Cortina and the Dolomites

After Venice we jumped on a train and headed towards the Dolomites......

San Vito - just outside Cortina. Good postcard type photo huh.......was just as beautiful in person.....

After two nights in Cortina we headed up the Tofane massif to do some hiking. We caught this cable car up one afternoon to Lagazuoi Rifugio to start. For some reason this cable car freaked me out, had a hard time looking out the window, which doesn't usually happen to me on cable cars......it was pretty steep....

Rifugio Lagazuoi in the clouds.....

That afternoon (we stayed in the rifugio that night) we went around the open air world war I museum up there. There are all these tunnels that were made by the Austrians and the Italians during WWI and they have opened a bunch of them so you can go through (with helmet and headlamp). It amazed both of us that anyone could fight a war up in the mountains, but they did, this area was pretty populated during that time. 

Stian poking out of one of the many openings to the tunnels. 

We also went for a short hike to look at a Via Ferrata (Iron Walkway). My knee unfortunately (esp unfortunately as it was my good knee) crapped out on a steep downhill, and played up all the time we were up there, which was really frustrating. I gave up on the way and Stian went on and tried it out. Can you spot him in this photo? 

Here he is. It wasn't the Via Ferrata (that was around the corner), but this is pretty indicative of many of the paths in the Dolomites....pretty cool huh.....

The next day we headed on a hike to the Rifugio Dobina. It was a beautiful day......though I was pretty annoyed at this point by my knee being a pain....

A Via Ferrata we did attempt on the way to Rifugio Dibona. I've not done much climbing or anything, but the times I have height has not been a problem. For some reason on this trip it became a problem for me. Stian was fantastic and really helped me up this not very scary wall, but I was pretty dissapointed in myself. I was fine once we got to the ladders, those were not a problem, it was the scaling with just the wire that seemed to freak me out for no apparent reason. 

So we went up a WW1 tunnel, then I waited at the top as Stian went further up the peak. He didn't have time to go all the way, but he did get to do a little. As I was waiting for him it began to rain, and then began to hail, so was getting pretty worried when he finally reapeared. We hoofed it down the tunnel through an ensuing water fall and got to the bottom where we had left our bags.  

Yup, those black dots are our bags, placed nicely in the middle of what was now a river. Everything was soaked.....really soaked....

The calm after the storm, this is the view from Rifugio Dibona. Pretty spectacular. 

This is the Tofane plateau, where we were when we got really wet! 

The next day was the down day, which really bugged my knee. Here is a Via Ferrata that Stian did most of, but I being a total pain in the butt at this point, bugged out of. So he went across and back, then we both walked down and around. 

And catching the chair lift back down to the bottom. No height issues on this one, only double chin issues....

A quick snooze in the park as we waiting for the store to open so we could return our via ferrata gear....
And a wonderful sunset on the train towards Verona....

Getting Back Goals

Breaking this all up a bit, but getting back and (finally) getting into a, more healthy, Hawaii routine is on my mind tonight (and the last few nights) so here it is....

- Go to the (free) swimming pool (at least) twice a week, do 20 laps, or more, per time

- Go to the (free) gym at UH twice a week for at least 45 minutes or sign up for twice weekly yoga classes

- Walk to work twice a week

- Walk around the neighborhood in the evening on days I don't walk to work

- Reduce my diet soda intake, drink more (homemade) ice tea - drink more in general, I never drink enough

- Take packed lunches into work everyday!

- Cook more real meals, rather than the quick frozen/canned dinner route

- Eat on a meal plan, cut down on snacks

- Don't use any plastic bags at all stores (not just supermarkets) - this means remembering to carry my envirosacs everywhere!

- Reduce my "stuff" again........it's a constant battle....

- Buy less "stuff" in the first place....

- Take a pottery class

- Take my kayak out most weekends

Bologna to Venice

We arrived in Bologna at midday and stayed one night there, then the next morning early headed to Venice by train. There were so many great photos from each place i've decided to split the trip up - sorry for so many holiday snaps, but we had fun....:0)

The view from our hotel window - fabulous! When i've gone to Venice before i've always had a view of a brick wall, so it was great to have a real view. We had delivery and garbage barges go by in the mornings and gondolas with tourists in the afternoons. 

Couldn't resist the swan towel origami in our "anything but fancy" hotel room! We stayed at the Hotel Caneva - totally recommend it - really central, cheap (for Venice - ~$115 a night for a double with shared bathroom), clean and breakfast in the mornings. You could even come in by 'water entrance" if you wanted a water taxi ride....:0) 

The gondolas on the Grand Canal.

San Marco's Basilica

Stian and the Grand canal - taken from a gondola....well a traghetto (cheap gondola taxi across the canals) - but still cool - my first gondola ride! 

Gondola crossing......spotting a theme here....

Venice traffic jam....

We went out to the Lido for an afternoon the day we arrived (we scored two free water bus tickets from two australians leaving, so we spent that day touring on the water buses). I'd never been, much quieter than central and a cool beach.

Enjoying a frozen, florescent slurpy on the Lido

Finishing off the day with a giant calzone.......mmmmmmm

Echo Lake!

Feel like you're going backwards? Well I am! I realised I didn't ever post any photos or anything from Echo lake before we headed to Italy, so here are some photos. 

I had a great time at Echo, so beautiful and relaxing out there - cabin in the woods by the lake with no electricity and lots of early bedtimes! Stian and I stayed out in a tent behind the cabin and one morning I was woken up by a black bear padding my butt through the tent. It was an interesting way to wake up, the birds were being noisy so I assumed a bird had flown into the tent, turned over and had a bear staring over me (it was hot enough not to have the fly on the tent so we could see the stars). Moved pretty quick once I yelled and woke Stian up. He went back to sleep, I had a harder time.....so my first bear encounter not in a car - pretty cool! 

The hardest part of the week - carrying the bags up to the cabin. Four adults and two children take a lot of stuff for a week of cabin camping....

The last stairs up to the cabin. 

Echo Lakes from Rawlston Peak on a short hike that Stian and I did one day. The left lake is Upper Echo and the right lake is Lower Echo. The cabin is on Lower Echo. 

Uncle Stian feeding little Finn.

Stian and I on a hike to lake Aloha and beyond. This was our "long" hike of the trip and was beautiful, if a little hot. I'd never been beyond Aloha, so it was great seeing some of the other lakes around. 

Paddling the canoe on Echo Lake - Nonno, Finn, Nicola and Bella. 

A gelato a day......

Or so our trip to Italy should be called. Sorry about the lack of
posts, Internet here has been both sporadic and expensive (can anyone
say $40 a day, $8 an hour...) so a big update will come when I get
back. We're in bologna now, I've been collecting my samples for the
last few days and tomorrow we fly back to San Fran. It's been a
whirlwind, but we've seen Venice, cortina, refugis in the dolomites
hiking (and getting soaked -story and photos for another post),
Verona, bologna and today we hope to get to Ravenna (though this is
dependnt on getting out of bed...........so more in the coming days I
promise.......:0)

Back and bye!

Just a quick one as I sit on yet another plane. I'm back from a
wonderful week at echo and am now on the plane with Stian heading out
to bologna, woo hoo (if a little hectic). I'll try and keep our
travels posted here, photos will have to be added when I get back.

Sorry to mum, didn't get a chance to respond to your email, but all is
well!

Harvest

Harvest time for Echo, I love that I bought NONE of these. Two papayas from next door, three avocados from our tree (unfortunately at the end of the season, so smaller than my usual giants), the first orange of the season and two apple-bananas (one for Stian and one for Lala - they're soooooo tasty!) from a friend. Pretty cool huh. 

All I have left to get is two pineapples, and those i'll get from the airport, where they are all nice and pre-packaged for travel......:0) 

So I'm feeling a little more on top of things than I have the last few days. As top on things as you can be when your sat on your sofa unable to get off because the floor is covered in things to pack. The debit/credit card thing has killed me the last few days, always when you least need it (but then again do you ever need it?), i've never lost cards before so it's a new one for me, and I have to say, sucks. Yesterday afternoon I got the definite that my proposal has gone in, and i've just about done most things on my list below (packing being the big missing one), a few things I have moved to taking work with me to Echo, which sucks a little, but I think will be okay. I think reviewing papers and proposals while sat on the deck overlooking the lake with the sound of nothing all around might be quite nice actually. Put a beer in hand it might just be perfect in fact....:0)

Triple Ug!

The bank cancelled the wrong card! Now I have NO (USA anyway) cards! Amazing how much we rely on a piece of plastic, especially when your bank is all online so there is no desk to get cash from at such times. Weird when you think about it isn't it. 

Double Ug.....

As if I didn't need any more to do.....I lost my bank card today, so they're closing my account and sending me a new card (to Stian, so I can get it before we go to Echo). But it means changing all of my direct debits and electronic payments to the new account number before I go......why always 2 days before I go. Found out in the worst way too, was on the phone to an airline trying to get my money back for them double charging me, but of course they needed the account number......

So i'm trying to look to the positive.  

1 - There is more red on the list below than purple

2 - I used my new shower this morning

3 - I'm going to see Stian in a few days

4 - I get to go to Lalas birthday party, which I am very excited about

5 - I got upgraded to first class for the San Francisco flight

6 - In a few days I might actually get to sleep.....

Proposal in....

...and that was my big, ulcer creating, one. Phew. Just a zillion other things and i'll be there. At least I am back in Grodnick tonight, so i'll have internet and at least can investigate hotel bookings etc while lying in bed with a G&T....:0) 

I wonder if i'll be able to use my shower tonight.........good thing the toilet is in too, this seems to be a trend....come back to Hawaii and get a upset stomach.......

Ug.....

Why did I go to work on a sunday....I knew it would be a bad idea.....I was enjoying being back until about an hour ago. 

I ordered a bunch of lab things and chemicals before I left so that they would be here when I got back. Well, I just opened everything and low and behold, I received about a 1/4 of what I ordered. Interesting. And someone has opened my parcels and taken the packing slip away, so I can't even take stock of what might have been in those parcels and gone wandering around the building (as things seem to do here). Again, interesting. 

AND, just to make it really special, in my post I seem to have 2 green slips from UPS. 2 parcels from Fisher Scientific were returned to sender because they were unable to complete delivery because I am not on the building directory. Yet these two green slips seem to have got to me just fine. I am assuming they mean the paper directory on the wall, which, being on Hawaii time, has yet to be updated with my name. Yet, if they delivered the packages to the address on the boxes, they would have found that to me the "mailroom", with a nice "mail lady" who would have put them in my lab for me. 

Dumbasses........no doubt fisher will now want to charge me for them being returned..... 

To do before the 15th

I head out of here on the 15th to San Francisco and Echo Lake, so here is my to-do before i head out. 

- NSF Proposal - woo hoo, this was the big one! 

- finish minor edits

- upload final version

- get signatures

- submit!

- NOAA OE Pre-proposal (s)

- Vetlesen Proposal paperwork

- CV, biography, budget

- Grant extension paperwork - hopefully all done, but we'll see....

- Travel paperwork

- Pre-travel

- Claim back travel

- SEM larvae from temp expts

- On stubs

- Take photos

- DSR Paper edits

- Organise Santa Barbara visit (yay K-way!)

- Proposal review - taking to Echo, I give up trying to do this now....

- Work Visa paperwork

- Meet with students, get them moving on samples

- Receiving reports

- Order work items

- microtome head

- alcohol & chems

- sort out larvae

- put in larger tanks? airstones?

- find carer for when i'm away....

- frozen samples sort

- check on -80C freezer status

- Echo

- banana bread baking - in the freezer!

- pick fruit (i love the word 'pick' instead of 'buy')

- Italy

- Email Marco to confirm warehouse sample diving

- book hotels for beginning end

- figure out what Stian and I are going to do! 

- Get reading books 

- Buy travel undies, trousers & dress 

- Well....Stian did this for me.....:0)

- Sort out bathroom 

- ie - get bathroom items out of my kitchen!

- Do laundry (lots)

- UNPACK

- REPACK

Bugger, thats a lot of things to do in 5 days....

**Update - RED = Done!** 

And I keep coming back and adding things....erg....

Magic Meatballs for Fussy Doggies

also a good for weight gain - 

1 cup minced meat/hamburger

2 cups kibble

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons oil

Mix all ingredients together, mould into small meatballs, place on a greased tray and put in the freezer. Once all have frozen, bag and keep frozen until needed. 

Adjusted from yorkie.org - Goofy tested and approved, he ate a full dinner and more tonight - yet again another woo hoo for the day! 

Home.....well, kind of

Finally got back to Honolulu at 4pm yesterday, glad to be back. Stian should be just taking off now from Santiago, hoping he has a much less eventful time getting back. 

So I dropped into my place (check out the bathroom update below), had a pizza dinner with Liz then headed out to pick up my friend Jenny's dogs, i'm dog sitting at her house until Tuesday for Barkley and Goofy, my furry pals. They were very happy to see me, even Goofy who is usually so skittish. He hasn't been eating since Jenny and Doug left though (5th), so i bought some minced beef to mix in with his food tonight and make some treats with, so lets see if that works. 

Today was nice and relaxed, I woke up at 6am though, which sucked, did stay in bed until 7am then finally got up and got my cup of tea and breakfast. Went down and ordered the backseat covers for my car (from Wet Okole, I have the front seat ones, they're just so damn expensive I decided to split the front and back into two lots) as she's starting to loose the "newness" inside rapidly, then did a little shopping for some things for Italy (though I forgot to go to the bookstore for a good book - any suggestions anyone?), took the dogs to the Bark Park and am now going to make up those doggy treats and some Banana bread (and I promise not to mix the ingredients!). 

So an update on my bathroom - not quite finished, but pretty close - woo hoo! 

Nice shower, water can even come out of the shower head - woo hoo! 

A toilet - and I even used it yesterday - double woo hoo! Now i'm the second person I know to post a picture of their toilet (sorry nea, couldn't resist that one!).

The cabinets and sink - so it looks like the hardware are being screwed on and the cabinet above the sink needs doors, otherwise it's just put the main door on bathroom and viola - new bathroom! 

Barkely, standing guard in the kitchen. This picture makes her look fierce, which she most definitely is not! 

In Dallas.....

...and I have a ticket back to Honolulu....woo hoo! 

Stuck in Santiago......arhhhhhgo

Yup, flying these days never seems to be easy. I'm stuck overnight in Santiago. In a nice hotel right on the airport grounds, but still, a) I would rather be back in Honolulu tomorrow and b) if i'm going to get stuck couldn't it be in Punta Arenas where i'd get an extra night with Stian??

Delays, delays, snow caused delays at PA today and that made us miss the connection. The bummer is the first flights to the US are not until tomorrow evening, so it's a whole day of doodling. I'm torn too, there are ten of us here and people are talking about heading into the city to sightsee. I have a TON of work to do before I leave for CA next weekend. And I have to book things like flights to CA and hotels in Italy...all things I could get done tomorrow.....as well as get my proposal finalized so i can throw it to people in HI as soon as I get back for signatures (I was supposed to get that going tomorrow as soon as I get in.....ahhhhhhh! 

Delays always happen when you can least afford them.........

Non science photos!

One of the blocks used to deploy equipment over the side. Them being all iced up was a feature of this cruise, and made for some beautiful photos

Marguerite Bay pancake ice. The island in the distance is Adelaide Island.

Iced in. We got some good ice this trip (prettier than pancakes, but not too thick to make trouble), the ship had to "waggle" to make a hole in the ice at the stern so we could deploy equipment. This shot is off the back, you can see the hole starting to be made. Why this photo is smaller than the others....I have no idea! 

Everything all frosty! 

Sunrise, we only had 3hrs of sunshine at our most southerly site, but the weather was perfect and clear, meaning we had 3hrs of sunrise/sunset each day, beautiful. 

Our stop at Potters Cove. Gentoo penguin looking very cute.

Not photoshop I promise. The Gentoo line up! 

Stian and I in front of the gentoo penguin colony....

Taking a zodiac tour of Potters cove, there were some spectacular glaciers to be seen, even though the weather wasn't great...

The ship in the cove and a mossy rock up front. Yes, moss in the Antarctic, pretty neat huh....

Taking in the view. Ahhhhhh, it was so nice to be on land for a few hours.....

Science Pictures

Bringing the nice full trawl back onboard. Those are two of the MTs (Marine Techs) and they're harnessed in so they don't fall over. This was near the beginning of the cruise though, so nice and flat and you can see ice in the background. 

A few things we got in that net. These are "Sea Pigs", Protelpidia. They are a type of sea cucumber that live at around 600m depth and feed on the mud. This was a target animal for the other scientists on the cruise. We got an awful lot of sea pigs! The two different types here might be different species, we've taken tissue samples to investigate that, so we'll know before the next cruise. 

A giant scale worm. Eww. 

Beautiful corals! These are pretty neat, they're so fragile that they don't often come up in the nets (they break and fall through). This species lives in all the worlds oceans and even down to 6000m depth, and i've worked with it in the Atlantic and the Pacific, so it was great to get some from down in the Antarctic too! 

Inside a starfish....these are all the little brooded babies, ready to come out and live on their own. 

What the trawl often looked like. It took some work to free it from the ice to use, it was so cold this trip! 

Okay so....instead CONGRATULATIONS.....

Blogger is having internal errors on posting photos, so instead i'm going to say congratulations to my brother Grant and sister in law Claire who are pregnant. I've been sitting on this news for over a month now so have been itching to post on here about it, but they just had a scan and due in January.......yippee. 

I'm going to have two nephews (or a nephew and niece) to be a crazy aunt over....:0)

We're back.....

Sorry it's been a few days since an update....and what do you know, i'm back on land already! And it's nice to be too, though PA is rather slushy and gross, though the houses look pretty with a dusting of snow on them. So i'm going to post some pics in the next two posts, and then i'm off to the end of cruise party, and probably to bed early, i'm beat after a day of packing samples in dry ice and offloading the ship (and there is still a lot to do tomorrow).