Just People
Images of the Keukenhof
Every Spring just outside of Amsterdam a garden comes to life with hundreds of flower displays created with millions of tulips. If you are going to be anywhere near Norther Europe be sure and get to the Keukenhof.
Cruise Port Quebec City
Old Quebec City is on a number of fall cruise itineraries. Starting in New York or Boston these cruises visit a number of New England and Canadian Maritime ports, go up the St. Lawrence Seaway, usually with fall leaves in full glory, and spend a day or two in Quebec City. The old city is full of historic sites, art galleries, good restaurants and beautiful scenery.
Where the Ships Dock – There is a modern cruise ship terminal on the riverfront along with a good length of docking space right in front of the Old Quebec neighborhood.
Transportation – Since Old Quebec is not that large an area and cruise ships will usually dock right in town, walking is the usual way to see the sights. The town does have a geography that rises steeply from the river so be prepared for a little climb. The city does have an alternative to the steepest climb though. The Old Quebec Funicular is a funicular railway in Old Quebec. It links the Haute-Ville to the Basse-Ville, climbing at a 45-degree angle, it covers a total distance of 64 meters.
Taxis – There are a number of taxi companies and generally they do not cruise for fares. They usually are available at the cruise ships or you call and they will send a car:
- Taxi Coop Québec 418-525-5191
- Taxi Coop Sainte-Foy-Sillery 418-653-7777
- Taxi Laurier 418-651-2727
Uber – As of this writing you can make use of Uber from the cell phone app.
Rentals Cars – Readily available and a practical way to visit areas farther out from downtown.
Public Transit (local buses) – Réseau de transport de la capitale (RTC) serves Québec City. The Parcours 11 route serves Upper Town and the Old Port area and the ferry terminal.
Ferry – The ferry links Québec City and Lévis and runs 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It sails on the hour and half-hour during the day and every hour at night.
Money – Quebec uses the Canadian Dollar currently worth about 76¢ U.S. Also, do not count being able to use U.S. Dollars but credit cards are welcome.
Attractions –
- Notre Dame des Victoires Church – a small Roman Catholic stone
church in the Lower Town of Quebec City. Construction was started in 1687 on the site of Champlain’s habitation and was completed in 1723 - The Historic Petit Champlain District – a neighbourhood in Quebec City, Canada. It is located in the district of Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire in the borough La Cité-Limoilou – located near Place Royale. Its main street is the Rue du Petit-Champlain at the foot of Cap Diamant. It is the oldest commercial district in North America
- The Port, Marina and City Market Area
- The Musée de la Civilisation. – A modern Museum of Civilization located near the port.
The Port of Palma de Mallorca
Mallorca is the largest of Spains Balearic Islands and a major vacation destination for many western and northern Europeans attracted to its beautiful beaches.
Palma is an ancient port with architecture showing the influence of Christians and Moors in its castles, fortifications, cathedrals and in the winding streets of the old town. If you like to walk this is a great place to spend time exploring. The city is also famous for its many excellent tapas bars and restaurants.
Where You Will Dock – Palma de Mallorca has two areas where cruise ships dock. Most cruise ships will dock at Estacio Maritime which has a modern terminal and is about four miles from the old historic district. If that port is full your ship will dock in the industrial area at Porto Pi which is six miles from the old city. While the Porto pi facility doesn’t have the modern terminal it does have a major shopping mall just a short walk outside the port entrance. Both ports will allow passengers to walk out but in either case it is a good hike into town.
Transportation – Most ships provide shuttle service into the town center for about $15 round trip.
Public transportation is provided by a number of private bus lines that cover the island. Information about schedules and routes can be found at the TIB website . One popular destination is the beach resort area of Palmanova with regular bus service provided from the port areas on bus numbers 105 and 106 for around three Euros each way.
Taxis – In the city and around the port taxis are readily available. A taxi to Palmanova or the airport would cost about twenty five Euros.
Money – The Euro is the local currency and credit cards are generally accepted.
Attractions –
Castell de Bellver is a fourteenth century circular castle set on a wooded hilltop overlooking Palma, home to the city’s history museum.
Cathedral of St. Mary of Palma is a Gothic cathedral overlooking the sea, with a vast rose window & wrought-iron canopy by Gaudí. It was built on the site of a Moorish Mosque and was begun by King James I of Aragon in 1229 and is one of the tallest cathedrals in Europe.
Miro Museum and Workshops where Miro painted and sculpted from the 1950s to the 1980s and houses a number of permanent and visiting exhibits.
Beach Resorts. Six to eight miles down the coast from the port are the beach resorts of Palmanova. The resorts are located around three beautiful bays, Playa Son Matias, Playa de Palmanova and Playa Es Carregador.
O’ahu, Hawaii, the American Paradise
Above: Waimea Bay
O’ahu, Has Something For Everyone
Banzai Pipeline, Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head – these are all names we associate with Hawaii and they all are found on O’ahu. There are numerous reasons to visit all the Hawaiian islands but O’ahu is the real star. This island offers the excitement of Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, the laid-back island style of Hale’iwa on the North Shore and historical sights at Pearl Harbor and a number of Hawaiian and Polynesian cultural centers around the island.
Thinking of a trip to the Hawaiian Islands? We recommend you start with O’ahu. There is just so much to see and do on this island while getting to other islands takes time and can get costly. Hotel rates aren’t as outrageous as you might think and you should plan on renting a car (oddly our rental car costs have been lower than average in O’ahu), you will save a lot by getting around the island on your own. Besides getting to see more of the island, having a car can help with finding economical places to stay, eat and shop.
The way we see O’ahu is to think of it as a number of regions:
- Honolulu and Waikiki Beach – All the excitement of a major city with restaurants, nightlife and great shopping and it all stretches along one of the world’s greatest beaches. Nearby is also the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquar
- Pearl Harbor – Visit American history at the Visitors Center, the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona Memorial (as of this writing the Arizona is closed for repairs).
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Waimea falls 
Food trucks at Sharks Cove The North Shore – This stretch of coast has a laid-back feel (maybe with a few tourists thrown in) with small towns like Waialua and Hale’iwa (be sure and visit Matsumoto Shave Ice), along with a few of the world’s most famous surfing beaches including Waimea Bay and the Banzai Pipeline. Further to the east there is also Sharks Cove Park with great snorkeling and just across the street is a lot full of some of the best food trucks on the island. If you are looking for a nice hike visit Waimea Valley Park with a nice nature trail getting to Waimea falls.
- Southwest Coast – West out of Honolulu about fifteen miles is the recently developed area of Kapolei with new shopping centers, several good golf courses, and the Wet n’ Wild park. Just four miles further out on the west coast is Ko Olina with another golf course, the Ko Olina Beach Park and a stretch of beach with resorts like The Four Seasons, and Disney’s Aulani.
Pocket beaches dot the southeast coast - East Coast – East out of Honolulu along the Kalanianaole Highway (Rt 72)
View from Lanai Lookout is Diamond Head Beach Park, KoKo crater and some of the most spectacular coastline anywhere (stop at Lanai Lookout to take in the scenery). Continuing on are a few more great beaches and the Sea Life Park of Hawaii.
- Island Center– If you’re up to hiking the central island has a number of good trails and a couple of nice waterfalls like Manoa Falls and Likeke Falls. Be sure and check out the Dole Plantation and Visitors Center (try a Dole Whip) along with the nearby Green World Coffee Farm where they grow and roast their own coffee. Also not far away are the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens.
Lush tropical landscapes, a mild climate and the Pacific Ocean make this island a true American paradise. Make the best of your visit and try learning to surf or at the very least go snorkeling, there is nothing like swimming thru the coral reefs, tropical fish and Hawaii’s crystal clear waters. In the winter the islands are home to a number of species of whales and there are several whale watching boats available. Aloha…
O’ahu is a destination where we strongly advise getting a car. Hawaii has a good road system and while O’ahu has just a few major highways we find Hawaiian names difficult to follow. If you are not able to navigate using your cell phone be sure and get a GPS in your car.
If you are going to the North Shore be aware that traffic congestion is a
major issue when the big waves come in (usually around October). We had spent a couple of days visiting the area with one morning spent at Waimea Valley Park and another day having lunch at the food trucks at Sharks Cove wand there were no traffic delays. A few days later we returned with a specific restaurant as our destination and didn’t realize that the surf was up. That afternoon it took us four hours to get back to the highway along coast road. Most cars were carrying surf boards and beach parking lots were so full they were stopping traffic from getting past on the road.
We were concerned about visiting Waikiki Beach and how difficult parking would be. A number of the beach resorts advertise really high rates for using their garages. Our first trip was late in the morning and we discovered that it wasn’t that difficult to find metered parking on the side streets, often only a block off the beach.
The Asian culture has a very strong presence in the islands and with that comes some really interesting finds in restaurants. There are a number of noodle and seafood fast food places that offer really good dishes at very economical prices. Look for Ramen Bones, Ramen-Ya, Sushiman and Original Roy’s. The well known American hamburger chains are everywhere but there are a number of Hawaiian fast food places that are favorites with locals like Painacafe and Fatboy’s.
We spent one day in the island center visiting the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens followed by a stop at the Dole Plantation. While Dole is a merchandising operation disguised as an attraction, it’s worth the stop just to get a Dole Whip. We were also impressed with the miles of pineapple fields lining the roads. Earlier we had stopped at the Green World Coffee Farm for coffee and pastries and would recommend a visit if you’re in the neighborhood. They’re only a few years old and their roasted coffee is worth packing a pound or two in your suitcase if you’ve got the room.
Another side trip that is worth consideration is a trip up Round Top Drive to the Tantalus Lookout. You climb up hairpin turns thru residential neighborhoods to a park with spectacular views of Honolulu and the south shore.
Also be sure to put at least a half day on your itinerary for a visit to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial and Visitors Center. The exhibits, movies and displays really bring WWII into sharp focus. You can also visit the WWII era battleship USS Missouri where the Japanese surrender was signed along with a number of other historic ships.
Hong Kong’s Nan Lian Gardens
You shouldn’t visit Hong Kong without taking an hour or two visiting Nan Lian Gardens. These beautiful gardens cover over eight and a half acres in central Hong Kong.
The best way to reach Nan Lian Gardens is to take the rapid transit (MTR MAP) to Diamond Hill station, leave through Exit C2 and follow the signs to the garden. The station is part of Plaza Hollywood complex, a large mall with exhibit space, a movie theatre and a couple hundred stores.
This park is an incredible classic style Chinese garden with formal planting designs, flowers, waterfalls, Koi ponds and pagodas and completely walled in by high rise buildings. Inside the gardens there is a souvenir shop, a vegetarian food restaurant and a Chinese tea house and admission is free.
Nan Lian Garden is also adjacent to the Chi Lin Nunnery connected by a bridge. The Nunnery is a large Buddhist temple complex founded in 1934 for Buddhist nuns and was rebuilt in the 1990s in traditional Tang Dynasty architecture. The temple halls have statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, the goddess of mercy Guanyin and other bodhisattvas.
Opening Hours: 7:00am – 9:00pm
Address: 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon
Phone: +852 2329 8811
The Intentional Travelers 