Georgian Bay ( August 10-19)

Well, no summer would be complete without a trip to beautiful Georgian Bay. We stuffed everything we needed to live and eat for 9 days into our 2 kayaks and then put out onto the water in search of the first campsite. Georgian Bay is a 'bay' off of the larger Lake Huron, one of the 5 Great Lakes. But 'Bay' may be a bit misleading...at 100km across and 250 kms long...it is not to be messed with if the wind comes up and the weather turns ugly. We have to admit we lucked out on the weather again getting just a little rain one night and no lightning storms which sometimes can be a bit hairy out here.














What can be said about our time here that we probably haven't said before......smooth granite rock, hot sun, good breezes, refreshing clear water, blue skies, clear starry nights, blueberries, raspberries, rain only when sleeping...... For over 100km along the shoreline, there is virtually no development. There is no access by road, and the water is studded with so many rocks and shoals that motorboats and sailboats just can't navigate through here. That leaves a handful of us kayakers ... (we'd see perhaps a couple other groups per day) and a handful of cottages clustered in just one bay along the whole 100km.














John had the delight of catching a 1-2 kg pike (not an easy task to land that from inside a kayak!).....it made for a lot of fish for supper that evening - mega protein! It is never easy takin a living thing and cleaning/eating it with your own hands...but it does have a way of re-connecting you to the earth as the source of all the food we eat and a respect for the creatures that we are see only as hunks of meat in the grocery store.















We did have the excitement of witnessing a 3 foot long water snake take a 6 inch fish it had in its mouth into shallow water before gulping it down in a final struggle between hunter and hunted.....take that National Geographic...wayyy cool!

Also this year, we encountered a lot of mink (kinda like a small sea otter) and they did not seem to mind our presence at all. Because of this, we got to witness them scampering around the shoreline, swimming, diving and hunting.

As always, it was hard to leave but alas we were running out of food and the weather was turning to cooler, windier conditions as we left.... After 9 days of eating packaged foods, pastas, and sauces we always make a much looked forward to trip to greasy fish and chips in Killarney - a ritual that seems to wrap things up just perfectly!. There is no place like Canada in the summer....too bad it only lasts about 10 weeks!

Hotham Sound Sunshine Coast (July 31-Aug 3)

After returning our kayaks at Telegraph Cove, we headed north and spent one night in a small town before we headed to the northeastern tip of Vancouver Island........lets just say that after 70 kms on a gravel timber access road and one hour trekking over fallen trees, creeks, and huge tree roots, we arrived at the amazing beach in Raft Cove. This is about as far west as you can go in Canada...on the open Pacific facing Japan.


There was only one other group camping there and because the beach is so long and the surf was so loud, we felt like we had the place to ourselves.


Unfortunately, we could only stay one night as the rental car was due back.







So after our arrival back in Vancouver with a few nights rest and time to prepare for our last kayaking trip in BC, we headed north to the Sunshine coast....to spend some time in Hotham Sound. Wendy was brave enough to join us in this last adventure.




We truly lucked out with amazing weather and surprising (but thankfully) warm water. Everyday, involved a swim in the Pacific to refresh ourselves. Unlike the previous 2 kayak trips on Vancouver Island where the water was about 12 C, here it was in the mid 20's C due to the fact that there was little exchange of the water in this sound with the open ocean. The added dimension of jumping into nice clear water (and of being hot enough to even want to do so) was a nice juxtaposition with our other 2 trips.

The views are amazing - mountains, water, trees, sun.....need we say more?? We had the fortune of many seal sightings particularly the last night. We had middle of the night visits with one seal making the most amazing sounds close to the beach where we had decided to sleep.....sounds amazingly like a bear!!! Not helpful for those who are faint of heart!!


All in all another great trip - it was a real treat to have Wendy join us.

Johnstone Strait Orca Watch (July 22-25)

After a few days rest, re-supply and de-odouring at the lovely B&A B&B :), we headed north for 300kms to Telegraph cove on the Johnstone Straight just off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island for a few more days of kayaking adventures.....of course, we were primarily hopeful that we would have the privilege to encounter Orcas. Here is a photo packing up the boats for departure from the quaint village of Telegraph cove.














Here is where you learn that there are 3 different communities of Orcas; residents, transients, and open water. The residents stay exclusively in the waters around Vancouver Island and consist of a northern group (where we are) of about 200 and a southern group around Victoria of about 85. The transients stay for the most part on the outside of Vancouver Island but do occasionally roam into the same waters as the residents. The 2 groups though do not mix or mate. In fact the residents eat exclusively salmon and the transients almost exclusively seals and sea lions. The estimate for the numbers of transients on the BC coast are also about 250 or so. The last 'open water' group stays exclusively further out on the continental shelf and much less is known about them. The southern resident group (of about 85) has declined in number by about 20% over the last 10 years so things are not looking good for them, while the northern resident group has declined by about 7% over that time. It seems to us like 200 is not a lot of a base to try and build up from so perhaps we will not have these beauties with us for too much longer.

The climate here is similar to the Broken Group in that the water is chilly (10 degrees C), the mornings are calm (sometimes foggy) and the wind picks up in the afternoon after the sun has burned through the fog. There are also some strange tide and current things happening here as a result of the length (200km) of this strait. The tide can turn and start to go down and yet the current continues to drift in for a couple more hours before it then finally turns and starts to go out. It's strange to see the tide to go almost half-way down towards low tide before the current actually changes and starts to run out to sea!














There are a couple of channels that one could go off from the main strait, but they have wicked currents flowing through that cause rapids to form and are only passable during the period of an hour or so when the current stops and starts to reverse direction. We decided not to paddle through these areas and instead paddled 8km up the strait and made camp on a rocky beach which we used as home base for day trips.

One other thing to mention is that it is not exactly wild and isolated here. This strait is the major shipping lane towards Alaska and in fact during the days we were there we say at least half a dozen enormous cruise ships go by, not to mention tugs and barges and no end of sport fishing boats and these are famous waters for large chinook salmon.














On our first day, we decided that we should hunt for driftwood because the evenings can be cool and a small beachside fire adds to the ambiance of the surf and stars........well, Lori was on the beach diligently doing her part when she heard the sound of a deep breath and puff....she whirled around and there just 100 feet away was a lone Orca swimming by. What an amazing first-time sighting.














Here is a photo of John showing how large the kelp is here - the bulb part bobs on the service of the water and many times you think you're seeing a seal....but no.















The campsite we chose was situated on a small point of land .... little did we know that 6:30 the next morning we would be encouraged to scramble out of our tent because we could hear Orcas swimming right by our site! There was a pod of about 6 to 8 and the sounds these magnificent creatures make as they come up for air is incredible. It really gets you excited - better than any java ever could! Truly delightful!

One morning as Lori was brushing her teeth, two porpoises swam past. There was a resident squirrel at our site who was quite comfortable coexisting with us as he collected and munched on pine cones while we prepared our daily meals. Other creatures viewed there were seals and eagles.

The next day we had a calm morning and decided to paddle the 3km across the strait because we could see that the whale watching boats seemed to go out there each mornin. As we were 3/4 the way across we spotted an Orca a few hundred metres away...we lucked out with our timing. Then suddenly looking to the side we saw that there were 3 more coming our way and we were paddling in almost a direct collision course...a bit unnerving. So we stopped and even backed up a bit and then 3 more came swimming past us perhaps 50 metres or so distant. According to Straitwatch, these 3 Orcas were brothers. We even got to witness a tail flap.....totally awesome! For lunch, we stopped on a beach and were treated to an up-close appearance of a sea otter - it swam within 10 feet of us along the water's edge and didn't seem to mind us at all. It should also be mentioned that on a regular basis, perhaps every 5 minutes or so, salmon would be jumping clear out of the water.














Okay, we had a great time, so when our last morning arrived, it was hard to leave but were thankful for yet another calm, foggy morning in which to make our way back to Telegraph Cove. Little did we know that Orcas were coming our way heading in the same direction as us. Because it was still foggy, we couldn't see any great distance (maybe 100m max)....but then the familiar breathing sound could be heard. Its exciting...and a little intimidating too.

But within a few minutes of hearing them, the 3 brothers appeared - these guys were big. We were apparently in an area where they like to feed so before we knew it, we and a few other kayakers were within 30 meters of 3 big boys - one came within 10 meters! Fantastic! They didn't stay around as long as we would like because there were whale watching boats on the scene as well. So we slowly, but gratefully made our way to journey's end. These orcas in general seem pretty disinterested in us, displaying no sense of curiosity at all but truly an amazing experience to see them from so close up in a kayak.

Here's a photo taken by another group of kayakers with Lori and John in their kayaks in the background.

And below is a photo Lori took with the bow of John's kayak in the foreground.





WooooHooooo!

Kayaking BC's Broken Group Islands (Jul 15-19)

After a long hiatus from blogging during which we have pit stopped for some days visiting with friends and family in Paris, then Toronto, then briefly in Ottawa, we are now in British Columbia enjoying the wild west coast mountains and ocean. Stop #1 out here is sea kayaking on the far west coast of Vancouver Island where there is a cluster of some 50 islands that form a park. Half a dozen of these can be camped on while the rest are pretty hard to land on and walk around. To get here you board the ferry boat shown below in Port Alberni and take a 3 hr journey out of the fjord-like inlet to the far west coast of Vancouver Island. The ferry drops you off on a dock where some rented kayaks are waiting and you begin to stuff everything you need to survive for the next days into the 'holds' of the kayaks.

The outer islands of this set are open to the Pacific Ocean and require some care before venturing out. The water here is about 12 degrees and a typical day has it calm and foggy in the morning with the fog beginning to dissipate as noon approaches only to be replaced by a wind that gets stronger as the day progresses which creates whitecaps usually by 1 in the afternoon. So the rhythm here is get up early, don't get lost in the fog, explore, and then hunker down for the afternoon. Below is the view in the morning... then followed by the afternoon.

The temperature almost never gets warmer than 18 because of the cool wind blowing off the ocean and night time temperatures are constant at the temperature of the surrounding ocean (12 degrees). Meanwhile the backdrop to all this is the high mountains of Vancouver Island rising straight up from the water.

While out exploring during the day Lori got up the nerve to jump into the water (for about 1.5 seconds!) brave soul and we also came across a 'sea arch' which we paddled through ... or should we say surfed through with the surge of small ocean swells gushing through.

This is not the kind of trip you do for warm relaxing in the sun, but for the stimulation of the scenery and the amount of life in the ocean and skies. Over the course of 4 days we saw seals, schools of small fish, many eagles, hummingbirds and even some deer who were surprisingly accustomed to people. And then there are the amazing tidal pools formed as the tide recedes and the huge variation of small crabs, minnows, anemones, starfish, etc, etc that go scurrying every which way when you turn over any rock. We also found a few original giant cedars which have managed to survive the lumberman's chainsaw.

Pools of brightly coloured starfish abound everywhere...

These deer (doe and fawn) swam over to our island and walked by while we were eating supper. I'm eating vegetarian indian food by the way!

Just one of many beach scenes....at low tide....

The magic of tall stately trees....

Our next plan is to shift over to the northeast side of Vancouver Island and kayak there in the Johnstone strait where there is supposed to be several resident pods of killer whales (orcas) that frequent the channel and are known to swim close to the shore. Will we be lucky?

Cinque Terre (Jun 21 - 24)

Well a big thank you to Sarah Lee and Mark for planting the idea of this lovely place in our mind! Our only regret is that we only had 4 days to spend here. It was the ideal place for us to end our Italian journey.

Cinque Terre is a collection of 5 small towns each uniquely located on the coastline in northern Italy - quite close to the border with France. Some villages are perched on cliff-tops while others are clustered within the small valleys between the hills. They are only connected by coastal foot paths and train.....so although there are plenty of tourists, there are relatively few cars....bliss! There are also various other trails inland to other villages.




























We chose to stay in a lovely bright, attic apartment in Montorrosso (the most northerly of the 5 towns). The Raso familia are very warm and sincere.... and invited us to sample their limoncello homemade (their are lemon trees in their yard)!

We were fortunate to spend time wandering around each village, walking the coastal trails, as well as relaxing on the beach and hitting the beautiful clear ocean when it became hot. The water is the perfect temperature to help you feel refreshed without feeling cool.














It was hard to leave but alas, it had to be.....ciao Italy! Thanks for a lovely time!














So now we head for time with friends in Paris and then its off to Canada!

Lucca (Jun 19,20)

Lucca lies 2 hrs to the north of Rome, back in Tuscany again and is a unique town of 80 thousand people or so. Unlike other Tuscan towns this one is flat, not built on a hill top, and as a result is full of bikes. It too is surrounded by a wall that is very broad on top wide enough for pathways with lots of trees and is always full of people jogging, cycling, walking their dogs, etc.















We decided to use it to picnic on our first day and due to lack of glasses we tried (but probably failed) at discretion and decoram....let us know what you think.....see photo of John drinking vino rosso....














Its a wonderful town to get away to and yet still has its share of impressive churches built in the 1200s (some with facades looking a bit like big multi-tiered wedding cake).














We had a nice time here, staying in a place that was an old converted monastery with a room spread over 2 levels and windows looking out over the terracotta roof tops of the town. If one really needed to get away, relax and sip capuccinos in the piazzas then this is one of the places to go!














We stayed just a couple of days because we really wanted to head a bit further north and get back to the sea before leaving Italy.

Rome (Jun 16 to 18)

No trip to Italy can be complete without a visit to Rome. So we went by train from Sorrento (with a few hours layover and quick walkabout in Naples) to Rome which is but 2 hours to the north. Rome is so unique in its mixture of a modern city yet with ancient ruins sprinkled throughout plus a dash of Vatican city thrown in!

We spent our first day in the Vatican Museum with it's stunning fresoes and sculptures, the amazing map room, and of course the Sistine chapel. Wish we could post some photos of the Sistine chapel but the nophoto police were out in full force there....but check outt his photo of the enormous map rooom!



















We then moved over to see St Peter's basilica which is very impressinve not just for its size but also because it is quite beautifully and tastefully done. There was a church service with a visiting choir singing the most heavenly sacred music. Give us goose bumps.



John has been having a great time reading a book about the Medici family in Florence and how the history of that family was intimitly tied to the flowering of the rennaisance. Here he learned that the pope was close to broke while St Peter's was being constructed and therefore resorted to selling a new wave of indulgences to help finance the construction...and that this was a major contributing factor to motivating Luther to protest with his 95 theses which eventually got the whole reformation show rolling in full steam.



The next day was devoted to the ancient Rome tour with a large part of that time spent in and marvelling at the Colliseum for its shear size, for how much of it still remains standing and for all the things you can learn about the daily life and culture of Rome that centered around it. The countless people and animals that lost their lives there entertaining the emperor and the people...and the intellectuals of the time who detested all this fearing that it was indicative of the decay of society.

This all leads you to ponder anew just how it could be possible for such a sophisticated and widespread society to have deacayed into literally almost nothing. How so many magnificent buildings slowly went into ruin and literally became covered over...many only being discovered again since 1500 or so when the rennasaince people went hunting for the history of Rome. Even in the Vatican museum you are impressed over and over again with how many sculptures etc were found in Rome even as late as the last 100 yrs.















....and the last stop on the ancient rome tour has to be the Pantheon....a building that was built in AD 160 or so and still remains completely intact....not in any way could it be considered a ruin or even a rebuilt ruin. Is this the oldest and most complete standing building of impressive size on earth? We had the pleasure of dining on the piazza one evening and enjoyed a mime show and musical quartet all taking place simulatenously but not interfering with one another.......this is Italy!















Well after a couple of days tho' it was enough and time to move north into more rural and relaxing areas not so full of roaring mufflerless motorcycles and in search of less extreme heat which was made walking around a bit exhausting.