October 29, 2024

Lanzarote, Spain - Canary Islands

Balcony view this beautiful, sunny Sunday! I dressed up for church and one of my favorite waiters presented me with a linen rose -saying how nice I looked and he wished me a lovely day, as I was leaving the dining room. So sweet! The staff is really great and I love that we get to spend so much time with them - most have contracts for 6 to 9 months! My room Stewart wants to take me out for Indonesian food, in one of the upcoming ports, to show me his favorite dishes from home!

Below are some views of harbor around the town of Arrecife. I had a Marilyn Monroe "Some Like It Hot" moment when I climbed up to the top of the Fort. Did I mention it was very windy? Well my fancy dress gusted up around my neck while I was taking photo's and thank goodness, the 3 men who had just been up there with me, were down the ladder at that moment! Caught me totally by surprise and took a little wrangling, to get everything back in place!

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Mass was at noon at the Parroquia de San GInes and I went with Kimberly & Phil from San Diego CA , who asked if they could join me when we met after I was coming back from Mass in Ceuta, Spain, last Sunday. They are also Founders and bought a villa on the 7th deck. Very nice - big golfers - who want to try Pickleball. They plan to get off and on - have 4 kids back home ages to 23 to 29, and they are hoping they have weddings and babies soon. The Church was so quaint and people very welcoming. I took photo's of murals after mass - found the Heaven to Hell one very compelling - all kinds of images within it. Don't think I have seen on like this before.

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MAGNETIC ISLAND - KOALA'S

By Patricia Patrick • February 15, 2026
We got up at 6:45am to get to National Park Forts Walk trail in the hope of seeing koalas . Prior walkers mark trails with tree branches pointing in the direction of their sighting and we were luck enough to see 3 markers in our first hour of hiking. It is so stinking hot and humid the success we had made it bearable. The koala population on the island started with 20 brought over in 1930, to escape fur hunters. Today, the island boast 800 to 1000, and they are so cute and drowsy. They need 20 hours of sleep a day! The early morning is when they are the most active.

MAGNETIC ISLAND, AUSTRALIA

By Patricia Patrick • February 14, 2026
Just off the coast of Townsville, Australia is a special little island (that used to be part of mainland, hundreds of thousands years ago). The island was formed by molten granite that was pushed to the earth's surface with volcanic force.Over time the volcanic overlay weathered away leaving an extraordinary landscape of rounded domes and boulders, many as big as a house and spectcularly perched. Over Seventy Percent of the center of the Island is a National Park. There is lots of wildlife here too - koalas, rock wallabies, snakes & birds.

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA

By Patricia Patrick • February 14, 2026
This is my third time in CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA and I really enjoy how walkable, clean and charming it is. The waterfront esplanade and lagoon area is a nice walk day or night. We had 2 nights here in the waterfront Shangri La Marina Hotel while waiting for the Ship to arrive and then 2 additional days in Port.