Christmas Greetings

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Hello everyone. 

Just to wish you and your families a very Happy Christmas, and that 2026 brings you peace and contentment in abundance.

Love B and D xx

(The star was made out of matchsticks by my lovely husband)

Last Stop - Vancouver, Canada

Hello everyone. I'm back again for the final stop of our trip around the world.

We spent only a few days in Vancouver before we travelled home, so we tried to take in as much sightseeing as we could.

On our first day, we visited Gastown to see the steam-driven clock. The clock was built in 1977 and incorporates a steam engine and electric motors. Every quarter of an hour, the clock emits a whistle, and then on the hour, it plays part of 'Westminster Chimes'.

If you are there at 12 noon, visitors are treated to a full rendition of the 'Westminster Chimes' , complete with all the steam—a fascinating piece of technology.

As we had braved the views from several towers during our holiday, it only seemed right to finish with one in Vancouver. The following photos are therefore from the top of the Vancouver Lookout. I'm done with high towers for a while now, but I have to admit the views were amazing.

Later, once we were back on the ground, we took a stroll around Harbour Green Park. We watched several seaplanes taking off and landing from the terminal and braved a floating jetty to get some of the pictures.

We were in Vancouver during the latter part of October, and we were treated to all the beautiful Autumn leaf colours. So beautiful.

And so finally we reached our last full day of holiday adventures. We chose to spend the time in Stanley Park.

We thought the black squirrels were very cute. These are Eastern grey squirrels with a colour morph caused by a genetic mutation.

While we were in the park, we also visited 'The First Nations Totem Poles' at Brockton Point, which represent many indigenous people.

And so our travels ended on this mammoth adventure. We arrived home safely, bleary-eyed and longing for sleep. Normality is returning along with the new adventures of retirement. What will come next? Who knows.

Thank you to everyone who has visited this small corner over the last few weeks. I hope you enjoyed our big adventure.

Now, it is on to Christmas. Have a good week, everyone x

Honolulu and Big Island

Hello everyone.

I'm back again with the next stage of our travels. It all comes to an end next week with our last stop and return home ready for Christmas festivities.

However, this time, I am reminded of that crazy day(s) when we crossed from Auckland to Honolulu and the International Dateline. It was a very long day, and my brain still can't deal with all that time travel. 

We were exhausted when we arrived in Honolulu, but somehow needed to stay awake for most of another day. Our hotel was across the road from the zoo, so that seemed a good place to while away an hour or two. It was very hot, and I'm sure the animals had better sense than we did as they found shelter from the heat. I was still able to take a few photos before we headed back to the hotel and collapsed for the evening.

We also visited the small aquarium that was not too far away.

We also visited. I found this sea dragon quite fascinating.

As we were only in Honolulu for a short time, we used the hop-on, hop-off buses to make the most of our time, including a visit to Diamond Head crater.

We also enjoyed walking along Waikiki beach and seeing the towering buildings along the skyline.

Of course, the one place we had to visit in Honolulu was Pearl Harbour.

Our first stop was at the Arizona Memorial, which is erected directly over the place where Japanese war planes sank the Arizona on the 7th December 1941. There is a small viewing area where you can see part of the Arizona itself, still in its watery grave, which holds the remains of so many brave sailors who lost their lives that day. I found it profoundly moving and shed a tear.

Above is the USS Missouri. On our visit, we were able to see the signed documents of Japan's surrender, signalling the end of World War II.

This was a memorable but very sobering day, but I'm glad that I was able to visit.

From Honolulu, we journeyed on to the largest of the Hawaiian islands, known as the Big Island.

The condo we stayed at was amazing, and I would have happily stayed there for the rest of the holiday.

The following day, we drove across the island from one side to the other to visit the National Volcano Park. Yes, this is also the place where the Kilauea volcano has been erupting over the last few weeks with great gusto. It is one of the world's most active volcanoes. We were there for only about 10 days before its current eruptions, and you can see the steam rising from vents in the crater.

On the way back to our condo, we also stopped at Rainbow Falls for some more breathtaking views. The falls got their name because, on a sunny morning, you can see rainbows in the mist thrown up by the waterfall. Sadly, it was late afternoon by the time we got there, but it was still spectacular to see.

We spent the rest of our time on the Big Island relaxing and enjoying the beautiful and varied scenery.

Next week will be my final holiday post. 

Have a good week everyone, while I try and get on with some Christmas preparations instead of dreaming of our next adventure. 

B x