tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966446355722084942024-03-27T18:53:24.009-05:00Beyond the Gentle Island: A Retired Wander's JourneyOur retirement journey: a continuing search for a new life with less work and more fun. A gentle life...from the "Gentle Island" of PEI to the the big wide world..PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.comBlogger405125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-53324312977851702362024-03-25T14:54:00.003-05:002024-03-25T14:59:34.390-05:00Comuna 13 - from terror to triumph<p><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the community where Pablo Escobar really came into himself. It was a ragtag slum of dispossessed people that fell victim to the corrupt governments of the 1950s. Desperation was one of the building blocks and this inevitably led to crime, gangs and utter lawlessness. The government turned a blind eye after razing the area a couple of times and let the area develop "off grid", meaning no services or utilities. This seems to be how Escobar endeared himself to the citizenry originally. He finagled a governmental position, giving him a veil of legitimacy, that oversaw the comunas in Medellin and it introduced him to the poor and desperate people of the city. He poured in cash (both illicit as well as government backed), ensured "protection" and calmed the simmering cauldron of terror - well, removed competitive threats, at least. You wouldn't have wanted to cross him, to be sure.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsz2mnDEHnTjet3xIumRiMN6T6PtFUtOxx0rS88PBb9BmdWaqykP1flZXXmirsP6JUdJs3h7Zr9oS8CWCFvhdI4ft8L_sCxEWONJbsYXCEa4IqSbq42h3YgakN9M0qTti7ClL9lMbkoSqDQEwPYrDLQRClXGiQ9WHpe9s5PBrVtVH0zaa1YenboqPi1odu/s4032/20240307_103009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsz2mnDEHnTjet3xIumRiMN6T6PtFUtOxx0rS88PBb9BmdWaqykP1flZXXmirsP6JUdJs3h7Zr9oS8CWCFvhdI4ft8L_sCxEWONJbsYXCEa4IqSbq42h3YgakN9M0qTti7ClL9lMbkoSqDQEwPYrDLQRClXGiQ9WHpe9s5PBrVtVH0zaa1YenboqPi1odu/s320/20240307_103009.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Escalators heading up the steep hills<br />of the Comuna</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeITEJ0GUNEmB0tYa0AMPj9OHebl5O4P3jeXxo7AVcPh23b0uDTrQGNE1slmXJS4h5pBNMv8M98GIJ8AmK8D4lgg2aCyitM2p2svfsc4txZ68LKzSaAh_Pt_fWDwgsN_oTp2i3mpgGkSi5rrISSjjmVwEKOFPdlpqDDbVK7AAzd0ut9LeSDNJgIVuWtek/s4032/20240307_112303.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeITEJ0GUNEmB0tYa0AMPj9OHebl5O4P3jeXxo7AVcPh23b0uDTrQGNE1slmXJS4h5pBNMv8M98GIJ8AmK8D4lgg2aCyitM2p2svfsc4txZ68LKzSaAh_Pt_fWDwgsN_oTp2i3mpgGkSi5rrISSjjmVwEKOFPdlpqDDbVK7AAzd0ut9LeSDNJgIVuWtek/s320/20240307_112303.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqEsj1QdzesXTozV2szhiReavWWnSjxkIgEVhp9pkUZgj-SMHP-_rJbhzaz5b2nRjj7F_eq9AZ7TowrC6FB3-IOY8yQBaQnAIiZthRKnyariwVpKoB4MvFCmZ4al9cbUlph0QA51OxTh5FHONXcPt9KKNqNq_B6XW7PjAeKdD9sxCYuvsgVP31Hro_d8c/s4032/20240307_112619.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqEsj1QdzesXTozV2szhiReavWWnSjxkIgEVhp9pkUZgj-SMHP-_rJbhzaz5b2nRjj7F_eq9AZ7TowrC6FB3-IOY8yQBaQnAIiZthRKnyariwVpKoB4MvFCmZ4al9cbUlph0QA51OxTh5FHONXcPt9KKNqNq_B6XW7PjAeKdD9sxCYuvsgVP31Hro_d8c/s320/20240307_112619.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Finally, as the war on drugs spiraled</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> out of control, all of the murders, drugs and violence became too much for the residents and they decided to say "No more." It was a bold move. Especially in the face of well armed guerrillas and cartels. They focused on art, music and strength of community. There's a great rap culture in the area and it's vibrant with murals. The government finally took note of the changes in the early 2000s and invested some money to make the area more attractive to tourists.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqp-_heSAe0AG32Meht20y1HiRcKWLiw5-eD7yOf0VHKG1_xFR6GTupoWGwttHpV_mVNDQ2T2sa0bSAM4K5pRBkkaP9f7vwO0o_7WfHPUbLKq9A-wuo3JpSiZDY5o0_uwSGQj6kb2Z52UN4jJ2spxclRSDCG2cmRP2ds6mHAWYRWSknTKWtz-o8QGjk-Rc/s4032/20240307_103317.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqp-_heSAe0AG32Meht20y1HiRcKWLiw5-eD7yOf0VHKG1_xFR6GTupoWGwttHpV_mVNDQ2T2sa0bSAM4K5pRBkkaP9f7vwO0o_7WfHPUbLKq9A-wuo3JpSiZDY5o0_uwSGQj6kb2Z52UN4jJ2spxclRSDCG2cmRP2ds6mHAWYRWSknTKWtz-o8QGjk-Rc/s320/20240307_103317.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX2EObmqXR-3koWj2UYyVHxn4RgEoN-o-uOyY_wZVYxAMwxMNSPCz2l97jOsOgj8UOBCMB20NMCrzHteyipL1yEpMTSi7gbNsQopLC9fZFS5T3uShpezFWksr3R5vulkFfm7EApCES4xurPOZEub2FhJTO-Od7uhvdXND8sVXq3IlHwkFAXekBz_2bCl2/s4032/20240307_105830.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX2EObmqXR-3koWj2UYyVHxn4RgEoN-o-uOyY_wZVYxAMwxMNSPCz2l97jOsOgj8UOBCMB20NMCrzHteyipL1yEpMTSi7gbNsQopLC9fZFS5T3uShpezFWksr3R5vulkFfm7EApCES4xurPOZEub2FhJTO-Od7uhvdXND8sVXq3IlHwkFAXekBz_2bCl2/s320/20240307_105830.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIySe0XjNVf8oAZrsw2XuAEAEYGrlSAp1nGwg-1gnzMe9tIVazYcbayp2oaG2P9iqvFV5UCITyN0hfXk43_RypNBtdQ67EMFWX6_noUQ5A_lSq5ARoDt5QytGHjTJZLRv0fWugFmnj_MxdWBE_SQoHlk-k5sTKOGCp6rFkLBSSd_L85Nimegds8OITQ9i/s4032/20240307_105739.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIySe0XjNVf8oAZrsw2XuAEAEYGrlSAp1nGwg-1gnzMe9tIVazYcbayp2oaG2P9iqvFV5UCITyN0hfXk43_RypNBtdQ67EMFWX6_noUQ5A_lSq5ARoDt5QytGHjTJZLRv0fWugFmnj_MxdWBE_SQoHlk-k5sTKOGCp6rFkLBSSd_L85Nimegds8OITQ9i/s320/20240307_105739.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">While the houses seem small, and are stacked up a precarious hill, there is little remnant of it's bloody history, except for the odd reverential picture of Escobar visible through a window or doorway. The people are welcoming and the Comuna has a festive air to it, like at any moment a neighbourhood party could break out.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz6HIFSUlEsOOmqHCiDybPJFVl7KAtH11mNNZEYMFOIYLSis0waYnVuuoUd78IxHWvA30FrBmNteionDtor3w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">View from the upper reaches of Comuna 13</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwKNMv9gkSItMN3DDBHJbeh4JUDO_x9NL7CoHU9pNj7fKLo4bjDRXCxnX5pAXEKO-u6dX5ZQKDpSTAOvDq74Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Fun way to get back down the hill</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">It's a pretty dramatic testimony to the will of people with a common cause, no matter how tired or scared. It gives hope for the future.</span><p></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0San Javier, Medellín, San Javier, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia6.2556509000000009 -75.618626499999991-22.054582936178846 -110.77487649999999 34.565884736178845 -40.462376499999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-8552604172376800672024-03-25T14:41:00.001-05:002024-03-25T14:57:22.946-05:00Medellin - City of Eternal Spring (Sort of)<p><span style="font-family: arial;">That's the official tag line of the city: "eternal spring". You might be more familiar with the city through TV shows like Narcos which, admittedly, colour the city with a particular light. As to the eternal spring thing, I don't know any Canadian that's going to call 28 & 29 degrees Celsius, "spring", but I guess for a tropical city, they can get away with it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Medellin is definitely different from Bogota. It's located at a lower elevation and a bit closer to the coast, so it has a very verdant vibe, especially in the neighbourhood of El Poblado. (It's super posh, one of the most expensive parts of the city.) It's also amongst the safest, which is why we decided to stay in the area. Add to this the fact that there are heaps of restaurants nearby, in the Zona Rosa and it was a major win for us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The drive in from the airport took about 40 minutes and included a very long tunnel (actually a couple of tunnels) that required a toll. The traffic seems less manic here, but that could just be me, after the pure insanity of Bogota traffic.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_ObHNejGu0MjNTABB60gudmy8NOKjfIgvJDYhqylJ6XvC0JCDsVvz0yHXartTM9v-_DSnD9ZrmvZejaMwSkU7e-fkDNoJ8qaCjb9XT5a86ilGB3VIFUy-BYY_4p9g6wLOkSbteiU3dBck8UELRra_2Wwi0_Bwfn4HVNxay7XstYCZeOdf8IxNKD-iz8q/s4032/20240306_091656.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_ObHNejGu0MjNTABB60gudmy8NOKjfIgvJDYhqylJ6XvC0JCDsVvz0yHXartTM9v-_DSnD9ZrmvZejaMwSkU7e-fkDNoJ8qaCjb9XT5a86ilGB3VIFUy-BYY_4p9g6wLOkSbteiU3dBck8UELRra_2Wwi0_Bwfn4HVNxay7XstYCZeOdf8IxNKD-iz8q/s320/20240306_091656.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hotel entry</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Our hotel is located at the top of a steep hill, just because, near the end of a cul de sac. So whenever we want to head out to find something to eat, we trundle down the hill and then have to hike back up to get back home. (I tried to think of it as a built-in</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> exercise program.)</span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0SKV0fzqOewF9oXnXK-IrQHTuoibg6TqVl03G4jouCj0LFO-8i-KAI34Txt3B5gWxYn-dkAsFjm-7Xxw4gFHK-qgrRsU1qmARJepBFDw7TgCJVHiI3IQgVkkw_t4SyWY8uVASNLQB6ziqQMdV8xV8ImXtohfMMJ2LE1HZCDtC8o0ug-Ph7YQxQTspdaB/s4032/20240305_120745.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0SKV0fzqOewF9oXnXK-IrQHTuoibg6TqVl03G4jouCj0LFO-8i-KAI34Txt3B5gWxYn-dkAsFjm-7Xxw4gFHK-qgrRsU1qmARJepBFDw7TgCJVHiI3IQgVkkw_t4SyWY8uVASNLQB6ziqQMdV8xV8ImXtohfMMJ2LE1HZCDtC8o0ug-Ph7YQxQTspdaB/s320/20240305_120745.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Deceptively quiet Zona Rosa</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdij5m4EkCC__SwB1mKvFvky_fK5XouQLad-y34d7oCvzJ4ul8uongXrtZqh0Ncb5_1y6pCwG_b5loTnNyryL7kiBv_mjLTMaTj4dANzT1sKX-Qj5GcM2eE-fVd4Fbh3U7fG332I5vUeSqUiHdEFz9DXbIkKB1K_HAhYJlSC41a9BqDXlojM0HD2ZCZPD/s4032/20240305_130406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdij5m4EkCC__SwB1mKvFvky_fK5XouQLad-y34d7oCvzJ4ul8uongXrtZqh0Ncb5_1y6pCwG_b5loTnNyryL7kiBv_mjLTMaTj4dANzT1sKX-Qj5GcM2eE-fVd4Fbh3U7fG332I5vUeSqUiHdEFz9DXbIkKB1K_HAhYJlSC41a9BqDXlojM0HD2ZCZPD/s320/20240305_130406.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was still fighting my cold a bit, which was an added strain, but seem to be slowly recovering. That didn't stop us from getting out to see what the heck El Poblado is all about. We trekked down the hill and checked out all the interesting restaurants and goggled at the highrise condos. We finally decided to stop and try a Japanese/Peruvian mash-up that offered excellent sashimi and sushi, plus a nice environment for us to dip our toes into the Medellin culinary experience. We weren't disappointed. (My taste buds were still a bit off, so my margarita wasn't the absolute best, but we can't blame the restaurant for that.)</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbTMCHIzwctPEqbAtxJqBIdRUMuYeI1IIou3qKJA2QACwE733HtAgbgZtIj3G3DWGiDB15OtdacIXC42AjM7nTzv-xGXfObYHZDNzDgrqc_OB9zeSp5VpFwVh-NDUZpKluMoEccHROdPm1aGHFwkqj2y7F91OTZ-3LPiw3bQXKNZcBz3-61NhAdfHPmB1/s4032/20240305_133036.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbTMCHIzwctPEqbAtxJqBIdRUMuYeI1IIou3qKJA2QACwE733HtAgbgZtIj3G3DWGiDB15OtdacIXC42AjM7nTzv-xGXfObYHZDNzDgrqc_OB9zeSp5VpFwVh-NDUZpKluMoEccHROdPm1aGHFwkqj2y7F91OTZ-3LPiw3bQXKNZcBz3-61NhAdfHPmB1/s320/20240305_133036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3SZQhIcB4-BsS04bYT9BfoKKQaNa9FaEDgnm2wYUEfq9hQX-8qZn7VzjqeDYBlaMhvFsVPE1YaRZeGkzaMN699bxBkZMS_xnzvBmrqTvsb1tpXII3j4ZNWIyZiDtPog3H31EIMfYe2hfZlQlWB3cLO1q6ERlZ-5OwXcPbZM_DzovnZRw7yoAGdZeC2AO/s4032/20240305_134710.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3SZQhIcB4-BsS04bYT9BfoKKQaNa9FaEDgnm2wYUEfq9hQX-8qZn7VzjqeDYBlaMhvFsVPE1YaRZeGkzaMN699bxBkZMS_xnzvBmrqTvsb1tpXII3j4ZNWIyZiDtPog3H31EIMfYe2hfZlQlWB3cLO1q6ERlZ-5OwXcPbZM_DzovnZRw7yoAGdZeC2AO/s320/20240305_134710.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">After the hubbub of El Poblado, I was quite relieved to have a quiet dinner at the hotel. We both ordered pasta and were happy with our choice. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The next day we decided to do something crazy: take the metro. Medellin has a pretty famous (for all the right reasons) light rail system and we wanted to head out to Parque Explora - a science park, with a freshwater aquarium and replica dinosaurs. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The aquarium is really the main draw. It hosts displays of all of the Amazonian fish and is one of the largest freshwater aquariums in the world. (Or so I believe.) <br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwO7ZhcYasGQJB8YTxxziV3Jr2p4pZALwQYqEfnKcjtxpnrbxMPvdCLBt4q58ffCTaX5pf-96vTcjVvl_e0Xg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Wvumrphlg7FL0DvvbRYzoQCQL34vft_I9r-znQfE-AXPJ8XNHyKpT4dF77QTpHAiruu7tvtjqVHWJc4v5VyihLV1BH5neAv75Zwm9Hpr8HDHClPjSCv0NkuDjdQfHnKkmOsEuVFcadEjifBnF9NeX-Sd92fdaQitUScoxDiYgGVMbBV55BVN6zfQLOLR/s4032/20240306_104036.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Wvumrphlg7FL0DvvbRYzoQCQL34vft_I9r-znQfE-AXPJ8XNHyKpT4dF77QTpHAiruu7tvtjqVHWJc4v5VyihLV1BH5neAv75Zwm9Hpr8HDHClPjSCv0NkuDjdQfHnKkmOsEuVFcadEjifBnF9NeX-Sd92fdaQitUScoxDiYgGVMbBV55BVN6zfQLOLR/s320/20240306_104036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDbweiomV_57Z_07psk30vjXEiohL0_0V0iAf1awg5hfPD6wMBDBgAUx4lXLsUgRLeOjXNhlrD3j4BUm36a4QcN3ugswfbrgBEH_AtGz99pno-qwcj6F9R3XGDOWpoJJ7ADRUI2898f-ybMnI-_U99PEhtiWVzWIkNY2nFWo9iw5fuakv_nY81-H5dcu7/s4032/20240306_104040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDbweiomV_57Z_07psk30vjXEiohL0_0V0iAf1awg5hfPD6wMBDBgAUx4lXLsUgRLeOjXNhlrD3j4BUm36a4QcN3ugswfbrgBEH_AtGz99pno-qwcj6F9R3XGDOWpoJJ7ADRUI2898f-ybMnI-_U99PEhtiWVzWIkNY2nFWo9iw5fuakv_nY81-H5dcu7/s320/20240306_104040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivm9gsr7d2lejSOZANuAul6pz1_MlxESmadgI8AJztJMheMBVUty2zsiBOIoW1wXNK61_zXT_G0CqBaQa52z66bDj9DduXJmgV75SmeKuJ7EZfYwbrquu8TB9YKtl1QMHUEIgXo8STDAXOrjVluMGDl1UAlR-jag9gde7TQzGiC-nXvsZ2vW_aqUk5Upob/s4032/20240306_105252.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivm9gsr7d2lejSOZANuAul6pz1_MlxESmadgI8AJztJMheMBVUty2zsiBOIoW1wXNK61_zXT_G0CqBaQa52z66bDj9DduXJmgV75SmeKuJ7EZfYwbrquu8TB9YKtl1QMHUEIgXo8STDAXOrjVluMGDl1UAlR-jag9gde7TQzGiC-nXvsZ2vW_aqUk5Upob/s320/20240306_105252.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, and I saved Ron from being devoured by a Tyrannosaurus Rex...that's me, a big hero, sacrificing myself so others could live.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9QKUW7jO0bcI62-Jy4ahIW2KlIbTIIv0L6YKDkP_yG5v21Xhyphenhyphenkj672g7kGgEi_cNzVvGkp1n2oMfk1VUDEnC3H_sfpI_Kroqckh4qgwBCtJsVawqIcTc61PECwUyBQq5vzhTTyN8KQVnyG7x7iE2Qnc4ypevESxdB61tgGfq-uJ8ZRlZ6jxbW6Er9l_o/s4032/20240306_110320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9QKUW7jO0bcI62-Jy4ahIW2KlIbTIIv0L6YKDkP_yG5v21Xhyphenhyphenkj672g7kGgEi_cNzVvGkp1n2oMfk1VUDEnC3H_sfpI_Kroqckh4qgwBCtJsVawqIcTc61PECwUyBQq5vzhTTyN8KQVnyG7x7iE2Qnc4ypevESxdB61tgGfq-uJ8ZRlZ6jxbW6Er9l_o/s320/20240306_110320.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwhhT1w-lNRDBNmVOuN8cgpqo2LT9l8u0X0uj8bkoXsad1sJpF6QTd0S0n5ovz558hEg7Bsihf3ScCdJgkByZBaYLQjftWjCrhIxTMFoyMwqzA32KSeRuFqQR42dQEGPMRVV_Rn0RyiCWGNiOlV0D92OWir_AtSkp8O4nRXQTetkk01DWJbzMhbTYOvFa/s4032/20240306_110210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwhhT1w-lNRDBNmVOuN8cgpqo2LT9l8u0X0uj8bkoXsad1sJpF6QTd0S0n5ovz558hEg7Bsihf3ScCdJgkByZBaYLQjftWjCrhIxTMFoyMwqzA32KSeRuFqQR42dQEGPMRVV_Rn0RyiCWGNiOlV0D92OWir_AtSkp8O4nRXQTetkk01DWJbzMhbTYOvFa/s320/20240306_110210.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Since the botanical gardens are right next door, we stopped there as well. We had to show ID to get in, but there was no cost, which was a pleasant surprise. The main entry, that usually houses their orchid exhibits, was a really interesting structure that had a Zen feel. The only down side was that most of the orchids were MIA.</div></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhN1fPq75014gjDAU7ZLiono69A5EVINgNj3mZ347yuDj93Yrr1ekj9gcZ22dbS81BDRv73JGYiwlmfS6Gc8cWnNG8xpttuNaXAYhXQ_ngupzKY8Y9IyqjuY7uLxb5J65wMuGZQDhnovXZA6UXwUKP1cEucQE1UXcryPx926X-d45OaMIZYyCA3vpO6o-/s4032/20240306_112728.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhN1fPq75014gjDAU7ZLiono69A5EVINgNj3mZ347yuDj93Yrr1ekj9gcZ22dbS81BDRv73JGYiwlmfS6Gc8cWnNG8xpttuNaXAYhXQ_ngupzKY8Y9IyqjuY7uLxb5J65wMuGZQDhnovXZA6UXwUKP1cEucQE1UXcryPx926X-d45OaMIZYyCA3vpO6o-/s320/20240306_112728.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjq4wQQHovgV2PcB_6bWdNs5HJz8SsVBwZpYFkEiQleRWDMsQX839m0jhMVowftW1AdNvwjMsO5dqmoJHuxc_UFY-aaM0RUPEjNgzhw2SgHDkfPRa0BEP0MGBgxO48bw_RRfl3LStZp5Jmk8VbQNtR7aXufYFa1XuvK2uQLqoExMBVcEMK-NeDze7ljqF/s4032/20240306_112800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjq4wQQHovgV2PcB_6bWdNs5HJz8SsVBwZpYFkEiQleRWDMsQX839m0jhMVowftW1AdNvwjMsO5dqmoJHuxc_UFY-aaM0RUPEjNgzhw2SgHDkfPRa0BEP0MGBgxO48bw_RRfl3LStZp5Jmk8VbQNtR7aXufYFa1XuvK2uQLqoExMBVcEMK-NeDze7ljqF/s320/20240306_112800.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjtRytX4uVF0tFmCEwP2bFIsEtl2qNJpFgoG7caR7B8a7jtaa85Bf3kCmr3hMUL10YeqqxpGZlGjS58Lvqvsee7lCjMBAd8hyphenhyphent2p_YAxiwBRI8cAScWL_F686IpG6g0KDSHzi54s0TQJ3jcWIfa80pOLTR_244SkmQbnAkMOMqYNxzUgPmmVgOu4_qDB7/s4032/20240306_113650.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjtRytX4uVF0tFmCEwP2bFIsEtl2qNJpFgoG7caR7B8a7jtaa85Bf3kCmr3hMUL10YeqqxpGZlGjS58Lvqvsee7lCjMBAd8hyphenhyphent2p_YAxiwBRI8cAScWL_F686IpG6g0KDSHzi54s0TQJ3jcWIfa80pOLTR_244SkmQbnAkMOMqYNxzUgPmmVgOu4_qDB7/s320/20240306_113650.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Teddy and me posing with the huge roots<br /> of this tree</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiCcqeLvdGg8alwGdncHJwdFw8BFjhnVUH1VYo0VEK7tuokoGWkGLs3d1dyy0OJ5lIHcGp8h32k3mOkZKqY2JljQ3HsIMnR_eSKz7CW_GbzCuR0pUvV3j3xG9BlipAVJ9EojBdiyk4JRbOAz3hhWHnFWPiBs2ZzPXnEKsqUPGDzDh6DKT2PxGPJataebC/s4032/20240306_114434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiCcqeLvdGg8alwGdncHJwdFw8BFjhnVUH1VYo0VEK7tuokoGWkGLs3d1dyy0OJ5lIHcGp8h32k3mOkZKqY2JljQ3HsIMnR_eSKz7CW_GbzCuR0pUvV3j3xG9BlipAVJ9EojBdiyk4JRbOAz3hhWHnFWPiBs2ZzPXnEKsqUPGDzDh6DKT2PxGPJataebC/s320/20240306_114434.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfg2VGLLWMhYvaqyjwGtjkvsSzdhfN4E5PrkRGiQEAlm-_PYuYB4zqQCdCQ10VrnYQoyxiBNyVcc50v0zz3_D8roO1NR3Jxg9GoeouQ51U1N3uRQKQ4ViEWthoZIeQWXSx1T-Aql2EEd0gUt06oobQ9NpECxFRzyrN5UlsH0ku_mEKLLpxde_cqh9qoBY2/s4032/20240306_114603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfg2VGLLWMhYvaqyjwGtjkvsSzdhfN4E5PrkRGiQEAlm-_PYuYB4zqQCdCQ10VrnYQoyxiBNyVcc50v0zz3_D8roO1NR3Jxg9GoeouQ51U1N3uRQKQ4ViEWthoZIeQWXSx1T-Aql2EEd0gUt06oobQ9NpECxFRzyrN5UlsH0ku_mEKLLpxde_cqh9qoBY2/s320/20240306_114603.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciCba3VXlsonJo56ihQXyrChBv85h6kZlBW0h2-wYsptnsaTU82bBgWU4kpjjHUmBM2N_5gWL8VWpuAO7280FOrFveAjPDaqQFA-OL-i7xa9z2R8lf3T1cVROy9D_RSzM_iohVTVczPU7Y1Jp2_cvZAkrA8aFBGx9BXyzmPnvIboGjJNJEAPDTctXvWjl/s4032/20240306_115205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciCba3VXlsonJo56ihQXyrChBv85h6kZlBW0h2-wYsptnsaTU82bBgWU4kpjjHUmBM2N_5gWL8VWpuAO7280FOrFveAjPDaqQFA-OL-i7xa9z2R8lf3T1cVROy9D_RSzM_iohVTVczPU7Y1Jp2_cvZAkrA8aFBGx9BXyzmPnvIboGjJNJEAPDTctXvWjl/s320/20240306_115205.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">After enjoying both, we stopped in El Centro to visit the Plaza Botero, which hosts a dozen of his bronze sculptures. The energy in the centro historico is frenetic. There are vendors everywhere, each with a megaphone or boombox.They had almost anything a person might want, from underwear to books, jewellery to charging cords. There also seemed to be a lot of working girls in the Plaza and a bit of research told us that prostitution is legal in Columbia. The press of humanity was quite overwhelming, but we still got to see the sculptures before hopping back on the metro and heading back to our own neighbourhood, where we stopped for a quick lunch of tacos - yum.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuzTN7fOLG1eM_A266s5dW5ALaAKb07iEm-2p7TlA88Gx98dkHDtTawPI29syaCCrQCmrYNcd4CNGxa18TzQi2f1Adj39yqcmnNdmFQ9-xl_5L2gl1Dbk8_uacUdhoJQOVKCb0-AL0b-Lg14Ll7ck_BzsKkM8Mr5ds_JKp2Dq0N1TRXTsSW1pawqZ3N7b/s4032/20240306_122250.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuzTN7fOLG1eM_A266s5dW5ALaAKb07iEm-2p7TlA88Gx98dkHDtTawPI29syaCCrQCmrYNcd4CNGxa18TzQi2f1Adj39yqcmnNdmFQ9-xl_5L2gl1Dbk8_uacUdhoJQOVKCb0-AL0b-Lg14Ll7ck_BzsKkM8Mr5ds_JKp2Dq0N1TRXTsSW1pawqZ3N7b/s320/20240306_122250.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tp3VAJCjh0hY4K9IyhGP2fBurGrZlDSO277SBpIyTpqUpbDt1lJQWvBa0DFPC2NaTJkXCbSuBozWEPnbpyenTHUYFqfCdAcXgldBE1c52tMZSn1FKePl2gR9rNWAIbDxXQneAWiLlY30IQFsGDPk86H759w3QHvYMCjEvuwaCicJl0SsmLNKMU0XoMOZ/s4032/20240306_122747.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tp3VAJCjh0hY4K9IyhGP2fBurGrZlDSO277SBpIyTpqUpbDt1lJQWvBa0DFPC2NaTJkXCbSuBozWEPnbpyenTHUYFqfCdAcXgldBE1c52tMZSn1FKePl2gR9rNWAIbDxXQneAWiLlY30IQFsGDPk86H759w3QHvYMCjEvuwaCicJl0SsmLNKMU0XoMOZ/s320/20240306_122747.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxw0nISRFmsjwE15L9Mp-Yc1IZjXwj6AzN8QEjvKBnhcgVVciEdYUBIxR5H1Pig4oTZ2A2cBafyidIOCekj0g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: leftt;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">I then had a very satisfying nap and we finally headed out for dinner at a burger joint, trying to keep our budget under control, after our splurge on lunch the day before. They do make pretty solid burgers in Columbia. As a weird aside, if you want fries you order your burger "francesa".</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFjKinOpD_MVoFYEBdQsB_dk1AnlOoUWpPF6bRSoWhj8dGelVZ39rbTVQsP0S8SFZrph5PyleS5bJLDfy7LvJvTxoVAzIwNXv6-PQ_OhHNiApoQ4Suul2MjCEEHktA_Q3HTXi95J0emRmtEZiWzKhH9Gl4dBAonm-TxkaLit79gt8x6AHTPtfyTH0uluL/s4032/20240306_191324.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFjKinOpD_MVoFYEBdQsB_dk1AnlOoUWpPF6bRSoWhj8dGelVZ39rbTVQsP0S8SFZrph5PyleS5bJLDfy7LvJvTxoVAzIwNXv6-PQ_OhHNiApoQ4Suul2MjCEEHktA_Q3HTXi95J0emRmtEZiWzKhH9Gl4dBAonm-TxkaLit79gt8x6AHTPtfyTH0uluL/s320/20240306_191324.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We climbed back up the hill and watched a bit of TV before crashing and burning. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Up next: Comuna 13<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-80340094951224844572024-03-16T10:51:00.000-05:002024-03-16T10:51:33.166-05:00Columbian Pesos - How Great Thou Art<p>When I say great, I mean HUGE...the numbers, not the notes. It took a few days to wrap our minds around the exchange and how prices are displayed. At this point, for a very rough exchange $1 Canadian is equal to about 3000 Co$ (pesos, but they use a dollar sign, quite frequently.) They can also be known as COP.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bXBglSWin0pSzNF1NzVfqrNPP8TU39cucoqK5J7cBIDhMW_Qq1nuWqI-qJvS-jZE03JApECuarSDa31ScsSlTNZzWyc_W5w2RrLf8TTO-G0NV80TZLb1BkeiIKNsOaiSRqgOMN4xI9YCypx-eLwMGtp0OlAojzgVzcOLB4Ef32Ra0aRukhH1xipgM0_o/s3871/20240308_081322~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3871" data-original-width="2091" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bXBglSWin0pSzNF1NzVfqrNPP8TU39cucoqK5J7cBIDhMW_Qq1nuWqI-qJvS-jZE03JApECuarSDa31ScsSlTNZzWyc_W5w2RrLf8TTO-G0NV80TZLb1BkeiIKNsOaiSRqgOMN4xI9YCypx-eLwMGtp0OlAojzgVzcOLB4Ef32Ra0aRukhH1xipgM0_o/s320/20240308_081322~2.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Next to the # is a tiny "mil", <br />meaning 1,000</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Note that the bills get increasingly larger, as the value increases. <br /></p><p>When you look at menus, you'll see prices like: $30,000 (a mid priced entree) or $9,000 (local beer). It can be quite overwhelming, especially when they tell you the total verbally...in Spanish. The actual currency notes are less challenging, as they sort of drop the final three zeros, so my North American brain can wrap itself around it. What's crazy, at least to me, is that they are unapologetic about the huge numbers. I'd be tempted to write 1m or 25m on a menu, price tag etc. Generally, this isn't the practice in Columbia, and they go whole hog.<br /></p><p>The coins are a bit crazier. The largest coin I've seen is $1,000 and the smallest $50. There seems to be a range of sized for the $100 peso coins, which makes it that much more difficult, as relying on size goes right out the window.</p><p>It's the size of the numbers that is strange and takes some time to adapt. We had a receipt today for $247,000...crazy! And our hotel was over 1million COP for the week. Heart stopping, at first glance, at least. </p><p>Eventually, you'll get the hang of it, but be prepared to just trust the change you're given for the first day or so.</p><p>Up next: Medellin...but, maybe I said that before.<br /></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-2087592537582690462024-03-06T18:26:00.011-05:002024-03-06T20:43:13.512-05:00Bogota - Artisans, a garden and a big ass hill<p> Day two and three in Bogota.</p><p>On Sunday, the district of Usaquén hosts what they call a "Flea Market" or "el Mercado de las Pulgas". It isn't like any flea market I've ever heard of, as it's filled with local artisans and vendors. The closest thing to used goods was a vinyl kiosk and a young man who crafted interesting wall art with old records. There is a flood of leather goods, beaded jewellery, hats, toiletries, coffee, food - you get the point. I can't even begin to guess how many tents were there, but it numbered easily over 100. At times it got a bit overwhelming, returning the greetings of the vendors as they tried to tempt us with there wares. The colours, scents and sounds were a kaleidoscope.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9q882VfRuuVEoaQ1G9NIKrHfXSagVdo3zz81kO8yU3Gy7l3OEBrNvHFtFEnP6pmw0N_VExLSNw_atlW-T_ccsotakpYXMAtUAD4LBjt2qAk4KeXw7L48vfeiF-EmejqpzmMa2VZNIpIG-MYP8IG-pGHm2HWFyhYM-vd8JmDEHvnj1Nd2gVhjvBa6YwniS/s4032/20240303_095024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9q882VfRuuVEoaQ1G9NIKrHfXSagVdo3zz81kO8yU3Gy7l3OEBrNvHFtFEnP6pmw0N_VExLSNw_atlW-T_ccsotakpYXMAtUAD4LBjt2qAk4KeXw7L48vfeiF-EmejqpzmMa2VZNIpIG-MYP8IG-pGHm2HWFyhYM-vd8JmDEHvnj1Nd2gVhjvBa6YwniS/s320/20240303_095024.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkNeI4BInRKFku-nQuF0tx57N0BTfo5cwddFoNkHdo9H1DE8ypFWXMzBLiY4z8KyEaoJWqZR-VwN2mEI1VUv4x4kf8PageYA86TZ2vfD35F9ZbbQnQ-6VC2UbLOe93rXKtm5eMZTN2PiNNGa24Bbybanap-EoexO70MLEyMXYH8O4N8blG8XYEC-GZ6QO/s4032/20240303_095653.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkNeI4BInRKFku-nQuF0tx57N0BTfo5cwddFoNkHdo9H1DE8ypFWXMzBLiY4z8KyEaoJWqZR-VwN2mEI1VUv4x4kf8PageYA86TZ2vfD35F9ZbbQnQ-6VC2UbLOe93rXKtm5eMZTN2PiNNGa24Bbybanap-EoexO70MLEyMXYH8O4N8blG8XYEC-GZ6QO/s320/20240303_095653.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLMf4kJMrz9KphPyy0ZgOXd7Ip2_HSsr0Y86_ekH3OCA6Zj5JpQtn38ti8hKXJ6i2GIZuEfostDT48t4n4TUFLmU3cjOyM6xm4ImZ-qIxk1HfDOM6EknSoBctUoHikVbIpSF34XkaymAorb6ds4siPHLbj2TMbaYdEO5vx-lIPwq905oLIQKoWxu4qx4D/s4032/20240303_095737.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLMf4kJMrz9KphPyy0ZgOXd7Ip2_HSsr0Y86_ekH3OCA6Zj5JpQtn38ti8hKXJ6i2GIZuEfostDT48t4n4TUFLmU3cjOyM6xm4ImZ-qIxk1HfDOM6EknSoBctUoHikVbIpSF34XkaymAorb6ds4siPHLbj2TMbaYdEO5vx-lIPwq905oLIQKoWxu4qx4D/s320/20240303_095737.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbleG29f7CycAeHCNPM8ggBeZjSbAt6IawiSPpaRybqARQo8xpTk8RExRo-douqQNXMVdvfw-momEssXnhqby7Ff6AHTWzdFOdWGT7bzp173QMAf4pViu7PeYklSi0Ms3tvKrGumUXFefBaOTj73jzQAH-fbhHQ2EXLurzIqgn2zTy32oYhE-0V8u5qVRs/s4032/20240303_095921.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbleG29f7CycAeHCNPM8ggBeZjSbAt6IawiSPpaRybqARQo8xpTk8RExRo-douqQNXMVdvfw-momEssXnhqby7Ff6AHTWzdFOdWGT7bzp173QMAf4pViu7PeYklSi0Ms3tvKrGumUXFefBaOTj73jzQAH-fbhHQ2EXLurzIqgn2zTy32oYhE-0V8u5qVRs/s320/20240303_095921.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT1eAZtCJELUsBk0Hj-A9bJtcozIplxoHWnoc4tnZnREcszXbZL2QZMg9Q8_8lf-SHdHjXd2JRuy3JPzuHK3kJMVJRsIzCYdUTEcJ8MKEE4kYYrF1UKmO_nbXy7dDjroYfY-myQ5mPIOo-Zj4Qcu-AWtIuJw7I8XmegQ5DpmmalUvJ3JBBMkikksBa9H5/s4032/20240303_100513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT1eAZtCJELUsBk0Hj-A9bJtcozIplxoHWnoc4tnZnREcszXbZL2QZMg9Q8_8lf-SHdHjXd2JRuy3JPzuHK3kJMVJRsIzCYdUTEcJ8MKEE4kYYrF1UKmO_nbXy7dDjroYfY-myQ5mPIOo-Zj4Qcu-AWtIuJw7I8XmegQ5DpmmalUvJ3JBBMkikksBa9H5/s320/20240303_100513.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiM1OU5cr0aOdjTnQEu7NIcZ9X6-xRLOZKhFf8-fN9C-db11_GhE4Hl7sfm8tayJNC8V1q8hIlURColjglhsSEp_zu29-OOCfkkKbCjPmSQYbcee179iYD13ZGsjcqX4L1IDfTK3NbqLiRND9fNRoi_0m08HJVOSv1lKRdzexaSU9NECqQ7QdZYt5iwef/s4032/20240303_100708.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiM1OU5cr0aOdjTnQEu7NIcZ9X6-xRLOZKhFf8-fN9C-db11_GhE4Hl7sfm8tayJNC8V1q8hIlURColjglhsSEp_zu29-OOCfkkKbCjPmSQYbcee179iYD13ZGsjcqX4L1IDfTK3NbqLiRND9fNRoi_0m08HJVOSv1lKRdzexaSU9NECqQ7QdZYt5iwef/s320/20240303_100708.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>We got away from the hustle and bustle of commercialism by stopping at a lovely cafe for a bit of a snack and a caffeine pick-me-up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KB9v-RRDkcmiH9VAZsTpR67zezU1pugsmnIXwlP7hiX6sYap3x0JsCQRYu4gMhQG6XjSLjm0Y4wc5VwUBdoF79y8E7r29zakN4KrBsNazMKeCogrAjk_BaNkuOsgoF1I1Mxh-GGC0zV9e_EObuTMbRpIjvkVIHzBiT7JGeEbOoS2L49yHXkaUduBWhHa/s4032/20240303_102032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KB9v-RRDkcmiH9VAZsTpR67zezU1pugsmnIXwlP7hiX6sYap3x0JsCQRYu4gMhQG6XjSLjm0Y4wc5VwUBdoF79y8E7r29zakN4KrBsNazMKeCogrAjk_BaNkuOsgoF1I1Mxh-GGC0zV9e_EObuTMbRpIjvkVIHzBiT7JGeEbOoS2L49yHXkaUduBWhHa/s320/20240303_102032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PiG4kDe-W-BlddPLbhkhEoVx4JGUWfW04SiaRfe6tKKRcOzgPW-O8-_WwXIS9oRN3uKkJGCB5HcTKQVTesW-Sfihqa-CscsTCvbPHgRqYRIfXkAdoOci1vDsXNQfuXn1a3nDogjj9jxDIbLT0xJwaeJVJ-NW3gaYQhVP6GucesYp3tGc5O-qh6YUzh6k/s4032/20240303_103628.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PiG4kDe-W-BlddPLbhkhEoVx4JGUWfW04SiaRfe6tKKRcOzgPW-O8-_WwXIS9oRN3uKkJGCB5HcTKQVTesW-Sfihqa-CscsTCvbPHgRqYRIfXkAdoOci1vDsXNQfuXn1a3nDogjj9jxDIbLT0xJwaeJVJ-NW3gaYQhVP6GucesYp3tGc5O-qh6YUzh6k/s320/20240303_103628.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>We headed back to the hotel to arrange for a cab and headed out to the Jardin Botanico for the afternoon. Okay, it probably wasn't the best choice for a Sunday, as everyone's family decided to do the same thing. The line was probably an hour long to get to the ticket booth, but, fortunately, South America has this wonderful concept about cutting Seniors a break, so Ron managed to skip a good part of the line to score us some tickets. Of course, we only remembered this exciting perk when we'd already been waiting for half an hour, as we saw a pair of older ladies march past everyone and go to the "priority" line. We splurged on tickets that included access to the Tropicario - basically a gigantic greenhouse featuring plants from the Amazon and and another section with desert plants. We got to see a wide range of amazing flowers and flora and we sweated our way through the wending path of the conservatory.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaGnSwaxmCfCCUXUekIgce5kPc07JRcDtwutlOZ-vsbx4tJqTCw-8YNwUt5hyphenhyphenN47i2m_vN1YfxIWlIKAWEEJ7abs6xU9Wjn7vFkXVJe1E6myiCtZ3luaxR5r2k0i3F8yNAwQwaUFvHywSoqw4qKG7HlElvHiwyj3bXTdEMmeNuy7_W3rb6CwhCyLGZdbz/s4032/20240303_132011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaGnSwaxmCfCCUXUekIgce5kPc07JRcDtwutlOZ-vsbx4tJqTCw-8YNwUt5hyphenhyphenN47i2m_vN1YfxIWlIKAWEEJ7abs6xU9Wjn7vFkXVJe1E6myiCtZ3luaxR5r2k0i3F8yNAwQwaUFvHywSoqw4qKG7HlElvHiwyj3bXTdEMmeNuy7_W3rb6CwhCyLGZdbz/s320/20240303_132011.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8AdMMN6VFyd_nZay7AdFlSYDnPWpWWc02ZvRVqHDlcn8LD3HFjdNI5jsW6gEj31-9q9ZebUiRTUuAOdDBl02GEMtfzNrhrOyE3ugI6iF8Xt3DPalCIS2Rnew2ttx9TUZ_kIGAp6NXoJe4wNqgtlYFFt4wzMJCoPML485DBu4cZ6AnV5fZ52qEbWPFsCH/s4032/20240303_132526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8AdMMN6VFyd_nZay7AdFlSYDnPWpWWc02ZvRVqHDlcn8LD3HFjdNI5jsW6gEj31-9q9ZebUiRTUuAOdDBl02GEMtfzNrhrOyE3ugI6iF8Xt3DPalCIS2Rnew2ttx9TUZ_kIGAp6NXoJe4wNqgtlYFFt4wzMJCoPML485DBu4cZ6AnV5fZ52qEbWPFsCH/s320/20240303_132526.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbX5R3A3nsmJCyPOgmmVkBH32r_qlX-bTrrCnD0tdxxPd2st-QF8AeTTIArRGe6Gx8j1ScHY4QTnHagYib66QJpSJvgz3-2oSYCw5cDon-cv8j_q907m7Ww6nUNaeVfQnWBflAnl5cjahp_LTgi2xBrhXCxOxuWLB4_1d7rVEZ6CTtGKuwlPMrEVhdMt4/s4032/20240303_132609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbX5R3A3nsmJCyPOgmmVkBH32r_qlX-bTrrCnD0tdxxPd2st-QF8AeTTIArRGe6Gx8j1ScHY4QTnHagYib66QJpSJvgz3-2oSYCw5cDon-cv8j_q907m7Ww6nUNaeVfQnWBflAnl5cjahp_LTgi2xBrhXCxOxuWLB4_1d7rVEZ6CTtGKuwlPMrEVhdMt4/s320/20240303_132609.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGWJrXgp53sa5TbYUlbbii3PivkRvurOSRCJOMgAvUbSERMJxwcIr95-V5Ef3ZGsIf3BOBd9gfZG74r4BiuQc6CX8NjQRP4meGDxLckS5IISMDyHbhNlBd7XTaN_8WGR7XIyEb3epNg8-NcFeL21bA6MJ1vXbYnSRdrNcg4jOq2hJufVCLN6dQKfufnwJ/s4032/20240303_133029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGWJrXgp53sa5TbYUlbbii3PivkRvurOSRCJOMgAvUbSERMJxwcIr95-V5Ef3ZGsIf3BOBd9gfZG74r4BiuQc6CX8NjQRP4meGDxLckS5IISMDyHbhNlBd7XTaN_8WGR7XIyEb3epNg8-NcFeL21bA6MJ1vXbYnSRdrNcg4jOq2hJufVCLN6dQKfufnwJ/s320/20240303_133029.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUb6c5CUSi6aFpc-FdvjDShSp2Ms2UFDE-coE5LT8JnfNALwab52NsN0VvsIZMxs3kDWd2GcCMSyCdw43QCljnqVssQeVmbLl1AbQQpHKVhoPKvHX6Zx_gv5CLsYIbKr1H-_RM9YqRVQlnzxb1DlxWV7f0iIqSxXF_nNgmASYDGfNBEfT6SrFDLGzYedXc/s4032/20240303_133134.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUb6c5CUSi6aFpc-FdvjDShSp2Ms2UFDE-coE5LT8JnfNALwab52NsN0VvsIZMxs3kDWd2GcCMSyCdw43QCljnqVssQeVmbLl1AbQQpHKVhoPKvHX6Zx_gv5CLsYIbKr1H-_RM9YqRVQlnzxb1DlxWV7f0iIqSxXF_nNgmASYDGfNBEfT6SrFDLGzYedXc/s320/20240303_133134.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqM37NLKZOkugW4w26z8GWFlsLFc8hSYTKj2HTtVqhVBtN_9NehQoV3ld0DPaIpGmFHcizF-yNf2XTkMbCXeJ65TC4M3DJ7bu5qDy3A8Ue6D9kdHnKRmQithh4lTHPrYSA9Qj-T8DnPfmhj4RnmDm7yQthpsOBoiz4DFQ2xtFb_bvkUNaefUnXbFLX27Q/s4032/20240303_133642.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqM37NLKZOkugW4w26z8GWFlsLFc8hSYTKj2HTtVqhVBtN_9NehQoV3ld0DPaIpGmFHcizF-yNf2XTkMbCXeJ65TC4M3DJ7bu5qDy3A8Ue6D9kdHnKRmQithh4lTHPrYSA9Qj-T8DnPfmhj4RnmDm7yQthpsOBoiz4DFQ2xtFb_bvkUNaefUnXbFLX27Q/s320/20240303_133642.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14rJQCoY3k-ei2qPwx_KgmNUrz7OJyJCp2AQDJOxVA_Wys-qDlGPMtZl_czVdYzdrSLymOJGMcbgczzp1MHpNmthRDSIPX3pvYFBlcycUPfMGk-C5j_Xg8X3p094Zk-inPrfheZmKThzhurpKxDR37SRp3CZjf7fiSQBGMc727o2RbwdgkgyyqVXZgAqy/s4032/20240303_134044.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14rJQCoY3k-ei2qPwx_KgmNUrz7OJyJCp2AQDJOxVA_Wys-qDlGPMtZl_czVdYzdrSLymOJGMcbgczzp1MHpNmthRDSIPX3pvYFBlcycUPfMGk-C5j_Xg8X3p094Zk-inPrfheZmKThzhurpKxDR37SRp3CZjf7fiSQBGMc727o2RbwdgkgyyqVXZgAqy/s320/20240303_134044.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tLTIyVlKDWezISZppsVgfY4Dg9m-peECN-Py6nvH-dagpJbJJgUjsWigzzO_Eh4_FIexf6Z_V6CNBd32oWnitHiDz9EO0w88YcZNfd3B7cD2-qFOPieL2I9hB3hplV-uMoGY7yfBsGJY3-AQdJzyY33iE-O00lhEU0GAAAcgo-nXKo5AfBldgrtdbVpP/s4032/20240303_134153.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tLTIyVlKDWezISZppsVgfY4Dg9m-peECN-Py6nvH-dagpJbJJgUjsWigzzO_Eh4_FIexf6Z_V6CNBd32oWnitHiDz9EO0w88YcZNfd3B7cD2-qFOPieL2I9hB3hplV-uMoGY7yfBsGJY3-AQdJzyY33iE-O00lhEU0GAAAcgo-nXKo5AfBldgrtdbVpP/s320/20240303_134153.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>It was a bit of a relief to leave the building and find a light breeze playing through the gardens. They had a very nice rose garden, as well as a lot of indigenous plants. Add in a few water features and fountains and the price of admission was definitely worth it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgra228-oBKWQzMDV57GVtPvU7s4qKIVNk-GW8zwEQ4l2EWMsYY3bQHD53bXI3WM7rv0wnzgePypIiYCd1EhO8_STKUz7JxMMVihyphenhyphenFZAcq7jXFzlpIvkg05qUmSWIsijhw2fAhFc3i2inDn2FqJOcKtTgH0rW6WR5BRDQFrwirdSm2JCV-LiPfT7EBL0G-H/s4032/20240303_140633.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgra228-oBKWQzMDV57GVtPvU7s4qKIVNk-GW8zwEQ4l2EWMsYY3bQHD53bXI3WM7rv0wnzgePypIiYCd1EhO8_STKUz7JxMMVihyphenhyphenFZAcq7jXFzlpIvkg05qUmSWIsijhw2fAhFc3i2inDn2FqJOcKtTgH0rW6WR5BRDQFrwirdSm2JCV-LiPfT7EBL0G-H/s320/20240303_140633.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHJtZ_n8B8GiwFmE5sPRkJvZhlQdKNWnsbUwdDYDd9Qm0yz-toKvj5s9lrymDCEFoPXHgxr8FCh8ymyBAVv77_A17QhRjgtuwSSZ5gpUFckGyQDp8TQH3HSa8H2YUTptJ-IKBaVWvVwIoNXCgaIxpGgz8cE4vUTmFqXAsqYBzoi0UDnVM5owDOvs9E8i_/s4032/20240303_141153.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHJtZ_n8B8GiwFmE5sPRkJvZhlQdKNWnsbUwdDYDd9Qm0yz-toKvj5s9lrymDCEFoPXHgxr8FCh8ymyBAVv77_A17QhRjgtuwSSZ5gpUFckGyQDp8TQH3HSa8H2YUTptJ-IKBaVWvVwIoNXCgaIxpGgz8cE4vUTmFqXAsqYBzoi0UDnVM5owDOvs9E8i_/s320/20240303_141153.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFelQFlTOkL2zoL7a1wfzuRykU0ZUb5BFVHiKeztK2d1eTenTivgvuE-gJzzY1KGAkewAHcJ9YZOwOX9_iVVyLbiBFUKMaubCpyTRHRsIliM2s8BPUj-QCvxa_1arNCIUZT1IBnxXgO7wVfUwzgbOzg3a1whHd96RUgR-WTqt9ZcukEVUgOYKbudtZwa9A/s4032/20240303_141404.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFelQFlTOkL2zoL7a1wfzuRykU0ZUb5BFVHiKeztK2d1eTenTivgvuE-gJzzY1KGAkewAHcJ9YZOwOX9_iVVyLbiBFUKMaubCpyTRHRsIliM2s8BPUj-QCvxa_1arNCIUZT1IBnxXgO7wVfUwzgbOzg3a1whHd96RUgR-WTqt9ZcukEVUgOYKbudtZwa9A/s320/20240303_141404.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot Teddy, on the "T"?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUNOjO2D5whkiRS4uPEc4ARuVeZvkxzc9qK3Qux3umf_WSi8GhdfsNz-ziE5zttdn8XYXbw2LGTrVKc40whKtFGlZdF3IsGBPf9dpCJGj-7CVdLNwJlLoTEvlkV5M6XDw1VoIna9PZtl3w_nZqP1Hs56aHF1gfrsGqJcfFO6wD6Bcvcd7OBCsclejG5Ae/s4032/20240303_141719.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUNOjO2D5whkiRS4uPEc4ARuVeZvkxzc9qK3Qux3umf_WSi8GhdfsNz-ziE5zttdn8XYXbw2LGTrVKc40whKtFGlZdF3IsGBPf9dpCJGj-7CVdLNwJlLoTEvlkV5M6XDw1VoIna9PZtl3w_nZqP1Hs56aHF1gfrsGqJcfFO6wD6Bcvcd7OBCsclejG5Ae/s320/20240303_141719.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMG3Gs2SsLq6TH6WVU0cdAJAlly5DGSPH2uTNVWFEJCq57uTxVzmWS7Cvdz7W04CDaqvgTv73al2QEn2pHdzTrF3u7a4_3yowa9mSTLQn1YwmnZxgGM0y-G58VP_QHwEm5Qr6l99Zj2BVNBb56x0K6Z8MDNUYnvmAmQC88FP6PC8TJAAC2qj1oz3N6_h3/s4032/20240303_142007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMG3Gs2SsLq6TH6WVU0cdAJAlly5DGSPH2uTNVWFEJCq57uTxVzmWS7Cvdz7W04CDaqvgTv73al2QEn2pHdzTrF3u7a4_3yowa9mSTLQn1YwmnZxgGM0y-G58VP_QHwEm5Qr6l99Zj2BVNBb56x0K6Z8MDNUYnvmAmQC88FP6PC8TJAAC2qj1oz3N6_h3/s320/20240303_142007.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>We were delighted to discover that Ron's new phone has a pretty impressive zoom. The picture above the one with the purple water lilies is from the edge of the pond. The actual waterlily photo is on extreme zoom. Yay!</p><p>Once done, we diligently messaged our hotel to request a ride home. They sent us the license plate and code for the driver, but moments later, they messaged back saying there had been a change of driver and that he was about to arrive. Sadly, he'd already driven past where we were waiting, as the Botanical Garden entrance is quite large. A bit of madness and a quick jog up the road later, I found the taxi, but he'd already cancelled the request. He was annoyed at the point, having wasted 10 minutes or so without a fare. He agreed to take us back to the hotel anyway and added on a 2000 peso "multa" (fine) for us not being where he wanted us to be. He wound up lightening up during the drive and got us back tot he hotel safe and sound.</p><p>We went to Ko Asian Kitchen for dinner, as we'd had a "street food" lunch, whilst waiting in line at the garden. Ron's Chorriperro was okay, but I opted for a hamburger...not the right choice, at all. We were quite desperate for something fresh and stomach friendly, so Ron wound up with a dumpling soup of a special menu and I had a Poke bowl. We both had a Club beer and enjoyed the fresh meal enormously. We wandered back to the hotel, well after 8pm, feeling satisfied and safe. Weird that, isn't Bogota dangerous? <br /></p><p>The next day we tackled Monserrate, a hill that overlooks a good swathe of the city. There are two choices to get to the top; a funicular or on foot. Of course, we couldn't pass up the challenge to make the almost 800 metre (2600 foot) ascension. I haven't mentioned it yet, but Bogota's elevation (2633 metres/8,675 feet) is actually higher than Cuenca's (2450m/8070ft), which basically means that there's even less oxygen available to feed your lungs as you ascend. Did we care that we were still getting over colds? Did we worry that we really haven't done anything extremely strenuous for a while? Yes, but we decided to take on the challenge anyway. It took us an hour to get to the top.(It's estimated that the average climb is somewhere around 45 minutes to an hour, so for old, broken folks, we did pretty well.)<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6q490FEUmcgBV7EIb5VIYgmGzvZCl8uKBtRDR9-L6A_61BoNPuXkQbOgnYTZxESfOO3fjeocF-T0yqWygZhU4s3-tIXuOzcnBGPm2S0eROSedVPlO5euUCWio0MZzoHaG1cEETRL4AcN0qKzv4kMKUpOCgnU2wJYemJxH0nZri7Dr6f6CkYKfZl11ugvR/s4032/20240304_092105.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6q490FEUmcgBV7EIb5VIYgmGzvZCl8uKBtRDR9-L6A_61BoNPuXkQbOgnYTZxESfOO3fjeocF-T0yqWygZhU4s3-tIXuOzcnBGPm2S0eROSedVPlO5euUCWio0MZzoHaG1cEETRL4AcN0qKzv4kMKUpOCgnU2wJYemJxH0nZri7Dr6f6CkYKfZl11ugvR/s320/20240304_092105.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only 1/3 of the way up<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODNC1Aqck-hkkbhYZiSQ-U0344wOWzvMAKNzUyjwhr9ZYazLTxd4tJCwhF-hKV6a4dtScKcIbH6k_mG_C20FSHGHdjgMCC8IBiZLHL7KPO3rNbqL09Gki5qfugUimjAIV-_aV2l9Rab5UKSKrNbcukNg7woNBoiaqcHLjjrzSMJm4Cll5oQZSizlrbrsx/s4032/20240304_100734.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODNC1Aqck-hkkbhYZiSQ-U0344wOWzvMAKNzUyjwhr9ZYazLTxd4tJCwhF-hKV6a4dtScKcIbH6k_mG_C20FSHGHdjgMCC8IBiZLHL7KPO3rNbqL09Gki5qfugUimjAIV-_aV2l9Rab5UKSKrNbcukNg7woNBoiaqcHLjjrzSMJm4Cll5oQZSizlrbrsx/s320/20240304_100734.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoom in of el Centro<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSrNrcMDhEbuzQAA1zk3a2P3Re4VJbmjgqU7rzrkO9nyzc8073MBK-mgdzd7W6ztzWJJRyFBHlz8iMXsn1KwKVYoSxSZNKKW7-DhjZ7Jd4lQMKtsWrplxtZ3QV9xvdP4AwQI5TEMYjuo7uIYhpdwHwld0aEO732k-5msPcdOloBh7Sk9smT9g0s9O5n7U/s4032/20240304_100809.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSrNrcMDhEbuzQAA1zk3a2P3Re4VJbmjgqU7rzrkO9nyzc8073MBK-mgdzd7W6ztzWJJRyFBHlz8iMXsn1KwKVYoSxSZNKKW7-DhjZ7Jd4lQMKtsWrplxtZ3QV9xvdP4AwQI5TEMYjuo7uIYhpdwHwld0aEO732k-5msPcdOloBh7Sk9smT9g0s9O5n7U/s320/20240304_100809.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yV4uWy7FEj8ALXyyOOOd65S6oJHhYT-Va_0sGqEVEhrMbWAboRIAdXrxLf1eUGkf0Pc1lzAil14IMC-YB4-pHUA0ZLICGhFuyyJaBTKMZQ2E3AhZpJpZK3hGpeMucjVFC9MBDhnmfImaHsldU5FSf4zhkVUR5PRXtTi_ll5OIedJ30_nxm80zF9UqRW0/s4032/20240304_101758.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yV4uWy7FEj8ALXyyOOOd65S6oJHhYT-Va_0sGqEVEhrMbWAboRIAdXrxLf1eUGkf0Pc1lzAil14IMC-YB4-pHUA0ZLICGhFuyyJaBTKMZQ2E3AhZpJpZK3hGpeMucjVFC9MBDhnmfImaHsldU5FSf4zhkVUR5PRXtTi_ll5OIedJ30_nxm80zF9UqRW0/s320/20240304_101758.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hill in the mid-ground has a church</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> If you click on the above image, you might be able to see a statue of Jesus. Cue our amazing zoom:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzRC3NAD41rSIcSrV17PWaDqRUuWQ3ELPhvAbLuOmjq4eZlv19Ph1OBB4d4HcQYV9n3Z-oEZRcvhSq3szv8F-pbVv-vtx9O9koAyVa06qSnjmwgEUZkJPtsUjP1CpsnUDRXyx8VEmCrS50FGsCN26Rl4XP-J2v7TTOxHVtq165LZ-sltDkfOgFU0bJf_1/s4032/20240304_101812.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzRC3NAD41rSIcSrV17PWaDqRUuWQ3ELPhvAbLuOmjq4eZlv19Ph1OBB4d4HcQYV9n3Z-oEZRcvhSq3szv8F-pbVv-vtx9O9koAyVa06qSnjmwgEUZkJPtsUjP1CpsnUDRXyx8VEmCrS50FGsCN26Rl4XP-J2v7TTOxHVtq165LZ-sltDkfOgFU0bJf_1/s320/20240304_101812.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I'd be remiss if I didn't add some photos of the animals we saw on the way.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FpgDwZAXqEzTYnq74nhrZvMN2uRVi98p3kcKx-dFCYtQgZMUHbW911Z2ZialkmHsvwHYg0xx8beiKWdxio0AZdEbHyStjgZl6v9fMahyphenhyphenrEMe1WSFMUQvE9lobt1imLkqx30RtMfz8iVvxKRHwHxItXph7-tq5RCGYRf7A-K6SyPl44z4QfGY3CKKq3N9/s4032/20240304_093842.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FpgDwZAXqEzTYnq74nhrZvMN2uRVi98p3kcKx-dFCYtQgZMUHbW911Z2ZialkmHsvwHYg0xx8beiKWdxio0AZdEbHyStjgZl6v9fMahyphenhyphenrEMe1WSFMUQvE9lobt1imLkqx30RtMfz8iVvxKRHwHxItXph7-tq5RCGYRf7A-K6SyPl44z4QfGY3CKKq3N9/s320/20240304_093842.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RjP2YIFcRGFn4cPP3B9rKrqD9ZSqxbZmUeW66sAh2xgcNzfVwKl3Fr4rpyjka17GByGd7bJb-_bns2HP4wlK5QONAWUIkkntPkYJlXC9rVqKCNKsh_KwSFLFkyWqZf_Wu72R0tfjCPOXjD8Tq0eUL5Jy74SbfmKhZqSS-MKwXbjSHyGhslXDVPQDXIyH/s4032/20240304_105119.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RjP2YIFcRGFn4cPP3B9rKrqD9ZSqxbZmUeW66sAh2xgcNzfVwKl3Fr4rpyjka17GByGd7bJb-_bns2HP4wlK5QONAWUIkkntPkYJlXC9rVqKCNKsh_KwSFLFkyWqZf_Wu72R0tfjCPOXjD8Tq0eUL5Jy74SbfmKhZqSS-MKwXbjSHyGhslXDVPQDXIyH/s320/20240304_105119.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT8jSZfzR1SsduCUX_ctmfq3zkXhTFUzmnTCGdbleOB5aov1lGN2VHTxZg95_23VEd3NcgFtA6zaHKjbWlZ84oe2v_ByxIRL-Dq44Zpevru7PxgGauIBmjd67KqdSQI0Ze1IeHlJ-3ECKZSxo1z61VftuB9Mt2yHq4qjOI26oSpch3_0q-w63Ma8_Nx9r/s4032/20240304_105733.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT8jSZfzR1SsduCUX_ctmfq3zkXhTFUzmnTCGdbleOB5aov1lGN2VHTxZg95_23VEd3NcgFtA6zaHKjbWlZ84oe2v_ByxIRL-Dq44Zpevru7PxgGauIBmjd67KqdSQI0Ze1IeHlJ-3ECKZSxo1z61VftuB9Mt2yHq4qjOI26oSpch3_0q-w63Ma8_Nx9r/s320/20240304_105733.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwW7uT4-pcoIdH3kkzVJYcUegJRR__kdXPcme0KWgm0FOSpUBv9_vgobYl_5h9I_jUzEUS9p7kJLSGtl2S6Cg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>How can I resist a sweet little flitting hummingbird? It's impossible. The climb down made my legs shake. The stairs are uneven and the rock pathway is the same, but we felt quite accomplished once we were down. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4heTayRgSFsUy_i7YMZ-kNr2gLboN5ZM4rtlhzIZ-6X0F0qDkSL2LgnKQsvyLNAoLCkoaqAKORm3KKKxRwxiUKu-OjpQp5CnNbsewmesS34ZTyhGnOElv2KaDSckAQ5mAY3K8F6v7mAFav86g_pgYlNGj8SyllF1wCPy758MWfg7pFdjyr9oCWEAEqgg/s4032/20240304_111217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4heTayRgSFsUy_i7YMZ-kNr2gLboN5ZM4rtlhzIZ-6X0F0qDkSL2LgnKQsvyLNAoLCkoaqAKORm3KKKxRwxiUKu-OjpQp5CnNbsewmesS34ZTyhGnOElv2KaDSckAQ5mAY3K8F6v7mAFav86g_pgYlNGj8SyllF1wCPy758MWfg7pFdjyr9oCWEAEqgg/s320/20240304_111217.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Near the start - deceptively well spaced and level-ish</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p>You must know what's coming...we messaged our hotel to get a ride back. We were quickly provided with a license plate number and code, only to have the order cancelled by the driver. Apparently, Mount Monserrate is outside of the standard taxi service area. The front desk clerk was a bit beside herself, as she couldn't get anyone to help us. We decided to do the unthinkable and randomly hailed down a cab. (<i>Danger! Unsafe! We're all gonna die!)</i> A young driver stopped for us and after much discussion over the address of our hotel, he had us on our way. His little putt-putt must have only had three cylinders, as the climbs up the hills were slow and a bit noisy. He was actually quite talkative, with an accent that was hard to understand, but he got us "home" safely and didn't add a stipend onto the fare. Turns out, we didn't have much to worry about.</p><p>For our final night (yes, we went out <i>in the dark</i>) in Bogota, we opted for a quick pizza at a place called La Impostora. It's a new joint, that only serves personal sized rectangular pizzas, as well as grilled sandwiches. It's a neat concept and the pizza was pretty good. (Ron's was excellent (the Juana with serrano ham, goat cheese, fig sauce), mine needed a bit more blue cheese (pepperoni with blue cheese.) I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there are fairly safe areas in Bogota. Like everything common sense applies, but we felt perfectly secure wandering around Chapinero.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4wCjnSvcP34N6rfK196-xwGCqWETbc18YKikUGCFdzkVtY4cMatCRNW3iw7qNzqU4oXq2WOYT54vBKt3Nlnbf5lSejOJDzkVKpeuFpXWZaHDK5AQkqUib5RPuvKFoVQE6LjY-1oRcPEWuTs3UOAOEtEbH6AHp8fUNhikkDGIX1sA3miI3Dq10eYJqlMN/s4032/20240304_182248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4wCjnSvcP34N6rfK196-xwGCqWETbc18YKikUGCFdzkVtY4cMatCRNW3iw7qNzqU4oXq2WOYT54vBKt3Nlnbf5lSejOJDzkVKpeuFpXWZaHDK5AQkqUib5RPuvKFoVQE6LjY-1oRcPEWuTs3UOAOEtEbH6AHp8fUNhikkDGIX1sA3miI3Dq10eYJqlMN/s320/20240304_182248.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYr8pZH_3jzGCUDPIpKYZ4Jn8JQjluChGM2X_xWkL_HwFEBCB-GN_5t4JOz9KdS55Fp1TrKBst1KE8E0iIaV7iqiEh3d4ZDBNxllbDePGPookQvvP14_DlABtHh7RjOuQpw1Zh-4SIQcQrZkww7d6-HMmirGqFuTZfQUE9L7-QkvAeYf1hJluxB3bMDSa/s4032/20240304_183018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYr8pZH_3jzGCUDPIpKYZ4Jn8JQjluChGM2X_xWkL_HwFEBCB-GN_5t4JOz9KdS55Fp1TrKBst1KE8E0iIaV7iqiEh3d4ZDBNxllbDePGPookQvvP14_DlABtHh7RjOuQpw1Zh-4SIQcQrZkww7d6-HMmirGqFuTZfQUE9L7-QkvAeYf1hJluxB3bMDSa/s320/20240304_183018.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgK6sDFgUULZU0GWKGzVCY_0pgbfFf8CwOtO_VPtDzD1g04TVysT8PwtLDSynNU_upi5UEi0vVgAXQ4PIJLkebR4zGTdfF4sjZHxeTCLTPgyDg_U5FL_YKPZ7SZMvZ55-1NXX8RGenDNtpXuvDjXukVZxllzReyi-kBwgywzlLisLjEmVc-issMUDmsFHF/s4032/20240304_183022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgK6sDFgUULZU0GWKGzVCY_0pgbfFf8CwOtO_VPtDzD1g04TVysT8PwtLDSynNU_upi5UEi0vVgAXQ4PIJLkebR4zGTdfF4sjZHxeTCLTPgyDg_U5FL_YKPZ7SZMvZ55-1NXX8RGenDNtpXuvDjXukVZxllzReyi-kBwgywzlLisLjEmVc-issMUDmsFHF/s320/20240304_183022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />That wrapped up our first stint in Bogota, but we'll be back in a week. The weirdest thing about the city is that it rained almost every night, once we were safely ensconced back in our hotel. (The day we went to Monserrate, it rained like mad in the afternoon, too, but we were safely tucked away in our suite, trying to get a rest after our big climb.)<p></p><p>Next up: Medellin!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com2Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.072092-23.599245236178845 -109.228342 33.021222436178846 -38.915842tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-18028547478786846032024-03-06T16:57:00.001-05:002024-03-06T16:57:45.903-05:00Columbia - A New Day<p>Honestly, it seems like forever since we've been somewhere truly new to us. (The lost years of the pandemic have stretched everything out.) So here we are in Columbia, finally. Ron always wanted to "visit" (ie: parse out a possible new place to move to) and I was always hesitant, just to avoid another move. (Yes, I'm that lazy/reluctant to move again.) </p><p>We arrived in Bogota fairly early on a Friday. Unfortunately, we were both suffering from the tail end of a nasty cold, so the trip from Cuenca wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been. We opted to stay in a district called Chapinero; a fairly well to do area with lots of restaurants, tree lined boulevards and heaps of dog owners.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhDLbnnPadrgt0-kL4cOxHS6tQ1wyISUGaTqhJRiWlk_lo4R6m1pzaw5huYxLoyd51RyA9BWh3lvH0SAdoJFA12KLAoK2ar3bgtld1KyoEVVZhSURpRo1WM8-ch8bzyVkSkKPLxKPjNzulS6YAdOZ7sF3Rf0g_iTJq9ssFfrz40iLJtKKqaUq8QAlF9Ll/s4032/20240301_161107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhDLbnnPadrgt0-kL4cOxHS6tQ1wyISUGaTqhJRiWlk_lo4R6m1pzaw5huYxLoyd51RyA9BWh3lvH0SAdoJFA12KLAoK2ar3bgtld1KyoEVVZhSURpRo1WM8-ch8bzyVkSkKPLxKPjNzulS6YAdOZ7sF3Rf0g_iTJq9ssFfrz40iLJtKKqaUq8QAlF9Ll/s320/20240301_161107.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our hotel suite<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I'm sure everyone out there has heard that Columbia is "<i>not safe"</i>. Keeping that in mind, we made arrangements to have a "trusted" taxi company pick us up. It's kind of a convoluted system. The provider gives you the license plate of the taxi and a code to provide to the driver. Now this is all well and good, if you have any type of connectivity, but if you're relying on free airport WiFi, this can be disastrous. Case in point El Dorado International airport, one of the busiest transportation hubs in South America, offers 30 minutes of free WiFi. Needless to say this is not sufficient to clear customs, baggage claim and get to the outside where your taxi is waiting. Be that as it may, we finally found our driver - there had been a small mix-up between Spanish L and Spanish M...don't ask me how, they sound quite different. He was very kind and swept us away to our hotel with ease. Side note* most of the drivers are mildly insane, especially the motorcyclists. Lanes are mere suggestions, merging involves having the most nerve, perseverance and willingness to have some mild bumper damage. (At least it seemed that way to me.)</p><p>While we waited for our room to be ready, we wandered around the neighbourhood and grabbed some food. (We had very excellent hamburgers.) </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbX0clQTfciKQRT7jxblPlXFb7kGFHoxLdzHBslzmPttebqENZYKU93CiwxTTtDlQm-1VI6fXOUxc0xaYjX0niCkSRT4elIEGF4YWW-4JlpXbnDqcOb7QpdsAEnEGjA5fdp97qz64z9HL5Y21lH_PgMynBJ5-VDDB8rJqUTe1ER6LpJX23vX8916BA0YS/s4032/20240301_135544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbX0clQTfciKQRT7jxblPlXFb7kGFHoxLdzHBslzmPttebqENZYKU93CiwxTTtDlQm-1VI6fXOUxc0xaYjX0niCkSRT4elIEGF4YWW-4JlpXbnDqcOb7QpdsAEnEGjA5fdp97qz64z9HL5Y21lH_PgMynBJ5-VDDB8rJqUTe1ER6LpJX23vX8916BA0YS/s320/20240301_135544.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy392yv9ZUozNGFAyM3nmbMNP0ZXkstIGTK8bIFa1KRJuVPUV1ijHpaavpzCCdjPbfXd2q7gk0LJdsKp1wnTBkHligfgOWjlRHFt69NhYl3z617o5af18d0AHEeU_JDGPpFOb3lfyoxx6-NAmPeXVMRs-9h1Mr3fUBn3GcMkwdc3EHjhNA6BSBievpCALk/s4032/20240301_135558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy392yv9ZUozNGFAyM3nmbMNP0ZXkstIGTK8bIFa1KRJuVPUV1ijHpaavpzCCdjPbfXd2q7gk0LJdsKp1wnTBkHligfgOWjlRHFt69NhYl3z617o5af18d0AHEeU_JDGPpFOb3lfyoxx6-NAmPeXVMRs-9h1Mr3fUBn3GcMkwdc3EHjhNA6BSBievpCALk/s320/20240301_135558.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Because of our colds and the early morning departure from Cuenca, we were pretty exhausted by the time we got into our room. As these things go, we were tired enough that we couldn't nap, sadly. That evening we bumbled around and grabbed some sushi to have in our suite, not wanting to be out after dark. (Remember, Bogota is <i>"dangerous".</i>) We crashed and burned early, hoping to wake up refreshed and reinvigorated.<p></p><p>We decided to head out to the downtown core, known as La Candelaria, where there are several museums and the historic district. Fair warning: getting around Bogota can be challenging. It's not recommended to take public transit. We thought we might brave it, but the system is so complex and the city so large that we gave up before we even started. Fortunately, taking cabs is quite affordable. Our hotel arranged for a taxi and off we went, after being advised to message the hotel when we wanted to return, so we could use a "safe" taxi.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZNIxQ1uqwkvyxQfj5cL8xXfm7slrbF-9koBSqg7cCV-lfzdE9Z8bUbbUraYxTM80yGv_MZGfti-XekHk_DuqRzxxL-MNuIm5aG3CDzsS_PgatXRQzUWs3NN01eYAG9fIrOs8JnnhayxgWCz4MLRRnk9g8Wg_NR8Pj8un7XB4Io-p479Cw7UwNulalB69/s4032/20240302_105005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZNIxQ1uqwkvyxQfj5cL8xXfm7slrbF-9koBSqg7cCV-lfzdE9Z8bUbbUraYxTM80yGv_MZGfti-XekHk_DuqRzxxL-MNuIm5aG3CDzsS_PgatXRQzUWs3NN01eYAG9fIrOs8JnnhayxgWCz4MLRRnk9g8Wg_NR8Pj8un7XB4Io-p479Cw7UwNulalB69/s320/20240302_105005.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyog2qyR7Rqk_zBj17UbbDU7PmpnaF6nn-MgamYuTn8fPDqUhKis7iu2FeJWLAwW2nTmMhSILkfgi6BsEd-FwlytWdweMzOmNjutkRT7lzU58HAx-ImfDRum_icm6rVAcOXIem8LADwIFlmEEIVBnsTOfnIWlIXA3Nq8zgFPstOt_t_Y_K0avmShDqrHhh/s4032/20240302_110149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyog2qyR7Rqk_zBj17UbbDU7PmpnaF6nn-MgamYuTn8fPDqUhKis7iu2FeJWLAwW2nTmMhSILkfgi6BsEd-FwlytWdweMzOmNjutkRT7lzU58HAx-ImfDRum_icm6rVAcOXIem8LADwIFlmEEIVBnsTOfnIWlIXA3Nq8zgFPstOt_t_Y_K0avmShDqrHhh/s320/20240302_110149.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden replica of the raft of sacrifice<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p>Our driver dropped us off a few blocks from Plaza Bolivar, near a pedestrian area and we headed blithely off into the mean streets of downtown Bogota. Our first stop was El Museo de Oro. (The Gold Museum.) They house a huge display of gold and other antiquities that gave rise to the idea of El Dorado...the lost city of gold. Lake Guatavita was the site that housed a good portion of the collection before it was disinterred (disaquinated?) and brought to the museum. On the top floor, there's an immersive experience that was really quite moving and jaw dropping. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzBQ32B8EghmhtghsS7Aflka1yrvfH3q_Qo_W2CL816lxZ9N4XfH5iGSTyaGn3T8sZvlz-KKIrUwn7D9rIobw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> <p></p><p>Once we'd had our fill of gold, we decided to find the Museo Botero. Fernando Botero's work is probably the most recognizable of all Columbian artists. He combined the style of the Renaissance with his own modern take and the result was a body of work with very round, Rubenesque subjects. Even his instruments are fat. The museum also houses work from other artists and we found a charming Salvador Dali sculpture. Because I was still a bit stunned by my dumb cold, I didn't take many pictures.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3vKAPZ_wejnrV7bGONZL0j5huxGhx4GLEAUqmld6GlpCLlu0funwdTGc1if0woMv1ZU93nFKFDkjFLLRGyd9xpkasJcURwq1CunB74aKOeiBYYXigVlf-09YrG6u8M-0NnoQ4fruRF1hb340QSR1Ts3CdjX_XZiCIG4ZV2YeeQlzdBvPqzndukI_J8kA/s4032/20240302_113357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3vKAPZ_wejnrV7bGONZL0j5huxGhx4GLEAUqmld6GlpCLlu0funwdTGc1if0woMv1ZU93nFKFDkjFLLRGyd9xpkasJcURwq1CunB74aKOeiBYYXigVlf-09YrG6u8M-0NnoQ4fruRF1hb340QSR1Ts3CdjX_XZiCIG4ZV2YeeQlzdBvPqzndukI_J8kA/s320/20240302_113357.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m5-RAsljeXJl-ARUb35HInf-lhy5B94nAOuFGtZ9hUJlqGCmhyGdJZXuP_7lH0L0rKIHKKAshuIxir_L_09pHbOz1hBVrUuQb0pPKaRAfK0W7S2totxB1SjtCse6cKYkd7JUG7O3P4VxckcANmS7wc0Iv4E8nV68Cut7axcq4BEMjO8eM0Q5F7eGTa4l/s4032/20240302_120739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m5-RAsljeXJl-ARUb35HInf-lhy5B94nAOuFGtZ9hUJlqGCmhyGdJZXuP_7lH0L0rKIHKKAshuIxir_L_09pHbOz1hBVrUuQb0pPKaRAfK0W7S2totxB1SjtCse6cKYkd7JUG7O3P4VxckcANmS7wc0Iv4E8nV68Cut7axcq4BEMjO8eM0Q5F7eGTa4l/s320/20240302_120739.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Museumed out, we went to find lunch. We had a delightful vegetarian almuerzo and tried to find the Emerald Museum, but, alas it eluded us and I was ready to head back. We messaged our hotel, to try and get a taxi. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but no one answered us. Perhaps there was some sort of family crisis. After waiting for 15 minutes or so, we went to a decent hotel and asked the front desk to order us a cab. If I post more blogs, you're going to notice a theme. It's super easy to get from your hotel to your destination, but getting back can be a challenge, if you want to use "safe" taxis. We got back to our hotel without incident, but we aren't sure whether we got mildly ripped off or not. We really should clarify the whole taxi meter, situation with someone in the know. Several cabbies added money on from what the meter read. Nothing egregious, but only one cabbie charged us exactly what was on the meter. (More about that in another blog.)<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nrQkGEHtuMTS5WMK_wqm8zTpDeTCOp3xgHQA_rQN8ApTgAqCqHfosJSXom2OeMo-EB_dULYhIVcvHYkK_V4sd-mKwx0_HtAp8jbOeosvqR3nRgOVS3LuCclWUi3KcNiLHb7TL8C1d6qVuwMVBNjE90ouJ1GpaR7HyLPZCVb8cFJMDRNIaCMkfmolM6nF/s4032/20240302_122101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nrQkGEHtuMTS5WMK_wqm8zTpDeTCOp3xgHQA_rQN8ApTgAqCqHfosJSXom2OeMo-EB_dULYhIVcvHYkK_V4sd-mKwx0_HtAp8jbOeosvqR3nRgOVS3LuCclWUi3KcNiLHb7TL8C1d6qVuwMVBNjE90ouJ1GpaR7HyLPZCVb8cFJMDRNIaCMkfmolM6nF/s320/20240302_122101.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiO-UurMirCmKLfVxBlzmVbDXqqA6QzDx7LKosectoQMDN5L5wuK9mS8lOFK-2aY95fYDGUy9okIVMHQ6h2RBrfW00dUoDO0hasiOdz-iW1AUnhRPqf6qZVj5K2ynSIS3v-owFfG3VFajvEy5Wy9oOjDHiicSItW7868NI7KJv-N9FpjMQ4axMotOQUUxK/s4032/20240302_122726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiO-UurMirCmKLfVxBlzmVbDXqqA6QzDx7LKosectoQMDN5L5wuK9mS8lOFK-2aY95fYDGUy9okIVMHQ6h2RBrfW00dUoDO0hasiOdz-iW1AUnhRPqf6qZVj5K2ynSIS3v-owFfG3VFajvEy5Wy9oOjDHiicSItW7868NI7KJv-N9FpjMQ4axMotOQUUxK/s320/20240302_122726.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIqJtQcU5MVQiIAtIO7zGjJTZwuFssui2tRgZPrJUekLNNdvXuGF73c2xzXCedJS1gzTWamZG625uoHEuJeplnfAcZ8ZFw8st0q9JNnOGAgvsUDwY12eUzVNPEihy3hSxZ6uHFxSKHF0IdkcWhMOmkxiZb_YimqaIRVbw7hFVSmcNDCoRnn9ma2-yOVws/s4032/20240302_124655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIqJtQcU5MVQiIAtIO7zGjJTZwuFssui2tRgZPrJUekLNNdvXuGF73c2xzXCedJS1gzTWamZG625uoHEuJeplnfAcZ8ZFw8st0q9JNnOGAgvsUDwY12eUzVNPEihy3hSxZ6uHFxSKHF0IdkcWhMOmkxiZb_YimqaIRVbw7hFVSmcNDCoRnn9ma2-yOVws/s320/20240302_124655.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7Er4DSnhJjRFyjv5janBRVufMfvvpQLi20D73AvJFdx2h8mVf_3tcBC9Hmq_686ZNSo6kjnqzVKrwqaJ3Ksj2dajxzNzj-A4pVVKEo5oq6o7-QIqXp0o7MoshqZdaoRuLWTZm94CPHizjEoI7McxhpVQ5i1EQNeJrGIq-M6hykiYJbTmOoCYVBsAs9Iv/s4032/20240302_134433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7Er4DSnhJjRFyjv5janBRVufMfvvpQLi20D73AvJFdx2h8mVf_3tcBC9Hmq_686ZNSo6kjnqzVKrwqaJ3Ksj2dajxzNzj-A4pVVKEo5oq6o7-QIqXp0o7MoshqZdaoRuLWTZm94CPHizjEoI7McxhpVQ5i1EQNeJrGIq-M6hykiYJbTmOoCYVBsAs9Iv/s320/20240302_134433.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJHBSDhlNdGStVhuCH3af9al3MXYIhm41wcofnVQo1PbJDzkTdNH1zAIMNgLaDUN8YrISDtLSmRBPJgjpWk8bzLOy3cTyebm560MrYaIahvchLdUeXd1m2BngsOzKzxuWLfSAUWeLpOgC_spqIiHywCXSw77SUPecQ7y9h501q87QE_H1LNZwLDswu0ME/s4032/20240302_135157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJHBSDhlNdGStVhuCH3af9al3MXYIhm41wcofnVQo1PbJDzkTdNH1zAIMNgLaDUN8YrISDtLSmRBPJgjpWk8bzLOy3cTyebm560MrYaIahvchLdUeXd1m2BngsOzKzxuWLfSAUWeLpOgC_spqIiHywCXSw77SUPecQ7y9h501q87QE_H1LNZwLDswu0ME/s320/20240302_135157.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>When we arrived back at the hotel, we had a bit of a rest and then decided to head out for dinner at a restaurant called La Taqueria. As you might guess, it's a taco place. The fish tacos and prawn tacos were exceptional. We didn't take photos, we basically inhaled the food and enjoyed every second of it. Overall, it was a solid end to a busy day in a big city. Needless to say, we survived the day, unmolested. The people are generally kind and helpful and they're almost always surprised that we understand Spanish. I'm starting to suspect that the warnings about the <i>dangers</i> of Bogota might be over-exaggerated, at least depending on the time of day and the neighbourhood.<br /><p></p><p>Next up, el Mercado de las Pulgas and el Jardin Botanico.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.072092-23.599245236178845 -109.228342 33.021222436178846 -38.915842tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-60311606889957215562024-02-15T16:05:00.000-05:002024-02-15T16:05:00.431-05:00What's New in Cuenca<p>I think I might have mentioned in my last post that Cuenca received a bit of a glow up, post-pandemic. Unlike my neck of the woods, Cuenca seems to have come out stronger, better and more advanced. This might be an unfair comparison, as Moncton already had a lot of the benefits of a modern, developed economy - meaning that food delivery was a regular thing, as were credit cards and contactless payment etc. When we left Cuenca cash was king and credit cards weren't widely accepted except in the major chains of grocery and department stores and larger hotels. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4wjwePCqe9FlVwZdk9iEqX-TIwK_jl3s405anSREOFV1yWiSK96ljnlGpNmljT67o57aSXw2DUqew1GL-vHp7wkrhNDKDNpRL7YgpPkf56XR4b4R71WCZuwMd7tFTgWzQFb0KLBht52VSBUO5B06Eehgxb7Rv3KmZEgV1Nem_UUDiNy_sput3ZsHmjNC/s4032/20240124_183230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4wjwePCqe9FlVwZdk9iEqX-TIwK_jl3s405anSREOFV1yWiSK96ljnlGpNmljT67o57aSXw2DUqew1GL-vHp7wkrhNDKDNpRL7YgpPkf56XR4b4R71WCZuwMd7tFTgWzQFb0KLBht52VSBUO5B06Eehgxb7Rv3KmZEgV1Nem_UUDiNy_sput3ZsHmjNC/s320/20240124_183230.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can barely see it, but there's a full moon on the horizon.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>On our arrival, we found that the availability of ATMs had increased markedly, smaller restaurants were accepting credit cards and the food quality had improved in so many ways. It was a pleasant surprise. Prices have definitely gone up in some areas: $2.50 almuerzos are much harder to find, lunch for 2 under $10 is more difficult to come across etc. There are some gems, however. A friend found a restaurant called Curu which is actually a culinary institute. You get a five course meal for $5. Yes, you read that right. Keep in mind that the people working there are in the process of learning everything about the restaurant industry and the institute's focus is on high end presentation. This means smaller servings, but we walked away with happy stomachs, so there was really no complaint.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgUNfRV5FK1nUBETPx9NpqSGMlSzQkTdSIw93CKIokvF4D1Zc_TrQ4v5uPgkF2UARMVJ8fYItcJarpK4Rg3U4eYJByW64-KYQHhK7ZSRQC7sdsqpnnmzc7Vn_F9o5IMDsZN3g8t5PnTdhennO5FvZhcy870-3Hyz8Q5AWUdrwxaZflQ7ohPt6jqRIwri8/s4032/20240206_133207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgUNfRV5FK1nUBETPx9NpqSGMlSzQkTdSIw93CKIokvF4D1Zc_TrQ4v5uPgkF2UARMVJ8fYItcJarpK4Rg3U4eYJByW64-KYQHhK7ZSRQC7sdsqpnnmzc7Vn_F9o5IMDsZN3g8t5PnTdhennO5FvZhcy870-3Hyz8Q5AWUdrwxaZflQ7ohPt6jqRIwri8/s320/20240206_133207.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Amuse bouche: beet gelatin with herbs</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9hRIDFs0jeYPksbZCyx789AhOtMhdLvqu2vaad6DJSfsfmCTMTZZsEGPZmq4bT7xIdWYdsyWWtAHdDeLd5ZnkHI0j-o8ekfBzjlaSAc5tenERrpfc5haN2KzbApzantXqu1FoIOaXOs51y8xf7spjCWocIS-aaFK4RdI40RBzKO59YleDZYsB7OXvC6x/s4032/20240206_134502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9hRIDFs0jeYPksbZCyx789AhOtMhdLvqu2vaad6DJSfsfmCTMTZZsEGPZmq4bT7xIdWYdsyWWtAHdDeLd5ZnkHI0j-o8ekfBzjlaSAc5tenERrpfc5haN2KzbApzantXqu1FoIOaXOs51y8xf7spjCWocIS-aaFK4RdI40RBzKO59YleDZYsB7OXvC6x/s320/20240206_134502.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wheat Soup</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>(On the wheat soup, you'll have to imagine the bowl filled with a hearty, thick soup, richly flavoured and wholly satisfying...I forgot to take a picture with the bowl full.) The round item is a perfectly cooked and slightly charred baby potato, with saffron powder and berry coulis. The soup is what made the meal filling. There were some comments about it reminding tasters of barley soup, if you're looking for a texture reference, but the soup base was thicker than a bouillon. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfL-8Nx3OfGsndDmsx3Yrf_bEG2Klkih6at_Wloflzy3zhxqUibKK7Ut3vSQ7PkNTwaIsOfQgjxdppT12tJI4_C1j9rvTsgSnELwefkmknMsdFiVa5Sj3S4go2dHubLCvrNqpJhEvSxVAaE-S54QHuIgOfkPlpSXKRkTsjG1Al1iMAo3qrEPEM3grbNOLC/s4032/20240206_141115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfL-8Nx3OfGsndDmsx3Yrf_bEG2Klkih6at_Wloflzy3zhxqUibKK7Ut3vSQ7PkNTwaIsOfQgjxdppT12tJI4_C1j9rvTsgSnELwefkmknMsdFiVa5Sj3S4go2dHubLCvrNqpJhEvSxVAaE-S54QHuIgOfkPlpSXKRkTsjG1Al1iMAo3qrEPEM3grbNOLC/s320/20240206_141115.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Palate Cleanser: salad fresca</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Cucumber, grape tomatoes, micro beet greens, golden berries/physalis, and a maracuya dressing. The bitter, tang and sweetness was a beautiful combination.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLwAbr3cchRsPy8ciSP3k04HssKnNZMwrT8BoL7QTgGhI7JFfsA7CjeQ6m8MAdHaE3ApyOviN-Zqnl7xQeq4ernu5_k5K-un7nxnWQz30oyBDpGfvE2iEif7oTTeo6S9vhlPPdUXSvBNIP-XXpQmdbYqMqD54AAdnByaIbnqEpX33m3zA4CuuN2MrkwmZ/s4032/20240206_141359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLwAbr3cchRsPy8ciSP3k04HssKnNZMwrT8BoL7QTgGhI7JFfsA7CjeQ6m8MAdHaE3ApyOviN-Zqnl7xQeq4ernu5_k5K-un7nxnWQz30oyBDpGfvE2iEif7oTTeo6S9vhlPPdUXSvBNIP-XXpQmdbYqMqD54AAdnByaIbnqEpX33m3zA4CuuN2MrkwmZ/s320/20240206_141359.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Entree: slowly stewed chicken served<br />with a side of rice</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The rich gravy and tender chicken were really delicious, it's just too bad that the plates weren't heated to keep the serving warm while we waited for the rice to get passed down the table.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpH42nBf1ZmMa75wYEyABw1waAVPwcycE3QQjWRf80NMy9NCbT7B_rHUkfLWcGHM_mSnaPX4C1K19UMZaQO8oEkHZsIDVXSAJFc89tuEFPOMJl1O6FJPyLczP2yGf8YFjurqUxn_WhtqwkWRZY0yhgamLpXsjW4IMEBmC70rNoJwRuhenI8JAN2TvQxCKV/s4032/20240206_144251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpH42nBf1ZmMa75wYEyABw1waAVPwcycE3QQjWRf80NMy9NCbT7B_rHUkfLWcGHM_mSnaPX4C1K19UMZaQO8oEkHZsIDVXSAJFc89tuEFPOMJl1O6FJPyLczP2yGf8YFjurqUxn_WhtqwkWRZY0yhgamLpXsjW4IMEBmC70rNoJwRuhenI8JAN2TvQxCKV/s320/20240206_144251.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dessert: poached pear in red wine <br />reduction, with hand crafted vanilla ice-cream<br />sprinkled with bee pollen<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><p>I didn't know you could get pears so small, but it was perfectly executed and the serving size was right on point <br /></p><p>There's many more examples of well executed food, but we won't take away anyone's adventurousness, by going into further detail, at least at this point. Be bold and explore!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Carnival</h3><p>(Or Carnaval, as it's know here) <br /></p><p></p><p>Little did we realise that we were heading into Carnaval during our trip. We'd overcome the issues with our residency and embraced the rest of our vacation as tourists. We wandered the streets, visited old haunts and met with old friends. Then came the towers of espuma, piles of water pistols and boxes of corn starch on almost every corner. Carnaval was coming. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5D4yFgyVvkwLwQSy9lAk-irxDR9OzMVLV2j64_QAQqVcT7YCppulYsHvRMjBqf871Vd3KFil37t-WYlKeOvjgec9-FUWn4YmC3Jojm12Fq1ttvhF3VkF1iF_9v5EMx8NSLeYHloLBMxJvOdvbQ4gvNLbUPI2k9U9zVJYEHV5IlrdRQzVddsJPlTaIL-sf/s4032/20240211_100827.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5D4yFgyVvkwLwQSy9lAk-irxDR9OzMVLV2j64_QAQqVcT7YCppulYsHvRMjBqf871Vd3KFil37t-WYlKeOvjgec9-FUWn4YmC3Jojm12Fq1ttvhF3VkF1iF_9v5EMx8NSLeYHloLBMxJvOdvbQ4gvNLbUPI2k9U9zVJYEHV5IlrdRQzVddsJPlTaIL-sf/s320/20240211_100827.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The smallest cans of foam available<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It's mostly harmless, nothing that you get hit with is going to hurt you. Sure, your eyes might sting, or your mouth might taste like soap and you might get a bit wet, but other than that, it's okay, for the most part.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxjbsy-QJ6TWHrIYNOmDROw5K9dNcSDTXjb7d8IrxuDNWKpbDOml8xl8uODBO2XutjmZez_PtNb1v38zdA7SA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Video provide by our good friend Carl Marquart, taken during the big Carnaval parade</span> <br /></p><p>Generally, most people are respectful and won't engage with you, unless you want to play. We were mostly unmolested and it's fun to watch participants, absolutely coated in foam, dripping with water and streaked with corn starch, running around, laughing and have a great time with their friends and family. It can even be fun to participate. If you're prepared for a dousing. I'd actually encourage it.<br /></p><p></p><p>Fair warming though, some people play dirty. Car drive by's hitting you with foam, groups of people surrounding a defenceless person and unloading large tins of foam or buckets of water on them. Again, it's not harmful, but, if you aren't part of the game, it can be off-putting or even aggravating. It gets a bit worse in the evening when alcohol becomes a factor. Otherwise, a good time is had by all.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Jardin Botanico</h3><p>At the south end of the city, along the Yanuncay river, the powers that be have opened up a beautiful little botanical garden, filled with ponds, streams, beautiful flowers and beds of local crops. Because of the flowers, the garden is rife with hummingbirds and bees. It's a calm oasis, well worth a visit. We went on a Sunday, when the garden was "closed", but either because of Carnaval or just the nature of all things Ecuadorian, we were able to wander around the gardens, even though the Orchid pavilion and other buildings were closed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1_ox0yJQdi9CT8-ClhsGRlw67hxJ7ifX0OHTrP-x4qzU-UXPcXdoKBFGro6i_uExy3GU1FxTa0U08XPHSgQmQeycDePVIZLQ-Ye8SRcBKZCYZFmgy_RofiVqeAw4Ceja1eCO4TufXrTCYf_3u6vGsZdUV_eO_VOVDWUKozkDPd7iClFfjlmmoJVNDAW5/s4032/20240211_104045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1_ox0yJQdi9CT8-ClhsGRlw67hxJ7ifX0OHTrP-x4qzU-UXPcXdoKBFGro6i_uExy3GU1FxTa0U08XPHSgQmQeycDePVIZLQ-Ye8SRcBKZCYZFmgy_RofiVqeAw4Ceja1eCO4TufXrTCYf_3u6vGsZdUV_eO_VOVDWUKozkDPd7iClFfjlmmoJVNDAW5/s320/20240211_104045.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>There are lots of raised walkways, so you can get a better view of the thoughtfully laid out gardens. There are also benches snuggled under the wide canopy of trees along the river and art installations throughout.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttdyOvpP9vIzuHsaoCTh-Ac2SoLN4g-PELVSRwQFKfnJGhI_nZBwSpMWezn8PElLSQocJD7rFr45UcurxyD0-w94U4x-jRTDNN5t9EwezSf0Av-mCLqAHub3c2o3qhzA7CvOwf6A_y2jQh8BnZLDWv3p5VnEYA1NqzYb-OBBNBH5tbvvfudqPxK-dzmmk/s4032/20240211_105207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttdyOvpP9vIzuHsaoCTh-Ac2SoLN4g-PELVSRwQFKfnJGhI_nZBwSpMWezn8PElLSQocJD7rFr45UcurxyD0-w94U4x-jRTDNN5t9EwezSf0Av-mCLqAHub3c2o3qhzA7CvOwf6A_y2jQh8BnZLDWv3p5VnEYA1NqzYb-OBBNBH5tbvvfudqPxK-dzmmk/s320/20240211_105207.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGVyz8FX8q_rhy5zd-CmJUtTkb_DJwLOmMPPDBWQLsG1lC5ji3W3XKp8LjssPk1JF53uN2UWud2ZfO99FsorrqCsP8OdVhp0zgKlGedaRgoO0zsvONNDc_tnvljuCIPyHEijwchzf_xVe-RR_Ubir8inJt2GJiNaWspdbz2vXkNrn1N8h_VxdlYGH990B/s4032/20240211_110157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGVyz8FX8q_rhy5zd-CmJUtTkb_DJwLOmMPPDBWQLsG1lC5ji3W3XKp8LjssPk1JF53uN2UWud2ZfO99FsorrqCsP8OdVhp0zgKlGedaRgoO0zsvONNDc_tnvljuCIPyHEijwchzf_xVe-RR_Ubir8inJt2GJiNaWspdbz2vXkNrn1N8h_VxdlYGH990B/s320/20240211_110157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpC2kwaAO8gdZcGdvBlnLG53nOlBqCY9d-uph05fnl1DTdABZrgLAzo1FwinSewlxCxn3Y5VIU7KcoteORceCuxZlQElJJfA0NHeOMhzlTOLSfecmJPnz7vnanudO6N55uVTeh_rkXqrRbJlWgZrya2OuiTGmr5MsFgqsGTCBLtB32uPgVrK2mk0K4CoZQ/s4032/20240211_111052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpC2kwaAO8gdZcGdvBlnLG53nOlBqCY9d-uph05fnl1DTdABZrgLAzo1FwinSewlxCxn3Y5VIU7KcoteORceCuxZlQElJJfA0NHeOMhzlTOLSfecmJPnz7vnanudO6N55uVTeh_rkXqrRbJlWgZrya2OuiTGmr5MsFgqsGTCBLtB32uPgVrK2mk0K4CoZQ/s320/20240211_111052.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJJqVN6Ls-WTUJtx5E2q1stHTHzaL9XqQkiv7YB4AOWIHhQahKxrt0Ux2y2WMnt_p2DIl9R-ldGCLS8I53LOGraa_YuZBtBOLGL0DVEMdqgJx2cEaPwSc5knWz0c8spgH8U8r7EeU_ALXzd1arJDExzIesOA90ltW6PfbNqQWhXBWvWkw9sk3MJHVHOt-/s4032/20240211_111103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJJqVN6Ls-WTUJtx5E2q1stHTHzaL9XqQkiv7YB4AOWIHhQahKxrt0Ux2y2WMnt_p2DIl9R-ldGCLS8I53LOGraa_YuZBtBOLGL0DVEMdqgJx2cEaPwSc5knWz0c8spgH8U8r7EeU_ALXzd1arJDExzIesOA90ltW6PfbNqQWhXBWvWkw9sk3MJHVHOt-/s320/20240211_111103.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>On our way there, we stopped at a playground and let Teddy have the run of the park. He very much enjoyed climbing (a bear-y happy practice) and the slide.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODMv5vf3krn8k_qVX_9pglTInpWcFh5iKnRqkE4I8LDuqbbadSA-h-S6H1YlSsiXmPpUgjc4JVeL1x5l4p5WxTX4dLMy6tCVnY4yRkdE0URAotyGVajRxKxLSOePyilZpIdMdok036ssdgRLGSiIjsb9sfv0yzqxAyNKSce1Vj-cOwe2EwHi8BjrxHeGq/s4032/20240211_104217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODMv5vf3krn8k_qVX_9pglTInpWcFh5iKnRqkE4I8LDuqbbadSA-h-S6H1YlSsiXmPpUgjc4JVeL1x5l4p5WxTX4dLMy6tCVnY4yRkdE0URAotyGVajRxKxLSOePyilZpIdMdok036ssdgRLGSiIjsb9sfv0yzqxAyNKSce1Vj-cOwe2EwHi8BjrxHeGq/s320/20240211_104217.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWh0v235cjyeEFH6xlQxqeWP4pA4bKjUoYXM8AvE8oU9xcWL0HTlm59aQ1614A35s9M_h3rZqTZid8goMlae0XUxS8Sa87AtvtZ075OAqWuKa1AOWKXtNMK2GGe-CFUh3gPLu4hiHcfEY-hVKcw37P-0FLseaLXbkK4Py-vATkz2DQfXFmdhcwqM4gdSR/s4032/20240211_104237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWh0v235cjyeEFH6xlQxqeWP4pA4bKjUoYXM8AvE8oU9xcWL0HTlm59aQ1614A35s9M_h3rZqTZid8goMlae0XUxS8Sa87AtvtZ075OAqWuKa1AOWKXtNMK2GGe-CFUh3gPLu4hiHcfEY-hVKcw37P-0FLseaLXbkK4Py-vATkz2DQfXFmdhcwqM4gdSR/s320/20240211_104237.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Cuenca Symphony <br /></h3><p>Finally, as I feel I may have overwhelmed you with information, I'll only mention one more thing: the Cuenca Symphony. It's enjoying a resurgence since being mostly disbanded during the pandemic. We've been to several performances, all of which have been highly enjoyable. If you get the chance, we highly recommend it. Oh, did I mention that it's free?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoeDuMHczH3PEzdrJ0UNVC2ZG5CeY6kcK9JgtXOItHVhbOBsFBY4J8QusiMlKsKhCbIwXQV38lakCGmehhdxnhZllH3DWItrVS43eEysNXzwMa6dvs-JyZ_guU9FrOeVMJTxAyfrLpeskeWnEogvvzjiitmqDBko4WJL4ad2H9M1OBo71MFGsgsaisNtJ/s4032/20240207_201713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoeDuMHczH3PEzdrJ0UNVC2ZG5CeY6kcK9JgtXOItHVhbOBsFBY4J8QusiMlKsKhCbIwXQV38lakCGmehhdxnhZllH3DWItrVS43eEysNXzwMa6dvs-JyZ_guU9FrOeVMJTxAyfrLpeskeWnEogvvzjiitmqDBko4WJL4ad2H9M1OBo71MFGsgsaisNtJ/s320/20240207_201713.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwsJgWhSEIYbvKuRETCuR_sXUPSNl-s6dGWBWD9f1Ul6BO6cvaow2ZpiBWgr59wRfF7lJWGe2ic1ojTATu5NL__UqrKgJBvoTNNacMEYFn2258KiEnO7jwWvg-IfKY1JyLRl5FsQa0COzKnLLybzNFuFDwlYjoctolPzuJCh_I21F-4vH4nEGmOX9eYSR/s4032/20240126_211320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwsJgWhSEIYbvKuRETCuR_sXUPSNl-s6dGWBWD9f1Ul6BO6cvaow2ZpiBWgr59wRfF7lJWGe2ic1ojTATu5NL__UqrKgJBvoTNNacMEYFn2258KiEnO7jwWvg-IfKY1JyLRl5FsQa0COzKnLLybzNFuFDwlYjoctolPzuJCh_I21F-4vH4nEGmOX9eYSR/s320/20240126_211320.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sNQzUOPFjXa0ly6yGavqV1pP65hghBeQxSEXepjXvleJX3kDogKwF1wxMZhoWKDoQ1IUxrcp_AI_PqD0zCczUBwsutd3jq_H0YpA6oJ06a2YvZGWErKhgOiTK7yxqMiBGKgX0vMWiw8KyP5N3z2cGo1LDT_lavpxUbv8dui90t9F3bazOgCzlmjko_yW/s4032/20240126_211325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sNQzUOPFjXa0ly6yGavqV1pP65hghBeQxSEXepjXvleJX3kDogKwF1wxMZhoWKDoQ1IUxrcp_AI_PqD0zCczUBwsutd3jq_H0YpA6oJ06a2YvZGWErKhgOiTK7yxqMiBGKgX0vMWiw8KyP5N3z2cGo1LDT_lavpxUbv8dui90t9F3bazOgCzlmjko_yW/s320/20240126_211325.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So, it feels like things are vibrant and exciting here. The streets are busy, people seem to be happy and thriving, despite there still being big city problems with unhoused people and some vagrancy. It doesn't detract from all the city has to offer. We're glad we get to experience it again.<br /><p><br /></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com2Cuenca, Ecuador-2.9001285 -79.005896499999992-31.210362336178846 -114.16214649999999 25.410105336178844 -43.849646499999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-7067360188039495522024-01-29T15:46:00.004-05:002024-01-29T16:34:06.656-05:00When the Universe Says "No"<p>Hey! I'm back. Sure, it's been a few years, but what with the pandemic and all, is anybody really surprised?</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlW7VetGG33sTEfbPY9cjUfJO9NI0gUuq78r_JMMTEUB46fq7nrmLAKdWEa2L7URiZ4LtBQhwgB6B6nG33VcuYC-aes0tJO-uHLSlo0GSYL_K0l2QcBAwnZ53fb5JginIGupPOOJ8CzDamR9Ryr4ohPjAuttsduzX0LvDVlVITd3sl3u4QmtRjehmdeC7/s4608/20240109_191250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlW7VetGG33sTEfbPY9cjUfJO9NI0gUuq78r_JMMTEUB46fq7nrmLAKdWEa2L7URiZ4LtBQhwgB6B6nG33VcuYC-aes0tJO-uHLSlo0GSYL_K0l2QcBAwnZ53fb5JginIGupPOOJ8CzDamR9Ryr4ohPjAuttsduzX0LvDVlVITd3sl3u4QmtRjehmdeC7/s320/20240109_191250.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset somewhere over Mexico<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>You'll never guess, but we're back in Ecuador, just for a visit. It was time to flee the winter in Eastern Canada and we had to renew our Ecuadorian ID cards, so back we came to Cuenca. We thought we were pretty smart, we hired someone who knows the system to help us get new cedulas, had all of our paperwork in order and had (hopefully) booked enough time to get it all done.</p><p>The first step was to have our visas transferred from our old passports into the new "electronic" visas, then get our marriage registered in the Registro Civil. (This, despite the fact that our cedulas clearly indicate that we are, indeed, married to each other. Classic government bureaucracy.) Then, after those two hurdles, we'd be ready to renew our cedulas. Sounds pretty staight forward, right?</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkV3C6Z2DdDqvEsUW7ssaDPFzHlvn4DQOh6Cmf5WH-8WYyJMw68mrJ9DUIiXC5JM83pBWXECmUNcLg9fvgkK6p-AQYQa0J8ud8-RSt0AivZyxkeddNmVgiFrck3-3s1U63Ng10vo3A50w3A2wMr-Tb5OyD946XHua1wTBzhSLBYjHap1Jb_j4_uDp17KJ/s4032/20240124_183230%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkV3C6Z2DdDqvEsUW7ssaDPFzHlvn4DQOh6Cmf5WH-8WYyJMw68mrJ9DUIiXC5JM83pBWXECmUNcLg9fvgkK6p-AQYQa0J8ud8-RSt0AivZyxkeddNmVgiFrck3-3s1U63Ng10vo3A50w3A2wMr-Tb5OyD946XHua1wTBzhSLBYjHap1Jb_j4_uDp17KJ/s320/20240124_183230%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The New Cathedral from Terra Restaurant<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Alas, no. As Ron is the primary visa holder the agency in Azogues wanted to see him first. He and our fixer dutifully went out there and after a brief wait they were told that they wouldn't be tranferring the visa, as we'd been out of the country for too long. When we left in 2019, permanent residents could be out of the country for up to 5 years. What we didn't know, is that in 2021, the rules changed and that term was cut down to only two years. We were a year too late.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFlYRu-F1Yml1ncfGdcZEkyAUU5EdjVz9P3VUfKp3OKpqjqhLNYhcvIS14FChQopO_GsVMWMRDVy7jmnIer4yHL0ydzcWO-YUzo13H5rvPVemU_YOJYXr2gpkolbh2Zj70k31ms4NKBORMJyzSRJS8Qvl32XrcLiUuzitsDDX7ld0CJMaqqteHlwqwN6L/s4032/20240124_183238%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFlYRu-F1Yml1ncfGdcZEkyAUU5EdjVz9P3VUfKp3OKpqjqhLNYhcvIS14FChQopO_GsVMWMRDVy7jmnIer4yHL0ydzcWO-YUzo13H5rvPVemU_YOJYXr2gpkolbh2Zj70k31ms4NKBORMJyzSRJS8Qvl32XrcLiUuzitsDDX7ld0CJMaqqteHlwqwN6L/s320/20240124_183238%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full moon over the city<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We really weren't that surprised. Disappointed, to be sure, as it was nice to have the possibility of moving back here should the need arise. The universe had already given us several indications over the past several years that our time here might be done, but the nudges were subtle, or we were just being thick. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyDXdhW9XPuI6_HChwEHju9-uaiY0-LcHAF1VNRC_FMWuhqPay7P2aPfWC6ksYILsjGdXJXMM3c3rPCtxW4pWYByS1nKPvViz2abs_eA_rtmRC79crintn6L_B_INTCOxgAc7Iltxtegtk6CHe-iUkl2fgdke9tHVPF9J1VCukBX30Zm_nX37M6bBbNrH/s4608/20240109_175322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyDXdhW9XPuI6_HChwEHju9-uaiY0-LcHAF1VNRC_FMWuhqPay7P2aPfWC6ksYILsjGdXJXMM3c3rPCtxW4pWYByS1nKPvViz2abs_eA_rtmRC79crintn6L_B_INTCOxgAc7Iltxtegtk6CHe-iUkl2fgdke9tHVPF9J1VCukBX30Zm_nX37M6bBbNrH/s320/20240109_175322.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise over Ecuador<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>You'll hear a lot of negative things about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Azogues office, They are intractable when it comes to the rules. I've found my dealings with them to be incredibly frustrating, mostly because they kept telling us "no". That's on us, really, not on them. Just be forewarned. Many people opt to use the Quito office, to avoid their incredibly narrow interpretation of the rules. All that being said, they did us a solid. They didn't cancel our visas and kick us out of the country. That means that, technically, we're still residents, but it's a very narrow technicality. We have two ways to remediate the situation. Apply for residency all over again starting from scratch, or let our residency go. Because of the new 2 year out of country rule, we've decided to take the second option. </p><p>Anyhow, this leaves us with some free time on our hands, so we've decided to run off to Columbia for the end of our trip. So, here we come, Bogota and Medellin! I guess we're making lemonade.<br /></p><p><br /></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Cuenca, Ecuador-2.9001285 -79.005896499999992-31.210362336178846 -114.16214649999999 25.410105336178844 -43.849646499999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-64886603956115470422021-07-30T13:39:00.000-05:002021-07-30T13:39:44.053-05:00Head for the Hills! (Better late than never, I guess)<p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's been a long time...I know, but with the pandemic and all, there really hasn't been a lot to report. Happily, as restrictions loosen and the two of us are fully vaccinated, we were ready to head off on another adventure.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We've long talked about the Mount Carleton region of New Brunswick, at least amongst ourselves, as it has some true mountains to hike, a couple of really quaint towns and, of course, ridiculously charming little villages in between. That you can follow the Acadian peninsula and enjoy water views, as well, only added to the appeal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrElkXUU42DKs6h_JbVVxXsrEPYEiJnj61aRtHZzOWjvfeXO3k9Pg11xGWnjpI-lAs-Y1h9jB9XO4qQcz84B5ZZcFLAaxLMHPFwdML4VV7IdLhB9xoEBR3RuaxB0_YDd8_es-kSNbHywCy/s5184/IMG_1270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrElkXUU42DKs6h_JbVVxXsrEPYEiJnj61aRtHZzOWjvfeXO3k9Pg11xGWnjpI-lAs-Y1h9jB9XO4qQcz84B5ZZcFLAaxLMHPFwdML4VV7IdLhB9xoEBR3RuaxB0_YDd8_es-kSNbHywCy/s320/IMG_1270.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzmvHq2xenYdnGcLlWup84Rp9yyWx_ftq8Iqoa8FAqcdD5prYsccqYzR8bIlU4q7EUcFA4bdr2J9Oh7oZcI0lFNoZf_cVwj7WnPxS_0io6l-5mr9z3N3C7aR3H-ifzsWbofFa-MjozBY-/s5184/IMG_1293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzmvHq2xenYdnGcLlWup84Rp9yyWx_ftq8Iqoa8FAqcdD5prYsccqYzR8bIlU4q7EUcFA4bdr2J9Oh7oZcI0lFNoZf_cVwj7WnPxS_0io6l-5mr9z3N3C7aR3H-ifzsWbofFa-MjozBY-/s320/IMG_1293.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With all that temptation, we rented a car, packed our bags and took our out of shape hiking legs north to the very edge of the New Brunswick/Quebec border.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Mount Carleton is a national park, situated in the middle of the northern part of the province. It's remote enough that you can only pay your park entry fee in cash and cell service is definitely spotty. (Consider that a warning, especially if you're planning on hiking around the mountains.) This area is where the Appalachian mountains start (or end, depending on your perspective) and is fairly remote, despite the little towns scattered around the coast and inland.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJegbsuQ3XVsykL3uT0hyphenhyphenlpkiMmrqg-SasBR2Wjggqkbrl0DwIewtZ6JID8Pc1YVSIV11Jn38am1HTzONl5K-OC37Hxp2x107WFn7qJ3KolKOYeukCSvv5tM_VyxZ0eFxyGC7Mh4E9mB1G/s5184/IMG_1229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJegbsuQ3XVsykL3uT0hyphenhyphenlpkiMmrqg-SasBR2Wjggqkbrl0DwIewtZ6JID8Pc1YVSIV11Jn38am1HTzONl5K-OC37Hxp2x107WFn7qJ3KolKOYeukCSvv5tM_VyxZ0eFxyGC7Mh4E9mB1G/s320/IMG_1229.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGN9MSE6waB0EUc3qB2yKX_SPT23J7Jpg7BsiheuvFZfUKakqLL08FAqVCdHWzAjZqNulHhseKx73Z1Iea1Vsv9PbTA3vFksQtb4egT11V6roMH1QnLJ5oWJvI6pXmjQ3CgcqziORLmWp-/s5184/IMG_1256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGN9MSE6waB0EUc3qB2yKX_SPT23J7Jpg7BsiheuvFZfUKakqLL08FAqVCdHWzAjZqNulHhseKx73Z1Iea1Vsv9PbTA3vFksQtb4egT11V6roMH1QnLJ5oWJvI6pXmjQ3CgcqziORLmWp-/s320/IMG_1256.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvzHXHMZTPV_GJEQzuv-Piz-BZXRddM98mNpwIOAVewlxPmYg91qWUBtZQAla9HnH_zksj1tFjlQTPLd6g6sJOwFKbUP_piRhzuBFFi0dMRHHJFkA1zCCuPEbFB8xzcqL7oKlbqLPfVfJ/s5184/IMG_1223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvzHXHMZTPV_GJEQzuv-Piz-BZXRddM98mNpwIOAVewlxPmYg91qWUBtZQAla9HnH_zksj1tFjlQTPLd6g6sJOwFKbUP_piRhzuBFFi0dMRHHJFkA1zCCuPEbFB8xzcqL7oKlbqLPfVfJ/s320/IMG_1223.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The park, itself, offers camping, lakes, hiking and biking trails. We opted for a self-catered B&B 22kms from the park entrance, called <a href="https://bbdurepos.com/" target="_blank">Bed and Breakfast Du Repos</a> . It was the perfect little hideaway for us to recoup after a days hiking, as it had a small kitchenette, comfy bed and all the fixings for breakfast (and trail snacks) that we needed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We were careful about selecting our first mountain trail, as we'd been out of the game for a while. We tackled Mount Bailey first. At 564m (1850ft) it boasted great views and moderately challenging climbs. The weather wasn't ideal, in that it had rained a good part of the day before and through the night, so the trees were wet and the wind blew, cascading down drops despite the tree cover.<span> The views weren't disappointing, the forest soothing and our legs, not so out of shape that we wanted to quit half way up, so it was a win-win.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb911_We2gs32IdRU8CoNCg5Z9sN_Q2w_9llTmG-sHJ2QLVpnOTAnUPg5GmlWJoIywDFb2sGxHa15aGrb8djVn6DtHT3d-WGOfpgs0_yjX4k9sCgiTYJLTOduAN-ChDc9ClJprFb4ew-G/s5184/IMG_1227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb911_We2gs32IdRU8CoNCg5Z9sN_Q2w_9llTmG-sHJ2QLVpnOTAnUPg5GmlWJoIywDFb2sGxHa15aGrb8djVn6DtHT3d-WGOfpgs0_yjX4k9sCgiTYJLTOduAN-ChDc9ClJprFb4ew-G/s320/IMG_1227.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bucolic flat stretch <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd33ZGKyNyDBayYRWhY9yeoONvUmAJ-Uds87wCAppNhlvZcKR5cGaU7KWRz033zAJpO87vHKJMLm2FYlTKifvMTfOShkJD1eE6RnHxhxfz-LyaggxTXgvV35B_tXrJYfzpnNSVd1UHgZX/s5184/IMG_1233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd33ZGKyNyDBayYRWhY9yeoONvUmAJ-Uds87wCAppNhlvZcKR5cGaU7KWRz033zAJpO87vHKJMLm2FYlTKifvMTfOShkJD1eE6RnHxhxfz-LyaggxTXgvV35B_tXrJYfzpnNSVd1UHgZX/s320/IMG_1233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clouds won't keep us down<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqvEdNC9Y093u9kCNSHCebAFkHcubpP98GOkTMJIZ8YnDteUSM3Cu-pXdVKrGTpWkYzNFiPnEts7S2dlM1E5gKIVrPPwnePl8mRsulUvzhfhEe8FkXD0Gga7_6fswAM3z8XOh-W3t-7xh/s5184/IMG_1238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqvEdNC9Y093u9kCNSHCebAFkHcubpP98GOkTMJIZ8YnDteUSM3Cu-pXdVKrGTpWkYzNFiPnEts7S2dlM1E5gKIVrPPwnePl8mRsulUvzhfhEe8FkXD0Gga7_6fswAM3z8XOh-W3t-7xh/s320/IMG_1238.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkolxbPcDYw9QoN6Un9mKRhmJRq9yeuiXtsqJOm4dwV7sxfqcb11o-zQxv-N_HQeyxR97MuziZxVubs6U0ntcjcmA_LrsEkgxNJrG6bRzvZaI14I9tVwgIsOuhpGN33Y4nVYzUif069rZC/s5184/IMG_1249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkolxbPcDYw9QoN6Un9mKRhmJRq9yeuiXtsqJOm4dwV7sxfqcb11o-zQxv-N_HQeyxR97MuziZxVubs6U0ntcjcmA_LrsEkgxNJrG6bRzvZaI14I9tVwgIsOuhpGN33Y4nVYzUif069rZC/s320/IMG_1249.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The following day, we decided to summit the highest peak in the Maritimes and the namesake of the Park, Mount Carleton. (It's 820m (2,690ft) at it's peak, and also is home to an old forest fire watch tower. On a clear day, you can see over 10,000,000 trees, according to the park's literature. The weather was more favourable on the hike up and we were lulled into a bout of confidence, as the trail was fairly easy to negotiate, with only a bit of hard boulder scrambling at the last stretch. As we neared the peak, the wind came up and blew in a rather haunting cloud cover and we quickly lost sight of the vast expanse of forest that surrounds the mountain. The tower loomed up out of the mist and provided a haven from the wind, where we sat down to enjoy a brief lunch, before heading back down the other side of the hiking loop. The trail had lovely little creeks at the beginning with heaps of moss covered stones, fallen trees, draping over the waterways and other enjoyable nature-y scenes that would please most any outdoors person. There was some scree on the back side of the mountain, heading back down, making me feel like I was walking under the influence, but it was definitely an enjoyable hike all-round. At the end of the day, we took ourselves off to Edmundston for dinner out and to check out the town. It has quite a pretty downtown, but when the paper mill is in operation, the noise can be off putting. It didn't disrupt our dinner and we enjoyed a nice drive through the rolling foothills on the way back.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3BRrWghQi8OuoQlLvB5nHLwSey-FgnJvN4kU9wWBUsmLgZ0UIYdqmS1S1uHgSy4TiFJ-NKBc9Feuykzw2fkymU5rjJKX3Q2tSa76YWyYIykjgwBtthrguXnQWEkiDXY-ua7eImVTIrcW/s5184/IMG_1260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3BRrWghQi8OuoQlLvB5nHLwSey-FgnJvN4kU9wWBUsmLgZ0UIYdqmS1S1uHgSy4TiFJ-NKBc9Feuykzw2fkymU5rjJKX3Q2tSa76YWyYIykjgwBtthrguXnQWEkiDXY-ua7eImVTIrcW/s320/IMG_1260.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy entry to the trail<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMYyWWIsTGaQYvRktBApYpP_kNOL3rZO4eTI8wuSv93AniiaOvbEE_vIDe_8bDEQdRD9SEPzaJMzzV2_6Gt3XHjXm23NXcnnQlf8brYufGz2uylKQt93joC1Bd2IghXWPCq9rI-v2D_CT/s5184/IMG_1284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMYyWWIsTGaQYvRktBApYpP_kNOL3rZO4eTI8wuSv93AniiaOvbEE_vIDe_8bDEQdRD9SEPzaJMzzV2_6Gt3XHjXm23NXcnnQlf8brYufGz2uylKQt93joC1Bd2IghXWPCq9rI-v2D_CT/s320/IMG_1284.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10,000,000 Trees<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RXSJ45g6_8iXNqOhnB0gqaeu7et5RbG-XXZ-c4CFpgWGD_-kIu5icSvvVTmqv_SGetlNdHJ5n8Ni0Sv862yabeF5j80rUgeA7Vh0wen78pC81Vd9aD85jOBUKgeVinF_CZL7dGw-RWYW/s5184/IMG_1287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RXSJ45g6_8iXNqOhnB0gqaeu7et5RbG-XXZ-c4CFpgWGD_-kIu5icSvvVTmqv_SGetlNdHJ5n8Ni0Sv862yabeF5j80rUgeA7Vh0wen78pC81Vd9aD85jOBUKgeVinF_CZL7dGw-RWYW/s320/IMG_1287.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting close to the summit<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMg4hos4aMAQ4l3FXqqci1684DEiH8GPkczWM4ZPl8SApcXIBWrkVxceheN-Nzv3cfaoMWtMxkWdSkzicSlopsudnp7OBHWC7tWTTvBScBoUuhspY1T2tNL1gp6VHgkyHIyIfUQZC6cIxS/s4881/IMG_1296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3661" data-original-width="4881" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMg4hos4aMAQ4l3FXqqci1684DEiH8GPkczWM4ZPl8SApcXIBWrkVxceheN-Nzv3cfaoMWtMxkWdSkzicSlopsudnp7OBHWC7tWTTvBScBoUuhspY1T2tNL1gp6VHgkyHIyIfUQZC6cIxS/s320/IMG_1296.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Our final day, we broached the hardest climb on our agenda - Mount Sagamook. While it isn't quite as high as Mount Carleton, the hike up was steep, technical and occasionally, daunting. There is a lookout, 300m before the summit (again, depending on how you hike the loop) which wasn't terribly well marked and required a bit of bush whacking through the forest to get to the rock outcrop that over looks the park, with it's lake and a charming little heart shaped island. The pinnacle was underwhelming after the great views of the lookout, but provided a spot in the sun for a well deserved drink of water and snack. The descent was more challenging than anticipated, but we were glad we took the park attendant's advice and hiked up the short (harder) path and then down the longer, less steep path. At the very end (or start) depending on which way you choose to go, there is a lovely mossy little brook that provided us with a magical little pause at the end of all our hard work. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL1TrKWL1kTmLb-_jHFu7_-J8gFpKSL_HdSPEf1ZPi-nIAu0UsgJRywXrx5V1CjQ3qowyP0TeuHlnkzLxqIgfQJn17e5zrYsmveyaIxx1rXlUFxintzb2SxPE5J_Y-ckYvGhgUHanNg7a/s4704/IMG_1304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4704" data-original-width="3740" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL1TrKWL1kTmLb-_jHFu7_-J8gFpKSL_HdSPEf1ZPi-nIAu0UsgJRywXrx5V1CjQ3qowyP0TeuHlnkzLxqIgfQJn17e5zrYsmveyaIxx1rXlUFxintzb2SxPE5J_Y-ckYvGhgUHanNg7a/s320/IMG_1304.JPG" width="254" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard scrabble up boulders<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukHq8m4yAZ9A3jIJHVx2vUbFBkwBYXtk7vZIFG65IrmTN5x1wAfGAWFguBvltt2BiJqgsKbvnuZoKwGZv1TFon_V6dfbDiN7HneiUC1nnYo1Za-wXssKIxo8w4YBCBxyLn0oonGAvDjio/s5184/IMG_1314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukHq8m4yAZ9A3jIJHVx2vUbFBkwBYXtk7vZIFG65IrmTN5x1wAfGAWFguBvltt2BiJqgsKbvnuZoKwGZv1TFon_V6dfbDiN7HneiUC1nnYo1Za-wXssKIxo8w4YBCBxyLn0oonGAvDjio/s320/IMG_1314.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to reach the look out<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYt4mDCfb0WSx8OwX2d6lEeqvK_9J2Mvc4eQ-9K1JKKnFsJSvYrsNyh9z6u9yUI0L7EYJO6Vrn0femODMwlWUk_C4aNvEy21bCrxloLETAgzOiHGLsmNJJKhRNOSqIy8oHi45i5vYskpnM/s5184/IMG_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYt4mDCfb0WSx8OwX2d6lEeqvK_9J2Mvc4eQ-9K1JKKnFsJSvYrsNyh9z6u9yUI0L7EYJO6Vrn0femODMwlWUk_C4aNvEy21bCrxloLETAgzOiHGLsmNJJKhRNOSqIy8oHi45i5vYskpnM/s320/IMG_1317.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the view<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fxtjhjFAtSMc7y6Ject2J2lJLWwKflz5l-9k9_SajbvDi_01BsC813DJ7ZzwC_1EZJcFjxa16j7ri6L98bJ2zNfTH8KEa6LSeXqFno4sFRK9QElHw3lp8R1pe324bGLVgW57IOlfPozu/s5183/IMG_1319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3317" data-original-width="5183" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fxtjhjFAtSMc7y6Ject2J2lJLWwKflz5l-9k9_SajbvDi_01BsC813DJ7ZzwC_1EZJcFjxa16j7ri6L98bJ2zNfTH8KEa6LSeXqFno4sFRK9QElHw3lp8R1pe324bGLVgW57IOlfPozu/s320/IMG_1319.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvhmR6A16F5AYzX-K4yWoRf78YcdF27iSaZXtM83eHHeytTjzqk2d_N1MbdbhCpKp5iMvrSlNqmDjbiQY9Pdzl-Q_66SIs1zHDWfaQDLMLmdM1vshyphenhyphenwP-CRdf7Widx2w_NsFyhWAWzKoI/s5184/IMG_1321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvhmR6A16F5AYzX-K4yWoRf78YcdF27iSaZXtM83eHHeytTjzqk2d_N1MbdbhCpKp5iMvrSlNqmDjbiQY9Pdzl-Q_66SIs1zHDWfaQDLMLmdM1vshyphenhyphenwP-CRdf7Widx2w_NsFyhWAWzKoI/s320/IMG_1321.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0w21ctCPsdAku5cRlXU0CyivZxWxeoDWkgNk4MZuaL6jEg3P9SGnrUyRZDJn24lb3ofLAZghDPAvJmAUppKGTSm-7HMnIRDCE7h9hmngf8MvXo4s7UCfGk3xzChCSu-HDbBBt6mTdJj70/s5184/IMG_1326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0w21ctCPsdAku5cRlXU0CyivZxWxeoDWkgNk4MZuaL6jEg3P9SGnrUyRZDJn24lb3ofLAZghDPAvJmAUppKGTSm-7HMnIRDCE7h9hmngf8MvXo4s7UCfGk3xzChCSu-HDbBBt6mTdJj70/s320/IMG_1326.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw1_lj8W5qUAh0iDfUBtWBGS5AnsKHedVy2VTPhPMCvzErtHor1mNFzQPk0I3AU8xYhU4VN4c0ADw5PqUveCcteartI7lZ6mJKUVR5vBd38BpQMeiPtSGdylxGMTd2Qocfvzm_skurUdp/s5184/IMG_1331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw1_lj8W5qUAh0iDfUBtWBGS5AnsKHedVy2VTPhPMCvzErtHor1mNFzQPk0I3AU8xYhU4VN4c0ADw5PqUveCcteartI7lZ6mJKUVR5vBd38BpQMeiPtSGdylxGMTd2Qocfvzm_skurUdp/s320/IMG_1331.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>The next day we packed up and took a scenic drive to Campbellton and along the Acadian peninsula. We stopped for lunch in Mirimichi, at an Irish pub. (Mirimichi is the Irish capitol of New Brunswick, so says their welcome sign.) The weather turned once again and we found ourselves driving with the windshield wipers slapping frantically to clear the rain. We settled back home and tried to decide what to do with ourselves the next day. Ron had finally worn out his hiking boots (the sole separated from the upper) so we planned to search for a new pair. Once obtained (a pair of Merills), we decided to try them out in Fundy National Park. We just couldn't let the opportunity pass us by.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>We drove the 1.5 hours to Alma, a cute little sea town that borders the park and enjoyed lunch at Tipsy Tails (I didn't make up the name, I swear!) and then headed into the park to do a 3-4 hour hike to the largest waterfalls in the area. The trail was mostly down hill and not terribly difficult until the end, where we had to wade along the stream to reach the beach below the falls. It was well worth the effort and Ron's new boots proved a good choice. We were surprised to find ourselves back at the car just 2 hours later. Our Mount Carleton experiences must have put some pep in our step. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRU3gP1mJx840Q-DhdS8TYGAbi57a45wSLSAX2LX0rqIefcGYviMBPtwnR3Hy8HKHM6e569KcIz-3sOkNiPHPtWD8iUpm6oBQEJ8kiL8X_s3zGi9DrVtt4i8NKlHCJkOkS1NiF4kusnMa-/s5184/IMG_1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRU3gP1mJx840Q-DhdS8TYGAbi57a45wSLSAX2LX0rqIefcGYviMBPtwnR3Hy8HKHM6e569KcIz-3sOkNiPHPtWD8iUpm6oBQEJ8kiL8X_s3zGi9DrVtt4i8NKlHCJkOkS1NiF4kusnMa-/s320/IMG_1337.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going down just mean climbing up<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn_3H8ktLH7AmbUsZf_f4hVxWOrr06l9rOFWO81sRsmiBxxvttO8hM6vhJ9_gZ73yFnTtbUqIqm3zUQ6YuPUi3E4r0PiI7FhFIt-H1SPB6oueGlScZxtVGoIVaL0Zy3L7unSu2WIpT859/s5184/IMG_1340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn_3H8ktLH7AmbUsZf_f4hVxWOrr06l9rOFWO81sRsmiBxxvttO8hM6vhJ9_gZ73yFnTtbUqIqm3zUQ6YuPUi3E4r0PiI7FhFIt-H1SPB6oueGlScZxtVGoIVaL0Zy3L7unSu2WIpT859/s320/IMG_1340.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzr8GgEJtOvrdFbiq3ST7FwrHAX9F8G8NViiOuBE1PO_pWUbREYIxnTsXnnB1Y9elwIEZArpHEFZtT4IeYff2v7GwIN_S2YngLlvmpcARSOhM2MFn3PojueCdI8FbsVY5NDphJs1A3rMM/s5174/IMG_1347+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5174" data-original-width="3417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzr8GgEJtOvrdFbiq3ST7FwrHAX9F8G8NViiOuBE1PO_pWUbREYIxnTsXnnB1Y9elwIEZArpHEFZtT4IeYff2v7GwIN_S2YngLlvmpcARSOhM2MFn3PojueCdI8FbsVY5NDphJs1A3rMM/s320/IMG_1347+%25282%2529.JPG" width="211" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdqkFdcEExTSm9GJhn4c5tuHBd2X4sES_SaRauDYT4xDYPmH6akh9rSTFF3Vx8IIjf3XhPEWpe20MRMks9MqCX02-_wWA_PNuKQgqiZXFcnQazBflFhnkpmjhsVB7mJVQq8TO5whk4LiS/s5184/IMG_1351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdqkFdcEExTSm9GJhn4c5tuHBd2X4sES_SaRauDYT4xDYPmH6akh9rSTFF3Vx8IIjf3XhPEWpe20MRMks9MqCX02-_wWA_PNuKQgqiZXFcnQazBflFhnkpmjhsVB7mJVQq8TO5whk4LiS/s320/IMG_1351.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It was a delightful distraction and slight return to normalcy after a very strange year and a half. Who knows what we'll get ourselves up to next time? (Maybe nowhere, if the international community doesn't figure out all this vaccine stuff.)<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com3Mount Carleton, Northesk Parish, NB E9E, Canada47.3833333 -66.883333319.073099463821151 -102.0395833 75.693567136178842 -31.727083300000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-54258070520539174762020-10-18T15:55:00.001-05:002020-10-19T12:01:47.621-05:00The Lost Summer<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There was frost on the shingles of the house this morning. It's a sure sign of autumn, as much as my birthday is a step towards the end of summer. I'm not anticipating the long dark days of winter, nor am I excited about the prospect of scarves, jaunty hats and anti-slip boots.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mAiN-RzWk6-cw58Zne0BUR6-rl0TZ0jW2JXngqP4sG4jdPQn1xlyQVhb2tU9ZJoWLYB760-hveop9eVKmqnKtjXB-gHIsXXqNONl4PWxBHRzP0cdMTOuNX5DCKWAnl5XLRtDyxhNQckB/s4608/IMG_20201004_112426_991.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mAiN-RzWk6-cw58Zne0BUR6-rl0TZ0jW2JXngqP4sG4jdPQn1xlyQVhb2tU9ZJoWLYB760-hveop9eVKmqnKtjXB-gHIsXXqNONl4PWxBHRzP0cdMTOuNX5DCKWAnl5XLRtDyxhNQckB/s320/IMG_20201004_112426_991.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Autumn leaves reflected in the water<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We had a bang-up summer. No ifs and or buts. So much better than 2019, at least weather-wise, but then: COVID-19. Sure it came before the amazing summer heat, but not too much before. Even our spring (once it hit) was phenomenal. The pandemic pretty well kaiboshed what would have been an incomparable summer. The temperatures were hot (too hot, for many locals) and rain was completely absent. It was perfect "chill on the patio" weather, "sip wine and relax" weather, "go forth and explore" weather.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZonnuHRlrcFHYzu7NkzlJ4nLGICmcYKeCWgOp9mQOnHXw-yXE0JJDqXPRlrB4yj6jK2cF2orB51K7BIQj0eeIHFhZVkAKDF5AcUJTgbxwjzL4GTN6fAwQ9WaHOn6Hafjg_mZO8kCW1ov/s4608/IMG_20200927_114049_515.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZonnuHRlrcFHYzu7NkzlJ4nLGICmcYKeCWgOp9mQOnHXw-yXE0JJDqXPRlrB4yj6jK2cF2orB51K7BIQj0eeIHFhZVkAKDF5AcUJTgbxwjzL4GTN6fAwQ9WaHOn6Hafjg_mZO8kCW1ov/s320/IMG_20200927_114049_515.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Autumn colour</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">2020 has kicked our butts. Politics, pandemics, the surrender of completely "normal" life (not to mention people! WTF?) has pretty well thrown this year out the window. We all know that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For us, the restaurants were closed and our budget wasn't what we'd have like it to be. (When is it ever?) So the glorious days of summer were lost on us. We did enjoy some fine days on the front porch, under unnecessary mosquito netting (it was too dry for them), enjoying a beverage and some music, watching the goings-on of the neighbourhood. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD5_lRSEBRst11_vBttfss1X8Ul3lnrLezd-9m1oYW9v_iFVlqtEBSM6_0x6J68BAI9L-iKHlQsQRhe357R2S6MFj0RbHTkYYJ9zTOC5rN0TmdDWOhyC04z_FHhQRJKoH44y0ihTicuXI/s5184/IMG_0928.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD5_lRSEBRst11_vBttfss1X8Ul3lnrLezd-9m1oYW9v_iFVlqtEBSM6_0x6J68BAI9L-iKHlQsQRhe357R2S6MFj0RbHTkYYJ9zTOC5rN0TmdDWOhyC04z_FHhQRJKoH44y0ihTicuXI/s320/IMG_0928.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Pre-netting, early spring</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;">It just wasn't what all the gorgeous weather had to offer in a normal year. Once restrictions started lifting, the end of summer approached. That meant my birthday was coming and it was a substantial one, for those that care to count years.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NpZ68qkfVKuCrBlB3RcYPCB-rv99Po3yMnjXqi17tNPbpdegjDouAmIo9hRxi-6rFbe2DNur3FrRZTy6HbCI-vj1jNtUryi6GouStUPCE0g_twTaXcbDHLyx7FtZ_S56_UBf0_Sin4Dd/s5184/IMG_1009.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NpZ68qkfVKuCrBlB3RcYPCB-rv99Po3yMnjXqi17tNPbpdegjDouAmIo9hRxi-6rFbe2DNur3FrRZTy6HbCI-vj1jNtUryi6GouStUPCE0g_twTaXcbDHLyx7FtZ_S56_UBf0_Sin4Dd/s320/IMG_1009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bay of Fundy</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkxbktyhqJdtbYvyAaFQSTOFpECoSl_2PMy2pspIuhBm29fGccM9tT1bkYA5v7RfWcFmVa5zuPSx323xQ1b9VdL7G9VzXvlm-binVV_US8Jl5Cj7kmyxeTyA3WK5coFHXZ2EI3uNmmPQg/s5184/IMG_0995+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkxbktyhqJdtbYvyAaFQSTOFpECoSl_2PMy2pspIuhBm29fGccM9tT1bkYA5v7RfWcFmVa5zuPSx323xQ1b9VdL7G9VzXvlm-binVV_US8Jl5Cj7kmyxeTyA3WK5coFHXZ2EI3uNmmPQg/s320/IMG_0995+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shark Rock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvS80-HiIghUU6YVgejZa3xdIm-BggbF5o3kcZMn11AOPjkalLBDmf5iT864ZMnVLdlgHarHn5-J_B-kUIulJc-Jsj7lvX5f-u_tBiMWsgvAi_riqJRiaAe89fB8fiQTKU3fTep4fkPT-K/s5184/IMG_0967.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvS80-HiIghUU6YVgejZa3xdIm-BggbF5o3kcZMn11AOPjkalLBDmf5iT864ZMnVLdlgHarHn5-J_B-kUIulJc-Jsj7lvX5f-u_tBiMWsgvAi_riqJRiaAe89fB8fiQTKU3fTep4fkPT-K/s320/IMG_0967.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEa8M3Ns2hYoMVdAMgVEtz8VtMh8nlCX9eQ3DqfgEZWBoLySAezXjB58IiX9X9q2T-UtobxF6i73FEbVG_8Dkg8t3PDHV8jSJfJw0DId2IjqxZAkoUSkQ51tivCyV0di1p7EpuCzyF0Hcn/s5184/IMG_0950.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEa8M3Ns2hYoMVdAMgVEtz8VtMh8nlCX9eQ3DqfgEZWBoLySAezXjB58IiX9X9q2T-UtobxF6i73FEbVG_8Dkg8t3PDHV8jSJfJw0DId2IjqxZAkoUSkQ51tivCyV0di1p7EpuCzyF0Hcn/s320/IMG_0950.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fundy National Park</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqVOEfk19pK4khQYWH1LFRpUeaDLn5wh585IBBX7DgwKhzGoFgdeio4BkSTcteSh0tRIYGM59tjgtlZoZw1-7PMBKQEsJRBM4ZFssQyxI1VrXQ6bejImLaQqAlL_4T8n71-PTZD2P-NUc/s5184/IMG_0946.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqVOEfk19pK4khQYWH1LFRpUeaDLn5wh585IBBX7DgwKhzGoFgdeio4BkSTcteSh0tRIYGM59tjgtlZoZw1-7PMBKQEsJRBM4ZFssQyxI1VrXQ6bejImLaQqAlL_4T8n71-PTZD2P-NUc/s320/IMG_0946.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ron waiting on lunch</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We didn't abandon summer all together. We went out to discover parts of the province we hadn't seen yet and spent time in Saint John and Saint Andrews with a few short stops in between. We cracked out our hiking gear and found some amazing places to visit. Some of it was breath taking, some mildly disappointing, but mostly a great introduction to the rest of New Brunswick. We ate tons of seafood, drank wine and had a pretty fantastic time, but somehow, it still feels like we've missed an opportunity to enjoy a truly fabulous summer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicc0pSw63G64ad7TqpNY6i_gGo6Qn381JVzEYku-5vxfT5B6BoyVY5062-0RcFcUdOfnSNBDPojX6jWHUKJfIUakH4j_7tXOHeTApFjPSTtHdIVifMChOLH16sni-0xWSDw3u9iwuTy5kp/s5184/IMG_1062.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicc0pSw63G64ad7TqpNY6i_gGo6Qn381JVzEYku-5vxfT5B6BoyVY5062-0RcFcUdOfnSNBDPojX6jWHUKJfIUakH4j_7tXOHeTApFjPSTtHdIVifMChOLH16sni-0xWSDw3u9iwuTy5kp/s320/IMG_1062.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Water lilies at the Kingsbrae Garden<br />(Saint Andrews)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghip7M38YWpWHiiN9qWO04_vE5PGBRafJnFyWF9uYC69r2LFJG3nRECvnbsFHVVKWYpWbeqipdqD1eJ70F4UhmnDTXI_4buJY2cRANHpaf0EtH_qt4E9UHDxUkztK6vw3zryZm9huVg1Xf/s5184/IMG_1054.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghip7M38YWpWHiiN9qWO04_vE5PGBRafJnFyWF9uYC69r2LFJG3nRECvnbsFHVVKWYpWbeqipdqD1eJ70F4UhmnDTXI_4buJY2cRANHpaf0EtH_qt4E9UHDxUkztK6vw3zryZm9huVg1Xf/s320/IMG_1054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Historic dairy farm on Minister's Island</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWCsGDxnmHnOQmSC4Pwbp4cbm-aV-9p12Kz0DEgRiH60EGlSQHMz_-i89GwzvUpxa6f9R5ciQ-ERgLvireXWSIwMZ6YE_lUS6qbGF4P6x4znrJj58nPUdwWNK_M5-eML_sYB-W48w8ani/s5184/IMG_1042.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWCsGDxnmHnOQmSC4Pwbp4cbm-aV-9p12Kz0DEgRiH60EGlSQHMz_-i89GwzvUpxa6f9R5ciQ-ERgLvireXWSIwMZ6YE_lUS6qbGF4P6x4znrJj58nPUdwWNK_M5-eML_sYB-W48w8ani/s320/IMG_1042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The promenade - Minister's Island</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLGljHd0PydEP85OB2H9GCS6Dkf3aHU-oJ2_ztfmAOMTD9TT3sCAd_6ArqcxHut0PSVDKAXGhSRfISnuTyh54akVvw14-fv1AnOtSuu9WXs8Do1R_1X-M54tNs5QT0qZVqH1Uhfv0pYmR/s5184/IMG_1037.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLGljHd0PydEP85OB2H9GCS6Dkf3aHU-oJ2_ztfmAOMTD9TT3sCAd_6ArqcxHut0PSVDKAXGhSRfISnuTyh54akVvw14-fv1AnOtSuu9WXs8Do1R_1X-M54tNs5QT0qZVqH1Uhfv0pYmR/s320/IMG_1037.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ground hog sunning at Black Beach</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9McnXWJe-FrGAh8NcC4c2HPfMOJYkHoR-wFAc0CIXSymyjSC3od_-qb-AVsCO9BoSrBEIxju27YsphylOMF1HMMQq6omOh2FgPtU2iplv6nZ_StbXSgwgoxfwFholtlJPpvoi0GH7jnP/s5184/IMG_1018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9McnXWJe-FrGAh8NcC4c2HPfMOJYkHoR-wFAc0CIXSymyjSC3od_-qb-AVsCO9BoSrBEIxju27YsphylOMF1HMMQq6omOh2FgPtU2iplv6nZ_StbXSgwgoxfwFholtlJPpvoi0GH7jnP/s320/IMG_1018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black Beach</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We did discover a little gem in Moncton (Euston Park Beer Garden), but it's only open during the summer and we enjoyed an "alternative" Oktoberfest at the Tire Shack Brewing Company. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVYfU96WiJZelDxkvxS1QpOQ6iTtU86qjac-Cu8C-BYwFIqs83W1R4WiLqJYZE_ktP_sIGDGCjF5Yb6nUAx-BD15saCVql5RFY3xfHWhIUZFiUVQdCaiGcGsEgiiIr0EdVbrmgdbCTRQa/s4608/IMG_20200924_160835_980.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVYfU96WiJZelDxkvxS1QpOQ6iTtU86qjac-Cu8C-BYwFIqs83W1R4WiLqJYZE_ktP_sIGDGCjF5Yb6nUAx-BD15saCVql5RFY3xfHWhIUZFiUVQdCaiGcGsEgiiIr0EdVbrmgdbCTRQa/s320/IMG_20200924_160835_980.jpg" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then came the frost, the ticking heat registers and the return to "Orange Alert" with a breakout in a care facility. That's okay, now's the time to get the house ready for winter, lay in provisions and burrow down for winter. By all reports it's supposed to be a "good" winter, hurricanes not withstanding. We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3tUPHhspaWRJmwRE68A0p_9_hwzcj9bApVNk5OWtfFyPy-z6inspehaHbuPlkWD6u8ClYboQvekU8WXTbQJJL4q7zVcYqxwPYOd7NJPo2gK3sTaeRCzYKYtwu-jHlgp1jhu8j9Fufx_C/s5184/IMG_1119+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3tUPHhspaWRJmwRE68A0p_9_hwzcj9bApVNk5OWtfFyPy-z6inspehaHbuPlkWD6u8ClYboQvekU8WXTbQJJL4q7zVcYqxwPYOd7NJPo2gK3sTaeRCzYKYtwu-jHlgp1jhu8j9Fufx_C/s320/IMG_1119+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Views of the Coast</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yJJmVghnmbDj8I-GRHfXRwOoAdzPEuVOmYBRoaoJnmUJCgttBOV414-HmobwAAC98QlKCKAScjFuh1xTtaP0wfh1Sy3s3vMU4g1Z1JUxyWD88Ag56LiRiJp7uK2VsFYdU3csOVHpmpq9/s5184/IMG_1117+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3516" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yJJmVghnmbDj8I-GRHfXRwOoAdzPEuVOmYBRoaoJnmUJCgttBOV414-HmobwAAC98QlKCKAScjFuh1xTtaP0wfh1Sy3s3vMU4g1Z1JUxyWD88Ag56LiRiJp7uK2VsFYdU3csOVHpmpq9/s320/IMG_1117+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Perched on a rock to see above view</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUn3YWhqtLS6EAaMh1VlKGpGZcPkSjfGuM3-ez6Wok6DfLwSMCglkGmpw0StYii116dyGzGlZqoDE8_znypkpx7xtv9yd5Fp3Ya4hmklb0YV0bcH-wiphqO_r0ivwnXfjWp-FC3MJhsip/s5184/IMG_1111.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUn3YWhqtLS6EAaMh1VlKGpGZcPkSjfGuM3-ez6Wok6DfLwSMCglkGmpw0StYii116dyGzGlZqoDE8_znypkpx7xtv9yd5Fp3Ya4hmklb0YV0bcH-wiphqO_r0ivwnXfjWp-FC3MJhsip/s320/IMG_1111.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gorgeous day</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoHNYBQ7Z1PVDkjqSUqn_F6H14z50vzxZ6AhL2D_jiS6DgTdncS8qKT022T8OjfZ3ELvHqJGz9WIrLwFxWMs-Zkeka5ce31IbmPKcse-01uRp2tdjN26BPz5Kuegi_hC9MM_v3LRG_jzJ/s5184/IMG_1097.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoHNYBQ7Z1PVDkjqSUqn_F6H14z50vzxZ6AhL2D_jiS6DgTdncS8qKT022T8OjfZ3ELvHqJGz9WIrLwFxWMs-Zkeka5ce31IbmPKcse-01uRp2tdjN26BPz5Kuegi_hC9MM_v3LRG_jzJ/s320/IMG_1097.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Caughey-Taylor Nature Preserve</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKPq0-D-ruMT9gsZXh0SGoUsvx2QqQ1u92VogwKJwaYVwipWfR_A9lVVxuZl8hHKzFy1zQ9Ds3QpPSPGjHIptT-2RdnLHpj4V-Umsl2QnyBVQAjEsNN1WjZ7yXc2T2X9BX945BDRXJbTr/s5184/IMG_1090.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKPq0-D-ruMT9gsZXh0SGoUsvx2QqQ1u92VogwKJwaYVwipWfR_A9lVVxuZl8hHKzFy1zQ9Ds3QpPSPGjHIptT-2RdnLHpj4V-Umsl2QnyBVQAjEsNN1WjZ7yXc2T2X9BX945BDRXJbTr/s320/IMG_1090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Poole's Pond (C-T NP)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5klwNV6zEl7Lcnqzrf6VXeCizaXh7WpZ07rdnC8LYsUlWt1eB16lKNeyLLe6E-gzMe1SD6uUC3uiWBApTEKRbyIqO-Ed0ND76iJfCFIRr7ul7OL8DgZ3dSuWzHwTSYBhpgMOUekytGWt-/s5184/IMG_1106+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5klwNV6zEl7Lcnqzrf6VXeCizaXh7WpZ07rdnC8LYsUlWt1eB16lKNeyLLe6E-gzMe1SD6uUC3uiWBApTEKRbyIqO-Ed0ND76iJfCFIRr7ul7OL8DgZ3dSuWzHwTSYBhpgMOUekytGWt-/s320/IMG_1106+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For perspective (This is the rock we climbed)</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy autumn. Stay healthy, sane and happy!<br /></span></p>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.778231317.777582663821157 -99.9344813 74.398050336178841 -29.6219813tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-45525351379113113962020-07-14T15:57:00.003-05:002020-07-14T20:02:59.707-05:00Is Personal Happiness Paramount?<div><font face="arial">Hello! I'm back, alive and well, all things considered. I guess I've been under the quarantine doldrums. There hasn't been much going on and nothing has really inspired me to sit here and write. I've been watching a lot of TV...Netflix specifically.</font></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp56ibjwPFuR2Qt_f0ksq0YTau_QQXW4AZKQ-rbra5I6zACk4HNqwhIbjLHSSEFYmmMlQY9foRymZtIu-1STFpY_9i3fnLW0FGXJ2TTpY0bBIHNFuzmShUMgr0U71kDEGs-Qo1mQyMO0B/s2816/Moons+and+sunshine+003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="2816" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp56ibjwPFuR2Qt_f0ksq0YTau_QQXW4AZKQ-rbra5I6zACk4HNqwhIbjLHSSEFYmmMlQY9foRymZtIu-1STFpY_9i3fnLW0FGXJ2TTpY0bBIHNFuzmShUMgr0U71kDEGs-Qo1mQyMO0B/s320/Moons+and+sunshine+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><font face="arial">Last night we watched "Crazy Rich Asians". It's a fairly innocuous love story that has echos of Cinderella and other starred crossed love tales. (No, that's not a spoiler.) As I was boggling at the money and life style of "comfortable" Singaporeans, I almost missed the underlying theme of culture. (Spoiler alert!) The hero's mother has an interesting objection to the chosen heroine: American-Chinese and Chinese-Chinese are not the same. A-C's only think about their own personal happiness, whereas C-C's put family before all else. The cultures are inherently incompatible.</font></div><div><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div><font face="arial">Being raised in North America, I was affronted. What's wrong with wanting to be happy? As the heroine points out "Don't you want your son to be happy?" The answer is a very solid chirp of crickets. Now, of course the mother would, ideally, like her son to be "happy". What construes "happy" might have a different definition in her mind. But, I digress, as usual. <br /></font></div><div><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div><font face="arial">This morning, I woke up thinking that, maybe, Mum (yup, complete British English - know your history) was on to something. The West seems to be struggling. It's reflected in the anti-mask wearers, the "personal rights" protesters, the folks for whom inconvenience is anathema. Our own personal comfort supersedes all other considerations. Perhaps this is why China is so dominant currently. (Yeah, there are other factors to be sure.)<br /></font></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVGWrZAI9vaNjQVk0X0wdqVytPsQfMwPAEGLq5ebdtfIk4vS0xFf70hf2AfV4tGJS8hifVMXH95tEYXvHiGmg4PPBwZs-IH_Ft7Vfw_7qCNuUBSPki1c3JP7ElnVwWB27DKSx3wfsAmcD/s2048/IMG_1602.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVGWrZAI9vaNjQVk0X0wdqVytPsQfMwPAEGLq5ebdtfIk4vS0xFf70hf2AfV4tGJS8hifVMXH95tEYXvHiGmg4PPBwZs-IH_Ft7Vfw_7qCNuUBSPki1c3JP7ElnVwWB27DKSx3wfsAmcD/s320/IMG_1602.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div><font face="arial">We've done it to ourselves, in fairness. We've moved from subsistence level survival to the luxury of, well..luxury. By some measures, even our poverty has tones of luxuriousness. Okay, I'm going down a slippery slope here, but bear with me. <br /></font></div><div><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div><font face="arial">Let me reference another Netflix revelation from "Dracula". The Count, Vlad, comes to land (England) after having been submerged under the sea for around 200 years. He breaks into someone's house. (Now, as I can see, this person is by no means wealthy. Everything in the kitchen is dated, the furniture has seen better days, the car's a beater...etc etc.) When Dracula meets the female inhabitant he wants to know if she's rich. He's not wrong. Life in the 1600 -1800s was vastly different from life now. He lived in a huge drafty castle with few (if any windows) fireplaces to try and fight of the drafts (not that he cared, of course), poor hygienic practices, fledgling medical knowledge, rudimentary technology for almost everything and here he is in a house that has things like refrigerators, ovens, flushing toilet, cupboards full of food (granted it's most likely highly processed, but what does he know about that?) and machines that can take you places without the need for animals and running water for heaven's sake! He's thrilled about smart phones. <br /></font></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzN-IHxqzLOrTwnpby4ThZ1LGAezMYmNcu8xD403hmPtPfCJsRHWxLHdMAgU53VubhL3NBR9yuLaeKXCuu1zTlffxyiowHiRxJGm6TSErRJMgOydWotFEd3_yLWoAIcK2FlSMCA4Vtdoz/s4608/IMG_20190422_201228_227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzN-IHxqzLOrTwnpby4ThZ1LGAezMYmNcu8xD403hmPtPfCJsRHWxLHdMAgU53VubhL3NBR9yuLaeKXCuu1zTlffxyiowHiRxJGm6TSErRJMgOydWotFEd3_yLWoAIcK2FlSMCA4Vtdoz/s320/IMG_20190422_201228_227.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><font face="arial">My point? We neither see our blessing and we are programmed (quite literally) to be dissatisfied with them. (That's called commercialism, kids.) I'm guilty of it...I plague myself with "if only" this or "if only" that. Am I content with all the things I do have? Often, no, sadly. I have to practice being grateful for these incredible luxuries that modern life supplies us. I have to work at not buying into the "your life will be amazing if you own/buy [fill in the blank]". We really need to get back to enjoying things like spending time with those we love, with getting outside and appreciating nature,helping those in need and with being amazed that we actually DO know where our next meal is coming from. We're bloody lucky in that. <br /></font></div><div><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div><font face="arial">Why can happiness not stem from helping those around us do better? Why is my inconvenience (Mask? I'm not wearing a stupid mask!) more important that an other's suffering? (Oh, yes, capitalists, I know socialism is the gateway political theory to communism.) Humanity didn't get this far by being egocentric, at least not individually. We got here through cooperation and doing things for the greater good of humankind. <br /></font></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcGKQ_ZUbmI6qFCABPEKYkyZMLEy4dUu7vhF8RRuWWKwr2V0_ydFoZuG_iRGpC-j3Z3xhCKyWjPVMuM8LlxLHDijJRU2g3DLMSurLmZMlwXt1VzhUt5dLTd-ysq1Ue3Mt0Cgnb6dT2Z17/s2048/Ecuador+008.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcGKQ_ZUbmI6qFCABPEKYkyZMLEy4dUu7vhF8RRuWWKwr2V0_ydFoZuG_iRGpC-j3Z3xhCKyWjPVMuM8LlxLHDijJRU2g3DLMSurLmZMlwXt1VzhUt5dLTd-ysq1Ue3Mt0Cgnb6dT2Z17/s320/Ecuador+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><font face="arial">So let's be kind to each other. Let's put the safety of others before our own comfort. Let's work together and make things better, instead of using shopping therapy like it actually works. <br /></font></div><div><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div><font face="arial">Rant over.<br /></font></div><div><font face="arial"><br /></font></div>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Canada56.130366 -106.34677127.820132163821157 -141.503021 84.440599836178848 -71.190521tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-31556850391349681762020-05-09T11:27:00.002-05:002020-05-09T11:27:45.572-05:00Self-discovery During Quarantine<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">Confession time, I'm pretty lazy. I can watch TV almost all day without it bothering me. (Lucky me, right?) Of course, I'm getting older, so my body doesn't appreciate sloth come sleep time. If I don't get some exercise, then I get leg twinges or aches, which sucks, but, at least, I know how to s</span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">tave them off. (Exercise...how horrible.)</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsi1rglJIUKD7fTMb2_Lw66g1koHW7b0vw7Ym9zvpdkro8VzD8jEXj9hTSYYxz3uyCxOxjrLoIKg2HKwNR9fY-geZTwHALjOkLWhn_NsrX1to1jubhQhSrUKkIJ_t3LEy-oB2jatTVaLZ/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsi1rglJIUKD7fTMb2_Lw66g1koHW7b0vw7Ym9zvpdkro8VzD8jEXj9hTSYYxz3uyCxOxjrLoIKg2HKwNR9fY-geZTwHALjOkLWhn_NsrX1to1jubhQhSrUKkIJ_t3LEy-oB2jatTVaLZ/s320/IMG_2353.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">During our self-isolation, I discovered some things about myself that surprised me. I do not like audio books. (I'm sorry, was that a collective gasp? I know a lot of devotees.) I'd never have guessed, because I love books. Now, I can see the benefit if you're doing something else: driving, running, knitting etc, but I just doesn't work for me to sit and listen to someone (especially with the <i>wrong</i> voice) read me a story when I've nothing else to do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">I do, however, enjoy an afternoon "beverage" and snack, probably more than I should. I'm also over the moon that we have the sun porch, as it gives us a window to the outside world and its happenings, even on a limited basis. We have a bevy of...unique...personages that frequent our downtown neighbourhood, so it keeps things interesting.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjW90WXdwr0R6HOMSYVMTMABRrJa6lJ8P2hkopG0-Qi4sxRVnmPREBmkuDaslCIcX_eKwPgYvp06XsUKXbCc3znIglJBKKJnPyfqzKGE1rk70n_QRtUnGwo2sa9orJilJCrx3kOXY9G7J/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjW90WXdwr0R6HOMSYVMTMABRrJa6lJ8P2hkopG0-Qi4sxRVnmPREBmkuDaslCIcX_eKwPgYvp06XsUKXbCc3znIglJBKKJnPyfqzKGE1rk70n_QRtUnGwo2sa9orJilJCrx3kOXY9G7J/s320/IMG_20200502_195110_774.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the sun porch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">I've found that after an initial rush of "get things done", I've petered off. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? Unless the sun is out and then our little garden calls, the dirty windows beg to be cleaned and fresh airs seduces us to wanton acts of being outside. (Another gasp?)</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNTqqymxtBV7IsVZ_ujqTFm07IehWcVqW6AucjTjZHDmMJrTJJq3R-hmc8d6F-nZ958BlDif33CitM4ak6BIYriAG8r7Uxk9GbiTsQo9L0PUsvBGRG6nPE-MIwlzHhF-hnlqbf9ACZi11/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4239" data-original-width="3179" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNTqqymxtBV7IsVZ_ujqTFm07IehWcVqW6AucjTjZHDmMJrTJJq3R-hmc8d6F-nZ958BlDif33CitM4ak6BIYriAG8r7Uxk9GbiTsQo9L0PUsvBGRG6nPE-MIwlzHhF-hnlqbf9ACZi11/s320/IMG_20200422_181753_380.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We still have to deal with this crap.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">Speakin</span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">g of going outside, shoes...shoes have become terrible. A month and a half in slippers and all of a sudden shoes are these horrible restrictive devices that make my feet hurt after being in them for more than half an hour. What's with that?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">I'm sure there will be other things that come to light in the strange days of COVID-19. Have you had any epiphanies? </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com4Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.778231345.911694000000004 -65.1009548 46.263939 -64.4555078tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-27540436863977568652020-05-05T18:17:00.001-05:002020-10-20T16:12:14.738-05:00Ron's Big Dinner<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Milestone birthdays are a bit strange. What makes it a milestone? Every year is the only year we'll be that particular age, so why is one year any different from the others? I think it's a legitimate question and yet, I acknowledge that we still mark certain ages as more noteworthy than others.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwPzYO7sUhkSuyWsEWSxXNIWGczE8GkX5CKLYEBAmjfD1bY-9eHmXasurdIxlXRHMgDHdXxlXLe7u58OP6vuGIqHFdR8M7icXdAnw4ZBPKuM1kCPlM1mTIyRROfUI3jQIxOnfY1mF3k6T/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwPzYO7sUhkSuyWsEWSxXNIWGczE8GkX5CKLYEBAmjfD1bY-9eHmXasurdIxlXRHMgDHdXxlXLe7u58OP6vuGIqHFdR8M7icXdAnw4ZBPKuM1kCPlM1mTIyRROfUI3jQIxOnfY1mF3k6T/s320/Birthday+dinner.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana", sans-serif">Wicked tall wine glasses are gifts</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We were supposed to be travelling in South East Asia this year, as we've got a whole host of "important" dates...we like to call it our "big year", but then we relocated to New Brunswick and there's the whole COVID-19 thing happening, so here we are in Moncton, watching our hair grow and the grass get greener and generally contemplating our navel lint. It seems that our big year is going to be a big bust, but I refuse to surrender...yet.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztfYXQ5qWkcdaRlMoZuZez6GA0VUsAvAdlpEG5Co_pAtTT6ja9Z1WBnksjhopXpa52sN1Rja_wtWUjBWezmN5-LPcxpnc2zlM8erTnwLJU_pujA0UsQ_5BF6o4f5bqNwXeiWxQvhjJwss/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztfYXQ5qWkcdaRlMoZuZez6GA0VUsAvAdlpEG5Co_pAtTT6ja9Z1WBnksjhopXpa52sN1Rja_wtWUjBWezmN5-LPcxpnc2zlM8erTnwLJU_pujA0UsQ_5BF6o4f5bqNwXeiWxQvhjJwss/s320/COVID+masks.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana", sans-serif">Masks from friends</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Because I have so much time on my hands, and one of the way's I show love is to cook, I started imagining Ron's perfect dinner, not his death row meal, but a meal that would incorporate as much of his favourite foods as possible and how to make it all special. The result? <i>Ron's Almost Perfect 8 Course Dinner.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">What was the craziest part? I decided I'd actually execute it. I don't think a general has ever gone into a battle more prepared than I, to tackle this challenge. And I actually pulled it off. Was everything perfect? Heaven's no, but it was all really good, the plating was attractive and the hot food was hot and the cold food not. (Yes, I'm giving myself a bit of a pat on the back.) I think he enjoyed it, as did our friends and we certainly enjoyed having a bit of company, now that some of the restrictions have been lifted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Without further ado, the meal (missing is the cheese plate as we just forgot to take the picture):</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgo2cpFLQ1yN1iSOz0D4fH9UzQfpqLfPgxq4Te7VrWjFO8er6Cway5Fz6tSED8HFQ2qJKMZoZx1MWboTAas1np2ScFgw9uYw5IehGN8FyYd1OyJuDQm1oUXdvQVd0l14ZHY_xVY9FrxP6/s1600/IMG_0913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgo2cpFLQ1yN1iSOz0D4fH9UzQfpqLfPgxq4Te7VrWjFO8er6Cway5Fz6tSED8HFQ2qJKMZoZx1MWboTAas1np2ScFgw9uYw5IehGN8FyYd1OyJuDQm1oUXdvQVd0l14ZHY_xVY9FrxP6/s320/IMG_0913.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted pepper and smoked gouda</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked salmon with capers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan seared scallops with crispy onion and<br />
lemon chicken broth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red pepper bisque</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring salad with caramelized onion dressing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mango sorbet</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roast lamb with mash and roast veg</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon tart, chocolate pate and<br />
raspberry mousse</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Most of it came off really well, and the few problems were dealt with and no one was the wiser. Did I mention we did wine pairings? Oh, hell yes. (I lost my mind, somewhere in the planning, but except for one wine, (a rose with the salad I switched from a citrus dressing to onion and apple cider vinegar...oops) it was paired fairly nicely. I might try it again, but no time soon. The planning took well over a month, but that's why "self-isolation" worked, in this case. So, happy birthday, dearest. Glad you enjoyed the culinary adventure.</span></div>
PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com2Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.778231317.777582663821157 -99.9344813 74.398050336178841 -29.6219813tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-55033732289799009422020-04-12T10:20:00.002-05:002020-04-12T10:20:53.334-05:00The First Robin of Spring<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even in the craziest of times, small moments can creep in and give you a moment of hope. Ours came in the feathered lines of a little robin redbreast. I can think of no other symbol of spring that could be more welcome. She quite likes our lawn, as ours is one of the first to lose it's snow. She (I'm assuming, of course) finds comfort in our raised lawn, that keeps her away from the sidewalk and near the safety of our yet leafless bushes.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlitIsoPR0Cm_NmnY8JqMPZfOTch2fV0iWmzFzwZnP1hTZPekJe1dbrfTvnObPuAUBXFAwZBpIlEPkNn7ewW7BAuy6vZwwld4pPuwPNXMnI-Hfc1j0i00uwmteEwoxBiW64zBkAsIj-aK/s1600/spring+robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlitIsoPR0Cm_NmnY8JqMPZfOTch2fV0iWmzFzwZnP1hTZPekJe1dbrfTvnObPuAUBXFAwZBpIlEPkNn7ewW7BAuy6vZwwld4pPuwPNXMnI-Hfc1j0i00uwmteEwoxBiW64zBkAsIj-aK/s320/spring+robin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She looks quite like this one.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She comes every morning now, looking for worms and other treats. She particularly likes the sunshine. I'm afraid she's in for a bit of a nasty surprise, as we're in for a bit of snow over the next few days. I, for one, am glad she's here. It augers well for the coming spring and we are both looking forward to warmer temperatures and longer days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's to gardening, barbecues and the lifting of social distancing and the passing of this virus. The world continues to turn and we will find the sun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">UPDATE: It did, indeed snow, but it's mostly gone once again and the sun is out and shining. Happy Easter to all. </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.778231345.911694000000004 -65.1009548 46.263939 -64.4555078tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-31698901026178645802020-03-19T11:25:00.003-05:002020-03-19T11:25:31.922-05:00Life in the time of COVID<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay kids, I know things seem scary. I know that governments calling for "social distancing" and "self-quarantine" give us the heebie-jeebies, but it's going to be okay. Humans aren't good at change, especially change forced upon us. We don't do well with authority, generally speaking.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So general truths: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to battle the virus. I know, it seems too simple, but it's our best defense. Sing 'Twinkle Twinkle" or "Happy Birthday"...there's even an app to figure out how to use your favourite song to hit the required 20 seconds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Social distancing works. It really does, but before it gets better, it will get worse. You'll hear about increases in hospitalizations and deaths, but staying apart will reduce "the curve" over the long haul. Don't despair. Being "in house" won't kill you, it might even be good for your relationships. It's better for the environment and your wallet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We really need a time out. All the hatred, prejudice and malaise (thanks Rod for that particular word as a reminder) could use a reset.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please keep in mind that this is a virus, no matter how nasty. It will come and it will go, (and come back again, heaven help us) but we will persevere. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You don't need to horde toilet paper (or really anything, for that matter)...you just don't. Even if there isn't any on the shelf right now, there will be more.This virus doesn't have symptoms that would require a lot of toilet paper. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Think of others, especially those that are living off of CPP and OAS or other government benefits. They get paid once a month (March 27th, this month) and may not have the financial resources to shop before then, nor run around trying to find a store that has something they need on their shelves. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a handy-dandy interactive questionnaire to determine if you possibly have COVID-19: <a href="https://covid19.thrive.health/">https://covid19.thrive.health/</a>. For the love of God, don't wander over to the local emergency only call the 811 lines if you are actually sick. Some reports say it starts with the "sniffles" and progresses very rapidly into a sore throat and coughing. ("Rapid" meaning in under a day.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's going to get weird, things are going to feel completely abnormal, but it's going to be okay. Let's take care of each other. This is a huge social experiment where sacrifice of the individual (self-distancing, reduced income, change of lifestyle) comes at the greater good for the whole of humanity. We're good at this folks. We're good at working together. If we weren't we wouldn't be here. Give us a chance and just stay home. Mother Nature will thank you, your fellow humans will thank you and we will shine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't forget to wash your hands and stay safe! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-7080245023110146182020-03-10T09:33:00.000-05:002020-03-10T09:41:58.916-05:00A Call to Action!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've had enough. The world is getting crazy and priorities are getting all whacky and I've had enough. Money has become more important than people and it's not bloody right.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today, I'm focused on the insurance industry. I can think of only TWO times that I've ever been glad to have taken out insurance/extended warranty. I might be luckier than most to have that. Outside of those two specific incidents, trying to process an insurance claim has been a headache. Even registering for insurance is becoming a huge hassle.(Don't even get me started on extended health insurance providers!)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So now, insurance companies are jacking up their rates or refusing to cover buildings that they've covered for years. Why? Because they failed to plan for bad years. When the going was good, their shareholders made out like bandits, but the companies never thought that it might not last. There was nothing purposefully put aside to protect against years when claims went up. These are industries that are based on risk and they failed to do the simplest thing to mitigate it. So now, we're on the hook for their oversight. Heaven forbid that the shareholders don't get their dividends. What does it matter that a loyal customer now has a major hurdle to overcome, be it a large premium increase or looking for another insurer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This has far reaching consequences. Condo and apartment buildings are losing their coverage, which means that they aren't habitable, legally. Tenants must then be evicted and the pressure on communities in a housing crisis inflates to irreparable levels. Condo owners lose their investment and home. In many cities this is their only asset. You can't sell a condo or building that isn't insurable. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Worse yet, income from premiums goes down for the insurance companies and they have to make up for it somewhere...yup, your car/life/loan/pet insurance is next. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, where is our government in all of this? How are they going to ensure that their citizens are protected from incompetence and greed? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This cannot stand. People are losing everything because insurance companies miscalculated payouts and it's not right. If we, as responsible people are expected to have at least 6 months wages saved up to prevent against catastrophe, this should also be an expectation of business. (Particularly those in the business of RISK management.) Call your MLA, call your municipal government and ask them what they're doing to help the 1,000s of people that are (or are going to be) affected by this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Resources:</span><br />
<a href="https://www.ccir-ccrra.org/Home" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/Eng/wt-ow/Pages/wwr-er.aspx?sc=2&gc=3#WWRLink23" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Financial Consumer Agency of Canada</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ibc.ca/on/resources/industry-resources/insurance-regulators/" target="_blank">Links to Provincial and Territorial Regulators</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com1Canada56.130366 -106.346771-9.4242829999999955 88.41885400000001 90 58.887603999999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-69327355188054354482020-02-26T13:21:00.000-05:002020-02-27T16:33:25.327-05:00What's Afoot?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Walking is a good thing. I think most people can agree on that, even though the idea that we don't own a car seems impossible to comprehend for some folks out there. As we came home from the grocery store today, we couldn't help but discuss the benefits of being on foot. (Hence the blog title, please forgive the pun.) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpEb0hQH-XFI1FsC0-kmZwktN87p_qLXp9k-8NgyxG7bN_D38ioC2EDuqEQZTehduKz44gL4921Pk9iipcheT3eUp6HEV8V30UEXHKfyF27suPFgVpu4RdFV7etdIfi9xLe7alBqnDI4i/s1600/IMG_20190810_183145_817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpEb0hQH-XFI1FsC0-kmZwktN87p_qLXp9k-8NgyxG7bN_D38ioC2EDuqEQZTehduKz44gL4921Pk9iipcheT3eUp6HEV8V30UEXHKfyF27suPFgVpu4RdFV7etdIfi9xLe7alBqnDI4i/s320/IMG_20190810_183145_817.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we stroll through our neighbourhood, we get to meet the denizens, have a quick chat and get to know people, at least visually. We experienced the same when abroad, that flash of recognition from strangers that have seen us passing several times, the quick nod of camaraderie of fellow pedestrians. It's actually very pleasant. We're also pretty sure that if we disappear there will be plenty of people to track our whereabouts, should it become necessary. (Too many episodes of Forensic Files feeding my already grisly imagination, I'm sure.) You don't get that in a car, at least that we recall. Sure, you still get to talk with the store clerks and cashiers, but there's something a little special about being recognised, even so superficially, when you're out and about on the streets.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxdBKHT0WVTbV4oI842e5nP4uN9efgnJatFRquZ83lymrrQ1pkOjvf7c4KoCfxWIKNt7c8FbfIQaSt19L0YcjAomz2H-LS0nvHq7dMDErOEEhbGv1M5mzm82xABSGoUCAr4AqfT-J9iqz/s1600/IMG_20191108_082604_952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxdBKHT0WVTbV4oI842e5nP4uN9efgnJatFRquZ83lymrrQ1pkOjvf7c4KoCfxWIKNt7c8FbfIQaSt19L0YcjAomz2H-LS0nvHq7dMDErOEEhbGv1M5mzm82xABSGoUCAr4AqfT-J9iqz/s320/IMG_20191108_082604_952.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess we shouldn't downplay the health benefits of walking, but there's so much more to enjoy, when you get used to the process. It's a habit, really. We've gotten to the point where the thought of taking a vehicle seems inconvenient for most tasks: too costly, to time consuming, for the most part. And yes, we're still walking to do groceries, even in the dead of winter. Thankfully, we can pick and choose our day...the joy of retirement.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwhUny6FzcdKseAhys_iasg6iomRrRBxudqSsjwt8P2N1W7TxCO1rzDl9dq3Z-pmgoTGF351aQXZHOBQOCBuaPErn0Bf8-GgyKkX9da-5lGcGKl_DiCMZ67qSQU1DXg34D1kQP3x7n_DR/s1600/IMG_20191006_124731_253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwhUny6FzcdKseAhys_iasg6iomRrRBxudqSsjwt8P2N1W7TxCO1rzDl9dq3Z-pmgoTGF351aQXZHOBQOCBuaPErn0Bf8-GgyKkX9da-5lGcGKl_DiCMZ67qSQU1DXg34D1kQP3x7n_DR/s320/IMG_20191006_124731_253.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When was the last time you went out and roamed your neighbourhood, took the time to toddle over to a local business, or enjoy something new in the vicinity? It has helped us meet our neighbours and increase our social group, increases security in the 'hood and helps us get to know what's going on around town.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRyTWo2S8Ye3EYefNHLaKpcynC3BKMXn5qsRbS5bNprSxQjOb_x2sP4jErUTIGdg7rHgQ0C7ZpBBV5ZVlvac3oX2gHFgG0QLCu126xqTR6phLpuPC1Ieziv5BHuGznYtEgycxz-kkRzn4/s1600/oldtown+moncton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="600" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRyTWo2S8Ye3EYefNHLaKpcynC3BKMXn5qsRbS5bNprSxQjOb_x2sP4jErUTIGdg7rHgQ0C7ZpBBV5ZVlvac3oX2gHFgG0QLCu126xqTR6phLpuPC1Ieziv5BHuGznYtEgycxz-kkRzn4/s320/oldtown+moncton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having a car is a great benefit, you can go to far flung places easily, but, I guess what I'm trying to get at is at what cost? What are you missing on your "secret back road route" to get to point B? I know not everyone will embrace the no car culture, but maybe, once in a while, you might discover a gem nearby, if you take a wander around. </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.778231345.911694000000004 -65.1009548 46.263939 -64.4555078tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-71211837192737173052020-02-08T15:49:00.000-05:002020-02-08T15:49:52.940-05:00The Little Blog that Could...part two<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's crazy days. There doesn't seem to be much to celebrate, at least on the world stage front. It kind of makes me just want to check out from cyberspace, find a cabin somewhere, well off the grid, and hunker down for the apocalypse. (Not that I'm anywhere near to being one of those "fire and brimstone end of the world" folks.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the times, being as they are, a little good news can go a long way. I'm happy to say that the little blog that you're reading right now, has passed a pretty good milestone...100,000 page views. Okay, it's not the Times or CBC, but for something that started out as a way to keep friends and family up to date on our progress, that's no small feat. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuMRhy33LGdedhQh05WpBTXuZofNoJy_riRhZ3ZBDbZVCejMfW7AxoqjkkrTNw9_1T4bySTX5WfMQR-KazJFzCEJhogvO4_zVUTZdEjKHlXZZPTbBbS-GxfkBuC1zJM5fUFv1-0GIEo7B/s1600/100000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="550" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuMRhy33LGdedhQh05WpBTXuZofNoJy_riRhZ3ZBDbZVCejMfW7AxoqjkkrTNw9_1T4bySTX5WfMQR-KazJFzCEJhogvO4_zVUTZdEjKHlXZZPTbBbS-GxfkBuC1zJM5fUFv1-0GIEo7B/s320/100000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So here's to the Gentle Island or Bust blog...that went further than its title would suggest. Thanks for stopping by, maybe placing a comment and just checking in. Without you, well, we just wouldn't be here, would we?</span><br />
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PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com3Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.77823130000001645.911694000000004 -65.100954800000011 46.263939 -64.455507800000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-69877562220907216472020-01-25T18:37:00.000-05:002020-01-25T18:37:02.787-05:00Culinary Adventures<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cravings...they suck on so many levels. It's almost always something you don't have and require getting out of comfy clothes and "peopling". Ugh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was minding my own business, cruising through my Pinterest feed. (If you don't have Pinterest, just don't...it's a chronic time wasters, almost as bad as TikTok.) Anyhow, I digress. I'm scrolling through make-up tutorials, knitting patterns, cute animals and exotic travel locales, when I scroll to a post about gyoza. Yes, those delicious Japanese dumplings, with a tangy dipping sauce that is always so satisfying. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXDb02i827okKfHnxZgsVAlwcQaSHi0EOsnsNC1itvWZFZwHfgNeQhfSyAR6sTH5O4yKinuh1l7wWdJo75uKu0IUB9JzYyv3EgBPi44JS7dBYApyaa0wuARLGsxZh48EXFgvZhSVWp7AL/s1600/IMG_20200123_184043_858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXDb02i827okKfHnxZgsVAlwcQaSHi0EOsnsNC1itvWZFZwHfgNeQhfSyAR6sTH5O4yKinuh1l7wWdJo75uKu0IUB9JzYyv3EgBPi44JS7dBYApyaa0wuARLGsxZh48EXFgvZhSVWp7AL/s320/IMG_20200123_184043_858.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy little dumplings just waiting for the fry pan</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd already scoured the stores for pre-made gyoza, something we used to buy in Vancouver with some regularity and that I was excited to have available again. Alas, nothing. There's a few pot stickers and various dumplings, but no gyoza, specifically. Then comes that little post and it planted the craving in my little pea brain. A few days pass and I'm still thinking about them and I do a quick search to find a recipe. The ingredients are pretty basic and I decide to make some. Why not a restaurant? Peopling and budget. As I still don't have a rolling pin, I decided to try and buy pre-made dumpling wrappers. (Aka: skins, as I've discovered.) The two big grocery stores had nothing, nor did our beautiful little local grocer. Long story short, I found some skins at a Korean specialty store. (Phew...didn't want to make my own on my first go.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjtP0S4mBZyu3uEjdxoHmPPv87EVi8aWoZlzkFkFNKozq4YsCrEVfdoM5-XNgbMfnOzIGAx5ogqfWyaws2nPXWBvtuqseK_IQTwbfF0DWiylbx0FI9jwx6Yrs2d5IlOfLon6Q2axQfsK4/s1600/IMG_20200123_191156_715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjtP0S4mBZyu3uEjdxoHmPPv87EVi8aWoZlzkFkFNKozq4YsCrEVfdoM5-XNgbMfnOzIGAx5ogqfWyaws2nPXWBvtuqseK_IQTwbfF0DWiylbx0FI9jwx6Yrs2d5IlOfLon6Q2axQfsK4/s320/IMG_20200123_191156_715.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Browning two sides with a steam in between</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They really aren't that tricky, except the folding. There are tons of videos showing various techniques, but it is a learning process. (It also helps if you wrappers aren't too dry.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOs_qhXji0i-CO3kEjux3CPLztuqGa3tNsel1PHAViavMLkxyvm4v0VRdN3jdkz5IrkKwTKPst9b0eDw06HIt8XpStdqPOj3lMSd8Bfeaq8Ww4ENdXiDkLQMaDZofy9x8_zsTGbe4J7lLO/s1600/IMG_20200123_191502_872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOs_qhXji0i-CO3kEjux3CPLztuqGa3tNsel1PHAViavMLkxyvm4v0VRdN3jdkz5IrkKwTKPst9b0eDw06HIt8XpStdqPOj3lMSd8Bfeaq8Ww4ENdXiDkLQMaDZofy9x8_zsTGbe4J7lLO/s320/IMG_20200123_191502_872.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final result</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhow, I pulled it off and they were delicious - even if I do say so, myself. Not every dumpling was perfectly folded. In truth, many looked like Franken-dumplings, but they tasted good. (Yay!) It was worth it and now I'm excited to try more types of dumplings like Korean steamed veggie dumplings and maybe a quick foray into some dim sum. Perhaps it's the lunar new year, but last night I made Vietnamese salad rolls with peanut dipping sauce. Gung hai (hay) fat choi! </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.77823130000001645.911694000000004 -65.100954800000011 46.263939 -64.455507800000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-80054300546304429952019-12-29T20:19:00.000-05:002019-12-29T20:19:07.686-05:00This Old House - Part II The Fireplace<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Time and tide wait for no man, I've been told. With the winter weather swirling around, threatening to chill us - should we dare to venture outside - indoor projects become more interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ron has been wanting to "zoosh" up the fireplace since I offered up an off-hand question about it possibly looking better painted white. He's generally not one to let moss grow on him and we went on a jaunt to our local Kent store to see what could be done. An hour later, we left with trim, paint and a couple of odds and sods. (Side note: we love Kent. The staff are always helpful, they've given us tons of advice (and parts - but that's a whole other story) for free! Use them, if they're in your 'hood. It's a good Canadian company.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyU_9IynTVGshKD2GhUGwFV0IM_r1jlFlVyhLffymN-UNsae6Y98GNIME31z6EaJiDXWHEozc2BXZZ3_BOqvs4IX3lfdCYkUTQSnjv1d98k-t1sKxNxb2p4NDDX3eZR8spLrPQJMhuiNa/s1600/IMG_20190421_092309_711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyU_9IynTVGshKD2GhUGwFV0IM_r1jlFlVyhLffymN-UNsae6Y98GNIME31z6EaJiDXWHEozc2BXZZ3_BOqvs4IX3lfdCYkUTQSnjv1d98k-t1sKxNxb2p4NDDX3eZR8spLrPQJMhuiNa/s320/IMG_20190421_092309_711.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Original fireplace</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Probably the funniest thing about this endeavour is that we don't have a car. Add to that the fact that lunch had long passed and we hadn't eaten...well, you have the makings for odd circumstances. We marched (dubiously, I confess) into a local restaurant called Kelsey's Roadhouse. (It's a chain, not surprisingly, but we weren't convinced, just by the clientele seated in the window...it reminded us of the mushy-vegetable restaurant in Courtenay, in the Comox Valley.) Be that as it may, we ventured in, and were met by very friendly staff. No one seemed non-plussed about our 8 foot lengths of trim and other accoutrements. They treated us very well and made sure that everything was top notch. We were pleased with the service and the food, no mushy vegetables to be found.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimh4K_R88jt3LIjiuY-btUgBnisRPwyZuDEOpz4IhRC27E9i9HsTt72lxV3RVJ4WYvHl0IUlY1y2mpJGvsWdvRinbbqzaNU4gb-7PBylxSlv9PO_gJBhnLMhggMLIxMQEknwmlr3Hq-cnl/s1600/IMG_0857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimh4K_R88jt3LIjiuY-btUgBnisRPwyZuDEOpz4IhRC27E9i9HsTt72lxV3RVJ4WYvHl0IUlY1y2mpJGvsWdvRinbbqzaNU4gb-7PBylxSlv9PO_gJBhnLMhggMLIxMQEknwmlr3Hq-cnl/s320/IMG_0857.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of the lumber in question</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The bus driver was more dubious, as we boarded the #51 Greenline to head home. Of course we promised not to accost anyone with our decorative trim and behaved like this happened all the time. The trip was unremarkable, no heads were coshed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyhow, a few days after Christmas, Ron decided it was time to tackle our next improvement project.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHCdz_zoeiEe2-bwj8AA_yF3qaR77q81RiZuZh2CzHmisKOHNa6szV7h2eW1qX0ihMUSwTc4UMsuqjQQiPnxPJBm7zs8X8-qWTRmAhFGjG6obXh9uI4Qx1VdgQAKg8DiKOKZTXF2py72K/s1600/IMG_0855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHCdz_zoeiEe2-bwj8AA_yF3qaR77q81RiZuZh2CzHmisKOHNa6szV7h2eW1qX0ihMUSwTc4UMsuqjQQiPnxPJBm7zs8X8-qWTRmAhFGjG6obXh9uI4Qx1VdgQAKg8DiKOKZTXF2py72K/s320/IMG_0855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chair rail molding</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He added trim around the upper mantle, columns and medallions and then sanded the wood. I tack ragged, filled nail holes and helped to paint. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_sgx1xnZZpslRDZ16fdeQa52pqIDYoI20unvPKJSu3CXL7iugC90NVI3bFTutL-K_MCebldcTM_q4cShryLxneYdHnZO4I3pU5yjg6Wp0NSJNl6tSq88tToQB9gKTUdgdSRRh4j3m_Mp/s1600/IMG_0859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_sgx1xnZZpslRDZ16fdeQa52pqIDYoI20unvPKJSu3CXL7iugC90NVI3bFTutL-K_MCebldcTM_q4cShryLxneYdHnZO4I3pU5yjg6Wp0NSJNl6tSq88tToQB9gKTUdgdSRRh4j3m_Mp/s320/IMG_0859.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Embellishments are important</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, we're quite pleased with the result. We feel that it just looks more finished and like is was meant to be there, instead of added as an afterthought. Some people might be horrified that we covered up the natural wood, but with so much wood floor, we figured it wasn't an unpardonable sin.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqlUj-dEoNRTdJuNMsxmrgvgPQMQT8mjOPQFS0UWu_6aBrtXTGTszia_Y3icXkYMJCBNqH6Tj8Vwb5d-S4v1tgZyPnlaQK7Nr-7Hp3QDKFnHoo_CYhI52h4god2dRrlwO2BacgiR1tUOi/s1600/IMG_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqlUj-dEoNRTdJuNMsxmrgvgPQMQT8mjOPQFS0UWu_6aBrtXTGTszia_Y3icXkYMJCBNqH6Tj8Vwb5d-S4v1tgZyPnlaQK7Nr-7Hp3QDKFnHoo_CYhI52h4god2dRrlwO2BacgiR1tUOi/s320/IMG_0860.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Almost finished product</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_nt8jLosVztd8hZJQaLELimVjyoMaIePzUbuFRP3kncTL6-cRyGLSzznli0dHt823GekSuTPSJyHiqNAye6MOhFrqWSsdF42kZAdWPYPoOkCP8d9Xx9TunDFiPbSyiI7riCyPTEYebPc/s1600/IMG_0865+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_nt8jLosVztd8hZJQaLELimVjyoMaIePzUbuFRP3kncTL6-cRyGLSzznli0dHt823GekSuTPSJyHiqNAye6MOhFrqWSsdF42kZAdWPYPoOkCP8d9Xx9TunDFiPbSyiI7riCyPTEYebPc/s320/IMG_0865+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXANFybhlNVm2M0hTiCcoeIjbdwNTtPcscqg4uud_W0NCBbQrJ98Ksu_6AlRXE1cE8yvm7Fp42ASfNHclAJ4tB3YpMHK9KLlK_JIsHtPkSJp6KD-9LZG_9h0rJ11ZBJBy2JCm8a4JAgNz/s1600/IMG_20191229_210428_248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXANFybhlNVm2M0hTiCcoeIjbdwNTtPcscqg4uud_W0NCBbQrJ98Ksu_6AlRXE1cE8yvm7Fp42ASfNHclAJ4tB3YpMHK9KLlK_JIsHtPkSJp6KD-9LZG_9h0rJ11ZBJBy2JCm8a4JAgNz/s320/IMG_20191229_210428_248.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A bit of the details</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What's next? Maybe painting the kitchen, or our master bedroom, or even the guest bedroom. There should be enough to keep us busy over the winter. </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com4Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.77823130000001645.911694000000004 -65.100954800000011 46.263939 -64.455507800000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-17581912714624201762019-12-14T18:51:00.000-05:002019-12-15T12:43:49.239-05:00This Old House<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I gotta tell you...Ron gets a bee in his bonnet quite frequently. He's a bit like a British Bulldog that's bitten something and doesn't want to let go. He did it with the paneling on the sun porch, he's done it with numerous other things in the past.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll give him his due: it almost always pans out. The paneling came off the sun porch fairly easily and only a small part of the wood siding underneath needed repair. The porch looks so much better now that it's the same colour as the exterior of the house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His newest "project" was to strip off the paint from the hinges, door knobs and locks that we have in the house. We noticed that they seem to be engraved or had some sort of filigree, but the detail was buried under 100 years of paint. He found a video that said all we really had to do was simmer the pieces in hot water and baking soda to get the majority of the paint off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It can't be that simple, right? Well, actually it was. Sure we needed to pick out some tight spots and brush and scrub a bit, but the majority of the paint lifted right off. We're left with some pretty amazing hinges that strangely don't match...one side has one style and the other side has another. Quirky.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The set on our dining room door is stamped April 3 1877, Pat B. (Patent reference, or manufacturer? Not clear, but patents usually have a number assigned, no?) So, a bit of scrubbing with steel wool, sanding and rubbing with alcohol, some goo gone and a bit of mineral oil later and we have clean hinges of indeterminate metal type. We're pleased, and really, that's the payoff, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been a pretty cool exercise and no one else might notice, but we love the hardware! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com4Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.77823130000001645.911694000000004 -65.100954800000011 46.263939 -64.455507800000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-38507757774081364922019-12-03T11:41:00.002-05:002019-12-04T16:21:39.577-05:00Could I be a "Karen"? Holiday Edtion Ponderings<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I fully admit to being of the "me" generation. The tacky, riotous, cocaine infused 80's that gave rise to Neo-liberalism, austerity measures and trickle down economics. The world of Thatcher, Reagan and Mulroney, to name a few of the conservative politicians of the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This, painfully, leads me to the conclusion that I could also be a "Karen", described in the Urban Dictionary (at least the most popular definition) as: "</span>mother of three. blonde. owns a <a class="autolink" data-hasqtip="8" href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=volvo">volvo</a>. annoying as hell. wears <a class="autolink" data-hasqtip="9" href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=acrylics">acrylics</a> 24/7. currently at your workplace speaking to your manager." Confessedly, I'm neither blonde nor own a Volvo. I don't wear acrylic nails and rarely ask for a manager, but be that as it may, I can see how Millenials would see me as such.<br />
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The 80's seem like a lifetime ago in many ways. 50 percent debauchery, 50 percent innocence; it was a confusing time.<br />
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As we near the holiday season, I've started hearing "Do They Know It's Christmas?", that definitive 80's Christmas classic featuring the artists of the day, some great, some lost in obscurity now. This song, I find, clearly represents the clueless ethnocentricity of day. In many ways it encapsulates how sheltered we were in so many ways, despite the fact that the song was a charity effort to feed the starving in Africa. (That sounds pretty noble, right?)<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/bjQzJAKxTrE" target="_blank">Do They Know It's Christmas Video</a></div>
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When I really listen to the lyrics, I can feel myself cringe. The title alone is an example of how "woke" (or un-woke, depending on your definition) we were. Sure, there are a lot of Christians in Africa, but there are also Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists, Pagans, Hindus and (more randomly) Baha'is, etc. Less than half of the population has an affiliation with any Christian religion, so no, many don't know (or care) that it's Christmas. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They tried and that's what counts, right?</span></td></tr>
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The line "there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time" is also, plainly, ridiculous. Africa is mostly in the southern hemisphere, meaning that what is traditionally the Christmas season, is during there summer. (Ask an Australian...snow a Christmas? Hah.)<br />
Okay, so maybe I'm making a bit light, but this is the era I grew up in. I was a child under threat of the hair brush or wooden spoon. Parents didn't mess around back then. There wasn't any of this "no" is a damaging word stuff. There was John Hughes with his anthology of cliched movies "Pretty in Pink", "The Breakfast Club", "Sixteen Candles" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". We were inundated with stereotypes. (Have you seen "9 to 5", a movie trying to point out how wrong sexism is by using complete stereotyped female characters?)<br />
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I guess what I'm trying to say is that it isn't completely our fault that the Boomers ran away with the environment or that we rode the wave of "all about me". For the most part, we honestly didn't know better. We thought that rinsing tin cans out to recycle and buying crap was actually helping. We know better now. Okay, I'm way less likely to TikTok about "OK, Boomer" than Millenials, because that boomer was my wooden spoon wielding Mother and sass wasn't acceptable. So, maybe I'm a Karen. (Ouch!)<br />
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I will say one thing. One day, Millenials, many years from now (which will still come sooner than you expect), you will find yourself on the receiving end of derision from the younger generation, not just the the older. This is how it works. Your kids will rolls their eyes at you and find a phrase, that you find incomprehensible, to describe just how out of touch you are. You might even find yourself being protective about what you've achieved in your life and considering ways to maintain and protect your way of life that baffles the next generation. I hope not.<br />
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As to: "Do They Know It's Christmas", as cringe worthy as it may be to a modern being, I still feel a tug at the old heart strings when I hear the opening chords. Sentimentality is a powerful thing. Finally, one of the things my corporal punishment loving mother tried to teach me was to be kind. (I did mention it was confusing times, yes?) So be kind to one another, we're all doing our best.PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com2Canada56.130366 -106.34677099999999-9.4242829999999955 88.41885400000001 90 58.88760400000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-28501539347832653372019-11-29T13:12:00.003-05:002019-11-29T16:37:39.276-05:00When Winter Blows In<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have to admit, we had a pretty good October. Halloween came in with a bit of drizzle, wind and 18 degrees Celsius - at night...can't really complain. Then a week passed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We woke up to snow, just starting to accumulate. It snowed all day. We kept the drapes closed and hunkered down, after our workout in the morning. By the end of the day, we had a good five centimetres of the white stuff. The next day the sun came out and we sat on the sun porch, enjoying a bevvie and +20 degrees. (That's the beauty of the sun porch...basically a green house.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then the snow melted, more or less, but the temperatures remained stubbornly low. We've now been flirting, on and off, with flurries and carpets of white and the blissful moments of sunshine. I have to say, that -3 and sunny (no wind) is way better than +3 and rainy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">November seems to be stacking up as a kind month. Have we had snow? Yes, as mentioned. Have we had lots of snow? No...thank heavens! We've spent a few more afternoons on the sun porch and enjoyed some long strolls along the river and through new neighbourhoods. We've spent time with neighbours, enjoying good company and food. We've had highs and lows. There are challenges to every relocation, even when you come "home". We're past the six month mark, which is always a good milestone. (Kilometrestone sounds ridiculous...right?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've now put up the Christmas lights (as you can see) and are waiting for a "quintessential" evening snow photo. We're prepared to wait for another month (more, even, why rush?), if we must. Hope your holiday season is shaping up, that you're spending time with those you love, feeding your soul and opening hearts with joy. </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.77823130000001645.911694000000004 -65.100954800000011 46.263939 -64.455507800000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-9209693744281158292019-11-11T13:09:00.002-05:002019-11-11T13:09:35.267-05:00Beautiful, Deceptive Autumn<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's kind of hard not to marvel at autumn, especially on the east coast. This is the time that people rhapsodize about the "change of seasons" or fully enjoying the "four seasons". It really has its perks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having lived in perennial spring for a while, we understand the time shifting ability of no seasons. When the days stay the same length and there is always something in bloom, time ceases to exist. Is is April? Is it November? We honestly couldn't tell you without keeping a sharp eye on the calendar. So, fall is a pretty impressive change. The colours are amazing, especially on days with deep blue skies and ample sunshine. The trees remind us that it's a good thing to go out looking fabulous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The majesty of the season ALMOST makes you forget what's coming after. The key phrase being almost. We've weather stripped and insulated, sealed and layered all in an attempt to winterize this old house. We aren't ready, we know that, but we've done what we can. In the meantime, we'll enjoy the blazing colours of a year that is trying to grow old gracefully, with a bit of class and elan. We also know that it will likely end up giving up the ghost in a petulant tantrum of ice and snow, but that's what we signed up for, at least this year.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First snow of the season</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hope you enjoy the colours as much as we do. If you're in that springtime place we once inhabited, enjoy the magic timelessness of it and our autumn, from afar. If closer to home, perhaps a little winter prep might be in order, if you've been putting it off. For those on the very we(s)t coast, crack out the galoshes and lights that mimic daylight. We'll all make it through. </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.77823130000001645.911694000000004 -65.100954800000011 46.263939 -64.455507800000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-39584957922033052502019-11-07T12:10:00.002-05:002019-11-07T12:10:59.228-05:00Ghosts and Ghoulies - the return of Halloween<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were trying to figure out when the last time we were truly required to prepare for Halloween because of trick or tre<span id="goog_45585302"></span><span id="goog_45585303"></span>ators. It seems the last time we could expect kids at the door was October of 2002. Yup...17 years ago. So weird, right? That's the joy of condo living!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I confess to liking Halloween; the chance to dress up (be something I'm not! So awesome), the spine tingles of scary stories, the eternal promise of free candy (at least when I was a kid). I even loved the other side of it. Seeing the kids in costumes, handing out candy, quite smugly closing the door on freezing/drenched parents and returning to the comfort of my heated house, as they escorted their kids from door to door, once I'd given out the treats. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So here we are again. Back on Treat Street. We've bought and carved the pumpkins, applied liberal amounts of spider webs to the front porch, bought enough candy for over 50 kids. (I'm hoping there will be some left over, to be sure.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So here's to Halloween, the ghosts and ghouls, princesses and knights. Hope your night was SPOOK-tacular. </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Moncton, NB, Canada46.0878165 -64.77823130000001645.911694000000004 -65.100954800000011 46.263939 -64.455507800000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496644635572208494.post-39292251120012516372019-10-09T06:30:00.000-05:002019-10-09T06:30:39.520-05:00Beautiful, Deceptive Vancouver<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most everyone knows I consider Vancouver my home town and that it's more "homey" to me than most other places. Visitors mostly love it. And why not? It's nestled on the ocean and has the coastal mountains rising up on its edges? It's a food lovers haven and a perfect spot for people who love outdoor activities. There's a reason that Vancouver rates so highly for things like "Best Places to Live". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These facts, plus others (money laundering *cough *cough) make Vancouver real estate ridiculously expensive, even after a correction due to various investment taxes put in place to "discourage" too much foreign investment. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTJrqQC14uv_4I4oiYl76LGwnPF7oukrEgN6fknopCZaAWriFNHMr3FBCk8irFhgo3MGVfs9PibuTCjKfTK2wGQ1PWMMCSyg29UFga3C5z_Dw9IGVDYvSrkeodrQ7nQkIJHUaQsHW4kFy/s1600/IMG_20180501_144922_940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1600" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTJrqQC14uv_4I4oiYl76LGwnPF7oukrEgN6fknopCZaAWriFNHMr3FBCk8irFhgo3MGVfs9PibuTCjKfTK2wGQ1PWMMCSyg29UFga3C5z_Dw9IGVDYvSrkeodrQ7nQkIJHUaQsHW4kFy/s320/IMG_20180501_144922_940.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Five Sails from Expo '86</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The truth is that once you leave, it's really hard to get back into the market again, either as a buyer or renter. A one bedroom will set you back over $2000, on average. (A two bedroom over 3 grand!) Now the average income in Vancouver is around $78,000, not too bad, right? Well, this number is grossly skewed by the big income earners that pull down high six figures. This doesn't take into account the suburban centres around the city that earn less, either, but where property really isn't all that much different. The median income is only about $5000 more than the rest of the country, when property values, for Canada, on average are markedly less. (An example is the average 1 bedroom apartment rental for all of Canada (including the ridiculous rates of Toronto and Vancouver) is $1260.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp3cps30pzZmFURXqDzondCcZhZ-eRjWBkmpObjiHPUEcF9iq0_oSJP38kuogqvU86c-Snu2NQh4dv_I1Zx-SH5Whe-ukld-rW8_lJ1jHQ_tq_YeOmHp_Yy7OEguq6ZpV0Xd1ONJ2Akg1/s1600/IMG_20180503_220645_404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp3cps30pzZmFURXqDzondCcZhZ-eRjWBkmpObjiHPUEcF9iq0_oSJP38kuogqvU86c-Snu2NQh4dv_I1Zx-SH5Whe-ukld-rW8_lJ1jHQ_tq_YeOmHp_Yy7OEguq6ZpV0Xd1ONJ2Akg1/s320/IMG_20180503_220645_404.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vancouver skyline from North Vancouver</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the deceptiveness that is Vancouver. It's like the weather. You'll be hard pressed to find a more beautiful city when the sun is shining. Then the clouds come and you can't see the mountains, quite frequently, you can't see the other side of the street and the wind blows cold and damp through your bones until you wonder why you're even there. It, like all cities, has two faces and you either learn to love them both or leave. (Or you leave to go on a crazy adventure and devil take the consequences of ever returning.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj43pHm62mVoPGsS-c3QA_BWAMtez9MuYnJ1Yr018bLU3qv5VDmOV88XbyTPuqW735ayWmxCWW2FYJSVX9fVTUiigB-pi8d7qJmE5AWlYHw7HLcoeFaARi7VfzDepEMsNyH54ml7k2ah4C/s1600/IMG_1677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj43pHm62mVoPGsS-c3QA_BWAMtez9MuYnJ1Yr018bLU3qv5VDmOV88XbyTPuqW735ayWmxCWW2FYJSVX9fVTUiigB-pi8d7qJmE5AWlYHw7HLcoeFaARi7VfzDepEMsNyH54ml7k2ah4C/s320/IMG_1677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Siwash (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Slhx̱í7lsh in the Squamish language) Rock</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sure the place has great parks, a good cultural scene, world famous First Nations art and traditions, plus a myriad of amazing tourist destinations and restaurants of almost every description and price point...it's just the weather and cost of living there. If you've already swung it; great! I almost envy you.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ttlm1azt0dM5OmbHQRwRUY46d1rZBcptF5c6dck5orn98QdQOFB3YVRUzYeLFP4oi8XfA-0-rHJ3o0Re8z6ED17SDIlYImltTfeySw5jaRkkLJ67xLQmbJnPzD78LJgLzHMPuKGiLPAM/s1600/IMG_1609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ttlm1azt0dM5OmbHQRwRUY46d1rZBcptF5c6dck5orn98QdQOFB3YVRUzYeLFP4oi8XfA-0-rHJ3o0Re8z6ED17SDIlYImltTfeySw5jaRkkLJ67xLQmbJnPzD78LJgLzHMPuKGiLPAM/s320/IMG_1609.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Inukshuk</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vancouver will always feel like home to me, but I don't know if I'll ever plant my shallow roots there again. It's a great town to visit, catch up with family and friends and then say good-bye when the weather turns. </span>PEI Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03964571177408658694noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169156 -123.44346100000001 49.448542599999996 -122.79801400000002