We arrived in Valletta, Malta on July 6 after sailing almost 900 miles from Barcelona, Spain. We plan to stay here in Malta for a month and then onto Sicily. Here are the initial pictures from Malta from the first week.
Sailing from Barcelona to Malta.
I have been scanning lots of negatives (of the several thousands I have) and I ran in to these great images from a family reunion in 1979. If you are not part of the family, these are not interesting but for many off us, that it is great that they have been able to put online.
1979 Van de Ven reunion
Two weeks and three couples sailing around the islands of French Polynesia. Click to view Chartering in Tahiti.
Recently, we sailed on the Oceania Marina for a 33 day trip from Tahiti to New York City. After 4 days in Tahiti, we stopped at Pitcairn Island, 2 days on Easter Island and then we sailed 4 days to Lima, Peru. Along the west coast of South America we stopped at Salaverry (Peru), Manta (Ecuador), transited the Panama Canal, Santo Tomas (Guatemala), Roatan (Honduras), Cozumel (Mexico), Miami, Port Canaveral, Charleston and then arrived in Manhattan early in the morning of May 7th. The ship was comfortable with great food and fantastic crew. Click to view Cruising on Oceania Marina.
A great evening cooking at Enrica’s home in Venice.
The Basilica de la Sagrada Família is a huge Catholic church that started in March 1882 by architect Antoni Gaudí (although he was not the initial architect). It is hoped that the church will be finished by 2026 for the centennial of Gaudí’s death. Despite the interuption of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and money problems from the beginning, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church as a minor basilica (not a cathedral) on November 7, 2010.
Whether you love it or hate it, it is difficult not to have a strong opinion regarding this amazing and unusual church.
Canyamel is a beautiful anchorage on the east side of Mallorca and included one of the best caves I have ever visited!
New tracks from the Spot device are available by clicking under the “Cruising Tracks” at the top.
We spent five full days in Siem Reap, the city closest to the Angkor Wat site. With our friends Shaun and Bryan and a local guide, we spent two full days touring through the tremendous temples around the huge and extremely very hot area. Until 15 years ago, Angkor Wat was a difficult place to get to. When a new airport was opened in 2006, visitors started to flood into Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat site. Despite how crowded it has become, the site is incredible and Siem Reap has become a vibrant town.
Professional photographs taken during the Oyster regatta, October 2-5.
