I find myself being still. At first I was jittery. When I was not in the lounges on the ship, being social, when I was in my room, I would shuffle through the papers on my desk. Should I write in my trip journal? No, that was all caught up. Could I play a game … Continue reading The Silence of the North
“We knew he had Covid. But nobody said anything because we would have all been quarantined and we would have missed the rest of the trip.” I try not to react as the middle-aged American woman spoke with her friends about her bus tour in Ireland. I was eavesdropping, after all— accidentally at first, but … Continue reading Travel in the Time of Covid— Arctic Reprise
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
“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”
“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
We’d just arrived and were in a pickup truck taxi on our way to lunch, when the truck slowed, then carefully drove on the shoulder of the road to avoid a giant tortoise. Welcome to the Galapagos! Highlands of Isla Santa Cruz Like so many other people, I had Galapagos on my bucket list. Travelling … Continue reading In the Steps of Darwin— Walking Slowly in the Galapagos
We had a hard time finding coffee. In March 2020 it was because nothing was open. So novel that I took a picture. March 2020 We’d arrived two days before and all seemed normal. Restaurants were open but there was hand sanitizer on the counter, and only every second table was being used. Yes, there … Continue reading Two Trips to Tofino: Pandemic Progress
Brave Travels 