Welcome to Mare, New Caledonia! That was the sign that greeted us on Friday, February 12. I had never heard of Mare, and to be honest, really had no idea where New Caledonia was. Captain James Cook discovered these beautiful islands during his second voyage of discovery from 1772-1775. (I doubt he packed as many shoes for three years as I have for 102 days!) If this is a familiar name, Captain Cook seemed to “discover” every island and land mass in this part of the world. He was a very busy guy! He called these islands “New Caledonia” in homage to his home in Scotland, and those history buffs reading this will recall that Caledonia was formerly known as Scotland. New Caledonia is an overseas French territory and are part of the Loyalty Islands. Mare is known for its striking blue-green waters and inviting beaches. There are about 7000 people living here in tribal villages, mostly Melanesian descent. The other huge draw is the gigantic coral reef, about 1000 miles long. This reef is home to a veritable panoply of sea life! Having beached out enough, we took the tender over to Mare and had one of the most charming experiences of our cruise so far. We met a group of delightful children swimming and jumping into a natural pool. They were very friendly, and in a combination of English and French, we were able to spend a fun half hour getting to know them. If you can see the photos in the montage above, you can see why we were charmed.

A short trip overnight to the largest island in New Caledonia brought us to Noumea. This is a place to return! It offers the beauty and relaxation of a South Pacific island coupled with the sophistication of France! The economy is driven by the nickle mines, and the executives lead a very comfortable life in new high rise condominiums. There are still vestiges of colonial homes if you look closely. The city is devoted to recreation on land, sea and in the air. We took an independent shore excursion on the “Tchou Tchou Train,” (half the cost of an identical tour offered by Crystal and much less crowded.) The “train” (actually a tractor pulling small, open train cars) took us all over Noumea, for 2 hours. This is how we can attest to the enjoyment of physical recreation. We passed a park, at least a mile long, with out door fitness equipment strategically placed. They were very popular. People were kite surfing and swimming in the lagoon and para and kite sailing up in the air. At the end of the tour, we went into a local supermarket, something we enjoy doing in foreign ports. The supermarket, interestingly named “Casino” was a big surprise! It was huge! Unsurprisingly, it was expensive! Locally grown pineapples were the equivalent of $9.00 US. Bananas were $2.50 a pound. However, the selection of pates, cheese and baguettes were wonderful—just the same as we have seen in France! We walked back to the ship and were drenched due to the temperature and humidity. After a shower, we headed for a delicious late lunch in Tastes. Our choice: Asian chicken salad and pot stickers! The entertainment that evening was intimate and endearing. The entertainment staff put together an abbreviated version of “South Pacific.” I love the score and the talented singers did a fantastic job. The highlight was the appearance of Rick Spath, the Cruise Director, in a grass skirt, wig and coconut bra!

Two days at sea followed our South Seas sojourn, and they were welcome. These are the last consecutive sea days on the World Cruise until after Tokyo. As you know by now, I LOVE sea days! There are so many activities and lectures to choose from, that sometimes my interests overlap and I have to miss one of my choices. On Valentine's Day, I had a hair appointment at 9:45—I hate to disappoint my fans out there who think I am a natural blond! It finished just in time to go to a Valentine's Day mixer in the Cove. Crystal knows how to through a party! The entertainment staff outdid themselves and Stacey, the World Cruise Hostess was dressed as Cupid. The Cove was decorated with red, white and pink balloons and almost everyone hit the dance floor! Trivia followed at 12:05 and afterwards we had lunch in Tastes with Kerry and Terry. Terry, who works for a Japanese firm, has been so helpful in aiding our plans for a trip to Kyoto. He is very familiar with Japan, atravels there several times a year. With Terry's guidance, we will leave the ship in Shimizu, Japan early in the morning and take the bullet train or shinkensen 1 ½ hours to Kyoto. We'll be able to enjoy the beauty of Kyoto's temples, shrines and geishas, shop a little and stay the night in a traditional ryokan. The next morning, we will take the train to Tokyo and rejoin the ship. Without Terry's guidance, we would not have thought to do this.

February 15^th found us rocking and rolling across the sea on the way to Sydney. Captain Vorland was attempting to avoid an intersection with Typhoon Tatiana. He had safely guided us out of Fiji and we missed Cyclone Winston with its 60 foot seas. We had our second Silk Road dinner in three days. The first was with Terry and Kerry where we laughed and ate and laughed and ate. I'm sure the staff had to go fishing to replenish the fish for the next night!

This morning we awoke to a sparkling sunny day in Sydney Harbor! Serenity is docked opposite the historic bridge and close to the iconic Sydney Opera House. We met Terry and Kerry at 9:30 am and took the ferry (these were used instead of tenders) to Dawes Point. We walked from there to the Circular Quay where we caught another ferry for the hour long trip to Manley Beach. We enjoyed the views and walked around there, and then caught a ferry back to the Circular Quay. We walked back to Dawes Point and, after a short wait, we caught the ferry back to the ship just in time for a Trident lunch.

Tomorrow, sadly, Kerry and Terry disembark. We have had such a good time with them and will miss them very much! But we still have one more day with them this trip. We will join them when they disembark and go to their home. From there, they will give us a guided driving tour of the Sydney suburbs and the Blue Mountains. Lucky us for finding such wonderful new friends!