Dateline: 2015 December 15th: Les Tallides, Gaillac, France
Been there, Done that.
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Talk about Jet Setters.
Sometimes, this is the reality of missed and delayed flights |
Hawaii Route
Hey!
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Hawaii, for a while, but don't tie me down just yet
Paniolo Greens.
There's usually a 3 bedroom available here |
I haven't sent out a Christmas whatsbeenhappenin' for many a long year, probably due to the intense lack of demand
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| A deserted Hawaiian state park |
Not that there's been much to write to/ from home about anyway, that
was more relevant to my Myanmar trip in February, this is more about the
same old, same old of Hawaii, again, and France, yet, yet again, and if
anyone can be bothered, our family activities for the year (no pix of
that)
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For some reason, it's not busy
Maybe it's because this is US Thanksgiving
week |
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This is our main
entertainment unit |
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We are on Big Island. It's relatively new
Lots of lovely and exhausting walks to beaches |
I know, retirement (say it isn't so!), in Toronto is now
just a matter of fixing bits of the house, and going on long bike rides,
trying to find a competent doctor to fix my ongoing balance and wobble,
and coffee's and barbecues and G n' T's. Not so bad you may say.....
Aye, there's the rub.
So, for those of you who sorta live precariously via our traveling, then this is a pretty thin year for you.
Apart from the Christmas message here, sad pagan stuff as it is,
family news is that Kayla started her first full time job and worked for
almost a year at it, now getting into the mode for traveling to Oz
early next year
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| Kayla helps us shop at the local supermarket |
Aiden moved into his own apartment in November, and so far, we have all survived the various trauma's of our losses
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| Well, it's certainly not Scarborough |
Ilge had, yes finally, one new knee in March, hence my too early
return from Burma, one remaining knee to go, probably far too soon for
her. She's getting sick of being patted and prodded at airports around
the world
Moi, finally gave all my remaining customers the cyber
slip in May, and did a trip to France, UK and Ireland, in June/ July
returning to Toronto because I'd developed a weird imbalance problem,
which, 6 months about 8 doctors and half a dozen tests later, is still
loud, bouncy and completely undiagnosed
There you have it, we
should have been hacking around Australia back in September/ October,
but with my inability to drive properly on the wrong side of the road,
it was not to be.
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Hawaii is actually very laid back, all you need
is accommodation and a Costco card and its also cheap |
I tried my hands at light house
reno's, with copious amounts of moral and sometimes physical assistance
from my mate Rus here in Toronto and try to catch up on 65+ years of
miss spent activities
So, back to the plot, come early
November, we come out of our reverie and realise that we have 2
timeshares due to expire on November 30th. Long story to executive
version, we snag a couple of weeks on big island Hawaii and head off to Paniolo Greens for a week, then to Waikaloa,
Kayla joins us for the second week (no one else wanted to come), and it
was in fact quite lovely.
While we waited for her flight to arrive, we took in a Time Share sales pitch. If yoyu are not stupid, you can come out with $200 for your time. We have it down to a fine art and collected a pre loaded debit card as we headed off to the airport
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Every time share comes with at least one golf course
There are always several close by too.
As usual, we look out onto the local one. Waikoloa Village |
Time shares certainly deserve a bad rap,
if you are dim enough to buy one (we were given ours, and that as it turned out eventually, was pretty dim), then there's no
hope for you. The good news is that if you play the game, then you can
get quite a good deal. No advice for would be Hawaii goers, that's all
been explained to death in previous bloglets
Both weeks
were on the north west part of the island at pretty upmarket places,
this means of course, that there's huge golf courses, a great or
fantastic pool, barbecues and not much else
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We drive to the central mountain, Mauna Kea,
halfway observatory parking and have lunch
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As Kayla was coming, we lazed the first week hanging out, and occasionally thought about finding some whales to watch
With 5 volcanoes on the island, and a few million years of lava flows,
Hawaii has some stunning scenery. The State parks are, well, if not
very informative, then at least pretty. On the northern coast I walked
down and up a few cliffs. Stunning stuff
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The unwashed (and un doctored) are not permitted
so this is only half way up. We wait for sunset
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If you don't recognise this,
it's called hanging out |
Apart from that, it was
pretty much like being in a tropical lava strewn volcanic version of
Toronto, there's even a Costco to resolve all your material needs.
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Years ago I snagged an endless free family pass for
all US national Parks
This is one. The ancient Hawaiian royalty's palace |
The
first week, we are at about 800 metres up, 10Km from the coast, its in the
middle of nowhere except a huge lava field. The constant wind racing
everywhere across the island and through the building keeps us cool day
and night. We have a week contemplating the full meaning of retirement
in a tropical setting in a luxury (for us!) large self contained condo,
lounging in the pool, Gn'T' sundowners and barbecuing; all things
considered, its better than a week not there
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Kayla is from a hectic schedule, maybe Uni
She always freeloads whenever she likes our current location
A chip off the old block |
We did actually play
the game with RCI, the exchange company, and took a presentation for
which we were paid US$100, plus a considerable discount on a Lu'au, a
Hawaiian food and "entertainment" fest and feast and got various other
discounts for eating places. The highlight of the presentation being
when the salesman asked me "What would you say if I told you you could
have free vacations for a lifetime", and I replied "I would laugh at
you".
Tough as steel salesman that he was he simply replied "Please don't laugh at me". 5 minutes and we were out of there with our $100. Easy.
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On our trip around the island, we just pull off
into a side road. Another incredible, and deserted
park and raging seascapes |
After
Kayla arrives, we move into an even more upmarket time share (5 stars
even), and next day do Mauna Kea as in Keck and other observatories. I'm
surprised at how easy it is to drive (balance, wobbles et al), and we
stay late to watch the sunset, see a (fairly meaningless) movie, and
after dark, a few stars through some pretty heavy duty telescopes
Pool, relax, G'n'T, barbecue, repeat
A
trip to "Volcano", yes, an actual village. We go clockwise around the
island (stunning), and stop for a picnic at a local park we just decided
to drive to. There's only us and a few new age travelers. Equally
stunning
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These are the lava tubes
Big Island is full of them, in
fact, this is how lava
reaches the sea, today.
Its humid and sticky |
The volcano in question, is a constantly active one. It's
gone through several cataclysmic changes since humans arrived, some
very recently. Kayla & I walk to the limits of the recent flows as
you can no longer drive around due to nasty noxious fumes, then back to
the viewing museum to see a red glow of the lava in a huge pit. Ho Hum.
Back home
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At the Volcano National park
Not steam, deadly noxious fumes etc in distance |
A day at the actual Hilton resort (yeah, really pretty
dire), but lots of tourist facilities, all part of the package. We
actually swim "in the ocean", albeit, a sea fed lagoon. it works.
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Kayla and I walk as far as in allowed
The fumes can poison you if the winds change |
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| The hotel next door is a full bodied up market Hilton |
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One of the classiest time shares I've ever seen
We invest a day here |
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| Our second timeshare. Just before we leave for France |
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Actually on the way to the airport and back
This is a road through the huge lava field heading back |
And,
then its Sunday and we're back flying home Saturday late, arriving
Toronto Sunday. Short overnighter, do laundry, then off to France.
Yes, off to France.
Back in the spring, we booked a two way ticket from TLS/ YYZ and back. Transatllantic one ways are the pits, so we needed to get to France before we could use the ticket to get back. Follow that?
You have a problem with that?
Now in France. Keep up!
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Compare & Contrast. December, southern France
Club Shem Paradisio. The Grounds |
Well, you've all seen that. This being just a whirlwind week of, well, hanging out, chopping wood, biking first thing in the beautiful frosty mist shrouded mornings for the superlative croissants, cookie baking (note cooking garb), and dining in and out complete with Jim's killer Moule Mariniere to complete the week.
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We stayed a night in Toronto, (to do the laundry)
then another overnight
to Toulouse. I told you, total Jet Set dude |
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This is winter, even in France
I think the word is bucolic
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And the typical French bridge of course
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I take the Alexanders out for
a Mitch star or 2 restaurant
It was actually pretty good
Of course, castles like this
are 10 a centime over there
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More real life.
Here, probably Jim's special Moule Mariniere, Jim's version |
Usual stuff - Thanks Alex & Shem for a wonderful week a'la Belle France. We'll be back!
Somehow I gained about a Kilo per week. So this is what retirement means, Obesity.
Back home with our new tree to decorate, awaiting the Christmas processes.
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Just like home I guess,
which is where we're off to tomorrow |
More kilo's to follow
And that's it!.
As I said, nothing much to write home about...... But someones got to do it.
If this is interesting, then get out more
Enough!
Happy Pagan rituals and may your retirements and future be even more exciting than ours.
Ciao all
