Day 2 - Friday Evening

After the parade we went back to the apartment for dinner and then Joan and I went exploring the crazy Carnival nightlife. ( Photos of the costumes in the next blog post. Tomorrow.)

Day 2 - Lido Parade

We found a Carnivale Parade listed in the program in Lido. We took the that Vaparetto over to Lido and started looking for the parade route. We had seen the people in fancy dress and masks throughout Venice, but this was a local version of a Carnivale parade.

Day 2 - Murano

Murano is the lovely island just off of Venice that is home to all the glassblowing factory’s. We were exploring Murano and looking for a birthday gift for Me!

Day 2 - Morning

Our First day exploring Venice.  We walked around the streets, taking pictures of every doorway and every wall.

Tap on photo to see the next one in the gallery. 🙂

Our Accomodations

Our suite, our view,  our canal!

Day 1 - Transit

It is a long trip from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, 10 hours on the plane.   But mom and I got quite a few hours sleep, dad dozed in and out.    The opposite of the trip down to Joburg. 

 We had a five hour layover and then a one hour flight to Venice. 

Justin - -18 is the recommended temp. Saw this and thought of you. 

This was the first thing I saw when we arrived in Venice. 

We arrived by bus and then played a game of amazing race Venice, to find the location of the map and key to our Airbnb.   

  even though the directions were clear we wandered a square for 15 minutes looking at every doorway trying to find the correct address. We had just walked by a small unassuming alley, we’re supposed to go down.   

 Once we had the map and the key, we were able to find our Airbnb quite easily, it was a nice clean newly renovated suite on the edge of the lagoon.   Photos will follow the next Blog post. 

Day 10

 Our last day in South Africa, we packed, repacked and got our bags ready to go. 

 Then out for lunch at the local pub. 

 A little bit of shopping before we board the plane, couldn’t resist the funny age cards . 

 Mom spotted this Africa collage but realized we couldn’t fit it in the suitcase.   

 I always check out the movies showing the cities that I am visiting. 

  A good selection of airings purchased before I head out!

My cousin René made us wonderful T-shirts commemorating our visit.  

Izel and I were looking for shapes in the clouds! 

The last supper!!!! 

Final goodbyes! 

Day 9

We took the Gautrain to Mandela Square to meet up with my grade school friend Ronlynn.   Sightseeing, shopping and a wonderful lunch- it was a great day! 

Day 8 - Family visits!!

We went to see our cousins Okulis and Treida at their home and then took Fish and Chips over to Uncle Joe and Geraldine’s home.  

A fun day talking with family with a couple of rainstorms thrown in for good measure. 

Day 7 - Fish Braai

We had more family over to Merle and Johan’s house for a fish braai on Sunday.  

Prawns for everyone.  

Day 6 - Buffelspoort

On Saturday we all went out to Buffelspoort for a Braai. A bunch of Scotts, the cousins got a photo with their aunts and uncles.  

What follows is is all of the cousins progeny. 😃 

Joe and Geraldine 

Kathy and Uncle Joe

 We are a Pisces heavy family, this is a cake for just a few of them.

Mike and family

Wendy’s family

Rob’s family getting ready for the photo

they are a little chaotic but clean up nicely.

Birthday people and Clive!!  He just wanted in on the action. 

The Grandchildren and Clive the baby wrangling was at a premium!!! 

Day 5 - Pennington to Boksburg

We left the coast behind and drove up from Pennington to Johannesburg.   We stayed just outside of Joburg with my cousins in Boksburg. 

We got to see Merle and Johan’s family as soon as we arrived in Boksburg. 

Day 4 - Pennington

Sooo . . .

If  you leave a door open and the monkeys will come in and steal your bananas, they also try and steal the eggs but don’t know how to hold them gently so they crush them as they run across the floor leaving egg dripping across to the door.  

They also like to sit outside and eat the perloined fruit while staring at you through the door!

We also went to Umdoni golf club.  The club that Uncle Colin and Uncle Jim used to golf at many years ago. 

We found Uncle Colin’s name on the hole in one chart.  

Kathy made dinner but needed a new recipe as Tomato Sauce in SA is Ketchup.  

Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce sounds less appealing when looking through that lense. 

Mom and Merle relaxing in the pool. 

Auntie Dawn’s sister Faye and her husband Theo joined us for dinner. 

Day 3

Gekko on the wall! 

Lunch with friends

It is always sad to part from friends. 

Pennington, Natal

Scottburgh beach with the Cutty Sark in the distance 

We were eating near the beach during a lightning storm!

After dinner mom and I ran down to the beach to take a few photos. 

Great evening! 

Day 2 - The evening event

The excitement for the evening was the rising of a super moon 🌝! We went down to the beach and waited to see the moon rise, but as mentioned in the earlier post we swing realized we were thwarted by the low lying clouds.  

But Joan in Valencia Spain, had better luck

Shot on an iPhoneX

Well done Joan!!! 

Day 2 - Joy!

Day two continued with a visit from one of my favourite people, Dennis Bird!  He drove down from Queensborough, to visit for the night and play golf with Dad and Johan in the morning. 

Mom, Johan, Dennis and Dad

Day 2 - The early hours

Tuesday morning started out with the walk to the beach. 

We walked, we took pictures, we swam in the ocean, Pennington beach

Walking to the beach early in the day! 

Early on the day

Just before sunset! 

We went back to the beach at sunset to watch the super moon rise, but as you can see from the clouds on the horizon this was a futile attempt. We did get photos later higher in the sky, more on that in a future blog post. 

10 days in Africa

Arrival day! 

 I landed in Johannesburg, at 11 AM and had a 1245 flight to Durban scheduled.  I ran through the airport to get to customs, I was a first for my flight in line but there are still 300 people in front of me from another flight. This one is only a 25 minute wait ,  I am so grateful for the speedy customs agents.  Then to pick up my suitcase  before I can continue on to the British Airways flight to Durban.    However, my suitcase was the last want to come out and I came out of security at 12:15 with a wild look in my eye and my booked flight currently boarding. 

 Kindly security guard ran me through the airport to the domestic terminal and to my gate. Where I was the third person from the end to board the plane

After my long journey this is my first glimpse of the Indian Ocean and a fruit stand on the side of the road. 

Max, in Winnipeg, looked at my location on GPS and said “I think that house has a pool!  He was right!

We went out for Monday night Ribs at Enzo!  Great meal!  

Amsterdam and Paris

I had a 2 hour layover in Amsterdam so after passort control and the long walk to the gate I didn’t have long to wait before boarding began  

However they did check my carry on through to Johannesburg!

Less to store in Paris, but it makes for a tight turnaround in Johannesburg, because I am continuing on to Durban after.

Leaving . . .

After I clean the house I hopped in a cab To the sky train, and the driver was so great I had him take me all the way to the airport. 

This bag ended up with more in it. 90% gifts! 

Zipped!!!!!  Success!!!! 

at Yvr!

Found my gate ! 

Now time to start the Journey a 10h trip to Amsterdam!