Memorial for Virginia (Sue) Yee

Virginia Yee and Charles Buntjer's World Travels

How We Met at the Central YMCA Senior Center

I joined the Central YMCA and didn't think I would be going to the senior center at the Y when I was around 60. Around 2005 when I turned 65 I found out they had free luncheons, celebrated birthdays, took seniors on walking tours around the City and also did senior exercise classes plus much more.

I joined and someone told me there was a person who also liked to travel, maybe I would be interested in meeting her. They said Virginia is a Chinese Princess and I said so what, I am a German Prince! Virginia got mad when they had a party for my birthday. She said she was sure I was older than she was. I laughed, I am a year younger and never let her forget it.

We took our first trip in 2014 to Ireland and little did we know we would be traveling all over the world. In 2024 we took our last trip together on a cruise to Australia for my 84th birthday. Virginia was in her wheelchair and it became too difficult for us to travel together as she needed a caregiver to lift her out of the wheelchair and so on.

But we had a wonderful run, in 11 years I think we went to over 30 different places! Read on to see when and where we traveled. We are so lucky.

2024 - Sydney - Constellation Edge

We landed in Sydney after a 15 hour flight. But we managed to check out the area around the hotel and found a roof top cocktail lounge opening at noon. We were there at 11:55 a.m. and the first customer!

Roof top cocktails in Sydney

Constellation Edge

Opera House & Sydney

Welcoming Cocktails

2024 - Cairns - Constellation Edge

A tropical town with its edge on the Coral Sea, Cairns is the jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef. The most popular excursions include snorkeling, fishing, rafting, canoeing, horseback riding or taking a train ride through the rain forest at Kuranda. For remarkable views of Trinity Bay, walk along the Esplanade or explore the Heritage Walk for some intriguing historical insights.

We took a bus tour up the mountain to a village featuring the local inhabinates. We were surprised, the only locals were two men doing maintenance.

2024 - Port Douglas - Constellation Edge

Port Douglas is situated along Australia's North Queensland coast on the path of the Cook Highway. The town you see today has developed over the last 10 years into a resort. Some of the original colonial buildings remain, though most visitors come here to explore the outer reef, with its large masses of coral and hundreds of species of fish.

Asking for a hand out!

Kangerous

2024 - Brisbane - Constellation Edge

Located almost halfway between the Gold and Sunshine coast regions, Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and Australia's third-largest city. Visitors can stroll through bamboo groves at an urban botanic garden, gorge on local delicacies amid live music at Eat Street Northshore, learn about the country's military history at the Anzac Square War Memorial and enjoy a cruise down the Brisbane River. Wildlife lovers should make time to get to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where you can not only cuddle one of the 130 koalas, but hand-feed kangaroos and observe a pair of platypuses. There's no shortage of scenic vantage points in this port, whether it's the observation deck on Mount Coot-tha, an enclosed capsule on the Wheel of Brisbane or along the stairs that lead you up the famous Story Bridge. If you're feeling adventurous, take in the panoramas from atop Kangaroo Point, then rappel down the side of its cliffs.

Asking for a hand out!

Kangerous

2023 - Dominican Republic - Celebrity Constellation

Our last stop was at the Dominican Republic on this cruise.

Volcano off Shore

Island Houses

Chuck and a local Cocktail!

Virginia and a local Cocktail!

2023 - Virginia's Birthday

October 22, 2023 - A special party for Virginia.

2023 - US Virgin Islands - Celebrity Constellation

We landed at the Virgin Islands and it is small and not much to do except eat and shop!

2023 - St Kitts - Celebrity Constellation

We landed at St Kitts and took a tour around the Island for the day.

Cocktails and a Huge Flamingo!

Winding Roads

Every Where - Clothes - Who buys them?

2023 - Sint Maarten - Celebrity Constellation

We landed at Sint Maarten and just walked around.

City by the Dock

More Cocktails!

2023 - Tampa - Florida

We flew into Tampa and then did a day tour around the city.

2023 - Monterey - California

We Went to Monterey to celebrate Chuck's 83rd birthday at the famous Monterey Aquarium. Also famous for the Jellyfish collection.

Monterery Bay Aquarium

Jelly Fish Galore!

2022 - Azore Islands - Queen Mary 2

We took the Queen Mary 2 from Southampton on a TransAtlantic cruise to New York City. We stopped at the Azore Islands that were volcanic in nature.

The Foursome - Left: Virginia - La Verne - Jean - and Chuck in the middle!

Lots of Rain and Foliage

Center of the Volcano

2022 - Cadiz Malaga - Spain

We visited Cadiz after Barcelona. The Phoenicians originally founded a commercial center here in early 7C BC, which they named Malaca. The name is most probably derived from the word Malac - to salt. The Greeks and Carthaginians were briefly present and further established Malaca as a trading post. In 3C BC the Romans conquered the city and a created a colony that was federated to Rome until AD 81, whereupon it attained the status of a Roman municipality. The city was renamed Flavia Malacita and quickly grew in importance, with the port used to export oil, raisins, wine and salted fish and meat. Malaga's port and the Roman amphitheatre were constructed during this time.

2022 - Barcelona - Spain

We toured Barcelona to especially see the house and cathedral created by Guadi! The first human settlements in Barcelona date back to Neolithic times. The city itself was founded by the Romans who set up a colony called Barcino at the end of the 1st century BC. The colony had some thousand inhabitants and was bounded by a defensive wall, the remains of which can still be seen in the old town. For over 200 years, Barcelona was under Muslim rule, and, following the Christian reconquest, it became a county of the Carolingian Empire and one of the main residences of the court of the Crown of Aragon. The fruitful medieval period established Barcelona's position as the economic and political centre of the Western Mediterranean. The city's Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendour enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

What Designs

Coffee at the Guadi House!

2021 - Crete - Viking Sea

Our next stop was at the Island of Crete and the Palace of Minos at Knossos

2021 - Rhodes - Viking Sea

Our next stop was at Rhodes. We took a tour for an overview of the Old Town of Rhodes, Europe's largest active medieval town.

The Palace of the Grand Masters.

Coffee and rolls.

2021 - Santorini - Viking Sea

Our next stop was at the huge volcanic island of Santorini. Santorini is one of the top destinations in Greece and is located in the southern Aegean Sea. It belongs to Cyclades, the most well-known Greek group of islands with the characteristic whitewashed villages near the blue sea.

The town clinging on the Cliffs.

Cocktails on the Ship as we sailed away.

2021 - Athens - Greece

We stopped off for a day in Athens and the National Archaeological Museum. Athens is one of the oldest named cities in the world, having been continuously inhabited for perhaps 5,000 years. Situated in southern Europe, Athens became the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC, and its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of Western civilization.

2021 - Kalamata - Greece

Our next stop was at Kalamata and the famous canal cutting across southern Greece. The Palace of Nestor (Katharevousa) was an important centre in Mycenaean times, and described in Homer's Odyssey and Iliad as Nestor's kingdom of "sandy Pylos". The site is the best preserved Mycenaean Greek palace discovered.

Kalamata

More Cocktails!

2021 - Malta - Viking Sea

Our next stop was at Malta, it was ruled by the Order of St. John in 1530 as a vassal state of Sicily!

2020 - Sri Lanka - Colombo - Cellebrity Consellation

We started a tour by riding past the commercial district's Pettah bazaar area, Town Hall, and Vihara Mahdevi Park, formerly British botanical gardens. Pass by Cinnamon Gardens residential district, a former cinnamon plantation, with colonial mansions lining lovely shaded avenues. Visit the National Museum, Galle Face Green, with its joggers and kite flyers, the Colombo Club, and intimate Gangarama Temple.

2020 - Mumbai - India - Cellebrity Consellation

Our first stop was at Mumbai, on the west coast of India. Mumbai has many highlights including its rich museums, ritzy seaside promenade and unique laundry service.

Buildings by the dock.

Famous Laundry!

2020 - Goa - India - Cellebrity Consellation

We took a scenic hour-long journey to strategic forts, tallest-in-Asia lighthouse. The first stop is Fort Aguada and her Portuguese Lighthouse. Built in 1612, and on the beach shoreline of the Mandovi River. Visit Panjim, the Capital of Goa where you will explore the local market with souvenir shops. Then short drive to the Reis Magos Fort and her vantage view of Panjim City. Later visit private villa and enjoy home cooked Goan meal.

Local towns.

Reis Magos Fort

2020 - Kochi (Cochin) - India - Cellebrity Consellation

Our next stop was at Kochi, famous for their classic dances! Kochi (also known as Cochin) is a city in southwest India's coastal Kerala state. It has been a port since 1341, when a flood carved out its harbor and opened it to Arab, Chinese and European merchants. Sites reflecting those influences include Fort Kochi, a settlement with tiled colonial bungalows and diverse houses of worship. Cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, typical of Kochi, have been in use for centuries.

Ship Building.

Hindu Opera

2020 - Oman - Cellebrity Consellation

Our next stop was Oman and the Kings Palace, the largest Mosque in the world and a modern Opera House.

Kings Palace

Local Coffee

2020 - Dubai - United Arab Emerites

Our First stop was at Dubai and the tallest building in the world and the most expensive and tallest hotel in the world!

World's Tallest Building!

Tea at the most expensive hotel in the World!

2019 - Kauai - Hawaii

We had a great trip and even took a helicopter ride over the tall mountains and water falls.

2019 - Montana - Glacier National Park

After visiting Boisie Idaho and the Lee family get together, we drove to Montana.

A Great View

Spring Flowers

2019 - Boisie - Idaho

We visited Virginia's family for their reunion and also toured the city.

We had our own Family Reunion!

Railway Station Museum

2019 - Queen Mary 2 - TransAtlantic Cruise

We sailed from Southampton to New Jersey, rained a lot but too much to do even when we couldn't go out on the deck.

All dressed up!

High Tea my Dear!

2019 - Hadrians Wall - England

We drove to northern England from Glasgow to see Hadrians Wall. Hadrian's Wall (Latin: Vallum Aelium), also called the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or Vallum Hadriani in Latin, was a defensive fortification in the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the emperor Hadrian. It ran from the banks of the River Tyne near the North Sea to the Solway Firth on the Irish Sea, and was the northern limit of the Roman Empire, immediately north of which were the lands of the northern Ancient Britons, including the Picts.

The largest Roman artefact anywhere, it runs a total of 73 miles (117.5 kilometres) in northern England. Regarded as a British cultural icon, Hadrian's Wall is one of Britain's major ancient tourist attractions. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

2019 - Scotland

We took a tour bus all over Scotland and of course, had to have a local drink! Famous for its historic castles, fascinating and often bloody history, breathtaking scenery, lively cities, charming villages, and the legendary Loch Ness monster, Scotland fills visitors with a sense of magic and delight. On this Scotland tour you’ll get an introduction to this enchanting country, starting with a guided tour of a whiskey distillery north of Glasgow and ending in fascinating Edinburgh. In between, you’ll experience some of Scotland’s most scenic areas and fascinating sights.

2019 - Jordan

We Flew to Jordan and took a weeks bus tour to one of the best Roman ruins in the north and of course, Petra in the south, the desert and the Dead Sea.

We hit all the Jordan must-sees: Amman, one of the world's oldest cities; Jerash, an ancient Greco-Roman city; Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World; and the Dead Sea. Activities included sipping tea in a Bedouin tent and a four-wheel drive in the desert of Wadi Rum. Stay in upscale hotels throughout with daily breakfast and dinner.

Tombs of Petra

Coffee after Petra!

2018 - Germany - Viking Longship Alruna

This was a fantastic river cruise. One of the best so far. There has been human settlement on the terraces of the Middle Rhine Valley since the last Ice Age. It came under Roman rule in the 1st century BCE, as a frontier province, and a military road was constructed on the left bank, linking military fortress and camps. The Rhine was also a major shipping route during this period, linking northern Europe with the Alpine massif and the Mediterranean lands, a role that exerted a major influence on the subsequent history of the Middle Rhine Valley.

Beautiful River Villages

Beer Tasting of Course!

2018 - Basil - Switzerland

We flew into Basil for a day tour before boarding the Viking cruise ship. Viking Cruise told us we could spend a few days in Basel after flying from San Francisco, pick up at the airport, drive to the hotel, next day a city tour and then transportation to the ship. Cost is only $500 more and we thought after a long flight it would be nice to relax, have dinner and some wine and have a good night sleep before the city tour and transfer to the ship!

Lots of Beer

Breakfast before the city tour!

2018 - Mendocino - Point Arena - California

We visited Virginia's sister and husband in the north bay!

2018 - Filoli Estates - California

Filoli Estates, 28 miles south of San Francisco, famous for its many acres of flowers and buildings!

2018 - Velencia - Spain - Viking Star

Encounter more than two millennia of history on this tour of Valencia. First founded by the Romans in 138 BC, the city now boasts an impressive collection of historic buildings

2018 - Algeria - Viking Star

Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the west by Morocco, to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory, Mauritania, and Mali, to the southeast by Niger, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea.

Algeria's Port

Chefs Table

2018 - Sardinia

This was a favorite of my many trips. A great town to walk in. All kinds of shops and also ancient buildings, a rich history.

2018 - Sicily

Sicily is Italy's largest island and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It's also a geographical and political region of Italy, famed for its beautiful beaches, cuisine, and fascinating history. We took a bus tour around the island. This moutain is right by Palermo and is about 1,500 feet tall. It has fantastic views and on the top is the building holding the remains of the saint who saved Palermo from the plague, Saint Rosalia!

Saint Rosalia

Chefs Table

2018 - Rome - Italy

We spent a day in Rome and toured the city and the Roman ruins. We took a photo infront of St. Peters but it was closed for a special event. I was inside the cathedral many years ago on another trip.

St. Peters - Vatican

Roman Ruins

2017 - Hearst Castle - San Francisco Pennisula

Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan, between 1919 and 1947, as a residence for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951.

Hearst formally named the estate "La Cuesta Encantada" ("The Enchanted Hill"), but usually called it "the ranch". Hearst Castle and grounds are also sometimes referred to as "San Simeon" without distinguishing between the Hearst property and the adjacent unincorporated area of the same name.

Hearst Castle

Famous swiming pool.

2017 - Singapore

We did a day tour of Singapore after our cruise on the ms Volendam in Indonesia.

Raffles Hotel

Singapore Slings - $23.00

2017 - Indonesia - ms Volendam - Holland American

Indonesia is composed of at least 17,508 islands! Our ship took us to the Capital, Jakarta, and on to other cities on the Island of Indonesia, going to the island of Komodo, land of the dragons and ending up at the island of Bali and one more stop on the island of Indonesia! Then back to Singapore.

Fishermen

Fantastic Dances

2015 - Cosumel - Norwegian Epic

Isla Cozumel, Mexico's largest island is located in the western Caribbean, 12 miles off the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula, about 45 miles south of Cancun.

Archeologists believe that the Maya people first settled Cozumel in the early part of the 1st millennium AD. Across the island today, a scattering of Maya ruins of the Post-Classic period remain.

Pirate Ship

Cocktails

2015 - Grand Gayman - Norwegian Epic

The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory located in the Caribbean that have been under various governments since their discovery by Europeans. Christopher Columbus sighted the Cayman Islands on May 10, 1503 and named them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles seen swimming in the surrounding waters. Columbus had found the two small islands (Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) and it was these two islands that he named "Las Tortugas".

There is a Turtle Farm where they raise turtles to release back into the sea.

Virginia Turtle Farm

Chuck Turtle Farm

2015 - Jamaica - Norwegian Epic

Jamaica, the third largest Caribbean island, was inhabited by Arawak natives when it was first sighted by the second voyage of Christopher Columbus on 5 May 1494.

After the British Crown abolished slavery in 1834, the Jamaicans began working toward independence. As the island still had a strong agricultural economy, planters imported East Asians as indentured labourers for many years. Since independence in 1962, there have been political and economic disturbances, as well as a number of strong political leaders.

Mountain Top View

Chuck's 75th Birthday!

2014 - Ireland

Ireland is situated in the Atlantic Ocean and separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea. Half the size of Arkansas, it occupies the entire island except for the six counties that make up Northern Ireland. Ireland resembles a basin—a central plain rimmed with mountains, except in the Dublin region. The mountains are low, with the highest peak, Carrantuohill in County Kerry, rising to 3,415 ft (1,041 m). The principal river is the Shannon, which begins in the north-central area, flows south and southwest for about 240 mi (386 km), and empties into the Atlantic.

Description of photos

Description of photos

Chuck's View of San Francisco

Back home and my fantastic view of San Francisco from my apartment on the 28th floor of the Fox Plaza Apartments!

Created on 2025.03.15       Updated on 2025.03.18