Writing Away

Sunday in Paris

2011-09-29T04:53:00.000-07:00

Morning stretches, slow and luxurious

The markets blink open their eyes

The café is full of people-watching people

The streets are a painting

We gather coins dropped by an elderly woman

Clattering on the cobblestones

Merci beaucoup! Merci! Merci!

Her words are a poem

Jardin du Luxembourg comes to life

Stealing time from Musée d'Orsay

The bells of Notre Dame ring the hour

The history is a novel

The sun yawns and sets across Montmartre

On Pont Neuf a couple stops to kiss

Paris rests with an enigmatic smile

The city is art

That Summer

2011-08-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Calculating New Route

2011-08-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

(GPS Poetry)

Go
Continue
And head west
Keep right
Until the next exit
Searching
Searching
Do a legal u-turn
When possible
Your destination is ahead

Hitting the Road

2011-07-14T04:52:00.000-07:00

Every spring I'm bitten by the travel bug, and I usually take that as a sign to get away. Camping at a Provincial Park, or jetting away to somewhere completely new - it doesn't matter to me. This year the bug bit hard around mid-April, and has been nibbling away. It may explain the Doldrums, I don't know.

We have a family vacation coming up to Hubby's home province, and we're planning another in the fall for just the two of us. Somewhere a little further afield. I can already feel inspiration creeping back.

Next to writing, travel is my favourite indulgence.

What I would really love is to hear about your favourite travel experiences. Leave me a comment about your most memorable travels. After all, isn't it all about the stories?

Paris

2011-04-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

Bright lights spread out below

One for every thought

That I can’t put into words.

The city watches each stolen moment

And sighs

As they slip away.
Do not worry if they fade
I will return
And have you again.

Poem #5 - Postcard from Somewhere

2011-04-05T03:34:00.000-07:00

Sixteen days and we’re still
on the road
somewhere between
here and there.
The weather’s been good
and we’re doing fine.
We’ll be in touch when
We get there.
Wherever that is.

Biking the Bridge

2011-03-28T03:54:00.000-07:00

When we decided on a trip to San Francisco, my husband’s main focus was planning a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. It would be a better experience than merely driving across, he said, and the best way to get some great photos. I agreed, so we put aside a day stroll on the bridge.

But early in our trip Jonathan discovered that we could rent bicycles to ride across the bridge. This, he decided, would be the ultimate experience. His enthusiasm would have been contagious but for a small problem. I had not been on a bike in over 15 years. I had never ridden a bike with gears or handlebar brakes. I had never ridden a bike where a helmet was required. And I had certainly never ridden a bike in city traffic. I was nervous. Very nervous.

We arrived at the bike rental shop around 11:00 a.m. on the day of the outing. We were fitted for bikes and bright green helmets, given a quick rundown of the route, and we were off. I had a few false starts, but by the time we reached the first big hill, I’d mastered the gears and breaking. The first stretch of the ride was along the fisherman’s wharf, and required us to bike through traffic and across busy streets. Once we reached the bicycle path it was much easier to relax and enjoy. Jonathan, who’d been biking to work for the past few years, showed considerable patience while I figured things out.

Fort Point in the fog

The day started off quite foggy, as days in San Francisco are known to do. It turned out to be perfect for biking. We took a short detour to view the bridge from Fort Point, and we watched some surfers there before heading up the steep incline to the bridge entrance. This was the most challenging part of the ride, and I had to get off and push my bike at some points.

By the time we reached the bridge, the sun had come through. I was intimidated at first by the crowds, and by the massive size of the bridge, but the ride was much easier than I expected. We took our time, being mindful of pedestrians and other cyclists, especially those who came around the pillars a little too quickly.

View from the bridge

We stopped at a few points along the way, to take some photos and enjoy the view, which is spectacular but dizzying if you lean too close to the edge. The Golden Gate Bridge itself is remarkable to see, and biking across gave us a new perspective of this iconic structure.

Once across the bridge we continued on to Sausalito, where it was suggested that we get a bite to eat and return to San Francisco, either across the bridge or on the ferry. Although I was still a little nervous at this point, neither of us was tired or ready to end our day.

Some fellow cyclists resting in Sausalito

We biked through the town at a leisurely pace, then continued on to Bothin Marsh. This was a section of the ride I particularly enjoyed. It was such a lovely day; warm, sunny. We saw egrets wading in the marsh, and many other smaller birds I couldn’t identify. It was such a peaceful place, and I tried to burn every image into my memory.

We decided to continue our course to Tiburon. This involved a few uphill climbs, but the strenuous nature of the ride was worth it for the views. We met a man with a Mark Twin moustache who nodded and offered encouragement. “Not much further,” he told us. We passed the Audubon center, and just a little further down the road, we were treated to some fresh organic lemonade, sold by a little boy and his mom outside their home. It was icy cold and so good, just what we needed to get us through the last stretch.

By the time we reached Tiburon we were famished. We shared a pizza, then strolled around the waterfront area while we awaited the ferry. By the time we returned the bikes to the rental place it was just before 7:00 pm. We had been on the road almost eight hours, and had travelled approximately 32 km (20 miles).

A word of warning for beginning bicyclists: Although I would highly recommend this outing, it is very strenuous and could be problematic for beginners. I had some trouble with the bigger hills, and although I wasn’t sore the next day, my legs felt like jello. The routes that take in the bridge alone, or the short ride to Sausalito are perfect for new or (like me) rusty cyclists.

View from the ferry

It’s interesting to note that the experience I dreaded most turned out to be the highlight of our trip. I’ll never forget it. Just like riding a bike.

Duelling Travellers

2010-07-19T06:20:00.000-07:00

Travelling alone can be a wonderful, life-affirming experience, but sharing new and exciting experiences with a travel partner can be an adventure in itself. Having another set of eyes and ideas can make even familiar destinations seem new and exciting. Of course travelling with another person can also be absolutely miserable if you don’t do your homework.

In my case, I knew all about my travel partner, and we assumed that everything would run along smoothly with the two of us enjoying a much needed get away to New York City. Although we did foresee some of the bumps in the road, there were potholes that come up along the way that had us stopping frequently to recheck our route. I started to wonder if maybe we weren’t the best travel companions after all. You’d think that eleven years of marriage would have given me some sort of clue.

Research and planning can help greatly when you are paired up with someone with different travel tastes and ideas. This was our first trip alone together since our honeymoon, although we did have numerous family vacations and trips to visit relatives. I knew our interests were vastly different. I enjoyed wandering through neighbourhoods, poking through little shops and museums, and taking in a show or two while my Darling Dearest couldn’t wait to scale the Empire State Building, visit the Statue of Liberty, and check out Times Square.

What to do?

This was the easy part, and compromise was the name of the game. We made a list of things we wanted to see and do, then did up a quick daily schedule. For a longer trip this may not have been necessary, but we were working with just a few days. Our plan of attack was to get up at first light and do the major touristy things first to avoid the crowds. We could then relax and enjoy the rest of the day the way I envisioned.

Things were great, right up until we actually walked out onto the street. Our hotel was just a few blocks from Times Square, so naturally Darling Dearest wanted to check that out as soon as we arrived. I very quickly realized that our difference in travelling style didn't end at our interests. My dear hubby, I found out, is terribly uncomfortable when he is out of his element. The busy streets of NYC were about as far out of his element as we could toss him. My approach of pretending to be a local didn't sit well with him at all.

We remedied this first bout of anxiousness by walking though a quiet neighbourhood near our hotel. It gave us a chance to relax and get used to the city before diving into the craziness. After the first evening he was much more relaxed and was jaywalking with the most daring of them.

The subway continued to be a sticky point. We took the underground every day, and got quite used to the stops and schedules, but on the few occasions when we hopped the wrong train, hubby's distress was clearly visible.

It bothered me that he was so stressed about each new experience or obstacle, and it bothered him that I wasn't concerned about things going wrong, or ending up in the wrong place. He thought I was being foolhardy and I thought he was being a worry wort.

We never really did come to a middle ground there, but we did manage to work around it and salvage the trip. It was a learning experience for us both, and on our next trip we were much better prepared to handle our differing travel styles and away-from-home personality clashes.

Some things we learned:

* Do your homework in advance. Knowing what each person expects from the trip saves a lot of time that might be spent arguing later.

* Take time each evening to go over the plan for the next day and make any necessary preparations or changes. Do the same thing in the morning.

* Rest. Cranky travellers are more likely to make each other miserable in the heat of the day, or when things don't go according to plan.

* Relax. Stuff happens. There are things that are beyond your control. Take it in stride and count it as part of the adventure.

Vacation

2009-11-17T04:06:00.000-08:00

For those of you who missed me, I'm back! For those of you who didn't, what the heck is wrong with you? I was gone for almost two weeks!

Two weeks of warm vacation bliss. Two weeks of exhausting vacation rush. Packing, unpacking, repacking, laundry. Swimming, shopping, screaming, writing. Ahhh, how I love to travel.

We don't usually vacation in the fall of the year, but it was a welcome change. The day we left home it snowed but we landed in much warmer temperatures. It was my first visit to Florida in November, and it was really nice. We northern folk are not used to the hot and humid conditions of Florida summers. I was there in July and almost melted. November was much more affable.

I won't bore you with the details of my trip. It was a typical crazy, whirlwind family vacation. I will, instead, bore you with photos. My pictures speak louder than my words, and my camera is a constant companion, especially when I travel.

Our trip included three kids, two parents and two grandparents. There were early mornings, long days, and relaxing nights. It was frustrating, oh so frustrating, to coordinate seven individuals and try to please everyone. But it was also great fun, from walking on the beach to visiting the parks. I shopped 'til I dropped, I rode some kick ass roller coasters (8 in just one day), I flirted with Aladdin. And I wrote, pages and pages in a tattered notbook in almost illegible script.

No matter where in the world I happen to roam, that first night back in my own bed is always pure heaven. I was anxious this time to transfer all my scribblings to my hard drive and update my Nano count. It's going surprisingly well. Perhaps those evenings by the pool enhanced my creative energy. I just hope it last trough to the end of the month.