tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31635486772303320852024-03-13T07:44:20.413-07:00Travels thru LifeLynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.comBlogger454125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-823949824579096882023-09-29T21:03:00.001-07:002023-09-30T12:45:29.206-07:009/24 - Explore DunedinOur first visit was to Larnach Castle, built in 1871 by William Larnach, a weatlthy merchant and later a politician. It is on the Otego Peninsula on the southeast portion of the South Island. It is a ways outside of Dunedin and overlooks the city and the harbor. When you look at the ocean from here, the next continent you encounter is southernmost South America.<br /><p>It was built in 3 years, but another 12 was spent on the elaborate and detailed decorations throughout the home. It sits on 35 acres, much of which is finely landscaped. Larnach had 3 wives (2 of them died at age 38, but the third one survived him and may have had an affair with one of his sons. He committed suicide in 1898 and she decamped to England for 10 months before returning, leading some to think the theoretical hanky panky had a result that took a while to dispatch.) Extended legal battles between his many children and his third wife ensued, and were finally settled in 1906, when the children won. They promptly set about to sell everything they could.</p><p></p><p>The building went through several owners and fell into serious disrepair. It was scheduled to be purchased for the land value and razed when Barry and Margaret Barker managed to acquire it instead in 1967 with the idea of a total restoration. They were even successful at locating and buying some of the original furniture in the house. It is now a tourist attraction that also has accommodations for rent in the stables.</p><p></p><p></p><p>We started in the ballroom, which is currently used as a cafe, then proceeded to the enclosed veranda. The veranda was originally open to the elements, but after living through their first winter, they decided to enclose it to help keep the house warmer. We visited all the rooms on all 3 floors and then took a VERY narrow circular staircase to the tower at the top of the building.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pK6yiEUhtFNlWTTf1e6OQZ9OwmD4LxrqiRpaGGxUVP07a-0yS35D8TOpFc7_sNLH2r-rKfcWiAEcml4vpjkjehQSCjrxlQZH9Q_yMYH1CJ0loSI05GrUZWBtwmb5wProZqe3MkAGI4EoHw-dBE7GtUGIwaIc2EyGQ_CDGnyMH9zQ5it0TFydAuvRWgs/s800/P1000194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pK6yiEUhtFNlWTTf1e6OQZ9OwmD4LxrqiRpaGGxUVP07a-0yS35D8TOpFc7_sNLH2r-rKfcWiAEcml4vpjkjehQSCjrxlQZH9Q_yMYH1CJ0loSI05GrUZWBtwmb5wProZqe3MkAGI4EoHw-dBE7GtUGIwaIc2EyGQ_CDGnyMH9zQ5it0TFydAuvRWgs/s320/P1000194.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl99g7S6G5zE0ZnpeA-lPbcJm2AAcnTKzjOpBJsJvoih-YDShNH50d0i5u3X6iiUZk7SzFqOREoDvqxiTkFCOy4qKPb22O7aRzBNwQzuP5YuIxEM6OWMx41FE3udOWypvNCPXq5mSG2DhB2-9LUIZfQKZlTWIm2RyANgdfAcywnI3t0RkmgP3yTrxG7IQ/s800/P1000195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl99g7S6G5zE0ZnpeA-lPbcJm2AAcnTKzjOpBJsJvoih-YDShNH50d0i5u3X6iiUZk7SzFqOREoDvqxiTkFCOy4qKPb22O7aRzBNwQzuP5YuIxEM6OWMx41FE3udOWypvNCPXq5mSG2DhB2-9LUIZfQKZlTWIm2RyANgdfAcywnI3t0RkmgP3yTrxG7IQ/s320/P1000195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The enclosed veranda<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOlg9hQY-cxnvpd1rrG5rrGWOJMvt0pKygYHIqgtGypbBqHMuQHWapoVhZKmORHSsWf0zh6mXk37d373I-Qryeti_D4dPXUvgx2WHL57gISF256Swun7T7ijzs1CepaxmRRZBOqx398c7VJkM3BDXYa6heplMpL8dzGMJ0Q-IaySNJ6VPnspPPj1yKyQ/s800/P1000196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOlg9hQY-cxnvpd1rrG5rrGWOJMvt0pKygYHIqgtGypbBqHMuQHWapoVhZKmORHSsWf0zh6mXk37d373I-Qryeti_D4dPXUvgx2WHL57gISF256Swun7T7ijzs1CepaxmRRZBOqx398c7VJkM3BDXYa6heplMpL8dzGMJ0Q-IaySNJ6VPnspPPj1yKyQ/s320/P1000196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVjOBkTDByk8bIOUmJE1z2RWySiBmsWB1LlAJ9V-6USoJgcwLAr0RTrk8KfxTvwsyNQ1_6gVXoteUOaWsohkpy27WkW5QNlfa9En-7mBQhlObBoPfPvjl4vpscnGlwC8QhLq26d2TwCSo28h63-jFUs0FpuWg_TFJ4kZu7bNzlTkGaKIA9FXLD1nXTqU/s800/P1000197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVjOBkTDByk8bIOUmJE1z2RWySiBmsWB1LlAJ9V-6USoJgcwLAr0RTrk8KfxTvwsyNQ1_6gVXoteUOaWsohkpy27WkW5QNlfa9En-7mBQhlObBoPfPvjl4vpscnGlwC8QhLq26d2TwCSo28h63-jFUs0FpuWg_TFJ4kZu7bNzlTkGaKIA9FXLD1nXTqU/s320/P1000197.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RPeezB0_5WDKr9okcka_s_52l8SnLxo1TzBbVw8_n41Q2ZgnARE0vClKK0-iXjlxaLh2Hnz9S1995N_FFX4dq0nYg5GcMz0YzHsiwKPzkuWXhyGlNKHPolfEVHW9FV3QaTJ00sKGCeIv18uU_HfwShm921xV_R4jO28qzFPoUuLHPIlMXVpYerQinb8/s800/P1000198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RPeezB0_5WDKr9okcka_s_52l8SnLxo1TzBbVw8_n41Q2ZgnARE0vClKK0-iXjlxaLh2Hnz9S1995N_FFX4dq0nYg5GcMz0YzHsiwKPzkuWXhyGlNKHPolfEVHW9FV3QaTJ00sKGCeIv18uU_HfwShm921xV_R4jO28qzFPoUuLHPIlMXVpYerQinb8/s320/P1000198.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larnach called this very elaborate edifice "the camp"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsreVRMdj6B0Zo4m_c41prZBlvzsYsAmlM6s4wvnu4WpnV3nlmgNtBnzwybgV0TYq1KAmZC3sGOlyGYcBva1vQb6feiTmfcEH46FiiHHTwNf2dkev3fSdhSftXkgHOMS8sGoURsYXX8vDEtbwTfopY_RXmtajEgkCnu-4Ahz34wGl2EwKFSo-hjQ-v1FE/s800/P1000200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsreVRMdj6B0Zo4m_c41prZBlvzsYsAmlM6s4wvnu4WpnV3nlmgNtBnzwybgV0TYq1KAmZC3sGOlyGYcBva1vQb6feiTmfcEH46FiiHHTwNf2dkev3fSdhSftXkgHOMS8sGoURsYXX8vDEtbwTfopY_RXmtajEgkCnu-4Ahz34wGl2EwKFSo-hjQ-v1FE/s320/P1000200.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtsLarTcNg24V2mQxPyYCspp16BwvyiQ-RX2nXyK0lqprKGOrWumxp6XlQslUiVEcjFfH9dGx6ewQjYWWlGICJGtK6_yf90l6owB41AF8z-YjbrVBADzcIt12aJX0ZzdyUFYc_GUZ9bwbHesRVQDx-sW54kfWv2yvAjroXsdSrmj9RamzjZMz0ZyALBE/s800/P1000201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtsLarTcNg24V2mQxPyYCspp16BwvyiQ-RX2nXyK0lqprKGOrWumxp6XlQslUiVEcjFfH9dGx6ewQjYWWlGICJGtK6_yf90l6owB41AF8z-YjbrVBADzcIt12aJX0ZzdyUFYc_GUZ9bwbHesRVQDx-sW54kfWv2yvAjroXsdSrmj9RamzjZMz0ZyALBE/s320/P1000201.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several views of the surrounding area from the tower<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitScED63mZ567bWWLKXoZjacIBZOdv5I_MtUM7SVggTww6ZGbiFFbTtOKCWTOPpLP7Txd-DjDP8PW73GRDOkkOJgkwStn-kt5TfIVn-nxzDUM6vveM9VXJZEc7O9hpYcdbA6N04rFmT7XCHgs0lgb1N0vGLZ5nK6eepw6iYt0xdct64c8qccMqBhkmEgs/s800/P1000203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitScED63mZ567bWWLKXoZjacIBZOdv5I_MtUM7SVggTww6ZGbiFFbTtOKCWTOPpLP7Txd-DjDP8PW73GRDOkkOJgkwStn-kt5TfIVn-nxzDUM6vveM9VXJZEc7O9hpYcdbA6N04rFmT7XCHgs0lgb1N0vGLZ5nK6eepw6iYt0xdct64c8qccMqBhkmEgs/s320/P1000203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpF2xL2MKB8Gx2xpU-46OLUYs6aS44DHmeFwt-g8wfv4vaFybo83z6ofHf2dhWMwqLP_l9Dd5W4RXOHNWDTiHvJ57ybEMG995wAAuKcmr9Mp7MB6U-bpYHFGPKO8VWpMo7Oz-sUXYw3vAf5QYCRbg7Ys20xOd-_ZaVEFf4JtlTsR2WgXH-LefEOF43QQ/s800/P1000204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpF2xL2MKB8Gx2xpU-46OLUYs6aS44DHmeFwt-g8wfv4vaFybo83z6ofHf2dhWMwqLP_l9Dd5W4RXOHNWDTiHvJ57ybEMG995wAAuKcmr9Mp7MB6U-bpYHFGPKO8VWpMo7Oz-sUXYw3vAf5QYCRbg7Ys20xOd-_ZaVEFf4JtlTsR2WgXH-LefEOF43QQ/s320/P1000204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK56fVolLBxSZVRC6Pd1JJIBCMOkJav8NnYSp4MxVzO1SD8-nSRPTA-_Ca3DeoTp_DDo5MjQdq-z-s0ZcAAeoU2_G6E6naErWzHH2abBcOOPQm8wHYy3n2jYQ_XXWW-tN6xYm2FXBpes1eNYOMzyh-R7EXay1MxI2EtfjgLiBkIENEjom3DZUoOGgSYUk/s800/P1000205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK56fVolLBxSZVRC6Pd1JJIBCMOkJav8NnYSp4MxVzO1SD8-nSRPTA-_Ca3DeoTp_DDo5MjQdq-z-s0ZcAAeoU2_G6E6naErWzHH2abBcOOPQm8wHYy3n2jYQ_XXWW-tN6xYm2FXBpes1eNYOMzyh-R7EXay1MxI2EtfjgLiBkIENEjom3DZUoOGgSYUk/s320/P1000205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqDv8D-mwUvf527xDe5WxGw4eYjVc3u8mbPpcj8qtNL-qwCt1OD-XqnblePnavPEQRJXSnT7zfBipbmlRdWqsSXuYO_cvOQUv8z6kLBjlJliJRv3lH1H_TqlhE_FSpEhvssxYWW3JC7cca1zZy1qFDbLBUQC-AO9wWasOcShrEG4ZI7mgOEPzmB1VGeM/s800/P1000207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqDv8D-mwUvf527xDe5WxGw4eYjVc3u8mbPpcj8qtNL-qwCt1OD-XqnblePnavPEQRJXSnT7zfBipbmlRdWqsSXuYO_cvOQUv8z6kLBjlJliJRv3lH1H_TqlhE_FSpEhvssxYWW3JC7cca1zZy1qFDbLBUQC-AO9wWasOcShrEG4ZI7mgOEPzmB1VGeM/s320/P1000207.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVgOe21laZi8m7tr4m-9w7xNFDf3NnB1GST-C1FBHtxgfbEvYsDkYrG3n6zBYygL-w4-Lzf1uKVk_lWvXzQS8YjezukPH7TN3OqudVa7-T4xzk6YwMRb8NXBhWSYkH9cMqd4IsxkPvCHM2Zo1tIYzOa1npQcnjBKXYMJFOsLvhRyiQxxy6_7w9BCmqJM/s800/P1000208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVgOe21laZi8m7tr4m-9w7xNFDf3NnB1GST-C1FBHtxgfbEvYsDkYrG3n6zBYygL-w4-Lzf1uKVk_lWvXzQS8YjezukPH7TN3OqudVa7-T4xzk6YwMRb8NXBhWSYkH9cMqd4IsxkPvCHM2Zo1tIYzOa1npQcnjBKXYMJFOsLvhRyiQxxy6_7w9BCmqJM/s320/P1000208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The really TIGHT stairs to the tower<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Sometimes, the planned projects were just too difficult to accomplish. There was a plan for carved stone bathtubs in the home, but they were so heavy only one made it inside. Another is a huge planter in the garden.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAQuAfYKaNQWqthuJwI8iZBI5doU-5oPBBbFcS75-0VTfJCUowXYvjowKGWCmArSZ5XMv4953iQyhI05LqQwatrYE01aqQkaKwFZ1PTS2fyqt5NQHjuGRQf3Y_FX1MS2Nrf4v6JsKDOtSz-Ceic1Gyg10M7j-s6SZ0LjJ0FxDFsBnZKi-IgqLCn2Aa38/s800/P1000209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAQuAfYKaNQWqthuJwI8iZBI5doU-5oPBBbFcS75-0VTfJCUowXYvjowKGWCmArSZ5XMv4953iQyhI05LqQwatrYE01aqQkaKwFZ1PTS2fyqt5NQHjuGRQf3Y_FX1MS2Nrf4v6JsKDOtSz-Ceic1Gyg10M7j-s6SZ0LjJ0FxDFsBnZKi-IgqLCn2Aa38/s320/P1000209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpnlcsoDLoLMscMNfHxvAf5Co3-h8X26TIsGG-sh2BExRpeXmIo8xFxYEj3CxWOkXla-0fRJDeWa5qQMK79z-W1xxS2JLPSIDTtcqQo_9SV70fPI78YVd51u_2SUyLafD9KPW16zONtbuu6dA0gPDmgdw5_ZMtlYkqH_aJ-U288xKa2y9LkZvIVU8kkQ/s800/P1000216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpnlcsoDLoLMscMNfHxvAf5Co3-h8X26TIsGG-sh2BExRpeXmIo8xFxYEj3CxWOkXla-0fRJDeWa5qQMK79z-W1xxS2JLPSIDTtcqQo_9SV70fPI78YVd51u_2SUyLafD9KPW16zONtbuu6dA0gPDmgdw5_ZMtlYkqH_aJ-U288xKa2y9LkZvIVU8kkQ/s320/P1000216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We also walked through the gardens and I found a lovely rock wall overlooking the sea and left one of my Jim marbles there, tucked away to not be visible after I took the photo.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKK86H8Rwa95CBzf9wD9UX9SI6xYmcgRp2vUAukWLX0Z9Bicnfl9ZAfI30LKwukgEezsolsumvXoROhSsdEGdMd0tW9bPCwBVHexZkvWuayw9HZKe0Y7zfLbxhyphenhyphen9wJdncXcHwlYDYCkt0BogSub4zo6R2zAUgvNbvuvOtMssjxQHvW8Zc-32cIvSvfqmQ/s800/P1000213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="800" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKK86H8Rwa95CBzf9wD9UX9SI6xYmcgRp2vUAukWLX0Z9Bicnfl9ZAfI30LKwukgEezsolsumvXoROhSsdEGdMd0tW9bPCwBVHexZkvWuayw9HZKe0Y7zfLbxhyphenhyphen9wJdncXcHwlYDYCkt0BogSub4zo6R2zAUgvNbvuvOtMssjxQHvW8Zc-32cIvSvfqmQ/s320/P1000213.JPG" width="320" /></a><p></p><p>These are examples from the garden and exterior of the home.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EWfTa1GMIjmHu5kNT-8sdPNyWnuUvKkMmlOlhZVO4O9GoSrJSQpvdlEVLslTFxlBySz1ksf1CgoR44UrIruG6Sb0nEkUk7zB-1PsXToBSHj04m6ngaBiqSj2vVPSXj4C9SugU7BHMWYcZ745k4272CHH-B6iAvh3s46CtDLK_mutdj0snlWK8huewhA/s800/P1000214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EWfTa1GMIjmHu5kNT-8sdPNyWnuUvKkMmlOlhZVO4O9GoSrJSQpvdlEVLslTFxlBySz1ksf1CgoR44UrIruG6Sb0nEkUk7zB-1PsXToBSHj04m6ngaBiqSj2vVPSXj4C9SugU7BHMWYcZ745k4272CHH-B6iAvh3s46CtDLK_mutdj0snlWK8huewhA/s320/P1000214.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUymFxNE-y1cBFbaol4ZWv5ESpx3CXkewfIzlT-gSu7v4zVPflGH1NiIASgX6tm5BSrkz3QdUtURRgWFk2rEnbhKKQlOZDoQNDOSZfoujdTifipRDBv9YdQfthzoNdsujcc_3UBSv8kB4mPz3Gt1adLN90-6GdR1ahFTc-opBrNsgJNj3pfhetVDvCjRg/s800/P1000215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUymFxNE-y1cBFbaol4ZWv5ESpx3CXkewfIzlT-gSu7v4zVPflGH1NiIASgX6tm5BSrkz3QdUtURRgWFk2rEnbhKKQlOZDoQNDOSZfoujdTifipRDBv9YdQfthzoNdsujcc_3UBSv8kB4mPz3Gt1adLN90-6GdR1ahFTc-opBrNsgJNj3pfhetVDvCjRg/s320/P1000215.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi628IzDp5o9woxiTD23_vaHpqclbOmQqqNGDhQudFgoY7U4RPFdT2XpiP6b7Oas03MTpw08hBI4kHT9hsjzf-UAFvAPSQ6ZHaLV9dg9XR44o_TfQBwqhYgyTl_Z7jFvTiljkcM8zf3lZIzkAVPga1wYjENDoaOMjFGvn33WudM899xdohFUzR1KayBIE0/s800/P1000217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi628IzDp5o9woxiTD23_vaHpqclbOmQqqNGDhQudFgoY7U4RPFdT2XpiP6b7Oas03MTpw08hBI4kHT9hsjzf-UAFvAPSQ6ZHaLV9dg9XR44o_TfQBwqhYgyTl_Z7jFvTiljkcM8zf3lZIzkAVPga1wYjENDoaOMjFGvn33WudM899xdohFUzR1KayBIE0/s320/P1000217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmVY-eZzlNCOhdascpC2DNjDTUCNNK9UF666EcgZzsQOQGy2wKKyLtZVO2c7rZbvgXxwh07YwV-maVsp1vvKKX9VNQ_x5af39kB-Ic-pM5eQvJKBsT7bP27zXYeHOII7y_v-JayDRmHMj4E-UkAWtvkpHLe4h2F0pDLu0gWFwaXupebkyy0ERw3TOxI0/s800/P1000218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmVY-eZzlNCOhdascpC2DNjDTUCNNK9UF666EcgZzsQOQGy2wKKyLtZVO2c7rZbvgXxwh07YwV-maVsp1vvKKX9VNQ_x5af39kB-Ic-pM5eQvJKBsT7bP27zXYeHOII7y_v-JayDRmHMj4E-UkAWtvkpHLe4h2F0pDLu0gWFwaXupebkyy0ERw3TOxI0/s320/P1000218.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3FqccbVJ11GDPOtLE3vf4jULVY37E3Utfd0TgRHk55sLYddYC6fB4timXFpoRCOZ_fe-ul78EHa7r9Lg8aqtbaBJXTo59trlUpU-xeamm6cIvtoT-vmsHs6pvYSNNuM49Z2bwOypZ4oRHhJ3Rd69QLa-0LpB_a_KBPoxsObDRzQeikbEGib3w2wdO0E/s800/P1000219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3FqccbVJ11GDPOtLE3vf4jULVY37E3Utfd0TgRHk55sLYddYC6fB4timXFpoRCOZ_fe-ul78EHa7r9Lg8aqtbaBJXTo59trlUpU-xeamm6cIvtoT-vmsHs6pvYSNNuM49Z2bwOypZ4oRHhJ3Rd69QLa-0LpB_a_KBPoxsObDRzQeikbEGib3w2wdO0E/s320/P1000219.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The veranda enclosure shown here is probably prettier <br />than the original open veranda.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Back at the hotel, we had a brief break before a walking tour of downtown Dinedin, called the Octagon, based on its shape. There was a gold rush here that started in 1861 and Dinedin experienced the kind of explosive growth and influx of wealth that San Francisco had in 1849. Our hotel, the Distinction, was the post office before being converted to a hotel after being empty for some time in the 1990s. It is located in the Heritage area where most of the buildings retain their original facades. As you approach the Octogon, the architecture is generally more modern.</p><p>There are several scattered penguin bronzes scattered in a small park. further on, we visited the railway station and the group went on to see the Settler's Museum and Chinese Gardens, while Sandy and I broke off to visit a rock shop she had been looking for. </p><p>We returned to the hotel for lunch where we asked to see the vaults. The areas where the most valuable goods were kept for transfer are in a hallway behind the main restaurant and have been transformed into VERY private dining rooms. I assume the vault door is closed during the meal, but I think I would find it too claustrophobic to enjoy, even though I think it's and interesting concept.<br /></p><p>After lunch, we completely repacked for our trip tomorrow: we will be sailing overnight on Milford Sound and have been advised to pack only what we need in a backpack as our big suitcase and smaller carry on will wait for us on the bus. <br /></p><p></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-874733184782175082023-09-29T02:00:00.000-07:002023-09-29T02:01:32.922-07:009/29 - Revised Transit Plan to the Bay of Islands<p> Rod's prediction came true. He got notified at 4 AM that our flight was cancelled and immediately got to work finding an alternative. He scored a flight for us only 2.25 hours later than the original, but it did necessitate eliminating our lunch stop and glow worm cave ("we will have to can the worms" he said) and delivered us to the hotel only a hour late. </p><p>We learned of the change at our 6:15 wake up call and that gave us some extra free time in the morning. The transfer to Aukland airport was fine, but the particulars of what we had to do for the security screening were lacking. I have been spoiled by TSA Pre and normally don't have to unpack my carry-on at all. It took 2 or 3 trips through the scanner before they determined I had a tablet, Kindle, and camera that all needed to be revealed. Funny that the 2 cell phones could stay where they were. Sandy had left a lighter in her bag and they told her she should have put it in a zipped up jacket pocket and it wouldn't have been flagged. The only logic I could figure out was that if it set her coat on fire, she might notice faster than if it got her backpack.....</p><p>This time we had an uneventful flight, collected our luggage and headed north to Paihia. At our first rest stop, we were encouraged to find snacks to replace lunch and I had my first Magnum bar in several months. YUM! </p><p>Our next stop was Kawakawa, home to the works of an Austrian architect/artist named Hundertwasser who Sandy was familiar with because of her husband's interests. She had sent me a picture of a very creative public restroom which was located in Kawakawa, along with a lot of his other work. She said the floors of his constructions are always uneven because that is how nature usually is. On Monday when we drive back to Aukland for the flight home, we will stop at another village that features his work.</p><p>Finally at the hotel, we minimally unpacked and had dinner. As soon as I save this post, it is time for bed.<br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-29683267559018695462023-09-29T01:41:00.000-07:002023-09-29T01:41:27.241-07:009/28 - Arrowtown and Farewell Dinner<p> We had a leisurely start to the day and hopped a couple buses to get to Arrowtown, the site of the 1862 gold rush. Its population swelled to 7,000 and even had a separate Chinese settlement. The Chinese were subjected to ill-treatment but generally not to violence. In 1951, the population had dropped to 200, but it reinvented itself as a tourist attraction and now has around 3,000 residents. The attractive main street recalls an older era and several buildings in the Chinese Settlement have been preserved and have educational plaques posted.</p><p>We did an introductory loop of the town, ending at the Chinese Settlement and Sandy and I stayed to explore the general store and a few of the original residences. Rod had something he wanted to show me and Sandy went off to do jade pendant research for me. Rod had seen an Edmond Hillary red cap he thought I would like and told me the company was going out of business so it would become a collector's item. Many-time OAT travelers get a gift at the end of the tour and he thought I would like it, though it was a bit over his budget, so I made up the small difference.</p><p>Sandy rejoined me at the hat shop and announced that she had found some good options. As I had hoped, the choices were more extensive than we had seen in Queenstown and also less expensive. I found a stylized hook shape (one of 7 classical designs) and got it. In Maori culture, the hook symbolizes strength, catches good luck, and gives protection for travel, especially over water. It seemed quite appropriate.</p><p>We got a take out meat pie for lunch and went to a shop called The Winery which had outside tables where we could eat our pies. You provide your credit card and they give you a numbered card that allows you to select from dozens of bottles of wine and pour for yourself. You can choose 1 oz, 2 (maybe 3) oz, or 5 oz. I had 3 one-ounce pours with my spicy chicken pie and it only cost $8.60, a lot less than a tasting in Napa.</p><p>It was time to catch the hourly bus back to Queenstown (about 30 minutes away) and Sandy decided to stop for a hot chocolate there that everyone had been raving about. I opted for a small bonbon and a truffle instead. </p><p>We caught the bus to the hotel and started to pack for our trip to the Bay of Islands tomorrow. It is back on the North Island and we are catching an early plane to Auckland. </p><p>It is also the end of the main tour (the Bay of Islands is an organized optional post-trip), so we will had our celebratory Farewell Dinner at a large farm that we reached via an historic steamer this evening. The engine compartment was open to view from above and riders could walk through it if interested. The huge farm house has an enormous space that can accommodate a buffet dinner for 200 people with more tables for the buffet than I have seen before. The food was quite good, but I was disappointed that the meal was followed by a sheep dog exhibition in an outdoor unheated space that closely resembled the visit we made to a farm several years ago. Plus if I had been made aware of the plan, my attire would have been much more oriented to warmth than style. We survived somehow, but learned that our 9am flight is potentially going to be disrupted, which Rod predicted really meant that it would be cancelled.<br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-82371429227036019272023-09-27T01:32:00.000-07:002023-09-27T01:33:25.569-07:009/27 -- Enjoy Queenstown Activities<p> Our hilltop hotel is a bit high and far from the main commercial area to walk to, so we each got a bus pass loaded for two round trips. Today, we headed there and started by locating the ship where we will have our farewell dinner tomorrow night. Rod showed us the area and advised us on options for our morning and where and when to meet for our jet boat ride this afternoon.</p><p>We ended at a botanical garden, but instead of exploring it, Pam and I had talked about getting a massage. The options online didn't look great, so we headed to a recommended one we had passed hoping to be more successful in person. Unfortunately, though it was now 10am and the shop sign and website said they opened at 9, it was still closed. I headed off to look for jade and Sandy. I learned later that Pam was more persistent and did get an appointment for tomorrow afternoon.</p><p>Sandy and I linked up and looked at 2 jade shops, both of which were much higher priced than I anticipated and the second was double the first. Apparently the reasonably priced options are not New Zealand made and/or the jade is not sourced here. There were a few possibilities (which will look more reasonably priced when I do the math since one US dollar is worth 1.65 NZ dollars). I decided to wait until after our trip to Arrowtown tomorrow. If I don't find something there, I will have time in the afternoon to look again here.</p><p>Sandy had read about a legendary burger shop called Ferg's before we left on our trip and it is enormously popular here. When we drove past the shop on the way to the hotel last evening, there was a LONG line waiting to get in.Since our boat trip started at 12:45, we went for lunch at 11. The line wasn't horrible, but it still took almost 30 minutes to order and get our food. I was able to snare an outside table near the door (VERY few tables here considering the popularity) and Sandy got a burger and fries to share. What I didn't expect was that the meat would be something other than beef. I have finally eaten Bambi. He actually tasted pretty good. </p><p>We got to the boat meeting place early and donned our water pants. We hopped on a bus for a half hour ride to the Dart River and got into waterproof and warm gear and a heavy duty life jacket. The jet boat trip was a blast. The river we went up is a 'braided' river because it is in a wide space and the rains and snow melt can take several intertwining paths through the gravel and sand river bed. The boat can handle water as shallow as 4 inches. It actually felt like it skidded through the turns and the drivers try to maintain a speed around 90 kph (about 56 mph). Their main claim to fame is apparently doing a spin. It was all quite a bit of fun and not as wet as I thought. We had a couple opportunities to stop and walk around on the gravel banks. Our boat driver also pointed out where various scenes from the Lord of the Rings movies were shot. I guess I will have to go back and watch the movies again to see what I can recognize.</p><p>After our long drive back, we were dropped off at the hotel and both of us have concentrated on updating our blogs. I also discovered where my missing photos went and will see if I can add them to my posts tomorrow. For now, I will just publish everything to get current.<br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-7485492271269572762023-09-27T00:59:00.002-07:002023-09-27T01:33:18.317-07:009/26 - Milford Sound and the Drive to Queensland<p> After breakfast, we headed out towards the Tasman Sea to the mouth of the sound. The captain thought the sea looked pretty calm, so he proceeded further out into it. It didn't feel like such a good plan when the ship started noticeably pitching and I was reminded of why I am not keen on blue water sailing. We headed back into the sound and the dock, passing the large waterfall that created the mist that I had been unable to capture last night.</p><p>We docked around 9 am and got back on the bus for our return through the tunnel and back to Te Anau for a lunch stop. As we drove past Monkey Creek again, the Kea was entertaining more tourists. We knew that dinner would be provided tonight, so we had planned ahead to have snacks so that we could spend our time checking out the shops instead of eating. I found a few things and looked for a Maori style jade pendant, but nothing intrigued me.</p><p>We also spent some time at a bird sanctuary where there big draw is the takahe, which was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1948. It is a large flightless hen with small wings. Restoration efforts around the country have resulted in just over 400 birds today. There were several other birds here too, but their cages were fully enclosed and darker, and I had no success at taking a worthwhile photo of any of them. I enjoyed walking around for a while and found a pretty pair of geese in the wild instead.</p><p>The rest of the trip was through a lot of farm land and we saw lots of sheep and lambs and the occasional farmed deer and cow herds.<br /></p><p>We arrived in Queenstown in time to get our luggage, start to unpack, go to dinner and prep for tomorrow.<br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-26238713260725641362023-09-27T00:29:00.000-07:002023-09-27T01:33:13.249-07:009/25 - Transfer to Milford Sound<p> We crossed the southern end of New Zealand today, going from Dunedin on the east coast to Milford Sound on the west coast. It was a lot of hours on the bus, with few interesting stops. We stopped at a small popolace with bathrooms and we were encouraged to get a coffee at the shop there. I ended up getting a lemon crumble to wash down with the coffee, but of which were really good. The sweets were made daily by the woman who owned the shop. We think the shop was in Gore, where we left Hwy 1 and turned onto Hwy 94 which took us to Te Anau.</p><p>I had slept very badly and so I reclined my seat and napped. I felt like I was always aware of the bus noise, but apparently was more 'out' than I thought. We often have to pre-order our meals from a set menu for lunch or dinner and when the list got to Sandy, she was unable to rouse me so she ordered for me. Just like Jim would have done, she ordered a meal she thought I would like and a different meal for herself that she thought I would also like so that I would have a choice if she had guessed wrong. </p><p>We have talked about the similarities in our married relationships and come to the conclusion that our pairings were similar: Both she and Jim are very 'Other' oriented (most interested in meeting and relating to other people) while Herbert and I were more 'Task' oriented (focused on getting things done, though I am somewhat more outgoing than Herbert was). All 4 of us are/were introverts (we get energy from time alone vs extroverts who get energy from interacting with others) while still having social skills. Jim used to make people laugh when he claimed to be a shy introvert, but it was really true, he just covered it up well.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>We drove past lots of sheep and cows and occasional herds of farmed deer, which are raised for the meat, which is sold both internally and for export. At lunch, we reached Te Anau, along the second largest lake on the South Island. After lunch, we had a bit of time to explore and I just walked around because I was so done with sitting. </p><p>Back on the bus, we had a couple more stops on the way to Milford Sound. The first was at Mirror Lakes, so named because it is often dead calm and the lakes reflect the mountains around them. They were not that calm today, but lovely none the less. We did see sleeping ducks and had a pleasant walk along the waterfront boardwalk. We also got a good look at the mountains that Milford Sound is on the other side of.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p>Our next stop was at Monkey Creek, not because of monkeys but because how the Keas sometimes seen there act. Rod said they never saw them the five times he visited but we saw them today. They are a kind of parrot. The first one was quite bold and took a bite out of the rubber mat on the bus steps. They have wings, but made no effort to fly away.</p><p>Twenty four years ago, when we went to Doubtful Sound (quite a way south of here), we took a big bus and drove over the mountains. I called it an E-Ticket ride for how Disney used to class their scary rides. Here at Milford Sound, they dug a tunnel under the mountain, mostly by hand because of issues with explosives. It is just big enough for a bus and there was almost a 5 minute wait before we could proceed. </p><p>But then we were there at Milford Sound and shown to our ship. It has 3 masts but apparently they are all for show. We had a safety briefing, set sail, and got into our small cabin just before dinner. After dinner, we had a choice to take a motor boat trip or kayak. We opted for the motor boat. We went to a waterfall that threw enough mist to create a little rainbow, and we found a fairy penguin. They are really small.We saw one come ashore and watched as he groomed himself and decided what to do next. </p><p></p><p></p><p>After the boat ride, they asked if anyone wanted to go swimming. Sandy signed up and got into the water for a very brief swim. My guess is that it would be better much later in the summer. We adjourned to our cabin and learned to spend a night without internet access, which is how I fell so far behind on my blog.<br /></p><p></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-79213617154943422652023-09-24T00:33:00.000-07:002023-09-24T00:34:08.209-07:009/23 - Transfer to Dunedin<p> This was a long day on a bus, broken up by a couple interesting stops. We stopped for lunch in Oamaru, which had a steampunk museum close to our restaurant. With over an hour to explore, Sandy really wanted to go there because it was a special interest of her husband's and she was hoping to find a place for one of his marbles. I have read a steampunk novel or two, but was not quite ready for what we found. It was both bizarre and fascinating and Sandy found a way to leave one of Herbert's marbles in a train engine.</p><p>We had some time left and looked at a couple shops and I found some interesting chocolates to try. I doubt they will make it back home. </p><p>Our next stop on the way was the Moeraki Boulders. These rocks are accretions that are at least 4 million years old and very round. They are visible on a beach at low tide, and we were lucky to arrive at a very low point. It was really odd seeing all this forms just lying around on the beach. Of course there was a gift shop and I found something to bring home.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoK6pjoeSButjD5L25pRi9oowFppHNNoz8C6X4aEpAiH6i_EJ4mYd7HM1JycGDNU4L3uWmmW5k9DssfjYbX9reV8526StD9kozzwI-zBPC7acWFKS4qyH21Y9s7cOI_Rn0oW4iN2H-K1WEzPGz9iBgGRv15QVnSUDhdgOhLxyQoepF3mEmwmrO6AXmQE/s800/P1000186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="800" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoK6pjoeSButjD5L25pRi9oowFppHNNoz8C6X4aEpAiH6i_EJ4mYd7HM1JycGDNU4L3uWmmW5k9DssfjYbX9reV8526StD9kozzwI-zBPC7acWFKS4qyH21Y9s7cOI_Rn0oW4iN2H-K1WEzPGz9iBgGRv15QVnSUDhdgOhLxyQoepF3mEmwmrO6AXmQE/s320/P1000186.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKXLr_7RaWJK1b3eQrL84I7x_YFHyaDl_fW-A-mAPiqfreWIFe9vqKYcnnotcZVu03r6_LYmCUw96TuH2cqOusyBPVWrFW4ZbF-9aE28itWhOUeubOOKfiMEru9vC6NSxAE16S9CGV91qC8KPsGCla4Y2UD8wTunI1Iee8LbyxgsHMQJPFzEbpmTR9rY/s800/P1000190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKXLr_7RaWJK1b3eQrL84I7x_YFHyaDl_fW-A-mAPiqfreWIFe9vqKYcnnotcZVu03r6_LYmCUw96TuH2cqOusyBPVWrFW4ZbF-9aE28itWhOUeubOOKfiMEru9vC6NSxAE16S9CGV91qC8KPsGCla4Y2UD8wTunI1Iee8LbyxgsHMQJPFzEbpmTR9rY/s320/P1000190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Dunedin (pronounced dun-E-din) is supposedly home to the steepest street in the world, a hair steeper than the 2 steepest streets in San Francisco: Lombard and Potrero. It is name Baldwin, which coincidentally is the name of the street I lived on for my first 4+ year of life. I looked and walked part way up, but have climbed enough steep streets in the last 26 year to not need to climb this one.<br /></p><p>Our hotel for the next 2 nights is a former post office and quite nice. Tomorrow, we will explore Dunedin and its Scottish connections.<br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-72067052170270249622023-09-24T00:30:00.002-07:002023-09-24T00:31:29.270-07:009/22 - Sheep Farm Visit<div>First we went for a walk to the Transitional Church, also known as the Cardboard Cathedral, which replaced the Christchurch (Anglican) Cathedral after the 2011 earthquake. It is so named because many of the construction elements are cardboard, designed by a Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, who had created a similar church after the Kobe earthquake. The cardboard look is carried throughout the church, including the cross. It is anticipated it will stand for 50 years. The site was originally another church which was destroyed in the earthquake. It is now multi-denominational but will revert to St. John's after the Cathedral is completed, targeted for 2027.</div><p> When we left, we went to a park that marked the spot where the Christchurch TV Station building was located. It had experienced some earthquake damage earlier and was assessed to be safe. In addition to the TV station, it also housed a language school and consultants organization. It completely collapsed during the earthquake and then burned, killing 115 people of the 185 killed in the quake. It is now a memorial park and will not be built on. I wandered back on my own to the hotel, past some of the new townhouses and public spaces built since the earthquake.</p><p>At 10, we boarded a bus to visit the Rubicon Valley farm, about 40 miles west of Christchurch. There we met Chris and Dell, who host horseback treks and demonstrate sheep dog work, sheep shearing, and provide a BBQ Shearer's Lunch. </p><p>Chris grew up on a farm, but the life didn't suit him, so he became a police officer. After 20 on the force, he retired and developed a tourist business focused on horses and sheep dogs. He introduced us to his three dogs and they gave a demonstration of moving the sheep from a field into a pen. Then one of the Jims in our group (there are 2) got volunteered to separate the 7 sheep into the 3 who needed sheering and the 4 who did not. There was a shute the sheep ran thru and Jim got to open and close the gate quickly to do the separation. He did really well, as only 1 of the sheared sheep got into the holding pen. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_i-E70TLBb1BKYlO5QcWD72uMr6qVYAIYoyBFCweH6tQsoSPoxAPde8IRjEs8lu8Y1kwRPN1fNWe8zhzFmJj4CAb3YTRt1E-jWEnPI72n6milGXIuEtl4QbKC3EPMOzqSPj5u7mT3Zk2zDePtD9XBKpDsstZPXQnQpnRlmD8RX_LUFJ2oqh8zJYkVbOg/s800/P1000155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="800" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_i-E70TLBb1BKYlO5QcWD72uMr6qVYAIYoyBFCweH6tQsoSPoxAPde8IRjEs8lu8Y1kwRPN1fNWe8zhzFmJj4CAb3YTRt1E-jWEnPI72n6milGXIuEtl4QbKC3EPMOzqSPj5u7mT3Zk2zDePtD9XBKpDsstZPXQnQpnRlmD8RX_LUFJ2oqh8zJYkVbOg/s320/P1000155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p>At the end of the dog demonstration, we met his two alpacas, and many of us got our pictures taken with them. Chris used to raise alpacas, but it has become uneconomical, so these are his last two, down from a herd of 15. The females can sell for $6000, but the males only for $300-$400. The fine alpaca wool only comes from the back 'saddle' area and is only about 1 kilo per animal, and the rest which is less valuable. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXaN3oEispLQWw3LUR1579nCkm7sCvq1gOOTU4wtRWuDlNM4JvpGphPZKBNR60VkisZdTdXnDT0dGxfdA_K0NCBafjTXjaJvRPUwyGeJKa2joqmvZ2NPTFEUunHHk5qeOu0sBfhziUNp0Qg5uR_rZOWzbB9SdP548s68SPS1cSQbm4u6sZTHnLTiZI4c/s800/IMG_20230922_120916763_HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="755" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXaN3oEispLQWw3LUR1579nCkm7sCvq1gOOTU4wtRWuDlNM4JvpGphPZKBNR60VkisZdTdXnDT0dGxfdA_K0NCBafjTXjaJvRPUwyGeJKa2joqmvZ2NPTFEUunHHk5qeOu0sBfhziUNp0Qg5uR_rZOWzbB9SdP548s68SPS1cSQbm4u6sZTHnLTiZI4c/s320/IMG_20230922_120916763_HDR.JPG" width="302" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>Back in the barn, Chris told us how sheep were sheared. The old style was a huge scissors that has the advantage of leaving a bit of fleece on the sheep that is useful in colder climates.The more modern style looks like a barber's clippers and is not only much faster, but also much closer to the skin. There are shearing competitions and the timing starts when the shearer releases the sheep from its pen and ends when the sheared sheep is back in the pen. The current fastest shearer is a woman who managed all this in 47 SECONDS. </p><p>Watching Chris at work, it is a wonder how anyone could be that fast. Most of the shearing was done with the clipper, then he gave a couple of us a chance to try the shears, which clearly left about 1/2 inch of coat. A typical shearer could clip 180 sheep in an 8 hour day with a scissors, and 300 with the clipper. When Chris learned clipping, he got paid 85 cents and hour and the fleece was sold for $7-$9 per kilo and a sheep normally yields 3 kilos. Now, shearers get $3 per sheep and the farmer gets $1 per kilo, basically a losing game. The sheep he sheared produces wool that is good for carpets, but the market for wool in general is way down from the past. Many of the sheep here are grown for export, which I suspect is a nice way of saying grown for food.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1YMIcfCEKex87Z7iSqlfJActUuq-EESDlOdY0BA1U5TalxqDt6PnHrLMcCiGzmB4dVWymjgsWCbOB_8cQMW7OnJYa3A-MuSMEoS2kgErY2Z9iZALK3ktOdayPrV23JEWbUcvpIRshsgtj9Pb_hmZKWYujR8J-NrmryRzrd9NwyNZGptbM_XKHjzdMcg/s800/P1000166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1YMIcfCEKex87Z7iSqlfJActUuq-EESDlOdY0BA1U5TalxqDt6PnHrLMcCiGzmB4dVWymjgsWCbOB_8cQMW7OnJYa3A-MuSMEoS2kgErY2Z9iZALK3ktOdayPrV23JEWbUcvpIRshsgtj9Pb_hmZKWYujR8J-NrmryRzrd9NwyNZGptbM_XKHjzdMcg/s800/P1000166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSkzB2YbqAIqNH0jH7pNo1q4OVctA1cYPBu6fOHrnY6BVG98stCcbtXa0dvTDY1bKtyY0ukRMjrdDZZ_bd5P-guxrFlTZ2-pDS2yS6h0gtVqCm_aMwkM9Xa8OTm0OiYJE_O3hUWf9R--H-cZPRqzeBiAz-rcfGV8fxIOvy3H4ghpoSlvriZ7nWOiMbHc/s800/P1000163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSkzB2YbqAIqNH0jH7pNo1q4OVctA1cYPBu6fOHrnY6BVG98stCcbtXa0dvTDY1bKtyY0ukRMjrdDZZ_bd5P-guxrFlTZ2-pDS2yS6h0gtVqCm_aMwkM9Xa8OTm0OiYJE_O3hUWf9R--H-cZPRqzeBiAz-rcfGV8fxIOvy3H4ghpoSlvriZ7nWOiMbHc/s320/P1000163.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1YMIcfCEKex87Z7iSqlfJActUuq-EESDlOdY0BA1U5TalxqDt6PnHrLMcCiGzmB4dVWymjgsWCbOB_8cQMW7OnJYa3A-MuSMEoS2kgErY2Z9iZALK3ktOdayPrV23JEWbUcvpIRshsgtj9Pb_hmZKWYujR8J-NrmryRzrd9NwyNZGptbM_XKHjzdMcg/s320/P1000166.JPG" width="320" /></div><p></p><p>Dell served a delicious lunch of lamb, beef sausages, potatoes, corn, and salad. For dessert, we celebrated Sandy's birthday with a cake and champagne. </p><p>Then it was back on the bus for the ride back to Christchurch. Sandy and I got off at the market area to sample the ice cream at Rollikin Gelato. We both had the hokey pokey variety and I discovered that the reason I like hokey pokey so much (had some in a small chocolate bar) is that it is the same stuff we call angel food or fairy food in Wisconsin. This is a chocolate covered sponge or honeycomb candy that used to appear primarily at Christmas, and I used to be able to polish off an entire bag on my own.</p><p>We had a pleasant walk back to the hotel where we get to pack for our transfer to Dunedin tomorrow morning.<br /></p><p></p><p></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-67049825926738800412023-09-22T01:28:00.008-07:002023-09-24T00:22:16.880-07:009/20 - Explore Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Zip Line, Home-Hosted Dinner<p>This was a really full day. Which is why I am writing this on the 21st, not the day it happened. To see more detail on the valley, go to Sandy's posts at https://beabondgrrl.com/2023-new-zealand/<br /></p><p>The Waimangu Valley used to contain 2 smallish lakes and featured two separate and popular terraces -- one pink and one white -- where visitors would enjoy the thermal pools at the top and apparently slide down the terraces to the lake. Then in 1886, Mt. Terawara erupted with ash instead of lava, similar to how our Mt. St. Helens erupted with pyroclastic flows down the mountain side. The eruption formed a much bigger lake that overtook both of the smaller ones and the popular terraces are now 60 or more feet underwater.. We hiked through a section of the valley, and then took a boat ride on the lake, highlighting the most interesting features. </p><p>FYI, I am having difficulty uploading photos in a logical way and since there are so many, I am just grabbing them in any sequence I can and not captioning mostthem. I am not sure why this upload is not working the way it used to, but the new process is much more time consuming and I prefer to show you as much as I can.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddLePxwSyAmFJaK5sMnPG8IBbW1txfvwra_wy5XXILHAoFcQsCR588oKC5jUrk_hFpk_BCoM5BixVMZbm5nd5zMp3-vMEuKYZn4lxZaj2fLgbggX1UzdiTT8t4MiMK_JRiR-1NBKmHeksdEvAh_xg4bsg1f8Grplwoi8pF6-Vsko4_6BZP7Wm8_PEOLM/s800/P1000080.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="572" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddLePxwSyAmFJaK5sMnPG8IBbW1txfvwra_wy5XXILHAoFcQsCR588oKC5jUrk_hFpk_BCoM5BixVMZbm5nd5zMp3-vMEuKYZn4lxZaj2fLgbggX1UzdiTT8t4MiMK_JRiR-1NBKmHeksdEvAh_xg4bsg1f8Grplwoi8pF6-Vsko4_6BZP7Wm8_PEOLM/s320/P1000080.JPG" width="229" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRoEJo2noZN7-jevsJp0P7bmVL5fgpMyUpE0rqWOyrgj3kflj7eA-TZGSY9_pEdiRMqtn9oFoOorbGR7EGYuOPuBwHiMVb-fKNcL3sy-3uBi57Yjx2_-17O0dPz8cA9OC0SlHcED8Nm8yMgS6I38Wm1EDKUqM2jQ64gVMUHDZ5O8jUTx6x7CDiGtENJ4/s3888/P1000085.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRoEJo2noZN7-jevsJp0P7bmVL5fgpMyUpE0rqWOyrgj3kflj7eA-TZGSY9_pEdiRMqtn9oFoOorbGR7EGYuOPuBwHiMVb-fKNcL3sy-3uBi57Yjx2_-17O0dPz8cA9OC0SlHcED8Nm8yMgS6I38Wm1EDKUqM2jQ64gVMUHDZ5O8jUTx6x7CDiGtENJ4/s320/P1000085.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>We had lunch at the Visitor Center before heading back to the hotel. </p><p>There was an option for a zipline tour, which of course I signed up for,
which consumed most of the afternoon and was wonderful. It is billed as
a 'Canopy Tour' and actually had more information about the
forest and the efforts to control/eliminate the introduced mammals that
are wreaking havoc on the native bird population. Too often in history, we see the situation where people have the brilliant idea to bring a new animal in for some
purpose. When the animal (with no natural predators) becomes a pest, they bring in another non-native
animal to kill the first which then also becomes a pest. This situation reminded me of a
children's song. "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don't know
why she swallowed the fly, perhaps she'll die. I know an old lady who swallowed
a spider that wriggled and wiggled and tiggled inside her. She swallowed the spider
to catch the fly....." and continues on with a bird, a cat, a dog and
other animals until she finally dies by swallowing a cow.</p><p></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZbj2_mXYrKY_BN12AuJXntGi-NU6SbMPIeg7KOe7LV3adH9wuz1g4qOJ4JgpQVC9vsMw-W_HZq3AxqxigAX5_d2q9zgmykZrvqNC2WcsCuog8jQQqtZQzetC_ewdL9-xteHuBpMIpgxrG0H9Z7S_fcajvaZjiPoin8QDYy0zMMjmU1osZO2CSc4BSfs/s800/IMG_20230920_160409040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="800" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZbj2_mXYrKY_BN12AuJXntGi-NU6SbMPIeg7KOe7LV3adH9wuz1g4qOJ4JgpQVC9vsMw-W_HZq3AxqxigAX5_d2q9zgmykZrvqNC2WcsCuog8jQQqtZQzetC_ewdL9-xteHuBpMIpgxrG0H9Z7S_fcajvaZjiPoin8QDYy0zMMjmU1osZO2CSc4BSfs/s320/IMG_20230920_160409040.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq63TNnEuKmrtK7oBI9x_tNjQHijsRvOsnzwfzznMQSGLHGT_3JYSTgNT_K44TwfO-HcxFi4rON3XVht4D5Ek6gs0VjQJwLhTxAS2jccH_5saiQzg3RaxDxk9eWbH84F9pha_UEVORJroG8szvyHdEO6o_9wkt4rQfz8Md9NQWtRfATXAvNQjJfIudTSc/s800/IMG_20230920_160532642.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="800" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq63TNnEuKmrtK7oBI9x_tNjQHijsRvOsnzwfzznMQSGLHGT_3JYSTgNT_K44TwfO-HcxFi4rON3XVht4D5Ek6gs0VjQJwLhTxAS2jccH_5saiQzg3RaxDxk9eWbH84F9pha_UEVORJroG8szvyHdEO6o_9wkt4rQfz8Md9NQWtRfATXAvNQjJfIudTSc/s320/IMG_20230920_160532642.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOTb1YPqjg7euJhh4KE594rSOGFqB4E4jq5Doo-2c-8jFHyT0oiDXR41mPa_pz37Bshkx0vDYdH1ywf4VXNC2Mk3EbgrCipDaT62VAc4liZYBcxNUQ5uKH3tszwyo7ue2zdIGE70r9YyYVXhHE5Jqxo4hGEeDUcRrSDYm88_oPq48yikkfn4OzURw_G0/s800/IMG_20230920_160921885.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="800" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOTb1YPqjg7euJhh4KE594rSOGFqB4E4jq5Doo-2c-8jFHyT0oiDXR41mPa_pz37Bshkx0vDYdH1ywf4VXNC2Mk3EbgrCipDaT62VAc4liZYBcxNUQ5uKH3tszwyo7ue2zdIGE70r9YyYVXhHE5Jqxo4hGEeDUcRrSDYm88_oPq48yikkfn4OzURw_G0/s320/IMG_20230920_160921885.JPG" width="320" /></a><p>There were 6 lines, 2 quite long, and 2 swinging bridges: a long one with wire 'rails' and a very short one with no rails where we were encouraged to pose in silly ways for a photo. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1pG0nZn54CbmHDP3PMXVG2LffvXYS5lLTz1VtG9cMv1M3LxdIPFaJScY1aikjdnKtZRfAGbOh23fVMY9_Dun_dA4Idrl2f56VD1w7upD3QxRbWbN3WNX9LTrwdQC293mcOFLmqMsUc_W58gr0xwrWexCL39_cnNwXuh5Yy1ZPdIbWdQU78FFcVO6wn8/s800/20230920_154125.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1pG0nZn54CbmHDP3PMXVG2LffvXYS5lLTz1VtG9cMv1M3LxdIPFaJScY1aikjdnKtZRfAGbOh23fVMY9_Dun_dA4Idrl2f56VD1w7upD3QxRbWbN3WNX9LTrwdQC293mcOFLmqMsUc_W58gr0xwrWexCL39_cnNwXuh5Yy1ZPdIbWdQU78FFcVO6wn8/s320/20230920_154125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0O8iWjjvjxWyri0zuSoDqEFLoN3oP7xDt_dZL5oytijiaWfbD4y-fLWt1-YknVJbmLezMHQCTLNNHPN_K4rBuJC4bdi9WPCd0dPQtKcXMXeT4_0ayLqVK_tAEpz-64ENSBKimyL_8sCmXkJfhxsopeARwwp5tmhB7nvFKYftfNj6E7SIhPkr16sYQU4/s800/20230920_162524.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="800" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0O8iWjjvjxWyri0zuSoDqEFLoN3oP7xDt_dZL5oytijiaWfbD4y-fLWt1-YknVJbmLezMHQCTLNNHPN_K4rBuJC4bdi9WPCd0dPQtKcXMXeT4_0ayLqVK_tAEpz-64ENSBKimyL_8sCmXkJfhxsopeARwwp5tmhB7nvFKYftfNj6E7SIhPkr16sYQU4/s320/20230920_162524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8k7gXenoBJqZojYbbEktKPQNyxtTqoYR3zbC-1Nl8wPmGUI2AZ_Cjv_188SihUcnunAxZfu2WctHb6QPR_e58YxWwO4y3Wininh-32ErpTXNG4WzR5u3wVS8Ze93pIR0xM4TZDVKBr1GgIOabU63uWahi1XBLZnt1XOtLdoKFVg0RiGvq0qr8mw1YGE/s800/20230920_164903.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8k7gXenoBJqZojYbbEktKPQNyxtTqoYR3zbC-1Nl8wPmGUI2AZ_Cjv_188SihUcnunAxZfu2WctHb6QPR_e58YxWwO4y3Wininh-32ErpTXNG4WzR5u3wVS8Ze93pIR0xM4TZDVKBr1GgIOabU63uWahi1XBLZnt1XOtLdoKFVg0RiGvq0qr8mw1YGE/s320/20230920_164903.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I got back around 5:30, barely enough time to clean up and dress for dinner. We were told to be prepared for cold because it would be in an outside venue to accommodate all 16 of us and the family we were meeting, so I brought way more layers than I ended up needing. <p></p><p>We were greeted by 4 generations of this family. They live on the shores of Lake Rotorura, and had a huge fire going in an outside open fireplace. The walls were a heavy transparent plastic that would have kept the wind at bay if there had been some. We mingled for a while, then sat down to another hangi style meal, almost identical to yesterday's lunch. There were two other travelers at the table with Sandy and me and we were joined by 2 women who I think were mother and daughter (and the daughter also had a teenage daughter). We enjoyed a delightful conversation and after dinner, interacted with the great-grandmother of the clan. I love the opportunity to have extended conversations with the families we meet. In most cases, there is not a tour leader to help with anything, even when we don't share language. Of course, translation apps have made language challenged groups a bit more informative, but the sameness of people all over the world becomes clearer with each visit.<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-52501571952472772942023-09-21T13:20:00.015-07:002023-09-29T22:27:01.027-07:009/21 - Fly to Christchurch, Explore Downtown<p>My computer is giving me no end of trouble trying to insert my photos in my posts. I select and export my chosen photos to a folder and they act like they are processing but are not where I can find them. I am so far behind on posting that I am going to post without photos and add them later if I can find them. ARGGGGH! FOUND!!!<br /></p><p>We had a fairly leisurely morning and left the hotel at 9:30 to make our way to the Rotorura Airport. On the way, we stopped at a redwood forest. Many years ago, the forestry industry experimented with many different kinds of trees to see what would be the most commercially useful. Redwoods grew well, but quite slowly compared to other varieties. They decided to keep the redwood forest and made it into a public park. The main difference we saw from the redwoods in California was that there weren't any little trees growing at the base of the big trees and no clusters of trees growing up around the 'mom' tree. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCq22bYiwFx_Bv67o2nJeF6Lfk4v1R3NsiVDANyzSd-2m2nCLXUSTjkQ8SKL8GtnZOROPTrrmVwkjFEYEukFfKYX8Fjn6m6I_3-SSUBPH9amHD8XTbb4x-WOOk_IUoRVZ4Ft_mkdyTR5cUsixJ3F7lJ1PjMP6Iih0CuQonZypoddcZibNQOkn-9ozSQUc/s800/IMG_20230921_093642280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCq22bYiwFx_Bv67o2nJeF6Lfk4v1R3NsiVDANyzSd-2m2nCLXUSTjkQ8SKL8GtnZOROPTrrmVwkjFEYEukFfKYX8Fjn6m6I_3-SSUBPH9amHD8XTbb4x-WOOk_IUoRVZ4Ft_mkdyTR5cUsixJ3F7lJ1PjMP6Iih0CuQonZypoddcZibNQOkn-9ozSQUc/s320/IMG_20230921_093642280.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5K-lCdr501t5eDVkik_wjnkzSALX8rBZp1_sFuTFCXHifV2UZv8Cj7iHrxQ1hNdLbKoOgaGBVlubJF3mdJF2CCUDaAnNfvDKLEGMD_Hzeiv0i5Q-fzd6CStTbiSOijb4NjQMqBlnwcWrBufLCRS9deq3zXkr8v0D3rm07sto4OkEoSGMKLV64EmCphk/s800/IMG_20230921_093912754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5K-lCdr501t5eDVkik_wjnkzSALX8rBZp1_sFuTFCXHifV2UZv8Cj7iHrxQ1hNdLbKoOgaGBVlubJF3mdJF2CCUDaAnNfvDKLEGMD_Hzeiv0i5Q-fzd6CStTbiSOijb4NjQMqBlnwcWrBufLCRS9deq3zXkr8v0D3rm07sto4OkEoSGMKLV64EmCphk/s320/IMG_20230921_093912754.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statues carved from redwood<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There is no airport security for internal flights, so we didn't have to segregate toiletries. The one serious limit was a max of 15 lbs for a carry on and a smaller than usual size, which we were prepared for. They didn't actually weigh our carry-ons and Rod had said they don't check the weight of the personal item, so all my electronics were stuffed into my small day bag and probably weighed another 15 lbs. The landing was as scary as any I have had in a long time. Apparently we ran into very windy conditions and the pilots earned their keep trying to keep us aloft long enough to land. Even after landing, we were slewing around. I have never been so glad to get off a plane.<p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBvuzOxbzPxayEOzBkOUgbLzwg2P-8YkJiiFkLdJiJDBYgy4bP8M5XbG-cVnaIduQkXmGiXAhyphenhyphenpZBPA_CKGB7xW32ROBcPGkbFO9OGpZEq00wJ5rmxPB0vTsylwK3GwFL5CQVt93slvKF24QMqLZXmzYMsheCsm07vHKknEJ0yxaUhq7UpRQd60pGRcM/s800/IMG_20230921_120808865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBvuzOxbzPxayEOzBkOUgbLzwg2P-8YkJiiFkLdJiJDBYgy4bP8M5XbG-cVnaIduQkXmGiXAhyphenhyphenpZBPA_CKGB7xW32ROBcPGkbFO9OGpZEq00wJ5rmxPB0vTsylwK3GwFL5CQVt93slvKF24QMqLZXmzYMsheCsm07vHKknEJ0yxaUhq7UpRQd60pGRcM/s320/IMG_20230921_120808865.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying conditions were hazy and my photo<br />software was only able to improve it a bit.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEapXw13qsRbInpthhUMYlQSANBiZfSXNJwdO9X6iWC9eGf_jy7oB8ByMHWsBiSEk7pJ4WJtnMfJTiSBjNH43N5rbHwsxLObHRJ9KC8F8c6DLmJJzLrQs_oQCC1afwv65V4PZ2Ua6xKlYMWEpCI3_E75xoNtyFiqBdDpJo4x_goKKgWjIs-hRazf_qQD4/s800/IMG_20230921_130448633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="800" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEapXw13qsRbInpthhUMYlQSANBiZfSXNJwdO9X6iWC9eGf_jy7oB8ByMHWsBiSEk7pJ4WJtnMfJTiSBjNH43N5rbHwsxLObHRJ9KC8F8c6DLmJJzLrQs_oQCC1afwv65V4PZ2Ua6xKlYMWEpCI3_E75xoNtyFiqBdDpJo4x_goKKgWjIs-hRazf_qQD4/s320/IMG_20230921_130448633.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Christchurch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>Our hotel is in the city center and Sandy and I were originally given one king bed. After we got that fixed, we had to rush to meet up for our walk and tram tour around the central city. </p><p>Even 12 years after the horrible earthquake here, there is still a lot of evidence of the damage: some buildings are being rebuilt, many have been torn down and are now empty lots (some of the lots are now park-like), and there are many graffiti-ed buildings that look fine on the outside but apparently too damaged inside for use and are still standing while insurance arguments continue. There are also a lot of new buildings and our hotel is one of them. The city is focused on bringing more residents into the city so there are a ton of apartments and townhouses too.</p><p>Our tram tour looped around the downtown area once every 50 minutes and can be used as a hop-on hop-off vehicle, though we started so late that we just stayed on. It was a good overview of the things that are still beautiful and the ones that are works in progress. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGFgIfG4rK-YZqxH54DxYpY3aLcbCsEfklCf03fLY1bpg9YJA4gRZa1130QaO_4b99ST22Q5_DGPGWihEKPIkMqI6DSUPHVHoGHWJ03g1HU_pRmcN39xqt_WhyCaxNhb6jmyZgPdDsUsb50rIQ8JJ-vrURJe4gGBk_lYL157NCKCe_0FAN8A53_bpmAk/s800/IMG_20230921_153837024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGFgIfG4rK-YZqxH54DxYpY3aLcbCsEfklCf03fLY1bpg9YJA4gRZa1130QaO_4b99ST22Q5_DGPGWihEKPIkMqI6DSUPHVHoGHWJ03g1HU_pRmcN39xqt_WhyCaxNhb6jmyZgPdDsUsb50rIQ8JJ-vrURJe4gGBk_lYL157NCKCe_0FAN8A53_bpmAk/s320/IMG_20230921_153837024.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefREzJ_wdtzE-Yni_VuA-6dU5SmLq2xhyphenhyphenkMUTcyqfw0lJupiHcA0n37ybnlSRuvsn5x5ygKFAiunC58BBikBDdy8BtbxTb23rKZECcrWpzMMJ03dHRAle7WNJTXU1RUvEwWtVcD6OQX4KoCnrMMIqwXYtjOSoAExszS1qi6ThLLMXIMAsW9ww-aDGxWU/s800/IMG_20230921_154357922_HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefREzJ_wdtzE-Yni_VuA-6dU5SmLq2xhyphenhyphenkMUTcyqfw0lJupiHcA0n37ybnlSRuvsn5x5ygKFAiunC58BBikBDdy8BtbxTb23rKZECcrWpzMMJ03dHRAle7WNJTXU1RUvEwWtVcD6OQX4KoCnrMMIqwXYtjOSoAExszS1qi6ThLLMXIMAsW9ww-aDGxWU/s320/IMG_20230921_154357922_HDR.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's cherry blossom time here<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU6s10NrK3UjrHZHXHbgfWnlAKxJHO2qkZeklxXKKjBLLspnUD6GFL5QKYhb1KuIdIHR0ABcWjkG1rceX5v1JQkahdjT4RGzJq1B3ARxdeXrW-yHlEy-nZjsHgI2mEpqjFGpXCQUXr6YhasD5HYVXFfIHPojU2r-R9GTAxNKwlKNp0SngtmYVeHeFleY/s800/IMG_20230921_154459391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="800" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU6s10NrK3UjrHZHXHbgfWnlAKxJHO2qkZeklxXKKjBLLspnUD6GFL5QKYhb1KuIdIHR0ABcWjkG1rceX5v1JQkahdjT4RGzJq1B3ARxdeXrW-yHlEy-nZjsHgI2mEpqjFGpXCQUXr6YhasD5HYVXFfIHPojU2r-R9GTAxNKwlKNp0SngtmYVeHeFleY/s320/IMG_20230921_154459391.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Avon River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuAzBCRrhC4NlB_nZmLgnXszI0Q_EeCyrAlyp0QZSOX3fkwP1QI3LdokHdfP5cy79saoG1FUJkMzZ0kXcnisuxIdrY6lcYJXkuBVmjiD-4s6nkCbe6LROV5J9tL_APAVrm84DuFVdjni3aUMT3gOKLzsbPvOcl-15HFjTKNFwOaK9jUY193ckX_3oYlo/s800/IMG_20230921_155643227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuAzBCRrhC4NlB_nZmLgnXszI0Q_EeCyrAlyp0QZSOX3fkwP1QI3LdokHdfP5cy79saoG1FUJkMzZ0kXcnisuxIdrY6lcYJXkuBVmjiD-4s6nkCbe6LROV5J9tL_APAVrm84DuFVdjni3aUMT3gOKLzsbPvOcl-15HFjTKNFwOaK9jUY193ckX_3oYlo/s320/IMG_20230921_155643227.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD60Afp1sKVA6nqnZlXxVfWirDW5RRwHM-BOYPnj7vTItHC_XbQrY73p1zcgLbjESVQ2pMDMfNOeLhXo1Fy9Fs6cFmWBhrAXVXmsenu5hC2vo7x1zF8DpYTV7Bvw6ZluZ4aeARncGHaFH1X5aeHfKy1jzxU806EzY4oimOXepunbtaaZffixwt-kMpdJY/s800/IMG_20230921_160324574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="704" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD60Afp1sKVA6nqnZlXxVfWirDW5RRwHM-BOYPnj7vTItHC_XbQrY73p1zcgLbjESVQ2pMDMfNOeLhXo1Fy9Fs6cFmWBhrAXVXmsenu5hC2vo7x1zF8DpYTV7Bvw6ZluZ4aeARncGHaFH1X5aeHfKy1jzxU806EzY4oimOXepunbtaaZffixwt-kMpdJY/s320/IMG_20230921_160324574.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivblBo6SyuRn8RKiYNDCE4-CYMSWSygoy09c-n4ef3ptSEbH3aHOCv18uHryGFC742WdiXU_r1Es5oCodA1p_zxNmNmdtrgnQbk9cjDAJeZjbEufTveotFpPOFAVg19_LY1d9zQZcIPMTnjpet7TjB439pg3ftYcFnSrXWoTx0hi-kb8-gYHtJ1ssEH1g/s800/IMG_20230921_161303367_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="370" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivblBo6SyuRn8RKiYNDCE4-CYMSWSygoy09c-n4ef3ptSEbH3aHOCv18uHryGFC742WdiXU_r1Es5oCodA1p_zxNmNmdtrgnQbk9cjDAJeZjbEufTveotFpPOFAVg19_LY1d9zQZcIPMTnjpet7TjB439pg3ftYcFnSrXWoTx0hi-kb8-gYHtJ1ssEH1g/s320/IMG_20230921_161303367_HDR.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Victoria<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6Ys7UiCGqvWtprH6WpUIfHu4B0InuG8jaNGvOPzICWmJBTPV4mXLeriU95yivyG5MMYVKI6K-nuu3sWS25upmA1fIKvDpC-uGmFDR-412nolCJvHobr-36n_16YraB3lTaLqtAouekOhIw_L_eSzoI5pfBAvZwfdrrqwaJLl_3PxwabSUXBex0blih8/s800/IMG_20230921_162730160_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="800" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6Ys7UiCGqvWtprH6WpUIfHu4B0InuG8jaNGvOPzICWmJBTPV4mXLeriU95yivyG5MMYVKI6K-nuu3sWS25upmA1fIKvDpC-uGmFDR-412nolCJvHobr-36n_16YraB3lTaLqtAouekOhIw_L_eSzoI5pfBAvZwfdrrqwaJLl_3PxwabSUXBex0blih8/s320/IMG_20230921_162730160_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6N_jd97QxzUsRZlMcRNTUakXwAHFoBA2yqVmhZznCyOBU1AmX9-RZB1mZm8yQS-rPm61pUbl1YY43onzABo6Us6CRmxtnNX6RI-vURmotRoAYfVr9H0aVEX5JEhIsv0UwAxfHxdPi1YvYPUAsnniNSPj0VUp3RvVAwMpjpHESiCV8qh6_VrUDQjzDA4/s800/IMG_20230921_162756911_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="800" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6N_jd97QxzUsRZlMcRNTUakXwAHFoBA2yqVmhZznCyOBU1AmX9-RZB1mZm8yQS-rPm61pUbl1YY43onzABo6Us6CRmxtnNX6RI-vURmotRoAYfVr9H0aVEX5JEhIsv0UwAxfHxdPi1YvYPUAsnniNSPj0VUp3RvVAwMpjpHESiCV8qh6_VrUDQjzDA4/s320/IMG_20230921_162756911_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city has encouraged painting murals on building yet<br />to be demolished<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Z6cntYKwlOqNKNr1hsZxWwkUuHoNet-acy3KbafEWkaqhM2j5akssMRufiYidniGakXyzC7afX6nvrNbRc-Ol67XxEStqe579pFhDf6bZbqBy93ITeCv2wbxYVJL9yJa4hSxtIo_1RPB-DPWkpUDcQsLaWbXhD9CbsI9keHyWt8GlH8qgusEvu_abAM/s800/IMG_20230921_163749173_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Z6cntYKwlOqNKNr1hsZxWwkUuHoNet-acy3KbafEWkaqhM2j5akssMRufiYidniGakXyzC7afX6nvrNbRc-Ol67XxEStqe579pFhDf6bZbqBy93ITeCv2wbxYVJL9yJa4hSxtIo_1RPB-DPWkpUDcQsLaWbXhD9CbsI9keHyWt8GlH8qgusEvu_abAM/s320/IMG_20230921_163749173_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial to fallen WWI soldiers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We had dinner at an Irish pub called the Little Fiddle and then walked back to the hotel to finish unpacking.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCmulvL-WAAp5gPd08yj3jv0fZjOQ6gUgDlnokcStJT5toJJcT0xoA9JTRuBPBGX_dkgAVvvqAaW1oqCJfGUAuZiNLP-eSZ-2OvqGOZk8h58646yqzryZTNPkGcXkWYYnjGsonEJyKku5l8zfLeBOTILk7VSv0Wl4iwTfgBV44v8wwRvRdHXKNkj1Ef4/s512/1000011796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="384" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCmulvL-WAAp5gPd08yj3jv0fZjOQ6gUgDlnokcStJT5toJJcT0xoA9JTRuBPBGX_dkgAVvvqAaW1oqCJfGUAuZiNLP-eSZ-2OvqGOZk8h58646yqzryZTNPkGcXkWYYnjGsonEJyKku5l8zfLeBOTILk7VSv0Wl4iwTfgBV44v8wwRvRdHXKNkj1Ef4/s320/1000011796.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also stopped for an ice cream. YUM!!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFZYrhhyphenhyphenW-waRoxK1541K3m83Ifqz5UmSYNVkm3R3V65Os18wn3j1NkuUwOwGJDlbtyP4axOadW2X9N4GUEuWiC9AtZgEe5Nu9A0cBD6PBB3S5vNvT4qcSDNaxJExNymchyphenhyphenSd-9CqLaZETI-D3_wKUm6dVyUFz4GOcroPkR5XwD8icfjzYuSpUMg8kPQ/s800/IMG_20230921_170201839_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="800" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFZYrhhyphenhyphenW-waRoxK1541K3m83Ifqz5UmSYNVkm3R3V65Os18wn3j1NkuUwOwGJDlbtyP4axOadW2X9N4GUEuWiC9AtZgEe5Nu9A0cBD6PBB3S5vNvT4qcSDNaxJExNymchyphenhyphenSd-9CqLaZETI-D3_wKUm6dVyUFz4GOcroPkR5XwD8icfjzYuSpUMg8kPQ/s320/IMG_20230921_170201839_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not what it seems - all paint, not real windows.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-77706467954933061162023-09-19T01:59:00.000-07:002023-09-19T02:01:00.156-07:009/18 - Transfer to Rotorura<p> We left the hotel at 8:30 to drive to Rotorua, where we will spend the next 3 nights. As usual, there were a couple of interesting stops on the way so we didn't have to sit all day. The first stop was Hamilton Gardens: a very interesting place with dozens of variations of gardens done over the last 4,000 years and across various cultures and concepts. We viewed a lot of them but it was clear there was not time to see them all. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVNpbokKEnVjvy8X0DIyQLLV8B5qY5GJ4ucobT14eieB1-Q2MCGl5gg20kIQU19l5p0uNBvW6CrG0lMjjVrBibOhw5uq0eg38QY9kci4fFZNTfed0W28Yynua0nAQkNzz7tS8LMqQ1dCJUCtvf80E9JIU98-u7MjQJ3gjH0Lebkd17MlPfwHUw-IL8m8/s800/P1000025.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVNpbokKEnVjvy8X0DIyQLLV8B5qY5GJ4ucobT14eieB1-Q2MCGl5gg20kIQU19l5p0uNBvW6CrG0lMjjVrBibOhw5uq0eg38QY9kci4fFZNTfed0W28Yynua0nAQkNzz7tS8LMqQ1dCJUCtvf80E9JIU98-u7MjQJ3gjH0Lebkd17MlPfwHUw-IL8m8/s320/P1000025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the entrance to the gardens</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUBZSh2H_e29Ae5JcYfRqwIbUm-RQ33mRc_-oXZC_u-e8c6LrI9CF31teDTsyI2frsBONZx54U-DdI2StoH_KixX8ohm5XQX9mIdtRHx0LqR8pueqgs-bwbu7z38RiEm-TbpzePIUxj6dBOwyT5rIVAdQ8WqwAv1mQQxcc83AJWw_RDNSEIvpTQhnoO4/s800/P1000028.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUBZSh2H_e29Ae5JcYfRqwIbUm-RQ33mRc_-oXZC_u-e8c6LrI9CF31teDTsyI2frsBONZx54U-DdI2StoH_KixX8ohm5XQX9mIdtRHx0LqR8pueqgs-bwbu7z38RiEm-TbpzePIUxj6dBOwyT5rIVAdQ8WqwAv1mQQxcc83AJWw_RDNSEIvpTQhnoO4/s320/P1000028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a series from the Mediterranean Garden<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdo5CzrTlncYjrg24zNo-nN8U8uSjWjR14n6mdvYaX9nZ0e83sWBzAw45MzQo0pS7BNPk7OHgFGAG2YYF2wPTXttzStFl8E0mNwWYLSYlzU8Oh65QlpKw8BHDlvkm7-pdULshQq7KV_OruG-_yGiV-jDrpU8iGDORCHkC3JMQD5dJ9Fvfuw1CJ2JSnI4I/s800/P1000029.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdo5CzrTlncYjrg24zNo-nN8U8uSjWjR14n6mdvYaX9nZ0e83sWBzAw45MzQo0pS7BNPk7OHgFGAG2YYF2wPTXttzStFl8E0mNwWYLSYlzU8Oh65QlpKw8BHDlvkm7-pdULshQq7KV_OruG-_yGiV-jDrpU8iGDORCHkC3JMQD5dJ9Fvfuw1CJ2JSnI4I/s320/P1000029.JPG" width="320" /></a><p></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga658T578ZM0RHbV1b8AZebhLopuEvoVQ9yDBc5SvwL0LlnMQzpdmMzE5sYav-J_nZIzFVNjiIlrCXEJWp-RUXsPD2mutJhINL-ADbnud5VwhUv_lc4jcnU0LqmVVK2gQzd2qUBsO4iX86cUMhJs_UhwYImEEl3YX18wwP9R0u4LHZobDH0U6ToNoyK34/s800/P1000030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga658T578ZM0RHbV1b8AZebhLopuEvoVQ9yDBc5SvwL0LlnMQzpdmMzE5sYav-J_nZIzFVNjiIlrCXEJWp-RUXsPD2mutJhINL-ADbnud5VwhUv_lc4jcnU0LqmVVK2gQzd2qUBsO4iX86cUMhJs_UhwYImEEl3YX18wwP9R0u4LHZobDH0U6ToNoyK34/s320/P1000030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjO-TL5FKlqf2XXLFX2pWcNLpDT55LDIY2Sxj2hiqzHv7Q1uCBqMj_ShSFeFvAKG0lWiHelDShUoyDrcDG5tlfDs3jBPy8LmvnqEe2NTUr0juLMOUKNp_Cpfj-lpwnzhXB2-LXpxRD2y3FM6B9Nr5MAudqIj7-NaJQyC6qfP9Wo_0nzjugn6GSFl8-3E/s800/P1000031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="800" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjO-TL5FKlqf2XXLFX2pWcNLpDT55LDIY2Sxj2hiqzHv7Q1uCBqMj_ShSFeFvAKG0lWiHelDShUoyDrcDG5tlfDs3jBPy8LmvnqEe2NTUr0juLMOUKNp_Cpfj-lpwnzhXB2-LXpxRD2y3FM6B9Nr5MAudqIj7-NaJQyC6qfP9Wo_0nzjugn6GSFl8-3E/s320/P1000031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Next we went to the Maori Garden, which featured many structures and statues. Much of it looked wild to represent the 'natural landscape' representative of the time.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdPEIXSd1_jNPdo835dfbdoiwF3RutTt-yC6dUGtkGpSSrsN693y2RT2LIgQonvPzpIXo_6vSTkWPltSfErZhKjF-YZAHgzlx05DiZROtavKkOyQIJ1viy2eUFc1fcjvhUoJfBIyuzkUFDqX2PKnzsbNONjt-hzK1WBZMvckf5Wmz5p5ju1FZJacOh7k/s800/P1000036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdPEIXSd1_jNPdo835dfbdoiwF3RutTt-yC6dUGtkGpSSrsN693y2RT2LIgQonvPzpIXo_6vSTkWPltSfErZhKjF-YZAHgzlx05DiZROtavKkOyQIJ1viy2eUFc1fcjvhUoJfBIyuzkUFDqX2PKnzsbNONjt-hzK1WBZMvckf5Wmz5p5ju1FZJacOh7k/s320/P1000036.JPG" width="204" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K5PBaVBV4L7GZ3RMT2XA6unKXyAQ3IdH0sZkZ9b9cdsIyX_wWxv6P_TNVt9eEtooxNoTBZfKYF53X_b58zXOt1wjOlmSVPmBnTG3RYxwEoP2I_VnkclHTAxdEg8p7oqe5AVLro99DkR3GLXLVj5EJnHbxcRqq_X7WjogcL2xF_lyUbnFrZpeUep3FJ0/s800/P1000038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K5PBaVBV4L7GZ3RMT2XA6unKXyAQ3IdH0sZkZ9b9cdsIyX_wWxv6P_TNVt9eEtooxNoTBZfKYF53X_b58zXOt1wjOlmSVPmBnTG3RYxwEoP2I_VnkclHTAxdEg8p7oqe5AVLro99DkR3GLXLVj5EJnHbxcRqq_X7WjogcL2xF_lyUbnFrZpeUep3FJ0/s320/P1000038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the actual gardened part <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQFr5nIwSkKHmhZEsiZYUkk_YWhRCEWBmV3lvTo8rJRLUDLpNjodcxkYXXQQOGzafzLJ919GqLSZzuaw34UyyVknYiSx_W6VbyYrY8Lbndmkqksb8HqBVvub4xsj4a_9k_-JvTAQk2nE3GGGb7I7VgJB2liSIBqJYGVxNwxVmU46Dz7Hu2I2UL1OcRwk/s800/P1000040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQFr5nIwSkKHmhZEsiZYUkk_YWhRCEWBmV3lvTo8rJRLUDLpNjodcxkYXXQQOGzafzLJ919GqLSZzuaw34UyyVknYiSx_W6VbyYrY8Lbndmkqksb8HqBVvub4xsj4a_9k_-JvTAQk2nE3GGGb7I7VgJB2liSIBqJYGVxNwxVmU46Dz7Hu2I2UL1OcRwk/s320/P1000040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the small hutch behind the entry fence<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V8rj_sd_GQc_hXbRc88pIjKDTmPhsnUWXFuaeLdz8mruxVBjGJC6dHjqR2I4KLc_olq5mHCg5CJfKMEDxn7mKhWf-UpLRq4V7zc9eexOY9RcYEf4LUrXUAoN6DYzn5IPJYV2Qke01FJglApgRCUgNfs27O-1p8fARnFDdJ5FQsFmSaMUzbTNSwVfnBc/s800/P1000043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V8rj_sd_GQc_hXbRc88pIjKDTmPhsnUWXFuaeLdz8mruxVBjGJC6dHjqR2I4KLc_olq5mHCg5CJfKMEDxn7mKhWf-UpLRq4V7zc9eexOY9RcYEf4LUrXUAoN6DYzn5IPJYV2Qke01FJglApgRCUgNfs27O-1p8fARnFDdJ5FQsFmSaMUzbTNSwVfnBc/s320/P1000043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the regalia of the leaders was kept inside a <br />kumera (sweet potato) field. They were sensitive to <br />wet soil and needed more warmth so they were planted<br />in mounds with the roots pointed to Polynesia. This<br />kept them both drier and warmer. New Zealand is <br />colder than the other islands they colonized.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0JgSMVomPkeF4xxlf4e9ItQ3QKehCo2QqHwmOvBPqHf_sGp0GdZ8zu9QEvwfuKLo9pDbRS-5dtbFXNUHNf3TllFf5Hi6us0a7g0WEcTEQYuMwZEqHkFwG-z-ls8lM4tNtLZN4d5mEwva0Y6Yyb0tOb1p1PF7APfk4EtX8udEUdiTFF6cSaxqLncteA8/s800/P1000046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0JgSMVomPkeF4xxlf4e9ItQ3QKehCo2QqHwmOvBPqHf_sGp0GdZ8zu9QEvwfuKLo9pDbRS-5dtbFXNUHNf3TllFf5Hi6us0a7g0WEcTEQYuMwZEqHkFwG-z-ls8lM4tNtLZN4d5mEwva0Y6Yyb0tOb1p1PF7APfk4EtX8udEUdiTFF6cSaxqLncteA8/s320/P1000046.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This structure was built to look <br />like a boat hull.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY94gQEMSqJi6fUUiqrow3_W8avKNd_nybr-A5ZjlMNUOS4Q3aNrVJ4h-QynY21fuC2hVpJIP4_49lwmo0r3Ax662ImiT7XB9Dpbr18EWrgEuyGUyR9hdqo2-SmWzYX8VucSyBdn-7QNg2qAnLs3n3PKxWDPKvW_PJEh79YOMARVZ4wzbgPjnh1aBgDPA/s800/P1000047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY94gQEMSqJi6fUUiqrow3_W8avKNd_nybr-A5ZjlMNUOS4Q3aNrVJ4h-QynY21fuC2hVpJIP4_49lwmo0r3Ax662ImiT7XB9Dpbr18EWrgEuyGUyR9hdqo2-SmWzYX8VucSyBdn-7QNg2qAnLs3n3PKxWDPKvW_PJEh79YOMARVZ4wzbgPjnh1aBgDPA/s320/P1000047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We walked through an English garden that featured Alice in Wonderland, and then came to an interesting sundial on the ground that could identify months and dates instead of time. I wish I had taken an overview picture of it.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyeOhk3dSYUCzaVJFggI0IwFo4Wg5__JVm7aEBN60bPjPzDH9uZaWxY_JX5zIWzOgkG-tciKJI3ydj-456xEgbPLjE9cM14UXN0vLyQR9bg_p2R0AsFgeAnt8eqwzjqiaksbYWBicL02KpY8fmPfuFfzN1ga4i2TKjBR_H_O7HpMRpvnl_PqaJ5pwv0k/s800/P1000048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyeOhk3dSYUCzaVJFggI0IwFo4Wg5__JVm7aEBN60bPjPzDH9uZaWxY_JX5zIWzOgkG-tciKJI3ydj-456xEgbPLjE9cM14UXN0vLyQR9bg_p2R0AsFgeAnt8eqwzjqiaksbYWBicL02KpY8fmPfuFfzN1ga4i2TKjBR_H_O7HpMRpvnl_PqaJ5pwv0k/s320/P1000048.JPG" width="256" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_gHbeCQXJcQ4kXaJpS2lfdPq-zLCg_l2zVG48ek8W1XQGDL9tjNtPQ1Ak-lmEE6NJomsPu1VrcyBA407WQQyEcguhP_dTRnXazGQ63LqIuiUNmQo7mOLcee--jZugTFfwYFzOQc8OLkgYOK5bDcwPpkmUe6HPSkpsQuuWlWwMVDr2GfIxOAfwTq0UmI/s800/P1000050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_gHbeCQXJcQ4kXaJpS2lfdPq-zLCg_l2zVG48ek8W1XQGDL9tjNtPQ1Ak-lmEE6NJomsPu1VrcyBA407WQQyEcguhP_dTRnXazGQ63LqIuiUNmQo7mOLcee--jZugTFfwYFzOQc8OLkgYOK5bDcwPpkmUe6HPSkpsQuuWlWwMVDr2GfIxOAfwTq0UmI/s320/P1000050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The Surrealist Garden was the weirdest, with oddly shaped trees that had mechanical moving limbs.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiqCIG1FV0xnH3Jsvch9mRFIHfeq2FKdl_HEzJ8ksI01N4H5HuS05gBxZIl0p-ImQ1wicbxZp61fj5ME_no8nc19_q_IQ4YrJ-Jc0g-k9u2FPn-7obxv9FNIcTyQTAzku5u8SFXTK24X91NK1xsx2cyIVEll1P1TbEEdtYt3-SV2Q6yuREN4CDZ8GHk8/s800/P1000054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiqCIG1FV0xnH3Jsvch9mRFIHfeq2FKdl_HEzJ8ksI01N4H5HuS05gBxZIl0p-ImQ1wicbxZp61fj5ME_no8nc19_q_IQ4YrJ-Jc0g-k9u2FPn-7obxv9FNIcTyQTAzku5u8SFXTK24X91NK1xsx2cyIVEll1P1TbEEdtYt3-SV2Q6yuREN4CDZ8GHk8/s320/P1000054.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><p></p><p>My favorite in some ways was the Egyptian Garden, and my reaction to it made me realize that at some level, our trip to Egypt was my favorite. When asked about which of our trips was my favorite, my typical answer is "the one I'm on" but today I realized how much I loved seeing the historic sites in a country whose history I have probably read more about - both fiction and non-fiction - than any other.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUblvFCoYs_q9pLoC0AV_JHf9gQobRgtGcuLLhW66BCDEb0DlUeapsnwsYC5_-bkY59F2p86oixqE7ndkAaeBbV-XkNGVhhMrahiri15Qsz-JhGjq3tmy251mC59jT9YfsDWJWvxH2uoJOL6k1RzRZxsJfxaTO_KcJnNpAw76IN6EfAFV71Ut7-fb9iCM/s800/P1000063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUblvFCoYs_q9pLoC0AV_JHf9gQobRgtGcuLLhW66BCDEb0DlUeapsnwsYC5_-bkY59F2p86oixqE7ndkAaeBbV-XkNGVhhMrahiri15Qsz-JhGjq3tmy251mC59jT9YfsDWJWvxH2uoJOL6k1RzRZxsJfxaTO_KcJnNpAw76IN6EfAFV71Ut7-fb9iCM/s320/P1000063.JPG" width="214" /></a></div> Then we walked through a random sampling of other gardens on the way to finish with the Japanese and Indian Gardens.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxjs-JWp8ZO4yxdQKBELqfGTLnvBFeIllG7BcZLUHKtqtALpyWR8LiY3n65f4g06ycsTJwREyWTiAKD5_CkJeo9R_wuwiEwz-JWLlgSpR4ZyWgWrmXnM14oIvAx3F7KEkMKv1BZ6OWHH6K3zta0gky0u_8bHDQW2k6WncRYpQNUSMBc9QXUISeDeHQgI/s800/P1000066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxjs-JWp8ZO4yxdQKBELqfGTLnvBFeIllG7BcZLUHKtqtALpyWR8LiY3n65f4g06ycsTJwREyWTiAKD5_CkJeo9R_wuwiEwz-JWLlgSpR4ZyWgWrmXnM14oIvAx3F7KEkMKv1BZ6OWHH6K3zta0gky0u_8bHDQW2k6WncRYpQNUSMBc9QXUISeDeHQgI/s320/P1000066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is an English Knot Garden, named for how the<br />hedges are shaped.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARXXFn53zC6mBtzi0v0sW73GU3b8FEw8GenaSoc9KtDm76ZxTQvyRc3EtGepsEhOMbWgmplHXOS8h9PIKtoX-kOwY49nMaHEO1QdJ_KRM46X1f7K-Ob6BYdhOzynBi53mnXeTNtDEdxQn_aTIWSJbJ1n1FNwxKqiB5fLcIwTJw6JTWQzhxfiCNp6V3CU/s800/P1000069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="800" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARXXFn53zC6mBtzi0v0sW73GU3b8FEw8GenaSoc9KtDm76ZxTQvyRc3EtGepsEhOMbWgmplHXOS8h9PIKtoX-kOwY49nMaHEO1QdJ_KRM46X1f7K-Ob6BYdhOzynBi53mnXeTNtDEdxQn_aTIWSJbJ1n1FNwxKqiB5fLcIwTJw6JTWQzhxfiCNp6V3CU/s320/P1000069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Japanese garden started with this raked <br />contemplative area where the raking can represent<br />wind or water.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIOgHs-RYGyG6gb7eP4QY4S-jXqjwtWDKjayb-KboVQNXxLTTPkUYHIoV4qbq32dXSU1oBUpu8w-AgpINaH63LirDL65zp_ArGE2D6dKs950tCJumYY08E9Ly4aBed3ZxdZzDS8eMSjoNT6CguQW7EJlZysK1kc9h5m26zlyPR3DlNF0W4_BAuSYjXcQ/s800/P1000071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIOgHs-RYGyG6gb7eP4QY4S-jXqjwtWDKjayb-KboVQNXxLTTPkUYHIoV4qbq32dXSU1oBUpu8w-AgpINaH63LirDL65zp_ArGE2D6dKs950tCJumYY08E9Ly4aBed3ZxdZzDS8eMSjoNT6CguQW7EJlZysK1kc9h5m26zlyPR3DlNF0W4_BAuSYjXcQ/s320/P1000071.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This rock is a turtle with the world on its back. The<br />Japanese garden focused on quiet contemplation <br />throughout.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsILrsAkxTEi0PCHlFDoH65t4mP9QlCmG0OBZ0HKzu-phbOmmQoT_NkyYakURJ4A_5qmyV-uhxoasJp3vXdqc8Pt4M7ysWzqp085xtjV2Dv88hmcGkODo77aD9oj9DR3BzZ_xBfUCEC-KCPMKhfhzULDT6E-2aDRDFZ06RUMfaWtt9RAF2vN2NyZg2kE/s800/P1000072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsILrsAkxTEi0PCHlFDoH65t4mP9QlCmG0OBZ0HKzu-phbOmmQoT_NkyYakURJ4A_5qmyV-uhxoasJp3vXdqc8Pt4M7ysWzqp085xtjV2Dv88hmcGkODo77aD9oj9DR3BzZ_xBfUCEC-KCPMKhfhzULDT6E-2aDRDFZ06RUMfaWtt9RAF2vN2NyZg2kE/s320/P1000072.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This haiku was written as a <br />reaction to this space.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryPFBuydCodGPDraiXEjqkPzkVxwdnQFoGHvmLpoufELcZXHXvBEMDFF4AZiFUb3D2Qzuva-4iTyV81lZ4H2cww7e6VOKBy3vEZWmqnUme7iw9NdsX0RFwG7wScoYZJmx22eXvYxLOsclBbpDlz37etTkPNkgKcRHZcjD9WexVDqknOcqrJGV97dbKRg/s800/P1000074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryPFBuydCodGPDraiXEjqkPzkVxwdnQFoGHvmLpoufELcZXHXvBEMDFF4AZiFUb3D2Qzuva-4iTyV81lZ4H2cww7e6VOKBy3vEZWmqnUme7iw9NdsX0RFwG7wScoYZJmx22eXvYxLOsclBbpDlz37etTkPNkgKcRHZcjD9WexVDqknOcqrJGV97dbKRg/s320/P1000074.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In contrast, the Indian garden is a riot of color designed<br />to represent a Persian rug. When the growth is complete,<br />the concept is the plants will all be the same height.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p>Back on the bus, we continued south and made a bathroom stop in Tirau with a dog-shaped tourist building. One section was a sort of a gift shop and I fell in love with a long sweater that was 65% merino lambs wool, 25% possum fur, and 10 % silk. The other find was a heavy fleece jacket with a rounded collar. I figured since I am moving to a colder climate, I could justify both. Possums were brought here from Australia and now there are more of them in New Zealand than in Australia. Like any non-native animal (especially in a place with no large predatory species), they are a blight on the land and there is a bounty on them. The meat is used for pet food and clothing is made from the fur.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iMcdRrbiRELOE19pr21w_sthpnUznZ9DoEEJxLfkFwc8TXPk6ZPHd3awuDYIu3OxAFGNGYYG9PvVnYsiNQ92jf5MqHQInW9fyB9o3uD6lQmEilHWGJL9tEPkTfQRsUaKgQU5VRIO5dDEXKNHd9nwjPwUZPfiTBG74iMX7vR00OUH9R-DirspG57Q6_U/s800/IMG_20230918_135520714_HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iMcdRrbiRELOE19pr21w_sthpnUznZ9DoEEJxLfkFwc8TXPk6ZPHd3awuDYIu3OxAFGNGYYG9PvVnYsiNQ92jf5MqHQInW9fyB9o3uD6lQmEilHWGJL9tEPkTfQRsUaKgQU5VRIO5dDEXKNHd9nwjPwUZPfiTBG74iMX7vR00OUH9R-DirspG57Q6_U/s320/IMG_20230918_135520714_HDR.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As we approached Rotorura, we stopped at a kiwi breeding facility. Before people came to New Zealand, there were only birds here: no four-legged animals at all. Once mammals were introduced, it had a devastating effect on the bird population, especially the flightless birds. The breeding facility both finds and relocates eggs and has breeding pairs that lay them in the hatchery. Kiwis don't ever imprint on humans so they can be hand raised and released to the wild when they weigh about 2 lbs. We were not allowed to take photos except in an exhibition space with only stuffed birds. <p></p><p></p><p></p><p>First we went into a habitat with a couple male birds. They are nocturnal and scare easily, so the lights were all red and we spoke softly if at all. I saw 3 nesting boxes, but no kiwis. Then we moved to the hatchery where there was a newborn kiwi and another starting to try to get out of his egg. The eggs are HUGE: many times the size of a chicken egg. It is hard to see how a chicken sized animal could create it. It would be like a human birthing a 35 lb baby. While we were there, they removed one egg from its box and started to work at gently breaking the egg on one end to facilitate getting the chick out: sort of like a partial cesarean section on the shell. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Next, we moved to the nursery and the bigger brood boxes. Even though the birds are quite territorial, when they are this young, up to 4 birds will share a box. One kiwi last year started getting skinnier instead of gaining weight and they thought he was being bullied, so they moved him to a different box with no change. They finally figured out that he was getting stressed out about the leaves in the box so they were removed. Someplace along the line, as he grew, he became an enormous fan of leaves and started collecting and hoarding them. The center has a sibling egg of his in production and the staff is hoping the brother or sister will be easier to deal with.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IUCBCSjZqJ1BRGeVWpo-XEqwx3YrhDea0_VOTZPqqZN7pqDG49-r-Bu1XX4uRqmXNUIVUkVtTrWMhTxUw8bTisAmndjs2Y_C668cJ9MOmihKnUpgiC-LysQeS5RHOyZwRuWZAssLiUa0VXbLtbQiyr1Y3dHc8G4FNtLOUTQkTpGPglSMlyKP_FmiB0w/s800/P1000078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IUCBCSjZqJ1BRGeVWpo-XEqwx3YrhDea0_VOTZPqqZN7pqDG49-r-Bu1XX4uRqmXNUIVUkVtTrWMhTxUw8bTisAmndjs2Y_C668cJ9MOmihKnUpgiC-LysQeS5RHOyZwRuWZAssLiUa0VXbLtbQiyr1Y3dHc8G4FNtLOUTQkTpGPglSMlyKP_FmiB0w/s320/P1000078.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is an accurate representation of the huge egg that<br />is created by a relatively small bird.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> Usually it is safe to walk in the areas where our hotels are. This time, the pandemic has had lasting and sad effect on the city's population. During the pandemic, the country was completely closed to non-citizens and those here were returned to their home countries. It was also difficult for New Zealanders who were out of the country to get back home. So suddenly, there was next to zero hotel business. There were also concerns about how to support the homeless population and the presence of a lot of empty motels (here that distinction means to has a kitchen) gave the government the idea to transfer a LOT of the homeless to the empty hotels, focusing on Rotorua because of the number of tourist motels here. Seventeen of them (many near our hotel) are still hosting the homeless, creating a safety problem. Drugs and property destruction are just two of the issues.<br /></p><p>Our new hotel is quite old and some of the rooms are apparently more spacious than others. Another clue to the age is the total lack of climate controls in the room outside of remotes to drive the wall-mounted A/C units. We called down to see how to make the room warmer and they immediately offered up space heaters. We opted for extra blankets instead.<br /></p><p></p><br /><br />Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-29934971539613649192023-09-18T23:39:00.064-07:002023-09-20T13:33:16.119-07:009/19 - Learn More About Maori Culture<div>Today, we visited a couple of Maori sites to learn more about their lives and culture. </div><p>Our first stop was a Marae (meeting place) where we got an introduction to the area we were visiting. It became the largest fir tree plantation in the Southern Hemisphere because the volcanic impact on the soil created an ideal environment for the trees. Species that typically take 70 years to reach maturity in normal circumstances are fully ready to harvest here in 25-28 years. However, problems arose because of how the British Government (The Crown) approached the question of land ownership. Their contention apparently was since the Maori had no paper documentation that they owned the land, it could be claimed and documented by anyone else. This is a ridiculous but typical argument by interlopers when they encounter cultures who don't see land as something to 'own' but as something that is shared by all. The Maori finally won the right to the land, but The Crown owns the trees and the revenue from leasing the land to timber companies, which amounts to millions (if not billions over the years) of dollars.</p><p>After our initial introduction, we moved to the Marae where there is a meeting house and went through a welcoming ritual. The women were at the front of the group, followed by the men. One woman opened the ritual by calling out to women by the meeting room and there was a series of song exchanges before we started moving forward. When we reached a area with chairs set up, the men were seated in the front (to protect us) and the women in back.Then an older Maori man began a long oration in Maori, and finally we moved into the meeting room (after removing our shoes) with the men in front again and listened to the gentlemen tell us more about the Maori experience and culture. </p><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRFBCAsbLCnlbg4jGUGzFo5VwwfjM6q95o_MgB14WsygfYY8M07VRjhKSuSS784uDetICni2lIXwsNtQvX2fQeWEaDECMbqhQCKpKweZ7f8iWOfjci-TT7DCC53OyQfyvJcb2DzyhKbvykUNGiuqavxIyEuyn5hxwXlO-wMWo07WZfLrK-Je4-2sCK2g/s800/IMG_20230919_105440561_HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRFBCAsbLCnlbg4jGUGzFo5VwwfjM6q95o_MgB14WsygfYY8M07VRjhKSuSS784uDetICni2lIXwsNtQvX2fQeWEaDECMbqhQCKpKweZ7f8iWOfjci-TT7DCC53OyQfyvJcb2DzyhKbvykUNGiuqavxIyEuyn5hxwXlO-wMWo07WZfLrK-Je4-2sCK2g/s320/IMG_20230919_105440561_HDR.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The traditional Maori greeting called hongi.<br />This action of touching heads and noses recalls<br />the actions of the gods breathing life into<br />the first woman and changes you from a <br />stranger to one of the people of the land.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p></p><p></p><p>Interestingly, when someone dies, their body is prepared with water from the river (in the old days, they would be washed IN the river, but this is no longer considered acceptable) and then transferred to a special mat in the meeting room through a window, as only the living use doors. After three days of visitation, the body is buried. Photos of the departed are hung on the walls. The people told us that the call to join brings in not only the living but also the departed spirits, so there is a real sense of the departed always being there too.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYE7MbY2hh2LpS9U2-vnOIPhuwXRaIfLEVsJugJs32bInw-yBLEoSsZpOH8wXpguDozYvItpYEFg9tORiox71jk98PijEwaCmHsaHg1AyNagkzuxJZfanzf_i3CwTM6xkDHQqifb57oYkGSsVakpkKGVi_-85KwlTt05cBk1VYd14W0x_uC9dRVKfspo/s800/IMG_20230919_112338741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYE7MbY2hh2LpS9U2-vnOIPhuwXRaIfLEVsJugJs32bInw-yBLEoSsZpOH8wXpguDozYvItpYEFg9tORiox71jk98PijEwaCmHsaHg1AyNagkzuxJZfanzf_i3CwTM6xkDHQqifb57oYkGSsVakpkKGVi_-85KwlTt05cBk1VYd14W0x_uC9dRVKfspo/s320/IMG_20230919_112338741.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Marae. Photos are of the deceased<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>Next we put our shoes back on and moved to a room with snacks and tea or coffee for general conversation. When that was done, we took the bus to an area by a river where we were treated to a hangi: a meal cooked on hot rocks in the ground. We had an opportunity to visit some of the animals there too. The deer was quite stand-offish, but the horse, two very furry pigs, and a jealous goat were glad to see us. Sandy especially liked the bigger furry pig and gave her(?) quite the backrub. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn139D2u-f_ZjT_wc95j4Av4UK2Bg5nS1u3xQviqSlxkFQGWFkrYYXzm4OBLPyHl6pc4AFQ_rRgglORpsOVQzg4CB1rlpUlFJqN7WuX0EB8Jp2VcMng03Cedza3ESYrtZa4t2hETnugSaUfGs89jnyrSLgA-5taKzlMATRPIdevG6H2NFfsiU8jcIm_-Y/s800/IMG_20230919_123111204_HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn139D2u-f_ZjT_wc95j4Av4UK2Bg5nS1u3xQviqSlxkFQGWFkrYYXzm4OBLPyHl6pc4AFQ_rRgglORpsOVQzg4CB1rlpUlFJqN7WuX0EB8Jp2VcMng03Cedza3ESYrtZa4t2hETnugSaUfGs89jnyrSLgA-5taKzlMATRPIdevG6H2NFfsiU8jcIm_-Y/s320/IMG_20230919_123111204_HDR.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> <p></p><p>We also had time to enjoy the view of the black swans on the river. I had managed to misplace my long range camera at the Kiwi Exhibit, so my photos for the day were limited to what I could capture my phone. Fortunately, I was re-united with my camera back at the hotel.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNonwY15fZMS9qluqNu_IqQLhY_RzOhAXC4jl6x893TzCDr9gE75VbJBR_OzJK-9l7BLyyELGE6sX2koWcCcYGEUEasOP2mce5mnlV3YgxNF_4FVoYoBpSsLtqem1qtwW5R7Cfxea0SQeP3dhYnpkscu5-S6G2Qq_-lqfa08iFtFLgmBC_3YWq2LM3BE/s800/IMG_20230919_121927880_MP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="800" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNonwY15fZMS9qluqNu_IqQLhY_RzOhAXC4jl6x893TzCDr9gE75VbJBR_OzJK-9l7BLyyELGE6sX2koWcCcYGEUEasOP2mce5mnlV3YgxNF_4FVoYoBpSsLtqem1qtwW5R7Cfxea0SQeP3dhYnpkscu5-S6G2Qq_-lqfa08iFtFLgmBC_3YWq2LM3BE/s320/IMG_20230919_121927880_MP.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Then it was time to uncover the hangi pit, which was covered with a lot of sand and several layers of cloth and a squarish metal top. The vegetables and meat were in three tiers over the hot rocks. Lunch consisted of roast pork, roast chicken, potatoes, kumara (a special New Zealand variety of sweet potato), stuffing, coleslaw, and salad. We were also served fry bread at the table. It was all quite tasty and filling. Sandy and I agreed that dinner was probably not going to be necessary.</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkepYxRImmB5895qCIX9F2LE9SbJilq8Jk62dm5nwWYNBHUVUZcF8iInEpJeHU4vj8NXZ8Nq_i55B8fnmdgTBQELE8QQd8hcmFRBLTiVfVcMs70fKdl5bnjkycgK3-yySoFWL9VB0YqQ-vOT3sSdrQZz9HV3ek6cUCSyMp00IW7UHNcVF13O5JMwcn2A/s800/IMG_20230919_122156641_HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkepYxRImmB5895qCIX9F2LE9SbJilq8Jk62dm5nwWYNBHUVUZcF8iInEpJeHU4vj8NXZ8Nq_i55B8fnmdgTBQELE8QQd8hcmFRBLTiVfVcMs70fKdl5bnjkycgK3-yySoFWL9VB0YqQ-vOT3sSdrQZz9HV3ek6cUCSyMp00IW7UHNcVF13O5JMwcn2A/w240-h321/IMG_20230919_122156641_HDR.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOxdCKIjnqL1QFxTzxGUmrVAwAnCM8R3dLlpcAHrjY-dponL29gKXBmoJF6zNWrfCRM4vLzhjt6UsLF42wOrigwZdF0TFAjTayhkx2-KPq4uw2za3xJ6h61T7oUgU1Mg6Ye7GglHW4ThM_jn7O2FY8s-iliem8qvMxI8mBragVOuSzpKmTkAS0vft3_U/s800/IMG_20230919_122541221_HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOxdCKIjnqL1QFxTzxGUmrVAwAnCM8R3dLlpcAHrjY-dponL29gKXBmoJF6zNWrfCRM4vLzhjt6UsLF42wOrigwZdF0TFAjTayhkx2-KPq4uw2za3xJ6h61T7oUgU1Mg6Ye7GglHW4ThM_jn7O2FY8s-iliem8qvMxI8mBragVOuSzpKmTkAS0vft3_U/s320/IMG_20230919_122541221_HDR.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXF8bH1EtebuzxjZkOvM3cPiUlXDmIoSIESNKaDjBohbHO_l0BrpY71bQfvYtaEoNq-G3cOhVxTKHGJLdJrKzskvMSsUvoKwW1sXgrLzWl2PFT7w4V_BjwnCE2TIAE35kdb9_A7OZjEILpnOUmD8K0UIPAplJm4TLMNH0ROsy2WIjUGv31MRPBUYnXO1Q/s800/IMG_20230919_122622124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXF8bH1EtebuzxjZkOvM3cPiUlXDmIoSIESNKaDjBohbHO_l0BrpY71bQfvYtaEoNq-G3cOhVxTKHGJLdJrKzskvMSsUvoKwW1sXgrLzWl2PFT7w4V_BjwnCE2TIAE35kdb9_A7OZjEILpnOUmD8K0UIPAplJm4TLMNH0ROsy2WIjUGv31MRPBUYnXO1Q/s320/IMG_20230919_122622124.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Before we left, our guide performed a haka (without the tongue display - apparently that's for men only) and we learned more about the group that provided the tour. They support the local population in a number of ways. They can apply each year for awards in four categories. Last year, they applied for all 4 and were accepted to compete in three and won one. <p></p><p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf9LAlT-KJRw6EbqonJoi6xP19Sg-E8OIgsv4Zy1Ok2Cx4pnhiNuKQy35QYfK6F8nmAoKuOZK1o6_B9W1CHmUpIn_A_I1a6MrMy4zROrCl1Uh_BakC98P2TCoLpHNfqOET9JdmZsNxuSUkBHBrUU6c5Sfms9RKMGg2pRZf0xDdXjMsze1up4Y33uDL8g/s800/IMG_20230919_140134957_HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="411" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf9LAlT-KJRw6EbqonJoi6xP19Sg-E8OIgsv4Zy1Ok2Cx4pnhiNuKQy35QYfK6F8nmAoKuOZK1o6_B9W1CHmUpIn_A_I1a6MrMy4zROrCl1Uh_BakC98P2TCoLpHNfqOET9JdmZsNxuSUkBHBrUU6c5Sfms9RKMGg2pRZf0xDdXjMsze1up4Y33uDL8g/s320/IMG_20230919_140134957_HDR.JPG" width="164" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Text of Haka in Maori<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ8sGZRPB3vo5wKYE4W_9TlKXUbw8iVetiHwR8yCIoyNMV1bDK7lofQNFtObqwJUawADOudDZ4IdW1b6i153BgqN03klRYkmKAsGqiVHJ5b-SSLTQFaETxK7Q6RXoUip6WH55EDcJG466sj8aTtIfwkG20GSGacpkCZ1AZyOIshQIIwOa5DJXUO9jz64/s4096/IMG_20230919_140955579_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ8sGZRPB3vo5wKYE4W_9TlKXUbw8iVetiHwR8yCIoyNMV1bDK7lofQNFtObqwJUawADOudDZ4IdW1b6i153BgqN03klRYkmKAsGqiVHJ5b-SSLTQFaETxK7Q6RXoUip6WH55EDcJG466sj8aTtIfwkG20GSGacpkCZ1AZyOIshQIIwOa5DJXUO9jz64/s320/IMG_20230919_140955579_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literal and Intended Meanings<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p>Then it was time for the drive home and I dozed a bit -- still trying to catch up after being an hour or two shorter on sleep than normal, despite having one of my best sleeps today. I collected my camera and Sandy headed off for a thermal pool experience while I am in catch-up mode on the blog and spending. Her thermal pool experience involved dips in alternating and increasingly intense warm and cold pools. I am SO glad I skipped it. <br /></p><br />Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-67016276249397107122023-09-17T02:31:00.000-07:002023-09-17T02:31:13.739-07:009/17 Explore Waiheke Island<p>Today we took a ferry to Waiheke Island, one of the largest off New Zealand, and home to 10,000 people. We got a bus tour of the island narrated by Neil (also the driver) and had both a wine tasting/tapas and an olive oil tasting.</p><p>Our ferry was quite early, so we stopped in the main town of Oneroa for 30 minutes where Sandy and I stumbled on to a shop selling creative styles of clothing made from Merino wool. Both Sandy and I loved the styles and the colors and she found a jacket she loved and I got 3 colorful pair of Merino wool sox. </p><p>Then we took off for a scenic tour of the island. Lots of houses ranging from simple to elaborate and many beaches defined the island. Water access is a challenge here and rain catchment and storage tanks are the primary ways to maintain adequate supplies. If you run out, it costs $300NZ to half fill a tank, which lasts a couple months. Because of this, homes, no matter what size, are limited to 2 bedrooms.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpO5t0-pIk_wxNdnyyZCoMkOzoK5io-LHxBNbgF6onusp_6gekOIEEa-j1ywBhBaF51eXgQ_-XFtJSMUi16aAD3ZyqpPQoRa3D02zLgNT-PKP_Qnf__TPIJAemWpdoHgJPGAx5SqcKe14xbYCniL3sV_BizUaYoi1PlfkfuiPLkl16AyoezCtHGSD2o0/s800/P1000023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpO5t0-pIk_wxNdnyyZCoMkOzoK5io-LHxBNbgF6onusp_6gekOIEEa-j1ywBhBaF51eXgQ_-XFtJSMUi16aAD3ZyqpPQoRa3D02zLgNT-PKP_Qnf__TPIJAemWpdoHgJPGAx5SqcKe14xbYCniL3sV_BizUaYoi1PlfkfuiPLkl16AyoezCtHGSD2o0/s320/P1000023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYfxHF1tcoXvrOnbIQWcP6LyY85DoDecN53n0cXJatfYjq5blCm_uziKQsFxhd3Jx4sjUpg4CK13qGYmUYPuEeR8KjFDzP8O-UAbDon-6Amtyf6s64AiCckihrLkv60deuYU-JwGwEkzqQgyR6POp8m0nXSXC99qz_tLEFCEnYj2-cthpZSRcEK-O8GY/s800/P1000022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYfxHF1tcoXvrOnbIQWcP6LyY85DoDecN53n0cXJatfYjq5blCm_uziKQsFxhd3Jx4sjUpg4CK13qGYmUYPuEeR8KjFDzP8O-UAbDon-6Amtyf6s64AiCckihrLkv60deuYU-JwGwEkzqQgyR6POp8m0nXSXC99qz_tLEFCEnYj2-cthpZSRcEK-O8GY/s320/P1000022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgji_pNU9QjZ-PuyUhKBHedFqMJnVL2lctQ7yMS4tFcqyfEIBVhrvTd_ffdzDFyZetoW06cwnXtVHGtCTZCaLAFrpPazRVnw_TVyXAd3mJfWuZQH4DBGzQ5pE9RpW6m_LyRurSI3vSBgn1HUr2JbCTJTVq_FPHWjvu7kXShZ6preKUmUf-Hljyy4ABuM7I/s800/P1000020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgji_pNU9QjZ-PuyUhKBHedFqMJnVL2lctQ7yMS4tFcqyfEIBVhrvTd_ffdzDFyZetoW06cwnXtVHGtCTZCaLAFrpPazRVnw_TVyXAd3mJfWuZQH4DBGzQ5pE9RpW6m_LyRurSI3vSBgn1HUr2JbCTJTVq_FPHWjvu7kXShZ6preKUmUf-Hljyy4ABuM7I/s320/P1000020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-saKPcn2Rue8bZQaG7rSj5jSYm3wgQb2zHS-EbAoBhYk5CiWhMD8VsLP-x3z5NyZe3EQpPEKtrAPzItAw4nHsI5EjOPrBYuaj7WS95I84MGxaaa7BYdkcorlsIC52XH5GpLA1bhBd4k8Qcar1G03lOV5TzX4w7CL7dQsO35hdrgOo-OUV5ZeQ2Pj3k-A/s800/P1000019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-saKPcn2Rue8bZQaG7rSj5jSYm3wgQb2zHS-EbAoBhYk5CiWhMD8VsLP-x3z5NyZe3EQpPEKtrAPzItAw4nHsI5EjOPrBYuaj7WS95I84MGxaaa7BYdkcorlsIC52XH5GpLA1bhBd4k8Qcar1G03lOV5TzX4w7CL7dQsO35hdrgOo-OUV5ZeQ2Pj3k-A/s320/P1000019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>When we reached Casita Miro, the mosaic walls, designed and created by the owner, were immediately noticeable. He has retired from running the winery and has been building his walls for 10 or more years.We sampled 5 wines and later got a wonderful selection of tapas. The wine, unfortunately, was not impressive. The Pinot Gris was my favorite, but not so notable that I was willing to buy any. After our tasting and tapas, we wandered around a bit, admiring the mosaics.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOOMZCfICOFkk0AZUaZfbD8IuD8tZOr1LYevrt8WaXH6Oj3SuY9cfauXwrpgefgcVixVK8uZJFAjdWeKk2w-CJOdCaTRoHOcbD4B3_gc73SVGc9ZJhmqXYCy2IMNCYDuAIclxunxQsxL6WsQYsZ2QBsu0BsaiHYC6ejvHJRa3xJAFfnzYZjHvxXBgj6U/s800/IMG_20230917_115115729_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOOMZCfICOFkk0AZUaZfbD8IuD8tZOr1LYevrt8WaXH6Oj3SuY9cfauXwrpgefgcVixVK8uZJFAjdWeKk2w-CJOdCaTRoHOcbD4B3_gc73SVGc9ZJhmqXYCy2IMNCYDuAIclxunxQsxL6WsQYsZ2QBsu0BsaiHYC6ejvHJRa3xJAFfnzYZjHvxXBgj6U/s320/IMG_20230917_115115729_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Cork Tree<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-GWyoWZ2Es69ucSHoQDSG64c5aeRPTIcP6ErwFJnjnHoRCUBpS4LhfZ5iEo-N-XDzTOsrRqVoCGG_PLU5NGzz-p_WvJfr3PiEu80BJI8u7gXuIhf--7xP4Xv0sytVa-GTWEZ_AtpD0VxdcBWOKy6afk2uslQpw9YtXsSKnDHYgikMKhbh5B2u5fKgAs/s800/IMG_20230917_115354070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-GWyoWZ2Es69ucSHoQDSG64c5aeRPTIcP6ErwFJnjnHoRCUBpS4LhfZ5iEo-N-XDzTOsrRqVoCGG_PLU5NGzz-p_WvJfr3PiEu80BJI8u7gXuIhf--7xP4Xv0sytVa-GTWEZ_AtpD0VxdcBWOKy6afk2uslQpw9YtXsSKnDHYgikMKhbh5B2u5fKgAs/s320/IMG_20230917_115354070.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tasting flight and lunch menu<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeX4arKv_usgkOpyOtzWOiI2LEbD7X9q_pcMXL4CE75j-pjWS5xDsIZ4MCn8c80-Ao0TAtVdP5ttR3SZ8LH5l7jgFE_czgSvR4LTsx94KfusLpGGTXMadWpq5Kyq6D9Y6epjbxwtLRQn-sdUr5U2_iIOFL4hY2egz7TcbCNY5STXSPjueeXgRVBIZuko/s800/IMG_20230917_131656302_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="800" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeX4arKv_usgkOpyOtzWOiI2LEbD7X9q_pcMXL4CE75j-pjWS5xDsIZ4MCn8c80-Ao0TAtVdP5ttR3SZ8LH5l7jgFE_czgSvR4LTsx94KfusLpGGTXMadWpq5Kyq6D9Y6epjbxwtLRQn-sdUr5U2_iIOFL4hY2egz7TcbCNY5STXSPjueeXgRVBIZuko/s320/IMG_20230917_131656302_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8_IEQJDWULIILUfnVdv_HlzA5b5YAiqKsYEoOGn25Cgi5oJXVxnIlUNQv9qb3F5yjgo1hsj3Ax4l9uquMlicC27Lt_CkNXIzAHUWty5Clp3tKBTprAO07Bsu695ydywKZFtZzJI8z75x3a9PHrfvv95yF05pPtUO2QKb9izsk0pCoXUmQBuuJ1IblkQ/s800/IMG_20230917_131251495_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8_IEQJDWULIILUfnVdv_HlzA5b5YAiqKsYEoOGn25Cgi5oJXVxnIlUNQv9qb3F5yjgo1hsj3Ax4l9uquMlicC27Lt_CkNXIzAHUWty5Clp3tKBTprAO07Bsu695ydywKZFtZzJI8z75x3a9PHrfvv95yF05pPtUO2QKb9izsk0pCoXUmQBuuJ1IblkQ/s320/IMG_20230917_131251495_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJK0Vvdc2e_j-d6KHTSjcx2Cgs9LaSLHKjplDyModx3U7mEib_bBk262H2oiinJRUDxFO5_CiJAxmbufyA0z8WtMV3R58BJazL95wnJiTrTzcZQHBCxoR0ckM28asb7xQDtaB8paxHK01m60zEl0Qm3XvhLpcM7EWP0PCvCbbiGO0V52AM8IgntWPKe8/s800/IMG_20230917_130530457_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJK0Vvdc2e_j-d6KHTSjcx2Cgs9LaSLHKjplDyModx3U7mEib_bBk262H2oiinJRUDxFO5_CiJAxmbufyA0z8WtMV3R58BJazL95wnJiTrTzcZQHBCxoR0ckM28asb7xQDtaB8paxHK01m60zEl0Qm3XvhLpcM7EWP0PCvCbbiGO0V52AM8IgntWPKe8/s320/IMG_20230917_130530457_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Then it was back on the bus for the trip to the olive oil tasting. They are in the process of updating their plant and tasting room elsewhere on the island, so in this temporary location, we saw a video of the oil creation process, then tried 6 of their oils. The first 5 tasted good, but pretty much the same. The last one was punchier, but because of that, less generically useful. I did buy 3 small bottles of the one I liked best.</p><p>On our way back to the ferry, there was a little more time for sight seeing. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj417ppj-6KFl8U-igYbBbRt4fxZa9qPq_7_F7MT94i6m2YViCsLhfALmqBaXMdspGgpQNdwV-53i7AxhSoXriBsN4lxUOk46dLww4cEo0vjXHfDXjCAaAzoBQcFfb3zXBgDePQ8WveXs0YTTYuAN5lOnGY10ANzz_A6IpWrjLq1oEzzssDvTnqk7iM9pM/s800/IMG_20230917_134707140_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj417ppj-6KFl8U-igYbBbRt4fxZa9qPq_7_F7MT94i6m2YViCsLhfALmqBaXMdspGgpQNdwV-53i7AxhSoXriBsN4lxUOk46dLww4cEo0vjXHfDXjCAaAzoBQcFfb3zXBgDePQ8WveXs0YTTYuAN5lOnGY10ANzz_A6IpWrjLq1oEzzssDvTnqk7iM9pM/s320/IMG_20230917_134707140_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0oyKUAcXTco4erqu6W540LKTj3JhmSrr_WnxM5M9KQ5kKUu3UbcwfKPR8ca26izb0hEVwGcyYT5E7rkmuLJFTe4yf3v3fs5aEpGnP4WHvg3fBfF6U08LL9D35pw_Nf5p-_HXOpGIfI9-bCFV4SQdZKoU_YPsOp6AXuZlEmvjQuCJRjMFiuK0bhiEWQk/s800/IMG_20230917_132340750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0oyKUAcXTco4erqu6W540LKTj3JhmSrr_WnxM5M9KQ5kKUu3UbcwfKPR8ca26izb0hEVwGcyYT5E7rkmuLJFTe4yf3v3fs5aEpGnP4WHvg3fBfF6U08LL9D35pw_Nf5p-_HXOpGIfI9-bCFV4SQdZKoU_YPsOp6AXuZlEmvjQuCJRjMFiuK0bhiEWQk/s320/IMG_20230917_132340750.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Back in Auckland, we started prepping for our move to Rotarura tomorrow, then went to dinner with some of the group to the Occidental, a long-time pub famous for its mussels. Sandy got some local green-lipped mussels while I opted for fish and chips. Then it was back to the hotel for more end-of-stay prep.<br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-74391985418368469582023-09-16T22:35:00.000-07:002023-09-16T22:35:30.921-07:009/16 - Explore Auckland<p> We started the day with a walk around the downtown (aka CBD for Central Business District), then later hopped on a bus to a Maori property to hear from a Maori and learn more about their culture and history.</p><p>We stopped at the foot of the Skytower, which is about as tall at the Eiffel<span> tower, Because of the light rail construction,. much of Albert St is closed, so we wandered through the All Blacks building to continue on. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKM71YcTMmfcExw2I90OgSW66K3IgQipaLKJa-d5l98DThAiLuoYxqdtMuGpF25SGN6x7i6HP8iA_qC0ourgchJHWou80JJ9gsyaCq5WMG46c9WLuXuC2f6pb7k60E1VIWd6Xz5HS3TiZbVL0wnRh_7LAxBEzTV4ALNAZUBZJ7GIWm6yc0yS0c6m1O44I/s800/IMG_20230915_140532174.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKM71YcTMmfcExw2I90OgSW66K3IgQipaLKJa-d5l98DThAiLuoYxqdtMuGpF25SGN6x7i6HP8iA_qC0ourgchJHWou80JJ9gsyaCq5WMG46c9WLuXuC2f6pb7k60E1VIWd6Xz5HS3TiZbVL0wnRh_7LAxBEzTV4ALNAZUBZJ7GIWm6yc0yS0c6m1O44I/s320/IMG_20230915_140532174.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p><span>Sidelight: Jim was a rugby player in college and his team won some west coast championship. The All Blacks came to the US for an exhibition tour and Jim said his team was the first to play them and lost to them, 61-0.</span></p><p><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYxq2l8rT6wETv3yHxb_mqos1yj0zpMvTVu0d2RhPvWa1EJvgYyTeQrBiVknY9mAUbG5gxOHq4766IAsC_IVC7I5Qnm-FmeYEbBDuvxn_ZoPJPF3nqtAROsJ9euSF8LphHbr-9pVG-fH_2pRZNoCS0DyNHCz5ji8Q2DLZAnbuR3cOwOCJ7jxcsMwnmE0/s800/Rugby%20Jim.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="800" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYxq2l8rT6wETv3yHxb_mqos1yj0zpMvTVu0d2RhPvWa1EJvgYyTeQrBiVknY9mAUbG5gxOHq4766IAsC_IVC7I5Qnm-FmeYEbBDuvxn_ZoPJPF3nqtAROsJ9euSF8LphHbr-9pVG-fH_2pRZNoCS0DyNHCz5ji8Q2DLZAnbuR3cOwOCJ7jxcsMwnmE0/s320/Rugby%20Jim.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim is in the center, but this was not the All Blacks game<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span> We came to Aotea Square with an arch designed by a Maori artist to represent a welcoming gate. The square is used as a public performance venue.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMZ1NyitPMWMxqHXF-ABgtDkSpOxLnd6dP3mdY4xxowIsbaXQx9jnYysFtxLsBEXgb5a8VrwL_MaAPrHa3zRXo6KozxVc7tkzKimyzKKfoTGiGB9FFn_e8ou6gSthMQ2Ua2vmmtTyZT1ux4UNtiCZP74ZdFtT6VTAISXL4G0GQHW7cHIgXD9Y31mJ-74/s800/IMG_20230915_142400471_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMZ1NyitPMWMxqHXF-ABgtDkSpOxLnd6dP3mdY4xxowIsbaXQx9jnYysFtxLsBEXgb5a8VrwL_MaAPrHa3zRXo6KozxVc7tkzKimyzKKfoTGiGB9FFn_e8ou6gSthMQ2Ua2vmmtTyZT1ux4UNtiCZP74ZdFtT6VTAISXL4G0GQHW7cHIgXD9Y31mJ-74/s320/IMG_20230915_142400471_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail on the arch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6cYzP5XeXgXCViND3qx1yudfPKHZNGvcLnByN5PEcnpwG41XYuLf8pTDWd9LwSWtA1rNzPsUl-9IDf99y52eAHJkfHKb-C3iUgNv33ECWOVj2FglIPjkm79_5B62bPnYsKIGnwCgbL6cXS8lY6wjGUXIxzYsIbmb654pV08cwcAXuFmTvAYn7C4O85E/s800/IMG_20230915_142320648_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="727" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6cYzP5XeXgXCViND3qx1yudfPKHZNGvcLnByN5PEcnpwG41XYuLf8pTDWd9LwSWtA1rNzPsUl-9IDf99y52eAHJkfHKb-C3iUgNv33ECWOVj2FglIPjkm79_5B62bPnYsKIGnwCgbL6cXS8lY6wjGUXIxzYsIbmb654pV08cwcAXuFmTvAYn7C4O85E/s320/IMG_20230915_142320648_HDR.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><br />One memorable stop was a small plaza celebrating the suffrage of women in New Zealand in 1883, the first place in the modern world that granted women the right to vote. A woman named Kate Sheppard (possible Sandy relative???) organized the creation of a petition with so many signatures, it stretched over 270 feet. The artwork on the wall is a tribute to that petition.<p></p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimO_hrbv6UpjRBAf8-vlcjUmeTdEATSfUcprjSMcnvhF5bEoa-8G5hOerQzdadqp2aIrf2aMCxVPYgL1MPTv8UEIHjR58ot6-FbM7qFri7ZDySzZuesbObv8ejSVzUxvXWONNw_McVcTFJHVzfh9H-E95FoIXooVsaw7OYFFMdfSxrP7pZw8GSjG-FUDI/s800/IMG_20230915_143230526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="800" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimO_hrbv6UpjRBAf8-vlcjUmeTdEATSfUcprjSMcnvhF5bEoa-8G5hOerQzdadqp2aIrf2aMCxVPYgL1MPTv8UEIHjR58ot6-FbM7qFri7ZDySzZuesbObv8ejSVzUxvXWONNw_McVcTFJHVzfh9H-E95FoIXooVsaw7OYFFMdfSxrP7pZw8GSjG-FUDI/s320/IMG_20230915_143230526.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowKbThJ8CSDKIHmyU9Lj-Ex9Bnaex7xO1FKNEqS9gSEJDIta8ruZ-PWbLV8K472vsSwRdFOvv8fxPMKaansgofWHJPUCiFZonuBKUFMqM7KXA2vacSys9_MBxmzu_R-95vvtrEd3ZpGSvENj-W0GoKrYTiSyY0qULr9i7zuaQHnlBmucsE1Q0wpt-U0U/s800/IMG_20230915_143241821_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="800" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowKbThJ8CSDKIHmyU9Lj-Ex9Bnaex7xO1FKNEqS9gSEJDIta8ruZ-PWbLV8K472vsSwRdFOvv8fxPMKaansgofWHJPUCiFZonuBKUFMqM7KXA2vacSys9_MBxmzu_R-95vvtrEd3ZpGSvENj-W0GoKrYTiSyY0qULr9i7zuaQHnlBmucsE1Q0wpt-U0U/s320/IMG_20230915_143241821_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span><p></p><p><span>We also walked through Albert Park. The streets here celebrate Queen Victoria: the main street is Queen, and there are Victoria and Albert streets too and probably other references I don't recognize.</span></p><p><span>We returned to the hotel and took a bus to a Maori park, where we were met by Dane, an urban-raised Maori who, at age 50, spent a year learning the Maori language, which had been completely repressed for years. Our group picked a leader and learned a welcoming song and we experienced the typical welcome ritual of the Maori and learned about the culture and much of the repression of the first people. Because they didn't have written language, the exact timing of their arrival can only be estimated to be 1350. This makes New Zealand the youngest country in the world.</span></p><p><span>The obelisk at the plaza is dedicated to Michael Joseph Savage, the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is generally considered to be New Zealand's greatest prime minister.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfBVHAJkukiCattgqw7epM6mec9yTyzcm7AXTpoJFXNiFMaptzha-rVNw0iKECKQ0BvaGpPVHEBquwzAyJG-tx2LE2W_g-mWp3Nv1tFiEmyLoXPVmmxLiZ2qv-X0ApD8zN2Uu8eeEdKpyd9bVZmVgfcNI4gDmvlykvaX449pIzivdr9UdnEKm2L7n-D0/s800/IMG_20230915_164219440_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="628" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfBVHAJkukiCattgqw7epM6mec9yTyzcm7AXTpoJFXNiFMaptzha-rVNw0iKECKQ0BvaGpPVHEBquwzAyJG-tx2LE2W_g-mWp3Nv1tFiEmyLoXPVmmxLiZ2qv-X0ApD8zN2Uu8eeEdKpyd9bVZmVgfcNI4gDmvlykvaX449pIzivdr9UdnEKm2L7n-D0/s320/IMG_20230915_164219440_HDR.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dane holding a greenstone (Jade) token of <br />power, which is used during speeches and<br />greetings for emphasis. He is wearing<br />Chicago White Sox short and an Oakland<br />Raiders cap.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-JL7zYzDNo7iemzHlFmPym4J9OnYltHzx9FHIDtnSuWyB2AI8Oifg-b5qHmbwYw2tzsSZRtE5TQS0ehoiWBI34gBUrmIzgPeLvz_20yCKEovTHPtT0wDmPgfOftjGcmABfto1rSZyiS4I4H6mofksT9_2Ph-lHijm6pfH7gpxBtuun0-7nKdfe_eFpg/s800/PXL_20230915_225432605.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-JL7zYzDNo7iemzHlFmPym4J9OnYltHzx9FHIDtnSuWyB2AI8Oifg-b5qHmbwYw2tzsSZRtE5TQS0ehoiWBI34gBUrmIzgPeLvz_20yCKEovTHPtT0wDmPgfOftjGcmABfto1rSZyiS4I4H6mofksT9_2Ph-lHijm6pfH7gpxBtuun0-7nKdfe_eFpg/s320/PXL_20230915_225432605.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p>Following the presentation, we walked down the hill for lunch and then bused back to the hotel for what was left of the afternoon, I had thought about going to the Skytower, but decided I had a couple other problems to solve. (OAT uses personal listening devices that use earbuds for the listeners to better hear the tour guide's presentation. I can't use earbuds and there were no over the ear options and my small carry-on bag handle is uncomfortable,) So I went shopping instead and amazingly, was able to solve both problems for less than $20.</p><p>We went out for our Welcome Dinner at a seafood restaurant for a lovely end to a busy day. <br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-51926381423919503022023-09-15T00:40:00.006-07:002023-09-15T13:17:07.893-07:009/15 -- Arrive in New Zealand<p> We lost a day flying over the date line, and landed at 5:30 am. I actually managed to sleep and rack up 15 minutes more than I got my last night at home. My fitbit told me I even got some deep sleep along with dreaming, so not bad for a plane. Immigration and baggage went fairly smoothly, but they are very strict about what you can bring in and you have to declare ANY food, even if it is allowed. Commercially prepared and unopened nuts and candy are ok, but Sandy was told by our guide that the San Francisco sourdough starter, even though commercially packaged, that she had planned as a home gift, was problematic because it had San Francisco yeast not New Zealand yeast.</p><p>Sandy discovered an app to let you declare online and we both used it, but I messed up and answered 'Other' for my Kind Bars, because they aren't exactly candy or nuts. BAD plan. That meant I had to go into the Declare line and one of the signs led to a baggage claim. Lost 5 minutes there before I asked for help. Then the ACTUAL Declare line was jammed with WAY too few agents asking all the same questions I had answered online before finally sending me out TOOK FOREVER -- like a half hour. And then we still had to pass a sniffer dog to make sure we hadn't lied.</p><p>There were 6 of us on the same plane and we figured we were going to be the last ones out, but we were the first. It took another 2 hours to locate everyone, but we finally headed to the hotel. The Voco Hotel is in the city center, near the Skytower that looks like the CN Tower in Toronto seen here from our room.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2fhnUjU8zIQa-ylFWYaXSYiSbfbzNWo-ojXro3wuE-R6h7ImI6XBfMBYTMPswsOK--WCIYk2dt82oockSJP7cZ4gbtB6HhzzEKc3RrSrdpyX3_Bjv9-u-dTk9sTJzarQ6-IL3-i6qYOkT5GvhqC_IeKuEFehF5fy1qcd5Q9KQG5V5yzsryqx87I6YHM/s4032/PXL_20230915_151253405.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2fhnUjU8zIQa-ylFWYaXSYiSbfbzNWo-ojXro3wuE-R6h7ImI6XBfMBYTMPswsOK--WCIYk2dt82oockSJP7cZ4gbtB6HhzzEKc3RrSrdpyX3_Bjv9-u-dTk9sTJzarQ6-IL3-i6qYOkT5GvhqC_IeKuEFehF5fy1qcd5Q9KQG5V5yzsryqx87I6YHM/s320/PXL_20230915_151253405.NIGHT.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We vegged pretty much until it was time for the group introductory meeting where we met our fellow travelers and got the travel plan from Rod, our tour leader. After the meeting, we headed to the main street to try to get me a sim card so I can have reasonably priced data access here, to use an ATM, and find a place for an early dinner before we collapsed. We found the ATM and the SIM card store, but it had closed 20 minutes earlier and isn't open on weekends, so another plan is needed. We looked for a reputed food court for a quick dinner, but had little success and ended up at the hotel's Italian restaurant for pizza and a salad. </p><p>P.S. Sandy also has a blog <a href="https://beabondgrrl.com/" target="_blank">here</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0Aukland, New Zealand-36.850882700000007 174.7644881-65.161116536178852 139.6082381 -8.5406488638211613 -150.0792619tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-17183869465757608872023-09-14T17:30:00.001-07:002023-09-14T17:30:43.541-07:009/13 Fly Away!<p> Our trip to New Zealand at 1pm today, with an abundance of caution, when Sandy and her friend Melissa (who is also her house and dog sitter) picked me up at 1pm for our 4:40 flight to LAX. Security was a breeze and we had lots of time, so took advantage of Sandy's membership in the Amex Centurion club and had a pleasant wait with free food. The flight to Los Angeles was uneventful (the best kind) but then we had to find the International Terminal, another Amex club and our gate,</p><p>The easy way to do this is to leave the secure area and take a shuttle bus. Since I now need special screening because of my replacement knee and the special machine is sometimes not easily accessible in the TSA Pre line, we opted to walk. We were at the opposite end of the terminal complex and it takes an actual 30 minutes to make the trip. This was complicated by my new extra light carryon (designed to carry stuff and stay under the NZ strict rule of a 15 lb max) that I had just gotten without realizing it had neither a shoulder strap or any place to attach one and no padded handle attachment for the straps. Ugly, but we got it done and Sandy signed me up for a chair massage to make up for my pain.</p><p>It was about 9:30 pm when we boarded and after 10:15 when we left. I had not had one of my better nights' sleeps and had eaten at both clubs, so had no interest in the dinner they were going to serve (Sandy said later it was pretty good) so I dug out my airplane sleeping aids (eye mask, head support, noise-cancelling headphones), took out my hearing aids and zoned out.<br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-2974122594430755682023-09-11T11:12:00.000-07:002023-09-11T11:12:47.615-07:00The Next Trip/Brief Recent History<p> A lot has changed in my life (no longer OUR lives) since our Alaska trip. Jim had medical complications just before we were due to leave for a trip to Southeast Asia. Instead of going to the airport, he ended up at the hospital on the day we would have landed in Bangkok and died peacefully (and shockingly to me) 4 days later in mid February this year.</p><p>This resulted in lots of changes to my life. I sold our house and moved into a close-by apartment, figuring I would find a Marin location further north and move when my lease is up next spring. I visited my daughter in Illinois at her 55+ Active community for a couple weeks in May and felt astoundingly welcomed by her friends, who immediately set off to find me a home there. They were successful! Being near my daughter again was a huge draw and the financial advantages of living there were not lost on me either, so I now own a house a 1 minute walk away from Kristen and will move around the end of October, after my return from this trip.</p><p>I also have a new travel companion, Sandy, whose husband died a couple years ago. Jim and I had been encouraging her to get back into the international travel habit by taking a trip with us, so she seemed like a natural travel partner as we both set off to see the world without our long time companions. She tried to beg off by telling me she snored. I assured her that with my hearing aids out, I wouldn't have a problem. Apparently, that was her only viable argument against the trip and we have had a ball planning it ever since. I fully packed on Saturday for a Wednesday departure but now have time to do some editing. <br /></p><p>We are going to New Zealand, where Jim and I honeymooned in 1999/2000, but this itinerary is a lot different than ours was. And knowing OAT like I do, I am sure I will learn a lot more about the places I have already been.</p><p>Watch this space! <br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-41207145425468662022022-08-19T18:18:00.000-07:002022-08-19T18:18:36.986-07:008/17/22 Board the Ship<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">We got to breakfast and the line for the bus assignments a few
minutes before 7am when the restaurant was due to open. Apparently there were a
bunch of people who understood the plan better than we did, because by the time
we got to the head of the line, the first 2 busses were already full. That
taught us to arrive at least 15 minutes before requested which served us well
and allowed us to get on our bus second to select seat near the front. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The bus driver was also sort of a tour guide and tried to
help us find wild life and understand the surroundings as we went. He claimed
there was a bald eagle on a rock in the bay along the road, but it just looked
like a tall rock. Later as we got on the ship, we saw an eagle flying low along
the length of the ship. He also told us to look for beluga whales in the bay
and apparently there were several. What we saw were several random white caps
which apparently was the belugas quickly surfacing and diving. What we did see
for sure was several red salmon in a small river on their way to spawn. He said
that you don’t want to try to catch one then, that they stop eating on their
way to the spawning ground and basically use up their bodies on the way to
their destination.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We boarded our ship around 1pm with a minimum of hassles.
Cabins were due to be ready no later than 2:30, so we had a buffet lunch with
champagne included. Since we had reservations at a steak specialty restaurant
at 7 to celebrate Jim’s birthday, we wanted to eat relatively light. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cabins were ready early so we went to ours and discovered
birthday decorations and a bottle of champagne for Jim. We unpacked what we had
and set out to explore. The Seven Seas Mariner carries around 700 passengers,
making it the biggest ship I have been on. We found the theater, several
restaurants, a casino, shops, a running track, putting green, and pool (with
temperatures in the low 60s, we skipped bringing swimsuits) and the spa, where
I got a massage reservation for the next day. Our luggage did arrive before
dinner which allowed us to make a couple changes to the plan for the evening,
but it only came about an hour or less before dinner, so I was VERY glad we
were ready for the worst.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aOK_bhSlNrTvCTjoPfTbPolSCzUsQa1YVOOCW4nKjIURHRGQyumEC9NRaFspuYrOb3GZOKbVuaE-iLrI6GkEPGZi522k2uX_OfFU2HnhfTl4CYkeP1BLZIbmCah1T0Vrc3scOYJvOrqRoDlwX3ICqeLTZa4Y9Zxu3Dbhm69vp7o77MaSrClttLrz/s800/PXL_20220817_221038685.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aOK_bhSlNrTvCTjoPfTbPolSCzUsQa1YVOOCW4nKjIURHRGQyumEC9NRaFspuYrOb3GZOKbVuaE-iLrI6GkEPGZi522k2uX_OfFU2HnhfTl4CYkeP1BLZIbmCah1T0Vrc3scOYJvOrqRoDlwX3ICqeLTZa4Y9Zxu3Dbhm69vp7o77MaSrClttLrz/s320/PXL_20220817_221038685.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy to tell what day it is....<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg225E1dfsUPyLQX8OmApTVfwrgcnOz0bX2WDIzNRu8GoHrDLTlDiGbD2S1DEniDv7IjXWdaWsabJ9xIt0UlSM-64sJ3jmPZqTpj_U8YzsBfU8Ud0M3Rgd8cvX82sgJcAjz_aiU51ua2cw65UPqYEV90PJlRRCdmdB5m54BDa_6WeaW5qcPtEhTs1Ov/s800/PXL_20220817_231925830.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg225E1dfsUPyLQX8OmApTVfwrgcnOz0bX2WDIzNRu8GoHrDLTlDiGbD2S1DEniDv7IjXWdaWsabJ9xIt0UlSM-64sJ3jmPZqTpj_U8YzsBfU8Ud0M3Rgd8cvX82sgJcAjz_aiU51ua2cw65UPqYEV90PJlRRCdmdB5m54BDa_6WeaW5qcPtEhTs1Ov/s320/PXL_20220817_231925830.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above: The view from our cabin when we arrived. <br />Below: the view when the sun appeared.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WZGQeaO9ZTQIlWxhmyybJBQuUgJIE-w0RIEqqtOhAIgMfRnFTZ-S_pqVoACzKZDvAV0MtOvVkCO2l7RtZ79HbFKXzHr98hdPJ394KuuDX-MnVMnle8gqc8THBZlRRu_BWrOuGsN0x_L8WLpaonzmuzAaIccD4gjpO4t4vC3G1lPNkn2N_hUaqh1p/s800/PXL_20220818_001945770.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WZGQeaO9ZTQIlWxhmyybJBQuUgJIE-w0RIEqqtOhAIgMfRnFTZ-S_pqVoACzKZDvAV0MtOvVkCO2l7RtZ79HbFKXzHr98hdPJ394KuuDX-MnVMnle8gqc8THBZlRRu_BWrOuGsN0x_L8WLpaonzmuzAaIccD4gjpO4t4vC3G1lPNkn2N_hUaqh1p/s320/PXL_20220818_001945770.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We set sail around 5pm and the seas were pretty rough for a
while. Thankfully, they calmed down during dinner. We ate at a shared table
since I hadn’t been able to get a table for two and met Lynn (the husband) and
Gale (whose middle name was Lynne) from Maryland and Kimberly from Washington
D.C. At the end, Jim got a special dessert (big enough to share around the
table) and the wait staff all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ (which I have always been
asked NOT to instigate).</p>
<p></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-80914774059446539142022-08-19T18:15:00.000-07:002022-08-19T18:15:05.463-07:008/16/22 North to Alaska<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">We actually got started on this trip on 8/15 when we got a
required PCR test after the tour we led in Chinatown and then went to visit
Erika and Jesse and help with the boys until after dinner when we checked into
an airport hotel and got a room with a view of San Francisco Bay.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We got up at 3am to catch our 6:30am flight to Anchorage,
Alaska by way of Seattle. We were originally unhappy about having a nearly 3.5
hour layover in Seattle. However, our plane had technical problems and we were
DE-boarded after about an hour and several people were moved to other flights
due to tighter connections. We were told as long as we departed by 10sm, we
would make our connection and we actually ended up with about an hour in
Seattle, enough to grab a hot sandwich for lunch. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The arrival to Anchorage was uneventful (this is good) and
on time. Our room at the Anchorage Hilton even has a view of the inlet to the Gulf of Alaska. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9z_8SsZi3sc9x6aNO8TeT-cd7RQua1nHJ2JLVm4sYviyHWI14MX8NJhfvn2wjyc6YW4BLlOrYf8xCEjW0zWHKZFQgiTQ-cKL2aaFfyKibfR8nWjqrPA-XE1Ik4gyA1epdGXCuNS5EtCVXIKEHBYtilxlS9tOqZOxHaqrUIMNqlAXT56YT77jtO9U/s800/PXL_20220817_000734851.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="800" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9z_8SsZi3sc9x6aNO8TeT-cd7RQua1nHJ2JLVm4sYviyHWI14MX8NJhfvn2wjyc6YW4BLlOrYf8xCEjW0zWHKZFQgiTQ-cKL2aaFfyKibfR8nWjqrPA-XE1Ik4gyA1epdGXCuNS5EtCVXIKEHBYtilxlS9tOqZOxHaqrUIMNqlAXT56YT77jtO9U/s320/PXL_20220817_000734851.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our room<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dinner
on the ship requires ‘Country Club’ or ‘Elegant’ Casual which means no polo shirts,
tees, jeans, or hiking clothing and there was no guarantee on when precisely
our luggage would arrive in our room, so we totally rearranged using a
collapsible bag we brought along to move one night’s dinner clothing to this
bag so we could carry it on the bus tomorrow to get to Seward where the ship
is.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were greeted by a group that checked all of our required
documentation (vaccine card, passport, negative PCR test, and Canadian arrival
documentation – this one needed work and the staff there quickly resolved our
questions) and got a ticket which allowed us to get a bus assignment the next day.
Seward is 140 miles south of Anchorage and the bus takes almost 3 hours. A
later bus means more time to explore Anchorage and less time to settle into the
ship and explore it, so we planned to get to breakfast when it started to get
an early ticket.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For dinner, we selected a nearby Thai restaurant vs the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>many seafood options, since we anticipate a
wealth of seafood on the trip. It was not busy and we were a bit concerned, but
the issue was that it was only 5:45pm AND Monday. The food was quite tasty.</p>
<p></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-61246239172742973292022-05-15T16:50:00.000-07:002022-05-15T16:50:09.864-07:005/4/22 -- Home Again<p>The good news is we got back to the US around 2pm. The bad news is that to do it, we went to bed at 3pm PDT and woke up at 6:30 pm PDT (or 11pm to 2:30am in Portugal's time zone). </p><p>We were concerned about our connection in Paris since we find that internal flights frequently get bused to gates and we only had 1.5 hours between flights, plus we had to go through passport control. However, we landed at an actual gate, the passport wait only took 5 minutes, and we were in a closer terminal than usual. The flight was somewhat delayed because of a problem with a water chiller, so we did arrive a little later than scheduled. </p><p></p><p>Once we landed, we discovered that the Global Entry process is now a single screen instead of several. The hardest part was figuring out that I had to get shorter to be close enough to the camera to have my face fill the screen image. That was it -- it printed a photo, we waited for about a minute for the photo to be compared to our passports and faces and we were in. No questions about how much we spent and if we were bringing in food. No forms handed out in the airplane. <br /></p><p>We collected our car from Erika and Jesse and headed home by way of the grocery store. It is totally unusual for us to have anything fresh in the fridge after a long trip, so being able to relax in the evening and be ready to cook breakfast the next day was a treat.</p><p>I did discover that one disadvantage of having a mechanical knee is that I trigger virtually every screening device and have to allow time to get wanded and patted down. However, being able to walk freely without pain definitely makes the occasional pat down a small price to pay. </p><p>We had a wonderful time and now we have a full day to readjust to CA time, do the laundry, catch up on email, snail mail, and finances so we can start working for the county elections department on Friday, training for our new roles as Vote Center Coordinators. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-48883765301073516122022-05-15T16:46:00.000-07:002022-05-15T16:46:57.872-07:005/3/22 -- Antigen Test, Pack, Try Ceramics Painting<p>This morning was dedicated to packing our luggage for the trip home and getting the covid test we needed to re-enter the US. Since our flight leaves at 5:40AM and we leave the hotel at 3AM to catch it, we wanted everything packed and secure to the extent possible. Part of the design goal was to have all the dirty clothes that would fit in one big bag along with padding for the wine and the clean clothes in the other big bag, with purchases in our carry on. </p><p>This still gave us time to relax and to work on the blog. We caught a light lunch in a nearby cafe and then hopped on a bus to travel south of Lisbon to a very old residence in Azeitao which became a winery (no tasting this time) and also had an adjoining tile 'factory'. </p><p>Just before we arrived a the villa, I looked at Facebook on my phone and saw that my cousin Anna had posted twice -- once that she was on her way to Lisbon and second that she had arrived! We exchanged a number of texts as I was walking around the gardens, establishing that, in theory we had about an hour when we were both supposed to be free. The difficulty was that her hotel was a 10 minute walk downhill from mine, which would mean more than that uphill and I would need a shower before I could be presentable for our farewell dinner. As it was, our bus was 45 minutes late getting back, so even Uber wouldn't have saved the date. But what a small world to have her end up here the same day as me. I have stopped posting our travels on Facebook til after we return, so she had no idea I was there. <br /></p><p>First we toured the grounds and house and learned of its history. Quinta da Bacalhoa (a play on a slur for a woman in the cod fishing industry) was first purchased 1275 and built on in the 1300s.. It changed hands several times until 1609 when one family controlled it until 1901. It acquired its last owner in 1936 after it had become derelict. Photos at the bottom show the before and afters of a couple places. It was put up for sale for 130,000 of whatever the currency was then. However the buyer, Orlena Zabriskie Scoville turned out to be a tireless and hard bargainer and got it for 12,000.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFydtqpOPOn53MMgjFjyRemYICEDOMcrO6lcuxgwPFwosqQqpU3rVoUyvyKu_1tzXxT7aFRKK54kecoCbVUrGKkMnv2Ej-3U4l68OpM2NU0zR0UtDsfmnMREgpf0zvNWN9lx2leskzSSFS14Na3ACBBa_ZtycXLHDclZkf76GVeHq5Ygq_pvZwLLZ/s800/PXL_20220503_132937641.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFydtqpOPOn53MMgjFjyRemYICEDOMcrO6lcuxgwPFwosqQqpU3rVoUyvyKu_1tzXxT7aFRKK54kecoCbVUrGKkMnv2Ej-3U4l68OpM2NU0zR0UtDsfmnMREgpf0zvNWN9lx2leskzSSFS14Na3ACBBa_ZtycXLHDclZkf76GVeHq5Ygq_pvZwLLZ/s320/PXL_20220503_132937641.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above and below: entry courtyard.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9LwxPLJG6AXzuzHRT0kjldlL8_S0iboyvZcF9Mla7ljRDO_FUcCLoRXndGrtQ7ffoKMLTH61eM2VKRdrBULbppTyFlU-aw42S0kOF6_OG2Qv5zM3m1uvvS-kHpoyoT6zwwSedX4zTkLfTvB7_We5bAwkzx7i4j-MQ_DXlUpoXIxNmPFKeQvupz3f/s800/PXL_20220503_132945200.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="800" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9LwxPLJG6AXzuzHRT0kjldlL8_S0iboyvZcF9Mla7ljRDO_FUcCLoRXndGrtQ7ffoKMLTH61eM2VKRdrBULbppTyFlU-aw42S0kOF6_OG2Qv5zM3m1uvvS-kHpoyoT6zwwSedX4zTkLfTvB7_We5bAwkzx7i4j-MQ_DXlUpoXIxNmPFKeQvupz3f/s320/PXL_20220503_132945200.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwowlb57PajXvw7cU-vn2FlObSRrHqM7rtaRAAg05RFvx2WMOdX5TSYcYVTk-mjn95pRE4wsFrIPn_yeGGleGaeDIbRYV-Twnw3glTB6kc47HqsxKiBffdNrpiKEDRfwhfA1NgcCexNfQ64QgfIndJ0zIuc-T9V3cnvOqYQPy77hldnbyPLzV6-9G7/s800/PXL_20220503_133436849.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwowlb57PajXvw7cU-vn2FlObSRrHqM7rtaRAAg05RFvx2WMOdX5TSYcYVTk-mjn95pRE4wsFrIPn_yeGGleGaeDIbRYV-Twnw3glTB6kc47HqsxKiBffdNrpiKEDRfwhfA1NgcCexNfQ64QgfIndJ0zIuc-T9V3cnvOqYQPy77hldnbyPLzV6-9G7/s320/PXL_20220503_133436849.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3aRkmj1ytVW1_AUhyTvYITzxC0OZt4z89ZNLGhL4uWfBFkBvCYDoF_4l8SERnN2-tm1JZMI75pwj_n_4P-Wr3nGBtizZVT4dCrorigy9bYuZPyUG7YUaQ1xmsEsmqqxiHTig3kKbTJBcyuAgYxPSW8huBPR3yKF3flFk9xoq6y1lwOnSY2XEpfIq/s800/PXL_20220503_134313224.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3aRkmj1ytVW1_AUhyTvYITzxC0OZt4z89ZNLGhL4uWfBFkBvCYDoF_4l8SERnN2-tm1JZMI75pwj_n_4P-Wr3nGBtizZVT4dCrorigy9bYuZPyUG7YUaQ1xmsEsmqqxiHTig3kKbTJBcyuAgYxPSW8huBPR3yKF3flFk9xoq6y1lwOnSY2XEpfIq/s320/PXL_20220503_134313224.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This appears to have been a swimming pool<br />as the depth varies from one end to the other,<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbKTMh5hvC3SFG25zRaAJ6jeSBwe3EBsLlGRWfqUGfdClkAYk15zlYVMSP-acE3-HhwmPqUomzp3OzHFtCJ2MLhUCerO4luzgbPP5yq4COR_z4dyJJR_ThjUV3ylpoY-S_qKYSPNHUDgzozpxVEmfDtdKhv3_kPAnB__s1lRYEFwCc0zNAf6pzSRo/s800/PXL_20220503_134502636.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbKTMh5hvC3SFG25zRaAJ6jeSBwe3EBsLlGRWfqUGfdClkAYk15zlYVMSP-acE3-HhwmPqUomzp3OzHFtCJ2MLhUCerO4luzgbPP5yq4COR_z4dyJJR_ThjUV3ylpoY-S_qKYSPNHUDgzozpxVEmfDtdKhv3_kPAnB__s1lRYEFwCc0zNAf6pzSRo/s320/PXL_20220503_134502636.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We walked thru the rooms behind the arches which were<br />decorated with many different tiles from centuries ago.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzqIHcL7c7KtGUetWnnMcbPI1_c3aZcWsVsuVveJjDnfEY72TBbEW4dwIhflziWaNzIrYfYl2fKDIlMfSFHcoWmXDQWuVa6TdNl3lF_iDf6aLqSnhXg75BWWZlqOid0KJ_CtopxiQNZrhjND4i6VWPpHT4JJRm5P6RgmmV82GbnQtKWYV375oOO5K/s800/PXL_20220503_134459717.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzqIHcL7c7KtGUetWnnMcbPI1_c3aZcWsVsuVveJjDnfEY72TBbEW4dwIhflziWaNzIrYfYl2fKDIlMfSFHcoWmXDQWuVa6TdNl3lF_iDf6aLqSnhXg75BWWZlqOid0KJ_CtopxiQNZrhjND4i6VWPpHT4JJRm5P6RgmmV82GbnQtKWYV375oOO5K/s320/PXL_20220503_134459717.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure where the water is coming from<br />but I liked the look<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzCBkl-C882UXHSaQlGe2Ak201DZE0wvJ0oPDBNAnXH67GXxMqC7jn30jYQncXPHywzP5Y4o_NTBSAPoxO1GyTonrRr1hSdwCHKu6l8qi-MItzdnzVPzn4FxQsaaU9JlmPBuBugEgdeEm056zJdZc9GOrOXKcFI1bhr2Pp9weCBPMNIP5rL3zeumg/s800/PXL_20220503_134409977.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzCBkl-C882UXHSaQlGe2Ak201DZE0wvJ0oPDBNAnXH67GXxMqC7jn30jYQncXPHywzP5Y4o_NTBSAPoxO1GyTonrRr1hSdwCHKu6l8qi-MItzdnzVPzn4FxQsaaU9JlmPBuBugEgdeEm056zJdZc9GOrOXKcFI1bhr2Pp9weCBPMNIP5rL3zeumg/s320/PXL_20220503_134409977.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3iJzJr5KW9NGKM-UwZ3ItAo2yZv4vYZL993qvNowecT1TCH9Ts3eSs_06f1J0UH9LFXYELaaUp6dukwBXxA3MuT-ya8uj84_IaeaXZ-KxHeybSl3Cy_YDLySdtJneEZ-2eiAYvlOXm4MO0KT8-bIg7kcyyHNpnh93crWRQFupe5yR0bwX7MSm0p_/s800/PXL_20220503_134638405.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3iJzJr5KW9NGKM-UwZ3ItAo2yZv4vYZL993qvNowecT1TCH9Ts3eSs_06f1J0UH9LFXYELaaUp6dukwBXxA3MuT-ya8uj84_IaeaXZ-KxHeybSl3Cy_YDLySdtJneEZ-2eiAYvlOXm4MO0KT8-bIg7kcyyHNpnh93crWRQFupe5yR0bwX7MSm0p_/s320/PXL_20220503_134638405.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These were the most interesting tiles we<br />saw. They were three dimensional and <br />the three brown dots you can see on the<br />tile below are where little legs were placed<br />to keep the raised parts separated so they<br />didn't flatten in the kiln. Then the legs<br />were broken off, leaving the unglazed spots.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TiQ_EKMKPI-8B8ufgUVGjncOP4IsBr6nVUnmG13vyBfwf3-s50RHcf3S2o_p4m1GfV5NQOwE-UIafEMq9AKf4qrA3KF1lzqF8EUcMk1bALV2_eW9BKK1yd7CD0uDm-ytH9YXxRbrM_snskH1r5NKmIaz_Z4ByP37LCypIOTnRB9WeUnTU5R2o0Zl/s800/PXL_20220503_135155222.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TiQ_EKMKPI-8B8ufgUVGjncOP4IsBr6nVUnmG13vyBfwf3-s50RHcf3S2o_p4m1GfV5NQOwE-UIafEMq9AKf4qrA3KF1lzqF8EUcMk1bALV2_eW9BKK1yd7CD0uDm-ytH9YXxRbrM_snskH1r5NKmIaz_Z4ByP37LCypIOTnRB9WeUnTU5R2o0Zl/s320/PXL_20220503_135155222.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAPixAZJEwlclgC7nlki8sqX8IS1NZ_iM0un6aeQJ1v2KqI_C6_AHJzMJvdAVdu9KLgO2rOAxz9-Q7OPqz11GSt1eQ0p59FhZmajmJLUHkOVSIrX-ejnKw-w-mGbwXyieIdMZQXHgOGslxNm0iQqo1j9HoyX4YYE9K9k-lVMfinox1adQhnGFpnXP/s800/PXL_20220503_140032061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAPixAZJEwlclgC7nlki8sqX8IS1NZ_iM0un6aeQJ1v2KqI_C6_AHJzMJvdAVdu9KLgO2rOAxz9-Q7OPqz11GSt1eQ0p59FhZmajmJLUHkOVSIrX-ejnKw-w-mGbwXyieIdMZQXHgOGslxNm0iQqo1j9HoyX4YYE9K9k-lVMfinox1adQhnGFpnXP/s320/PXL_20220503_140032061.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much of what we walked through looked<br />like this.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppTsdIPl8PR0ENycHJ_ZN4ZM3GDjaQIUsPGKGkWmkQkCF6Db6rcLWGEUw2YaMhRyT9YDzvs_5HEF3m6lX7C74Pc8rmEi1XT6Ovvj-dvo7_Rp4RsaMBk0t5Bqj5YiMPeDYkMlfgf0iPgGjglnrX7UJOTbew-zZEwcbweZFy7N7XzmQW1WQ5rvg8XJb/s800/PXL_20220503_142458025.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppTsdIPl8PR0ENycHJ_ZN4ZM3GDjaQIUsPGKGkWmkQkCF6Db6rcLWGEUw2YaMhRyT9YDzvs_5HEF3m6lX7C74Pc8rmEi1XT6Ovvj-dvo7_Rp4RsaMBk0t5Bqj5YiMPeDYkMlfgf0iPgGjglnrX7UJOTbew-zZEwcbweZFy7N7XzmQW1WQ5rvg8XJb/s320/PXL_20220503_142458025.MP.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above and below: before (1936 purchase<br />status) and after renovation. I am <br />pretty sure it cost more than the 120,000<br />Mrs. Scoville shaved off the price.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHrdWOz3-H3DxTL6-E72n9CY0FzfUN80eiAk-Ral0x0lY_0Le-gZjjujW4eY3JoV6FEuRzVXt_L8Mao3u_tpvXGfokpJEfoTlYdz-mXUat17v6d3UydZDtrVUrL793ti7dUL4ic5P_XCQwx_lIRFiLGGPwq3dAQLTGRpad1ZCmxIxV-A3Nl2-IE_s/s800/PXL_20220503_142452167.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="800" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHrdWOz3-H3DxTL6-E72n9CY0FzfUN80eiAk-Ral0x0lY_0Le-gZjjujW4eY3JoV6FEuRzVXt_L8Mao3u_tpvXGfokpJEfoTlYdz-mXUat17v6d3UydZDtrVUrL793ti7dUL4ic5P_XCQwx_lIRFiLGGPwq3dAQLTGRpad1ZCmxIxV-A3Nl2-IE_s/s320/PXL_20220503_142452167.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>After getting a brief introduction to how some of the tiles were made,
we had the opportunity to paint one each. Because of the firing time
involved, finishing them there was not an option so we opted to bring
our two tiles home and see if we will be able to find someplace to fire
them. I have no illusions that they are great artwork. The good news is
that the factory had stencils we could use as a pattern and we each got
one very fine brush and one fat one. Unfortunately, they appear to do
this kind of thing a lot because my fine brush had definitely seen
better days and barely carried any paint, so long thin lines were out of
the question. I have long fat lines instead. I'll add photos of the
finished product when we find somewhere to fire them.</p><p>Back at the hotel, we prepped for our farewell dinner and an early rising time to fly home. <br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-30886893430801772822022-05-14T21:31:00.000-07:002022-05-14T21:31:27.546-07:005/2/22 Explore Lisbon<p> We set off in a bus to see more of Lisbon and ended up with a walking tour of the old downtown parts of the city. It is reminiscent of San Francisco in that it is built on hills, has a tram system, and was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 1755. Our first stop was a park (with lots of somewhat aggressive vendors --if you showed interest in something, they followed you around, but if you ignored them, they returned the favor). This is the location of the Torre de Belem which also had a replica of the first plane to cross the Atlantic at its widest. The tower has several animals depicted on the corners, including the first rhinoceros to set foot in Europe since Roman times. It was a gift from India to Portugal, it had a short and sad life there.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZCjBg-kVR445eNq6RKvdKcHyne_dw9saWc_ZdA1SbkKUfDpqja2rk3hny0O3ifxkWWj8ndzYh0-nCLD7bWfs4jVnaHCvQl5mJmNEPZvEb4VPYNURnHCf0nERSvriqAEmjIflV-coa1T88VQHhDJLQ8V7J2tAWIdbkQTKG_Xmuq_ggL3mn3nZiQYx/s800/PXL_20220502_082855389.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZCjBg-kVR445eNq6RKvdKcHyne_dw9saWc_ZdA1SbkKUfDpqja2rk3hny0O3ifxkWWj8ndzYh0-nCLD7bWfs4jVnaHCvQl5mJmNEPZvEb4VPYNURnHCf0nERSvriqAEmjIflV-coa1T88VQHhDJLQ8V7J2tAWIdbkQTKG_Xmuq_ggL3mn3nZiQYx/s320/PXL_20220502_082855389.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge grain silo across the bay with cranes for loading<br />and unloading.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdqriew2_DdzBw03OpWglBqYrKp8tQ85xojZ_MNLQfJhxQ9TWM5s9ITCZQIXzhc0fIMTJx5Fx4mLFnMUrGPXi2hMHuVIM5BilLJLMCSfxpNHYCtwn7POriT67IgGoWrAMLB29qhG3Xovj0cwhDoWckhpy41GnQQ570RkUOo21hv8BH6N92QyM1wDs/s800/PXL_20220502_082906001.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdqriew2_DdzBw03OpWglBqYrKp8tQ85xojZ_MNLQfJhxQ9TWM5s9ITCZQIXzhc0fIMTJx5Fx4mLFnMUrGPXi2hMHuVIM5BilLJLMCSfxpNHYCtwn7POriT67IgGoWrAMLB29qhG3Xovj0cwhDoWckhpy41GnQQ570RkUOo21hv8BH6N92QyM1wDs/s320/PXL_20220502_082906001.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A replica of the seaplane that made the historic trip in <br />1922. They made several stops along the way and used <br />three different planes in a trip that took 2.5 months, <br />mostly due to waiting for replacements.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEn_mO0xgvyYqRhNu2knDCM1KbnnK1b9EAR0odG4VOyw5jCyX7mUQwVKE5M3aKn9rXzR16hOj50tPEE-wqyBL7w8dChCN0pHco828DGnc6GUxnWfq17Yp6etdNhNgFg2_zYJ_22pe8o63RGV3P12tupoMZwpoLfAwPXLThKAG3qhnF0uC7WNoIMfj/s800/PXL_20220502_083021786.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="800" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEn_mO0xgvyYqRhNu2knDCM1KbnnK1b9EAR0odG4VOyw5jCyX7mUQwVKE5M3aKn9rXzR16hOj50tPEE-wqyBL7w8dChCN0pHco828DGnc6GUxnWfq17Yp6etdNhNgFg2_zYJ_22pe8o63RGV3P12tupoMZwpoLfAwPXLThKAG3qhnF0uC7WNoIMfj/s320/PXL_20220502_083021786.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The Torre de Belem is a small fort at the entry to the <br />Tagus River in Lisbon, built in the 16th century.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFCeinOnn2UHUfSp2q4699JsV44HVf7EH9rhbCgKNgqUOmECDzegjIDq5ygI3izdWAPLB5sCrZW-FQoNNrlf83XZmoQ1kf_PkMgEyO4lTayqsATVIyA96xP-H81-myiDySJqdSiHlKzTRSCWKostBP4k_4d9_6uKgB9pCC_7mgraYQPefcRN1UCpY/s800/PXL_20220502_083114727.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFCeinOnn2UHUfSp2q4699JsV44HVf7EH9rhbCgKNgqUOmECDzegjIDq5ygI3izdWAPLB5sCrZW-FQoNNrlf83XZmoQ1kf_PkMgEyO4lTayqsATVIyA96xP-H81-myiDySJqdSiHlKzTRSCWKostBP4k_4d9_6uKgB9pCC_7mgraYQPefcRN1UCpY/s320/PXL_20220502_083114727.MP.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fort in the distance is currently<br />a lighthouse.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjqsw5-MzQz4dp0jdUvvqFLEXnNFNnkvgzJya4erpCgn4JWXoFLfrBcCuPyz_GXJZN_rwPW7-CfOcRVYlx2x7p_x9z3fDQCuV-K210ZChnBuHzwHVxXLx7DbuBxDA3sX0zr9tBwLC1qXnACk9fb62Icm6xtm2S_Sq3zywxcKEJwmls1gXhoftvouM/s800/P1080171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjqsw5-MzQz4dp0jdUvvqFLEXnNFNnkvgzJya4erpCgn4JWXoFLfrBcCuPyz_GXJZN_rwPW7-CfOcRVYlx2x7p_x9z3fDQCuV-K210ZChnBuHzwHVxXLx7DbuBxDA3sX0zr9tBwLC1qXnACk9fb62Icm6xtm2S_Sq3zywxcKEJwmls1gXhoftvouM/s320/P1080171.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rhinoceros sculpture is badly eroded limestone.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl901sxrb_SYZdV0WkGqOg-f9tzfDU9b6VMVBrDTmQMQ2VZibEEnHnrmuLk1VnjHB9NU82NW7ImOWpYOJ5P-11czc80Ln8vODE3_PR8N4q1PtdPxKLn4zLs3ZVxVQnUjUBLy-8x1RI-bgfrm91kmpkbMYBC1FlyY1PnCY-FD7BbgYz9xtZX3C9-jQY/s800/P1080174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl901sxrb_SYZdV0WkGqOg-f9tzfDU9b6VMVBrDTmQMQ2VZibEEnHnrmuLk1VnjHB9NU82NW7ImOWpYOJ5P-11czc80Ln8vODE3_PR8N4q1PtdPxKLn4zLs3ZVxVQnUjUBLy-8x1RI-bgfrm91kmpkbMYBC1FlyY1PnCY-FD7BbgYz9xtZX3C9-jQY/s320/P1080174.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above and two below: other sculptures on the corners.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJI9NF0zdfje2rvGKkjyMq0gK0uKZuPA-yVxdmjWJ_CQiGBhSklcqjHD7YF9zB133o3ZKFCAsmFEIeRHrR9MMpgOp9VlhrSSYObgLTczskMq0fCK_eoFvvcy6wglBJHiThoa_qp6XYNr28dTjy1NQPheE5UUSLiBbSjZ5L4AiRkM7sLLHgNn2bWLqm/s800/P1080175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJI9NF0zdfje2rvGKkjyMq0gK0uKZuPA-yVxdmjWJ_CQiGBhSklcqjHD7YF9zB133o3ZKFCAsmFEIeRHrR9MMpgOp9VlhrSSYObgLTczskMq0fCK_eoFvvcy6wglBJHiThoa_qp6XYNr28dTjy1NQPheE5UUSLiBbSjZ5L4AiRkM7sLLHgNn2bWLqm/s320/P1080175.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISGrukmSidocCsVHMOpU53LstMMFZ0luk8rYZSvO7-Om_h2uZnG57bS1aVy3lTH-G0dQXpbNdwWdb3Z-p8ff70Jc4zoNamOpxOE9tjHnX3A8vGXQbPOVtrkVT4FRLWqeNTsb-hk9fvw_1HY8fdTcwSqLPBJDUBD9gfMNjN56sypvjFeuMO76S3eO1/s800/P1080176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISGrukmSidocCsVHMOpU53LstMMFZ0luk8rYZSvO7-Om_h2uZnG57bS1aVy3lTH-G0dQXpbNdwWdb3Z-p8ff70Jc4zoNamOpxOE9tjHnX3A8vGXQbPOVtrkVT4FRLWqeNTsb-hk9fvw_1HY8fdTcwSqLPBJDUBD9gfMNjN56sypvjFeuMO76S3eO1/s320/P1080176.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Looking inland from the tower, you can see a bridge that is a close replica of the Golden Gate Bridge (minus the Art Deco style) and a statue reminiscent of the Rio De Janerio Christ the Redeemer statue. The bridge opened in 1966 and was originally named for Salazar, the dictator, and was renamed for the date of his overthrow in 1974. In 1999, they added a lower deck for a train, which was originally in plan, but constructed later. The bridge had first been proposed in 1935 and designs submitted including on from the eventual builder. When they decided a second time to build it, one of the original design teams won. They were from the US and had connections to the construction of the Golden Gate.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBugEx7vM_N8UddA-gDU-Xsf-r_mxweEVDBCaecCo36xRsoi8Txcyh1AJE8jmLMY64-qNE37EqKnZcyQPf18ArKOMo7pj7C4_yjZKRp97DrNTlc_fLcLgI60w_JRZEJ_-hHWhFUXpCBNUitT5U5BAjT7mD9F4aITLBVQYxs1MAgomrBsVn5FWG01a/s800/P1080165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBugEx7vM_N8UddA-gDU-Xsf-r_mxweEVDBCaecCo36xRsoi8Txcyh1AJE8jmLMY64-qNE37EqKnZcyQPf18ArKOMo7pj7C4_yjZKRp97DrNTlc_fLcLgI60w_JRZEJ_-hHWhFUXpCBNUitT5U5BAjT7mD9F4aITLBVQYxs1MAgomrBsVn5FWG01a/s320/P1080165.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>The next site we visited was a statue celebrating Henry the Navigator and many of the intrepid folks who explored the world for Portugal..It is called the Monument to Discoveries and was originally built in 1935 for the Portuguese 1940 Expo. Like many such structures, it was not built to last and was demolished and rebuilt in 1958. Henry wasn't really a navigator, but he sponsored the age of discovery. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy2knUSjsafGLRQe03ezwJHFZNryx83ZeOl65q7dRcKqH4pUmZpQ6FDDWly5yL-joKTJZPlB_sg2Xd8p9oRQw0Hs2RF4PUFDc0Q9RTB-RtoZU6nLmLK9anvn55iWrJh-mAXRqL3GJs1ETZrcyvn6pLauqTOF-fLnHbzz_5CCF9iYx-bxM12S-j7Rf/s800/PXL_20220502_085910272.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy2knUSjsafGLRQe03ezwJHFZNryx83ZeOl65q7dRcKqH4pUmZpQ6FDDWly5yL-joKTJZPlB_sg2Xd8p9oRQw0Hs2RF4PUFDc0Q9RTB-RtoZU6nLmLK9anvn55iWrJh-mAXRqL3GJs1ETZrcyvn6pLauqTOF-fLnHbzz_5CCF9iYx-bxM12S-j7Rf/s320/PXL_20220502_085910272.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the world showing Portuguese discoveries.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5tdEB9_QgEcVfNnoCGti72OLt-qsZNuqSL4lOLmxq213BNcGh6K73VN5URi_tP3EdwIoQdObfqTHk6vuehwxRzT1oDu9Jk5mRiMxvg-tcIKGsPHOotjSkzL1JU4bQnhLAVCtZDkKTsFYvvBb8i1XUwBxoGs6hBtbA_fZG71cLL-azff8EYkRlUyY/s800/PXL_20220502_090533213.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5tdEB9_QgEcVfNnoCGti72OLt-qsZNuqSL4lOLmxq213BNcGh6K73VN5URi_tP3EdwIoQdObfqTHk6vuehwxRzT1oDu9Jk5mRiMxvg-tcIKGsPHOotjSkzL1JU4bQnhLAVCtZDkKTsFYvvBb8i1XUwBxoGs6hBtbA_fZG71cLL-azff8EYkRlUyY/s320/PXL_20220502_090533213.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGUTHe5JTMG6GCGegfo57paFL2kA43oTzc3PxuLLkyA2WT3vVoLIt_AinGSLt1qLZ6d48QaVXmFXwMr_9SJrqDXN7diyn48TAsasBhMBoUBDh_zjgMuFbwhV_zuSz5B_hsxXtHOPwiCkKIb8VJ0tVK6mCLsFn2jTM0irZLMQG03W2ZF--jsC9nbiV/s800/PXL_20220502_090552582.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGUTHe5JTMG6GCGegfo57paFL2kA43oTzc3PxuLLkyA2WT3vVoLIt_AinGSLt1qLZ6d48QaVXmFXwMr_9SJrqDXN7diyn48TAsasBhMBoUBDh_zjgMuFbwhV_zuSz5B_hsxXtHOPwiCkKIb8VJ0tVK6mCLsFn2jTM0irZLMQG03W2ZF--jsC9nbiV/s320/PXL_20220502_090552582.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgR73HDLAEPWsyVrXyVS6Z4KF4TbH2NLjmvtKtxyfnIIGpmjvFRLPUu4IbZutRa6Upo1qios-Q4vX9iBI3HJ2CSAvOtgfgACUqdNDaj2JxPLIqvsIeal52pLNDSLoLOIU5cLUYZQRx3_8dd8fbpY6ryEV1tAssS5E2HGosqu7OW9Fv4lfpmESnyWd/s800/PXL_20220502_090654332.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgR73HDLAEPWsyVrXyVS6Z4KF4TbH2NLjmvtKtxyfnIIGpmjvFRLPUu4IbZutRa6Upo1qios-Q4vX9iBI3HJ2CSAvOtgfgACUqdNDaj2JxPLIqvsIeal52pLNDSLoLOIU5cLUYZQRx3_8dd8fbpY6ryEV1tAssS5E2HGosqu7OW9Fv4lfpmESnyWd/s320/PXL_20220502_090654332.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWVy-DEhcEK3Yk2kn2EM7-z3fQHtHsY6uD69dDgDxtiIFzKPxVrocdLLGrzEHvK4g-AAm_lfnKPgYpiXeln-HxX17vXu23d0CJ35B4v_A5s_clmHgFyg66XjcBMprZ-nWpcYJCGFnyZ8w2j_Z74W_c4_dSyNoz1UXxwerXB5Q-47b6pkdpzbYo5hi/s800/PXL_20220502_090936807.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWVy-DEhcEK3Yk2kn2EM7-z3fQHtHsY6uD69dDgDxtiIFzKPxVrocdLLGrzEHvK4g-AAm_lfnKPgYpiXeln-HxX17vXu23d0CJ35B4v_A5s_clmHgFyg66XjcBMprZ-nWpcYJCGFnyZ8w2j_Z74W_c4_dSyNoz1UXxwerXB5Q-47b6pkdpzbYo5hi/s320/PXL_20220502_090936807.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>After that, we headed to the old part of town, Alfama. It is famous for a type of music called 'fado' played on a 6 or 12 string guitar that uses a totally different tuning plan than a modern guitar. The streets were narrow and in the early stages of being decorated for some big festival that starts in several weeks. We also got an opportunity to try a cherry liqueur called Ginja that apparently is served in little chocolate cups. Talk about heaven!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczxdbTUZ-Hd73X_mwmuzPNTYcEpzex2zhKzdhNZWueoDWMBUprGDOdgvx5HfkMeKFD0d1XFuwoDqjTm6wtH98tzz4cT_RuowFDl0b9Av0bnqhharMrS3san_R5OGfy82rRD1oYpui2p4-AOAipsCy29SHx4p8NZ7Qn5EDJP5Vn5RtPuraFOSv0Cme/s800/IMG_20220502_105748747_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczxdbTUZ-Hd73X_mwmuzPNTYcEpzex2zhKzdhNZWueoDWMBUprGDOdgvx5HfkMeKFD0d1XFuwoDqjTm6wtH98tzz4cT_RuowFDl0b9Av0bnqhharMrS3san_R5OGfy82rRD1oYpui2p4-AOAipsCy29SHx4p8NZ7Qn5EDJP5Vn5RtPuraFOSv0Cme/s320/IMG_20220502_105748747_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5v6OuxCghI8-bJi5tx3NYONBv9vLyeZpQybWmXgMGVkOT3pNLKAlZdQNt7qDX5KYyQ5un8hncY9n03q8sWvickZ7rIAsiAMSYSdqSRUVqiUkQGgdTwCt5ux-jRNN28Ep1jRaWqqG0-Ilqf5NPAACKm4LrtD6RKmojxsA37cllGqGq6g4KeTyjvXIa/s800/PXL_20220502_101019794.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="800" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5v6OuxCghI8-bJi5tx3NYONBv9vLyeZpQybWmXgMGVkOT3pNLKAlZdQNt7qDX5KYyQ5un8hncY9n03q8sWvickZ7rIAsiAMSYSdqSRUVqiUkQGgdTwCt5ux-jRNN28Ep1jRaWqqG0-Ilqf5NPAACKm4LrtD6RKmojxsA37cllGqGq6g4KeTyjvXIa/s320/PXL_20220502_101019794.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnbn-m62sz3UDm4JM4yR8X227fneP1jnrO9ZnWCIC5RI8HUwq7RIFSX45MecZx8w7urY9AQIn0XPfUmW1KI0nhNaYDiijc0wfuyjh5gPEhWcoq4mvQWcbYdTZuPrZuIsccyOtZX8nqDIOLP-T2VKYzAl5mUcCaraRhayV_AY_91PcSjAgeIH3yEGV/s800/PXL_20220502_101242379.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="800" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnbn-m62sz3UDm4JM4yR8X227fneP1jnrO9ZnWCIC5RI8HUwq7RIFSX45MecZx8w7urY9AQIn0XPfUmW1KI0nhNaYDiijc0wfuyjh5gPEhWcoq4mvQWcbYdTZuPrZuIsccyOtZX8nqDIOLP-T2VKYzAl5mUcCaraRhayV_AY_91PcSjAgeIH3yEGV/s320/PXL_20220502_101242379.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68F7tyimWHDgR6FeJ5O3YTg-BodcqkzCLIy-LUqBNS24CjHV6xI-SgtelZP5-WeeY6yECiWSDClTXcd8jcA6mMLuR8GV5H4I2wb9zrjLGhYyoIfqDtlefqLOoQYDZLo_ZPMllnBnbulhwdFEHAZxAIGyIpmAe8qRxMeXCthofV6jlZAv_aw2h1Oki/s800/PXL_20220502_101615264.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68F7tyimWHDgR6FeJ5O3YTg-BodcqkzCLIy-LUqBNS24CjHV6xI-SgtelZP5-WeeY6yECiWSDClTXcd8jcA6mMLuR8GV5H4I2wb9zrjLGhYyoIfqDtlefqLOoQYDZLo_ZPMllnBnbulhwdFEHAZxAIGyIpmAe8qRxMeXCthofV6jlZAv_aw2h1Oki/s320/PXL_20220502_101615264.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaIDxK6dlD8s2nirw4zXkv0fPYQ2A67zkMWoS3gMRSsW-ilFaVANlQy9AZ9eaTNL2x9X5gits7J6oocdR3k-DIjQyJxlAuq_bldTF7thRjzQxiOYRHlZnpu3O_GR_f5LmjjyzM8PVMJyTEwhBGJVBuXXjdUUxJqu-CiDsPJZcMru62hTKAG8yzm44/s800/PXL_20220502_102453077.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaIDxK6dlD8s2nirw4zXkv0fPYQ2A67zkMWoS3gMRSsW-ilFaVANlQy9AZ9eaTNL2x9X5gits7J6oocdR3k-DIjQyJxlAuq_bldTF7thRjzQxiOYRHlZnpu3O_GR_f5LmjjyzM8PVMJyTEwhBGJVBuXXjdUUxJqu-CiDsPJZcMru62hTKAG8yzm44/s320/PXL_20220502_102453077.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJEgr9PbjLvYr3R8JixJtBRbooqn3iMRRib-cgO6SCQS5OT5CmpcH7Oz8qz2h7KolpxnhjY3n8ANl4mT_IamVNNC8dnE2oBYfTnb6xDpOqukWKNgve2iNeM1J4Jkc03AQIKJUBWbG8y5ULgN2g5KPXxjsNxZT3bHvHA28JVOfbIw5VxFbqiLwNwbS/s800/P1080186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="573" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJEgr9PbjLvYr3R8JixJtBRbooqn3iMRRib-cgO6SCQS5OT5CmpcH7Oz8qz2h7KolpxnhjY3n8ANl4mT_IamVNNC8dnE2oBYfTnb6xDpOqukWKNgve2iNeM1J4Jkc03AQIKJUBWbG8y5ULgN2g5KPXxjsNxZT3bHvHA28JVOfbIw5VxFbqiLwNwbS/s320/P1080186.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our refreshment break!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUWE1JRPqyvBxt7qawsdRwGkNEci-j2bEcrljykCmaZyQyOQX_skLHwM9ZCFsu6Qwpra96kLPMyxYVRuHCP6MiBKVZmH7nSDw2SIQylX69jLFVP5YOb9BPKlw5cJg3oyq_sN16FNBNuCMGM2Mm4nmcn1jqaK8c7_J1U4Q2fwu5E_6lsNsocApGkvb/s800/PXL_20220502_103244730.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="572" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUWE1JRPqyvBxt7qawsdRwGkNEci-j2bEcrljykCmaZyQyOQX_skLHwM9ZCFsu6Qwpra96kLPMyxYVRuHCP6MiBKVZmH7nSDw2SIQylX69jLFVP5YOb9BPKlw5cJg3oyq_sN16FNBNuCMGM2Mm4nmcn1jqaK8c7_J1U4Q2fwu5E_6lsNsocApGkvb/s320/PXL_20220502_103244730.MP.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiles representing the Fado culture - not<br />considered a high-brow form of<br />entertainment.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVf6dsoyiXM6AOn4CHB_GHKxK_v-XB7XfGN95X95XvJxOglLHWeA2vml8kALldCpqZt3TqFYAjgF0H5WyYthvUb4dRrSTKYoUYOLzLwEmBFBkeNoYTWgAmbuLEa_A171xYQKFrnLuQ6f7UaKWoVPyN1zVBw4w0f3ZwWIX9PqUHaOPBWkuocGDJc-f/s800/PXL_20220502_103814106.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVf6dsoyiXM6AOn4CHB_GHKxK_v-XB7XfGN95X95XvJxOglLHWeA2vml8kALldCpqZt3TqFYAjgF0H5WyYthvUb4dRrSTKYoUYOLzLwEmBFBkeNoYTWgAmbuLEa_A171xYQKFrnLuQ6f7UaKWoVPyN1zVBw4w0f3ZwWIX9PqUHaOPBWkuocGDJc-f/s320/PXL_20220502_103814106.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorations on this apartment building also<br />related to Fado<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQboLUe90BIEg-OWJLGw8L1ZhT1R6S4BjmePy4KHQckQxIj2nJr3NxJIyDSnlsXUd-w-M_Ah3Fq4mMxCDmzXGl1FQ-oBsme2pmPlVBgv_fn4Jw55S9L16gBxpnto4VdTtDfbqjPBS8UBre5ure_Cl5EBuhTJZ1JP8jSLERZnQIaEpF0pxWcM3K357H/s800/PXL_20220502_104447236.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQboLUe90BIEg-OWJLGw8L1ZhT1R6S4BjmePy4KHQckQxIj2nJr3NxJIyDSnlsXUd-w-M_Ah3Fq4mMxCDmzXGl1FQ-oBsme2pmPlVBgv_fn4Jw55S9L16gBxpnto4VdTtDfbqjPBS8UBre5ure_Cl5EBuhTJZ1JP8jSLERZnQIaEpF0pxWcM3K357H/s320/PXL_20220502_104447236.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulOSEbQ8lsaa8Wqo_r7E3IpgYuhd3aN7zCc6S_mbAP7751z8D1TuG6jd9mY7_qgmyNSD6MKGZf1WrvyQORrwnP8S_sWwsLpDN7DO-eWkL_ZDb7dnyDT2AzasHYa7-s5RhLmAS6OgPKgk2kCIXEmlsJvQ5yQXAW-FAO8pUsjYkDBA3aeTnYq2hfUXl/s800/PXL_20220502_104615738.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulOSEbQ8lsaa8Wqo_r7E3IpgYuhd3aN7zCc6S_mbAP7751z8D1TuG6jd9mY7_qgmyNSD6MKGZf1WrvyQORrwnP8S_sWwsLpDN7DO-eWkL_ZDb7dnyDT2AzasHYa7-s5RhLmAS6OgPKgk2kCIXEmlsJvQ5yQXAW-FAO8pUsjYkDBA3aeTnYq2hfUXl/s320/PXL_20220502_104615738.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The metal plate on the street is where<br />a wall once was.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Then we walked up to the Lisbon Cathedral, originally built in 1147 and renovated and rebuilt and added to several times since then. Tile is also a very big thing in Lisbon and has led to theft. People will pull tiles off an old building and market them as antiques. The pictures below are majorly out of sequence but disappear if I try to move them.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mDus79FqL91TpWe6GcE1vYMqosS_coW_GRHPw2lHJpXUgbFlO99WhExKqGUGu75biRLhAhwOx0R8D8DpkF8vXyjrj5gF9msRHzJXETFreDFvIbKiVWcJMJgvFolgEKC9l02HobTangH-AnhIEIh73lEwuIAfUVby4IPlH_ggzdlGwhUCJFOOMkk1/s800/PXL_20220502_110115618.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mDus79FqL91TpWe6GcE1vYMqosS_coW_GRHPw2lHJpXUgbFlO99WhExKqGUGu75biRLhAhwOx0R8D8DpkF8vXyjrj5gF9msRHzJXETFreDFvIbKiVWcJMJgvFolgEKC9l02HobTangH-AnhIEIh73lEwuIAfUVby4IPlH_ggzdlGwhUCJFOOMkk1/s320/PXL_20220502_110115618.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the Cathdral, which is up a<br />long hill<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMrTpOs1gGuMGtuJE1A4H-YpNqopqTbmN49h7P4jxeyzBId7dfuXhR60sFGGmsM6sEzoBGUnqDfEa1rqWr0_BeyyGGei2rBXKWQo6t-tfQsyjbcvvW8XKj7FLDTSvZpJ3S5LB9UWx4tBb52pLNs5S_Zo3wlVT8jBTY10RtoftXRIo976pykq_E0GK/s800/PXL_20220502_110008173.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMrTpOs1gGuMGtuJE1A4H-YpNqopqTbmN49h7P4jxeyzBId7dfuXhR60sFGGmsM6sEzoBGUnqDfEa1rqWr0_BeyyGGei2rBXKWQo6t-tfQsyjbcvvW8XKj7FLDTSvZpJ3S5LB9UWx4tBb52pLNs5S_Zo3wlVT8jBTY10RtoftXRIo976pykq_E0GK/s320/PXL_20220502_110008173.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how far up we have walked from<br />sea level. There is a nearby elevator to<br />ease the ascent from below.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY3jz2DmQFO793cZMOrmY--6g9rQ-GA7ArN3aZYq6N4TABNR0XIQPceI0wc_Io7nGT0kcq8JbdXSyvKVKzciG5xeCdqZsJw5kxsGfgEsY97IDOGrlmREVgzN6smTluABWh-CRkKYf3ychJeW9s1XBN5zeDUpzyLEthKqOrVdtzyQKhoe3R3xt_f1M/s800/PXL_20220502_105720458.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="800" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY3jz2DmQFO793cZMOrmY--6g9rQ-GA7ArN3aZYq6N4TABNR0XIQPceI0wc_Io7nGT0kcq8JbdXSyvKVKzciG5xeCdqZsJw5kxsGfgEsY97IDOGrlmREVgzN6smTluABWh-CRkKYf3ychJeW9s1XBN5zeDUpzyLEthKqOrVdtzyQKhoe3R3xt_f1M/s320/PXL_20220502_105720458.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One side of the cathedral, showing an old section<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylLE0h6bd0urdfPdlYO4SxpQ3hTGWoA2BDY4Lvi_p0niTnIf7MKkbaXRE1Tsx9hWCFkLlkY8nOP0neYap2bkgxC6OV3qtBNUa5M5pN4jxvESdzeFKEtdXVy8dbKOIL2Lh6MFjoL5AkZyfSS28gC40kFG6J-PcXLFBroCLUJ7U1vecQtFq2EQV7NbX/s800/PXL_20220502_105125003.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylLE0h6bd0urdfPdlYO4SxpQ3hTGWoA2BDY4Lvi_p0niTnIf7MKkbaXRE1Tsx9hWCFkLlkY8nOP0neYap2bkgxC6OV3qtBNUa5M5pN4jxvESdzeFKEtdXVy8dbKOIL2Lh6MFjoL5AkZyfSS28gC40kFG6J-PcXLFBroCLUJ7U1vecQtFq2EQV7NbX/s320/PXL_20220502_105125003.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above and below: samples of building<br />tiles.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEy_dzuR3HJM8ghOSlzfXDkOE2UimJ2vOnW3f_kln2mL3W8QvM0Oz-7qe6wijwgNGH_-uhrB47o1TIADhIqaOqOm6_R532_GRW012iiJhCi5PSRCzCbDp26nEaDjja8gzI0NJGnqbnVEWbIrGiOarLKezvfth0a_rbm4Jn6fOXENEexMGmhQvL4tF6/s800/PXL_20220502_104803743.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEy_dzuR3HJM8ghOSlzfXDkOE2UimJ2vOnW3f_kln2mL3W8QvM0Oz-7qe6wijwgNGH_-uhrB47o1TIADhIqaOqOm6_R532_GRW012iiJhCi5PSRCzCbDp26nEaDjja8gzI0NJGnqbnVEWbIrGiOarLKezvfth0a_rbm4Jn6fOXENEexMGmhQvL4tF6/s320/PXL_20220502_104803743.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7OyWF95PTKYNpomQ9_dZa6AHdAOV0wO-7jx1pplAqA-M2FdQANOBccrd62ycsfSt6wiwSY3ICS1nXbsqFxWHnX3cR6gb6KIEdwESt75or1ZenA0WaYcTC2wDW0oTVpl6pZuS1rOyazV9_0v_DH1NVeOHNUYPlNd8TZ0PeTx_T6D9eY5p4Im2RR4V/s800/P1080192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7OyWF95PTKYNpomQ9_dZa6AHdAOV0wO-7jx1pplAqA-M2FdQANOBccrd62ycsfSt6wiwSY3ICS1nXbsqFxWHnX3cR6gb6KIEdwESt75or1ZenA0WaYcTC2wDW0oTVpl6pZuS1rOyazV9_0v_DH1NVeOHNUYPlNd8TZ0PeTx_T6D9eY5p4Im2RR4V/s320/P1080192.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above and below: the oldest visible sections of the cathedral.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfqKcb2NpzNt-6ahWyu9i4Sov4ZQ3rfw1sizpSx5joY04_qLgka5DBZYYytzAlWvUkcxeOnqwfv9IeoG1Nh4h78nXQXZD_1Q6CAzZUAfOCNKzqn4So56tjFnwdgV2ID3MhrPcXKj7kYJb1knWKDx9oJfVQqlQDnWQXqyR54FHMVgeWPuVL-TMszsn/s800/P1080189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfqKcb2NpzNt-6ahWyu9i4Sov4ZQ3rfw1sizpSx5joY04_qLgka5DBZYYytzAlWvUkcxeOnqwfv9IeoG1Nh4h78nXQXZD_1Q6CAzZUAfOCNKzqn4So56tjFnwdgV2ID3MhrPcXKj7kYJb1knWKDx9oJfVQqlQDnWQXqyR54FHMVgeWPuVL-TMszsn/s320/P1080189.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> Nearby is a church dedicated to Santo Antonio who is supposed to be the patron saint of lovers. If you are able to throw and land a coin in his book in the statue in front of the church, you will find a new (or better) partner. The museum dedicated to him had a large display of plates of varying sentiments related to his help.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF76eIO34nCtIAgHvRFNF004G6FPKbHom7YENcGdoNdWfQE9NkTs1q6mpYqaUn2fBik93MIa8KFPlAaFKVyGl4cuf2Hk13R95w4RHFgqHw6CQFS1G4Ghy_M9Ju-JnbwxhBt-LvB1KdazNNFymSxecN9Couc4pNaFh12xL7nGknQJgibTPJmp9ZNoQb/s800/PXL_20220502_110814852.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF76eIO34nCtIAgHvRFNF004G6FPKbHom7YENcGdoNdWfQE9NkTs1q6mpYqaUn2fBik93MIa8KFPlAaFKVyGl4cuf2Hk13R95w4RHFgqHw6CQFS1G4Ghy_M9Ju-JnbwxhBt-LvB1KdazNNFymSxecN9Couc4pNaFh12xL7nGknQJgibTPJmp9ZNoQb/s320/PXL_20220502_110814852.MP.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDT7NRAQVYsdvX__v3WHNt7Se2i_FpvI8twk_DtF7s6F-E2Lc1tK1hT8kXJkl95wIS_txki2XB44ribrWdlmQZ6gkDfTgUo3SxHaohdZN1baOGPFxG5eaulQWgDa6_44xNReCSwMef3hPLuimysUIgl2Iaci6IvwICEsKR6r2FYWLJTgec_ctsVZ4/s800/PXL_20220502_110924075.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDT7NRAQVYsdvX__v3WHNt7Se2i_FpvI8twk_DtF7s6F-E2Lc1tK1hT8kXJkl95wIS_txki2XB44ribrWdlmQZ6gkDfTgUo3SxHaohdZN1baOGPFxG5eaulQWgDa6_44xNReCSwMef3hPLuimysUIgl2Iaci6IvwICEsKR6r2FYWLJTgec_ctsVZ4/s320/PXL_20220502_110924075.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>After lunch we walked back to the hotel and got back just in time to meet up with a friend who now lives in Lisbon. She was a docent with me for the Chinese Culture Center and used to split her time between San Francisco and Lisbon until about 12 years ago, she moved permanently to Lisbon. We had a fun time catching up and comparing pandemic stories. <br />Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-70307321857848807432022-05-14T15:45:00.000-07:002022-05-14T15:45:09.154-07:005/1/22 Drive from Portimao, Portugal to Lisbon<p> Our ship docked on the southern coast of Portugal and we took a bus to Lisbon to avoid the frequent delays in the past due to nasty sailing conditions. To make the 3 hour ride more interesting, we stopped at a hotel/vineyard/olive grove/restaurant for a few hours. It included wine tasting and olive oil tasting which they produce on site. We bought a couple bottles of wine for a surprisingly low $8 total. We learned that their olive oil was not available for purchase onsite, but could be found in the US at TJ Maxx of all places!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSIBNHwI7IIYQxLqsBSklh5vXTV-c2_07JW-07ESZHtbLnQx8YX5_jVY9Lz0iPetn73eAr543SUKMdyOxbiJhHpIiD4JwR6Qaak88UIKcR0kaPfeimzUX2hahamddfOSdfSoEaUNqmj1MYZ6_vMTIfwNIr8midKLHZyiNwBdw1CStHmyF0-phHoei/s800/PXL_20220501_095838922.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSIBNHwI7IIYQxLqsBSklh5vXTV-c2_07JW-07ESZHtbLnQx8YX5_jVY9Lz0iPetn73eAr543SUKMdyOxbiJhHpIiD4JwR6Qaak88UIKcR0kaPfeimzUX2hahamddfOSdfSoEaUNqmj1MYZ6_vMTIfwNIr8midKLHZyiNwBdw1CStHmyF0-phHoei/s320/PXL_20220501_095838922.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We saw lots of stork nests along the way,<br />including this one on top of the main<br /> section of the hotel.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XHpgft9hdYLG4PGyM3BBvlQNOiSpvBT7w3BlCmif42T098NkIm23kBa4jlLS3mEmf8cJEtG3bl-rYGQ2IqVOYJHSsHPZZ7KlRJe7PXA1FhPyHldqeEJ3BSR1swxu2BmCXoyozRmJFEYv7t30BwyLe453HuxqKwCvcfyRlXB8nhwPiKCmwopLRSiR/s800/P1080162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XHpgft9hdYLG4PGyM3BBvlQNOiSpvBT7w3BlCmif42T098NkIm23kBa4jlLS3mEmf8cJEtG3bl-rYGQ2IqVOYJHSsHPZZ7KlRJe7PXA1FhPyHldqeEJ3BSR1swxu2BmCXoyozRmJFEYv7t30BwyLe453HuxqKwCvcfyRlXB8nhwPiKCmwopLRSiR/s320/P1080162.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look closely at the the nest: there are a bunch of little<br />birds flitting around and some brownish protrusions on<br />the big nest - it looks like dozens of the little guys are<br />homesteading in the huge stork nest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuwLB6loe7qzhxGRp1XYNdBEaVs-ssoY1NRQ9Q7FEh5LpvtTlGnyFuyJFJoXvRjvYxrUf1MmnKdFK0Pcpj5S1PhCnMTmiF9TT2ZLUSuB7NdxUo9Oi3-ITppEBIdK1W06L_2_e8JVzXp1gi-Das_YWD33RKiiYWD069ixWRzMV9x-DMCUf_xL6ePp2/s800/PXL_20220501_104120903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuwLB6loe7qzhxGRp1XYNdBEaVs-ssoY1NRQ9Q7FEh5LpvtTlGnyFuyJFJoXvRjvYxrUf1MmnKdFK0Pcpj5S1PhCnMTmiF9TT2ZLUSuB7NdxUo9Oi3-ITppEBIdK1W06L_2_e8JVzXp1gi-Das_YWD33RKiiYWD069ixWRzMV9x-DMCUf_xL6ePp2/s320/PXL_20220501_104120903.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the oak barrels in the cellar --<br />looked more like a demonstration space<br />vs. a working cellar.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEUp_1HzXEA568xAS9_ed_YcuRSuHtwyu8e58fu9akmWf0ikKyTiFDdjo2Up6sjwvHWda9XhJneWhHX1qoCAZTa2SHc0_7KwoXFEhsfW9HWr4kZ2AAMcmbacbDswrafwSbcP3OfY5ANaXjKotd59z20SJe5gnLRVgl3IuQC1Zhev2NNrAH-AXLKCu/s800/PXL_20220501_115752779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEUp_1HzXEA568xAS9_ed_YcuRSuHtwyu8e58fu9akmWf0ikKyTiFDdjo2Up6sjwvHWda9XhJneWhHX1qoCAZTa2SHc0_7KwoXFEhsfW9HWr4kZ2AAMcmbacbDswrafwSbcP3OfY5ANaXjKotd59z20SJe5gnLRVgl3IuQC1Zhev2NNrAH-AXLKCu/s320/PXL_20220501_115752779.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olive processing machinery -- only used <br />during the harvest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We completed our jaunt to Lisbon at the end of the day and found our very modern looking hotel, which was conveniently located. The downside was, it is at the top of a hill, but getting back into hill walking will make getting around at home again easier. Marcel led us to seafood place that specialized in 'fish and rice' near the hotel for our dinner.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQn7fEw-Ababr41VihKyr4lw01HFHX_7al4C4sen6iwR4LPguYv7WdNQEuRDr9sRuC3FdEfsxWLtue3Iax7sOyJu6A-lUkSBpgo3zLDOdfXP6pQFOhYplr2ZJO9T7e50A5j8zknR2kfcRF5_iMrUVyXr4oz8V20V_rxvgJVRMLupAmZ9Z66MGxY0G/s800/IMG_20220502_103708809_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQn7fEw-Ababr41VihKyr4lw01HFHX_7al4C4sen6iwR4LPguYv7WdNQEuRDr9sRuC3FdEfsxWLtue3Iax7sOyJu6A-lUkSBpgo3zLDOdfXP6pQFOhYplr2ZJO9T7e50A5j8zknR2kfcRF5_iMrUVyXr4oz8V20V_rxvgJVRMLupAmZ9Z66MGxY0G/s320/IMG_20220502_103708809_HDR.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This statue is at the top of the main <br />downtown street, Ave de Liberdade. It<br />represents Marques de Pombal who led<br />Lisbon's recovery from a devastating<br />earthquake in 1755. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-7536273484164257702022-05-03T04:14:00.014-07:002022-05-03T04:14:49.645-07:004/30/22 Visit Cordoba, Sail to Portugal<p>Today we drove to Cordoba, about 2 hours away, primarily to explore a very odd building -- first a huge mosque and then converted into two separate cathedrals. It was originally built by the Moors in the late 700s and they added on to it three times. The estimate is that it could have held 30,000 worshipers. After the re-conquest in 1236, the odd thing happened: the conquerors did not destroy the mosque, they repurposed it, added a number of apses with Christian themes and created a cathedral inside of it. Later, in the 16th century, a larger cathedral was created in the middle of the former mosque. This involved removing a number of supporting pillars to create the nave and transept. The architects assumed that they were safer removing these supports from the middle and the building did not collapse. The mosque minaret which had been converted to a bell tower underwent major renovations around this time too.</p><p>There was also a wall around the city and a Jewish quarter. In several places, the Jewish quarter is denoted by a series of four Hebrew characters formed in the shape of the Iberian Peninsula. We entered through the Jewish quarter to arrive at the mosque/cathedral.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNsNOuAspSzp2BT8zf-e5o5Amzh4Uza1ao3uHNo6hyTNOqRitThF3tFQCj7xuy4Te5-HpoOaL5zh3XEsD1BZUOYX7wR5YHnvQSYgfsCTiawwW1AU5ellp04SmljCjoZEQouJ1jRXp6X6U_orZghH6pLFsJXbml-s5XlvQPFepllc8C4RhiTbvcX0C/s800/PXL_20220430_082343358.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="800" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNsNOuAspSzp2BT8zf-e5o5Amzh4Uza1ao3uHNo6hyTNOqRitThF3tFQCj7xuy4Te5-HpoOaL5zh3XEsD1BZUOYX7wR5YHnvQSYgfsCTiawwW1AU5ellp04SmljCjoZEQouJ1jRXp6X6U_orZghH6pLFsJXbml-s5XlvQPFepllc8C4RhiTbvcX0C/s320/PXL_20220430_082343358.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERjRnK4VDW9rPEmr36Fo7f3TvuZeYpFY1D-a6J3mhkQpeDKb7WbLm2Z53e_R6Y9IlBraxm00iibXjGJW5F3dTrI45s55pKeDRndYvWJjwLojiUiiwdd3_iHYEMrQc5adgyVbnOsVLuKR8ra0t54r4E4P7tpzMpyr6TIB1fv2pJb3uyN34XVbFG1tv/s800/PXL_20220430_082307175.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERjRnK4VDW9rPEmr36Fo7f3TvuZeYpFY1D-a6J3mhkQpeDKb7WbLm2Z53e_R6Y9IlBraxm00iibXjGJW5F3dTrI45s55pKeDRndYvWJjwLojiUiiwdd3_iHYEMrQc5adgyVbnOsVLuKR8ra0t54r4E4P7tpzMpyr6TIB1fv2pJb3uyN34XVbFG1tv/s320/PXL_20220430_082307175.MP.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bronze characters here are in the<br />shape of the Iberian Peninsula<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg3JQliWKVcP-NpHDjep1IqpS8kUr4_XGQPT6ZdOPBBJyltOrPqwqtZW4E1fmHlzCsURiQpeNXckl8Coh-oRdSQblGro508YtXKYGFlmIKA9E2DNcSc4uZwTlBjJcrT37-tGOlmjuRJa-y-hd6BiKgBfwURURzcsvGXrklqEOEUqj4Hfnz-rgm_4e/s800/P1080112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg3JQliWKVcP-NpHDjep1IqpS8kUr4_XGQPT6ZdOPBBJyltOrPqwqtZW4E1fmHlzCsURiQpeNXckl8Coh-oRdSQblGro508YtXKYGFlmIKA9E2DNcSc4uZwTlBjJcrT37-tGOlmjuRJa-y-hd6BiKgBfwURURzcsvGXrklqEOEUqj4Hfnz-rgm_4e/s320/P1080112.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These next 3 photos are of the outer wall.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEv-mlN9wARzM0ecHvTurUEmwnq6QoM9EFzmrGrd4cd0_Q55PpE7yQCXBjNlMz1yjW0R1pV4UdgfCOacouE8HyY_im_D1RnJCRy7-zzrH9t4qoiwabQ4olzuDF5mYfDrxAvr2-aHqkZsl8X3nGnKXY982SB7gvwo9T--EWz1MhaglrdVXjt7Fy7Am/s800/P1080111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEv-mlN9wARzM0ecHvTurUEmwnq6QoM9EFzmrGrd4cd0_Q55PpE7yQCXBjNlMz1yjW0R1pV4UdgfCOacouE8HyY_im_D1RnJCRy7-zzrH9t4qoiwabQ4olzuDF5mYfDrxAvr2-aHqkZsl8X3nGnKXY982SB7gvwo9T--EWz1MhaglrdVXjt7Fy7Am/s320/P1080111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFEsZOwCrd6E9Bc9DXJhmqYU3BNY6fgzCzaiOPPPmcrUQn9VPNZGAJY5h2sRZV4tCBcbz9pV0YjvyTXu97z7YzGXUE0bOl3nxJdzFkVwzAkqZYcGaLQtrn2tyKjvFhqRHNCQuLgz5pYuX0YhupMPbMRD2DAw_LOrjQpAlbuHCGqOpGK3eF1FPS_jP/s800/IMG_20220430_101931751_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFEsZOwCrd6E9Bc9DXJhmqYU3BNY6fgzCzaiOPPPmcrUQn9VPNZGAJY5h2sRZV4tCBcbz9pV0YjvyTXu97z7YzGXUE0bOl3nxJdzFkVwzAkqZYcGaLQtrn2tyKjvFhqRHNCQuLgz5pYuX0YhupMPbMRD2DAw_LOrjQpAlbuHCGqOpGK3eF1FPS_jP/s320/IMG_20220430_101931751_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhU9U0Gzbmd4-Edbb7bG72idp6OTv0jqJcbOvKtMhZA4NSQsQZLEZyWDpGbB3otTHfigR2w69w4Y2Fx7hYT0_kO3sUJTb_Zt5l0N9ghiu95F5LqVQ-EJzDJ104lIbV8umjXMytKKRj21wD1EQx6io-F9yrbQljm9olb3GmQhkrevpnPPoToPRQ4t2/s800/P1080115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhU9U0Gzbmd4-Edbb7bG72idp6OTv0jqJcbOvKtMhZA4NSQsQZLEZyWDpGbB3otTHfigR2w69w4Y2Fx7hYT0_kO3sUJTb_Zt5l0N9ghiu95F5LqVQ-EJzDJ104lIbV8umjXMytKKRj21wD1EQx6io-F9yrbQljm9olb3GmQhkrevpnPPoToPRQ4t2/s320/P1080115.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above and below: part of a patio, referenced below a<br />few other photos and the entrance to the patio. The blog<br />software sometimes has a mind of its own on photo<br />placement and I have learned that this version does<br />not nicely tolerate dragging photos to their proper <br />locations.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOw3RbUzPgET1dP7K91IMsor6Uc9DzC9ZnmlT8Mv2cG9OwkuiIktvzWyJZqMI9igiV8IhvzhXTIRU6rXcrwCPcTv6ShDWrIRJCfRDiUCn-ve5i1_5OSGQEpDB04MCS0f0GLUqSq8yubDMVMvLrUBzEoEL0eNVjT_Khn6hhLlz-0yC7uMAPFuxvhJC/s800/P1080117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOw3RbUzPgET1dP7K91IMsor6Uc9DzC9ZnmlT8Mv2cG9OwkuiIktvzWyJZqMI9igiV8IhvzhXTIRU6rXcrwCPcTv6ShDWrIRJCfRDiUCn-ve5i1_5OSGQEpDB04MCS0f0GLUqSq8yubDMVMvLrUBzEoEL0eNVjT_Khn6hhLlz-0yC7uMAPFuxvhJC/s320/P1080117.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVP-wcH8x68SolEzt0__eZ0HHXUgpG6xP6zn3GpOfUZ3qanWaDbUCkJA6rSgXU6aI3j9dgd7SxfsuR4oP7OBbHn6OuMjLsu5hmtHEwYWT8z17uN73gNQN4cdGKVjbyAkrm3SiCN4WPVuF_1Ast1cOtSFVULvfIL3lfV9Elkdyzb4yy1Gu0XaLl_XRm/s800/PXL_20220430_082853643.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVP-wcH8x68SolEzt0__eZ0HHXUgpG6xP6zn3GpOfUZ3qanWaDbUCkJA6rSgXU6aI3j9dgd7SxfsuR4oP7OBbHn6OuMjLsu5hmtHEwYWT8z17uN73gNQN4cdGKVjbyAkrm3SiCN4WPVuF_1Ast1cOtSFVULvfIL3lfV9Elkdyzb4yy1Gu0XaLl_XRm/s320/PXL_20220430_082853643.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is museum to the Sephardic Jews who<br />were driven out during the Inquisition. Spain<br />has now offered those who can trace their<br />Sephardic origins the right to re-enter the<br />country to live here.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdppAMdkwC0PVLIEPdykNDFgDvd1JvZ2ER1ronCB0gcK2jJsF9TSwN8zpliiNBlIcYMXC3zMcLrtzdt-XOJZLNEP6TA63ppvojiQjDn9DR4Eduouwk51h0spF7OBPqOojWjlorZGJFNRvziLu_9raTv0loHQfCjDi8IAUk2vecnAxSaz-_ZLybh93/s800/PXL_20220430_083330781.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdppAMdkwC0PVLIEPdykNDFgDvd1JvZ2ER1ronCB0gcK2jJsF9TSwN8zpliiNBlIcYMXC3zMcLrtzdt-XOJZLNEP6TA63ppvojiQjDn9DR4Eduouwk51h0spF7OBPqOojWjlorZGJFNRvziLu_9raTv0loHQfCjDi8IAUk2vecnAxSaz-_ZLybh93/s320/PXL_20220430_083330781.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also explore a 'patio', which we would<br />call a Courtyard. There is a contest every<br />year to see who has the prettiest patio. The<br />flower pots on the back wall started<br />appearing as a way to fill in the cracks that<br />inevitably appear in the walls.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHekSwWVJmQjNV9TqFe4tye__GZte5dFRLfsAZp-RqUit2mpsrBmIxVFD1wQSp1IzzNSR-mqAyIGNR_hhJjuaJ_Umf0oLAPr62Lrx1v8EUiAVayC5N1DOBWvzFbZrd9PERrqNBZerOtNQ7weq4WAUQFQjzudL7KiyEg15eT_HK-F_WrDCWC3Nax8D/s800/PXL_20220430_083852572.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHekSwWVJmQjNV9TqFe4tye__GZte5dFRLfsAZp-RqUit2mpsrBmIxVFD1wQSp1IzzNSR-mqAyIGNR_hhJjuaJ_Umf0oLAPr62Lrx1v8EUiAVayC5N1DOBWvzFbZrd9PERrqNBZerOtNQ7weq4WAUQFQjzudL7KiyEg15eT_HK-F_WrDCWC3Nax8D/s320/PXL_20220430_083852572.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a monument to Maimonides, an <br />eminent middle ages scholar, born in<br />Cordoba, who became a personal <br />physician to Saladin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuQ76ScjAM0cV5x6EMKXyHRdDPnVGFuVvhANmOhxx56y5oDIdAB9xJGY8FCCCGb0-PziJWxpMTY6biKUjLpplZ8FKyreLIW5GDkfWaDGjLIxfYIZ7n9NKQAzmheqAP0IsiUVFkrP5FaRN5oErK3IhXNlzG9SGtXqw3X2w_B1CPXaSy-JttQa_LMEu/s800/PXL_20220430_084535279.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuQ76ScjAM0cV5x6EMKXyHRdDPnVGFuVvhANmOhxx56y5oDIdAB9xJGY8FCCCGb0-PziJWxpMTY6biKUjLpplZ8FKyreLIW5GDkfWaDGjLIxfYIZ7n9NKQAzmheqAP0IsiUVFkrP5FaRN5oErK3IhXNlzG9SGtXqw3X2w_B1CPXaSy-JttQa_LMEu/s320/PXL_20220430_084535279.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLbXh4VDBff_rZzoOFDcaytXubF_h8AHwiSGA4zTwRiVekBHNcZ5GflWgHtTn6EsM8ikJjRusOxHb9ioVtpSc21xxqZfztAuo0tfeDC2MzULjexYBb0QDLk8EPnTee8LBGEs0ZceqDrspZomH0Z16KExlKm1s3Svt-QFLc2JbfMSCcgTFEV97My-U/s800/PXL_20220430_085121476.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLbXh4VDBff_rZzoOFDcaytXubF_h8AHwiSGA4zTwRiVekBHNcZ5GflWgHtTn6EsM8ikJjRusOxHb9ioVtpSc21xxqZfztAuo0tfeDC2MzULjexYBb0QDLk8EPnTee8LBGEs0ZceqDrspZomH0Z16KExlKm1s3Svt-QFLc2JbfMSCcgTFEV97My-U/s320/PXL_20220430_085121476.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The traditional rabbit fur hat of the <br />Cordobans<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18k9_-uI7IJw3hPp8Ohat4PTCIXpLmYQCR96T3_pW93U8PAWG-QKpyVETxMhyIlvQv0RZIdnZ0COG4TO-kzAOmvYaFWEA8UrdpcoJRrYG0ISgEPR3DqUklZcgpRQgP_LtDH8HbzGn1wMsgEDz3SXZLl2tDqNtc5B6TXQdNOH3PT2w0Pdov6UHBFon/s800/P1080128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18k9_-uI7IJw3hPp8Ohat4PTCIXpLmYQCR96T3_pW93U8PAWG-QKpyVETxMhyIlvQv0RZIdnZ0COG4TO-kzAOmvYaFWEA8UrdpcoJRrYG0ISgEPR3DqUklZcgpRQgP_LtDH8HbzGn1wMsgEDz3SXZLl2tDqNtc5B6TXQdNOH3PT2w0Pdov6UHBFon/s320/P1080128.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The current bell tower/former minaret<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAFAx3lETGsdDexusExwaFp4xpnYzMi8axSsnou--ecyogJtHfqgeFDQSSvryKhrATXi2hsCvFHT5-V85UQHsybt_OlU-TM_tUyVQECNdMNZZPzqzYWTmoRW--TOYUz7Vnzw9mbp0t6oSvU8VfcWG0IaN97lFKujpeTECeLueZ7fCbbxrEiawrCKz/s800/PXL_20220430_090223883.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAFAx3lETGsdDexusExwaFp4xpnYzMi8axSsnou--ecyogJtHfqgeFDQSSvryKhrATXi2hsCvFHT5-V85UQHsybt_OlU-TM_tUyVQECNdMNZZPzqzYWTmoRW--TOYUz7Vnzw9mbp0t6oSvU8VfcWG0IaN97lFKujpeTECeLueZ7fCbbxrEiawrCKz/s320/PXL_20220430_090223883.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several of the original cedar cross beams<br />used in building the cathedral</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdluHjeykxnh630MTAJ4S8Rtx5hmxMsqYErR8DcAlKD8MFLrpcJw1EeUq8i7g-xU6tnUjVHTcQYqwvRJwOIGCzV2wiyR9sjygDocmmI9NOJSy32MB3Qh1WwWzyG0246BoL0v9imXdeGEM1V01PcH4n63ZccM4YKiS81e7lh039l9oV9K-znti10XQ4/s800/P1080133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdluHjeykxnh630MTAJ4S8Rtx5hmxMsqYErR8DcAlKD8MFLrpcJw1EeUq8i7g-xU6tnUjVHTcQYqwvRJwOIGCzV2wiyR9sjygDocmmI9NOJSy32MB3Qh1WwWzyG0246BoL0v9imXdeGEM1V01PcH4n63ZccM4YKiS81e7lh039l9oV9K-znti10XQ4/s320/P1080133.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The space is enormous, more than you can tell from<br />photos.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxhWDRupZ-wZInwx6HxJpzQOs8JFF4Gs-xu2uZjsFDH2-aYwJGK0F2x-3ROHfIzmRYpJSHifVJ-Uycv0WjhFpjJT8m9j_VdZ7lBMvPJFUqDuQG14iAO1dEkPA7qBZWsDlG3w9Um64OB6tmpxenttV8C9-lZtPianQ40iI9TCQ-sN_C5fX5-KX7M0f/s800/PXL_20220430_090452618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="800" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxhWDRupZ-wZInwx6HxJpzQOs8JFF4Gs-xu2uZjsFDH2-aYwJGK0F2x-3ROHfIzmRYpJSHifVJ-Uycv0WjhFpjJT8m9j_VdZ7lBMvPJFUqDuQG14iAO1dEkPA7qBZWsDlG3w9Um64OB6tmpxenttV8C9-lZtPianQ40iI9TCQ-sN_C5fX5-KX7M0f/s320/PXL_20220430_090452618.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The columns were connected with double arches and<br />in much of the building, the pillars were all unique, being<br />reclaimed from other buildings. They have different<br />capitals, feet, and materials.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIfPhhbsBIF--ZlQo4a5KVbs3BPRbkZDstDUSFuFdick0k_NaEWAEwnC1KwtE6da6PG8exEm6yf24TOiEeXkm_snQL242mrK3W3Erb_3QUZllet4Xj9GD16usdqiat2sAV6NMwUStjPrYOrH_gsBq-7S21bShzSYzGN8tEtTBUJFbdm-2IZnz5kQp/s800/PXL_20220430_090537542.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIfPhhbsBIF--ZlQo4a5KVbs3BPRbkZDstDUSFuFdick0k_NaEWAEwnC1KwtE6da6PG8exEm6yf24TOiEeXkm_snQL242mrK3W3Erb_3QUZllet4Xj9GD16usdqiat2sAV6NMwUStjPrYOrH_gsBq-7S21bShzSYzGN8tEtTBUJFbdm-2IZnz5kQp/s320/PXL_20220430_090537542.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Christian apses near the entry<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7OAbNDfPOwe69-pxOQSIH8xKv9G-_SEwSQGuY_jmkb69pNRoWubu0yg-9WJoxDrDg4AvnKlZT4IiVoEps-xYHsHl4r2LvgOfRgytkC1z72sR6LDLLvMSW_h0w7tklaVtsqemEjwgKMhxqov7UbfZmgEVeIsPMPOkyFEUZEZx0mdn14TPhae4fNXG/s800/PXL_20220430_090629206.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7OAbNDfPOwe69-pxOQSIH8xKv9G-_SEwSQGuY_jmkb69pNRoWubu0yg-9WJoxDrDg4AvnKlZT4IiVoEps-xYHsHl4r2LvgOfRgytkC1z72sR6LDLLvMSW_h0w7tklaVtsqemEjwgKMhxqov7UbfZmgEVeIsPMPOkyFEUZEZx0mdn14TPhae4fNXG/s320/PXL_20220430_090629206.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old ceiling beams were replaced<br />with these.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0-6gAdHVFW_GiQmP4kaS2LhgqRX4heAkXr1WU31KZWE38YYQRSQ5izTDrH6w_-sdz1YvSdglgrbXGktWfuDT3tqRIXEKdgGmKziJ9HVU0nK23flJTJkdy9Jvany5lDziOK8P6udOMR_mCPEdJJdelCPoeJwBKzcqtCjigtVqc8QIt_Bmb5Edwaqa/s800/P1080139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0-6gAdHVFW_GiQmP4kaS2LhgqRX4heAkXr1WU31KZWE38YYQRSQ5izTDrH6w_-sdz1YvSdglgrbXGktWfuDT3tqRIXEKdgGmKziJ9HVU0nK23flJTJkdy9Jvany5lDziOK8P6udOMR_mCPEdJJdelCPoeJwBKzcqtCjigtVqc8QIt_Bmb5Edwaqa/s320/P1080139.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian themes started appearing away from the<br />entrance.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgycBFL0zvxRVEcgrMzYgp49MtbRKquH5h2ADF-7UtkGftKg-876f4lFa3jXU6Lw8ZvELcegreWx0xO8Y7LHIEd0XROSa876dVtzFQBKotUIV8JLXQswciIOGtSd4Hc0JRtqAbko3mmF53FEfukPttkwxawl3RuzFYlpxdteqey1RL-toMdYFv_Hk/s800/PXL_20220430_091002117.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgycBFL0zvxRVEcgrMzYgp49MtbRKquH5h2ADF-7UtkGftKg-876f4lFa3jXU6Lw8ZvELcegreWx0xO8Y7LHIEd0XROSa876dVtzFQBKotUIV8JLXQswciIOGtSd4Hc0JRtqAbko3mmF53FEfukPttkwxawl3RuzFYlpxdteqey1RL-toMdYFv_Hk/s320/PXL_20220430_091002117.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33a_x8ygRAu1t954YEEoGycNCod-TlW6YoPsZvKT4SaDnsWefBe40E1qzWpDJxKBerOmI8zed0nkICTJ_cJbbC91ECKYvbrOMU-cVCdsrvPor3k_xikjTbRkYtQ_ScJsrbay5tdCuBRNzcBCciKelXEEthhHRaiCDQ3nvUXLK0gaRE4lEk67aJDWQ/s800/PXL_20220430_091818269.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33a_x8ygRAu1t954YEEoGycNCod-TlW6YoPsZvKT4SaDnsWefBe40E1qzWpDJxKBerOmI8zed0nkICTJ_cJbbC91ECKYvbrOMU-cVCdsrvPor3k_xikjTbRkYtQ_ScJsrbay5tdCuBRNzcBCciKelXEEthhHRaiCDQ3nvUXLK0gaRE4lEk67aJDWQ/s320/PXL_20220430_091818269.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZ-ouUIAT79w7gkHe9RMt8LHA-6BFcbJqjPgYJHHMR-l_j0tJVEwcLpiT4jNUqxFI92MdLW8pbJHsJ8avEhkve02EXvbqin2R-EvHbpJHPIqz7x7BGENWTPOfytqxfdmoXQWHkLGIbjjfVwsrH4D0wOvYMOjRdCQclKrWkG_gNlkmRpVoVYjNfoAf/s800/PXL_20220430_091826312.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZ-ouUIAT79w7gkHe9RMt8LHA-6BFcbJqjPgYJHHMR-l_j0tJVEwcLpiT4jNUqxFI92MdLW8pbJHsJ8avEhkve02EXvbqin2R-EvHbpJHPIqz7x7BGENWTPOfytqxfdmoXQWHkLGIbjjfVwsrH4D0wOvYMOjRdCQclKrWkG_gNlkmRpVoVYjNfoAf/s320/PXL_20220430_091826312.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSE-VY8yGo-fC1ATcLxUlX69Fzi8LF9pmVpufe3tuWMN1I8MfFq0YXnuC76dd3LV4bv1ug8c4_xUK1ueocQoPMaSxQKwQzq7I8qAU6kpY4JEW6h7isMW58mCIs0bl--4NVuFWRtt3G-8c1Z7iynHhMWrb4mMZulgORTwhvmxPB68bz1dBhgIVt5ryn/s800/P1080142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSE-VY8yGo-fC1ATcLxUlX69Fzi8LF9pmVpufe3tuWMN1I8MfFq0YXnuC76dd3LV4bv1ug8c4_xUK1ueocQoPMaSxQKwQzq7I8qAU6kpY4JEW6h7isMW58mCIs0bl--4NVuFWRtt3G-8c1Z7iynHhMWrb4mMZulgORTwhvmxPB68bz1dBhgIVt5ryn/s320/P1080142.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukZN3Yp7UuwjjGvOIxdcWkrLFVWNMemUOrQIwCxUrdlnOiwha5xxStLAauRz2sP0u1ypzOxR9qZg9eK-hN_-7LOklzcHMi8QZd08w5PnHsVw4JBnYm2vOTSnv2KkhgnM4_a_ahdim2W3VV88I9gtNEAWYSaaUNscjUmeOP1KChkSdU8fUA18yWrcg/s800/PXL_20220430_091919149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukZN3Yp7UuwjjGvOIxdcWkrLFVWNMemUOrQIwCxUrdlnOiwha5xxStLAauRz2sP0u1ypzOxR9qZg9eK-hN_-7LOklzcHMi8QZd08w5PnHsVw4JBnYm2vOTSnv2KkhgnM4_a_ahdim2W3VV88I9gtNEAWYSaaUNscjUmeOP1KChkSdU8fUA18yWrcg/s320/PXL_20220430_091919149.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graves were added during the Christian<br />age. It was not a concept that Islam<br />endorsed.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwQ5oR1GB2UPNYWap_y8cyH2rFcwNDDgFmuiDLyvBD82O3tpQsy53e3TFc0gJTiS-TjyC6EvMacgEI92P2pyw24-FBlPCOTf_hESyXFILe-4WJ2pWUPBggoElLhUUD5grlxNn70X_7OgcoN1dInMnLDTtE0GyFYgM-15Mqem4QyTH98P7RW1yjnJp/s800/PXL_20220430_092508292.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwQ5oR1GB2UPNYWap_y8cyH2rFcwNDDgFmuiDLyvBD82O3tpQsy53e3TFc0gJTiS-TjyC6EvMacgEI92P2pyw24-FBlPCOTf_hESyXFILe-4WJ2pWUPBggoElLhUUD5grlxNn70X_7OgcoN1dInMnLDTtE0GyFYgM-15Mqem4QyTH98P7RW1yjnJp/s320/PXL_20220430_092508292.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Imam would speak from here with his<br />back to the worshipers. The alcove was<br />cleverly designed to reflect and amplify<br />his words.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvzxuqh8G5AnRljki39ypf4g_6QPm1CZeFRm_9RjNAAjNHHMndDlwr9GjbhilU86F1-DLt0ffOsVE9CmiyATfPmUNa5GMaA2IaMJz9hSvR0HrFY8uCv5pSUFmmEdfkmhWi7_jlUR0ffdxbVAsLOjA8ZfI1UkllrD_oPq65wEQey9jPHINzzkF-Jwl/s800/PXL_20220430_092928361.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvzxuqh8G5AnRljki39ypf4g_6QPm1CZeFRm_9RjNAAjNHHMndDlwr9GjbhilU86F1-DLt0ffOsVE9CmiyATfPmUNa5GMaA2IaMJz9hSvR0HrFY8uCv5pSUFmmEdfkmhWi7_jlUR0ffdxbVAsLOjA8ZfI1UkllrD_oPq65wEQey9jPHINzzkF-Jwl/s320/PXL_20220430_092928361.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPNe9q02NXCcngOZ5V0XaqVcHSfmJjSx6T6tg8H9qqBMfdwvFXDISeF1mOQzSAk0P7XSxeqI66yJDzniYQAvWsbpsd0DebaEj2nJiKOHwI7GTxSDz9niBe7y20-8TZCuONwHeoeG8UBz_sQCW73TKiEk5o0t6oLqRley24L0dHRFwaoh8ysaz1U8U/s800/PXL_20220430_093034475.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPNe9q02NXCcngOZ5V0XaqVcHSfmJjSx6T6tg8H9qqBMfdwvFXDISeF1mOQzSAk0P7XSxeqI66yJDzniYQAvWsbpsd0DebaEj2nJiKOHwI7GTxSDz9niBe7y20-8TZCuONwHeoeG8UBz_sQCW73TKiEk5o0t6oLqRley24L0dHRFwaoh8ysaz1U8U/s320/PXL_20220430_093034475.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were a lot of gold artifacts here <br />from the Christian era, but apparently<br />the collection is significantly reduced<br />from its height.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2ZbWnq75-mTfPwDHPHQhHJdPGKNpCQ5ME1QeGJ9-GPmvluM_qUs_sFiepDEtmkoeXcm5XoELCFqYTYdDboGj7rQrd9Ude9bjZT_WG1ijsQK2hiYZV4R18bkoXLAvS4-WMqeeINvClhTdnXi460-N96BNQqjCWlAby499QJtx4PEBI4dNmbYnrq43/s800/P1080147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2ZbWnq75-mTfPwDHPHQhHJdPGKNpCQ5ME1QeGJ9-GPmvluM_qUs_sFiepDEtmkoeXcm5XoELCFqYTYdDboGj7rQrd9Ude9bjZT_WG1ijsQK2hiYZV4R18bkoXLAvS4-WMqeeINvClhTdnXi460-N96BNQqjCWlAby499QJtx4PEBI4dNmbYnrq43/s320/P1080147.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newer Cathedral section<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVnh1OlPzpANZE1nAfhfzE1vLFvs03USWoS4OoNzYb9I3_quda9LRBc2WThSbEil1tvX6goGzNWvnn-x-dppV8GSiDE0k3gBzVAcTiRt5w3JNE7lwR_UM9No_6lB6aZK0FvtuH97wvAK5tTIJDy0rNn96U-gHWB_MtRa0Yd0VGIRtIxEPVI63eDVe/s800/PXL_20220430_093551262.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVnh1OlPzpANZE1nAfhfzE1vLFvs03USWoS4OoNzYb9I3_quda9LRBc2WThSbEil1tvX6goGzNWvnn-x-dppV8GSiDE0k3gBzVAcTiRt5w3JNE7lwR_UM9No_6lB6aZK0FvtuH97wvAK5tTIJDy0rNn96U-gHWB_MtRa0Yd0VGIRtIxEPVI63eDVe/s320/PXL_20220430_093551262.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An original decoration was impacted<br />by an expansion project.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnaN-YQLtepWtPcnYRgm2RvM0iOf_wbMzm5iRkMdvGZzCOiU7R8UpzbytkAShmZvwvZWnXomxtVEVMk4SwpffVX39WaNtygUiOkHjEaiHfGpQ6PNdcDp-9H6rfcgoZZ8igOccUwU34OiDXEVrYPFUZqDnzJU6agcm5VH43ZAJbL3g1gbWD3uleMgh/s800/PXL_20220430_094935495.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnaN-YQLtepWtPcnYRgm2RvM0iOf_wbMzm5iRkMdvGZzCOiU7R8UpzbytkAShmZvwvZWnXomxtVEVMk4SwpffVX39WaNtygUiOkHjEaiHfGpQ6PNdcDp-9H6rfcgoZZ8igOccUwU34OiDXEVrYPFUZqDnzJU6agcm5VH43ZAJbL3g1gbWD3uleMgh/s320/PXL_20220430_094935495.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above and below: the choir loft and the<br />organ is also visible below.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2fPpRjAbL5_Ldmbhaj5_NDIzAcTf9sB_iPFThoE7Dn7JD0W5LomCsCqhZFXxdqtRGka51cpBQAUZbsH2VDA-rk4fV7WLgLTwej9T6WHULyQU2JaOPAk-2t2t9NuAKoh8NlVH9vp5gZNV1FoNYW1dFNO9L0E8YiIp06-yJVXnh1xxeq46rTYXHQ_c/s800/PXL_20220430_094954473.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2fPpRjAbL5_Ldmbhaj5_NDIzAcTf9sB_iPFThoE7Dn7JD0W5LomCsCqhZFXxdqtRGka51cpBQAUZbsH2VDA-rk4fV7WLgLTwej9T6WHULyQU2JaOPAk-2t2t9NuAKoh8NlVH9vp5gZNV1FoNYW1dFNO9L0E8YiIp06-yJVXnh1xxeq46rTYXHQ_c/s320/PXL_20220430_094954473.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Leaving the Cathedral, we walked to lunch and then headed back to our bus for the trip home. We encountered a section of the original Roman wall and a Roman bridge.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKzhmbZi6p_dxalJLO_BHT9Y870pgy5E5toX5jBcLRCQFyY0sbp3b4Z3WZClzSs8C-6Ge0_o9IEnCDazVyjG7r8_3rRNfLxFFTwxywUTp7VK5LmWsc6SpoZAMdCSc5_-mPUxCNIIvdlYnIc_gFuk7G700HaUDd_Dhvgz4esbdkfOw9pW49uR4CLsj/s800/PXL_20220430_122232651.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKzhmbZi6p_dxalJLO_BHT9Y870pgy5E5toX5jBcLRCQFyY0sbp3b4Z3WZClzSs8C-6Ge0_o9IEnCDazVyjG7r8_3rRNfLxFFTwxywUTp7VK5LmWsc6SpoZAMdCSc5_-mPUxCNIIvdlYnIc_gFuk7G700HaUDd_Dhvgz4esbdkfOw9pW49uR4CLsj/s320/PXL_20220430_122232651.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An entry gate, probably Roman too.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm_ltk6UONCtmWVtYIM2o9G6ECMwqthYpDNR7TAiJMkaJh9HA1xZWgXgYsAvJbCQClYEQMDZTa0UpFgWxwd8r_k-SKR2KLnShPhyRkJ_MJJEtTQ0pummf-RSsMtFQd41p_Lt0MKRYXyZjl-y0RFe9K3XCY6EMjWTZjFv-C8izfgC1donj3qR6IloR/s800/PXL_20220430_122244499.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm_ltk6UONCtmWVtYIM2o9G6ECMwqthYpDNR7TAiJMkaJh9HA1xZWgXgYsAvJbCQClYEQMDZTa0UpFgWxwd8r_k-SKR2KLnShPhyRkJ_MJJEtTQ0pummf-RSsMtFQd41p_Lt0MKRYXyZjl-y0RFe9K3XCY6EMjWTZjFv-C8izfgC1donj3qR6IloR/s320/PXL_20220430_122244499.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0vf0ztLT60aH-XmsX-YtYx-nLS4K6YI-lvr3Ybe_zKqlsuoxXyuYAFLPK3mZ8w4ZkgB8VDciSKT41RNqLOnDR8xWeW0QzNaaSfGr4pJPOAtOWAuYpdpRshnbeA9BCEJQbKfBHKeeG0q0kicctRGjRdI1j0HH3waAzooqIW4hxshTf6OhaEFPvDYo/s800/PXL_20220430_122147674.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0vf0ztLT60aH-XmsX-YtYx-nLS4K6YI-lvr3Ybe_zKqlsuoxXyuYAFLPK3mZ8w4ZkgB8VDciSKT41RNqLOnDR8xWeW0QzNaaSfGr4pJPOAtOWAuYpdpRshnbeA9BCEJQbKfBHKeeG0q0kicctRGjRdI1j0HH3waAzooqIW4hxshTf6OhaEFPvDYo/s320/PXL_20220430_122147674.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old section of wall<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiio-FG_gQ1-mPGJhZh0APUkLQU0Zcmvtv_6q2SHAgs6pntk2sktBDsYMmPbsalinFUrAp0m4cQTEkYrGGKVZvI0zogoLe9ZVURvWD5_udQSiS1IGWUehQIvij8bTOuD_mUQAH6jXfZtiUdViRGOFtbq2aiFBFUynTWBLWTSF5IvDBgf0HOEWY0JdB_/s800/PXL_20220430_122528203.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiio-FG_gQ1-mPGJhZh0APUkLQU0Zcmvtv_6q2SHAgs6pntk2sktBDsYMmPbsalinFUrAp0m4cQTEkYrGGKVZvI0zogoLe9ZVURvWD5_udQSiS1IGWUehQIvij8bTOuD_mUQAH6jXfZtiUdViRGOFtbq2aiFBFUynTWBLWTSF5IvDBgf0HOEWY0JdB_/s320/PXL_20220430_122528203.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No idea what this is! It may be part of castle or Alcazar.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This is our last night on the Clio, so they produced a baked Alaska for desert. VERY yummy AND impressive. After dinner, we went to the top deck to watch our progress down the river to the Atlantic. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, we were well past the bridges, but did encounter a village enjoying their Saturday evening outdoors on a balmy evening.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgjQaLQzN8ZlvcHiYfXvlxJNkqzDTE_aiNj0INpQsfKE_B5-2OexQEINRI-FsZat_ElFOLjF52Rv1ytUE9Pckx4u9wwp_-YbKkZUPEoXM3NaZZOFxyg3kpce0iRady3zLiWKVtVmdvnNXhUh7Z0QxWbPK4F0xOfGmQRDpgpI7vYq9zcb2j0xFHuSz/s800/PXL_20220430_165940824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="572" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgjQaLQzN8ZlvcHiYfXvlxJNkqzDTE_aiNj0INpQsfKE_B5-2OexQEINRI-FsZat_ElFOLjF52Rv1ytUE9Pckx4u9wwp_-YbKkZUPEoXM3NaZZOFxyg3kpce0iRady3zLiWKVtVmdvnNXhUh7Z0QxWbPK4F0xOfGmQRDpgpI7vYq9zcb2j0xFHuSz/s320/PXL_20220430_165940824.jpg" width="229" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLO5GEpsLYwGE7wR8zyiVNxl0xqicPbqGIU4MB7KGZ-ogqcS8npmsERZkpJ5Lm1rHX-WlyoN6Mki1WqDg_PYEoXfPOVRD7zCcGqOB54W5WfyRtueJ-xfittAxdD2n5D-rcAEKe-0BAkVfggL3OdYLO6jW5H_725WdU-kPXbBvlAqY00VaGGTOcXLp/s800/PXL_20220430_172326067.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLO5GEpsLYwGE7wR8zyiVNxl0xqicPbqGIU4MB7KGZ-ogqcS8npmsERZkpJ5Lm1rHX-WlyoN6Mki1WqDg_PYEoXfPOVRD7zCcGqOB54W5WfyRtueJ-xfittAxdD2n5D-rcAEKe-0BAkVfggL3OdYLO6jW5H_725WdU-kPXbBvlAqY00VaGGTOcXLp/s320/PXL_20220430_172326067.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dvU2JxrmNKGGlnU_Ppkb68D6AepjDt3TBbsxg-lsKnJdTL8E86Fq28tazXcAT4IKcPV_2cIKhZI30HTTFNOBGaBjzy4SMphf_0JpnRRjBZI0cKWA5V9Ah8oAy9k34cFDSWaUDJc8TWM35MmKPlLpFemqlUaJ4THSlKt6sTrqvskQIyGv22BSjp8W/s800/PXL_20220430_173521198.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dvU2JxrmNKGGlnU_Ppkb68D6AepjDt3TBbsxg-lsKnJdTL8E86Fq28tazXcAT4IKcPV_2cIKhZI30HTTFNOBGaBjzy4SMphf_0JpnRRjBZI0cKWA5V9Ah8oAy9k34cFDSWaUDJc8TWM35MmKPlLpFemqlUaJ4THSlKt6sTrqvskQIyGv22BSjp8W/s320/PXL_20220430_173521198.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163548677230332085.post-46664988430298609722022-05-02T14:02:00.000-07:002022-05-02T14:02:10.302-07:004/29/22 A Day in the Life at a Bull Farm<p>One of the things OAT tries to do is to help us see life through the eyes of local people. Bull fighting is still a big deal here, although it has become controversial and is banned in some areas, like Barcelona. It is an economically important enterprise, providing jobs to the people who raise the animals and the performers in the ring. Many people still find it entertaining. A bull raised for the slaughterhouse will sell for about 500 Euros, but the ones bought for major bullrings can bring in 10,000 Euros or more. </p><p>All the cattle, (both males and females are called bulls), are assessed for their fighting propensity and the best ones are kept for breeding. Others go to the slaughterhouse for food. The females are used to train the toreadors while assessing their qualities. Bulls only fight once because they become to wise to the process if they survive a fight and are much more dangerous to the human fighters. The best bulls are not killed in the ring and return to their farms for a long life as a sire. Each sire will have a herd of 25-30 plus calves. </p><p>The bulls are divided by age. They stay with their mothers for a year or so, and then move into 3-year old groups. At four and five, they prepared for the ring. Before this stage, they have a very lazy existence, but once the ring is in their future, the farm starts getting them to run at least 3km per day to build their musculature and stamina, so they can perform better. </p><p>This farm also grows cork oaks and raises pigs who use acorns from another variety of oak as their primary diet. Growing cork oaks is not for the impatient. Trees have to be 25 years old before they start to produce a thick enough bark to harvest. Bark is cut off the base of the tree typically to where it branches out every 9 years.</p><p>The farm we visited is unique because it is run by a mother and daughter. This is typically a very male dominated venture, but in this case, the grandfather decided his daughter was the best fit for the next generation and now her daughter is a major player in the operation. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDKbPCSumq6JNLAPeZSqfV3YK06w8093MgLf_FZBBZFG15jeVRqXyHNjRNv1m93u-vnFsmtRQWtc9StaC8-Iiu9jjz2N2P8h6WKKCcZdC6YdWGW3yC69vgmH8H6e7tzRyz4jELYXHxmnS0qx6LJatyFN42jD4pw5eJh7EAh6Jx3oRV3-qDYxT8MOf/s800/IMG_20220429_104618026_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDKbPCSumq6JNLAPeZSqfV3YK06w8093MgLf_FZBBZFG15jeVRqXyHNjRNv1m93u-vnFsmtRQWtc9StaC8-Iiu9jjz2N2P8h6WKKCcZdC6YdWGW3yC69vgmH8H6e7tzRyz4jELYXHxmnS0qx6LJatyFN42jD4pw5eJh7EAh6Jx3oRV3-qDYxT8MOf/s320/IMG_20220429_104618026_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We observed some of the livestock<br />from the bus as we drove in, then <br />boarded this trailer (you can see the<br />unpadded seats at the front) for an<br />hour or so jaunt through a chunk of<br />the 2000 acres of the farm.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ_T0_6IdZiy_3Q0xS_JdVAJbalBddpcx_V6KgpHfsEr4bUTEHVFBSs7gm3iYy8PbSiUY-j1jvLbSH5FPHKga0FePOfaCPutVxPcy8cRml77_ovd2mYIrqLbU3Tefm1bLWuT54M8OvnWRc4YnpLlhRwCKZzi7a1Vz-TfQxeIk2McpawtxU-QYy8mD/s800/IMG_20220429_104703981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="800" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ_T0_6IdZiy_3Q0xS_JdVAJbalBddpcx_V6KgpHfsEr4bUTEHVFBSs7gm3iYy8PbSiUY-j1jvLbSH5FPHKga0FePOfaCPutVxPcy8cRml77_ovd2mYIrqLbU3Tefm1bLWuT54M8OvnWRc4YnpLlhRwCKZzi7a1Vz-TfQxeIk2McpawtxU-QYy8mD/s320/IMG_20220429_104703981.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The livestock in medium-sized groups was mostly<br />the three year olds.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhWS_j84pkA9lxHTJQgYYzkcsVT3YvqoYu3w5E4eyyfqhvqSL-AhmPHWNezhWUWHc7AIrwXhLYaMnaQ8T47yFeKAB811krV_xMxiQ0X73aAvUxje_W44r9l18S7s_6wAaoq8pSA_j5IaooKU5dErEdu8qUdmfOJUz5a4M_dLpTgDhVbmzNEQb0Bn9/s800/P1080063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhWS_j84pkA9lxHTJQgYYzkcsVT3YvqoYu3w5E4eyyfqhvqSL-AhmPHWNezhWUWHc7AIrwXhLYaMnaQ8T47yFeKAB811krV_xMxiQ0X73aAvUxje_W44r9l18S7s_6wAaoq8pSA_j5IaooKU5dErEdu8qUdmfOJUz5a4M_dLpTgDhVbmzNEQb0Bn9/s320/P1080063.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four and five year olds are kept in groups of 8-10.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTW6obX79GvxqDpoX8BPTvSqVCiT6RpXxZZgK4cCwoL8vldafz3vZwgPR0hLmyBARS8W-P2q8epyDSvNX1irWrnB6qzwY-wOhKkTPe378739CJCKAPm_2ZNcfLEsh1AjH6YGfNWA8ZK7svrAJcOC2qUzWzpxm0Jjxgpg-NDszJlUhxL6NYlynswto/s800/PXL_20220429_075831599.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTW6obX79GvxqDpoX8BPTvSqVCiT6RpXxZZgK4cCwoL8vldafz3vZwgPR0hLmyBARS8W-P2q8epyDSvNX1irWrnB6qzwY-wOhKkTPe378739CJCKAPm_2ZNcfLEsh1AjH6YGfNWA8ZK7svrAJcOC2qUzWzpxm0Jjxgpg-NDszJlUhxL6NYlynswto/s320/PXL_20220429_075831599.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIhhY1YCl3MrULB4_fDEHp6MBwn9Bzg_3F6mbAlCmJVHUadqAXSHhAgFReYD1Ce-ZSa11qyWiNGSUs8yno5uBZiWN_vc6-qj1iVgBgWGEYaSWEkzpLaj9EQz-LI9ey5Oylt0q0XvTCI1TGOXtWKtjqdymtrL3E2PxpyoWl_xxuR3u1_8jgSF8BNsr/s800/PXL_20220429_080819948.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="800" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIhhY1YCl3MrULB4_fDEHp6MBwn9Bzg_3F6mbAlCmJVHUadqAXSHhAgFReYD1Ce-ZSa11qyWiNGSUs8yno5uBZiWN_vc6-qj1iVgBgWGEYaSWEkzpLaj9EQz-LI9ey5Oylt0q0XvTCI1TGOXtWKtjqdymtrL3E2PxpyoWl_xxuR3u1_8jgSF8BNsr/s320/PXL_20220429_080819948.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The color of the beasts is irrelevant.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUZVLTfRGim1PIsxRkkZ8NBNyvSqDJa13nL11y-mH4-rYsIDiKYeARlAFAXgSg44f2qDmBJSvIDUx7FPB4od2H6RhHazeCw5WqFhwQ7wf-bHlGBApIogJS1fEUEX_IySC_P-Xg3ySkZUWmhVJSog7zzFAoGQShbMN7h1ad0-gYIiC0ZMuLazy6feG/s800/IMG_20220429_105918869_MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="569" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUZVLTfRGim1PIsxRkkZ8NBNyvSqDJa13nL11y-mH4-rYsIDiKYeARlAFAXgSg44f2qDmBJSvIDUx7FPB4od2H6RhHazeCw5WqFhwQ7wf-bHlGBApIogJS1fEUEX_IySC_P-Xg3ySkZUWmhVJSog7zzFAoGQShbMN7h1ad0-gYIiC0ZMuLazy6feG/s320/IMG_20220429_105918869_MP.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As we headed out to find sections <br />of the herd, the tractor driver started<br />yelling like he was being sorely<br />injured, but he was called the herd <br />for their feeding of these pellets to<br />supplement their grass diet. They are<br />so well fed on grass this time of year<br />that they didn't seem that eager for<br />this treat, which looks a lot like<br />a wine cork.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeQUSzVIhVO6BeOyUY-_PVrmQqyvBDi3A_81nZiqeYsqBim2DBdFJbDaU3tbYp_y6oIsjSbhP7LG9mG6B60_jn5T_r80VHwD9C_r_INCS6wwAZBsJymGDYC7pvzOvETUCSkAuQxXUCxGhN7_OlawtP-gwB3RBPmqflaKH71IzLHNTVsTEjQPAlkvQ/s800/IMG_20220429_112342147_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="800" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeQUSzVIhVO6BeOyUY-_PVrmQqyvBDi3A_81nZiqeYsqBim2DBdFJbDaU3tbYp_y6oIsjSbhP7LG9mG6B60_jn5T_r80VHwD9C_r_INCS6wwAZBsJymGDYC7pvzOvETUCSkAuQxXUCxGhN7_OlawtP-gwB3RBPmqflaKH71IzLHNTVsTEjQPAlkvQ/s320/IMG_20220429_112342147_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2ZaVlBzL4ug76ErPvxI8NAeF2LapAjAFTSgxj-eUqb_SpA8Nw9x0OWUUY08C82fijU138_5-Gv0TasIuTh3OgfY7DCArjIdLRWadX7i87n_a0vYOI_CgBsRKtNWE9bc6TP-xeR2VSt8AzKSVEkkpuocEZsUakl_KLi16NJNIiHia-p59SvtlKxO1/s800/P1080078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2ZaVlBzL4ug76ErPvxI8NAeF2LapAjAFTSgxj-eUqb_SpA8Nw9x0OWUUY08C82fijU138_5-Gv0TasIuTh3OgfY7DCArjIdLRWadX7i87n_a0vYOI_CgBsRKtNWE9bc6TP-xeR2VSt8AzKSVEkkpuocEZsUakl_KLi16NJNIiHia-p59SvtlKxO1/s320/P1080078.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These boys are being encouraged to build muscle<br />by running a few laps, escorted by a dog and a <br />couple horses.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxN_9jHxqapcAY9CAmJMo5tklnGAkSzljfCyoR79MQXbx3ECS45WRcA6N8-P2AdVOdCWT5ToSf1DIfsOIRzGBzPnvkI3jbL2I4-mxoulpYexlgjVtkKY7DbTp83dC8dsyUNf0EOhKCYOwQH2-p1oUOdAjvejfERWCSWuz1cDf_2u8OyHVe10daV7Wv/s800/P1080080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxN_9jHxqapcAY9CAmJMo5tklnGAkSzljfCyoR79MQXbx3ECS45WRcA6N8-P2AdVOdCWT5ToSf1DIfsOIRzGBzPnvkI3jbL2I4-mxoulpYexlgjVtkKY7DbTp83dC8dsyUNf0EOhKCYOwQH2-p1oUOdAjvejfERWCSWuz1cDf_2u8OyHVe10daV7Wv/s320/P1080080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-iKtCRcfXxKqkF1fSEyqsfvVSmrYGTZ7RFieNxBLubio2PEBfkYtdpxQxi5ktsKbLPh1Ea6MBHX7-M6vpE9J8KSuszXLg3N_h2LE2BeiVNvZ4TJ-iBjtx9MX7a-YBsnUuS6ZARu2pbCptAyAL49ZlRcfUoLmH3KA06Q-pLFrruPVDRHWi4fDFAzc/s800/P1080095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="800" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-iKtCRcfXxKqkF1fSEyqsfvVSmrYGTZ7RFieNxBLubio2PEBfkYtdpxQxi5ktsKbLPh1Ea6MBHX7-M6vpE9J8KSuszXLg3N_h2LE2BeiVNvZ4TJ-iBjtx9MX7a-YBsnUuS6ZARu2pbCptAyAL49ZlRcfUoLmH3KA06Q-pLFrruPVDRHWi4fDFAzc/s320/P1080095.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6vpA2kdl53rQRed-FpmUJw-qjQB7HFe4B_okuOVEsX2UGJf776MSDz8UAK_Vp9lQeZVLtS0wlEjYPxso9pk2GuLRP3_4ZWEYPFJOnXEOTEg2FwEcin_rz9p32OkZ8DiRIJmiiErMYrTUlXAYPM5kECkdyDG5T9mkVoGNOddnLaf5ySs4PHUXljsk/s800/IMG_20220429_112758546_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6vpA2kdl53rQRed-FpmUJw-qjQB7HFe4B_okuOVEsX2UGJf776MSDz8UAK_Vp9lQeZVLtS0wlEjYPxso9pk2GuLRP3_4ZWEYPFJOnXEOTEg2FwEcin_rz9p32OkZ8DiRIJmiiErMYrTUlXAYPM5kECkdyDG5T9mkVoGNOddnLaf5ySs4PHUXljsk/s320/IMG_20220429_112758546_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pig decided to help eat the pellets.<br />Iberian pigs are fed on acorns exclusively<br />for part of each year. The farm has both<br />cork oaks and acorn oaks. The pigs<br />prefer the acorn oak produce, but will<br />also eat acorns from the cork oaks.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxev9GyMRZBWkUrJK68wKQDayTIRnqmRZfaKvWkm9la8TPb3ePT6T11e23mYnUROyz-PTZ4HFqVPriRDMUcR5qiX4JxkRlIbtsspt24ie9hKUyk7ketCKrviFfc2kv7lJ3GpXmtZMdKpBIsR8U_EoPz8GPBeSmiZg9ZnGbTSi_7eOWMbr8p9Zn6C6i/s800/IMG_20220429_115932901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxev9GyMRZBWkUrJK68wKQDayTIRnqmRZfaKvWkm9la8TPb3ePT6T11e23mYnUROyz-PTZ4HFqVPriRDMUcR5qiX4JxkRlIbtsspt24ie9hKUyk7ketCKrviFfc2kv7lJ3GpXmtZMdKpBIsR8U_EoPz8GPBeSmiZg9ZnGbTSi_7eOWMbr8p9Zn6C6i/s320/IMG_20220429_115932901.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are inside the practice ring where the females<br />are testing and toreros are traine.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMcuTezItqyL1CyMbi0WJSbCyJTTbZMTBaLX4aAb43JM67zZR1zluxwocJWP58BzN4y76B4dl1tJS1eW6Kns8I5AEratsRklKod7jDhwnak2mgN21z6BOBevoNIoJHV2vjhkxZ8S2XfsoRVb6NnL6nGHRker2eDR4huav5IQEp5JMwPoLXpOp6sFs/s800/IMG_20220429_120513880_MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMcuTezItqyL1CyMbi0WJSbCyJTTbZMTBaLX4aAb43JM67zZR1zluxwocJWP58BzN4y76B4dl1tJS1eW6Kns8I5AEratsRklKod7jDhwnak2mgN21z6BOBevoNIoJHV2vjhkxZ8S2XfsoRVb6NnL6nGHRker2eDR4huav5IQEp5JMwPoLXpOp6sFs/s320/IMG_20220429_120513880_MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best bulls are showcased here.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AxKQsfH0AhdVEmB6bDhwI3aUd1y2ZQSheXurZwIYx4TL0jdlX8p-iEAK88yCIQrXeBSky_qU3QjPAYQi9aja6h-DVMHWQ5gUveznlzen2fOmdhm_IQRcO6Wk_-mAkLfce0jyEf0IT9BoqNLIF6qto9UvEaT3nNFaf2R09siXzS26X7h8zNNfsQwS/s800/P1080096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AxKQsfH0AhdVEmB6bDhwI3aUd1y2ZQSheXurZwIYx4TL0jdlX8p-iEAK88yCIQrXeBSky_qU3QjPAYQi9aja6h-DVMHWQ5gUveznlzen2fOmdhm_IQRcO6Wk_-mAkLfce0jyEf0IT9BoqNLIF6qto9UvEaT3nNFaf2R09siXzS26X7h8zNNfsQwS/s320/P1080096.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The practice ring from the home where we had lunch.</td></tr></tbody></table>After lunch, we headed back to Seville and walked through part of Parque Marie Luisa. This is where the main Spanish pavilion for the 1929 World's Fair is located. It was said to have been built with building wings reaching toward the other pavilions as though it was wrapping its arms around its former colonies. It is now used for a variety of public offices.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRfpzYDe-P-Wjv1OgTWtlwb4zDunqWykwYtj52UionbUeiaOabgf9Eql7n6Y--pCOwn73QzF854bghkrUdFSS4vtx0oh7NqB0JWY728n0WQ6RvS_8e65N-ow5g9vWcoTZ_wBJ52newZVpKmI0Nh2RhtdAhzUGgWnd3ydFuZq7uTVAlq2vN0PIf3vt/s800/P1080099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRfpzYDe-P-Wjv1OgTWtlwb4zDunqWykwYtj52UionbUeiaOabgf9Eql7n6Y--pCOwn73QzF854bghkrUdFSS4vtx0oh7NqB0JWY728n0WQ6RvS_8e65N-ow5g9vWcoTZ_wBJ52newZVpKmI0Nh2RhtdAhzUGgWnd3ydFuZq7uTVAlq2vN0PIf3vt/s320/P1080099.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMo51fRyfbH6JjSAA2_un88tGllBG43t8V4-lxYfCX1HmWVspu0TVR-HHck3zaOv7r-hRwJjITwIqil7X_ZkPg0uH4YnkoleaOzRb0ifuKvSUaaCGcz1DQwkhRDA8XDgDrR8tyQY67b0AePBsJLml6c5XsPDaneWgP3Y6JsrnlL1kVE-jK6HVlRf8/s800/P1080102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMo51fRyfbH6JjSAA2_un88tGllBG43t8V4-lxYfCX1HmWVspu0TVR-HHck3zaOv7r-hRwJjITwIqil7X_ZkPg0uH4YnkoleaOzRb0ifuKvSUaaCGcz1DQwkhRDA8XDgDrR8tyQY67b0AePBsJLml6c5XsPDaneWgP3Y6JsrnlL1kVE-jK6HVlRf8/s320/P1080102.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTNG3bcvIkxd_GXau8gtxB8Jf1uA25bovkmgHObUKatqXB4eVcECo5v_5v9QsWiBHLE5zcaBbpMYBNS38qc58RlwKHGCTCITKKog3NBpvHqPuCoO119t9Wu0qtMvjfWJJoCpKN0_VBPr0olytXEoS0vIzan6k0D1w09O9U3YQqjULAJthsgNSZwu7/s800/P1080104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTNG3bcvIkxd_GXau8gtxB8Jf1uA25bovkmgHObUKatqXB4eVcECo5v_5v9QsWiBHLE5zcaBbpMYBNS38qc58RlwKHGCTCITKKog3NBpvHqPuCoO119t9Wu0qtMvjfWJJoCpKN0_VBPr0olytXEoS0vIzan6k0D1w09O9U3YQqjULAJthsgNSZwu7/s320/P1080104.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD23UjUpx2L2KmV1zcWwq7Wp2DCeCcF64P8I8uuVFCKM7rf09JVw5puMH4g5rvNHdq6QTtcG4lj86JLPv3vndzgi2wVvvJ3Q6F7V_zlX87RcnZs663TUpla99Ab7CjVsNNSaSgdJUVX4YslbFEHhlT7YxOIlKFZCDFsCe_dffK09QAv_P8LhzzmPSF/s800/PXL_20220429_125635564.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="800" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD23UjUpx2L2KmV1zcWwq7Wp2DCeCcF64P8I8uuVFCKM7rf09JVw5puMH4g5rvNHdq6QTtcG4lj86JLPv3vndzgi2wVvvJ3Q6F7V_zlX87RcnZs663TUpla99Ab7CjVsNNSaSgdJUVX4YslbFEHhlT7YxOIlKFZCDFsCe_dffK09QAv_P8LhzzmPSF/s320/PXL_20220429_125635564.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObKqTY2hdMorsE1aKurydLr9Guxf-RQCMZ9vhsS0MnjxpEhWYpPDuESRWwGGBNuzvz87fBJqakcgATTfTDDB6WPvTFrG4nFYCuIPm_Td3sS3f4BPt5nGgZ7ADu0dkHie57V_gcjB3WUk1FDXfHlLOIZDmzpelutaMIscZkB72viVPHouQVJOz14Y0/s800/PXL_20220429_130027732.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObKqTY2hdMorsE1aKurydLr9Guxf-RQCMZ9vhsS0MnjxpEhWYpPDuESRWwGGBNuzvz87fBJqakcgATTfTDDB6WPvTFrG4nFYCuIPm_Td3sS3f4BPt5nGgZ7ADu0dkHie57V_gcjB3WUk1FDXfHlLOIZDmzpelutaMIscZkB72viVPHouQVJOz14Y0/s320/PXL_20220429_130027732.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs8wonT4-zCnpj2VnRLMM2Yfqpi79WUiOTzEpi9UnVLNIhB-XSBGFizBHiM0D9gateunvQLqeMm_ROMVuNR2XM5QuWcJBqmx7_DpwQUXf6wdpDUYlbQc9eq94-iaGX-9Yj5Ve-Gfk2te5gRZ0xfwyCoaNd4VVz8OZ2EN-qUbAVOF03TKuPz-4bJk8/s800/PXL_20220429_130552252.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs8wonT4-zCnpj2VnRLMM2Yfqpi79WUiOTzEpi9UnVLNIhB-XSBGFizBHiM0D9gateunvQLqeMm_ROMVuNR2XM5QuWcJBqmx7_DpwQUXf6wdpDUYlbQc9eq94-iaGX-9Yj5Ve-Gfk2te5gRZ0xfwyCoaNd4VVz8OZ2EN-qUbAVOF03TKuPz-4bJk8/s320/PXL_20220429_130552252.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Lynn Eichingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436908608912092722noreply@blogger.com0