Kerry & Paul Travel

Switching to a New Blog

2008-10-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I've decided that now our travels have come to an end I'm going to switch to a new blog. I hope you'll still follow me there. My new blog address is:

http://www.lizziedripping.blogspot.com

For reasons known only to them, Lizzie Dripping is what my Mum & sister used to call me when I was growing up.

There's also a link straight to the new blog in my favourite list on the right of this page. I've already made some new posts. Hope to see you there soon.

xx

Duncombe Park

2008-10-15T06:45:00.001-07:00

Sunset Over Sleights

2008-10-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

As we drive back from Whitby to Malton the sun sets & I get all nostalgic for my part of the world.

Whitby

2008-10-14T04:19:00.001-07:00

Mum, Dad & I take the easy option & entertain ourselves eating cake, buying wool & wandering by the harbourside while we wait for Paul to turn up.

Friends along the way

2008-10-14T04:17:00.001-07:00

Luckily there are a few handsome farm animals to keep Paul company on the walk. He's even able to snack on some wild blackberries.

Paul's walk from Scarborough to Whitby

2008-10-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

It takes him all day & he's limping a bit at the end but Paul finally makes it all the way to Whitby from Scarborough in one day.

Florio's with Mum & Dad

2008-10-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

After the wedding a trip to Yorkshire was in order to catch up properly with my lot. Here we are having dinner in Malton institution, Florio's.

Adjusting to Life Back Home

2008-10-07T02:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's all a bit strange. It's great to be home but I can't quite get used to being in one place all the time & somehow think that I'll be moving again soon. We don't have our internet access set up at home yet but when we do I'm planning to continue blogging in a slightly different, as yet undecided form. I'll keep you posted ...

We didn't scub up too badly, did we.

2008-09-26T01:40:00.000-07:00

Considering we've had a year of roughing it I think we did okay.

More Snaps of the Wedding

2008-09-25T02:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the pics Georgie!

Congratulations Natalie & Francois!

2008-09-24T03:27:00.000-07:00

We're back! Had a fab time at Natalie & Francois's wedding. Everything went really well & as it was a bit of an international affair a few Czech traditions were in corporated into the reception. Natalie's Uncle Slavek broke a plate outside the reception venue & the newlyweds swept up the pieces together to symbolise how they will solve their difficulties together in the future. They also drank some specially prepared Czech wedding soup from the same bowl, using the same spoon, wearing the same napkin.

Thanks for a lovely day guys!

Manhattan from Ellis Island

2008-09-16T10:16:00.001-07:00

Ellis Island Immigration Museum

2008-09-16T10:07:00.001-07:00

Ellis Island is where over 12 million immigrants arrived between the 1880s and the 1950s. Here they were interviewed & inspected for contagious diseases before a decision was made about whether they could stay in the country. The immigration centre was turned into a museum in the 1980s & it's absolutely fascinating. We could've spent days here. You can listen to the voices of immigrants relating their experiences, look at photographs of what went on here & see artifacts that people brought with them on the long journey from home.

This article shows how a Czech woman & her daughter, arriving to meet her husband who had come before her, was given the 'makeover treatment' by a volunteer & taught how to look like 'an American woman'. I couldn't help wondering about the Swiss children who suddenly got a new muff & a tasty tea after the disappearance of Fluffy & his friends.

The Island of Manhattan

2008-09-16T10:05:00.001-07:00

Pretty cool, huh!

Lady Liberty

2008-09-16T10:02:00.001-07:00

The statue was a gift from the French. It is made of bronze & took thirty years to gradually turn green due to exposure to the elements.

The View from Battery Park

2008-09-16T09:58:00.001-07:00

Here's our first view of the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island from Battery Park. We get one of those boats in the first picture over to Liberty Island first & look back for some great views of Manhattan.

More Pizza

2008-09-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

So, the real business begins! We came to Di Faro when we were in New York five years ago & can still remember how delicious the pizza was. Nothing much has changed since our last visit. Domenico DeMarco is still making all the pizzas single handed as he has been doing for the last 45 years. You still have to wait an eternity to get fed (one and a half hours this time) & there is no logic to the order of service whatsoever. Don't even think about asking where your order is or complaining that it's taking too long. That'll send you right to the back of the queue. Thankfully, all this pales into insignificance when the pizza arrives. It's divine! Here's Paul sporting his newly rotund belly after we've finished.

Prospect Park

2008-09-16T09:47:00.001-07:00

We get ourselves a copy of the New York Times & settle down in Prospect Park with most of the rest of Brooklyn to enjoy the late summer sunshine. There's an enthusiastically supported game of cricket going on that we enjoy watching too.

Brooklyn's Brownstones

2008-09-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

As part of our pizza quest we're come over to Brooklyn. Before the eating commences we have time to do a bit of exploring. We stroll down 'the other 5th Avenue' in Park Slope & along this street full of Brownstones towards Prospect Park. Paul Auster lives around here. I don't blame him. It's beautiful. If I were a squirrel I'd probably chose to hang out here too.

The Lower East Side

2008-09-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

It's 99 degrees outside & we stumble upon a free pickle festival in the Lower East Side. We try all kinds of pickled vegetables & even a pickled grape. Yummy!

Teany

2008-09-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here we are at Teany, a veggie cafe co-owned by Moby. There are 98 different teas on the menu & lots of british style tea time treats. I get cheesy beans on toasts with HP sauce. Paul gets cheese on toast with Branston pickle. Ah, nostalgia!

John's Pizzeria

2008-09-16T09:27:00.001-07:00

Paul has decided that one of our projects for New York should be to find the best pizzeria. As you can see I don't enjoy this at all : )

Magnolia Bakery

2008-09-16T09:25:00.001-07:00

We have to queue round the block to pick up some sweet treats from this famous bakery. Just look at those women move!

Purl Soho

2008-09-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've found a yarn shop!

New York, New York!

2008-09-16T09:22:00.001-07:00

As soon as we get out of Penn station we can tell we're in New York. I'm so excited!

Montreal to New York

2008-09-16T09:20:00.001-07:00

Here's our train taking us from Montreal to New York. The journey took 11 hours.

Big Brother Quebec Style

2008-09-16T09:18:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure who he is but everywhere you go in Quebec this bloke stares down at you from posters. It's really quite spooky.

Weird Cats Again

2008-09-16T09:15:00.001-07:00

So, I've become a bit obsessed with these lost cat posters. What is it with Canada & it's odd featured missing cats? Look at the paws on this!

Auberge de Jeunese a Montreal

2008-09-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

The rainbow in the sky boded well for our visit to Montreal & our hostel room was the most chi chi yet. It even had owl art on the walls. We really liked Montreal a lot. It's got its own unique feel as a city & combines the French & North American influences seemlessly. We had such a fun time here that we forgot to take photos.

More Quebec City

2008-09-16T09:08:00.001-07:00

Quebec City

2008-09-16T08:59:00.001-07:00

Unsurprisingly, the architecture in Quebec City has a European feel.

Les Jardins

2008-09-16T08:56:00.001-07:00

There are stacks of things going on in Quebec City this year as it's 400 years since the founding of the city. One of these things is the building of a series of gardens by the waterfront. There are lots of street performances too & we recline on these benches to watch them for a while.

Breakfast Sculpture

2008-09-06T11:08:00.001-07:00

Poutine

2008-09-06T11:03:00.001-07:00

We finally arrive in Quebec city after a pretty dull 12 hour bus journey with three changes. We're pretty whacked but just have time for Paul to sample some poutine before we retire to bed. Poutine is a Quebec 'speciality'. It's chips covered with cheese curds & gravy. Paul's 'delux' version also has mince & sausage. Needless to say there is no vegetarian alternative.

More Horseshoe Falls

2008-09-06T10:59:00.001-07:00

Really wouldn't fancy going down there in a barrel. We watch a duck floating closer & closer to the edge of the falls & right at the last moment it decides to fly off rather than going with the flow. A good decision I think, even for a duck.

Horseshoe Falls

2008-09-06T10:53:00.001-07:00

Here is where we get really wet. It looks like spray & I guess it is spray but it looks & feels like being under a giantic power shower. The plastic sheets aren't really much use & we soon get as wet as we can be. It's certainly exhilarating. Luckily it's really sunny so we soon dry out.

The Maid of the Mist

2008-09-06T10:51:00.001-07:00

Here we go getting up close to American Falls & getting a bit of a splashing. We haven't seen anything yet ...

Bracing Ourselves For the Boat Trip

2008-09-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

As we queue up for the 'maid of the mist' boat trip that will take us up close to both the falls someone hands us these fetching waterproof hooded sheets & tells us to 'enjoy our shower'. Oh dear!

Niagara Falls: American Falls

2008-09-06T10:43:00.001-07:00

On Thursday we took a day trip to Niagara Falls. There are actually two waterfalls at Niagara, the smaller American Falls (on the American side of the river) & the larger Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. Well, here are some snaps of the smaller one. Still pretty big isn't it! Wait for the other one ...

Birthday Meal

2008-09-06T10:39:00.001-07:00

In the evening we went to a fab vegan restaurant in Toronto called Fressen. The food looked beautiful as well as being delicious. We also had a bottle of fizz hence the slightly squiffy look later on.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-09-06T10:30:00.001-07:00

It was my birthday on Wednesday. When my dad visited he brought me some cards from my family. It was lovely to have some messages to open up from home. My cousin even made me a card with a Japanese theme. I got lots of lovely emails too. Thanks Everybody!

It was another beautiful day in Toronto so spent the day pottering around the galleries & design shops of the Distillery district stopping for a raspberry beer at the Mill Street brewery.

Lenny, Where Are You?

2008-09-06T10:26:00.001-07:00

These signs always make me wistful & sad. Does anyone ever find out what happens to these cats? If they're found again does the owner put up 'Thanks, we found him' posters? I love the detail about which side of his mouth Lenny's tongue hangs out.

Yarn Heaven

2008-09-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

We accidentally stumble upon the best yarn shop in Toronto. Great pun in the name, don't you think! I leave with a skein of Misti alpaca sock yarn. It's 50% alpaca, 30% merino, 10% silk & 10% nylon. I guess only those of you who knit will understand how excited this made me. We go to a local pub for a drink & I sit my wool out in the beer garden so I can stroke & admire it for a bit.

Kensington Market

2008-09-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

The summer is still in full swing in Toronto & we spend a day wandering the vintage shops, cafes & bars of Kensington Market while enjoying the sunshine. Not sure why this car has been used as a flower bed but it made us smile.

Toronto is definitely a hockey town. Despite the fact that they rarely win major tournaments the Toronto Maple Leaves' games are always sold out (sounds like NUFC) & some people even want to have giant Maple Leaf t-shirt wearing mooses on the tops of their houses to show their support. Each to their own ...

Toronto

2008-09-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Although I've really enjoyed the hiking I guess I'm just a city girl at heart & am really excied to be in Toronto.

Maligne Canyon

2008-09-01T17:01:00.001-07:00

Miette Hot Springs

2008-09-01T16:59:00.001-07:00

Sulphur Skyline

2008-09-01T16:58:00.001-07:00

The Bull Elk

2008-09-01T16:55:00.001-07:00

Just look at this gorgeous creature! They try to recreate it at our B&B with the cutesy bedside lamp but it's just not the same as those regal antlers.

Birds

2008-09-01T16:54:00.001-07:00

Squirreltastic

2008-09-01T16:53:00.001-07:00

love those squirrels

The Rainbow

2008-09-01T16:51:00.001-07:00

At the point where I was getting trail fatigue ...

Bald Hills Trail

2008-09-01T16:50:00.001-07:00

Lake Maligne

2008-09-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

Horse Trekking

2008-08-28T18:14:00.001-07:00

Today we spent the afternoon trekking through the mountains & forests on these lovely creatures. Paul got the biggest horse of the lot, a huge stallion called Ace, pictured here on the first photo. My horse, Buzzly, was slightly smaller & naughtier than Paul's. He kept wandering off into the bushes to have a little snack. I soon whipped him into shape though. Well, almost. We used muscles that we didn't know he had & are feeling a bit sore now.

Marmot Heaven

2008-08-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

There are marmots everywhere on the trail. Along with the ones munching away on the wildflowers below there are more sitting on the rocks above just keeping an eye on us.

Wildlife on the Trail

2008-08-28T18:03:00.001-07:00

The trail is chock full of wildlife including a ptarmigan (the speckled, grey bird), some pikas (the grey, furry rodents) & a strange, unidentified, hairy, grey-whiskered mammal. ; )

Heading Up the Mountain

2008-08-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Phew! That was a long way up. No cups of tea waiting for us this time. I suppose we could make ice pops?!

The Glacier & the Ice Lake

2008-08-28T17:54:00.001-07:00

Every now and then there is a rumbling & squeaking noise as the glacier settles a bit & a powder covering of snow falls from the surrounding mountain. Everyone holds their breath while this happens in case the whole glacier is about to fall on our heads. I love the way the glacier looks like marble at the lake's edge where new layers of snow have fallen over the previous layer of ice & scree.

Jasper - The Cavell Meadows Trail

2008-08-27T19:09:00.001-07:00

Our first walk in Jasper is this trail which will gives us good views of Edith Cavell mountain, a huge glacier & lots of wildflowers poking through the snow. Keep having to remind myself that it's August & summer a few thousand feet below us.

More Lake Agnes Trail

2008-08-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

It gets chillier & chillier as we climb & eventually it starts to snow. This feels very bizarre as it's August & it's sunny & warm down at Lake Louise.

The fabled tearoom does not disappoint. It's a cute little log cabin (sorry, in my haste to revive myself with tea & cake after the long walk I forgot to take a photo). There is no electricity or running water up there. The supplies for the baking are flown in by helicopter at the start of the season then & replenishments are brought up the mountain on horseback. The staff live at the cabin for the whole summer in the roof of the tearoom. They bake fresh bread & cakes every day. I can confirm that the lemon poppy seed cake is delicious.

Despite the fact that you're not supposed to, few people can resist feeding the golden-mantled squirrels so the outside tables are overrun with the greedy crumb snatchers.

We make one more stop before we reach Jasper, this time to view Lake Peyto shown in the last two pictures.

Lake Agnes Trail

2008-08-27T18:46:00.001-07:00

We do a hike at Lake Louise. Lured by the promise of a tearoom at the top we sweat our way past Mirror Lake & Beehive Mountain, onwards & upwards towards Lake Agnes.

Lake Louise

2008-08-27T18:43:00.001-07:00

Our second stop is at Lake Louise where the water is a milky turquoise.

The Banff Springs Hotel

2008-08-27T18:40:00.001-07:00

As we leave Banff for Jasper we make a couple of stops along the way. The first one is at this hotel which looks like it ought to be in Transylvania.

More Sentinel Pass

2008-08-27T18:38:00.001-07:00

That's Alice from Victoria & Mattius from Germany if you can see them through the rain.

Sentinel Pass

2008-08-27T18:36:00.001-07:00

Cory Pass Again

2008-08-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

And some more.

Cory Pass

2008-08-27T18:33:00.001-07:00

More snaps from hiking.

Banff

2008-08-27T18:30:00.001-07:00

Here's what we can see from the back of our hostel in Banff. Not bad huh!

Watch Out For Squirrels!

2008-08-27T18:28:00.001-07:00

These golden-mantled ground squirrels are used to picnickers. They're not afraid to snatch your food or dive into your bag to have a look if you leave it open for more than a moment.

Lake Bourgeau

2008-08-27T18:26:00.001-07:00

We eat lunch at the lake & it's not long before we discover that we're not alone ...

More Snaps from the Trail

2008-08-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

The Bourgeau Lake Trail

2008-08-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here we are doing a hike in the Rockies. Because it's berry season & the bears are particularly active at this time of year you're not allowed to hike in groups smaller than four people so we team up with this bunch who all work at the Banff arts centre together. Nora & Janna are from Finland, Laura's from Victoria & Eloise is from Quebec City. What a nice little international group we make.

Playing Cowboys

2008-08-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Banff is very cowboy friendly.

The Ferry Back to Vancouver

2008-08-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

After a lovely stay in Vancouver Island we get the ferry back to the mainland & see Dad off at the airport before catching the overnight bus to Calgary.

Victoria's Parliament Building & Waterfront

2008-08-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

Victoria's so pretty.

More Craigdarroch Castle

2008-08-21T15:29:00.001-07:00

After admiring the intricate woodworking & beautiful objects we read the biographical information about the family who lived here. It seems that despite all their privileges the children grew up to be alcoholics, gambling addicts & Tallulah Bankhead obsessed lunatics. I suppose it's slightly reassuring to hear that the super rich are just as dysfunctional as the rest of us.

Craigdarroch Castle

2008-08-21T15:26:00.001-07:00

Dad & Tim come over from the mainland to meet us on Tuesday & we decide to visit this castle build by a Scotsman who made his fortune in the coal industry at home before emigrating & going on to become one of the richest men in Canada.

The 'Cosiest' Hostel Room Yet

2008-08-21T15:20:00.001-07:00

Even in photos it's hard to convey just how small this room is. The fridge & half of the sink counter are underneath our bed & it wasn't possible for both of us to stand up in the room at the same time. The room had ants & there was live music playing in the bar right next door until 1am. We were 'lucky' enough to arrive on reggae-didgeridoo night. Yippee! I guess what I'm trying to say is if you ever visit Victoria don't stay at the Ocean Island Backpackers. You've been warned.

Pacific Rim National Park

2008-08-21T15:19:00.001-07:00

How beautiful is this?

Sea Otter

2008-08-21T15:16:00.001-07:00

Okay, so we didn't get a real picture but just so you know how cute they are here's a picture of a couple of sea otters from the brochure we picked up at Vancouver aquarium. The one we saw from the boat was floating on its back just like these characters with his arms behind his head & his tongue sticking out.

Jellyfish in the Bay

2008-08-21T15:12:00.001-07:00

The jellyfish in the bay are huge & beautifully graceful as jellyfish always are. From the boat on the way back to Tofino we see seals, sealions & a sea otter, sadly all too quick moving for my camera.

Banana Slug

2008-08-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

We've been looking out for this little chap for ages. He's always features on the wildlife spotting posters in the national parks but this is our first sighting. Shortly after this photo was taken he had a narrow escape from a woman's hiking boot.

The Hot Springs

2008-08-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

The hot springs form a series of pools of varying temperatures leading right down to the sea & getting colder as they go. It's wonderfully relaxing to sit in them, switching from one to the other when the temperature becomes too hot or too cold. Some people have come prepared with chilled bottles of wine & a couple of spliffs. It's quite funny watching spaced out Scandinavians puffing away in their pants.

First Black Bear Pics

2008-08-21T15:00:00.001-07:00

Our skipper, Sierra spots two black bears looking for crabs at the waterside & brings the boat in closer so we can get a good look. One of them has a crab in its mouth.

A Trip to the Hot Springs

2008-08-21T14:56:00.001-07:00

We take a day long boat trip from Tofino out to some natural hot springs. It takes an hour and a half in the boat to get there and there are lots of wildlife spotting opportunities on the way. Our first spot is this bald eagle.

Tofino Beach

2008-08-21T14:54:00.001-07:00

It's late but there are still some surfers in the water.

Tofino

2008-08-21T14:50:00.001-07:00

The sun is shining & it's a glorious day when we arrive in Tofino. As we're checking into the reception of the Dolphin motel a baby black bear wanders across the motel car park & into the road. The motel owner tells us it's only the second time this year that he's seen a bear in town. We're pretty excited. He have a drink in town & then a wander on the beach to watch the sunset.

Crabbing on Vancouver Island

2008-08-16T11:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we took the ferry across to Vancouver Island & picked up our hire car in Victoria. it took a while to drive over to Nanaimo. It was late afternoon when we arrived but the crabbers were still pulling huge beauties from their nets while this inquisitive seal hovered by hoping for scraps. This weekend there is a free blues festival in the town so after watching the sun go down over the harbour with a few margaritas on a floating restaurant we enjoy a bit of live music.

Turtles in the Park

2008-08-16T11:11:00.001-07:00

We though it was a sculpture at first because it was so black, shiny & still but it definitely blinked & then it got really active.

Lost Lagoon

2008-08-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

Stanley Park is such an oasis of calm in the middle of the city.

Snorkmaiden

2008-08-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

The sun must've gone to my head too. Apparently seaweed hairpieces are the way to go.

Sunbathing at Third Beach

2008-08-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is sweltering & we hit the beach. Can't persuade Dad to cool off in the water & he nods off in the sun.

Kissing Charlie Brown

2008-08-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yay! Swings!

2008-08-13T22:57:00.001-07:00

I never grew out of this kind of fun.

Third Beach

2008-08-13T22:55:00.001-07:00

Here's where we spent this afternoon. Can't believe this is in the middle of the city.

English Bay

2008-08-13T22:51:00.001-07:00

We have a stroll up towards Stanley Park & earmark this beach for a nice lazy day tomorrow. Looks like someone's been imitating Andy Goldsworthy with the rocks here.

Granville Brewery

2008-08-13T22:50:00.001-07:00

We try a sampler of some of the local brews including the very Canadian maple syrup pale ale.

The Public Market

2008-08-13T22:47:00.001-07:00

There is a great food market on the island. Just look at those heirlooms tomatoes. We get bagels & coffee & enjoy them in the sunshine overlooking the water.

Granville Island

2008-08-13T22:44:00.001-07:00

We get this tiny little ferry boat over the water to Granville island & look back at the views of the city.