O sole mio!!

Forgot to say that last night after we arrived there were fireworks in Darling Harbor right by our hotel. Lots of activity here at night....there was an Indian festival....I thought "wow, they have indians here too??" I was thinking about Native American Indians but it was Indians from India...tandori, anyone!!!??? Also I forgot to mention that both Auckland and Sydney had Westfield malls...as well as Baskin Robbins.

Today we walked around downtown by the Rocks area and we will see the opera "The Midsummer Night's Dream" at the opera house on Tuesday night. How cool will that be.

Nice weather today. that's all for now.

Take care and stay safe and healthy.

Love,

Gloria

Goodbye Kiwis..Hello, Aussies!

Busy day today. It started with a walk in the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch. Besides all of the flowers, I must comment that throughout the entire country, the trees are all huge...there are no small trees....for that matter there are no small flowers....everything just grows here.

Then we were off to the International Anarctic Center. We had a lecture from Gabriella who was actually stationed in Anarctica and showed us pictures and explained life there. It was fascinating to hear her talk of her adventures there. Then we had the opportunity to dress up in Anarctic gear and go into their snow and ice chamber which got down to -1 with 24 mile an hour winds.....mild by many Anarctic standards...but it was cold to me. Then we went to watch the cute little blue penguins.

Then we said our goodbyes to our kiwi friends and off on another Qantas flight to Sydney. Let me tell you that Qantas is the way to fly. They were serving chicken or fish and when they got to my row..they were out of fish....so they gave us 3 bottles of wine to compensate...all that for a 3 hour flight!!!! I love Australia!!!!

We are staying a hotel on Darling Harbor where there is a huge entertainment area and they had fireworks tonight. So that was a good way to start our aussie adventure.

Well, take care for now and stay safe and healthy.

Love,

Gloria

Just call me Mona Lisa!

Today started out fine and sunny. We started our journey to Akaroa which is a seaside resort that started as a French settlement here in New Zealand. Our tour guide in this section of New Zealand is from the area. So, on the road there, we stopped at a beach where he showed us how to scour the beach looking for agates, which are transparent stones. I found a few which was cool.

However, as we traveled to the windward side of the mountain, it got cloudy and then started raining. So by the time we reached the seaside, it was pouring. So we went to a little French cafe and had a little spot of tea!!! While there, I called Matt and Joe which was fun even though I got cut off both times. That is also the place where Elaine snapped this picture of me with the sculpture artist!!

Of course, when we came back to the leeward side of the mountain in Christchurch, the sun was shining. So I went out for a quick bike ride as the hotel has a couple of bikes and helmets free for guests.

Then we came back and looked for the firefighters memorial which was made totally with girders from the World Trade Center. Lots of things like that remind us of home....especially all the McDonalds, Burger Kings, Subways, KFCs. And in every city there are large office buildings labeled with Ernst & Young, Deloite and Price Waterhouse!!! Mikey, maybe you could look for a job or intership down under!!!! Their busy seasons are opposite ours!!!

Hope all is well with everyone. Stay safe and healthy.

Love,

Gloria

Well, Dorothy, looks like you're back in Kansas!!!

Sort of a drizzly cold day here in Christchurch. Just like one of those sunless days in Cleveland.

Before I forget, at breakfast they have a spread called vegemate...which you will all have to try when I get back to see what all the fuss is about it.

Anyway, we went to Lyttleton to tour the Time Ball station which is how sailors figured out longitude until radio and modern technology took over. Unbeknownst to me this happens to be the harbor closest to Christchurch....so as we were looking down at the harbor you know where my thoughts drifted...and you can take it from there.

Anyway the gift of the time ball was given to the New York Times years ago, and I am sure you know what they did with it!!! Yep, that is how the ball dropping on Times Square got started years ag0.

So since it was a drizzly day we just walked to the many museums by us...sort of like our University Circle area...and then I had a smoothie. The milk in it must be much richer than what they have at home because I needed to make a run for the nearest bathroom!!! Matt can relate to that!!!!

Had the chance to watch the news report for the first time and it is as depressing as our news back home. Not the greatest day today....but then there is always tomorrow. Better forecast also.

So until the next blog, stay safe and healthy.

Love,

Gloria

I made it to Christchurch safely, but my underwear didn't!!

Another travel day today.....had one last beautiful look at the mountains and lake from my room in Queenstown to then travel to Christchurch, which is a very English city known as the Garden City. Flowers everywhere...even the entrance to their cathedral has a trellis of flowers.

When I landed, my suitcase was totally opened and stuff everywhere....believe it or not, after I stuffed everything back in...I don't think I lost anything.....I got a luggage strap and hope that will hold.

Just walked around the city...there is an international flower festival here to boot...so the scenery is goreous.

Went to one of the original homes with a tour by the great granddaughter-in-law of the original settler. She was this tiny spit fire older lady so the tour was entertaining. Also had dinner there and toured the grounds.

not much else new to report. hope you all are warming up back home.

take care and stay safe and healthy.

love,

Gloria

Baa, Baa White Sheep...you have no more wool!!

One more point about the point about the bathrooms!!! Conservation is big in New Zealand and so all the toilets have the choice of two types of flushes....one for number one and the other for number two!!! I haven't figured out which is which!!! Also we saw lots of wind turbines on the tops of the mountains on the road to Queestown yesterday.

We started this morning with a walk around the gardens and huge pond at their local park. People here are fanatical about their gardens...hotels, homes, city parks....all gorgeous flowers and different.

Today we were on the water again and took an old coal-powered steam ship to the other side of the lake....did I mention our hotel room is right in front of the lake with the mountains behind it!!

There we landed at the Walter Peak sheep station where we saw a demonstration of sheep sheering as well as sheep herding by their border collie. Of course, we had lunch there right by the lake with phenominal gardens again. They even had a rose there with a coppery shade named "Just Joey"...how cool!

Later I came back and rented a bike and pedaled around the city and lake. While pedaling, I saw some young people in the park playing frisbee golf...they had 18 holes set up...and, of course, being the shy person I am, went right up to them and asked them how it is played. And they showed me and let me join them for awhile...cool again!!

This is a city of known for its extreme sports and filming production (like Lord of the Rings). So for dinner we took a gondola up to the top of the mountain and had dinner there. We had the chance to either take the gondola back, paraglide down or luge down (on a roller wheel type sled as there is no snow now) I was thinking about taking the luge down, but by the time we finished dinner...they had closed it down. I guess I will just have to come back some time again!!!

Well, that is all the news I have for now...heard Avatar was not the big winner at the Oscars...I have not turned on the tv since I left. Hope all is well with everyone.

Take care and stay safe and healthy.

Love,

Gloria

Warning!!!

I published 2 posts today....the first one is Mirror Mirror on the Lake and then this one.....

Someone must have gotten into my account and is sending emails from me....right now all I have time for is putting info on the blog....so if you are getting an email from me right now do not open it.....I respond to your emails but I do not have time to originate them right now.!!!!! If someone knows what I can do to stop it...please let me know....by commenting on the blog....