Peru & Ecuador - Part 3

Seymour Galapagos Airport

On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day!) we had a 4:30 a.m. wakeup call as our luggage needed to be outside the room by 5:00. We had time for breakfast before boarding our bus to the airport at 6:00. Our flight ended up leaving a little late, then had to stop at Guayaquil Airport for about 45 minutes before heading on to the Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport on Baltra Island.

Our journey to the Western Route of the Galapagos Islands took place upon the Santa Cruz II, a ship owned and operated by our tour group, HX Expeditions. The dock was located a short drive from the airport, and we had to travel by panga (we would know these as zodiacs) from the dock to the ship. It was always required that we wear a life vest when on one of the pangas, and these were different from the life vests in our cabin which were to be used only in case of an emergency.

boarding the Santa Cruz II

Once on board we were able to check out our cabin, and then went to lunch in the ships's only dining room. The Santa Cruz holds 90 passengers, but we had only 83. This included a group of 12 young ladies from a local university. After lunch we had to participate in the mandatory emergency drill.

our stateroom

The afternoon brought us our first hike, which took place on Santa Cruz Island. We were divided in groups of around 12, and our group was the Sea Lions. The pangas brought us from the ship to the island, where we had a dry landing. We saw the interesting landscape of Dragon Hill, located on the north shore of the island. After that we walked inland on a trail that gave us a beautiful view of the bay and the western islands of the archipelago. Out first true glimpse of a Galapagos island felt like a National Geographic moment. The terrain and wildlife were everything we thought and hoped they would be.

Santa Cruz Island

Before dinner we were offered a briefing of the next day's activities, and this was the case each evening on the ship. That night the dinner buffet included turkey for those on board who were missing their Thanksgiving meal back home.

Thankful for Friends

fall is hanging on

We had a non-traditional Thanksgiving this year. Our kids were not coming into town, and we were not traveling anywhere. We could have attended the Thanksgiving gathering here in the neighborhood, which is comprised of other people like us who do not have family living in the area. We have gone to that in the past, and it was very enjoyable.

But we found out that another couple in our community were not spending the day with their kids either. They are neighbors who have turned into good friends. So we decided to just have them over for the meal. We made the turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing and gravy. They provided two side dishes, rolls and a couple of pies. I made a cute pumpkin cheese ball, which was served with crackers, to tide us over until all the food items were cooked. Everything turned out great, and after stuffing ourselves (pardon the pun) we played a rousing game of Mexican Train.

Thanksgiving 2024

When we moved here five years ago, knowing that we had no family or friends in the area, we could only hope that we would make new friends in our community. We never imagined that we would find people that would become closer to us than our own family members, or that we would share holidays and vacations with them. We have a lot to be thankful for, that is for sure!

A True Friendsgiving

turkey cheese and meat tray

Because we had just driven up to the kids a couple weekends ago for the first birthday bash, we decided to stay at home for Thanksgiving this year. Our neighborhood had a Friendsgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day, and we participated in that instead. It was perfect for those of us who do not have family living in the Charlotte area.

The HOA provided the turkey and dinnerware, and those attending signed up for either appetizers, side dishes or desserts. I made the turkey appetizer as shown above. It was super easy to put together, so I got off pretty easy this year. Thirty people attended the event, and there was lots of great food. But more importantly, it provided us with an opportunity to meet new people, including two couples who only moved in three months ago. 

At the end, we each told our name, what street we live on, and what we were thankful for that day. It was so heartwarming to hear so many folks say how happy they are with our community and the new friends they have met. That is why we moved here, and our opinion hasn't changed in the four years we have been part of Imagery. It was a great way to end Thanksgiving Day.

Making Up for Lost Time Part 2

Following our short Danube River Cruise, we flew from Vienna to Rome where our next adventure began. We have been to Rome before, so having just part of a day to do some exploring was fine with us. Rome was packed, hot and dirty so no extra time was needed for me.

Regent Mariner

On August 14th we took a cab from our hotel to the port to board the Regent SS Mariner, a 700 passenger ship. We have always cruised on the 3,000-4,000 passenger ships in the past, so this was a different experience. It was nice to have fewer people on board, yet we still had access to multiple restaurants, a swimming pool, evening shows and a casino (which is not our thing, and we never stepped foot in it.) The Regent offers free alcohol all the time (unlike the river cruises which give you wine and beer options only at lunch and dinner), free (for the most part) excursions, free laundry service, and no up charge for any of the restaurants.

While the Mariner is one of the older ships in the Regent line, it was still very nice. Our stateroom was spacious and had everything we needed. Service onboard was good for the most part, and the food was plentiful and tasty. A bonus is that the ship had a pickleball court on it!

stateroom

We met up with our long-time friends on the ship. We have traveled with them extensively, including the trip to South Africa earlier this year. It's so great to experience new places with people you can truly relax around because you know each other so well. Being able to see them twice in one year was a real treat!

Salerno, Italy

First port of call was Salerno, Italy. For our excursion we choose to visit the historic Herculaneum archeological site. While it was quite a drive via bus to get there, it was amazing to see the ruins of a town that was built in 1243 BC. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the town in ash, and it wasn't until the 1700s that the town was rediscovered. 

Herculaneum

Messina, Italy

Our second stop was Messina on the island of Sicily. We took a bus to Taormina, a hilltop town on the east coast of Sicily. It sits near Mount Etna, an active volcano. It is known for Teatro Antico di Taormina, an ancient Greco-­Roman theater still used today.

Taormina

August 17th was our one and only day at sea, and we welcomed the opportunity to relax for the day as the excursions had kept us on the go. Friday we came into Santorini, Greece. We opted for one of the paid tours, which involved a 7 1/2 hour day that included a stop for lunch and wine tasting at a local winery. We visited the archeological site at Akrotiri village, which can be traced back to 4,000 BC, and then toured the village of Pyrgos before stopping at the Aroma Avlis Winery. The afternoon ended with a walk through the village of Oia, one of the most beautiful stops on the whole trip.

Santorini, Greece

Ephesus, Turkey

August 19th was our 45th wedding anniversary. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined we would spend it in Turkey. We docked in Ephesus, which is a city in Turkey's Central Aegean region. Here we toured the Ancient Ephesus Archeological site, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While Oia was my favorite beautiful spot, the archeological site in Ephesus was my favorite historical spot. Ephesus was founded about 10th century BC. The ruins are beyond fascinating.

Ephesus ruins

Gythion, Greece

The next day our stop was Gythion, Greece. My stomach was not too happy following a breakfast that included some questionable fruit, so I remained on the ship while the others did their tour of Mystras. I spent some time on a lounger under the shade as well as my first and only foray into the pool. I essentially had the area to myself, so that was kind of nice following all the crowds we had been in on the excursions. 

Corfu, Greece

Fortunately I felt better the next day for our port of call at Corfu, where we did a walking tour of the town. Corfu is an island off Greece’s northwest coast in the Ionian Sea. While the area is beautiful, it was incredibly crowded and our bus had a terrible time trying to navigate the narrow roads.

Corfu

Tuesday we arrived at Dubrovnik, Croatia. We had a wonderful guide who told us the story of the town. We began with a cable car ride up to Mount Srd, where we visited the War of Independence Museum. After the cable car took us back down we toured the old town of Dubrovnik, which is also a World Heritage Site.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Our cruise ended in Venice, where we spent the last night on the ship in port. This is not necessarily a good thing as the the location is in an industrial area and adjacent to a camping or perhaps trailer park.  We did have an excursion here, and we elected to go to Murano and Burano. We have been to Venice before, and were spending a couple extra days there, so we did not need a tour of Venice. 

At Burano we visited a shop where they make lace by hand, which was very interesting. The colorful shops and houses make Burano a fun stop on the tour. On Murano we visited a glass blowing factory for a demonstration. It was so incredibly hot that I ended up going outside for some relief.

Burano & Murano

We spent an extra two days in Venice with our friends before flying from Rome to London before catching our flight to Charlotte. This was an incredible three-week adventure, and I'm glad we got to experience two additional ways to travel by ship. It was fantastic to do carryon luggage only, and that's what we will do in the future whenever possible. My big takeaway was to not travel to Europe in August. It was hot and crowded, and that took away from the experience for sure.

Venice

Gazing into My Crystal Ball

Saturday four of us from my Women in Focus photography group got together to take pictures using crystal balls. What a unique way to look at things! While the temperature was a fairly balmy 66 degrees when we met at 9:00, the forecast was for rain and high winds. We decided to go for it anyway.

We first drove to the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park in East St. Louis, which offers possibly the best views of the arch and downtown St. Louis. It is a little remote, but there was actually one other person there taking pictures when we arrived. It is here that I fell in love with my crystal ball. I can see that I'll have lots of fun using it as a photography prop.

Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park

From there we drove to Bellefontaine Cemetery in north St. Louis. One of the most beautiful cemeteries in St. Louis, Bellefontaine is also the final resting place of many of the Who's Who in St. Louis history. While at the cemetery, the winds picked and the scattered clouds added to the mood of the setting. The 20 plus degree temperature drop and rain we could have done without though!

Bellefontaine Cemetery

I found it somewhat ironic that a rafter of turkeys was hanging out in the cemetery right before Thanksgiving. Hiding in plain site? Gobble, gobble - Happy Thanksgiving!

turkey

For the Birds

hawk

A couple weeks ago I glanced out the kitchen window to see a big bird sitting on the grass. Before I could grab my camera, it flew up into the tree with a bunny in its grasp. I wasn't sure what kind of bird it was, but using my telephoto lens I took a picture of it up in one of our trees. My husband identified the bird as a hawk. I have never seen one that close before. Two days later we let the dog, fresh from the groomer, out in the yard and he proceeded to rub his whole neck area in something terribly disgusting. My husband tried to wash him with a cloth, picking chunks of something out of his fur along the way. I threw Kirby in the sink for another bath, nearly gagging on the smell. I am guessing that he found the remains of the bunny somewhere in our yard. Fortunately it was a milder day and I was able to open all the windows and air out the house. I haven't seen the hawk or any bunny parts since that day.

But it reminded me of the time I went around the corner of our house with Kirby on a leash to go on our daily walk. I was startled by some rustling noise caused by a huge bird. Again, I had no idea what kind of bird it was, but I threw the dog in the house and grabbed my camera. The bird had a gangly walk, and made no attempt to fly. As I was chasing it through yards, my neighbors started coming out of their houses to see what I was doing. Soon it was like the Pied Piper, me following the bird and the neighbors following me. It was pretty comical! This went on for a couple of blocks before the bird tired of the game and flew over a fence to escape the entourage. Several people confirmed that it was a turkey! Since I have only seen the ones in the freezer compartment of the store, it was news to me. But it made for a great story, and the added benefit of making the acquaintance of some new neighbors.

Sew What?

I'm kind of between projects right now. My book is in limbo as I wait to hear back from the St. Louis County Library regarding my references to their holdings. I'm meeting with a couple of published authors later this week to discuss their publishing experiences. I can't begin Katie's graduation quilt until she supplies me with the pictures she wants me to include, and I can't start the quilt I donated for the school auction until the buyer gives me more information on her daughter's favorite activities, colors, etc. But I was ready to sew something over the weekend. But what to sew? I didn't want to begin a large quilt as my other obligations will kick in shortly. I decided to make a new wall quilt. I have one wall in the entry foyer that is perfect for a small quilt. I have already made a quilt for each season or holiday for that space, with the exception of Thanksgiving for some unknown reason. So I took the turkey fabric I purchased for a quilt I donated to charity last year, and based the new quilt around it. This fabric is the cutest thing I have ever seen. It is covered in turkeys dressed up like pilgrims and football players. Unbelievably the football turkeys are dressed in either red or orange uniforms, which made it perfect for the quilt I made last year celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Turkey Day game between Webster and Kirkwood. Kirkwood's uniforms are red and Websters are orange. The picture shown here is last year's quilt, which the principal has hanging in his office. At any rate, I am trying to decide the final border for the new quilt, and then I will be ready to put the layers together. Sew much fabric, so little time...