Author: holtster5@yahoo.com

This is more detail than anyone needs or wants, but I need it to keep track of the blog posts that I need to publish/finish/create.

May 3-6: Hanoi
May 6-8: Halong Bay/Hanoi
May 9-11: Sapa/Hanoi
May 12-13: Ninh Bình/Hanoi
May 14-17: Hong Kong
May 17-26: Japan
May 26-30: Oahu, Hawaii UNITED STATES
May 31 – June 1: Vancouver, BC
June 1-3: Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC
June 3-6: Campbell River, Vancouver Island, BC
June 6-7: Sidney, Vancouver Island, BC
June 7-8: Friday Harbor, WA UNITED STATES
June 8-12: Edmonds, WA (with Al & Jean Holt)
June 12-16: Gig Harbor, WA (with Sue & Jim Mayer) DAKOTA REUNION!
June 16-20: Forest Grover, OR (with John & Liz Jordan)
June 20-21: Serene Lakes (or maybe Redding/Serene Lakes)
June 22-24: Loomis (to celebrate Lori Abbott Thomas’ 50th)
June 24-26: Orinda (with Jan Homan)
June 26-July 9: Serene Lakes
July 9 – …….  1050 Lindsey Court, Lafayette
Home Sweet Home

Hoi An was exactly what we needed after HCMC. It’s definitely touristy, but in a quaint, not overwhelming way. Continue reading “April 30-May 3: Hoi An, Vietnam”

Continue reading “April 27-30: Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam by Jeff”

None of us slept great, anticipating the 3:30 a.m. alarm, but we managed to get ourselves up and to the lobby to meet our airport taxi at 4:00. Our flight took off at 6:15 from Phuket and by 9:00 we’d arrived in Cambodia and purchased our visas (a surprisingly simple process). Continue reading “April 24-27: Siem Reap / Angkor Wat, Cambodia”

Narrative by Katie; superfluous italicized, parenthetical, and photo information by Cathy (sorry).

I know this is long overdue, but was a little crazy when Burke and I got home from Thailand.

So here’s the back story: A few months back we get a Facetime call from Jeff, drinking a beer with a SF friend [Steve Smith], and he suggests that we meet them in Thailand in April.  Can we do this??? Well, we pondered a few days and Burke really wanted to do something fun for his 50^th and what’s better than hanging with Jordans for his birthday. Plus, I got to go to Italy for my 50^th…. Continue reading “April 10-18: Bangkok by Katie Ferrari”

We weren’t exactly sad to leave Bangkok, but we were sad to be parting ways with Katie & Burke Ferrari after eight days of water fights, tuk-tuk rides, sweltering heat, cold cocktails, putrid smells, and cheap, delicious food – all accompanied by laughter! Continue reading “April 18-24: Krabi, Phi Phi, Phuket”

The Maremma-Abruzzese Sheepdog

The Cane da pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese or Maremma  is an old breed, referred to in Roman literature as far back as two thousand years ago. Continue reading “Maremma Dogs”

Technically, I think the highly-recommended “Great Ocean Road” route starts in Adelaide and ends in Melbourne, but I’m guessing that the stretch from  Port Fairy to Lorne is why it’s so highly recommended by tourists and locals alike. Continue reading “April 7-10: St. Kilda, Melbourne, by Cathy”

Seems like our “favorite place” changes often, but Port Fairy is it for a while. We took tons of pictures – more than usual, which is saying a lot – so I thought I’d spare everyone another of my long-winded accounts and just post (mostly) pictures. Continue reading “April 3-6: Port Fairy, Australia, in Pictures”