Recalling four years ago today and more…

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In Fiji, as we slowed down to take photos of the sea, my eyes caught something black moving at a distance. Getting out of the car where there was no fence to keep these piglets contained, we squealed with delight, as did this little white piglet who seemed happy to see us.

Fascinating Fact of the Day about Devon: 
From this site:

“Devon is home to the UK’s oldest humans:
No, not those people who constantly walk in front of you down High Street. A fragment of jaw bone was discovered in Kent’s Cavern in Torquay in 1927, and carbon dating followed by studies in 2011 say it could date from 44,200BC and is Homo Sapiens – making it the oldest modern human remains found in northwest Europe. Not all scientists agree with the dating, mainly the ones from Cornwall.“
Due to a photo shortage resulting from inclement weather, today we’re reflecting on a time four years ago when we had a fantastic time in the cultural village of Savusavu, Fiji, on the island of Vanua Levu.

(To see the post with some of today’s photos, please click here.  If you search our archives from September 7, 2015, to January 4, 2016, you’ll have an opportunity to read and see photos from our memorable experiences during four months in Fiji).

Most tourists, when visiting Fiji, tend to travel to the main island of Viti Levu, the largest of 330 islands in the archipelago. Vanua Levu would typically be the next choice, as the smaller islands’ second-largest and most populated island (135,961).
It appears there were no less than five piglets. The mom was contained within this wood structure, but the piglets could easily wander about.
Overall, we spent a total of four months in Fiji, three in Vanua Levu in Savusavu, and one month in another single-family home on Viti Levu (population 600,000) in the more remote area of Pacific Harbour.

Pacific Harbour, an hour’s drive from Suva, the capital and less desirable place to stay, is a popular residential area for ex-pats, locals, and tourists. It’s also a known area for adventure seekers with its exciting canals with white water rafting, bungee jumping, scuba diving, snorkeling, and more. See this link for more details.

But, the gem of our experience was the three months we spent in a tiny house overlooking the sea in the highly cultural and fascinating village of Savusavu. So few tourists visit Savusavu, I was unable to find stats as to the number of tourists that visit the village.

This diminutive aspect and the estimated 90% of the population are native Fijians, with 45% of which are Indofijians, those with ancestors from India born in Fiji.  
The ferry that was awaiting passengers for its daily run to the main island of Viti Levu took several hours.
The accents of the Indofijians still indicate a strong influence from India, acquired through their parents and grandparents, interlaced with the typical Fijian accent.  

Our wonderful neighbor, Sewak, educated us on the influence and culture of the people of India on the Fijian culture. As for the native Fijians and Indofijeans, we had the glorious experience of learning about their culture, rituals, and lifestyles, so different from our own.

It was Sewak’s dog Badal, who visited us every night for dinner. We always made him a plate with meat and vegetables. Sewak had permitted us to feed Badal meat when he and his wife were vegetarians.  

Each night Badal appeared on our veranda, folding over his front paws and waiting patiently for his plate of food. Through this friendly dog, we had an opportunity to get our “animal fix.” See his photo below:
Badal visited us almost every day in Fiji, checking out what may be on the evening’s menu.  We never failed to give him a plate of something delicious. After his meal, he’d sit cross-legged on the veranda looking at me, hoping for second helpings. For more photos, please click here.

There are dogs, farm animals, birds, along with an endless array of sea creatures seen by scuba divers and snorkelers.  We loved every moment, particularly in Savusavu.  

Only on a few occasions did we see any tourists in the tiny village. But, we frequently engaged with the locals, the native Fijian and Indofijeans, while very little with our landlord, an ex-pat from Germany who lived nearby.

We didn’t have a TV in Savusavu and were unable to get a WiFi signal in the house, which had been stated in the listing as being available. It never worked. Subsequently, we purchased two dongles and data at the local Vodacom kiosk in the village. The SIM expires every 30 days.  

The Wifi situation was an inconvenience, and the signal was poor, but we didn’t complain. As long as we could post, we were content and managed to busy ourselves on outings with our designated driver, Rashnesh. We’d never rented a car in Savusavu.
The beach is seen on the short drive to the village.
The house was located up a long steep hill inaccessible with a regular car. We would have had to rent a four-wheeled vehicle at a prohibitive cost. Instead, Ratnesh drove us wherever we chose to go for sightseeing, dining out, and shopping.

During our last month in Fiji while living in Pacific Harbour, again, we didn’t rent a car when taxi fare was inexpensive, and we still were able to explore surrounding areas, dine out and shop. The house had a pool and a TV we watched on rainy days, mainly endless episodes of Nat Geo, which is not available in most holiday homes. 

Fiji left us with many great memories we still cherish today as we continue our long-term world journey.

Hopefully, the weather improves for the ten remaining days we’ll be in Witheridge. When it does, we plan to get out to take photos, which we’ll undoubtedly share here.

Be well. Be happy. Be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, October 1, 2018:

It has become commonplace for us to see lions across the Crocodile River. However, we never will take these sightings for granted.  For more photos, please click here.

No hurricane yet…Passion…

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An inviting hammock in the side yard of the garden.

Fascinating Fact of the Day about Devon: 
From this site:

“Devon has the country’s only 16-sided house (see photo below):

If you’re ever filling in a request list on Zoopla, making it clear what your house must have – three bedrooms, parking, nearby school, must be a hexakaidecagon, (in mathematics, a hexadecagon is sometimes called a hexakaidecagon or 16-gon, which is a sixteen-sided polygon) you won’t be in much luck. The only 16-side house in the country is A La Ronde in east Devon. It was built for two spinster cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, returning from a grand tour of Europe in the late 18th century. The interior decoration includes a feather frieze, gathered from native game birds and chickens, laboriously stuck down with isinglass and a shell-encrusted gallery, said to contain nearly 25,000 shells. It sounds like it was designed by Laurence Llewelyn Bowen after a head injury – but worth a visit.“

This morning’s weather report reads as follows:
“It comes as Britain braces itself for one of Europe’s strongest-ever hurricanes to bring 80mph gales and 16ft waves from Thursday. Six hundred-mile-wide Hurricane Lorenzo is forecast to hit the Azores off Portugal with 100mph winds on Tuesday then spin close to Britain by Thursday, the Met Office said.” -13 hours ago.”

There’s even mention of the possibility of snow. To our surprise, it snows in the UK, primarily in Scotland but also in Wales, where we’ll be in 11 days. But, most of the snow (not substantial amounts) occurs in January and February and often only in the mountains, which won’t impact us since we’ll be long gone.
The paddock we can easily see from the living room window.
Sadly, most of our time here is spent indoors with the heavy rains day after day. When the sun makes an appearance, it only lasts for a few minutes. On many occasions when the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, we’d begin readying ourselves to take off on a road trip, and moments later, we were removing our shoes and rain jackets when the rain had returned.

We’ve resigned ourselves that this is the way it will be over the next 11 days. Instead of fussing over this situation, we’re exploring the farm as soon as the rain stops and the sun emerges. 
Our favorite giant duck.
Living on this farm is truly enchanting. At any hour of the day, we hear the myriad ducks, geese, and chickens making endlessly varying sounds along with the baaing of the sheep only 20 meters (65 feet) from the house. It’s all music to our ears.

It all falls in line with our passion for animals which we’ve been able to foster in many locations worldwide. No doubt, we’ve lived in many areas where wildlife was rarely spotted, nor did we encounter any barnyard animals.
This doesn’t mean we haven’t had a good experience in those areas. It’s merely a different experience.  Instead, we focus on the area’s history, architecture, and scenery, whether a quaint village or a big city.  There is always something that stands out as unique and fascinating.
Ducks are considering their next move.

Of course, there are always the people, and that above all is the passion we share regardless of where we may be. One of the main reasons we enjoy cruises (the next occurring in 24 days) is the opportunity to meet new people and, on occasion, encounter a few we’ve met on past cruises.

The primary means of enhancing the cruise experience is to dine in the main dining room for breakfast and dinner at a “sharing” table. Occasionally, we’ll have breakfast in the buffet, and there again, we may meet other passengers sitting at a table they’re happy to share.  We’ve made many friends throughout the world on cruises.

We seldom dine in specialty restaurants for two reasons: the added cost and, two, the circumstances are such whereby it’s difficult to meet others when most tables in specialty restaurants are for two people. We’re perfectly content with the food in the main dining room, which at times may be mediocre at best.

These ducks and chickens are on a mission.

However, we don’t cruise for the food. Many passengers do, finding the all-you-can-eat aspect most appealing. We can eat all we want when we’re cooking our delicious meals. We don’t need to be on a cruise to do this.  

The only limitation we place upon ourselves when preparing our meals is to avoid overeating and gaining weight. We can’t be in a position where we don’t fit into the few clothes we each have in our one suitcase.

Mondays keep coming quicker and quicker. It must be a by-product of aging. The days flying by in a blur of pleasant experiences, good conversation, accomplishing tasks, and planning for the future. It’s all good.

Have a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, September 30, 2018:

A little affection between the two warthogs in the garden. For more photos, please click here.

Hurricane Lorenzo coming this way…A useful greenhouse on the farm…

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Renate suggested we pick all the tomatoes and other vegetables remaining in
the greenhouse.

Fascinating Fact of the Day about Devon: 
From this site:
“Devon was the last place in the country to execute witches:
By the late 1600s, the rest of the country had given up executing people as witches and instead started giving them columns in the Daily Mail. But the last English executions for witchcraft happened in Exeter in 1682 and 1685. Temperance Lloyd, Susannah Edwards, and Mary Trembles of Bideford died in 1682, and Alice Molland died in 1685 in Heavitree. They were accused of causing illness and death by the black arts.”

We selected a few of the larger ripe tomatoes and a variety of cherry and grape tomatoes.

We are not worried about Hurricane Lorenzo based on the fact we are not living on the coast. But instead are located inland in Devon.

This morning we spotted information from a few news sources.

From this site, Metro News, published within the past hour:

“The UK could be hit by 70mph winds and torrential rainfall when the remains of Hurricane Lorenzo arrive next week.

The UK could be hit by 70mph winds and torrential rainfall when the remains of Hurricane Lorenzo arrive next week. The country was struck by heavy rain overnight, and the bad weather is set to continue when the storm sweeps across Britain on Thursday. 

The Met Office said there was a potential for Lorenzo to bring strong winds and flooding and described the weather system as a ‘real beast.’ Hurricane Lorenzo has strengthened into a Category 5 storm in the central Atlantic Ocean, making it the strongest storm ever observed so far north and east in the Atlantic basin. 

The US National Hurricane Centre said late yesterday night the storm has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (257 kph). Lorenzo moves north at ten mph (16 kph) and is centered about 1,410 miles (2,269 kilometers) southwest of the Azores, a Portuguese island chain.

Hurricane Lorenzo
Map of the expected course of hurricane Lorenzo from this site.

Yellow weather warnings were put in place from 6:00 pm on Saturday to 5:00 pm on Sunday, warning of persistent rain and a risk of flooding across the northwest and southwest of England and Wales. 

Lettuce next to a fallen apple with a butterfly.

Areas such as Devon and Cornwall could see coastal gales of up to 50mph, while between 30mm and 40mm of rain is expected to fall within the warning area over the weekend. Cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Bangor, Swansea, and Cardiff are also covered by the weather warning.”
  
Based on our location and this map, we could experience heavy winds and rain in 24 to 48 hours. We were hoping to head to Tiverton tomorrow morning to shop, but if high winds and torrential rains have commenced, we may have to head to the tiny shop in Witheridge to get what we need for a few days.  

Two ducks were sitting on the fence at Pond Cottage.

Right now, we’re considering driving to Tiverton to at least get our shopping done. With many shops closing at 4:00 pm today, we won’t have much time and need to head out shortly.  

The fall remains of what must have been a lovely flower garden during the spring and summer months.

In the interim, speaking of updates, we finally received the refund from Easirent of EU 2100, US $2297.62 (as of today’s values).  What a relief! We’ll report back with updates.

At the moment, it’s raining, but there is no wind, so that it may be best we get on our way.

A few flowers remain in the cooler weather.

Have a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, September 29, 2019:
Elephant’s feet must carry a lot of weight: “Elephants are the largest living terrestrial animals. The average male African bush elephant is 3.20 m (10.5 ft) tall at the shoulder and has a body mass of 6,000 kg (13,228 lb), whereas the average female is 2.60 m (8.53 ft) tall at the shoulder and have a mass of 3,000 kg (6,614 lb).”  For more photos, please click here.

One year ago…Time flies, blah, blah, blah…A favorite year…

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This lamb is half the size of the others.  Renate explained she never grew to full size due to a genetic anomaly..

Fascinating Fact of the Day about Devon, Cornwall: 
From this site:“
Devon has Europe’s Oldest Cinema:
Torbay Picture House was opened on 16 March 1914 and is believed to be the oldest surviving purpose-built cinema in Europe. In its early days, it featured a 21-piece orchestra, with each member paying a guinea to perform. There are 375 seats: 271 in the stalls, 104 in the circle, plus three private boxes at the back seating an additional eight. A project is currently underway to bring it back into use. We can’t say for sure, but the first film shown was probably the original Police Academy.”

______________________________________
“They say that time flies when you’re having fun.”  We’ve found that time flies regardless of how much fun we’re having. During the past difficult last three months in South Africa flew by in a blur, from February to May 2019, waiting for me to heal enough to fly to Ireland.
One of the entrance gates to Renate and John’s 500-year-old seven-bedroom house.
Now, as we recall Ireland and the three months we spent in Connemara from May to August 2019, passed so quickly, the memories seem distant and far removed from our reality.
Now, as I’m quickly returning to my “old” self (old, indeed) we’re able to look back to our 15 months in Marloth Park, South Africa, focusing on the amazing months we spent in my favorite place in the world.
The lush green pasture.
It was about one year ago that I found myself saying to friends and perhaps even posting that I was in the midst of experiencing “the best year of my life.”  With our many friends close at hand with an outrageously busy social life and of course, the constant flow of wildlife both at “home” and in Kruger National Park, life couldn’t have been more pleasing.

Regardless of the hot weather, the mozzies, the insects and the prospect of snakes at every turn, we found ourselves entrenched in the magic that living in the bush offers.
Some have asked, “Did the cardiac by-pass surgery and its long and painful recovery tarnish any of our South African experience?”
The sheep in this particular paddock had been sick or have some disability.
No doubt, the last three months in Marloth Park were difficult, especially when I was too ill to be able to go out onto the veranda to interact with our wildlife friends, until the last few weeks before we departed in May.  
However, I’ll still stand by my statement that the first 12 months we spent in Marloth Park as being the favorite year of my life since we’d begun our travels almost seven years ago. It was a dream fulfilled.

The proverbial question is…will we return?  Our hopes remain that immigration will allow us to return and remove our status as “undesirables” for the three months we overstayed during my recovery.  
This is the biggest goose we’ve ever seen.
We’re scheduled to return on a cruise from Lisbon to Cape Town in November 2020, hoping to stay in Marloth for another three months, minus the few days we’ll spend in Cape Town.  
If we don’t receive the waiver, we’ll have to cancel that Azamara cruise and possibly lose our GBP 892, US $1100 deposit we paid long before I became ill.  We’ve decided to continue to wait to see if we’ll be approved for the waiver over the next few months.  If not, we may choose to get an immigration lawyer to assist in this process.

In the interim, we’ll continue to make plans for the future planning around the cruise as we continue to wait on the waiver.  Neither of us cares to have plans up on the air but in this case, we’ve decided to be patient and forge ahead
This dock on the pond outside our door is covered in moss due to the humidity.
This morning farm owners Renate and John stopped by to bring us fresh towels, a new down comforter and duvet with matching pillowcases, a dozen eggs from their chickens and feed for the ducks, geese, and chickens along with different feed for the sheep.

Once the rain stops we’ll wander out to the greenhouse to pick tomatoes and stop to feed the animals some “pellets.”  Ummm…farm life…we like it!

Have a delightful weekend!
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Photo from one year ago today, September 28, 2019:
From a recent visit to the “hippo pool” in the Crocodile River bordering Marloth Park.  For more photos, please click here.

Living in the moment…The simple life…

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A chicken in our garden, right outside the door.

Fascinating Fact of the Day about Devon, Cornwall: From this site:
“Devon “invented” the first Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell Terrier was created by the Reverend John Russell – born in Dartmouth, went to school in Plympton, rector of Black Torrington. He bought a dog with stumpy legs, huge ears and was great at digging around in filth. The white and tan dog was excellent at digging out foxes which had gone to ground.”

We often hear comments such as, “Live in the moment. Don’t dwell on the past or the future.”
Roses blooming outside our door.
A considerable part of the joy we experience day by day is wrapped around our current lifestyle, our past travels, and the anticipation of experiences yet to come.  
No, this doesn’t mean we forget about where we are at any given moment. As shown in today’s simple photos, a chicken looking in the door was an experience in itself. Even in our old lives, we would have giggled over a chicken looking into the house.
 
For those who raise chickens, which more and more health enthusiasts are tackling these days as interest in free-range chicken and eggs has grown, a single chicken looking into the house may not be as big a deal as it is for us.
She approached the door when she saw us inside. “You got any pellets?”  she clucked!
We found ourselves giggling over this seemingly insignificant event. A short time later, we captured more photos of the farm and its farm animals when the sun peeked out for a few minutes.

We started a walk with the sun shining, heading across the road where the Dorset sheep are located in a paddock. Alas, no more than five minutes from when we left the house, it started pouring again, and we rushed back to the house. 
She was awaiting our reaction and the possibility of food.
Are we bored hanging around the farm? Not at all. We love this simple farm life with little obligation other than keeping the house clean, gathering firewood, grocery shopping, cooking our meals, doing our laundry, making and changing the bed, all of which is not unlike what most of us do daily.

We don’t have a cleaner here for the three weeks on the farm. Sure, we have our fair share of clutter, including items on the kitchen counters where we often leave out bowls and pans we use frequently. But, we both work to stay on top of keeping the house spotless, exactly how we like it.  

In our old lives, clutter was out of the question, but now, although we don’t have newspapers, snail mail, and work-related clutter, we have lots of adapters and cords cluttering our space lying all over the living room floor, including our HDMI cord. We always have to walk carefully around these cords when there are few outlets in most holiday rentals.
Although it’s very cool, flowers are still blooming.
It’s not like the US, where there are often outlets on every wall.  In many countries, there are only one or two outlets in an entire room. We’ve never had outlets in the bathroom. We work around it.  

Tom figures all of this out upon our arrival at a new location and somehow manages to ensure we each have ample plug-ins for our digital equipment using our power strips and universal adapters.

Although we’ve assigned ourselves specific tasks, we’re always willing to help one another, regardless of the task. Tom is still babying me by not allowing me to carry heavy objects, bring in groceries or help with the firewood. I doubt this will ever change, but I do my fair share around the house, especially now that I feel well.  
Colorful flowers in the garden.
As more and more time passes, I think less and less about the problematic past seven months and spend more and more time reveling in the joys of past experiences and embracing those for the future.

We’re both very grateful for this life.

May you find gratefulness in your simple days!
Photo from one year ago today, September 27, 2018:
This was my favorite photo of impalas, taken in Kruger National Park.  Impalas have exquisite markings on their faces and bodies. For more pictures from our self-drive in Kruger, please click here.

Farmer Tom…Also, credit card rewards…

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In the rain, Tom was using the wheelbarrow to bring the wood to Pond Cottage.

Fascinating Fact of the Day about Devon, Cornwall: From this site:
Devon has the world’s country’s bakery
“I know what you’re thinking. The clue’s in the name. But like they don’t get cream teas right, our Cornish cousins didn’t invent the pasty either. The earliest recorded recipe for the pasty was discovered in 2006 and dated back 500 years. Yup, it’s in a Devon book. So, you can go to Europe all you like and get them to say Cornish Pasties have to be made in Cornwall. Doesn’t make it so. If you like, we can also prove we invented Cornish Piskies, the Cornish language, and the writer and director Joe Cornish.“

With the weather in the 14C, 57F range, the past several days consisted of almost constant rain, and it became pretty cold in the Pond Cottage. It’s been so hard. Using the woodstove was our best option to warm up. We’ve been bundled up in our sparse warm clothing.  

The past two nights, I wore socks to bed. It makes us wonder how cold we’ll be when we get to Minnesota in November, with the winter season rolling in. We recall a blizzard on Halloween in 1991 as described here and below:  
The woodshed…a building on this 500-year-old farm. 

“In eastern Minnesota, the Halloween Blizzard shattered many of the previous October snowfall records. The 8.2 inches that fell in the Twin Cities on October 31 was more snow than had ever been recorded in any October in its recorded history. Over the next two days, the snow continued to fall, leading to additional snowfall of one to two feet (30 cm to 60 cm). By the time the snow ended on November 3, the storm had dropped 36.9 in (93.7 cm) on Duluth, the largest single snowstorm total in Minnesota history at that time. The Twin Cities received 28.4 in (72.1 cm), setting a single-storm record for the metropolitan area. In all, at least one foot (30 cm) of snow fell in a swath approximately 100 mi (160 km) wide from south-central Minnesota, northeastward into northwestern Wisconsin, and into the Minnesota Arrowhead. A more narrow band of 2+ ft (60+ cm) of snow fell from the Twin Cities to Duluth and northward.”

As it turns out, my son Greg and wife Camille have offered to loan us winter clothing while in Minnesota. If necessary, we’ll also buy a few items, such as warm jackets, sweatshirts, and sweaters, leaving them behind when we depart.

As mentioned in a post a few days ago (see the link), we were awaiting a credit from Easirent Car Rentals in Ireland. Over six weeks had passed, and we’d yet to receive the EU 2100, US $2308.71 they’d charged to our account. It was not a “hold” but an actual charge.
The dry woodpile from which Tom collected wood.  The kindling is to the left of the woodpile.  The owners encouraged us to use all we wanted. We’re using the wood-burning stove/fireplace to heat the house.
The credit appeared on the card last night.  We sighed with relief. We didn’t want to deal with the negativity of the threatening phone calls for one more day! Fortunately, after pressing them with the threat of reporting them to the Irish equivalent of the Better Business Bureau, they finally came through.

While I was reviewing our various credit card balances online, which we generally pay off in full on the first of each month, Tom suggested we use accumulated rewards points on our cards toward any credits we may be paying off in a few days. We hadn’t done this in a while.

When we used the points this morning, we paid off $1397.37 on the cards. We’ve recently become more mindful of only using cards that provide the most reward points.
With all the vegetation and rain, it’s not unusual to see moss growing on the trees.
When we shop, we use a card that offers the most points for groceries. When we pay for travel-related expenses, we use two other cards, one in Tom’s name and another in mine. It’s working well for us.

The sun was shining when we awoke this morning, but it was raining again when we had our coffee. We’re looking forward to getting out. Most sightseeing venues near Devon require a drive of one or two hours on the narrow winding roads, which we aren’t willing to tackle in this rainy, windy weather.  

We’ll continue to wait patiently for a sunny day or at least a day without too much rain. In the interim, we’re enjoying the cozy fire in the woodstove while continuing our research.

May your day be sunny and bright!

Photo from one year ago today, September 26, 2018:

This male lion was cuddling up to this female.  For more of our lion photos, please click here.

The narrowest street in the world…Heavy rain keeping us in…Update…

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See the description below of the narrowest official street in the world. (Not our photo).

Fascinating Fact of the Day about Devon, Cornwall:
“Devon has the narrowest road in the world (from this site):

Parliament Street in Exeter bears a plaque claiming it to be the narrowest street in the world. At its thinnest, it is about 0.64 meters (2 ft 1 in). At its broadest, it is 1.22 meters (4 ft 0 in). It used to be called Small Lane but was renamed Parliament Street to poke fun at the Government for passing the 1832 Reform Bill Funny,? The German’s claim they have the narrowest street in the world – but that’s just a gap between two houses. Parliament Street runs from High Street to Waterbeer Street. In 1836 the residents of Waterbeer Street paid to have the street widened. The council hasn’t done that yet. Maybe after the new pool.” (See the main photo).


Before I started preparing the post, we tackled the pouring rain and made our way from the house to the car. Needing a few items from the grocery store, it made sense to only drive to nearby Witheridge rather than head back to Tiverton, a 40-minute or more drive in the rain.

With it raining as hard as it has, added to the reality we were totally out of photos, we’d hoped to take more photos in Witheridge. Doing so was tricky when both the camera and I got soaked even while wearing my rain parka. It was not a good day for taking photos and attempting more sightseeing.

Sheep grazing near Pond Cottage.  This paddock is where the older rams reside to live out their lives.

Instead, we purchased the few items we needed and headed back to Pond Cottage to build a roaring fire and hunker down for the remainder of the day. In checking out the long-range weather report, it appears it could be raining for the next ten days.

We apologize for the lack of good photos for today’s post. We did the best we could under the circumstances. On Monday, if it’s raining when we return to Tiverton to shop, we’ll visit a few museums in the area. Rain or shine, museums are always a good option.

With our taxes done, our recent “paperwork” completed, and various supplies ordered that will be shipped to us from the mailing service. We now have more free time to begin researching our upcoming trip to India in five months.  

When we didn’t feel like driving in the pelting rain, we went 10 minutes to this small market in the village of Witheridge. They had everything we needed at reasonable prices.

All we’ve booked for India to date has been the exciting train trip on the Maharajas Express departing from Mumbai on February 2, 2020, ending in Delhi on February 8, 2020, and also the fabulous cruise embarking on April 3, 2020, from Mumbai, India and arriving on May 2, 2020, in Greenwich, England, a 29-night cruise. 

We need to begin further research on staying in India from February 8th to April 3rd, almost two whole months. We haven’t decided yet if we’ll rent a series of holiday homes or stay in hotels. If you’ve visited India in the past few years and have any suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated!

Tom had suggested we wait to book anything further for India until we had a better idea of how I’d be feeling. Now, after being off the three awful medications and being able to walk for the past month, my strength is quickly returning.

St. John the Baptist church is located in Witheridge.

It is no longer painful to walk, and the breathing issue (aka dyspnea) I was experiencing has diminished each day. The wounds on my legs and the hematoma on my right thigh are almost completely healed, and my sternum continues to be less and less painful when I move specific ways. 

Overall, I feel tremendous and hopeful for plans for the future.  Barring any unforeseen setbacks, I’m good to go anywhere we’d like to go in the world. We’ll continue to purchase global insurance, which is available annually for long-term travelers at a much better rate than we’d paid in the past.

Ultimately the international insurance we had all these years proved useless when they refused to pay my medical bills, claiming I had a pre-existing heart condition, which I did not have nor was aware of.  

Row houses in the village.

We could commence a lawsuit against the insurance company, but we’ve decided we don’t want to make our lives all about a legal matter, constantly on the phone with lawyers.  

Life goes on. And, we’re grateful that “life goes on!” We’re thankful to have survived the trials of the past seven-plus months, and feel free to return to our world journey with peace of mind and contentment.

May your day present you with peace of mind and contentment!

Photo from one year ago today, September 25, 2018:
The baby tried drinking from the river on her own while mom stood nearby to watch for predators.  Giraffes are vulnerable to predators in this position. For more photos, please click here.

A walk in the hilly neighborhood…

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Vegetables for sale in a front garden.  We selected a zucchini and a small pumpkin.

Fascinating Fact of the Day About Falmouth:

   “Falmouth was originally known as Smithwick, home to the Killigrew family at Arwenack Manor. In 1613 John Killigrew began to build houses around the harbor, despite opposition from the ancient towns of Helston, Penryn, and Truro, and a new town began to emerge, split into two hamlets called Smithicke and Pennycomequick. Finally, in 1660, King Charles II decreed that they should be known as Falmouth.”
Three days ago, I was official “off” the heart medication Bisoprolol, which caused severe side effects, including difficulty breathing, difficulty walking, extreme exhaustion, and a constant feeling of general malaise.
This is the sign for the produce garden products.  We dropped the appropriate coins in the letterbox after we’d selected a few vegetables.
The side effects of the medication withdrawal may include dangerously high heart rate, excessively high blood pressure, breathing problems, and severe palpitations.  
 
During this gradual withdrawal process, I experienced infrequent episodes of all of the above but for short periods only, no more than a few minutes at most.  Knowing the possible withdrawal symptoms, I stayed calm and made my way through it all.
Plant prices were marked and offered for sale in the homeowner’s front garden.
Within minutes, my readings would return to normal.  Once I was down to ¼ of the original dose, these side effects dissipated completely. I stayed on that dose for another week, and three days ago, I stopped completely.
 
I hadn’t planned to reduce the dose while on the cruise, but since the process seemed to be going well, I continued, checking my pulse and blood pressure a few times each day, which were normal except for one night early on. As I patiently continued, those ill effects ceased.
This sign is located in the garden by the plants for sale.
Among others I recently stopped, this drug may remain in one’s cells for many months, still serving up side effects. I hope I will make it through the upcoming months without incident and be free of these toxic drugs.
(If you are prescribed any of these mentioned drugs, please see your physician for changing or stopping your medication. Some patients must be hospitalized during the weaning process when doing so may cause a heart attack. Proceed with caution. We are not offering any medical advice, nor are we qualified to do so).
A Black Rose Aeonium.
The literature included with this last drug stated three days after gradual withdrawal, the incidence of side effects may begin to lessen. I started noticing a dramatic improvement yesterday on day 2.

As a matter of fact, for the first time since the surgery on February 12, 2019, Tom and I went for a walk in the neighborhood, taking the photos included here yesterday and today (post found here).

No, during the 30-minute walk, I wasn’t free of pain in my legs, but I did considerably better than I’d done while on tour in St. Petersburg. The hills are steep in most Falmouth based on the terracing of homes for the outstanding ocean views. Walking on the local streets is a challenge for most people, let alone me in my weakened condition.  

Fuzzy burgundy blossom was spotted on the walk. Any ideas what this may be?
It’s not so much that I run out of breath when walking but more so having to deal with the severe pain in my legs. Now, as I continue to progress, we’ll walk more and more, taking advantage of those hills to aid in my recovery. I only push myself as far as I can go, frequently stopping as needed.  

Today, we’ll stay in on a rainy day. There’s no point in risking a fall on the cobblestone streets in the rain. Instead, I’m busy around the house, organizing and repacking my messy suitcase. We leave here in nine days for the following location, but fortunately, we’ll be driving, not flying.
We made a reservation for the “Sunday Roast” which we’d had at a restaurant in South Kensington, London, in 2014 at the Andover Arms.  Here’s the link from that date.  Fantastic meal.  I hope to be so once again.  Check back on Monday for details.
With the towel situation resolved and a bottle of Prosecco for our inconvenience delivered by a wonderful neighbor, Sheena, we’re willing to provide a good review if everything continues as it appears from here on.  

We love the beautiful location, and the house is fulfilling our needs with good Wi-Fi, constant electricity, running water, and a very comfortable bed. The fridge is tiny, but we’ve adapted, and every three days, we shop for perishables.

Have a pleasant day and evening.

Photo from one year ago today, August 28, 2018:
We visited the Railway Museum in Livingstone, Zambia. A steam engine reminds us of “Thomas” trains, appropriately named, built-in 1919.  For more photos, please click here.

Struggling with sorrowful situations…

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The Artina Phoenix Reisen, with 1260 passengers, built in 1984, is a passenger ship, arrived in the Falmouth port this morning.

Fascinating Fact of the Day About Falmouth:

“Falmouth Harbour and the Carrick Roads form the third deepest natural harbor globally and the deepest in Western Europe.”

It’s a glorious morning in Falmouth, England. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and a cruise ship is docked at the Falmouth Pier while passengers disembark to savor this stunning town and surrounding areas.  

We were able to take a photo of a portion of the ship, part of which is obscured by a building. Perhaps later, we’ll walk down to the road for a better photo. But, today, our hearts are heavy.

As the sun began to rise this morning, Tom captured this photo with the sun’s reflection in the bay.

Someone we love has been diagnosed with cancer, and we pray she’ll find a path to recovery and healing. Our love, hearts, and prayers are with her until we can be at her side in 73 days. (To protect her privacy, we aren’t disclosing who this is and the depth and breadth of her condition).

As we’ve learned, particularly in the past seven months, joyfully traveling the world in love with life and one another doesn’t make us exempt or free from the sadness associated with disappointment, heartbreak, and sorrow.  

Sunrise with more reflections in the bay.

Often, others perceive our lives of world travels to primarily consist of the pleasure and fulfillment one might experience on a non-stop holiday/vacation.  Not the case.  

As “they” say, “Everywhere we go, there we are.” There’s no escaping the realities of life, much over which we have little to no control. As I struggle to re-learn to walk less tentatively, I realize, perhaps for the first time in years, that regardless of a degree of sheer will and determination, not everything can be overcome.

Sunrise in Falmouth Bay.

Oh yes, some theories promise that healing can come from meditation, mindfulness, and prayer. And, perhaps, there is a particular element of fact in these modalities when we exercise our hearts and minds to heal and ultimately recover.

Is the reality such that “we can’t control what comes our way?” But we can control how we react to what comes our way. And, can it be that our reaction has a profound effect on the outcome?  With that, I agree.

All Saints Church in the center of the town.

I’ve been no hero or example of strength and fortitude over this past almost seven months filled with pain, worry, and frustration. Many have so kindly written praising me for “being tough and strong.” I appreciate these comments wholeheartedly (no pun intended).

However, my reality remains…I merely have done my best to get through this, emotionally and physically intact. That’s all any of us can do. We have the option to “give up” or continue. But most of us have a robust commitment to ourselves and those we love to heal and recover.

A clock atop the Packet Quay, where vacation rentals are located.

I will admit I did exercise a high degree of self-control to avoid self-pity and hopelessness by not complaining aloud. The story can be shared but not in an attempt to elicit sympathy, although a tinge of compassion goes a long way when I haven’t been able to keep up the pace.

Over the past months, I’ve seen this compassion from our readers, expressing a deep understanding and compassion over my inability to write at times, take photos, and get out sightseeing to add depth and interest to our site.

Alternate view of the cruise ship in port.

Believe me. If it hadn’t been for all of you, I could easily have become a “couch potato” lounging day and night. Instead, I was keenly aware that our readers expected a “little action,” thus motivating me to get out and do more and more. This proved to be a blessing in disguise.

For those who are worrying about a loved one’s illness, there’s no easy answer.  Not everyone wants to include other family members and friends during a difficult time. We must respect this and let them know we care. It’s not about us and how we react. It’s all about them and the process that lies ahead and how they choose to handle it.

Our love and prayers to our loved ones and yours, who struggle to find peace and resolution in their challenges.Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 27, 2018:

Lots of kudus by the steps to the veranda.  We couldn’t hand out pellets quickly enough.  For more photos, please click here.

Final expenses, Baltic cruise…Final sailing day…Stockholm, Sweden photos…

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Please see our final cruise expenses at the end of today’s text. With the poor WiFi connection, I couldn’t move the expenses box to the text or load captions due to the poor signal. Please excuse the inconvenience.

The cruise is winding down. Tomorrow morning we disembark in Amsterdam to take a taxi to the airport and fly to Exeter, England, where we’ll pick up a car and drive for approximately two hours until we arrive at our next holiday rental in Falmouth England.

It’s wonderful knowing this cruise is ending only to result in our starting our next adventure for two months in England, staying in what appears to be four unique and exciting country cottages.


Once we began our travels, I envisioned living in a stone cottage in the English countryside, and now this dream will be fulfilled. For us, it’s always the “simple life” that brings the greatest pleasure and purpose to our world travels.


Today is our last full day at sea, and the ship is a flurry of activity with passengers booking new cruises, meeting up with others they’ve met along the way, and reminiscing about the experiences of the past almost 12 days and nights.

Last night, once again, we had dinner with our favorite little group, including American partners Fred and Larry and British mother Deborah, and adult son James. The conversation and laughter are neverending with this six-person group, and thus we booked a unique table with our favorite waiter for tonight’s final dinner at 7:45.

Last night we stayed up late watching passengers dancing to various “oldies” in the Centrum. It was the first time in my life. I couldn’t participate in the lively dancing. Tom and I love dancing together, especially to “oldies” of the correct beat (to us anyway)


Trying not to feel sorry for myself, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d ever been able to dance again. Right now, it doesn’t feel as if I could. Currently, right now, my legs feel as if they’re made of jello, and it takes everything I have to keep from falling flat on my face. But, hopeful that I am, I’m now dreaming of the day I’ll have my strength back and be on steady legs.

I believe this is a result of the medications and the weaning process, tentative walking being listed as a significant side effect while on the drugs and attempting to wean off of them, possibly lasting for many months.  

It would be a lot easier if I knew that an end to the discomfort was in sight. But, like life itself, nothing is certain. We attempt to live in the moment and how important it is to treasure each day as it occurs. It’s challenging not to project into the future.

This morning I reduced the dose of the Bisoprolol in one more increment. I’m now down about 70%. I’ll wait another four or five days until I attempt to reduce it again.

The most common side effects of the withdrawal of this beta blocker are increased heart rate and blood pressure, breathing issues, at times to dangerous levels, and coughing and painful walking. I am monitoring these closely.  Once the body adjusts, the rates return to more “normal” levels for most people, and the pain eventually dissipates.

Before weaning off this drug, my pulse was in the 40s and 50s, causing me to feel exhausted and short-winded. Now, as I’ve reduced the dose, it’s running between the 60s and 90s. My blood pressure is low. We’ll see how it goes.

Oh, I am sorry to go on and on about my health. Let’s face it. It has had a significant impact on our travels. If we were living in a condo somewhere in a warm climate, I could easily have fallen into the trap of being the “perpetual patient,” going back and forth to doctors to answer every question that comes to mind.

Now, I lean on reputable scientific research to guide me through this process.  I’ve read in many cases how many cardiologists have suggested their patients stop these drugs “cold turkey” while others warn patients to be hospitalized during the weaning process. Go figure.

Medical information is misleading, and doctors can have varying “opinions” on treating their patients, especially cardiologists. I’ve chosen to go to the “middle ground” and try to work this out independently.  

Of course, if anything untoward were to occur, we’d immediately seek medical attention. Also, if my pulse or blood pressure rise too much, I always have the option to increase the dose short-term to get me through a bad spell and then try again a few days later. Right now, I’m holding my own.

As the day quickly sails by (no pun intended), we find it hard to believe this cruise is over. We’ve already packed our bags, leaving out clothes to wear tonight and tomorrow. Since our bags will be whisked away at 10:00 pm tonight, most likely, we’ll wear the same outfits tomorrow that we’ve worn tonight.

Today’s photos are those we took while in Stockholm, Sweden riding on the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus that we decided to try one more time. With no rain this time, the photos were better.  

We were able to ride on the top deck without windows providing us with a clear view. It’s not easy taking photos from a fast-moving bus, but we did our best and are delighted to share these with you today.

Most likely, we won’t be able to prepare a full post tomorrow, but we’ll let you know we’ve arrived at our new holiday rental in the late afternoon. We’ll be busy unpacking and washing clothes.  Hopefully, we’ll have a few new photos to share!

Be well. Be healthy. Be happy.

Final expenses for the cruise:

Expense US Dollar Euro
Cruise Fare  $          4,313.84                      3,894.36
Airfare –   $             385.00                    347.56
Hotel & Meals Amsterdam- $              440.00                    397.21      
Taxi   $             102.00                      92.08
Cabin Credit  $              (150.00)                  (135.41)
Wi-Fi on ship  $                227.40                     205.29
Gratuities  $                520.00                     469.44  
Miscellaneous  $                   82.00                       74.03
Tours  $                 930.00                     839.57   
Total  $             6850.24                   6184.12
Avg Daily Cost – 12 nights  $              570.85                     515.24
 
Photo from one year ago today, August 22, 2018:
While on safari in Chobe National Park in Botswana, we were excited to get a view of the leopard’s face after waiting for a considerable period while Samson, our guide, kept moving the vehicle for better shots. Upon careful inspection of this photo, you can see the pads of the feet of her kill in the tree near her head.  For more photos, please click here.