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Travel Tips: don’t forget the packing list!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

As spontaneous as travel can be, it’s a lot easier to be spontaneous when you’ve done the proper planning. Once I’ve selected a destination, I usually have three stages of preparation. The first stage is booking flights and other long-haul travel. I did that several months ago for this trip, and you can read about it here.

Skiing the Matterhorn is pretty special! Zermatt, Switzerland (see also photo at top!)

The second stage is planning accommodation. It’s hard to do this too early. Rates generally don’t fall as the dates approach (and hopefully my own plans don’t change) but, just in case, I try to book only fully refundable accommodation. This takes some work. Sometimes the same hotel has very different rates (and availability) depending on whether you book directly, go through the local tourist office, or use booking sites like booking.com or hotels.com. Of course, booking early makes even more sense if you *must* stay in a particular place…as is usually the case on a skiing trip.

Madonna di Campiglio, Italy

The third stage, and the focus of this post, is my customized packing list. This is very important. And believe it or not, I take my packing list with me. It came in very handy on my 2014 trip to Champagne where some of my luggage was lost by the airline. It was very easy to prepare an itemized list of what was lost, since I already had it in my pocket!

Sestriere, Italy

I have separate packing lists for ski trips and non-skiing trips. My ski list has been evolving since the 1990s, as I figured out what worked and what didn’t. I keep each list and dig it out the next year as a starting point for the new list. A reliable list is essential because taking excess stuff is both expensive (through baggage fees) and exhausting (because you have to carry it everywhere). I generally bring my ski boots to Europe: it avoids dodgy/ill-fitting rental equipment, blisters, and a poor skiing experience. However, they are also bulky. This means I’m already at a packing disadvantage.

Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

When I’m making my list for a particular trip, I need to know two things: (1) what activities am I doing each day, and (2) will I have access to laundry? With that information, I can ensure that I will (1) have the right clothes for each day, and (2) run out of wearable clothes on the last day of the trip. OK, maybe one extra pair of socks and underwear, but that’s it. If I’m in a country with stores, I can always buy more clothes in an emergency.

Zurs, Austria

Outer layers (pants, sweaters) must be worn multiple times…if not, I can’t justify bringing them. Distinctive colours? No…if I need colour, I have blue jeans. Otherwise, I mostly stick to greys and blacks because they don’t clash with anything and it’s hard to damage them if I’m doing laundry. Also – they are less susceptible to stains. And I don’t take any expensive clothes – it’s not worth the risk of loss or damage.

Skiers on the Forcella Staunies piste, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

I must also know the electrical system of the place I’m visiting. The U.K. and Europe have different voltages than Canada…and from each other! But on top of that, Switzerland often has a extra prong that can thwart generic European adaptors. I have quite a collection of adaptors in my travel closet.

Scuol, Switzerland

The packing list ensures that I don’t forget anything if I run out of time before departure. I put even the most mundane things on the list (passports, the shoes I’ll wear when I leave) because you just never know if you will get distracted at the wrong time.

Between Champery, Switzerland, and Avoriaz, France

And I don’t leave the packing list itself to the last minute. I try to make it about two weeks before I leave. I’ll be thinking clearly, because I won’t be stressed out yet by all the other things I need to do. A well-written list means that packing itself can be done in less than an hour on the day before I leave.

Bracing myself against the fierce winds at the top of the Oukaimeden ski resort in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains

Today’s photos are just random ski photos from places I *won’t* be skiing at this year!

Posts from Base Camp

Travel Flashback – Wales 2005 (Part 2)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Caernarfon was an excellent base for the second part of our Welsh adventure. After our scenic rail trip to Blaeunau Ffestiniog, we went on a very different rail excursion…to the top of Mount Snowdon!

All aboard! This is the train that takes you up to the top of Mount Snowdon.

Mount Snowdon (Welsh name: Yr Wyddfa) is the highest point in the British Isles…outside of the Scottish Highlands, that is. At 1085 metres above sea level, it isn’t astonishingly high, but it is does offer a unique mountain experience with great views of Wales.

The summit of Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)

As you might expect, it can get rather crowded at the very top. Everybody wants to go to the summit, which also looks like it has been artificially enhanced by a few metres! But it is still worth braving the crowds (and swarming midges) to gaze out over Snowdonia National Park.

View from the summit of Mount Snowdon

If we had more time on a future visit, I think we would try to ascend Mount Snowdon ourselves. It can be climbed in 4-7 hours, according to online sources. But that wasn’t in the cards on this trip. We had a very ambitious itinerary, including trips to Llandudno and Conwy.

At the bridge leading to Conwy Castle

Conwy is a regional centre on the north shore of Wales. It is probably best known for its famous castle, which was built between 1283 and 1287 as part of Edward I’s conquest of Wales. While it is definitely a ruined castle, it remains a very imposing structure. As you can see from the pictures, we spent a few fun hours climbing in and around the ruins.

A tour group passes through Conwy Castle

In keeping with the breakneck pace of many of our earlier trips, Conwy Castle wasn’t our only destination in Conwy. We spent some time on the waterfront, and also escaped the heat by visiting Aberconwy House.

Chilling out on the top of Conwy Castle

Unlike Conwy Castle, which is very exposed to the elements, Aberconwy House is entirely indoors (and would even be habitable). It is a restored merchant’s house from the early 15th century that now functions as a museum. Throughout the various rooms, you can get an idea of what it was like to live in a relatively prosperous home from that area. It’s quite close to the castle and it is very easy to combine the two sites on a day trip.

Going back through these old Welsh photographs has been very interesting. As I didn’t have a digital camera at the time, I never knew if my photographs would turn out. (And many didn’t – you can see some disasters in this recent collection of bad photos.) Sadly, my pictures of Aberconwy House and the appealing coastal resort town of Llandudno just don’t pass muster. Their absence from this blog is a reflection of my photographic limitations in 2005, rather than a comment on the appeal of those sites.

Coming up soon: my long-awaited Swiss ski trip!

Posts from Base Camp

Travel Flashback – Wales 2005 (Part 1)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’ve already written about my 2005 trip to Liverpool, England. But that was only a very small part of our summer trip. The next two posts are about the rest of our trip, which focused on Wales.

The waterfront in Aberystwyth, Wales. We stayed in one of these buildings (and climbed the hill behind).

From Liverpool, we travelled by train all the way to the Welsh coastal resort town of Aberystwyth (see also the photo at the very top of this post). It felt somewhat frozen in time: kind of what we imagined a British seaside resort might have felt like a few decades before. We stayed in a B&B located right on the waterfront.

We ventured out of Aberystwyth into this small community

Aberystwyth itself has been somewhat anglicized, as it is a destination for both English tourists and English students (Aberystwyth University). However, you don’t have to go far out of town to find areas that are almost entirely Welsh-speaking.

Like many British seaside resorts, Aberystwyth has a pier with various amusements and rather unhealthy food. We didn’t partake in any of the attractions here, but we knew we’d get another chance soon! And we did climb a nearby hill for a great view of the entire town. Alas, the high winds and rain made my photographs less than brilliant.

The very cosy downtown of Caernarfon , Wales

From Aberyswyth, we took a bus to our next destination: the bustling town of Caernarfon. We were living on the edge a bit more then, and didn’t worry about booking any accommodation in advance. In this case, the gamble paid off: a newly reopened B&B had space and was offering reduced rates because it was so new. It was great! Not only did it look regal from the outside, the interior was just as impressive. It’s always nice to feel like you’re getting a good deal.

Our B&B in Caernarfon, Wales

Caernarfon has a very high proportion of Welsh speakers. Locals use it to communicate between themselves, even though almost everyone speaks English as well. Caernarfon sees a lot of tourists too, particularly as it is home to the massive Caernarfon Castle. The current castle dates back to the 13th century and we spent an enjoyable morning exploring it.

Inside Caernarfon Castle (Caernarfon, Wales)

We stayed in Caernarfon for several days and made it a base for our exploration of northwest Wales. One of our trips was on a picturesque narrow-gauge railroad from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog (long after our visit, the line was extended from Porthmadog to Caernarfon).

Tanybwlch Station, halfway between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog. The train stopped here so that a train going in the opposite direction could pass.

Blaenau Ffestiniog used to be a bustling slate mining town. However, with the decline in mining, the town’s population is barely one-third of what it used to be. As slate has been used extensively, the town is very grey (especially after the vibrant colours of Aberystwyth and Caernarfon). It also rains a lot! While tourism is emerging as a replacement for slate mining, the transition was far from complete in 2005. The vibe near the train station was a little rough and, as a result, we didn’t stay for long. I’m sure this has changed in the intervening two decades. It appears that Blaenau Ffestiniog is now becoming a centre for mountain biking and other adventure sports.

View of Blaenau Ffestiniog from the railway station.

Our Welsh adventures are far from over. Stay tuned for more, including our journey to the very highest point in Wales (and England, for that matter)!

Posts from Base Camp

My Beatles Journey

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

This year has been special for Beatles fans. More than 50 years after they broke up, a new Beatles song called “Now and Then” appeared last month. Featuring all four members, it was an unexpected but fitting conclusion to the recording career of this unparalleled band. It was also accompanied by an evocative video that tugged at the heartstrings one last time.

“Mendips” – John Lennon’s childhood home in Liverpool

My Beatles journey began in high school, when I discovered my sister’s old Beatles albums. That was 40 years ago, but I’ve remained a fan ever since. And while my collection has expanded to include everything from Antonio Carlos Jobim to Bajofondo Tango Club, the enduring influence of the Beatles is abundantly clear in other favourites such as Crowded House and Jellyfish.

3 Savile Row – former headquarters of the Beatles’ business empire

When I look back, I see that a significant amount of my travel has been Beatles-related. The most obvious trip, of course, was a 2005 trip to Liverpool. While there, we visited the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. But we also visited their early 1960s haunts such as the famous Cavern Club and The Grapes pub. We even stayed at the Adelphi Hotel – the top hotel in town in the 1960s, and the very definition of “faded grandeur” by the time we stayed there. You can read more about this trip in this post from 2015.

Abbey Road Studios, St. John’s Wood, London

Just as memorable was my November 2014 trip to London, England. I attended several great musical events while in London, but I also took an extended tour of Beatles sights. In addition to the Apple headquarters on Savile Row, I saw the Abbey Road Studios where almost all of those great songs were recorded. I even crossed Abbey Road, as you can see at the very top of this post. But I also saw several other places that were less obvious parts of the Beatles story. You can read more about that day in this December 2014 post. 

Street entrance to the Cavern Club in Liverpool

London and Liverpool – those aren’t surprising Beatles destinations. But there’s more. On a trip to New York City, we stopped by the “Strawberry Fields” portion of Central Park and the adjacent “Dakota Building” where John Lennon spent the last years of his life. And, like I have on many of my travels, I also found a very rare Beatles-related record as a souvenir. On this occasion, it was a very elaborately packaged Paul McCartney solo vinyl single from a shop in Greenwich Village.

The Weeklings, with string and horn sections, live at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre.

On a completely separate trip, I found myself at Monmouth University in the state of New Jersey…for a Beatles symposium! My friend (and fellow Beatles fan) Anthony heard about an academic conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1968 “The Beatles” album (a.k.a “The White Album”). Well, why not? You can read about that conference in this post from November 2018. Pictured above is a concert we saw at the conference…The Weeklings were brilliant, and played most of The White Album live!

Paul McCartney live in Halifax, Nova Scotia (July 2009)

We’ve seen Ringo Starr in concert a couple of times: once at Casino Rama (north of Toronto), and another time (just last year) right here in Kingston. And while I saw Paul McCartney in Toronto when I lived there in the early 1990s, we also saw him many years later in…Halifax, Nova Scotia! We were visiting friends in Halifax but managed to include Paul’s concert as well. You can read about the 2009 concert in this post from 2015.

Poster for an upcoming Beatles cover band concert (Budapest, Hungary – June 24, 1991)

Beatles connections seem to pop up in the most unexpected locations. Who would have thought that Paul McCartney had a connection to Verona, Italy? Or that we would cross paths with a Beatles event in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec? How about a Beatles tribute in Budapest, Hungary? Or a Beatles link to a rockabilly concert in the Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto?

The Straight Eights live at Castro’s Lounge (Toronto, Ontario)

Unexpected links are a great part of travel. And while this post features previously published photos, I’ve just unexpectedly discovered some “new” photos from prior travels. I’ll be sharing some of those in my next post…coming soon!

Posts from Base Camp

Finally! An overseas trip!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

My last overseas trip seems like it was ages ago. In reality, it was less than four years ago (March 2020) that I went skiing in Les Diablerets, Switzerland, and Morzine, France. But so much has happened since then.

The fearsome Swiss Wall, on the Switzerland/France border in the massive Portes du Soleil ski region (March 2020).

A global pandemic would be the most obvious intervening factor. But there have also been changes in travel philosophies and a personal reconfiguring of priorities. I did manage to ski in Banff in 2022, but otherwise I haven’t been on the slopes. And other than a brief trip into northern New York, I haven’t been outside of Canada since March 2020 either.

Me and my friend, the skiing “Milka chocolate” cow – near Les Gets, France (March 2020)

This has been quite a change for me. I used to ski in Europe every winter and spend every other summer vacation in Europe too. And of course there was my travel sabbatical in 2014, which prompted the creation of this blog. That year, I tackled my travel bucket list and went to Europe no less than six times.

Our ski group passing through the rocks at Pomedes (Cortina d’Ampezzo – March 2014)

So when I made the decision to ski in Europe this winter, I had to ask myself a lot of questions. Which country (or countries) should I visit? Do I try to go somewhere new? Do I return to some old haunts? Am I travelling on a budget? Will I do anything besides skiing?

Skiing by torch light down to Grindelwald (March 13, 2000)

It didn’t take long for me to realize that much has changed since early 2020. Most notably: the dramatic price increases for flights and hotels. It dawned on me that I probably wouldn’t be resuming annual ski trips to Europe. And my choice of destination was likely going to be influenced by where airfares and accommodation prices were most competitive.

Me skiing on the lower slopes of the legendary Eiger (March 2002)

I made the decision to stick with places that had special meaning for me. And so, when I found a good hotel deal in Wengen, Switzerland, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve skied in Wengen and the linked resort of Grindelwald many times before. Not only is the skiing excellent, but I think the surrounding scenery might be the very best in any ski area anywhere. If you’ve never seen the Eiger up close (or been skiing on it!)…it is beyond spectacular. And then there’s the Jungfrau, the Schilthorn (known for James Bond and “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”)…

Looking down on Wengen from the cable car – March 2005 (skating rink and curling hall at top left)

All of that is amazing. And then Wengen itself is a car-free village perched on a cliff overlooking the famous Lauterbrunnen valley…reachable only by a special cog-wheel train. For an overall skiing experience, I don’t think it can be beat. Zermatt is bigger, and it has the Matterhorn, but I feel most at home in Wengen.

Stretching above the clouds, high above Wengen and Grindelwald, in March 2005

Trying to book my flights was a very long bout of sticker shock. I had to summon all of my tricks to find a reasonably priced itinerary that also had direct flights from Canada. On a relatively short trip, I couldn’t afford to miss flight connections (or luggage).

Ho-hum, just a midway station on the way up to the Schilthorn…

Finally, after hours and hours of trial and error, I found something that worked at an acceptable price: I would fly outbound from Montreal direct to Lyon, France, and then return home by a direct flight from Zurich to Toronto. Unusual? Yes. But it’s out of necessity: my flight costs are always increased by the need for additional leg room…and the airlines are experts in extracting every conceivable additional charge.

This way to everything! On the France-Switzerland border, March 2020.

I am excited about starting my trip in Lyon. It’s the “second city” of France, and yet people rarely talk about it as a destination. It has a beautiful old town, a reputation for great food, and is less than an hour from the Alps. And I’ve never been there. What a great way to begin!

View from my hotel room in Geneva, Switzerland (March 2020) – I’ll pass through here again this winter after visiting Lyon

I had a few days to allocate between my stays in Lyon and Wengen. In the end, I went with another sentimental choice. The Swiss side of my family is from the Simmental (Simme Valley), so I happily booked a few nights in the town of Zweisimmen (literally, where two branches of the Simme River meet). This also allows me to ski for a couple of days in the Gstaad ski region, where I have been skiing a few times with friends and family.

Skiing above Zweisimmen at Parwengesattel (March 2018)

The skiing around Zweisimmen is not quite as dramatic as Wengen, but the region has the added bonus of being my ancestral home. And you can’t put a price on that. What better way to visit my roots than by doing something I love? And I have to say that skiing is my favourite way of experiencing the mountains…no matter which mountains I’m visiting! That’s why most of this trip will be spent skiing rather than “touristing”.

My grandfather’s chalet (straight ahead) in Weissenbach, Switzerland (August 2006), just a couple of kilometers from Zweisimmen

So, that’s the trip. It has some very meaningful skiing, and also some interesting new destinations before and after the skiing. I’ll keep the last stop a mystery for now. Besides – all my hotel bookings have free cancellations, so I still have time to change my mind!

Posts from the road

National Championships – 2023 Edition

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(Colwood, British Columbia, Canada)

Almost exactly one year ago, I wrote a post about my first appearance at the National Lawn Bowling Championships. I described some of the parallels between travel and lawn bowling, and expressed the hope that I would be able to return to a national championship someday.

Team Ontario enters the Opening Ceremonies

Well, if you’ve been reading this blog, you know that my Fours team qualified for the Nationals this year. This time, however, the event wasn’t being held in Ontario. No, I would have to travel 4500 km in order to play! I decided to arrive early, so that I could practice and also see a bit of Vancouver Island.

The clubhouse at the Juan de Fuca Lawn Bowling Club

The 2023 Nationals were held at the Juan de Fuca Lawn Bowling Club in Colwood, B.C. Colwood is essentially a suburb of Victoria, and it has a vast sports complex with a spectacular collection of facilities. This extended to the lawn bowling club, which had 4 full greens. Even the biggest club in Ontario has only 2 full greens.

The officials (in red) and the participating provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia) at the Opening Ceremonies

I understand that the Juan de Fuca greens were built to accommodate the Commonwealth Games. Whatever the reason, it is a great facility. That is, if you can disregard the sudden blood-curdling screams every few minutes from the neighbouring zipline!

Team Ontario poses together before competition begins

Just like in 2022, there were some ups and downs…especially in the early going. We lost 3 of our first 4 games. The weather started off cool (note how bundled up I am in the photo at the very top of this post), but warmed as the week went along. And as the week progressed, the playing conditions changed too. The greens were markedly less “green” by the end, as you can see in some of the photos here. And as the greens dried out, the speed increased significantly. Fortunately, we were up to the challenge!

Ontario B and Alberta B deep in thought on the final day of round-robin play

By the last round-robin match, we faced a huge range of possible outcomes. We could win the game and still finish completely out of the medals. We could win and make it to the bronze medal match. Or, if things fell into place just right, we could even make it to the gold medal match! We did our part by winning our game. Finally, after an excruciating wait until the other games finished, we learned our fate…we were playing against British Columbia A for bronze!

I’m very focused here, delivering a bowl during the bronze medal match

The bronze medal match was like no other game I’ve ever played. Our rink was so fast, it exceeded the speed of the indoor surface I played on in Vancouver last fall. And it got even faster as the game went on. It took a remarkable amount of concentration and energy to deal with the challenging (and changing) conditions. We fell behind early, but we pulled together as a team to find a winning strategy. And it worked! We eventually prevailed by a score of 18-10, and took home the National bronze medal.

The happy medalists in the Men’s Fours competition: Ontario B, Saskatchewan, and Alberta A

I’m so fortunate to have found a sport that challenges on so many levels but also brings so much enjoyment. And like I said last year – those are exactly the words that I would use to describe the best kind of travel.

The requisite pipes and drums at the Nationals

And speaking of travel – I’ve got some news coming soon! Yes, there is finally a full-fledged international trip on the horizon, and I’ve already bought the plane tickets. Stay tuned for the big reveal!

Posts from the road

Victoria, B.C. – Part 2

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(Victoria, B.C., Canada)

Victoria has a very busy downtown area. In many ways, it reminds me of downtown Kingston: a very large legislative building overlooking the harbour, and a relatively “British” feel to city. However, there are some key differences.

Victoria’s harbour, with the provincial legislature building in the background

Kingston does not have a huge and venerable hotel in its downtown core. While there are some smaller old hotels with a great deal of character, there is nothing as imposing as the Empress Hotel in downtown Victoria. The Empress is another one of the grand old railway hotels that were built across Canada over a century ago…and still retains its ancient traditions such as afternoon high tea.

Victoria’s Empress Hotel

Kingston also doesn’t have a distinct “Chinatown” district like Victoria does. Nor does it have a street as narrow as Fan Tan Alley, which is just 3 feet across at its narrowest.

Fan Tan Alley, from the north end

Fan Tan Alley used to be somewhat rougher than it is now. The opium and gambling (“Fan-Tan” is a Chinese gambling game) of the past has been replaced by very tourist-friendly businesses.

Fan Tan Alley, from the south end

We also spent some time visiting a friend in one of Victoria’s elegant neighbourhoods. And what made the biggest impression on us was something you don’t typically associate with a provincial capital city: deer.

The deer are everywhere. They have become part of the urban environment. There are signs warning motorists of the large animals in their midst. And there are even local tensions about the best way to deal with the increasing number of deer.

The deer pictures here were all taken in our friend’s backyard. As you can see, the deer is quite young. There are many more like this one, everywhere you go. And they are particularly fond of the fig trees that are scattered throughout the neighbourhood.

We have about 200 pictures of this deer. I might use some more of them in a future post, if I don’t have any other photos to accompany the text. But I think you get the idea: Victoria = deer.

Stay tuned for a post about the real reason I was in Victoria!

Posts from the road

Victoria, B.C. – Part 1

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(Victoria, B.C., Canada)

During our visit to Victoria, we stayed in the suburban community of Langford. While parts of it had a few too many chain businesses and big box stores for my liking, there were still some interesting pockets. There’s no question that it is a very prosperous community, and some of the “corporate creep” was redeemed by having a solid Thai restaurant.

Yes, this is indeed “Cashew Chicken” at Sabhai Thai Restaurant in Langford, B.C.

I can’t help thinking that Sabhai Thai is not the first tenant in this building. The decor seemed more “Steakhouse” than “Southeast Asian”. But we enjoyed our meals and would have returned for a second time if the need arose.

Sabhai Thai Restaurant

The next day saw us journey into Victoria itself. Because of our distance from downtown, we had a rental car for the period before my competition began. Downtown parking was potentially an expensive proposition. But some timely research revealed that the city’s parking garages were free on Sundays. We took advantage of that and enjoyed a leisurely ramble through downtown.

The Provincial Legislature Building in Victoria, B.C.

Our first stop was the Provincial Legislature in the heart of Victoria’s downtown. The (free) tour of this impressive building was brief but easily booked at the last minute (even on a summer weekend) just outside the building itself.

Looking straight up at the Provincial Legislature building

While obviously not identical to the various other provincial legislatures, the home of the B.C. government certainly shared a lot of “traditional” characteristics with those other buildings. But it was also very different from the much newer territorial legislative buildings in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

One of the opulent spaces we saw on our tour.

There are countless places to eat in the touristy downtown core. However, rather than visit one of those places for lunch, we walked south from the Provincial Legislature building to a community called James Bay. Despite being only a couple of minutes by foot, the vibe here was quite different.

This is where the business of governing actually takes place

In short, James Bay seemed to be a real neighbourhood. Many of the shops were clearly oriented towards serving the local residents. We opted for a quirky restaurant called The Bent Mast, where we enjoyed an al fresco lunch in the shade.

My lunch at the Bent Mast in the James Bay neighbourhood

Given the previous evening’s Thai meal, it really wasn’t necessary to have a Thai-inspired lunch plate the next day. But I really like the freshness, colour, and diverse flavours of Thai cuisine, and it just felt like the right thing to do on this pleasant day in Victoria. And like many other independent restaurants we’ve enjoyed on this trip, they had a lot of unique local beverages that you probably aren’t able to enjoy outside of B.C.

The Bent Mast restaurant in Victoria, B.C.

Stay tuned for more on downtown Victoria!

Posts from the road

Vancouver Island’s South Coast

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(Langford, B.C., Canada)

We’re having a splendid time exploring our home for the next ten days. Today, we focused more on the natural side of things by taking a road trip along the southern coast of Vancouver Island.

The Sooke Tourist Office (and the Sooke Region Museum) – Sooke, B.C.

We started off our day at the Tourist Office in Sooke, about 45 minutes west of Victoria on the Juan de Fuca Strait. This is always a good idea, especially to get up-to-date maps and to ensure our carefully researched plans actually make sense in reality. The advice was superb, and so was the attached museum and shop (with very reasonable prices). And the Spirit Bear out front was great too.

Entrance to the Whiffin Spit – Sooke, B.C.

To prepare ourselves for the big walk that would come later, we started by hiking the “Whiffen Spit” on the Sooke waterfront. This is a very narrow finger of land that extends quite some distance into the bay. And, as we’ve noticed at every outdoor site we visited today, you have to be mindful of the bears!

The Shirley Delicious restaurant in Shirley, B.C.

For lunch, we drove west to the “community” of Shirley. Their renowned restaurant is called simply “Shirley Delicious”, and it is hard to imagine how the food could be any fresher. The paninis are justly famous. They also have a lot of vegan offerings.

The Sheringham Point Lighthouse – Shirley, B.C.

From Shirley Delicious, a short drive downhill takes you to the Sheringham Point Lighthouse trail. The lighthouse is no longer in service, but it is now being maintained as a National Heritage Site. As you can see from the photos, it has a splendid location overlooking the Strait. But our most vivid memory of the day is what happened offshore…

Approach to Sheringham Point Lighthouse (Shirley, B.C.) – home of a major wildlife sighting!

From the lighthouse, we were treated to a spectacular display of…whales! We believe we saw humpback whales as well as killer whales (orcas). I have seen some whales in Newfoundland before, but never this close and this impressive. They were HUGE! We lost track of how many we saw, but agreed that the emergence of a whale’s entire tail was probably the most stunning. Seeing these incredible creatures also makes you feel very…small.

Start of the Juan de Fuca Trail (Jordan River, BC) – and our hike to Mystic Beach

But we weren’t done yet. We drove even further west, just past the community of Jordan River, to the trailhead of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. Our goal: the alluringly-named Mystic Beach, with its own waterfall!

Typical terrain on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail

While only about 2km away, the hike to the beach is not easy. The trail is a minefield of stones, exposed roots, steep drops, and slippery surfaces. The only factor in our favour was that the very dry summer has eliminated the muddy parts. There was even a suspension bridge, which swings somewhat alarmingly when you start walking on it. Especially with the rainforest environment, this really reminded me of Costa Rica.

Mystic Beach! (Waterfall just out of sight)

Finally, we heard the roar of the ocean. And then our final descent found us right in the middle of a beautiful rocky beach (with a sandy portion just to the east). It was quite the payoff after a difficult trek. It was also cool to see the waterfall cascading into the ocean, although at this time of year there wasn’t much more than a trickle.

Looking in the other direction at Mystic Beach

Even more than at Sooke or Shirley, the roar of the waves was much louder than we expected. While we didn’t see whales here, the choppy waves would have made them difficult to see in any event. But we weren’t disappointed…we had already had a pretty special whale experience already!

We had to cross this suspension bridge on the way to/from Mystic Beach. It moved a *lot* when you walked on it. The photo doesn’t capture how high above the ground it really was.

After chilling under a shady tree for a while, we headed back up the same trail. Interestingly, even though the return trip was much more uphill than downhill, we completed the return portion faster than the initial descent. I think this was because there were a lot of dodgy downhill parts on the way down, and it is much easier to fall when going down a trail like that.

Looking up, near the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail trailhead

The last photo valiantly tries to convey how impressive the trail surroundings were. We tended to focus on our footing, but every once in a while we’d stop and look up at the ridiculously tall trees (including Douglas firs) that completely surrounded us.

Despite the busy day of hikes, I managed to get some lawn bowling practice in too. That’s why I’m here, after all! Stay tuned for some more pre-competition sights!

Posts from the road

Various Ontario Adventures

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(Various Ontario Locations)

As with last summer, my summer travel (so far) has been following the competitive lawn bowling circuit in Ontario. This blog post brings things up to date, in advance of a bigger adventure later this month!

My dinner special at Baan Thai in Nepean
My dinner special at Baan Thai in Nepean, Ontario

My early season focus was on the Ottawa suburb of Nepean. Nepean’s lawn bowling club has an artificial surface, which means that it is in playing condition much earlier than clubs with a natural grass surface. We took the opportunity to revisit an old favourite: the Baan Thai restaurant. We first ate here about 10 years ago when we saw Johnny Clegg in concert at the nearby Centrepointe Theatre.

Delivering the jack at the Provincial Men’s Fours championship in Windsor, Ontario

Distances in Ontario are vast. From Ottawa, my next major destination was Windsor…750 km to the southwest. I was playing in the Provincial Men’s Fours playdowns there, and I posted about Windsor’s special Ukrainian restaurant (and an Ethiopian restaurant too) in my previous blog entry.

Delivering a bowl in the rain at the Provincial Men’s Fours championship in Windsor, Ontario

As my team managed to claim the silver medal in rainy Windsor, we will be attending the National championships later this month…in Victoria, British Columbia! There’s more to come in this blog on that prestigious event.

My delicious platter (foreground) at Lalibela Restaurant in East York, Ontario

I spent a couple of weekends in Kitchener too, but unfortunately I don’t have any photographs to share from those adventures. But I also played at a few tournaments in East York, at the Cosburn Park club. And one of the great things about this club is its proximity to “the Danforth”.

Another view of our food at Lalibela Restaurant – love the plates!

The Danforth, or more recently “the Danny”, is a portion of Danforth Avenue historically associated with Toronto’s large Greek community. Part of it is still known as Greektown, and Greek restaurants abound. However, much of more recent immigration to this part of Toronto has been from Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. In fact, a portion of it is now known as “Little Ethiopia”. There are about a dozen Ethiopian restaurants within walking distance of each other. So, of course, I had to try one…

Lalibela Restaurant on Danforth Avenue in East York, Ontario

We ended up at a restaurant called Lalibela, and I was very happy with my platter. The spicy chicken and the salad (or rather the salad dressing) were particular highlights. I don’t know why, but eating Ethiopian style just feels so right after a long day of physical activity in the sun.

The beach in downtown Cobourg, Ontario

A little closer to home, I often find myself in the lakeside town of Cobourg. Their lawn bowling club has a great location near the beach, and it is just close enough to Kingston to be feasible for one-day tournaments without a hotel stay. And it also makes a good stopover on the way back from events in Toronto and points west.

A narrow alley leads to the Oasis in Cobourg, Ontario

I’ve been travelling to Cobourg for sports since I was 10 years old. But somehow I had never noticed a place called the Oasis on Cobourg’s main street. You get to it by following an alley (the end of it is shown above) from the street. I was very impressed by the fact that they carry Blanche de Chambly – a very refreshing summer beverage from Quebec.

Another view of Cobourg’s beach

I don’t think I had ever fully appreciated Cobourg’s beach. It is right downtown, and seems to retain a small-Ontario-town feel despite the new development (condos, etc.) just a couple of blocks away. It isn’t as vast as the beach in ‘s-Gravenzande, for example, but there is nothing like it in the other nearby towns.

A more modern development in downtown Cobourg, Ontario

East York isn’t the only part of Toronto that I’ve gotten to know through sports. On a couple of occasions this summer, I’ve been in the suburban neighbourhood of Agincourt (itself part of Scarborough). This area is known for its East Asian restaurants, and we found a very interesting one on our last visit.

Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant – a surprising find in Scarborough, Ontario

I haven’t had dim sum very often, but it is something I am going to try again in the future. It lets you sample many different dishes without committing to a lot of something unfamiliar. And the “Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant” obviously takes the dim sum concept one step beyond: everything is vegetarian or vegan!

Like nowhere else I have eaten!

I don’t know if I would have tried “real” barbecued eel. But I certainly didn’t mind trying the vegetarian version, with the (presumably soy-based) mock eel being very similar in texture to what I think eel would be like. It ended up being my favourite part of the meal.

Stay tuned for my upcoming British Columbia adventure!