Portugal

A few days in Porto Portugal

We flew to Porto Portugal with Janice and Scott to spend a few days exploring this great city.

On our first day in Porto decided to explore the old centre of the city.  We took the tram system and got off at one of the stops near the centre. When we came up the stairs we were surprised to be  right by city hall.

City Hall of Porto

We walked the streets checking out the local shops and taking in the beautiful of the old buildings and architecture.

We walked for a while and then we spotted a TukTuk parked along the road. We decided to give one a try, and we couldn’t have made a better choice.

Our driver and guide, Mariana was absolutely awesome. She wasn’t just driving us around, she was a wealth of knowledge and information about the places we were seeing. we went to places most tourist may not see including the Maria Pia railway bridge built in 1877. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel. The same Gustave Eiffel who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

We stopped at the base of the bridge to get a closer look.

Mariana pointed out the engraved section of the bridge with his name.

The crescent arch bridge is made of wrought iron and spans 353 m, 60 m over the Douro River. At the time of its construction, it was the longest single-arch span in the world.

 One of the best things about the tour was that Mariana didn’t rush us. Whenever we saw something we wanted to photograph or an area we wanted to explore, she was happy to stop and let us take our time.

We saw many of the landmarks and tourist attractions along our tour. Below are only a few of them.

As we continued around the city, Mariana shared more stories and pointed out things we probably would have walked right past if we had been exploring on our own. One in particular was the twin churches with the hidden house.

double churches with small house between them

The 3-storey house Casa Escondida Known as the “Hidden House” was, according to legend, built so that the two churches would not share a common wall and to prevent any relations between the nuns of Igreja dos Carmelitas and the monks of Igreja do Carmo.

After our Tuk Tuk Tour, we went to the main market to spent some time walking through the stalls and shops.

There were colourful displays everywhere, along with spices, local products and plenty of things that caught our attention.

Of course, no good market visit is complete without stopping for a little snack and a drink. Janice tried a Piña Colada in a real a Pineapple.

Janice with her Pineapple Piña Colada drink

We were more than happy to join her with a refreshment of our own.

There were two floors to the market and we explored the entire market, spending time looking at hand crafted items and relaxing along the way enjoying the atmosphere of the market.

Shelley and Scott checking out the local hand crafted items
Two floors of the market in Porto

We had a full day exploring the city and it turned out great with a combination of a little exploring, a little history, some good food and drink. Not a bad way to start our Porto adventure!

“Leva apenas memórias e só deixa pegadas”

Spain

Chasing the Eclipse in Valencia

Some travel experiences are about the places, some are about the food you eat, and others are about the people you share them with. Our trip to Valencia to watch the solar eclipse was all of the above.

Our daughter Janice and our son-in-law Scott came for a visit from Canada. We were thrilled to have them here, and it coincide with the full solar eclipse, so we knew we had to make an event of it.

Janice and Scott on the balcony of City Hall in Valencia Spain

So, off we went to Valencia for a few days to visit that great city and then to see the full eclipse. The day of the eclipse we went to an event at the Albufera Natural Park which is just outside the city. We had booked tickets to an eclipse party there which had been organized.

Our shaded area and seats for the eclipse

The weather was perfect, the skies were clear, the sun was shining, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

The event was fantastic. There was live music, food, drinks and plenty of tables and shade for everyone. It felt less like we were waiting for a scientific phenomenon and more like we were attending a big outdoor BBQ celebration.

Giant Paella being made on a Gas BBQ

We found our spot and settled in and of course, we weren’t going to sit around waiting on an empty stomach.

The four of us enjoying Paellla and drinks before the Eclipse
Spending quality time together having laughs and fun

We enjoyed some drinks, food, and listened to the live music and, more importantly, we spent time together. Having Janice and Scott with us made the whole experience more special.

As the time of the eclipse approached, the atmosphere changed. Everyone became a little more focused on the sky. Glasses and eclipse viewing equipment came out, cameras were ready, and people started looking upward.

Trying on our Eclipse glasses

Watching the moon slowly move across the face of the sun was absolutely incredible. As more of the sun disappeared, the light around us changed and dimmed and the whole atmosphere became almost surreal.

We were standing there in Albufera, surrounded by other people enjoying the same incredible sight. It felt very personal for us, especially having Janice and Scott there to share in this experience.

Our view of the full eclipse view from Albufera Spain

What an amazing feeling, watching the eclipse as it transformed. The sense of something bigger and almost magical as the air cooled and darkness fell quickly on us, only to transform into an amazing sunset of sorts. As the moon passed by the sun the sunset was occurring which made the views spectacular.,

Sun setting while in final part of eclipse

This rare experience was the perfect alignment of having family beside us, perfect weather,  music, food, and it all came together to make it an adventure that we won’t soon forget.

“El eclipse nos recordó que, aunque la luz se oculte por un momento, siempre vuelve a aparecer. Al igual que los momentos especiales y las personas que iluminan nuestras vidas.”

Canada, Spain

Pembroke to Ottawa and graduation and a New Adventure

Our Canadian adventure continued with a visit to Pembroke for a few days. We enjoyed spending some time with some of our very close friends.  There is something special about visiting old friends. You don’t need an itinerary or a schedule just time together.  We spent our time catching up, sharing memories and reconnecting.

But our time in Pembroke was only the beginning of a very special part of our Canadian visit. We  headed to Ottawa for a very important family occasion, the graduation of our granddaughter, Shantaya.

We found our seats and waited as the graduates made their way into the ceremony. We watched with enormous pride as Shantaya walked across the stage and received her diploma.

There are some moments in life when you realize just how quickly time passes. It seems like only yesterday that she was a little girl.

Now here she was, proudly accepting her diploma and taking another big step into adulthood.

After the graduation, instead of heading home to Spain by ourselves, we had Shantaya come with us.

For Shantaya, this was the beginning of her own big Spanish adventure. We were excited to introduce her to our life in Spain. Show here the places we love, the food, the culture, the sunshine, and perhaps a few of the little things that make living here so different from Canada.

For us, having her come back with us made the journey home even more special. We had two weeks of showing her the culture, food and experiences of Spain. It was a chance to spend quality time and get to better know the adult she has become.

We travelled, had adventures, explored cities and enjoyed food and culture with her.

Shantaya in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time.
Shantaya seeing the large old Ficus trees in Alicante

Walking and exploring the old quarter of Spanish cities

She was able to experience some of our life here in Spain first hand.

“Disfruta cada momento de la vida porque es más corto de lo que crees”

 

Canada

Back to Canada to visit family and friends

Our main reason for coming back to Canada was to visit with Family and friends.  There are some people you can go months or even years without seeing, but when you finally get together, it feels like it was only yesterday when you saw them last.

We landed in Canada and our first stop was to visit our daughter Janice and son-in-law Scott in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Of course we also stopped along the way to enjoy a Timmy´s.

It was great spending time with them and enjoying their company.  One day we decided to head out toward St. Andrews and visit Ministers Island and the home to the  Van Horne Estate.

Now, visiting an island sounds pretty straightforward but this one was different.  Ministers Island is known as a tidal island, which means the road to the island is actually exposed ocean floor. We had to time our visit with the tides because, unlike most roads, this one disappears with high tide. we arrived early in the morning and there was a heavy fog along the coast. We drove along the Ocean floor and eventually reached the island. This was a unique experience and interesting to say the least.

View of the Ocean floor along the route to Morrison Island
View of the Ocean floor along the route to Morrison Island

In 1891, Van Horne purchased land on Ministers Island and turned  it into his summer retreat.  The estate had the main house, gardens, farmland, a huge barn, dairy, carriage house, windmill, bathhouse and even a gardener’s cottage. At the island our first stop was at a very large Barn.

Scott, Shelley and Janice at the Van Horne barn

We explored the barn and it was interesting to note that this barn was considered the most modern style with a built in elevator and scale system. However the main attraction on the island is the Covenhoven.

The Covenhoven estate

The former summer home of Sir William Van Horne. If that name sounds familiar, there’s a good reason. Van Horne was one of the key figures behind the Canadian Pacific Railway and served as its president. He is in the historic photo of the last spike in the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Original photo of the “last spike” on Canadian Pacific Railway
One of the salons inside the Covenhoven estate
Massive game room in the Covenhoven Estate
Dinning room of the Covenhoven estate

We explored the Covenhoven and walked trough the many different rooms. It was like walking through a piece of Canadian history.

It was a perfect day to explore the grounds of the estate and so we walked throughout parts of the island. We came upon one of the locals who simply watched us walk by.

We went to see the stone bath house and decided to head to the base which leads to the shore overlooking the water.

Bathhouse along the shoreline

The views were beautiful and the air was crisp and fresh.

Our trip to Morrison Island and the Van Horne estate was a great way to spend a calm and relaxing day with family and some Canadian history.

“Enjoy life every day”

Finland

Viikinkiravintola Harald

As our time in Helsinki came to an end, Shelley and I wanted to make our final evening in Finland something special. After several wonderful days exploring the city, we decided to celebrate our last night with a memorable dining experience at Viking Restaurant Harald, known in Finnish as Viikinkiravintola Harald.


From the moment we walked through the doors, we felt as though we had stepped back in time to the days of the Vikings. The restaurant’s décor was authentic, featuring beautifully carved wooden seating, and lots of Viking-themed artifacts and paraphernalia.

Shields, weapons, carvings, and rustic furniture created the atmosphere of a traditional Viking longhouse. 



We sat down at our table and enjoyed a glass of wine in pottery glasses while wearing our Viking hats. The experience was much more than just the décor. The food was very good and it was an excelent experience.

We tried reindeer steak and salmon and both plates were delicious. We enjoyed our meal and took time to reminisce some of the highlights of our Helsinki trip. 

Some journeys are remembered for the places you see while others are remembered for the experiences you share. Helsinki was both for us.

“Jokainen matka alkaa ottamalla ensimmäisen askeleen.”

Life is too short to wait for adventure!