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The scallop shell: a symbol of the Camino de Santiago
On my last visit to Spain I was fortunate to visit Casa de las Conchas in Salamanca. The facade of this unique building is decorated with 300 scallop shells. The house was built by a knight of the order of Santiago. These knights protected pilgrims walking the long journey to northwestern Spain to pay homage to Santiago (Saint James). The pilgrimage dates from medieval times. Around 813, the legend is a hermit Pelayo followed a trail of stars into a field and discovered the burial place of Saint James, one of the first disciples of Jesus Christ. News of the discovery spread. People from across Europe began to walk to…
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The sage owl
I spotted this owl on my walk the other day. Someone had carefully shaped pieces of bark to form a body, wings and tufts of feathers above the head. Two acorn shells mimicked the distinctive round eyes of an owl. The woodsy owl blended in with its environment. It’s easy to miss. As I looked into its acorn eyes for the first time I imagined the owl thinking “Well, it’s about time you saw me.” You see, I have walked this trail many times and never noticed it before. I only spotted the owl because I had stopped to sit on a stump. Refreshed, I stood up and turned around.…
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Southampton on Lake Huron
Last week my husband and I were on High Street in Southampton. It’s a pretty little street with a few boutiques shops, a bakery and some restaurants. It ends at the clear blue waters of Lake Huron. We were standing outside a historic stone building reading the posted restaurant menu. The door opened and we heard the happy chatter of voices from within. Out came two elderly women wearing red straw hats. One of the women looked as us and declared: “The food is good.” Funny. It was the second time this happened. Earlier in the day, in neighbouring Port Elgin, Ted (a local resident) confirmed “The food is good”…
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An imaginary train ride across Europe
It’s fun to put on a travel mindset and explore at home. It’s been far too long since my tour of Europe in Bronte. Time to unpack my imaginary Eurail pass and map out a route. Why not visit a few countries? It’s so tempting. Distances are short. No border crossings. Like the model train set at the Royal Botanical Gardens (cover photo), I am talking about destinations within the Oakville and Burlington area. We may need to pack our imagination, but the food along this route is real. And tasty. Our first stop is Ola’s Bakery. This traditional Portuguese bakery is located on Speers Road in a nondescript red…
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Road trip to Prince Edward County
There is something different about a road trip with an electric car. There’s the obvious: no fuel. Plus you have to stop at charging stations en route if your destination is further than your range. What I didn’t expect was these charging stops end up as little social stops too. I have noticed, especially at stations with multiple chargers and along the 401 corridor, I inevitability end up talking to other drivers. Most are EV drivers as you swap stories about respective cars and mileages (or to help each other figure out which chargers are working). There are still relatively few EVs on the road in Ontario (about 7.2% of…
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Happiness in a good book
It’s International Day of Happiness today, March 20. This UN designated day aims to raise awareness of the importance of happiness within people’s lives. This year’s theme is be mindful, be grateful, be kind (follow the link for 3 simple steps you can use anytime). One activity that makes me happy is writing (thank you for reading!). Another is reading a great book. Lately I have been enjoying murder mysteries. If you are familiar with the book series by Donna Leon or Louise Penny then you will be well acquainted with Commissario Guido Brunetti and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. What makes these mystery novels so appealing are these noble characters.…
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The monumental dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica
There’s a small keyhole in a green door on Aventine hill. The property belongs to the Knights of Malta (passed down from the Knights of Templar from the Middle Ages, but that’s a whole other story). If you look through this tiny opening, less than an inch in diameter, there’s a peculiar view. Is it intentional or coincidence? We do not know. But what you see is quite clear. There is a direct line of sight to the Vatican: a perfectly framed view of the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica. I did not see this particular view while in Rome. But to see this enormous dome through a miniature window would be…
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The Colosseum
We saw it for the first time walking back to the apartment after our traditional seafood Christmas Eve dinner at Ristorante iClementini. It was around 10:30 pm. Lite up with yellow lights against the dark sky, the Colosseum stood there. Solemn. Impressive. Beautiful. Airy with open rounded arches stacked on top of each other to form the three lower stories. Inspired by the Greeks semi-circled amphitheaters, Romans added the other half to the structure. The result was a 160 feet high, 280 feet long, and 165 feet wide oval shaped monument that could accommodate 50,000 people. The construction of the Colosseum and its 40 feet deep concrete foundation started in…
