Helen Henry of Rarotonga
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  • Welcome
  • About Helen
  • Living and Loving
  • Reflections
    • My Travels
    • Independence Celebrations
    • Current Events
    • My Life
  • Albums
  • Family Hotel
  • Family History
    • Family Tree
    • What's in a Name?
  • Contact Helen

                                     LOTUSLAND

30/7/2015

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The lotus flowers, from which the garden takes its name, bloom, in summer   in a swimming pool which was transformed into a stunning showpiece. Wind your way through lush bromeliad and fern gardens, striking cactus and succulent gardens, a serene Japanese garden, the exotic aloe garden and the stunning blue garden.    The garden at Lotusland is home to more than 3,000 plants from all over the world, representing the horticultural passion of one extraordinary woman. Madame Ganna Walska dedicated more than forty years to amassing unique collections and commissioning innovative garden designs.
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                                       SANTA BARBARA

30/7/2015

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A happy day

Founded in 1782, the Santa Barbara Presidio was the last of 4 Spanish military outposts.   Terracotta tiled roofs, white and rust block buildings and lovely archways are features of this lovely neighbourhood.   Old buildings have been restored into boutique shops, art galleries and cafes.    We enjoyed exploring the historic Hispanic areas, wine tasting and art exhibitions.    A day spent sailing on Santa Barbara Bay was exhilarating.    
We renewed our friendship with guests from a previous Paul Gauguin cruise.   Oh dear, our waistlines have certainly expanded with numerous lunches, dinners and wine tasting.   

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Terracotta tiles make a beautiful pathway
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Typical Santa Barbara cacti and palms
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Wonderful root system
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For whom the bell tolls.
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Johno & Mike - a day sailing
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Our Captain and First Mate


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Drinks in the harbour

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Captain Mike for the day
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Brisk winds, but a fabulous day.

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Wine Tasting
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Tranquility in the vineyards

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An extraordinary evening with Jim & Joyce
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Jim & his Sax
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Friendship
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Pam & Mike our wonderful hosts
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The Santa Barbara Club

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Lovely Pam
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"La Casita" - Santa Barbara
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The biggest breakfast ever - IHOP
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                                THE END OF THE ROAD

29/7/2015

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Johno's "Taonga"
Last November the Kingi Family from Rotorua gifted us two beautiful hand carved bone pendants.    Johno's treasure depicts his love of the ocean,  his New Zealand heritage, and gives him protection.   His Taonga kept us safe as we traveled many kilometres throughout Canada, The Maritimes and East Coast of the USA to Boston.

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Farmers Market in Oswego
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Checking out Lock 8 in Oswego
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Calm waters in the marina
Exploring the highways and byways we often stumbled upon most unusual places.  Oswego was a fascinating mixture of maritime and military history.   The Oswego canal provides access for canal barges, schooners and boats of all descriptions to waterways which take them down to Florida.

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We spent a wonderful couple of hours with our special friend, Helen Hare who resides in Oakville, Ontario.

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Absolutely exhausted after a nightmare ride through the Toronto corridor.
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Always another adventure at the end of a road.
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Two thumbs up!! A fantastic road trip, but oh the relief to arrive safely at Toronto Airport

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Our road trip - Toronto to Toronto, driving over 5,000 km. The letters are just for drawing the map. Over the five weeks we stayed at many more places!!!
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                    ADIRONDACK CHAIRS AND MORE

19/7/2015

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Our view: our beach: our chairs!

Chairs of all descriptions are placed in the shade of blossoming trees, at the end of piers, on brilliant green lawns, patios and verandahs.   It is the beginning of summer and everyone is taking advantage of the first sunny days after months of a bitter winter.    I was so impressed with the Adirondack chairs I immediately took ours down to our own little piece of paradise and set them up under the wild hibiscus trees.    The armrests are just the right size for a coffee mug or wine glass, and they are easy to relax in and even I can get out of one.
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Rocking chairs on the Algonquin Hotel verandah.
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Afternoon siesta - Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
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An inviting Fire Pit plus comfy chairs.

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Coffee morning at Bayberry Inn, Newport.
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Al fresco dining at Campobello summer retreat of the Roosevelt family.
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Bar Harbour- our room with a view of pool chairs and even two deck chairs at the water's edge.
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Two is company.
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Waiting for guests.
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Colours of a rainbow.

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Under the Dogwood trees, Cohasset, Boston.
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Sunset over Kennebunkport
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Rocking chairs on a wrap around deck.
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A rustic seat in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
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                     SAULT Ste MARIE, ON LAKE SUPERIOR

14/7/2015

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Who would save who?
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world.       Our wonderful hosts, Johanne and Don Messier-Mann reside in the picturesque town of Sault Ste Marie.   Don serenaded us with fabulous guitar music whilst we enjoyed the cordon-bleu cooking of Johanne.   A lovely warm home, leafy garden and great friends.   Thank you both.
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Don negotiated steep slippery rocks to take photos. We would have needed the life buoy if we had tried.
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AGAWA ROCK PICTOGRAPHS
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A nature lovers delight.
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Pebble beaches - all sizes and colours.
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Batchawana Bay - Lake Superior
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We hiked up and down rocky trails to see the pictographs.
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Johanne is such a fun person. We never stopped laughing.
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Betty Anne and Larry have a lovely home right on the lake. Larry has his very own "Man Cave" complete with fancy cars and wonderful joinery workshop.
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Larry told me I could use his outdoor loo!
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Don and Johanne in their tranquil garden. They are now judges of the city garden competitions as they won so many years in a row.
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From a chance meeting on the Paul Gauguin years ago, we have now cemented a precious friendship.


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Darling Johno loves his ladies.
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                                NIAGARA FALLS

12/7/2015

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A spectacular fireworks display over Niagara Falls
Since 1925, Niagara Falls have been illuminated in the colours of the rainbow.   It is a truly magnificent sight to see immense torrents of water tearing headlong down the towering falls to the boiling water below.    We were overwhelmed by the mighty roar as emerald green, translucent water rushed over the crest, enveloping us in misty spray.   It was just as spectacular during the daylight.

During the summer season Niagara on the Lake is famous for the Shaw Festival.   It is a picturesque town, famous for vineyards, elegant boutiques and top of the range art and fashion houses.  We were intrigued by the beautiful Romance Gallery of renowned Canadian Artist, Trisha Romance.   

We would advise visitors to the Falls to stay at least a couple of nights in Niagara on the Lake. It is only a 60 minute drive along the scenic route through the vineyards and parklands to the Falls.  
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The American Falls
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An amazing evening at Niagara Falls
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The sheer volume of water roaring over the falls was stunning.
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Both the Spirit of the Mist and Red Explorer were packed to the gunwales with soaked, frozen viewers.
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The river gorge
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Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side are absolutely mesmerising!
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On a tight schedule the boats pass at exactly the same place in the gorge.
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My first selfie!
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Twining House - B&B at Niagara on the Lake
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Mussels and a good Merlot
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Horse and carriage rides around the "prettiest town in Ontario", Niagara on the Lake
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Waterfront views across the river to Fort Niagara
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Old English Loyalist cottages
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                                     CAPE COD

8/7/2015

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This sculpture captures the essence of JFK walking barefoot across the windswept dunes and beaches of his beloved Hyannis Port sanctuary.

"Jack and Bobby - Brothers first" was a new exhibition at the JF Kennedy Hyannis Museum .   Together they changed the nation.   From their boyhood summers in Hyannis Port to the glory days of JFK's Presidency, Jack and Bobby were always brothers first.   It was a poignant reminder of the importance of friendship and family unity.
Cape Cod is a wonderful summer playground for the rich and famous, as well as the not so rich.   In the 1930's toward the end of prohibition ten men were arrested in a rum smuggling ring near the coast of Cape Cod. After posting bail they reclaimed the boat and raced out of the harbour.  Twenty Harbour Police and Coast Guard boats kept watch near the tip of Cade Cod.  Eventually the motor boat was spotted and the chase was on.  The boat sped into Provincetown Harbour where it was abandoned and the rum runners fled on foot never to be found.   Twenty BOAT Hand-crafted Cape Cod Rum is now handcrafted in Truro Vineyards, near Wellfleet.   
We stayed at Eagle Wing Motel at Eastham.   It was a central location for exploring charming historic fishing villages and harbours.   We drove to Race Point at the tip of the sand-spit but it was absolutely bleak, and the wind unforgiving.   We returned to Provincetown to warm up in one of the quirky bistros.
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Salt ponds vista from Fort Hill outlook.
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The Kennedy Compound - You cannot see the summer homes from the land.
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JFK spent his boyhood in this wonderful outdoor playground.
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The Atlantic was cold, grey and definitely not inviting
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Highland Lighthouse - a beacon of hope
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Pathways to the sea were dug out from the majestic sand dunes.
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Pilgrims Monument commemorating the Mayflower Pilgrims first landing in Provincetown and the signing of the Mayflower compact.
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Johno is feeling a little warmer as we take a ferry ride at Hyannis Harbour.
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                             NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

7/7/2015

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Newport Harbour - boats of all sizes and descriptions. A sailor's dream.
It was a perfect day when we arrived in Newport, The City by the Sea.  After a bad start at our first choice of B&B we drove into the main township and discovered Bayberry Inn.   It was absolutely superb and Jennifer the hostess was friendly and an amazing cook.    We walked for miles around the seaport to the touristy waterfront bars and cafes, then back to the quieter areas.   During the Gilded Age when the nations elite families began building their 'summer cottages' the city was booming, however, it suffered during the Great Depression in the late 30's.   Today it is a popular sailing and tourist destination.   I would love to return to Newport and explore further.
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The breakfast room.
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We discovered this wonderful B&B - Bayberry Inn. Jennifer was a fabulous hostess.
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The last room in the house - The Honeymoon Suite.
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A three mile hike took us completely around the harbour including Fort Adams.
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The American Beauty Rose was blooming everywhere.
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Relaxing on the verandah with a coffee.
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"THE BREAKERS" Summer Cottage, built by Cornelius Vanderbilt for his extended family. Now part of the Newport Mansions tour it is well worth taking. Wonderful architecture, astonishing furnishings and antique features. Although the chandeliers were electric if there was a power cut, gas lights went on in the chandeliers. Amazing technology for those days.
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                             BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

7/7/2015

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Our first warm day in 6 weeks.

Marblehead predates the Revolutionary War.  We stayed at the Maverick B&B which was filled with memorabilia telling tales of rugged fishermen, intrepid mariners, enterprising merchants, skilled craftsmen, self reliant women and courageous seamen who played a crucial role in America's struggle for independence.   
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We could watch the yachts coming into the harbour from this trendy waterfront cafe. More food and wine!
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Marblehead Harbour, 17 miles north of Boston, is renowned as the yachting capital of America and birthplace of the American Navy.

We drove through the leafy streets of Salem to catch a ferry into Boston.    The 90 minute ride was uneventful but foggy.   We took the On and Off Trolley tour of the city, then sailed back to Marblehead.   Bypassing the city of Boston, we drove through the three mile tunnel known as "The Big Dig" then via the smaller town of Quincy to Cohasset to stay with friends Mary Jo and Rob.  It is no wonder they love the parks, nature walks, rocky river inlets and deep blue ocean of Scituate and Hull.  Thank you for your generous hospitality.
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Appetisers on the deck at Jakes Lobster House, Hull.
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Hingham Lobster Pound
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Mary Jo and Rob introduce us to lobster rolls. Yummy!

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A much loved summer garden in Cohasset.
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A fabulous summer home in Cohasset.
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Waiting for summer.

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Our lovely 'home away from home' surrounded by white dogwoods, silver spruce and maple trees.
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                            KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE

7/7/2015

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Amazing mansions line the coastal roads on Kennenbunk Beach
From Bar Harbor we took a leisurely drive via Rockport and followed the coastal roads to Kennebunkport.
Unfortunately we arrived a day late to celebrate the 90th birthday celebrations of Barbara Bush.   Shops were filled with signs and placards wishing her a happy birthday.   The family were in residence at their Kennenbunkport compound, which we could view easily from the road.
The East Coast is a fascinating mix of rocky headlands, landscapes of wild blueberry barrens which stretch for miles and glimpses of mansions set in a wonderland of gardens and lush hedges.
We loved our stay at "The Beach House" a lovingly restored country inn which was built in 1891.   Afternoon tea was served at 3.00pm and sherry at 6.00pm.   The country American antiques, classic Victorian wrought iron beds was a perfect setting.
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Copper wind sculptures
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The Beach House features a wrap around porch where we watched a spectacular sunrise over the Atlantic ocean.
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Always a set of at least two Adirondack deck chairs welcoming guests.
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Recalling a bygone era, many of these mansions were built at the turn of the century.
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Newer homes built of shingles, reflect the character of this beautiful part of Maine.
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A slight drizzle was falling over the river, but it certainly did not dampen our enjoyment of this lovely vista.
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Sunset from Stripers Waterside Restaurant, Kennebunkport
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    Helen says.....

    I am addicted to travelling - my bags are always packed!

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