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Posts from Kingston, Ontario, Canada

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Everybody wants to see more food!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’m now back in Kingston after a very enjoyable trip to France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands. I still intend to do a wrap-up post but first I am going to take the populist approach and write about food. I didn’t include too many food pictures in my day-to-day posts, as I realized fairly early on that I would have enough for a post devoted solely to food. I’ve noticed that food also tends to draw the most blog comments and personal e-mails.

Sometimes food can be a tasty history lesson.  Two examples on this trip were Tibetan food in Luxembourg and Indonesian food in the Netherlands. Tibet is not currently an independent nation. However, the idea of Tibet as an entity has been kept alive in several ways. Many Tibetans have fled home to establish new lives elsewhere and a significant number have established restaurants specializing in Tibetan cuisine. My wife and I have eaten Tibetan food in Montreal, Toronto and Northampton (Massachusetts), among other places.

Bhutanese cheese soup and Tibetan butter-and-salt yak tea (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg)
Bhutanese cheese soup and Tibetan yak-butter-and-salt tea (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg)

So, even if you couldn’t place Tibet on a map, you may still be familiar with the Dalai Lama…or Momo dumplings!  I really enjoyed my Tibetan meal in Luxembourg City and I’m glad that I can now also share a photo of my Bhutanese cheese soup.  Bhutan is an independent country but it is very small and I do not think that there is a very large Bhutanese expatriate community.  Bhutan occasionally makes the news because its leaders have taken a rather unique approach to tourism and economic development: the number of visitors is very strictly limited…and the nation has determined that “Gross National Happiness” is more important that “Gross National Product” (hence the restrictions on the number of tourists).

Rijsttafel at De Lachende Javaan (Haarlem, the Netherlands)
Rijsttafel at De Lachende Javaan (Haarlem, the Netherlands)

I have fond memories of eating Indonesian food as a child during my family’s visits to the Netherlands.  It was so colourful and tasty; virtually every town had at least one place where you could get Indonesian food. I didn’t really understand all of the nuances at the time, but the main reason for this proliferation of Indonesian restaurants was that Indonesia was once part of the Dutch colonial empire.  In some ways, the Dutch adoption of Indonesian cuisine mirrors Britain’s adoption of (East) Indian cuisine.  Much as I associate Indonesian food with the Netherlands, I also associate Indian cuisine with Britain.

The Man-Wah restaurant in 's-Gravenzande, the Netherlands. I remember eating Indonesian food here as a child.
The Man-Wah restaurant in ‘s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands. I remember eating Indonesian food here as a child.

There are quirks, however.  I’m not sure exactly why, but most restaurants serving Indonesian food are also described as being “Chinese”.  The food served doesn’t really match up with this Canadian’s perception of Chinese food, but the naming convention remains in place.

Even though I could happily eat Indonesian food several times a week, it doesn’t seem to be that trendy in the Netherlands these days.  Like many other people, the Dutch have taken a liking to showarma, doners and kebabs…foods that became commonplace in western Europe partly because of the economic migration of guest workers in the late 20th century.  The fresh flavours of Thai food are also very popular with the Dutch (see photo at the top of this post – which is from a “Chinese” restaurant in Zuidlaren).  But what struck me most was the proliferation of Spanish restaurants (generally focusing on tapas) and Argentinean steakhouses.

Dimly-lit North African food in Groningen, the Netherlands
Dimly-lit North African food in Groningen, the Netherlands

The Netherlands has had a new king since 2013.  His wife is Argentinean and she is quite popular with the Dutch.  Indeed, most of my relatives believe she is the reason  that tapas bars and steakhouses can now be found in any decent-sized Dutch town.   Her popularity may not last forever but, in the meantime, eating tapas or Argentinean steak seems to be almost a patriotic act in the Netherlands.

And what of “traditional” Dutch food?  I regularly ate krokets (croquettes) as a snack, loaded up on various types of excellent Dutch cheese on sandwiches, and ate hagelslag (“hail”, a type of chocolate sprinkle) whenever possible for breakfast.  Only in the Netherlands can adults enjoy this food without guilt. It’s great to start your day with some buttered (as an adhesive layer) bread and a thick coating of dark chocolate hagelslag.

Next time on the blog – a Dutch recap and my next destination!

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The Next Big Trip

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

So far, I have been having fun on this blog by withholding the identity of my next destination until I have actually arrived there.  As this next trip is quite different from the others, I’m going to do (most of) “the big reveal” now, although I am not leaving for a few days.

While I visited my next destination 5 times in the first 23 years of my life, I haven’t been there in the subsequent 23 years.  During that time, my travel focus was primarily on “new” destinations and on alpine skiing.  As a result, I have been somewhat out of touch with a very important part of my heritage for a long time.

March 17, 2014 (Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy) - It was an incredble 16'C on the slopes
March 17, 2014 (Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy) – It was an incredble 16’C on the slopes…and absolutely no lift lines!

A lot has happened in the past 23 years.  My memories of childhood trips to my father’s homeland remain vivid…but I really want to share those memories with my wife and reconnect with the country that has given me, among many other things, my surname and some emotional World Cup soccer tournaments.   And so, in a few days, we will be embarking on a long-overdue trip to the Netherlands.

Large rock on the piste in Cortina d'Ampezo, Italy (March 2014) - the orange sign in front is about 4 feet high.
Large rock on the piste in Cortina d’Ampezo, Italy (March 2014) – the orange sign in front is about 4 feet high.

My wife visited the Netherlands on a high school trip many years ago but she is also looking forward to finally seeing some of “my” places that she has only heard about for the past 15 years.  While we will be visiting some of my childhood haunts, we also look forward to discovering new parts of the Netherlands together during our two weeks there.  It’s important to connect with the past, but it is also important for us to make new Dutch memories of our own.  Accordingly, for the first time, I will be visiting the northern provinces of the Netherlands and also seeing more of the Amsterdam area than just Schiphol Airport.

No zoom lens - this bird flew right up to me at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, U.S.A. (March 2014)
No zoom lens – this bird flew right up to me at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, U.S.A. (March 2014)

Even though the Netherlands will constitute the bulk of our trip, there is still an element of mystery:  I’m leaving Canada five days early to briefly visit a couple of other countries before meeting my wife in Amsterdam.  Once again, these are countries I have visited in the past but I’ll be visiting specific places in those countries for the very first time.  Through a lot of experimentation with airline websites, I was able to find an interesting 3-stage itinerary that was considerably cheaper than simply flying between Toronto and Amsterdam.

One of the hardier creatures at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, U.S.A. (March 2014)
One of the hardier creatures at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, U.S.A. (March 2014)

This sort of thing has happened before.  I call them “mistake fares” because they don’t make any logical sense…and they tend to disappear once people start taking advantage of them.  When you find such a mistake fare for travel, especially during the higher-priced summer months, you go for it.  I didn’t really know at the time of booking what exactly I would be visiting during those extra five days, but I had a lot of fun figuring out an interesting itinerary between August 7 in “City A” and August 12 in “City B”.

Heavy Snows in Cortina d"Ampezzo, Italy (March 18, 2014)
Heavy snows in Cortina d”Ampezzo, Italy (March 18, 2014)

The mysterious City A, City B and various points in between will be revealed in the next few posts.  And even if you have been to the Netherlands before, I’m sure that you’ll find some interesting twists in this very personal trip!  In the meantime, this post contains some new photos from my March 2014 trips to Chicago, U.S.A. and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Posts from Base Camp

Local trip to Glenora and Odessa

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’ve been home from Peru for a couple of weeks now.  Last week, my wife and I decided to take advantage of some great weather to go on a local road trip.

The ultimate goal was to end up in Belleville so that I could spend the remainder of a gift certificate.  However, we thought it would be a great day to enjoy the shores of Lake Ontario, so we took the very long route:  driving to Adolphustown, taking the Glenora Ferry to Prince Edward County, and then finally heading to Belleville via Picton.

Glenora Ferry
Glenora Ferry

Perhaps my perspective has changed after all of the travelling I’ve done this year, but it took hardly any time at all to arrive at the dock for the Glenora Ferry.  Best of all, there was very little craziness on the scenic lakefront highway.  In fact, it felt like we were back in the 1970s, when I used to go apple-picking around here with my family.  Driving in Ontario really does seem to be more sedate than just about anywhere else in the world.

Upon arrival in Glenora, we went to visit The Inn at Lake on the Mountain.  One of my long-time soccer teammates runs the restaurant here, so it was fun to catch up on things with him and to enjoy a nice al fresco lunch.  The lake itself is one of those eternal mysteries:  it’s not really clear how the water gets to the lake, but it is definitely there on the top of the “mountain”.  There is also a great view over the ferry route from the mountain.

Enjoying an outdoor lunch - The Inn at Lake on the Mountain
Enjoying an outdoor lunch – The Inn at Lake on the Mountain

From Glenora, it is only a few kilometres to Picton.  Picton has only a few thousand residents but it still is the largest town in Prince Edward County.  Like most of “The County” (everybody knows what county you are talking about), it has transformed from a largely rural/agricultural centre to a more tourist-oriented place.  There are new wineries everywhere and it seems to be attracting a lot of Torontonians.   However, its roots have not been forgotten:  it is easy to find plenty of remnants from before the tourist boom.

I last visited Belleville in April and, well, it hasn’t changed much in the past three months.  After decimating the gift certificate, we enjoyed dinner at the Thai House restaurant and headed back to Kingston along the pastoral Highway 2 rather than the multi-lane Highway 401.

Babcock Mill (rear view) - Odessa, Ontario
Babcock Mill (rear view) – Odessa, Ontario

Even though it is only about 10 miles west of where we live, we had never really explored the back streets of the village of Odessa.  The persistent daylight allowed us to finally do that and to see the historic Babcock Mill (also shown in the photo at the top of this posting) for ourselves.  I don’t think the interior is open for visits anymore, but we were still able to wander around the site and ruminate about Odessa’s long-ago golden age.  We hope to visit some more local attractions before heading overseas again on August 6.

Having the past few weeks at home has enabled me to do a lot of planning for the remainder of the year.  Stay tuned for my next blog entry, where I will be revealing my next destination!

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Thoughts on Group Tourism

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

As you may recall from my pre-Peru posts, I had never taken a multi-day group tour before.  I was a little concerned with how it might turn out, given my long history of travelling independently.

I needn’t have worried.  Practically everyone in my group was in the same position:  none of us had ever been to South America, nobody was fluent in Spanish, we were all new to group tours, and we were all curious about this country with a legendary archaeological site.  We were all from either Canada or the U.S.A., as it turned out; this was neither good nor bad, but it probably helped to give us a few more things in common.

Hiking to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu
Hiking to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu

Although my major trip (almost 3 weeks) in August will be independent, I will not be as quick to dismiss group tours as a travel option in the future.  I doubt that I would ever embark on a group tour in Western Europe, as I have family there and I have been there many times, but that doesn’t mean that a first-time visitor should avoid a European group tour if that will make them more comfortable.

I'm not entirely sure what is happening here, but the police and various other people were quite interested (Cusco, Peru)
I’m not entirely sure what is happening here, but the police and various other people were quite interested (Cusco, Peru)

Of course, you have to do your research.  I chose to use G Adventures for my visit to Peru because they were a Canadian-based company with a long history in Latin America and a commitment to more sustainable and “authentic” travel experiences.  My voluntary visit to McDonald’s (the photo at the top of this post shows the location on Cusco’s Plaza de Armas) was the only international company I experienced while in Peru:  all of our hotels and restaurants were locally-owned.  We also had the freedom to do a fair bit of exploration on our own; on our full day in Cusco, for example, the only scheduled group activity was dinner.   I think the tour company’s approach meant that the others in my group were looking for more or less the same thing that I was.

Llama at Machu Picchu
Llama at Machu Picchu

The big question now:  will I travel with  a group again later this year?  The answer is “yes”!  In fact, two of my remaining trips could be considered group trips, although only one of them is a “conventional” group tour.

Typical street in the San Blas district of Cusco, Peru
Typical street in the San Blas district of Cusco, Peru

Here’s why I chose the “conventional” group tour for my late October trip:  this year is a special opportunity for me to see places that would normally be too remote for a 1-2 week vacation.  There is one destination that I have often thought about but never seriously considered because of its utter isolation, my lack of experience in that part of the world, the language barrier, and a host of other excuses that (especially after successfully visiting Peru) I don’t think should stand in my way any longer.  This destination is ideal for what I’ll call adventure-oriented group travel and I’ve found some tour dates that appear to work.   While I haven’t booked it yet, it is in my internal travel calendar and I expect to complete the formal arrangements within the next few weeks.

Still more from Machu Picchu!
Still more from Machu Picchu!

As for the “unconventional” group trip I have planned for early September, it does not focus on the acknowledged tourist highlights of a particular region.  Instead, it focuses almost entirely on a special interest of mine.  However, I should also have lots of free time to explore on my own because this special interest is not a day-long activity.  Not all of my fellow travellers will be complete strangers, either.   Perplexed?  It will all be clear in about 6 weeks!

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A New Kind of Travel (and some final clues)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

In two days, I will be arriving at a new destination.  It’s special in many respects:  not only is it a new country for me, it is also a new continent.  Even so, I find myself thinking most about the format:  for the first time in my life, I’m going on a group tour for (almost) the entire trip.

Splendid ski lunch with friends - Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Splendid ski lunch with friends – Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

I grew up visiting Europe every few years with my parents.  By the time I was old enough to make my own travel arrangements, I had the confidence to deal with travelling in (European) countries with different food and where different languages were spoken.   After being directly immersed in Europe so many times, taking a group tour there would have felt limiting…maybe even a step backwards.

Walking away from the Giant's Causeway (Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)
Walking away from the Giant’s Causeway (Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)

However, when I started to think seriously about visiting my next destination, I felt somewhat uncomfortable with the prospect of doing it myself.  I wanted to have a safety net in case something went wrong.  Frankly, I also felt that I could use a break from planning every detail of every trip.  Between trips, I am generally planning ahead several months and taking care of details so that I can make the most of each trip (and keep my costs down).  I thought it would be nice to “coast” a little and just savour the moment.

Part of my discomfort was likely the result of negative media portrayals of this country in the not-too-distant past.  It hasn’t always been economically healthy either.  As it turns out, however, its economic indicators are stronger than at least one of the European countries I have already visited (alone) this year.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated here in 1914...World War I followed in due course (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated from this spot in 1914…World War I followed in due course (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina)

While my apprehension may have been misplaced, I still think it will be useful to view travel through the lens of a group tourist at least once…and maybe determine if there is a future destination that would be best visited with a group.  If nothing else, I am sure that I will meet some interesting fellow travellers.

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that I have kept this destination a secret.  In addition to the clues in my previous post, I can say this:

(1) The country is soccer-crazy but is not competing in this year’s World Cup.  I have no doubt that I will be able to follow the progress of “my” Dutch and Swiss teams.

(2)  It’s winter there!

(3)  German will be essentially useless and English won’t be nearly as widespread as it has been in my travels to date.

Ducks on Collins Bay (Kingston, Ontario) - April 2014.
Canada Geese on Collins Bay (Kingston, Ontario) – April 2014.

I may not be able to blog in real time on this trip, as I may not have WiFi access.  However, even if I do have access, I don’t know if I will have the time to blog.  The itinerary is packed with activities as we are only spending 8 days together (including arrival and departure days).   At the very least, I hope to post the occasional update on Facebook and blog about the trip extensively upon my return to Canada.

One final clue:  I think the photographs from this trip will be spectacular!

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A Farewell to Ireland and a Hello to….?

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Since returning to Kingston, a number of friends have commented on the fact that I really seemed to enjoy my trip to Ireland. It’s true – and one reason is the fact that I didn’t have months and months to plan for it. The spontaneous approach paid big dividends, as I didn’t feel like I had already visited Ireland before I had arrived there. Overplanning can be a very real problem.

My rental bicycle on one of the many Inis Mór beaches, just east of Kilronan
My rental bicycle on one of the many Inis Mór beaches, just east of Kilronan

I don’t recommend a complete absence of planning, however. The time of year, the weather, local holidays and a host of other factors should still be considered when “being spontaneous”.  It also would have been nice to avoid Saturday travel in Ireland, so that I could have caught a live hurling or Gaelic football match.  In any case, I’ve enjoyed my Gaelic football DVD and I am sure that I will return to Ireland in the not-too-distant future!

You can't have too many pictures of the Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)
You can’t have too many pictures of the Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)

My visit to Ireland also helped me focus on what I want to do in the rest of my travel year.   While I won’t be returning to Ireland this year, I now have a pretty good idea about a trip that will likely take place in late November or early December.  It’s nothing that I anticipated at the start of my odyssey but it also won’t be a surprise to people who know me well.   It will definitely be a change from the sightseeing that has characterized most of my travel so far this year.

View of Dunluce Castle, from the outer fortification (Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland)
View of Dunluce Castle, from the outer fortification (Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland)

There is a lot happening between now and November, however.  I had a brief visit with some former work colleagues yesterday and I must admit that I’m really enjoying the element of suspense concerning my next destination (whether they share my enthusiasm for the mystery is less certain!).   I’m heading out on June 27 for a very different kind of trip and here’s what I’ve been telling people:

1)  I’m visiting a different continent this time:  it won’t be Europe or North America.

2)  I’m going there on my own but most of my visit will be as part of an organized tour.  It will take a total of 10 days, including travel.

3)  I’ve never visited this country before.

4)  I underwent a series of travel vaccinations over the past month, something that I haven’t done for travel since 1996.

As with Ireland, the decision to go on this trip was also relatively spontaneous.  I didn’t plan it until quite recently and I don’t think I identified it as a serious possibility when I first decided to take a year off for travel.   Perhaps as a result, I am really excited about it and am holding off on any more post-summer travel planning until I return.  I need to determine whether it is a type of travel that I want to explore further.

Intrigued?  Stay tuned – I leave in less than a week!

Farewell from Séamus the Irish Seal!
Farewell from Séamus the Irish Seal!

 

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Discovering New Music on the Road

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Today’s blog entry is a little different.   I’ve decided to share some music that I’ve encountered while travelling in Europe.   No photos and no detailed commentary…just some YouTube links that you can check out if you are interested in some fun music from other countries.

While it is tempting to sightsee as much as possible while travelling, some down time is inevitable.  Whether it is on account of bad weather or simply because I need to take a break, I occasionally take it easy by watching the local music video channel.  As a former radio broadcaster, I’m intrigued by seeing how things work in other countries (the cover” photo for this post is from a museum in Rome – it is a recreation of a vintage television studio at RAI, the state broadcaster).   However, watching local music video channels is also a great way to hear music that I haven’t encountered at home.

A couple of years ago, Italy’s RTL station played a soulful and unabashedly retro song called “Moneygrabber”.   I never thought I would discover an American group (“Fitz and the Tantrums”) on Italian television, but that’s exactly what happened.  Here’s the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbNKKDTBNA

Italy has been a good source of new music for me.  Last year, RTL played a fun Italian-language track by a singer named Max Gazzè.  See if you can figure out what this song is all about by watching this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej0ME8xdiF8

An English-language single that I never encountered in Canada is “Jungle Drum” by Emiliana Torrini.  She’s from Iceland but I first saw the quirky video when a Swiss friend shared it on Facebook:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9vkd7Rp-g

You may remember that I picked up a Croatian new music compilation when I visited Split.   I wasn’t expecting to find a ska-influenced song that was punctuated with some interesting passing chords.  Here’s “Savršen Film” by the unusually-named “Justin’s Johnson”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLJPJ7uhv7w

Reggae seemed to be lurking in the background of a few Croatian songs this year.  Is Dalmatian Reggae the next big thing?   Perhaps in anticipation of such a craze, here’s a baffling (a donkey and a seagull?) video by Jasmin Stavros called “Reggae Dalmatino”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysYYrc3mdgk

All of this music flows nicely into the final hints about my next destination.  I will be visiting a very musical island that has produced an impressive number of traditional and popular musicians.  I also have high hopes for music shopping while there.  Find out this weekend when I publish my next post!

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Some Final Words on the Balkans

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I had originally intended to say goodbye to the Balkans with a lengthy post about food.  However, I’m going to pre-empt that discussion for a moment with some late-breaking news about the region.

"Living Room" of my hotel in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
“Living Room” of my hotel in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

As you have probably heard by now, torrential flooding has created massive devastation in Serbia, Bosnia and, to a lesser degree, Croatia.  Many people have died and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.  Landmines are now once again a concern, as they have been disturbed by landslides and flooding.  Reconstruction will be a long and difficult process, once the immediate health and safety threats are overcome.

In my previous blog, I expressed the hope that the upcoming World Cup would be helpful in the Bosnian reconciliation process.  It seems that the flooding and an unexpected gesture from a tennis player may accelerate the process before that (and on an international level).

Novak Djokovic of Serbia is currently ranked as the 2nd best tennis player in the world.   Last weekend, he won the Rome Masters tennis tournament and a $500,000.00 paycheque…and donated all of it to the victims of the floods.   Most notably, the money (along with another $600,000.00 raised through his charitable foundation) was to be shared by the countries affected by the flooding.  This cross-border gesture has in turn prompted the Bosnian national soccer team to support Djokovic on the court and for Djokovic to declare his support for Bosnia & Herzegovina at the upcoming World Cup.  There also has been unprecedented cooperation between Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina in dealing with the aftermath of the flood.

I don’t think anybody expected events to unfold this way.  Let’s hope that others show similar leadership so that the old “divisions” may finally be put to rest.

Now, a few words about food…

Meat stuffed with meat (prosciutto) and cheese, with a Shopska Salad, in Žabljak, Montenegro
Meat stuffed with meat (prosciutto) and cheese, with a Shopska Salad, in Žabljak, Montenegro

Any discussion about food in the Balkans needs to begin with the omnipresent ćevapčići – a sausage-shaped minced meat.   I ate this in both Sarajevo (on a platter with other “real” sausages and pickled cabbage) and Split (in a warm pita with raw onions and ajvar sauce).  However, the dish I ate most was Wienerschnitzel…or bečka šnicla, as it usually appeared on menus (see my earlier post on “A Crazy Road Trip” for a photo).   The name bečka šnicla puzzled me at first, until I realized that many of the Slavic languages refer to Wien (Vienna) as “Beč“.   It was always excellent – the Austro-Hungarians certainly left their culinary mark in this part of Europe.  Anyone who has travelled here will not be surprised to read that I also enjoyed burek (filled pastry) and dolma (stuffed vegetables) on more than one occasion.

Dolma with pickled salad and a limunada (Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Dolma with pickled salad and a limunada (Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina)

However, I also enjoyed some interesting beverages in the Balkans, primarily due to lemons!  In Bosnia, I drank limunada on several occasions.  This is roughly equivalent to “lemonade”, but it is so sour that they bring out a jar of sugar for you when serving the drink.  Later, in Croatia, I rediscovered pivo s limunom.  The exact name and formulation changes from country to country, but I had previously enjoyed it in German-speaking countries as Panache or Radler…where it is one-half beer and one-half lemon/lime soda.  It tasted good after a long day of skiing in the Alps and I now discovered that it also fit the bill after a long day of walking under the Adriatic sun. 

View from my dinner table in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
View from my dinner table in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

I think today’s ultimately hopeful post is a nice way to conclude my reporting on the Balkans.  On May 29, I’ll be heading out on another adventure to a place I have never visited before.  It wasn’t one that I had planned well in advance; after returning from Italy in March, I decided to let fate (in the guise of seat sales) dictate where I would visit in the spring.  It all happened very quickly and I am quite happy with how it turned out.  In fact, my next destination is logically connected to both Canada and the Balkans.  It will also be a great place to watch the opening matches of the World Cup.  Stay tuned for details!

Durmitor National Park, northern Montenegro
Durmitor National Park, northern Montenegro

 

   

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Bosnia & Herzegovina, War and Soccer

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Looking back on my trip to the Balkans, it turns out that Bosnia & Herzegovina (“BiH”) has left the greatest impression on me.  Croatia and Montenegro are stunningly beautiful countries, but I mostly felt like I was on vacation while there.  For those countries, that is definitely a good thing.  By contrast, BiH was a real intellectual challenge…something that isn’t often associated with a vacation.

Second World War Monument (Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Second World War Monument (Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina)

The war in BiH officially ended in 1995 with the Dayton Accord.  I say “officially” because it is extremely difficult to suddenly end such a devastating war and then carry on with normal living as if nothing had happened.  Even now, 19 years later, the war is still in the face of almost everybody in BiH.  There are “war tourists” who want to know what happened.  The political boundaries are based on the front lines as they stood in 1995.  There are paralyzing disputes about which sites (if any) from the war should be developed for tourism.  There are still bombed-out carcasses of buildings throughout the country.  And, as I was to find out during my “Siege of Sarajevo” tour, people are still dying from landmines.

Bombed-out building on an otherwise rebuilt street (Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Bombed-out building on an otherwise rebuilt street (Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina)

I didn’t mention the landmines in my blog at the time.  Among other reasons, I didn’t want to overdramatize what had happened, given that it was only my first full day in BiH.  I wanted to believe that BiH had moved on from the war.  But after spending a week there, I realized that mentioning the fatality wasn’t overdramatizing .  It is simply the reality of today’s BiH.

Land mine warning - Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Land mine warning – Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

As you will recall, I visited the crumbling bobsled run from the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.   High up in the mountains, about a one minute drive  away from where we parked to walk down the bobsled run, our tour leader pulled over on the side of the road.  There was a driveway and what appeared to be an abandoned (but still standing) house.  Cars occasionally passed us – this wasn’t downtown, but neither was it far from the hillside suburbs of Sarajevo.  Our guide explained that, less than 3 weeks ago, a man was killed near the edge of the driveway by a previously-undetected  landmine.  It happened about 12 metres from where we were parked.  It was an extremely sobering way to spend the first full day of my trip.

In another town, I was given an apparently comprehensive sightseeing map.  Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the largest (religious) building in town wasn’t on it.  The building had been there for many years – clearly, it was omitted because it belonged to a different religious group.  With such persistent reminders, in addition to ongoing landmine fatalities, the war is indeed still being fought.

Bird's Eye (heh) view from a minaret in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bird’s Eye view from a minaret in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Next month, BiH will participate in soccer’s World Cup.  This is an incredible accomplishment and marks the first appearance of BiH at this prestigious competition.  I’d like to believe that this presents an opportunity for BiH to focus on what binds them, rather than on what divides them.  I recently watched the movie “Invictus”, which showed the unifying power of sport in the South African context.  Nelson Mandela saw South Africa’s rugby team as an opportunity for South Africa to move on from the miserable past of apartheid.

I’ll certainly be watching BiH closely in the World Cup.  I don’t know for certain whether the team roster includes players from each of the groups that make up BiH, but it would be wonderful for each of those groups to be cheering for the same team, just like South Africans eventually did in “Invictus”.

Another view of the Old Bridge (Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Another view of the Old Bridge (Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Posts from Base Camp

Staying in Shape for Travel

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I do a lot of walking (and eating) when I travel, so I try to stay in peak travelling condition by being very physically active when I am in Kingston.  Hockey lasts all year, while soccer has just started and curling will end this week.  I supplement these sports with brisk walks in and around the city. 

Today’s post contains some photos from my local wanderings.  A favourite local destination is Lemoine Point, which is also home to an increasing number of wild animals.  

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Lemoine Point, Kingston (March 2014)

We used to see deer from time to time but they are now almost an everyday occurrence.  All of the deer in this post were spotted on the same trail, at approximately the same time of day. 

Lemoine Point, Kingston(February 2014)
Lemoine Point, Kingston (February 2014)

When Lemoine Point is too wet or muddy, there  is a (mostly paved) waterfront trail between Lake Ontario Park and Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.  It is a good place to cool off, as the wind really keeps the temperature down.

Lake Ontario Park - Kingston, Ontario (April 2014)
Near Lake Ontario Park – Kingston, Ontario (April 2014)

Running north from the built-up part of the city is the K&P Trail.  The most interesting part of this former railway is the long climb between Jackson Mills Road and Cordukes Road.  We walked the entire trail between Kingston and Harrowsmith last fall and are walking north of Harrowsmith this spring.   

Next Tuesday, I’ll be leaving on a lengthy (almost three weeks) overseas trip .   As always, I won’t specifically identify my destinations in advance on this blog.  One interesting aspect will be the use of two different alphabets, as well as at least four different languages (in name, if not necessarily in substance).  While there, I hope to see some professional soccer, as two of the countries I’ll be visiting will be participating in this year’s World Cup and two others narrowly missed qualifying.  However, the most important thing will be experiencing a beautiful region with a tragic recent past.