My husband received new Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles for Christmas.
The trekking poles made a huge difference when we hiked in the Italian Dolomites this past fall, so we thought it would be good for him to have a pair of his own.
The area has had terrible landslides and the trails were closed in some places. The mountain hike led us through all types of terrain, or as my husband commented “the Dolomites has complex geomorphology” Go figure.
Despite the various aches, pains, and torn up knees, we’ve traveled a lot this year:
In February, we cruised through Asia – visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. We got to ride an elephant and saw temples in Siem Reap, including the Angkor Wat temple complex.
In May, we did a quick trip in the British Isles and France. Highlights of that trip included visiting Eric and Helen at their new home in Ripe, East Sussex. We then took a cruise that included biking on the island of Sark- an island in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France.
We had to rent bikes because, with a population of about 600, Sark is one of the few remaining places in the world where cars are banned from roads and only tractors and horse-drawn vehicles are allowed.
Worth reading is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, about the people of Guernsey [also a Channel Island] during World War II, their taste in books, and the impact the German occupation had on their lives.
Dublin, of course included a trip to the Guinness Storehouse, as well as various pubs along the way.
![2017 Lismore, Ireland [County Waterford]](http://kickboxingdiva.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IMG_0985-e1514086595347.jpg)
It was a treat to see Monet’s Gardens at Giverny, France. Some of his most famous paintings were of his garden in Giverny, with archways of climbing plants entwined around colored shrubs, as well as the water garden, formed by a tributary to the Epte, with the Japanese bridge, the pond with the water lilies, the wisterias and the azaleas.
Taking a break, we made our way to Las Vegas, Nevada in July. We watched the NBA Summer League and had a great time.
September saw us in the Alta Pusteria Valley, in the northern Italian Dolomites. It’s an area renowned for its 3000m jagged peaks of pale, heavily-eroded limestone that shoot up from green pastures and pretty meadows and is recognized by UNESCO as a unique and spectacular mountain environment. We stayed in Dobbiaco, Italy and hiked trails in the area.
Walking sticks were a must as it was unseasonably snowy. The days and the hiking trails became a little unpredictable. We will probably do something similar in the future as we met great people and had a ball.
We took a quick cruise to Mexico in November, stopping at Cozumel and Costa Maya to see the Chacchoben Ruins.
Wrapping up 2017 in Hawaii, healthy and happy. Taking golf lessons at the Mid Pacific Country Club, starting to work out again with my Body Opponent Bag, tennis and enjoying walks in the sunshine.
Mele Kalikimaka everyone!