THE TRAVELING MARTINI'S

You would think I was famous, but alas we were greeted as we left the boat in Xiamen with what looked to be a college class working on their journalism assignment. They gave us red scarves and red bags with gifts for the New Year – it was actually fun but Larkin had to pull me away or we would miss our bus to the South Putuo temple area. Language is a barrier in an interview! Xiamen, Fujian, China is actually an island. Our Chinese American friend, Lucy’s grandfather was born in this area and she had never been here before. She told us it was like coming home.

The area was very busy as it was a day people go to the temple to pray before the new year! The temple was built during the Tang Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty in 1684 they rebuilt parts of it and expanded adding more temples. There was also the Minnan Buddhist College established in 1925 on the site. During the cultural revolution, it was converted into a factory but the temples were restored to being a Buddhist site in the 1980’s. It is located on the southeast side of the island and the Wulao Peaks are behind the temple.

It took us so long at the temple going with the flow of the crowd, we didn’t have much time at the museum to go in and walk around. I loved the typical Chinese man on the phone and the lady with her granddaughter in their beautiful red dresses!

The statues outside the museum were a testament to their incredible Chinese rock work which we were told is slowly dying away. Some folks walked with the guide in the museum for a ten minute quick walk, some of use used the restrooms and sauntered back to the bus. It seems on each bus trip, we meet up with different friends, today was Paul and Sherrill (who is posing with the carved stones) from Chicago. I of course, always notice my pigs! The strangest happening was hearing the song Clementine and other camp songs like Banjo on my knee from a hundred years ago in public places, as reworked with no words into instrumental songs!

The night sky lit up with buildings on the main land. Their colorful pattern was mesmerizing. But the next day was more magical! Ning and Weiwen took Larkin, Chris, Lucy and I, to a Michelin restaurant for duck congee. Larkin and I kept with the duck parts we knew!

After the congee, we walked toward the wet market. Larkin and I were the only pale faces for blocks!

There was no fishy smell despite the amount of fresh fish! I loved that the crabs are tied in pink bows. The black whatevers are called vegetable hair – I don’t want to know what the next photo shows…not something I’d consume unless its cooked in something and I didn’t know! And eggs, any color how many dozen do you need?

Fresh fruit including white strawberries…its always the season near the tropics for fresh tropical fruit and apparently any kind of fruit.

After the market we went to have noodles and a peanut rice dish…both delicious. While walking to the restaurant, we noticed a cat that looks like Mr. Ferguson! He was so fun to cat sit last summer for a week!

Its all about food…Ning waited in the line on the left to get more food. Ning and Weiwin have lived in Xiamen and knew what they wanted to take to the ship. As we got closer to the tourist areas, people tried to talk to us in English. We had a little over and hour to get back to the ship before it left, so Larkin and I tried to find where the cruise shuttle was which meant we needed to find a tunnel under the busy road which we never found. Then we happen to find Chris and Lucy again along with Ning and Weiwin and tried to get the right bus to the port. Taxi’s kept telling us its quicker by bus, but after getting on and off one bus, and the time was getting close to departure, we took two taxi…which got us right where we were meant to be in under 10 minutes for around $3.00!

Magical, just magical…a way to enjoy China that we never expected. Up next is Hong Kong and Lunar New Year….the event is celebrated by numerous cultures and we certainly enjoyed all this wonderful holiday had to offer!

The photos above are of the Sakurajima volcano and you’ll note the ash and steam rising – not clouds close to its surface. After our bus to car/ferry trip we stopped off at the Kirishima- Kinkowan National Park – Kagoshima the city is in the background below. We enjoyed a foot bath with the warm circulating waters.

As you can imagine, since we are both geologists, we couldn’t possible miss the up close viewpoint of an active volcano, Sakurajima, as it is one of the most active volcanos in the world. Due to its explosive potential, its is considered very dangerous and is closely monitored. The most explosive eruptions have been in 1471-76 and 1914 when the volcano caused the crater to join the Osumi Peninsula. The area has been designated a National Geopark.

We learned interesting facts about the island including the ferry runs every hour every day just in case an eruptions happens. Because of this, the local children can choose what they want to eat first for dinner – why you might ask? Because they need energy to rush to the boat if needed…or so they say!

Haru was enjoying previous deposits and the last photo is called the Lion rock. As we left we could take a picture of a slightly larger eruption. Six days after we left, Sakurajima send an ash cloud 1 km Skyward. Here’s a screen shot of the blog:

Our next port was Okinawa where our first stop was the Peace Park. As we walked toward the waterfront, we saw the granite blocks with names of those deceased during World War II. It is not quite as overwhelming as our Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. as its structure is unique, however it is still very powerful. The museum itself was from the war through our American occupation which we noticed wasn’t as well done as it could have been. Japanese troops didn’t treat the locals well during the war either.

Next were the Gyokusendo caves. I was hoping it wasn’t war caves as they played a huge part in the war, and we found out these weren’t discovered until 1967’s. The walking part of the cave is 890 M’s long with, gulp, yes 200 stairs down with a number up – but up includes and escalator. You come out within the Okinawa World Theme Park which includes snake shows, dance shows, a glass blower, a potter and of course various stores and restaurants. We did not have long to linger but snagged a mug I use everyday and a glass trivet to put my tea bags/strainer in.

A Jacque blog would not be complete now without some laundry hanging on a balcony and a wonderful drink in the Salt Bar called an aurora.

Our next stop: China with our new friends!

After docking in Hiroshima, Larkin, Haru and I joined about a dozen other folks on a bus to drive to a charming little town, Kumano, that has a very famous brush maker’s Brush Pen Studio, Fude no sato kobo. Fude means brush and the city has been making them for over 180 years. This studio also offers brush making classes on some days…ours however was how to use their brush for calligraphy! Our guide was from Kumano who was so proud of her city. She still has a special makeup brush her mom gave her from the company over 30 years ago and it is still useable. It all started out as high quality calligraphy brushes but in order to make the economics work they expanded into other types of brushes. They are well known for their makeup brushes that are in many of the make up products we use in the states! They also have the largest brush in the world as you walk down the stairs. Above, Haru is overlooking the beautiful lake with the heart sculpture in back of the building…and Larkin is working on her calligraphy.

Of the photos below, one photo shows Haru and even a person in the background for perspective. The next two photos are from their website and shows both the hanging brush and their beautiful modern building.

The kids art work with calligraphy were framed and displayed. We have no clue what the calligraphy says in the next photos but I love the dogs, guitar, tram and funky shoe. The bottom girls look just like something I have framed of Larkin’s that she drew when she was about three!

After seeing the brush and all the kids awarding winning art, we went to the art room, took off our shoes – impossible without a chair when you have on hiking boots to keep your feet warm and a new knee – and were then taught how to use this huge brush – okay so it felt huge. We got to practice things we would want to say and Larkin made hers an adventure for Haru! We had thirty minutes for our “art” to dry when we finished, so we had time to buy some of their exquisite make up brushes. Our calligraphy art work now hangs by magnets on either side of the couch in our state room!

When we arrived back at the ship, we took the shuttle bus to the center of Hiroshima. You have to look close at the photos below to notice the empty shell of a building from the August 6, 1945. It was called the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The last photo is from a site on the city of Hiroshima and shows this building up close without other buildings in the background. There was a museum on the island we were dropped off on, but we chose to walk around the downtown and found a decent department store. They actually had really nice magnets for our cabin and again, I wish I had purchased a couple more! From what we heard, those that visited all war type excursions and museums were totally overwhelmed. I was happy to see this one building and then realize what a very vibrant city it is 80 years later despite the destruction cause during World War II!

Our next stop was Beppu…Japan’s capital city of hot springs. You’ll note the steam rising in the hills behind the city from our port side view as well as a few as we drove to a Usuki Village and Buddha site where the buddhas’ are carved into the hillside.

The Usuki village had the ruins of an ancient castle and we were able to walk along the old samurai streets with our guide. It was a slow day with not many people out and about. The ancient the architecture of this samurai village is amazing!

From the bus stop we all took photos of the ruins of the castle which was above us and began walking into the old village. Haru was so happy on his walk. He could imagine being a samurai warrior! The castle was built on an island by the feudal Lord Otomo Sarin in 1562 and he turned the island fortress into a city center. During the Edo period in 1603 this village grew into a prosperous city of trade under the powerful feudal lords. The district we walked in retains much of its original Edo Charm. Land reclamation connected the castle grounds to the city center. The castle itself was destroyed centuries ago with the stones possibly used in other buildings. Now walkers and joggers use the walking path that runs through the grounds. Some of our group took time to walk to the top. I like Japanese post boxes on the street too! It takes after our red fire hydrants!

Next up was the stone buddhas in the Usuki area that were carved in the 12th century in the hills above the town. They were carved in bas relief in the soft tuff cliffs. They have been honored as a National Treasure and they are now wisely covered to protect them from destructive elements.

At the end of the day, when we were ready to sail away, we had a drum performance by an award winning team as we left port. Our suite is in the middle of the ship, hence they were right in front of us! Haru wanted a photo with the little bunny but by the time he showed up it was too late to leave the ship. We all waved at him though!

JJ is enjoying his snow and we felt we must share stickers you can put on your car in Japan…the left is for old people and the right one for new drivers! You DO NOT have to use them! Would you?

Up next, Kagoshima and Okinawa…

This is one of my favorite photos of the Kinkaku-ji or the temple of the Golden Pavilion. I think I might like the job of the tree trimmer. What a beautiful place to work! Looking back, I wish we had taken the high speed train that would take us to the train station but no, I had us on a bus for over an hour. Best news though was a couple, Craig and Joan, were on our bus and we had met them the night before at the Dolce Vita bar as we were sitting with our new friend Kirk from New Orleans before dinner.

The four of us vowed to stay together, take taxi’s to places and had a grand day. I wanted to see the Golden Pavilion first since Michael and I were there in the mid 80’s with guides and interpreters because Michael gave a speech to the Japanese enology and viticulture society in the Yamanashi province. As you can see it was a great day for photos and a few ashes of Michael and my book club friend Julie were sprinkled nearby.

Haru of course is enjoying his trip in Larkin’s backpack. It was a cool and mostly cloudy day but the sun peeped out and made for great photos!

Next, we chose to take a taxi to the beginning of the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove walk. But first, one needs sustenance and we discovered a great local spot just up the street from where we were dropped off. We were the only non Asians. As we sat down the skies opened up and rained/sprinkled out entire time inside. When we left, it did sprinkle some as we left for the bamboo walk.

Note Larkin’s boots. Its now too warm to wear them but EVERYONE loved/loves them. I think she may tuck them under her bed until Scandinavia in April/May. Colorful dinosaurs make people happy.

We walked through the Bamboo Grove and up to the Jojakkoji Temple. I made it up many stairs but let Larkin, Craig and Joan take the stairs where there were no rails! There were beautiful views over the city of Kyoto. The beautiful photo with no people in it was found on the internet. You can see how crowded it was with Haru!

In Osaka the next day, we took another bus tour that started with the Osaka Castle area. The day was clear and this was our walking day with over 10,000 steps – depends if I trust my watch or my phone for the count. The castle tower was rebuilt in 1931 of ferro-concrete construction and miraculously survived the city-wide air raids during world war II. They have an elevator up and I forgot to ask for the next elevator to the top. I went slowly down the five floors of stairs as I didn’t want to ask for the elevator down.

Next our bus took us to the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine with four sanctuaries. It is the main Shinto shrine of all the Sumiyoshi shrines. The bridge is lovely but perilous for my knee so I walked around to the lower bridge.

When we came home from Kyoto for our overnight in Osaka, we took photos of both the huge Ferris wheel which lit up in different colors from the ships 11th floor as well as the sun setting on the aquarium building. Larkin took a photo of me with a lego penquin as they have a Legoland Discovery Center for kids in the market place where the cruise ship was docked! We truly enjoyed the sites on the Ferris wheel before taking the short jaunt to the Aquarium after our tours in Osaka.

We could not possibly miss the Osaka Aquarium! Larkin took most of the photos as it was crowded and dark and it was easier for me to just enjoy and try to balance a camera. The whale sharks at the aquarium were amazing…one of the few aquariums with the largest fish in the world. They are not predators but filter feeders like whales. This museum is designed to be views from the top floor about the 6th floor down to the base. They were arranged in areas mostly around our Pacific ring of fire. If I had only seen the top, I would not have been so mesmerized. As you walk down the ramp, you get deeper in each area…you see the Monterrey Bay sea lions were running up and down the glass as fast as they could a floor or two down….yet those on the top looked like they were in San Francisco on the boat docks. Loved the spider crabs and of course my last penguin was an up close and personal for people to view noisy, loud, penguins. Reminded me of our first zodiac ride in the Antarctic in 2018.

Sunset after our huge walking and enjoying Osaka day – with our first Italiano pizza.

Up next, a sea day and more of beautiful Japan!

JJ is still enjoying keeping warm in McCall, Idaho with Paige and Navy. He looks dapper in his fleece!

Monday the 13th…our luggage was out by nine and we meet downstairs in the conference room for a bus to Happo en. There are 180 of us on an almost 600 passenger boat for the full world cruise. We had actually found that 180 versus 300 plus on a world cruise makes meeting the full world cruisers easier. …and makes events on the ship or on land easier!

This event venue was large enough for our group – hard to find on a major holiday especially since it is also a wedding venue. January 13th is a national holiday in Japan called, Coming of Age (second Monday in January). It used to be a celebration when you turned 20 but I believe for some, the age has gone down to 18 now. To not let most of the world cruisers be forgotten, there is one called Respect for the Aged on the third Monday in September – not sure what the Japanese think Aged is but they have quite a few centenarians. May 5th is Children’s Day! They don’t leave anyone out except possibly Moms and Dads since I didn’t see those listed in their national holidays!

Our room overlooked the garden and we did see many people for various weddings outside. We also had a cute “world peace” well traveled kids group that played the marimbas etc. They were adorable and kept us entertained – doesn’t take much! We met a couple in the elevator at the hotel that were on the 2020 World Cruise that was truncated in Perth. We sat we another delightful couple as well as Jonny (Walker) as he calls himself who was on our covidless cruise in 2020.

Our room, all 300 plus square feet, floor 8 middle of the ship. Smooth sailing and Larkin complains it doesn’t rock enough in the middle. As I write this we are in the library observation lounge on 11, in the front – it rocks and the seas are not high. Choose wisely.

We have chosen to put our warmer weather clothes under the bed as this Controtempo cruise means we start in Japan in winter and sail into warmer waters etc in China on our way to Hong Kong. Magnets are our saving grace. Wish we had brought all the ones I purchased but alas, we didn’t think we need more…our first shopping quest was magnets…we finally found different ones over the course of 3-4 days but none had the great nobs to hang coats or double hooks.

Every ship is different, every cruise line is different. We are attempting to learn the names of the restaurants and bars – including which ones require reservations for dinner. Our first day was at sea and yes, we did massages first thing…missed breakfast but I certainly don’t need the calories!

Now we are learning where to sit to type or read, always finding our new friends all over the boat.

The state rooms are all toward the front of the boat and none at all in the back. The hall is singular as all rooms come off the center hall. It is wider than most ships with two hallways and I would think it would seem crowded but it doesn’t! I do miss walking the floors like a track…

Only six elevators for 596 passengers and three sets of stairs I use now and then. My new knee likes flat ground but still hates stairs down especially. Again, I thought the elevators would seem crowded but they don’t – you just have to remember to push button on both sides so your chances are greater in case the other side has one already available. Quirks of a ship!

We are enjoying the food on the ship. We have found where we won’t go for breakfast or lunch as neither of us really likes a buffet and having to wait if you want something different. Our first few days it seemed as if those buffet restaurants had lots of new staff but not much ever happened quickly. Having to wait for hot water or hot chocolate while all those around you got their magic coffee drinks quickly was disconcerting. We haven’t gone back…nothing new as Michael, Larkin and I didn’t usually like buffets on any ship!

The restaurants we continue to haunt include Japanese sushi with Larkin’s favorite Macha latte, the regular menu lunch spot and SALT which has a new front page at every new destination. I love the pizza on the deck above the pool – authentic Italian pizza. Burgers – I won’t crave those on the ship.

Off to start the blog on Kyoto and Osaka…as I try to catch upon our cruise adventures…

Before we left for Tokyo, we had an unbelievably spectacular sunset the previous evening. Mikey, the bear had to come with us. He was a lovely gift from a friend using Michael’s jeans and shirt! He will make us smile and help us remember why we are on this very adventure. Thank you Michael…We’ve missed you for two years now!

The next blessing was flying out of SFO with a lovely view of the city AND Dillon Beach! It looks so different from the air!

When we arrived at Narita, we headed up the ramp, passed people waiting to pick up their wheelchair passengers and miraculously there stood Yo, our Silversea rep with our name on a clip board, yes at the top inside security! He helped me with my rollaboard and guided us through passport, luggage and medicine check (all meds more than 30 days must be declared and approved before arrival in Japan). We both assume Silversea will not start a world cruise in Japan again! Our four pieces of luggage that were shipped in December had to go to Hong Kong to meet our boat as Japan would not allow FedEx to import our luggage into Japan. In just under 30 minutes, the plane arrived at the gate, we went through passport, picked up our other four pieces of luggage, had our medicines checked and bundled into a large Land Cruiser like Toyota for the ride to the Okura. We both called that a record! Here is the view from our room at the Okura hotel in central Tokyo.

The next morning we took our time getting up and then went to breakfast and needed to get movement in our bodies. We started walking toward the area in the photo if you look very closely that seems straight out of Gaudi in Barcelona. We found other than the teamLab Borderless digital art museum (we bought tickets for Sunday morning), there was shopping, a good bookstore, incredible restaurants, a huge grocery store, a large wine shop and more.

We chose asian/Thai for lunch where during the week, you also include the time you can stay at the restaurant. Sixty to ninety minutes is your choice. I guess that is important since we noticed that the open wine and non alcoholic “serve yourself” drink bars were available. Very interesting. We are quick eaters so no problem but I did enjoy a glass of white wine and a flute of sparkling wine before we left and moseyed back to our hotel of course perusing the bookstore. The building next to us had the circle at its apex, Larkin noted the moon shining nearby!

For our evening meal, we went to the concierge where I asked for a Shabu Shabu restaurant. There was one fairly close by but we chose to take a taxi because after dark even though Tokyo streets are safe, it was dipping into the 30’s! Our driver left us off at the high rise building nearby the restaurant. Since we didn’t know where it was, we walked in the lobby. It was around 5:30 and we noted all the people in dark suits pouring out of the elevators, past walk throughs where they ding their cards…it was Friday evening! There was a help desk at this time and the lady at a desk pointed to a far door that led outside and said, “turn right its out there”.

Out there was entering into a world of none other than Harry Potter! Music, lights, decor, a Harry Potter restaurant etc… The Japanese now have a theater that is doing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child all in Japanese. Larkin saw it in London and loved the tech the most. So, I guess if we had gone, that would have been all I would have enjoyed and understood!

We went into the shopping area with many restaurants and found our Zakuro for Shabu Shabu on the second floor with many other restaurants. Only Japanese customers were in sight which always makes me happy. Our concierge had mentioned she would take her family there.

Our friends Tomoko and Minoru met us early Saturday afternoon at our hotel and we all took a taxi to the Imperial Palace and walked around across the moats. As you can tell, it was a lovely day! We walked through the small museum with artifacts donated by various imperial families. It was small but enlightening! I loved two metal sculptures; the one on the right is a Qilin or Kirin which is a mythical beast – a legendary hooved chimera. It is considered a good omen and came over from Chinese mythology. The addition of wings is a rather modern addition. The one on the left is of a phoenix the mythical bird that lives on top of volcanoes and absorb flames. They are a symbol of youth and a sign of peace and prosperity. Note Haru, Larkin’s dinosaur who is on the trip with us and writing his own child’s story. His adventures sound so much more exciting than mine and we’re doing the same things!

We also enjoyed the Sumida Hokusai Museum…all about Hokusai’s art work. He changed his name every so often as he moved and his style of art changed. There were no photos allowed but you would recognize all his drawings like the one above as they speak of Japanese art in the Edo period. He influenced van Gogh and Monet when Japonisme spread across Europe. He created Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji in response to a domestic travel boom. He worked in many mediums and also published “how to” books. This is one of his most famous pieces which is a block print – the waves, two boats and Mount Fuji! After the museum we walked near the closed Edo Tokyo Museum because the Sumo wrestling was starting soon (the next day and we already had plans) and the flags behind our photo is representative of each wrestlers area or who they represent. The tournaments happen three times a year in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the national sumo stadium. Sumo wrestling is the national sport of Japan!

Tomoko and Minoru took us to the Guenpin in Tokyo for Blowfish! We only saw Japanese customers and as always we love a great local restaurant – it helped to have our own interpreters! A person who is the chef has to learn how to deal with this fish, take a test and get a license. We loved it! First the sashimi comes out. Nice flavor, slightly chewy. Next is tempura with again great flavor but you need to beware of bones. Next a basket (yes a basket) is put on the induction top in the middle of the table with a metal disk holding the waxy like waterproof paper down. The water in the basket boils and the server places all the rest of the fish and greens in the dish. When you’re almost finished with what is in the basket they use the little water that is left to put almost cooked rice in and an egg with a bright orange yoke. The flavor was yummy but I was full! Tomoko and Minoru found us a taxi and sent us back to the hotel. We were absolutely too full! We await the time when we break out her chocolates in our suite on the ship!

What an incredible museum teamLab Borderless: MORI Building Digital Arts Building. If there was a museum this exquisite in San Francisco, I’d go see it twice a year. Glad I had my cane as its dark and slow and constantly changing. If you go back to rooms you’d seen before everything had changed. They had a cool room with rotating balls on tracks and rooms with huge squares coming out with changing colors. One hallway saw the unique guys walk through. The next – room was the only seating…a square lump…while we sat and rested, those unique guys followed us into the new room. The creators of this museum are very talented and you want to come back for more!

Our last meal before we left for the cruise ship was incredibly fresh sushi in the Okura hotel. Interesting enough we were still the only foreigners! Our chef was delightful and everyone was friendly. After one last drink in the top floor bar, we headed to our room. As our bags had to be out the next morning, we organized ourselves and got a good nights sleep. The ship awaited us on Monday afternoon after a brunch with the other 180 full world cruisers on the Silversea Dawn.

For those who are interested, we get updates on the fun JJ is having in McCall, Idaho with Paige and of course her poodle Navy. We hope he misses us some!

The ship, Silversea Dawn awaits…

He was larger than life…How do I describe 31 years with this grand man? The tears have settled down and yet the nights are lonely as my cute pupster JJ tries to keep me company. The house is quite. I try not to fill it up with incessant noise from the television. I am now flying solo but take Michael with me in spirit everywhere I go and know he would have wanted to go if cancer hadn’t taken him too soon.

We met in 1990 and married in 1991 – it was a time of with cassettes, cd’s, dvd’s and land lines with answering machines. A simpler life. We watched cell phones evolve until they are a computer in the palm of our hands! Our computers exploded in the age of the internet. Email address? Not until the mid 90’s and we stayed retro keeping our AOL accounts.

We went from film cameras to little digitals to where the best portrait photos are from our phones! Now I take for granted I can find so many of my photos online or in my hand, but I have found when it comes to the first 10 years of marriage, they are all snuggled into a photo album and difficult to access and be able share my love for this special man.

Our sunsets started at the family beach house in 1990 and slowly moved up the hill as we grew older and bought our own beach home. Its where we’ve called our permanent address since 2016! Every night that is not foggy gives us another chance at a green flash or spectacularly lit up clouds.

We traveled for wine and pleasure and watched our girls mature and grow. Vietnam for food or at the White House being proud of Shanna in the Air Force!

From winter jaunts with friends to desert jaunts for Moroccan Cooking classes to still being Santa, our life was rich with travel. For those who knew him – life was a grand adventure with little pause to stop. At least we were on the same roller coaster ride together. And we both felt blessed.

We tried to see the World on a World Cruise twice. Margaret River called for four months in 2020…many of you know the story and have read the blogs. We tried again in January but alas Michael died the day after we were to start our cruising adventure out of Miami. Michael had called our travel agent days before he died and set up a world cruise in 2025 for me and we’re planning on Larkin too! She’ll be writing and researching her PhD dissertation and I will be reflecting on my life and still counting my many blessings.

He loved playing lead guitar in the band. Private Reserve was a fun funky cover band that made people get up and dance. We went on six cruises on various itineraries around the world with the band as they lectured on wine and shared their love of wine and classic rock and roll. Each of us knew those trips were very special.

He loved sharing his knowledge and love of wine! He cherished walking in the vineyards and letting others experience old wines in special tastings. Wine was in his genes!

We were so blessed to spend our very last trip together seeing the daughters and grands in North Carolina and Virginia. We are so proud and happy for Shanna to have raised two fabulous boys, Damon and Dominic and that she has a job she enjoys! We are proud of Larkin for wanting to continue her learning at Virginia Tech for her PhD so she can teach and continue to research her chosen subjects. I enjoy time with mom and have pajama parties watching Hallmark movies as often as I can. Life’s too short not to spend time together!!

I’ll keep traveling our country and the world, hopefully with Larkin and the family and I will keep taking sunrise and sunset photos. Each beautiful sunset signifies another day of blessings and is time to pause and reflect.

Enjoy your fall and count your blessings!

The Blue Lagoon is located in the Reykjanes peninsula in what is now a UNESCO Global Geopark. In 2012 National Geographic named it one of the 25 wonders of the world. The lagoon is actually man-made due to the discharged water from the Svartsengi geothermal power station that did not seep back through the lava due to its high silica content instead it formed various pools. The Svartsengi power plant opened in 1976 and the runoff began to create these man-made pools soon afterward. The pools milky blue color is due to the way silica reflects sunlight. The geothermal seawater (30% fresh 70% seawater) is naturally renewed every 40 hours with a temperature between 99 degrees and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Very few organisms live in the water apart from blue-green algae. Despite the water not being artificially disinfected, it contains no fecal bacteria, environmental bacteria, fungi or plants.

A local psoriasis patient and worker at the geothermal plant would bathe in the water and he along with his doctor noticed the enriched water with silica, algae and minerals alleviated his symptoms. Bathing facilities opened in 1987 and the Blue Lagoon company was established in 1992. Local citizens can use the lagoon at no charge.

We checked into The Silica Hotel in the late afternoon after hiking on last years primitive new earth volcanic eruption. Our room keys were wristbands with a chip in it that opened our room as well as allowed us into the VIP Blue Lagoon line. We immediately gathered our suits and headed to the Blue Lagoon and our hotel took us over by van but we didn’t understand the layout. We were left about half a mile from the entrance and walked the hike from the drop off to the entry in useless hotel flip flop slippers. Next time we’ll stay fully dressed as they have nice albeit busy changing rooms. Showering naked before going in is imperative and putting conditioner on your hair saves it from ickyness.

We left our phones in the room as none of them had waterproof cases. I didn’t need proof that Larkin and I did three masks at the Mask Bar while floating around. We each got one drink to enjoy floating around and had an interesting lecture on the mysteries of Iceland’s elves and how they had to be forced to leave before the building commenced at the lagoon. As a part of Iceland’s history, elves aren’t just for kids. These magical creatures make Iceland all the more wonderful. They have played a part in the cultural fabric of the land of fire and ice for over a thousand years. Their lore is woven into the magic of the land, where they are as much a part of an unseen universe as they are a part of nature itself, even inspiring these road and building developers at the Blue Lagoon to respect their habitats. Without respecting these elves, the Blue Lagoon would not be here, or so the story goes…

Elves are sometimes known as Huldufolk or Hidden people. According to the headmaster at the Icelandic Elf School (yes there is one), Magnus Skarphedinsson, there is one kind of huldufolk and 13 kinds of elves on the island. He says that the hidden people “are just the same size and look exactly like human being, the only difference is that they are invisible to most of us. Elves on the other hand, aren’t entirely human, they’re humanoid.” I laughed when I read Huldufolk like to drink coffee, whereas the elves, not so much.

Elves are just like us, they cut hay, row boats and pick berries. They live primarily in the rocks , but may be found in houses as well. Icelanders believe it’s best to not bother them and treat them with respect. They are territorial so when the Blue Lagoon commenced constructions, machines kept breaking or stopped operating with no explanation. Once an elf whisperer came in at the Blue Lagoon and blessed the process and the elves that resided there, construction could commence. Elves have inspired environmental movements and this speaks to the value of nature. Elves are a kind of a, “ritualistic attempt to protect something meaningful, respect something of importance and acknowledge something of worth,” says writer and professor, Haukurs Ingi.

When the three of us returned to our hotel, Larkin and I decided to go in our hotels portion of the lagoon. It was much smaller, a lot less crowded and we talked to folks from Denver while rubbing the silica enriched mud all over our bodies! I forgot to put more conditioner on my hair and it took me a week to get all the silica and other “stuff” out of my hair. I must have taken minute portions of Iceland home with me. Michael on the other hand cleaned up and enjoyed directing the acting bartender on how to prepare his drink.

After we cleaned up from all the relaxing soaking, Larkin and I walked to LAVA for dinner and took photos along our way. Michael joined us after he took the van over later.

The Lava Restaurant is built into an 800 year old lava cliff on the banks of the Blue Lagoon. Their website states: The Lava Restaurant is a place where dynamic cuisine and enchanting design create unforgettable culinary experiences. The food once again was delicious. Our table overlooked the mask clad soakers and the outdoor bar. My appetizer was a cured beef with black garlic and blueberries – yummy! Our mains were lamb, beef and fish of the day and each dish was delightful. We even saw a magnum of Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet on the wine bar being poured by the glass.

The Blue Lagoon was a relaxing place to end our Arctic trip. Fragmented lava covered in vibrant moss, steaming bright blue water overlaying extinct volcanoes. Larkin and I had enough time to take a few photos in the early morning outside with the blue sky highlighting the landscape during our last hour in the Icelandic countryside. Our hotel pool was void of people this early but still serene and inviting.

Valdi mentioned that as we know, everyone in Europe goes to their local bar for gossip and news. However, in Iceland the locals go to their warm geothermal pools which are located in every town. I can’t imagine a more relaxed way to enjoy conversing with friends and family.

We learned that Iceland has the most incredible fish in the world. After our trip, I agree with this assessment. We also learned in the middle of winter, Icelanders enjoy traveling to what they call Sun Countries…anywhere south and into the sun! We felt the sense of magic that this island offers and are ready to go back!

We were told to get to the airport early but I guess 3 hours wasn’t enough as the entry hall was jammed packed with wall to wall people. We left Larkin searching for United as we stood in line for Delta. If I’d had known it was a more than a two hour process, I’d have given her a hug before we watched her trudge off. We did make it through with Delta and security and noticed an Israeli like presence of checking passenger asking the folks in front of us what color their van was and asking me what books I enjoy. I did tell the guy checking our passports we’d been to Jan Mayen and he told me I pronounced it correctly. We were boarded before Larkin made it through security. United was having major issues with their baggage and it was just another problem to add to their naughty list this year! The positive – we made it home despite going through Newark and Larkin through Dulles. Blessings we were never at Heathrow this year and once in Frankfurt was enough!

The northern lights are supposed to be incredible…anyone want to join?

However, we love being home after all our travels…stay cool over Labor Day and into the fall!

After checking out of the Ion Adventure we headed to the Reykjanes Peninsula to visit the Fagradalsfjall volcanic area which had erupted in March of 2021. Valdi told us when he met us on Friday that if a volcano went up we would detour to visit and of course with two of us being geologists we were more than ready for that detour – three in one year would be spectacular. But alas, we were only able to walk on last years eruption.

But first, miles and miles of lava fields with moss growing on top, a quick jaunt to another somewhat black sand beach and then the magical lava field.

Valdi, Larkin, Michael and I enjoyed this incredible lava field. Valdi normally stayed in the Suburban at our various stops but he loves joining his tourists on this hike. An Icelandic geophysicist said of last years lava flow into the Natthagi Valley, “the lava is running down the slope in enjoyable torrents.” We enjoyed photographing those solidified torrents! You can even visual them running down the hills in the distance.

Acres and acres of rope lava and some sulphuric vents. Unique looking formations that resemble magical creatures, black, grey, blue, yellow coloring, with green olivine crystals in the cooled magma. Olivine is found on the surface associated with dark igneous rocks along divergent plate boundaries. This lava is reportedly said to be the oldest rocks on the surface of the planet because of the content of the magma and how deep it was sourced. Regardless of how close in miles each of these volcanic areas are located in Iceland, each one seems to have a different source into the mantle. I can imagine geologist and geophysicists are loving their jobs here in Iceland…from earthquakes, divergent plates and magma, there is always something to study indepth and new connections to be made. These photos show new earth from a year ago – that alone seems magical!

After our delightful hike, we headed to Bryggjan Grindavik, a restaurant in Grindavik that serves their world famous Lobster soup a la Bryggjan which is made from scratch everyday and served with fresh bread from a local bakery. The restaurant is right on the harbor. We could go back for seconds if we were still hungry! They loved carved wood Icelanding creatures and if course a propeller as decor.

Out last stop of the day before our Hotel Silica at the Blue Lagoon was the farthest southeast corner of Iceland often called ” the toe.” We first visited the Gunnuhver Geothermal Fields which is Iceland’s impressive and colorful geothermal field of various mud pools and fumaroles. The area definitely had an incredible misty sulfur vapor. The surrounding rocks are impressive with their oranges and blues due to unusual minerals. The groundwater here unique as it is 100% salt water. The ground temperatures here can exceed 500 degrees Fahrenheit. We stuck to the wooden pathway and walked quickly – it looked like the hot springs had engulfed the remains of an older path.

Reykjanesviti, the first lighthouse in the country was erected in 1878. By 1887 an earthquake left the structure in disrepair. The one we saw is the 1929 model rebuilt on Baerjarfell Hill.

At this location, the Valahunkamol cliffs, Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams performed Volcano Man for the Hollywood movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. These red keyboards make for an interesting photo.

Eldey Island visible behind the red keyboards, is 252 feet tall and home to the largest gannet colonies in the Atlantic with 16,000 mating pairs. They are the largest sea bird found in Iceland. However this island was home to the last known pair of the Great Auks which are now extinct. The birds were 33 inches tall and weighed 11 pounds. The Great Auk found refuge on Eldey Island by the early 1800’s. However in 1830, a volcanic eruption pulled the island beneath the water of the sea leaving the fragile population adrift. The remaining few took refuge on these cliffs and were easy pickings. The last pair was killed on June 3, 1844 by a Dutchman who took them to a museum in Denmark. The statue was created by Todd McGrain called The Lost Bird Project. He wanted to bring attention to environmental issues such as loss of diversity.

These cliffs with their craggy weathered appearance are composed of pillow lava from a single eruption. During 1226, there was an undersea eruption which created the Sand Winter. Ash fall was so heavy it was dark as night in the middle of the day, resulting in death and famine. Larkin and I climbed up the main cliffs for a fantastic view but were very careful.

Our next stop, The Blue Lagoon…

Valdi picked us up at the Ion Adventure and drove us toward the southern coast winding our way through Selfoss, a quaint little town that is upgrading their image. The town has many retirement apartment buildings that looked like fabulous places to live! The town’s growth is due to its lower property prices and its closeness to Reykjavik along with its low rates of unemployment.

Our first stop, the LAVA Centre with its interactive volcano exhibition. A large map on their wall showed the current earthquakes occurring on the island. After a short video on Iceland and its volcanoes, we walked through exhibits of types of lava and how they are formed. The photos below with Michael and Larkin show how if you stand in certain spots you can point at dots on the wall and it up loads the various volcanoes and their history. We were all fascinated with this interactive display. Eyjafjallajokull , a stratovolcano, a large steep sided cone, is often called E 15 which may be due to how hard it is to pronounce. Because of the melting glacier water entering the magma chamber it caused the chilling and fragmenting of the lava into tiny particles of silica and ash which exploded into the towering plume that closed European air space in 2010. Eyja – Island, Fjalla – mountain and Jokull – glacier. It is now considered dormant again (it erupts every few centuries) but next to E 15 is Katla which normally follows the eruption of E 15 and that has not happened as of yet. As you can imagine, monitoring earthquakes is critical in Iceland.

Hekla, also a stratovolcano, which Michael is standing in front of, is Iceland’s most active volcano historically. In the Middle ages, the Icelandic Norse called the volcano the “Gateway to Hell.” Due to its frequent large eruptions that have covered much of Iceland with tephra, these layers can be used to date eruptions of Iceland’s other volcanoes. Cumulatively the volcano has produced one of the largest volume of lava of any volcano in the world. The word Hekla is the Icelandic word for a short hooded cloak, which may relate to the frequent cloud cover on the summit. It is located at a rift-transform junction in the area where the south Iceland seismic zone and eastern volcanic zone meet. The tephra produced by its eruptions is high in fluorine which is poisonous to animals. Hence the loss of many farm animals over Iceland’s millennia of history. Hekla is unusually aseismic with activity only starting 30-80 minutes before an eruption. It has experienced 20-30 considerable eruptions over the last millennia. These eruptions are varied and difficult to predict. The longer its is dormant the larger and more catastrophic its opening eruption will be. The most recent eruption was on February 26, 2000.

Seljalandsfoss is about 200 feet high with a spectacular cave behind it. Larkin and I followed the rocky footpath as it is one of the few waterfalls that can be hiked behind. The waterfall is on the Seljaland River which has its origin in the Eyjafjallajokull(E15) volcanic glacier. I especially had to be careful as the pathway – with its slippery mud and large boulders was treacherous. The experience was well worth the hike!

Larkin and I keep taking photos of people, plants and rocks. The white flower is called cotton plant.

The Skogafoss waterfall is pushing 200 feet and is unique because the waterfall comes from two glaciers – both Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull (home to the Katla volcano). A path lead up to the top so hikers could enjoy a view over the southern coastline. We happily left that to the experienced hikers. Sheep can be found wandering everywhere including the riverbeds by a waterfall. In the winter, the waterfall offers great photo opportunities when the Northern Lights dance across the sky. That would certainly be a wonderful winter adventure!

Our day wasn’t even half over over as we headed to the black sand beach, Reynisfjara with its symmetrical hexagon columns and its caves. The sea stacks, according to folklore, were trolls turned into stone. The major issue at this beach here is sneaker waves that suddenly appear and we were told to never turn our backs on this ocean! I imagine many of these family photos will end up on Christmas cards. We had time for a quick lunch at the restaurant on the beach. Note – even Icelandic dogs do it in the grass.

Next up…the Caves of Hella. Around 200 man-made caves can be found in the south coast of Iceland. Since Norwegians are not cave diggers, historians realized history needed to change as these early caves were most likely dug by Celtic monks. Four of these caves are available to visit and we enjoyed a tour through the maze. This historical site is Iceland’s oldest standing archeological remains.

There were many carvings on the cave walls, some old, some newer. Local farmers have used some of these caves for animals and storage for centuries. There are definitely carvings that show a few caves were used for Christian rituals.

Waterfalls in the vistas as we drove back to the Ion Adventure…and the unique bra fence! I wonder if they had my size?

Next up…our last day in Iceland!