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Posts from Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Posts from Base Camp

Return to Reality

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Waking up at 4:45 a.m. on Monday, December 1 was a somewhat cruel way to start the last day of my travel year.  It was actually kind of fun, though, to dash through the streets of pre-dawn London to the nearest Piccadilly Line tube station (see photo above – it’s Russell Square).  I had a good reason…I needed to get to Heathrow and fly back home.

Russell Square isn't very busy before 6:00 a.m.
Russell Square isn’t very busy before 6:00 a.m.

I thought I would be rather sad about ending what has been a wonderful year of adventure, especially after ending on such an unexpected high note in London.   While there was certainly a slight sense of sadness, or at least nostalgia, I also found myself craving a return to “regular” life.  I was ready to work.  I looked forward to preparing fresh meals at home rather than eating out every day.  I was excited about my upcoming curling matches and hopeful that my slowly-improving shoulder injury would permit a not-too-distant return to the hockey rink.  Most of all, though, I was looking forward to devoting more time to friends and family.

What some people will do to get a photo of the pedestrian crossing at Abbey Road in London...
What some people will do to get a photo of the pedestrian crossing at Abbey Road in London…

Even so, I couldn’t do everything at once.  There was a lot of “administrative work” that needed to be done in short order.   I had to set up a home office for my new job.  Various appointments had been accumulating.  The car needed a tune-up and the driveway needed a lot of shovelling.   The to-do list was very, very long but I was actually excited about tackling it.

Everybody has a travel threshold.  Some can only last a day or two before returning home.  Some need years on the road to “re-charge”.  After about nine months of roughly half-time travel, I had hit my threshold just as I was returning home from England with no further travel plans.  The timing was perfect.

Rather small building at one of London's famed Inns of Court
Rather small building at one of London’s famed Inns of Court

On a couple of occasions since returning home, I have found myself ready to plan some more travel…only to realize that there is nothing left to plan.  There are currently no “bucket list”  items demanding attention.   My wife and I are planning a quick big city getaway in January, and there is a chance that I will go skiing in early March… but there is really nothing that I need to (or can) act on yet.  All I have to do now is figure out what to do with all of the frequent flier points and Air Miles that I have accumulated!  I can always use them on gift cards if nothing else jumps out at me.

Big buses in Piccadilly Circus, London
Big buses in Piccadilly Circus, London

The next few posts will be retrospective.  I’m going to be looking at what I planned to do this year and what I actually did.  It’s always fun to look at lists so I’ll try to compile some highlights of the year.      I will probably also come up with some advice and guidance for anybody who is planning this sort of thing for themselves.  Maybe I’ll even begin to think about where I might travel in the years to come!

King's College Chapel in Cambridge, England
King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England

If you’re not too interested in revisiting this year, I think you’ll still find something of interest in this blog.  As promised, I will eventually be sharing some photos and stories from pre-2014 trips.  I’ll be liberated from writing in real time and chronological order, so you’ll never know what’s coming next!  Even after all of this time, I still enjoy writing the blog and I hope that enthusiasm continues to show.

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Who is Paul Carrack and what does he have to do with this trip?

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

This post includes some additional pictures from my recent visit to Ottawa.  However, the main purpose of this post is to let you know about what’s happening next.

Later today, I will be leaving on another intercontinental flight.  Here’s a long story about one element of the trip…ending with the theme and location of this exciting journey.

In 2003, I saw Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band perform live at Casino Rama (just outside Orillia, Ontario).  It was the first and only time I had seen the ex-Beatle in concert but he was not the most impressive musician in his band that night.  That honour went to Paul Carrack, an immensely-respected vocalist and musician who has remained relatively unknown because his biggest successes have never been in his own name.

End of the Rideau Canal (closed for the winter) in Ottawa, Ontario
End of the Rideau Canal (closed for the winter) in Ottawa, Ontario

His first big hit was with a band called Ace and a song called “How Long”. The title may not be familiar but the song is immediately recognizable once you hear it.  While it’s by no means my favourite Carrack track, it’s a concert mainstay.   Here’s a 1974 performance of How Long from the legendary Midnight Special television show.

El Tucan restaurant in the Vanier area of Ottawa
El Tucan (a.k.a. “Tukan”) restaurant in the Vanier area of Ottawa

After Ace, Paul Carrack was a member of Roxy Music and then joined the legendary Squeeze as a keyboardist and vocalist.  My favourite song from this era is the classic track “Tempted”.   This clip is from the earliest days of music videos;  the video may not have much flash but I always thought that the composition and performance was ahead of the pack.

Paul Carrack is probably best known as the vocalist for Mike and the Mechanics.  Another mainstay of his live shows, and certainly one of his most emotional lyrics, is “The Living Years”.   There is rarely a dry eye in the house when he performs this live; here is the promotional video for it.

A delicious "pollo en mole" (chicken in a chocolate/chile sauce) at El Tucan in Ottawa
A delicious “pollo en mole” (chicken in a chocolate/chile sauce) at El Tucan in Ottawa

Carrack also writes many songs for other performers.  One of his most-heard compositions (“Love Will Keep Us Alive”) was recorded by The Eagles; here is Carrack’s version.   As for songs released as singles in Paul Carrack’s name, some of you may be familiar with “Don’t Shed a Tear” or “I Need You“.

U.S. President Barack Obama apparently bought some cookies at this Byward Market bakery in 2009. They're still milking it!
U.S. President Barack Obama apparently bought some cookies at this Byward Market bakery in 2009. They’re still milking it!

So what does all this have to do with today’s journey?  Musicians in Ringo’s All-Starr Band are generally restricted to three songs of their own.  As Carrack stole the show with his three well-chosen performances, I have always wanted to see a full-length solo Carrack show.  Alas, since he is most popular in Europe, he rarely tours solo in North America (although he recently completed a tour with Eric Clapton).   In this year of special travels, it only made sense that I try to see Paul Carrack live…and, as a result, one of my activities on this trip is seeing Paul Carrack perform in a small concert hall on the English coast.

Stay tuned for not only the Carrack concert, but some even bigger surprises on my self-guided music tour of Southern England!

Posts from Base Camp

More Fun International Music!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Several months ago, I posted some links to videos for songs that I have encountered while traveling.  This time around, I’m including links to fun songs I first heard in Canada but would likely be categorized as “international music”.

The first clip is from a brilliant, brave and highly respected South African musician named Johnny Clegg.  He formed his first band (“Juluka”) with another musician named Sipho Mchunu and became a thorn in the side of the Apartheid regime.  Juluka was racially integrated at a time when the separation of races was actually legislated in South Africa.  Clegg went on to form the band “Savuka” and also recorded under his own name but he always maintained racially-integrated bands.  He has produced an impressive body of work in both the Zulu and English languages (generally in the same song)…and he also has a Ph.D. in Anthropology!

My wife and I have seen him (and met him!) in concert twice.  Attending a Johnny Clegg concert is like going to the best university seminar ever, as Clegg provides intelligent commentary on his music and his home country.  Although he enjoyed some commercial success in the 1980s (most notably with “Scatterlings of Africa” from the movie “Rain Man”), I think his latest album “Human” is his most diverse and interesting work yet.   Here’s a track from that album called “Asilazi”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpn85PlORt4&spfreload=10

If you lived through the 1980s, you undoubtedly remember a song called “Africa” by Toto.  It was a huge hit although Toto’s connection with Africa remains somewhat unclear.  I recently came across an unusual cover version of “Africa” – it is by a band called Tukuleur that has roots in Senegal.   There are two important twists to the cover version:  the verses are rapped and all of the lyrics are in French.  The lyrics and video (filmed in Senegal) are quite positive; check it out here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Vvx3WdYOo

Senegal has a rich history of music.  Youssou N’Dour was one of the first to be heard in North America but Baaba Maal has also enjoyed some success here.  I was unsure whether a song described as “Senegalese salsa” would work, but it does!  Here’s Baaba Maal’s “African Woman”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV38a-xlB0k

I bought a CD called “Rock Peruano” on my last night in Peru.  I was looking for a compilation of Peruvian rock/pop music and a helpful record store employee in Lima said that this CD would provide a good cross-section of music from the 1990s.  I bought it without listening to a single note.  When I got home, I found the very first track to be the most compelling.  The Spanish lyrics are about Peruvians who have moved to other countries but it is not necessary to understand the lyrics to enjoy the song.  Here is a link to “Cuando Pienses En Volver” by Pedro Suárez Vértiz:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF9h2i3YDvI

It may seem strange to categorize music from Los Angeles as “international music”.  However, the songs of Ozomatli arise from a collision of musical influences from around the world.  Many of Ozomatli’s songs contain both Spanish and English lyrics, while at least one is in Spanglish!  Unfortunately, they don’t necessarily make videos for their strongest songs, so I’ve selected an odd song in Spanish about poultry.  Here’s “La Gallina”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyOs50NE8u4

My last major trip is just over a week away and I’ve decided to include one more clue:  I’m going to a place where the weather is almost guaranteed to be horrendous!  It definitely won’t look like the photo at the top of this blog…which was taken two summers ago on the Baltic Sea near Helsinki, Finland.

Posts from Base Camp

What’s Next?

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

This question could be interpreted two ways:

1. What is my next trip?
2. What am I doing after my year of travel is over?

As a compromise, I’m going to give half-answers to both of these questions.

Butterfly gives me the evil eye in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Butterfly gives me the evil eye in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

I’ve already given the following clues about my next trip: (i) it is not in North America; (ii) it is more of an “experiential” trip; (iii) it is the kind of trip you’d think I would have done already, given my hobbies and interests; and (iv) it is at the end of November.  To that, I can add the following:  (v) the dates chosen were extremely important; (vi) my shoulder injury should be a non-factor; and (vii) other than a quick airport transfer, I have never visited the city which is the main focus of this trip.  Any guesses?

The howler monkey who wouldn't look me in the eye (Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica)
The howler monkey who wouldn’t look me in the eye (Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica)

As for what’s happening after my year of travel is over…well, it is already happening!  I have already started to work on a part-time basis.  I’m keeping the details out of this blog but I will be updating my employment status on LinkedIn shortly…if you’re connected to me there, you will be able to find out soon.   I’m very happy with how it has all worked out.

Drying out wings in the Caño Negro region of Costa Rica
Drying out wings in the Caño Negro region of Costa Rica

Don’t worry – even after my next trip is over, I will have lots of content for this blog.  I plan to use stories and photos from my pre-2014 travels, with a focus on those places that are a little off the beaten path.  I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as the current real-time blog…and of course I hope to do some travelling (and blogging) during vacation breaks as my job permits.

Egret hanging out in the Caño Negro region of Costa Rica
Egret hanging out in the Caño Negro region of Costa Rica

Thanks for following the blog so far…and I hope you’ll  continue to follow it for the foreseeable future!

 

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Food in Costa Rica

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Looking back at my blog posts from Costa Rica, it’s quite apparent that I was fascinated by all of the wildlife that I saw. I hadn’t expected to see so much diversity and to see so much of it in the wild.  While you never hear of anybody going to Costa Rica just for the food, I enjoyed almost all of the food too!  Today’s blog revisits some of the food (and related photos) from my trip.

Except for the fanciest hotel restaurants, dining in Costa Rica was generally informal.  I really appreciated this, as the temperatures were sometimes scalding and anything more than a t-shirt and shorts would have been very uncomfortable for me.

Inside the Restaurante Vara Blanca, somewhere north of San Jose, Costa Rica
Inside the Restaurante Vara Blanca, somewhere north of San Jose, Costa Rica

My first few posts commented on the fact that all Costa Rican meals (even breakfast) appeared to include rice and beans.  For breakfast, they were generally combined and cooked with other vegetables to create gallo pinto.  For other meals, they were usually cooked separately but were still in close proximity on the plate!  The photo at the very top of this post is from my river safari in the Caño Negro region and shows a typical Costa Rican lunch.   In addition to the rice and beans, there was usually meat (chicken, beef or fish), some vegetables and a small salad.

Fajitas in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Fajitas in Monteverde, Costa Rica

As much as I enjoyed rice and beans, I started to get restless and try lunch and dinner dishes that did not feature rice and beans (they were almost unavoidable for breakfast).  Most menus included some “pan-American” cuisine such as fajitas, so I tried that in a couple of places.

Limonada Hierbabuena (Monteverde, Costa Rica)
Limonada Hierbabuena (Monteverde, Costa Rica)

While the water was safe and very good, there were too many interesting beverages to ignore.  Almost every restaurant offered juices, smoothies and milkshakes made from the local fruit.  Pineapples, papayas and passion fruit were especially common, but there were usually about 8 different choices.  I particularly enjoyed the limonada hierbabuena shown above:  it was made with the local lemons (green!) and a variety of herbs (most notably mint).   It was extremely refreshing. I don’t think Costa Rica exports much of its beer but the mild local cerveza Imperial complemented rice and beans quite well.

Very green salad with chicken and Palmitos (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)
Very green salad with chicken and palmitos (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

Later on in the trip, I really began to crave fresh vegetables.  The salad shown above had a very tasty dressing and featured lots of palmitos (hearts of palm).  I still needed dessert afterwards but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

Cheese-stuffed plantains with a honey-caramel sauce (and ice cream)
Cheese-stuffed plantains with a honey-caramel sauce (and ice cream)

And speaking of desserts:  I generally didn’t need any after a meal with rice and beans, but I did try the occasional dessert after a lighter meal.   I started eating the cheese-stuffed plantains (shown above) before remembering to take a picture:  this was definitely the best dessert I had in Costa Rica.  The salty local cheese was a great counterpoint to the other very sweet ingredients.  And who knew that honey and caramel could combine so well?

This almost finishes my Costa Rican reports.  The only confirmed journey on my horizon is a relatively short (but still intercontinental) trip in just under 3 weeks’ time.  I’ll be dropping the usual hints about that trip, as well as providing some more information on the exciting personal news I mentioned in my previous post.  Stay tuned!

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Walking through history on the K&P Trail (and another “Big Reveal”)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

The K&P Trail follows the railbed of the old Kingston & Pembroke Railway.  Informally known as the “Kick & Push” Railway, this rail route from Kingston to Renfrew (it never reached Pembroke) played an important role in opening up the hinterland north of Kingston in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  It then declined until the tracks were removed in the 1980s, with passenger service ending some time before that.

IMG_4627
Part of a bridge (from 1927) on the K&P Trail, just north of Kingston

Extensive local efforts have now resulted in the redevelopment of parts of the railbed for recreational purposes: walking and biking in the warmer months, skiing and snowmobiling in the winter months.  While I never had the chance to ride the actual railway, I have always been interested in this relic from a bygone age.  One reason is that we often rented a cottage on Eagle Lake in the 1970s and the drive to the cottage closely mirrored the K&P route.  However, I’m generally intrigued by small local railways:  I’ve always enjoyed riding the tiny but still-in-service rail line from Spiez to Zweisimmen in the valley of my Swiss ancestors.

View from the K&P Trail
View from the K&P Trail

With the K&P Trail now open for walking from Kingston to just north of Verona, it is possible to get a feel for what riding the actual K&P might have been like.  My wife and I are gradually walking the line:  we have already walked from Kingston to Hartington (and back).  It can get a little warm during the summer months but it’s much more enjoyable now that the weather has cooled off a little bit.  As a bonus, the trail is never very challenging because railway lines were built as level as possible.

A rare lengthy incline on the K&P Trail
A rare lengthy incline on the K&P Trail

For our most recent hike on the K&P Trail, we revisited a (relatively) steeper section just north of the urban portion of Kingston.   All of the photos in today’s post are from the portion just east of the intersection of Bur Brook Road and Cordukes Road.

When we start walking north from Hartington to Verona, we will see the transition from a primarily farming environment to the rocks and lakes of the Canadian Shield.  It must have been extraordinarily difficult to build the railway through the rocky sections using the technology of the 1800s; in fact, many workers died in the process.

View of a nearby farm from the K&P Trail
View of a nearby farm from the K&P Trail

Once we’ve finished the K&P Trail, we will probably try to see some of the Cataraqui Trail too.  It also follows a former rail line:  it is currently developed for walking between Strathcona (near Napanee) and Smiths Falls.  Because most of the Cataraqui Trail is relatively far from our home in Kingston, we might travel it by bike or (in winter) on cross-country skis.

Another view from the K&P Trail
Another view from the K&P Trail

And the “Big Reveal”?  Although I wrote this blog entry in Kingston, I will probably have already arrived in Costa Rica (via Panama) by the time you read this.  Upon arrival in San Jose, I will be joining a group tour focusing on the natural highlights of Costa Rica.  As always with group tours, it is unclear whether I will have the opportunity to blog in “real time”.  If I don’t have that opportunity, I will definitely report on the Costa Rican adventure once I’m back in Canada!

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Choosing Hotels and B&Bs

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’m sitting in my living room, listening to one of my recent vinyl acquisitions,  After staying in so many different hotels and B&Bs this year, I am definitely appreciating the comforts of home more.  However, I have learned quite a bit along the way about European accommodation; today’s post gathers a little bit of that acquired knowledge.

When travelling alone, I generally prefer B&Bs to hotels.  There is more of a personal touch in a B&B and that can be helpful when you don’t know anybody…especially if the local language is an unfamiliar one.  Most B&B owners will speak at least one other major European language in addition to their own.  Hostels are another good option when travelling solo, although one needs to do a bit more research on these.  Some hostels heavily favour a partying demographic, while others are much more inclusive.

Beach restaurant on Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)
Beach restaurant on Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)

Often, however, it is necessary to stay in a hotel when travelling alone.  One of the fun things about solo European travel is the occasional great hotel deal you can find.  While North American hotels charge a solo traveller almost as much as two people sharing a room, a number of European hotels charge solo travellers little more than one-half the two person rate.  Some business-oriented hotels drop their rates even more on weekends.  Admittedly, the rooms can be on the small side and the bed is generally only a single bed, but otherwise you get all of the amenities of the hotel…including breakfast!  As a result, my bargain single room at the 4-star Hotel City Central in Vienna came with a huge and luxurious all-you can-eat buffet breakfast (including some very posh warm food) that I could only begin to sample.  It was a perfect way to begin a very long day of travel back to Kingston.

The village of Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)
The village of Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)

As the year progresses, I am paying a lot more attention to formerly inconsequential details when choosing a place to stay.  I am always trying to stay within my budget, of course, and I do check to see if a place has attracted a lot of bad reviews.  However, there are some things that warrant an extra Euro or two.   Here are the three main things I’ve been looking for:

1.  Reliable WiFi.  The blog obviously requires it, but for me it is even more important to stay in touch with my wife when I am on the road.  Skype (or FaceTime, in our case) is a godsend for solo travel.

A quiet moment at low tide on Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)
A quiet moment at low tide on Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)

2.  Easily accessible from major rail stations.  Taxis are a budget killer and hauling luggage gets very old towards the end of a trip.  Local public transit can also play tricks on you when you’ve just arrived in a new city.  If the train station isn’t right downtown, I’d rather stay near the station…commuting downtown is a lot easier without the backpack.

3.  Early check-in, especially on the day of arrival overseas.  Most flights from North America to Europe arrive between 5:00 and 8:00 a.m. local time.  I generally don’t get enough sleep on overnight flights and the last thing I want to do upon arrival is to carry my luggage around for 8-10 hours until it is time to check in.  Most places will at least let you drop off your luggage if you arrive early…but that is only a partial solution to the exhaustion I usually feel by late morning on the day of arrival.

Damp Dutch dogs drinking by the desolate dunes (Schiermonnikoog, Friesland, the Netherlands)
Damp Dutch dogs drinking by the desolate dunes (Schiermonnikoog, Friesland, the Netherlands)

All of today’s photos are from the Frisian island of Schiermonnikoog.  Stay tuned – on Saturday I will be arriving in a brand new country that has very little in common with the Netherlands!

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Entering the Home Stretch!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’m back in Kingston for a few weeks and it seems like a good time to reflect a little bit on this year’s itinerary.

I’ve visited a total of 18 countries so far this year, even though I resolved at the beginning of the year that I wouldn’t be engaging in “checklist” tourism.  The number of countries visited is, I think, an unavoidable consequence of catching up on my overflowing European bucket list.  While I had not intended to visit so often, I have already been to Europe five times since the beginning of March!

Hiking trail to Germany (near Vianden, Luxembourg)
Hiking trail to Germany (near Vianden, Luxembourg)

Looking back at some of my early posts, I see that I spent some time discussing Saskatchewan.  It remains the only province/territory in Canada that I have never visited.  However, I also vowed that any trip to Saskatchewan this year would need to have an “independent’ justification…and not be a destination simply because I hadn’t been there yet.  Time is running out for a visit but it is still a possibility that cannot be completely dismissed.

The Hotel Victor Hugo (my hotel in Vianden, Luxembourg)
The Hotel Victor Hugo (my hotel in Vianden, Luxembourg)

Other than a quick trip next week to one of my favourite Canadian cities, however, there are currently only two more trips in the works.    In the second week of October, thanks to my very positive experience in Peru, I will be joining another group tour.  I’m not going to give many clues about this one, other than to say that it involves a country I’ve never visited before and it is *not* a European trip.  I don’t anticipate saying much more about this trip until approximately October 11, when I quickly post on Facebook that I have arrived in that country’s capital city!

Evening on the Grote Markt (Delft. the Netherlands)
Evening on the Grote Markt (Delft. the Netherlands)

My final planned trip of the year will be in late November.  While I’m undertaking it on my own, it will have some parallels with my recent hockey tour because there will be a strong “experiential” element to it.  I don’t think the itinerary will surprise anybody who knows me well; perhaps the biggest surprise will be that I haven’t been on such a trip before!

The historic heart of The Hague, the Netherlands
The historic heart of The Hague, the Netherlands

There is at least one destination on my initial plan that I definitely won’t be visiting this year.  I had intended to visit Ukraine but it has remained unstable throughout the year and unfortunately I don’t think it would be prudent to push ahead with a visit there.

Downtown Maassluis (the Netherlands)
Downtown Maassluis, the Netherlands

The Ukraine situation wasn’t the only one to affect my planning.  Earlier this year, I had also been concerned about the situation in Bosnia & Herzegovina.  Not because of the events of the 1990s, but because of a series of anti-corruption demonstrations that seemed to be getting a little out of control and were threatening to turn into something quite violent.  I had bought my ticket prior to the demonstrations so I did a lot of research before departure in order to satisfy myself that there was no heightened risk to me as a tourist.  From understanding the history of a country to being aware of current safety threats, it takes a lot of reading to be an informed and effective traveler!

Today’s blog photos are all from the first half of my August trip.  Stay tuned for an account of my upcoming Canadian city escape!

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Perceptions of Canada

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

On most of my trips to Europe, I try to disappear into the crowd and am probably not easily identifiable as coming from Canada (or perhaps anywhere in particular).  Generally, the only people who know I’m Canadian are hotel proprietors…for whom Canadians are not too much of a novelty.  As a result, I don’t hear too much about Canada from the perspective of Europeans outside the tourist industry.

My hockey tour of Eastern Europe* was different.  Not only was I travelling with a lot of other Canadians, we were unequivocally members of “Team Canada” and made no attempt to hide it.  The fact that we were Canadian hockey players was, in fact, a big part of this tour.

Looking intense against our very strong Czech opponents in Prague
Looking intense against our very strong Czech opponents in Prague

As Canadians, we tend to fret about our performance at international hockey events.  We greatly enjoyed our Olympic successes at both Vancouver and Sochi but have also had a number of recent disappointments.  If this tour was any indication, however, other hockey nations still have an immense amount of respect for Canadian hockey.  Some of them found it hard to believe that not all Canadian hockey players were world-class!  As I mentioned in my “Hockey Night in Budapest” post, the minor hockey program in Budapest was even named after Canada and had a maple leaf logo. The local kids watching our game gave us high-fives as we left the ice.

On the shore of the Danube in Budapest, Hungary
On the shore of the Danube in Budapest, Hungary

While the hockey perceptions were not completely unexpected, the non-hockey perceptions of Canada came as more of a surprise.  After all, these countries were on the other side of the Cold War (at the political leadership level, at least).

We constantly heard positive references to our country from the people we met.  But there were also reminders that this part of the world has had a long-standing respect for Canada.  In the otherwise miserable environment of Auschwitz, we learned that the concentration camp area used to sort the belongings of prisoners had been named “Canada”.  This was because Canada was seen, even then, as a land of wealth and prosperity.

View of the Buda Castle (Budapest, Hungary)
View of the Buda Castle (Budapest, Hungary)

At the Wawel castle in Krakow, we saw a commemorative plaque with respect to the castle treasures.  The plaque acknowledged Canada’s storage of the treasures during the Second World War:  this saved them from being looted by the Nazis during the occupation.  The plaque also acknowledged that Canada returned the treasures to the castle too!

Many people originally from this part of Europe escaped oppressive totalitarian regimes for a new life in Canada.  These ranged from the famous (the hockey-playing Stastny brothers, for example) to the not-so-famous…but Canada’s acceptance of them has never been forgotten by the immigrants or their family members who stayed behind.

Off the tourist trail in Budapest, Hungary
Off the tourist trail in Budapest, Hungary

This ties in with one of the most obvious benefits of travel:  no matter how wonderful your trip is, you also appreciate what a good life you have back home.  Of course, there are aspects of life in Canada that can be frustrating at times and there are certainly things we could learn from other countries.  On the balance, however, Canada is a pretty good place to call home…and the rest of the world recognizes it too.

At the top of the Buda Castle complex (Budapest, Hungary)
At the top of the Buda Castle complex (Budapest, Hungary)

*-I learned on this trip that Czechs, Slovaks, Poles and Hungarians often think of themselves as Central Europeans rather than Eastern Europeans.

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You can take the boy out of Holland, but…

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

…you can’t take Holland out of the boy.  It’s a cliché that could apply to any place, but I found it to be true over the past couple of weeks.

I’ve had a pretty good success rate with my travel year so far.  I’ve enjoyed practically every place I’ve visited and the inevitable setbacks (cancelled flight to Memphis, missing baggage in Paris, etc.) have been overcome without too much difficulty.  However, I think the just-completed trip to the Netherlands will become one of those “legacy” trips that enjoys a special place in my heart.

Getting caught by the waves at the same beach where my father played as a child ('s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands)
Getting caught by the waves at the same beach where my father played as a child (‘s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands)

We saw some very interesting things on this trip, but I think the best part was reconnecting with my Dutch relatives.  Without exception, my cousins were all thrilled to see us and it made everything more vivid and meaningful.  It was cool to see my family name on a church from the early 1600s, but even cooler to be shown it by a cousin who still attends that very church.  It was great to see a professional soccer game in Holland, but even greater to be taken there (and to an exciting pre-game meal!) by a cousin who belongs to the home team’s fan club.  And it was wonderful to see the very distinct northern extremities of the Netherlands, but even more wonderful to be shown around  by a cousin who lives there and could explain the places that are connected to my family.

Keystone rplaced by (and naming) my ancestor Isaac van der Hout (Maassluis, the Netherlands)
Keystone placed by (and naming) my ancestor Isaack Adriaensz van der Hout (born in 1580) – at the “Grote Kerk” in Maassluis, the Netherlands

All of which is a long way of saying that great travel experiences are not just about the places you visit…but about the people who are there.  I’ve had similar experiences with my Swiss relatives (eating at a mountain restaurant whose owner/chef was my mother’s cousin, and skiing with my uncle in my “ancestral valley” in the Berner Oberland, to name just two) and the memories last much longer than places you’ve passed through without any real personal connection.

Synchronicity! Klein Zwitserland ("little Switzerland") at the dunes on Schiermonnikoog, the Netherlands
Synchronicity! Klein Zwitserland (“little Switzerland”) at the dunes on Schiermonnikoog, the Netherlands

What does this mean for future travel?   It may not affect the remainder of this year’s journey, but it will certainly have a future impact.  As I told each of my Dutch cousins, it won’t be another 23 years before I visit again.

The backstreets of Amsterdam
The not-so-busy back streets of Amsterdam

And now, as promised, here is some information about my next trip.  While I have only just returned to Canada, I will be flying out again on September 4 on a very special journey.  I have been trying to have more time at home between trips but I could not control the timing of this one.   As time is of the essence, I’m going to give all of the clues at once:

1.  The theme is sports…and as a participant, not as an observer.

2.  The sports element is not just incidental; I will be participating in this sport virtually every day that I am away.

3.  I will be visiting a total of 4 countries (2 of which I have never visited before), with an airport stopover in a relatively familiar 5th country.

4.  Notwithstanding the location of this trip, it will have a very Canadian flavour.

5.  Perhaps because of clue no. 4, the “hosts” may be thrilled if some days are unsuccessful.

More deer in Haren, the Netherlands
More deer in Haren, the Netherlands

My itinerary on this special trip will be very busy, so I’m not sure if I will be able to blog in “real time”.  I’ll be back for 4 weeks afterwards, though, so the back-up plan is to get the posts up then.  At a minimum, I hope to get some status updates up on Facebook.  I’m sure it’s going to be great!