September 12, 2025

BeiJing, used to be Peking - so we had to have the famous Peking Duck!

There are several well known Peking Duck specialty restaurants, we went to Siji Minfu. They bring you appetizers of spicy cucumbers, grapes and baked bran with mushrooms and peanuts - tasty! Then comes the roast duck carved table side with it crispy skin. You put duck in super thin pancakes with slices of cucumber, scallions, melon and sprinkle of sugar with plum sauce. Wrap like small burrito and SO YUMMY !! We also enjoyed a side of crispy baby eggplant.

When we got back to hotel we got to witness another type of dinner. Robot delivery - most of the hotels use this service for takeout deliveries to the rooms. It's so cute and sometimes they chat to you if you ride elevator with them! Love how they park themselves right infant of doors, must be tied into elevator system because they always get next one down and go right to their floor. Want to order something just so we can receive delivery. Very Jetsons! Finally ! I really want flying cars next!

HAPPY EASTER from BALI, INDONESIA

By Pat Patrick • April 6, 2026
Easter turned out to be a travel day for Bosco and I as we were extremely limited in when we could be seen by the Australian Border Control to disembark from the Ship, for a scuba diving adventure in Raja Ampat that I have had reserved, for over 18 months! We flew from Perth to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Easter afternoon.

FREO ARTS FESTIVAL AND COUSINS!!

By Pat Patrick • April 6, 2026
I have been really excited to get to Fremantle / Perth for my first time. I have had a few friends live here over the years and I have a second cousin, James Murphy, who I have only ever spoken too briefly, over the last 35 years and that I would love to meet in person. Jim is the older brother of Paul who I met up with in Melbourne a few weeks ago.

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

By Pat Patrick • April 6, 2026
Greetings from FREMANTLE or FREO as the locals call it! Getting here took a long week at Sea, as we hid out and dodged wave surges from two cyclone systems. Our departure from Adelaide was timed to carefully avoid the path of Cyclone Narelle and we hugged the southern coastline of Australia, in the shallow waters of the Great Australian Bight . Later in the week we sheltered near Point Culver, before taking the turn and heading North along the western coastline.