On our last morning in Dublin, we squeezed in a visit to the National Botanic Gardens, which were not far from the Airbnb we were staying at. It was another sunny day. We truly have been so lucky with the gorgeous weather we’ve had throughout our stay. Visiting Ireland is a bucket list item ofContinueContinue reading “Dublin part 3: botanic gardens”
Category Archives: Destinations
Dublin part 2: ancient Ireland
When we had lunch in a pub on our first full day in Dublin, someone in our group suggested doing some kind of organised tour the next day. She had collected some flyers and passed them around. As soon as I saw the flyer of Mary Gibbon’s Newgrange Tours, I got SO excited! I learntContinueContinue reading “Dublin part 2: ancient Ireland”
Dublin part 1: herding cats
My friends are an international bunch; I know several people from all over the world, and I love it! Some of those friends I only see at a charity event we attend in London every 18 months or so. At the last event, we talked about spending some time together before the next event. ThatContinueContinue reading “Dublin part 1: herding cats”
Putakitaki
This little fellow was scurrying through the vegetation quite close to the hostel I was staying at in Mount Cook Village. I zoomed in and slowly approached this little guy to take some photos without scaring him off. He is a New Zealand Paradise duck or ‘pūtakitaki’ in the Maori language. He’s so different from theContinueContinue reading “Putakitaki”
Just taking in the views
When I take photos, it’s not just about getting ‘money shots’ of the ‘great attractions’ in a place. It helps to look back every once in a while or take a photo of things I see along the way. This is one of those photos. It’s not Mount Cook, but I still find it an amazingContinueContinue reading “Just taking in the views”
Exploring the Hooker Valley
This time in New Zealand, I made sure I had a few days in Mount Cook Village to explore this beautiful alpine area. I decided to do a hike (four hours return) through the Hooker Valley to the Hooker Glacier Lake with views on Mount Cook. The day started out foggy, but it quickly clearedContinueContinue reading “Exploring the Hooker Valley”
This ain’t goodbye, it’s not where our story ends
They say all good things must come to an end. I often ask myself why that has to be. It was an amazing six weeks in a country I deeply love. Despite all the setbacks I’ve had to endure (pneumonia, busted knees, tendon inflammation in my wrist), I stayed positive and enjoyed every moment. Okay,ContinueContinue reading “This ain’t goodbye, it’s not where our story ends”
Don’t stay too long, bro, there’s nothing to do there
People weren’t exactly exaggerating when they said I shouldn’t stay too long in Invercargill because there wouldn’t be anything to do there. The thing is, I had to stop there on my way back from Stewart Island. The initially planned two nights were already reduced to one, and that was fine. I picked the only BBHContinueContinue reading “Don’t stay too long, bro, there’s nothing to do there”
Alive and Trekking 