We drive over the Malahat. They have added bright orange posts between the north and south bound lanes of this coastal mountain highway, to prevent turns on and off it in dangerous places. As we come to each of these, I remember the fatal accidents: here, two motorcyclists; there, three members of a family in … Continue reading Surrounded by My History
We took our friend Richard to the airport. We’ve been neighbours for a year and a half; we’ve shared a rental car for a year. We would walk into each other’s houses after yelling a token “knock knock!” would see each other almost daily on the water, surfing, and would get together for drinks and … Continue reading Coming Back to Barbados?
“Are we halfway up now?” I sat on the rough bench, and Kevin, our guide for the climb up Gros Piton, looked at me pityingly. “A quarter,” he said. To be fair, I had been living on Barbados for a year and a half. The highest hill there is 343 m, and it is in … Continue reading The Pitons of Saint Lucia: Long Hard Climb
“Saint Lucia dropped their entry test and quarantine requirement for vaccinated travellers!” “Let’s book it!” So this weekend we are heading to a different Caribbean island. We had originally planned to travel there in December of 2020. After three months based in Barbados, we were looking forward to exploring nearby islands. Covid numbers were low: … Continue reading Flying Back to “Normal”
Today, I had the chance to run over the surf asshole. He’d fallen off his board right in front of me, when I was already catching the wave. I didn’t. I veered to the right (on a left breaking wave) , stayed on my knees, didn’t stand till I was past him, then broke left … Continue reading Work in Progress
“Is that snow?” Scott asked, looking out the window. We were sitting in Vicki and Ron’s room with a bottle of wine, some olives, and a box of baklava. It had been too cold on the street to stop at one of the sidewalk cafes, even with their outdoor heaters on. It was, indeed, snow. … Continue reading Athens in the Winter
We sit at 2800 m elevation, having an espresso and a platter that includes whole prawns, smoked salmon sandwiches, ceviche, salad and, of course, a basket of French bread. There is live music and the sun sparkles off the snow on the mountains around us. Life is good. I’ve always visited Europe in the spring, … Continue reading First Ski in Europe: Les 3 Vallées
If you count my bra (something I never wear in Barbados) I have 5 layers of clothing on my upper body. I’m still cold. The wind cuts through me, and the damp penetrates even when I’m sheltered from the wind. Why did England in February seem like a good idea? I suppose it’s better than … Continue reading Getting Acclimatized
The DNA results came back. I’m 100% Finnish. It was a surprise— I expected some Swedish, maybe a little Russian. Family myth had that there was some Roma in the bloodlines. Yup. No measurable amount of anything but Finnish. I’m 100% Canadian. I was born there, educated there, from kindergarten to all three of my … Continue reading 100% Finnish. 100% Canadian. Or Bajan?
BANG! The car started veering so I looked for a place to pull over— not so easy on Maxwell Main Road. Fortunately there was a wide sidewalk in front of one house so I drove onto it and got out to look at the damage. What had I hit? It could have been a deep … Continue reading I’m Glad It’s a Rental: Driving in Barbados
Brave Travels 