Our home for the next 5 months is an aft cabin #6098.

One of our last Tucson sunsets

Tomorrow we are taking Olivia to her Aunt Alane and Uncle Steve’s house for 5 months. \240 She doesn’t have a clue how much her world will change tomorrow. \240 We will miss her! \240 We have friends taking us to an airport hotel as we fly at 6:00 AM on Wednesday. \240 We are so excited!

And we are off to the hotel for a 4:30 AM shuttle pickup.

A very long day, but we arrived at the Westin around 4:00 PM and have a lovely ocean front room. \240 We will see a lot of ocean over the next 5 months. \240

Viking left a gift of champagne and cheese and crackers in our room

Dinner at Martaronos was outstanding. \240 Steve was cooking and we had a wonderful meal which included lobster Diablo! \240Yum!

After booking over 2 years ago we board tomorrow. \240 I feel like a kid going to Disney for the first time \240 \240

Map of our ports between Fort Lauderdale and Cabo

Olivia is settling in and she and Dottie decided to stop hissing and play this morning. \240 Here’s hoping they become BFF’s!

The ship is decorated for the holidays but, the most interesting thing are the gingerbread houses. \240 They are lovely!

Anchored next to our ship is the Virgin Scarlet Lady. \240The balconies are interesting. \240 We aren’t sure if these are hammocks or chairs. \240With this wind either might be dangerous

Tonight we attended the Sissel Christmas Concert. \240 It was spectacular. \240 Then we had dinner in the Restaurant with some new friends

Later the weather improved and we walked a little over a mile around the track. \240The winds are still gusting about 30 mph and it was a tough walking against the wind.

Later we have a massage and dinner at Manfreid’s and attended the Christmas concert on the ship. \240Overall a busy and fun day

Tonight’s show is a performance of Broadway show tunes. \240The singers sang some of our favorites.

The food has been very good and we discovered a new liquor Nero Bottago. \240Very good after dinner.

The real trip starts tomorrow with the arrival in Cartagena and our shore excursion. \240 The weather is to be warm with no rain. \240Goodie!

Tha port is a large commercial port and very busy.

We stopped at the old fort for pictures. \240 This is. UNESCO world heritage site and there are many individuals selling crafts and ladies in national costume that ask to have their picture taken with you for a fee. \240There was also a cute burro who wore flowers and a hat for pictures. \240 I simply snapped candies of both.

The old city walls were erected in the 1600’s and still stand today. Many places there are still cannons in the wall. \240We stopped at a local market for a brief time. The bay is beautiful featuring the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. \240The new area of Cartagena has been high rise building

Upon return to the ship there is a nature park. \240We were able to see an Anteater with her baby on her back and of course if there are flamingos we need pictures!

We returned to our beautiful ship for lunch and our early departure.

Dinner tonight at the Restaurant. \240 Jeff enjoyed a curry dish and the high point for me was the beef carpaccio. \240 It was awesome! \240 Tomorrow Colon and Panama, we have been on board 7 days, but it feels like yesterday. \240 Let’s see how we feel in 40, 60, 90 days.

Tonight’s show was Broadway after dark a series of American and British show tunes. \240 Very enjoyable. \240

It still windy not as humid

Empty cruise port building

Dancers

I dug up some old pictures from the canal

Tonight during cocktails a couple arrived in the Explorer’s Lounge and they were getting married. \240 Below are some pictures. \240 They were adorable. \240 We also discovered a new favorite cordial!

The ocean is beautiful today.

Sunset was beautiful tonight

Tonight’s show is a ventriloquist, Don Bryan and Noteworthy, that should be fun.

Today I walked 2 miles and Jeff is still out on the track probably getting 4-5 miles in. \240 It is much cooler and much less humid.

Olivia has taken up a new hobby of bird watching. It is great for her as the Asp’s have trees right outside their windows, which her forever home doesn’t offer. \240 With this additional activity and fun at her temporary residence she might not want to come home.

Our second lock of the day around 1:30 PM. \240 The Gamboa Lock.

Locks closed in front and back of ship as water level is lowered

Locks open at new lower level

Mules or tow trains in Panama Canal are train locomotives that help steer large ships through the canal, preventing them from hitting and damaging the canal.

Our third and final lock arriving about 1:30 PM at the Mariflores Lock, exiting about 3:00 PM. We have passed from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

The locks are closing

Once the locks close the drops over 500 feet

Locks just closed

Water has dropped and locks will open

As the lock opened a large gathering of Panama citizens were there shouting happy new year to us. \240

Tonight’s concert is a series of southern sounds including many country hits. \240Another full day, we had a great time! \240It is great to spend so much time together after all the yeats of school, long work hours and travel.

This morning a large sailboat was docked next to us in port. \240 There was also a cute train to take guests down the large cruise dock. \240The ship Star Clipper was registered in 🇸🇪 Sweden and had over 100 passengers.

We enjoyed the excursion today we learned a great deal about Costa Rico. \240We drove to Esparza and enjoyed some dancing and music. \240Leaving the cruise port there was a small beach. \240 Along the trip we passed a small river that the guide said would dry up before May when it rains again. \240

The harbor was lovely. \240

Coffee plant

Coffee pod

Sample of cart used to move coffee from the field

Our port picture

Olivia had a busy day yesterday, \240she helped Alane sweep and mop the dining and living room. \240Having experienced her help before it makes the task take much longer. \240 Alane said she was tired last night, but up early for bird watching.

We had dinner with new friends Kathleen and Bill Stafford at Manfried’s tonight. \240Dinner was great and dessert was wonderful a soufflé. \240 We enjoyed dinner then went to the pool deck to dance on deck with the band until after midnight. \240 Lots of fun!!

On deck dancing at midnight. \240The hair tells the story, very humid, but loads of fun!

I took a photo of a model of the ship and also the aft where our cabin is located . This model also show the infinity pool on the aft

I think we will go to the outdoor pool this afternoon and rest after staying up past 1:00 last night.

Dinner was yummy wedge salad and mussels followed by port. \240 Early evening due to late night last night.

After lunch on the 7th deck I went to the pool also on 7. There are 2 pools one mid deck and one an infinity pool aft. \240 Both are heated with hot tubs and very nice.

Before dinner we had cocktails in the atrium. \240The violinist was superb !

Tonight after dinner we played Bruce’s Brain Busters. \240 We didn’t fare as well as others, but we had a great time. \24015 questions of bizarre knowledge.

Olivia and Dottie have a new game- lying on the floor and swatting each other around the corners of the couch. \240 Cat games

I walked 1.5 miles conditions were rough today. \240 My plan after lunch to go to the pool deck to continue working on my tan. \240Jeff continues working on his book and exercising in the gym.

Sunset tonight. \240We had cocktails on the veranda. \240It was a little windy

Early we had wine in the Artium and enjoyed the entertainment. \240We had cocktails at Torshavn, a bar on the \2402nd deck. \240Great fun with the Stafford’s. \240 After dinner the boys had cigars.

Lamp in the bar made from instruments.

I walked 2 miles and Jeff walked 6 and is going to work on his book before and after lunch. \240 My plan is the same as yesterday working on my tan.

Can’t get a much better view I’m in a lounge chair by the aft infinity pool, just above our cabin

Aft pool

What more do you need? \240Water, beer, sun screen and of course sun!

Sunset tonight

Olivia continues to make herself at home at the Asp’s. \240 She has offered her services as computer cat to her hosts. \240 She also is helpful in TV/ electrical projects, cleaning and other household tasks. \240

We had a great excursion! \240We tendered to Cabo and we were able to get great pictures of El Arco. \240 We were so excited we saw sea lions, lots of pelicans and whales. \240 There were lots of whales! \240It was so exciting and the crew on the Cabo Excursions catamaran were amazing. \240 We learned a lot about whales and had a great time

There were parasailing folks in the sky over the Sea of Cortez.

We are at the southern most point with the pacific on one side and the sea of Cortez on the other. \240There is a cool beach only accessible by ferry to the Lover’s Beach with \240calm waters and if you walk across to the other side it is the Divorce Beach as the waters are rough and dangerous.

No trip to Cabo is complete without a stop at Senor Frogs. \240 Of course we had to visit. \240 We had margaritas and tacos, but declined the shots from the bottle, that was for our younger days!

The ocean was beautiful and we enjoyed the time on the tender, onshore and on the excursions.

Sunset tonight

The ocean is choppy today and it is cooler outside.

Our granddaughter started soft ball practice yesterday and today she was featured in a \240social media post on the Arizona Red site. \240 She is doing well and we are very proud of her. \240 She celebrates her 13th birthday Tuesday.

Today we also received this letter from Viking regarding the dedication of the Neptune which will take place in LA. \240 This is rather exciting! \240Pictures will certainly be posted

Sunset tonight. \240

Olivia is having a great time and right at home. \240 She had her semi monthly food shipment delivery this week and is still lobbying for a larger serving. \240 The vet gave me her serving amounts and she thinks it is not sufficient. \240

Sunset as usual is beautiful

This afternoon I attended an art class with a new friend. It was interesting and fun. \240Art class will be held each sea day so I signed up. \240 Our project today was to learn skills using salt, alcohol, plastic wrap, a straw and a qtip.

Tonight Jeff is going to attempt to stream the TCU vs Georgia national championship game. \240 We have Jan and Gregg coming over for wine and appetizers. \240 The streaming worked unfortunately the game was very lop sided resulting in a Georgia win.

Olivia and Dottie have a new game, interesting. Dottie looks like she might be napping and Olivia is ready to pounce. Al’s snd Steve report Olivia has settled in. \240We sure do miss her, but enjoy pictures of her antics. \240We will try to FaceTime with her this week.

At sunset tonight viking conducted a naming ceremony for the Neptune. \240Viking chairman and others were on board for the dedication. \240 Sissel sang the national anthem of Norway and America.

Here are some views from inside our suite

View from inside the shower. \240Very hard to beat.

The view from our bedroom. \240

Alane is trying to keep my plant alive with Olivia’s help. \240 I guess it reminds her of home. \240 \240She also likes to help Steve in the office. \240 \240Sometimes help is the operative word.

My finished art. \240 It has improved and I learned a lot.

We had a nice evening. \240Drinks and dancing at the Torshaven and dinner at The Restaurant. \240Viking has something to do all day. \240Guest lectures, wine tasting, yoga, art classes, bridge lessons,and shows just to name a few. \240So much it is hard to decide what to do.

This afternoon I have art class and Jeff will write. \240Here is my bookmark which we made today. Mine has my favorite bird and I made it for my favorite granddaughter!

Before dinner we had cocktails at Torshaven and enjoyed the Viking Band. \240 Then we took part in a vodka tasting with French, Russian, and Polish vodkas. \240 It was fun. \240

Sparkling Wine tasting \240 \240Great fun! We tasted 4 sparkling wines, one from Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

Olivia was selected as Critter of the Month by our HOA. Here is her submitted picture taken by our granddaughter, Maribella.

My art class project for the day, not done yet.

Toninght for dinner I enjoyed beef carpaccio with olive oil and watercress. \240 As a main I had smoked ravioli with tomato pesto sause. \240 It was delightful

My finished art project from yesterday and the one today. \240My toucan has a rather strange beak. \240I’ll work on that tomorrow. \240

Cocktails on our balcony watching the coast.

Jeff got some great pictures of the volcanic coast of Hilo.

To ignite after a great dinner the Viking Band was playing on the pool deck from 9-11, so we went up and danced. \240 Cocktails were flowing and the music was great! \240 We had a wonderful time.

Sail out this evening about 5:30. \240We won’t return to american soil until late May, we are ready to see the world!

The boat ride over to the Arizona memorial was short and gave us time to reflect on the purpose of the monument and the sailors buried in the ship hull for 80 years.

Mica , Bill and Kathleen- we met on the first leg of the cruise. \240They disembarked in LA and flew to Hilo then Honolulu extending their vacation. \240We were able to meet up and do the Pearl Harbor tour and dinner before they flew back to Kansas.

The Bowfin Submarine was astonishing. \240 We were able to tour the deck and below on an actual wartime submarine.

Model of the Bowfin submarine. \240

Olivia had a great day watching a bird dvd, napping and generally looking cute

My toucan is complete. \240I worked on his beak.

Olivia is doing well. She and Dottie still have a love hate relationship but it is getting better. Olivia still loves her favorite spinnng ball toy. \240 Sitting on it is her preferred spot.

This is a busy day, we attended a Rose wine tasting class, I went to art class and Jeff worked on his book. \240 Tonight we are having dinner with another couple from Tucson.

Art class today we continued working on our card. \240 Mine is coming along this has been a 3 part lesson and we will finish the project tomorrow. \240 Also tomorrow we cross the Equator, apparently there will be a ceremony on the pool deck.

Cocktail hour and the ocean is really rough. \240 It’s raining and windy

I completed my art project a card for crossing the equator in art class today. \240

We received certificates for crossing the equator this evening.

Dinner last night with my art instructor Deb and her mate Jim. \240 Great evening, she has a very interesting background. We walked today and Jeff is writing while I’m in art class.

Today at lunch our new chef made a giant cherry pie! \240

In art class we learned how to do dot art. It was really fun. \240I made a box and painted the lid as well as a cardboard square which I will attach to a card. Today I will add some additional top dots to complete my art. \240More pictures to follow tomorrow.

Box lid

Card

Last night we had cocktails in the living room and met some new folks. \240Dinner in The Restaurant, a great meal lobster thermidor and grand manier soufflé! \240 Wonderful dinner. Afterward we went to Torshaven and danced with friends, Rick, Mary,Gary, and Marina.

I completed my art today, but decided to skip class and watch football. \240Unfortunately the jaguars lost.

Great dinner and wine at Manfredi’s, the dancing at Torshaven. \240Every cruise ship has the couple taking dance classes, here they are, they do one dance, the same dance whether fast or slow. \240 They are dancing to a country song, Feels Like A Woman.

We held hands as there was no room on the dance floor with all the couples dancing 50’s style. I still love to hold Jeff’s hand.

Still a great evening. \240Tomorrow Bora Bora.

Bells had her first 3 games of tournament play, she has a triple at bat in the first inning, with 2 runs batted in and she played well. \240The team lost 2 games and tied the 3rd, but she played well and had a great time. \240 More games tomorrow.

Bells has more games today she played well, but they lost the first game in overtime so homeward bound they are. \240Bells played well again today, and as always we are proud.

Olivia has become a beggar, but at least she is liking Steve a little more

The glass bottom boat excursion was fun. \240Captain Dan and Glenn were our guides and they did a great job! \240We saw lots of brain coral, many kinds of fish and sea cucumbers. \240

The party was fun, celebrating in the private dining room at Manfredi’s. \240 We had dinner and played two rounds of left, center, right and Jeff won the second round, \240 A fun evening and we made new friends!

Second time is a charm, we went back to the tender port a second time and were able to do the boat excursion around the island. \240 It was beautiful and the water was so blue green it was almost emerald and so very clear. \240We could see coral and the beautiful white sandy bottom. \240We saw green sea turtles, but I wasn’t able to get a picture.

Tonight at 10:00 we docked in Papeete, alongside these two beauties.

Sunset from our balcony.

My nearly completed art project for the day

Olivia is quite at home with the Asp’s

We love our girl♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Olivia likes to interrupt her nap to look over the wall and see who is in the living room. \240She is very nosy.

The ocean is rocking this afternoon. The waves are 13 feet from the port side.

My completed art project

My last art project which I will complete tomorrow

Last night we had dinner with Deb and Jim, my art instructor it was a fun evening and it will be sad when they depart the ship on February 2. \240 Tonight we have plans to have dinner with Rick and Mary from Tucson, another fun evening. \240These are the easiest dinners with friends, no shopping, chopping, cooking or cleanup!

.

My last art project \240 A shadow box

The ocean is quite rocky and has been since late afternoon yesterday, much too rocky to walk

Today at 5:30 there is a celebration on the pool deck to commensurate crossing the international date line. \240We aren’t certain yet exactly what time we will cross and lose a day. \240 This is a new experience for both of us.

Great fun on the pool deck with the viking band. \240We had dinner with Kay and Ross Sutherland and had a great time, then off to Torshaven for dancing. \240We are setting out clocks ahead at 2:00 AM, so we have no Saturday this week. \240

Olivia and her two favorite toys

Viking now has a display of traditional Olso Norway regional clothing. \240These items are beautiful.

We are having dinner with new friends tonight and I followed up with Casper the restaurant manager regarding the party for Jeff’s birthday next Saturday. \240We have 12 guests and will be gathering in the private room at Manfredi’s.

Our granddaughter has another softball tournament today and tomorrow, we are waiting for the outcome and highlights.

The art exhibit had over 650 entries. \240There was some very talented work on display.

At noon the caption announced that we would not be tendering at the Bay of Islands tomorrow due to the ocean swell and the dangerous conditions, instead we are headed toward Auckland. \240We should arrive around 5 pm tomorrow, we will see if the weather and ocean cooperates.

At lunch today viking had a lovely presentation of crostini. \240They were yummy shrimp, capers, tomatoes and olive oil and many others.

We are moving toward the Queens Wharf and can see Auckland. More pictures once we dock.

Passenger ferry to Devenport. \240

Auckland skyline

After dinner we went to Torshaven and had a cocktail and danced, \240 Diner was good we can’t say the same for the other couples included. \240There was a lot of pretentious uncouthness, dumbness why do we need to spend time with these people? \240It was not a good use of our time. \240One couple did not attend they might have been the brightest of the lot. \240 \240Not one of our best evenings on the ship.

The sky tower provided great views of Auckland and since it was raining no one attempted the bungee jump from the top, but several folks did the virtual sky slide.

We had a beer at the Sky Casino and Jeff posed in the Blacks cutout.

Then we arrived at WETA it was so fun and interesting. \240This company does the graphics, background, \240costumes and animation for movies. \240 It was so interesting to see how they build creatures, masks, makeup and background scenes. \240 There were a number of interactive activities.

After the tour we walked through Auckland to an art store so I could get some water colors to continue my art since Deb departed the ship today. \240Then we walked down Queen Street and found all the high end stores, lunch at a great pub and returned to the ship.

The newest VANS

More beer

Jeff had a BBLT bagel, he said it was delicious bacon, Brie, lettuce and tomato.

I enjoyed fish and chips, the Cole slaw was wonderful as was the fish. \240

Olivia had a big day, Alane and Steve entertained and Olivia helped tidy the house for the company. \240She found a rug tunnel to play in and discovered the romba automatic vacuum. \240 Interesting when the company arrived she went off and took a nap.

Tonight we had a casual dinner and then went to Torshaven for after dinner drinks and dancing.

Auckland is so very green, a lot of parks, beautifully landscaped homes and gardens and of course many many sail boats and boat docks. Since it is volcanic land it is very hilly and the terrain very rugged.

America’s cup ship building facility. The next race is in Barcelona in 2024.

We all should play here!

After the tour we had lunch on the pier at Shucker & Brothers. \240Oysters and fish and chips. \240Dinner tonight with Marina and Gary from Australia. \240 Such fun!

We also found out today Deb our art instructor and her husband Jim are on until Sydney. \240 Yea!!!!

When we left the cruise port for the tour it was sprinkling, and we walked through a great deal of downtown, stopping at 3 places for food and several more for viewing of sites. \240It was a remarkable tour and even with the sprinkles that by the end of the tour became full scale rain, we had a delightful time and experienced some great food. \240 Also we met another couple from the Seattle area, Deb and Jim who are staying on the ship until Bergen. \240 It will be fun! \240 We have met so many really nice people.

All decked out for the rain

As we were leaving the cruise port we were able to see both new and old architecture in the buildings as we walked. \240New high rise apartment buildings as well as restored old buildings from the 1800’s.

Throughout the city local New Zealand artists have painted hearts on buildings as part of a beautification process. \240 Here are two examples

Our first stop was the Debretts hotel and kitchen where we enjoyed local New Zealand cheese, honey, fruits, and a chocolate fruit tart, along with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. \240 The blue cheese was especially tasty. \240The hotel is very old and at one point was used as a hostel then abandoned for many years before being remodeled and refurbished. It was a grand mix of new and old and beautifully completed.

Along our walk we passed the famous Cornerbar, it is an Auckland icon.

Our second stop was a chocolatier, Honest Chocolates. \240We tasted 3 different chocolates, all were very good. We have friends celebrating an anniversary onboard soon and we purchased chocolates for them as a gift.

We did pass this shop which I thought was a bar but upon closer inspection it was a clothing store. \240Who would have guessed from the name?

From here we walked to the reclaimed wharf and the ferry station. \240Ferrys depart on a schedule to Devenport, Waiheke, and many other islands. \240 This area was once Harbour, but has been reclaimed and filled and the waterfront area is lovely with shops, bars, restaurants and also includes walking and bike paths as well as lots of benches and park like areas. \240There were many native trees and this is also where a WWII memorial is located. \240Many kiwi use Lime scooters to traverse the city.

Our next stop was at Sanford and Son’s fish market. \240This is one of the oldest seafood markets right on the pier and is a market and restaurant featuring a lot of seafood, but also pizza, Asian cuisine, a bakery and many other foods.

To gain access to our next stop on the North Shore we had to walk across a draw bridge and just as we arrived it raised to allow one of the America’s cup tourist sailboats to cruise through. \240 This boat was used in a prior Americans cup race and is now used to take tourists out to enjoy the experience of sailing on an American’s cup boat. \240Yesterday we learned that for every race they develop new boats using new technology in order to produce the fastest vessel possible. \240 \240Currently they are building the sailboats for the 2024 race in Barcelona. \240We also saw a sample of an older sailboat not in use any longer.

Our final stop was for lunch at Wynyard pavilion featuring seafood including mussels, oysters, shrimp, calamari, and a fish slider. \240 So much food and very tasty.

We are a little wind blown and wet as it is raining pretty hard now, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. \240 Great fun!

My big purchases for the day chocolates and local honey!

Olivia has discovered the hummingbird feeder outside the window at Asp’s, I’m sure they are driving here wild. \240 She also has taken to lying on the sofa during TV time. \240 She is right at home. \240We know she is well taken care of, but we miss her so much.

This morning Caroline and Slam our cabin stewards sang happy birthday to Jeff. \240 Viking sent champagne and cake for him.

We left the harbor and traveled about and hour through the New Zealand countryside. \240The main exports are fertilizer, lumber, dairy, and kiwi. \240The area around the cruise port to the right was very commercial with container cargo ports, fertilizer production plants and sawmills.

We drove through significant farm lands and viewed the kiwi groves as well as farm land with cattle and sheep. \240Kiwi orchards resemble grape vines in the field and are harvested in late April or May each year. \240We learned New Zealand had 50M people and 100M sheep. \240We passed a few lovely country churches also.

We stopped at a community center and met a kiwi grower and enjoyed slices of kiwi as well as kiwi juice, liquor, and jelly from both the green and gold varieties. \240Currently the grower is developing a red kiwi fruit.

Green and gold kiwi

On the way back to the ship we passed several beaches, some with large waves and a number of surfers as well as much calmer beaches both were only about a 10 minute walk from the ship.

After the tour we walked to the downtown area for lunch. \240We have had a lot of fish so we opted for Burger King, our first Whopper in over 50 days. \240On the walk we did see this 5 person motorcycle which takes tourists on rides around the area.

This afternoon we talked to the Asp’s and \240caught up. \240The cellular connection was good and we were also able to talk to Olivia. She hears our voices and looks around like where can mom and dad be? Last night we caught up with our granddaughter and our kids.

We sailed out tonight at 5 PM heading for Napier where we dock tomorrow morning. \240

Tonight, I have reserved the private dining room at Manfredi’s and invited 5 couples to share dinner and cake with us. \240 The sommelier, Jorge has selected some special wines and the chef is making carrot cake which is one of Jeff’s favorites.

Russ and Jan

Jan and Pam

Rick and Mary

Mary and Stephen

Jan and Gregg

The birthday boy and his bride

The party invites !

The food and wine was great, \240Jorge served champagne, our favorite French Boudreaux and a great red wine,

After dinner we tried to play the dollar game and then we had carrot cake. \240Chef came out to thank us and wish Jeff happy birthday. \240The cake was yummy!

After dinner Mary and Stephen, Jan and Pat and Jeff and I went to Torshaven for drinks and dancing. \240 We had a great time

Acting our age and having a great time

As we disembark the ship several classic car owners were taking passengers on a personal driving tour of Napier. \240The port has a wealth of cargo containers as well as lumber for export.

Driving out of Napier we were able to see some of the Art Deco buildings which are prevalent in downtown. \240There were also many beachside parks and a WWII memorial

The countryside is green, filled with foliage, sheep and cattle as well as apple orchards.

Our first stop was at Abbey Cellars, we tasted 6 wines and enjoyed some light snacks and cheese. The winery has a large outdoor pavilion and on weekends there is entertainment. \240We also met Ash the winery dog.

Our second stop was at Brookfield estate winery and we tasted 4 wines. \240Our host, John was very entertaining and he selected me as a volunteer to help him check a wine to determine if it was corked. \240We enjoyed the experience and met the owner/winemaker Peter Robertson. \240We purchases four wines and had a great time. \240 Once again the winery had an outdoor pavilion and weekend entertainment.

Peter Robertson

When we returned to the ship a small combo was playing portside to welcome us back

Tonight on our way to dinner there was a large pod of dolphins outside the window playing and having a wonderful time. \240We had never seen that many together. \240 Unfortunately we were not able to get pictures. \240 They move really fast. \240It was still thrilling to see them!

Olivia is doing well and she is really trying to be a good girl. \240 We FaceTimed with her but mostly she just looked around like I know those voices, but why are mom and dad in that box. \240 Her favorite toy is the Christmas tunnel and Alane says Olivia will still fit through the tunnel when we get home, unlike Dottie.

We docked a little late due to high winds and left the port about 1/2 hour late. \240We headed toward the Hutt Valley and over the Remutaka mountain range to follow the ocean coastline and see the seals. The drive is about 2.5 hours over to the seal viewing. \240Our driver was a bit over sharing telling us she was a naturalist (nudist) and pointing out her camp as we passed it going and coming. \240She also liked to talk with her hands and taking them off the wheel. \240That is scary when traversing all the curves going over the mountain. \240The drive reminded me of the road going up to Gates Pass in Tuscon.

When we arrived at the bay sometimes it was hard to see the seals, as they blend into the rocks especially if they are wet. \240It is breeding season and there were hundreds of baby seals. \240 This was a wonderful experience.

We stopped for a potty break, tea and treats at the Royal Hotel, they had a great bar!

Continuing on toward the sea the views were astonishing and the hundreds of seals delightful. \240There was a lot of farm land, sheep and cattle, There is also a lighthouse on the point with exterior Stairs. \240 The winds were gusting 40 mph so few people elected to climb them.

See if you can find the seal

Interesting there were all these boats along the shore with rusty old tractors. \240The tractors are used to push and pull the boats into and out of the sea. \240The other fact we learned was about bach’s. \240These are summer homes by the sea \240 Here are several pictures of some in the area.

Out final stop was in Martinborough at a local winery Luna for some wine and lunch. \240 During the drive over the scenery changed again from this morning with more wooded hills and certainly less step from going over the mountain. Everything was tasty and the wine pretty good as well.

Micah, our guest relations manager. \240 He is a great guy and a lot of fun!

While we aren’t able to attend today was the annual Friendz celebration at Reid Park Zoo. This reception is held each year to honor donors to the zoo of $500.00 or more. \240 Many of our docents, board members and donors attended to learn of the progress we have made on the World Of Play, the Asia Expansion and the new parking lot. \240 They were also treated to a preview look at the new giant bugs display opening soon. \240 My friend and fellow board member Steve Larson also sent me a picture of my favorite bird.

The sunset tonight was lovely, we had lobster and filet for dinner then went to the pool deck to dance for a couple hours.

OUR FAVORITE THING TODAY : \240 The seals bypassed everything else today it was memorable.

Art class was fun. \240I created two stenciled projects

This afternoon we had a meet and greet with the group going on the Blue Mountains additional tour on our first day in Sydney. \240It is great group of 37 people, 20 per bus with a personal guide. \240It will be a fun day. \240 This evening we are having dinner wih Story’s and Buddras.

Today I sent my tennis shoes to the laundry and tonight they came back not washed. \240 Apparently the laundry does not wash tennis shoes. \240Sooooo I took them to the laundry room and washed them with a towel and 26 minutes later they were clean. \240Duh!!

Ship Manager , Ron

Activities for the cruise. \240They do lots of fun things

This machine is cool, table cloth goes in wet and comes out on the other side dry, pressed and folded.

So the ocean was so turbulent that we had to skip the Milford Sound and cruise around to the south end and enter the Doubtful Sound.

Olivia and Dottie are playing and she still loves the hummingbird feeder. \240 Jeff is going to move our feeder near the bathroom window for her when we get home

The wine tasting was one French, one south African, one Australian and one New Zealand wine,

Art class was new we worked on Valentines Day cards, which is a two day project. \240 Here is a picture of my first days work. Does anyone recognize this cat? \240Also here is a picture of my art class table, Jan, Karen, Michelle, Mary, Deb, our instructor and me.

At 4:00 PM the captain announced we were entering the Milford Sound. \240 It was breathtaking. \240We cruised into the sound and turned around to exit into the Tasman Sea. As we entered the sound it was sunny, however shortly it began to rain really hard, then suddenly stopped. \240The pictures reflect the foliage differences with the rain and without sun.

Our route today, first the DoubtFul Sound the the Milford Sound

After dinner we played trivia in the Explorer’s Lounge. \240We faired ok, but did not win.

Olivia and Dottie relaxing. \240 This is about as close as they get unless they are sparring. \240I think Olivia is plotting an attack on a sleeping and unsuspecting Dottie.

As we cruise toward Hobart,Tasmania the waves are ranging from 12-15 feet. \240We are 757 miles from our next port.

I completed two Valentines Day cards today. \240It was fun. \240Tomorrow we are doing dot paint in art class.

We had dinner with 6 couples and celebrated Jan and Russ’s anniversary. \240The evening was lovely.

At noon we are about 300 miles from our port tomorrow in Hobart and have traveled over 1500 miles since we left Wellington, New Zealand. Lunch today had a coconut water drink in the coconut. \240Interesting. \240I think some vodka would improve this drink a lot.

P

The wine tasting was good, we tasted 2 French, one New Zealand and one Australian wine. \240Sad news Dorge is leaving us tomorrow and is headed to the Viking Star as Food and Beverage Manager. \240 This is a great promotion, but we are sad to see him leave.

Art class project not quite done, I need to do some work on his toes.

We are visiting Hobart during a holiday weekend and downtown is very busy with the Saturday market along with an exhibit of Tall Ships and other festivities.

As we leave the cruise port and drive toward the oyster farm there are many old homes built in the 1800’s. \240The landscape is green with foliage and flowers. \240There were also many old churches.

We visited the oldest brewery in Australia, Cascade brewery.

From the brewery we journeyed to the Barilla Bay Oyster Farm. \240 We were able to see how oysters are raised and farmed. \240They also demonstrated the various sizes of oysters from 3 months to 10 years. \240 There was also an oyster shucking demonstration.

Also we visited Gillespie’s ginger beer production plant. \240This is a small family operation. \240 We tasted 3 kinds of ginger beer.

At this location the next to last stop was at the Candied Abolone drying venue. \240 Abolone is not farmed it is secured wild by diving. \240 The process was interesting and Tasmania exports 15% of all Abolone world wide.

We completed our trip to the oyster farm by sampling a plate of oysters. \240 The oysters were so fresh and cold, very tasty.

After leaving the oyster farm we visited Cold Valley Winery. \240The property was beautiful, the wines fair, \240but the cheeses served with the wines were exceptional.

On the way back to the ship the driver offered to drop us at the market, so many folks got off the bus and ventured out into the market and the Harbour. \240 Jeff and I walked around for awhile then we went to a restaurant where we had a beer and a lobster roll. \240 It was wonderful! \240After we visited a local grocery store and purchased some cheese.

After lunch we walked back to the ship and were able to see many of the tall ships in the Harbour.

There are no Olivia pictures today, but there is a picture of Dottie. \240 Note how angelic she looks.

Tonight we are having dinner with Ray and \240Mara Rigel also from Tucson. \240 They are coming to our cabin for cocktails prior to dinner. Sunset tonight was beautiful

Tonight I met another passenger who had gone to the animal sanctuary and she had pictures of the Tasmanian devil which she shared with us.