Vancouver’s Granville Island and Commercial Drive
There’s something magical about Granville Island; something so magical, so enticing, that, during pre-covid times it attracted 10.5 million people …
Author Archives: Alison and Don
A #covidbubble Christmas
Unknowingly we’d begun to lay the foundation in April. Don and I returned from Malaysia on March 21st, just squeaking …
One Foot in Front of the Other – living your best life is not what you may think.
Those of you who have followed the blog for a long time know it has always been as much about …
The God of Rice – a Fushimi-Inari pilgrimage.
From the beginning of time we humans have worshipped mountains. They are the highest and most impressive elements of any …
Hello to the Queen! And other tales from Rishikesh, India
Feb-Mar 2019 and Feb-Mar 2020 Rishikesh, India. Back in August I wrote this to close a post about India: In …
Saturna Island: unspoiled gem of BC’s Gulf Islands
3-10 July 2019 Saturna Island, BC. We’d walked the nearly two kilometres in from the road, passed through the backcountry …
Above My Pay Grade: the joys and sorrows of photography competitions.
The first time I entered a photography competition was on Facebook 6 or 7 years ago. The hosts encouraged people …
Kyoto’s Magical Mountain – hiking from Kurama to Kibune
18 March 2019 I really wanted to hike the Nakasendō, a 534-kilometre ancient highway between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo). It …
An Unconventional Life
Hey! I did a thing! The lovely Heather Markel of Heather Begins fame interviewed me as part of her Inspired …
Gateway to God: Haridwar on the Ganges
5 March 2019 We first went to India in 2012 and lived in Tiruvannamalai in the southern state of Tamil …
A Tale of Two Seasons – summer and fall on Vancouver Island
3-6 July and 22-25 Oct 2019 Sitting on the ferry carrying us across the Salish Sea to Vancouver Island I’m …
The Harbinger of Spring – plum blossoms at Kyoto’s shrines
12-25 March 2019 I’m either too early or too late. The best time to see the wisteria in Tokyo is …
Just Don’t Call Me Sprightly: musings on turning seventy
I’m astonished to discover I’m seventy. It feels surreal, as if it doesn’t belong to me, as if I’m wearing …
Spectacular Whistler – a #covidbubble escape
11-14 August 2020 So the five of us are sitting around on some bleachers in the shade, intermittently watching a …
