The Lakes and felds and becks and terns

Here in the Lake District, they have their own vocabulary for the nature around them. I have yet to put the definitions to all the words but I believe a beck is a brook and a tern is a small lake. I thought the felds were falls but I think they are actually hills but one cannot be sure.

This "walk" has been a tough slog. It is not a nice "Jane Austen" stroll in the park like Elizabeth Bennett took to Mr. Bingley's house. No, it is a mountain hike and scramble that we were not properly prepared for.

The first day from Ulverston to Coniston was sunny and hot. I was lazy and did not put adequate sunscreen on my body. Three days later, I am still suffering. It was also a long day - 14 to 16 miles (we are not quite sure) which equaled 9 hours of walking. It was a relief to arrive at our B&B.

A pastoral scene from the first day

The second day from Coniston to Great Langdale poured rain. We were drenched to our skin by the time we arrived at the B&B. When people say it rains in the Lake District, they mean it truly pours. We were trying to figure out why mom wanted to walk in the Lake District versus a stroll on a Caribbean beach to celebrate her retirement. This 12 mile day in the rain just about did us in.

The four of us in the rain

Great Langdale after the rain

The third day from Great Langdale to Stonethwaite was up a mountain and down the other side. Going down was so hard especially on mom. We persevered. The weather was cloudy and cool with the odd shower but manageable. The rains came just as we arrived at a charming B&B in Stonethwaite. The relief was indescribable.

The fourth day was a pleasant 8 mile walk from Stonethwaite to Keswick. With the cool, cloudy weather, it was the best day of the "walk". Keswick is a quaint town. We are taking a rest day today and exploring the town. This afternoon we are travelling by bus to Caldbech rather than walking 17.5 miles up and down various mountains.

I am looking forward to the end of the hike although time with the sisters and mom is great. It definitely is not the walk in the park I had assumed it would be. But you know what assumptions do...

Off to the lakes

I can't believe my time in London is almost over...but what can you expect when the stay is only 3 days long! After our busy day on Friday, mom & I headed to St. Pauls Cathedral on Saturday morning. It is v. beautiful for sure. It was a leisurely morning without too much activity. After admiring the cathedral, we headed to the Museum of Gardening to meet mom's friend for lunch. Actually, interesting story, this friend, Elsie, and my mom have been penpals for years and never met until yesterday. Kinda like a blind date without all the horrible expectations!!!!
After lunch, mom and I went our separate ways. She and Elsie went on their own adventures and I met up with my dear friend Lisa. It is good to spend time with old friends who know you so well. We meandered and wandered the southbank stopping at the Tate Modern for Pimms on the 7th floor bar. Lovely view of the Thames and the City.
After drinks, we met up with Lisa's friend Chris for a few hours which included entertaining conversations, loads of laughs, and consumption of much wine. The evening ended with great Indian curries, a visit to Lisa's flat and a tube ride home. A great day!
Since mom went with Elsie to her place for the night, I had the great luxury of a bed to myself. Lovely! In the morning, I met up with Lisa for brunch and a wander in Kensington before meeting mom in the afternoon to explore the National Gallery and to see Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
Must run and pack for the lake district. We train up north in the morning where we will meet up with my sisters - Wendy and Nicole.

London is like an old friend

We have been in London for over 24 hours now and I think my poor mom is a bit overwhelmed. With only 3 days here, it is difficult to get a taste of the city.

For our first day, we had some errands to do along with the sightseeing so here is the itinerary of our busy first day in London:
- Up early (thank you 2 hour time change)
- Coffee on way to tube station (thank you to the tube workers who finished their strike and went back to work this morning- much appreciated)
- Stop at Mailboxes Inc to see into shipping mom's many purchases back home.
- Stand in line for Oyster card (for the tube) because machine was broken
- Take tube to buy theatre tickets for tonight
- Walk to Sara's paradise - Paperchase - (stationary galore)
- Take tube to National Rail Station to purchase train tickets for Monday (cheaper if bought in advance apparently - no sign of that actually being the case)
- Take tube to Tower of London
- Eat lunch by the Thames (thank you cloudy but pleasant London weather)
- Spend hour following a Yeoman Warder around hearing tales of blood and gore
- Wander the rest of the Tower of London, see the crown jewels and read prisoner graffiti from centuries past
- Meander across Tower Bridge towards the South Bank and browse Borough Market
- Eat at fish! restaurant (yummy tuna burger and waiter)
- Take tube to theatre - we watched Carousel (mom's pick) I am still figuring out my take on the play. Definitely theatre for a generation or two before me.
- Take tube back to hotel where I plan to go to bed

I am exhausted...no wonder mom feels overwhelmed. At least I know the city well enough to get around...everything is new to mom.

PS - am using a public computer to blog so no pictures. The wireless access is ridiculously expensive so it is by principle I refuse.

Best Lines in Istanbul

The merchants of Istanbul are imaginative in their attempts to lure us into their stores. Here is a sampling of the best lines so far:

"Can I help you...spend your money?"

"Hello ladies, welcome to paradise."

"Hello Spice Girls"

"How can I change your world?"

"Can I hassle..er...I mean, help you?"

"Are you spicy girls?"

"Hello, I am here"

It usually brings out a smile from us. Today we spent our day in Taksim wandering down a shopping street - Istiklal Caddesi and then to the Grand Bazaar. I think my shopping limit has been reached.

More Istanbul Delights (or is it Turkish Delights)

Amy & me at the Blue Mosque our first day

While travelling, it is important to find a balance of touristy activities and relaxation activities. The great thing about Istanbul is you can find great cafes and roof top terraces which provide great opportunity to relax and spend hours with tea.

Here is a quick update of our last couple days:

Sunday - headed to a Turkish/International church so mom could experience it. It was a longer (than we are used to) service but interesting. Because there were a lot of  westerners it wasn't too unusual. After the service, we met up with Amy's friend Zeynab, walked through a protest, ferried back to the Europe side, visited the Spice Market (which required some shopping) and finished the day on a lovely roof terrace of a restaurant we stumbled across just a few streets from our hotel. As providence would have it, I spotted an unusual store from the terrace...it was full of textiles and old fabrics and I was in love and now in debt. No, I did control myself but if I was wealthy, they would have had a good business day!!!

The Spice Market

Monday - we took the Bosporus Ferry Cruise from Istanbul up the strait to the Black Sea. It was a beautiful day - perfect for climbing the hill at the end and exploring ruins of a castle. Just before we headed back on the ferry, some really fascinating fog rolled in from the Black Sea....it was very cool. 

Here I am on the Bosporus Ferry - the fog behind me

Mom on the ferry

Today, we are having a more relaxing day in the Taksim neighbourhood. It has many cafes and is set up for  meandering. Then I think we are going to explore the Grand Bazaar which should be fun.

Until later...

pictures from istanbul day ht1

The wireless internet at the hotel is quite slow and a bit up and down so I will only be able to upload a few pictures. Right now, we are just winding down for the night. Amy and mom headed to the garden to read. I am re-charging my laptop and blogging.

Enjoy! 

Basilica Cistern - an underground water tank. Very cool

The girls out and about

Mosaic at the Hagia Sofia of Madonna and Child and the emperor and empress ( i think it is Justinian and Theodora)

Istanbul

I usually have a strong first impression of a city once I arrive but with Istanbul, there is no one single overpowering sense of the city for me yet. Perhaps I need to have more time to soak it up or perhaps I am still suffering from jetlag. We arrived at midnight last night after a day of travel. Quite tired but glad to meet up with our hotel driver and my lovely friend Amy at the airport.

The city is old and beautiful. The weather is perfect (in other words not snowing like back home in Calgary). 

We awoke this morning to a lovely breakfast on the garden patio at the hotel. It was a leisurely breakfast with lots of good food. I look forward to our daily breakfast for the rest of our stay. It is more like brunch which is my favourite meal ever!

For our first day, we wanted to stay close to the hotel as we didn't know how tired we would get throughout the day however, we packed quite a bit into the first day:

- Hagia Sofia - Beautiful mosaics (pictures to come)

- Blue Mosque

- Rode the tram

- Basilica Cistern - I think that was my favorite spot today

- Arasta Bazaar

- Walked by a few obelisks 

- Sat on a bench to people-watch while drinking tea

We wandered to the sea and ferries to pick-up a donar for lunch. Yummy street food - chicken and pita. Yumm-o! Now we are just relaxing in the garden terrace deciding what to do for dinner. It truly was a lovely day but I think it will be an early evening as we are all a wee bit tired.

I promise pictures will follow. Until next time...I was going to say goodbye in Turkish but it requires a special character that I have no idea how to type on my keyboard - it is basically "hoshchakal".

An amazing life

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. -- Albert Einstein

On Saturday, while catching up with an old acquaintance about the going-ons of my life, I realized I am blessed with a wonderful life. It truly was one of those stop-you-in-your-tracks moments where you become overwhelmed with it all. Even during this past week some amazing things happened - here is a brief update:

Leadership Calgary

During the past year, a number of people encouraged me to apply for the 2009/2010 Leadership Calgary program. It is a program developing leaders in the city to re-think societal and community problems. I went through the application and interview process. Last Thursday, I received the call telling me I was accepted into the program. Colleagues and friends who have taken this course are forever changed. It shifts their view point on their lives and the world. In light of this, I am nervously excited with anticipation to begin this learning journey.

Calgary 1/2 Marathon

On Sunday, I completed my first half marathon in 2:19:42. It was a beautiful day to run with perfect conditions when we started at 7am. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and there was a gentle breeze to keep us cool. My favorite moment was not completing the race but the beginning. The only sound for the first kilometre was the sound of 4,000 pairs of shoes hitting the pavement. The syncopation of the sound was so incredible. At the same time, as far as the eye could see, there was a sea of runners all moving in the same direction and I was in the middle of them. 

My friend Christine and I ran the race together. There were some walls we had to break through but we finished strong. I was expecting more euphoria at the end but it was more a quiet pride and a massive relief that we finished the race in one piece.

Pampering

My lovely friend Claire is getting married in July. To celebrate, Punam and I threw a non-traditional stagette to pamper the bride and ourselves. A facial and full manicure for the bride and mini-manis for the friends. It was a relaxing afternoon catching up and chilling with food and bubbly. 

Punam receiving her mini-mani

The results of my mini-mani

The bride receiving her pampering

Two year anniversary

I received a small gift from the bank in recognition of my 2 years with them. I truly love my job and am passionate about my career in philanthropy. Every day my life intersects with people wanting to change the world and I get to help them along the way. I am truly blessed. I wish someone told me in high school that this career existed. Maybe I wouldn't have taken 10 years to find it.

Red Snapper - Yucatan Style

I finally took a cooking class. It has been something on my to-do list for years and is listed on my 101 things. Done. Check. On May 23rd, my friend Nikki and I learned how to cook real Mexican food. It was a hands-on class and our portion of the meal was a red snapper yucatan style. So much fun! I will most likely take another class. 

Upcoming trip 

Only 3 more sleeps and I leave on another adventure - this time to Istanbul and the UK Lake District. Because my life is full to overflowing these days, there hasn't been much time to fully anticipate but the excitement is starting to seep in as I begin making piles for the trip. Stay tuned - I hope to post updates while traveling.

Interesting websites I recently discovered

This is indexed

Neatorama