2015 November 22nd - December 15: Hawaii, Toronto, Toulouse France, Toronto 👍

Dateline: 2015 December 15th: Les Tallides, Gaillac, France

Been there, Done that. 

Talk about Jet Setters.
Sometimes, this is the reality of missed and delayed flights

Hawaii Route


Hey!

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

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)

For some reason, it's not busy
Maybe it's because this is US Thanksgiving
week

This is our main
entertainment unit

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

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

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.

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

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

We drive to the central mountain, Mauna Kea,
 halfway observatory parking and have lunch 

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

The unwashed (and un doctored) are not permitted
so this is only half way up. We wait for sunset

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

Kayla and I walk as far as in allowed
The fumes can poison you if the winds change

The hotel next door is a full bodied up market Hilton

One of the classiest time shares I've ever seen
We invest a day here

Our second timeshare. Just before we leave for France

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!

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.

We stayed a night in Toronto, (to do the laundry)
then another overnight
to Toulouse. I told you, total Jet Set dude

This is winter, even in France
I think the word is bucolic

And the typical French bridge of course

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

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. 

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

From Your Correspondent