Good evening ladies and gents! I hope today finds you all in good health and better spirits. It's been an unseasonably warm weekend and I've been making every effort to enjoy the fine weather while it lasts.
I know that November isn't exactly right around the corner, but I wanted to give everyone plenty of warning in advance this year: The Gourmet Food and Wine Expo is coming! This is an annual event that I haven't missed the past four or five years running, but always seem to remember at the last possible moment. This time I wanted to get a post out early in the hopes that some of you will be able to join me for this year's event. Some of you may recall that I've mentioned the Expo before, here's last year's post-show post:
http://colinswanderings.blogspot.com/2010/11/food-wine-and-travel.html
For those readers who don't feel like re-reading my old posts, I'll attempt to summarize the show. Food. Wine. Lots.
All jesting aside, it's a great way to get out and try some new wines. I've frequently been introduced to something amazing at the show; it was at a similar show that I discovered Mediera, which remains a personal favourite in the fortified wine category, I tried a tequila there once that totally changed my perception of the beverage, I got my first taste of what amazing whites are being produced in New Zealand, and last year I found out that The Republic of Georgia makes incredible reds. The show really hits the three I's: interesting, informative, and intoxicating.
I got a discount code via e-mail this weekend, and while I'm not sure if there's a limit on how many tickets I can apply that to I'm certainly willing to put in an order for all my friends and family in the hopes of getting us all in there on the cheap.
This year's show runs from November 17-20 and I expect that I'll be heading in there on Saturday the 19th. We've discovered through trial and error that the best experience can be had by attending the show as early in the day as possible, before the crowds set in. On Saturday the doors open at noon (presumably to conform to appropriate social conventions around what time of day to drink) and I will be making every effort to be among the first people through the doors.
Here's the link to the official website:
http://www.foodandwineexpo.ca/sitepages/
I'm recommending that anyone who has the opportunity to be in Toronto during that weekend send me an email so that I can get some tickets. Gray, Susan, and I had a blast there last year, but this year I'd love to make it a group event. Give me a shout if you're interested!
Sunday 25 September 2011
Sunday 18 September 2011
Back on Track with Travelling
Hello ladies and gents! Sorry for another prolonged quiet period there. Euphy and I had both been pretty sick for awhile with a nasty cold that just wouldn't let up. Work hasn't exactly been a sunny vacation spot either. I'm happy to say though that the rough transition period at work is coming to an end and we're starting to get in to a more normal routine. I didn't work at all this weekend!
I'm also happy to announce that your travelling blogger is finally going to be getting his butt in gear and doing some travelling! Go figure!
The first trip on this brave new agenda is a weekend in Killarney. The whole family is heading up for the Thanksgiving long weekend. It will be Mom, Dad, Graydyn, Susan, Euphemia and I for four days at the Killarney Mountain Lodge and I couldn't be more excited! I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say that too... the levels of excitement from everyone have been palpable. It will be Euphy and Susan's first trip up there, so there's the Adventure Excitement on that front, and of course the rest of us are very familiar with just how awesome it is up there, so we're all exited just to get up there and have a great weekend. I'm hoping for some good weather so that we can get out there and enjoy some hiking. I don't think I've ever been to Killarney quite that late in the year, so I'm not sure what to expect in terms of Fall colours, but I certainly have my hopes up that we'll be treated to a really great show. With that much time to work with we should be able to fit in one of the more substantial hikes like Silverpeak or The Crack.
I'd also love to do a nice bit of kayaking while we're there. It's been awhile since I've done any kayaking without some included camping... and all the gear that accompanies such an adventure. It'll be fun to get out in some unladen kayaks and splash around. Euphy's never been in a kayak before, but I'm confident that she'll get out there and love it given the opportunity.
On that note I'm proud to say that Euphemia was brave enough to hop on the back of my bike this afternoon for a trial run! She was understandably reluctant to let me buy her the necessary (and pricey) safety equipment for motorcycling when she wasn't even sure if she'd enjoy it. We made due this afternoon by having her wear my entirely too large jacket and gloves and just confined ourselves to the (relative) safety of a parking lot. It wasn't a perfect taste of the world of motorcycling but it was a good opportunity for me to get my first experience of having a passenger, and it let Euphy get a basic idea of how it feels to be on the back of a bike. She really seemed to enjoy it, and we're planning on hitting the motorcycle show this December to try to score some off-season deals on a bit of gear for her so that we can start doing some more substantial rides next season.
The last, but definitely not least, bit of travel news for today is that we booked a trip to Cuba! WOOHOO! It's something we've been talking about for awhile now. Euphemia's never been to the Caribbean before and I really wanted to take her somewhere exciting for her birthday on December 12th. We decided to head down from Saturday the 10th to Saturday the 17th so that we'd be somewhere sunny and warm on her birthday. We were strongly considering Negril in Jamaica since I'd had such a great time down there for my cousin's wedding back in '09, but the Paradisus Rio de Oro in Holguin, Cuba came highly recommended from my parents as well as my friends Chris and Beth who got married there a few years back. I was inclined towards Jamaica because I really want Euphy's first Caribbean vacation to be a great experience, and I was confident that we'd have a good time there. In the end the Paradisus won out largely because we got a great deal on it, and it was important to Euphy that I have a bit of an adventure too instead of going somewhere I'd been before. Holguin was a good compromise there; I've had great feedback from a couple trusted sources, so I can be confident of a great trip, but it's still new to me, so there's the important element of adventure. We just booked the trip today, and I'm buzzing with excitement! It's a good thing I've got the trip to Killarney to hold me off or I'd be running circles in my living room right now!
Well, that's all for now folks. I'll check in next week, most likely with one of more generic travel-related posts. We're just getting started with getting a general timeline laid out for next year's proposed trip to China, so there's not much to comment on in that space yet, but I'll keep you all posted as we start to get things worked out there. Until next week, have fun!
I'm also happy to announce that your travelling blogger is finally going to be getting his butt in gear and doing some travelling! Go figure!
The first trip on this brave new agenda is a weekend in Killarney. The whole family is heading up for the Thanksgiving long weekend. It will be Mom, Dad, Graydyn, Susan, Euphemia and I for four days at the Killarney Mountain Lodge and I couldn't be more excited! I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say that too... the levels of excitement from everyone have been palpable. It will be Euphy and Susan's first trip up there, so there's the Adventure Excitement on that front, and of course the rest of us are very familiar with just how awesome it is up there, so we're all exited just to get up there and have a great weekend. I'm hoping for some good weather so that we can get out there and enjoy some hiking. I don't think I've ever been to Killarney quite that late in the year, so I'm not sure what to expect in terms of Fall colours, but I certainly have my hopes up that we'll be treated to a really great show. With that much time to work with we should be able to fit in one of the more substantial hikes like Silverpeak or The Crack.
I'd also love to do a nice bit of kayaking while we're there. It's been awhile since I've done any kayaking without some included camping... and all the gear that accompanies such an adventure. It'll be fun to get out in some unladen kayaks and splash around. Euphy's never been in a kayak before, but I'm confident that she'll get out there and love it given the opportunity.
On that note I'm proud to say that Euphemia was brave enough to hop on the back of my bike this afternoon for a trial run! She was understandably reluctant to let me buy her the necessary (and pricey) safety equipment for motorcycling when she wasn't even sure if she'd enjoy it. We made due this afternoon by having her wear my entirely too large jacket and gloves and just confined ourselves to the (relative) safety of a parking lot. It wasn't a perfect taste of the world of motorcycling but it was a good opportunity for me to get my first experience of having a passenger, and it let Euphy get a basic idea of how it feels to be on the back of a bike. She really seemed to enjoy it, and we're planning on hitting the motorcycle show this December to try to score some off-season deals on a bit of gear for her so that we can start doing some more substantial rides next season.
The last, but definitely not least, bit of travel news for today is that we booked a trip to Cuba! WOOHOO! It's something we've been talking about for awhile now. Euphemia's never been to the Caribbean before and I really wanted to take her somewhere exciting for her birthday on December 12th. We decided to head down from Saturday the 10th to Saturday the 17th so that we'd be somewhere sunny and warm on her birthday. We were strongly considering Negril in Jamaica since I'd had such a great time down there for my cousin's wedding back in '09, but the Paradisus Rio de Oro in Holguin, Cuba came highly recommended from my parents as well as my friends Chris and Beth who got married there a few years back. I was inclined towards Jamaica because I really want Euphy's first Caribbean vacation to be a great experience, and I was confident that we'd have a good time there. In the end the Paradisus won out largely because we got a great deal on it, and it was important to Euphy that I have a bit of an adventure too instead of going somewhere I'd been before. Holguin was a good compromise there; I've had great feedback from a couple trusted sources, so I can be confident of a great trip, but it's still new to me, so there's the important element of adventure. We just booked the trip today, and I'm buzzing with excitement! It's a good thing I've got the trip to Killarney to hold me off or I'd be running circles in my living room right now!
Well, that's all for now folks. I'll check in next week, most likely with one of more generic travel-related posts. We're just getting started with getting a general timeline laid out for next year's proposed trip to China, so there's not much to comment on in that space yet, but I'll keep you all posted as we start to get things worked out there. Until next week, have fun!
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