Delia's Views

Nach Weihnachten - green lines

2012-01-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas been and gone, another 2 kg gained, time for new views:

green lines in Birmingham

It has been a mild winter. A bit of rain, quite a bit of wind, no comparison to last year. The discoveries of the season were roasted chestnuts, knitting socks and battling with the Italian language.

On a sunny morning, I explored the footpaths around where I live and found all these green lines - and so much more besides: cars being washed, decorations being removed, clouds being pushed by the wind.

Good advice

2011-12-25T00:22:00.000-08:00

Definitely a good idea:

He is supposed to land on the roof anyway

Our Christmas was simple and very relaxing: a reasonably tidy house, some decorations, a few presents after dinner had been placed in the oven, and our traditional roast, which I only prepare on this day in the year. Even the offspring ordered red cabbage and Kartoffelknödel - although he won't touch the meat, being vegan.

This year's effort in festive decorations - minimalist and (best of all) carried out by my family

Our luxury for the Holidays - all the way from Goodwill, Sherwood Forest Mall

Cannot do without at least one real candle

The same procedure as every year: roast pork in apple and raisin sauce, red cabbage with more apple, and potatoe dumplings - Halb und Halb

Fields from above

2011-07-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Europe is such a varied continent. Even a simple thing as how fields are shaped and divided in a comparable bit of topography is so noticeable. Here are some examples:

England - Bavaria - Italy?

Many more diverse views could be had, crossing Europe in an E-W fashion, even if all photos depicted fields and the land was relatively flat. What history underpins these shapes and different farming methods?! Enclosure was a long process in England, resulting in so many different things: the rise of wool price and production, the removal of commoners from the land and the creation of the working classes in the Industrial Revolution, which inspired others to think about class struggle and revolution.

"The change to the landscape due to this [enclosure], which we see today and take for granted, was the change from huge open fields to smaller, hedged fields and highways."

What lies behind the field shapes of Bavaria or northern Italy?

NB: the first picture is of Bavaria, the second of Middle England, the third was taken near Bologna, Emilia Romagna.

Paradise Fratta Terme

2011-07-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Grand Hotel Terme della Fratta was a complete revelation to me. I spent the week in Bertinoro, enjoying the Italian summer, while A. was working away at one of his conferences in the lovely (non-air conditioned) University of Bologna conference centre.

View from Bertinoro hill over the lowlands of Emilia Romagna

There is a lot to recommend that particular area. The conference centre is one of them, the vineyards another. The views from the top of the Bertinoro hill, or the easy reach of Forlì, Cesena and Cesenatico. But for me it must be that Therme della Fratta is so close by.

Review from 2009 - why they do not use better photos - only they will know. The baths are amazing.

When I planned my trip, I noticed the place as one of the thermal options near Bertinoro. Not excessively cheap, but not overpriced either, if the pool is good. This bath is good. I paid €19 plus €2 for the bathing cap (which is obligatory in Italian baths) and enjoyed myself. The waters are magical.

Floating in the salty pool, the minutes evaporated. The pain caused by small scratches on my body was quite excruciating, and it was not a good idea to get this water into my eyes. But mineral salts do stimulate small wounds to heal and the luxury of floating was heavenly.

In Britain, they sell floating tank sessions: climb into a coffin sized bath and touch the sides of the tub all the time. Here I just drifted lazily around the Roman style pool, watching fluffy clouds go by through the large pyramid skylight, occasionally using one of the many water jets to massage my aching back.

More fun is offered in the Turkish and Roman steam room area, which is large and beautifully tiled: iridescent tiny squares, shimmering in many hues, made this sauna a delight for the eyes for me. There is the shower unit in dark green tones, shaped like a helix - you enter as you would a snail's house clad in shimmering tiles, disappear from view until you reach the fog and hot waters which this unit offers.

My absolute favourite entertainment must be the circular unit though: 5 different stops on a round parcours. Step inside and you first have hot rain and red light, then cold, soft rain and blue light, surprisingly spiky hot jets from the side at stop No. 3, followed by mellow rain in green light, and finished off by a dose of fresh fog and pleasant fragrance. I always pressed the button and went right round the circle again.

10 minutes is all it takes by bus from Bertinoro - you have to walk up the hill again, though.

This hotel was renovated some four years ago and I thought it was in pretty good nick. The changing rooms were equipped with the latest in locker technology, the staff went round and dried floors regularly, it was a great place to be.

I have visited a few bathing pools in the past two years, and the closest to Fratta Terme would be Therme Erding. Except that there is a lot more chlorine in Erding's water. To be fair, Erding is quite a different type of venue, but for my money's worth, I will go back to Fratta.

White

2011-03-19T14:36:00.001-07:00

All things bright and beautiful: on the eve of Spring, there are still many white plants around:

Galanthus were prolific this year. Earlier on hellebore were fresh and beautiful. Now violas and primula denticulata are having their turn. Saxifragae started off the season in a sunny spot some three weeks ago.

Snowdrop at home

Clearing the garden of all the overgrown bushes is almost complete. Thousands of maple seedlings have been pulled, most of the home-made compost is spread, dahlias and potatoes have been planted, now it's time for dividing and replanting herbaceous decorative plants.

Galanthus S.Arnott, Botanical Gardens, Cambridge

On the big screen

2011-03-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is cinema day - even in Birmingham. Best of all, I can walk to my local multiplex.
Last night we wanted to treat ourselves to a night out and watched Paul, which did the trick for me. I wonder what the Americans are going to make of this movie, when it gets released later on this week. I preferred it to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's previous film: Hot Fuzz.

Other mainstream cinema adventures included The King's Speech - you really have to watch that one if Colin Firth is your cup of tea, and out of sheer consumerism we attended Harry Potter's penultimate offering H.P. and the Deathly Hallows I. Not bad, but quite predictable.

Something very different was the Mexican production Abel. Independent and thought provoking for sure. In Munich I watched Bergblut a love story set in the Tyrollean Alps during the wars of independence.

And finally I had a good look at films directed by Mike Leigh, triggered by Another Year.
His biggest success before Another Year appears to have been Secrets and Lies. That movie is available on youTube, in 14 parts. The critics say that Another Year is even better, but at least Secrets and Lies has some sort of positive end.

Then there is Happy-Go-Lucky; although the film supposedly centres on a happy girl, there is a lot of sadness in that movie. In Vera Drake Mike Leigh explores the moral dilemma and legal consequences attached to abortion - not an easy story, but well acted by Imelda Staunton. Once I learned more about her, I also had a peek at the Cranford Series by the BBC. That lot can keep you busy for hours. It is a bit hard to find, with the purposefully misleading spelling "¢яαηƒσя∂".

Waseley Hill Country Park

2011-03-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

My friend M. introduced me to the Waseley Hills, just a stone's throw from where we live - yet I had never been there. We accessed the Country Park from the south car park, off Holywell Lane. En route we stumbled across a Geocache treasure in a remarkable looking tree. The things people get up to!

View from Waseley Hill towards Malvern Hills

The views from the toposcope on the summit of Windmill Hill are quite varied and must be even better than this on a clear day:

We could see that Seg(e)bourne Coppice is filled with bluebells - I will be back in May!

Barber Institute Lunchtime Concerts

2011-03-11T04:53:00.000-08:00

As a continuation of my enjoyment of music at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario, I have been attending quite a number of performances at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham.

The latest concert (11th March 2011) was given by the University Chamber Orchestra. They played Pelléas et Mélisande by J. Sibelius and Siegfried Idyll by R. Wagner, but the the Dance of the Yao People by Mao Yuan and Liu Tieshan was definitely the most fun. Here is a lovely rendition of the tune - the University Chamber Orchestra will have to practice a bit more to reach this level of performance, though. Back in November 2010 they tried their skills on L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 - a pleasant, if not mind-blowing experience.

On 4th March the Centre for Early Music Performance and Research at the University of Birmingham put on a variety programme spannig from the Bamberg Codex, H. Purcell and G.P. Telemann to D. Scarlatti, J.S. Bach and W. A. Mozart. The students played some quaint instruments: cornett, sackbut and theorbo, as well as many different recorders and two harpsichords. It was an altogether pleasant concert.

On 11th February I listened to Sacconi Quartet - and they were great. I liked their version of A. Dvořák's String Quartet in F, op. 96 'American' so much that I bought a recording of theirs. Unfortunately not pieces by Dvořák or Haydn, but a recording of Ravel, Lalo and Turina String Quartets - a CD I don't at all get on with.

In January I attended a Czech concert: two excellent musicians Jan Souček (oboe) and Martin Fila (piano) played tunes by 19th century composers. The pieces I liked best were R. Schumann's Fünf Stücke im Volkston, op. 102. This concert was sponsored by the Low-Beer Trust, a family with roots in Brno in the Czech Republic. I could have visited that town in winter, but chose not to, and found the unexpected resurfacing of that location amusing.

Last year in December I treated myself to a performance by the Kit Downes Trio - a traditional jazz outfit; when I closed my eyes I was right back in the Wolf Performance Hall - brilliant!

In early December I enjoyed Kenneth Hamilton's lecture-recitals: Mozart through the ages.
This Reader in Music knows his stuff and explained and demonstrated with gusto W.A. Mozart's style and how it was appropriated by various other composers. He might even have mentioned François Devienne, the "French Mozart". With a bit more prior knowledge on the subject I would have learned even more. As it was, I just watched in fascination as the man played and talked and waved his hands about a lot.

Hiking again!

2011-03-06T14:01:00.001-08:00

After joining the Arrow Valley Countryside Group, I have been on a few rambles this winter/spring.

One wet day in Sandwell,
around Forge Mill Lake, Priory Woods and Sot's Hole, 27th February 2011

The mud is a constant companion at this time of year. While there are a lot of public footpaths in the West Midlands, they are often only a right of way across some squelching field - not a footpath.

ba-ba lambs at Forhill Ash - 6th March 2011

Along the Canal

2011-02-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

I am exploring the collage options that Picasa has to offer. There is clearly much more to learn, but so far I am enjoying these kinds of results from snaps I took along a stretch of Worcester and Birmingham Canal, near the University of Birmingham.

Along Worcester and Birmingham Canal, green.

Along Worcester and Birmingham Canal, blue.

Along Worcester and Birmingham Canal, pink.

Along Worcester and Birmingham Canal, yellow.

Munich

2011-02-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

Munich is a rich and satisfied place; full of successful industries, art galleries, museums, restaurants, shoe shops, buskers, trams, busses, underground trains, and a lot of dog dirt. Even though it is unacceptable in Munich to drop litter in the street, the same cannot be said for what the citizens' dogs leaves behind. It is a disgrace.

Amore by Jeff Koons, 1988, part of the Banality series; at Museum Brandhorst.

This year the end of Carnival is much later in the year, on 8th March. Thus in the middle of February, Munich has nothing very special to offer, apart from the regular attractions.

Maxvorstadt, worse for wear after 1945.

Bearing in mind this state of the city, a lot had happened by 1972, when the Olympic Summer Games were hosted here. An exhibition "Zukunft findet Stadt" examined the development of the town, its architecture, its reconstruction and expansion in the 20th century.

An extensive network of fast trains was dug underneath the town.

The trend continues. They are still building more underground tunnels. I can even reach the airport in half an hour by fast public transport, without changing trains.

Childhood memories.

The phone box (used to be yellow and properly enclosed) the post box and the bubble gum dispenser. The colour scheme is not as neat anymore since Deutsche Telecom and Deutsche Post became separate entities.

I chanced upon a lovely concert, Il concerto barocco, which was expertly performed by three soloists on recorder, zither and harpsichord. St. Johannes Evangelist was the venue, a fairly cold, airy and modern church; one which I traditionally paid a visit to after having received my end-of-year report cards.

Museum Brandhorst - lovely building;
not so sure about the exhibits.

Aumüller bakery, just behind Isartor.

I sampled the lot: rolls and pretzels, cream cakes and tarts. Aumüller is a new bakery for me, and makes a welcome change to the standardised fare from Müller and Rischart bakeries.

Müller'sches Volksbad near Isartor.

The historic baths from 1901, which survived the war. Two swimming pools - a long one for gentlemen, and a shorter, warmer one for ladies - as well as over 80 bath tubs were provided for Munich's citizens, at a time when private bathrooms in houses were not yet standard.

A building site - formerly Karstadt am Dom.

Situated in Neuhauser Straße, opposite St. Michael church, this plot of land was already documented in 1570. The buildings on it changed with the times, the one being pulled down right now was erected after the war. This place is in the heart of the pedestrian zone. They manage to dismantle it without much dust and cart away the debris on lorries, through the tight streets of the old town. The gap is going to be filled with the new "Joseph-Pschorr-Haus", complete with solar panels and a green roof.

OEZ - the shopping paradise of my youth.

Back when I was a frequent visitor to the OEZ, they did not yet have these fun fountains. I see them all over Germany now. They must available in some catalogue - but they remain fun with their elongated jets of water.

Water - there is plenty of it in Munich. The river Isar, the fountains, the swimming baths. One nearby pool is a must during every visit: the painfully dear Therme Erding. However, this is luxury for the people, and there is no shortage of visitors willing to part with Euro 25 for one day at the spa.

Snowdrops

2011-02-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

In between the grey, misty, foggy and rainy days, there is the odd warm and sunny - or at least dry - day. Snowdrops are out in force. My friend and I were keen to seek them out. We even had a trip planned to far-away Dudmaston Estate in Shropshire, which we then cancelled because it was such a grey day. Thus we were very pleased when we spotted these on our ramble with the Arrow Valley Countryside Group.

At Great Alne Church, Warwickshire

For a veritable carpet of snowdrops I was advised to visit St. Leonard's in Beoley, Worcesterhire, which I did on a sunny day, a week later:

A place worthwhile visiting at the end of February! After this view I collected all my snowdrops in my garden into a single spot. Let's see whether I can turn them into a carpet.

Christmas past

2011-02-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

The year is moving on. The Christmas season is definitively over. I moved all my decorations back into the attic - hooray! The house looks almost bare. However, now the redecoration will continue in earnest - after the kitchen ceiling has dried out again.

A symphony in red and gold this year -
what will it be next year?

Madrid

2011-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Madrid in January - at first I did not even want to go. After we returned from this exhausting trip, I was glad I went.

Aleppo Pine in Parque de el Retiro

When Felipe II chose Madrid as his capital in 1561, it was a small Castilian town with a population of barely 20,000. Then the building madness began. During the Habsburg and three Bourbon Dynasties, the place was plastered with palaces in the severe, un-ornamented architectural style (desornamentado), which gave way to Baroque, Neo-Classical, and then Art Deco. The trend continues and apart from the very unattractive apartment blocks on the outskirts, exciting new architecture is popping up.

Mosaic mural at Argüelles Metro stop

So this is what you get here: splendid buildings by the ton, art by the lorry load, and a great public transport system. Treat yourself to one of the Tourist Transport Season Tickets. Not only can you use it to get from the airport into town quickly and easily, you also have access to the full bus and Metro systems.

Juventud/Youth, Marble - 1935, by Josep Clarà at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Sultry, healthy, innocent and infuriating - a perfect depiction of that age.

Visiting at least one of the many art galleries is a must. Of course we went and explored the

Museo Nacional del Prado - loads of Old Masters: paintings of pale and sickly looking people; depressing most of it, I would say; engaging, stimulating and thought provoking would be the educated critic's view. The permanent exhibition of this museum is free of charge in the evenings.

Prado - just before 5PM, when free entry starts

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía - lovely place, modern mix of all sorts of media, sculpture, paintings, film. You can spend all day in that gallery, entry is free of charge in the evenings and on the weekend.
For something very different try the Museo Tiflológico run by the ONCE Organisation [for the blind]. Everything is to be touched, and that aspect really offers a new dimension. Free entry.
CaixaForum is a beautiful building with a vertical garden and engaging exhibitions. I took a look at The Cinema Effect - Illusion, Reality and the Moving Image - Realisms. Weird and wonderful. Free entry.

Sintiendo el Viento, Bronze - 1997, by Ana Hernando at Museo Tiflológico

CaixaForum and jardín vertical

There is more to Madrid than just museums and palaces. (For a place which is completely o.t.t. visit the Museo Cerralbo - it is stuffed full with treasure and a lit by outrageous Murano chandeliers.)

As I am a bit partial to trees, I needed to spend time in some "natural" areas. For starters, and close by is the huge (and free of charge) Parque de el Retiro.

Peer out to See by Jessica Stockholder, Palacio de Cristal, Parque de el Retiro

Helleborus orientalis, Real Jardín Botánico

Next to that park are the Botanic Gardens. It must be beautiful here in Spring. The beds were chock-a-block with bulbs and herbaceous plants. In January, only the bare trees remain, and some Helleborus. I learned that the Gingko biloba tree has the most disgusting smelling seed pods; it does - just as if someone had been sick.

For a different view of Madrid, take the Teleférico for an 11 min ride from the Parque del Oeste, crossing the valley with the railway tracks and Río Manzanares and ending up on top of Casa de Campo. Lolipop trees (Aleppo Pines) all around you!

Teleférico on Casa de Campo

Our turning point on Casa de Campo, as it began to rain.

And while you are in the area, venture south in the Parque del Oeste until you come across the original Templo de Debod. Built in the 2nd century BC it was given to Spain by the Egyptian government in 1968, as recognition for their assistance in moving monuments out of harms way of the Aswan Dam's water. Sunset was particularly recommended for this venue, and I think that is spot on.

Templo de Debod

Of all the other grand places and sites Madrid has to offer, I loved Atocha train station. Inside the magnificent glass and wrought-iron structure is a tropical palm garden - lush and green, with birds flying about the vegetation. At night the hall is illuminated in white light, and looks an absolute gem from the outside as well.

Well worth the time and entry fee was the tour of Real Fábrica de Tapices, a rug and silk wall tapestry manufacturer. As all the production steps are executed by hand without any machines, on rather large vertical looms, there was a busy silence in the factory. It was founded in 1721 and still uses the same techniques as they did almost 300 years ago. Their new fine carpets now adorn the Hotel Ritz.

While walking around the many plazas and fountains of this city, I noticed this workman dealing with graffiti tags. They used a strong chemical to soak the paint, which is then pressure washed off the marble. After half an hour the graffito below Don Quixote and Sancho Panza had gone completely. Don Qixote's horse seemed to also have suffered from the spray can and was hosed down properly.

Plaza de España

Madrid looked like a place of opposites to me. On the one hand the rich architecture, the extravagant hotels, the lush fountains and water features, the smart looking people, the comfortable public transport system. On the other hand, the graffiti and the leagues of buskers and beggars. No Metro ride without a serenading busker, no major street intersection without a one-legged beggar covering each corner of the crossing. If you get yourself a sandwich, you have to negotiate the elderly woman sitting outside the front door pleading for your small change. They must have a Beggars' Guild in that town.

It may well be that there are pleasant and interesting markets in the capital of Spain. I did not see any. We tried El Rastro, a Sunday flea market (avoid at all cost - unless you require T-shirts proclaiming that You ♥ Madrid) and the 19th century iron and glass Mercado de San Miguel (only visit if you desire to consume some oysters and other fishy delicacies at tourist rates).

Which brings me to a major aspect of any travel: the food you experience. We did well, I reckon. We sampled the melt-in-the mouth Viennese Pastries at Viena Capellanes, a coffee and cake chain; I enjoyed uncomplicated vegetarian meals at Artemisa Restaurante Integral, and then I took tea at the Palace Hotel under the cúpula.

Hotel Palace, La Rotunda

Somehow we were not amazed by the Spanish foods we tasted, with the possible exception of these open sandwiches, with plenty worm-like sea foods from El Capricho Extremeño.

Toast with fish and shrimps, and octopus.

We stayed at the Hotel Gran Atlanta, close to the Real Madrid CF football stadium, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The price was certainly right at that accommodation, and we were lucky to have a room to the rear (not with a great view) and relatively few other guests staying. If the adjacent rooms are occupied, you hear everything through the paper thin walls. That may not be so relaxing when the football fans hit the place after a match.

If you are a culture vulture you have to visit Madrid - and spend at least a week there. There is so much more to see: the Royal Palace (Palacio Real), even more galleries and museums, the many huge gates and arches, the sparkling fountains, grand squares, modern Madrid, the bullfights, the dancing ... as well as the neighbouring attractions: Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial, and countless monasteries and other palaces. Our 50 hours in the town were filled at every moment with new experiences. In summer it must be hot in the urban jungle - which is why the evening only starts fairly late. Don't expect to dine before 21:00.

I consulted a number of travel guides but found this one is a decent all rounder, which fits into my backpack:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2011-01-08T13:33:00.001-08:00

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, received brilliant reviews in the English speaking world. The story does Guernsey proud.

Here is a synopsis:
❝A cynic might think that this feel-good story about a book club formed during the German occupation of Guernsey whose history is uncovered by a journalist in gloomy postwar London was written to order for modern book clubs in search of an uncontroversial read. But its exuberant lightness and unremitting charm are tempered by wit and a forceful, knowledgeable defence of the power of literature to comfort and provide a moral framework. At its centre are two women - Juliet, who made her name through a morale-boosting wartime magazine column, and Elizabeth, who invented the society to fool a German patrol when she and fellow islanders were caught out after curfew. The epistolatory form and Juliet's numerous correspondents make for a jolting narrative at times. This, though, is easily forgiven and cynicism is banished when you discover that former librarian Mary Ann Shaffer struggled for 30 years to turn her fascination for Guernsey into fiction and died before the final edit, leaving her niece to complete the book.❞
taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/20/guernsey-potato-shaffer-barrows

View Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society in a larger map, worth taking a look at, with references to the story.

Although this was a best seller around the globe in the original English, and the book was translated into many different languages, the German version "Deine Juliet" was not so well received. The German critics detected a hint of Rosamunde Pilcher, one reviewer commented it "was at times quite boring", some thought the story was too old fashioned in today's world of SMSs, tweets and emails, and in general it was deemed to be no "literarisches Meisterwerk" but a "hinreißender Roman".

I think these evaluations of the story and book are due to cultural differences. The book plays on the British sense of humour, understatement, sarcasm, which can be hard to appreciate - unless you are an Anglophile already. The translation by Martina Tichy and Margarete Längsfeld are fine - but every book loses out in a translation.

I loved the book. When I had read the last page I flicked back to the first page and started reading the novel for a second time. The story is so coherent. There are no lapses, the line of information never muddled. The islanders have a hard time, and the occupying forces are in the wrong - but they are no monsters. Even with a German background I don't feel threatened by the well researched story. This was war, and terrible things happen during such conflicts.

The islanders are cunning, but they have respect for the orderliness and administrative capabilities of the occupying army. Finally this is not a story of "us beating them" but a novel full of real characters: good (perhaps too good?), quirky, sometimes righteous, sad and humiliated (Miss Adelaide Addison) who survive in a bad situation. I realise that difficult times bring out the best (and worst) in people. Perhaps it takes an American author to see both sides of the story, even in a setting which can be turned into a black-and-white tale so easily.

What will Sherwood Book Club think of it on 1st February 2011? Will the participants want to be reminded of the War? The language register should not be a problem this time. It is so beautiful polite and measured. The story reminded me of The Purple Rose Of Cairo [DVD] [1985], another modern production of a story set in the olden days.

The Almost Archer Sisters

2011-01-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

Lickey Road, Rednal, Birmingham, 19.12.2010

The Almost Archer Sisters was the Sherwood Book Club title for 4th January 2011. As we are talking a Canadian book here, the title was not available in my local library and I went out and bought it online. I am really grateful for this aspect of the worldwide connectivity. Delivery of the book should have been straight forward, but a bit of snow fell on Britain and postal services came to a standstill. Beautiful, crisp and clear these snowy days were - wonderful altogether. On Christmas Eve the parcel finally made it through my letterbox.

I am open to reading any book suggested by the librarian, and having done some research, the story looked interesting and modern. Here is a short summary of the plot:

❝Georgia “Peachy" Archer Laliberte has almost gotten her life under control. Peachy, her husband Beau, and their two rambunctious sons live on the family farm in a small town in Canada, just across the border from the U.S.. Their closest neighbor is Peachy’s draft-dodging hairdresser father, Lou, who lives in a trailer on their land. Although her son Sam has epilepsy, Peachy, Beau, and Lou have worked out a successful system to care for him and maintain as normal a family life as possible, and Peachy’s status as a superhuman caregiver has its own rewards.
When her life on the farm isn’t quite enough, Peachy can always live vicariously through her glamorous, New York City–dwelling sister, Beth. Thin, successful, and passionate Beth has clawed her way to the top, stepping on anyone it takes to get there — including, every so often, her younger sister. Still, Peachy and Beth are close, and they support each other through crises of all kinds.
They support each other, that is, until Beth decides to sleep with Peachy’s husband Beau — who just happens to be Beth’s ex-boyfriend. Furious, Peachy decides to go to New York City — alone — and leaves Beth home to care for her family. As she spends a terrified, exciting weekend alone in the middle of Beth’s life, Peachy must confront questions of love, loyalty, and family to find her way back home.❞
taken from
http://www.syndetics.com/index.php?isbn=9780385660396/summary.html&client=londonp&type=rn12

http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/nextchapter_20090330_13697.mp3
interview starts at 16:35

My impression of the novel was quite different from the reviews I had read before, and also from the interview with the author, in which she comes across as highly educated and serious, touching on very important subjects in her story, such as the depression and suicide of the girls' mother. The above plot summary is accurate enough - but the other reviewers/interviewers never comment on the type of "gutter" language the main characters use all the time in direct speech.

Thus I am ambivalent about the book: I hated parts of it, but on the other hand loved it, too. I am definitely of a different generation to the author or the protagonist - and I do not get on with the language they use, especially when describing more intimate moments.

I don't remember life at nearly thirty years old being so focused on mating or finding a mate. But those were different times and the novel describes a modern, current time, with all the technologies and modern trends and fashions. Perhaps young trendy women are and think like that, or else the author perpetuates a "Sex and the City" cliché, which sells copy.

I loved the happy ending, the "rounding off" of loose ends, the fact that Peachy is emancipating herself and making choices through the weekend in NY and beyond.

I adored the setting in Essex County, striving for survival in times of unemployment, selling off the land while resenting the new subdivisions which would follow. Belle River at the shores of Lake St. Clair next to Windsor is all very real to me. I understand that one has to cross the border to Detroit to catch any airplane of consequence; that the trip to near-by Windsor is almost a trek. Having observed the dire straits Windsor seems to be in economically, I can imagine how people cling on to what little employment opportunities there are. It is not surprising that their father Lou starts his own hairdressing business.

I felt at home with the isolation of the farm, yet not very far from the town and relished the bits of language which struck me as being particularly Ontario based: the references to Canadian or North American products (Lucky Charms, Seven Eleven, La-Z-Boy) the tension between the US and Canada, as experienced by Canadians, the vocabulary used ("Oh my gosh!" or "subdivision").

I often admired the pictures Lisa Gabriele painted with a few words, e.g. p 35 "She ran up the porch and silently passed our La-Z-Boy gauntlet, sniffling." Or p 136 "He began to shake [the bottle], slow at first, but then his arm became a blur, like a graffiti artist readying a spray can." Or p. 226 "I negotiated around the Beth clones lining their lips in the mirror and talking to each other about the Marcus clones waiting for them at the bar upstairs."

For me the story also resonated as I visited NY for the first time ever last summer and found the city overwhelming and vertical. During our travels I noted things the protagonist describes: e.g. p 156 "... I could close my eyes and feel us transition from Canadian-smooth streets, the cracks practically grouted with ground-up tax money, to the bombed-out downtown Detroit roads, ..."

Finally, the group discussion questions at the end of the book are a good idea. I thought about the story along these lines and found the reflections enhanced my reading experience.

The Reading Group trashed the book. They "did not care for it" or could not bear reading it and filtering the story through the "gutter language". In fact, they lost out of connecting to a different generation and seeing the world through their eyes. But then again, they are entitled to chose what they want to spend their time on.

Lisa Gabriele in Dragons' Den clip:

Back on the Small Island

2010-09-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here we are, back to what we called home for half a lifetime. Travel from the airport was amazingly smooth and easy, as well as cheap: £3 each. Surprisingly, all our luggage (around 110 kg of it) fit into the small rental car. Yes, the roads are busier here and everything is sized somewhat smaller: the width of lanes, the car parking spaces, the aisles in the supermarket. But the sun was shining even over good old England, and at 20º A. thought the climate much more agreeable.

Birmingham New Street station and Bullring shopping centre.

The house is still standing - our tenants cleaned the place before they left, the Phlox does what it does every year - all is well.

And my early apple tree is bearing fruit, just as it should. I hardly arrived and have already prepared the first batch of apple sauce of the season.

The sky seems to be big over Middle England as well. The wheat was harvested, the hills are rolling; this region also affords lovely views.

Near Nottingham, home of the DVLA, where they exchanged our driving licences back to UK versions: The staff were friendly and helpful, and they did not even charge for the service. With wheels to call our own again, we are nearly set to depart onto our next adventure, the Continent.

Farewell

2010-08-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

Here is me with "Oh Canada" in my ear (Ohrwurm, as they say). From not recognising the National Anthem to being beleaguered by the tune, it's quite a change!

The people of Canada have been great to us. Within a short few weeks of our arrival we had made new friends. Everyone I asked for assistance stepped up to the occasion: friends lent us the heaters, the bicycle, the radio, gave hints & tips and advice; were company and soul mates.

I tried all the different varieties of Tim Hortons' donuts. We visited more of Canada than many a Canadian. I explored London to some fine detail - and there would have been still more. Even as we leave I am hearing of more wondrous things to do in this town.

I adored the library. I loved the music and dance. I will forever remember the winter and the summer - they were the genuine article here.

It was great here ! Thank you.

Wortley Village street chalk art, 1st August 2010.

Last of the Summer

2010-08-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Our last weekend in London was full of adventure and excitement, as was only to be expected. It was hot again, and I believe we left on one of the warmer days of the summer. However, we were well shielded by air-conditioning all around that day and hardly noticed the heat.

One last walk in Medway Valley together with my very first friend of this adventure.

Biking to another Springbank Summer Concert, featuring Encore Music playing pop classics, such as Gabriel's oboe tune of The Mission. I met some of my favourite people here, and was showered with more gifts, meals and heart-felt good byes. A dinner invitation with our German friends rounded off the day.

It was impossible to put off this job any longer. Our three cases had to be filled with the items we valued most - everything else had to stay behind; most of those things found a good new home before we left. In the end all the furniture was sold, even if we had to wait around a few hours. The rest was carted off to the Goodwill store.

This is one view I won't miss too much: the long and gloomy alley way with garbage chute at the lift: never a fine fragrance there or in the staircases.

We spent the last night at friends, enjoyed their hospitality and paper shredder, and had a comfortable enough ride to Toronto airport the following day.

Up, up and away! Art at the airport.

I guess this sums up airport life. We experienced enough of it, in three different countries.

Grand Bend

2010-08-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

An invitation to a summer cottage: every self-respecting Londoner seems to either have access to one, or rent one for a precious week or two during the season; we were treated to the full experience: beach and BBQ, followed by sunset. It was hot and sunny again, although during the journey it had been surprisingly cloudy.

The approach to Lake Huron is promising.

Although the water looks sparkling, it was actually so milky that we lost a Frisbee in the shallow waves.

Nothing but sand, water and sky. And the sun. I sought out the bits of shade I could locate.

Released back into the wild: we had collected these on Lake Erie to use for a game of Go - except we never got 'round to that. Rummikub occupied our gaming evenings.

After dinner, the sun had just set when I returned to the beach. Still - what a wonderful way to finish what seemed to me like an endless holiday.

Komoka from Gideon Drive

2010-08-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Now that we are on the bikes, Komoka is too far away to get to for a morning walk. A bright and surprisingly fresh morning saw 27 ramblers assembling at the Northern end of Brigham Road to explore Komoka Provincial Park from the other side, rather than from the White House. The hike leader took us along narrow paths through high vegetation and steep hills in the woods. A ramble which deserved its name.

Golden Rod dominated the landscape outside the forested areas of the park.

Dry meadows on sunny hills.

Where did all these clouds come from all of a sudden? The sky had been blue up until 10 a.m.

These are the days of the many good-byes, and one of the walkers not only gave me a lift but also took me to her favourite watering hole, the Little Beaver in Komoka. Rural and down-to-earth, nothing too fancy, and definitely a piece of Ontario jigsaw I had to collect before going home.

Dream House

2010-08-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

I found it - my dream house. At least on the inside. On the outside it is one of those boxy new developments, 2x4 wood and plasterboard with a few bricks on the outside for show. Whenever I see these brand new subdivisions in pink or baby blue insulation I have to hum Little Boxes by Marvina Reynolds, the Pete Seger version. But I cannot help it, this show home would have to be mine, if I stayed here longer.

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All go to the university,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

The Manchester on 116 Cherrywood Trail for a mere $360 k in the exhibited state had what I seem to like most in living spaces: high ceilings, a wide entrance hall, a light and airy library room, a live-in kitchen with fireplace and hardwood flooring. Oh - I am so predictable. Just right for one of these little boxes.

This could be clad in bookshelves from floor to ceiling!

Community Gardens ...

2010-08-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

and more ...

I had attended the information session on Community Gardens back in March. By now the plots had been allocated, planted, and the fruits of the allotment gardeners' efforts were ready to be harvested. Although I saw one area without a fence around it, most gardens have a protective boundary - if only to keep the rabbits out. In one garden I found uncultivated plots - a shame really, considering there seemed to be waiting lists in the Spring.

Full sun and access to water are essential for success.

Other arrangements I really like in London are:

The splash-pads and wading pools in public parks. When the pool is filled with water (and chlorine) a lifeguard is on duty. Since the water is not very deep, it warms up quickly.

The picnic areas in public parks. A roof, some picnic tables, a BBQ arrangement. No need to book - turn up and have fun with friends and family. In winter this seemed comical, but in summer it makes perfect sense to have an address for your party.

And I am going to miss this:

Although it is not intended for the general public, we had access to the hall through Campus Recreation membership. A badminton court which just begs to be used.

Dragon Boat Race Festival

2010-08-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

Fanshawe Reservoir is some distance (12 km) from where we live - especially when you travel on a one-speed bike. Even more so, when a puncture makes you realise that you are quite a way from home already, now with a broken bike, and no repair kit at hand.

A friendly stranger lent his repair kit - but with a glue tube filled with nothing but air. By the time we had found this article in the shops (bike related things are out of season now), cycled back and forth to the broken bike and repaired the inner tube, it was late in the day. Rain clouds were gathering. We pressed on to the lake, and got there just in time for some dragon boat races.

Commitment!

Setting out.

Jostling for position.

Beaten by the faster crew.

The Summer months take their toll on Fanshawe Reservoir. An oily green slick congregated at the dam. The banks of the lake are not pretty, perhaps they improve with autumn leaf colour. Possibly it did not help that the rain started falling while we watched the races. We still had to cycle home, after all.

After our round trip we had easily covered 30 km and I was glad that I had prepared lunch early in the morning already.

Kijiji

2010-08-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

How does one offload all the household items which we have accumulated over the year? There are many different options.

cart them to a charity store. The most convenient one for me is Goodwill, but there is also St. Vincent de Paul (with another branch on Elias St.), Value Village, Talize and My Neighbour's Closet. Just drop off at the back door - sorted. There are other possibilities as well, but I have not explored all those thrift stores.
offer and distribute to your friends.
carry them to the bins, or if you live in a house, the side of the road on trash collection days. Chances are, the best items will be taken away by strangers before the garbage van arrives.
organise a garage / yard sale on your front lawn. There are plenty of those in late summer. Quite a few on Huron Street, East of Adelaide (EOA) - they do look a bit dubious though.
advertise on ebay, but be aware of the steep Canadian postage rates, if you intend to ship.
advertise on Kijiji.

Although I found it impossible to buy things on Kijiji (usually due to vendors not replying to my inquiries), I found it easy to list items there and to hope for potential buyers. The uploading process is very quick and uncomplicated. No need to be a member, nor to sign up and leave all your private details, and best of all no commission for a sale to Kijiji.

On the flip side, there is a whole new type of person I had to deal with through Kijiji. Here are some samples of the contacts I had:

"I would like buy it, I don't have to look at it again, thanks. But I can't go to get it today because I don't have time today, can I get it another day? I can give you the money through internet banking." I replied several times to this person and we agreed on a pick up day/time convenient for her. She never showed up.

"Hello I would love to pick it up for 20 could i come by tonight thanks?" I agreed, although it was late already. These people never came and we stayed up half the night for them.

"very interested, where r u located? would u drop off?" I gave the information requested and even offered to drop off on this occasion. Never heard from this person again.

Why do they bother? Is it a game for bored people? They write to you and ask whether you still have the item. You do - which is why the item is still listed. You answer with any additional information they requested. They never get back to you. Frustrating it is. Oh well - more stuff for the charity shop!

Springbank Park in late Summer

2010-08-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Meeting at the lower car park at the newish Wonderland Gardens Bandshell, I never know whether the walk will be leisurely or on the wild side. This Thursday morning, the ramble turned out to be suitable for sandals, and still two hours long.

26 hikers joining all the other people keeping fit in Springbank Park.

The park - an education in trees and fauna.

The abominable and apparently sophisticated tent caterpillar at work. Fortunately not as wide spread as in other years.

A day later and we were back in Springbank Park. This time my friend had invited us to accompany her family to a pot-luck party. Before dinner I took A. around the well known loop of the park and we encountered more wildlife:

a slightly confused mole - we put it back on the grass to dig more tunnels,

and a selection of geese.

After all that exercise we had dinner. As always I had brought along my lucky pot of home-made potatoe salad. Others had gone to the shops and contributed pizza, donuts, bought salads, watermelon, fizzy drinks and many other goodies from all over the world. An Iranian family contributed these mouth-watering charcoal chicken skewers, ready to be rolled into pita bread and salads.

There was the Mennonite farmer from Aylmer (No. 20 on the map) who showed off his fabulous organic produce and advertised his fresh-from-the-farm vegetable box scheme: $25 per week to receive enough vegetables for a family of four. I have been drawn to this before, but in the end have never settled for it on a permanent basis.

Factory tours

2010-08-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Leaving London, ON, without ever having set foot in the home of Canadian beer, the Labatt Brewery, seemed unwise. After all we had visited a whiskey distillery in Scotland, Inniskillin Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake and a sparkling wine producer (Kupferberg) in Mainz. Thus we booked a tour; cycled to 150 Simcoe Street along paths hitherto un-known to us and, equipped with noise dampening headphones, followed the tour guide around the factory.

There is not a lot to see, really. All processes take place in steel vats of one shape or another. It takes almost 20 days for the mix of water, barley malt, yeast and hops to transform into beer. There is some boiling involved at first, then a lot of cooling.

The bottling part of the tour was the most interesting. All those brown bottles racing round on conveyer belts! The most fascinating piece of machinery was the bottle washing station. Every ten-cent-deposit empty bottle adorned with all kinds of different labels are first checked that they are the Standard Canadian beer bottle, then fed into a giant dishwasher, where they are de-labelled, thoroughly cleaned and sterilised in 30 min. From there they go straight to filling.

We also went straight to filling ourselves after the tour. Five different beer types were offered for comparative tasting. I am not a beer drinker, and from left to right the samples turned ever more hoppy and bitter. A. didn't mind having a double ration of every sample.

51% of the price of a bottle of beer is tax. Beer is only available (in Ontario) in The Beer Store. Some 6-pack canned beers are also carried by the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario), the government chain of shops that deals with alcoholic beverages. At C$ 1.25 - C$ 1.65 per 341 ml bottle of Labatt Blue that is quite a bit of revenue. I had been wondering about why so many foreign beers are readily available in most of the 440 Beer Stores in Ontario: it turns out that any brewer worldwide can sell through the Beer Stores in Ontario as long as they pay a fee and pass the quality and labelling requirements. There is no selection by the shop manager, and the breweries set the price.

The visit to Arva Flower Mills did not really include a tour. But we were allowed to look at their production set-up, just behind the well worn swinging doors to the retail store. It appeared traditional and rustic. The shop sells all sorts of grains and flours and other baking/cooking related ingredients, as well as pet and bird feeds. As with the farmers' markets, the products were not in the bargain basement category. Had we visited a bit earlier, I would probably have treated myself to some exotic pasta or other product like that. As it is, our pantry is still bulging and I will have to bring supplies to the Food Bank at the end of our stay.

Grain sacks and barrow on the porch.

Milling machinery driven by belts.

In the retail store.

Summertime ...

2010-08-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

and the living is easy - sure. Since we sold the car, the pressure is off. But it is also hot. Sticky. Humid. Wonderful!

At the weekend we had some good times at two different events - both of which we reached by bicycle.

Celebrations of the 65th Korean Independence Day in Gibbons Park:

Willow trees in Gibbons Park along Thames River - looking green and healthy while the front lawns in residential areas are starting to brown with the drought.

Sun TaeKwonDo Demonstration.

Picnic area No. 2. Only one of many in this park: come and host your party here. First come first served.

BBQ Korean style: beef in thin slices.

Speeches: by the Consul General, the President of the Korean Canadian Society in London, Her Worship Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best and other dignitaries. Singing of anthems, the Independence Day Song, Three Cheers for Korean Independence. After the formal part of the celebrations everyone was invited for lunch.

A cool breeze blew through Gibbons Park. We stayed longer than anyone else and enjoyed the freshness.

The next day was hot again - as per usual. We cycled down to Springbank Gardens, to the new-ish Wonderland Gardens Bandshell, and had a lazy Sunday afternoon listening to Django Jazz.

Larry Smith's trio

The Mexican hacienda style takes a bit of getting used to - but then this is on Wonderland Road. There is certainly nothing wrong with shady Guy Lombardo Pavillion. The days are just packed!

Looking skywards

2010-08-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

During these clear and short nights it pays to look towards the sky sometimes.

Watching Saturn, small and far away - but with rings - on 10th July 2010 at Hume Cronyn Observatory.

Illustration from Astronomy 2011 calendar, edited by Terence Dickinson

During the day, the sky is fabulous, too. Canada is after all the land of the 'Large Sky'. The sky sits like a giant bowl over the land and the horizons are far away.

Hot air balloons floating by on 10th July, and on many other days that month.

Gibbous moon on 30th July.

One of the many household items I had to part with. I loved it while I had it.

Sky, 4th August 2010.

Medway Creek

2010-08-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

One of the last few occasions for me to go rambling. 24 hikers met at the Eastern end of Gainsborough Road on Thursday to traipse up and down Medway Valley Heritage Forrest. We also passed Brescia College at one point - the wheat now harvested which grew there not so long ago.

Duck or jump?

Medway Creek

Fungus on wood

There seemed to be even more wildflowers out than before: striking Goldenrod, starry blue Chicory, small white daisies, little pink Wild Sweet Peas and many more.

A plant of the Salvia family, probably Blue Vervain

A good example of Poison Ivy - don't touch.

In the evening we had to de-ice the fridge - again! The groceries bought yesterday in one big swoop were defrosting thoroughly: the ice cream melted and dripped through a not quite tight container. This fridge is not up to the summer we have been having. At least now I know that the freezer is not all together broken when it doesn't cool anymore. The first time round we had the engineer out.

Our car sold

2010-08-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

It's gone! A blessing or a curse? No wheels anymore for us for the rest of our stay, but probably more restful nights. What a steep learning curve this was. Yes - we had paid too much for the vehicle when we bought it from the dealership. The same dealer offered us an unacceptably small buy back price. We preferred to sell privately.

Honda Accord EX V6, 3 litre

silver 4-door sedan, black leather interior, 2003, 135,000km

This is what you have to do:

1. Go to the government website to find out about the Ontario system.

2. Buy a Used Vehicle Information Pack (UVIP) ($20) from the Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Office or online from ServiceOntario Driver and Vehicle Online Services. This will give you the shock of your life. The beautiful car you have is priced on this document at wholesale and retail values. They are rather lower than the prices quoted in The Kelley Blue Book. The UVIP lists all the vehicle's details and previous owners.

3. Drive to a garage and have them examine the car for its safety ($100). You need a Safety Standards Certificate (SSC) - and it is only valid for 36 days. Better be quick selling!

3. Drive to Canadian Tire or another emissions test facility and get a mandatory vehicle emissions inspection (Drive Clean) ($30). This is valid up to a year, but has to be recent when you want to sell.

4. Clean and detail the car: wash body, dress alloys and tires, vacuum clean, upholstery polish, wax, shine - every day from when you are thinking of selling the car. (Unless you have a garage or don't drive the vehicle anymore).

5. Take digital photos. In front of a nice background. Make the car look good. Show detail of damage if there is any.

6. Advertise. Where? Online seemed to work best. At Kijiji (free) or autotrader.ca (free online). You can also do it the old-fashioned way: signs in your car, flyers posted to notice boards in the supermarket, words to your friends and circle of acquaintances. Ads in real newspapers cost quite a bit of money.

7. Wait by the phone/computer. When someone gets in touch, race to the car and give it a wipe over.

8. If someone comes to see and test drive the car - let them show you their driving licence. Accompany the prospective buyer on their test drive. They are driving on your insurance.

9. Go and run the last few errands (load up on groceries and drinks - hard to transport on a bike).

10. When it comes to payment, accept either a Banker's Draft, a Certified Cheque or cash.

11. It really is easiest if all of you (the owner(s) and the buyer(s)) go to the Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Office together. There you need all the paperwork collected so far, as well as driving licences the "vehicle portion" of the registration permit, the car's plates. The plates are yours, btw, and you can use them for your next vehicle or hand them in. The buyer then has to pay Retail Sales Taxes on the purchase price, at least the wholesale price, to the tune of 13%, to the DVLI office. This is quite a nice little earner for the Province: VAT on used cars! Just think of how much is due if the car is sold a few times during it's lifetime!

driver front with electric controls in driver's door panel

passenger front

leather interior with electric controls

When it's all over and done with: exhale. Celebrate. Organise a bike or two. Hope for good weather. Have some bus tickets ready. Possessions really weigh you down.

Art, art everywhere

2010-08-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

There are fewer music performances in late summer than at other times during the year here in London. However, I stumbled across some decorative arts over the past few days.

Expressions in Chalk, Wortley Village, 2nd August.

Susan Boone's work

One of the In Good Company ladies by Susan Boone

Perfect quilts at Cotton by Post in Arva - is that the point of quilting?

The Quilts of Gee's Bend, an exhibition at the Convention Centre, 11th August.

Higgledy piggledy - every strip of material finds a place.

Jeans in a second life

A different kind of aesthetics demonstrated by those quilting ladies from Alabama. Museums around the USA are exhibiting this collection of quilts. I wondered why. "Art critics worldwide have compared the quilts to the works of important artists such as Henri Matisse and Paul Klee. The New York Times called the quilts 'some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced'." I had trouble seeing the beauty, with the exception of a few pieces which I took photos of. I didn't get on with the garish colours, the unevenness, the "un-planned" approach, the combinations of yellows and pinks.

My idea of quilts is neither the Arva nor the Gee's Bend way. Somewhere in between: with colours that satisfy my eye, some sort of mirrored geometry, hand stitched (by all means), and a few straight lines - especially around the edges.

Stoney Creek Valley

2010-08-10T03:06:00.000-07:00

On this humid and hazy Tuesday morning my friend and I met up with the ramblers of TVTA at the end of Windermere Road. I have no real idea of where the hike leader took us: we crossed Adelaide Street and Windermere Road and certainly spent some time in Stoney Creek Valley, but probably also in Sprucedale Park and Kilally West Northside.

A lone duck in Stoney Creek.

39 hikers: a strong group had fun for over two hours.

Towards the end of the hike, with the sun burning off the haze, a Great Blue Heron emerged from the Valley.

We also came across a deer - but I am glad to say, not many stinging and biting insects. Which was surprising really, considering the high temperatures and sauna-like humidity. My friend took me to the farm on Sarnia Road W, where they sell very sweet sweet-corn and some other vegetables in season (in small quantities). A nice change to the farmers' markets, which really rip you off. Still waiting for someone to phone us for the car!

Peace like a river

2010-08-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

Leif Enger's Peace Like a River was Sherwood library's book-club choice before the summer. I didn't read it then - but as it was warmly recommended to me by one of my friends, I took the book out again and had a go.

It was readable. I even wanted to know how the story progresses. But it would help if you had a bit of faith. Otherwise the references to the divine and the miracles that happen throughout the story are a bit straining. I had had enough of this line of thought near the very end of the book - where the reader is treated to some sort of ante-chamber of heaven. I got the impression that Mr. Enger wanted to finish the book after five years in the making and gave it one last miraculous twist. Language-wise this book is rather compelling. Story-wise I was not quite so sure.

Sky, 4th August 2010.

Niagara Falls - the final cut

2010-08-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Seven times I visited the Falls in ten months. And every time there was something new to discover. However, I think I have seen my fill by now.

OK- this is not Niagara Falls. It is a depiction of Terry Fox, national treasure, chalk-arted at Wortley Village Expressions in Chalk. We just managed to see the final results when we returned from Niagara Falls.

Horseshoe Falls, as pretty as always.

We arrived early and still had fairly good views of the water.

I like these Falls, and have watched the waters slipping by for quite a while over the year.

American Falls - perhaps I underrated these in the past.

On this occasion, A. finally took a ride on the Maid.

Boarding the vessel.

Getting a bit damp at the American Falls.

Returning home - wet despite the raincoat.

Over on the Rainbow Bridge. We still had some US visas to return.

Busy as usual later on in the day.

The Gorge: still wild and impressive.

A nature trail down to the water. Free of charge and rather steep. It does not lead to the rapids, though, only to the big whirlpool which lies beyond the rapids.

Cable car over the whirlpool - Niagara Parks has got this sorted. Every inch of the water can be surveyed.

While our visitor explored the Gorge, I returned to the Botanical Gardens to view their late summer bedding.

Cheap, cheerful and effective: Swiss Chard, Tagetes, Kale and Basil

Sunny and simple - Rudbeckia planted en masse.

Ipperwash Beach

2010-08-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Those friends with the canoe and another friend with her family and all of our household set out on the perfect trip to the beach at Lake Huron. It was stunning. The beach sandy and clean. The other bathers courteous and friendly. The water warm, shallow and visibly clean (perhaps). The picnic - extraordinary. The canoe a real bonus on the water, with enough time for everyone to have a go and to get a good feel for paddling solo. The games of Frisbee, the swimming, the sandcastle building - ideal in every way.

Lake Huron

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat ...

Working up an appetite.

Teenagers in the sand.

A great end to the most enjoyable beach trip ever!

St. Jacobs and Elora Gorge

2010-07-31T05:13:00.000-07:00

St. Jacobs market was still on my list of things to visit before the year is out. This was a damp and rainy morning, but we figured this might change; this is the most gorgeous summer I have had in my adult life and good weather has been a constant here since May, it seems.

To market, to market ...

Traditional dress of the region.

These baskets are for display only. If you buy the veg, they are emptied into a plastic bag for you. The baskets make the stand look very pretty and appealing, though.

Reasonably priced cut flowers, cottage garden style.

St. Jacobs market on Saturday is a circus. The place is dripping with visitors from far and near. The parking lot is huge - and yet there is hardly an empty space to be found. No horses or buggies anywhere near the place (and who would blame them, with all those cars). The fruit and vegetable part of the market is only a small corner of the area, the rest is covered in "antiques" and useless things of every hue. The prices are sky high. As with all these farmers markets, you pay for "freshness" and "buying local", which is all the rage right now. All those visitors are getting hungry at midday, of course. The burger bars make a roaring trade, with long lines forming in front of them. Ridiculous!

We did not stay long in St. Jacobs. I remembered that Elora had been recommended to me as a point of outstanding natural beauty. Since we were near, we drove a bit further to the Gorge.

This is another official conservation area, with admission per person, which I really am getting displeased about, especially considering the dirty and littered paths in this park. The number of visitors was horrendous - any noteworthy place within the vicinity of Toronto must be this busy on a summer's Saturday.

I guess the weather did not help, as it really started to bucket it down soon after we had taken the short trail in the woods near the gorge.

All in all I would recommend: visit St. Jacobs market on a Tuesday or Thursday. It might be more intimate then. Bring your own lunch there - the picnic tables are quite adequate. Visit Elora Gorge on a sunny day, during the week. Park at Elora Mill Inn on the other side of the Grand River. For the $5 per person admission in the Conservation area, you might get a cup of coffee at the inn and then could go hiking along the gorge as well.

Paddling Thames River

2010-07-30T03:16:00.000-07:00

A new visitor arrived and had to be picked up from Pearson Int. Airport in Toronto - at 1:30 in the morning! - and we were in for another set of exciting outings in and around London. The two first stops were the library (and yes, even our visitor found CDs he wanted to listen to), the Goodwill store (no, he did not wish to be treated to a new outfit), Victoria Park and Ribfest - but more for the skateboarding, really.

My friends offered a canoe trip down Thames River, which had long been on my wish list. A perfect opportunity on a perfect day. The water had been released from Fanshawe dam - and the river, which is normally too shallow to paddle on, was even slightly washed out. A few ripples here and there, but no real play spots. Besides, with two canoe novices in the boat, playing on a wave might not have been the right thing to do anyway.

We had entered the river at the Canoe Club, on Wonderland Road and spent a good few hours letting the world go by. I could see all the areas I had hiked before: Springbank Park, Komoka Provincial Park - but this time from a very different angle. It certainly was much quicker to use the river than to walk along its banks. Those fur traders and loggers sure knew what they were doing.

The end of our cruise, at the bridge in Delaware West.

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Bruce Peninsula II

2010-07-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

Day two of our once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Bruce. We got out of the hotel as early as we could (breakfast only served from 8 AM), entered the National Park right away and started walking on the well maintained paths and then quite rugged terrain of the Park.

They have got some active mosquitoes and horse flies here! Next to Marr Lake there was no escaping them.

Souvenirs of those tourists on (aptly named) Boulder Beach - but otherwise they had left little behind. Phew!

Our bathing spot - all alone, we could have skinny dipped, but other walkers were arriving when were packing up again.

Just around the corner from Boulder Beach lies the Grotto - a seriously pretty spot, main visitor destination in the Park.

Or is this the most visited spot in the Park: Indian Head Cove? The waters were so clear we went for a swim again! Explored the cave which can only be reached from the water, dived a bit with A.'s goggles: the world below the waterline was fascinating.

Soon this little, secluded cove filled up with people. Time for a quick exit. While we walked back to Cyprus Lake, more and more people in bathing suits kept coming towards us. They must have taken turns in the water and on the beach - all these people could not possibly all fit onto Indian Head Cove at the same time.

And then I went into the water again - at our lunch spot on shallow, warm and clear Cyprus Lake. In exchange for a couple of ripe peaches, other visitors with a B-B-Q grilled our burgers for us. Potato salad, burgers, peaches, tea and cheesecake: we had a brilliant picnic in the shade at the side of the lake. Of course, we never thought to slap on sun tan lotion: only a few minutes here, and a little swim there... All that exposed skin on my shoulders and back was well done by evening.

We would have liked to stay longer. Return to Bruce Trail, explore some more of the coastline. It was exceptionally beautiful at Georgian Bay. I would also recommend visiting this land of stone, woods and water to visitors - even though it is a fair distance from London. Five hours' driving really. We took the inland road and found it more pleasant than the coastal route along Lake Huron: there were far fewer road works. We did our homework and visited two car dealers to take a look at possible model options for when we are back home. And then we watched him:

A fascinating machine, such a combine harvester. Winter wheat was being brought in. The harvest would probably not take much drying the way the grain had been baked over the last few days. Wingfield Farm this was not. Rather, one sleek and relentless operation.

Bruce Peninsula I

2010-07-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

"Have you been to Bruce Peninsula? Oh - you should go, Georgian Bay is just beautiful. You have to swim in the Bay and watch the sunset." I heard this so many times that we set off on a two-day trip to this finger of land which cuts off the Bay from Lake Huron. The two bodies of water are linked - but could not be more different. While Lake Huron's coast is shallow and sandy (the beach was on this occasion unsafe with bacteria from heavy rains), Georgian Bay's edge is rocky, cobbly and steep. Limestone banks surround the crystal clear, turquoise water. Fortunately Lake Huron does not spill into Georgian Bay!

Lake Huron at the Imperial Tower style Point Clark Lighthouse.

I like this passage from J. de Visser's and J. Ross' book Georgian Bay:

❝One long, lonely highway travels up the spine of the Pensinsula from Wiarton to Tobermory. The surrounding countryside is littered with abandoned farms. ... Plots of farmland were first sold to settlers in this area in 1856, just a year after the railroad reached Collingwood. ... The Indians who first settled the Bruce had already given it up. It wasn't long before a stream of eager pioneers began lining up for land holdings.

But the dreams of successful homesteading soon turned sour. Most of the newcomers bought their property at highly inflated prices during a brief land boom, planning to pay off their morgages by working their holdings. However, the timber rights to their properties had been sold separately and the settlers were only able to take down enough trees to build their homes. Without the ability to sell the timber or clear the land for farming, they were caught in a hopeless situation.

Furthermore, when the lumber-men finally got around to cutting down their trees, a horrible reality presented itself. The limestone land was sprinkled with thin soil and gravel, totally unsuitable for productive farming.❞

In 1987 a 140 sqkm section of this unique landscape, including a stretch of the Niagara Escarpment, was converted into the Bruce Peninsula National Park. And just as well, as the coastline of Georgian Bay is still solidly in private hands and access to the water is virtually impossible.

Isthmus Bay, north of Lion's Head - No Trespassing signs everywhere.

A miraculous sight: a spot of Public Access at the end of Cape Chin South Road.

We stayed for the afternoon at Cape Chin. It was heavenly there. We tried out our 'multiple use' BBQ set, and had a hard time getting it going. In the end it did warm the chicken skewers through and through, but I would not have called it a campfire. The waters were clear and warm-ish, swimming was a delight and our picnic turned out well. We had driven for so long, and the place was so gorgeous that we decided to stay the night somewhere around Tobermory and pay that National Park a visit.

The administration of Tobermory understands their visitors: They want restaurants, fudge and ice cream. They need to park their cars. They want to watch the sunset as it unfolds over Little Tub Harbour. They want to reach the islands of Fathom Five National Marine Park, view Flowerpot Island, and ogle from glass-bottom boats at the 21 shipwrecks in those treacherous waters.

❝The land does not end at Tobermory. The abrupt blunt edge of the Niagara Escarpment dives underwater here, rising in occasional jagged shoals of desolate islands. Finally the ridge of limestone rock rears up out of the water to form Manitoulin Island. In the the 48 km between Tobermory and Manitoulin Islands, the waters are littered with shipwrecks. Only three channels permit ships to cross this dangerous stretch of water where large shoal masses rise unexpectedly from the deep to lurk within a few metres of the surface. This is shipwreck country. Many of the wrecks date back to the 1850s, when ship traffic around Tobermory consisted of tall-masted schooners from the lower lakes.❞

J. de Visser and J. Ross Georgian Bay

Elgin Trail

2010-07-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

I had re-acquainted myself with some very nice people, whom we had met at the Laughter Yoga, again at Fanshawe Lake, then at the Yoga in the Park and at Tai Chi - and it was decided that I would go on a walk with their hiking group, the Elgin Hiking Trail Club. I picked up my friend and together we made to the meeting point, some place south of St. Thomas. We met the Club member, and the five of us set out on a walk up a steep muddy slope. The mosquitoes were fierce. Even 'nature man' applied some bug spray. After about five minutes we thought that our strength lay in our flexibility; we returned to the car and went on to the beach at Port Stanley.

What a great decision that had been. We were on our own. Milky waves washed lazily onto the pebbly beach.

The heavy rains of the previous night had brought pollution to the water and dead fish were rolling up and down in the surf.

An unexpected off-flow of lake-bound water separated a strip of beach from the coast.

We walked and walked until we reached the end of Erie Rest Beach where we played with some mud which was oozing down the hill.

The sky turned ever more blue, some clouds gave the air shape.

Finally we drove up to Hawk Cliff, east of Port Stanley, where we had a full view of Lake Erie and the sky above, while munching on an impromptu picnic. Our little group worked well together - and this had been a great outing.

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Tai Chi - Wu style 吴式

2010-07-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

at the Museum. I missed the first two meetings, but sneaked into their last session to try it out. We learned some basics about Tai Chi and proceeded to warming up exercises and deep breathing. The instructors from the Chinese Canadian National Council then showed us the first 20 or so forms in their routine. Very impressive it was - and I think it is a martial art I could try out a bit more.

Photo of Beijing Tai Chi warm up (AP).

Tai Chi not only keeps you active, it also strengthens the muscles and bones in your lower body, warms you up really quickly and has no impact on your joints nor jerky movements. The breathing must be good for your body, and might even stimulate all those inner organs.

One of the spacious and uncluttered spaces at the Museum.

My friend and I then explored the culinary delights of Costco for lunch and, shortly afterwards, A. and I set off to Westmount Library to view one of their international films. It turned out that no-one else had turned up for this Saturday's screening - thus I had the projection equipment all to myself. I re-viewed some of the grander scenes of The Bucket List, a DVD we had enjoyed at home on the small screen. While I am at the topic of films, I also really like Thank You For Smoking, which we watched a few days ago. The weather conditions on Saturday were so hot and humid, with a few heavy showers thrown in for good measure, that escaping to all these activities was the only sensible thing to do.

Open air Swimming Pool

2010-07-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

Among the many advantages of the apartment block we live in must be counted the open air swimming pool. Admittedly, it was a dingy duck pond in the autumn, when we arrived. However, now it's the season, and it is brilliantly refreshing.

frozen in early winter

snow covered in late winter

unfiltered in spring

delicious in summer

Westminster Ponds

2010-07-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Another hot and humid day. I drove to Westminster Ponds to join up with the TVTA hikers - and missed them! Had left the house just a bit too late with too much traffic jam at Wonderland Road works. Still, another hiker had cut it just a bit too tight as well and we set off together into the wilderness of the woods surrounding the ponds. Mosquitos were abundant and active. Although I had sprayed myself (almost all over) with bug spray, they just loved my hands and face.

At the water's edge: plenty of lilies floating on the surface.

The emerald lagoon.

The path: at times steep and covered in roots.

I would not say that we were lost - but I certainly did not know where exactly we were, either. As I had an appointment with A. shortly afterwards, I would have liked to have been a little bit more in control. Thus when we chanced upon the TVTA hikers somewhere in the woods, there was no question about not joining them. The hike leader knew where the cars were parked!

Back in the safety of the pack.

Wednesday Hike

2010-07-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

There were six of us today, meeting at Highbury/Huron to carpool further north near Highway 7. We took almost two hours in the heat of the day to cover 4.3 km along Thames River from Plover Mills Rd. to Saunders Auto Parts on Ebenezer Rd. The description for this walk was "Moderate/Difficult; fast paced for good hikers". It certainly was a bit faster, a bit muddier, a bit more slippery than the normal walks.

Hike leader Tom and a crew of volunteers had cleared the path only yesterday; thus we were able to stroll at our leisure along the corridor hewn into the shoulder-high bush and grassland.

This was a varied and enjoyable route: steep woodlands, plenty of wooden bridges, fields and grassland.

Some tiny fungi in the woods.

Thames River below the woods.

There are plenty of wild flowers out at the moment.

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When I returned, A. was preoccupied with an injured back muscle - too much yoga. Lying flat is about all he feels comfortable doing right now. We got out some soothing books from the library. That should keep him immobile.

Morgenstund ...

2010-07-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

... hat Gold im Mund. Maybe not gold, but we had a very pretty dawn this morning:

I dragged A. out to a Yoga session in Thames Park. "Simply show up for 7:30 am start and enjoy some Sun Salutations, Asanas (postures) and Meditation (relaxation)", which is just what we did. It was my second attempt at yoga, and it went much better for me this time than when I tried it first.

In the afternoon we went to Rainbow Cinema and watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice, a forgettable little fantasy movie, with lots of flashes and lightening.

Just before dinner I tried out my bike again: down Sarnia and Hyde Park Roads, into Canterbury Park beyond Gainsborough Road and back home. It was no trouble at all. This is about the same distance as a ride into town. That will be next!

More gardens

2010-07-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Having seen the gardens of the Christ Anglican Church supporters yesterday, I was quite taken with the gardening effort one of my friends is making. The sturdy health of her plants was especially impressive: lush, dark green Peony and Polygonatum foliage (at this time of year!), buds galore on plants which are still to flower. She is doing something right! Here are some snaps of her garden - she could well have shown her garden to the public as well.

One very cosy corner under the apple tree.

Dahlia in the sunny vegetable patch

Japanese Anemone

Fluffy Hydrangea at the front of the house.

Open-Garden Tour

2010-07-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

In this town of volunteers and cheerful fundraisers for all sorts of causes, a neat way to gather a few bob is to open up your garden and invite the public in. Christ Anglican Church is in need of new washroom facilities and a sprung wooden floor. Four/five private garden owners thought they would like to show off their gardens. Some 50 people followed the invitation, thus an income of $250 was made on the day. 10 volunteers helped with showing people around. Was that a good return on their time?

Garden No. 1: a recent garden project, from building rubble to landscaped flower garden and veggie plot. The owners were very kind and offered a taste of their pea pods and carrots, plucked from the ground specially for me.

Cucumber flower

Garden No. 2: an artist's town house garden, well designed, with decorative items throughout, two ponds and decking, 20 years in the making.

Double Daylilies, Hosta, Vinca and ferns, surrounding goldfish pond with Buddha.

Glass Ball floating on the fountain.

Garden(s) No. 3: a hotchpotch of back gardens, with friendly neighbours who let the children roam without borders.

A clever idea for your B-B-Q: dig down rather than build up.

Garden No. 4: out in the sticks, a garden with a lot of space, a swimming pool and a dedicated colour-from-seed gardener.

Canna (kept over the winter), Zinnia and Tagetes (annuals from seed).

Rudbeckia (herbaceous)

Dahlia (tuber kept over winter).

Crossing the town, I waited at the main train track traversing London. TWO trains rumbled by in opposite directions at the same time!

So had it been worth the effort, for the somewhat meagre return in financial terms? I think so. Proud gardeners had had a reason to spruce up their plot. They received recognition for their achievements and pretty compliments which soothe the soul. New ideas were spread. Advice was exchanged, conversations were had - people got together and had fun for an afternoon. They also made a little money for a good cause.

Home County Folk Festival

2010-07-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

Foggy Hogtown Boys playing Bluegrass.

Last weekend Victoria Park hosted Sunfest Festival. This weekend it was the turn of Home County Folk Festival. The weekend after next it will be Rib Fest. In between there is Rock the Park. Some of these are fund raising events, some are commercial ventures, some are free of charge to listen to. One is always tempted to consume large quantities of varyingly tasty foods - but that would not benefit a charity. Home County Folk Festival was free of charge for the music, including their big act, Bruce Cockburn.

The maestro's guitars.

One of the many commercial enterprises.

Your own low seating is a must.

Foxtail having a good time with Bluegrass.

Old Man Luedecke

Bruce Cockburn, the star of the show, in front of 12,000 spectators.

More useless pretty things to indulge in: candles.

We spent most of Saturday at the Festival. In the afternoon we just had a peek, listened to the Bluegrass Bonanza and Truth or Dare with Lynn Miles, Colleen Brown and Claire Danaher. Then I spotted Bruce Cockburn on the front cover of the festival's programme. I bought a CD of his once, the instrumental one, Speechless, 2005. I only knew him as a string artist, not a singer. But as I had spent money on one of his albums and had liked it a lot, I was determined to watch the man life in concert. Was he a big name? I had no idea, but a hunch that he might be.

Thus I decided that in order to be close to the stage, it would be worth arriving early: at 5pm we were seated not 10m from the main stage. And there we stayed. Listened to one act after another, Kristin Sweetland, Old Man Luedecke (we liked him a lot), Foggy Hogtown Boys (they had been better in the afternoon - fresher somehow), Lynn Miles (also was better in the afternoon in collaboration with the other singers) and finally Bruce Cockburn. Yes, he can still play those guitars, and it sounded great. The protest songs were novel to me - but not to the rest of the audience who kept on shouting that they loved him. I thought it had been worth waiting for him. At 11pm we went back home, full of sounds and songs.

Walk along Medway Creek

2010-07-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

By 9 am temperatures were already approaching my comfort limit. Thirty walkers met at UWO parking lot to hike past Brescia College into Medway Valley Heritage Forest and back to the cars via Huron College. At 10 am it was already too hot to enjoy taking another step. I went for a swim at the gym, conveniently situated just a short distance from Brescia College.

Grain field north of Brescia College.

One of the numerous dead and bleached trees along the field at Brescia.

Summer in the city

2010-07-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

It is warm here at the moment. I get the impression that we had temperatures around 30ºC and high humidity for weeks now. From time to time there are thunderstorms - serious ones, with high winds, thunder and lightning, and raindrops the size of olives.

After the rain, it is often a bit cooler. Not always, though. Sometimes even the rain is surprisingly warm. We are soldiering on without an AC unit. When we thought about buying a unit, we decided against it - after all, it seems wasteful to buy one to use for only a couple of weeks. Now all the low-end window units are out of stock. It's best to continue taking advantage of all those places with air conditioning: the office at UWO, the car, the gym, our friends' houses ...

Special Olympics

2010-07-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Our badminton hall is not available this week as London is hosting the Special Olympics, mostly in and around UWO. I went and marvelled at the skill of these athletes. Rhythmic Gymnastics took my fancy, but I also watched some Power Lifting. An achievement for every participant.

My favourite competitor from Manitoba.

A very able young athlete from Ontario.

In Rhythmic Gymnastics teams from Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec were battling it out at four different apparatuses. I had not realised that the music and choreography are prescribed in ability levels 1-3. Only in level 4 the music and choreography are individual for each athlete. Naturally, the advanced level performances were the most entertaining. Every one of the young people competing was applauded heartily for their level of commitment, the years of practice, and their sheer courage to perform alone in front of all those judges and the crowd of spectators. Rather inspiring it was.

This is my latest conquest: I found it at the bins. It is a beauty of a bike, sturdy, completely rusty all over, with the biggest, strongest basket at the front, and classic design. Made by CCM Weston of Ontario, this bike has only one gear, back peddle brakes, a brilliant stand and even air in the inner tubes. A. did the initial bending and pushing into place. A friendly neighbour pumped up the tires for me a bit more. Another neighbour with motorbikes in the garage greased the chain and hammered the peddle a bit. My friend is lending the chain with which I can secure the bike: I am mobile under my own steam once more!

If I were to stay in London, I would renovate this bike. It is just like the one I used to have in my youth and only disposed of a couple of years ago. My old bike had shone in several coats of paint over the years: first postman yellow with red and green accents; then purple with pink stars; after that white with metallic navy spray dots; the final coat was turquoise and white. I loved that bike: cycled from Munich to Montpellier on it. Had two accidents with it, one while cycling without holding the handle bars, and still have the scars to prove it. Moved house with it, set up stalls at car boot sales, did the weekly fruit and veg (and everything else) shopping trip with it. Naturally, in addition to the front basket, it had baskets fitted left and right of the back wheel, a back carrier which was held up for 20 years with wire and an exquisite dynamo and light system. It also had been reclaimed originally and it had a soul.

Tea at Eldon House

2010-07-11T03:34:00.000-07:00

Throughout the summer, Eldon House fund raising staff put on Sunday afternoon tea in the gardens of the house. The setting is idyllic: white wicker chairs under magnolia trees. The donated cups and saucers just right for the set-up. Hydrangea flower decorations dot the i's of this picture. The tea lady is an angel and people dress up for the occasion: ladies simply have to wear a hat here.

We spent a happy hour here, taking iced tea / Earl Grey tea and scones, resting from a full morning of sight seeing.

Beautiful Hollyhock in the front mixed perennial border.

Monarch butterfly visiting all those colourful blooms.

We had the house to ourselves, as everyone else seemed to be either at the pool or at Sunfest Festival in Victoria Park.

The beautiful kitchen at Eldon House. The fridge was still working! It is clear to see that the Harris Family were right at the top of the pecking order in London in days gone by.

Niagara? Why not!

2010-07-08T04:58:00.001-07:00

New visitors arrived and after missing them at the airport (first wrong terminal and then wrong arrival halls), we finally met up with some delay and considerable parking cost. We went straight to Niagara Falls, which is the main point of interest for this trip, and spent two nights at a hotel close to the Falls.

In the sunshine, Horseshoe Falls

The Falls did not disappoint - and we went there countless times. In the evening, at night, in the early morning, during the day. We covered it all.

At dawn, Horseshoe Falls

At night, American Falls

At sunrise, American Falls

For a change, we drove north and visited Niagara Gorge, a fascinating and powerful site:

We sat and watched the water racing by.

Only back in the 1980s did they hand out special permits for some experts to run these rapids. Nowadays the river here is out of bounds.

Class 6 rapids.

After all the fury, the water calmly flows towards Lake Ontario, and Niagara-on-the-Lake, where we also had a rest with some cool water melon.

An attraction we only watched from afar. But we had our fill of all the water.

The heat is on

2010-07-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

35ºC outside, 31ºC in the apartment. A. is on a business trip in an air-conditioned hotel room. Good for him, as he would not enjoy the hot nights in London, ON. In desperation I tried sleeping on the balcony - but soon enough the well known mosquito flight frequency homed in. Thus I did not mind an early start for today's ramble which brought us up and down the ravines of The Coves.

Down the ravine.

On the sunny hillside, covered in many different species of wild flowers.

Re-entering the woods and the welcome shade.

The Coves, abandoned oxbow ponds of the River Thames.

After the walk I had to finish tidying and cleaning the apartment. The rental company wanted to inspect the place before we move out - and in addition I am going to pick up more visitors from the airport tomorrow. This is like a hotel (minus the AC, though).

Knight and Day

2010-07-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

We really had enjoyed the last few days with cooler weather - only 25ºC on average. Now the heat is returning. This Saturday morning I would have liked to start earlier than normal when we met at Gibbons Park to walk along the river Thames and explore the outskirts of UWO. As the day was quickly getting hot, we opted for the shorter loop of 90 mins.

Thames River

Examining the finer details of the Kentucky Coffeetree.

Pebble shore of the Thames River.

There is nothing for it: in order to escape the heat we have to leave the apartment. All public buildings are nice and cool. The library is pleasant, the shopping malls fresh and chilled, The Beer Store is a veritable fridge. The cinema is also kept at a reasonable temperature and we opted to watch a nonsense, light entertainment movie, Knight and Day. Normally I am not in favour of Tom Cruise, but I really did like this funny adventure film at Rainbow Cinema.

As we were already in town we had a quick look at the activities at the Spanish Festival in Victoria Park:

The performance was lively and entertaining. The food vendors had just moved the few meters from Harris Park to Victoria Park. Trading seemed slow in the heat, though.

When we returned home, I had this unpleasant déjà vu. The tall daisies were about to bloom. The squirrel next door thought they would make perfect nesting material. Gardening is not an option on this balcony. Pity.

Canada Day

2010-07-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

is a big public holiday here. It is not even on a Monday (like the rest of the holidays), but is always celebrated on 1st July. I started off the day with a lively hike along the Thames River north of Fanshawe Lake. First we met up for a short car share drive to Thorndale Rd. This being a day off for most people, we shared the path with innumerable bikers and runners. Biting insects were also out in force - it's time to remember that bug repellent.

The Thames River, winding through lush grasslands.

23 ramblers had made an early start, ahead of the heat of the day.

A glimpse at the northern part of Fanshawe Lake.

After lunch I joined the celebrations at Harris Park. I had expected some armed forces' displays but was not prepared for the straightforward divide between food vendors on one side of the park and military vehicles and tents along the other side. There also was a stage and some traders offered knick knacks and T-shirts. Perhaps the timing was bad, in the middle of the afternoon. There were big fireworks scheduled for later on that night - but I did not return to town for them.

It was much more fun watching the children play in the fountains at the forks of the Thames River:

Back to normality

2010-06-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

I am back to walking. Eight weeks without regular hiking have left their mark on the scales. Because of summer temperatures, the hikes now start at 8:30; that was not really necessary today, as the temperatures had dropped significantly from the sweltering heat of previous days - a welcome change.

What had also changed was the landscape along the river. Two months ago, I enjoyed spring flowers and the first green leaves sprouting. Today we traipsed through a green jungle. The walk started at the sports field on Adelaide St./Kipps Lane.

Day lilies along the shore of the river

Thames River

Super sized fungus growing on dead wood.

For good measure we also went back to the Recreation Centre for some badminton. We will get fit yet!

Visitors around Ontario

2010-06-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

Together with our friends we visited even more exciting locations around London.

Port Stanley on a hazy and hot day. Were there more gulls or more people on this beach? There was a dead fish and other debris in the water, which is why I did not really feel like going for a swim in Lake Erie.

Petrolia with its working jerker rod oil pumps at The Petrolia Discovery. A sulphuric smell wafts over the oil fields. The little town of Petrolia sports a lovely ice cream parlour in the olde Post Office.

Niagara Falls - of course,

awe inspiring as always,

the roses in bloom at the Floral Showhouse.

Niagara-on-the-Lake (Ontario),

Niagara peninsula with its ripe cherries and growing grapes.

And finally, the Cheese and Agricultural Museum in Ingersoll.

Followed by a picnic fit for royalty under the big trees.

It was a varied holiday for our friends. I hope they got a good impression of Southern Ontario. I would have!

Aamjiwnaang Pow Wow

2010-06-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

We attended a Pow Wow, at Aamjiwnaang Reservation just south of Sarnia's chemical industries.

A. had been at such an event before and he got some comfortable moccasins there at the time. They are still comfortable, after a year of wear and the idea was that I might find some myself. At this Pow Wow there was more emphasis on the competitions and and on feasting. The few other traders concentrated on pearl trinkets and T-shirts, and there were no moccasins for me on this occasion.

Judging

Competing

Watching

Winning

This Pow Wow was a mighty meaningful event for the First Nations people present. All weekend there is one competition after another: dancing in different types of outfits, singing, drumming, mourning, celebrating. I could feel a great sense of belonging, togetherness and pride. The songs all sounded the same to me, but then I am an outsider. It was rather hot that day and the costumes were elaborate and must have been heavy and warm. But everyone was having great fun.

Visitors in London

2010-06-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Our friends were treated to a large number of London highlights:

The Life as a Refugee presentations at the Central Library, including Il Tenore Restaurant owner Ricardo Lopez' operatic singing during the complimentary lunch. Bulk Barn had to be explored, as it is such a great sweet shop.

Fanshawe Pioneer Village at 1959 admission prices. A warm day, lovely to sit in the shade with a cup of coffee.

Paul Peel house, with its cool porch.

Drying herbs on the back porch.

Solstice fire at the German Club:

with budding soccer stars, in German colours.

Soccer is quite important at the German Club; with state of the art floodlights the pitch is playable even after sunset.

African Choral Singing at the Library, London Museum, Covent Garden Market and Victoria Park.

Blackfriars Bridge in the rain.

Sunshine after lunch in Victoria Park.

Sifton Bog III

2010-06-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

With our new visitors in tow we paid Sifton Bog another visit. What a transformation has hit the place since Easter, when we last saw this Environmentally Significant Area. The wind was gently rustling the maple tree leafs, sunshine and 25ºC warm air made the stroll highly enjoyable.

The green-ness was overwhelming: algae in the water, maple trees above.

The kettle lake, teaming with wildlife. Swifts skimming the surface of the water for pond skater bugs,

massive bullfrog tadpoles. Red-winged blackbirds singing, shiny dragonflies darting over the viewing platform. It was a miraculous place right in the middle of all those newly built subdivisions.

A good time was had by all. We also purchased some tasty food tit bits at my favourite shop, Remark, took advantage of their complimentary refreshments, exchanged our broken water kettle, visited the library for an update - and got ALL the washing done from our touring holiday.

Adirondack and Thousand Islands

2010-06-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

We had taken the right decision. Maybe not about wanting to cross the Adirondack Mountains instead of driving around them, but definitely about stopping for the night in Plattsburgh. Along Route 3 there was only stark poverty, the Olympic Games in Lake Placid took place long ago and the money perhaps never reached these parts of the park. Now with regard to driving through the woods, this is what you see in the rain:

Occasionally there would be lakes. This is the view over Lower Saranac Lake:

In order to experience the lakes, one really has to leave the road and don hiking boots. Most of these gems are hidden in the woods or behind private properties.

Lupins are in their prime all over this part of North America right now.

We probably did not do the Adirondack Mountains much justice. This is camping and hiking country and driving in a car will not reveal its beauty. We listened to hour after repeat hour of Public Radio - the first time 'round it was really informative, then it became a trifle repetitive. The clouds and rain would not lift. Our first picnic inside the car, crumbs and all, at a boat launch point to some lake. The authorities had built stopping places just where there was absolutely nothing of note to see.

Weirdly enough, as soon as we left the park, after Fine towards Gouverneur we also left the clouds behind. The mountains had not seemed high enough to catch the weather, however, now hot sunshine streamed through the car window. In Gouverneur we visited a hapless and sad looking town square market. Thus a last impression of NY State was this, close to the border with Ontario:

Two reasons why a trip to the US is so attractive.

We had reached the Thousand Islands region, the St. Lawrence River, border between Canada and the US. We walked onto one of the bridges through this chocolate box landscape:

The Canadian bridge over the river, at Hill Island.

After this last outing, we drove on non-stop to Toronto and picked up our friends from the Stay Inn near the airport - a hotel they were quite happy with. It might be worth remembering this place when we leave from Toronto airport next.

MA, NH, VT, NY

2010-06-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

It was time to go home. The weather told us so, as well as our appointment with friends in Toronto. Thus we had a final driving trip through the rainy and beautiful landscapes of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York states.

On the road in New Hampshire.

Near a luxurious resting stop on the I 89 north of West Hartford, Vermont. We had intended to have lunch and just as we were about to unpack the sky opened and we had our picnic in the visitor centre: stylish table, chairs, complimentary hot drinks, washrooms - what more can one ask for when it is raining?

At this outpost of comforts along the highway they had a water treatment plant: The Living Machine (R) uses plants growing on racks at the water surface that send roots into the wastewater. The vegetation serves as a habitat for invertebrate detritivores that consume microbial biomass, reducing the sludge volume generated. The plants also reduce the smells often associated with water treatment plants. It really looked like a pleasant biodome with water and gardens.

Storm clouds over Lake Champlain, named after the French explorer who first set eyes on this delightful mix of islands and water in 1609. The wind was blowing the seagulls right off course.

Still northward bound on Road No. 2, through South Hero, Grand Isle, North Hero, Alburg, over the bridge into NY State at Rouses Point. Then we went south again: I 87 to Plattsburgh, where the weather had still not improved and we called in for the night. Should we have taken the ferry across Lake Champlain instead? Probably.

View Larger Map

New England's Coastline

2010-06-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

New England is famous for its fabulous coastline. I certainly was familiar with it through the two books I read in the Sherwood library branch: That Old Cape Magic and also A Geometry of Sisters. So we had to go and take a look - and were not disappointed. The plan was to drive up to Manchester-by-the-Sea and to enjoy the beach and harbour there.

Just as we had found our way to the coast, I spotted Nahant Island on the map and it seemed like fun to visit this rock at the end of what looked like a long stick. We drove along the coastal road. There were pleasant looking houses all along the coastline. No-parking signs everywhere. Sometimes we could catch a glimpse of the water, even more no-parking signs in those places.

At this spot we dared to stop the car in a lay-by. We were advised not to leave the vehicle on its own, as it might be towed away by the time we returned from a short ramble along the beach.

To our big surprise, parking was allowed for 30 minutes flat along this long sandy beach. Naturally we took advantage of this privilege right away.

Walked along the beach (no more than 15 minutes one way!),

and watched the waves rolling in.

After half an hour we left again, feeling rather displeased about how the "haves" keep the riffraff off their turf. We moved up north to Swampscott, hoping for a nice spot for lunch. This town showed no signs of tourism and sported even fewer restaurants. There were plenty of dentist's offices, though. On the recommendation of a bakery worker we settled on the hideously expensive Red Rock Bistro. Don't go there if you are in Swampscott - the food was greasy and all together not nice (at over $20 per head for one dish each).

Lunch at Swampscott

Instead travel north a bit further to magnificent Marblehead. There at least they want to welcome visitors. We took a look at the maritime history of this town in Abbot Hall, which doubles as the town's seat of government. We explored the harbour, the ice cream parlour, the old Fort, watched the anchored yachts bobbing on the waves and boats zooming through the buoyed pathway.

Rocks dotted around Fort Sewall at Marblehead.

Marblehead's Lighthouse - perhaps not the most picturesque structure ever, as far as lighthouses are concerned.

Pretty old houses and carefully tended gardens throughout the old town. A wooden Rothenburg o.d. Tauber.

Dogwood in its prime in this region at the beginning of June.

It was almost evening when we finally left Marblehead, and since we had heard so much praise of Manchester-by-the-Sea, we went for a late afternoon drive through Salem and along the 127 and did indeed reach our destination. In the town itself parking was also less of an issue. We stopped the car outside a delightful second-hand bookstore where we just had to purchase some books. We walked over to the harbour and from there to Singing Beach. There is no place to leave the car anywhere near the water. This sign ring-fences the parking area to locals only. That is very nice for the locals, I am sure.

But the beach is very clean and beautiful, no doubt about that.

Vegetation waiting for the next surge of high tides.

Our visit to the seaside ended with Manchester; we drove home inland back to our friends' house, where a hearty soup was already waiting for us.

Historic Boston

2010-06-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

No visit to Boston is complete without having explored the Freedom Trail, either with a guide or self guided - you cannot get lost, as all you need to do is follow the red brick trail. The tour took us around many of the historic places of this town; if you want to visit the houses, you have to have deep pockets: almost every point of interest carries a hefty price tag.

Quincy Market along the trail. We sampled some chowder in a bread bowl there, which was quite tasty.

Every walk starts at Boston Common and the New State House, designed after the Declaration of Independence. For the first few years the dome was covered in simple white shingles. After that Paul Revere's foundry produced copper sheathing for it. Subsequently it was painted grey and then yellow. In 1874 they covered the upside down bowl with gold leaf. During WWII it was painted again, in order not to stand out for bomber planes. Today the dome shines in 23k gold bling, re-gilded in 1997, when they must have had too much money in their coffers.

King's Chapel Burying, the oldest cemetery in the town, established 1630. Visitors were streaming into these old graveyards and made them look rather more like busy public parks than final resting places.

A statue to remember the Irish famine in the 19th century. There are rather a lot descendants of Irish immigrants in Boston. From "No Irish need apply" to becoming President (John F. Kennedy) this segment of the population proved resilient and successful through sheer determination.

The Old State House, Boston's oldest public building (1713), seat of the British colonial government in the 18th century. In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from the balcony. The House is rather dwarfed by all the bigger and newer buildings surrounding it today.

On and around Beacon Hill another tour proved very popular; the Black Heritage Trail. Beacon Hill is the finest address in all of Boston and the neighbourhood oozed money and patriotism. We walked against the flow and avoided some of our fellow visitors;

Stone and wood houses, all of them pretty, with colourful planting schemes. Wisterias are popular here, Peonies like the climate, day lilies are out in force and roses proliferate.

The gas street lights of Beacon Hill - a functional reminder of the past. The first gas street lights were installed in the early 1830s. Although the present lights are modern reproductions, they still work on gas, in order to give the neighborhood a look of history. Such atmosphere comes at a price. In addition to the maintenance issues, each light consumes $600 a year in gas, compared with about $100 a year for electric streetlights. But Boston appears to be rich and prosperous, busy and industrious.

There were still plenty more sites in Boston to visit: the museums and the south eastern parts, but we felt that we had had our fill of this town and that our explorations were intense enough. The traffic here was dreadful, the parking and admission prices outrageous, some people were unhelpful and others plain unpleasant. It was time to move on.

Cambridge

2010-06-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

One of the areas I had not yet visited before was the other side of Boston across the Charles River, Cambridge, MA, with its bookstores and museums, universities (MIT and Harvard) and generally academic and intellectual feel. We rectified this by getting a Charlie Card, spent $1.70 each on the "T" subway and reached the southern end of the area, Kendall.

For me the highlight was the MIT Museum. Not only was it dry, warm and relatively inexpensive, it also provided hours of fun, and I could have stayed there even longer than we did.

We marvelled at the kinetic machines of Arthur Ganson:

Machine with 11 Scraps of Paper, 1999

Machine with Oil, 1990

Tried to discover the mystery of holograms:

Polaroid Corporation, 1982, Brains and Skulls

Took a close look at the robots and watched the accompanying videos:

Minsky Arm, 1968

Were fascinated by the frozen movement photography and strobe light experiments by Harold Edgerton:

There was so much more to see at this museum: the Hybrid Illusions, the history and development of MIT, their teaching techniques; however, we also wanted to rummage through some bookstores and look at the centre of Cambridge, and thus we had to leave this interesting and stimulating collection.

For a few moments, the area looked romantic and picturesque:

but for most of the afternoon and evening the weather just turned wet and miserable again:

Harvard Yard was mainly wet - but so steeped in history and importance that it was quite pretty as well:

We treated ourselves to an average dinner at a Veggie Planet, and returned to our friends' comfortable home at the other end of two "T" rides.

Walden Pond

2010-06-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

A.'s conference was nearly over, and I had arranged to meet up with one of the dream team - former colleagues of mine with whom I shared an office many years ago. My friend took me to a lovely State Reservation, Walden Pond. A Reservation is a park - it has nothing to do with First Nations.

Some 160 years ago the poet and transcendentalist David Henry Thoreau, spent two years in these woods, living the simple life. The remains of the wooden structure he built still stand, but we just went on hiking all around the pleasant, overflowing lake, which would have just been the thing Thoreau would have done. He advocated recreational hiking and canoeing.

When we had completed our loop, the sun came out and transformed the pretty lake to a paradise, in which we waded (the water was surprisingly warm) and by which we had an extended picnic.

Thus ended the business part of our trip to Boston, and the informal and very friendly part began.