Category: Personal

Today was somewhat rainy so we spent playing cards and a walk around the Shearwater property. There were lots of chickens and maybe an albatross.

Since Debbie mostly got beat at cards and is a much better winner than loser, today’s blog will be about the albatross. We will not discuss card games.

Albatross come back to the site where they were born to meet up and mate. They are monogamous and mate for life. They raise an egg every other year because it takes a year before the baby is ready to be on their own. The male arrives first and stakes out a nesting site. He waits for the female to arrive. They are happy to see each other and do the mating dance in celebration.

Albatrosses can have a wing span of up to 6 feet. They catch the breeze and with a flap of the wings can glide all the way to Alaska. Once the baby is hatched, the Mom and Dad take turns going back and forth to Alaska for squid every 3 weeks. (This information may not be totally correct). We gathered this from various sources. HHR could not be found to contribute.

Debbie was awakened at 3:30 AM by some cocky rooster (get it – a pun) taking roll call. He would call out and somewhere nearby another rooster would answer. This went on for 30 minutes. Debbie prefers to think of it as chickens spreading the news that she is on the island but there is going to be a problem if this roll call stuff continues every night.

On Tuesday, the group took a driving tour around the Princeville and Hanalei area. Debbie mostly gave stink eyes to the chickens but there are just so many.

So, let’s address the Puff the Magic Dragon rumors. When the three grew up, it was a popular song sung by Peter, Paul and Mary. Puff lived by the sea in a land called Honalee. The rumor was that the song was about marijuana in Hanalei. However, the author says that it was written in 1958 before this drug was available so the answer is no. There does seem to be a high number of old hippies around so think perhaps they did not have the song rumor cleared up.

Jerry and Joyce want to assure Larry that they are doing the best that they can to keep Debbie off the Old Hippie path. She has started wearing sandals and humming “Puff the Magic Dragon” and they feel that she knows more words to the song than she should. They let her make a 70s play list but no one knows how to play it so they are encouraging her to continue.

First blog of 2024. 

HHR (Hard Hitting Reporter):  What  did you send out earlier this week?  Do you need help telling the date? The year?

Debbie:  Yes, technically it was written in 2024 but took place in 2023.  I really don’t need your help.  When have you ever fact checked anything before?

HHR:  Where is Larry?  I am sure that he wants to know that I am here.

Debbie:  Well, if you had asked then you would know that Larry did not go on this trip.

HHR: So you went to Hawaii alone?  Don’t you dislike getting up early or being around lots of people?  Have you had any issues? Soo, how is your trip?

Debbie:  We don’t need to talk about those details.  My flight went to Honolulu and then I was scheduled to go to Lihue on Kauai.  But when I got to Honolulu, none of the monitors showed my flight number.  I landed in terminal G and thought that I needed to go to terminal A.  I started to trot to the terminal.  I could have taken a bus outside but didn’t see anyone and this is Hawaiian time.

HHR:  I saw it but wouldn’t call it a trot. I started to call someone to help you.

Debbie:  My story so it was a trot.  There were no airline employees anywhere in the corridor or at the desks.  It was deserted except for passengers wandering around looking for gates.  I was worried that I was going to miss my connection.   I kept trotting.

HHR:  Are you in Honolulu?  I am sure that Larry would have known what to do.

Debbie:  Yes, he would have trotted beside me and followed my directions.  I called United and they told me it was at Gate A14 which I had been to before but still no United or Hawaiian air flight on the monitors.  So I reversed trotted back to A14.  I was able to find a Japanese Airline Flight to Lihue.  By the time that I got to A14 there was an announcement about the flight.  Most of the passengers were wandering aimlessly looking for the flight.  We finally found an agent loading the flight from a hidden area.

HHR:  Is it true that trotting  makes you cranky?

Debbie:  Yes and other things and/or people.

HHR:  Did you make your connection?

Debbie:  Yes, I was happy to land in Lihue, find my ride awaiting, and hear the melodic sounds of chickens cackling.

Turns out that the foursome did have a new best friend. When the group opened the door that morning, there stood their new best friend with a cart. We didn’t know his name but will call him, Marcus. He got us over the bridge and to the bus station. Debbie happily skipped along behind the cart on the way to the bus.

Many of the Venice workers come into the city on bus every day and the buses come every few minutes. As they stood waiting for the bus, they noticed that people were queuing up in a different bus line to go to the airport. Upon further investigation, they discovered they had bought tickets that stopped at every stop on the way to the airport. So they bought a second express ticket and went to the airport.

After arriving home, Debbie and Larry agreed that they had enjoyed the Italian trip and learned many things. They also discovered the gift that the British woman had left for Larry. He came home with Covid. He has since recovered.

Today is the last day before the group left. They had problems to solve. How to get their bags across the canal. Yes, yes there were bridges but you had to drag them over the bridge. There was no rolling over the bridge. If you remember there was issues with the weight of the bags. They decided to hire a porter to meet them at the apartment the next day at 5:00 am. Joyce found a porter and struck a deal for 5. Now the trick was would he show up and become our best friend?

They saved the last day for a visit to the glass island. Cultural moment: The island of Murano is known for glass-making. Ferry-loads of visitors explore the Museo del Vetro which tells the story of glass and to shop for souvenirs. So that is what they did. They rode a ferry to the island, went to the glass museum, and shopped.

They did not get invited to the second floor or back room where the really expensive glassware is. The last time they were in Venice, one of their friends got invited to the top floor with the $5,000 chandeliers. The cheap girls are too obvious.

Here’s a final fun fact – a church on the island supposedly houses the bones of a slain dragon.  If Debbie had only known this.

This day was slower. The group had hit the big items. So, they decided to hit some Venice museums. It was truly a shock for Debbie and Larry to find themselves in a museum agai. (The entrance fee may have already been included on another ticket which explains a lot for the Cheap Girls.)

They rode the bus taxi up and down the canals. Larry stood by the window with the wind blowing in his hair. He stood next to a coughing British woman who he saw again in the museum. She gave him a gift.

At lunch, Joyce partook in a aperitif especially prepared for her. Debbie does not do orange colored drinks. Debbie instead hit her favorite place.

It was an easy day in preparation for the next day of shopping on the glass island.

Special note: We got slightly delayed in our blogging. We will however finish this trip. Let’s just say we took a detour down a Venice canal.

HHR: I understand that today is the visit to St. Mark’s but the pictures seem to be out of order.

Jerry: I think that you should just work with what you got. We got a two day pass and were running from place to place

Joyce: Yes, I used the zig zag approach to keep my troops in order.

HHR: What is St. Mark’s Basilica?

Larry: It is where the relics of St Mark the Evangelist also known as John Mark or Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. However there is a new theory.

HHR: Oh Larry, I knew that you would have the latest information. You are so interesting.

Debbie: Yes Larry, go ahead and tell us.

Larry: Debbie, I am going to let you share that information

Debbie: I thought so. One theory is that  Alexander the Great, was disguised as Mark’s body in order to save the famous conqueror’s body from destruction by Christians.

Joyce: What? I never saw that. I arranged our tour to be when the lights were on to see the Mosaics 11:3 to 12:30. They can’t change that.

HHR: What about the 4 horses?

Jerry: The Triumphal Quadriga is the group of bronze four horses at St. Mark’s Basilica. They started out in Constantinople. During the Crusade ini 1204, the horses were brought to Venice. When Napoleon captured Venice, he brought the horses to Paris and placed it on the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which is now topped with other horses.

HHR: What is a doge? A big dog?

Joyce: The ruler. The cathedral is attached to the doge palace. We also saw a museum.

HHR: Is Venice sinking?

Debbie: Maybe If you want to see it then you should add to your travel plans. The city has battled rising water for centuries but the water seems to be winning. Several factors, both natural and man-made, cause Venice to flood about 100 times a year

The group began early with a bus ride to the railway station.  Do you notice a transportation theme here?  They wrangled their suitcases on to the public city bus and off they went.  The railcar in Seina was not as difficult but they had to change trains in Florence again. 

Joyce tired to get us in the first class lounge and breezed by the people yelling at her to get out.   You have to admire Joyce’s fortitude.  She just kept going into the room and only turned around to find that the other three were afraid to cross the line.  Regardless, they all got kicked to the curb.

Remember Florence? Where you stand in a protective huddle guarding the suitcases and desperately watching the departure board waiting for the track assignment.  Once the track was assigned the group ran to their track dodging suitcases, passengers, and dogs.  They might have leapt over a stalled dog. They executed the bag transfer flawlessly on what was their final train ride.

Before long, they arrived in Venice and were able to walk to their flat. It was relatively close the rail station and had an elevator for the bags.  They unloaded and went back out. Theyn tried to activate their 2 day water bus pass a day early highlighting the language barriers between English and Italian.

Everyone but Debbie was thrilled with dinner for 15 Euro, appetizer, first course, second course, etc. Little Pearl was still bothering Debbie so eating big chunks of pasta could be challenging. There might have been some comments that Debbie was just too slow (She didn’t get into the lounge , previously she got her bag thrown on the floor and on it goes)…

HHR: Why all of you going to the town plaza again? It’s so far to walk in my fashionable shoes.

Joyce: We felt like Larry needed to see the horse racing plaza and there were some museums.

Larry: I didn’t need to see it. I feel like I was there.

HHR. Because my descriptions are so vivid?

Larry. No, because Debbie kept yelling in her sleep “right, no left….I am not the navigator “ I figured she was talking about the horserace.

Jerry: We also went to a museum where the church was supposed to be extended but I think they ran out of money

Joyce: We also ate at a Chinese restaurant.

Larry: the restaurant was off the main path which seemed to make Debbie nervous. We left early to pack for the last Italian destination and eat up all the food we had at the flat.

HHR: Did you get any gelato? I heard that Debbie had some already.

Larry: Debbie told me that she had heard good things about a gelato shop that we might try

Debbie: Yes, I told Larry that I had HEARD of a place. You must have misunderstood.

HHR: What is the differences between gelato and ice cream?

Joyce: I know all things food. They are both frozen treats with milk, cream, sugar and flavoring. They contain different milk fat. Ice cream is milkier and creamier than gelato. There is a lot more but just remember when in Italy eat gelato.

 Joyce and Debbie walked to the old city to shop. At first, there were very few people walking to old town but the closer that the got to town hall the more people. Soon they were surrounded by people.

They decided to contemplate all the people and where they came from while eating gelato and discussing how sad Larry and Jerry did not get to have gelato.

They bought a very expensive piece of cake to take back as penance. estimated price is 1.5 euro per ounce. Fun Fact: Panforte di Siena is a traditional Italian dessert also known as Siena cake. The modern panforte variety is made with nuts, dried fruit, and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. All of the ingredients are combined with a sugary syrup, usually made with butter, sugar, and honey, and the cake is generously dusted with powdered sugar. This mixture creates an unusual and dense cake. You can buy it on Amazon if you want a try. Christmas?

They decided to walk back through all the people. But all of the people kept getting in the way. So, Joyce uttered the infamous words “look at that street over there it has no people but it is parallel to this street. People are not very smart. We should just walk on that street. My trip advisor friends do it all the time. It won’t be a problem.“ So, they did.

The crowd wasn’t a problem anymore. But then they followed some people to a neighborhood church and went to a soccer pickup game it became problematic. They went uphill and then downhill mostly uphill then uphill again..

HHR would call them lost.,, they preferred to think of themselves as google maps power users. Debbie says the walk reminded her of Larry and Debbie’s Romania cross country jaunt a few years back. Nevertheless they eventually stumbled out the correct entrance gate. They both felt Larry and Jerry didn’t need to know about this little hike. They did wonder how long it would be before Jerry and Larry noticed they were gone.

Debbie wants to add that this was not under the navigator realm.