Tales of the South Pacific, Day 5, Avalon, Catalina Island

Had a magnificent day today…..  Got on the first tender going ashore around 11:30 this morning.  My friend Vicki & I decided to rent a golf cart and explore as much as we could of the island.  The golf carts are only allowed to go so far….  Never the lee, the views from the high points were spectacular…..  It was an enjoyable ride, I just put the pedal to the metal and drove at full speed, which isn’t very fast, especially in mountainous terrain.  After returning the golf cart, we spent a good portion of the afternoon wandering around town, exploring, eating and shopping….  It was a really lovely day!  Tomorrow, we arrive into San Diego early in the morning.  I don’t have much of a plan but will run the odd errand or two and …..  get some Wi-Fi!   Tonight, zi will be having dinner with Henk & Christel, the Hotel Director and his Guest Relations wife….  Really looking forward to a lovely evening!

Tales of the South Pacific, Day 4, At Sea

Today was very cloudy and a lot cooler than yesterday….  I spent the majority of the day at the mid ship pool reading and visiting with friends.  I went for a nice long walk, getting the kinks out.  Tonight I was invited, along the Twinkle, the Asst Beverage Manager, to join Vicki Morgan for dinner in the Pinnacle Grill.  Tina and her staff did a magnificent job.  The meal and company was fabulous.  It was the perfect way to end a nice relaxing day at sea.  Tomorrow, we visit Avalon, Catalina Island which is part of California….   Looking forward to seeing some lovely sights and having a nice walk about…..

Tales of the South Pacific, Day 3, At Sea

What a magnificent day!!!!!  Sometimes when you least expect it, a spectacular day will appear.  My expectations was for a cloudy, cold & windy day…..  What I didn’t expect was a hot, sunny day at the midship pool.  It felt so nice to sit in the sun, relax and read…..  I went for a walk later in the afternoon, primarily to work out some issues left over from my fall yesterday.  Feels like I made have slightly pulled a muscle or two….  This evening I had a wonderful meal with Shiv & Rene, such great friends…..  All things considered, things are going very well on this voyage, a few kinks to work out but overall it’s great!

Tales of the South Pacific, Day 2, Vancouver, Canada

What a fabulous day!!!!!  The sail into the port of Vancouver was especially beautiful due to the early morning hours, beautiful skyline and calm waters…..  Just magnificent!  After clearing the ship we were allowed to go ashore, just after 7:00 am….  I decided to go out early, I was meeting my friends Jan & Gerard at 8:30 so I thought I’d spend the time walking around and snapping a few pics.  I was so excited when I ran into one of my favorite Holland America Line employees, Sarah Coles…..  so nice to see her.  It was exciting to see Jan & Gerard again, been too long!  They also introduced me to a couple of fellow guests and friends of Jan & Gerard, Yolanda & Alex.  Off we went, exploring some of the beautiful areas of Vancouver.  First we headed out to Stanley Park, a beautiful spot!  Then it was off to Beaver Lake where, as usual, I was doing something a bit risky to get a photo when I fell into the lake…  a bit chilly but no harm done.  Then we made a photo stop at Lion’s Gate Bridge on the way to Sunset Beach.  At Sunset Beach, we got out and started the Millennial Walk to Granville Island.  It was a fabulous walk, very scenic!  At Granville Island we visited the market which was beyond impressive…  you can get pretty much anything you need to make a wonderful meal.  Then we took the False Creek Ferry back to Sunset Beach where we picked up the car and headed back to the port.  We had a delicious lunch at the Tap & Barrel before going through immigration and reboarding the ship…  It was a spectacular day!  Thanks Jan & Gerard!