louis xiv
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Arthur’s Pass
Read More: Arthur’s PassAt breakfast this morning our B&B hosts invited us to watch the rugby World Cup game between the New Zealand All Blacks and the South Africa Springboks. Alas, after a nail-biting match, the All Blacks lost by one point. We think all of New Zealand is grieving today. After the devastating loss, we set out…
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The Banks Peninsula
Read More: The Banks PeninsulaPunting on the Avon River is a popular tourist activity in Christchurch. We had booked a ride Tuesday afternoon but the high winds forced them to close for the day. We managed to rebook for early this morning so we could still squeeze it in. Our punter took us about 20 minutes up the Avon…
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Waipara Valley Wine Tasting
Read More: Waipara Valley Wine TastingWe were caught off guard this morning by cool temperatures and rain that quickly turned into snow. So we bundled up in all our merino wool layers and headed out. We drove about an hour north of Christchurch to the Canterbury wine region in Waipara to visit two wineries. At Terrace Edge winery, a small…
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Christchurch Walking and Tram Tour
Read More: Christchurch Walking and Tram TourToday we explored Christchurch. We got a day pass to ride the 1900’s vintage sight-seeing trams that run through the Central Business District making 18 stops on their figure-eight route. Each driver offered up a running commentary about local sites often with some humor added. Our first stop was Victoria Square. New Regent Street is…
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Auckland to Christchurch
Read More: Auckland to ChristchurchUnfortunately, air travel is often still a messy experience. We have done tons flights and have learned never to trust that things will just go as planned. When Air New Zealand moved our flight back a day it meant we couldn’t check into our Auckland-Christchurch leg on the day we left Vancouver. When we weren’t…
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A Day in Auckland
Read More: A Day in AucklandWe enjoyed our overnight flight from Vancouver into Auckland although Air New Zealand’s business class seats are a little odd. They fold into beds but are kind of narrow and don’t face the windows. It felt a bit like sitting sideways on a bus! Still that’s way better than the usual economy seats so we…
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Kia Ora
Read More: Kia Ora“Kia Ora” – a Maori greeting meaning “be well and healthy”. After 3 years of cancellations and changes due to CoVid restrictions, we are finally on our way to New Zealand!! Our original trip slated for October of 2020 was going to take us to the North Island but in February 2023, just as we…
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Trying out VanLife
Read More: Trying out VanLifeWhen our boys were little we thoroughly enjoyed weekend ‘camping’ trips in our motorhome. In 2013 our family desires changed and we sold it. But we always figured we’d buy another for longer exploration trips when we retire. Over the years we’ve toured a couple of larger coaches and kept tabs on the industry. “VanLife”…
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Argentina – Estancia El Ombu & Gaucho Show
Read More: Argentina – Estancia El Ombu & Gaucho ShowLucia and Felix picked us up from the hotel this morning for a tour of the Argentinian pampas near the small town of San Antonio de Areco. The word pampa is Quechua for flatness or flat space – it makes great grazing area for cattle, sheep and horses. Estancias (ranches) all over the countryside have…
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Argentina – Buenos Aires city tour & Tango Show
Read More: Argentina – Buenos Aires city tour & Tango ShowEl Zanjon Granados is a mansion dating from 1830, originally built by a wealthy family in the San Telmo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. During a renovation of the mansion and some surrounding buildings, an ancient zanjón (ravine) was found running under the whole block. The tunnels that were used to channel water from the stream…
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Paris Catacombs & Luxembourg Gardens
Today we are heading to the 14th arrondissement in the Montparnasse district. This Lion of Belfort statue in the Place Denfert-Rochereau is a smaller version of the massive original in the town of Belfort. It was created by Frederic Bartholdi, the sculptor of the statue of liberty. The Paris Catacombs are a massive underground ossuary. …
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Notre Dame & Sainte-Chapelle
Early this morning we reserved our timed entry ticket for Notre Dame Cathedral on Ile de la Cite. Established in 1163 on the site of an ancient Roman temple, the church took 170 years to build and has a long important history. The first stone was laid by Pope Alexander III. Henry VI was crowned…
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Paris – Louvre, L’Arc de Triomph, Tour Eiffel
We started the day at the Louvre museum this morning. The museum consists of 5 levels on 3 interconnecting wings named for important people. Of course the boys wanted to see Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (La Joconde). The painting was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 and not recovered for two years. Eric’s pick was…
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