Oh so pretty! I bet that when the poppies bloom you have "peony" types there, as the foliage looks just like some I have growing with big peony flowers. I want to come to Nova Scotia to see your gardens too! My mom is taking my almost 20 year old daughter on a cruise from NY to Nova Scotia in August and I'd love to hide in her suitcase! Nancy

I have been on several cruises, my last Oct 02 was 11-night to Eastern Carribean, and I will go on as many more as I can find the time and money to go. There are activites to do if you want, lounging/resting if you want, excursions you can sign up for thru the ship or do your own, whatever you want to do. As far as the drinks, all alcohol is a separate charge which should be expected. However, soda/coffee is included and every ship I've been on has many cafe's, dining rooms, buffets that are open at some time or another nearly 24 hours a day. Coolers are not allowed to be brought on board but either your room will have a small refrigerator or you will have an ice bucket that the room steward will keep full. DON'T drink the soda that is in your cabin - the charge for that is $3.50 a can. If you are not flying, bring a 12pk in your suitcase. On my last cruise, the first after 9/11, any bag/pocketbook/tote was scanned thru a metal detector when you returned to the ship. Now, if you brought a pack of soda with you back to the ship, would they let you bring it on? I don't know, didn't try it. The rules can be different according to the cruise line you are sailing on. Tipping, dining times, entertainment, activities and changing all the time becaused the consumers request it. There are cruises for adults only, free style cruises where there is no defined dining time and the tips are included in your price, single cruises, etc. Talk to friends, coworkers, anyone who has cruised and they will give you hints and tips of what to expect and what to avoid. Carnival is for the younger set, not for me. Celebrity has upscale dining (quiet, elegant, gourmet), Royal Carribean has theme nights (American, Italian,etc, waiters parade and sing, more FUN than Celebrity, but food is excellent), top notch entertainment in theatre. Check with travel agents about other lines and what they have to offer. Personally, I love crusing. I would like to spend more time in port so I can explore but then again, that gives me an excuse to take another cruise. If you are still unsure, just take a 5 day cruise for your first. However, you will spend the first day getting to the departure destination checking in and leaving port and the last day you will probably arrive back home @ 8am and spend the rest of that day getting home, so that only leaves 3 days to go somewhere/see something/relax but it will give you a general idea of cruising. Good luck and maybe I'll see you on a ship sometme. I'll be the one with the big smile on my face.

Our third stop in the Canary Islands was Tenerife. We arrived mid-morning and had a long day planned to go to the mountain.Mt. Teide stratovolcano is the centerpiece of Teide National Park. The park is the most visited park in Europe. The volcano (almost 13,000 feet tall) is considered active, although it has not experienced an eruption since 1909.We made several stops along the way and I saw this tree. I have no idea what kind it is. Teide is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and I saw many hikers. This pine needle trail is typical. At a different stop, I saw the levels of strata. As we have discovered on all the Volcanoes that we have been on, this one has several scientific sites. There is a chair life to access that area for visitors, but one must have several hours availability to take the trip. Although it appeared to have a smooth surface (like Mauna Kea in Haweii), Teide has many rock outcroppings. This is (on the right side) The Finger of God and visitors are allowed to do some climbing and get close. We made at least 10 stops going up and down. Our van carried only 10 and a couple of the places on the way back, I was the only one to get out and take pictures. This is an impressive place. At one stop, Ivette got to talking on her phone. After the tour, I showed her the photos that I had taken and she asked that I email them to her. Evidently, not many tourists took her picture. It was October and it was advised that long sleeves would be needed due to the altitude. The is Santa Cruz, where our ship was docked. By the time we got down from the mountain, it was dark and there was not much to see. Ideally, our tour would have begun about 8:30 a.m. instead of the 10:45 that was our actual time. The Canary Islands are Spanish, yet most of the residents speak fluent English. Partially because of the large number of visitors from the UK; however, a majority of the people in Europe speak more than one language. I once was on a cruise with an international passenger demographic and our dining room waiter spoke English, French, German and Spanish. He was assigned to four tables and each one was unique with their language. I was impressed.

I missed this one somehow. I like those pale colors. Forest god is always pretty, but I think the pale pink shading along with your comment on substance lean me more towards Lingering Splendor. Gee that color is sweet in your picture...........Maryl