The Fountain At Carini
Have you ever thought what it would be like without a fountain? I’m sure you haven’t if your fountain is not a life saver. Some fountains are. The fountain in Carini, Sicily is a life saver in my opinion as it’s a necessity. You may think there is not a water shortage in places in Europe, but you may have to rethink your opinion.
Unless there has been a significant improvement since I was last in Carini which was approximately 2006, Carini did not have plentiful water coming out of the taps whenever the faucets were turned on. Long story short – the fountain was where you had to go to fill up your containers in case your water ran out. People would walk, drive or go on their motor bikes to get the water they needed to drink, bathe in and do the dishes. Most residences had to instal a water storage tank on their rooftops to maintain a steady supply of water. Here is a picture of the fountain in Carini. I am supplying two as one is better than the other as it shows a wider area as in my original print.
Carini Plaza Fountain
By the way, Carini is a wonderful place. I have been there at least five times, and have stayed there for 5 weeks one time, another two times I was there for three weeks each time, and the other two times, just a couple of weeks.
I had this picture enlarged and in a frame. It was hanging in an Italian restaurant for at least ten years, and then it went missing. Good job I still have the prints. I took pictures of my picture to bring you these images. I hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of Carini.
Don’t ever forget to be thankful when you turn on your tap, and you are lucky enough to get running water. Be grateful that you don’t have to go to a local fountain (even if it’s a beautiful fountain) to get your supply of water.
Also, sorry I haven’t written in such a long time, life has been so very busy. Does it ever get less busy? Until next time.
Christmas At The Venetian
The Venetian is my favorite resort and hotel in Las Vegas. I absolutely love it, and have only stayed there once. Every time I go to Vegas, I want to stay there, but sadly price wise…I have to stay away. I wonder how packages from the UK are so affordable to other countries, including to the USA, yet we can’t seem to get any bargains like this from here? For instance, my sister just booked a trip to the USA where she stayed 4 days in New York, and 4 days in Las Vegas (during this summer). Her hotel in New York was the Marriott Marquis right in Times Square, and her accommodation in Las Vegas was the Venetian. Her price for the trip was £1,000 UK pounds per person (for a family of four), and this includes airfare and hotel cost. When I flew to the UK in 2014 (in the summer) it cost me $1,500 per person (for a family of four), and this did not include the cost of hotels. I am so jealous, ‘cos I want to stay at the Venetian for four days! However, since it’s my sister….I’m happy she is staying at one of the best places in Las Vegas.
Last time I wrote in May about Las Vegas, I told you I would include pictures of inside the Venetian, so here we go. Sorry, it has taken me such a long time to get around to it. I even fit one more trip to Las Vegas since Christmas – this summer – not the same time as my sister unfortunately, and I did not stay at the Venetian 😦 . Here are the pictures that include Christmas inside the Venetian, and some that were taken this summer. Oh, and the gelato – it’s absolutely delicious! Incase you are wondering, Christmas is a great time to be in Las Vegas, and especially at the Venetian.
Venetian Magic
Venetian Magic, Venetian splendor! Oh, how I love the Venetian grandeur. This hotel/resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, is my absolute favorite out of all of them there. I have stayed at the Venetian many years ago, and absolutely loved it! I wish I could always stay there when ever I visit Las Vegas. Even when I stay elsewhere, I make it a point to go visit the Venetian. If you can’t go to Venice, at least go to the Venetian – it’s a bit of the real thing. Here are some pictures:
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
My kids outside the Venetian, last Christmas
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
Isn’t this place pretty? Isn’t it magical? Wish I could have a permanent suite there! These were all pictures taken outside of the Venetian, next time I will show you some pictures taken inside.
Christmas In Las Vegas
Christmas in Las Vegas was a new experience for us, and a rather nice one. We spent Christmas, 2015 in Vegas, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here are some more pictures, these were nearly all taken on Christmas day, 2015. The last one was taken on Christmas Eve at The Carnival World Buffet which we went to prior to going to Christmas Eve mass at Our Lady of Wisdom Church.
Bellagio, Las Vegas
We didn’t stay at Bellagio though as much as I would have liked to. Actually, if you ask me which place I would like to stay at my number one choice is Venetian, and number two is Bellagio. We actually stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Resort of which I am a member (through my timeshare ownership). I won’t even go into my tea-bag dilemna that I had there – can you believe they didn’t have regular black tea? I certainly had tea withdrawal! Enough said of that for the time being, other than to say you hotels should never just cater to coffee lovers, there’s tea lovers too! My view wasn’t too bad though.
View from Hilton Grand Vacations Resort, Las Vegas Blvd
View from Hilton Grand Vacations Resort, Las Vegas Blvd
We had brunch at the Paris Hotel’s Le Village Buffet, I will show you pictures of that separately in another post. Here are pictures of the Bellagio, where we spent the majority of our Christmas day, just strolling around – what a beautiful Christmas display!
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio, Las Vegas
We had Christmas Eve lunch at The Carnival World Buffet at Rio
Carnival World Buffet at Rio, Las Vegas
We ate a lot in Vegas. My kids talked me into getting them the Buffet Pass which cost $55 per person for 48 hours. So we started the pass at around 5pm on Christmas Eve and it lasted until Boxing Day at 5 pm. Therefore, we were able to use it for meals over 3 days, but had to time the last meal on Boxing Day to be in the line for the meal before 5 pm. If you can time it properly, it works out well. All the meals and drinks that you want are included in this price (except alcohol of course) – but you will be sure to put on a few pounds! I will post more pictures of Las Vegas soon. I can’t believe it’s already April, and I’m just getting around to doing this post now. Where does time go to?
Christmas Eve In Las Vegas
I’ve spent New Year in Las Vegas, and summer in Las Vegas, but not Christmas in Las Vegas, so last Christmas we tried it, and we liked it!
There are less crowds in Vegas in Christmas, than there are at New Year. Also, when it’s New Year, it’s just not the best place for kids in all that noisy, raucous Vegas celebration – what with the drinks and the drunks, and well…..let’s say I think Christmas was a little more mellow in Vegas.
Have you ever associated Las Vegas with Christmas? Or have you ever even considered it to be a good place to celebrate such a joyous occasion? Well, I think our Christmas in Vegas in 2015 was spectacular, partly, because we found a beautiful church to celebrate Christmas Eve in. I am Sikh, but I like all kinds of churches, temples (including Hindu temples, as well as Sikh temples) and have even enjoyed visiting Mosques or at least taking pictures of them, see this link. The church we visited is an Italo-Greek Byzantine Catholic Church called Our Lady of Wisdom, located on 2120 Lindell Road, Las Vegas, NV 89146, only about 5 minutes drive from the Strip on Las Vegas Boulevard. It is such a truly beautiful, spectacular church, and is very European looking – I could not believe I was in the USA while I was in this church, it was such a wonderful feeling that the church gave me. Here are some pictures:
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
I managed to get my two daughters in the picture
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas
I don’t really think I was supposed to be taking pictures at the church, but I think it was too beautiful to not take pictures. I would love to be at this church every Christmas Eve, too bad it’s not in San Diego!
Lovely La Jolla
Lovely La Jolla, what more is there to say. This place which is just a 12 minute drive for me going south, or a 20 minute drive from downtown San Diego is spectacular. The scenery is amazing, and the wildlife is abundant.
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
Wildlife at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
Most of the time, the seals like to laze on the beach, and don’t move much at all, but all of a sudden, a few of them got up to take a dip in the ocean!
Sea lion at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
Look at this one! Doesn’t it look like a cross between a sea lion, and a tortoise?
Half sea lion/half tortoise at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
The Seals at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla, San Diego
We walked away from the ocean onto Prospect Street, and Chandra got to play with a massive globe that was a water-fountain feature. Oh, she rolled and rolled the globe around. She was enchanted!
La Jolla, San Diego
Afterwards, we went for a treat to the Living Room, a really wonderful coffee house, that has wonderful pastries, and sandwiches. I got Chandra two macaroons, which she devoured before I got to take photos of them, and I also did the same with my pistachio baklava. Chandra then eyed my coconut mocha, and oh my gosh, it was delicious – it was made with low fat milk, and extra hot. I left a tiny bit of it for Chandi to try, as she really should not be drinking coffee at her tender age of 7! She loved it, well….it was delicious!
Then she got some gelato from a place called Gelateria, across from the Living Room, and again, I didn’t take pictures – but this was Chandi’s treat as mine was the coconut mocha. Then, it was time for a few more pictures.
La Jolla, San Diego
La Jolla, San Diego
La Jolla, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
This last picture was from a previous visit to La Jolla
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
I hope you liked my pictures of La Jolla. It really is a nice place to visit. I really enjoy it there, and I think I would like to say it is one of my favorites in San Diego.
December Nights in San Diego
Time’s already flying by, and it’s February now, but I still haven’t shared December Nights, 2015 with you. Must hurry up, or it will be December again. Just my luck! I don’t want time to go that quickly. There’s no rush…..I will get too old too quickly like this – slow down time!
December Nights at Balboa Park in San Diego is always a fun event. It’s a two day extravaganza, and my family really enjoys it. This year we had to go without Niki, my oldest – since she has started college, and moved away. Still, it’s a fun event for kids of all ages, and adults alike, and I think I might love it even more than my kids do!
This year, we went early. Even though the even starts at 12 noon or so, most people don’t go until 5pm, as they like to be there in the evening when all the lights are on, as well as the Christmas tree at the Organ Pavilion. However, traffic is crazy and hectic, and so is parking. A few times now, we have parked at Petco Park, and then taken a shuttle bus from there to Balboa Park, but this time I wanted to park at the Zoo, and combine December Nights with a trip to the Zoo. So, we got to the Zoo at around 1:45 pm, and were easily able to find a parking spot. We spent about one and a half hours there.
We then took the short walk to Balboa Park – an easy 5 or 10 minute walk.
We first saw the Fountain area, close to one of the museums, and had a little snack, then walked past the Botanical Gardens area where the beautiful flowers, and Reflective Pond is; then we went to the Grinch tree, which is by the Old Globe Theatre, and actually spotted the Grinch!
We then went to see some of the performances at the Organ Pavilion, and since Chandra wanted to eat, we went towards the International Cottages area. When I heard Indian music, that beckoned me, and I was so glad I had allowed myself to be beckoned like that – because that became the highlight of my entire evening. I normally enjoy the Organ Pavilion area, and the Christmas songs so much, and enjoyed them again this year, but this time I allowed myself to actually wander away from the performances at the Organ Pavilion to experience more of what was taking place at the International Cottages area, and these are two competing performance areas – one on the big stage, and the other on a smaller stage, but equally powerful in performance. While one concentrates on performances that are mainly musical, and showcases instruments being played, and singers performing – the smaller stage at the International Cottages focuses on dance. The dance aspect is really entertaining, as you still have the music and the songs, but now have further entertainment too. I absolutely loved it, and my little Chandra got up to dance on the stage for the Grand Finale of the Indian dancing!
Here are two videos that I made – one shows the Grand Finale that Chandra was in,
and the other one shows a variety of performances, and dances that were performed. This includes the performances at the Organ Pavilion, and the Scottish Bagpipe Band, as well as the San Diego Chorus, and of course, the Indian dance performances which took place at the International Cottages.
I love December Nights, there is nothing quite like it!
Dreaming of London
Oh, I’m homesick for England, and I’m dreaming of London
So, I’ll look at these pictures, and imagine myself there
Oh, I’m dreaming of London
And wanting to move there
A New Year makes me ponder
Ponder of yonder, and whether I should just dream
Or make that dream a goal, and put it into action.
I think you can read between these lines, that my heart aches for London
And I may have to act upon it real soon. Hope to see you soon, London!
Real question is…..do I go back after so long away? Will it be the right step, the right move, or will I regret it? It’s not easy to move when you have kids to think of. When I moved here a long time ago, it was just me, and so much easier then. This will be the question of the year for me, shall I do it? Time will tell!
Thanksgiving At The Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego
Oh, I love to feel grand and what better place to have that feeling than at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, located in downtown San Diego, near Seaport Village. Guess where an incredible Thanksgiving took place? You might have guessed…..at this grand hotel! Yes, we had our Thanksgiving meal there in 2015. So thankful for this beautiful hotel, because not only was the food good, but the entire experience – like spending the afternoon there just lounging around in the bar area, and walking through the lobby, and generally just feeling grand! I’ve also stayed at this hotel several times, and it has beautiful views of Seaport Village and the bay. This hotel is beautiful! Here’s some pictures:
A few more pictures for you, again this is a beautiful hotel, and the artwork incredible! I could sit here for ages and stare at the paintings or stare at their decor – masterpiece!
Can’t believe it’s 2016 already! By the way, Happy New Year!
The San Diego Zoo – How Fun!
I love the zoo! How about you? This is going to be a simple and short post, but just want to say it’s one of the best places in San Diego, and makes for a great day out.
This is Chandi at the Zoo when she was about 18 months old.
Orangutans – San Diego Zoo
This was Chandi just yesterday celebrating her 7th birthday at the Zoo. She seems less afraid of the orangutans now!
The San Diego Zoo
Here are some more pictures of the Zoo taken yesterday, November 21st, 2015
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
My favorite part of the Zoo yesterday, hard to say between the monkeys, orangutans, elephants and koalas, I loved all those best, but really enjoyed seeing the elephants.
The San Diego Zoo
How could I not put a picture of a cuddly koala in this post? I so much would have loved to hold it!
San Diego Zoo
So glad to have an annual pass again. See you again soon, Zoo!
luchanik 