It makes no sense: a dry creek is just a furrow, a trench, or a rut. Whatever. Although it doesn't have the high profile of neighbouring Napa valley, Dry Creek Valley is home to some pretty good wineries. We drove in from the coast, and settled in the town of Healdsburg. On the first day, [...]
It was our first non-working vacation since the pandemic started. We flew to California for some hiking, biking and wine-tasting. First stop was the Sonoma Coast, north of Jenner. There was a cold wind blowing at about 1000 kph during our visit to Salt Point State Park. But the flowers were in bloom, and the [...]
It was a good week to be out and about in SW Ontario. And I’m not even talking about the fire, police, ambulance and bomb squad who arrived in the neighborhood on Saturday night to take care of a WWII device discovered around the corner from us. @Etobicoke CreekBirdhouses @Etobicoke CreekHVW + SMB @Etobicoke CreekPrep [...]
Week 2 is not unlike week 1, except I got busy and didn’t take any pictures one day. Quarantine Day 8. Work station upgraded thanks to Don.Quarantine Day 11. FaceTime training session.Quarantine Day 12. Fall mums thanks to Dan.Quarantine Day 13. Best part of Canada. (Not maple syrup, hockey, or the Hip).Quarantine Day 14. We’re [...]
The rules say that if you cross the US/Canada border, then you must self-isolate for 2 weeks. So we are sequestered in a house that is just a few blocks away from our first home in Etobicoke. We left more than 25 years ago. Quarantine Day 0. At the border. Quarantine Day 1. Did the [...]
Heidi and I last visited Maine in the beforetimes (1). We camped at Bar Harbour and at Acadia National Park. Back then, we thought it was a great place. Still do. So we decided to go back, but this time, we stayed in Portland, the city of 66 thousand after which Portland OR is named. [...]
At work, we worry that people are going squirrely after working from home for 4 months. At home, Heidi and I are going (a little) squirrely. So we decided to get away for a few days to a place that doesn’t require quarantine. If you're fond of sand dunes and salty airQuaint little villages here [...]
I know, I know.... two trips to Whistler in one year is so indulgent. So indulge me. Andrew and Isabella came in from the UK. I took a couple of lessons to refresh my skills (only took a pic on one day). Andrew and I had a great time in some pretty extreme weather, and [...]
Just back from a week at Whistler with Mssrs. Allt and Lloyd-Davies. Much fun was had, including the discovery of an ice cave on Blackcomb Glacier that has never been accessible on any of my previous trips.
Apparently, we picked the worst time to visit the Vatican, so had to jostle through the galleries and the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's basilica with literally thousands of others. So it goes. I took one picture of a roped off area that seemed quite pleasant. HVW says I should have photographed the crowds. Next [...]
Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene... William Shakespeare , "Romeo & Juliette" OK so the setting is Roma, not Verona, where we've been for a little more than a day. Andrew has come and gone. But yesterday we saw Isabella and met the Noble household. [...]
Today's adventure was navigating the very steep and very narrow, winding roads in and out of Villa Bordoni, which (for some reason) were much busier today. The highlight was coming grill-to-grill with a large truck in a section of road with low stone walls on each side. The truck driver decided that I needed to [...]
Villa Bordoni in the morning is quite lovely. So is Sienna in the afternoon. As is the Tuscan countryside, late in the day. So, I might have gone a bit overboard with the tilt-shift effect. But I like it.
The weather is meh today, but we have repositioned (ever so slightly) from Florence/Firenze to the Tuscan countryside. Before leaving Florence, we paid our dues by lining up for +/- 1 hour to get into the Duomo. Then picked up the rental car and, thanks to Google Maps, made it to Villa Bordoni without incident. [...]
There is no escape from Lady Liberty. There used to be fire-breathing dogs in Florence. Tempus fugit. Also, we toured Galeria degli Uffizi with our guide Paola, who did an amazing job of keeping us away from the hordes. (Not to mention great insights into the artwork.) And later, we climbed up and down (and up [...]
Here we are. Touring churches and palazzos and dodging the shocking October crowds here in Florence. I am surprised at how many new discoveries are on display. In the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, there are 3 frescoes discovered from 2004 to 2011 behind the frames of other paintings. Restoration took several years so they [...]
For Independence Day we explored some of the history of Gettysburg, Pa. Started with a 3-hour tour of the battlefield itself with Licensed Battlefield Guide, Susan. There is a lot of geography to cover, so she drives your car and explains the history on the move. Extraordinarily informative. And, of course it was the [...]
We spent 24 hours in DC, visting friends Diane and Carlos. Luckily, there was time to visit the Library of Congress, before it started to pour.
Last weekend, I joined up with Phil, Joff and Olga for a couple days of skiing on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence. They get a ton of snow, and the nearby town of Baie St. Paul is charming. The skiing was pretty good too. While we were in La Belle Province, [...]
Here's a couple of pictures from Vancouver, where we spent one night before heading to Whistler. Close as we can tell, the totem is an eagle/wolf eating a small human. We met Heidi's brother, Dan, in Whistler. It was very, very cold (1). We had lots of blue skies, but not a single flake of [...]
