Tema

Tema

Naples, Italy – First Impressions

View of Mount Vesuvius from our hotel room It feels good to be back in Europe. Surprising how I react to that, but I guess I’ve spent so much time in my life in Europe that it has become a natural…

Back to School 2019

​Scrolling through all the Facebook pictures of fresh faced children headed back to school today, I had three thoughts: I miss that excitement. In my mind, September has always been the true “new year”, unlike that middle of the winter…

Changing Plans

G & R in R's Navy Seal Days

14 Apr, 2019 When DH first met my parents, 30 years ago, my mom thought she was dying. Her cold-triggered asthma was out of control, she was puffed up on Prednisone, and could barely walk. Luckily, spending winters in a…

Back Home… But Not For Long

Mount Robson, Canada

The past 10 days have been a sort of homecoming and sort of journey continuation. On February 24 we said farewell to Costa Rica and +35° temperatures and flew back to Edmonton, Canada, to -35 degree temperatures. Brrr…. Apart from…

Life on a Cacao Plantation (La Anita, Costa Rica)

Cocoa farmers sorting the pods
Arriving at La Anita Cocoa plantation in Costa Rica we felt like we’d entered another dimension. Lush, beautifully manicured lawns, birds of many varieties chirping, a beautiful white horse in a pasture, cocoa trees and brightly coloured flowering bushes all over.

Under the Volcano (La Fortuna, Costa Rica)

Volcano at La Fortuna, Costa Rica

The town of La Fortuna became famous when the nearby Arenal volcano became active in 1968, and had a series of eruptions, the last of which was in 2010. The eruptions launched a tourism boom in the area, which continues…

Costa Rica: A Study in Contrasts

lounge lizard on the pool deck
Costa Rica is a land of tremendous diversity. From lush jungles to beautiful beaches. From poverty to fancy resorts. Here are a few of the highlights we checked out.