seems the way to see Bruge, and it is, we had one a few years ago.

It was hot enough for even Fellette to have a cool one today.

This evening after dinner as the ship steamed west [?] at good speed. We suspect it is returning to Bruge with a medical  emergency. We had a Dutch lady collapse on our tour but she 'refused medical treatment' when she came back by taxi to the ship. Who knows, maybe things worsened for her.

Cider, Cheese and Honfleur...

Monday, June 14. Cloudy overcast day. Not a good day for photos.

Today it was to be Cider, Cheese and the old town of Honfleur, considered  the birthplace of the Impressionist and Romantic art movements. 

First we were bussed to the Calvados distillery where all the ins and out of turning apple juice into either a pleasant juice or a screetching burning cognac-like brandy was explained to us. It was interesting but it would have been more so in the apple season.

We were given a chance to sample a mild, somewhat easy to take brandy and then a more potent throat searing version of an older brew.

Next we went and sampled a variety of cheeses and then could appreciate a mild apple cider that was quite refreshing. The cheeses were excellent and this was our first encounter with French Bread, other than on the ship. [By the way, the breads on the ship are absolutrly marvelous.]

Next we took the 20 minute ride to the most interesting of cities or town that I can recall, Honfleur. We have been here before on a river cruise and picked this tour so we could stroll it at a more leisurely pace today. Combined, we took 114 photos. I can see why this is such a mecca for painters, in days gone by and still today. Every time you look, there is a picture waiting to be painted or a photo to be taken.

We did get into the wooden catherdral this time, last visit there was a wedding taking place. The bell tower was too heavy to put atop the wooden structure so the made it a separate building for it.

Back to the ship for tea, but no lunch and a short quiet time. Tonight we are dining in style in a ship's specialty restaurant. Tonight I think it will be fish, we have had a bit too much meat the last two weeks methinks.

At the Calvados Distillery. The two towers were at one time standing alone and separate and a few hundred years ago, they joined them. This was a German occupied building during WWII.

It was quite a pleasant refreshing drink.

We miss tea in our own garden.

The maintenance costs must be astronomical.

Belly up to the bar, boys. Now 10:00 am!

Topped off the brandy with cheese, bread and a mild pleasant

cider.

In Honfleur. This town escaped bombing whereas larger

 Le Havre was flattened and is all new buildings now.

Flowers where you can get them I suppose. No gardens as such in the town.

Once again, if the walls could talk.

It looks like a Hollywood set, or a painting you would by on the riverbank in Paris.

The Old Harbour in Honfleur.

What do you call five hundred yards of sidewalk cafes? 

This was fascinating, a shop that only sells sardines or derivatives of them. 

This is the Bell Tower that was too heavy to put on top of a wooden catherdral, constructed of wood because the architects were too busy working on other structures. They we replacing the buildings the 'English' burned during the 100 Years War. Some few hundred years ago. It is amazing, the English and the French have been annoying each other almost since recorded history.

I thought that this domestic scene of a man painting his store-front was worthy of a shot. What a beautiful shade of green he had chosen. So French! The photo did not really pick up the colour though.