The National Gallery of Victoria

Featured artists at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne were Andy Warhol and Al Weiwei.

The Great Ocean Road

Touring the Great Ocean Road one hundred miles southwest of Melbourne to the famous Twelve Apostles, limestone stacks off shore, remnants of an eroding coastline. This area overlooking the Southern Ocean is the wettest in Victoria. Lucky for us, it was only a light drizzle.

St Kilda

Visiting St. Kilda, a coastal suburb of Melbourne, to witness the dusk return of the infamous Fairy Penquin. With a beautiful beach and boardwalk, St. Kilda is a busy weekend destination for locals and visitors.

Hanging Down Under

Kay and I arrive in Melbourne four days before the tour group which will take us through Australia, New Zealand and Fiji over 26 days. It's a great start for us as we try catch as much as we can of Melbourne and surrounding sights. Melbourne reminds Kay of San Francisco and New York, but with more elbow room. I'm just surprised by its great multicultural urban life which incorporates cycling, endless choice of food options, and the friendless of the locals. It's a great city, second largest in Australia, and we loved it. Here's some pictures. Unfortunately, wifi has been slow so not sure I can keep posting.

Caribbean Cruise to Begin 2016

To begin the new year of 2016, Kay and I went on a Caribbean Cruise with her brother and his new wife, which departed out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, an island in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea and a commonwealth of the U.S. since 1952, the year of my birth. I've always heard about the Caribbean, so why not give it a go. Plus, it's a good way to get to know my brother in law's wife. This was our second time on a Celebrity Cruises; this ship being the Summit with 2,448 other passengers and a crew of about 1,000.

Our cruise made six ports of call; Barbados, St. Luca, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas before returning to San Juan, where we stayed an additional night before departing for home. For the most part, Kay and I just wandered the port towns trying to get a sense of the place and local life. Like many areas throughout the world, tourism is the major industry for these islands. San Juan offered a special treat upon our return with a weekend street festival, the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, which packed the streets of old town with colorful crowds and lively activities. Below are a few favorites and the rest of the pictures can be found on Google Photos.