We Made It

Our trip began with Gayle arriving in California on Easter.  We spent Easter Monday getting pedicures and trying to check in for our flights that night for Auckland.  I say “trying” because no matter what we did we couldn’t check in online.  Gayle’s message said there was a security issue and she should arrive at the airport early to resolve it.  My message said that I needed to prove my onward travel from New Zealand.  My reaction to such “glitches” is to assume that the universe is transpiring to keep us from making this trip.  I’m a bit dramatic.  

My friends drove us to Los Angeles airport in plenty of time to resolve our “glitches”.  It seemed there was no security issue and we were handed out boarding passes without any fanfare.  We whisked through TSA, even after Gayle’s TSA pre was not recognized.  We had several hours to kill as we awaited our departure.  Gayle and I practiced taking selfies as we waited.  We suck at it!

Gayle and I booked Air New Zealand’s skycouches.  A skycouch is an economy seat but you get three seats together.  The foot rests fold up to form a couch that is 5’1” long.  You get a mattress pad, two standard size pillows and three blankets.  When you sit down you are given a “cuddle belt” that fits onto a hook in front of you so that you can comfortably belt yourself in and still be able to sleep.  It was worth the money.  Gayle slept most of the night.  I got several hours and was grateful.

We arrived in Auckland at 6 am on Wednesday after a 13 hour flight.  We lost a day crossing the international date line.  We were greeted with rain and lightning.  The landing was so rough I was sure that this was the “glitch” that would keep us from having a great trip.  The pilot eventually got a hold of the landing and after a collective sigh we all applauded.  We made it through customs without trouble and met Ameen, our transport driver.  

We spent three lovely hours in a van with Ameen, despite the heavy rain and our exhaustion.  On the plane I watched a documentary about New Zealand’s former prime minister, Jacinda Aldern.  I had been deeply moved by her leadership of kindness and empathy.  Ameen was also a fan of Jacinda.  We had a great conversation about politics, kiwi culture, tips on how to drive in New Zealand and what to be sure to see and do on this trip.  He promised to text us some further recommendations.  We made one potty stop on our 3 hour journey.  My friend Jacki, who lives in Auckland, had recommended that we ask to stop at the public toilets in Tirau.  The toilets are located inside this dog.

There are shops inside the sheep.

Ameen dropped us at the Rotorua airport where we had a reservation to pick up a rental car.  Ameen brought our bags in and hugged us each good-bye.  Shortly after he drove away Gayle realized she had left her phone in his car.  I tease her unmercifully about losing things while we travel — a wallet in a taxi in Johannesburg, South Africa, a purse in an Uber in Paris, her backpack on the train platform in Chartres.  She always seems to get her things back.  I quickly texted Ameen and he turned around and delivered her iPhone back into her grateful hands….and gave her another hug.  We are experiencing the full truth of the kindness of kiwi culture.  The woman at the rental car counter even offered to go get our car (in the rain) and bring it to us.  

In New Zealand you drive on the left side with the driver’s side of the car being on the right.  There is no left on red.  I got in the driver’s side, with Gayle navigating and promising to prompt me to “stay on the left”.  I find the roundabouts tricky, trying to navigate my turnoff and remember to signal with the turn signal being on the right side of the steering wheel.  

After landing at 6 a.m., navigating customs, driving to Rotorua and picking up our car, it was still only 10:45 a.m.  We were hungry.  We headed to a Thai restaurant that opened at 11 a.m.  We shared pad Thai (Gayle’s first time to eat it).  Gayle enjoyed her mango smoothie as we struggled to stay awake and be coherent.

We are spending four nights in Rotorua at the Rydges hotel.  The first thing you notice when you get to Rotorua is the heavy smell of rotten eggs.  The nickname for Rotorua is “Sulphur City”.  It is located within the Rotorua Caldera that was formed by a major volcanic eruption, 240,000 years ago. Rotorua’s key feature is its geothermal activity.  Our hotel is located right next to Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley. (The one advantage of the smell is that you can fart in Rotorua and everyone will assume that is just the smell of the city.)

We arrived to the hotel at 1:30 p.m., desperately hoping that they would allow us to check in early. They did.  There were chocolate truffles waiting in our room, a gift from our travel agent.  Our room looks out over the geothermal valley and the geothermally heated swimming pool. 

Our room is great, except that our bathroom floor is always wet. That is no exaggeration…..always very wet.  The humidity is 91% in Rotorua today.

We collapsed onto our beds and took much needed naps.  When we awoke I had a text from my friend Jacki warning that there is a cyclone headed our way on Sunday, which is the day we fly to Christchurch…..another “glitch”?  We decided to keep watching the weather to see if we will get out of Rotorua before a cyclone arrives.  

We had no desire to get dressed and go find dinner in the dark and the rain.  We ordered room service and went to bed early.

 

We Survived Breast Cancer Treatment

My sister and I enjoy traveling together. We are both planners. Planning our trips is almost as fun as the adventure,,,almost. We often egg each other on to try new things but, truth be told, Gayle is more adventurous than me. This is us in South Africa in 2019 after we swam out to the edge of Victoria Falls in Africa.  We may look like we loved it but we realized we were too old for that adventure!  We are smiling because we survived.

At the end of each international sister trip we take we talk about what is still on our bucket list.  After a trip to England and France in 2024 we settled on the South Pacific.  We were in the preliminary stages of talking about doing it in October of 2025.  Gayle and I met in New York City in January of 2025 for an extravaganza of eight shows in 10 days.  The first night we were there Gayle told me she had found a lump in her breast and had a mammogram scheduled for when she got home.  It turned out to be breast cancer and Gayle started down the road of treatment.  We set aside our plans for the South Pacific.

When her radiation was over we talked about planning a domestic celebration trip to Santa Fe and Taos.  Then I found lump in my breast, which turned out to be cancer.  Gayle flew out to care for me after my bilateral mastectomy.  What are the odds that two sisters are diagnosed with cancer in the same year?  We did not travel to the South Pacific or to New Mexico.

Once I recovered from surgery we began planning our South Pacific adventure again.  This time we are going full out.  It is a celebration trip!  We both survived breast cancer treatment and we are going to enjoy life! We leave for New Zealand in a couple days.  We will spend three weeks enjoying the North and South Islands.  Then we will fly to French Polynesia — two nights in Tahiti and four nights in Bora Bora.  Adventure awaits…

No Bambinos….No Continuation

For our last full day in England we signed up for an 11 hour guided tour to Bath, Stonehenge and Lacock.  I have taken a bus tour out of a large city before and the quality of the experience always rests on the quality of the guide.  This could be a great day or a long day.  

We were told to meet at the casino entrance of the Millennium Gloucester Hotel. We plotted out how to take the Underground to arrive on time. When we got to the Leicester Square station we learned that the Piccadilly line was closed for maintenance.  Back out on the street Linda suggested we grab a cab. It was Sunday morning and the streets were quiet. A cab drove up right at that moment and we were on our way. We were so early we thought we would check out how a British casino is different from an American casino. It turned out it was a member’s only casino so I can’t report on it.

Our guide for the day was a man named Zozo. As we left London his commentary was so unusual that I began to jot down my favorite Zozoisms. As we passed a certain hospital he talked about a mummy (dubbed Ginger for his red hair) who was discovered in Egypt. Ginger was mummified before the science of mummification was fully developed.  Ginger was different because his internal organs had not been removed. So he was transferred to this hospital in London so CT scans could be run on him. Zozo went on to describe the later mummification process in which (he said) a hook was put up the nose of the deceased person and the brain was extracted through the nostril. Now, you might think Zozo was a terrible guide but I would fully disagree.  He was my favorite guide…ever. He was helpful, informative and I hung on his every word because I was never sure what he might say next.  I never felt like tuning him out.

Our first stop was Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage site. As we approached Bath, Zozo told us the story of a queen who was pregnant multiple times but had not produced an heir. She repeatedly miscarried.  So she traveled to Bath to see if the renowned waters of Bath could heal what was causing her to miscarry.  He said, “No bambinos….no continuation”.  She did conceive and brought the child to term, in case you were worried.  “No bambinos….not continuation” was my favorite Zozoism of the day.  

We did not sign up for the tour of the Roman baths and museum. Instead we headed into the Bath Abbey.  Anybody who travels with me knows that I am a sucker for a church tour. It is a beautiful church…

…Outside and inside…

…with over 800 people entombed in its walls and floors.  I especially loved this stone which speaks of Mrs. French as the ingenious Mr. Harvey’s “sifter”.  It took some research to learn that a sifter is someone that uses some intense scrutiny and criticism to help someone sift out the bad from the good to become a better person.

Next we headed down to the Avon river to see the Pulteney Bridge.  It is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across the full span of the bridge on both sides.

At the end of this street (behind the fountain) is the home that was used as Lady Danbury’s home in the TV series “ The Bridgertons”.

It was Sunday and I have such good memories of having a Sunday roast while on the narrow boat trip in Wales with friends. We found a restaurant that felt they could feed us in 45 minutes so we wouldn’t miss our bus. It was delicious and served quickly enough we still had time to stop at the fudge shop and coffee shop.  As we headed out of town we drove past the home of Jane Austen, an unassuming abode for a woman who is a household name.

Our next stop was Stonehenge.  We had picked a tour that would allow us to go beyond the ropes and enter the inner circle of Stonehenge. It meant we had to arrive at the end of the viewing hours so that our group was the only group there.  Just walking up to it was incredible.

Our Stonehenge guide (good but not as exceptional as Zozo) explained what we know and what we don’t know about this incredible site.  The stones in the center were placed there 4.5 millennia ago.  They just recently learned that what they refer to as the “altar” stone was brought from Scotland.  That is miles away. The stones are so heavy.  They didn’t have domesticated horses and rail cars or any way to transport them.  How and why are they there?  They are so many different theories, the most probable being a way to track or honor the lunar and solar patterns.  

Linda and I wandered in and around and stones until we were told it was time to move outside the “inner circle”.  

Our guide showed us the 56 indentations around the outside.  At one time there may have been stone or wood pillars in these indentations. The indentations date back 5 millennia.  Underneath these 56 spots,  cremains have been discovered.  

On the far hills (in a far circle around the stones) we could just make out burial mounds.  

It was chilly and foggy when we were there, which Zozo assured us makes the experience even more captivating.  Linda had purchased a scarf at the Visitor Center before we headed up to the stones.  She needed a scissor to get the tag off but she didn’t have one of those lying around.  The scarf worked just as well with the tags as without them.

Four guards are at Stonehenge at all times.  We talked to one of them who said that they have people try to visit Stonehenge every night after hours.  Thus the guards and the fences and only a small group of people allowed to experience the inner circle.  We felt fortunate to count ourselves among the lucky few.  

We returned to our bus with wet feet, cold hands and inspired hearts.  We headed to Lacock, a medieval town.  No one in Lacock owns their own home.  The whole town is owned by the National Trust.  People wait as long as three years to be allowed to rent a place and become one of the 200 residents of Lacock.  Buses are not allowed in the town so we were dropped off at the edge of town and walked in the dark to the George Inn for dinner.  

We were seated with a couple from Singapore.  Linda got the fish & chips and I got the steak & ale pie.  Halfway through our meals we switched.  It was good food.  We both agreed that the steak and ale pie was a stellar entree.  After a quickly eaten dinner Zozo led the interested through the darkened streets of Lacock.  There are no street lamps and it was quite chilly.  We hustled past the house used as home of James and Lily Potter (Harry Potter’s parents) and the small brick building with no windows that was used as the lock-up (prison) for the town.  Zozo had warned us it wouldn’t be an amazing tour because it was dark outside but he reminded us that we really came to see Stonehenge and this was just a little bonus.

Once back in London, Zozo made suggestions for what transportation we should all use given the multiple Tube closures.  Linda and I were back in our hotel room in no time.  We packed so we would be ready to leave tomorrow for home.  Linda is flying standby so she brought only a small carry-on.  It was quite a feat to get her luggage closed!

What a fabulous, fun-packed trip we enjoyed!

Treated Like Royalty

Linda and I had decided that this morning was the day we wanted to sit in a little bakery and have a pastry for breakfast.  We passed Leicester Square on our search for pastries. The little green park area in the middle of the square has been closed any other time we passed, but today it was open.  So we strolled in and found the most charming statues.  Mary Poppins:

Gene Kelly in “Singing in the Rain”:

A scene from “Get Our”:

Linda is a fan of Paddington:

I admit that I have always loved Mr. Bean:

And I couldn’t pass up a pigeon on the head of William Shakespeare:

We found just the right place near Green Park to sit outside in an arcade and enjoy a pastry.

We had tickets to an East Wing tour of Buckingham Palace.  We went through the front gate between two security officers with rifles and were led to a side door.  We went through security screening.  Then our purses and phones were taken from us.  There were to be absolutely no photos taken.  Only one person disobeyed the rule and his phone was soon confiscated from him.  Security was tight.  We all wore lanyards that identified that we were there for a tour.  Throughout the tour there were always four “chaperones” following to make sure no one darted into a side room or broke a fine piece of art.

Our tour guide spoke for 90 minutes with hardly a breath.  I had no questions for her because she pretty much answered everything before I could ask it.  A tour of the East Wing means that you walk along the full length of the second floor that faces the front of the palace.  I assumed the East Wing would be somewhere obscure.  Everywhere you turned there were incredible portraits, paintings, ornate furniture, impressive chandeliers and exquisite art from around the world.  We learned about how connected by marriage the royal families of the world are.  Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had nine children.  Victoria made sure her children married royalty of other counties.  She was referred to as the “Grandmother of Europe.”   It would be fascinating to run a genetic chart of that family!

Our last stop was to the room with the balcony that faces the front of Buckingham Palace.  It was fascinating to peer through the curtains and see all the tourists waiting outside to watch the guards march.

When the tour was over and we had once again collected our valuables we were escorted back through the front gates.  I made sure to give my “queenly wave” to all the peasants peering through the gates.

Linda and I headed to the borough of Belgravia in search of a pub that served fish & chips.  You can’t come to London without some fish & chips. We ate at Thomas Cubitt and the fish was excellent…..and so very large!

By then we were ready to rest our feet.  We walked to Victoria Station to get a quick tube ride home.  The place was packed.  Linda said I didn’t need to worry about holding onto anything in the subway because I wasn’t going to move anyway!  I know what people in London do on Saturday.  They go somewhere….anywhere….using the Underground.

Once back at the hotel I fell fast asleep and had a dream that I had been hit by a fire truck and pinned inside my car.  If Bryan were alive I am sure he would tell me what that dream says about me.  Once I was fully awake we headed to Trafalgar Square.  We didn’t realize it was so close.  We walked around and looked at all the statues.  Alas, there were no pigeons on any statue heads.

We have tickets tonight to see a concert called “Soul Sisters” in the Crypt at St. Martin of the Fields.  Every time I have been to London I have wanted to hear a concert in the crypt.  I was so glad it worked out this time.  We entered through this glass structure.

This is a photo of the crypt where you walk over the burial sites of Thomas Chippendale (the furniture maker not the male stripper), Nell Gwynne, actress and mistress of King Charles II and many more.

We had read that we could come early and order food.  We ordered the three of the four items available on the menu:  mixed olives, the antipasto and a pizza. The mixed olives looked like a can of green olives and a can of black olives dumped in a bowl.  The antipasto was mostly sun-dried tomatoes with some pickles and onions. 

The pizza had so little flavor I spent time adding olives, sun-dried tomatoes and onions to make it tastier.  We have had amazing food on this trip….if you exclude tonight’s dinner.  If you ever go to a concert in the crypt be sure to eat before you come.

The concert was two hours of fun.  The two female singers were exceptionally good, singing Whitney Houston, Chaka Kahn, Pointer Sisters, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Sister Sledge…..to name a few.  

They encouraged us to get up and dance. I loved watching a woman in her 70s with a cashmere sweater and leather pants dance with her friend in lace and pearl necklace, while their husbands stayed glued to their seats.  One older woman acted like a cruise director getting everyone up on their feet.  It was a concert of soul music with a geriatric audience dancing all around the room.  

Eventually, the “cruise director” got me on my feet and danced with me.  She didn’t take no for an answer.

The evening ended with 75% of the audience standing and dancing to “We are Family”, Linda and I included.

As I left the crypt I felt like I was leaving behind new friends. I left “Oliver” singing, “Consider yourself at home.  Consider yourself part of the family.”  I left the concert tonight singing, “We are family.  I’ve got all my sisters with me.”  I love London. 

Would it be London if it didn’t rain?

We left our hotel at 10 a.m., umbrellas in hand because the weather app promised rain beginning at 1 p.m. We headed for the Wolseley Restaurant, which promises a British dining experience.  We each ordered a pot of tea.  The kind of tea you order dictates the shape of your teapot.  

Linda got the full English breakfast (minus the blood pudding) and I got two soft boiled eggs with soldiers (the thin cut bread to dip in my eggs).  I was facing the kitchen and was fascinated how everything was delivered on a silver tray, even if it was just a cup of coffee.  Linda faced the restaurant and was struck by the beauty of the place.

After breakfast we had an hour to kill so we went to Fortnum and Mason’s main store.  The ground floor was all chocolates, specialty teas and coffees and very upscale and expensive Easter candies.

Then we walked through the Burlington Arcade, a chandelier lit indoor walkway with stores selling Rolexes, diamond jewelry, expensive handbags…everything Linda and I did not need but it was an interesting stroll.  We did notice that these high end stores did not seem to have customers and all the employees were scrolling on their phones.

We walked through Green Park, alive with daffodils, towards Buckingham Palace.  

We sat on the edge of the fountain near Buckingham Palace and did some people watching as the rain began.

I love to take photos of pigeons sitting on the heads of statues and there was plenty of opportunities for me to delight myself.

Our next stop was the Evan Evan’s Afternoon Tea Bus.  For 90 minutes we toured London with a live guide while we were served tea, sandwiches, scones, desserts and prosecco.  By the time we were loaded into our premium seats at the front of the double decker bus it was full on raining.  We didn’t have a photo worthy tour but we did have a full one London experience. 

Every time the bus stopped the rain would pour off the front of the bus, down the windows in front of us.  It made me giggle every time.  

Our guide was excellent.  We sipped our drinks and enjoyed our scones with jam and clotted cream while we learned to know the two women from Atlanta who were seated across the aisle.  While they were on the bus they switched their tickets from “Six” to “Magic Mike”.  Hmmm….

We took the Tube back and arrived at our hotel in the rain, glad to be able to relax and unwind. We were too full for dinner so we left the hotel just in time to woke to the Noel Coward Theatre to see “Dracula.”

The whole idea of coming to London originated with the idea of seeing Cynthia Erivo play all 23 parts of in this play.  How would it be done?  The set was just a dark stage with a large screen.  

We had heard that this production would be techno-driven but what would that mean?  I assumed that there would be portions of the play in which Erivo was off stage and we were watching the screen.  No.  Erivo was on stage the entire 2 hours (without an intermission).  There were three camera operators with her on stage as she interacted with herself on the screen.  The screen moved up and down and front to back depending on whether a vampire was flying or we were in a graveyard or she was interacting with three other characters (all of which were her).  I can’t begin to describe the genius of what we saw.  I can’t even make sense of how they accomplished the effect.  Throughout the play someone would come on stage to quickly and masterfully have her change from one outfit to another, moving seamlessly from male to female characters.  Depending on what voice she used or what color she was wearing we always knew who she was portraying.  The program listed cast:  Cynthia Erivo.   The list of lightning, camera work, voice coach, etc was long.  There was even a nail specialist because Cynthia Erivo’s fingernails are her signature look.  I tried to think of any other actor/actress who could pull off what we saw tonight.  I couldn’t come up with one.  She was exquisite in all 23 roles.  I wonder if I will ever see another play quite like this one.

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at Wagamama for some light Asian bites.  Another amazing choice.  It has been another wonderful day.

Enjoying London Without Rain

Linda and I both went to bed about 9 last night.  When I woke up at 9:50 this morning I was shocked.  How can one sleep so long?  Air flight had definitely depleted both of us.  We scurried around and left the hotel in time to walk to the London Eye for our Fast Track tickets scheduled for 11:30 a.m.  My sister and I went on the London Eye two years ago.  We unfortunately went up during a rain storm and this was our view.

Fortunately for Linda and I it is a beautiful, sunny day in London with a temperature high of 62 degrees.  The perfect weather.  

The view from the top of the London Eye was worth the money.

As soon as we exited our “pod” four men with mirrors attached to long poles, entered to look under the bench for explosive devices.  I guess London has had its share of domestic terrorism.

We walked along the Thames, headed for Borough Market to have a grilled cheese (or toastie) at Kappacasein Dairy.  Linda got in line for the raclette over potatoes.  I got in the line for the grilled cheese sandwiches.

There is no place to sit at a table so we used a cement pylon as a table/chair.  Both the grilled cheese and the potatoes were yummy but it was really too much food and too much cheese.  Luckily we were too full to try the edible insects. 

Borough Market was bustling with people and shops.  There were long lines also for fish & chips, black pudding, sausage rolls and a wrap around line for a glass of strawberries covered in warm chocolate.  

We stopped at Monmouth coffee (highly recommended by a friend) and I got a latte.  It was beautiful and one of the best lattes of my life.  They did charge me 5 pounds for the cup…still worth it.

We crossed the river on the Millennium Bridge.  We wanted to pop our heads into St. Paul’s Cathedral before returning to our hotel.  

It costs around $30 to enter St. Paul’s and we didn’t have much time left so hopped on a double decker bus rather than hoof it back to the hotel.  We collected our wits about us, changed clothes and walked to Dishoom for dinner.  It is an Indian restaurant in Covent Garden.  With help from our waiter we got the okra fries (something I have had before and highly recommend), the house chaat, Ruby chicken (a must have) with naan, rice and an amazing dessert.  

When we came out of the restaurant there was a long line of people waiting to get in.  It pays to be retired and eat dinner at 5 p.m.!

To work off this delicious meal we strolled down streets to head to Piccadilly Circus.  One side street was covered with lanterns in celebration of Lunar New Year.

Down another street we walked under lights that celebrated Ramadan.  London is such a lovely place, filled with such lovely people.

We arrived at Gieglud Theatre in good time to find our seats (on the front row of the balcony) to see “Oliver”.  One review we read said it was the best production of “Oliver” ever.

The show did not disappoint.   The children were amazing but Fagin absolutely stole the show. 

We walked back to the hotel singing, “Consider yourself at home….consider yourself part of the family.”   It was a glorious day!