The Diamond Princess

Fortunately it is also a place Tony has wanted to see, and crossing the Pacific to get there is the bonus.

Our trip was uneventful getting to San Diego, road to Toronto clear, picked up Deb and Mike in Bracebridge (they crossed the Atlantic with us), headed to Toronto for an overnight. Watching Canada win the World Junior Hockey was exciting!

Canada!

We were at the airport by 5:30, easily passed through Customs etc., on to our full flight on route by 8:15 a.m.

Tony and I always pick aisle seats across from each other. Unfortunately Tony got moved, rightfully so, when a passenger in the seat beside him went into what they thought was Cardiac Arrest mid flight. The man was very well taken care of, a Doctor was requested from the passengers. Three appeared, the first one there took over, equipment immediately showed up including oxygen. The man was improving as time progressed, the Doctor was with him the length of the five and a half hour flight.

Arriving in San Diego to a sunny, warm, and clear day we took a cab to the pier, bags were dropped off and we boarded with ease, incident free. We thank our driver “Mahmoud” who knew exactly where to deliver us. Tony offered other suggestions but Mahmoud said “no Sir, I know how to take care of you!” Any lines we were in, moved quickly. We have spent time in San Diego before, it is a beautiful city.

We quickly checked out our rooms then met in the bar for a refreshment while waiting for our luggage to catch up with us. It was after all almost cocktail time in Ontario! We were slowly unwinding from our long day and knew sleep would not be far off.

The winds were high off the California coast and the Captain warned us of rougher seas causing a more southerly route at the beginning of our journey. Yes there were rollers but not white caps that lulled us to sleep shortly after our dinner. I felt like I was in a hammock! Loved it.

Rollers, 22 degrees F, cool at night

The sun poured through the curtains this morning like a fireball. I was sure I just missed a perfect sunrise and promised myself I would see it tomorrow. Sunrises and sunsets are stunning all over the world, North Bay my favourites, but on the ocean they can surround you with their beauty and draw you in with a feeling of hope.

We will have five days at sea, they will be relaxing. There are many things to do each day should you chose to get involved. Like in any small city you can embrace your passions or choose to do nothing at all.

Today we became familiar with our surroundings and I felt a bit of déjà vu. I knew we had been on this ship! Tony said “no way”…..

We sailed in 2011 from Australia through Asia with the Follis’s and Evans on the Diamond. Donna’s sister Carol and brother-in-law Clare also joined us. Built in 2004, refurbished in 2019, she carries 2760 passengers and 1100 crew. Lots of great memories came flooding back of our journey from Sydney to Beijing. Honestly I did not notice much of a difference until I used our washroom. There was a significant light show eminating out of the darkness within the room. After flicking the light switch I saw the source! New, rather odd shaped Japanese toilets have been installed. They have cushioned warm seats, sprays, driers, and more, all with many adjustable levels. When sat on, a gentle hum is heard, why? All instructions in Japanese - needless to say we had our Room Steward turn everything off! I do have a feeling though Tony at some point will turn it all on again and press every possible button, from low to high!

Well rested, our appetites have returned. We chose a smaller dining room, The Pacific Moon which is intimate, cozy and comfortable. We did have to change tables, the first night the banquette seating swallowed Tony and Mike, reducing them to lower heights; Tony knows now why I can’t sit on them - I think they will be refurbishing those cushions before too long. Rudulpho (Phillipines) and Phillipo (Equador) took great care of us. They both have huge smiles, great sense of humour, positive attitudes - dinner was a lot of fun and delicious.

Tonight we went to the theatre to see “Bravo” with the ships performers- fabulous music, incredible strong voices from Opera to Pop, all familiar songs from live theatre and top movies known to all.

The piano was being played in the corner of “Crooners” where we had our nightcap- I had a Baileys Raspberry……… Baileys, Raspberry Vodka, Raspberry Liqueur... so good.

Night now!

The sun shall rise

Day Three - I thought travelling shortly after celebrating the New Year would be a bit rushed, but Christmas did get put away, the fridge got cleaned out and the house was tidy; packing for the trip was last minute and a bit of a nuisance for me, after all I leave my summer clothes at the cottage. I was overwhelmed by it and this caused me to overpack, forget some essentials and totally ignore my goal of “keeping it simple”. Today I put some stuff back in my suitcase knowing an item would not be worn, hasn’t been worn for years, and will not be worn again! Lesson learned! Keep it simple.

The clouds this morning were beautiful. I could see the sun trying to peak through, I knew it would not be long. The ocean has white caps today but not bothersome. We are now moving west so my sunrise will turn to sunset.

We know we are not alone out here

Our day went quickly with a couple of lectures; Tony is becoming familiar with our island stops in Hawaii which does not happen until Thursday. We stayed up a little later watching dancers in Club Fushion while waiting for a comedian to perform. Honestly the dancers were more humorous than he was! Talk about some interesting moves…. and those who took dance lessons were eager to show their fancy steps.

It was a beautiful day, each day getting warmer, gentle breezes, clear skies, high humidity. The nights are cooler.

Until tomorrow…

From the blue moving clockwise…..

Azulejo Blanco - Silver Tequila, Lime, Blue Curaçao, Pineapple, Elderflower Foam - the island’s namesake spirit stars in this beautiful blue cocktail topped with the elderflower foam dramatically recreating clouds meeting the sea off Curaçao’s coast. The blue Curaçao is made from blue oranges brought from Spain, the only place where blue oranges exist. \240This was enjoyed by Debbie, but next time will try something else on the menu.

Starry Night in Oslo - Aquavit, Black Charcoal Tea, Lemon Juice, Agave, Fresh Ginger - the crisp snap of Aquavit combined with the other ingredients including, gold dust, creates a true Scandinavian cocktail elixir similar to those enjoyed by Norwegian fishermen. \240The black cocktail shimmered with gold dust to pay homage to the long winter nights as seafaring Vikings navigated by the stars. Tony loved it, was surprised by it, went down very easy (dangerously so) - he said he felt like a Viking! Will have again.

The stars…..

Barbados Swizzler - Bacardi Light Rum, Bacardi Dark Rum, Fresh Grapefruit Juice, Agave, Velvet Falernum, Bitters - Plundering pirates and sailor’s rebellions are all part of the stories of Barbados and Rum. The birthplace of ‘Forbidden Fruit’, the grapefruit , this drink was supposed to take you to the white beaches of the island. Mike’s choice, he said “yes it was good and it took him straight to the Carribean”, it was very familiar. He will now move on to another location.

Sandra en Fuego - Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Serrano Pepper, Watermelon, Lime, Agave - Spices release the body’s natural endorphins - so this drink causes you to smile after your first little sip! My choice, surprisingly! I loved it. The aroma of the pepper and watermelon embraces your senses, you sip and the heat of the pepper, some seeds, picks you right up and lifts your taste buds almost to the moon, then disappears. It was wonderful. I will definitely have this again. By the way I gave Tony the small piece of pepper about half way through my drink, he said it was not hot, then he said, “OH, yes it is!” His face turned a nice shade of red!

It was a fun tasting! Another great tasting tonight was my dessert.

Chocolate Caramel Tart

Decadent and delightful. Dark chocolate ring topped a soft, airy mousse that was layered with caramel sauce inside. The delicate pastry tart was lined with a caramel, chocolate light candy coin that added texture. I hope to have this again as well!

Bubble, bubble

We have learned a lot about the Hawaiian Islands and it’s people this week. We are looking forward to experiencing this gentle culture within the melting pot of nationalities.

I especially trust the meaning of Aloha.

Aloha -“alo” means “presence”, “ha” means “breath” - the presence of breath or breath of life. Not only is it a greeting for hello and goodbye, it is an essence of being: love, peace, compassion and a mutual understanding of respect. \240It is to live in harmony with the people and the land around you with mercy, sympathy, grace and kindness. To say it, you give, without expecting anything in return.

With only thirteen letters in the Hawaiian alphabet, spoken words may mean many things. Simple, right?

Elsewhere and so often, words can be spewed out of mouths that have no meaning or truth. This has a way of tricking or manipulating others, but when one word goes deeper, it has true meaning.

Yes I like “Aloha”.

Akaka Falls

Here there are small fish (“o òpu”) that begins its life in the stream. When they hatch they drift downstream to the open ocean where they remain for about six months. When the o òpu receive the freshwater signal from the stream, they swim back upstream from the ocean 2.5 miles, \240using pectoral fins and the suction disc on their belly to climb up the rocky sides of the waterfall 442 feet, against the flow! They lay their eggs and it all starts over again. Talk about a challenge.

Rainbow Falls was next - much smaller 100 feet, but beautiful

There is always a rainbow.

Temperature in Hilo, 72 degrees, the Trade Winds always offer a breeze. It rarely goes below sixty and rarely above ninety. We experienced natures bounty today; Banyan trees, one of my favourites, are numerous. There are so many varieties of orchids, hibiscus, palms etc. etc. I just appreciated their beauty and strength growing on an island that is all lava rock!

The Japanese Gardens

So peaceful…

All of the Islands have a colour and a flower. Hawa’i, or the Big Island is “red”. Here in Hilo there was red…

This is Torch Ginger

We made another stop at a Zoo, I am not fond of Zoo’s and animals being in cages in a country they do not belong. Or birds not being able to fly free. This was my favourite sighting

Free as a bird…..

Talk tomorrow!

Surfboard Parking Lot

Waikiki Beach, very popular, very busy and very hot. Beautul sand. You can see Diamond Head in this photo.

Iolani Palace with King Kamehameha who in real life was seven feet two inches weighing in at just over 400 pounds!

There are lots of gorgeous gardens

Interesting sculpture’s

And long lineups for Moon Cakes in Chinatown.

This is the National Memorial Cemetary, very moving. \240We were quiet, with respect for the 70,000 men and women buried here who fought to save others, or who served their country to benefit others. We were told of Ellison Onizuki who lost his life in 1986 while aboard the Challenger space flight. His wife visits him once a week and has since his death, bringing flowers to his grave.

We head out on the “blue line” for another two hour tour - this time outside of the city, along the coastline to the Eastern Shore.

This only lighthouse is named after Amelia Earhart who seeked assistance on Oahu then after departure went missing.

This area is in the Earhart Park, the surf today was estimated at 50 - 60 feet. Surfers, body surfers, wake boarders, sea doos, you name it they were there. When we got closer we saw a body projecting out of the surf, into the air and missed where he landed. Hope that was fun!

You can see the bathers in this sheltered cove away from the swell of the ocean.

This beach is dotted with lovers of the surf! There were emergency vehicles on standby when we passed, we could see why!

The colour of the water is not captured, nor the shimmer of the light from the sun.

We are near Diamond Head, the real estate value in the 20 million range. This is the area where Oprah, Matthew McConihey purchased, since sold, homes. Of course Tom Selleck used to live here, and Bruno Mars is from here. This island has been the backdrop for many, many movies and television shows. No photos, as we approached the area gates appeared and inside those gates were long driveways.

Well it was my favourite adventure today, to see all sides of the island, the good, the bad and the in between. The tour guides were funny, knowledgeable and full of Aloha! Their patience was tested a few times by certain individuals, who did not think before speaking, and handled the situation in a very appropriate manner. Not saying who acts up the most but, God bless the USA! We returned to the ship, thirsty, straight to the bar to rehash the day, then met for dinner. Oh two more cute things seen today!

Nothing cuter than a wagon full of Golden Retriever’s unless you see two old ladies on a trolley! LOL!

Good Morning

I was hanging back, not sure of helicopters. It’s a height thing! \240We would meet and go into town later. As you can see from his photos he had what he said was “the best tour ever”. I am so happy for him that he went and I was very happy for me, to see him on his return!

Hello down there Jane!

Interior lake in Kaua’i

Landing in Jurassic Park,

Note the slippers on Tony’s feet. This helicopter company is the only one allowed here and they continue to keep this area very clean.

The famous Jurassic Park waterfall.

The Kaua’i River

Pu’u Ka Pele Forest Reserve

Nãpali Coast State Wilderness Park

Kauai County

Halele’a Forest Reserve

Tony took so many photos but these are just a highlight of his adventure. He is looking forward to watching Jurassic Park again when we get home! After his return we walked to the beach where we had a fun lunch with Mike and Debbie, did a bit of a walk about in the local shops, returning to the ship by 4:00. We were on our way to Maui.

We learned today that Mark Zuckerberg, who has a years long love affair with Hawaii, began purchasing real estate here in 2014, and he slowly continues to buy adjacent and other properties. Apparently he plans to use the land for farming, ranching and engage in wildlife conservation. He does have many residences here. Makes some people happy, some not so much. This island does not have a lot of land to develop so he purchases existing properties.

It was relaxing to be here, quiet unlike Honolulu. Are you a country mouse or a city mouse?

Reaching out

Holding on

Not two trees, one!

Touching me, the original, amazing tree!

We shopped, gallery hopped then we dropped, tired out, we board the Tender and head back to the ship. Tomorrow we head out to the sea!

Whales were seen! Maui is a leading whale watching centre. \240Humpbacks winter in the sheltered channels between the islands migrating approximately 5,600 km from Alaskan waters each fall. They spend the winter months mating and birthing in the warm waters of Maui then most leave for Alaska again in April. There was a pod around the ship this morning and another on the way back to the ship this afternoon. These small groups of several adults, or a mother, her calf and a few suitors put on quite a show, dipping, diving, rolling and jumping in the Au’au Channel.

It was a great day and of the places we have seen Maui was my favourite.

It was a nice way to start our journey back. We relaxed today. Still on holiday…….

Here are a few photos of the Diamond Princess

The main foyer

The Wheelhouse Bar

The Promenade Deck

Origami is all over this ship, as is a lot of Japanese Art

Our Mini Suite where Tony sleeps very well!

Our clocks spring ahead tonight, one more hour close to reality, four more to go! My apologies to those I have messaged in the middle of the night….sorry Nia, I responded very late!

Hilo, Hawaii

Hawaii’s biggest exports are iron, steel, copper and aluminum scraps, aircraft parts, cold water shrimp, seaweed and other edible algae, macadamia nuts, coffee and flowers.

Honolulu

Most of these items are exported to South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and China

Kauai

Imports are mostly from Japan, South Korea, Russia and China. These imports include petroleum products, electrical machinery, vehicles and pharmaceuticals.

Maui

Approximately 85% of Hawaii’s food is imported. There are enough local farms to provide produce however other items are mostly imported, including the chicken Hawaiian’s eat.

This was hard to believe…..

Every island we went to we saw chickens, lots of chickens everywhere, and yes, we heard the Rooster’s crowing from the Wharf’s. The hurricanes of 1982 (Iwa) and 1992 (Iniki) destroyed the domestic coops, releasing the chickens into the wild. The domestic birds then mated with the Wild Red Junglefowl (brought to the island by the Polynesians) resulting in the feral chickens that you see in the city, the country side, parking lots and on the roads etc. etc.

They are protected by state law, have no natural predators- maybe a cat or a dog, and are populating at alarming rates. There are approximately 450,000 running amok on Kauai alone! You can’t eat them but if you could they would be tough and gamey. Their eggs are small and apparently not so good either.

I found them amusing but I guess early wake up “cock-a-doodle-doos” are not appreciated by many. They have become part of the culture and everyone has to adapt to their presence.

They are not afraid of you at all. Adding to local economy their images appear on many t-shirts, tea towels, artist’s canvas, key chains, you name it, the souvenir list is long.

Not a peep from me!

Felipé, his wife Amelia, (Equador) Leonardo (Columbia) and the star of the show Ronaldo (Phillipines)

We dine at 7:40 each night and this group looks forward to seeing us too! If we had gone to another Diningroom they said they would come and “pluck us out”! We leisurely enjoy our meals, talk, laugh and yes tonight Ronaldo sang Happy Birthday to Debbie. The diningroom went silent. It was very special.

We have made special requests. One night Tony requested Eggplant Parmesan from Sabatini’s, the specialty Italian Diningroom. Ronaldo said he would get it for Tony the next evening. (As I said, we do not want to dine anywhere else). Sure enough it arrived for us all, Tony was thrilled. Mike loved it, not normally being an eggplant eater and Tony enjoyed his as well as mine and Debbie’s!

Mike loves Shrimp Cocktail and orders it every night. The first night it arrived very petite and it left a yearning for more. The next night Mike asked for two, they arrived. The next night Ronaldo arrived at the table with what he said “was the rest of the family”!

Each night Mike after polishing the family off, prepares his works of Art to return to the kitchen. By the way the amount has increased in size to include the cousins and pets.

Who has more fun? What will tomorrow bring?

Our desserts, something we do not have at home are delicious. The chocolate ones have been my favourite, the mousses have been like silk, pastry is flaky and the pineapple crème brûlée so velvety, the sugary topping snaps when you break into it with your spoon.

Princess Love Boat Dream - Strawberry and Chocolate Mousse inside a perfect tempered shell with thin brownie base

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake no explanation needed but the praline bits popped with flavour in your mouth.

Chocolate Hazelnut Macadamia Slice

Chocolate Mousse with Macadamia Brittle, Brownie Slice, Strawberry Gelée

After dinner we went to “Crooners”. The pianist was playing familiar tunes and everyone was singing along to Abba, Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, etc. it was a lot of fun! Happy Birthday Debbie!

They are all so pretty. This drink, a “ Hawaiian Tropic” was also pretty

And so was Mike’s latest art piece.

Tomorrow Ensenada

Disney’s “Wonder”

I like many did not get off. I had no interest in seeing Ensenada. Tony did go for a walk, to get his 10,000 steps, along the shoreline and off to the fish market. He was not impressed and was back around 11:00.

I watched from our balcony the sea lions and the seals bob and swim about, barking and growling constantly-there were many and the stench from them was not pleasant. Apparently this is quite the whale watching area and many tourist boats were heading out to do just that. They did not have to go very far, as whales were just beyond the break walls.

Merky Waters

Alas the day was spent tidying up, packing up, and saying our goodbyes to our favourite peeps. We wished our great dining staff well. Ronaldo and Felipé will carry on, Leonardo is heading home. This job is not for everyone.

We have our marching orders for tomorrow and will be off the ship apparently at 8:20 giving us lots of time to get to the airport. Our bags are outside the door ready to be picked up.

On our way to San Diego we passed a Carnival Ship heading to Ensenada, everyone has to go to Ensenada!

On the ship in our favourite bar was this map, North Bay over our shoulders every evening.

Bet they don’t get many orders for this! Tony shared his regular bagel with Debbie. Good thing I was not hungry!

The roads were clear, it was nice to see the fresh snow. We dropped off the Provan’s in Bracebridge at their daughter Brianna’s new house which she is slowly painting etc. before moving in. Exciting! We headed to North Bay and when we rounded our corner it felt good to be home. It felt good to let the kids know, we were here!

We loved our holiday. The time flew by especially when we began our trip back to San Diego. Hawaii is special, because of the people and of course the beauty of its location. We all benefitted from this trip in many ways, and appreciated it for our own personal reasons. It is good to “get away” even for brief moments. We have a busy weekend coming up so this is not over until Monday! Stay tuned!

Stunning!

The French River Beach “rats” also had a great time and Curt certainly belongs to the “pack”!

Cheers to you all!

My girls…

Also stunning! Love their laughs, and big smiles.

February was definitely a month of Colds, and nestling in to get better. We caught up on time with the grandkids and friends, good conversations, lunches and dinners! As usual for us now, medical issues, tests and bloodwork, no choices there! We all have to take care of ourselves.

We thought we would stay put, well I did, until Tony said, “Listen, there is a cruise that will end up in London, we can use our British Airways credit to get home”. This credit is a result of COVID change of plans….hence the plan for another transAtlantic. When they move ships for the next season, it is worth the research! Our bags came back upstairs BUT before that we had a wonderful grandparenting week with Wyatt and Foster while Kate and Chris went to Costa Rica.

Happy Holidays - they loved Costa Rica!

The boys were so good.

Talking to Mom and Dad

We went to Fosters hockey tournament where his team won the silver medal, he loves his hockey win, or lose. Wyatt loves his art and took great pride in making us watermelon pizza!

This was yummy, will make this summer!

Jes, Nia and Ruby went to Texas to see Uncle Mike and Aunt Cathy (Todd was working) during March break. They all were very emotional when they got home, and sorry it was over, their time was very special. They felt like they were at home, that they belonged, they were loved, \240and could be themselves. Nice! Family! They LOVED Texas, especially the stockyard experience. Their stories are awesome!

Love this!

With everyone home safe, we packed our bags and left North Bay on the 17th. Although, the day before, I took my car into the dealers to let them hear the “noise” I have been complaining about for over a year! A noise after every maintenance and test drive, they never heard. In all fairness it did come and go. I put my service rep in the passenger seat and started to turn in circles. He said: “ Stop, you are not driving anywhere in this car!” It turns out that this problem is the cause of two similar repairs I have had done….the car remains there until my return. Discussions to come. Tony’s Saab has come out of winter rest and we hit the road on a very rainy day, better than the snow storm that was forecasted. We were very fortunate to have the weather on our side!

We will head to the airport at 3:30 a.m. our flight will leave at 6:30 for Fort Lauderdale.

P.S. on the 16th we went to dinner at 100 Elements in North Bay, a student learning environment at Canadore College. In November I had reserved for the St. Patrick’s Day dinner. We enjoyed it so much; it is an experience that you are proud to be a part of, you are so hopeful for the students who are working so hard to get a place within the paths of the food industry. If you wait to the end of the school year you miss the growth, the journey. Please experience if you are able, the beginning, the middle and the end. It is ALL so good. The food is amazing and you choose your menu and your time, lunch or dinner. Through COVID they successfully managed a takeout process that ran so smoothly. We are always impressed. Congratulations to the whole Team. Here was our menu!

So darn good! It is true; “it is a culinary experience”