-
Hiking in Catalonia from the Mediterranean sea to mountain tops
We were greeted in Barcelona train station with loud chants, shrill whistles and a sea of flags. Flags with red and yellow stripes and a white star on blue triangle. My husband and I had landed in Barcelona a mere hour earlier so we weren’t yet familiar with the flags, but it looked similar to the Catalan flag. Surely we hadn’t stumbled upon an independence rally? The autonomous community of Catalonia, with its own language and traditions, has pushed for independence in past, inspired in fact by the Québec sovereignty movement. But this movement was not still alive today, as far as I knew. When we finally made our way through…
-
Increase the Awesome
I now recognize the distinctive boisterous chatter of a group of flying swans. It’s my cue to look up to the sky. If I happen to be outside at the right time, I may experience this phenomenon once in a winter. It’s rare. Well, I got very lucky on a sunny day this March break. Against the blue sky I saw not one, but two, large V-shaped formations of swans sailing by. Two “wedges” of swans. Together there were at least 50 birds. I watched the flock glide in unison across the sky until they were out of sight. Awesome. Truly awesome. When the feeling of awe hits me I…
-
Letters from across the Atlantic
In 1966 my parents travelled around Europe right after getting married. They purchased a beige VW Beetle direct from the factory in Wolfsburg Germany and embarked on their “four-month motor tour of Europe”. I only heard tidbits about this trip over the years, like their $5 a day budget or the Iberian cowbell they purchased that signals dinner call at the cottage, but overall not a lot. I was aware of the trip. That’s about it. Even for my mother, most details were long forgotten. But apparently not lost. Sorting through my father’s belongings, we discovered my Dad’s little green travel journal and my Mom’s letters to her parents. A…
-
Making snow angels
My husband caught me in the act. I didn’t think anyone was watching. It was a snow day. Schools closed. My scheduled work drives cancelled. The storm had brought 30cm+ snow over night. Perfect conditions for making a snow angel. Pure joy. When I came inside the house he showed me the photo. I always liked making snow angels as a kid, I tell him. It’s been a few winters. I wear my snow pants now for extra warmth, not for playing in the snow. It’s hard to resist however flopping down on a good layer of fresh fluffy snow. Swish swish. The weekend brings another winter storm. Snow falling…
-
Warm memories of Mexico
It’s been cold this winter. Polar vortex cold. So when I stepped into Nostalgia Latin Market on Kerr street, it was a wee escape to the tropics. Two women were talking in Spanish. Shelves full of Mexican canned good, spices, dried chiles, and other interesting looking products. Fresh made tamales cooling in a basket. I left with some chicken tamales and salsa verde, and knew I would return. On another visit I started talking to the convivial owner. He tells me more about some of the unique Latin and Mexican products he stocks. They offer cooking lessons too. I ask him where he grew up. “Guadalajara, though I spent a lot of…
-
For the love of snow
Did I tell you I love snow? Well, I do. I love it. I get so excited when I feel the cold fluffy snow under my paws. And guess what? We have snow this winter! The snow is good for tobogganing. But I leave that for the kids. I can go fast enough all on my own, thank you. No equipment required. My family seems to slow down on snowy paths. Not me. The snow is my turbo speed. I went to this long snowy beach the other day. I really picked up some speed. It was exhilarating. I was bouncing. Jumping. Spinning. Some two legged people asked my family…
-
A tree-topped delight
Tweet tweeeeeet. I heard the loud tweet before I saw the bird. The chirp was insistent. Urging me to look up. The bird was perched on the peak of a blue spruce. 40 feet high or more. It was standing on the top branch that juts straight up. The tippy tippy top. Like a star on top of a Christmas tree. I stood and watched the bird shriek at the top of its little lungs. It looked like a blue jay, but grey, though it was hard to discern from my street level stance. Luckily he was a noisy guy. Otherwise I would not have glanced skyward and noticed this…
You May Also Like
Disconnecting at the cottage
Spotting painted rocks
Delightful things about winter
-
Olé! Olé! Olé!
My wife, my daughter, and I went to Montréal the weekend before Christmas. The highlight was Saturday. After a quick shopping spree on Rue Ste. Catherine, we had a late lunch at La Binerie in the Plateau Mt. Royal. This 20-year old restaurant serves traditional Québec food. We had meatloaf with mashed potatoes and baked beans chilli. But the best was smoked meat poutine with enormous cheese curds. We finished with tarte au sucre (a butter tart the size of a pie) and pudding chômeur (a sponge cake doused in caramel sauce). We then made our way down Rue St. Denis and saw a few spots where I used to hang…
