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Friday Fotos – Waikiki at night from Ala Moana Park

June 28, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

This photo was taken on our last night in Honolulu. On the days we took the Hop On-Hop Off tour, we discovered how close our condo was to Ala Moana Park. So, on our last night in Honolulu, we decided to take a walk over to the park. We were amazed at how easy it was. We’d expected having to deal with traffic, but there’s a bridge with a pedestrian walkway that makes the trip very easy. As the sun set and darkness set in, lights in the city across the water sparkled.

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

More photos from Honolulu

Ala Wai Harbor with sunset almost done. — As the sun sinks into the ocean, the views from shore become more and more colorful and, of course, spectacular.

Oahu sunset with the harbor in foreground — One evening, I became very industrious and started taking photos of the sunset. Mother Nature did a great job that night!

Sunrise looking back toward Waikīkī at Kahanamoku Beach — The sun was not yet over the horizon, but already there was activity down at Kahanamoku Beach.

Ala Wai Harbor with sunset past — Even after the sun goes down, Mother Nature's show continues with ever-changing colors.

Ariel rides the big bird at Bishop Museum! — Why shouldn't Ariel go for a ride? One of our lighter moments at Bishop Museum!

Waikiki sunrise — The sun rises behind the skyscrapers fronting the bay in Waikīkī

Getting ready for the morning surf — At Kahanamoku Beach, a surfer takes the long walk across the rocks shortly after first light.

Sunrise at Kahanamoku Lagoon — Only reflections happening this early in the morning at Kahanamoku Lagoon

Outrigger canoe along the shore of Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki — I couldn't resist the chance to get this shot. With the sun just up, the shadows were still long and the light just perfect!

Oahu sunset at the harbor — This is one of my favorite times of the day. When the sky is still blue, but the lights are coming on and there are a few stars twinkling.

Friday Fotos — More from Fjordland National Park

June 21, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

Part of Fjordland National Park in New Zealand

Along the way to Milford Sound, one of the sights to see is The Chasm. While The Chasm is a beautiful nature walk on a path traveling through the trees and over a river, it was not an easy place to get photos. Not far away, however, is this pass. You can still see snow on the mountains even though we were at the end of summer.

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

More photos from the trip to Milford Sound

In Fjordland National Park in New Zealand

Mirror Lakes reflection — The reflection of the mountains in Mirror Lakes.

With clear water and no wind, Mirror Lakes reflects the mountains beyond.

On the way to MIlford Sound — In the National Park, this is one of the many creeks and rivers.

Milford Sound — We were so lucky to have such a beautiful day.

Milford Sound tours — Milford Sound is a popular place for tours.

The Tasman Sea — Here's the coastline of New Zealand along the Tasman Sea.

The Milford Monarch Bell — This weathered bell has been on the front of the Milford Monarch since 1994. No longer used, it's a beautiful decoration.

New Zealand Fur Seals resting — This group of fur seals was just hanging out

New Zealand Fur Seal — This fur seal woke up when we cruised by and did a little stretch.

Almost under the waterfall — This was my last clear shot. After this, the lens was getting too wet and I had to seek cover.

Friday Fotos – Mirror Lakes and the world upside down

June 14, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

Mirror Lakes – what a showstopper!

Mirror Lakes was one of the stops on our tour to Milford Sound. The crystal clear water was perfectly still on the day we visited, which let me capture a photo of fish swimming above the mountaintops. This was one of those stops where the tour director gave us ‘twenty minutes,’ but the natural beauty was so immense that many of us tended to straggle. Mirror Lakes gets a tremendous number of visitors and our bus was just one of those who stopped. Because there is a wooden path to walk on, it’s easy access, and that helps contribute to the popularity of Mirror Lakes.

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

More New Zealand photos

Devonport in New Zealand is a quaint town — Devonport is a seaside town on an island in New Zealand with the look of an old village. The architecture of many homes and shops is classic.

Devonport in New Zealand along the shore — We walked through a park in Devonport to a point where we could see another part of the island across the water.

For all the writers out there — When I saw this display in the window at this shop in Devonport, I had to take a photo. NOtice that's an old Smith Corona Junior typewriter.

Leaving Devonport New Zealand — As the ferry takes us away from Devonport and back to Auckland, we get a last glimpse of this beautiful little town.

Printed pages ready for binding — The pages were bound together with string.

Printing press process — More plates from the old bindery

Shims help to position the text on the page — The shims come in all sizes to make for precise placement.

Materials to leather bind books — The books made in this bindery were all leather covered. This is getting close to the final product.

Printing press in Russell — This old press was used to make a single proof after the letters had been set. After the proof, the actual printing was done downstairs

MS Noordam in background — Just beyond the anchored sailboats is the MS Noordam waiting for all of us to see the sights.

Boats and houses in Russell — Russell has a lot of hills—and boats

Sunrise as we arrive in Russell — This was an early morning shore excursion, so we had to be up bright and early!

Ariel rides the wombat in preparation for Russell — Our traveling companion Ariel rides tonight's towel animal.

Lions guard the fron door of Larnach Castle — A pair of lions guard the front door of Larnach Castle

Every door leads to something special — All of the doorways at Larnach Castle are amazing.

Larnach Castle ceiling — The ceiings at Larnach Castle are amazing.

Ming vase on the mantle — This vase sits on the mantle of one of the fireplaces.

Larnach Castle entryway — Welcome to Larnach Castle, where over-the-top is just the beginning.

Beautiful woodwork is everywhere — The castle, like other opulent older homes, has beautiful hardwoods throughout.

In the dressing room — The mistress of the house wanted this statue in her dressing room. It's a strange story!

Views from the top of Larnach Castle — The views from the roof of Larnach Castle are spectacular

Larnach Castle grounds — From the lawns to the shrubs and trees, the landscaping at the castle is immaculate.

No elevator for this top floor — On the way down from the roof of the castle, the stairs are steep and winding!

Larnach Castle looking majestic — It's hard to believe this castle was nearly leveled by developers.

Glass gazebo at Larnach Castle — This beautiful gazebo is just one of the many elegant garden features.

Dunedin Rail Station — Our first stop on our shore excursion was at the Dunedin rail station.

Dunedin Rail Station and its grounds — A local garden society maintains the grounds of the rail station.

Dunedin Rail Station interior — The inside of the Dunedin rail station.

Dunedin Rail Station front walkway — When you're entering the Dunedin rail station, you pass through these columns.

Clock tower on the Dunedin rail station — Another piece of detail that makes the rail station a classic piece of history.

Picton - a small seaport village — Picton is a gorgeous little village of only 4,000 people, but it has a lot of boats!

Looking inland from Picton Harbor — It looks like this little town has almost as many boats as houses.

Across the harbot toward Picton — The harbor at Picton has a good sealife population, so these waters are clear several feet down.

Stormy ocean leaving Port Chalmers and Dunedin — The ocean can become very dramatic down here when there's a storm coming. Swells reached about 9 feet at one point.

Ariel prepares for her Picton Seaport Walk — Getting ready for the seaport walk. Let's go!

Picton's bay under blue skies — The blue skies lasted most of the day, which was unusual. The flat water is supposed to be normal.

Picton - harbor showing some of the boats in the harbor — Boats in the harbor at Picton, where tourism is big business

Playing to benefit the Blenheim Orphanage — These guys play to benefit the Blenheim Orphanage. They drew a nice little crowd.

Selfie with part of Picton in the background — Here we are, living the life in Picton...at least until we have to be back on the Noordam.

Map of Picton area in New Zealand — Lots and lots of islands, peninsulas, and fjords in this part of the world.

Sailboats bob in the harbor — These little cluster of sailboats was just out in the bay waiting for their owners.

California pine trees ready for export — The California pine was brought to New Zealand years ago. It now is farmed as an export to Japan, where it will be turned into furniture, which will go to...the US (amongst other places).

Picton - entrance to the park from downtown — The arch is the entrance to the park from the quaint downtown.

Wellington from our balcony — We're back in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand

The Beehive — This building is called the Beehive. It's where the Executive Offices of the New Zealand Parliament are located.

Zealandia took over this structure — This "lake" is actually part of a dam, which became part of Zealandia when it began.

One of New Zealand's endangered — Unable to fly, these birds fall prey to mammalian predators.

Te Papa Museum — What a place! Six floors of exhibits and offices. It would take a couple of days to see the whole thing—and we had less than two hours.

Terracotta Warriors exhibit was on display — This is a very popular exhibit and requires separate tickets, which we didn't have. It was also sold out!

Te Hono ki Hawaiki - Maori meeting house — Our guide told us she was bothered by this interpretation of a Maori meeting house for several years, then one day had an epiphany and now understands it.

Stained glass at the museum — This beautiful stained glass was in the same area as the Maori 'house'.

Moon hanging high in the sky with a storm moving in. — The clouds parted long enough to get a glimpse of the moon.

Ariel showing off today's excursion — Ariel likes to be prepared for the day.

Napier shipping yard with lots of California pine — California pine is a huge export for New Zealand - it's also a big problem.

Loading shipping containers — Taken from the balcony of our stateroom,

All of the land you see was under water — More than a hundred years ago there was an earthquake in Napier that raised up the entire valley.

Town of Napier on the bay — The town of Napier was leveled by an earthquake in 1931, but has rebuilt in an art deco style.

Napier customs house — Our guide leaving the Napier Customhouse, which has been restored thanks to a group of locals

One of the Hawkes Bay Express train cars — This train has been lovingly restored by our guide and his family.

The old family tractor - updated — There's a tractor under all that glitz!

Hawkes Bay Express — What a great way to see the area. The guide is very informative and the train has so many little period details.

Museum theater gallery - and pincushions — All those colors? They're giant pincushions!

Art deco is the norm — Just one example of the art deco style that runs throughout downtown Napier

Restored by their owners — Vintage autos, restored by their owners, were on display.

More art deco style — The art deco style is the theme in the downtown.

Art deco is everywhere — There are even little balconies like this one on Harston's

Did somebody mention period clothing? — Just in case you want to fit in with the Napier building style!

Charlston Chic has something for everyone — If you want retro style, this is your place!

The ocean is just beyond the arch — There seems to be a common theme in New Zealand. We've seen arches on the waterfront before.

From cars to buildings, it's all there — Napier might only have 57,000 residents, but it oozes style.

Ariel watches Napier in the distance — Ariel watches wistfully as we get further from Napier. We think she likes art deco!

Saying goodbye to Napier — We depart Napier under partyly sunny skies

Ariel riding the elephant — As we prepare for April 16, Ariel takes a ride on the towel elephant made by our room steward, Ricky

Tauranga is a shipping port — As has been the case with many of the ports, Tauranga is primarily a shipping port, but tourism is a growing business

Tauranga also has great views — Even though Tauranga is a shipping port, it has some breathtaking views

Lifeboats down for a drill — Our tour wasn't for another hour, but they announced there was to be a drill for the staff

Backyard view? Yes it is! — This is the backyard view for one of the Maori guides who works for the tour company.

Part of the Maori welcoming ceremony — While small, this Maori welcoming ceremony was well done and they were so friendly!

You'll be seeing gold kiwi fruit in the US soon — New Zealand is making a push to get their gold kiwi fruit into markets this year. It's soooo good!

Those vines on the top are next year's vines — This is an ingenious system. The canopy needs to be a certain depth, so the growers place next year's vines up top. They cut everything at the end of the season and lay those new top vines down.

Nearing sunset and our time to leave Tauranga — When the sun was dropping, I decided it was time to go topside and snap a photo.

Our two favorite servers - Sonya and Cucu — It was Asian night in the Lido dining room! These two are the best!

Model of a double-hulled canoe — This is an example of a Maore double-hulled canoe

Ariel checks out the sloth — We think this towel animal is a sloth. At least Ariel like it!

The customhouse and other buildings along the wharf — This was part of the view of Auckland from our balcony.

Stained glass ceiling at Auckland War Memorial — The emblems around the edges of the stained glass signify the countries involved in the conflict. The center commemorates the New Zealand military branches.

WW1 - 1914 - 1918 — Thousands of names are inscribed on the walls in this room.

This Spitfire is full-sized — This is a real airplane that they brought in through the roof.

Stained glass window commemorates the war — This memorial serves to remind visitors of war's devastation.

View from the War Memorial Museum — The views from the museum are spectacular and fitting for the monument

Birds in flight — New Zealand was once a land of birds and no mammals.

Meet the Moa — That is one big bird. The moa once flourished in New Zealand, but the Maori and other forces brought it to extinction.

Notice the mouth on the center carving — The puka is the sticking out of the tongue - in times past, different expressions meant something - kind of like a separate language.

Canoe carved from a single tree — This canoe could carry about 100 warriors, most of whom were paddling.

Tail end of the war canoe — If the canoe was to be used for transporting something other than warriors, the bow and rear could be replaced with something appropriate.

Strings first, then glue — Once glue had been applied to the binding, the pages set

The bindery upstairs — The book bindery operated out of this house upstairs and down.

Coffee shop where we had morning tea — I hear the scones were fabulous—but they were not gluten-free, so not for me!

Totems in Russell — This garden area is maintained by a local group of gardeners

Close-up of sculptures — The attention to detail on these pieces is amazing.

Art in the town garden — Here's another of those beautiful pieces from the central garden

Oldest church in New Zealand — Established in 1836, this is the oldest church in New Zealand, and it's still beautiful inside.

Downtown Russell — Russell is a quaint town without a lot of traffic—except for the pedestrian kind.

Plenty of places to sit and have some tea — Outdoor tables are common and the atmosphere is relaxing

Memorial to those who gave their lives in WWI

Lots of places to shop, eat, or hang out

We loved the open windows and atmosphere

Victoria Theater and Tip Top Ice Cream — We stopped and had ice cream under those red umbrellas. It was so refreshing!

Guarding the entrance to Larnach Castle — I'm not sure I'd want to be greeted by these guys (one on each side of the front door) when I arrived home!

Staircase from second floor to first — The wood throughout Larnach Castle is beautiful.

The Woolstore Complex in Omaru New Zealand — Omaru has so much fantastic architecture. Many of these buildings use Omaru stone, which was taken from quarries neaby.

At the end of the path in Devonport — The path through the park in Devonport leads to this tiny peninsula. Isn't this a beautiful view?

Huka Falls near Lake Taupo, New Zealand — 200,000 liters of ice blue water flow flow over Huka Falls every second.

Friday Fotos – Devonport New Zealand pathway ends at the water

May 31, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

Devonport New Zealand pathway

The Devonport, New Zealand pathway circles a park in the downtown area. The path follows the shore, and this is just one of the stopping points. I loved this spot and could imagine walking here daily just to see how the bay is looking on that particular day. This is the kind of small town where the beauty surrounds you.

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

More photos from Devonport

Friday Fotos – Welcome to Larnach Castle

May 17, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

Lions guard the front door of Larnach Castle — A pair of lions guard the front door of Larnach Castle

Architecturally, New Zealand’s Larnach Castle is a Gothic Revival mansion. It was built in 1871 by William Larnach using materials from around the world. It’s one of the largest mansions in New Zealand and has quite the history. That history began when William Larnach committed suicide in the New Zealand Parliament Buildings in 1898. After years of legal battles within the family, the ‘castle’ was sold in 1906. For the next sixty years, the castle was neglected and went through several different owners until 1967, when it was purchased by Barry and Margaret Barker. Thank goodness for the Barkers because otherwise the now stately mansion would have been leveled by developers for housing.

More photos from Larnach Castle

Review of Prussian Counterpoint

March 14, 2019 By Terry 8 Comments

From the publisher of Prussian Counterpoint

An unexpected invitation from wily King Frederick causes composer Joseph Haydn to fear he’s walking into a trap. After all, the Prussian King has never had any use for Haydn’s music. His Majesty seems more intrigued at Haydn’s being the son of a market-judge.Worse still, the invitation appears to stir up suspicion in the highest quarters in Vienna. So much so that a mysterious, cloaked lady visits Haydn’s Music Room and issues a thinly veiled threat.

Now Haydn is convinced there’s mischief afoot. But not even he can foresee that he will stumble upon the corpse of the imperial ambassador a day after his arrival in Frederick’s Prussia, along with evidence that His Lordship may have been a common thief.

Can Haydn salvage the imperial ambassador’s reputation—and find his killer?

My review

The author’s love of classical music and this era comes through clearly in Prussian Counterpoint. The entire book has an authentic feel—from the dialogue to the descriptions to the actions of the characters. The plot centers around the political intrigue surrounding Prussia, and the author portrays the uncertainty of the times well. At times, the mystery felt as though it took a back seat to the introduction of characters and the intrigue.

In a macro sense, the story is historically accurate. While the actual events portrayed in the story never took place, the overall situation involving Persia is accurate and the politics portrayed are also accurate. Accuracy is the both the strength and weakness of this story. The main point where this becomes obvious is in the references to characters in the narrative. For instance, in dialogue, it makes perfect sense for characters to use a noble’s title. However, in the narrative, the same titles quickly become cumbersome and confusing when several they are used in close proximity.

I enjoyed the story itself, but sometimes found myself bogged down in those pesky titles. I also enjoyed the fact that it basically took a team to bring together all the clues so Haydn could solve the crime.

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Friday Fotos – Waikiki at night from Ala Moana Park

More photos from Honolulu

Friday Fotos — More from Fjordland National Park

Part of Fjordland National Park in New Zealand

More photos from the trip to Milford Sound

Friday Fotos – Mirror Lakes and the world upside down

Mirror Lakes – what a showstopper!

More New Zealand photos

Friday Fotos – Devonport New Zealand pathway ends at the water

Devonport New Zealand pathway

More photos from Devonport

Friday Fotos – Welcome to Larnach Castle

More photos from Larnach Castle

Review of Prussian Counterpoint

From the publisher of Prussian Counterpoint

My review

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Uncategorized

More photos from Honolulu

Part of Fjordland National Park in New Zealand

More photos from the trip to Milford Sound

Mirror Lakes – what a showstopper!

More New Zealand photos

Devonport New Zealand pathway

More photos from Devonport

More photos from Larnach Castle

From the publisher of Prussian Counterpoint

My review

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