Travel

1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.

NO CHEATING

What does next year have in store for me?
I’ll Stand By You (The Pretenders)
Hmmm we’ll see.

What do I say when life gets hard?
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles)
Sounds like violins to me.

What do I think when I get up in the morning?
Amazing Grace
Amazing that I woke up…

What song will I dance to at my wedding?
Kids in America (Kim Wilde)
It’s got a beat.

What do you want as a career?
Smoke on the Water(Deep Purple)
I am always in search of the perfect beach?

Your favourite saying?
My Immortal (Evanescence)
I am going to live forever?!?

Favourite place?
An American Trilogy (Elvis Presley)
I kinda thought my favourite place would be an exotic beach on a island somewhere but I cannot argue with Elvis. So maybe my favourite place is Memphis you know Graceland where the King lived?

Where’d you go for a road trip?
Go On Your Way (Fleetwood Mac)
The song tells me to go my own way so I would say where ever the road takes me I will go.

What would you listen to while driving?
California Girls (Beach Boys)
Depends on what she looks like I may listen or I may not.

Upon arriving at our third destination we were met at the airport and driven in a very nice and extremely comfortable Mercedes. As we drove from the airport we were treated to an impromtu tour of Madrid getting a lesson on the local history. Our hotel Hotel De Las Letras a boutique hotel in the centre of the city. The building dates from 1917 and each room has poems and writings on the walls. Very unique and out of all of the hotels we stayed in on the trip the most enjoyable. After getting settled we headed out and walked along the Gran Via (the main street) till we found a place for dinner and a beer. After a bite to eat we walked the area looking at souvenrs and people watching. After an evening of wandering and seeing the sights we headed for Chocolateria San Gines where melted chocolate is served in a cup and you dip churros into the melted. While it was extremely rich it was quite delicious. A definite place to stop when visiting Madrid.

The next day we wandered around the local area and took in the sights of the Royal Palace, Alumenda Cathedral and Plaza Mayor. While this walk should have been pleasant it turned out to be somewhat uncomfortable due to the almost constant heavy rain and my legs being very sore. On the way back to the hotel we ran into a politcal rally which while I wanted to hang around and see what was happening my travel companion recommended we keep moving and with the large police presence I finally agreed. After a rest and a change of clothes we headed out for more wandering and ended up at a Tapas bar for dinner. What started as a quiet evening at the Tapas bar turned interesting when a large group of women showed up with something in common, they all were wearing a picture of the same man. One of the women was in curlers and wearing an apron. So we surmised it was probably a bachelorette party which our waitress confirmed. During the dinner there was lots of singing and probably jokes(my Spanish is not so good so only a guess on my part) running around the table. The dinner was quite tasty with one of dishes containing shark.

Sunday we took the high speed train to Toledo which is a World Heritage City with the old city up on the hill overlooking the modern city. Toledo is famous for the old city and also is home to Toledo Steel used in making world famous swords. As we wandered through the old cobblestoned streets were bit surprised by all the stores and of course they had swords of all shapes and sizes with a large number of the swords tourist knockoffs. Something which was really out of character for the old city was a McDonalds which really did not belong. After wandering for most of the day we found a small restaurant where we enjoyed a nice meal. I had a home made beef stew and a jub of local Sangria.

From our time in Madrid a couple of things stand out for me, first the amount of restaurants that serve Ham and even some places that only serve Ham. Second and probably what really stands out for me was how rude people seemed to be and how pushy people were and I mean physically pushy. This was not just men, it was men and women young and old. I have spoken to several people who have indicated they have had similar experiences while others who have visited Barcelona and other areas of Spain did not find this to be the case. So I am left with a negative impression and I am not sure if it was something I did or just the luck of the draw. I would like to give Spain another try and hopefully leave with a different impression.

The Kasbah is the fort which once held the Sultan’s place and now consists of homes, shops, the Grand Socco which is Spanish for Souk or market. As we walked through the ancient streets our guide regaled us with tales of famous people who lived in the Kasbah as well as the history of the different peoples that lived inside the walls. There are many influences including Carthage, Romans, Byzantine Empire, Arabs, Spain, Portugal and Britain to name a few. With this many influences the city has many types of architecture which makes it quite unique. As we walked through the narrow streets we passed many locals and saw some facets of their lives. During our time in the Kasbah we visited a Herbalist where we received a lesson on some of the common products the Herbalist creates and what he uses to make the different products. From a natural form of A535 to sleep aids and weight loss with roots, all from natural ingredients. Next we went to a Moroccan Carpet store, which is a Government Co-op of families. What this means is the prices are controlled and all the proceeds from the carpet sales go to the families which made the carpet. So after sometime being shown a large variety of carpets and throws I found a bed spread made out silk and cashmere and decided to take the plunge. After our excursion to the carpet store we continued to walk through the Kasbah ending up in the Grand Socco (Market) where we saw a lot of locals and lots of activity. As we continued our trek Sayed continued to tell stories and give us insights into people and places that make up this historical part of Tangier. After numerous hours of walking we decided it was time to head back to our hotel for a rest before dinner. Upon checking my watch we discovered our tour was almost 7 and half hours long well worth the price. A very enjoyable time with a very engaging host.

After a short rest we headed for dinner again in our hotel in an authentic Moroccan restaurant called Layali

setup to look like a traditional Moroccan tent. We enjoyed a pleasant dinner with music and of course a belly dancer. The next day we decided to take a taxi to the center of the town and walk around the downtown of Tangier. As we walked through the streets we made it to the beach and walked out to the water, as it was a rainy day it was not completely pleasant but I can imagine it would be a nice place when the sun is shining. As we continued to walk we headed in the direction of our hotel with no real plan except to walk and expereince more local culture. One piece of “local” culture we had not intended to visit was the local McDonalds but as fate would have it we decided on a whim to give it try and see what local flavour was available. I decided to try a McArabia which consisted of grilled kofta (beef with spices) and lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and garlic mayonnaise all wrapped in an Arabic style pita bread. While my traveling companion had a Chicken Mythic, a chicken sandwich, he indicated it was ok but nothing to write home about. The rest of the afternoon we continued to walk to our hotel passing the local sheep herd and a group of camels lounging in the field beside the main road. The rest of our day and evening we spent around the hotel and after dinner we visited the Casino and ended the evening enjoying drinks in the lounge.

The next day our final day in exotic Morocco we hung around the hotel until our pickup for the drive to airport. Something interesting that occurred when I entered Morocco the Passport control agent had problems entering my data into the computer and he kept asking me if I was born in Winnipeg to which I answered a polite no as my passport states I was born in Calgary. After what seemed like 20 or 30 minutes (it was about 15 very uncomfortable minutes) he called over his supervisor who asked me the same questions and after another 5 minutes of both of them looking at the computer screen the supervisor waved me through. But the story does not end there, as we went through passport control to leave Tangier the agent started to ask me more questions and then started writing line after line of numbers and letters. Again after what seemed like hours he called over his boss and this gentleman scared me. To describe what this gentleman looked like, think of all those movies set in either Central America or Mexico and picture the guy playing the secret policeman with the mustache and smoking a cigarette. That is what this guy looked like right down to the mustache and smoking a cigarette. After more interrogation I was allowed to proceed and immediately after sitting down my traveling companion said in a very very load voice “Boy were they interested in you” to which I said “Shut up they are still watching me.” Over the next 20 minutes the mysterious gentleman kept looking at me making me very uncomfortable. The call for our flight to Madrid could not have come any sooner. I was able to breathe easier once we were out over the Mediterranean.

After leaving London we headed south to Morocco and Tangier. But first we had a stopover in Casablanca, a place which has held a mystique for me ever since I first saw the movie many years ago. Now I was told not to expect the ambiance of the movie in this modern city so it is just enough to say I visited Casablanca. After a tow hour layover in a very modern looking airport we headed for our next destination, Tangier.

We arrived in Tangier just before midnight on Tuesday and were met by our driver Moustafa who drove a somewhat rusty and rickety Mercedes van. As we drove through the streets of Tangier towards our hotel we tried to ask questions of our driver only to discover he spoke Moroccan and French. So it was in French and using hand signals to communicate. As we looked around the first thing that struck me was with the architecture, plants and the people, Tangier was the exotic place I was expecting. After a long day traveling we headed to bed and a good nights sleep.

We were woken by the phone ringing about 11am and it was Moustafa’s boss asking if we wanted to take a tour that day. As our plans for Tangier were fluid after some quick negotiations we set up a pickup time of about 1:30. This would give us sometime to wake up and get lunch before our tour started. As we were not moble we decided to check out our hotel, The Movenpick for lunch. It turns out there is a buffet offered for lunch and dinner so we decided to give it a try. The lunch was quite tasty and included a few exotic dishes including Rabbit Fricassee and some very tasty desserts.

After we enjoyed a nice lunch we waited outside for our tour when we were approached by a gentleman who was saying our room number, it turns out he was to be our guide. His name is Sayed and he turned out to be quite a character. As we waited for our driver, Mousatfa (our driver from the airport) Sayed gave us a brief overview of what the tour would include. Once Moustafa arrived we were off on the great adventure. First a drive through the city with a running commentary from Sayed about the history of the city and the different inhabitants of the area throughout history. Next we took a drive up to hills overlooking the city including a drive past one of the palaces of the King Mohammed VI After a drive through the hills we headed for the coast of the Atlantic Ocean which included a stop overlooking the ocean. Back on the road we headed to Cape Spartel, where a lighthouse is located. From here we headed to the Caves of Hercules where it is beleived Hercules lived while in Africa. There is an area of the cave which looks out to the ocean and it is a reverse map of Africa. Quite a sight. After our visit to the Cave we headed back to Tangier and the Kasbah for our walking tour.

Ok so it has been a little while since my last post about the trip, life got in the way. Where did I leave off, oh yes I remember we toured The HMS Belfast which was fascinating with a long history which started in 1939 and continued until 1963. We wandered all around the ship and were able to see the different aspects of ship life. Next we went across to the Tower of London and spent several hours exploring the different buildings including a visit to the Crown Jewels. We stopped for Fish and Chips at a stand outside the Tower where we met a young lady from Italy who was visiting London to watch her father run in the London Marathon. After some pleasant conversation and a decent lunch we decided to jump on the tube and head for Big Ben.

Upon arriving at Parliament we discovered due to the marathon a good portion of the streets downtown were closed to vehicles. When else can you walk down the middle of Westminster Bridge and take pictures of the Parliament Buildings. We decided to walk and see the sights. We headed across the river and headed down Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square. along the way we stopped at Downing Street and Horse Guards Parade where the Trooping of the Color is held each year. Next we walked down The Mall and through Admiralty Arch and into Trafalgar Square.

Read the rest of this entry »

Since I was unable to post effectively while I was on the trip I have decided to post about the highlights from each place and include a few pictures to tease while I get the rest of the pictures ready for the web.
We arrived in London about 2 hours late as our flight was about 2 hours late, maybe a pattern but we shall see later. On arrival at our hotel, The London Bridge Hotel we immediately set out in search of a pub for food and a pint. Very soon we determined that most pubs do not serve food on Saturday nights so onto plan B which was find someplace to eat. Soon enough we came upon the aptly named restaurant Fish. Where we had a Fish and Chips meal which included Mushy Peas, an acquired taste I am guessing.
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Upon our arrival in London we had discovered that Sunday which would be our first full day in London, the London Marathon was taking place. As we did not want to compete with the crowds we decided that we would visit the attractions within walking distance from our hotel, the HMS Belfast and the Tower of London. Sunday started out a little grey with the chance of showers expected sometime during the day. We had a full English breakfast in the hotel and then headed out to visit the HMS Belfast a World War 2 cruiser which is a floating museum on the River Thames. As the Belfast was not open we took a walk to the Tower Bridge and discovered the bridge was the 20km mark for the marathon. We joined the crowds and cheered on the runners.

As I get back to life after the trip I have been trying to put together the pictures and the story of the trip. I will over the next several days post about the places we visited and post the pictures into my gallery. But I could not resist relating this story which occurred in Vancouver Airport on April 11th as we waited for our British Airways flight to London which was delayed by 2 hours. As we waited in the departure lounge I had found a spot to plug in my laptop and after a little while of my puttering on my computer a British gentleman approached and asked if there was room to plug in his computer. As there was a spot I moved out of the way and he plugged in his computer and then he moved a few feet away to a seat close by. Over the next 30 -40 minutes I continued to wander aimlessly around the departure lounge and putter on my computer. During my puttering I looked over at the British Gentleman and thought there was something familiar about this man. I looked at the British Gentleman for the next 15 - 20 minutes until he walked over to check on his computer. Once he approached I quietly said to him, “You look familiar” to which he answered ” I am an actor on Battlestar Galactica.” I was speaking with none other than Jamie Bamber who plays Lee “Apollo” Adama on Battlestar Galactica. After quietly speaking for a few moments I asked if Jamie minded if I could get a picture with him. He answered “Of course it would be a pleasure.”

I must say I was extremely impressed with how polite and accommodating Jamie was during the few moments we spoke. A true gentleman.

Paris in the spring time can you ask for anything more? Well do not answer that….Paris is incredible, the post cards just do not do it justice. When you stand on the the top level of the Eiffel Tower you find the view just magnificient. There is so much to see that three days just is not enough time. Louvre is the next stop, time for some more culture.
Hard to believe 1 more day in Europe then the Grand Adventure is over.

Holy Toledo, after a rainy day wandering around the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace we took the High Speed train to Toledo about 71 kilometers south of Madrid. Toledo is a World Heritage City with the old city dominating the landscape with the impressive Alcazar (fort) and Cathedral as the main attractions. While we were impressed with the old city, the commercialization present took away from the ambiance. In other words we did not appreciate the McDonalds in the old city.

Dinner last night was Tapas and Spanish beer while we enjoyed Paella and a very thick and tasty beef stew for dinner tonight. Next comes Paris the City of Lights, and did I mention pastries MMMM fresh bread in the morning, chocolate crossiants mmmm!

Ran into a computer problem, my laptop has decided to take a holiday of its own and stop working. So I am a little behind.

London was great and while we walked our feet off we did get to see lots of great sites and met some interesting people at the same time. We went to see the Changing of the Guard on Monday only to be told it was only every second day so off we went to visit the Churchill War Rooms and the London Eye with a side trip to Westminister Abbey.

Tuesday we jetted off to Morocco and landed first in Casablanca and then flew onto Tanger. Tanger has the exotic feel you would think it has with the right mix of new and old. On Wednesday we spent the day with our driver Moustafa and our guide Sayed who regaled us with tales of old while we visited Cape Spartel, the Caves of Hercules, the Medina and the Kasbah (More tales complete with pictures coming soon). On Wednesday night we ate in a traditional Moroccan restaurant with Moroccan music and of course a belly dancer.

Friday begins our Spanish adventure with a trip to Toledo.

We Made It! The flight was delayed 2 hours but we made to London and had a full day on Sunday. With visits to the Tower of London, with some very interesting instruments of torture and a very informative visit to the HMS Belfast a WW2 Cruiser which saw action in the Korea Campaign as well. After a tradional Fish and Chip lunch it was off to Big Ben and the London Eye. We walked from Westminister to Picadilly Circus and took in all the incredible sites. Having a great time, today is the Changing of the Gurad at Buckingham Palace and Westminister Abbey and a visit to Harrods. More to come!

I just got back from Kelowna where I took Tara to my good friends who will be looking after her while I am away on my great adventure. I find I walk around the house and talk to her only to discover she is not here. Makes me appreciate having her around even more.

Friday is creeping up on us fast. I have been finalizing the packing and looking at the travel sites as I prepare for the trip. It is hard to believe that on Saturday we will be in London visting the Tower of London and enjoying a good pub meal and some beer. I guess as the week goes on it will hard to contain the excitement, I can only hope I get good news on Thursday when I get my next x-ray for my wrist. Say a little prayer for me and send me some good vibes and hopefully I will be able to get rid of this cast.

The plan for London is to spend Sunday seeing the Changing of the Guard, Guards Museum, War Cabinet Rooms, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly Circus. As we want to be flexible we may change around the schedule if we find other things to visit. Maybe a bus tour if the weather is alright and it meets our fancy. Monday we are going to St Paul’s Cathedral, Harrod’s, and a trip in the London Eye. Around our hotel, The London Bridge Hotel is several things we will visit such as the HMS Belfast, Southwark Cathedral and The Tower of London. Oh well 5 more sleeps!

First I have to admit even though I am not liking having a cast I am at least adjusting. Having said that I will be celebrating when I can get this damn thing off my arm.

It is getting close to D day (D stands for Departure), next Friday we wing our way to London. It is hard to restrain my enthusiasm while I make final preparations and start packing for the adventure. Along with the final prep for the trip I am also awaiting delivery of my 2008 VW Touareg. Hard not to be excited about all the good things happening in my life.

I am not going to commit to this but my plan is to try and blog at the end of each day and let everyone know what we did during the day. I will also put up a picture or two.

I cannot believe in 90 days I will be winging my way to London and parts beyond. Lately it would seem all I can blog about is my trip and the subject of conversation I have with most people is when is my trip and when do I get my new truck. Not that I mind talking about both but I kinda wonder if people get a little tired of talking about my upcoming trip. Oh well I cannot help it if everyone wants to know my every thought concerning my trip and what I am going to do. It is funny that a question I get during almost every conversation is where is it I am going on the trip and then they smile. I am not totally sure why but hey I do not mind reminding folks about my trip.

As the time gets nearer more pieces are falling onto place and the more excited I get when I think about what is coming up. I have found a camera bag which I think will work. I have been researching like a madman and I continue to find interesting things to do and see on the trip. At first I thought it would be kinda tough to find a lot to do in Madrid and Tangier but the more I dig the more that pops up. From Madrid a Day trip to Toledo or Segovia looks to be in the books. In Tangier Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules are on the agenda. Still digging and looking for some must-see places to visit. Google is my friend.

So 97 days from today at 8:35pm my great adventure begins as we board a flight to London. It seems so long ago that I received that phone call in August telling me about my great win. I find it hard to believe how fast the time has passed and how soon we will be going on the trip. I have been in planning mode for the last 2 months but now it is coming down to the final stages and making sure we have all the things we need to make the trip proceed smoothly. While I have different types of luggage and was not really in the market for anymore bags I found a really neat roller bag when I was at the Oakley store in Seattle. It has a detachable Laptop bag and has a ton of room. So that is one less thing to think about while I continue planning.

Just back from Seattle and a few days of relaxation and shopping. We stayed in the Hotel Monaco and I must say it was not what I was expecting. From the elegant lobby and the the hardwood on the elevator floors you do not expect the rooms to be so exotic. We stayed in the Mediterranean Suite with pink and white striped wall paper along with the Leopard and Zebra pattern robes this place is not what you expect. Centrally located in downtown Seattle within walking distance to Pike Place Market and the Seattle Convention Center. The service was incredible and along with the friendly staff makes this an ideal place for a little getaway. Oh and there is a Starbucks right next door can you ask for anything better.

Here are some snaps from the plane taken with my Canon Rebel

I cannot believe that I have been working for over 3 months, I heard about my big win almost 4 months ago. The time has just flown by and I have no idea where it went. Oh well enough of my whining know on to the good stuff….I got my itinerary for my trip (Just in case you were not aware I won the Ultimate Search for Bourne with Google Grand Prize Sweepstakes)

So the trip breaks down as follows we start in London and after 4 days and three nights it is off to Tangier through Casablanca, yes I said Casablanca! After 3 nights in Tangier we head for Madrid and some Tapas and wine. Finally we end up in Paris where we will indulge in more wine. When in France do as the French do and drink wine.

Since we are spending three nights in each place we have been planing places to go and things to see as we want to make the most of the time we will have on the trip. Now that I have my trip details it makes it seem more real only 109 more sleeps until we leave.

I went to Victoria this week for business and it was the first really nice day in a while, sunshine and warm, quite unusual for October. The ferry ride over and back was very pleasant….

The last few weeks I have spent a good portion of my free time planning my upcoming trip to Europe and Africa. Every time I relate the story of my Grand Prize win of Ultimate Search for Bourne with Google Sweepstakes I find the reactions to be interesting, I think most people find it hard to believe and then once they digest what I have told them they just look at me in stunned silence and all I can do is smile.

Back to my trip planning, as I research each place I find there are so many places I want to visit. What I have started to do is prioritize each location and the places we have to visit. With 4 days in each place this is going to put my planning and time management skills to the test. Some places that we will visit in London and Paris include Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame. I am still looking at Madrid and Tangier to see what we can visit in each of those places. I know there will be other places in London and Paris we should visit, anyone suggest anything that is something not to be missed? I have just started my research for Madrid so not really sure what to visit when in Madrid. Morocco on the other hand gives lots of possibilities with the city of Fez worth a visit and maybe a trip out to the Sahara (Just to say I visited the Sahara Desert?) So many places and so little time. Even though it is still 7 months away I cannot help but be excited.

Well back to the research!

I just received a CD which I was supposed to get about 2 months ago so I kinda forgot about it but it was worth the wait. I have a very broad range of taste when it comes to music, what I mean is I will listen to pretty much anything depending on my mood. Lately I have been listening to Ska but when I received this CD I could not wait to listen to it. It is called Tuscany: A Romantic Journey and it contains some of the great classical selections. While I was listening to the music I could imagine myself driving through the countryside enjoying the tranquility and beauty of Italy and the music. I guess reading the book A Year in Provence right now has not helped me either. Makes me want to go traveling.

I got my bike out of the shop today so I decided to go for a ride even though it was quite warm today. I rode along the Rotary Trans Canada Trail which follows the Vedder River. The trail is wide enough to ride in comfort and has periodic benches and areas where you can get to the water. Today it was about 35 Degrees Celsius which is 95 Degrees Fahrenheit so I had to stop and dip my head in the cool water. Since this was the first time I have ridden any serious distance and because of the heat I went at a leisurely pace and went about 15 Kilometers by the time I got home. It was very enjoyable and I am looking at maybe going to the Gulf Islands for a day.

I tend to not really do all that much on Canada Day (July 1 is Canada’s Birthday), although when I lived in Ottawa I used to goto Parlament Hill for the festivities. Since I have lived in BC for the last 20 years I have gone into Vancouver a few times over the years and spent a couple of Canada Days traveling around. Normally I just hang around and maybe have a BBQ or spend a quiet day with friends.

I am not a big fan of going away on long weekends as it tends to be a bit crazy if you are traveling especially because this weekend is so close to the 4th of July which is a huge travel time in the United States. So this year again I will be close to home celebrating Canada’s 139th Birthday spending the day with friends.

I found this picture from my trip to California last year and just thought about all the great times we had together. He understands me and I guess we are alot alike. Probably the reason why he is my best bud…..

The picture above is from a trip I took to Galiano Island, it is a picture from a beach we found which had a beautiful view of the channel and another of the Gulf Islands Mayne Island in the distance. Below is the full picture

A little update and for those that do not know, I have been out of work since May of 2005. I spent a little time traveling in June 2005 I went to Calfornia for two weeks. In August I took a road trip to decide if I wanted to move to Eastern Canada so I went job searching in Ottawa and Toronto (Center of the Universe), Ontario. I used to live in Ottawa and my brother and his wife live in Petawawa which is about 90 minutes north of Ottawa. On the trip across Canada I stopped in Winnipeg but it did not appeal to me and then Calgary and Edmonton.

I do not think I could handle Toronto (Center of the Universe), as the size, traffic and probably the winters do not appeal to me. Did I say it was the Center of the Universe. As for Ottawa it has the appeal of my brother being nearby and Quebec is right across the river but it has crappy winters and I did not really enjoy living there previously. Mind you I have changed and I know Ottawa has changed as well.

Winnipeg did not hold much promise as I do not like how isolated it felt to me. I did not feel comfortable and also did not really find any jobs which piqued my interest. Not knowing anyone in the city did not help either.

As for Calgary, the city of my birth, I think I could handle living here even though they have snow. Where I live in British Columbia my winters consist of lots of rain and very little snow. Going to to a place that has snow 6-8 months of the year is a difficult decison. Calgary is also home to my hockey team the Calgary Flames so that is another plus. The city has alot of benefits including a good vareity of jobs. I have dipped my foot in here and had some response but nothing solid yet.

In Edmonton I have the concern with weather, even moreso than Calgary. The biggest benefit to Edmonton is I have family that lives there and my good friend Sean and his family live there now. I have spent sometime job searching here with the intent of moving here if somthing comes up. No serious responses yet but i am still hoping.

It will be a major move for me as I have lived in Chilliwack for 20 years and currently live in a large 3000 sq ft house with lots of stuff (yes I am getting rid of stuff). So any move will be a very traumatic experience and very costly making any decision a very difficult one.

Why do I want to leave Chilliwack after 20 years, well I am single and to be completely honest there is nothing in Chilliwack for me. Don’t get me wrong my friends are great and I love them but they have there own lives and so I might get together with them once a month if that. So I have nothing holding me here and I think in a different place I might have a better opportunity to meet someone who could become my better half.

Wish me luck in my job search and my search for my soulmate.

create your own visited countries map

And Here I thought I had travelled alot. Guess I need to pick it up a bit…Only 8%

I was invited to spend Christmas with my Friend Joe and his family up on the Sunshine Coast. Joe’s Mom and sisters live near Pender Harbor in Madeira Park. I brought Tara with me and Joe and Mel brought Loki their Boston Terrier puppy while Joe’s mom has her dog Maize and his sister has Oreo (who was the biggest dog but not the most aggresive, he acts like a big puppy.). So it was quite an adventure with 4 dogs together and Loki who is not fixed yet was trying to be “friendly” with the other three. It took a nip on the nose for Loki to realize he could play with the other dogs without having to aggressively sniff at their butts.

We had a nice quiet visit and Tara and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Good food and good company. The drive home took longer than expected as we had to wait two and half hours for the ferry. One of the pitfalls of requuring a ferry to get around.

A big thanks to Pat (Joe’s Mom) and his sisters Tonya, her husband Eric and their daughter Saoirse, Shannon and of course Joe and Mel for inviting me and for their hospitailty.

Sunshine Coast,Christmas

My friend Sean moved up to Edmonton in September to run a Booster Juice franchise. He found a place to move into and needed his stuff moved up to Edmonton from Chilliwack for the beginning of November. I volunteered to drive the truck up to Edmonton on November 2nd. I rented a 5 ton truck from National Car Rentals. The drive was quite the experience as I have never driven anything that large before. So the trip began with a loading last Tuesday night which took about 5 hours. I left on Wednesday and drove all day finally stopping in Jasper as the weather was starting to turn toward snow and darkness fell. We had a nice quiet evening in Jasper then we started out on Thursday and made it to Edmonton by 2:30pm. We then unloaded which took us about 6 hours. I spent Friday recovering and we needed to drop some things into storage after which I had dinner with my family. The trip back on Saturday was quite uneventful and I made it to Kamloops before dark. The drive down the Coquilhalla was quite interesting as it was snowing and the road was covered in snow and ice. Normally I am quite comfortable driving in snow but with an unfamiliar vehicle it was a little slow going. We made it home and while I was quite tired I was glad to help out my friend.

One thing I have determined is I definitely do not want to go into the moving business I have gained a new respect for anyone who moves people and drives trucks for a living.

When it was all said and done Tara and I had traveled over 15000 kms on our trip. It did not seem like that much but the Odometer does not lie. On the trip we passed through 9 States on the way out and 8 states and 4 provinces on the way home. It was lots of driving but well worth the trip and gave me lots of time to think about things.

Thanks to everyone who allowed us to visit and stay with them. We enjoyed ourselves and I am still amazed at how well Tara traveled and got along with all the animals, cats and dogs we encountered. She is just happy being around people and does not mind spending time in a vehicle. I am glad I decided to drive and bring her with me.

We visited alot of different places and had lots of adventures, I guess as soon as I come down from the trip I will figure what is next.

Pictures will be up soon.

I left Sandusky, Ohio on Sunday Sept 11 and headed west. I made it to Chicago at about 3pm and decided to stop and have a look around. As soon as I opened my door I realized it was very hot, the temperature was 95 degrees and with the humidex it was over 100. I went to let Tara out and she would not get out of the truck, she is smarter than me. I had a look around but did not stay in Chicago too long as it was very hot. I continued on to Wisconsin and stopped for the night at Eau Claire at a rest stop. It was so hot I had to turn on the Air Conditioning several times throughout the night to stifle the heat.
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As I drove through New York I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the price of gas $3.49 a gallon. The good thing was as I headed west the price of gas dropped. One thing I was not prepared for was all the toll highways that exist in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. My grand total to travel the toll highways was $16 not a bad way to pay for the roads and probably less of a hit on taxes. I arrived in Sandusky, Ohio on Friday night and found my hotel then went on a recce of the area so I could find my bearings to get to Cedar Point on Saturday. Sandusky is a small city situated on Lake Erie. I had checked on discount tickets to the park and was going to get them from a local Grocery store when I decided to goto AAA to see if they had and tickets for sale. Well I saved over $10 off the regular admission by going to AAA. Thanks AAA!

Got to the park as it opened at 10am and took Tara to the Pet Center (Since this is a Snoopy park the pet center is his Dog house.) The Pet Center is air conditioned and the security is pretty tight. I felt secure in leaving Tara in there that she would be alright. I went into the park and found out 1 of the rides I wanted to go on was closed the Dragster but everything was open. The park was not too crowded but it was starting to get really hot so standing in line even for 10-15 minutes was a bit of a pain. I was a little surprised at how the park was laid out as it was a bit confusing to find some the entrances to some rides. I went on 10 Roller Coasters and the wildest one was Mantis a stand up coaster. I could not walk after coming off of it as my legs were rubber so of course I had to go on again. Also went on the MaxAir which looks very innocent until you get on, it takes 50 riders at a time and you spin very quickly. Also went on Demon Drop which lasts about 8 seconds short ride but exciting.

I went several times throughout the day to visit Tara and she was ok…not happy but ok. I had a lot of fun and definitely will return as the rides were a blast. Excellent park with great variety of rides and attractions. Oh and the weather well it was sunny and 85, an incredible day for riding the Roller Coasters!

I left Petawawa on Sep 6th and headed for Toronto, I was planning on visiting my friend Lucy’s family while in Toronto. Two of her sisters have new babies so of course I had to stop by for a visit. I had a nice visit with all the folks and met the two adorable babies.

Stayed a couple days in the Toronto area and then headed to Niagara region to visit a couple of Wineries in the area. I visited Coyote Run, Kittling Ridge, Flat Rock Cellars and Creekside Estate. All very nice and quaint , not the same as the Okanagon Wineries, not bad just different.

Next I headed across the border to head to Ohio and Cedar Point,

Went to Belleville on Monday August 29th to visit my friend Ja Mac (also known as Jason MacIntosh) we had a nice visit and during the day I went to Prince Edward County and visited 4 of the local wineries. Even though the wineries are relatively new to the area and area building their reputations they each had some unique wines and all that I tasted were very good. Purchased a couple of bottles to enjoy later.

I spent two days in Belleville and had intended to head toward the Niagara area to visit some of the wineries in that area but decided that since my route home will take me that way I would take the northern route back to Petawawa through Barrie and and Algonquin Park.

I made to Barrie about 3pm and was heading into a parking lot to stop for a bite to eat when my coolant from my radiator blew all over the front of my vehicle. I checked it out and what happened was….when I had an oil change completed the previous week at the Pembroke Canadian Tire they did not put the Radiator cap back on properly almost causing a near catastrophe. It was extremely lucky that I going slow and in a major center when this happened. If I had been on the highway I can only think how bad it would have been. I am extremely lucky but completely pissed off at Canadian Tire in Pembroke for the shoddy workmanship. “They will be hearing from me”

After the scare we made it back to Petawawa on Thursday and went camping for the long weekend on Friday to Driftwood Provincial Park. It is a nice quiet park on the Ottawa River with lots of trees for shade and a nice beach area. This week we head to Toronto for a visit with friends and then next weekend I am heading to Sandusky, Ohio to Cedar Point My good friend reminded me about the park and the rides so I could not go by and not visit.

I will let you know what I think of the park once I have tested all the rides.

I visited Montreal for a couple of days, it seems every time I go it is the middle of Winter and I am freezing my butt off trying to enjoy what the city has to offer. This time I decided to go in the middle of the summer and enjoy myself. The weather was beautiful even though it did rain on the first night I was there it was still nice.

My Hotel was in the Latin Quarter so their was a lot of restaurants and clubs just steps away. I enjoyed some good food and found a little club with some live music. Did I say Quebecoise ladies are friendly, well they are friendly. met a couple of nice ladies who were very friendly especially when I told them I was from BC. : - P

On Wednesday I went to Schwartz’s Deli MMMMM Delicious and unforgettable. It was sooo good I went back on the Thursday as well. And don’t forget the pickle.

On Thursday a major section of Saint Laurent Blvd was blocked off and the merchants bring their wares and food onto the street. Lots of great smells and lots to see. Also saw the Just for Laughs Museum.

A good trip and the smoked meat was delicious!

The drive across the country was quite relaxing and I did take sometime to be a bit of a tourist. I was most impressed with the area around Coeur d’Alene Idaho the lake and mountains were beautiful. Once you get to Montana the scenery becomes quite flat and is pretty the same.

The first night I stopped at a rest stop near Missola, Montana, the Rest Stops in the US have the right idea they are designed for someone to stop and sleep for a couple of hours instead of driving while you are tired. They have clean bathrooms, they are situated about 50-70 miles apart, well lit with plenty of parking. The second day I took a slight detour to Helena Montana and checked out the State Capitol and a statue called the Our Lady of the Rockies, which was built up on a mountain to overlook Butte, Montana and the valley. I stopped the second day just over the North Dakota border at a nice little place which was very quiet and had a nice area for me to sit and enjoy the natural beauty. Not too much happened on Day three as we progressed through North Dakota, although I did find a small winery which makes fruit wines. The Maple River Winery in Casselton, ND, make some unique wines including Apple Jalapeno. My Favorite is the Rhubarb wine tastes like Rhubarb pie. We ended day three in Minnesota near St Cloud.

On Day four we found a Factory Outlet that had in excess of 90 stores so I decided to stop and have a quick look, needless to say my quick look took about 4 hours. Found some interesting things and purchased a few things, hey what can I say my arm was twisted! I was still on schedule and if not a little behind where I wanted to be so off we went heading for St Paul/Minneapolis. When we arrived in the St Paul area their was a lot of construction so it was a little confusing and I missed my exit and kept going east when in fact I should have gone north then east. Once I was into Wisconsin I figured out I was going a different route and had to either to turn around or go another way. I chose the later. This would take me to Green Bay and then north to Sault Ste Marie. I figured out if I got close to the Ontario border I would be within 7-8 hours of Petawawa. So I drove until I reached within 20 miles of the border and decided after a short rest I was good to go ahead. I drove to the border and reentered Canada, my first stop….Tim Horton’s of course. The Americans cannot make coffee like Timmy’s does.

Drove for another little while, enjoying my Timmy’s and then called it night. On day five we had an uneventful drive the rest of the way to Petawawa and arrived around 4pm.

Grand total mileage (Kilometerage) was 4765 kms.

More to come….

I am finally leaving on another great adventure. I am starting my journey across the country on Tuesday. I am looking forward to a relaxing drive and look forward to seeing some of the US. I am thinking of taking a drive further south and maybe going to Washington DC or New York.

We will see where the road takes me….I will update the site as my travels progress…so stay tuned.

Well I have decided I will drive to Ontario in August. I have done some research and found the best route seems to be across the Northern US starting in Washington then going through Idaho, Montana, Wisconsin and Minnesota returning to Canada at Sault Ste Marie. Still deciding whether I will drive straight across the country or stop and play tourist. Not sure what their is to see or do in the states I will be passing through…still looking around.

We have returned from our trip to Los Angeles and we had a great time. We visited the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountains. Most of the rides were great with some being fantastic experiences. I throughly enjoyed the roller coasters in Knotts Berry with the best being the Xcelerator and a close second the Ghost Rider. At Six Flags we went on thirteen of the sixteen roller coasters with the best being ‘X’ and Goliath I thought both were enjoyable, with Scream a close second.

The Disney experience was well worth the trip I was impressed with the Indiana Jones Adventure and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror both of which we went on twice. The Indy ride has allot of the big scenes from the movies including the giant boulder. How were were going to get away from that boulder had me a bit worried. The Twilight Zone ride has you in a haunted hotel and riding up the service elevator this was a very enjoyable ride. Also allot of fun was the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Soaring over California. Also the roller coaster California Screaming was a blast, you get launched straight ahead from 0 to 55 mph in less than 5 seconds. .

Hollywood was much like I remember it, dirty and not too appealing. I did go to Graumans Chinese Theater to see Batman Begins which was a great experience it is incredible to watch a movie in a grand theater with over 2000 seats and a huge screen. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

I will be posting some of the pictures over the next couple of days.

I’m going to California for 2 weeks in the middle of June. I’m looking forward to a nice relaxing time and some fun in the sun.

We are going to visit Disney, it is the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland, I was last there when they were celebrating the 35th. Also going to Knotts Berry Park and 6 Flags Magic Mountains, can you say Rollercoasters!

Using Air Miles to travel there is a great deal with Westjet and Bank of Montreal which allows you to travel on less Air Miles if you have a Westjet Mastercard.

I will be updating as we get closer and also will have plenty of pictures.

I have been browsing a bunch of Travel web sites lately. I need a vacation just cannot decide where to go. Too many places I want to visit just not sure where I can go or what will meet my fancy. Cuba is interesting, another cruise to the Carribbean would be nice or maybe Fiji or Tahiti. The common thread is all of these places are in the tropics. So I guess I want to goto the sun and enjoy the sun and water.

Not sure where yet but just know I need to start planning a getaway.

Maybe a roadtrip…..Not too sure about work, I know I cannot get a long period of time off so I guess I need to figure out a way to do this short term or make a big decision.

Wish I had more time to explore.

I spent the Easter weekend at the The Hills Spa and Ranch at 108 Mile House. Nice place and they have some pretty decent deals as it is between the seasons. The snow has melted so it was quite muddy and a little chilly. They have an indoor pool and hot tubs, although the hot tubs were closer to luke warm.

They have all the spa treatments you would expect, I had a massage and pedacure. Never had a pedacure before and it felt really good. It is nice to spoil yourself every so often. On Sunday we went horseback riding and that was enjoyable. It has been a few years since I was last riding. I think I will go riding more often I miss the tranquilty and beauty of nature hat you can expereince when you go riding.

It was a very relaxing weekend and did I mention the pedacure was great!

I will be travelling to San Francisco during the US Thanksgiving Day weekend. It has been about 12 years since I last visited and I am looking forward to visiting some of the places I was not able to see on my previous trip.

I am looking forward to visiting Alcatraz and wandering through the city at night.

So much to see!

Well I survived Calgary and met a bunch of great Calgary fans. I arrived on Friday and proceeded to Hertz to get my rental car. After waiting in line for about 15 - 20 minutes while 2 couples were being served ahead of me, another Hertz Clerk came along and asked if he could help me. As I had been waiting and I think he was in the back room and knew this he was very apologetic about the wait. So he asks for my info and checks my reservation and keeps looking at his computer and at a paper list and not making eye contact with me. So I start to think “Ah Crap they don’t have a car for me” Finally after a couple of minutes I ask if there is a problem and he says well since I have been so patient waiting to be served he is going to upgrade me. I think cool then he tells me a Mustang Convertible. So I got to drive around Calgary in a White Mustang Convertible. Let me tell you it was pretty sweet.
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I am going on a pilgrimage to Calgary to take part in the celebration and be a part of history. As a long time Flames Fan I am have to make the trip to be a part of the party. My experience has been that Calgary knows how to throw a party so I am looking forward to the festivities. I have a Flames Flag on my truck and it is amazing to see the positive responses I have received from all kinds of people.

Calgary truely is Canada’s team and it is impossible to not want to support this hard working bunch of guys. I will post pictures and stories when I return.

Well I am back and we had a Great time on the Cruise. Cruises are incredible you get to lounge around all day by the pool and get served drinks with all sorts of exotic names. Carnival does live up to the hype of a Fun Ship with all kinds of activites going on all day and most of the night. We spent a good deal of time around the pool and in the Hot Tub. The food is so incredible and the service is beyond belief it is hard to return to everyday life after living the fantasy. I would highly recommend a Caribbean Cruise to anyone it is the only way to travel.

We had two stops slong the way Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

Grand Cayman was quite nice although very British. We went to a place called Stingray City which is off shore and allows you to stand on a sandbar in the clear blue water up to your waist while dozens of stingrays swim past you. It is incredible to see all the stingrays swim past and brush up against you. (They feel kinda slimmy at first) After the stingrays we spent the rest of our stay on Seven Mile Beach which is a stunning white sandy beach.

The Next stop was Cozumel where we rented a jeep and spent the day touring the islan. We visited Mayan ruins which date back to 13th Century AD. Also we went snorkeling in Chankanaab Park, which is a National Animal Reserve. We throurghly enjoyed spending the day driving around the island and seeing the waves crash into shore. I could handle going to Cozumel or Playa de Carman which is on the mainland across from Cozumel and spending more time exploring.

Upon our return to Tampa we spent a couple of days visiting Busch Gardens and riding the 10 (Yes I said 10 different roller coasters) The variety of animals in the park is quite interesting and at the sametime a little sad to see Lions and tigers in habitats and not in their own natural environment. Busch Gardens was extremely fun and interesting to visit but not worth a special trip to Tampa.

I have added some of the pictures from the trip to the Gallery and will continue to add some more pictures over the next few days.

Not that I am counting…. 13 days till we leave. We are looking forward to the vacation and getting spoiled on the cruise. I have been told the food is incredible and the ship board activites are non stop. Dinner and dancing takes on a whole new meaning.

I have been doing some research on Cozemel and Grand Cayman and have found lots of great things to do while we are ashore. I am looking forward to beaches and ladies in bikinis (or not).

Bring on the Tropics!