Walkabout

As you know from previous posts, when Glen attends a conference, I do a walkabout.  Curiosity drives me and who wants to spend the whole day inside when there are new things to experience.  Breakfast was included in the conference fees so Glen and I enjoyed it with a grad student and post-doc from University of British Columbia.  Glen is at the point in his career where he's a magnet for young academics who want to tap his knowledge.  He is always willing to share.

We were to meet for lunch so I organized my Monday walkabout with that in mind.  My plan was to hunt for another letterbox.  It had been planted in the spring but the last few attempts at finding it had failed.  I hoped I'd be luckier.  The box was hidden in the middle of the financial district but first I stopped at a artistic display we had passed on Saturday.  Turns out it was the work of the winners of Design Biennial Boston which recognizes emerging architects and designers.  These were modern art concepts set in a small park for the city to enjoy.

The letterbox was a tribute to George Thorndike Angell who helped found the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and brought about the state's first anti-cruelty legislation.  He was also an advocate for public health and safeguarding food.  The fountain in the memorial plaza was originally designed to provide water for carriage horses.  In 1982, a dry pond created using bronze marked the 125th anniversary of the humane society.  One of Angell's quotes inscribes the base of the pond:  "Our humane societies are now sowing the seed of a harvest which will one of these days protect not only the birds of the air and beasts of the fold but also human beings as well."

I also didn't find the letterbox but did enjoy the park next door in Post Office Square.  It had a wonderful vine-laced pergola which beckoned people from the surrounding office buildings to come and enjoy a moment of peace in their hectic lives.  It was dedicated to Norman B Leventhal, a prominent Boston businessman and philanthropist (died in April 2015) who oversaw the park's creation.  Built on the top of a parking garage, the parking fees pay for the park's upkeep.  Home to 125 species of plants, it's an unique oasis in this concrete jungle.

I happen to love concrete jungles and Boston's financial district is a treat for anyone who enjoys startling architecture (see photo).  There was an exciting mix of old and new with lovely art deco highlighting the steel and glass.  I couldn't linger as I had to return to the Westin where I enjoyed a quick bag lunch with Glen.  Afterwards, I waited while he and his colleagues made their presentation to the committee.  I spent the afternoon knitting while watching the comings and goings of the harbour view from our room's window.

The supper provided by the conference were light canapés which didn't appeal to us so we returned to MJ O'Connor to enjoy fish and chips (Glen) and onion soup and ahi tuna salad (me).  Both were excellent.  It also gave Glen a break from the science and politics of the conference.

My walkabout on Tuesday was to see the working side of the harbour.  Instead of heading into town, I explored the Seaport district.  I also wanted to check out the boat where we'd be having our Harbour Cruise/Dining experience on that evening.  After having fun photographing fishing boats at the Boston Fish Pier (celebrated its 100 anniversary last year), I ended up at Harpoon Brewery (see previous post).  In between, I checked out the World Trade Center Boston and Liberty Wharf.  The latter was the dream of Jimmy Doulos, a young Greek immigrant, who opened Liberty Café in 1924 at the Boston Fish Pier selling seafood to his patrons.  Five years later, he moved to a nearby wharf and built a restaurant that catered to all, even the famous Kennedy family.  Now, it is an upscale dining experience with modern office spaces above the restaurants.  Jimmy was known as the 'Chowder King' and died a wealthy man in 1981.  Not bad for a someone who arrived in Boston with $13 in his pocket and speaking no English.

Glen and I shunned the bus provided and walked down to Commonwealth pier where the newly-renovated Spirit of Boston waited.  The cruiser had two floors of dining and an observation deck.  Since we were early, we got a window seat but because the boat didn't depart until after we had eaten, this made little difference.  We spent most of the cruise on the upper deck enjoying the harbour lights.

Dinner was buffet-style so perhaps it was just as well we didn't eat while underway.  We enjoyed salad and veggies as well as salmon, chicken and boneless ribs all washed down with Samuel Adams Boston Lager.  The cruise did a tour of Boston Inner Harbor and passed many landmarks which we knew from our walks.  When we turned around at Fort Independence, Glen and I watched the airplanes come and go.

Fort Independencce sits on Castle Island, a site that has been a key fortification in protecting the harbour since 1634.  Called Castle William by the British, it was first an earthen, then a timber fort.  They abandoned it, burning it to the ground, when George Washington's army attacked in 1776.  It was quickly rebuilt and named Fort Adams.  In 1797, it became Fort Independence and the present fort was erected in the 1830s.  It was an important military hub during the Civil War and World Wars I and II.  Edgar Allan Poe, who served there, took inspiration from a tale he heard and wrote, The Cask of Amontillado.

Due to a breakdown in communications, we thought the conference ended that evening so had booked to fly out the following morning.  Glen missed several key talks which was a shame.   The flights were good and we arrived on time.  We had supper at a local restaurant, ironically called, Boston Pizza.

Make Way for Ducklings!

When the children were younger, one of their favourite books was Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, published in 1941.  A mother duck takes her brood from the Charles River to the Boston Public Gardens.  Little did we know this book is the official children's book of Massachusetts or that there was a statue of the ducklings in the park.  I loved the duckling's names of Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack.

It was a misty morning on Sunday, a great day for ducks, when we began our walk to Boston Common and the nearby Public Gardens.  Boston Common, created in 1634, is the oldest city park in the United States.  The British camped there before marching to Lexington (see Paul Revere's Ride in the previous post) and until 1830 was often a cow pasture.

We headed north on Summer Street making a detour at the South Station.  This Amtrak depot had an ornate exterior (opened in 1898) which promised an equally antique look inside.  No such luck.  The building suffered several demolitions over the decades as train travel decreased.  It wasn't until the 1970s that it was finally named an historic site.  In 1984 (the year Samuel Adams beer was created--see previous post) renovations began.  It now houses Amtrak, subway, and bus stations.

As we left the station, it began to rain.  We continued on our way, passing along the edge of Chinatown and into an area called Downtown Crossing.  Just before the Common, Summer Street became Winter Street for some unknown reason other than whimsey.  Despite the wet weather, the Common was a popular spot for Bostonians on a Sunday.  We basically cut through the park on the way to the Public Gardens, pausing for a moment at the Central Burying Ground where William Billings is buried.  Billings is considered to be America's first choral composer although he wasn't inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame until 1970.

The Public Gardens, created in 1837, were the first botanical public gardens in the United States.   Once a salt marsh, it now has many stately trees and flower gardens.  And of course, lots of ducks and swans.  The famous Swan Boats (see photo) have been plying the pond since 1877.  Inspired by the opera, Lohengrin by Wagner, they are flat-bottomed boats that appear to be powered by elegant swans.

We'd walked for about an hour in the rain so decided not to linger in the gardens.  We retraced our steps, crossing Tremont Street at Edgar Allan Poe square which was really just an intersection.  Poe, best known for his macabre stories and the poem The Raven, was born in Boston in 1809.

We had spotted a pub on Chauncy Street but as it was only 11:30 on a Sunday, it was closed.  We continued down Summer Street to check out what was available in the train station.  Here, we had our cheapest meal at Tavern in the Square.  We drank pints of Yeungling bee and enjoyed a hearty lunch: a Cuban sandwich (Glen) and Chicken Quesadillas (me).  The restaurant is a local success story that began as an attempt to create a sports bar that appealed to those who wanted a place with good food and friendly staff.  Despite being in the centre of the railway station, we enjoyed a quiet meal where we could watch golf if we wanted.  Twice the manager asked if we were enjoying ourselves.

Back at the hotel, we registered for the meeting and attended the first lecture, an interesting study in how E. coli  O157:H7 was discovered in lettuce in Britain.  Surprising to no one, mostly older women (probably dieting) showed signs of infection.  Afterwards we had a lovely buffet dinner of clams, mussels (from Prince Edward Island), chicken and biscuits, chowder, corn bread, and salads.  To drink was a beer from the local Harpoon Brewery called Octoberfest.  Founded a couple of years after the Samuel Adams brewery opened, three friends wanted to create beer such as they had had in Europe.  It was the beginning of the craft beer trend when they opened their Boston brewery in 1986. I could see the brewery from the window of our hotel room, that's how local it was.

"One if by land, Two if by Sea"

Most Americans reading the above title will know this blog is about Boston.  We visited this city to present a bid for VTEC 2018 at the VTEC 2015 meeting.  I say 'we' because I helped Glen with some ideas he proposed to the international committee.  Unfortunately, we lost the bid to Florence, Italy so enjoying the city helped deal with our disappointment.

Boston was never on my 'bucket list' of must-see places.  I figured it was another large American city with little interest to me except that it was the site of the Boston Marathon.  I was glad to be proven wrong.  In our wanderings, I learned a little history but mostly I soaked in the city's vibes and its friendly people.

Boston is the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a name harkening back to its being a colony of Britain.  Originally called Three Hills, Boston was renamed in 1630 by Puritan settlers after a town in Lincolnshire, England.   Fresh water drew them to the Charles River which runs through the city.  As the town grew, the hills were used to fill in the marshy areas so only their names exist today, like Beacon Hill.  

We arrived on Friday evening after an uneventful flight with a stopover in Toronto.  The Westin Boston Harbourfront was twenty minutes from the airport via a tunnel under the harbour.  There was an Irish pub (Irish immigrated to Boston during the Potato Famine) in the hotel that had good reviews so we tried it.  MJ O'Connors was quiet and the food was excellent.  We enjoyed grilled cod ( 2 inches/ 5cm thick) cooked to perfection and served with potatoes, spinach and lobster.  Glen declared the banana bread pudding 'to die for'.  The local beer was Samuel Adams Brewery, of course, so I indulged in their Brick Red Ale which came in a what I called a 'girlie' glass.  Glen had Smithwicks, his favourite Irish beer (they've been brewing beer since 1710), but switched to Brick Red after tasting mine.  

At one time, Boston was renown for its breweries but gradually they all folded.  The Boston Beer Company, founded in 1828, lasted until 1957.  But, the city saw a revival of craft brews begun in 1984 by Jim Koch who created Samuel Adams Boston Lager.  Harpoon Brewery (I'll write about this later) began a year later and now 72 breweries call Boston home.

Koch is a 6th generation brewer but he came to the business via Harvard University.  His grandfather had to give up their brewery in St. Louis, Missouri during Prohibition but kept the recipes.  Jim's father chose his favourite one for the new brewery.  Koch named the beer after one of America's founding fathers (patriots), Samuel Adams, whose business was making malt for beer (popular belief is he was a brewer, too but this isn't so). 

Saturday morning, we discovered how expensive it is to eat in Boston when we were told the breakfast buffet was $24 (not including tax) each (that's $30 CDN).  We ate at Starbucks which was across the lobby from the buffet and saved ourselves $30.

My plan for Saturday was to walk to Old North Church (see photo) to get two letterboxes hidden nearby.  My maps really didn't give me a good idea of distances so we headed out to explore as far as we could go.  Glen told me with his new orthotics, he could walk for miles which we did.  Boston has many nicknames: "The Cradle of Liberty" (because its role in the American Revolution), "Beantown" (refers to baked beans made with molasses, a favourite when the city traded with the West Indies), and "America's Walking City" (the city is compact).  We discovered that it was a great city for walking.  

The Westin is part of the Boston Convention Centre complex built in the Seaport District of South Boston.  Surrounding it are old warehouses that now house up-scale condos and lofts.  We crossed the Summer Street Bridge over Fort Point Channel and spotted The Boston Tea Party Museum in the middle of Congress Street Bridge.  We walked toward this as I had joked I would sprinkle tea into the harbour when I arrived.   We didn't go in but discovered the Harborwalk there.  Begun in 1984 (must have been an exciting year for Boston), it meanders along the waterfront using piers and access roads as its path, thus avoiding most of the car traffic.

We passed the New England Aquarium and took a detour through Columbus Park (Christopher of 1492 fame) with its Rose Kennedy rose garden.  All the wharfs had names like Rowes, India, Central, Long, Commercial, Lewis, Clark, Sargents, Union, Battery, and Constitution.  Some we explored, some we just looked at.  At Hanover Street, we headed inland to Old North Church passing a monument to Paul Revere.  That's when we realized the significance of the church.  Its steeple was where the lanterns flashed warnings to the patriots.

Built in 1723, Old North Church is still a viable congregation with the official name of Christ Church, an Episcopal (Anglican) denomination.  In 1775, Paul Revere asked the sexton, Robert Newman, and Captain John Pulling to signal, using lanterns, the patriots across the Charles River of the British Army's movements.  "One if by land, Two if by Sea" described the two different routes the enemy would take to move inland.  There were 30 riders who would deliver the message should Paul Revere be captured (he escaped Boston by rowing across the river before doing his famous ride).   His fellow patriot, William Dawes, also rode (via Boston Neck) to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock they were in danger.  The poem, Paul Revere's Ride by Henry W. Longfellow commemorates this event.

A feature of the church that appealed to Glen were the pew boxes, each sporting a brass plate informing us who had owned them.  Apparently each family decorated their own box and the closer to the altar, the wealthier the family.  Glen remarked that his mom would have loved the assigned seating as she didn't like others sitting in 'their' pew.

The letterbox we sought was close to the Copp's Hill Burying Ground.  If you've read my past blogs, you know I have an affinity for graveyards.  So I was thrilled to explore this one before finding the box.  Some of the graves were so eroded, all writing had been washed from their surface.  Founded in 1659, it was the city's second graveyard and is the final resting place of Robert Newman, the sexton.

It was noon (we'd been walking for 2 hours) when we left the church so we headed back to the harbour front where we'd spotted a restaurant we thought we'd enjoy.  We followed part of the Freedom Trail (red brick path in the sidewalk) past Paul Revere's house.  Built in 1680, it's the oldest house in the city of Boston and I almost walked passed it.  I did notice it had a hitching post which I thought unusual but it was only when a tour guide said it was Paul's house, I realized its significance.

By the time we reached Joe's American Bar and Grill, we were hot, hungry, thirsty, and tired of walking.  The wait for their huge patio on the wharf was 15 minutes but they seated us inside right away.  First up was beer, of course.  We ordered two pints of Yeugling Lager.  Established in 1829, it is the oldest, working brewery in America (see my blog entry, Golfing in Florida where I explore the history of this beer.)  Glen enjoyed an ahi tuna burger whereas I had a blackened fish sandwich.  

We returned to the hotel via Congress Street  which lead us through a highway system with no access to our hotel.  Finally, I spotted a bridge that, according to our maps, lead to the convention centre.  It had an interesting statue to Polish Partisans of World War II.  

We took it easy for the rest of the afternoon and walked no further than MJ O'Connor pub for supper.  I had a velvety clam chowder and an appetizer pizza.  Glen had meatloaf with mashed potatoes.  When my pizza came it was the size of a dinner plate--an entrée in Canada.  

Fun with Family

Due to work obligations, we couldn't leave Calgary until the afternoon of July 7th.  We headed to Sicamous, about halfway to Victoria to stay at the Best Western and eat at Joe Schmuck's Roadhouse.  It was 35ºC but their patio was shaded and an artificial breeze generator kept us cool.  Most shunned the heat so we ate alone.  Schmuck's deep fried dill pickles are great and so is their pizza.  Glen also indulged in a sumptuous blueberry cheesecake.

The next day we drove to Tswwasswen to catch the ferry arriving in the condo at supper time.  After unpacking the cooler, we headed to Christie's.  It's a tradition!  We drank Philips Blue Buck, and shared some wings.  I ordered the Gyoza while Glen had fish and chips.  Although an Asian dish, gyoza never comes with chopsticks so I've started carrying disposable chopsticks in my purse.  They came in handy as it seemed weird eating dumplings with a fork.

The next day was a flurry of activity as we prepared the condo for our guests.  Geoff, Melissa, Elijah and Miles were in Seattle and would arrive that evening via the Victoria Clipper.  They had a great time visiting the sites in Seattle but Elijah wasn't well.  It was good they could come to a home rather than another hotel room.  But first we had supper at the Flying Otter.  After a 45 minute wait, we were all very hungry (Elijah napped during this time).  Geoff, Glen, and I had the steak special (with shrimp) which was delicious and Melissa had fries and lettuce wraps.  Miles had a plain cheese pizza off the kid's menu.  Geoff and I drank Okanagan Springs Pale Ale while Glen had Hoyne Pilsner.

The next morning, Glen had to work so the rest of us walked to Gonzales Beach (see photo of Geoff and the boys).  The tide was on its way out leaving behind very smelly seaweed.  Miles called it the Stinky Beach and since its original name was Foul Bay, that seemed appropriate.  We then headed up Foul Bay Road, a street that winds through a wonderful old neighbourhood.

Glen met us in Oak Bay and we drove to the Marina Restaurant for lunch.  We thought we'd eat in the café but it was really just a coffee shop so went upstairs.  Glen said I was becoming his mother in wanting to eat in restaurants with tablecloths.  Not so, but it is a lovely place and the food is wonderful.  We were not the only ones casually dressed and when they pulled out a kid's menu I relaxed.

Elijah was feeling better and even tried the calamari I ordered to share (it's the best).  He had spaghetti while Miles had a burger.  Melissa enjoyed a cocktail called For Your Eyes Only while the rest of us had OK Pale Ale.  Geoff ate mussels, Melissa a burger, Glen enjoyed fishcakes while I had a delicious bento box.  Dessert finished the meal and I even indulged in a pavlova.  Glen's sundae was huge!  While waiting for dessert, Geoff tested the app he's creating.  It tells you the name of the surrounding mountains when you point your phone at them.  We couldn't see Mt Baker but we knew where it was.  Turns out the US Geological Survey database calls it Grant's Peak which is the highest peak of the mountain.  Who knew?

Saturday was fish day.  Geoff loves the Finest at Sea so we had to make a stop there for oysters, mussels and fish.  Due to their lack of seafood, we ended up with 5 dungeness crabs and a $95 salmon fillet.  The kids were playing in the playground with Melissa and Grampy but came with us as we checked out Fisherman's Wharf.  Glen has always wanted the boys to feed the seals so bought a plate of herring and they did just that.  Pretty exciting stuff!  I was happy The Fish Store had oysters so we bought some to round out our feast.

Next, we headed to the Hudson Market.  Housed in the old Hudson's Bay store on Douglas Street, this market is now home local artisans and food producers.  It's interesting as the Hudson's Bay Company promised Victoria a public market in 1860 but that never came to fruition.  Just inside the front doors is a huge Salt Spring Island Cheese boutique with tasting stations for cheese and jams.  We bought our favourite cheeses and ended up with a free jar of jam.  At the butcher, we got Melissa a steak as she doesn't eat fish (she made her famous gratin potatoes for us) then I spoke to a lady at Olive the Senses, an olive oil/balsamic vinegar boutique and learned Croatia doesn't export its olive oils (see Castles and Churches).

The kids are great walkers so we headed down to Bastion Square to see what the vendors there had to offer.  Miles bought a shell necklace with a cat's face hand-painted on it.  By this time, we all wanted lunch so headed back to the condo.

Sunday was a beach day, unfortunately, we awoke to fog.  That didn't matter as the kids just wanted to play in the sand.  So I watched them as Glen, Melissa and Geoff headed down the beach to find my letterbox.  Turns out it was gone.  It was the second one I'd lost that week which was kind of sad.  Melissa caught a jellyfish which was the highlight of our morning.

Monday we headed to Beacon Hill Park so Melissa could find one of my letterboxes.  Turns out it was also gone.  The petting zoo beckoned and we enjoyed seeing all the farm animals although the boys didn't want to pat the goats.  At the top of the hill, Melissa found a letterbox. The clues were horrible so it was good we were there to help.  The boys then enjoyed time at the Beacon Hill playground.

In the afternoon, Melissa and Geoff headed downtown to stay at a boutique hotel (Bedford Regency Hotel) and we had a sleep-over with the boys.  We took them to dine at The White Spot arriving just before the crowds did.  The boys ordered milkshakes which they drank rather quickly which meant when Miles' burger arrived in a pirate ship, he was not hungry.  It also had sauce which his grandparents didn't realize he didn't want.  Elijah had macaroni and cheese and they both had ice cream for dessert.  Glen had a burger (he swears they make the best burgers) and I had teriyaki chicken bowl.  Glen's dessert was a huge chocolate brownie.  The White Spot is a local chain that began 85 years ago when Nat Bailey began selling lunches to Vancouver tourists from his truck.  Granville Island Brewery brews the beer we like, called Nat Bailey Lager.

The next morning we were off to play at Blenkinsop Mini Golf and except for a bunch of camp kids who were out of control, we enjoyed the game.  Elijah told us it wasn't real mini golf as it didn't have a windmill.  What a funny kid!  Melissa and Geoff joined us for lunch. They had enjoyed dinner at the Bard and Banker and took our recommendation of the Shine Café for breakfast.  Geoff declared his to be the best eggs Benedict he'd ever tasted.

Wednesday we all headed to Sooke.  Melissa wanted to kayak and everyone else wanted to have fun on the Whiffen Spit (see Sooke, Puke & Spit).  A horrid cold had me in its grip otherwise I'd have gone off with Melissa.  As it turned out, the wind was up so she would need a guide (he was with another group) and they only rented two-seater kayaks.  Next time!  It was low tide at the Spit so we had a great time exploring all the tidal pools.  There were thousands of baby crabs and sea anemones. Geoff treated us to lunch at the Stickleback Eatery where we sat on their lovely patio.  Elijah and wasps don't see eye-to-eye (no one likes wasps) and so he spent much of lunch trying to avoid them.

The next day, Melissa was up early to go to Bubby Rose's Bakery for their famous cinnamon buns.  They had discovered this place on their last trip and wanted us to enjoy it as well.  What an incredible breakfast!!  We then headed to the harbour and did a brief tour of the BC Legislature grounds before the gang boarded the Clipper to begin their the journey home.  The condo seemed awfully quiet when we got home.  As the washing machine cleaned sheets and towels, I napped hoping I would rid myself of the sniffles.

Weekend in the Rockies

I didn't think I'd post about our weekend in Banff as it was work-related and I'd posted about the mountains before (see Camping, Golfing, and Letterboxing).  However, we did a few things outside our usual 'box' so I felt it was worth a blog.

In the spring, Glen decided to bid on hosting an international conference in 2018 and so contacted the Banff Centre.  Jodi was very helpful in making suggestions and facilitating Glen's requirements.  The Centre proposed we visit the site.  Well, we'd been many times and so didn't need to check out rooms, etc.  However, we were in town the weekend they were hosting a 'get-to-know-us' session so decided to go.

We had a blast.  The people we met who worked at the centre were fantastic and it was so nice to meet Jodi.  Such a sweet girl!  We also met with the folks at Discover Banff Tours and from MountView BBQ.

Glen and I had already brainstormed what we felt would showcase Western Culture to the conference but we had no idea what the Banff Centre could arrange.  Our weekend proved to be enlightening giving us some great ideas (and the people who could implement them).

When we checked into our room, we were given a selfie stick (a telescoping uni-pod used to take selfie phone photos).  Glen thought it was a silly idea but soon became a convert (see photo).  It was a lot of fun to use and broke the ice on many occasions.  It's surprising the number of things a selfie stick can become.

The opening reception was in the Walter Phillips Gallery.  We'd passed the gallery door many times but had never entered.  We enjoyed fantastic hors d'oeuvres and an interesting exhibit called Séance Fiction.  We also met two colleagues of Glen's who had run conferences at the centre before.  After chatting with our hosts, we boarded buses which would take us to the Tunnel Mountain sight of the barbecue.

Two large, yurt-like, 'donut' tents enclose huge fires surrounded by picnic tables.  Food is served buffet style with Alberta beef the featured dish.  Beer is cooled in ice packed in aluminum water troughs.  A duo played old and modern western/bluegrass tunes (they even did a Rolling Stones song) and taught us several line dances.  We enjoyed true Western hospitality!  The venue is run by Brewster Travel -- a company begun by two brothers in 1892 to bring tourists into the the Rocky Mountains.

After breakfast the next day, we learned more about ourselves and the workings of the professional development and leadership program at the Centre.  Normally, I hate introducing myself to a group.  What do I say that will mean anything to anyone?  Banff Centre used photographs to help us say something about ourselves other than our job descriptions.  It was an innovative technique.  We then toured the facilities seeing the meeting rooms as well as the costume room which is normally off limits to the public.  We learned that if you see the opera, Marriage of Figaro anywhere in North America, the costumes were created at the Banff Centre.

We then walked through grounds to the artist colony which is another area the public can't enter.  I had passed its inviting path before so was glad to have my curiosity satisfied.  We saw the 'boat' house where Yann Martel wrote Life of Pi.  Each house in the colony was designed for a specific type of artist so if you are a composer, there is a special place with a piano where you can create your masterpieces.

Lunch was at the top of a triple black diamond ski hill.  Just saying, I'm glad I didn't have to ski down.  We took the chair lift up Mt. Norquay to Cliffhouse Bistro (built in the 1950s).  Glen insisted on using his selfie stick while we rode the lift.  He and I have had some nasty experiences on lifts before.  I've lost skis (he stepped on them as we boarded) and he's lost a ski pole so I figured both his new stick and his phone would soon be gone.  I don't like heights so it was a nervous 10 minute ride.  The views from the top were spectacular!  The lunch was a cheese/meat/cracker/bread platter with a self-serve salad bar.  Bar service was slow but we were a big group.  There are climbing routes starting from the restaurant so if you wish for something more adventuresome, check it out here.

Afternoon activities included horseback riding or visiting the Cave and Basin.  We had seen the cave before and I hadn't been on a horse in 50 years so we opted to go to the stables.  Due to a scheduling mix-up, the folks at Warner Stables told us we'd have to go out as two successive groups and might miss our evening banquet.  About half decided to return to the hotel, Glen included.  My horse was a gelding called Crow, named for a native tribe.  As we walked the trail, I came to think of him as a teenager who tried to get away with anything he could.  I was quite comfortable controlling him so we got along.  The only issue came when the horse in front of us spooked.  He was ridden by an experienced rider and somehow, she controlled him while I easily got Crow back in line.  Not sure how I did that but perhaps the horse-riding gods smiled on me.   We completed the Bow River tour in an hour exploring a part of Banff I'd never seen before.  It was fun!

I got back in time to shower off the horsey smell then it was time to gather for the banquet.  It was in an upper conference room and served a choice of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres.  All delicious.  The room had a camping decor that included a tent and fake campfire (where you could take selfies).  The evening's entertainment was the famous Canadian band, Blue Rodeo who often stop in Banff when they tour.  Formed in 1984, the band has 11 Juno awards and a star in the Canadian Walk of Fame.  Their music is classified as country rock so they appeal to a wide audience.  The conference room balcony overlooked the stage so we had a premier viewing area.  After the show, we gravitated to the MacLab Bistro for drinks.

Breakfast was served in the professional centre lobby and billed as 'to go'.  We ate ours in our room and discovered it could divide easily into breakfast and lunch.  We headed home to get ready for our trip to Victoria.

Slovenja Trip Tidbits

Always when I write my travel blogs there is information that just doesn't fit into the narrative but would be helpful to know.  Here's is a list of bits and pieces that might be helpful should you visit Slovenja.

-- tips are included in the price of a meal, usually between 19 and 22%.  Tipping extra garners much appreciation

-- using a few Slovenian words like welcome (dobrodosil) and thank you (hvala) is always met with a smile.  Hvala sounds like folla with a v after the f (it's weird)

-- 60% of Slovenja is forested and what is logged, is exported to Austria

-- most villages have a linden tree where traditional gatherings solved disputes or made decisions affecting the community.

-- we had a chance to tour the famous Lipica stud farm where they've been breeding Lipizzaners (white horses) since 1580.  Maybe next time...

-- on our trip to the Cave, we saw Lake Cerknica, Slovenia's biggest lake, which only exists in the spring (it was dry when we passed it)

-- the official symbol of Ljubljana is a dragon as seen on the Dragon Bridge, supposedly the dragon was killed by the Greek, Jason, and his Argonauts as they passed through the Ljubljana marshes

-- most visitors to Slovenja are from Europe but it is also a big tourist destination for South Koreans

-- it has more casinos per 1000 people than any other European country (its population is only 2 million)

-- Ask for senior's rate at tourist sites if you are over 60 as it is a significant discount

-- If you have a chip credit card, know your password.  These aren't needed in the United States but everywhere else uses them

-- most hotels offer bed and breakfast.  Glen learned to enjoy a tiny cup of espresso whereas I loved café latté

-- Slovenja is prosperous with clean streets and lush farms.  We only saw one beggar who asked Christian for money--he even spoke English

-- smoking is big in Europe and you just can't avoid it, especially in outdoor venues.  However, you don't see cigarette butts littering the streets

-- you can drink beer for breakfast in the Frankfurt airport and Cuban cigars are cheap at the Duty Free there

Playing Hookey

The next morning, while Glen attended his conference, I relaxed in our room knitting and reading, mostly on our balcony overlooking the lake.  What a wonderful view!

Since the afternoon was devoted to clinical studies of which Glen had little interest, he decided to play hookey.  We wanted to visit Bled Castle since he hadn't done so the last time.  But, how things have changed!  Instead of a dirt path winding its way up the flank of the hill, now a gravelled path with guardrails and benches zigzags up to the castle (it takes 15 minutes at an easy pace).

The castle (see photo) celebrated 1000 years of existence in 2011 and is the oldest castle in Slovenja.  It looms 130 m (426 ft) above the lake, hence in a great strategic position.   The entrance fee is 9 euros (about $12) for adults and that includes a 1.50 euro credit for the castle's restaurant.

The castle's roof was being re-tiled so a huge crane and scaffolding marred its beauty.  I was glad I'd photographed it before (see Stairway to Heaven?).  We found a letterbox just outside the castle which my first outside North America.  ON the castle's ramparts,  I snapped more pictures as Glen soaked in the ambiance.  A server for the restaurant pointed out Tito's summer house then brought us a couple of beers.  What a civilized way to see the castle.  Glen had no interest in viewing the museum and since clouds began to gather, we headed back to town stopping at our favourite, Pub Bled (see photo), just as the rain started.  We weren't the only ones who sought shelter but we were the first ones so we sat in our 'usual' seats which have a great view of the lake.

Back at the hotel, we were asked to fill out a tourist survey.  We ended up having a long chat with the young man.  He felt they could promote their country as a hub for seeing Croatia, Italy, Austria and Hungary since it was cheaper to stay in Slovenja and all these countries were less than an hour's drive away.  We told him he should consider his country a wonderful destination but perhaps it was a secret to be shared with only a few.  Our only complaint was there were only two flights per day between Slovenja and Frankfurt.

After breakfast the next day, I decided to have a look at Tito's summer house.  Tito (born Josip Broz--Tito was an assumed name) was a Croatian but born to a Slovenian mother so the country has a soft spot for him.  He fought in the Austro-Hungarian army in World War I but was captured by the Russians.  Revolting workers freed him and he joined a Bolshevik group where he embraced the idea of communism.  Upon returning to Kingdom of Yugoslavia, he joined the Communist party which was declared illegal in 1921.  He adopted various aliases (Tito) as his group pressured the government for change.  When the Nazi's invaded, the kingdom collapsed and Tito became leader of the Partisans who fought to liberate their people.  He was recognized as leader of the country after the war but his relationship with Stalin became strained.  When he was expelled from the union of socialist states (USSR), Tito turned to the US for support.  He developed a policy of neutrality which made Yugoslavia a friendly nation during the Cold War.  Most viewed him as a benevolent dictator who believed in the unity of Yugoslavia.  He died in 1980 in Ljubljana, Slovenja.

His summer house, now Vila Bled, sits on a hill next to the lake which offers fantastic views of the island church.  If you do the lake walk, you enter the grounds through its old stone walls.  There is a magnificent staircase up to the hotel and although I didn't enter the building, I did wander along the terrace.  The building is little changed from its 1950s luxury and it would be a fascinating place to stay.

I continued my walk meaning to turn back after I'd left the grounds.  Unfortunately, a local artist nabbed me and after telling him I had no money for his paintings, I hurried past him.  I felt uneasy about returning that way so decided to complete the circuit of the lake.  It takes 2 hours so I was ready for my lunch when I reached the Hotel Golf.

One fascinating aspect of Lake Bled is the lane buoys that dot the lake's surface.  The town has had rowing regattas for over 100 years.  Beginning in 1930, it has also hosted national and world championships.  In fact, we just missed the 2015 World Rowing Cup races that happened at the beginning of May.  At the main boathouse, not far from Vila Bled, they honour the Slovenian Olympic rowers who have won gold medals.

That evening, Glen and I walked down the stairs to the Grand Hotel Toplice for the conference banquet.  It began to rain as we enjoyed champagne on the terrace.  We dined on duck and lamb and met some young professors, one from Japan and the other from Australia (born in Africa).  Both spoke rather limited English but the African was the first person I've ever met who 'burst into a smile'.  After supper, we did three dances then left to pack.

We rose at 4 am, took the shuttle to the airport, had a small breakfast there, then flew to Frankfurt where we had a second breakfast.  I enjoyed a smoked salmon wrap but could not eat the arugula salad--too much arugula!  Our flight home was long but uneventful.  We landed at midnight our time so were happy to go to bed after supper and sleep flat.

Castles and Churches

Europe is famous for its castles and cathedrals and those who don't appreciate these structures and their history can find most European tours a drag.  Both Glen and I love history so visiting castles and churches is fun.  You can never have enough pictures of stained-glass windows, right?

Christian had hiked up to Ljubljana Castle the day he arrived and said the views from the top were great but we decided it would be more fun to take the funicular up.  Castle Hill has been settled since 1200 BC and was probably a Roman army stronghold as it has commanding views of the Ljuljanica River valley (see photo below).  First built in the 12th century, the castle has had many renovations over the last 900 years.  Each conquering army has put their stamp on the castle.  First the Bohemians then the Habsburgs ruled the city then in the 18th century, the French occupied the castle.  It was a prison in 1815 then again during World War II after which it fell into disrepair.  The city finally bought the castle in 1905 with the idea of creating a museum.  This never happened so it was used for subsidized housing instead.  A 35 year long renovation began in the 1960s culminating with the funicular which opened in 2006.

Today, the castle does house a museum and a small art gallery.  It has travelling exhibits (we saw one of mediaeval torture) and a restaurant.  The climb to the tower to view the city is worth it.  They have two circular staircases which meant we had no problem descending while a group of school children went up.  The museum tells a very succinct history of Slovenia in multiple languages and all the displays are labelled in Slovenian and English making it great for Glen who loves reading everything.  The torture exhibit was disappointing as we had seen a more extensive exhibit at the Doge's Palace in Venice years ago.  However, the sound effects sent shivers up my spine.

The cost of castle tour included the funicular, museum and special exhibit.  The senior rates begin at age 62 so we saved ourselves 8 euros ($10.00).  If you walk up, you must pay to enter the museum/special exhibits.

By the time we descended the funicular to Krek Square, it was time for lunch.  On our way to the castle, we took the route across Dragon Bridge passing the rear of our hotel.  That's when we noticed it had a terrace restaurant.  So, we returned there for a lovely shrimp salad lunch.  Salads in Slovenja seem to consist mainly of arugula (often referred to as rocket or rucola) and I love it but variety is the spice of life and I began craving other lettuce types.

Jet lag finally caught up with us so we spent the afternoon reading and napping.  We returned to the Zlata Ribica for supper and witnessed a road race up to the castle.  Later, several runners had celebratory drinks at the restaurant's outdoor bar.  Our server was excited when he learned we were Canadian (we've been mistaken for Russians) as Canada had just beat Russia to win the 2015 World Ice Hockey Championship in Prague.  He treated us to a very special Croatian olive oil, Veralda, which we had with their homemade bread.  The oil was light and fruity with a distinct flavour.  Now I'm not an olive oil connoisseur so this is how it's described.  "It's rich and opulent without heaviness, a burst of flavours blending green pepper, green apple, artichoke with a hint of cocoa."

We caught the 10:30 am shuttle to the airport then hopped the 12:30 bus to Bled.  Glen's meeting began at 2:00 pm so while he attended that, I walked along the shore of Lake Bled to the town church.  The Church of St. Martin is a neo-gothic building erected in 1905 on the site of a Gothic, 15th century church.  However, the first chapel on the site is dated to about 1000.  Inside, there are wonderful frescoes painted in the 1930s and lovely stained-glass windows.

I then retraced my steps past our hotel, Hotel Golf, and walked toward the other, more famous church, The Church of Assumption of Virgin Mary or Church of Mary the Queen, depending on the translation (see Weather for Ducks).  This baroque church (built in 1750) replaced a one built there in 1142.  However, it wasn't the first religious building on the island as a temple to the Slavic goddess, Ziva is thought to have stood there.

I didn't go over to the island as I just wanted to photograph it but many pletna boats glided to and from the church.  Their colourful canopies reminded me of the covered wagons of the wild west.

Cave and Castle

As Martin, our Roundabout Travel guide (continues from Meet us in Slovenja) drove us to the caves, he told us much of the history of Slovenja.  Joining us were three young women, one from Latvia who worked in the pharmaceutical industry and two radiologists from Estonia who were training on the MRI machines in a Ljubljana hospital.  With Christian being an engineer and Glen a microbiologist, we were a van full of science types.

Postojna Cave has been a tourist attraction for over 200 years but its caverns have hosted humans for much longer than that.  They have found evidence of prehistoric occupation.  The Pivka River created the cave as it flowed through the limestone that forms the area's landscape (karst topography).  The cave system is the longest in Slovenja with 21 km (13 miles) of passages, galleries, and incredible caverns. You see most of it sitting in a train as it winds its way through the cave.  Lighting enhances the stalactites (formations on the ceiling) and stalagmites (on the floor) created by dissolved limestone drips (flowstone).

The first tourist to visit the cave was the Archduke Ferdinand I in 1819 but many have followed in his footsteps until the first railway was built in 1872.  Two-seater carriages pushed by the cave guides showed the caves lit by torches.  In 1927, the first locomotive was used.  However, the smoke affected the caves so in 1957, the engines became electric.  In 1964, a two track loop was built to handle the crowds and today it runs for 5 km (3 mi) underground.

The Great Mountain is an underground hall where the train stops and lets people explore the caves on foot.  Our special guide, Kevin, told us of the history of the cave and its flowstone creations as he led us through the Spaghetti Hall (aptly named), White Hall of white, sparkling stalactites and the Red Room where iron dyes the flowstone brownish red.   On our way to the Concert Hall, we passed the formation that is the symbol of the caves, a shiny white, 5 m (16 ft) tall stalagmite call the Brilliant (see photo).  At this point, Kevin asked if there were any questions.  There is always one in every crowd and it's usually Glen.  So I wasn't surprised when he asked what happened when the lights go out.  Kevin was not far from a switch so turned the cavern lights off.  It was perfectly black and a little spooky.

Just before we boarded the train, there were aquariums housing a tiny cave dwelling creature called the olm.  Originally, they were thought to be baby dragons but are actually salamanders adapted to the darkness of a cave.  They're blind, lack skin pigmentation, and have external gills (like a mudpuppy).

The entire tour takes 90 minutes and that time flies by, especially if you're like me and take lots of pictures!

Next on the agenda was Prejama Castle.  The tickets purchased at the cave include the castle as it is only 9 km away (a free shuttle runs between the two sites in July and August).  The castle is the largest cave/castle in the world nestled in the middle of a 123 m (400 ft) cliff face with the River Lokva running beneath it.  Of the dozens of castles in Slovenja, only four bear special mention and Prejama is one of these (the others are Bled Castle, Ljubljana Castle and Old Castle in Celje).

First mentioned in 1274, it is most famous for being the seat of the robber baron, Knight Erazem Lueger.  He had a falling out with the Habsburg empire and they lay siege to Prejama Castle.  The inhabitants of the castle bombarded the besiegers with cherries to show that they couldn't be starved out.  Food was brought in via a tunnel and water was collected along grooves in the cave/castle walls.  However, the Habsburgs weren't deterred and bribed a servant to tell them when Lueger used his toilet then destroyed it with the knight inside.

My camera died as we approached the castle (remember all my cave pictures?) so I was forced to use my phone to record our walk through the castle.  It had passed through many hands over the years so most of the artifacts were reproductions but it did give you a sense of how people lived.  The castle was also featured in the 1986 movie, Armour of God, starring Jackie Chan.

Back in Ljubljana, we walked along the river to a restaurant we had seen in the morning to have dinner.  The Zlata Ribica (The Golden Fish) is in one of the older buildings but its tables spill outside into a tiny square and they straddle a cobblestone sidewalk along the river.  We chose to sit next to the river and enjoyed lamb with potatoes (Glen), pork medallions (Christian) and grilled calamari with potatoes and spinach (me).  You don't get many vegetables in Slovenia, except at breakfast, so we also ordered a salad which we shared among the three of us.

We didn't want the day to end so we returned to the hotel for a nightcap before saying goodbye to Christian.  He was leaving early to return to reality in Munich.

Meet us in Slovenja

In 2010, we attended the 3rd International Clostridium difficile conference in Bled, Slovenja (If it's Tuesday, it must be Slovenia).  This year it was the 5th version and we were thrilled to return Slovenja.  The country is beautiful and its people, a delight.  For more information, click here.

Our nephew, Christian, works in Germany so we invited him to join us in Ljubljana as we explored the city.  He'd never visited the country so agreed to meet us at the City Hotel.

There are only two flights/day from Frankfurt on Adria Airlines into Ljubljana airport (we booked via Air Canada and Lufthansa).  One flight leaves at 9:00am, the other at 4:30pm.  We departed Calgary at 3:30pm and landed in Germany at 8:30am so didn't make the first flight.  That meant spending 8 hours in the Frankfurt airport.  We had a second breakfast, lunch, and a nap as well as did lots of reading!

We took a taxi from the airport (it's about a half hour drive) but we learned later there was a shuttle bus to and from the city that is much cheaper (10 euros).  Still, we got to drive in a brand new BMW which was pretty sweet.  As we checked in, Christian arrived from his tour of the city.  We agreed to meet after we'd settled in and have dinner.  I'd seen that there was an English pub near the hotel, however, Christian said he wouldn't eat in a place covered with graffiti.  We agreed.  He'd tasted food at a restaurant on his tour so we made our way there, crossing the Ljubljanica River on the pedestrian Butcher's Bridge.  Originally conceived in the 1930s, it wasn't built until 2010 and has since become a mecca for lovers who clip padlocks to the wire guard rails and toss the key into the river as a declaration of eternal love.

The night was warm so we ate al fresco under the umbrellas of the Sokol Inn which promised us traditional Slovenian food.  Our server brought us menus in English (for Glen and me) and German (Christian).  One bonus of being a tourist in Slovenja (a small country of only 2 million people) is most people with whom you interact, speak English.  Slovenian is not common in Europe and English serves as universal language.  A nearby diner was eating a hearty pork dish which appealed to us so we ordered that.  The delicious pork tenderloin slices were smothered in Pleterje (Slovenia's only monastery) plum brandy and served with cheese rolls (like strudel).  These rolls, made with quark (cheese created from clotted, soured milk--not the neutron thing) spread on a crepe-like dough, were rolled like a pinwheel sandwich and sliced.  Very tasty.  We washed this down with Slovenian beer--there are two kinds, Union and Lasko.  Both are lagers reminiscent of Czech pilsners.  Once they were two different breweries but now are owned by the same company.  Union is found mostly in Ljubljana whereas Lasko is drunk in the rest of the country.

We tumbled into bed after supper and slept 'flat' which was a nice change from the previous night of sleeping sitting up in the airplane.  The next morning, we decided to go to the seaside town of Piran but it being Sunday, no tours were available.  After discussing taking the bus there, we opted to join a tour to some caves and a castle.

That didn't begin until after lunch so we wandered around the city.  There are three major bridges in downtown Ljubljana, other than the Butcher's Bridge.  The Dragon Bridge, Triple Bridge (above photo), and Cobbler's Bridge.  The Triple Bridge is the most famous and appears in all the tourist information.  Of course, I wanted to see the Dragon Bridge because of my love of this creature.  But the guys had to see the sky-bar/restaurant (see photo) so when we reached the Triple Bridge we headed south along the river (The Dragon Bridge lies to the north).  A flea market was doing a booming business and we saw some intriguing artifacts from the 'socialist' period.  We passed the Cobbler's Bridge (named because shoemakers worked on the bridge) and an outdoor photographic art gallery before heading back along Emonska Cesta (street) and Vegova Ulica (street, too) toward Kongresni Square, passing the National Library and the University of Ljubljana.

The sky-bar/restaurant (Dinner in the Sky), promoted by a local winery, Jerjzalem Ormuz, sat 22 people.  Think of a ride at the fair -- this platform with thrill-seekers sitting around its edge is elevated using a huge crane to about 180 feet above ground.  A meal (about $500/person) is served with waiters in special harnesses and diners strapped into their seats.  Christian and I decided we'd rather eat on solid ground as we felt the cable holding the platform didn't look safe.

After seeing the Dragon Bridge and the Central Market, we headed back to the hotel.  Christian treated us to beer and sandwiches for lunch as we waited for our tour guide.

If it's Easter; it must be Aurora

It has become a tradition that Easter finds us in Aurora (see Spring in Aurora).  We love springtime in Colorado and usually Easter falls close to Geoff's birthday so we can celebrate both with one visit.  Miles has asked we come for his birthday next year.  It's in February--brrrr.

Unlike last year when we could spend two weeks visiting, this year Glen had work commitments so our time was shortened to nine days.  The first two were the last of Miles and Elijah's spring break.  Elijah was at camp for gifted kids and studied the human body.  On Good Friday morning we all went to see his presentation where he explained everything and answered questions.  It was impressive.



Seder:

That evening, we attended Geoff and Melissa's church's Seder dinner.  It blended Jewish Passover traditions with Christian ones.  The Messianic Passover Haggadah begins with the woman of the house, Melissa, lighting the candles on our table.  The pastor then blessed the first cup of wine (grape juice).  We had to drink the cup in one gulp so after the first cup, I made sure Glen didn't fill mine too full.  The pastor's daughters then moved among us to wash our hands.  The first food was bitter herbs (parsley represents the freshness of life) dipped in salt water (represents tears).   Pastor Joe then divided up the matzah (unleavened bread) and wrapped one piece in a napkin to be hidden.

Each person then took a piece of matzah and dipped it into horseradish.  It's supposed to bring tears to your eyes so you can remember the bitter life of the Jews in Egypt but those of us who use horseradish a lot didn't find it strong enough to do that.  The next piece of matzah is dipped in Charoseth, a sweet apple sauce-like concoction meant to represent the mortar of the Pharaoh's storehouses.  At this point, children ask questions about the Seder and since Miles and Elijah were the only young ones present, this task fell to them.  They did an excellent job!  Pastor Joe then told the Passover story after which we drank the second cup.  Each man of the house, Geoff in our case, also read a passage of scripture to those gathered.

Dinner was a Mediterranean spread like none I've ever seen.  Roasted lamb was the main meat dish but there were salads, veggies, hummus, and baba ghanoush.  The hit with Geoff and Glen was stuffed zucchini in yoghurt sauce where the zucchini were hollowed out and filled with meat.  Baklava finished the meal but I also enjoyed more Charoseth.

Miles and Elijah then had to find the hidden matzah called Afikomen.  Pastor Joe then told us how the Messiah broke the Afikomen saying it was his body and a reminder of Him.  We then drank the third cup of wine which Jesus said was the new covenant in His blood.  The fourth cup is drunk when the Messiah returns.  Later, Elijah told Pastor Joe that he'd better refrigerate the grape juice since no one knew when Jesus would return.  Practical kid!

Pikes Peak:

We were up early the next day to drive down to Colorado Springs.  The plan was to go up Pikes Peak on the Cog Railway.  I had booked tickets on-line (brilliant idea) so we didn't worry when we arrived at the terminal to find hordes of cars.  Some were filled with hikers which aren't allowed in the railway parking lot.  This made for congestion and confusion.  While waiting for Melissa, Glen and the kids, I lined up to get our tickets.  I could see the train filling fast so was glad I'd booked ahead.  Another positive of this was we had assigned seating.  Melissa decided photographers should have window seats which bugged the boys no end.  Miles pouted most of the way up until Melissa's camera died and he could take her place.

Pikes Peak was named for Zebulon Pike (we share a birthday) who failed to summit the fourteener (elevation of 14,115 feet) when he discovered it in 1806.  He led an expedition to explore the southern part of the Louisiana Territory but wandered too far south and was captured by the Spanish. The mountain's Arapaho name was Heey-otoyoo which means Long Mountain and the Spanish called it El Capitan.  Pike himself called it Highest Peak (how original) and it also held the name of James Peak after the man who first climbed it.  By 1890, though, it had become Pikes Peak (the apostrophe being dropped for some reason).

The mountain is composed of pink granite due to potassium feldspar and we saw many examples of this as we climbed its flanks.  Gold was discovered in the area and 'Pikes Peak or Bust' became the slogan of the miners.  The mountain rises above the plains and is easily spotted when traveling west.  In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates was inspired by the view from the summit and wrote the poem, "America the Beautiful" (there is a plaque dedicated to it at the top).  However, we never made it to the top.

The cog railway was the idea of Zalmon Simmons (of mattress fame) who rode a mule up the mountain to check out the view and also inspect his other invention, the telegraph insulator.  He felt a railway would be a more civilized way to climb the mountain and founded the Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway Company in 1889.  The train stopped at Halfway House Hotel but in 1891, it finally reached the summit.  They charged $5.00 to ride the train which was two days wages for the average working person.  That would be about $160.00 in today's wages so the $37.00 fare didn't seem so dear.

The trains only run on the weekends in the winter and there is a special Santa train at Christmas.  I was told we'd not reach the summit this day as there was too much snow (we'd get a discount on our ticket price).  But, the maintenance guys were out shovelling so the train actually made it to The Saddle (12,500 feet) for the first time since the end of December.  The views were amazing (see my photos here).  A work-train cleared the track up 'Slide's Cut' so it won't be long before the train will reach the summit, less than 2000 feet to go!

On the way down, the train stopped at Four Mile Point where we could get out and stretch our legs.  Our engineer told us that Ponderosa Pine bark smells like butterscotch or vanilla so we had a sniff of a big tree.  Glen couldn't smell anything but then again he can't smell roses.

Manitou Springs is a funky town at the foot of the mountain.  We ate at the Ancient Mariner Tavern when Elijah was little as it was mid-week and the other restaurants were closed.  A few lines of the poem, The Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge are etched in the bar.  However, on a Saturday, the town is bustling so we headed to Colorado Springs for lunch.  Our plan to was eat at Buffalo Wild Wings since we had enjoyed our supper in a similar restaurant in Helena, Montana.  The area with the restaurant is a huge conglomeration of big box stores and eateries.  As we passed HuHot, Geoff thought he saw Melissa (driving behind us) point to it so he wove through several lanes of traffic to turn around.  We arrived okay but Melissa no longer followed us.  We went in and found a quiet table while Geoff gave Melissa directions on how to reach the restaurant.  HuHot is a Mongolian grill-style restaurant where you pile raw food and sauces into a bowl and the chefs cook it on a huge grill in the middle of the dining room.  Our server brought us drinks and took our rice order then we filed up to get our food.  I stuck to seafood, veggies and noodles and Melissa had beef strips.  Unlike Canadian grills, the food is not weighed before cooking.  We asked the server three times for our rice and despite the fact the place was not busy, he kept forgetting.  Finally it arrived after Melissa had finished her beef.  It was the next day when Glen realized this guy had forgotten to give him back his Visa card.  Thank heavens he travels with more than one credit card!

Easter:

The kids waited patiently for Grampy to get up for the Easter egg hunt.  Geoff was already at church rehearsing for Worship.  Not sure how tall the Easter bunny is but suffice to say,  Grampy had to help reach some of the eggs.  The plastic ones contained money but EB also left some chocolate eggs for everyone in the family, including Glen who was seriously worried he'd been forgotten.  We dressed up for church and sat in our 'usual' seats.  Worship was incredible!  We sang Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, a rendition of Amazing Grace as well as some other favourites.  Geoff and his friend, Brady played a great intro to one piece.  Paster Joe is one passionate man when it comes to talking about Easter.  He inspires everyone and his hour long sermon flew by.  What amazed me was not only were the adults mesmerized but so were the children (no Sunday School this day).  Usually there is an Easter egg hunt after church but the woman who organizes it felt it time to let it go.  No one missed it.

After lunch, I made mushroom soup and Melissa made creamed spinach for a potluck supper at their friend's place.  We had dinner with them last year and it was good to get caught up with how the kids were growing.  Anna Marie has a big house for a reason.  She and her hubby are retired so there is usually only the two of them at home but they had 6 grandparents, 10 adults, 2 teens, 6 kids under 10 and a baby (plus two on-the-way) for dinner.  It was a rollicking place!  Cindy, Melissa's friend from California (and also a Nana) organized the easter egg hunt so Miles and Elijah enjoyed their second hunt of the day.

Saddle Rock Golf:

I thought it would be nice to golf at Saddle Rock Golf course where Miles and Elijah took lessons a few years ago.  It would give Melissa a break from us and we could play on holes we often see while driving to Target.  So I packed up our shoes and gloves.  We convinced Geoff to join us so Monday we bought him a glove and some extra balls.  He asked his friend, Mike, an elder with the church and a former, semi-professional golfer (no pressure) to make a foursome.  It was a lovely day on Tuesday with not too many folks golfing.  Glen had a fantastic round while I struggled.  Mike gave Geoff and me pointers but I didn't seem to retain them.  There was some concern we were playing slowly but in the end, we finished the round in the time the starter recommended.  The starter kept stressing that the course was a championship one and I soon learned that even hitting from the ladies' tees play was a challenge.  There are natural areas to cross that even on a good day, I couldn't have managed.  I lost more than a few balls.  I also realized there were no other women playing, probably because of its challenges.

We had just ordered a beer after our round when Geoff realized he had no wallet.  In a panic, he searched both his car and his golf cart.  He then called Melissa to see if he had left it at home.  He hadn't.  Finally, I took a second look as I was sure it couldn't have fallen out on the golf course.  I checked the car then rechecked the golf cart.  I found the black wallet sitting in a dark cubbyhole in the cart.  We all enjoyed our lunch after that.  I had The Fringe salad which was a chicken version of a taco salad while the others had the signature burger.

Tea for Three:

Thursday, Melissa and I headed downtown to her favourite tea house (besides the Brown Palace) called The House of Commons Tearoom.   We were to meet her BFF, JoAnne there.  JoAnne was the one who introduced Melissa to letter boxing so I guess she'd be my letter boxing grandmother.  We met first in REI and Melissa and I fell in love with the yurt they had set up.  It was big enough for a small kitchen, living room and sleeping area.  It even had a sunroof!  We walked to the tea room once JoAnne arrived.  She had been to Tucson recently and regaled us with some pretty funny stories about her letter boxing adventures there.  I told her the tale of Shelob in Victoria.  Tea was wonderful.  I had the house blend while JoAnne had Christmas Spice.  They didn't have Melissa's favourite tea and I can't remember what she ended up drinking.  They each had the Parliament bar which was like a Nanaimo bar but made with peanut butter.  I had a cranberry scone with clotted cream and jam.  The pot of clotted cream was huge and I didn't have to share it!

Meanwhile, Glen and Geoff went off to Boulder so Geoff could tend to his magnet.  They had lunch at our favourite pub, Fate Brewing, eating their favourite sandwich, the Reuben.  We all agreed we wished we could be in two places at the same time.

Chiminea:

Until a couple of years ago, I'd never heard of a chiminea.  Geoff wanted one but it was fall and none were to be found.  I remembered this and wondered if it could be a birthday gift.  Chimineas are usually made of fired clay that harken from Spain.  Primarily used for cooking or heating, they are now used as backyard fireplaces.  Knowing how much Geoff's family enjoys a campfire, the chiminea would serve this purpose at home.  We headed to Lowes to pick one up. We also got some lava rocks to fill the feet and give wood a bed to sit on.  Geoff set it up and after supper, he built a small twig fire.  The idea is to start the fire slowly so the clay doesn't crack.  We huddled under blankets and enjoyed an evening by the fire.  As the clouds parted, Melissa fired up her star gazing app and identified the stars and planets we could see.  It was a great family time!

Birthday:

Our last day in Aurora was Geoff's birthday.  We first went grocery shopping for the ingredients for Melissa's Low Country Boil.  This is a southern dish best served outside but we all agreed the weather was too cool for that.   The recipe varies with each cook but all have the seasoning, Old Bay.  I brought a can home with me as it's a secret recipe.  Other staple ingredients are potatoes, corn on the cob, and shrimp.  Another name is Frogmore Stew (no, there are no frogs in it.  Frogmore was a town in South Carolina that has since disappeared).  The idea is to use a huge pot (or turkey fryer) and boil the ingredients together, starting with the potatoes and ending with the shrimp.  Kielbasa or andouille sausage can be added to give it zip and some boils call for zucchini, crab or fish.  When done, the contents are drained (tricky part) and poured onto the table.  Everyone dives in and eats with their fingers!  Geoff also made sourdough bread using the starter I brought from Calgary and we bought a chocolate cake with buttercream icing from Whole Foods.  Two couples came to dinner, one with a rambunctious three year old who was so very cute.  The boys played well together despite their different ages and the adults enjoyed lively conversation.  The food was fun to eat and made everyone relax.

Home:

We were up at 5:00am to catch our flight home.  Geoff had to be at church by 7:00 so this worked out.  Glen had to be in Calgary on Monday to see his PhD student defend her thesis so I booked the early flight just in case a freak Colorado snow storm delayed us.  When we reached the gate, there was a delay because midwestern storms affected the crew's schedule. We finally got airborne and were over Wyoming when the pilot said Calgary wouldn't authorize them to land.  Since it was a regularly schedule flight, this seemed odd and the pilot admitted it had never happened to him before.  We turned around.  About 15 minutes later, we banked again and were told Calgary would now let us land.  We did so with four other US flights so were happy we could use the Nexus lines at Customs.  Meg and Mike picked us up and we had lunch at Scotsman's Well.  Gotta love their vegetarian quesadillas!

Admin Leave Ending

As I've stated on numerous occasions, this was Glen's admin leave where he could take time to retool his research without the burden of all the meetings that being a chair entails.  I thought it might preview retirement life but I was wrong.  However, we did spend more time in Victoria than in previous years so perhaps that was the best change it created.  In all, we lived for 3 months on the coast.

Our final session began on November 22nd and ended on January 10th.  Seven weeks is a long time and yet, it flew by.  Glen did work -- Skyping with his lab once a week and working on papers and grant reviews.  He also flew to Edmonton to attend a two day meeting.  I concentrated on baking, Christmas cards, knitting a pillow, and finishing up a baby blanket for my niece's new son.  I also edited a children's book I wrote about 20 years ago so I could give it to Elijah for Christmas.  My hopes to spin and weave never materialized but we did get in some golf both at the driving range and at The Ridge.  The rest of the time was spent socializing with family and friends.

The first week, we settled in with me mostly organizing last minute Christmas gifts.  We did walk down to Don Mees for dim sum and popped into MEC so I could buy some waterproof pants for golf (I had not packed mine).  We also hit the Cuban Cigar store on the way home and bought Glen an early Christmas present of his favourite,  Cohibas.  We also hit the driving range and bought the condo a new TV (Xmas gift) that would allow us to watch Netflix--we are addicted to commercial-free TV series (Midsomer Murders, Foyle's War, and Once Upon a Time).

Over the course of the weeks in Victoria, we went to Christies, had several visits from our dishwasher repair man, Arthur, and saw two movies, one being MockingJay, Part 1.  We also visited Finest at Sea for seafood for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and my birthday (lobsters).  We also had two of Glen's watches repaired at Barclay's on Oak Bay, a small jeweller who also specializes in repairing the city's grandfather clocks.

Glen also did several radio interviews on ebola and the flu but it was hockey player, Sidney Crosby's mumps that garnered a TV spot.  He was asked to do the interview at the BC Legislature so that gave us the excuse to explore the grounds of this venerable Victoria icon.  What an amazing building!  You can see my pictures on Diane's Travel Photos.

The rest of our sojourn in Victoria, I'll divide among those with whom we shared our time.

Diane and Tony

We had a great visit with these long-time friends over the course of several lunches.  Our first (end of November) was at The Beagle Pub on Cook St.  Glen and I had their excellent Shepherd's pie.  Unfortunately, it was a very cold day and parking meters didn't work.  Tony got a ticket which put a damper on what had been a great meal.

Diane suggested we go to the University of Victoria's University Club for their Christmas lunch.  She arranged it and all we had to do was show up and enjoy an incredible buffet of seafood, Chinese, and Italian cuisine as well as roast pork and lamb.  Dessert was Christmas pudding which I had with rum sauce, a treat I haven't had since I was small.  Afterwards, we had coffee at D&T's house and saw all the improvements they've made since our last visit.

Between Christmas and New Years, while Meg and Mike visited, we decided to go to Blue's Bayou but it was booked with a function so we ended up at the Flying Otter.  M&M had been there before and highly recommended it.  We drank Hoyne Pilsner, ate crab cakes and Glen had their mushroom pizza while I had the spicy prawn wrap.  Everything was delicious.  The view of the harbour was great and we even saw a float plane land (in the summer it is bustling with plane travel).  Tony proudly showed us his new Blackberry phone, a Christmas present.

Our final luncheon together was at Penny Farthing, a pub we hadn't visited since February (see West Coast Winter Break).  Being a Wednesday with everyone back at school/work, you'd think it would have been empty but no.  Most of Oak Bay's retirees were there.  One group was celebrating a 70th birthday.  I ordered their 2 for 1 fish and chips while Glen had chicken pot pie.  He fancied cauliflower beignets so we all shared these tasty treats.  We were walking so I figured we'd walk off the extra calories of so much fried food.  We drank Driftwood New Growth Pale Ale.

Janny and Robbert 

We began December meeting these golfing friends for lunch at Bill Mattick's Restaurant in the Cordova Bay Golf Clubhouse.  I ordered the California seafood wrap which was huge and Glen enjoyed crab cakes and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.  Hummingbirds darted among the bushes outside the window as we enjoyed catching up with this amazing couple.  Despite having a heart attack and stroke in the spring, Robbert has bounced back to his old self.  They told us all about their trip to see their first great-grandchild in Edmonton.  Two weeks later, after we golfed the Ridge, we bumped into them in the clubhouse and had another chat.

Janet and Iain

We met this couple years ago at an AMSMIC meeting.  Iain has since 'retired' from academic life and they've settled in Victoria.  They arrived after a whirlwind visit with their families scattered across the US and wanted to meet us for lunch.  Knowing Iain's love of oysters, we suggested Pescatores.  We had a great time and the oysters were fantastic.  I also enjoyed their mussels and clams in white wine while Glen had fish and chips (I think).  Afterwards we had coffee in their nearby apartment and enjoyed their amazing view.

Iain is a wonderful golfer (he's a Scot after all) and Janet is returning to the game so we planned an outing at the Ridge just before Christmas.  We had a marvellous time then went back to their condo for lunch which Iain had cooked -- a cassoulet (he's become a gourmet cook in retirement).  I provided dessert (my Christmas baking).  On January 8th, we did the same thing except we hosted lunch -- a chicken cacciatore.

Cynthia, Ray, and Carolyn

These are our wonderful floor-neighbours.  Cynthia and Ray pop into the condo and check it out when we're away which gives us peace of mind.  We also love when they drop in for a chat.  It's something of a tradition that if we are in town for Christmas, we join them for drinks before dinner (BYOB).  Usually Glen is barbecuing a goose so he can keep tabs on that while we enjoy their company.  This year, Sue, their daughter from Vancouver and her husband, Tom joined us.  We had lots of fun before Carolyn kicked us out so she could serve up the turkey.  Four days later, Tom had a heart attack and never came out of a coma.  His death was a shock.

Yvon, Murray, and Rebecca

Glen and Murray have been friends for decades but Yvon and I connected only a couple of years ago (Winter Holiday?).  Since they live in Comox, we try to meet them halfway up the island (each driving an hour and a half).  Their favourite place is The Crow and Gate and it's quickly becoming ours, too.  We first stopped outside of Duncan to find a letterbox hidden in the Cowichan Estuary.  It was very foggy and a magical moment happened when an eagle took off close to us then vanished into the mists.  I also saw my first Steller's Jay.  The estuary is formed by the Cowichan and Koksilah Rivers creating a floodplain/marsh area that attracts bird life and was an important food source for First Nations people.  White man changed the place, destroying 50% of the estuary's integrity.  In 1987, the government moved to create an area that would accommodate agricultural, industrial and environmental interests.  We witnessed the deterioration of an old railway and the natural aging of fenceposts so progress is being made.

Our lunch at "The Gate" was delicious.  Glen shared the crab cake pub plate with me then tucked into his favourite steak and kidney pie (with real kidneys).  I had the smoked salmon plate and the potato salad was amazing as was the homemade tartar sauce.  It was good to catch up on Rebecca's news as she is at the University of Alberta studying law.

Monica

One afternoon, we got a call from Monica as she rode the shuttle bus in from the airport.  Could we pick her up at Christie's and take her to her B&B.  Of course, we could.  Turns out because a two hour flight delay, she hadn't had lunch so we stopped at Mocha House, a local coffee shop success story.  Her father was in the hospital across the street very sick with scabies and she was there to help her step-mother cope with scouring their apartment.  We dropped her off at the Oak Bay Guesthouse, a quaint Bed and Breakfast in the heart of Oak Bay.  Originally built in 1912, it's been an inn/b&b since 1922.  It was beautifully decorated for Christmas and exuded warmth and charm (a crackling fire helped).  Monica showed me her well-appointed room and said the breakfasts were substantial.  She also showed us the house where she grew up before we left her at her father's condo.

Meg and Mike

I left the best socializing for last.  Meg and Mike spent 10 days with us and we had a wonderful time enjoying Victoria through their eyes.  Sometimes we were together but often they headed out to do their own thing and we'd learn about it afterwards.

We did go to Salt Spring Island together on a very wet day.  The last time we did this trip with them was in 2008 (before I began writing this blog) so they wanted to see everything.  We got the early ferry and then headed up the island to the sheep farm where we all fell in love with a newborn black lamb.  The sheep had just been fed so they all ignored us.  We bought our usual lamb sausage there but added lamb shanks and blackberry jam to the order.

Next were the goats.  Meg loves Salt Spring Island goat cheese so we headed to the place where it is made.  There we witnessed goats battling over their lunch and Meg learned how one goat can dominate another.  We went nuts inside the shop buying a variety of soft and hard cheese and jars of the jams that complimented them.  Our favourite was Raspberry and Habanero.

We took a new way back to Ganges (much shorter) to the Harbour House hotel for lunch.  It's always quiet there and the food is good.  Meg and Mike treated us and I enjoyed a crab and shrimp salad.  The restaurant serves only organic foods mostly grown on their own farm or from island suppliers.  Meg wanted mussels but they had none (although we could see them growing in the harbour) so she settled for a chowder brimming with seafood.  Afterwards we did a walk around town before heading to the ferry dock where we enjoyed coffee at the Rock Salt Restaurant.

M&M had seen the new Hobbit movie (The Battle of the Five Armies) in Edmonton while visiting his family for Christmas but wanted to see it again.  The theatre offering the best seating/timing was in Langford (west-end Victoria) where Mike often comes to train people for Intact Insurance.  We had a lunch of hot dogs as we watched the film.  It was a good thing to do on a rainy day.

On New Year's Day, M&M treated us to breakfast at one of their favourite local restaurants, The Shine.  They had been several times over the week but this was the first time we enjoyed it (according to Iain and Janet, they serve the best Scottish breakfast outside of Scotland).  They have two locations serving Victorians, the original store on Fort Street (opened in 2004) and a new one downtown.  Famous for their Eggs Benedict, I had to try one but didn't feel like two eggs.  Bonus, they do a one-egg version!  Meg's favourite is the Polish with the eggs sitting on perogies whereas I had the Garden City one which was delicious.  Glen chose a traditional American breakfast--no black pudding for him!  The potato scones are fantastic and we were lucky Mike was willing to share his.

To celebrate my birthday (two days early), we headed out for dinner at the Butchart Gardens, first doing a tour of the Christmas lights (see photo).  Thanks heavens the rain didn't materialize and it wasn't too chilly.  I had a great time taking photos and building an appetite for our wonderful meal.  Over the holiday season, the highlight is The Twelve Days of Christmas lights.  You must wind your way through the gardens to see them all.  We did this ten years ago and it was worth doing again.  The warmth of the restaurant, though, was welcomed.  As we settled into our chairs, Glen spotted an apple dessert he wanted.  Turns out it was made to order so it baked while we ate the rest of our meal. I started with french onion soup, Mike, mushroom bisque, Glen, caesar salad and Meg, scallops.  Glen and I then had chicken thighs with red cabbage and goat cheese while Meg had beef tenderloin and Mike, fish.  We all drank High Trail Honey Ale from the Vancouver Island Brewery.  Meg and Mike then shared a chocolate sampler while Glen and I had the apple tarte tatin with homemade ice cream.  We all waddled back to the car.  If you wish to eat at the restaurant, you must purchase tickets to enter the gardens.  This means a meal there is not cheap.  However, you can use the entry fee toward an annual pass which pays for itself after your next visit.  Hence, locals can enjoy the gardens/restaurant whatever the season.

M&M also ate at some of their own favourite places, including Don Mees, Penny Farthing, Irish Times, and the Tartan Toque.  They walked to Willows Beach as well as all over downtown so the week seemed to fly by.  Unfortunately, due to weather issues in Calgary, they didn't leave the island on time so wiled away three hours in the airport pub, Spinnakers on the Fly.

Perhaps because we didn't want to leave the green that is the island in winter, I didn't check our flight itinerary until our final day.  I was shocked to learn we flew out at 2pm instead of 7pm.  This meant truncating our final activities.  We did get in a round of golf but then I went into panic packing and cleaning mode.  The one downside of holidaying in your own place is that no one else can clean your bedding or leave your rooms tidy.  However, we got it all done by 11am then headed to the airport to have lunch at Spinnakers on the Fly.  The next day we were shovelling snow in Calgary wishing we'd stayed on the island.