25 (!) years ago, eldest daughter Elina participated in a three month high school exchange program in Germany. At her school in North Vancouver she met one of the German students, Lotta. Since then we have hosted Lotta’s sister, Betty, and become friends with her parents, Ingrid and Ulrich. Our family members and friends have…

After so much touring we took it easy for the remaining time in Norway, planning the next stages of the trip, running a few errands in the nearby mall, walking around the local lake, which of course included geocaching.   We said goodbye to our fantastic hosts and guides, Svein and Ragnhild, hoping to meet…

Two nights in Vinstra included a visit to Ringebou’s stave church and series of art galleries in former farm buildings. Our trip to Lillehammer, home to the 1994 Winter Olympics, was thwarted due to closed roads from recent catastrophic flooding.  The return trip to Alesund, on the Geiranger scenic highway, completed our circle tour. The…

Our second experience on one of Norway’s spectacular scenic routes, this time on the Geiranger-Trollstigen (the troll’s path) Highway.    Stop #1 was outside of the village of Valldall for world famous strawberry cake. Then on to Gudbrandsiuvet gorge. Across the road is the spectacular Juvet Landscape Hotel, with simple but luxurious cabins built to blend…

We are the guests of friends, Svein and Ragnhild, who live in Alesund (if visiting make sure you get the pronunciation correct, it is not A as in Allison, but O as in Owen). Svein’s knowledge as a teacher, history buff and former tour guide made for fascinating tours. Iffy weather was in the forecast…

We’ve been lucky to have a reliable supply of house sitters enabling our ability to travel. Recently we flew to Alesund (pronounced Olasund), Norway to visit friends: Since 2019 we planned on visiting each other, but a pandemic got in the way and plans were cancelled. Last year they came to Canada and this year…

But the good thing is that it’s been camping time. Our last trip was river themed, a circle trip through BC on the Similkameem: down into WA with two locations on the Columbia River. Beebe Bridge Park: Wapanum State Park: then to OR on the Deschutes, where we went white water rafting and I had…

Time to catch our breath. We’ve been home for seven weeks after making up for lost time travel-wise. Before we retired, eight years ago (!) I made a list of goals, and during this period at home we accomplished two: Spanish and Mahjong classes.    If I had had this teacher in college, I might…

Presently tense might be more grammatically correct. T minus five days until my month of June solo show at Pelican Rouge in White Rock, a cafe that showcases local talent. I’ve overcome the fear of exhibiting at shows, it’s the amount of prep work involved that has me tense. We’ve forfeited the dining room table…

It's hard to believe we have been home from South America for five months and that it took me this long to finish posting that adventure. Today we had a reunion lunch with a couple we met on the tour, who were also picking up the painting I did for them of Iguazu Falls. Many…