Well, we're almost halfway through 2024 already, and it's been a busy year so far. I've travelled on more planes to more destinations with various important people in my life over the last eight months (yes I know that's more than just 2024, but I had to include at least a mention of a great trip from November of 2023 with my best bud), and I've participated in more book fairs than in any previous year in my life. Get it in while you can, as my Father-in-Law often says :) He knows what he's talking about.
I went to Costa Rica for the fourth time in November, taking my girlfriend on her first visit there. We had some great adventures (even if I did lose my camera in a raging river before we crossed it) in a couple of areas new to me, and it took our minds (especially hers) off some hard anniversaries of loss.
In December, we had a family emergency that has, and will continue to take, months of recovery time, though thankfully, no one passed away this time. This made our planned trip to Bermuda in January a bit touch-and-go, but Mike and I did make it to that interesting and incredibly humid island with a couple of good friends (we call them Mom and Dad 3, as we've all basically adopted each other into a fun, non-blood related family).
We followed this a month later with a couple of weeks in the UAE, mostly centred around Dubai. Part vacation (we arrived in time for Mike's birthday) and part work-related for Mike (the Dubai Boat Show took place at the beginning of March), we got to experience a (at this moment) very safe and modern/forward-looking nation. While we had expected more of a disconnect to the familiar--a language barrier as well as a need to pay respect to cultural differences--the efforts to modernize with Western society and culture greatly surprised us. With one exception, all signs were printed in English as well as Arabic (often with the English first), everyone we encountered spoke English, and we saw far less traditional garb, and little to no insistence for visitors to adhere to cultural modesty (I had fully expected to need a head scarf at the very least, but found almost no one else--tourists at any rate--had the same consideration). It's my understanding, from a friend of Mike's that we connected with who recently relocated to Abu Dhabi for work, that this lax attitude is more common in Dubai (or somewhere like Ras Al-Khaimah in the north or Hatta, two other areas we visited) than in Abu Dhabi, and certainly wouldn't be as readily accepted in places like Saudi Arabia. So while we had expected to find a far more alien (as in unfamiliar to us) experience in a distant land, we in fact enjoyed a very modern and easy to navigate (so long as we didn't have to drive ourselves through the streets of Dubai) vacation.
Mike followed this with a quick trip to Miami for the Miami boat show, but I stayed home for a whole month.
I went to Costa Rica for the fourth time in November, taking my girlfriend on her first visit there. We had some great adventures (even if I did lose my camera in a raging river before we crossed it) in a couple of areas new to me, and it took our minds (especially hers) off some hard anniversaries of loss.
In December, we had a family emergency that has, and will continue to take, months of recovery time, though thankfully, no one passed away this time. This made our planned trip to Bermuda in January a bit touch-and-go, but Mike and I did make it to that interesting and incredibly humid island with a couple of good friends (we call them Mom and Dad 3, as we've all basically adopted each other into a fun, non-blood related family).
We followed this a month later with a couple of weeks in the UAE, mostly centred around Dubai. Part vacation (we arrived in time for Mike's birthday) and part work-related for Mike (the Dubai Boat Show took place at the beginning of March), we got to experience a (at this moment) very safe and modern/forward-looking nation. While we had expected more of a disconnect to the familiar--a language barrier as well as a need to pay respect to cultural differences--the efforts to modernize with Western society and culture greatly surprised us. With one exception, all signs were printed in English as well as Arabic (often with the English first), everyone we encountered spoke English, and we saw far less traditional garb, and little to no insistence for visitors to adhere to cultural modesty (I had fully expected to need a head scarf at the very least, but found almost no one else--tourists at any rate--had the same consideration). It's my understanding, from a friend of Mike's that we connected with who recently relocated to Abu Dhabi for work, that this lax attitude is more common in Dubai (or somewhere like Ras Al-Khaimah in the north or Hatta, two other areas we visited) than in Abu Dhabi, and certainly wouldn't be as readily accepted in places like Saudi Arabia. So while we had expected to find a far more alien (as in unfamiliar to us) experience in a distant land, we in fact enjoyed a very modern and easy to navigate (so long as we didn't have to drive ourselves through the streets of Dubai) vacation.
Mike followed this with a quick trip to Miami for the Miami boat show, but I stayed home for a whole month.
Which brings us to May, and our cycling trip through France with our friends Tracy and Kevin. We spent a couple of days in Paris (a fascinating city, even though some of the attractions were somewhat marred by the preparations for the Olympics--nothing like seeing the Eifel tower hedged by metal stadium seating and fences blocking off the park access) before heading out to the Loire Valley.
Starting in Nantes, we cycled for seven days, ending up in Orleans. The Loire Valley, south and west of Paris, has a bike route that follows the river, a mostly flat stretch of well-maintained trails. The problem we encountered, being early May and after a lot of rain, was flooding. At times, we had to detour from the trail (sometimes, the detours were even marked), and this added a bit of adventure (and distance) to our tour. Ever had to portage while on a bicycling trip? It's quite an experience! Especially if you have an electric assist bike, which I did. While it made going up some of the hills a breeze (even assisting with carrying extra luggage up a surprisingly hilly Amboise, seeing as I alone chose the eBike), carting a heavier bike up some hills and through some undergrowth not meant for traversing was a bit of a slog. Lucky for me, the guys let me carry the paniers instead of the bike.
Starting in Nantes, we cycled for seven days, ending up in Orleans. The Loire Valley, south and west of Paris, has a bike route that follows the river, a mostly flat stretch of well-maintained trails. The problem we encountered, being early May and after a lot of rain, was flooding. At times, we had to detour from the trail (sometimes, the detours were even marked), and this added a bit of adventure (and distance) to our tour. Ever had to portage while on a bicycling trip? It's quite an experience! Especially if you have an electric assist bike, which I did. While it made going up some of the hills a breeze (even assisting with carrying extra luggage up a surprisingly hilly Amboise, seeing as I alone chose the eBike), carting a heavier bike up some hills and through some undergrowth not meant for traversing was a bit of a slog. Lucky for me, the guys let me carry the paniers instead of the bike.
We then took the train to Lac Annecy (about an hour from Switzerland) for a couple of days before popping across the border to Geneva, where I got to spend my birthday, before heading back to Paris and then home.
Until two weeks later, when Mike and I took a long weekend in Halifax, where we got to watch the SailGP racing. I do enjoy the big boats!
That concludes (so far) our adventures to distant lands and exotic adventures (OK, so Halifax isn't that far, but we did take a plane to get there). But apparently I didn't find that hectic enough, so I also participated in some book fairs. I'm even getting better at interacting with people I don't know!
I went to Stratford in February (five days before Dubai), Victoria Park Pavilion in Kitchener in April (in my month without travel), Waterloo Square in May (one week after France and four days before Halifax), and Federation Hall at UW at the beginning of June (5 days after Halifax). I have one coming up at the end of June in St. Jacob's (two days from now, at the writing of this blog), and one in Flamborough three weeks later, mid-July. Then I'm off for a bit until I return to Stratford in October (which will take place a month after a week-long backcountry canoe trip with Tracy and Kevin to Algonquin Park--no planes involved we hope, though quite a few portages).
I went to Stratford in February (five days before Dubai), Victoria Park Pavilion in Kitchener in April (in my month without travel), Waterloo Square in May (one week after France and four days before Halifax), and Federation Hall at UW at the beginning of June (5 days after Halifax). I have one coming up at the end of June in St. Jacob's (two days from now, at the writing of this blog), and one in Flamborough three weeks later, mid-July. Then I'm off for a bit until I return to Stratford in October (which will take place a month after a week-long backcountry canoe trip with Tracy and Kevin to Algonquin Park--no planes involved we hope, though quite a few portages).
But don't fear that I'll find myself bored, as I also have a busy summer of concerts with the Kitchener Musical Society Band! Now if only I could get up enough creative juices to do some actual writing too...