Favourite 2017 travel photos. Paris, France. March 2017.
Cemeteries in Paris
About five years ago, on a quiet Sunday morning in Uppsala, Sweden, I walked through a park-like cemetery and from a distance watched an older woman tend to the grave of her recently deceased husband. It is one of those moments that’s burned into my memory for being both terribly sad and incredibly beautiful. That morning, and through a few other visits to European cemeteries over the years, I have come to learn that some of the most beautiful parks in many foreign cities are in fact their graveyards.
While in Paris back in March, I made a two trips to cemeteries within the city. The first was a morning visit to the Montparnasse Cemetery in the same neighbourhood as my hotel.
A rare clear day
I was under no false pretences when I booked a February trip to Portland, Oregon. I used to live on a coast and I get that winter weather can be grey and dreary. I was looking for somewhere warmer than Saskatoon, even if I’d be dealing with damp winter days. Imagine my pleasant surprise waking on my first day in Portland to crystal clear blue skies and unseasonably warm temperatures (no jacket needed!). I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by – I had a rare February opportunity to view the mountains off in the distance from Portland.
After a short train ride south of downtown, I took the Portland Aerial Tram to the top of Marquam Hill and feasted my eyes on this – a stunningly clear view of Mount St. Helens:
Returning to the 14th
March 13, 2017 – Paris
This is the first time my wife and I have returned somewhere in our travels together. Ok, that’s not entirely true, but ruling out Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for football game trips, it’s true. Not only did we return to Paris, but we consciously returned to Montparnasse, the 14th arrondissement.
There is a very comforting feeling returning here. Our first visit in 2009 was a great one, and we loved the slightly out of the way, definitely not overly touristy, authentic Montparnasse. Returning here eight years later, not much has changed. Such is the way with great neighbourhoods. Boulangerie, fromagerie, wine merchants, restaurants, gorgeous parks – all still here. And all as lovely as eight years ago.
Being back here in Paris, not even twenty four hours after arriving, I’m comforted. I don’t feel a rush to get out to see the sights – we did all of that the last time here. This visit, I’m envisioning a much slower pace. Lingering in cafes, strolling streets and parks just for exploration. Simple stuff really.
PDX public art
Of Portland, I expected nothing less than some funky and interesting public art. Audacious, touching, poignant, curious – I got the full menu of art experiences from just walking around the city. I love how public art enlivens urban spaces, but perhaps nowhere was this more evident than outside the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital. In a small garden for patients and their families is Sophie Ryder’s sculpture “Standing Lady Hare with Dog.” On one level as simply an animal lover, this is touching. On another level, I love how the tenderness shown in this piece reflects what occurs mere feet away inside the hospital.
Favourite 2017 travel photos. Montreal, QC. March 2017.
The Big O
A great beer destination
One of the main reasons for choosing Portland for my winter escape this year was its abundance of craft beer. Many say Portland has the highest per capita concentration of craft breweries and beer bars in the USA – that was good enough for me to book my flights! Once I arrived in the city, I knew I would be dedicating at least a couple of afternoons to some beer tastings.
My first afternoon “crawl” started at Rogue. When you arrive here, they pour you a sample to welcome you. For me, it was their Chocolate Stout, which ended up being my favourite of the visit.
They have so many beers on tap it was difficult to make a selection of only four. I knew I’d be hitting two more breweries, so was trying to pace myself. My favourite of these was the 4 Hop IPA on the far left which was very full flavoured for a lower alcohol beer. By far one of the most intersting samples of my trip was their Beard Beer (second from the right) using wild yeast from the brewmaster’s beard. It was a touch sour with a hint of hipster.
Rip City, USA
When I planned my short February escape from wintery Saskatoon, I had a few criteria: (1) somewhere I hadn’t been before, (2) cheap airfare and hotel, and (3) get to attend at least one professional sporting event. Portland fit the bill on all of those including a Monday night Trail Blazers basketball game.
I probably follow basketball the least of the major North American sports, but always enjoy attending the game live as it’s much better in person than on TV. One thing I love about getting to an NBA game is arriving early, sneaking down to the lower level, and watching the players warm up. The size of the guys is amazing and seeing so many nearly 7-footers in one place is kind of cool.
I’m also always up to explore a new arena. Even though most of the new ones are fairly similar, the Moda Center in Portland had some unique touches including outposts of a couple of favourite downtown eateries. That let me fit in an extra meal here of a very respectable Bunk Sandwiches cuban sandwich. In fact, my meal came with this great view of the arena from one of the lower level corner seats.
Favourite 2017 travel photos. Reims, France. March 2017.
Notre-Dame de Reims
A year of Saskatchewan firsts
It has been quite the year. Early on the morning of March 31, 2016, I headed to the airport in Halifax with two suitcases of clothes and belongings. About nine hours later, I landed in Saskatoon, took a cab downtown and walked into a temporary apartment a few days before starting my new job. Those early weeks were a jumble of emotions, especially until my wife joined me almost two months later. I have laughed a lot, learned a lot, and shed a few tears during a year of establishing my life on the prairies.
Looking back, it has been a treat to experience Saskatchewan’s uniqueness. In no order, here are some of my favourite “Saskatchewan firsts” in the year I’ve called Saskatoon home. Not surprisingly, a lot of these are going to be weather related.
1. First Riders game – To make me feel right at home, the green guys lost by falling apart late in the game, just like every team I’ve cheered for. This trip down to Regina to take in a game will be an annual tradition for us.
Bluenose Traveler 