Yukon Breather

Taking a break from the log cabin. For now I'm enjoying riding my 1955 Peugeot around the alleys of Vancouver, eating copious amounts of sushi, taking advantage of americanos at my doorstep and walking down streets not knowing a soul.

White Stripes in Whitehorse

Yesterday was White Stripes day in Whitehorse. Jack and Meg White wandered around town and put on an impromptu show in a little park for all the people that weren't able to get tickets for thier evening performance. Over 100 camped out for tickets and only 20 got them.

With only an hours notice most everyone in the area turned up to see. Some in awe, some curious as to what all the hype has been about and some just to enjoy good music.

Jack seemed moved by the Whitehorse welcome and even got a little emotional as he left the stage.

Later that night I headed to the Arts Centre with the lucky few with tickets in hand. It was such a special time. Almost 2 hours straight of rocking without a breath. Highlights: adding a little of the Laidback song "Whitehorse" to their mix, slapping the stage with the 7 year old next to me, the dedication of "We're going to be friends" to the girl who chatted with them in the coffee shop. And with the wave of the Yukon flag across the stage, Jack and Meg White headed to Yellowknife.

Crocus Time

Every year up here the crocus is the first sign of colour and a good indication that it should be warming up ANYTIME NOW! I've never seen as many crosuses as I have this year. They are such a wonder to me. Maybe I've spent too much time around pampered, managed and tailored flower gardens in my life, but these hardy little guys blow my mind every year. They explode out of the dusty earth, surviving frosty nights, with no help.

For Away Jay

Sunset at 10:15 pm last night.

Berlin Series: A Play Place

Everywhere we went in Berlin there seemed to be an area for children to play. The attitude towards children, young or old, is noticeably easy, open, accepting and welcoming in Berlin. We came across one play area that we initially miss took for an excavation site. If we hadn't had a closer look we would have walked right by, but upon closer inspection we sensed fun. We asked a woman and her 3 year old if it was okay to have a look around. She smiled and said that yes, it was a playground. It wouldn't have met any North American playground inspection criteria by far, it was wonderful.

Ponies

Between Beadnell, the village where my grandparents live, and Bamburgh Castle wild ponies have been reintroduced. Lovely little, tough, furry ponies wandering up and down the sand dunes in the brisk Northumberland breeze.

Berlin series: Art?

While wandering around Berlin we were confronted with random displays of art at every turn. Even if it wasn't intentionally art, it became art in the atmosphere of Berlin. Thoughtful and strategic graffiti, bombed out buildings turned art production houses, diving boards over concrete, toilets and Christmas trees.

Happy Birthday Mom!

A special sighting on a special day. Three lynx crossed the road infront of me. They are such a funny looking rabbit-like cat.

Berlin Series: Potsdam

Prior to our jaunt through Scandinavia, we spent a week in Berlin. We managed to pull ourselves away from the intense history and culture of the city core to hop on a train and travel to Potsdam. Here we wandered around vast parks full of palaces and castles built for Prussian royalty. Strolled past a lonely Lenin bust and the building where the US, Soviet Union and United Kingdom decided how to divvy up Germany. We also found the best slides ever…

Collective Lego Project: Oslo

Danish bikes

A different kind of North

I'm sitting in the most wonderful, and most northern, library on the planet I think. I'm at the Tromsø International Film Festival and enjoying this lovely place north of the arctic circle.

We started with a week in Berlin a few more weeks hopping on and off trains through Denmark and Sweden and now we're here. I am in aw of this intelligent, aware and social place where brown sweet cheese is a delicacy!

The photos will say much more. Right now I've got to get back out and take this all in.

I'll never skate in a rink again...

I've been a little down because there hasn't been enough snow to ski and it's been COLD.

The lake went through a turbulent couple of days before it froze. Windy wind sucked the warmth out of the water forming a dense fog that stuck to nearby trees as dense hoar frost. We thought it was certain to freeze chunky...hopes of skating or skiing on the lake dashed.

But we woke up a couple of mornings ago and it froze flat. Flat enough to skate along the shore for as far as we wanted to go.

I wasn't expecting the thrill of skating on an open lake. I'm used to putting on my skates and going round in circles, confined to a rink. Skating in one long straight line is something different...

as far as you can see...

you could skate forever...

just before it froze