A Year Ago on Just a Little Further (11/11-11/17)

What a difference a year makes!  What Nine of Cups and Crew were doing a year ago this week (click on links for full posts):

At the Supermarket

"I used to hate grocery shopping in the US. The same old routine week in-week out. But I love going to the supermarket in another country. Rather than just throwing stuff into a cart for the week’s meals, shopping in a new country is foraging for food. It’s exploring. It’s an adventure."

The 90 Day Rule:

Part 1     Part 2     Part 3

"Call it destiny, kismet, karma or good juju. Maybe it’s just being in the right place at the right time. We call it the 90-day rule for lack of something better. It’s not really a rule, it’s an…occurrence, I guess you’d call it … a chance event…always fortuitous. Early on, we didn’t recognize it as anything more than being lucky. After 13 years, we think it’s definitely a serendipitous pattern that’s repeated itself so regularly over the years, we now call it a rule and we expect it to happen. We patiently wait for it and we’re never disappointed. Here’s a sampling."

Tasmanian Wine Tasting

"Tasmania is known as the Apple Isle, so it was a surprise to learn that they’re also a grape-growing island and a producer of cool climate wines. With mild, cool summers and long autumn days, the climate here is near perfect for grape-growing, it appears, and the local Pinot Noirs have gained an excellent international reputation in the red category. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs excel in the whites. They also produce some sparkling wines. I really like bubbles."

A Year Ago on Just a Little Further (11/4-11/10)

What a difference a year makes!  What Nine of Cups and Crew were doing a year ago this week (click on links for full posts):

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)

"A very discriminating friend of ours said, 'If MONA was in New York City, it would be rated one of the best museums in the world.'  With an endorsement like that, how could we miss it? The day was cold, raw and rainy as we headed north of Hobart in the marina courtesy van to the Museum of Old and New Art aka MONA."

Challenge versus Sacrifice

"We’ve seen and done things that few people in the world will ever see and we feel absolutely blessed for the opportunities and experiences. Innumerable, astounding sunrises and sunsets. The moai of Easter Island from an anchorage at Anakena beach. A snowball fight on deck in Tierra del Fuego. Standing on the rim of an active volcano in Vanuatu. Sitting on a rock in Antarctica surrounded by Gentoo penguins. Swinging in a hammock in a thatch hut on stilts while having lunch with the Wounaan people in the Darien Jungle. Fishing for piranha in the Amazon River. Staring down at Cups anchored in Bounty Bay from atop a high cliff on Pitcairn Island. No, this isn’t sacrifice. No need to feel sorry for us. This is what we live for."

Take the Ferry to Bruny Island

"We were finished with boat work for the time being and looking for a morning respite. We’d walked down to the Bruny Island Ferry Terminal before. It’s only a 10-15 minute walk from the marina. We’d previously noted the times for the ferry departure while also noting that walk-on’s rode for “free”. One of our favorite words. I packed a couple of sandwiches and a bottle of water and we headed down to the ferry dock. We were heading to Bruny Island."

A Year Ago on Just a Little Further (10/28-11/3)

What a difference a year makes!  What Nine of Cups and Crew were doing a year ago this week (click on links for full posts):

Australia's Antarctic Division

Wandering through the exhibits reminded us of our visit to the Antarctic Peninsular on the other side of the world in 2006. It was the trip of a lifetime. Ushuaia, Argentina is much closer to Antarctica than Australia (less than 1500 miles) and thus the trips are much more feasible. Antarctica's other worldly nature has made it one of the most spectacular places we've ever visited in our years of traveling and I doubt it will lose its place in our minds in the future.

Meat Pies in Tasmania

So the first time I popped into a pie shop here hoping to find something fruity and delicious, I was very surprised to find steak, bacon and cheese pies, curried veggie pies, sausage and egg pies, chicken pies, scallop pies and beef and kidney pies, but no “pie” pies. Did I mention we’re in Australia?

Life on the Hard

This is not the ideal life and certainly not one to be envious of. We climb up and down a vertical ladder to get on and off the boat. This is not an easy feat when 1) your hands are full going up or coming down or 2) you really have to go to the bathroom. The hands-full thing is easy. We use a line and heave or lower as necessary or even place things in a bucket for easy transport. Forgetting something up above or needing a tool down below in the middle of a project sometimes elicits curses.