Free Spirits Rowing

Sounds like a wonderful holiday Jill. Great description. Some parts of it reminded me of our travels around New Zealand earlier this year (specifically, the glacier and the sea lions) and makes me long to do something similar again. Such a wonderful and varied planet we have.

Thank you Paul - omitted to mention ( an oversight on my part ) that North America has vast and wonderful landscapes also - would love to see more of Alaska.

New Zealand is somewhere else on our to visit list - perhaps we might manage a trip eventually. Easy to see why the country's spectacular scenery was ideal for Lord OTRs.

One of the trips I did when in NZ was the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which took us right past the mountain used as Mount Doom in LOTR. Not for the faint hearted.

Googled TAC Paul - a tough hike - much admiration to you for achieving it - wasn't it somewhere along the way that you hurt your knee?

Oh. That scenery ... Especially Mount Doom ( Mt. Ngauruhoe ). No make-up required there.

Jill wrote:Googled TAC Paul - a tough hike - much admiration to you for achieving it - wasn't it somewhere along the way that you hurt your knee?

Oh. That scenery ... Especially Mount Doom ( Mt. Ngauruhoe ). No make-up required there.

Yes, it was on the descent that I fell and twisted my knee. Great experience, but not sure it's one I'd want to repeat - not without walking sticks and a really good pair of hiking boots (neither of which I had last time around).

There's an option to do a side trip up Mt Ngauruhoe, but you need a very early start to make it all the way across in daylight, so I think I might pass on that one. My daughter Elaine has done the crossing 3 or 4 times (including the Mt Ngauruhoe ascent on one occasion). She works in the ski resort in Tongariro National Park, so it's right on her doorstep (relatively speaking).

Sounds like a great trip Jill, and very brave to go out in the kayak on the open sea.

We've never been on a cruise ship and I get sea sick on a ferry so I've never been too keen, especially as Jan always wants something to eat when everyone else has deserted the restaurant A ferry crossing from the North to South Island in New Zealand comes to mind, I had to rest up on solid ground for a few hours before we could leave in our hire car.

Good that you enjoyed Ucluelet, we've also spent quite a bit of time exploring the beaches in that area and all the creatures in the rock pools are amazing.

We didn't venture to the west coast of the Island this time, staying in the east (Campbell River) and Strathcona Park in the middle, the latter being a bit less developed as a tourist area. We thought we might kayak on the lake there but it was a bit chilly honest.

We got quite a bit of hiking in, especially in the Rockies, and we improved our time for the Grouse grind in North Vancouver which is an 800m climb in just over a mile. We did this in about 2 hours ten years ago but managed 1hr 20 this time , thanks I'm sure to the rowing that we've been doing in the last few years. There is however a very sweaty picture of us at the top

Paul, your hike on the North Island looks like something we might want to do, hopefully we will get over there on our next trip.

Love the holiday write ups! Feel like I need to read through them again, to absorb more of the fun, relaxation and adventure.

This is a photo that Richard took of one of the Dale Chihuly glass sculptures, that Barbara had recommended we go see at the Seattle Glass Museum. This, a boat, was my favourite - each piece is separate. I stood there for ages. Just looking.

Sheena wrote:Sounds like a great trip Jill, and very brave to go out in the kayak on the open sea.

\

Don't forget Sheena, that my description of the water was, ' as flat and as calm as a millpond '. As much as I have always loved being by the sea, I've never been that keen about being in it, or on it. I put my new found Gung Ho attitude down to erging.

Great going and admiration to you both as well for doing the Grouse Grind =D> - we visited the mountain during our trip to Vancouver in 2013 - ascended it in a more leisurely fashion using the cable car.

Hope that you make it back to New Zealand so that you can follow in Paul's footsteps.

CamiCrew wrote:Love the holiday write ups! Feel like I need to read through them again, to absorb more of the fun, relaxation and adventure.

Please Barbara, is there any chance of explaining the similarities between a colony of raucous sea lions and a frat house.

Jill - were the sea lions wearing togas? Really this will explain it all:



YES to the glass! I had always enjoyed the Space Needle... so when my sis-in-law took me to the newly opened Chihuly museum at its base, I was over the moon. Spent hours, and brought Jack & Ryan the next day. So happy you & Richard got there, and enjoyed it. He is interesting.... how he scaled up some of his works after an accident was fascinating to me.

Only sorry I couldn't get north! As you know, I spent the July 4th holiday week in the local hospital with mum (better now, still fragile).

Cheers.

Jill wrote:This is a photo that Richard took of one of the Dale Chihuly glass sculptures, that Barbara had recommended we go see at the Seattle Glass Museum. This, a boat, was my favourite - each piece is separate. I stood there for ages. Just looking.

That looks amazing, just had a look at the museum's website, pity it's not a bit nearer home!

Jill, I have been tempted to respond to your request for enlightenment about frat houses and sea lions. Perhaps I refrained due to not wanting to slander sea lions. In any event, Barbara chose a good movie to illustrate her point, but her video clip ended before anything good started! I believe the original reference on the cruise was to a bunch of males acting rowdy and getting drunk together, when they really would have preferred to have found a female!

Anyway, your initial trip report, posted in all good faith and in an attempt to entertain and inform us, will probably wind us costing us a lot of money!

We looked up Un-Cruise since we had never heard of that cruise line. They look fantastic. We are seriously considering taking an Alaska adventure cruise next year with them! We will contact you when we really decide, to get a Refer-a-Friend from you.

We have been on large cruise ships that display Chihuly glass, and our cousin in Florida has several large framed photographs of Chihuly glass he took at an exhibition in a local botanical park.

Peter & Ann

Thank you Peter and Barbara - my sketchy knowledge of American university/college life is no longer sketchy ...

I think the lady aboard ship was being a little harsh about the sea lions …

I’ve never watched Animal House … Yet.

On the subject of togas, perhaps Willi Shakespeare’s Marc Antony should have said, “ Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your beers. “

I’m delighted Peter to think that you might do an Un-Cruise - they wouldn’t be everybody’s ‘ cup of tea ‘ I know, cabins much smaller and far fewer amenities or ‘ frills ‘ etc - a case of ' Horses For Courses ' . It will be a pleasure to provide a Refer-a-Friend for you.

CamiCrew wrote:Only sorry I couldn't get north! As you know, I spent the July 4th holiday week in the local hospital with mum (better now, still fragile).

Barbara, I know that being there for your mum would have far outweighed your planned activities up north - glad that she’s making progress and is now free from pain.

Sheena wrote:That looks amazing, just had a look at the museum's website, pity it's not a bit nearer home!

Sheena it is - perhaps one day they might hold an exhibition over here. Wouldn’t want the task of organising the logistics though.

Off for a week's holiday in Quatar and Oman. It's supposed to start snowing here next Monday so the timing couldn't be better

Snowing in Oslo now. Enjoy your vacation! If you have no plans on rowing there I might me able to get closer to one of the three season goals mentioned in the other thread Gute Reise!

Grobi wrote:Off for a week's holiday in Quatar and Oman. It's supposed to start snowing here next Monday so the timing couldn't be better

The heat will be a very welcome change I'm sure. Pictures when you are back please..

Back from a one week holiday in Quatar and Oman and the heat was a welcome change indeed. Daily highs were about 30°C (Quatar) and 34° (Oman) respectively. It wasn't time enough to explore the country so we were just lazy by the pool/beach/restaurant

Welcome back!

Did you take those photos? Or are they publicity pics? I only ask because... there is nobody in them!

I surely do not like the heat... but those pictures make everything look so peaceful and relaxing. It is very tempting!

Cheers,

Hi Zoot,

I scared everybody away by telling them I'm an indoor rower No, honestly, the place in Quatar wasn't very busy plus the picture was taken early in the morning (please note that there are no chairs reserved by german towels ). The hotel in Oman was rather busy but I managed to pick a time slot when it wasn't too bad (around lunch time if I remember correctly) and I can be very patient and wait for the right moment when it comes to photographing

I'm not a great fan of heat either, but close to the sea with a constant breeze and the occasional dip into the water it was much more pleasant than 0° and fog in Germany.

Grobi wrote:I can be very patient and wait for the right moment when it comes to photographing

It certainly pays off. Your photos are great!

zootMutant wrote:It certainly pays off. Your photos are great!

Thanks! Here are some more:

Thank you for the wonderful photographs Peter.

I'm another creature of the shade - the temperatures wouldn't suit me either for very long, but I can understand why short term, you found them very welcoming.

Everywhere looks immaculate - was that due to considerate tourists, or efficient resort employees?

Thank you Jill

Jill wrote:Everywhere looks immaculate - was that due to considerate tourists, or efficient resort employees?

I'd say it was both, very civilised guests and attentive staff.

Peter ---- WOW. The pictures are beyond cool. There are places like these that are not within the realm of my limited little world view, so it's great to be introduced to them!

Thanks

Great photos Peter.

I've been in Alvor since last Sunday and the weather is unseasonably hot - around 22 degrees during the day, but somewhat cooler at night. I've been doing lots of walking but no erging. Also lots of eating and drinking and two sessions in the karaoke bar.

Merry Christmas to all Free Spirits from our latest stop Sydney.

Somehow it doesn't feel like Christmas here though, it's warm and sunny, people are having picnics in the park, and we're eating Hokkaido cheese tarts and Krispy Kremes in stead of roasties and brussels ... Just came back in from the balcony after a nice glass of Tasmanian sparkling wine.

We've now been here for 5 days, after a very enjoyable 2 weeks in South Africa. Unfortunately we haven't seen an erg since our first hotel in Cape Town, but are doing plenty of walking to keep our waist lines in check (hopefully, haven't seen any scales yet either ...)

We'll put some pictures on our Facebook page (once we get around to it), for now here is a picture of us on the beach terrace of Dutchies near Hermanus (South Africa) and a couple of pictures from the game reserve that we visited.