Brenda and Tom’s Travel Odyssey

While walking around you sometimes see very interesting signage. The Australians love to play with words to make clever sayings. Here’s a collection of a few.

Every Saturday over 500 Brisbane citizens both old and young participate in a 5 kilometer run. You see waves of them running through the park. The first wave are young

Tangalooma is a privately owned resort off the coast from Brisbane. Located on Moreton Island, this tropical oasis is made up almost entirely of sand. To get there you take

There is a weird phenomenon here in the Southern Hemisphere when you have lived most of your life in the Northern one. When the sun rises in the East you

On January 14 of this year, Arnold del Carlo passed away at the ripe old age of 101! About 9 years ago I first met him to make a film

Most of the world knows Australians drive on the left side of the road, like the British. For American trained drivers switching over from right to left can be a

Just up the road within walking distance from us through the lovely South bank park is the state museum. It houses a variety of exhibitions from art to science. Currently

Located at the end of Kangaroo Point is the Brisbane Jazz Club, a venerable City institution. Last night we hopped aboard the free Kitty Cat ferry service from our new

Steve Parish is a well known Australian photographer. His work appears on national stamps, calendars and in many books about the country. He is most famous for his spectacular nature

Kangaroo Point is the name of one of the suburbs of Brisbane, QLD. It is a narrow point of land surrounded by the Brisbane River on three sides with stunning

Brisbane has some pretty fabulous parks. Their most recent is the Roma Street Parklands. A few years ago it was pretty much a vacant field. Today it is a splendid

Living in a foreign country provides challenges with regard to comparing how much things cost here verses at home in the US. For starters the exchange rate is favorable to

Along the Brisbane River are several long stretches of Mangroves. The city has purposely preserved them as a way to keep the river clean. They have also built beautiful wood

Even though it was a sleepy Sunday, the city still had lots of action. The City Botanic Gardens street vendors were out in force. We could buy honey, fresh fruits,

Sometimes when you’re away on a trip you just want to do something familiar. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, Brenda and I would go out and have a burger and

Every day I try to walk two miles in the Brisbane City Park otherwise known as Queens Park. The sunny mornings are gloriously peaceful with Lorikeets singing and the Ibis

For the local Kabi Kabi tribe of Aborigines, the Bunya tree is considered sacred. Like a pine tree it has cones which provided food for the indigenous people. It is

During my walks in the park I often pass by the old Government House at the University of Queensland campus. It’s a stately building designed in the 19th Century. Further

After posting nearly daily for two months I though I should take a break from the blog! Maybe it is time to take a trip to the beach?

After a New Year’s night of partying and the morning after effects, nothing refreshes more than a nice long hike in nature. So we all piled into the car and

We rang in the New Year at Clive and Elizabeth’s home in Maleny. Friends and neighbors joined in the fun on the deck drinking gin and tonics and munching on

Since we plan to be in Brisbane for a few months over the winter we decided to look for a long term rental. Looking for and securing a rental in

Having been around Brisbane for a while you can tell the people just love their city. Like most Australians they have loving nicknames for their cities. For example in Fremantle

The city has lots of gardens and parks which is a great pleasure to walk in. But while walking the city, I have noticed another type of garden from steel

Brenda and I love being by the water. There is no better way to get around Brisbane than by using the ferry service to get to our favorite spots quickly.

While Boxing Day roots may be British, (boxing up the leftovers and giving them to the poor with presents the day after Christmas), Australians have taken Boxing Day and made

This Christmas we are far from family and friends. The distance feels more acute but thanks to technology we were able to live chat with all three of our girls

Despite it being summer and warm, the people of Brisbane still get in the cool weather Christmas spirit. You see people in Santa hats, beautiful decorated Christmas trees and hear

Happy Solstice! We are thinking of all of you in the Northern Hemisphere as you celebrate the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Meanwhile we’re here in the

Nearly three years ago we were on a Holland America cruise off the coast of Vanuatu when we met Fran. Her proper name is Francis Thomas and she is 87

Brisbane is a very modern city with high rise office and residential buildings all along the river. The city has successfully managed to integrate many old buildings from the 19th

Just steps from our apartment along the waterfront is the Queens Park established in 1865. It has several acres of beautifully manicured lawns and old growth tropical trees. It even

We were invited by our dear friends, Clive and Elizabeth Waring, to their home in Maleny, Queensland which is north-west of Brisbane. Without a car, the best mode of transportation

We disembarked the ship in Sydney and then flew to Brisbane. Brisbane temperature was the warmest we have felt in days. In the evening we enjoyed a Baramundi dinner and

The death of the cruise industry due to Covid has been prematurely predicted. Our experience on this 14-day Holland America Cruise from Perth to Sydney was lovely. The ship was

Port Eden was an unplanned stop on our voyage. Due to high winds, we skipped Hobart, and thankfully too! A passenger aboard a P&O ship that was docked beside us

We experienced high seas and a bumpy crossing of the Tasmanian sea on our way to Port Eden on the Australian mainland. There is not much to report. So I

It was a tumultuous sea crossing through a section of sea nicknamed the “Roaring Forties” – (referring to the notorious seas at this latitude). Our cabin was rocking and rolling

The day was predicted to be blustery and a cold 51 degrees. Melbourne was in the distance and Brenda and I just didn’t feel up to braving the elements to

The day began with a rainbow and warm temperatures. A boat tour along the Yarra River which bisects this city of 5 million was lovely. The glorious sun made the

During sea days when you are traveling over longer distances, the ship will often have a dress up night for dinner. It used to be called formal nights when tuxedos

Just south of Adelaide is Australia’s third largest island. The first settlements were established here by the British. However due to the lack of water they ended up moving to

After we docked in Adelaide we hopped aboard a bus to tour the famous Barossa Wine Region. The region is well known for their big bold red wines. After an

This is a small port but very big in the fishing world. The many fishing boats go out to the Australian Bight and catch a wide variety of fish. Notable

The Great Australian Bight is a natural embayment or oceanic bight stretching across Australia’s southern coast. This Australian coastal area is part of the Indian Ocean and is an unique environment containing diverse

One would think being at sea far from land would be pretty boring. It’s actually not. There are plenty of things to do and with a spacious cabin we cannot

Due to high winds and inclement weather the captain decided due to safety reasons not to dock in the port of Albany. We are pushing on for another three days

Our Holland/America ship, the Noordam left Fremantle and set sail for Sydney at 1:30pm. It is a 14-day cruise set to stop at several ports along the Southern Ocean. Our

One of the big attractions in Fremantle is the museum of old shipwrecks. Apparently the ship trade between Holland and the East Indies was very lucrative for the Dutch. Unfortunately

Fremantle is the old and beautiful port city that serves Perth. The nickname for Fremantle is Freo. This is the port from which we will be leaving tomorrow on our

Off the coast of Perth is an island called Rottnest Island. It is about 30 minutes away by ferry and it is a very popular destination for vacationers. It has

As many of you know Brenda is a big fan of the Peruvian alcohol called Pisco. She makes wonderful Pisco Sour drinks when we are entertaining friends back home. In

Margaret River is a famous wine growing region in Western Australia. It is mostly known for their white wines due to the temperate climate. We visited Voyager Winery to experience

At the southern most point of the Margaret River area is the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. It marks the point where the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean meet. The currents

There are some days when you do a lot and everything clicks into place. We began with a drive up the coast to see NgILGI cave. Apparently the whole peninsula

Our friends Mike and Wendy related an amusing story that happened to them when they traveled overseas recently. They met a lovely couple and were talking about life in Australia.

Today is Thanksgiving for us in Australia s day early from the US. Brenda and I have much to be thankful for. We have wonderful daughters, great friends, travelled safely,

Western Australia is one of the most mineral rich areas in the world. The Perth Mint played a vital role in processing and minting coins for Australia. Their exhibit about

To help us get adjusted to the new time zone we headed for the hotel pool. They say exposing yourself to sunlight helps the body adjust. Well I can’t complain

Just outside Edinburgh, Scotland is the city of Perth. There is also a city in Western Australia called Perth which happens to be my birthplace. Yesterday we traveled from Scotland

Tonight we went to the Edinburgh Castle to enjoy their Castle of Light Show. The whole castle is lit up with video projections on the walls. It was all great

The old city of Edinburgh has an unusual layout. The main road is called the Royal Mile which runs on the crest of a hill all the way up to

I am sure you are wondering what I’m going to talk about? Let me get to that in a bit. In the afternoon we took a walking tour of the

The old saying “Red sky in the morning is a shepards warning” came true yesterday. A lovely red sunrise greeted us at our hotel. But we put on our warm

We drove to St. Andrews not to play golf but rather see the famous college town, the old castle and the remains of the old Cathedral. After walking around in

We left Inverness under a canopy of blue sky and beautiful warm sunshine. People have told us it is unseasonably warm. We even saw cherry blossoms popping out of some

We have spent two days in this lovely city. The name means at the mouth of the river Ness. It has a population of about 65,000. It is the administrative

Just a 15 minute drive outside Inverness is the site of the famous Battle of Culloden. According to Wikipedea: The Battle of Culloden (/kəˈlɒdən/;[3]Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of

When we left Portree, the rain was coming down in sheets and the wind was howling. I estimate gusts of up to 50mph was buffeting our car over the highway.

The Island of Skye has many peninsula’s jutting out into the North Atlantic. It makes for very dramatic scenery and challenging driving on the single lane roads. Nonetheless, each corner

Brenda and I are pleased to announce the engagement of our daughter Kate to Andy Hanenberg this past week. We are so pleased and think they are a perfect match.

We’ve had a simply wonderful day on the Isle of Skye that only photos can portray.

We decided to overnight in Mallaig at the lovely and quaint Seaview Guest House. Maillaig is the town that connects to the Isle of Skye by car ferry. After a

Last night we stayed at Glencoe House. After a long drive over hill and dale from the Lake District it was great to have a beautiful old hotel to stay

Sooner or later in Scotland you have to stop at a whisky distillery. This one specializes in non-peaty tasting whisky. The name of the distillery sounds like sneezing! Brenda did

We went to the village hall to celebrate Jeannie’s big 90. Over 50 guests were in attendance. There was a mix of family, friends and former clients at the center.

The atmosphere here in the Lake District is hard to encompass in words. So instead I will leave you with these photos.

Suprisingly enough, the answer is yes. When we were at Stirling Castle and touring the little town, we discovered a gin distillery called Stirling Distillery. Housed in a little house

We drove from Glasgow down to the Lake Distict in England, a two and a half hour trip. It was a lovely drive through bright sunshine and intermittent rain squalls.

Up the road from Glasgow is the famous Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle was the key to the kingdom of Scotland, dominating a vast volcanic rock above the river Forth at

We arrived in Glasgow after connecting flights to Chicago and Dublin. The last leg was on a puddle jumper propeller plane through turbulent clouds and rain. We were very happy

In 1962, at the tender age of 9 I took my first airplane flight on Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). We went from Los Angeles to Copenhagen, Denmark. It was a long

May 22, 2022 The wedding of Hanif and Jasmine was a beautiful ceremony held on the beach. As officiant it was my honor to conduct the official ceremony for the

May 20, 2023 Today we went to downtown Puerto Vallarta and saw the cathedral. It is a unique cathedral that has a crown for a steeple. The interior has a

May 19,2022 Brenda and I are in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for the wedding of our dear friends Hanif Ismail and Jasmine Willamson. in fact i have been asked to be

April 30, 2022 Whenever you fly to or from Australia there is a weird phenomenon of time. Going there you lose a day, flying back you gain a day. In

April 29, 2022 Last night at 10:30 pm we got a text saying our scheduled flight from Cairns to Sydney was canceled! That meant the subsequent connection to Dallas and

April 28, 2022 The Australian ancient rain forest stretches up and down the coast around Cairns. It is over 150 million years old and the oldest in the world. It

April 27, 2022 Today we took a half day tour up to the Daintree National Park. Our guide was an Aborigine named Aaron who showed us the many plants and

April 26, 2022 We anticipated heavy rains today and canceled our snorkel tour. As luck would have it, it turned into a glorious day. So we made lemonade by having

April 25, 2022 Today we left Maleny for Cairns and Port Douglas in Northern Queensland. During our farewell with Clive and Elizabeth it was raining pretty good. It was sad

April 23, 2022 Last night our friends Carole and Lisa threw a party in our honor. They invited many of their neighborhood friends to come and meet us. There were

April 22, 2022 Our morning in Noosa was spent with Brenda and Elizabeth kayaking along the inland waterway. Clive decided to do swim in the sea while I went to

April 21, 2022 We arrived in Noosa after a short 1 hour drive from Maleny. This is a special beach place for Brenda and I. It is where we fell

April 20, 2022 It’s been an interesting day. Clive suggested that both Brenda and I get our Australian drivers licenses. Do we go to the DMV, Post Office, City Hall?

April 19, 2022 This morning Elizabeth Waring picked us up from our Brisbane hotel. She drove us for an hour to her and husband Clive’s beautiful home in Maleny. This

April 18, 2022 Easter Monday in Australia is an official holiday. All banks, most businesses and schools have a day off. Too bad for us as we wanted to go

April 17, 2022 On the seventh day the government in Queensland allows isolated Covid infected people to leave their confines. The condition is they must have improving minimal symptoms which

April, 16, 2022 Saturday is day six of our confinement. We are grateful for the nice accomodations but impatience is now setting in over feeling ill. This is a good

April 15, 2022 Steadily improving is our trajectory. Today walked a whopping 1,500 steps. Our little one bedroom condo apartment hotel works great for isolating including having a retreat to

April 14, 2022 As the day came to a close it’s very apparent we are steadily improving. This regaining of energy has bolstered our mood. They say by tomorrow we

April 13, 2022 Certainly Brenda and I can attest that Covid is no fun to get. On the other hand we are in a wonderful place to get medical care

April 11, 2022 With much of the population double vaxed there is a more casual attitude about wearing masks here. We either got infected in Sydney at the outdoor opera

April 12, 2022 Ok, we are resigned to our fate of being isolated with Covid here in our hotel. We feel pretty lousy with headache, coughing, tiredness, and brain fog.

April 11, 2022 In the morning of our departure we watched the beautiful sunrise over Uluru and marvelled at the changing colors. We departed our hotel early in the morning

April 9, 2022 Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock is a world famous monolithic geographic feature in the middle of the Australian desert. This is a sacred place for the

April 8, 2022 In the smack dab middle of the country is Mt. Uluru. An aboriginal sacred site, this mountain rose out of the surrounding sand over 500 thousand years

April 7, 2022 The rain continues and Sydney is suffering from flooding. But the rain hasn’t deterred us from going out and about and in fact makes us feel like

April 6, 2022 After two days of great weather, the rains came back to Sydney. Unlike what we experience in Santa Fe, it rained hard for several hours.  In the

April 5, 2022 Today we took a four hour tour of Sydney and the surrounding areas like Bondi Beach. It was a lovely sunny day again and our driver Steve

April 4, 2022 After a very long fourteen and a half hour flight across the Pacific, we arrived in Sydney to a gloriously sunny day. We felt happy especially with

April 2, 2022 Brenda and I are at it again going on a trip, this time to Australia. We had always decided to go to activate Brenda’s spousal visa. But

Mar. 1, 2022 We arrived back in Santa Fe yesterday on February 28th – exactly six months from when we left on August 28th, and exactly two years to the

Feb. 23, 2022 We have loved our time in Baja, Mexico, met many wonderful new friends, and even tried to put roots down by the beautiful Sea of Cortez. Yesterday

Feb. 23, 2022 For my birthday we had a fantastic evening at the Buena Vista Resort Spa hotel and restaurant. Brenda worked with our host Susette, the manager of the

Feb. 19, 2022 The 19th is my birthday and I am now officially 69 years old. Brenda and I got up early and walked to the beach to greet the

Feb. 18, 2022 I recall a wedding I saw in La Paz last week. It is striking that weddings around the world bear so many similarities. For one thing, family

Feb. 17, 2022 Yesterday we paid a visit to the small village of Miraflores, about 30 minutes from where we are staying. There they have many furniture maker artisans. The

Feb. 15, 2022 The title is a mouthful to be sure but it describes a wonderful museum in La Paz which houses many wonderful cultural exhibits. During our visit we

Feb. 14, 2022 All over the world they celebrate this day for lovers. Even in La Paz but this year it was made special by a lovely young lady who

Feb. 14, 2022 La Paz does not lack for good restaurants. Everywhere we tried has been delicious and very reasonably priced. The service has been excellent with many servers speaking

Feb. 13, 2022 Walking along the Malecon in the evening you see many novel things. Here is a guy and his wife doing a high wire act and yoga on

Feb. 12, 2022 We want to report that yesterday we walked away from the deal to buy the sweet house we showed you in La Paz. We are sad, but

Feb. 6, 2022 Our friends Annalisa and Roberto have decided to expand their outdoor living space. They chose to cover it with a Palapa structure very commonly used in Mexico.

Feb. 5, 2022 The Wine and Tequilla Tasting Bar in Los Barriles hosted a Cochineal painting class. The deal was you pay for the class and you get two free

Feb 4, 2022 We have told you about the cows that wander freely around the neighborhoods and surface streets. Well Donkey’s are allowed the same degree of freedom. Yesterday Brenda

Feb 2, 2022 Happy Chinese New Year! We start off the year by making an offer to purchase a vacation home in La Paz, Mexico on the southern Baja coast.

Jan. 30, 2022 There is a road that runs up east of La Paz to some spectacular beaches. The topography is different from the rest of the coastline. You wind

Jan. 29, 2022 We continue to enjoy this city and decided to spend another day here. That makes two extra days beyond what we intended, we like it that much.

Jan 28, 2022 The old city has some very interesting secret places. Take for instance this little park we encountered between two buildings. We literally stumbled upon this beautiful oasis

Jan. 27, 2022 We are staying in Laz Paz in a hotel next to the old town square for the next two days. The city is a big switch from

Jan. 26, 2022 We decided to drive up and see La Paz. On our way we stopped at this most beautiful and remote beach with a rather odd set of

Jan. 25, 2022 A common form of transportation here is the All Terrain Vehicle or ATV. The Gringos love driving them on the beaches going back and forth all day

Jan. 24, 2022 When you drive in Baja you are likely to encounter a Tope. In order to discourage speeding on the highway and in cities, the Mexican government has

Jan. 22, 2022 Yesterday we drove up from Los Barriles to a wonderful point of land up the coast called Punta Pescadero. The English translation means Point of the Fisherman.

Jan. 19, 2022 In town there is another well frequented coffee place called Maxico. This morning a trio musical group called Butter Fingers was playing. These musicians have become our

Jan. 17, 2022 Last night was the second full moon we have experienced here in Buena Vista, just south of Los Barriles. It’s hard to believe we have been here

Jan. 16, 2022 We took a trip back to El Triunfo for Sunday lunch. There we toured one of their famous gold mines. This was a successful mining community for

Jan 15, 2022 It’s funny how time seems to pass by when you are busy working abroad and fulfilling day to day routines like back home. You still have to

Jan. 14, 2022 I recently did some historical research into the area we are staying in and discover a man by the name of Ray Cannon who was very influential.

Jan. 13, 2022 We took a drive north of where we are staying through high mountains and then through a spectacular Cardón cactus forest. It was beautiful seeing these majestic

Jan. 12, 2022 Last night we took an evening walk down to the Spa Buena Vista to enjoy a Happy Hour marguerita. Much to our delight we discovered they were

Jan. 11, 2022 Down the beach from our new residence is a genuine spa. There are hot springs that flow to the sea and you can smell and feel the

Jan. 10, 2022 Last night we discovered a delightful Italian restaurant called Pizzeria di Don Roberto owned by Alessandro Cioffi from Naples, Italy. You can tell when a town has

Jan. 9, 2022 We recently met a lovely couple, Brian and Hope who are retired military. They have lived all over the world and decided to make their home in

Jan. 8, 2022 This is the last morning in our beautiful beachfront condo. We have enjoyed hearing the waves all day long when they gently lap the shore. Not as

Jan. 7, 2021 One of the things that I am enormously grateful for is that I can still work while being on the road. Together with sending emails, paying bills,

Jan. 6, 2022 Yesterday morning while working at the kitchen table I began to feel my chair start to wiggle. Then I saw the tv on the table start to

Jan. 4 2022 Yesterday we had a very high tide, more than 4 feet. It got me to thinking how a rising tide is relentless and if big enough, can

Jan. 3,2022 In Mexico you tend to see a lot of strong colors on objects and art. I suppose it has something to do with the bright light and the

Jan 2, 2022 Dear friends, Brenda I wish you a great year 2022 ahead from our hideaway in Los Barriles, Mexico. During the past 4 months we have been on

Dec. 30, 2021 In Los Barriles, there are a lot of gringos and they love to hang out at the local coffee shop, or Starbucks wanna be. It’s a cute

Dec. 27, 2021 The sound of splat, splat and splat can be heard on the ocean outside our balcony. Is it a bird? Is it a plane. Is it .

Dec. 27, 2021 Brenda and I hope everyone had a marvelous Christmas. Ours was very low key and relaxing with swims on the beach. A few days ago we drove

Dec. 25, 2021 Dear family and friends, Brenda and I wish you the most joyous Christmas season. Here in this little beach town the celebrations are very modest with few

Dec. 23, 2021 Not a lot going on today other than catching up on work. But Brenda and I did want to wish you all a good day on this

Dec. 22, 2021 This morning while walking on the beach I really got a sense of the transient nature of my existence on the planet. I saw my footprints making

Dec. 21, 2021 Once you get off the main highways in Baja you encounter dirt roads everywhere. Usually they are graded pretty well but you tend to have lots of

Dec. 20, 2021 On any given afternoon in the winter you can see dozens of kite surfers off the Barilles coast. Steady 10 to 15 mile an hour winds blow

Dec. 19, 2021 Last night a glorious full moon rose directly east of our balcony over the sea. It lit up the ocean with its beautiful beams of moonlight. This

Dec. 18, 2021 The other day outside our condo on the beach I spied three cows laying on the sand basking in the cool shade. Holy cow I thought what

Dec. 17, 2021 Eventually most people who visit Mexico get a stomach ailment called Montezuma’s revenge. It happened to me last night and so today is a low key day.

Dec. 16, 2021 But thanks to our friend Annalisa Layton, there is an easier way. For example, with a fifty peso bill, just drop the last digit and divide by

Dec. 15, 2021 Between Cabo San Lucas and Los Barriles lies the Tropic of Cancer geographic demarcation. The Tropic of Cancer is significant to Earth’s geography because, in addition to

Dec. 13, 2021 Los Barilles is a fisherman’s mecca. In the past, Hollywood celebrates came to Rancho Buena Vista to party and fish. Legend has it that these celebrities all

Dec. 12, 2021 Every year the gringos living here put on a house tour to help support scholarships for the local high school students. It’s a worthy cause and a

Dec. 11, 2021 About an hour northwest of us on highway 1 is the beautiful town of El Triunfo. It is a very old mining town established in the mid

Dec. 10, 2021 I have loved photography for most of my life. What it has done is to train me to observe things and look for images that most people

Dec. 9, 2021 Sometimes when you’re on the road traveling you just want a simple home cooked meal. The first night in our Los Barriles condo we made grilled cheese

Dec. 8, 2021 Here in lower Baja you are in the tropics and you see an abundance of coconut trees. Likewise, southern Baja is also a desert. In this place

Dec. 7, 2021 Right next door to where we are staying in Barilles is a Blue Flag Beach. These are unique worldwide beaches that are specially maintained by a non-profit

Dec. 6, 2021 I love the mornings by the beach. When the sun rises over the horizon I feel a world of possibilities is opening up. The beautiful sunlight reminds

Dec. 5, 2021 Tom and I are settling into our beach house in Los Barriles MX. He’s claimed the dining room table as his editing desk, and I’ve taken over

Dec. 4, 2021 Los Barilles is a small town about an hour drive north of Cabo San Lucas. It is called The Barrels in Spanish. The reason is this was

Dec. 3, 2021 Sometimes you gotta take a break from your blog.

Dec. 2, 2021 The sunsets we have seen around the world have been beautiful. It reminds us of this special time in our personal lives as being some of the

Dec. 1, 2021 In Spanish Todos Santos means « All Saints ». This small town is located about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas and is known as an artist enclave.

Nov. 30, 2021 Cabo is a popular destination for cruises lines. Watching the ships come and leave the bay, I am reminded of our own cruising experiences in Europe. While

Nov. 29, 2021 While lying on the beach in our deck chairs one cannot help but admire the beautiful Los Arcos rocks that form the end of the California Peninsula.

Nov. 28, 2021 We are leaving Houston and flying south for the holidays. Our destination is Cabo San Lucas at the very tip of the California peninsula. This is where

Nov. 27, 2021 In 1961 President John Kennedy gave a speech at Rice University setting Americans on a quest to go to the moon. I was 8 years old at

Nov. 26, 2021 Jim and Beth Dabney hosted us for Thanksgiving. Jim is a former air force pilot and currently NASA scientist working on the new lunar landing craft for

Nov. 25, 2021 Thanksgiving Blessings to You All! No matter where you roam in the world, there’s nothing like being with family and connecting with your own roots. Family connects

Nov. 24, 2021 At two years old, Violet is our adorable newest member of the Dabney clan. Her proud parents are Andy and Jill. Violet is the granddaughter of Tom

Nov. 23, 2021 This was our last day with our friends in Ft. Lauderdale. It was a glorious morning before we headed off to Houston, Texas. We had a lovely

Nov. 22 2021 My daughter Molly, her husband Bill, and their two daughters Madison and Hannah, were in Florida for Thanksgiving break. They live in Los Angeles. So we reached

Nov. 19, 2021 There are a lot of canals in Ft.Lauderdale filled to the brim with water. You don’t get any sense of alarm that water is encroaching on the

Nov 18, 2021 This is a mecca for people who love living on the water. Everywhere you go in Ft. Lauderdale you come across quaint bridges and draw bridges spanning

Nov 17, 2021 Just steps from the condo where we are staying is old Ft. Lauderdale. The Fort Lauderdale area was known as the “New River Settlement” prior to the

Nov 16, 2021 We are enjoying a terrific time here in Ft. Lauderdale with our friends Hanif and Jasmine. They live in a section of town called Las Olas. It’s

Nov. 15, 2021 So in Ft. Lauderdale they are preparing for a palm tree Christmas while at the same time you see a floating tiki bar going down the canal.

Nov 14, 2021 We docked in Ft.Lauderdale with our Covid-free Antigen tests in hand to a lovely warm sunny day. Our dear friends Hanif and Jasmine who live here picked

Nov. 12, 2021 Or is it? This is our 6th day of sailing out on the open ocean of the Atlantic. Each day all we can see from the ship

Nov. 12, 2021 After several days at sea you don’t see any other creatures except your fellow passengers. It can seem that the ocean and the sky is lifeless except

Nov. 10, 2021 The Eurodam from Holland-America lines has been our home for several days now. It’s a much bigger ship than our beautiful small vessel the Windsurf from Windstar

Nov. 9, 2021 Another day at sea and without landmarks it is hard to determine where we are. Only our Weather Underground App for some reason can track us. So

Nov. 8, 2021 Today we are approximately in the middle of the Atlantic. It’s incredible looking out at the sea to see just how much water is surrounding us. It

Nov, 6 2021 Today is a sea day and internet access is a bit sketchy. So I will just leave you with this photo to contemplate the sea along with

Nov. 5, 2021 We docked early this morning in Madeira, a Portuguese island in the Atlantic just about 200 miles west of Casablanca. The island has rugged and steep mountains.

Nov 2, 2021 Thirteen years ago I put my 8th-grade daughter on a plane to Spain for a 2-week home stay and study program. Ever since she fell in love

Nov 3, 2021 Our day in Lisbon commenced by our ship Eurodam gliding under a replica of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. Our scheduled tour took us to two

Nov 1, 2021 Granada is a famous city in Spain of great significance. The Moors settled there for 800 years and built the Alhambra castle. The Spanish Catholics fought them

Oct 31, 2021 This is one of those days that we just needed a break from things. In the early morning we had a glorious sunrise outside our stateroom balcony

Oct 30, 2021 We are leaving Barcelona this evening on a Holland America ship called Eurodam. There will be several ports we will visit in Spain and Portugal before a

Oct 29, 2021 We decided today to explore the life of Gaudi in more detail. Gaudi was a very important architect in Barcelona in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Oct 28, 2021 Our dear friends from Australia, Clive and Elizabeth suggested when in Barcelona we needed to see Montserrat. This we did today taking a guided tour to the

Oct 27, 2021 In our first day in town we decided to commence with a walk. It’s a good way to learn about the character of the place. Barcelona is

Oct 26, 2021 Yesterday, we spent our final day in Italy taking a slow drive from Rome to the port town of Civitavecchi. This was the same port we arrived

Oct 24, 2021 If you happen to be in Rome on a Sunday, the thing to do is go to the Vatican for mass. Then at noon see the Pope

Oct 23, 2021 This morning we caught up on some business work and e-mails that needed responding. In the afternoon we took a trip up to Castel Gandolfo where the

Oct 22, 2021 The Museo Borguese is one of the must stops in Rome. It is the former palace of the Cardinal Borguese who later became a Pope. In the

October 21, 2021 Last night we had a wonderful dinner at Giulios. We were driven there by Luca a wonderful Roman cab driver who we used earlier in the day.

Oct 20, 2021 Today is our third wedding anniversary. We decided this would be a great day to go visit the Vatican to celebrate our vows. When we arrived in

Oct 19, 2021 Today we took a drive outside the city of Rome to Tivoli, a city in the foothills about an hour away. There we went to see the

Oct 18, 2021 50 years ago I lived for three years in Rome as a teenager. It was a place where I came of age and had a great deal

Oct 17, 2021 Leaving Sorrento was a bit sad for us as we loved being by the ocean and the quaint town. But leave we must to get to our

Oct 16, 2021 For the last week the weather in Sorrento has been more wintery and rainy than we expected. But today was a glorious warm sunny day and so

Oct 15, 2021 Many of our friends in the States have seen the CNN TV Culinary shows by Stanley Tucci and his adventures in Italy. One episode takes place on

October 14, 2021 Today we drove to the Ancient Roman city of Herculaneum which was buried under volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

Oct 13, 2021 In the morning we had a lovely zoom call with our friends Clive and Elizabeth in Australia. They had wanted to personally wish Brenda a happy birthday.

Oct 12, 2021 In Italian, Grande Giro means a big tour. For us this meant driving the Amalfi coast. So this morning we set out to drive to Positano and

Oct 11, 2021 The clouds began to lighten this morning and we decided to walk to town. Sorrento is a beautiful city with lots of quaint corners and streets. Our

Oct 10, 2021 Storms hung over Sorrento this morning as two cruise ships came to port. One of them happened to be our old friend the Windsurf. As the hard

Oct 9, 2021 This morning we left our Agritourismo villa and drove to Sorrento in Southern Italy near Naples. The trip took about 5 hours and the weather became much

Oct 8, 2021 Today is our last day in Tuscany and tomorrow we leave for Sorrento. My nephew Kyle and his partner Sarah are leaving this morning. Tomorrow our dear

Oct 7,2021 After our morning wine tour and tastings, we came back to the Renello Villa and were treated to a fantastic olive oil class and tasting by the villa’s

Oct 6, 2021 Today is Brenda’s birthday! Tanti Auguri in Italian usually means « many best wishes » expressed for birthdays and the Christmas holidays. Brenda is celebrating a big one today

Oct 5, 2021 Deep in the heart of the Tuscan countryside between the Chiant region and the Montepulciano region is a working farm and tourist villa. This is where we

Oct 4, 2021 About a half hour drive through the lovely winding roads from our Agri-Villa is Bagno Vignoni. This is an ancient spa town continually used by the Etruscans

Oct 2, 2021 On our journey to our Agri-villa in Tuscany, Brenda and I decided to stop in the small town of Castellina in Chianti. There are a bunch of

Oct 1, 2021 San Gimignano is only 50 minutes away from Siena so we decided to hop over and see it. It is a lovely city with tall buildings that

Sept 30, 2021 We are staying just outside the city because they don’t allow cars in the city center any longer. So we parked down the hill and took a

Sept 29, 2021 We disembarked the Windsurf today in the Rome port city of Civitavecchia. We were surprised when we entered the harbor to see seven cruise ships all tied

Sept, 28, 2021 This morning we anchored in Sorrento and took the tenders to the city. Italy still requires bubble travel so we had to do a tour with a

Sept 27, 2021 Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and so today we just got a little glimps of it. Arriving in the port of Naxos we saw

Sept 26, 2021 . . . a day of sailing around the tip of Southern Italy today in our way to Sicily, thought we’d take the opportunity to update you

Sept 25, 2021 This beautiful city on the Croatian Coast is a real jewel. Small and quaint it is packed with charming lanes and neighborhoods. At the top of the

Sept 24, 2021 Our Windsurf ship stopped at this port a second time. What we decided to do is take a long walk around and on top of the city

Sept 23, 2021 Today we are in Split, Croatia. Brenda and I decided to pass on a guided tour and walk around the town by ourselves. A key place to

Sept 22, 2021 After Venice our ship sailed back to Croatia to the pretty port of Rovinj. They say it rivals Dubrovnik in terms of popularity. A lovely hilltop church

Sept. 21, 2021 This morning we docked in Venice in the early morning and saw the sunrise over the city. A magical moment suspended in time and space. This was

Sept 20, 2021 As we sail north towards Venice, we stopped in Zardar, Croatia on the Dalmatian Coast. What impressed us the most has been the cleanliness and innovative creative

Sept 18, 2021 The day started off stormy with thunderstorms. But soon after 9am the clouds parted and we had a beautiful day in this walking only city. The walled

Sept. 17, 2021 Today we docked in the Italian port city of Monopoli. Apparently it was one of the last Roman towns that survived the fall of the Roman Empire,

Sept 16, 2021 Today we arrived in Corfu, the northern most island in the many Greek islands. It is much greener than the rest. We took a tour to Palaiokastritsa.

Sept 15, 2021 Today we are traveling to Corfu. It will take a day at sea to get there. The ship is a wonderful home for us. There are great

Sept 14, 2021 On the second leg of our cruise out of Athens we stopped once again in Santorini. This time we elected to take a wine tour of the

Sept 12, 2021 This island has a rather interesting history changing hands many times. What’s unique is the town is nestled tightly into the rocks obscured from view from the

Sept 11, 2021 This was a lovely island stop with a beautiful village but also a working port. The jewel of this place was a fantastic Greek Orthodox Church, the

Sept 10, 2021 Milos is a lovely island where the Venus de Milos statue was found that now resides in the Louvre museum. This is an island also known for

Sept 9, 2021 One of the things you notice when you arrive by ship is that you enter a very large bay. Looking closer you realize it is actually an

Sept. 8, 2021 Humans have inhabited the island since at least 130,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic age. Crete was the centre of Europe‘s first advanced civilization, the Minoans, from 2700 to 1420

Sept 7, 2021 Rhodes’ nickname is Island of the Knights, named after the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, who ruled the island from 1310 to 1522. The city is one of

Sept. 6, 2021 St. John, one of the Apostles of Jesus was exiled here by a Roman Emperor after they tried to boil him in hot oil and nothing happened!

This morning we arrived in Mykonos. The name of the town means wind blows. Our cruise was supposed to stay overnight so that we could party hardy (what the island

Our visit and tour of Epidaurus was very educational and we learned it was a great healing site more than 3000 years ago. It was the predecessor of the spa.

Arriving in Nafplio this morning the sun was rising over the hill and fort. A favorite time of day for me with coffee, Greek yogurt with honey, and Eggs Benedict.

After our wonderful day with Jeff and Veronica yesterday, we passed our Covid tests for boarding, and we’ve just set sail from the Port of Piraeus for the Greek Isles. 

Jeff Iavecchia and I go back as close friends for more than 30 years as producer/directors in Silicon Valley. Yesterday we caught up in Greece where he and his beautiful

A must visit museum houses the many treasures that weren’t either destroyed or stolen off the Acropolis. This modern museum provides a fascinating look at the history within the shadow

Here in Athens much like in ancient times, citizens look up to the Acropolis like a big inspiration in the sky. It’s like a beacon we all look up to

Last night our flight from Munich arrived and the customs officials just waved us through without having to do a random Covid test. We got to our hotel just shortly

Finally arrived at our first stopover on the way to Athens. We were concerned that with the various paperwork submissions something might be missing. At our departure in Chicago the

Just when you think things are going great our Southwest flight to Chicago was canceled. Oh boy did we scramble and Brenda saved the day and found a flight on

Yesterday we woke up in our bedroom to a beautiful sunrise. We packed up the bouse, cleaned everything for our guest renters and drove to Albuquerque to stay overnight before