Adventures at Home and Abroad

The boat tour picked us up in Kaiteriteri and carried us along the north coast, into many inlets and bays, and finally dropped us at Awaora Bay. We wandered along the sand, feeling like we were almost on a deserted island, then back through the forest to a small lodge.  Farther down the path was an eating area with brick oven pizza! In the middle of nowhere! It sits along a hiking path that many people take (1, 2, or 3 days) through the park. Such a chill vibe…hikers and day visitors, just sitting under fruit trees, eating stellar pizza and drinking local wines/beers. 

We boarded an airplane from Wellington (on the north island) to Nelson (on the South Island) and did NOT have to go through security of any type. It felt so…normal…

Wellington was beautiful, but we knew it promised more than it could deliver. We experienced it on one of the rare sunny days. We could have easily been so disappointed, weather-wise. But the combination of hills, bays, and that magical light that occurs when the sun makes an appearance made us both happy. Visiting Zealandia, an animal refuge in the city, felt like escaping to the country. And we rode a cable car!

The art deco city on the Pacific. Great architecture and even better people watching. And a perfect night at the Matisse Wine Bar. Excellent wine, food and service, made even better by a picture perfect evening for sitting outdoors.

Picked up the rental car and John stepped right back into driving on the opposite side of the road. Observation: so far, NZ roads are wider than Ireland’s roads! And there are shoulders! Hallelujah, for our stress levels and other drivers’ safety. Rotorua is a geothermal region and there are mineral baths, steam vents, and other signs of this activity all over. And the scent of sulfur too. Fortunately, neither one of us seemed to have any effects from it. It is also an area of great Māori heritage. There is so much to learn and so many ways to butcher the words. We visited the Waimangu Valley, an area with long walking trails alongside steam vents, boiling water streams, and mineral deposits. So interesting to see. I’d be terrified to take kids there LOL. Then we did something that felt slightly sacrilegious—we walked along suspension bridges at the tops of very young (relatively) redwood trees. It smelled so familiar, peaty, earthy, fragrant. These trees are only 120 years old. Honest...

Made it, a day late, but not totally wiped out. The city is beautiful and we lunched at a cafe waterside. Our delay meant we didn’t make it to Waiheke Island, but we made the best of our one night in town. Something tells me I’ll be repeating this phrase for weeks, but the people are just lovely. The vibe is relaxed and so, so comfortable.

I spent four days worrying about the snow storm we were supposed to get in Denver. Should have worried about California, my California. Sat in Denver for 5 hours, waiting for our flight to San Francisco. Finally made it there, but missed our flight to Auckland. Oh joy. Finding hotels at 1:30 a.m. in San Francisco is fun (not). Being smart enough to book a day hotel while we waited for our 10:45 p.m. flight was priceless. Departed for Auckland 24 hours after our scheduled flight, but we made it. Hello tomorrow and kia ora.

Happier memories What is it about NEEDING a great haircut before a long trip that dooms one to a bad one? Is it always Murphy’s Law that you’ll get a terrible one that makes you whine endlessly before departure? I’d been planning to move on from Bobby—he who won’t shut up—but my decision was sealed. I didn’t ask for much when I saw him but he delivered even less. 

I loved Bantry. And Killarney was the jumping off point for some of those tiny roads of your nightmares. But you had to take those roads to see the sea. The view from our hotel outside of Killarney. Sublime. Molly Gallivan’s Visitor Center, on the road to Kenmare. Bantry House 100 year old wisteria…a theme. Dingle Peninsula.

 Our travels to the south and west hugged the coast mostly, except for the Rock of Cashel. Cork, Cobh, Bantry.  Someday, we’ll see it all in sunshine. But that’s a different trip. The view from Garnish Island. 100 year old rhododendrons, anyone? The cathedral in Cobh, the last stop of the Titanic. Rock of Cashel. So ancient.

Three weeks in Ireland and “The North” and the weather gods weren’t necessarily our friends this time. Mostly chilly and misty, so full of atmospherics but not always the best for photos or our moods. As usual, the people are so friendly, the food fresh and delicious, and the scenery breathtaking. Belfast, so interesting and full of tragic history. Along the Irish Sea. Back in the Republic, Glendalough.

We loved our whirlwind trip. Planes, trains, rental cars, and endless walking. Delicious food, Roman ruins, gorgeous countryside, incredible architecture, and art. Oh, and some of the most incredible stained glass I've ever seen... The Alhambra in Granada Casa Mila, a Gaudi masterpiece Ronda Palau de la Musica Catalonia

Cookies!

I took a zodiac boat tour of the Na Pali Coast thirty years ago, give or take. I still remember how majestic it was, from the slippery seat of that tiny boat. This visit, we timed the weather well, and scheduled a boat/snorkeling tour from Hanalei. The boats are bigger now, and there was even a toilet! Thank gosh I didn't need to use it. What a stunning morning we had. Lovely crew, the rest of the group wasn't too irritating (except for the young woman who styled herself a supermodel), and gorgeous views. Spinner dolphins trailed us for a while, and turtles greeted us languorously. It rained coming back to Hanalei (of course), but the sun was out once we docked. And rainbows, as it should be.

I'm torn between two travel scenarios. Time is limited. Life is short and there are so many places to visit. So is it better to go to a new place every "big" vacation, or return to places you know well and love? We have a checklist, like most travelers. Spain and Morocco. The South Pacific. The Low Countries. Parts of Asia. We typically wander by ourselves, but I'd like to try a river boat cruise and possibly a small, specialized tours, like we did on the Big Island. That three hours taught us more about Hawaii's flora and fauna, the volcano, and the people than we ever would have gotten on our own. It is a quandary. We love Kauai. It's beautiful. It's relaxing. The skies and water change constantly. We know where to eat, which beaches to lounge on, and which sites to revisit. In other words, it's a "chill" vacation. Completely different from visiting a new place, which can present such joy, but also stress and anxiety. We have a friend...

I played "corporate wife" and tagged along with John on a quick business trip to Chicago. We always talk about me joining him, but sometimes his trips are too painful. Some are too quick. And some are definitely to locations I have no interest in visiting. This trip was perfect, as he didn't have mandatory dinners each night with his colleagues. I hadn't been to Chicago in at least three years, so I was looking forward to visiting my old haunts (Art Institute) and going to new ones. The weather wasn't exactly perfect, but it definitely didn't snow or storm. I walked miles, learned to "Uber," and visited some new museums. Perfect! My new favorite museum is definitely the Richard Driehaus Museum , a Gold Coast mansion that has been refurbished to its original glory. The collections were stunning, especially the Tiffany lamps and fixtures, the tiles, and the ornate wood floors and moldings. Totally worth the admission fee and taking the time to att...

We've traveled to California for the Thanksgiving holidays every year since we've been together. Thanksgiving visits to my family, and Christmas holidays with John's. Most years, our trips include at least a few days on the Sonoma Coast. We stay at my parents' home at Bodega Bay, then spend our time wine-tasting, eating at fun places, and golfing. A few years ago, we discovered the Marshall Store, with its selection of fresh oysters (I mean, fresh from Tomales Bay, right in front of the place!). If the weather cooperated at all, we'd head down there for a perfect combination of scenic, peaceful drive plus delicious seafood. This year, we decided to make one tiny change. Well two. We made reservations at the Hog Island Oyster Company (just north of the Marshall Store) and we invited Dad to join us. He'd never eaten truly fresh oysters, only the disgusting, slimy canned ones that his mother used for her casseroles, so he was a bit skeptical. We ordered fresh, ...

There's nothing like starting a visit in a driving downpour, getting soaked unloading the car. Golf clubs, suitcases, and bags of groceries made it to the condo, mostly dry. Overall, we had a great visit, and spending some time with Lauren made it all worthwhile. She made us laugh and her Googling skills uncovered the absolute best lunch place in Williamsburg, off the beaten track. I think I ate the best sandwich of my life there. Our day in Jamestown was gray, but I hadn't been back in years, so the new museum complex was very impressive. I survived golfing with Dad and another man. My guess is he didn't play with women very often... My instincts said he was a Vegas mobster, but maybe I was being overly dramatic.

In a moment of weakness, I told my Dad I'd meet him at his condo in Williamsburg, VA TWO WEEKS after we got home from Ireland. What in the @#$% was I thinking? At least Lauren will be there. Family commitments are interesting. Sometimes we look forward to them, sometimes we dread them, and a lot of the time we make them out of a sense of guilt, or duty. He's flying all the way across the country to play golf for a week. I suppose I can fly half-way for four days. But as a stress management activity, I'm renting golf clubs. I refuse to lug them all the way for one round of golf. At a minimum, I'm going to Yorktown, and I'm going to blast the Hamilton soundtrack. My tiny rebellion.

It's funny to think that John poo-pooed a trip to Ireland for so many years. I'm not quite sure why, since he always emphasizes the "Irish" majority (3/4) of his Irish-German roots. Perhaps he knew that once he visited, he'd want to return, soon. And so it is. We both loved this trip. The people, the gorgeous countryside, the sea. And the villages and larger towns, which hummed with vibrancy. It's actually a great thing that the sun doesn't shine as much as we seem to need these days, or we would seriously be thinking of moving. We lucked out with the weather, except for our first day in Donegal, when the wind blew a gale. Only a few spits and spots after that. Driving felt easier than in England and Scotland, perhaps because they painted a white line down the middle of all but the tiniest roads...psychological comfort, I suppose. We visited so many places, but I think my initial list of favorites include: Our walks. The breezy and chilly trek out ...