This is the Orient Express…well not the original Orient Express with service from Paris to Vienna and the Balkans or its successor that travelled from Strasbourg to Vienna. Those trains are long gone. This is the Venice-Simplon Orient Express and Mr and Ms Soapbox are on board at this very
Continue readingTag: vacation
OPSEU Diablogue: CLC TV ads promote unions, fairness
When we talk openly about our unions, others listen. Let’s face it, for all the warts, unions have done an incredible job in securing and maintaining many of the things we cherish today – from paid vacation to health benefits and pay … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Banff and the Good Life
After a spirited discussion about Pamela Wallin, the Tory’s overspending senator, Ms Soapbox’s mother sighed and said ““Sometimes politics makes me so mad I need a rest!” Brilliant! A rest was exactly what Mr and Ms Soapbox needed so we packed up the car and set off on an over-night
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Mr. Grinch
There is an unwritten, often unmentioned social contract that takes place when you do what you think is something selfless. We like to think that we are altruistic. That is, unselfish; showing concern for others. And by and large, I think we are. We can always do more, of course.
Continue readingcentre of the universe: I’d go out on the ocean
The manager of our restaurant is close personal friends with Joe Paopao, the Throwin’ Samoan. He used to come home at lunch bruised and battered from running patterns for him in the street. Our manager drawls his vowels, and flattens them, like the peaks of things threaten him. He lives
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: "Tour de Sudbury" – Cycling in Sudbury
Our hometown of Sudbury is not known for it’s cycling infrastructure or even for a positive attitude towards cycling but there are organizations like the Sudbury Cyclists Union, the Rainbow Routes Association and the Sudbury Cycles Project that are trying to change that and there is even a proposed Bicycle
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Post Bike Tour Slide Shows
After the bike tour we stayed in Ennis for a few days and took a bus to Limerick for a day tour. The most interesting observation we made was that while Ennis had narrow streets with one lane one way traffic and narrow sidewalks, much of Limerick had wide streets
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Cycling Day 6 Slide Show
This was the longest ride of the tour but not too bad as far as hills go, except for the last ride into Westport, up and down and then back up and down again. Lots of scenery but not too many photo stops because of the long ride and then
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Break Day Slide Show
We took today easy, went for a walk near the lodge on Lough Inagh in the morning and managed to talk Jeff into driving us to the Kylemore Abbey in the afternoon where we explored the grounds and the remarkable gardens. There is some real interesting history about this place.
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Cycling Day 5, Sheep Shearing, Flowers and More Slide Shows
If you’ve ever been to a county fair or watched a movie about Australia you have seen sheep sheering, but usually with electric shears. In this part of Ireland they use hand shears and probably sheer the sheep faster and cleaner than with the electric ones. This was a great
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Cycling Day 4, Discovering Ireland’s Sheep Slide Show
Today was a day at the beach as we stopped at a wonderful little beach along the route, as well as made a visit to the lovely town of Clifden. More scenery, and did I mention the sheep. The sheep in Ireland seem to have priority over the roads, followed
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Cycling Day 3, The Aran Islands Slide Show
Most of the day was spent on one of the Aran Islands. It was a great day for photography as it was actually sunny and there was so much to photograph, from a remarkable fort to literally hundreds (maybe thousands) of stone fences from millions of stones dividing up the
Continue readingknitnut.net: How I spent my summer vacation
GC and I spent last week at Chandler Swain’s pottery camp, on the banks of the Mississippi River in Blakeney, Ontario. There were nine of us at camp, including Chandler and her dog, William. Chandler is my favourite potter, and I’ve collected a variety of her pieces over the years.
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Cycling Day 2, To The Burren Slide Show
Today we did a circle route through the remarkable Burren, a landscape that almost defies description, although parts of Ottawa’s Lime Kiln Trail with it’s underlying Limestone hints at it. And, of course it’s Ireland so there were more ruins. This was the second hardest climbing day of the tour.
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Cycling Day 1, The Irish Landscape Slide Show
Today we got setup on our bikes with our self-guiding instructions so we could ride on our own while Jeff went ahead with the van and then would mysteriously appear on his bike cycling towards us to make sure we were not lost. We rode to the Cliffs of Moher
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour – Ennis Slide Show
We arrived a few days early and got to know the town of Ennis which was full of stone walls, first thing we noticed, and lots of local shops and pubs – no Walmarts or big box stores. The only chain store we noticed was a large Irish department store,
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ireland Bike Tour Overview
In recalling our wonderful bike tour of Ireland at first it seems like one long uphill ride in the rain, the green being the only constant. But actually every day was different with many different landscapes and varied geography throughout the over 300 kilometre route. We even had some dry
Continue readingknitnut.net: Redneck Rib Fest, XUP, and Pottery Camp
We took a whirlwind trip this weekend to Orangeville to meet my newest great-niece, Sienna, and visit with my sister’s family. Is that a cute baby or what? She’s happy and good-natured, too, probably because she’s always surrounded by people who are head-over-heels in love with her. All babies should
Continue readingcmkl: Rainy day in Vancouver
I know it’s kind of like titling the post ‘breathed oxygen today’. But even our Vancouverite friends, all the shop keepers, waiters we’ve encountered say that the weather here has been particularly bleak this spring and early summer. Ah well. Mallory loved the Olympic swimming pool yesterday and enjoyed playing
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