Nancy and Doug Trips
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Our lifelong travel bug has given us our most prized ‘possessions’ - the many memories from business and especially family trips.
 “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”
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🇨🇦British Columbia
    • Signal Hill with Robben Island beyond and downtown to the rightTable Mountain is connected to Lions Head which is then connected to Signal Hill

      Table Mountain

      June 24 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      The first stop after I got on the bus was the Table Mountain cable car. It was a quiet day, I was told, but the queue was over an hour before I got on. We'll worth both the cost and the wait! It is quite a spectacular view on the 65 passenger gondola as it goes up the face of the sheer cliff to the 1,086 m summit.
      The top is very expansive with a large number of hiking trails allowing views in all directions
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    • On the way up to Table MountainLions Head

      City Sightseeing Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus

      June 24 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      Always a good way to see the city where you get cheap transport to all the attractions and the downtown stop was a few blocks up the street. Weather was so much better than predicted, so I bought a ticket that included the Table Mountain gondola.

      This bus tour actually had a fairly informative and entertaining audio guide. The city is very attractive with nice homes and landscaping along the residential streets as we made our 20 minute trip to the first stop at Table Mountain.
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    • L-R Springbok, Impala, Kudu

      Karibu Restaurant

      June 23 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

      I don't usually devote a footprint to a meal, but this was a real find. Enjoyed wandering the V&A waterfront and just looked for an African restaurant. Turns out it is quite famous and has won many awards. Chose the venison medallions, venison being generic for game, in this case Springbok, impala and Kudu. Paired with a glass of really good Cab.Read more

    • V&A Waterfront

      June 23 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

      The Waterfront is a re-developed docklands area which has been transformed into shops, restaurants and a mall. It was fairly quiet on this night, as I have been informed by most of the people I meet that this is the off season. There were people around, and buskers and drum / dance groups to entertain those who were present. A very nice area to spend an evening in, and even more going on durimg the day.Read more

    • Cape Town Diamond Museum

      June 23 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      Caught a Bolt from Bo-Kaap to the V&A Waterfront and found the Diamond Museum as part of the Shimansky jewelry store, the Tiffany of South Africa. Had a great one hour private tour with a very in-depth story of diamonds and their history in SA.

      The first diamond was found by a boy just laying on the ground. It triggered something very much akin to th Klondike gold rush with stakeholders panning for diamonds or digging pits in a frenzy. Many interesting anecdotes.
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    • Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum

      June 23 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      As I was at my hotel at 1430h, it was important to get some fresh air and stay active until a reasonable bedtime. Walked about 15 minutes to Bo-Kaap and popped into this small three room museum that detailed the history of the district.

      Bo-Kaap with its brightly coloured homes and cobblestoned streets was formerly known as the Malay Quarter, and is the oldest surviving residential neighborhood in Cape Town According to the South African Heritage Resources Agency, the area contains the largest concentration of pre-1850 architecture in South Africa.

      The origins date back to the 1760s when numerous rental houses were built and leased to slaves. These individuals, known as Cape Malays, were brought from the Dutch East Indies including Malaysia and Indonesia to work in the Cape. The area was allowed to remain Muslim during apartheid and today is a very multicultural neighbourhood, and almost 60%% of its population identify as Muslim.

      The museum is housed in a historic building that was once the home of a wealthy Muslim family in the early 19th century.
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    • Arrival in Cape Town

      Jun 23–27 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      Got to the hotel in the very modern Central Business District. Arrived at 1430 or 0530 Pacific. Since I left home at 0930 on Saturday, that is 44 hours. I am thankful to see a comfy room, and the internet works. Heading out to explore the immediate area.Read more

    • Out To Africa

      June 21 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      On my way on the first day of summer / South African winter! When we realized 2025 was not going to work for Nancy and I to take our next trip, I revived my dream of an African bucket list trip, which she was not interested in. It has been a year of planning, but here I go.

      11:40 departure was listed on time when I arrived at YLW. The plane didn't arrive until 11:10, at which time they announced a 20-minute delay .Then, a text was sent with a new departure time of 13:40. They said it was due to a "passenger medical emergency." In the end, they boarded at 13:00. After we were on, the captain announced it was the First Officer who was ill with a bleeding nose he couldn't stop, but "Captain Mark" stepped in. I am very lucky as he lives in Kelowna although based in Vancouver.

      Overnight layover in Toronto getting in at 10 and heading back to the airport at 7am. Very long 13 hour flight but excellent service and a really good Ethiopian meal. Basically no sleep at all as the time was really not in line, plus a lot of people stayed up and talked, unlike late night flights where everyone sleeps. Got maybe an hour. Got into Addis Ababa 15 minutes early. Quick security screening but no immigration as I was connecting right out and got to my gate 10 minutes before boarding (50 minutes before departure).

      Six and a half hours to Cape Town, again with excellent service on Ethiopian. Entry formalities were quick. Uber pickup was distant. So took a cab in.
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    • The Pilgrims Office
      Here's my Compostela!For pilgrims in the Middle Ages returning home was not easyA quick snack overlooking the MonasteryTowards the altarLooking toward the high altarBontafumerioFrom the baptismal area, note the scallop shellEntry to the North Chapel, original church built 10th centuryRoof detail with scallop shellEntry into the tomb of St JamesPeople hug him as they walk behind him at the high alter

      The Pilgrim Office and Cathedral

      June 16 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      After the historical tour, I headed to the Pilgrims Office which is very 21st century organized … after all, over 2000 pilgrims checked in as arriving yesterday. I paid €3 to have the Compestela with the 115 km added and bought a travel tube and small pin to mark the occasion. Then, after getting a couple of souvenirs, headed to the cathedral. This is one of three Christian pilgrimage destinations the other two being Jerusalem and Rome. It is amazing today and must have seem other worldly in the Middle Ages. It somehow seemed a very intimate cathedral as we were allowed to go downstairs to the tomb of Saint James as well as walk in and out of the high altar where it is customary for many to give him a hug, The man behind me did so and I was reminded to touch St James shoulder; one is just not used to being able to touch this type of thing. With time now short, I headed back to the cafeteria I ate at last night before and was again very happy with my salad and burger. Finally, a slice of very delicious almond Santiago cake and an Americano. Found my way back to pick up some almond cookies from a nun at the monastery as the shutters in the wall were now open. I returned to the hotel and the walk at 89 F reminded me how fortunate I have been on my Camino with the weather.

      Called a taxi to head to the bus station which took me to the Porto Airport to fly out the next day. It took 1.5 hours drive to reach Valenca which is just across the bridge from Spain and the other common starting point that will earn the minimum distance for a Compostela. It is actually pretty far indeed!
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    • The official end in the middle of the plaza. Typical selfie pix.The Star is in line with the south entrance and high alterBenedictine Monastery built across from the North ChapelStory of Pao, the Bishop and Alfonso IIPaio the hermit ... finally officially recognized!Alfonso IIThe MarketMonastery which once housed 400 nuns. Now 30 and I bought some almond cookiesLargest scallop shell and the story behind itMy hang out for meals...essentially unchanged for 48 yearsGoodbye Spain, Hello Portugal at Tui!

      A Walk in Santiago de Compostela

      June 16 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      I met with our Guru Walks guide Sandy. She started by going over the name of Santiago in various countries. In Canada we know him as Saint James. He was an apostle who taught in the Iberian Peninsula but on return home to Jerusalem was beheaded by King Harrod. Legend goes that his body was taken back to the Iberian Peninsula where it stayed until the 900s AD. A hermit following a series of bright stars found the spot and the bishop travelled 20 miles to confirm. King Alfonso was the first pilgrim and travelled to the spot and ordered a church to be built. Thus Santiago Compostela came to be.Read more

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