Friday, 6 July 2007
Bitten by Bug!
Home I am- after getting on the plane at 12.30 Tuesday and getting to Devonport at 12.30 Thursday- and some how I don't believe that the 4th of July 2007 was in my life - I lost it over the Pacific!
The constant time changes while travelling huge distances and the impact on the human being are not conducive to looking one's best!. As you get out at each port, walk around, checking out how neat some people are, well groomed etc - the reality of sleeping in a t- shirt, jeans and Crocs plus a warm jacket, hit home. By the time I got to Devonport , I had lost the power to walk, I was wearing 2 day old clothes that had been sat in slept in etc, my eyes had taken on the look of a haunted madwoman, and my feet hardly fitted in the Crocs. Lovely as I was , and aware that I had to be careful of my impact upon others , I swept down the steps into Pardoe Airport - noone noticed !!!!.
My dog was delighted to see me home!
I loved my trip - it has increased my awareness of other cultures, improved my understanding of geological and geographical processes, filled my head with awesome images, expanded the number of people I know, exposed me to a huge range of different experiences, fuelled my gastronomic desires and inspired me .
If you do nothing else in your life - make sure you always know and develop some understanding of how others live and where they live; it develops your individual awareness and increases tolerance- wise quote by very tired Lizzie.
The constant time changes while travelling huge distances and the impact on the human being are not conducive to looking one's best!. As you get out at each port, walk around, checking out how neat some people are, well groomed etc - the reality of sleeping in a t- shirt, jeans and Crocs plus a warm jacket, hit home. By the time I got to Devonport , I had lost the power to walk, I was wearing 2 day old clothes that had been sat in slept in etc, my eyes had taken on the look of a haunted madwoman, and my feet hardly fitted in the Crocs. Lovely as I was , and aware that I had to be careful of my impact upon others , I swept down the steps into Pardoe Airport - noone noticed !!!!.
My dog was delighted to see me home!
I loved my trip - it has increased my awareness of other cultures, improved my understanding of geological and geographical processes, filled my head with awesome images, expanded the number of people I know, exposed me to a huge range of different experiences, fuelled my gastronomic desires and inspired me .
If you do nothing else in your life - make sure you always know and develop some understanding of how others live and where they live; it develops your individual awareness and increases tolerance- wise quote by very tired Lizzie.
Nova Scotia to the end.
Couldn't help myself! Had to step in and give out a bit more information. Last weekend was fantastic. Besides it being Canada Day, we went off to the area of Nova Scotia called the Evangeline trail. This was a discovery trail about the settlement of that area in 1604, how the Arcadians lived , the means by which the English threw them out and the status quo. The area is beautiful - lush and productive. In fact, it looks similar to the land in Tasmania. The houses are the real New England style - colourful and stylish.
We stayed at a place called Digby - famous for its scallops. We searched around Port Royal, Annapolis, Grand Pre and went to the Digby Neck( on the Bay of Fundy),
It was so interesting - the sad sad history of the Arcadians, but the absolute beauty was awesome - apparently a stark contrast to its winter time.
The next day we went down to Halifax via Lunenberg - a german/ swiss settlement even though the Arcadians had been there at the beginning together with the Mic maq people.
From there I went to Halifax for the night. It was difficult to feel inspired at this stage - but I did go to the Marine Museum and gazed at the information on the Titanic - very interesting. Will show the pics later.
Of course , as plans go , mine was well organised of course but the next morning as I was ready to get to the airport- well the bus didn't turn up , did it? Waited in my own inimically patient fashion.
I finally gave in and asked the hotel to phone- luckily they swept by , picked me up and dropped me at the airport. I had images of being stranded in Canada and how much you would all miss me. I was desperate at that thought!
We stayed at a place called Digby - famous for its scallops. We searched around Port Royal, Annapolis, Grand Pre and went to the Digby Neck( on the Bay of Fundy),
It was so interesting - the sad sad history of the Arcadians, but the absolute beauty was awesome - apparently a stark contrast to its winter time.
The next day we went down to Halifax via Lunenberg - a german/ swiss settlement even though the Arcadians had been there at the beginning together with the Mic maq people.
From there I went to Halifax for the night. It was difficult to feel inspired at this stage - but I did go to the Marine Museum and gazed at the information on the Titanic - very interesting. Will show the pics later.
Of course , as plans go , mine was well organised of course but the next morning as I was ready to get to the airport- well the bus didn't turn up , did it? Waited in my own inimically patient fashion.
I finally gave in and asked the hotel to phone- luckily they swept by , picked me up and dropped me at the airport. I had images of being stranded in Canada and how much you would all miss me. I was desperate at that thought!
Saturday, 30 June 2007
The Last Post
Well, my time in the northern hemisphere is almost over. I have been here on Prince Edward Island since Monday and tomorrow mrning head off to Digby in Nova Scotia and onto Halifax from where I will fly out.
PEI is a lovely island - people are so friendly - they say " Oh Yea arh! " to every comment made. Then " Tasmania? OH My God where is Tasmania?" Do they really have devils? Oh my Gahd."
This weekend is Canada Day weekend - big celebrations Canada wide - music dancing etc. They' ve got Nickleback playing here this weekend but won't be here. I will be at townships on the Bay of Fundy.
It has been a wonderful trip/holiday. I find it hard to believe that I will be back at work in a short time - and yet I am half a world away.
I hope you who have read this have enjoyed sharing this - it has been a great way to keep track of what i have been doing.
I guess I will see you soon.
PEI is a lovely island - people are so friendly - they say " Oh Yea arh! " to every comment made. Then " Tasmania? OH My God where is Tasmania?" Do they really have devils? Oh my Gahd."
This weekend is Canada Day weekend - big celebrations Canada wide - music dancing etc. They' ve got Nickleback playing here this weekend but won't be here. I will be at townships on the Bay of Fundy.
It has been a wonderful trip/holiday. I find it hard to believe that I will be back at work in a short time - and yet I am half a world away.
I hope you who have read this have enjoyed sharing this - it has been a great way to keep track of what i have been doing.
I guess I will see you soon.
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
Vikings and travels
I got there to L'Anse aux Meadows - once called Lancey meadows by those who did not realise that it had been named by the French.
Again, when faced by the Viking saga, I was amazed at the extent of their travels and their influence on the world in general. They were such a fierce curious race- obstacles were there to be overcome.
The little B and B was very nice .
But I only wanted so see what I had known about with the Vikings. I walked outside- it was foggy and it seemed to be placed amongst the moors- sort of like in Wuthering Heights type thing. It was isolated and cold. Out on the sea , an iceberg calmly continued its path towards the other side of Newfoundland - where were the Vikings?
Stalwart and full of enthusiasm I set off down the road - following directions like a sensible person. I looked out across the moors and peat bogs- gazing steadily at me was a huge moose carrying a rather large rack( antlers). he didn't move - I wondered if I should. A moose can weigh about 500kg- big beasties. I gazed , in a friendly fashion signally that i was non threatening - then continued on my way. It stood - watching. I walked- faster; turned left down a side road and soon lost sight of the moose- then I breathed.
Came to a Viking replica village - on the coast, right next to the water. The buildings here are often built right close to the water as the bays are so shallow- centimetres deep- due to the glaciation . It is only when you get right out to sea that the depth increases- the jetties are all rather long. The bays are littered with granite rocks deposited by the glaciers- they are rocks that could be picked up if one so desired.
Anyway- I found the Viking place - I found the archeological dig where the presence of this race was first discovered in the 1960's- noone had known what those long raised lines were. It turned out to be the remains of the walls of the house they had built out of peat slabs.
These people were tough- they lived in communal houses, had a fire in each separate room( usually only three) no floor covering, and in winter it gets down to -35 to -40. At any one time there were 20 or so people living in each house - the winters would have been tough as it not always possible to even go outside there.
Still there were icebergs drifting by- they are huge and I only saw little ones.
The wind was relentless and I was there in summer. Mind you summer delivers many varieties of berries - partridgberries, bake apple berries, squash berries - there is no shortage of fruit and in those days - fish would have been abundant.
There is a museum there- well done and certainly provides a good background to the settlement.
It took me nearly all day for this - but I had travelled to Newfoundland to be there amidst that history.
Again, when faced by the Viking saga, I was amazed at the extent of their travels and their influence on the world in general. They were such a fierce curious race- obstacles were there to be overcome.
The little B and B was very nice .
But I only wanted so see what I had known about with the Vikings. I walked outside- it was foggy and it seemed to be placed amongst the moors- sort of like in Wuthering Heights type thing. It was isolated and cold. Out on the sea , an iceberg calmly continued its path towards the other side of Newfoundland - where were the Vikings?
Stalwart and full of enthusiasm I set off down the road - following directions like a sensible person. I looked out across the moors and peat bogs- gazing steadily at me was a huge moose carrying a rather large rack( antlers). he didn't move - I wondered if I should. A moose can weigh about 500kg- big beasties. I gazed , in a friendly fashion signally that i was non threatening - then continued on my way. It stood - watching. I walked- faster; turned left down a side road and soon lost sight of the moose- then I breathed.
Came to a Viking replica village - on the coast, right next to the water. The buildings here are often built right close to the water as the bays are so shallow- centimetres deep- due to the glaciation . It is only when you get right out to sea that the depth increases- the jetties are all rather long. The bays are littered with granite rocks deposited by the glaciers- they are rocks that could be picked up if one so desired.
Anyway- I found the Viking place - I found the archeological dig where the presence of this race was first discovered in the 1960's- noone had known what those long raised lines were. It turned out to be the remains of the walls of the house they had built out of peat slabs.
These people were tough- they lived in communal houses, had a fire in each separate room( usually only three) no floor covering, and in winter it gets down to -35 to -40. At any one time there were 20 or so people living in each house - the winters would have been tough as it not always possible to even go outside there.
Still there were icebergs drifting by- they are huge and I only saw little ones.
The wind was relentless and I was there in summer. Mind you summer delivers many varieties of berries - partridgberries, bake apple berries, squash berries - there is no shortage of fruit and in those days - fish would have been abundant.
There is a museum there- well done and certainly provides a good background to the settlement.
It took me nearly all day for this - but I had travelled to Newfoundland to be there amidst that history.
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Gros Morne National Park and Playing with whales
The funny thing about Newfoundland was the number of cash transactions - very rare these days in a supposedly sound country. Anyway , I was saved by wonderful local who let me get some money out- yes.
I had the opportunity for a boat trip around a bay called Bonne Bay - it is a fjiord of around 300m deep water, and some sides are headed that way too. Due to the lousy weather, there were several other people only on that trip and we travelled around the Bay, out to where the water met the Gulf of St.Lawrence then back. Two Minke whales chased schools of fish around us- it was as if the show had been laid on. Two pairs of Bald Eagles nested close to the shore, allowing us to view these magnificnet birds. Finally the dawning of the realisation of the age of the area I was in. Gros Morne National Park is so named due to the mantle of the earth's crust that had been thrust heavenward and contained a priceless history within its rocks- the history of where the Canadian shield had been, the physical tie with Africa, the proof of tectonic movements and a clue as to aging the earth. Some of these rocks are 1500 million years old( give or take a year or two) The Gros Morne itself contains toxic levels of heavy metals that were deposited in the rocks. It is truly humbling to be amongst such majesty as these geological wonders.
After that caught the bus up to L'Anse aux Meadows. Was looking forward toa nice little three hour cruise. Left Rocky harbour at 6 and got to the B and B at 1.30 a.m.- another long day.
I had the opportunity for a boat trip around a bay called Bonne Bay - it is a fjiord of around 300m deep water, and some sides are headed that way too. Due to the lousy weather, there were several other people only on that trip and we travelled around the Bay, out to where the water met the Gulf of St.Lawrence then back. Two Minke whales chased schools of fish around us- it was as if the show had been laid on. Two pairs of Bald Eagles nested close to the shore, allowing us to view these magnificnet birds. Finally the dawning of the realisation of the age of the area I was in. Gros Morne National Park is so named due to the mantle of the earth's crust that had been thrust heavenward and contained a priceless history within its rocks- the history of where the Canadian shield had been, the physical tie with Africa, the proof of tectonic movements and a clue as to aging the earth. Some of these rocks are 1500 million years old( give or take a year or two) The Gros Morne itself contains toxic levels of heavy metals that were deposited in the rocks. It is truly humbling to be amongst such majesty as these geological wonders.
After that caught the bus up to L'Anse aux Meadows. Was looking forward toa nice little three hour cruise. Left Rocky harbour at 6 and got to the B and B at 1.30 a.m.- another long day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
