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Showing posts from May, 2014

Exploring Grouse Mountain

On my recent trip to Vancouver my friend Julie and I visited Grouse Mountain which is in North Vancouver.  Due to rain forecast every day (which didn't happen...yay!) we saw a window of sunshine on our first day together in Vancouver so decided to "do the mountain" first.   I don't think I had been there since the 80's and boy has it changed.  To make life easier we purchased the Alpine Experience which enabled us to get a shuttle bus direct to the mountain from downtown. The ride on the cable car up the mountain was smooth and it was a good size.  We got some great views. We saw all sorts of beautiful chainsaw sculptures on the way up the trail towards the mountain's attractions. As you can see there was still snow on top of the mountain which meant we couldn't wander as far as we would be able to in the summer.  Still...it was lovely up there. We then stopped in to see the grizzlies...more on them later... our pass included a

Whizzing through

Well kind of....had a fantastic weekend in Vancouver.  Rain was predicted every day but we didn't see any - sun, sun and did I say sun?  I came home with a sunburn!  We explored Grouse Mountain, the Capilano bridge area, took a day trip on the ferry over to Bowen Island, said hi to the creatures at the Vancouver Aquarium and took in the Granville Market followed by a long stroll around the seawall in Stanley Park.  It was truly a fantastic weekend.  Oh and lots of good food as well.... Back late last night, work today, laundry and unpacking (sort of) tonight....work for the rest of the week and then Saskatoon this weekend for a half marathon (eek!!) ....need I add it's all go.  I may get to work on my blog early next week, we shall see. Oh and yes, let's not forget a week from tomorrow I head west to Banff for five days.  After sitting at home for three months (a long time for me) it is nonstop for a few weeks.  I am loving it!  However I do know my physical limitations

A visit to Holland Park

London's parks are called "the lungs of London" and indeed they are.  As I've mentioned (many times) before my favourite is St James Park in central 'touristy' London but I adore them all.  In one of the world's busiest cities you feel like you are in the country...well almost....well even better than the country because when you get fed up with the peace and quiet there is always a coffee shop or a bus ten minutes away!  My kind of country!  One park I haven't visited too much but have fallen in love with recently is Holland Park.  It is a little bit harder to find - in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea...ie:  the "posh area".  It is very wild in some areas and ornate in others - we will visit the Ornate area - specifically the Japanese garden known as Kyota garden.  I can't find any reference to it on the internet but years ago I was told that if you saw your double walking in Holland Park you would die within a year.  Luckily I did

The magic of Cape Mary's Ecological Reserve

On a 48 hour trip (I was in Halifax and got a kick ass seat sale there so could not resist!) to St Johns Newfoundland in  late May 2010 I took a day trip down to Cape Marys Ecological Reserve which was arranged through the hostel I was staying at.  This rookery for northern sea birds is the most accessible in North America and Bird Rock is the third largest nesting site and the most southern of colonies of northern gannets. Indeed, it is one of the most spectacular seabird rookeries in the world.  I had been in the area in 2008 but was too lazy to drive that far...as it turned out just as well as the weather was not that great - I am so glad I waited and had this very special day.   I was SO  lucky - the weather was chilly but glorious and sunny.  I can't describe the feeling of sitting on a rock overlooking the sparkling waters of Placentia Bay, watching the beautiful gannets swooping all around me and being in awe of the absolute beauty of the area.  As long as I still have my mi