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Travel - Our Favourite Pastime

New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island - August 2019

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Awesome Things:
New Brunswick​
  • Bucket list trip, first time to the Maritimes!
  • Porter Direct Flight
  • Welcome to the Maritimes Sign from Ayla & Brit
  • Hotel snacks & treats, smoked salmon from Brit
  • Delta Hotels by Marriott downtown St John 
  • Port of St. John
  • ​Being on vacation with Sean, Brittany & Ayla
  • St John Idol
  • Meeting the Floyd's
  • ​Wheelchair ramp at Floyds house built by Wallace
  • Wheelchair Accessible Pontoon Boat ride on Kennebecasis River
  • Bald Eagles
  • Dulce
  • The Floyd's NB Kitchen Party with John's Seafood Chowder
  • Dana, Wallace, Mo & Jo
  • NB fog with "Lost Boys" skaters
  • St. Martins Sea Caves, Bay of Fundy
  • ​Fish & Chips
  • Saint John City Market with Boat Hull ceiling
  • ​Volkswagen Tiguan with Apple Car Play
  • Beautiful green scenery 
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Prince Edward Island
  • Confederation Bridge 10 minute drive from NB to PEI
  • Seeing red sand from bridge
  • Cows Ice Cream
  • View to Sea wheelchair accessible cottages in Darnley
  • PEI wheelchair accessible beaches
  • Lobster Boil
  • Eating Malpeque Oysters in Malpeque
  • Cabot Beach soft red sand, beach wheelchair
  • Haddock Tacos
  • ​Charlottetown Clam Chowder Poutine
  • Sean Stargazing
  • Inn at Bay Fortune 
  • Fireworks Feast  Champagne toast, Farm Tour, Oyster Hour, Love Butter, 6 course meal, homemade marshmallows 
  • Chef Michael Smith & Tuna Demo
  • Beautiful Weather
  • Mussel Night
  • Campfires
  • Seafood feast night with Quahogs, candied salmon, scallops, smoked mackerel, smoked salmon, deconstructed fish cakes
  • PEI potatoes
  • Spider Dogs
  • Avocado Crema
  • Kite Flying
  • Cavendish Beach wheelchair accessible nature walk through dunes with wildflowers, eels, view, boardwalk, 3 beach wheelchairs and beach accessible washroom with full shower
  • Ship to Shore lobster mac & cheese
  • On the Dock Eatery in Rustico fish & chips, lobster roll, potato salad
  • Roadside honour stands, firewood, potatoes, onions and elusive yellow beans
  • Raspberries
  • Fish Market

Celebrity Reflection - February 2018

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Our Itinerary 
Day   1   Fort Lauderdale, Florida  
Day   2   At Sea
Day   3   At Sea
Day   4   Puerto Limon, Costa Rica   
Day   5   Colon, Panama  
Day   6   Cartagena, Colombia  
Day   7   Cartagena, Colombia                   
Day   8   At Sea
Day   9   George Town, Grand Cayman  
Day   10  Cozumel, Mexico  
Day   11  At Sea
Day   12  Fort Lauderdale, Florida  

Thank you Mom & Dad for bringing us with you on this fabulous cruise!  
Awesome Things:
Celebrity Reflection
  • Easy flight to Florida
  • Warm weather
  • Reading our books outside
  • Sail Aways
  • Great Food (escargots, Indian, buffet & dining room)
  • Chai Latte Every Day
  • Large Accessible Stateroom
  • Abdul our stateroom attendant moving the sloth around, interacting with other towel animals
  • Super Bowl outside in the middle of the Caribbean Sea
  • Resting to "My Favourite Murder" podcast
  • Music Production
  • Happy Hour with Mom & Dad
  • Being unplugged and able to escape from internet, social media, news & ALS
  • Sun, fresh air in February, feeling warm and getting back to nature
Limon, Costa Rica
  • Greenway Private Wheelchair Accessible 6 in 1 Tour 
  • Miguel & Marco
  • Cahuita National Park, Rainforest & Beaches
  • Banana Plantations
  • Coastal Drive
  • The Tortuguero Canals
  • Bats
  • Boat Ride with our amazing Captain Carlos
  • Travis as wildlife spotter
  • Dream come true seeing many sloths in the wild, up close and demonstrating behaviours in their natural habitat
  • Lizards in trees
  • Birds
  • Surprising Raccoon in tree
  • Blue Butterflies
  • Chocolate Coffee Beans
  • Costa Rican Fruit
  • Authentic rice & beans lunch with incredible Costa Rican brown "salsa", felt more like a mild hot sauce, delicious!
  • Drinking Silver Costa Rican beer and watching the ocean while Mom & Dad went on a jungle trek
  • ​Travis buying me a sloth
Colon, Panama
  • Panama Canal (half-price ticket for disability)
  • Watching Panama Documentary on Netflix before trip.  Part 1:  Ownership switching from US to Panama  Part 2: Expansion
  • Perfect timing, as we arrived a giant cargo ship with 8000 containers was entering the locks
  • Outside observation deck with announcer describing all that is happening in the locks
  • Watching the doors built in Italy close behind the ship
Cartagena, Colombia
  • Port with beautiful flamingos, toucans, anteaters, monkeys, kitties, parrots, deer, peacocks
  • Completely Accessible port
  • Fresh mango juice
  • Dinner at La Mulata, delicious, affordable, authentic food, friendly staff
  • Tours by Locals Wheelchair Accessible Tour with Daniel and Pedro
  • Authentic lunch at La Cocina de Pepina
  • Ceviche
  • Grilled Marinated Eggplant
  • Charm of Old City
  • Castillo San Felipe de Barajas Fort
  • ​Market in the soldiers dormitories
  • Harbour
  • Beach
  • Vibrant beautiful city
Grand Cayman
  • ​Driving a jeep around the island
  • East End
  • Conch Fritters
Cozumel
  • Seeing the twelves and watching them do maintenance while drinking a beer and eating nachos, reminiscing about the "good ole days"

Summerland - August 2017

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Set on the Okanagan lake in British Columbia, Summerland Resort is an idyllic spot.  It was a very special time, bonding with Keith, Tania, Kate, Malcolm, Karma & Rolo, before Kate goes to University this fall!
Awesome Things:
  • Being met at the airport by Keith Kate & Malcolm
  • Staying in the room next to my family!
  • Playing President, Hearts & Canasta
  • ​Ben coming to spend a day at the pool with us
  • Tania's Greek Shrimp, potatoes, Thai, buffalo cauliflower
  • Cousin chefs making spontaneous blueberry soufflé together
  • Perfect Weather​
  • Peachfest
  • Making the most of our summer
  • Nielli's massage
  • Debbie, Kayla, Darryl & Michelle coming to visit
  • ​Michelle's caught & canned smoked salmon
  • ​Keith & Michelle's polite pool throw-in
  • Egg's Benedict not once, but twice!
  • ​Cherry Orchard in Naramata
  • Fruit Stands
  • ​Views & Landscapes
  • Keith's fresh fruit pancakes
  • Eagles
  • ​Hedges
  • ​Mondays at the pool
  • Spending time with family
  • 54-40
  • Hypnotist, "I can't find my bum!"
  • ​Swimming in Lake Okanagan in Penticton
  • Travis cooking with Kate & Malcolm
  • Lakeside Vineyard Bench Bubbles 
  • Forest Green Man Lavender Farm
  • Hillside Vineyard, Brie, air show
  • Red Rooster Viognier
  • Best tasting Peaches
  • Lake Okanagan
  • Theo's Greek Restaurant
  • Rolo & Karma
  • So proud of my amazing family
  • Ultimate Canadian Vacation in Summerland!

Scandinavia & Russia Cruise - August 2016

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Awesome Things:
London
  • M&S
  • Fortnum & Mason, Welsh Rarebit, Tea, Jessica, Emily, puzzling w/ Sebastian, Elizabeth 
  • Coral, Megan, Sherryn, Jamie's Italian, walking through London
  • Family meeting each other
  • Sunny Weather
  • Wolseley Breakfast, caramelized grapefruit, tea
  • Flowers, cake, wine, fruit in room from Geoff & Juliet
  • Shallow accessible bath
  • Staying in Mayfair
  • South African High Commission and Canada House both in Trafalgar Square
Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Capital of Denmark since 1417
  • A Viking fishing village
  • Kings Garden
  • Rosenborg Castle, military drills
  • Strøget - One of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in the world
  • Espresso Cart
  • Herring & Burata Caprese lunch
  • Pride festival in City Hall Square
  • The not so famous mermaid statue
Stockholm, Sweden
  • Encompasses 14 islands on an extensive Baltic Sea archipelago 
  • Hop On Hop Off City Tour
  • Vasa Warship, 1628, history tour, impressive restoration spraying every 20 minutes for 17 years, Vasa puzzle!
  • Archipelago Sail away
  • Swans
  • Fighter Jets flying overhead
  • HoHo boat straight back to the ship
Tallinn, Estonia
  • Medieval capital founded in 1154
  • Old Tallinn
  • Wheelchair accessible Viewing platform on Toompea Hill
  • Kalamaja Clean city
  • The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin (Dome Church), 1233, w/ family crests and beautiful organ
  • Baltic Chain; in 1989 2 million people held hands to form a human chain across the 3 Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania to create "The Chain of Freedom"
  • Chocolate 
  • Maarja our incredible tour guide with Tallinn Shore Excursions & Jüri our driver 
  • Passage of History
  • Colour of buildings
  • Song Festival Grounds Amphitheatre, every 5 years 25,000 choir
  • Great vibe
  • Old square. Town Hall Square and market
  • Juniper hot plate, smells delicious
  • Lunch @ Komeet with view of KGB hotel, beetroot salad
  • Estonians getting excited  = "not bad"
  • Town Wall & Towers
Celebrity Eclipse
  • Captain Leo from Greece the voice from above: Life is Beautiful
  • Travis Galley Tour
  • Travis not having to cook
  • Calm Baltic seas
  • Accessibility 
  • Indian Food
  • Buffet
  • Fish & Chips
  • Stars of St. Petersburg show "Moroshka" a troupe of dancers, singers & musicians with a Balalaika guitar, Russian cultural entertainment
  • Itinerary of ship all new countries!
  • Olympics
  • Sky Lounge panoramic sail aways
  • Mom & me couples massage so relaxed that the boys beat us badly in Canasta!
  • Sit down Eggs Benedict breakfast
  • Library
  • Balcony view
  • Steve Larkins Mercury Rising, a salute to Freddie Mercury & Queen
  • Relaxing reading our books

St. Petersburg, Russia
  • St Petersburg designed as the "Amsterdam" of Russia with canals
  • Hermitage: Peacock Clock still working, feat of engineering, given to Catherine by one of her "favourites",  staircase, private tour!  Rooms, surprises, paper maché, extra leg picture, Rembrandt, DaVinci
  • Church on the Spilled Blood (Church of the Resurrection)
  • Peterhof Gardens & fountains, gravity-fed water system
  • Peter the Great, the joker setting fountains off on people
  • View at lunch at Moskva Na Nevskom in sunshine
  • Architecture
  • St Isaac's Cathedral, 4th largest cathedral dome in the world
  • Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg's Main Street
  • Rainbow Tour Guide Elias eborkow@rainbowrussia.com
  • Sunshine
  • Shipbuilding
  • Russian language and writing
  • St. Petersburg Sail Away with lighthouses
Berlin, Germany
  • Lunch @ Schwarzwaldstuben, bulldog
  • Reichstag, fire conspiracy theory
  • Squares overwhelming sense of history
  • History lessons, 3 Reichs, Prussians, Kaiser
  • Brandenburg Gate, announcement of the Wall coming down
  • Cobble stonework representing where the Berlin Wall stood, Wall remnants
  • Dense forest in the middle of the city
  • Konzerthaus
  • Bebelplatz, Nazi book burning memorial
  • Memorial to the German Resistance
  • Free University
  • Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe design by Peter Eisenman
  • Stasi Tower to watch the Wall Tower guards
  • Driving 160km on the autobhan
  • Merkel living normally

Sandals Grande Antigua - January 2016

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Awesome Things:
  • ​Leaving cold Ottawa in January arriving to beautiful sunshine
  • ​Dickenson Bay Beach
  • ​Feels like home
  • Room, Balcony & View
  • Friendly staff
  • Cats at the Resort
  • Don's Visit
  • Reading books on the beach
  • Day Tour around the Island, seeing things we haven't seen before
  • Floating in the pool
  • Gardens, flowers, landscaping, beautiful
  • Watching other weddings while reminiscing about ours
  • Bubble Jet Bath
  • Eating outside
  • Eleanors Blackened Mahi Mahi
  • Watching the Blackbirds at Barefoot Café
  • Travis carrying me in & out of the Ocean
  • Feeling like I have a normal body when floating in the saltwater
  • Sushi at Soy, amazing
  • Spending time with Travis, relaxing

Tuscany - October 2015

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  • Podere di Pomaio - one of the most beautiful places on Earth, Family owned Organic Vineyard with 800 year-old Villa
  • View of Vineyards, Arezzo & Gorgeous Sunsets
  • Calzette "Little Socks" - Pomaio's resident cat
  • Wood Oven Pizza, breakfast pizza
  • Playing cards and drinking wine in front of the fire in the villa
  • Napping & Reading
  • "Pam" - Italian Grocery Store
  • Italian Feast at Pomaio with Etruscan Cheese, delicious deep fried veggies & deep fried sage, First Pressed Olive Oil, homemade pasta, Tiramisu, and so much more!
  • Montepulciano Wine Tour with Tour Guide Andrea, visiting Tenuta Valdipiatta, Poliziano and Talosa Vineyards
  • Lunch in the Sunshine in Front of Il Duomo
Awesome Things:
  • Meeting best friends at the airport in Florence
  • Andy's Party Bus
  • ​Hilton's Executive Suite Happy Hour with Gorgeous Views of Florence (Thank you Heather!)
  • Florence Taxi Driver Joy Ride with views of Pitti Palace, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce
  • Sitting outside having dinner in Florence at Ristorante Natalina with best Pasta Gorgonzola ever
  • Lunch in Arezzo in the Piazza Grande at Logge Vasari while Nona makes homemade pasta

Southeast Asia & Japan - April 2015

Awesome Things:
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Diamond Princess
  • Spending time with family
  • Large accessible stateroom with balcony
  • Relaxing and watching two amazing & moving movies; "The Railway Man" & "The Imitation Game"
  • Food, especially the Arrabiata
  • Trivia game shows
  • Canadian Captain Todd McBain
  • Australians
  • Don not smoking
  • Travis not cooking
  • South African Art Director & 30,000 years of Art History in 30 minutes (really 90 minutes) Cave Art to Pop Art
  • Learning Japanese "Kon Ban Wa", "Genki-des'"!
  • Celebrating Mom & Dad's Anniversary
  • Mango Sorbet
Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
  • Crossing the street is an adrenaline rush
  • Ben Thanh market & Phō lunch, flowers in the market, lacquer handicrafts, weasel poo coffee
  • People
  • War Remnants Museum, interesting seeing the propaganda and different perspective, also the helicopters & tanks, but Agent Orange photos totally disturbing
  • My first visit to a Communist Country
  • City Hall
  • Notre Dame Church
  • Independence Palace; The Northvietnamese army tank crashed through the gate during the Fall of Saigon
  • US Embassy, where the last Americans were taken away by helicopter on the roof
Da Nang
  • Driving through the mountain tunnel (6 1/2 kms)
  • Embroidery Art
  • Han Market
  • Dragon Bridge
  • No Homelessness, everyone given jobs & a place to live
  • China Beach
  • Marble Mountain
  • Lady-Buddha, made of all white marble and is 72 meters tall, she is the protector of sailors
  • Cham Museum Statues
  • Linh Ung Pagoda with bonsai and marble sculptures in courtyard
  • Manicured bushes
  • Coconut fisherman boats
Phuket, Thailand
  • Andaman White Beach Resort, romantic and private
  • Andaman Sea & beach, sound of waves
  • Room on beach with gorgeous view, outdoor shower & plunge pool
  • Fresh juice delivered daily
  • Travis carrying me into the sea and floating on our backs
  • Geckos
  • Food - 3 restaurants; Tom Yam Thai, Coconut Terrace and The Beach Bar & Pizzeria, all delicious
  • Round the Island Tour; Big Buddha, viewpoints, fruit stands, crazy electrical wires
  • Weather & palm trees beautiful
  • Sunsets
  • Aphrodite Cabaret Ladyboy Show
  • Phuket Noodles
Singapore
  • Flowers in airport
  • Meeting up with Phi Sig Alum Steve Dufresne at Raffles Hotel & enjoying Singapore Slings
  • Hotel Royal Plaza on Scots Street, the amazing lobby & buffet
  • Meeting family in an exotic location
  • Orchard Rd Shopping
  • Street Art
  • Lush Greenery all over city (country?) crawling up the underside of concrete bridges (oh how that would beautify Montreal!)
  • Unique architecture
  • Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour (HoHo) & Singapore Flyer
  • Botanical Gardens especially the National Orchid Gardens & Cool House & our lizard king friend
  • East Coast Lagoon Hawker Market
  • Marina Bay Sands Hotel (looks like a cruise ship on top)
Hong Kong
  • Kowloon to Hong Kong Star Ferry
  • HoHo bus - skyscrapers, markets, Cat Street, Sky 100
  • Legoland
  • The Victoria Peak Tram (the fastest, steepest, highest funicular I have ever been on).  They took great care of me in my wheelchair and let me on first!
  • Dim Sum
  • Maritime Museum
  • Harbour Cruise
  • Mom & Dad meeting up with Wayne Lee
  • Train station clock tower
  • Symphony of Lights Show
Taiwan, Taipei
  • Taipei 101, the 2nd highest skyscraper in the world, and the steel pendulum sphere that makes it earthquake proof
  • Architecture
  • Changing of the Guard at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, it was like a dance and fight scene all at once
  • Tea Sets
  • Landscaping
  • Lungshan Buddhist Temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy
Japan
  • Diamond Princess built in Japan
  • People waving
Kagoshima
  • Green Tea
  • Chiran Peace Museum, Kamikaze (Tokkō) Pilots letters to home, lanterns
  • Chiran Gardens and Samurai Houses, Sata Naotada's Garden, stone arrangements and trees manicured to accompany mountain
  • Japanese Carp swimming in water channel along sidewalk
  • Mount Sakuramima erupting just as our tour guide mentioned that it erupts 440 times per year
  • Sail-Away; incredible drummers, families coming to wave goodbye, drummers chanting, waving flags, running, & singing alongside ship as we sail off
Osaka
  • Tugboat welcome water display
  • Arriving into port with band playing and people waving
  • Cat Café, especially stubby legs kitty
  • Incredible friendly and helpful people despite language barrier
  • Giant lego giraffe & ferris wheel
  • Sake & authentic sushi
  • Kimonos
  • Tempozan Harbour Village
  • Chikko Koyasan Temple & local teaching Don Buddhist practices
Tokyo
  • Tsukiji Fish Market, largest in the world, where Travis bought 4 handmade steel Japanese knives with his name engraved in Japanese from a 5th generation, 18th century shop called Masahisa
  • Sushi restaurant in the fish market
  • Oysters, BBQ Scallop with secret butter sauce, sashimi in the market
  • Uppudo fresh Ramen
  • Tempura at Ginza Tenkuni
  • Hotel Gracery Ginza and the amazing location
  • Feeling of safety, nobody locks up their bikes
  • People only cross at crosswalks when they have green!
  • Locals walking us places
  • Architecture
  • HoHo bus, greenery on terraces, Skytree Tower, building of Olympic site, Death Star media building, everyone waving
  • Imperial Palace Gardens, swans and cherry blossoms
  • Flash mob on Chuo-Dori street in Ginza
  • Travis watching Jiro, 3 Michelin star chef of Sukiyabushi, watch movie "Jiro Dreams of Sushi"
  • High tech toilets with privacy settings
Loved this city, I could totally live here

San Francisco & Napa Valley February 25 - March 4, 2015

Awesome Things:
  • San Francisco being extremely accessible
  • Customer Service
  • Sunshine
  • Pet Friendly Hotel
  • Hop On Hop Off Bus
  • Murals/Artwork
  • Fisherman's Wharf
  • Inescapable Alcatraz
  • Sea Lions
  • Oracle - America's Cup Boat
  • Chinatown (largest Chinatown outside of Asia)
  • Z & Y Chinese restaurant, Hot & Sour soup
  • Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Haight Ashbury
  • Architecture
  • Crooked Lombard Street
  • Hog Island Oyster Company
  • Muir Woods
  • Ocean, Sand Dunes & Waves
Sonoma & Napa
  • Travelling with Best Friends
  • Alice Waters' "Chez Panisse", "You have sunshine coming from your table" quote from the waitress
  • airbnb Sonoma Cottage w/ firepit
  • Sunflower Café Breakfast with Monster Mimosas
  • Champagne Tasting at Sigh
  • Wine Tasting at Passaggio with random hailstorm and story of "Unmarked" label
  • Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc
  • Truth or Dare
  • Napa Valley Wine Tour with George 1) Keever (fire drama & amazing cab sauv)  2) Allora with Caesar the wine cat 3)  Cliff Lede with stories of Margaret Keane and "Big Eyes"
  • Lunch at Auberge du Soleil, sunshine & gorgeous view

Sandals Grande Antigua - September 27 - October  5, 2014

  • Mimosas for breakfast with beautiful views
  • Café de Paris with incredible coffee & ice cream
  • Sushi
  • Beautiful grounds with flowers everywhere & fire pits at night
  • Hobie Cat
  • Candlelight dinner on the beach
  • Swim up pool bars
  • Showering and napping after a day in the sun
  • Reading our books
Awesome Things:
  • Having the same room as our wedding with a 4 poster bed, jacuzzi and view of our wedding gazebo
  • Spending our 5th year wedding anniversary on the beach where  we were married, wonderful memories throughout
  • Mystic II Catamaran, snorkeling and seeing a reef shark and giant sting ray
  • Perfect beach with soft sand, amazing weather and turquoise water
  • Luxury Cabana
  • Couples Massage
  • Island cats everywhere
  • Travis's new pair of Maui Jims
  • BBQ Beach Party
  • Not waking up to an alarm
  • Winning at Canasta
  • Eating lunch with our feet in the sand
  • Staff with a sense of humour
  • Lovers Game Show
  • Celebrating Don's birthday with Don on his actual birthday!

Las Vegas - Labour Day Weekend 2014

Awesome Things:
  • Girls dream weekend with Heather, Tania & Brittany
  • The Cosmopolitan gorgeous suite with balcony view & then the Penthouse!
  • Bellagio Fountain
  • Cirque-du-Soleil; The Beatles Love @ the Mirage
  • Portofino tasting menu @ the Mirage
  • Alizé tasting menu @ the Palms, 5 hour dinner!
  • Bouchon @ the Venetian
  • Olives @ the Bellagio
  • Butlers & Liquor Fairies
  • Girls Dance Parties
  • Blue Ribbon sushi & fried chicken @ the Cosmopolitan
  • Pool Parties
  • Ice Bucket Challenge Vegas Style
  • Surprise Veuve from Annemarie & Travis
  • Random mix of people
  • Laughing, crying, singing, dancing
  • Limo to Helicopter landing in the Grand Canyon
  • Grooving to Top Gun in the Heli
  • Flying over the strip to "Viva Las Vegas"
  • Wicked Spoon best breakfast buffet ever @ the Cosmopolitan

  • And...sorry folks, it stays in Vegas!!!

Niagara-on-the-Lake & Niagara Falls - August 2014

Awesome Things:
  • Canadian Wine Country
  • Treadwell farm to table cuisine
  • Surprises & birthday royalty
  • Heirloom tomato salad
  • Sunshine & eating outside
  • Sharing a suite with Heather & Andy at 124Q
  • Family & honouring papa Smith
  • Peller Estates tasting menu & wine pairing
  • Toasts
  • Ravine Vineyard
  • Presents for everyone
  • Childhood photo books
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  • Stunning Niagara Falls
  • Rainbows
  • Funicular showing up right when you need it
  • Stunning suite with gorg views of the falls
  • Turning all the lights off and watching fireworks from your room
  • Hornblower boat trip & getting soaked
  • Dinner with a view of the falls

Kikomun Creek - June 2014

Awesome Things:
  • Bucket List:  Camping with Travis in Canada with Keith, Tania, Kate & Malcolm
  • Kate & Malcolm such lovely teenagers
  • The Rockies
  • Campfires
  • Sleeping in a tent
  • Turtles
  • Ice Cream
  • Canasta, Euker, President
  • Humzingers
  • Oscar Meyer Bologna Song
  • Catapulting Meteorites at the US border
  • Headz up
  • Lake Kocanusa
  • Campsite #85 
  • Shopping in Kalispell, Montana
  • Café Jax, Eureka, Montana
  • Free Pizza
  • Beach Day
  • Hammocks
  • Dads & Uncles being shot at with airsoft guns by Malcolm
  • Karma & Rolo chilling by the fire
  • Crab Legs
  • Veggie dogs (okay so everyone else says Oscar Meyer, Viking & Cheesy wieners)

Mediterranean Cruise - May 2014

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Our Itinerary:
May 10:  Depart London, Southampton
May 11 - 13:  At Sea
May 14:  Barcelona, Spain 
May 15:  Corsica (Ajaccio), France 
May 16:  Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy  (Tarquinia Catacombs)
May 17:  Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy (Cinque Terre)
May 18:  Genoa, Italy (for Milan) (Portofino)
May 19:  Marseille (Provence), France 
May 20:  At Sea 
May 21:  Gibraltar, Great Britain 
May 22 - 23:  At Sea 
May 24:  London (Southampton), England 

London Highlights & Awesome Things:
  • Travis spending time with Coral, John, Megan, Jason, Hannah, Mikaela, Rachel, Sherryn, Daniel & Katie in Harpenden
  • Spending time with Geoff, Juliet, Richard, Emily, Rupert, Jessica & Hugo @ Zedel's
  • Fish & Chips
  • Tower of London
  • Mayfair
  • Jamie Olivers; olives on ice & espresso martinis
  • Thames river cruise
  • Bus tour with history of London
Cruise Highlights & Awesome Things:
  • Playing Canasta
  • Indian Food
  • Galley Tour & Chef's Table
  • Happy Hour
  • Mercury Rising (Queen Tribute Band)
  • Mini-Suite with bathtub, walk-in closet & balcony
  • Montreal Canadiens beating the Boston Bruins
  • Dancing in the club with Travis
  • British Trivia
  • Mother's Day Massage with Mom
  • Fantastic Staff from the Philippines, Italy & Budapest
  • Reading our books
  • Travis not having to cook
  • Daniel's Italian Plate
Barcelona
  • Bus Tour in the Sun
  • Architecture; roof tiles resembling Dragon scales
  • Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia under construction since 1882
Corsica (Ajaccio)
  • Beautiful Port
  • Market
  • Mussels in front of the ship
  • The no. 5 bus to the beach is "how you say...irregular"
  • Napolean's birthplace
Civitavecchia 
  • Tarquinia
  • Catacombs
  • Dario
  • Etruscan lunch
  • Olive oil
  • Etruscan Museum with erotic vases
  • Gelatto
  • Weeping Madonna
Marseille
  • One of France's oldest cities
  • Largest port in the Med
  • French wine
  • Old port
Livorno 
  • Cinque Terre
  • Andrea our fabulous historian guide
  • Lemon Festival
  • Pesto
  • Cats
  • Boat ride
  • Train ride
  • Landscape; houses, vineyards, churches on cliffside
  • Leaning Tower of Pisa
Genoa 
  • Most beautiful port
  • Lighthouse
  • Portofino
  • Boat ride
  • Santa Margherita
  • Focaccia
  • Scenery
  • Coffee in the sunshine
  • Paparazzi chasing stars
  • Monastery
Gibraltar 
  • Barbary Apes
  • WWII Tunnels
  • Europa Point
  • The Rock
  • St. Michael's Cave
  • Airport Runway with road passing through it
  • Unique
  • The Pillars of Hercules
  • All religions welcome

Mexico - February 2014

  • Shopping in Playa del Carmen
  • Not knowing what time or day it is
  • Tricycling with the family through the jungle
  • Mayan Ruins at Cobá
  • Mayan Honey Bees
  • Mexican Monkeys
  • Snorkelling in the Lagoon at Akumal
  • Ceviche & Seafood Platters
Mexico Highlights & Awesome Things:
  • Spending time with Keith, Tania, Kate & Malcolm
  • Sailing with Travis
  • Playing President on the Beach
  • Swimming daily in the Ocean
  • Jacuzzis
  • Cool, soft sand
  • Unlimited drinks & beach service with Yara
  • Coaties
  • Iguanas soaking up the sun
  • Kitties all over the resort, basking on the statues
  • Reading on the beach
  • Drinking Fresh Coconuts
  • Special Cheesy Fondue Dinner with Kate & Malcolm
  • Harvest Moon
  • Chill Out outdoor dining on our last evening
  • Grand Riviera Princess & Grand Sunset Princess

New Orleans - January 2014

PictureGalatoire's
New Orleans Highlights & Awesome Things:
  • Being there with your best friends
  • The Roosevelt
  • Sazeracs
  • Beignets and the best café au lait at Café du Monde
  • "All that Jazz" Po'Boys at the Verdi Marte
  • Brass Band at Preservation Hall
  • Zeta Psi @ Tulane University
  • Streetcar through the Garden District
  • Drinks at The Columns
  • Walking Tour of the Garden District with experienced tour guide, including the historic Lafayette Cemetery
  • Fritzel's European Jazz Pub
  • Hurricanes in the sunshine at Pat O'Briens
  • Oysters with Rodney at Desire
  • Napolean House for Lunch
  • Galatoire's for lunch (jacket necessary - classy!); sit downstairs and ask for Imre as your server, reservations necessary
  • Bourbon Street, Jackson Square and walking the French Quarter day & night!
  • Haunted Walk
  • K-Pauls Restaurant
  • New Orleans School of Cooking
  • Commander's Palace tasting menu & wine pairing


Italy - November 2013

Tuscany
  • Surprising Heather & Andy at the airport with roses & sausage
  • Our 800 year old Villa on a Vineyard at Podere di Pomaio with the brothers Marco & Iacopo
  • Marcopo our Tuscan kitty
  • Best Friends, Fires, Cards & Sunsets (and a little wine)
  • Arezzo & Piero della Francesca's Frescoes
  • Siena and the Piazza del Campo
  • Vineyard tour of Castello D'Albola in Chianti
  • White Truffle at Osteria di Giovanni (Thanks mum2! xo)
  • Wine Tour at Podere di Pomaio and 1st pressed olive oil
Venice
  • Vaporetto (water bus)
  • Water for streets, canals & bridges
  • Visit with Uncle Geoff
  • Gondola Ride
  • Ducal Palace
  • Bridge of Sighs
  • Peggy Guggenheim Museum
  • Rialto Bridge
  • City as a Labyrinth
Italian Highlights & Awesome Things:
Rome
  • Colosseum
  • Palatine & Roman Forum
  • Trevi Fountain 
  • Trajan's Column
  • Pantheon
  • Piazza Navona with Bernini's Sculpture
  • Largo di Torre Argentina:  Roman Ruins of Pompey's Theatre where Julius Caesar was killed (et tu Bruté?), that is now a Cat Sanctuary, yup you heard right A CAT SANCTUARY!  How great is that?
  • Spanish Steps
  • Vatican:  St. Peter's Basilica & Sistine Chapel
  • Italian pizza, chocolate, gelato, risotto, pasta, tomato


Florence

  • Santa Maria del Fiore "el Duomo" & Baptistry
  • The market with belts & bags
  • Il Papiro; beautiful stationary store
  • Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise"
  • The Uffizi with an astounding collection of Renaissance Masters
  • The Accademia with "David", absolute perfection
  • Ponte Vecchio
  • Palazzo Vecchio
  • Santa Croce with the tombs of Michelangelo, Dante, Ghiberti, Machiavelli & Galileo to name a few
  • Pitti Palace
  • Santa Maria Novella

Naples
  • Mount Vesuvius 
  • Pompeii
  • Travis's Birthday and Auguri Birthday Cake
  • Napoli Pizza best pizza in the world

Positano
  • Lemons
  • Seafood
  • Gorgeous cliffside dwellings
  • View from our Terrace

Places We've Lived

Carol:  Richmond, British Columbia - Montreal, Quebec - St. Sauveur, Quebec - Whistler, British Columbia - Banff, Alberta - Cape Cod, USA - Bristol, England - St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles - Toronto, Ontario - Ottawa, Ontario

Travis:  Durban, South Africa - Auckland, New Zealand - St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles - Melbourne, Australia - Ottawa, Canada

Places We've Traveled

 Carol:  Canada - England - Wales - Austria - Holland - Ireland - St. Maarten - France - Antigua - St. Kitts - St. Barths - Anguilla - Saba - New Zealand - Fiji - Barbados - St. Thomas - South Africa - Namibia - Zimbabwe - USA - Guatemala - Jamaica - Italy - Mexico - Spain - Corsica - Gibraltar - Thailand - Singapore - Vietnam - Hong Kong - Taipei - Japan - Denmark - Sweden - Estonia - Russia - Germany - Dominican Republic - Turks & Caicos - Costa Rica - Panama - Colombia - Grand Cayman

Travis:  South Africa - Swaziland - Lesotho - New Zealand - Singapore - St. Maarten - England - Australia - St. Kitts - St. Barths - Nevis - Anguilla - Saba - Antigua - Fiji - Canada - France - Barbados - St. Thomas - Namibia - Zimbabwe - USA - Italy - Mexico - Spain - Corsica - Gibraltar - Thailand - Singapore - Vietnam - Hong Kong - Taipei - Japan - Denmark - Sweden - Estonia - Russia - Germany - Dominican Republic - Turks & Caicos - Costa Rica - Panama - Colombia - Grand Cayman
carol skinner  - rolyskinner@gmail.com
travis skinner - skinnertravis@gmail.com