Day 3…Henderson, Nevada…Posting photos from Norway continues today…Exciting upcoming event!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 2, 2023 with 0 Comment

My fabulous egg white omelet with chicken and cheese, cooked in butter, not oil, plus guacamole and salsa, is a delightful breakfast, keeping me full all day.

We continue to enjoy having a fabulous time in Henderson, Nevada, after last evening’s wonderful dinner at Lucille’s Barbecue with my son and his significant other. It was great to see them again after a two-year hiatus, and the four of us enjoyed a delicious dinner and drinks at the popular barbecue restaurant.

Back at the hotel by 8:30, we streamed a few shows, relaxed, and drifted off to sleep by 11:00 pm, again having a much-needed good night’s rest. This morning, we bolted out of bed, got showered and dressed for the day, and headed downstairs to the Lucky Penny for another fabulous breakfast. With our VIP status with Expedia, we get 20% off on all meals at the resort, and they have several good restaurants.

Today, we’re posting photos from our delicious breakfasts that we’ll have every morning while we’re staying here until we depart on Saturday, September 9, to fly to Minnesota, where we’ll stay for a little over a month until we go to South America. There’s been lots of moving around, but we are okay with all of it, especially after a few good night’s rest to recover. There is no jet lag here!

So, here’s the exciting upcoming event…Our dear friends, Rita and Gerhard, who live in Vancouver, Washington, are flying here to see us tomorrow, arriving around 1:00 pm, spending the day and evening with us, and flying back out tomorrow night. What an adventure for the four of us, and how thoughtful and generous they are to make this short trip for all of us to catch up.

As most of our regular readers know, we met Rita and Gerhard in Marloth Park, South Africa. They were (still are) long-time readers of our site and had come to Marloth Park based on our frequent postings about how wonderful it is. They booked a holiday house with Louise (one we had previously rented), and no more than a few days after they arrived, we met them, and our magical friendship began. Rita and I hit it off like we’d known each other forever, and Gerhard and Tom did the same.

Collectively, the four of us have been a great team, sharing our lives, our crazy travels, and the joys of living off and on in Marloth Park. Soon, in October, they’ll be returning to “our old house” and will be feeding our favorite animals, including Nyala Norman and his lovely family. Seeing their photos and hearing about their experiences in our absence will be fun.

Tom didn’t eat my fruit, so today, we excluded it. He savored his giant slab of ham, three fried eggs, hash brown potatoes, and two pieces of buttered. toast with jam. Their coffee and whole cream are delightful, with a full pot of regular for Tom and another with decaf for me.

Gosh, we’re looking forward to tomorrow and the lively conversations, sharing and reliving many extraordinary experiences together, countless surprises, and special parties we’ve had together over the past five years since our friendship began. When we’ve been apart, we’ve stayed in touch, as we have with many of the wonderful friends we made in Marloth Park.

Many other friendships have developed from our readers coming to Marloth Park after seeing our endless stream of photos and love for wildlife, nature, and the fine people in the area. We are so grateful for all of our readers and have loved the opportunity to develop lasting relationships with many of you over the years.

Once we finish today’s post, we’ll head over to the nearby movie theatre to see the three-hour movie Oppenheimer. It’s a special treat for us to go to a movie theatre when often they aren’t available in many countries we visit for extended periods. We can get the senior rate for the 3:35 matinee for $12.50 each.

Tom loves to eat a big tub of popcorn while I settle for a sugar-free drink since nothing works for me at the concession stands. As a result, Tom won’t be hungry for dinner tonight, and I suggested to Tom that we pick up something for me on our way back to the hotel. I can run into Whole Foods or Smiths for a salad, which will suit me.

Well, that’s it for today, folks. We hope you are all doing well, and for our US readers, be safe on this busy Labor Day weekend. We’ll be back tomorrow with more.

Be well.

In reviewing the photos we hadn’t been able to post, it appears it will be very time-consuming and complicated to return to each post and add the photos we couldn’t post. As a result, we are posting some of the photos under the heading of each town over a period of days, which can be found after each new day, listed as Part 1, Part 2 Norway, for example.

Photo from ten years ago today, September 2, 2013:

There was no post on this date ten years ago. It was a busy travel day to Kenya!

The new post with the photos is located here:

Part 2…Unpublished photos from the Azamara cruise to Haugesund, Norway…

Part 2…Unpublished photos from the Azamara cruise to Haugesund, Norway…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 2, 2023 with 0 Comment

A British-looking old-fashioned phone booth filled with books.

Here is the text from our day in Haugesund, Norway.

More views of the interior of the church.

Various pubs and restaurants lined the boulevard.

It’s an adorable shop with frilly Norwegian clothing.

There was our ship, soon to be back out to sea once again.

Day 6…Greenland Cruise…Amazing scenery in Greenland…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 23, 2023 with 0 Comment

This iceberg was much more enormous than it appears in this photo.

We are in Greenland! Wow! What a place! Late yesterday afternoon, we arrived at a magical wonderland known as Prins Christian Sund, named for Prince Christian VIII of Denmark. The area is a dramatic fjord separating the southernmost islands of the rest of South Greenland, a land of jagged mountains and green pastures where sheep farms border icy fjords and Norse history intersects with modern communities.

Prins Christian Sund presents exquisite scenery for cruising, with mountains reaching nearly 4,000 feet, glaciers inching toward the sea, and tidal currents that limit ice formation.

What an interesting iceberg floating by this glacier.

From the ship’s brochure:

“At approximately 4:00 pm, Celebrity Summit will be reaching Prins Christian Sund. The duration of viewing will be influenced by prevailing weather conditions. Our Celebrity Activities Speaker, Brent Nixon will provide updates to our navigation to Prins Christian Sund and some narrations about the history and importance of this symbolic place.

Announcements can be heard in public venues as well as open decks around the ship and on your stateroom TVs on Channel 1. Please turn the volume up. If weather permits, we will open the helipad in order to enhance your scenic cruising/viewing experience. Please listen for announcements via the PA system to advise you accordingly.”

We encountered one amazing glacier after another.

Here are some essential facts about Greenland from this site:

1. World’s Largest Island

Let’s start with the basics. Greenland is actually the world’s biggest island – by area – that is not a continent. The total area of Greenland is 2.16 million square kilometers (836,330 square miles), including other offshore islands. Almost 80 percent of the land mass is covered by an ice cap. The ice-free area may be a minority, but it’s still around the size of Sweden. With a population of 56,480 (2017 estimate), it is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.

2. Greenland Was Green

The Arctic nation is mostly white since most of Greenland is covered in ice, snow, and glaciers. So how did it get its name “Greenland” when it’s not really green? It actually got its name from Erik The Red, an Icelandic murderer who was exiled to the island. He called it “Greenland” in hopes that the name would attract settlers. However, scientists say Greenland was quite green more than 2.5 million years ago. A new study reveals that ancient dirt was cryogenically frozen for millions of years underneath about 2 miles of ice.

They couldn’t have been more awe-inspiring!

3. Greenland is an Autonomous country

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Although Greenland is geographically a part of the North American continent, it has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for about a millennium. Since 1721, Denmark has held colonies in Greenland, but the country was made part of Denmark in 1953. In 1979, Denmark granted Home Rule to Greenland, and in 2009, expanded Self Rule was inaugurated, transferring more decision-making power and responsibilities to the Greenlandic government. Under the new structure, gradually Greenland can assume more and more responsibilities from Denmark when it is ready for it.

4. 4,500 Years of History

According to historians, the first humans were thought to have arrived in Greenland around 2500 BC. The group of migrants apparently died out and were succeeded by several other groups who migrated from North America. At the beginning of the 10th century, Norsemen from Iceland settled in the uninhabited southern part of Greenland, but they disappeared in the late 15th century. The Inuit migrated here from Asia in the 13th century, and their bloodline survived to this day. Most Inuit Greenlanders are their direct descendants and continue to practice some of the centuries-old traditions.

“Humans have inhabited Greenland for more than 4,500 years.”

Deep-sea sediment cores from northeast Greenland, the Fram Strait, and the south of Greenland suggest that the Greenland Ice Sheet has continuously existed since 18 million years ago.

5. Inuit Culture

Today, 88% of Greenland’s population are Inuit (predominantly Kalaallit) or mixed Danish and Inuit. The remaining 12% are of European descent, mainly Danish. Truth be told, Greenlanders actually don’t appreciate being called ‘Eskimos’; the proper name for them is Inuit or Kalaallit, which actually means ‘Greenlander’ in the native Inuit language, Kalaallisut. The Inuit Greenlanders identify strongly with Inuits in other parts of the world, like Canada and Alaska, and they actually share some similarities in their languages as well.

6. A Multilingual Nation

The majority of the population in Greenland speaks both Greenlandic (mainly Kalaallisut) and Danish. The two languages have been used in public affairs since the establishment of home rule in 1979. Today, the young generation learns both languages, as well as English, in school. The Greenlandic language is an interesting language with a long history, and it’s closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada, such as Inuktitut. “Kayak” and “igloo” are Greenlandic words that have been adopted directly by other languages.

7. No Roads In Greenland

Despite having a land size of 2.16 million square kilometers, there are no roads or railway systems that connect settlements to one another. There are roads within the towns, but they end at the outskirts. All travel between towns is done by plane, boat, helicopter, snowmobile or dogsled. Boats are by far the most popular mode of transportation, and you’ll often see locals out cruising the fjords every summer.

8. Whaling & Fishing

Fishing is a major industry in Greenland. The country imports almost everything except for fish, seafood, and other animals hunted in Greenland, such as whales and seals. Each administrative area has a certain quota of whales, seals, and fish assigned to it, ensuring that there’s no overfishing. Certain species, like the blue whale, are protected and thus cannot be fished. No export of whale and seal meat is allowed — they are only consumed locally.

9. A Vibrant Capital City

Almost one-quarter of Greenland’s population lives in the capital city of Nuuk. Vibrant and funky, the city is the biggest, most cosmopolitan town on the island and it packs in quite a lot of museums, hip cafes and fashion boutiques for its small size. To get an introduction to the country, be sure to visit the National Museum of Greenland, the Katuaq Cultural House as well as Nuuk Art Museum. Backed by a panorama of mountains, the city is perched at the mouth of a giant fiord system, making for easy day trips into the fiords and surrounding nature.

10. Midnight Sun

Every year, the sun does not set from May 25th to July 25th, and it stays visible throughout the entire day and night. The midnight sun, as it is called, is a pretty cool natural phenomenon that everyone needs to experience at least once in their lifetime. June 21, the longest day of the year, is the summer solstice and a national holiday in Greenland. You’ll find locals out basking in the sun or enjoying a barbecue out in nature.”

We had such a fantastic time yesterday afternoon, taking photos and commiserating with passengers over the wonder before our eyes. The captain did a great job rotating the ship to accommodate our viewing. We took tons of photos. In many ways, it was similar to being in Alaska, which we did in 2017, and then to a much more expansive experience, Antarctica, in 2018.

Check out the amazing ice formations where the glacier meets the sea.

Seeing glaciers and icebergs was exciting again, and we loved every moment. Finally, when we moved along, we headed to dinner in the main dining room at another shared table and dined with three lovely women with great stories.

After dinner, we headed to the Rendezvous Bar for live music and to visit with our new friends, Tracy and Sean, whom we’ve had much fun with since the cruise began. They are newlyweds, 30 years younger than us, and quite a fun couple.

Soon, we’ll be heading to a tender to go ashore to the small town of Nanortalik, Greenland, with less than 1200 residents. Tomorrow, we’ll share photos from that experience.

Be well.

.Photo from ten years ago today, August 23, 2013:

We sure have plenty of tomatoes (Pomodoro) to last through our remaining eight days of cooking before we travel to Africa. Yesterday, I had none, and we have more than we can use today. After Santina left this morning, I discovered this glass bowl filled with tomatoes in the kitchen. We’re well stocked with tomatoes with the substantial batch Lisa picked for us yesterday in the steep yard. For more photos, please click here.

Day 6…Norway Cruise…Alesund, Norway…Having as much fun as we imagined!!!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 6, 2023 with 0 Comment

Note: I can only add the above photo due to the poor WiFi signal aboard the ship. Once we arrive in Nevada in early September, we can post our photos from Edinburgh and this cruise. Of course, we’ll continue to try to add photos each day! We are sorry for the inconvenience. Perhaps, when this cruise ends, we can start posting photos while on the upcoming Celebrity cruise in 12 days. We’ll continue taking photos and writing text daily, if possible.

We are having a fantastic time! On this small ship with under 600 passengers, it’s easy to meet new people. Almost everyone is friendly and happy to engage in lively conversation, and of course, the social butterflies that we are, make friendly chatter as easy as possible.

Occasionally, a friendly hello or request for table sharing typically results in delightful conversations about world travel, families, and interests. With an average age of 70, we find we have lots in common with many passengers, including those who frequently travel and those who may travel less frequently. There’s no shortage of conversation with table mates at dinner, at the various bars and entertainment areas, and in the Mosaic Cafe where we spend our mornings.

We’ve been staying up late every night. Last night, we returned to our cabin around 12:30 am one of the earlier nights, we finally went to bed. On the other hand, we usually sleep until 8:00 am and hurry to get up to ensure we get to the buffet for breakfast at a reasonable time. Eating breakfast in the dining room is not as easy for my way of eating as it is at the buffet, where they make everything for me as I’d like it…especially the “no oil” part which I have to be very careful about.

This morning, after breakfast, we got our lightweight jackets and the camera and headed out on foot to the small town of Alesund, Norway, another quaint port town on our Norway journey. One of the highlights of our walk through the town was meeting a friendly local man walking his gorgeous St. Bernard dog, Ozzie, who licked me repeatedly with his sloppy drool.

I didn’t mind the drool at all since I was enthralled to have some animal interaction, regardless of the consequences. The man was delighted to chat with us and did so for quite some time, allowing us to ask questions about this adorable dog, the weather, and local customs.

We always assumed it snowed a lot in Norway, but Alesund is in such close proximity to the ocean, as are all the other ports of call we’re visiting, and gets little snow unless one goes further inland. We’ve yet to experience a sunny day at any other of the ports of call and imagine sunny days are a rare treat. We are in the northern hemisphere, but it stays cool here year-round. Today’s high is 60F, 16C, with a low of 53F, 12C. We’re enjoying the cool weather after those sweltering days and nights in Florida.

Here’s the description of the village from the ship’s brochure (again, somewhat repetitious as other descriptions):

“Nestled amidst breathtaking fjords and coastal beauty, Alesund, Norway, is a picturesque town renowned for its stunning Art Nouveau architecture and captivating natural landscapes. Perched on the western coast, this charming maritime city offers a seamless blend of historic charm and modern allure. Explore the narrow streets adorned with colorful buildings, savor fresh seafood at the bustling fish markets, and embark on unforgettable adventures in the surrounding fjord and mountains.”

Tonight, we’re meeting a lovely couple in the Den for cocktails that we met this morning and possibly for dinner later in the main dining room, Discovery.

The day is young. Many more delightful experiences await us.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, August 6, 2013:

No photos were posted on this date in 2013.

One day and counting…Packing is almost done…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 27, 2023 with 0 Comment

A Great White Heron stood in the water at Sunset Dam in Kruger National Park.

Note: Today’s photos are from a post on this date in 2018. For the post, please click here.

As of now, noon on Thursday, and we have a good handle on the packing. I just finished folding Tom’s shirts into a neat stack he’s putting into his suitcase. He is currently in the bedroom packing his clothes, shoes, and miscellaneous items.

Tomorrow morning after I do our last load of laundry, we’ll add the remaining items, including the clothes we are wearing now. By early afternoon, we should be completely packed and ready to go for the arrival of the shuttle company between 5:05 and 5:50 pm.

This was our friend Tusker. He was the sweetest guy who visits several times daily, particularly after 1600 hours (4:00 pm). He was so comfortable that he often took a short nap.

Once we get settled at the airport, we’ll have dinner at one of the restaurants (not fast food) and relax until our red-eye boards around 9:30 pm for our 10:30 pm flight. I checked online, and Virgin Airlines has a slew of movies we haven’t seen, with few repeats from United and Delta, on which we’ve flown several times in the past few years.

Most likely, neither of us will sleep much on the flight, so we’ll spend most of the time playing games on our phones and watching movies, hopefully dozing occasionally.

We never tire of seeing these wondrous animals in Kruger and Marloth Parks.

This morning I made breakfast and got everything ready for tonight’s dinner of burgers, salad, and rice for Tom. We cooked bacon to top the burgers and sliced red onion. Tom will cook the burgers on the grill, and we’ll enjoy our final evening in this lovely property.

Last night, I received a message from the hotel in Edinburgh asking for payment. We had booked the reservation through Expedia on the premise that we’d pay for the hotel after we arrived. We’d never had this happen when the booking stated, “Pay at the hotel.” We didn’t want to spend time or effort disputing this, so I went ahead and paid for it.

I suppose they may have had a lot of cancellations in the past, especially during the pandemic and after, that prompted them to require this advance payment. They even stated in the email that they’d cancel our reservation if we didn’t pay now. Weird. But many things have been different since the pandemic, as we’ve witnessed repeatedly.

Tonight, Tom will check us in for our flight once we reach the 24 hours before. Apparently, Virgin Airlines doesn’t require prepayment for excess luggage until we check in at the airport, nor do they increase the fees if doing so at the airport. That’s one less thing to do now.

Crocs on the bank of Sunset Dam in Kruger National Park.

What do we have left to do? We’ll have to pack the toiletries we’ll be using in the morning while getting ready; Pack my pillow and a few items from the laundry we’ll do in the morning; Tidy up around the house, take the bedding off the bed, and toss towels in the laundry basket, and pack the cords (including the HDMI), chargers, and adapters from various spots in the house.

A few days ago, I signed up for travel insurance for both of us through United Health Care’s SafeTrip for a policy only lasting until we return to the US on August 31. The insurance doesn’t cover us while we’re in the US. We’re on our own until we leave again around October 12.

We’ll be back with one more post for tomorrow, and then, you may not hear from us until we arrive in Scotland on July 29th or 30th. Once we arrive, sleep will be most important, and getting ourselves into a regular schedule. Once we do so, we’ll post right away.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, July 27, 2013:

Lisa, the owner. stapled most of the edges of this “mosquito” netting as screens for the windows. This kitchen window attracted many flies and bees, with frequent cooking going on each day. We will monitor it to ensure no gaps leave an opening for insects to enter. We removed the Ziplock bag to keep flies at bay, moving it to another screen-less window we often keep open. For more photos, please click here.

Three days and counting…Getting things done…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 25, 2023 with 2 Comments

Locals were walking on the steep roads during the procession last night. The woman on the far left in navy blue is our own, Santina, our precious cleaning lady.

Note: Today’s photos are from this date in 2013 while living in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. For more details, please click here.

It is so busy around here. This morning we finished your order to have the suitcase shipped to the hotel in Minnesota, waiting for us when we arrive on September 9. I contacted the hotel’s general manager that the briefcase will arrive in a few days, asking him to store it for us until we arrive. I also included a photo of the bag with the message.

As we stood on the road outside our house, the procession stopped for a few minutes for prayer. There’s Santina again in navy blue. Notice the heels on her shoes!

Then, we headed to the postal station, but three items I ordered from Amazon weren’t in the mailbox, nor was anyone at the postal station, so I could inquire if they had the packages. Now, we’ll have to return later on Wednesday or Thursday. There’s a huge rainstorm occurring right now with lots of wind, thunder, and lightning. We’re not going out in the golf cart in this weather.

Tomorrow is my much-needed pedicure appointment at 11 00 am. While I’m busy with that, Tom will fill up the tank on the golf cart at Walmart and buy a dozen eggs to get us through the remainder of the week.

This patio is where we suntan a few times a week. These impatiens attract the bees, as do most flowering plants requiring us to pay special attention during our hour in the sun, quite close to the planters.

Once back at the house, I’ll finish the post, upload it, and then return to packing. We already arranged transportation through Groome from The Villages to the Orlando International Airport, which picks up for the international flight at 5:50 pm for our 10:30 pm international flight. It’s over an hour-long drive, especially with rush hour traffic at that time of day.

We’ve gone through all our remaining food, and we need one more dinner to wipe out everything we have. Thus, after my pedicure tomorrow, we’ll stop at the Mexican restaurant in Colony Plaza and order food for tomorrow night’s dinner.

The second of the two planters. As you can see, the giant leaves belong to the zucchini. We’ll see more zucchini over the remaining summer as well as the abundant herbs we’ve been using.

For Thursday evening, we have frozen burger patties for Tom with bacon, cheese, onion, and canned tuna for me, which I’ll make into tuna salad using the remaining eggs, onions, and celery, using sour cream for the salad dressing. This will be the best we’ve ever used up our remaining food. In the past, we were happy to leave food for the household staff but with no household staff here, there was no one to leave it with.

Speaking of household staff, yesterday I got a wonderful message from one of our housemen in Marloth Park, Vusi. When we left, I had reformatted my old laptop, which worked well except for one key on the keyboard. I cleaned the exterior, screen, and keyboard so it looked brand new. Vusi was thrilled, hugging me several times, saying, “Oh, thank you, Madam.”

A zucchini that grew in the garden box on the patio.

Thus, yesterday when checking my email, there was a sweet message from Vusi that warmed my heart. He wrote:

“Morning, madam, hope everything is good there, I just wanted to say we (the animal, us) miss you, have a great daymay God bless you

And thanks for the laptop. It’s still working good. I really appreciate

Vusi.”

Immediately, I wrote back to Vusi, thanking him for his thoughtful message and how much we’re looking forward to seeing him in less than 11 months from now. We have so much to look forward to.

That’s it for today, folks. We have lots to do and look forward to being on our way soon.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, July 25, 2013:

Here’s a Ziplock bag half-filled with water and a few Euros to ward off house flies. See the story for the results of using these well-placed bags over the past 48 hours. (BTW, it didn’t work). For more photos, please click here.

Another fun night out on the town…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 9, 2023 with 0 Comment

Tom, at the bar at Cody’s Original Roadhouse on Friday night.

After having such a good time on Friday night, I hesitated when Tom asked if I was OK about going out again on Saturday night. Considering staying in and ordering takeaway, and with the recent return of my awful face and forehead pain, I really didn’t feel like going out.

But I knew he wanted to go, so I didn’t mention the pain, and took two Tylenol, and off we went around 5:00 pm in the golf cart. It was sunny, hot, and humid, but the breeze in the open golf cart cooled us down. We chatted playfully on our way out on yet another “date night,” and in no time at all, I forgot all about my head and face pain.

Either the Tylenol kicked in, or the endorphins from having fun helped me through the bad spell. We sat at the bar at City Fire while I slowly sipped on one glass of cabernet sauvignon, and Tom had a beer. A lovely couple was seated next to us, and lively conversation ensued. Before we knew it, it was time to go to dinner.

We drove several blocks to the restaurant, found a close parking spot, and, after checking in, got a beeper for our requested booth and headed to the indoor bar in air conditioned comfort to await our table. The beeper went off in a matter of minutes, and we sat down to relax and enjoy a nice meal, as shown in today’s photos.

Tom’s dinner last night….pulled pork, mashed potatoes with gravy, and coleslaw. Also, we shared the delicious bottomless salad.

We love the food there. After trying several restaurants and with The Villages not necessarily known for great food at its many restaurants, we may just stick with Cody’s when we dine out only four more times until we depart on July 28, a Friday. The time came up quickly, and we’ll leave in a mere 19 days.

We’ll start packing on our last week to determine if we must ship a suitcase to Minnesota. After reading the instructions for sending luggage at Luggage Free, I placed the link under its name that goes directly to their FAQ, which is very good at answering our questions.

We’ve already contacted the GM, who gave us a reasonable price at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, to ask him if we can stay until October 8 for the same price. He responded quickly, and we’re good to go. Once we know if we will ship a bag, we’ll tell him so he can store it until we arrive. This way, we won’t have to pay extra baggage fees for several flights, which we calculated would cost twice as much as shipping the extra bag.

Right now, we have everything we own with us except for the bins with sealed, non-perishable food products that Louise put into the storeroom for us until we return next June. In about 11 months, we’ll be back in Marloth Park. Our many friends stay in touch, and it will be fun to return and see everyone and our animal friends.

My dinner looked boring but was delicious…a half-roasted chicken, steamed broccoli, and shared bottomless salad.

Today, we’re having bun-less ground sirloin burgers topped with cheese, onions, bacon, fresh green beans, and salad. As usual, Tom will have rice. We are streaming several good shows now and will start watching after dinner for a quiet, restful evening.

Soon, the sheets will be dried, and we’ll remake the bed while I finish another load of laundry. Once we leave, we won’t be doing our own laundry until September 9, when we get to Minnesota. We won’t be cooking again until after the Galapagos cruise ends on October 24, and we get situated in a holiday home a few days later. That will be almost three months without cooking.

As much as I enjoy cooking, this will be a nice break, most likely with few challenges with my eating style since ships and restaurants can usually accommodate me. I may have to compromise sometimes, but I’m used to that and don’t mind figuring out something that works.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, July 9, 2013:

The rain in Tuscany, although often short-lived, could be torrential! While the sun still shone, Tom said, “I smell rain!” I shrugged and dismissed his comment. Within 20 minutes, the sun was hidden behind the clouds while the rain poured down, and these puffy clouds appeared. For more photos, please click here.

Shocking number of events for our upcoming two months…Yesterday’s fun phone call…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 5, 2023 with 0 Comment

The chaos at the grocery store in Pescia inspired us to avoid shopping again on a Friday, obviously a busy day. Surprisingly, these little villages have enough population to attract this crowd. The cashiers sit while checking out customers, and there is a charge for carts (Euro $1.00) and each plastic grocery bag (Euro $.05.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2013 while we were living in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. See the post here.

Planning a cruise isn’t a singular booking event. Around it includes flights, ground transportation, rental cars, and hotels. Also, we booked our upcoming nine days in Henderson, Nevada, and one month in Minnesota while we await the cruise to Galapagos.

Such bookings, from the time we leave here on July 28, included:

Flight from Orlando International Airport in Florida to Edinburgh Airport in Scotland
Transportation from the airport to the hotel in Edinburgh. TBD
Three nights in a hotel in Edinburgh while we await the cruise
Cruise Edinburgh to Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Flight to Reykjavik, Iceland
Transportation from airport to hotel. TBD
One night in a hotel in Reykjavik
Cruise from Reykjavik, Iceland, ending in Boston, Massachusetts
One night in the hotel (airport hotel) in Boston
Transportation to and from the restaurant from the hotel to visit my cousin in Stoughton. TBD (We will rent a car in the next few days).
Flight from Boston to Las Vegas, Nevada
Transportation from Las Vegas Airport to the hotel in Henderson Nevada
Nine-night stay at a resort in Henderson (No rental car during this period-Uber is a better and much cheaper option).
Transportation back to Las Vegas Airport (Uber)
Flight from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Rental car in Minneapolis for one month stay
Stay for one month in a hotel in Eden Prairie, Minnesota

All of the above has been booked (and primarily paid in advance) except for those items noted at TBD (to be determined), including a rental car in Boston and Uber in the other cities, which we’ll book at the time.

The stone floors were still wet when we returned from the market when our thoughtful housekeeper, Santina, cleaned every Friday. She often brought pies (for Tom) and vegetables from her garden.

At this point, we’ve yet to book transportation to Quito, Ecuador, but we will do so during our nine-night stay in the resort in Henderson, Nevada, as well as book hotels and holiday homes for our extended stay in Ecuador. While in Ecuador, we’ll book our plans to visit The Pantanal and other venues in South America.

Whew! If any of our readers have thought it is easy to live this life of world travel, consider the above. This is only for two months. When I think back to how we ever managed to book our travels for two years out (at the beginning of our world travels), they can see it’s not as easy as it looks.

Once Covid hit, everything changed, and we couldn’t book anything for more than a few months at a time, except for the extended period we spent in Africa, minus several trips away during that period for new visa stamps and five trips back to the US for me and six times for Tom (when his brother passed away and I stayed behind).

It’s a lot of work planning, but there are times when we aren’t rushed, and we enjoy it. As we often say to each other, “It’s the nature of the beast.”

The long narrow hallway in the 300-year-old stone house we rented. We had to duck our heads at certain points when walking down this hallway.

So even when we spend extended periods in one location, we often spend many hours planning and booking for the future. People often ask why we spend so long in some areas, and for us, the answer is two-fold; one, we enjoy staying long enough in a location to learn about its people, culture, environment, and nature. Secondly, it’s a nice break from constantly planning and booking for the following location. Overall, it’s easier when we don’t plan too far ahead.

As for yesterday’s fun phone conversation, our dear friends Rita and Gerhard called yesterday afternoon. As mentioned in many prior posts, we met them in 2018 in Marloth Park. They were long-time readers of our site and, as a result, decided to come and experience Marloth Park; during their many months in Marloth Park over the past five years, our friendship grew, and the four of us shared many beautiful memories.

We’ve been in close touch since they left Marloth Park in 2022 or 2023. Yesterday, they told us they were returning to Marloth Park in October. Of course, we won’t be there during the six weeks they’ll be there. We’re thrilled that they’ll be renting our old house and can see all of our animal friends and send photos of our favorites.

They may be able to work it out to visit us in Nevada in September, but we shall see how that goes. It was great to hear their voices from their home in Vancouver, Washington, where they’ve been busy working on their home. They’d been away a long time and wanted to do some updates.

Gosh, we love not having the responsibility of maintaining a home or paying for storing belongings we left behind. But our lives are busy in other ways, as shown here today.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, July 5, 2013:

On our way back through Collodi from shopping in Pescia, maneuvering two roundabouts, we began the steep climb back up the mountain to Boveglio, a 30-minute drive with many hairpin turns and guardrail-free narrow roads. From what we can determine online, this mansion is the Villa Garzoni. For the post, please click here.

Worrisome news from Marloth Park…Replay of our live broadcast/podcast in Minnesota in 2022…

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 27, 2023 with 4 Comments

Here’s the Nyala family from left: Noah, Norman, and mom, Nina. We adore them so much. Since this photo was taken, Noah is now on his own after Nina and Norman sent him away when Natalie was born. For the post this photo was first presented, please click here.

When Tom spotted the following story on Facebook yesterday, I couldn’t read it quickly enough. At first, I thought they were talking about Norman and was very worried. Immediately, I wrote to Louise, and she assured me it was Noah, Norman’s son. Norman was OK.

I was immensely relieved it wasn’t Norman, but we were saddened to read that Noah had suffered such a painful injury. It’s funny how, while we’re here, we can’t help but stay in touch with what’s happening in Marloth Park.

*Good news!*

The Nyala bull has been located, and Dr. Piet has confirmed that he has a hip injury. This injury might be the cause of his weight loss as it limits his ability to walk far for foraging. It is important to note that the healing process for his hip injury will take some time. Please provide him with the recommended food options if you have the means. *However, avoid feeding him mielies or bread.”

Opt for nutritious options like lucerne, wildlife pellets, and sweet potatoes. Additionally, the Nyala bull (Noah) is currently in Geelslang and Mamba. Thank you to all who have reported his whereabouts, as your help has been crucial in finding him. Please continue to monitor his condition and provide any necessary care and support during his healing process.”

We’re always so impressed by how Dr. Piet and the rangers take such good care of the animals. Unfortunately, they can’t provide similar care for warthogs. There simply are too many warthogs in Marloth Park, and mostly, they are very sturdy and recover well from injuries, often even from infections as a result of injuries. When warthogs get infected, maggots will work on eating the dead tissue aiding in warthogs’ recovery.

Wildlife we spotted at a golf course in The Villages. These are Sandhill Cranes, popular in Florida.

Back to our life here in The Villages…Yesterday, we went to Walmart, and we were disappointed to find it was only a grocery store, not the usual big Walmart stores we’d been to in our old lives or the last time, in Hawaii in 2014. We purchased the grocery items we needed but did find their prices were better than other local grocery stores.

Tom filled the golf cart’s fuel tank, only spending another $2. It’s no wonder residents tool around in their golf carts instead of cars when golf carts use so little fuel. We’re getting by, going out several times a week on the $2 fuel top-off. That’s amazing!

We didn’t stop for breakfast since we’re both watching our weight, and eating breakfast out is often very fattening, especially when we don’t know how much of the toxic seed oils they use in the preparation. Dining out twice a week is challenging enough for me when I try hard to avoid seed and vegetable oils. Instead, I ask for my food to be prepared using butter, but there’s no guarantee the cooks are preparing the food accordingly.

Subsequently, I order a salad with dressing on the side, of which I eat very little. When possible, I’ll order sour cream as a salad dressing which is a much healthier and safer option if one can tolerate dairy, which is not a problem for me.

Today, when we listened to yesterday’s podcast of Garage Logic, as we do each day, they replayed the episode of the podcast we were on when we were in Minnesota on May 6, 2022. It was fun listening to it once again. If you missed that podcast, you can listen here.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 27, 2013:

Our view of Boveglio from the winding road as we began our descent to Pescia. For more photos, please click here.

Happy Father’s Day to Tom, our sons, family members and friends…

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 18, 2023 with 6 Comments

Today, Father’s Day is celebrated around the world in many countries. I wish I could have made this day special for Tom, but we decided not to fuss over our birthdays and holidays long ago. We don’t have room in our bags for gifts, and spending money on cards and decorations makes no sense.

Usually, I make a special meal and dessert for Father’s Day, but today, our friends Lea Ann and Chuck are arriving at 3:00 pm, and a few hours later, we’ll be heading out for dinner to one of the town squares. Since Lea Ann is a pescatarian, returning to the Blue Fin in Brownwood Paddock Square makes sense; where we dined with Karen and Rich on Friday night and enjoyed an excellent dinner.

What is a pescatarian (for those who don’t know), it is the following:

“The pescatarian diet is a vegetarian diet that includes fish or other aquatic animals. The word “pesce” means fish in Italian, so those that emphasize fish in their plant-based diets have come to be called by this term. Sometimes these healthy eaters are also called pes-co-vegetarians or pescetarians.”

Pescatarians eat the following:

Pescatarians Do Eat

Whole grains and grain products
Legumes and their products, including beans, lentils, tofu, and hummus
Nuts and nut butter, peanuts, and seeds
Seeds, including hemp, chia, and flaxseeds
Dairy, including yogurt, milk, and cheese
Fruits
Vegetables
Fish and shellfish
Eggs

Nowadays, it is essential to ask what type of diet works for guests coming for a meal. They’ll have dessert with us tonight when we return from the restaurant and breakfast in the morning. Depending on when they’d like to go out, I may make a cheese, vegetable, chip, and dip platter at the last minute. I have plenty of items that will suit Lea Ann’s way of eating.

Tom, in the archway at the 300 year old stone house we rented in 2013. See the post here.

They, too, have been traveling the world extensively over the past few years, and although they have a home in Florida, they are frequently on the move. We met them on a cruise in 2017 and have stayed in touch since then. Early on, they picked our brains for world travel tips.

In no time at all, they had it all figured out. It’s been fun to see their countless excellent posts and photos on Facebook and their website, found here. They’ll sail on a world cruise from December 2023 to September 2024. It will be fun to follow along with them. What an adventure this will be for them!

We’ve often thought about doing a world cruise for many months (in their case, nine months), but both of us feel that for us, such a long cruise will detract from the enjoyment of shorter cruises which still are a novelty to us. Being on a ship for so long doesn’t appeal to us, but someday I may eat my words.

Many of these world cruises sail to many locations where we already sailed, so there would be a lot of redundancy. It will be fun to hear Lea Ann and Chuck’s feedback when it’s over, which I am sure we will.

This morning we walked, had a lovely breakfast of mushroom, cheese, and onion omelet with bacon, and laundered our bedding. Yesterday, we did the guest room bedding and cleaned the bathroom, and everything is ready for our next round of guests.

Since we don’t have a house cleaner more than once a month, each morning after breakfast, I clean the kitchen. The only issue I have with doing so is the front of the refrigerator which is stainless steel, and every little smudge or fingerprint shows. I can’t stand for it to look dirty, and cleaning it without streaks is a real challenge.

The best solution I’ve found so far is using a stone and steel cleaner the owner has available here and spraying only a tiny amount, and then wiping gently with paper towels applying only a small amount of pressure. If I rub too hard, it streaks. Go figure. Please let me know if any of our readers know of a better solution. We’ve never experienced this issue.

That’s it for today, folks. To all the dads, have a special day with your loved ones.

Be well.

Photos from ten years ago today, June 18, 2013: