Ok. I’m here less than hour in Queenstown, NZ and already I’m in love. With Queenstown. Such a vibe: laid back, earthy, with glitzy houses hanging off the mountainsides that encapsulate the city. Fancy hike, bike, and ski shoppes line the streets with pubs and bakeries in abundance. Young and old fill the streets, shopping… Continue reading New Zealand: the South Island (In Two or Three Parts, Part 1)
Author: retirementadventureblog
60! year young retiree after a 36 year career in science, married to Dr Greg (PhD Dr, but Dr nevertheless). Geri and Greg moved to the wilds of the Adirondacks to start their new life.
Kia Oro! New Zealand’s North Island
Kia Oro! This Kiwi greeting as we arrived in New Zealand was everywhere: “hello, have life, goodbye, cheers” all rolled into one. And yes, we are blessed to be travelling. And, oh my goodness, I’m in New Zealand! This has been a dream of mine forever and now it’s reality. We’ll be traveling NZ for… Continue reading Kia Oro! New Zealand’s North Island
Aloha! Kauai, Hawaii, and Oahu
We left a very snowy and extremely cold winter in the Adirondacks to spend a few days with our warm, cuddly grandbabies. There’s nothing like hearing baby laughter from these squirming bundles of love! But warm sunshine beckoned and my bag had been packed for weeks. Neither snow nor sleet or fog or gloom of… Continue reading Aloha! Kauai, Hawaii, and Oahu
Romania II: Transylvania
Monday morning! Our luggage was sent ahead while we transferred to the Bucharest train station. The horrible rain/hail/wind event never materialized though it was cloudier and cooler than the last 10 spectacular days. The train station was a tad run down, as was the train, but the ride was smooth as we traveled over the… Continue reading Romania II: Transylvania
Romania I: Bucharest
We crossed the Danube at Ruse, Bulgaria to enter Romania. The water was as high as ever so luckily we did not take a river cruise. Despite it being Friday afternoon and with construction we crossed easily and breezed through immigration. Freight trucks were not so lucky, some waiting on average 24 hours to cross. … Continue reading Romania I: Bucharest
Bulgaria II: Nessebar, Varna, and Ruse
The weather has been splendid, sunny and in the 70’s to 80’s in Bulgaria in September. After visiting Sofia, Rila and remarkable Plovdiv (https://retirementadventureblog.com/2024/09/27/bulgaria-i-sofia-rila-and-plovdiv/) we headed east to the Black Sea. Our 3 hour drive (nap time!) took us to Nessebar, a seaside resort. The old town sits on a peninsula jutting out from the… Continue reading Bulgaria II: Nessebar, Varna, and Ruse
Bulgaria I: Sofia, Rila, and Plovdiv
Here’s an international travel tip: Carry your electric adaptors with you and not in your checked luggage. Duh. Let’s hope the phone charge lasts. We have ‘old school’ printouts of our tickets just in case. (OK, we’re Boomers, I admit it). Oh well, what is travel if not an adventure? This trip started a little… Continue reading Bulgaria I: Sofia, Rila, and Plovdiv
On the Road to Marrakech
Our bus, the Marrakech Express, continued onward. We headed back towards the High Atlas mountains stopping occasionally for views, tea, and pee. Our elevation eventually reached 2260 meters (7400 ft) at the highest pass. This road through the mountains was originally built by the French but has recently been upgraded for which I’m grateful. The… Continue reading On the Road to Marrakech
The Sahara!
Leaving Fes on a Thursday we headed south towards Erfoud and the Sahara. A day long bus ride took us from verdant planted fields and olive groves to the pines, Atlas cedars, and snow of the Middle Atlas mountains. On the way we stopped at the village of Irfan, known as the “city of caves”,… Continue reading The Sahara!
Fez
The morning started cool with sun and clouds and only a chance of rain. We headed out to explore the medina of Fez, or, Fes. First, though, an overview of the city from a hill fortification by our local guide, Achmed. Fes is the cultural, religious, and artisan trade center of Morocco and is called… Continue reading Fez
My new reality 