Sometimes the loveliest places to visit are right in your own back yard. I love to take a ten minute walk up to Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver and just explore the beautiful quarry garden.

I loved seeing this mother koala asleep high in a gum tree. That bump on her tummy is her baby, who is also sleeping. Many people think of koalas as cute Australian bears. But they are not bears at all. Koalas are marsupials. This means that they give birth to tiny, deaf and blind immature babies that then make a laborious climb through mother's fur to finally nestle in her pouch. Inside the protective pouch the joey (baby) attaches to one of the mother's teats and then survives on mother's milk for about seven months. As the joey grows and explores outside the pouch it will ride on the mother's back, or nestle for a nap on top of mom, just like this little one. Sadly koalas are becoming endangered as a species. So, if you visit Australia, please go to see koalas in one of the sanctuaries that are working to breed them and increase the healthy koala population. These sanctuaries need money to continue their conservation work.

Firenze (Florence) is host to so many amazing sights and wonderful history. The view of the city from the Piazzale Michelangelo is not to be missed. You know you're in Florence when you stand up there on the piazzale, beside one of Florence's three statues of David and gaze at the view over the city, the hills, the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. Buonissimo.

TIWI ISLANDS - A TROPICAL PARADISE

Planning a trip to Australia? Planning to visit the 'top end' while you are there? If you really want to experience the indigenous culture take a day tour from Darwin to Bathurst Island; one of a group of islands known as the Tiwi Islands. This tour will fly you over to the island in a small (but not too scary) plane where you will then join a tour of this almost exclusively 100% aboriginal community. Step out of your comfort zone and into a wonderful introduction to an ancient and proud culture. Experience their art, dancing, history and hospitality. Contribute to the local economy and bring home some of the amazing Tiwi Islands art. I now have a wonderful carved pelican and a brilliantly hand painted cushion cover and a scarf. Take a chance and get off the beaten tourist track. You will not regret it.

My First Post With Blogger

Here I am at Bigsby's Bakery in MacKenzie Heights, Vancouver, with good friends, good food, good coffee and a beautiful sunny day.
This is my first blog and I hope the start of many blogs about my travels and adventures. Over my life I have visited so many wonderful places and I would love to share some of those adventures with others.
Cheers to my travels, both past, present and future.