Busy sports weekend in the countryside…Sports and interests…

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We never figured out the source of smoke in these photos when the road was closed for a bike race.

We’re not much in the way of sports enthusiasts. Tom’s only sports passion is for the Minnesota Vikings football with no interest in other teams or sporting events. I’ll watch a few Vikings games when we can hook the HDMI into a flat-screen TV, but not when he has no choice but to watch it on his laptop.

We’ve attempted to get into watching golf, tennis, soccer, and other sporting events. But, during half of our time spent living in vacation homes, we have no TV, nor could we depend upon being able to watch any potential favorites when they may not be on in any given location.

Watching sports and finding great pleasure in doing so seems to revolve around having a favorite team to cheer on. That’s difficult to embrace when we’re always on the move.

To the left, there’s was a distant freighter. There’s a relatively inaccessible sandy beach in this area.

Tom’s allegiance to the Minnesota Vikings surely is predicated by having been born and living in Minnesota all of his life except for the past 41 months. He’s a staunch fan, preferring not to watch the game with others fearing distracting conversations. I’ve learned not to distract him when he’s watching a game.

As it turns out, being able to watch the Vikings is a costly undertaking when games aren’t available in most parts of the world requiring he pay an annual fee for the online NFL Game Pass service in order to watch the games, plus the cost of data to stream it online.

In total, the cost of NFL Game Pass (only viewable outside the US) has been NZ $251, US $169 per season not including playoff games. With 16 games, that’s an average of NZ $15.55, US $10.56 per game plus another approximate NZ $14.83, US $10 for data.

Driving along the ocean, we spotted these cyclists, participants in a local race on Saturday.

When watching totals NZ $30.38, US $20.56 per game, one thinks twice about adding any other video streaming sporting events. It all adds up. Luckily, with our lack of interest in other sports, we’ve avoided incurring such additional costs.

With each of us with distinct interests in different areas, we find ourselves easily entertained on the days such as today when it’s raining and we have no interest in heading out to explore. 

Although I read most of the downloaded books on my phone when in bed, I can easily spend the better part of the day researching my favorite topics; wildlife, nature, health, food, science, space, technology, and travel, while Tom wraps his brain around communicating with friends and family on Facebook, future travel/cruises, investments, history, and ancestry.

Outside a refinery, the bikers stopped to converse during the race.  Mount Taranaki is in the background.

Of course, I’m very interested in seeing how family and friends are doing on Facebook, but spend only a short time doing so each day. As a fast reader, I breeze through the recent posts in no time at all.

The most amazing part of our diverse interests is the fact that we can easily share interesting tidbits with one another, expressing genuine interest in what one another discovers. We’ll watch the US and UK TV series “Who Do You Think You Are” (as one of Tom’s interests) as readily as we’ll watch a health-related documentary.

It appeared a number of teams were participating in the bike race. There was also a motocross race occurring at the same time, although we couldn’t get close enough to see anything.

On other occasions, we may watch an old episode of Stephen Hawking’s theories on science and space which on his own, Tom may not be interested in watching. Living together 24/7 we automatically gravitate toward sharing our interests while reveling in one another’s passion.

Sure, he’d rather not visit a botanical garden, nor do I have a great interest in visiting a military armory. We do both of these and many more never feeling as if we’ve had to compromise.  Its this innate willingness to bring joy to our peculiar lives of travel that we easily participate in each other’s interests.

While I was inside the health food store, Tom took a photo of this passing decorated truck, most likely with a connection to the local sports events.

May someone special present you with an opportunity to share in their interests, whether it be a sporting event, a science fiction movie, or an episode of World War II on the history channel.

Photo from one year ago today, March 14, 2015:
No photo was posted one year ago today.  Tomorrow, on March 15th (here in the South Pacific), we’ll elaborate.  Click here for that post without photos.

A great afternoon at Okurukuru Winery…Unexpected encounters…

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Nothing is like crystal-like sparkles on the ocean on a sunny day.

With a dinner reservation for 7 pm last night at Okurukuru Winery and it getting darker earlier each night with fall fast approaching, we decided to change our reservation to a late lunch instead of dinner. 

The red, blue and black on these birds is an interesting combination.

It was a beautiful sunny day and spending time at the winery would certainly be more enjoyable in the sunshine. We weren’t disappointed with our decision. The views were breathtaking as we’d observed on our last visit when we’d only stopped by to check it out.

The menu was a bit tricky for me with most options including one form of starch, flour, or sugar as a part of the lunchtime choices. As a result, I selected a Thai Beef Salad while Tom went “hog wild” selecting a pizza with a huge bowl of fries on the side. 

There were four of these large birds playing in a garden.

The food was good, although my salad with a suitable dressing was a bit dry. Tom, on the other hand, took a doggy bag with the remainder of his fries, which he ate instead of dinner, which I’d offered to make along with the light meal I’d made for myself.

It was nice to see Tom order a beer. He hasn’t had any drinks other than on the few nights we’ve dined out.

After lunch, we wandered about the massive facility taking photos, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the scenery. As we walked along the veranda overlooking the vineyards, cows, and the sea, we heard American accents from three people chatting at a table, two young women seated and one gentleman our age standing.

As we walked by it was irresistible to say hello which magically resulted in a lengthy conversation with Rachel and Regan, sisters originally from Texas and Ed, from Connecticut. Ed had happened to stop by the winery had also just met the young women after hearing them speak with their southern-tinged American accents.

My Thai Beef salad made to my specifications.

This is the first time since our arrival in New Zealand that we’ve met any Americans. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t necessarily feel Americans have more to offer in conversation or friendship than citizens of any country, especially those with whom we can speak some degree of English. 

Tom’s Meaty Pizza.

Sharing commonalities with those from our same country or origin, elicits an amount of conversation of particular interest, especially, “What brought you here, so far away from the US?”

Of course, as often transpires, we encountered a coincidence of which we seem to expect when meeting other Americans. You know, the “Kevin Bacon, six degrees of separation” thing.

Tom was especially thrilled with the big bowl of fries, too large to eat with a pizza but good cold later back at home.

As it turned out Regan and her husband, a physician, have been living in Opunake for many months on a one-year contract. Her husband is practicing medicine through a project that brings doctors to small communities throughout the world where healthcare is desperately needed. 

View of the landmark smokestack and Sugarloaf Islands in downtown New Plymouth.

Coincidentally Regan is working as a volunteer at Everybody’s Theatre, which we visited and wrote a story only a few days ago. See our story here.  Small world.

We got a kick out of watching these cows wander back and forth through the barren vineyards maneuvering through the stake, fertilizing the soil.

Rachel became engaged only a few days earlier at a romantic spot on the South Island for which we enthusiastically congratulated her. Her fiancé had headed back to the US a few days earlier while she stayed behind to spend quality time with her sister.

The expansive views from the Okurkuru Vineyard are lovely.

While I chatted with the girls, Tom and Ed chatted endlessly, obviously also having a great time. This morning, Tom received a friendly email from Ed and we hope to see him again before he leaves within a week.

Another view of the pasture.

Finally, we were back on our way home unable to wipe the smiles off our faces, happy to have had a perfect day at the winery, a good meal, each other’s companionship, meeting new people, and some exquisite country and ocean views interspersed with a few birds and cows, always a favorite.

As we pulled into the narrow road to our temporary home on the farm, we turned to each other with that wonderful sense of joy we always feel each time we behold the precious alpacas, as many approached the fence when they saw us return.

The view at an overlook on the drive out of the Okurukuru Vineyard on the winding road.

Today, very cool and cloudy, we’re headed to town to shop with multiple stops on our “to-do list”, another simple activity we thoroughly enjoy each week. May the simple activities of your day bring you joy and purpose!


Photo from one year ago today, March 10, 2015:

The orchids in Hawaii are amazing. In this post, we were preparing for a houseguest, my sister Julie who came for a much-needed vacation. For more details, please click here.

We lost a friend…Richard in Kauai…Little did we know…

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Richard joined us for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day at a local restaurant.

Our hearts are heavy today. We lost a friend. Our dear friend Richard Turner, who stuck-like-glue from the moment we met him on January 24, 2015, the day we joined the Makai Country Club only days after our arrival in Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii. (Please click here for the link to the day we met Richard).

Little did we know…that meeting this special man would turn our four-month stay in Kauai into a whirlwind of an enriching and highly enjoyable social life with friendships we made for life including with him and his dear wife Elaine.

Little did we know…the friendship with Richard would be so short when yesterday, 13 months later, he passed away in his sleep, never to awaken to see the face of beloved wife Elaine and treasured cat, Daisy Mae. 

Elaine and Richard joined us for lunch at the local Westin Hotel where we languished in their company engaged in delightful conversation, as always.

He leaves in his wake a plethora of those who loved him;  family, friends and neighbors, and a world of clients with whom he diligently worked for decades as an attorney in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all who admired his generosity of spirit and time as breathtaking in today’s hurried world. 

About eight years ago, he, Elaine, and Daisy Mae moved to Kauai to the home they’d owned for years and planned for eventual retirement. Overlooking the ocean, Richard was proud of his lovely home and shared its many treasures with us only days after we met. (Please click here for Part 1 of the tour of Elaine and Richard’s lovely home and here for Part 2 when he introduced us to the nesting Laysan Albatross in his neighborhood).

Little did we know…that meeting Richard would provide us with the pleasure we experienced from the many people we met at an endless array of parties and social events that we’d be gifted with the joy of regularly visiting the albatross and their eventual chicks, another of our favorite memories of Kauai.

Richard had finished off his garage to hold his magistrate’s desk he’d shipped from Missouri to Kauai. He was excited to share this favorite possession from his life as an attorney in Missouri.

Yesterday, I wrote the following in a Facebook comment with a photo we’d taken shortly after meeting Richard when he invited us to his home to meet Elaine: “We spent many hours together with Richard and his wife Elaine. He will be dearly missed by many who had the privilege of knowing this kind and caring ambassador of friendship and love.”

That was Richard, an ambassador of friendship and love. He had a magical way of bringing people together with a sense of pride in doing so as a parent who’d step back to watch the progression of friendships among the people he loved the most.

After we left Kauai on May 23, 2015, four months later, our hearts filled with appreciation for his love and friendship. He called us, “blue eyes and the Irishman” an endearing term that addressed every encounter and every precious email after we left. We often referred to him as “Ricky” and he never flinched. 

Tom and Richard had an instant bond, one he’ll always treasure.  They equally loved sharing their corny “guy” jokes and stories.

We never lost touch with Richard in this past year for more than a few days at a time, as he continually teased us to give up our world travels and move to Kauai to live in his neighborhood.

Little did we know…that had we ever decided to give up our continuing life of travel which began 40 months ago to live in Kauai, we’d have done so more to be close to him, Elaine, and the many people he introduced us to, than any other reason in the world.

However short our friendship, he’ll remain in our hearts forever. Rest in peace, dear friend. Little did we know…you’d leave us all so soon…

Photo from one year ago today, March 1, 2015:

With little wildlife in Kauai, other than chickens and roosters, we find ourselves more attracted to birds than we’ve been in the past.   These Zebra Doves are commonly seen in Kauai although not native to the Hawaiian Islands. Click here for more photos of Kauai.

Is it true that “time flies when you’re having fun?”…Last day, new AmeriCARna photos…

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Street rod. We weren’t certain as to the model or year.

When we recall living in Kauai, Hawaii a year ago at this time with yet another three months until we were scheduled to depart on the cruise from Honolulu to Sydney on May 24, 2015, it seems like years ago.

Although not an American-made car, Tom got a kick out of this Volkwagon Beetle, similar to Herbie from the movie, the Love Bug, on the street in Opunake.

Many memories of the eight months we spent on four islands in the Hawaiian archipelago remain fresh in our minds, when we consider the past nine months since leaving Hawaii, it feels as if we’ve had a wide array of experiences.

There were dozens of hot rods in the annual AmeriCARna procession.

Yesterday, Tom received an email from a friend, he’d made in Kauai, Pat from Wisconsin, with whom he’s stayed in touch via email. Pat and his wife had recently returned to Kauai for their annual vacation/holiday, sending Tom a new photo of our temporary home in Princeville during our four-month stay.

The local children got a break from school to visit the car show.

A pang of pleasant memories washed over me in seeing this photo. As long as the four months living in Kauai seemed at the time, we loved every moment, in the same manner, we’re feeling during these three months in New Zealand.

1949 Mercury as shown.
There’s no doubt that a year from now, we’ll look back at our post from these current three months on the farm in Taranaki with a similar sense of awe and appreciation over the exquisite time we experienced.
1959 Cadillac.

Yes, time does “fly when you’re having fun” as evidenced during these exceptional days and nights in New Zealand.  We always ask ourselves the question, “If we could live here long term, would this location appeal to us?”

A classic car.
1942 Ford or Mercury??? Any comments?

The answer is clear to us…we don’t want to live anywhere permanently unless it becomes absolutely necessary due to poor health which logically will occur at some point. Although, we do hope to return to a few favorites down the road for shorter periods, health providing.

Mid 60’s Cadillac.

The dream of continuing in our travels until the very last days of our lives is lofty if not impractical. What percentage of seniors in their (hopefully) 80’s and 90’s or more, continue to be able to travel on a regular basis, away from medical care and able to haul luggage, often spending hours in airports, boarding cruises, and visiting points of interest requiring hours of walking and standing?

Another classic car we weren’t able to name. 
Often we encounter seniors of advanced and varying ages using wheelchairs, walkers and rarely, if ever, hauling half of their luggage load through airports from one area to another, as we’ve often done these past years. This is a reality we must face every day in our travels as we look to the future, attempting to do so with grace and acceptance.
A ’67 Pontiac GTO, one of Tom’s favorites.
Side view of ’67 GTO.

Also, it may seem as we’ve aged as if time flies more quickly since we retired and no longer awake to an alarm clock in order to get to work on time. Perhaps the daily maintenance of our lives becomes less cumbersome as we choose to no longer spend endless hours engaged in strenuous tasks we undertook in our younger lives without giving it a thought.

’60 Cadillac convertible.

Many give this “winding down” process more credit than it deserves. Maybe the quality of our lives is extended by staying active and engaged in the many tasks and activities we enjoyed in our younger years. 

’59 Cadillac, two-door hardtop.

Is it possible if we stay active, stopping to embrace many of the most simple pleasures in life as well as the heart-pounding profound experiences we often find in front of us, that we can enhance those later years taking advantage of every seeming fast-flying moment in time? 

1933 street rod with a license plate, HER33.

We’re making every effort to capture those types of moments in our hearts and minds through preserving the fine memories in our posts and our photos living every moment in time to the fullest in the process. 

As the cars entered the venue, they were parked in neat rows.

Instead of spending a lot of time recalling past experiences as the basis of our existence, as seniors often do, we’re attempting to live in the moment as much as we possibly can and, of course, looking to the future in order to continue the process.

We wandered up and down the rows in case we missed any of the American-made vehicles.

This moment, a sunny day on the farm, I’ll soon step outdoors to perform the simplest of tasks, hanging the laundry on the clothesline, finding it to be a pure pleasure with the soft grass under my bare feet and the gentle humming sounds of the alpacas, music to my ears, as times seems to standstill.

Another street rod.

May every moment of your life stand still long enough for you to stop and embrace its magic.

Photo from one year ago today, February 28, 2015:

Spring flowers began to bloom as spring came early in Hawaii’s tropical climate one year ago. For more photos, please click here.

Carving out time for other things?…Should we be doing more?…

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Traditional Maori meeting house near Oakura Beach. Visit this site for more information.

In speaking on Skype with my sister Julie yesterday, an avid reader of our site, she asked, “When are you guys going to travel the country and visit some other gorgeous areas? Don’t your readers want to see you traveling?”

My answer to my sister allowed me to say aloud something we’ve both thought and spoken only to one another and now to all of you. We love sharing our story, our story of living in different locations all over the world embracing our surroundings, and learning to live in a manner comparable as to how the locals may live, not as a tourist.

The Maori had set up tents for a special event.

No, we don’t visit a lot of tourist attractions, although we visit some. No, we don’t eat out a lot, although we do on occasions. No, we don’t go on lengthy road trips staying overnight in hotels, spending budgeted dollars on attendance at popular venues that tourists often flock to, rightfully so, when they travel for short periods of time.

We don’t consider ourselves tourists. Instead, we’re visitors, temporary residents, respecting the laws, culture, and traditions of the locale, the people, and the surroundings while we live life on our terms. 

Is defining our lives important? For us, not so much. As committed as we are to providing interesting stories and photos for our readers, it would be unrealistic to say that our personal desires don’t come first. For true happiness, one must consider the ways in which to choose to navigate life, not always an easy task. 

We’ll continue to return to this site of Oakura Beach in hopes of spotting blue penguins.

We appreciate every one of our readers but we truly believe based on responses we continually receive from those treasured readers, that they accept the fact that they are following the simple story of our daily lives.

We’re an older couple, unencumbered with “stuff,” as we move from country to country sharing the nuances, challenges, and joys of our surroundings which may not appeal to some. We don’t expect everyone to find our story interesting. 

We looked for the blue penguins but doubted we’d see any with people in the area.

Long ago, when we decided to travel the world, part of our motivation was to feel free to live how we choose.  After spending the majority of my adult life with chronic pain from which I am now “free” we decided we’d live life to the fullest spending each day doing exactly what we feel like doing. It could all change in a day or an hour.

Some days, we feel like getting out to see what’s around us. Other days, we don’t feel like doing anything other than hanging out together, outside as much as possible, taking walks, taking short drives to explore the area, and visiting our “temporary” town or village.

On each drive through the country, we find many rivers.

In essence, this site is not as much of a “travel log” as it is a “lifelog.” Should we ever decide to write a book (which we’re not interested in doing at this time), it wouldn’t be entitled, “A Guide to Traveling the World to See the Most Popular Sites.”  That’s been done over and over again in books and websites.

It may be entitled, “Wafting Through our Worldwide Travels with Ease, Joy, and Simplicity,” as indicated in our mission listed at the top of each page in our heading. 

We hadn’t seen a pinecone in a long time.

We wrote that motto in 2012. It remains the same for us today. Nothing has changed in our beliefs. Everything has changed in how we respond to our surroundings; adapting, accepting, learning, and growing.

Sure, we have quiet days without a smidgeon of excitement or adventure. Who doesn’t? But, here on the Alpaca Farm in New Plymouth, New Zealand, and in many other parts of the world we’ve only needed to step outdoors to find our hearts soaring with a sense of pure pleasure and joy. 

A river under a bridge when we drove down an unmarked road.

Being able to share that joy with all of our readers, each and every day only enhances the experience.  If in a small way, we bring a smile to the face of one reader a day, we’ve been gifted with an opportunity we never imagined possible. Thank you for sharing “our world” with us.

We smile with you…there’s so much more yet to come.

Photo from one year ago today, February 16, 2015:

One year ago, in Princeville Kauai, where we lived for four months, an albatross chick safely nestled in the grass under mom or dad’s legs. It’s these kinds of experiences that make our travels especially meaningful. For more photos please click here.

A simple life in the country…

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Sunset at the alpaca farm.

The house has a metal roof and it’s a veritable hot box on hot days. We have no choice but to leave the sliding doors open. The flies and sand flies are bad. I wear repellent round the clock, re-applying it three times a day. 

This alpaca, Amber Rose, who recently gave birth, often looks at me through the kitchen window while I’m preparing meals at times pressing her nose on the glass.

Last night, a dragonfly was flying around the bedroom making noise as it bumped into the walls keeping me awake most of the night.  With no screens on any of the doors or windows, we can’t open any of the bedroom windows at night to cool off the hot room. 

The fan moves the hot air around but doesn’t seem to cool it down. We’ve only used the comforter on a few occasions. 

The WiFi is metered and we can’t download as many of our favorite shows as we’ve often been able in other locations. We’re in a tough position when we know we won’t have good enough WiFi in Bali to download shows.  We’d hoped to download everything we’ll need while we’re here to later watch in Bali. That may not happen.

Each sunny afternoon, the alpacas crowd to the side of the house to find shelter in the shade.

I love it here. Tom loves it here. Adaptation.  It’s a simple life in the country.

There’s a lot to love; the alpacas; the many comforts in the house; the ever-changing exquisite scenery surrounding us; the sound of the flowing nearby river; the kind and helpful owners, Trish and Neil; the New Zealand people; the ideal shopping fulfilling all of our needs from the health food store to the grass-fed only meat market to the weekly farmers market with the best eggs in the South Pacific.

The number of alpacas in the shade from our house grows with the heat of the sun.

Yes, there is a lot to love. Yesterday, I filled a bowl with a special grass mix for the alpacas and hand-fed it to them as my feet dangled over the edge of the veranda.  I couldn’t take photos while my hands were otherwise busy. It didn’t seem to matter at the time. Sorry about that. Sometimes the experience supersedes all else.

Hanging the laundry on the clothesline is a pleasant experience in itself as is each time I step outdoors in my bare feet to check to see if it’s dry. The feel of the soft neatly trimmed grass under my feet sends my senses reeling, reminding me of the yet unproven philosophy of “earthing” or “grounding.” that may have some truth to it. (See here for details).

The grouping of cria started with these four.  They love sitting in this dirt, rolling around, and getting dirty.

The rental car sits in the driveway, used only three times a week for a variety of local trips. We don’t want to leave more often. Everything we could possibly want is right here within a few hour’s drive. 

In minutes, the group of cria grew to eight.

Yesterday, I walked alone when Tom didn’t feel like joining me. As I approached the cattle, my favorite pregnant female immediately spotted me heading to the fence. She literally danced she was so happy to see me, lifting one leg at a time as she rocked in place, shaking her head back and forth, slobber flinging from her mouth in the process. 

My favorite cow separated from who may have been her last offspring.  We often find them close to one another sneaking affection through the fence.

She moaned in frustration as I walked away. Had anyone seen this they would have laughed at this crazy woman communicating with a cow. I’ve often wondered if I should have lived on a farm when I’ve always been drawn to barnyard animals, rolling dough, and baking bread (in my old life when I could eat gluten).

Last year’s young bulls.

Instead, for now, we live this simple life, outdoors a lot, cooking good meals, mingling with the life in the country, taking photos of precious moments with the ongoing joy of sharing them daily with all of YOU, as we’ve shown today.

This mom and son, Mont Blanc, are the pair that were separated by the fence when Mont Blanc had crawled underneath and escaped. Later, Trish and Neil picked him up, placing him over the fence, not an easy task. We often see them in close contact perhaps remembering they were once separated. Although Mont Blanc, the only blue eyes cria in the now group of 12, loves playing with the other youngsters.

For those in the US, may you have a fun-filled Super Bowl Sunday. (We’ll be watching it here). And for our friends in New Zealand, enjoy the remainder of Waitanga weekend. For details of this holiday, please click here.

Have a happy day in the country, city, desert, mountains or plains or, wherever you may be…

Photo from one year ago today, February 8, 2015:

My delicious lunch, a year ago, at the Kauai Westin Hotel with friends Elaine and Richard included a grass-fed burger with cheese, grilled onions, bacon, and a side salad.  For more photos and details, please click here.

Romance at sea…A night to remember…

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Last night, in the Martini Ice Bar on dress-up night.

Often the most memorable of occasions are those which we don’t plan or anticipate. Last night, was such a night, one we’ll always remember as special and meaningful.

Is it possible for a couple, together 25 years, constantly in each other’s presence 24 hours a day without any time apart, to find romance especially living a life as complex as ours?

The answer is a resounding “yes!” Last night was hardly the first time and will hardly be the last. Without forethought or active speculation, we each may contemplate the following points from time to time:

1. How do we manage to keep the spark alive in a long-term relationship?
2. Is keeping the romance intact necessary for happiness?

In response to the first question, we consider the facts that all couples have their own unique dynamic. Some thrive on chaos, disharmony, and ultimately making up and others flourish in a state of calm and consistency.  Then, there are all of those in between.

The Martini Ice Bar has an ice-covered bar top intended to keep drinks cold.

For us, the mix of an occasional visit by Mr. Overly Grumpy (rarely directed at me specifically) and my Ms. Overly Bubbly (always lurking), seems to create enough tension to make the relationship challenging and exciting, never knowing for sure what the day will bring. 

The lack of knowing moment by moment exactly what to expect has a magical way of presenting opportunities for lively banter, playfulness, including hilarious name-calling and frequent laughter precipitated by our own foibles and occasional self-deprecation.

Humility plays a big role for us, but oddly, it’s coupled with a keen sense of confidence while feeling secure, safe, and revered.  Trust is omnipresent, never faltering. How do relationships survive without trust? They don’t.

In response to the second question; many couples say they are utterly happy without romance. I’d assume, most often, they are couples who never made romance a priority early on in the relationship. Many lifelong partnerships are happily maintained without romance with only an occasional celebratory situation bringing it back into the forefront.

For us, the eyes locking across the room while we’re at a social occasion has always made our hearts flutter.  Tom, who swears he’s not romantic, has a side few others can detect, where he makes “overly romantic” me know I made the right choice in my remaining-years-of-life love and companion.

For me, romance is not about the occasional bouquet of flowers or a gift, wrapped in pink tissue in a “Victoria’s Secret” bag. It has nothing to do with a candlelit dinner with a crisp white linen tablecloth, fine dinnerware, and a fancy meal. 

Patricia, the lovely woman we met last night at the bar traveling with her 18-year-old daughter.

It has everything to do with a state of mind encompassed in finding your partner appealing both in both their imperfect physical state of being and their imperfect mental state of being, whatever that may be and however that may fluctuate as the years waft by and everything changes.

Can we love and accept the wrinkles and belly fat wrought by age and lifestyle and still see the beauty and handsomeness of what appealed to us in the first place so long ago? If yes, that’s romantic in itself. 

From this perspective, last night we found ourselves late in getting to dinner on “lobster night” after engaging in a lengthy fabulous conversation with a delightful woman we met from Costa Rica (where we’ll be living for three months in 21 months), at the Ice Bar on Deck 4, our usual hangout before heading to usual reservation-free dinner (never wanting to feel pinned down to a specific time).

Realizing we should arrange a reservation for the lobster night, the only available times were 5:30 or 8:45 pm.  We chose the latter, preferring not to dine so early in the evening.  (I’d actually had a light breakfast anticipating a late meal knowing food wouldn’t arrive until 9:15 or later).

After considerable fun at the bar, we said goodbye and headed to check-in for the reservation at 8:30, hoping to get in a little earlier. Given a pager, it was impossible to get a “shared” table so we decided to wait for the beeper.

My dinner last night; a Cobb Salad with chicken and two lobster tails.

By 9:00 pm, we were seated as the only patrons at a table for seven. As always, in consideration of others, we decided to wait to order until the table was full. Our usual playfulness and banter had started between us while at the bar, if not earlier in the day.

As we sat alone at that table with not another person or couple seeking a shared table entering the restaurant after us, we finally resigned ourselves along with our wonderful waiter Kundeep, that we should order dinner and proceed with the evening. 

From there, the fun between us escalated, the compliments flew back and forth, the knee grabbing under the table elicited fits of laughter, all the while holding hands, staring dreamily into each other’s eyes. I don’t drink alcohol and Tom had very few cocktails. It wasn’t alcohol talking. It was happiness. It was love. It was romance.

We hardly noticed our food although it seemed to disappear off our plates. The cruise line’s head food manager stopped by to say hello and giggled when he asked if we were newlyweds and we answered that we’d been together almost 25 years but are happier now than ever, in this life we live.

Tom’s dinner last night of Beef Wellington and lobster tail with veggies.

Our wonderful waiter gabbed with us. The hostess that oversees my food stopped by along with several other staff members and managers, perhaps noting we were alone at the big table needing some attention. We didn’t. We appreciated it nonetheless. 

The hours whizzed by and finally, it was time to leave. It was late and we decided to head back to our cabin, unable to wipe the coy smiles off our faces. No one ever joined us at our table. We didn’t care.

This morning, renewed and refreshed after a great night’s sleep, we still can’t stop smiling. Perhaps, the special evening further reminded us of how lucky we are, how blessed we are, and how much we appreciate each other and this peculiar life we live. 

It’s ironic that one of the most fun evenings we’ve had aboard the ship was spent alone at dinner together, reveling in this gift we’ve been given to enjoy our lives, fully engaged in the moment and…in the next moment to come. Who could ask for more?

For today, with only two days to disembarkation, once again we’re enjoying every moment left on the ship with the same enthusiasm we expect we’ll be feeling in a few days living in our new home in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand. Life is good. And, at times, life is romantic.

Darn, I should have saved this story for Valentine’s Day which is four weeks from today! Then again, we don’t need a Hallmark-inspired day to make us happy!

Photo from one year ago today, January 17, 2015:

We were excited to arrive in Kauai, Hawaii for a four-month stay in Princeville. Little did we know how much we’d love the island with a robust social life thanks to our new friend Richard Turner, whom we met only a few days after arrival. For more details, please click here.

The freedom to choose…Tom trying new things…

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At dinner last night, he really stretched himself trying and very much liking this liver pate, another first for him, saying it reminded him of Braunschweiger.

With five more upcoming Australian cruises in the next 15 months, we don’t feel compelled to get off the ship at every port of call on this cruise. The nice part about cruising is we can do whatever we want. There is no schedule we have to follow. Our dinner reservations can be “whenever” we’d like. 

With a variety of functions in which we can choose to participate, most can easily be attended with a last-minute decision. Most often there’s room for two more. 

We love this freedom to decide.  In part, this sense of liberation and lack of feeling of being encumbered, owning “stuff,” had been instrumental in our decision to travel the world.

Tom, for the first time ever, ordered a Caramel Macchiato and liked it very much, ordering another while we sat in the Café el Bacio again today preparing today’s post.

Now, aboard this ship, we’re totally entrenched in this feeling of choice and freedom, exactly how we feel when we’re settled into a vacation home for a few months or more. 

There is no feeling of entrapment, no schedules other than those we freely choose with no obligations than those in our little world except for the responsibility for our health and well-being, taking care of the houses we’re renting, fiscal responsibility, record keeping, and future planning.

As for the “responsibility” of taking photos and posting each day, it’s done without any sense of obligation or pressure. It almost feels as if I have a remote in hand each morning and I select “play” as the process flows through my fingers with ease and purpose. 

If someone would have ever told me I’d have to conceptually write an essay every day of the week, 365 days (or this leap year’s 366 days) including adding new photos daily, I’d had said, “Bite me! I’m not doing that!”

His next “outside the box” new drink, a Café Diablo with Courvoisier VS, Grand Marnier, Sambuca and hot coffee.

And yet, day after day, without stress, without boredom, without “writer’s block” it all comes easily to me.  Motivation is a powerful thing. Documenting this year’s long journey, having the ability to look back and see what we’ve done day after day, sharing it with family, friends and the people we don’t know throughout the world has been all the motivation we’ve needed.

Onboard the Celebrity Solstice now for the past 48 hours, we’ve already had more fun, met more people, engaged in more lively conversation as we’ve wandered about the ship thoroughly entertained together as a couple as companions, shipmates, and lovers. Without even trying, cruising is romantic in its own unique way. 

Last night, as we sat on bar stools at one of the popular bars, The Ensemble Lounge, with a jazz band playing in the background, we were not only reminded of times long past but, of past cruises when conversations on a bar stool are especially memorable. 

Tom was drinking his usual Courvoisier with Sprite Zero while I sipped on plain bubbly water in a tall glass with lots of ice, a lime, and a straw. I miss drinking alcohol but my health is better without it. Last night, my glass looked like a “cocktail” while I almost felt a pleasing buzz from the power of suggestion.High on life? 

A few years ago while on a cruise, he tried frog legs, enjoying them again as an appetizer at last night’s dinner.

From meeting new people while sharing our mutual stories, a unique connection aboard a ship is generated hour after hour. We spend little time in the cabin. At the moment we’re situated in comfy chairs in the Café al Bacio, our newly discovered coffee/tea bar.

On our last cruise on this same ship, we rarely lounged in this area while posting instead spending time outside in warm weather. We’d never tried the coffee or tea. Tom has since tried a few coffee drinks as shown in today’s photos in his attempt at “trying new things.” 

It was exciting to find they offer my favorite oolong tea which I can drink all day when every beverage and sweet treat (for Tom only) they offer in this area is included in the two drink packages included on this particular cruise via promotion through Celebrity: free gratuities (usually charged at US $13, AUD $18 per person per day), free classic drink package for two (Tom’s cocktails, specialty coffees, imported teas, and a wide array of bottled beverages which is usually US $59, AUD $83 per person per day), and a cabin credit of US $100, AUD $141 to be used however we’d like.

Once on the ship we immediately signed up for the unlimited Internet packages which don’t allow sharing unless one goes offline while the other is online.  his plan, at US $244, AUD $345 per person (if we didn’t want to share, which we don’t) resulted in our paying a total of US $488, AUD $690 to ensure we both could be online at the same time.

Tom’s dinner was less adventuresome, tournedos of beef with red wine reduction with potatoes, green beans, and carrots. He found the entire meal and beverages to be pleasing to his limited palate.

With Tom enjoying time online while I spend the better part of each morning preparing the post, sharing is not an option for us. Plus, while I prepare the post, he assists with exchange rates, searching for links, and researching pertinent information while I’m in the process of posting. Having to go offline after each of my many questions is not for us.

Most likely, our final cruise bill will only include the above WiFi fees and a few odds and ends for any purchases we may make. The almost dried-out Max Factor mascara I’d purchased in Sydney made me drool over the prospect of purchasing a three-pack of Lancôme Definicils, my old US favorite for US $72, AUD $102. Gee…I haven’t purchased something this pricey and extravagant in a long time. 

I’ve gone back to the ship’s cosmetic store a few times looking at this potential purchase hesitating to buy it when for the past three-plus years I’ve used what I could find at a local chemist or supermarket. 

My “girlie” mentality hasn’t entirely wafted away while living this life and I’m glad for it. Who said I had to give up everything? No one. The freedom to choose is gratifying. 

No, I don’t own a handbag. I have only two pairs of jeans and five total pairs of shoes. We make do with what we have. An occasional splurge now and then reminds us that we do have the freedom to choose and that most often, we choose that which is relatively frugal and practical.

Today, we decided to stay on board the ship. We’re currently docked in Melbourne (pronounced “mel-ban” here in AU) until 5:30 pm. We may walk off the ship or we may not since we’re certainly enjoying the quiet while other passengers are off the ship shopping, riding in full buses, and sightseeing. 

We’ll be back here on another cruise in November. Knowing this, it’s easy to choose to stay onboard, simply because we feel like it. There are two upcoming ports of call for which we’ve booked all-day small group tours.  That’s enough for us. We had no commitments for today. When we return to Melbourne we may plan a small group tour or take a taxi tour. However, today, we’ll take a number of photos of Melbourne to share here tomorrow. 

So please check back, if you choose to…

Photo from one year ago today, January 7, 2015:

When daughter-in-law Camille and granddaughter Madighan stayed behind a few days before returning to the mainland, Madighan and I made the gingerbread house we’d been too busy to make before Christmas  For more photos, please click here.

Day 10…No sunshine…Acceptance of conditions throughout the world…

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The guard at the gate to the Government Building in Suva, the capital of Fiji.

Since arriving in Pacific Harbour it’s been cloudy and rainy for no less than 17 out of 21 days. While in Savusavu, we experienced similar amounts of rain occurring almost every day during the three-month stay. 

As positive as we attempt to be about conditions where we’re living at any given time, it would be ridiculous to say we’re not looking forward to the coo, sunny climate of New Zealand, definitely not in the tropical climate category. 

At this point, it’s hard to believe our four months in Fiji are coming to an end. Overall, we’ve enjoyed Fiji, mainly for its friendly locals, beautiful surroundings, colorful vegetation, sparkling sea, and some of the finest organic produce, grass-fed meats and free-range chicken on the planet, all at affordable prices.

Recently, dining out on several occasions has been enjoyable with many options befitting my diet, which wasn’t the case in either Savusavu or Trinity Beach when most menu items included starches, sauces, and sugar.

Distant view of the Government Building in Suva.

Fiji is truly an affordable place to visit for the long term when staying in a vacation property and perhaps at different times of the year, it rains considerably less, making it all the more ideal vacation/holiday spot during those periods. 

We remind ourselves that literally everywhere in the world has aspects that may not be ideal to the average traveler or even the long-term resident. Years ago, we often discussed how many Minnesotans retired to Arizona and Florida for the great climate.  But, after visiting both states and watching weather reports over the years, we’ve seen and experienced that their winters can be cool with inclement weather.

When we first left Minnesota to travel the world, we spent our final two months in Scottsdale, Arizona, a beautiful desert community, a haven for many retirees, making final preparations to leave the US long term.

It was warm when we first arrived in Scottsdale in early November 2012 but quickly became cool requiring we wear jackets most days. We never had an opportunity to use the pool outside our condo door. It was simply too cool.

The long fence surrounding the Government Building in Suva.

During our Scottsdale trip, we rented a vacation home for a week in Henderson, Nevada for a family gathering over Christmas. There too, it was very cool and we never used the pool in the backyard. 

On many earlier visits to son Richard in Henderson, Nevada, we recall very cool weather in the winter months. Tom and I easily recall waiting outside a casino after a show for the valet to return our car, freezing while we waited 20 minutes.

Where is the ideal year-round warm climate? Does it even exist anywhere in the world?  If it’s warm, it’s usually humid. When it’s humid, there are usually mosquitoes and a wide variety of insects and…lots of rain.

The more we travel the more we accept these realities, especially when we’ve spent such a huge portion of our travels living in a tropical environment. Over the past 12 months, we’ve lived on four islands of Hawaii, Trinity Beach, Australia, and Fiji, all considered tropical climates, all of which included clouds/rain at least 50% of the time.

The top of the President’s house in Suva.

In the past 12 months, we’ve only spent 18 days cruising. Although we spend a lot of time discussing and planning cruises, some years we spend little time actually doing so. 

In other years it’s much more such as in the upcoming 12 months, beginning on January 5, 2016, during which we’ll be sailing on five cruises encompassing 76 days, approximately 21% of the year. 

Most often, conditions on cruises are highly satisfactory with little inconvenience and adaptation required; no insects, air-con comfort throughout the ship, comfortable beds and seating, relatively good food, no shopping or cooking required, no housework, and frequently, good enough weather to spend a little time each day lounging by the pool. 

Sure, we’ve experienced rough seas on several cruises and a few bouts of “cruise cough” a harsh inevitable reality on some sailings. Once it starts it’s difficult to avoid, especially when one of us “catches” it and transmits it to the other. 

The beach in Suva has several seating areas.

Illness is a downside of cruising for which we’ve promised to be even more mindful of in our upcoming cruises.  No handshaking, touching, and too close proximity to others.  Plain and simple. 

There were a few occasions we excused ourselves as graciously as possible to leave a dinner table when upon being seated near or next to a coughing passenger. This is an awkward must-do. Even so, we’ve fallen prey to the cough on three or four occasions. 

We wash our hands no less than 12 times a day but need to increase the frequency and beef up other methods we’ve implemented over these past 11 cruises. More on that later.

Why cruise? Mainly, the opportunity to visit many parts of the world in a short period, the highly pleasing social interactions, and the relatively easy living onboard a ship continue to provide a tremendous draw for both of us.

ANZ National Stadium in Suva mostly used for rugby and football, popular sports in Fiji.

As we begin the countdown to departure and the end of 2015, not so much anxious to leave Fiji as opposed to looking forward to the next leg of our journey, we reflect on this past year as being one of considerable enjoyment, personal growth, and discovery. 

With many plans and new countries on the horizon, we hold onto our seats for yet another enriching “ride” in the awe-inspiring world in 2016.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, December 27, 2014:

Family day at the beach park on Christmas Day, posted one year ago today. Although it was raining, Vincent and Miles (not shown in this photo) were more interested in looking for fish in the shallow tide pools than stopping to eat. For more details, please click here.

A birthday celebration in Fiji…Memorable for both of us!.. My faux pas at dinner!…

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Tom in front of the tall Christmas tree at the Pearl Resort in Pacific Harbour, Fiji on the evening of his 63rd birthday. 

Last evening at 6 pm, Alfaan picks us up for the short taxi ride to the Pearl Resort and Spa, a popular resort in Pacific Harbor known for excellent dining options including Seduce Restaurant, where we’d arranged an early  dinner reservation.

The lobby at the Pearl Resort.

It’s not that we prefer dining early as is typical for some seniors. We’ll easily wait to dine until 8 pm on cruise ships and when dining out with others. However, when we’re alone, with a goal of taking photos before dark, we often opt for an earlier reservation.

My amuse-bouche of prosciutto-wrapped asparagus with truffle mayonnaise with dollops of balsamic sauce.

As has been the case over the past few weeks, it’s been raining almost every day, often all day and night with no sunny breaks in between. We haven’t used the pool in over a week when the sun peeked out on two extremely hot and humid days when only by lounging in the cool water did we experience a little relief.  

Tom’s amuse-bouche of sushi with raw fish and truffle mayonnaise.

Once we arrived at the resort, taking a few photos inside and out, we stopped for a drink at the main entry area bar for less than optimum service. It took 15 minutes for Tom to get his papaya Margarita after placing the order. I ordered bubbly water with lime. Fiji time. 

At this point we wondered if the Seduce Restaurant would be the five star establishment as claimed by many reviewers in TripAdvisor. As it turned out we weren’t disappointed at all. 

He ate two plates of bread.  I didn’t say a word.

As a matter of fact, we experienced some of the finest service we’ve had in a long time, readily leaving a generous tip for our server. Impeccable!  Perfect timing!  Warmth and kindness! Attention to detail!. All elements of great service by most diners standards.

Complimentary wines with dinner.

The food? With weekly menu changes, the options were limited with four starters (none of which worked for me or that Tom would like), four entrees and four sides. The entrees included small portions of potatoes of one variety or another which I swapped for a few cut spears of delicious crunchy asparagus.

We both selected the same entrée, a platter of garlic butter, grilled seafood including mussels on the half shell, prawns, lobster tail, scallops and local tender white fish. The portions of each item were small, although together the servings were adequate. 

My fresh plate of food after the previous lobster tail went flying off the plate.

Tom’s platter included the roasted potatoes and, get this, he ate eight slices of a baguette dipping it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar! Guess he’s had his bread fix until we head out again tomorrow for the Christmas lunch buffet back to the Pearl Resort for the buffet in the Riviera Restaurant.  

Tom’s similar seafood platter with roasted potatoes.

Our meal began with a complimentary amuse-bouche, Tom’s a sushi roll as shown in this photo (first time he tried sushi, didn’t love it, ate it anyway) and mine was tailor-made asparagus wrapped in prosciutto with a truffle mayonnaise…small…delicious. I could have made a meal of that alone.

The entrée was buttery and delicious. I’d handed over my phone for the food list before ordering leaving me unconcerned that my meal would be perfect, and it was.

Tom was served this flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis and a scoop of coffee-flavored ice cream. 

As soon as our plates arrived stacked with seafood, our waiter asked if we’d like a photo taken of the two of us.  Tom started to stand saying he’d come over to my chair and crouch down next to me for the photo while I grabbed the camera off the table. 

My rumpled lobster soiled clothes were a sight to see after dinner when our waiter took this photo.

As I picked up the camera to hand to the waiter, the strap caught the shell portion at the end of my lobster tail and alas…my lobster went flying in the air landing on the floor with pieces on my lap and upholstered chair.  Oh, my.

If we didn’t have an audience I’d surely have gone into hysterics. Tom surely would have joined me. After all, it was a precious lobster tail over which my mouth had been watering.

The commonly seen  Fijian lali bell, used to announce special events was located near the entrance to the resort.

Our kindly waiter wiped up the mess and brought me a totally fresh plate. I could tell it was an entirely new plate of food when I noticed the numbers of the items and the arrangement had changed.

Cleaning up my clothes luckily all dark with a moistened linen napkin, we proceeded to enjoy our meal and each other. Complimentary wines were included with the meal and my adorable piglet, drank both the red and white after downing his Margarita, leaving only a few sips in the sizable glass of white wine, once the beautiful complimentary birthday dessert arrived unbeknown to either of us.  He always stops drinking alcohol when he has a dessert.

Christmas décor near the entrance to the resort.

I’d mentioned it was his birthday upon making the reservation and once again as we were seated.  One never know what treats a fine restaurant may have in store for an unsuspecting birthday celebrant. He wasn’t disappointed when the luscious complimentary plate arrived after the table was cleared and cleaned. Chocolate cake. That had been a while.

He didn’t weigh himself today nor did he care. Once the Christmas buffet is over tomorrow, he’ll be back to eating low carb with me and will drop any gain in a matter of a few days. Last night, he fit into a dressy pair of shorts he hadn’t worn comfortably in a few years. 

Fresh flowers in a Christmas display in the lobby.

Back at home by 10 pm, we got comfortable and watched the finale of Survivor Cambodia, which we’ve saved for this particular evening. With Cambodia on our itinerary in less than seven months, it was particularly fun to watch that series. Not that we’ll be living as they do on that show. Ha.

With the humidity rampant making sleeping uncomfortable lately we’ve turned on the wall air con unit when we’ve gone to bed. With the comfortable bed, good blanket and cool room, we’ve managed to get some decent sleep these past nights, for the first time in many months after the heat in Savusavu.

Unusual display table in the lobby. Lots of legs.

OK, folks, that’s the story of the birthday celebration.  Tom expresses a heartfelt thanks to all of the good wishes through email, comments, and Facebook. He had a great time reading and responding, appreciating every birthday greeting. 

Today, Christmas Eve on this side of the world, we’re staying put in the pouring rain, sending Christmas greetings to family and friends. I’ll cook a lovely dinner, nothing special, just a nourishing good meal…minus bread, potatoes and dessert. 

For those on this side of the International Dateline, Merry Christmas!  For those celebrating Christmas Eve tomorrow, Merry Christmas!

Photo from one year ago today, December 24, 2014:

The photo was taken from our lanai in Pahoa on Christmas Eve day. With 12 of our family members having arrived on the Big Island, everyone busily scrambled to unpack, prepare for Christmas and partake in exciting Big Island adventures. Tom and I stayed home busily spending the day preparing home made pizza for Christmas Eve dinner and food to pack for the Christmas Day picnic at a beach park in Hilo. For more details, please click here.