Dream Notes

I was standing on a porch of a single family home – not sure whose home…the porch was about four feet off of the ground with a wooden railing.  I was looking out over the lawn which was bordered by tall grass and low trees and bushes (no sidewalks or streets).  I saw several deer – a buck a few doe,  fawns, all huddled together like a nest or den.  I exclaimed “Oh! Look!” and went inside the house and grabbed my camera.  The camera was plugged into the charger.  I grabbed it and ran outside and set the lens view on the deer.  The deer were under water – completely clear, calm water.  This factor was not unusual to me in the dream  (but rather unusual awake!) . I focused on the deer and clicked the shutter, but nothing happened.  Then I noticed there were no batteries in the camera.  At that moment, from the left of the lawn, came a large feline.  It was the size and shape of a lioness, with the spots of a leopard.  It was stalking and stealthily approaching the deer.  I ran inside, grabbed the batteries and ran back out, fumbling to put them in the camera and get a shot.  I dropped them over the railing and was afraid to leave the porch because of the lion/leopard.  I stood on the porch looking at the batteries in the grass below.  Someone… I don’t know who in my waking state, but I knew him in my dream was standing to the right of the porch, but on the lawn and offered to get them for me.  Then I awoke.

 

I see huge symbolism in this dream, but haven’t put together a possible message or meaning.  If you are reading this and are savvy in dream interpretation, I would welcome any input. 

And in the End.

Somehow I just can't seem to get a grip on "early to bed, early to rise" .  Vacation can be exhausting!  One full work week behind me, and then of course this past weekend's road trip, and I'm plumb tuckered out! It feels good, though, to get through my personal to do list - sell the house, take a vacation to the Pacific NW, buy a car, buy my daughters a car, ...and ..now... Some of the fun weird things on my list include taking dance lessons, taking weekend camping trips, figuring out how I'll get a road trip to the Smoky Mountains this fall for the flaming foliage.

But for now, I think it wise to end this day feeling fulfilled, accomplished, happy healthy, wealthy and wise!

OH...P.S,.:  Am I the only one disatisfied with the "mood" choices? 

Good times

I just returned from a little weekend getaway.  I drove over to the east coast (of Fla) to visit my brother, Robert and his kids - they live in Dania, which is just south of Fort Lauderdale (he's about 15 minutes from Port Everglades). 

I had several reasons for taking this trip, and not in any order of preference.  I wanted to visit with Robert, and I wanted to do it in a way that he could relax and not be constantly tending to his children.  I wanted him to be able to enjoy a cocktail without worrrying about driving.  Usually, Robert comes over here - to visit Mom, to visit my other two brothers who live here in Lee County.  I used to live in Broward County - in another life - and wanted to see the old stomping grounds.  And I wanted a ROAD TRIP  for the New Car!! 

Last week I bought a 2008 Honda CR-V... "Nighthawk Black Pearl" with "Ivory" leather interior.  SUH -WEET!   I'm just silly-happy with this new ride! 

You who know me, know that I don't drive much. I'm a wimp on the interstate.  Perhaps it's from so many years of being married to a man that always "had" to drive , and did so very aggressively.  Add to it the fact that I live very close to where I work, and bicycle to work.  ..I don't drive much and so when I do, I'm wimpy.  But I decided that I am ready to expand my horizons, and I'd better just get back in the saddle.  With a brand new, fuel efficient vehicle, I have no excuse for road paranoia. 

The ride over was a breeze.  It's about 160 miles or so, Interstate nearly all of tthose miles, with 70 mph speed.  I love driving over Alligator Alley.  I remember when it was a narrow, dark two lane road with no rest areas or call boxes.  The speed limit was 65 daylight and 55 nighttime.  The panther crossings weren't in place and the fencing along the canals didn't exist.  The alligators basked all along the shores and frequently wondered onto the highway.  Now it's pretty super duper.  There are four lanes, with several rest areas,  fences, call boxes, all the modern conveniences.  The toll now is $2.50 (one way) and well worth it.  From toll booth to toll booth it's about 80 miles. I popped in some fave tunes, set the cruise control at 70 and just hummed along. 

The other side of the alley scares the crap out of me.  595 is a nightmare.  There's sometimes six and seven lanes coming from all directions, cloverleafing all around.  And those crazy east coasters drive like coke freaks.  Seventy miles an hour is crawling, and if you don't change lanes every ten seconds you're an old fart.  Several times I touched my bracelet and reminded myself "Courage". 

It was great visiting with Robert.  He was relaxed and candid and we shared a couple of bottles of wine and ate shrimp and chips and dip. We visited with a neighbor who is having a rough go of things, as his wife just left him with a five year old.  Bob's boys are something to see - they're 19 and 17 and probably six foot four and three hundred pounds.  But it was fun - they got to 'show off' their "ride(s)" and the woofers and tweeters or whatever. 

On the return trip across the alley, I hit some torrential rains.  Traffic slowed to a four-way-flashers speed of about forty for about five miles.  The rain over the 'glades is breathtakingly beautiful.  The darkness over the green sea of grass is nature at its finest.  Having cleared the rain and resumed to normal conditions, I was on cruise control, listening to Eric Clapton and feeling all groovy, when suddenly there was a car in front of me that was backing up across the two north bound lanes! WHAT AN IDIOT!  I slammed the brakes, of course, but was ever watchful of the semi that was on my ass.  All ended well, by the grace of God, I imagine. 

On several occasions, cars would be pulled off to the side of the road.  I recognized the signs of motorists with small children that "had to go!" and they'd be pulled over with the doors open to act as shields.  (no trees!)  Occasionally there'd be a vehicle broken down, some with drivers, a few without.  Then I saw a really strange sight:  A white pickup truck was pulled off the road with the passenger side door open.  I saw two people next to the door and as I got closer, I could see that they were Dancing!  He was spinning her and they were dancing.  ...One can only imagine.  (must be those crazy Miccousukees! )

Good trip, good time. 

 

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

MONDAY - July 28, 2008

I was ready for this leg of the trip. I was anxious to see Mount Rainier. We planned to visit Sunrise Visitor Center and Paradise Visitor Center, with lunch at Paradise Inn. We should be back in Spokane by Monday evening, and so knew we had about eight hours’ worth of driving sketched out for the day.

When someone spends time aboard a ship or boat, they develop sea legs. What is it that a flatlander gets, when they get accustomed to the heights and windings? …Mountain legs? (Whatever you mountain folk call it, I’d found mine about this time.)

Once entering the National Park, there were several pull-offs, observation decks, along the road. GREAT photo opps:

 

                              

We arrived at Sunrise Visitor Center and I felt like I fit in. There were a few other cars, but I was pleased that it was not crowded. The gift shop in this particular visitor center was the best. I’m not a huge gift shopper, but being on vacation and bringing stuff back for loved ones, I spent time in them. This one, caught me. I bought myself several pieces of jewelry - for me. Unique. Comfortable. I commented to Debbie that a T-Shirt says where it came from - unique jewelry prompts conversation. Someone will say, “…where did you get that?” and then you can tell a story.

When I first walked in, I saw a wooden display rack on the counter top near the register. It held bracelets and key chains on a lazy susan. The display caught me eye, and I was drawn to it. The display was for ‘COURAGE” bracelets and chains. I admired them, and then went on. Shortly after, I was back looking at the courage jewelry. I picked up a pair of dream catcher earrings, and a necklace for Healing. I could not leave without one last look at the courage bracelet, and so, I bought it. We were barely back in the car when I took it from the bag, removed the tag and put it on my wrist. I love it.

I hope you can read this display: I found it so interesting that my way of preserving it was with this photo:

While in the Visitor’s Center at Sunrise, I heard Debbie asking the park ranger about avalanche lillies at Paradise. The ranger told her that much of Paradise was still covered with snow, and there was a slim chance of seeing avalanche lillies. While we were driving through the park from Sunrise to Paradise, I asked if Paradise was a higher elevation than Sunrise. I consulted the Park map, and much to my surprise it was actually the opposite. The elevation at the Sunrise visitor center was reported to be 6,400 feet, while Paradise was 5,400 feet.

Along the way to Paradise, we pulled over at various observation points. Here is one from Box Canyon:

Arriving at Paradise, we saw the greatest number of vehicles and visitors yet. We passed a free-standing sign that indicated the parking lot was full, and redirected vehicles to other parking areas. Debbie was quick to note and comment that most of the available parking was taken up by construction, as the Park was building a new Visitors’ Center. Our plan was to have lunch in the dining room at the Paradise Inn. Debbie was kind enough to drop me off at the entrance to the Inn, while she parked the car.

The Inn was very impressive. Huge beams fashioned from large timbers, oversized and overstuffed furniture surrounding stone fireplaces. A very “mountainous” rugged feeling.

I checked the dining room and saw a sign that said reservations not accepted, and I saw empty tables, and people being seated. All a good sign. I found the giftshop and began “shopping”! After a brief while, Debbie came in and commented that I was “shopping” again?! She suggested we get a seat in the dining room and shop later. Unfortunately, the dining room stopped serving at 2:00 PM and we’d missed it. (probably “by that much!”). There was a cafeteria/ snack bar option which we took, and it really proved to be more than adequate. We were able to get a nice Turkey and cheese sandwich (my choice) or Chicken Salad (Deb’s) with chips and a drink. We sat outside on the porch in the brilliant sunshine. I marveled at the large log-style railings and the fact that we sat in shirt-sleeves, with snow on the ground!

Finishing lunch, we walked the much longer than I expected path to where Debbie had parked. I realized then that she had quite an up-hill hike to meet me in the gift shop.

Here’s a pic of the employee housing:

And some of the scenery:

While we were walking along, Debbie pointed out a Marmot. I’d never seen a Marmot before! Of course (as you’ll see below) I missed the photo op: he turned his back to me before I could ready and zoom my camera. But I delighted at seeing this new wildlife!

The scenery from Mt. Rainer, through Yakima and up to Spokane was as unusual as was the beginning leg of the trip in the northeastern part of the state. The desert and sage brush was unexpected. I found myself again wondering how these people live their lives. Granted, Yakima showed signs of a good degree of farming, with many orchards: apples, cherries, peaches. The scenery was less than green as we distanced ourselves from the valley:

We pulled into the driveway of Debbie’s charming home nearing 8:00 PM. We had traversed 1100 miles! A fine 1100 miles it had been, too! We unpacked the car, opened some of that great wine from the night before, along with the local cheese and bread, and sat and shared our thoughts and impressions, opening up about our different views on being a child in the DeMars family, about the DeMars family, itself, and how that upbringing has influenced our lives. It was a wonderfully warm, relaxingand heartfelt exchange.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

SUNDAY - July 27, 2008

Since we girls were in the “penthouse” with no ETD , we took our time readying. Debbie, the always early riser, may have grown impatient with me, the lolligagger. None the less, we departed the Penthouse at a very reasonable, early hour. Our destination was downtown Seattle.

Debbie was very familiar with the neighborhood, and I just nodded in agreement as to where we’d park, etc,. I love this about cities in Washington State, that they agree to waive the parking fees on Sundays. What a cool thing for cities to do. Debbie found a good spot ..FREE!… near the Space Needle. We bought a round trip ticket on the monorail and then progressed to the Pike Place Market!

 

 

 

I LOVED!!! The Market!!!

God, I loved it! We had so much fun!!

Sampling all the fruits and veggies and nuts and candies didn’t dent the appetite we had, so we entered a restaurant whose name escapes me, unfortunately. But the cuisine was Bolivian. We had a great seat overlooking the Market.

 

 

We both ordered the Paella, and I ordered a mojito and Debbie ordered a marguerita. Absolutely superb, all around. The saffron rice was rich and delicious, the mussels tender and the chicken perfectly roasted. (If you’ve been reading these entries, you may think that we live to eat!! Lol!)

We left the market and headed down to Pioneer Square. We took a city bus and strolled in and out of various shops. We entered one antique shopthat seemed to go on forever; each room and another room off of it and so on. The shop was filled with so much, it was almost overwhelming. I spotted two pieces of jewelry that caught my eye. Some of you may know about me that I collect, and love to wear, bug pins. It started back in about 1990, after the death of my mother-in-law, Gloria. I inherited many pieces of her jewelry, and she had a couple of very interesting pins - a spider, a wasp, a bee. These pins were of the finest metal and stones - not costume jewelry at all - but I carried the theme with me to present day. So, I’ve digressed, only to tell you that there were two pieces of jewelry in this shop that I had to investigate. One was only partially visible, so I asked the shopkeeper to unlock the case so that I could see it. It was a spider pin. It was rather large for my taste, but appeared to be sterling silver with (probably) rhinestones inlaid on the ends of its legs. The body was a turquoise stone. The price tag was much too high for a piece that only somewhat appealed to me. I asked to see the other piece - in a different jewelry case, of course. This also was a spider pin. The body was a beautiful blush-pearl stone. It was nearly as large as the other spider pin, and not quite as pricey. But it had eyes and a ring around its neck that looked painted on, and almost carnival in its style. It didn’t seem to fit. I thanked the shopkeeper, but declined the purchase. Debbie was sitting in a chair waiting for me, I suspected. We had been on our feet a very very long time.

The Underground Tour of Seattle took place next door and it was one “attraction” that I thought would be interesting. It toured Seattle before the great fire in 1889 or something (don’t quote me). The tour was $30, and our feet were pretty tired. As we passed the entrance way, there were several “characters” hanging around the entrance, and we sort of put together the cost, the tiredeness of our feet, and the seediness of the area and decided we’d like to go sit down and have a cold beer.

We walked into a tavern, restaurant called Mitchelli’s which touted the world’s best Italian beer, or something. Sounded great to us. We took seats at the bar and ordered two drafts. We discussed how we’d spend the rest of our evening, even though by now it was probably 4:30 or 5:00. We talked about maybe taking in a movie, and the bartender was very friendly and helpful in showing us the local “what’s happening” newspaper tabloid with movie listings and times.

We left Pioneer Square, taking the bus back to downtown Seattle, taking the monorail back to the car, and driving back toward Bellevue. We passed through the downtown area and parked near Lincoln Square. We entered the several story shopping extravaganza-type building that housed the cinemas. Nothing seemed to appeal to us in terms of content and times. We hemmed and hawed, and decided to leave.

Driving back to our “Penthouse’ <giggle!> I asked Debbie if she could stop somewhere to purchase a bottle of wine. As we passed a “World Market”, Debbie said that I just had to see this place. She was right, it was awesome. I admittedly got carried away, but left the store with a bottle of local Washington State red, a bottle of local Washington State white, a couple of wedges of local cheeses (one goat, and one sheep - I think..?) a loaf of freshly baked bread and some marinated olives. Yummy. (this would be dinner!)

We returned to our “penthouse”, kicked off shoes, washed up, lit the fire in the fireplace, sliced the cheese, tore the bread and uncorked the wine. We spent several hours in great conversation, drinking, eating and relaxing. A great end to a great day.

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How I Spent My Summer Vacation

 

SATURDAY - July 26, 2008

Today’s itinerary began with departing from Victoria B.C. to Port Angeles, WA aboard the MV Coho, with a 10:30 AM departure. We’re asked to arrive 90 minutes before departure, which seems excessive, but we were not on a tight schedule and sleeping in after such a full day prior was welcomed. As we sat “on deck” waiting out signal to board, I grabbed an opportunity to go for a fresh cup of coffee at a nearby café. They weren’t prepared for the number of customers looking for the same thing, and although I had a nearly 90 minute time allowance, I was growing nervous that the MV Coho might start out without me. I patiently waited for my espresso and biscotti, and then hurried across the street and down the ramp to Debbie’s car.

Shortly after, several uniformed individuals visited each vehicle in line. We guessed as to whether they were US Customs agents, or Canadian Customs Agents. I managed to see CSMP on a uniform patch, and guessed: Canadian Special Mounted Police. Shortly after the acronym game, a tap-tap came on the window, and a uniformed man was asking to see passports. They were US agents, and the acronym was Customs Service Maritime (Police or)Patrol. Debbie quipped that one would expect to be better treated returning to one’s native country. He wasn’t necessarily rude, but he certainly wasn’t exhibiting a good nature.

Eventually we loaded onto the ferry, right behind several motorcycles. It was interesting to see how they tucked everyone in. We advanced to the upper deck and found a really good seat about mid-ship. This was a private ferry company, and the size and polish of the vessel was evidence of that. I visited the gift shop and bought my daughter a T-short of the MV Coho Black Ball Line. (It worked out well, as the change from my earlier espresso and biscotti left me with $15.00 in Canadian money - which came out perfectly for the T-shirt!). I was really getting this ferry business down, and took some great photos. I’m especially fond of the one below:

 

We arrive in Port Angeles, and drove through US Customs, where the exchange was brief and pleasant, and I “declared” my seeds purchased at Butchart Gardens. We then drove toward Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Forest. The road up to Hurricane Ridge had several spots that were under repair, and drivers were warned to expect one-lane road closures. We sat with the engine off, for several minutes, in front of a “Stop” sign held by a road crew member. Finally, a pilot truck with a sign that said “Follow Me” pulled out and the “Stop” sign turned to a “Slow” sign. The roadway was gravel and pitted and there were some sections that had serious washouts. I was painfully aware of the need to support our National Parks. What a great resource they are, and how much they need the support of people - like you and me. I pledged then to increase my contribution to the National Parks Service. There were some scary moments on this road - deep drop offs and no guard rails and lack of solid roads. This flatlander was holding on without wanting to be obvious. Debbie, however, drove like it was second nature.

 

 

We arrived at the Visitors’ Center and saw several deer loitering in the wildflower filled meadows. What a beautiful sight. I wanted to know why it was called Hurricane Ridge - (had there been a hurricane?) and so I approached the Park Ranger who was very pleased to be able to explain to me that the winds off the Pacific are often of Hurricane strength. I’ll agree the winds were strong and the air was…not cool..it was downright COLD! Although I had a jacket, I exited the car leaving it behind. Do I look very COLD! In these photos?!!

 

Eventually we made our way back down the mountain pass, again being slowed by the one-lane road repairs. The late departure and the road delays within the Park caused us to reconsider whether to visit the HOH Rain Forest. We decided to have lunchand think about it. We returned to Port Angeles and had lunch at a Crab House with a wonderful view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I ordered a cup of Crab Bisque, and a crab salad sandwich. Debbie ordered a bowel of Crab Bisque and an appetizer of Calamari.

The soup was wonderful. Rich. With a flavor that was unique and not quite definable.

My sandwich was - a surprise. Again, not expecting a cold salad sandwich…. Guess I could have, should have asked. It was tasty, though. Debbie’s calamari was a let-down after the wonderful dish we had at Butchart Gardens, and she ate very little of it.

We decided that the time delays were significant to enough warrant skipping the HOH Rain Forest. We set out for Bainbridge Island, where we’d catch a ferry over to Seattle.

Shortly after a rich and full lunch, I, as passenger, was feeling very sleepy. I thought for a moment how nice it would be to just take a little snooze. I argued with myself that a snooze wouldn’t be fair to the driver, and resisted the temptation. It was about the time that I was fighting the urge to snooze, that Debbie said, “Talk to Me…” She was feeling the effects of a rich soup and over-fried calamari, a sleepy lazy afternoon. I darted alive and found myself scrambling for topics of discussion, speaking in an overly loud voice, switching from one subject to the next. And I was saying my prayers to keep the driver going strong and steady!

Eventually, and what seemed slowly and painfully, we arrived at the ferry docks on Bainbridge Island. We did not have reservations, as we had no clue when we’d get there, but we were timely, and it was a good opportunity to ‘rest our eyes’. We drove on to the ferry, for what would be a much shorter trip. This was nice as we were arriving at the Seattle port by water, which afforded many wonderful photo opportunities. Allow me to share some, here…:

 

 

 

 

We exited the ferry and made our way to Bellevue, where we had reservationsat the Marriot Residence Inn. We giggled about the reservation being for a “penthouse” in a two story building, with no elevator. We finally arrived and the room really was quite lovely. They called it a penthouse because it had an upstairs loft, and a downstairs. It was two bedroom, two bath, with full living room and kitchen, and it was just so incredibly comfortable. We found a book of “delivery restaurants” and that sounded just perfect. We ordered Chinese delivery and called it a night.

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How I Spent My Summer Vacation

FRIDAY - July 25, 2008

We had reservations aboard the Washington State Ferry so we were up and out of the Anaco Inn by 7:15 AM. We drove to the ferry docks and sat in line waiting our turn to board. This was a completely new experience for me, not having been on a ferry like this.

I marveled at the accuracy with which vehicles and passengers were ticketed and boarded. We exited the vehicle and climbed to the upper deck.

How cool was this! There was a galley selling breakfast, a duty free shop, rows and rows of seats, some booths, newspaper stands, racks of brochures and windows all around.

                                   

There was a great deal of fog hovering over the San Juan islands as we coursed through them on our way to Sydney, B.C. Because of the fog, I didn’t take any photos, hoping that the weather would lift enough for a nice, clear shot. I enjoyed watching the other boaters, some kayakers and the houses that sat atop the various islands. I got up and walked around, enjoying the crisp cool morning air on the starboard deck. I enjoyed watching the other passengers: some as clearly novice as I, others who where sleeping or reading the morning paper, or ticking away on a laptop. Obviously, some folks take this morning commute on a regular basis. Exiting the ferry, we drove through Customs and a pleasant officer asked us questions about where we were from, where we were going, our business in Canada and how we knew each other. We navigated our way through the streets of Sydney and headed on up to Victoria, and Butchart Gardens.

 

Butchart Gardens http://www.butchartgardens.com/the-gardens/

was truly a garden paradise. We arrived a little before noon, and had 12:30 reservations for lunch in the dining room. We strolled around the main entrance getting the lay of the land, and taking in the sights of the arbors and hanging baskets.

We strolled into the dining room and were pleasantly greeted and promptly seated. The dining room was painted a fresh sage to seafoam green, crisp white linens, bountiful vases of fresh flowers and spacious views of the outside gardens.

Our server was a beautiful young lady with a delicate British accent. I commented that she looked as if she could be British royalty; a Princess Diana look with an unassuming presence. We began with an appetizer of panko crusted calamari, preserved lemon raita, gremolata that was gently sautéed and the best calamari I’ve ever had. For my main entrée, I ordered the wild B.C. salmon fillet, Israeli couscous salad, lemon crème fraiche, with cucumber and a glass of Sumac Ridge Black Sage Cabernet Franc. Debbie ordered Line caught West Coast halibut fillet, “Panzanella salad” lemon vinaigrette, fried capers and a glass of Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Chardonnay.

My taste buds didn’t know what was happening! The salmon was cooked perfectly, sweetly flaking from the fork with just the perfect light seasoning. I have had a lot of salmon, but by far this was the best - the absolute best I’ve ever had. The couscous salad was a surprise, in that it was cold - but the coolness complemented the warm salmon in a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. The Cabernet Franc was a new taste to me, with a rich black sage aroma that filled in the crevices of my pallet with an explosion of sensuality.

Debbie offered me a taste of her halibut, and it was more delicious than one would expect. I also tasted her choice of wine, and found it to be a woodsy, buttery flavor that coaxed me to have a glass all to myself, which I did. Having enjoyed the appetizer, main dish and wine selections, we certainly couldn’t walk away without assuring that their deserts were equally as exquisite. Debbie ordered the Benvenuto gelato sampler, a selection of Butchart’s signature gelatos and sorbet. I ordered the vanilla shortcake, with fresh local fruit, lemon crème fraiche and fireweed honey. To die for. The shortcake was just the right amount of sweetness from the honey glaze, the crème fraiche drizzled atop with blueberries, strawberries and fresh cherries. Fresh coffee of course, and just not believing how wonderful my life is at this moment!

We strolled the gardens, with the Rose Garden being an absolute favorite. I have never seen so many beautifully perfect, abundant, large and well tended roses in all of my life!

                                              

                                                  

                                                     

                    

 

                                

The combinations of colors and height and various stages of bloom was artistry unlike any I’ve ever seen. The lilies - the day lilies, the Turks cap lilies, the calla lillies, the dahlias, the sweet alyssum, the salvia, the shasta daisies, kingfisher daisies, begonias, geraniums, sweet peas, foxglove…impatiens, hydrangea, hibiscus…fuchsia.. On and on and on. MAGNIFICIENT! I fell in love with a tree called aSmoke Tree. From my brief research, I don’t think it could grow in Southwest Florida. But, I’m not through trying! The Japanese Garden was tranquil, ever so zen, the Italian Gardens, the fountains… Just an absolutely magnificent display of flora and fauna. I could stay there forever!

 

 

                  

I went into the gift shop and just absolutely had a ball. I bought vases and seeds and pressed flower jewelry. The delightfully British speaking clerk asked, “are these seeds going to the states?” and carefully packed them to be presented to customs when asked what did I have to declare.

We returned to our car parked in the Butterfly section (how delightful!) and found our way in to the heart of Victoria. We located the HoJo where we had reservations, and checked in. It was not the most luxurious, nor the most friendly front desk, but the rate was good and the bed and bath was clean. We poured ourselves a cocktail and perused the local “what’s happening” magazine. After such a full day, however, neither of us really felt like dressing to go out, and opted to grab a light bite in the hotel restaurant. The food was good, although the atmosphere and service left something to be desired. But at this point, we were well satiated and soon called it a night.