Showing posts with label adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adventures. Show all posts

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Bike ride...20 km

One of the adventures on the tour was a 20 km bike ride to a vineyard...
Having not ridden a bike for decades I was a wee bit anxious...

I was assured that the roads were "mostly flat"
which was not entirely true!

I had to get some help learning how to change gears...
my old bike, an English Raleigh, was a "one speed."


Our guide stopped to show us his family's olive grove.

We pedalled uphill to Montemassi...
(I was able to switch gears!)

Tom, the food photographer, rode behind me.
At times  I was lagging far behind the group.

I felt so grateful for Tom's kindness.



Gorgeous old ruins.



a popular spot for people to stop and walk around


Set high above the valley below.


Yes
 I pedalled up to this site!



I didn't take photos of the vineyard we visited because it was dark by the time we got there!

My muscles ached for several days after the ride!



Sunday, June 18, 2017

The Quarter Deck Cottage on the edge of The Salish Sea

Mr. HB and I recently purchased a quarter share in a cottage on the water.
Pender Island is one of the smaller islands in The Salish Sea. The cost is modest and we do not need to do any maintenance ourselves so when we are able to use it we can sit back, relax and enjoy the place.


Mr. HB knows that I like to beach comb for heart shaped rocks and while we were at the dock waiting for the ferry he found a vendor selling various rocks 
he inquired, if by chance, she had any heart shaped rocks...
and she did so he surprised me with this one.
XO


Roses picked from The Humble Bungalow Garden made the trip to the cottage.


Arranged and popped into an icy modernist vase 
perfectly scenting the cottage and kitchen.


We brought a few things to personalize the cottage when we have our time here.
There is a locker that we will store the items when we are not in residence.


I found this fish sculpture in an antique shop in Victoria. 
It is originally from the Cayman Islands.


This book was really good.


Deck chairs just waiting for us!


Bubbly to celebrate our first day here...
served in our new Emma Bridgewater etched FIZZ flutes.


Umbrella and cushions found at the Hardware store on the Island.
Books to read while relaxing on the deck.
 The binoculars are MUST to get a closer look at the whales and boats passing by...


Sunhat, sunscreen and sunglasses.


The oar I found in a shop on Fort Street on Antique Row.
I painted and distressed it for the cottage.


Here is the view looking across Otter Bay from Roesland Park.
We walked almost 8 km to visit the Pender island museum only to find out that it was closed! 
Besides we needed to stretch our legs and get some exercise after reading so much!


We sat for a wee bit in the red chairs installed by Parks Canada and took in the glorious views.


These Beaver brand chairs have been placed in the Parks across Canada in honour of our 150th anniversary.


Roes Bay


I swam almost everyday in this pool...
and as our week drew to a close I felt that we had made a good choice to invest in the cottage and resort for our future.
We will look forward to having our family and grandchildren stay here at the cottage making memorable memories.

I hope you enjoyed the wee tour of The Quarter Deck Cottage.

Hostess
XO

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Vancouver getaway...

Last weekend we hopped on a BC Ferry and visited friends in Vancouver.



Blue Horizon Hotel on Robson Street


The Marina on False Creek is where our friends moor their boat.
They served us a delicious dinner and we sat looking out facing this beautiful view.


The next morning the weather was cool and breezy, a typical Fall day.


Wind, rain and a wee bit chilly...leaves at our feet.


Perfect weather to visit The Vancouver Art Gallery




Exhibits by the Canadian Group of Seven and Lee Bul were highlights.


I was very impressed by the art installations of Lee Bul.
She worked with mirrors in Via Negativa and the effects were really interesting.





Walking through this mirrored installation I felt dizzy and slightly disoriented...
there were twists and turns before arriving at the lights.




It seemed quite popular with the people who were viewing this exhibit.
I ventured through the maze of mirrors several times!


We stopped for lunch in the cafe before going upstairs to explore more exhibits.


"Between Object and Action:
Transforming Media in the 1960's and 70's."
artists
Kate Craig, Eric Metcalfe, Gathie Falk, Carole Itter and Evelyn Roth.









We shopped a bit along South Granville...I found something on sale at Eileen Fisher!
                                        Later we met up at La Quercia for a fabulous meal.

Sunday morning Mr. HB and I went to check out the new Nordstroms and popped into Holt Renfrew before heading to the ferry.
We took our books up to the on board buffet and sat at a window table for the duration of the trip.


A beautiful setting sun
 appeared just as we were about to disembark the ferry.

All in all it was a fun weekend and the cats were happy to see us when we got home.
Hope your week is ticking along nicely.