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Bob’s Recent Blog Posts
- Summer adventure, Life adventure September 25, 2018
- Walking with Purpose III – Switzerland and Italy September 19, 2018
- Walking with Purpose II September 17, 2018
- A Cautionary Canada Day tale July 1, 2018
- History is messy. June 13, 2018
Adventure Archives
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Summer adventure, Life adventure
I have found that fear is a powerful motivator for me; in my running days I had a fear based training program. Set an impossible goal, then use fear of failing to motivate the necessary training. A few sleepless nights … Continue reading
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Walking with Purpose III – Switzerland and Italy
The Via Francigena is not for the easily distracted or for those who desire instant gratification; it’s a 2000 kilometre path that starts in Canterbury, England, traverses northern France then wends its way through Switzerland and crosses into Italy over … Continue reading
Walking with Purpose II
Last summer, I started a major walk; the Via Francegina, from Canterbury to Rome. It follows the path of Sigeric the Serious, the Archbishop of Canterbury who made the trek to be appointed Cardinal. His return trip was documented; he … Continue reading
A Cautionary Canada Day tale
Joseph Stiglitz is a Nobel Prize winning economist, a past chair of the US Council of Economic Advisors and a past chief economist of the World Bank. I may be going with my gut here but I’m thinking he has … Continue reading
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History is messy.
What’s history? In my schoolchild days it was a long, complicated series of dates and names to be memorized; kings and queens of western European countries, battles and maps and heroes and villains. It was dead white men of privilege … Continue reading
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Jewels in an Uneasy Crown
I’m not an historian, I’m an opinionated blogger, an undisciplined student of whatever is on my mind and an itinerant traveller with a superficial grasp of the facts. I have a thin patina of knowledge, enough to make me dangerous … Continue reading
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Tagged Alcazar, Alhambra, Cordoba, Granada, malaga, menocal, Mezquita, Ornament of the world, seville
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Base Camp Basel
Over the last five years, I have enjoyed the warm hospitality and my very own bedroom in Basel, Switzerland courtesy of Kristen and Christopher. A few weeks ago, I made what is likely my last visit to Basel. They are … Continue reading
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My Digital Dependency
I signed up for Twitter about a month ago; Trump tweets were the catnip for joining. I NEEDED to see Trump’s tweets directly; news casts blaring BREAKING NEWS and showing me the feeds were not enough. I wanted to go … Continue reading
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Smart Shopping.
I’m going to change my bank this week. I have decided, despite knowing that this will be a pain in the butt, I’m moving my bank accounts to Vancity, a British Columbia credit union with more than 500,000 members. Vancity … Continue reading
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Tagged aria market, Delaneys coffee, smart shopping, Tango meats, Vancity, Walmart
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Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe.
There is a restaurant called Bollywood at Jungfraujoch, an amazing Swiss tourist site in the middle of the Jungfrau range. It serves authentic Indian food to some 1000 happy customers a day. An Indian restaurant in the center of an … Continue reading
Man’s Search for Meaning.
Victor Frankl is regarded as one of the world’s foremost psychologists. His most popular book, Man’s Search for Meaning, was published in 1946. The book has been translated into 24 languages; more than 12 million copies have been sold. It … Continue reading
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Tagged Auschwitz, Birkenau, Man's Search for Meaning, Off the Couch and Out the Door, victor Frankl
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Walking as Inspiration
If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. – Raymond Inmon My first response to anyone who asks, ‘what do you think about when you walk?’ is always … Continue reading
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Tagged 88 temples, Camino Portuguese, Climbing Kilimanjaro, Hike, middle aged fitness, midlife adventures, Mount Kilimanjaro, Off the Couch and Out the Door, Outward Bound, shikoku, shikoku pigrimage, St Francis way, treks, walking inspiration, writing inspiration
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Walking as meditation.
Over the past few years, I have become a walker, a hiker, a trekker, a wanderer, a rambler and, later in the day, a trudger and a plodder. I have come to enjoy going off on long walks in various … Continue reading
Sandra gives us more than yoga.
The secret to thriving in big cities is to become a part of the small neighbourhoods within them. The secret of these small neighbourhoods is people who animate them. Our secret in my hood is Sandra. When I moved to … Continue reading
China – Shattered Images – #3
I find a visit to any country ignites an interest and a curiosity to know more. I’ve read more about modern China since returning home than I have in the months prior to departing. My interest piqued, I’m trying to … Continue reading
China – shattered images – #2
My primary purpose in visiting China was as a tourist; to see the sights, taste the food, hear the sounds, experience the reality. It is after all a foreign place. Is Canadian Chinese food really Chinese? Is the Great Wall … Continue reading
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China – shattered images – #1
Six years ago, Kristen and Chris returned from their adventure in China astounded. “It changes the way you see the world!” they said. They were obviously right; I am still wide-eyed and speechless after a three week whirlwind trip through … Continue reading
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Tagged Beijing, China, Chongqing, great wall, midlife adventures, Off the Couch and Out the Door, Shanghai. GAdventures
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What are you thinking?
A few years ago, I was talking with Tiara, my Buddhist friend, about an upcoming walking trip. I told her I was good on the flat ground but climbing hills was tough. Tiara offered a suggestion, she called it walking … Continue reading
Remembrance and Sadness.
There is no joy to be derived from visiting any war memorial. There is no celebration in visiting the grave sites of the hundreds of thousands lost in any conflict or war. For me, there is only sadness, an unbelievable … Continue reading
Walking with Purpose
In 990 AD, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sigeric, walked to Rome; invited by Pope John XV to be elevated to the position of Cardinal. We know this because his return trip was chronicled by a member of his party – … Continue reading
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Why I give to Outward Bound.
Recently, I was asked by Outward Bound to write a short note explaining why I supported Outward Bound. The original note can be found in Outward Bound’s Fresh Tracks newsletter. http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/122508/4d2dc37fc9/ARCHIVE I believe in adventures; stepping out of my comfort … Continue reading
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My Aussie-land
Many years ago, I read the definitive history of Australia, The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes. It was a long, difficult, compelling and, ultimately, rewarding read. Hughes chronicles the early days, the shipment of some 160,000 convicts, orphans and indigents to … Continue reading
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Portuguese Adventurers
Jose Saramago, the Nobel prize-winning Portuguese writer, described the Portuguese as “people who possess little and feel much.” It wasn’t always so. The Portuguese were the world’s great adventurers; for a glorious century, the Portuguese expanded the known world beyond … Continue reading
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Excessive Portugal
As long as I feel the fresh breeze in my hair … Continue reading
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The Power of Trust – II
Pierre Trudeau paddled the South Nahanni in 1970; his love of paddling was clear: “What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other…. paddle 100 miles in a canoe and you … Continue reading
The Power of Trust – I
The South Nahanni River is a true Canadian Icon, a World Heritage site. It is rugged, powerful, inaccessible, and indescribably beautiful. Paddling the 200 or so kilometers of the South Nahanni below Virginia Falls in a canoe is a legendary … Continue reading
Look for the Helpers.
Some adventures in life are not fun, they are just life in all it’s messiness and unpredictability. I have to search within my self to find meaning; sometimes the introspection process is the only important result of the search for … Continue reading
Wanderwegging in Switzerland
Wanderweg is German for footpath. Switzerland is wanderweg heaven; a maze of thousands of kilometres of footpaths and hiking trails of various degrees of difficulty, every path carefully marked, given a number and assiduously signposted. The Swiss, home of impeccable … Continue reading
In the Land of Needless Worry.
There is a difference between vacations and adventures. A vacation is about rest, relaxation and enjoyment. It is, by definition and choice, intended to lower the blood pressure, facilitate mindless hedonism and indulge the senses. An adventure is completely different. … Continue reading
Energy advocacy – what to believe?
It’s been a busy week for energy advocacy. On Tuesday, billionaire Murray Edwards and Brian Ferguson, Cenovus CEO, penned an oped for the Globe entitled Our country – and our companies – are ready for a new pipeline dialogue. Here’s … Continue reading
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Pipeline hubris
Spoiler alert- This is not a travel adventure blog post. Somehow this one slipped through. Someone wise once told me that most of our wounds are self-inflicted. In the context of this weeks noisy debate about pipelines in Canada, we … Continue reading
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Tagged canadian energy, Justin Trudeau, Northern Gateway, Notley, pipeline politics
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Where’s home?
I travel a lot. When I travel, one of the first questions I’m asked by fellow travelers is: “Where are you from?” It is all about establishing your home. This idea of home has been on my mind lately. I … Continue reading
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Hockey and Heidi-land.
Yes, there is a place called Heidi-land. It is in Switzerland and it doesn’t just resemble the movie home of our beloved Heidi; it replicates it. Read the book, see the movie; your internalized, glorified, mythical image of Switzerland exists. … Continue reading
India and COP21 – not a Travelogue.
My travel goal is to deliberately take myself out of my comfort zone, to cause myself a bit of discomfort. Trips to strange places challenge my conventional wisdoms, confront my biases and cause me to think more deeply about all … Continue reading
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Tagged climate change, COP 21, Dharavi, India, midlife adventures, Off the Couch and Out the Door
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Responsible Tourism
Inscrutable India; she is beyond comprehension to me. I have difficulty understanding Mumbai, how it functions, how it reconciles the extremes evident everywhere. My first inscrutable is why more than 500,000 rural peasants migrate to Mumbai every year. My second … Continue reading
Poverty and Privilege.
Today, my third day in Mumbai was both disconcerting and troubling. I travel for many reasons; adventure, to take myself out of my comfort zone, the thrill of new experiences, to widen my perspective, to learn, to see the world … Continue reading
Cool Iceland
It is late November. We are in Iceland. Setting aside for a moment what some might consider the foolishness of choosing such an adventure, Iceland’s wild winter beauty is striking – glaciers and geysers! Blair planned the trip. He loves to … Continue reading
Plus ça Change…
Everything changes… The October 19th election of the Trudeau Liberals was historic. For many reasons. If last night is any measure it will soon become historic by another measure – the number of people who claim they, and only they, … Continue reading
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Tagged canadian politics. Pierre Trudeau, Justin Trudeau, Ottawa, Terry Beech
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They have dared greatly.
On the day before an election, particularly one this long, it is hard to lift my head, look out over the horizon and take the long view. My perspective is shot. One observation has survived and is crystal clear – … Continue reading
The Power of Engagement.
The Power of Engagement Over the past two months I have been fully immersed in the upcoming election; at 78 days, the longest is current Canadian history. These are wild rides. They take me out of my comfort zone; way, … Continue reading
Off the Couch and Out on the Hustings.
Hustings is one of those arcane words that only comes up at election time. The word goes back to 12th century England, it means a place or meeting where politicians make election speeches. I first got involved in politics in … Continue reading
The Adventure of Friendship
Over the years, I have often reminded myself that I have been blessed with good friends. I continue to enjoy those blessings. Blair and Jean have been a profound force in my life since they arrived in Taber on a … Continue reading
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Wherever we go…
Advance warning; the word ‘journey’ will not be used in this blogpost. Having been hijacked and over exploited by the self help industry, it has been retired indefinitely from my vocabulary; suitable alternatives to describe life’s adventures and meanderings have … Continue reading
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Tagged Corn Capital of Canada, Going home, midlife adventures, Taber
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The one less traveled by
Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference. – Robert Frost The Camino Portuguese is a 600 kilometer pilgrimage from Lisbon to Santiago. Unlike the more famous … Continue reading
Obrigado Portugal
I have spent the last three weeks on the Camino Portuguese, a 600 kilometre Pilgrimage from Lisbon in Portugal to Santiago in Spain. I walked across Portugal, village to town to city, along ancient cobblestone paths, following the Via Romana … Continue reading
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Tagged Albergue, Camino Portuguese, Camino Santiago, Casa Guedes Porto, Eat Portugal, FC Porto, fitness over 60, Lisbon, middle aged fitness, midlife adventures, Off the Couch and Out the Door, Oporto shore tours, Ponte de Lima, Porto, Portugal, portuguese bread, Santiago, St Francis way, Via Romana XIX
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Die drey scheenschte Dääg – the three most beautiful days
My travel books are filled with fascinating stories of spellbinding, often bizarre rituals, rites and celebrations – inexplicable to outsiders but filled and layered with meaning to the locals. Most times, the more isolated the culture, the more fascinating the … Continue reading
Slow, Simple, Solitary.
I am getting ready to go out the door for my next adventure. This one will be the Camino Portugues, a 600+ kilometer pilgrimage walk from Lisbon to Santiago starting on March 1. Last year, I completed the Camino Frances, … Continue reading
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The Geographic Cure
Sometimes travel isn’t about going to a new place, it’s about getting away from the place I’m at, even if only temporarily. Going away is getting away, escaping, retreating, running, changing. It’s called the geographic cure. Examples? All Canadians want … Continue reading
Edna Foulkes 1919-2014
My mother, Edna Foulkes, passed away on October 30th. She was 95. Born at the end of the great war, she grew up on a farm near Taber; everyone worked hard to force a living out of their family farm, … Continue reading
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Older than Dirt
Rome is indescribable and almost incomprehensible; the layers of history are too deep and the bits that have survived are difficult to make order and sense of. Rome also isn’t well served by photographs. Pictures really can’t capture the grandeur … Continue reading
