Aloha From Kauai - Once Again!!

What a busy, action-packed week this has been! Our cruise of the Hawaian Islands is almost over - on Saturday we disembark in Honolulu early in the morning, then fly to Maui for a few more days, hopefully in the sun...

For those of you hwho had been hoping for the detailed and frequent account of our adventures that I had hoped to supply, will have been disappointed, just as I have been disappointed not to be able to blog! Internet time on the cruise ship is ridiculously expensive, but here in this little internet cafe in Nawiwli, Kauai - yes, we have been back on Kauai since we docked early yesterday morning! - the rates are much more reasonable, plus I have been completely successful in accessing everything I have tried....

It's hard to know just where to begin to describe the sights and experiences since last I blogged, so I'll probably limit myself to some highlights of our time on the cruise ship, Norwegian Cruise Lines "Pride of America", a vessel with a capacity of some 2000 plus passengers, which I know sounds quite overwhelming, but actually, most of the time, it is quite OK. The food is plentiful - too plentiful! - and there is so much to do - or not, if that's your preference!

On board we have a couple of Hawaiian 'ambassadors', and we have got to know Malu and Kekai pretty well, taking in all cultural activities offered. We have made a fresh orchid lei (a lei is a flower wreath worn around the neck) as well as a woven ribbon lei. On the more active side, we have had daily classes in hula dancing!! This afternoon we are performing on the main stage.! We have three numbers that we have been practising all week. Participation in only one class qualifies a person to be in this afternoon's show, so there is no indication of just how many of us will be swaying our hips in the Hawaiian style, but I do know that I plan to be well to the back of the group!! The dress code is to be as Hawaiian as we can make ourselves, so those leis will definitely come in handy to make my Hawaiian dress look more festive... More on that another time.

As we have returned to Kauai at a rather cloudy, damp time - which it seems is pretty typical for 'the Garden Island' - we realize how blessed we were to have had good weather pretty well the entire week we were here before . Of course, the more rain there is, the more impressive the waterfalls, and the more lush the growth, for which the island gets its nickname. Apparently, Kauai is 80% privately owned, which accounts for the lack of commercialism, and has been the location for a number of movies - Jurassic Park, Blue Hawaii, to name a couple. Elvis loved to visit, and had his own cabana - the only one of several left standing after a hurricane.

So much to tell, but so little time left on the computer clock! We are hoping that the place we have on Maui will have free internet access so that we'll be able to get caught up a bit. Of course, the main thrust of our visit is to enjoy the beaches and sunshine, so how much blogging gets done will obviously depend on the weather....

'Surfer's Paradise'!

Although neither Sue nor I profess to be surfers - other than in our dreams! - we are really enjoying the BIG waves from the shore, as we watch others pitting their wits and strength against the wild winter waves! According to the Kauai Ocean Report, the waves were 15 - 20 ft., 'well above advisory level'.....We are just a few minutes drive from the beach judged by 'Dr. Beach', in his 2009 list of the best U.S. beaches, to be numero uno!! This 'exquisite two-mile beach that hugs Hanalei Bay' was where we spent an afternoon walking along the golden sands, basking in the sunshine, and watching both highly-skilled and neophyte surfers waiting for 'the Big One'.

The village of Hanalei is the oldest settlement on Kauai, with a beautiful Hawaiian church and mission compound, dating back to the early 1800's, nestling amongst the palm trees and brightly coloured shrubbery. Apparently there is good shopping to be had here as well, but somehow we missed the large number of shops and stalls the other day. We plan to remedy the situation a little later on today!

 We are staying at the N end of the island, about an hour's drive from the airport in Lihue. Hanalei is further N, and not too many miles beyond Hanalei the road comes to an abrupt end, and the only way forward is on strong legs, with feet shod in sturdy hiking boots.... The driving up to that point provided enough excitement for us, with several single-lane bridges over various creeks and rivers, culminating in one final single-lane bridge with deep potholes and boulders to navigate around, plus a stream running over the 'road'! Sights along the way included both wet and dry caves, which gleamed with an eerie glow, but did NOT tempt us to enter in to explore further.

Princeville, where our condo is located in a tree'd area on the edge of a golf course - and we even have our 'own' flamboyant tree outside the window, shared with roosters and feral cats! - seems to encompass quite a large area of condos and private homes, with a number of different kinds of trees and shrubbery, lots of greenspace and many varieties of colourful flowers. The Makai Club, our home-away-from-home, has been here for thirty years, and must be one of the oldest resorts in the area. The location is very picturesque, but the buildings themselves are scheduled for major renovations, starting this fall. 

One of the very positive things we have noticed, not only in this area, but all over the island, is the lack of billboards and hoardings, which is most refreshing. Apparently, buildings are not permitted to be any taller than a palm tree grows, so no sky scrapers spoiling the views here! From what we have observed, it is easy to see why Kauai is known as the 'Garden Island'.      

Aloha from Kauai!!

Several busy days in the sun have gone by since we arrived here on Saturday evening.... By the time we finally found our place to stay, it was DARK! The instructions we had been sent were rather ambiguous - to say the least! - but we persevered!
Security checks before we left Victoria were very strict, but we came through without having to reliquish anything, so we felt we had done our homework quite thoroughly. Connections were
fine in Honolulu, and in Lihue we picked up our rental car - a PT Cruiser - without problem. The drive up-island was very interesting. The highway follows the coastline most of the way, so we passed a number of beaches, with quite sizeable waves breaking onto the beach, or even some distance out. When we weren't driving along by the ocean, we were making our way through forested areas, with unique Hawaiian trees. The highway wends its way between the ocen and the jagged peaks of the interior Kauai, some peaks being quite bare, while others are covered with foliage of many shades of green.

Friends Along the Way!

Memories of days at The Abbey as I spent time with Ruth (and Bern) now living in Ely, near Cambridge. Before we took the train together to Ely, I met Ruth at John Wesley's Chapel in London, where once a month she serves as a guide to those visiting the chapel and museum. Before we left London, we met up with Ruth's daughter Briony for a short visit over bowls of soup.
Great to see you again, Ruth and Bern - and Briony!

Cousin Ann and I have shared a number of recent adventures -biking in Scotland this spring, for example - and adventures in our youth, such as ski-ing in Austria, where Ann broke her ankle on our last day on the slopes... She is currently recovering from a hip replacement, but expects to be ready for our next adventure together this spring! I also saw other cousins, Gill and Judith, but forgot to take a picture!
Thanks for the warm welcome, cousins!!

Stella and I taught together at Cumnor School (near Oxford) two years before I left for Canada in 1968! She (and Graham) had invited me to their annual Boxing Day party at their home in Shrivenham, near Swindon - my last stop before returning to London to catch the plane. It was a special treat to see my godson, Phil and Sharon, with their son Finlay (4).
Lovely to be with you all again! Thanks so much!

Of course, this bearded gentleman needs no introduction! (No, it's not brother Jim, masquerading as the jolly fellow, although Jim has deputized in the past!)
Father Christmas arrived on Luckington Common - not too far from Chipping Sodbury - on Christmas Eve, with a sack full of presents for the crowd of excited children, eagerly awaiting his arrival, a crowd which included great-niece, Lily (5y 9m) - although not visible in this shot! (The Land Rover substituted for Rudolph and Co.!)

Some Snowy Sodbury Scenes!

Kingrove Farmhouse, my 'home-away-from-home' B & B. The windows above the front entrance are those of the room I usually occupy during my stays here.

The Entrance to Kingrove Farm. Although it doesn't look like much of a slope through the gateway, as the week progressed it became more of a challenge to stay on my feet!!

Kingrove Lane, my walking route each day into Chipping Sodbury. With the 'thaw-freeze-thaw-freeze' cycle, remaining upright here also became more difficult with each passing day....

Chipping Sodbury Church has stood here for more than 700 years! Just by the gate to the churchyard (bottom LHS of picture) was where Mother fell and broke her hip, in weather conditions similar to these, in January, 2004.

Centennial Celebration!

We were all there at The Heathers Nursing Home, Chipping Sodbury, on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, to celebrate the centennial milestone of Phyl Wilkie, the matriarch of the clan!

L to R Back row: Paul, Esther (David's fiancee) David, Judy, Sue

Front row: Lily (5y 9m, daughter of Sue and Paul) Di, Phyl (the Birthday Girl!) Jim

Centennial Celebration!

I am sure you have been waiting on tenterhooks to hear how the celebration went! Apologies for having kept you waiting so long.... Part of the problem was lack of success in gaining access to a computer during the festive season, then, once home, my attention has been pulled in several different directions. Still, you should have seen some pictures by now, via the web album, but in case you have been unsuccessful, I have managed to import a group picture!

Tuesday, December 22 was a day much-anticipated by both family and nursing home staff. Many preparations had been made, and all was now ready! Congratulatory greetings from the Queen had arrived by special delivery earlier in the day, balloons were bouncing around cheerfully in the air, the table was spread, the birthday cake adorned with sparklers, the celebrants, all there on time and in best bib and tucker........ BUT where was the Guest of Honour?? It seems that the morning's 'extreme makeover' had worn her out, and now it was time for a siesta! However, the 'Centenarian Celebrity' awakened from her slumbers right on cue, well-rested, dressed to the nines, and ready to party! The patient photographer, who had been waiting awhile for 'Sleeping Beauty' to awaken, went away happy, with the 'official' picture for the Gazette in his camera - and we all heaved a sigh of relief!

A hundred years is a long time, and during that time the girth of a tree trunk increases quite considerably. To emphasize this point, and to give a visual demonstration of the passing of time, Paul lugged in a slice from a tree that had blown down beside their lane, marking on the rings of the tree the birthdates of the various family members, with Great-Grandma Phyl's birthdate at the centre of the tree, and her great-granddaughter Lily's some 95 rings out, almost to the bark!
Once opened and admired, the birthday card from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, was displayed beside the birthday cake, but not too close.... Didn't want to risk it being burned when the sparklers were lit! The sparklers did in fact burn with great gusto, so much so that the fire alarm was triggered, and it was some minutes before it could be silenced! Fortunately, there wasn't a stampede of firemen to join the celebration!

The 'Centenarian Celebrity' enjoyed having her family around her on her special day, even though she wasn't entirely sure what all the fuss was about, or who everyone was. She certainly enjoyed the birthday cake, though - and the bubbly, too! - and we all enjoyed being there to celebrate with her!