Oh Canada!

This blog is going to be entirely Canadian... and probably about time too given this is supposed to be a Canadian Odyssey!

A few friends have been asking what it was like to be here during the Winter Olympics. I wasn't in Vancouver so haven't experienced the buzz that I know Sydney people experienced in 2000... but it has been fun here too. I was all red and white maple leaf Canadian for two weeks or so....

In a recent survey most Canadians said that they didn't mind how many medals Canada won in the Winter Olympics as long as Canada won the men's hockey gold. It was as though the entire country held it's breath during that final match against the USA. If you don't know what happened it was absolutely spell binding as US equalled the Canadian score 24 seconds before the end of the game. In extra time, when Canada's golden boy Crosby scored, everyone spontaneously sang the national anthem.... and I'd heard it enough times by then to join in! (Told you I was Canadian for two weeks) Didn't ever think you would hear me raving about sport did you!!!?

That night Luke and I went into the city for the festivities... Some photos from that night above and below and yes that's Luke and I with a flag we borrowed in the title of this month's blog. It was good to see how the celebrations crossed all religious and cultural backgrounds. I suppose Hockey is a religion of its own!

So since then?? The big news is that last week Peter legally separated from the business partnership that set up Ici (THE restaurant!). It has been quite sad in many ways and taken a lot for me to come to terms with. The dream, including our own apartment, is not to be. The story, to explain it, is long and complicated but probably occurred because of the year long delay in opening which caused all sorts of financial and other pressures on the partners. Fortunately, they are all still friends, and Peter works with them on various projects... but not from now on as a partner in the business. Ici may open before I leave and if so it will be a bitter sweet experience for both of us.

We are choosing to look on the bright side and see what opportunities might now open up for us... for me certainly in Australia. Hopefully for Peter too (in Australia) but that's not a decision you can make for anyone else and I will actually believe it when I see it!

It has been sad, but just in case anyone is in danger of feeling sorry for me, I'm planning my trip home via Europe (as my around the world ticket lands in Madrid and London) and Singapore. I'm very excited to be seeing most of my family there, especially as four nieces and my brother currently live in UK, Germany, France and Poland, and many of my sisters (sadly not sister Heather) will also be in Italy at that time. I am delighted that I'll be able to spend a few days in Paris for my birthday with Ulrike, Eva and Jun... anyone else in Paris on 18 May most welcome!

But life here goes on of course. Here I am (below) drying the dogs after Peter has washed them in the laundry tub.

We've had some beautiful weather (18 degrees maximum) and yes that is warm for me now, despite what my friend Caron said on the phone, that I shame my Queensland background by suggesting 18 degrees Celsius is warm!

I'm still exercising regularly, helping Peter out from time to time, and completing the course in mindfulness meditation, which has been full on in terms of the time it takes each day. The photo group got together last weekend for a great afternoon of portrait shooting.... eating and drinking. I will really miss this great bunch of new friends.

But days in Canada are now limited and I have to say, unfortunately, I've seen very little of this vast north land. Maybe there'll be time for a trip to Quebec City and Ottawa before I leave. So far the Spring is bringing the buds on trees and the snow drops have flowered in the front garden. Some of the birds that migrated for the Winter have returned and seemed to be very happy to be here going by their lusty bird songs... caught a picture (can you just see it?) of this bright red Cardinal bird singing his/her lungs out a couple of weeks ago.

Always lots more to say... it is lovely having Luke here. He returns to Singapore on 8 April and there'll be tears to mop up after that I am sure. He is an absolutely delightful human being and lots of fun now he's worked out the pleasure he can have teasing me at every opportunity.

Post script: Spring has deserted us! Tomorrow top temperature is expected to be 1 degree Celsius with a low of minus 10! Maybe, just maybe, I'll get more snow before the Winter is finally gone... and I'll get to make that snowman after all!

love and hugs 'til next time

Lindy

Nice to Ice

Well just when you thought I was languishing in freezing temperatures I flew off to Mexico for a week on the invitation of Liz, who had points on her time share to use up quickly... so of course I felt obliged to help out!!! Sadly Peter couldn't join us as he (and about 25 helpers) had 1600 people to feed for five meals in a row plus morning and afternoon teas! Poor man, he and JP worked 40 hours straight without a break while we sunned and surfed at Baja California Mexico. Not fair I know.

Anyway, here is a photo of the marina at Cabo San Lucas, right on the southern tip of the Baja where we stayed in a resort populated by Americans and Canadians (Yanks and Snap Frozen Yanks I've been told). The resort photo of one of three pools as the sun set...

I've never done the resort thing before... and for a relaxing holiday it probably can't be beaten, especially at a place by the Pacific ocean, with Mexicans and whales for company. We did a couple of boat trips, one at sunset and one to see the hapless whales (who are chased by quite a few boats if they as much as raise their backs to get some air) and these were definitely the highlights. One trip included a viewing spot seen below which caught the mood for Liz and I... flowering desert meets the sea.

... and a shot of the humpback whales which it is hard to dismiss in terms of emotional impact despite my guilt. I did seem to notice that if the boats came to see them the whales were unlikely to come to the surface a second time... guess they are used to running the tourist gauntlet.

All the boats travel around the tip of the Baja peninsular past this natural arch (El Arco) that earns more than it's share of tourist dollars for the communities that live nearby... and it is spectacular. (Sisters: note I'm wearing my Christmas scarf thanks to you!)

We also took a bus trip further north to Todos Santos which hosted a cultural fair though was mainly a shopping spot. Sadly for the local shop keepers, not a good season still as the financial troubles in the US have badly impacted on their sales. I did help out though buying a pair of beautiful silver earrings... kind of me I know.

On the return bus trip we were treated to two strange things... first a movie that was so gruesomely violent I had to cover my face and ears not to see or hear it and then a search by police of all the travelling males' identity cards. I read in the paper in Canada a few days later that two major drug dealers were apprehended not far from there a couple of days later. Mostly I was unaware of crime and the locals were quick to tell us that this part of Mexico is the safest... but no doubt it was not far away.

This the quaint thatched (in and out) restaurant where we had lunch that day.

And true to form, cacti everywhere!

Finally, in another nearby town, Cabo San Jose, I caught the gorgeous colours of this restaurant at night... we didn't eat there but bought yummy tamales from a street vendor while we looked at the beautiful restaurant!


But by day El Arco was the place to be ...

Was a bit nervous coming back to Canada (another fingers crossed entry) but again it seems I was easily admitted for another tourist visa. One of the cab drivers in Mexico said it was like going from Nice to Ice for us heading back to Canada and so I had a title for my blog. Just a few houses down from here the locals fill a dip in the park with hose water until it is solid enough to skate and play hockey... so this is definitely ICE!

Now that I'm back in the ice it is cold but quite beautiful when it snows as it did most of today. I really find I have the right clothes and boots and so can go out without worry.

Peter's son, Luke, is home for a few weeks from Singapore so it is fun to have him around. The dogs love the extra company too. Here a walk with Peter and Luke in the neighbourhood earlier this week.

On the weekend my photography group is going out on a 'shoot' again so hopefully I can have some good images of the winter beauty for the next blog.

Other than that I'm keeping fit with gym, yoga and Pilates and yesterday started a Mindfulness Meditation course that I hope might help with the chronic pain I'm still suffering after the last operation nearly a year ago. It really is great to have time for all these things.

One last post on the restaurant which is still NOT open and the apartment above which is also NOT ready! The final two licenses are not through Council. They required architectural drawings of some things that had to be improved as the builder had not done them to standard originally.... as we now discover! Council has to sign off on those changes and then they have to be completed. The dragging out is testing the partners' relationships and also their wallets. Some catering still coming in and a private dinner here and there. It does mean I get to see a lot more of Peter right now but he's not a happy man as you can imagine. Fingers crossed something good will come of it before I leave to head back to Australia!!

love to all

Lindy

We had a week at Baja California... the long peninsular below Tijuana on the west coast of Mexico. Our resort was literally on the southern tip facing the Pacific Ocean. Humpback whales come by in the Winter months to wallow in the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez so we had a box seat watching them swim by every day. Unfortunately for them the water spouts necessary for their breathing alert tourist boats to their whereabouts and there's no time before a dozen or so boats come nearby. I did think though that the whales stayed down under once that happened but not sure if I imagined it.

CHILE!!!

I got to have my first experience of Chile thanks to my sister, Heather, who has been in love with Chile since she visited South America thirty years ago. I travelled with Heather (on her sixth visit) Jack (on his third) but not David who couldn't be with them this time.

Here is a photo of Heather and Jack in the shop that has opened in the small home they lived in for a year four years ago. They have many friends there and speak pretty good Spanish now. I was impressed!

There's too many photos I want to show you so I have posted some on flickr for you to browse if you're interested. I wasn't game to take my good camera in case of loss or theft (for those who know my camera history!).

Valparaiso, where we spent most time, is probably one of the most photographable (a word?) cities on earth so it was tantalising not to be able to try to capture more... it was actually declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 largely because of the beauty of its unique architecture... here a couple of evening view of the houses on one of the Cerros (which one Heather?).

One of the striking things about the architecture is the whimsy ... and care for detail. Outside our window on Calle Templeton was a modest building but the chimney had these faces cut into the metal. This seemed typical of the many arty fun things you see here including some of the murals below... my sister Heather likes to imagine the reaction in Australia if some of these murals were painted on our suburban houses...

There are hundreds and hundreds more but you'll have to go there yourselves to marvel at them. This is really my most difficult blog because I can't really start to do justice to the experience of Chile... of course I just have to express my view of it so for those who know it so much better I apologise. Just one shot of the colourful houses of Valpo, as it is called.

Before I go on I have to say that the inside of the houses are just as colourful or more! See the living room of Denise' hostel and the hallway upstairs!

Of course a constant theme here is the sea. Here the lovely fishing village of Corral, near Valdivia.

This one Qintay near Valparaiso where gruesome whaling took place for many decades... they stopped in 1967 which I thought was impressive, Japan!

Standing by the sea is one thing, getting in another! The water is extremely cold. Jack caught the look on my face the moment I dared to put my feet into the waves, here below.

We ate plenty of seafood, this meal a classic cooked by one of our hosts and good friend Denise. Plenty of shellfish as part of the cuisine, along with avocado and the best strawberries and raspberries I've ever tasted. Took lots of photos of a fish market by the sea in Valparaiso for Peter and not surprisingly they were the first ones he wanted to see on my return to Canada.

Famous poet Pablo Neruda, had three houses in and around Valparaiso and they are huge toursit attractions. What a unique life loving human being he seemed to be. This home in Isla Negra sits by crashing waves, Neruda's boat sitting near the house where he'd take friends for an evening drink apparently as he was too scared (and perhaps too smart) to take it into the sea!

Now as I said I haven't done Chile justice. Here just one shot of a beautiful lake near Valdivia at Choshuenko. And one, just one of a majestic (what else would they be?) snow covered volcano. And yes I did go to a winery and so much more!!!

And now I have to finish because I've run out of time. Today in Toronto it is minus 9 degrees. I am all rugged up and really enjoying the experience, surprisingly, maybe because it is sunny.

There's lots more going on with the restaurant but nothing finalised yet so I'm hoping 2010 actually starts for us soon and there'll be some news for you.

love to you all until next time

Lindy

Christmas Post

Had to start with this photo op with a Mounty Bear at CN Tower... sister Heather and nephew Jack welcome to Canada!

Been here nearly six months but this fortnight I really went to Canada.... skiing (and falling!), snow shoeing in two feet of powdery white snow... eating pancakes and maple taffee and experiencing cold cold days! I realise I must be acclimatising when I look at minus 5 degrees and think that's not too bad! Funny part is that is the maximum for the day not the minimum!!!! If you dress right it seems not to be bearable and Canadians know how to do it... even if we all look a bit odd most days. Loved this scene in the birch trees with the sun coming through and this frozen apple in a tree in Blue Mountain where we skied.

The warm part has been having Heather and Jack so we have been trying to squeeze in two weeks of Canadian experiences. Skiing was definitely the highlight and we were very lucky to get heavy snow and then two days of clear sunny skies though on the last day it got icy and we had a couple more falls on our bottoms which are still pretty sore. Have to get better before I learn to ice skate ... that time I'm wearing a bit fluffy pillow on my behind!

Some snow scenes from our cross country skiing trip... luckily Jack fitted into Luke (Peter's son's) clothes and boots which saved a lot of money for only a couple of weeks outfitting. Jack took to the skiing very naturally and didn't seem to suffer from the falls the way Hed and I have with out older bones...



Beautiful black horses at Blue Mountain...

Jack eating Maple Taffee... they roll out maple syrup on snow and then roll it up on a stick... see the ubiquitous Starbucks sign behind!

My Mongolian Man in his beaver hat!

The really comfortable chalets we stayed in...

Liz and I (luckily Liz knows what she's doing and was a very patient and kind teacher)

Heather and Liz getting ready for a day... always takes so long to get ready with so many clothes and gloves and pieces to remember but it is worth it when you get there...

Finally we are back in Toronto for a week.... visiting other Canadian icons such as the CN Tower (was the tallest structure in the world until recently) where Jack and I walked on the glass floor and Hed squibbed!

Well that's about it... except taking a chance to wish you all a Happy Christmas.... in Australia, Japan, USA, Germany, England, France or wherever!!!

Much love til next year

Lindy