Finishing up 2017..

Heck that year just flew by.   One minute I had started 2017 then POW it was over!   I expect there are many of you thinking exactly the same with maybe:  Wasn’t that a great year, or thank goodness that is over!   For me it was thank goodness that is over for part of it, but also that was great for other parts.

I said I would tell you about my holiday first of all, although it seems a long time ago now.  We sailed from Copenhagen on the ship Serenade of the Seas, to Oslo then Kristiansand where I had so much fun on a   Sailing for two days to Reykjavik, a couple of days there, then on to Akureyri in Iceland.  Wonderful place!  Always wanted to visit Iceland and it did not disappoint.  Whale watching – what can I say!  Only two small boats at a time allowed in any area, we were suited up in red all-in-ones on the top of a small boat…and then we see the spray from a whale.  Oh oh I can picture it today as if I am there.   After seeing a couple of whales from a short distance there just beside us is a whale, so close I can see his eye.  Our guide is excited, this is a new whale he tells us, we have not seen this one before.  The whale circles us, coming up and diving down, it is so close to the boat.   The guide is talking on his radio telling of this new whale visiting the bay in Iceland.  There are no big splashes, just gentle rolls, and dives, it appears that this new whale is curious about the boat and is checking us out.  Our guide is just as excited as we are seeing a whale close up for the first time.   This is so unusual he says and I am bursting inside with wonder, awe, excitement and contentment.

One thing different about this holiday is that I stopped looking through a camera and took fewer pictures because you miss so much with a camera stuck to your face.  I took photos but it can never show the scale or the feeling standing there in the freezing weather seeing this awesome creature.

I loved Norway and want to go back, it is beautiful and there is so much to see.  I loved Iceland it is everything I thought it would be and it would be wonderful to see more of it.

From Iceland we spent four days at sea with 15′ swell of waves, thrilling! toward Canada.    Nova Scotia is a wonderful place to visit.  Halifax is delightful and we visited the graveyard for the victims of the Titanic, oh it was moving and so worth a visit.  We all know what happened but to see the names on the gravestones is just something else.   We had to visit Peggy’s Cove which it seems is where everyone visits and I think it is because it is like the dream place we would all like to live in.  Beautiful albeit dangerous coastline with picturesque wood board houses painted delightful colours, wild and free that is the feeling you get there.  I see the lakes from the bus and the houses in the trees with their jetties and dream of sitting at my window looking across.

Boston our destination does not disappoint.  We stay in a private house for four days that is delightful and full of interesting pictures and books.   A graveyard ghost tour at night is so much fun, and going to the Fenway Ball Park to see the Boston Red Sox win a game was awesome.   We followed the Boston Freedom Trail through the city, stopping frequently to rest up, drink coffee, eat cannolis, drink more coffee, rest up more…visit small museums and take in the ambience that is very Boston.  As truly wonderful holiday with my daughter and I didn’t get lost once!

My head seems full of dreams these days.  I feel like I want to pack so much of life in as if  tomorrow will never happen.

Well that was what I achieved going on a cruise last year.  This year will be different having moved house to a new area I will concentrate on decorating and settling in.  I have yet to meet people and make new friends here.  Sadly there does not seem to be any services that are appropriate for me and my dementia here.  I so miss the wonderful friends I made in the YPWD group in Berkshire (Young People with Dementia) and the activities that I enjoyed so much.  Berkshire are so so lucky to have such a service and credit to those who set it up, run it and work so hard to give us something to look forward to in a warm and meaningful way.

The move..that’s for next time.

Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

Boston Freedom Trail

Boston

Iceland, tectonic plate join

Viking Ship, Norway

Kristiansand, Norway

Akuyekri, Iceland

Author: Gill

I photograph things that take my eye. View all posts by Gill