If You Can’t Beat ’em, Join ’em
We had a leisurely morning at our luxe digs, then checked-out midday. Took an Uber to the Park Hyatt. We moved hotels because a) our gift certificate money for the Fairmont ran out and b) the Hyatt is way closer…
No Complains
Cesar Baldaccini made a cast of his thumb in pink translucent plastic in 1965 for a Paris gallery. It ended up selling at auction for over a million euros. So he made more. Bigger thumbs. In all sorts of materials. …
Man With Camel
Aside from enjoying the pool, and the summery weather, we didn’t do much during our layover in Qatar. This was mainly for two reasons. One, it’s Ramadan; Muslims fast during the day for a month. Not an ideal time to…
The Kebab Had No Defects
We were up early and out of the Gemini Lodge in Rotorua by 7 AM. Tony was up to say goodbye; he knocked on our window while Stephen was dressing and I was in the shower and then he woke…
Violent Explosions, Ejecta, Steaming Fumeroles and Boiling Mud
The reunion was scheduled through Monday, but our flight out was Monday afternoon, so Sunday was the final full day in NZ. And it was glorious. Sunny, warm, technicolor greens and blues, much like the last three weeks. Some…
The Gorge, the Luge, the Geysers, the Volcanic Depression
I snapped this picture as we headed out of Gisborne. SS said don’t take that shot, we have a million NZ shots like that. True. We do. But, also, half of today’s drive was like this shot, as was most…
The Shortest One I’ve Ever Seen
It rained during the night. We woke up to clouds. 29 days no bad weather, we thought, well, this is it. Au contraire. Cloudy, yes, windy, yes, but it warmed up, t-shirt was sufficient, and by late afternoon it was…
The Biggest One I Ever Saw
Another sunny day. Another beautiful drive. Another spectacular beach. We finished up breakfast, packed the car, completed essentials (Wordle, Movie Grid, Spelltower, etc.) and were on the road north before 10. We aren’t carrying on up the East Cape after…
East Cape, Cape East, Young Nick’s Head
East Cape, Cape East, Young Nick’s Head. All good names for a pub. But they are in fact just descriptors for the easternmost points of New Zealand, our destination today. We had a leisurely morning at the pavilion. I…
Forest for the Trees
What a glorious day. It had rained during the night. Sun out this AM. Puffy clouds. Hit 22. No humidity. First week of autumn and it could be mid-July in Vancouver. We set off after breakfast deep into the…