A good pair of walking shoes can really take you far in Wellington. It’s a very easy city to navigate on foot (and I confess I’m a bit intimidated by strange bus systems). Walking also allows you to find some hidden gems and notice the finer details.
My home base was in Oriental Bay, easy distance from downtown. The seawall and walkway run between downtown and around Oriental Bay; windy, but gorgeous. Grab a latte or an amazing Gelato from Kaffee Eis, 236 Oriental Parade and enjoy the stroll into town.
There’s a charming wishing well and public art adorns the walkway. 
Giant Norfolk Pines, well actually normal size, but in Canada we only get the dwarf houseplant variety, line the walkway and at night they are beautifully lit. As you get closer to town the beautiful Pohutukawa, sometimes called the Kiwi Christmas tree take over.
Pohutukawa
As you reach the Freyberg Pool, look across the street and you’ll see Parade Cafe, my favourite of the cafe’s I visited. Sadly, rumour has it, they may close as their location is being torn down for a real estate development. I’ve included their website address below. Check them out – you won’t be disappointed.
Past the pool is a small marina, a place to rent bicycles, and a children’s park. There’s a bridge crossing a small waterway and then you are in the parking lot that on Sunday’s is home to the local farmer’s market. New Zealand has an amazing array of produce and well just food in general. 
I was not expecting Macadamia nut products from Hawkes Bay or Olive Oils from Hastings. I picked up Macadamia nut butter for my dad and brought home two bottles of Waiohiki Olive Oil for myself. 
The Frantoio is a classic smooth olive oil which I am enjoying in my daily cooking, but the Koroneiki has an almost green smell. It’s tangy and a beautiful base for salad dressings.
Farmer's Market with Te Papa in the background.
I love farm tours, markets and trying local produce. I was lucky enough to visit the Wellington farmer’s market twice on my trip. Try the wood fired margarita pizza with fresh basil or the chocolate Brioche. I also discovered a good source for fresh and reasonably priced tofu. I honestly don’t know how the Kiwi vegetarians make out. The restaurants usually have options but as far as what we are used to, they have little variety or availability of tofu, tempeh and other meatless alternatives. Yves veggie cuisine should open up shop!
Carrying on, the large building in front of you is Te Papa Museum that I referred to in my last post. Veer to the left and you’ll arrive at the front door or follow the water around the back side for a spectacular look at the harbour. Please spread your visit over two days so you can truly enjoy it.
All this walking and coffee, you probably have to pee. Don’t worry. New Zealand is blessed with an abundance of gracious, clean, public toilets – and I’ll go into great detail in a later post.
Peace to you, and if you can spare a dime, the people of Haiti could really use our help.
http://www.wellingtonnz.com/sights_activities/freyberg_pool_fitness_centre
Dear Reader – please excuse my tardiness. I find I am overwhelmed by the natural disaster in Haiti. It feels frivolous to regale you with my insights and adventures in New Zealand so let me instead talk a little bit about the similarities between these two island nations.
1. They are both Island nations.
2. They’ve both experienced at least one earthquake on January 12, 2010 (NZ had 2!)
I confess a fascination with Earthquakes – I live in a fault zone area and we are waiting for ‘the big one’. The Te Papa museum in Wellington, NZ has an excellent interactive installation that covers Earthquakes and Vulcanism – oh and its free. They even have an ‘earthquake house’ that lets you experience a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. Best of all – its FREE. 
New Zealand has experienced 6 earthquakes of a magnitude higher than 6 in the last 10 years with only 1 fatality. This Island nation is constantly battered by earthquakes (16 so far in 2010! **). The most catastrophic earthquake recorded in New Zealand is the Hawkes Bay earthquake of 1931 which took the lives of 256 people.
Haiti has had only one major earthquake in modern history – but when she does, she has a doozie:
Tuesday, January 12th at 21:53:10 UTC a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred at a depth of 13km (8.1 miles) and 25 km WSW of Port-Au-Prince* and currently the death toll is confirmed at 72,000 and rising.
The analysis of Haiti is starting to come out; shallow epicentre, poor building codes, over crowding, economic and political instability and yet the world rallies. We don’t point fingers in blame we just try to help. Aid is coming, from my students, already struggling who are collecting small change, to governments and relief agencies mobilizing rapidly.
I think of my daytimer, when I have my work load all planned out and an ‘emergency’ throws my work day and productivity all out of whack. Today I’m thinking of world leaders, who, let’s face it, their schedule is probably busier than mine, quickly responding to help our neighbour.
My heart is heavy for Haiti yet filled with joy for the human kindness I see mobilizing around me.
Vancouverites – timely reminder to check your earthquake preparedness kits!
Last tidbit in this sadly disjointed piece - Maori’s have a beautiful symbol called ‘Koru’. It is inspired by the unfurling fern frond and one of the meanings associated with it is ‘New Beginnings’. This is me, visualizing a ‘Koru’ for the people of Haiti, and sending strength for all the New Beginnings this tragedy has created .
Koru from the Wellington Botanical Gardens
UPDATE: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 11:03:44 UTC Haiti experienced an aftershock of 5.9 magnitude**
Footnotes:
*source: U.S.G.S. – US Geological Survey
**http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html
… continued from last entry
Departure day: After months of managing vendor, staff, and customer relations, struggling to organize production runs and project cars, and commanding endless spreadsheets; we are eager to escape the office to embark on this road trip adventure and look forward to the sights along the way…
Autumn Colours in the Cascade Mountains
Dawn breaks over the cool autumn morning and our neighborhood has yet to come to life. With the essentials stowed, I roll open the garage door and enjoy a brief moment of morning serenity that I am rarely awake early enough to enjoy. Then, with a twist of the key, the air is filled with the beautifully tuned exhaust note of a turbo charged V6 motor and our expedition to southern Texas has begun.
Driving through the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, we take in the foliage in full fall regalia. The rolling wheat fields in Northern Oregon and Idaho mark a dramatic change in scenery and make for an excellent photo opportunity. As each mile passes beneath our wheels the daily pressures seemed to melt away and by the time the sun sets in the side view mirror our hearts are light with the freedom of the open road.
It was about this time we come to find some errors in our initial calculations… Crossing into Idaho and into the Mountain time-zone, we realize we’d be losing two hours of driving time due to the time changes. Coupled with lots of major road construction (thanks to the Obama economic Stimulus Plan) we are definitely behind schedule.
We seem to be keeping an average of 70 mph but it just isn’t going to be enough so a decision is made to take turns driving straight through the night. Sadly this meant we would miss the beauty of Utah (I guess now I have excuse to go back!) but luckily, one my favorite parts of a road trip is the drive through the night. 
Three a.m. and the roads are empty, the asphalt curves ahead of us like a black satin ribbon, and the moon darts mischievously through the sky like a nymph. The world ceases to exist outside the beam of your headlights and there’s nothing but you, your car, and the open highway… and music; I gotta have great music!
My driving music playlist is an eclectic mix of artists and genres including Lynyrd Skynyrd, U2, Cheryl Crow, ACDC, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, etc. These are all songs designed to keep your hands tapping on the steering wheel and to give you something to croon along with while your co-pilot is snoozing in the passenger seat. The hardest part of the night time drive is keeping a speed under 100mph as the temptation in this car is just too great to resist.
Sunrise in New Mexico
As the dawn breaks over the hoodoos of New Mexico, we are now at the half way point. I am in awe of the great plains that surround us and vibrant red layers of the sedimentary rock formations. The magnitude of open and untouched land with no sign of human occupation short of the road we travel is astounding; I can close my eyes and imagine prehistoric creatures roaming in the distance.
Historic Route 66
Our bodies are getting tired after 24 hours in less than plush racing bucket seats, but frequent snack and stretch breaks keep our energy up. Despite the hectic pace we are keeping there is something calming about knowing where you are going and having nothing else to do but enjoy the ride. When we have the chance to take a short jaunt down the historic Route 66 we do so eagerly, and the fun twisty two lane highway is all it is promised to be.
Several hours later, we see the star shaped sentries marking the Texas border and our tired minds rejoice with the hope that we have almost made it to our destination. We chat amicably, sing along to some favorite tunes, and take turns dozing. Several more hours later, we begin to appreciate just how darned BIG Texas is as we realize we still have a few hundred miles to go. The lone star state’s landscape eases from cactus filled desert to the lush ranchland of the south Texas plains, the sun sets on another day behind the wheel, and we finally approach the town of Goliad.
As we check in to our hotel, weary but happy, I reflect on the magnitude of the journey we have just completed. 2465 miles, across seven states, in 42 hours. Greater yet, is the 180 degree shift in attitude from the cranky stressed out person that left the office two days ago to the peaceful demeanor that has sunk into my pores. After the event we will leave the car in Houston and fly home, but I am already looking forward to the chance to repeat this road trip next year and let the serenity of the road do its magic once again.
Dear Reader – You’ve already read a little about my sister in previous posts. While I’m away she has graciously submitted the following two part post of her whirlwind trip to Texas – and I do mean whirlwind! Wishing you all Happy Holidays!
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Life is a Journey, not a Destination
After two months of seemingly non-stop dreary weather, the sun is shining and the skies are clear as far as the eye can see. As we say in Vancouver on days like this, “the mountains are out”. Driving around town today I can see the Lions regally standing guard over the North Shore, the ski slopes of Grouse Mountain are on display (flanked by the new windmill that has recently altered our landscape), and Baker is sitting majestically to the south.
I am content to happily run about errands, basking in the warm rays penetrating through the windshield. Stepping out of the toasty car though, the summery image is briskly thrust aside as the near zero temperatures and cutting wind harshly reminds me that it is indeed December. The shops are getting busy and holiday stresses are starting to rise. I find myself day dreaming as I cruise along the highway and nearly miss my exit as I am tempted just to keep on driving until I find myself in a climate where the sun is as warm as it looks and I can escape the hectic hustle and bustle.
HPA's 565hp VW R32 on route to Texas
Two months ago in the midst of our depressing wet and windy autumn weather, my colleague and I had just such a chance to escape for a brief impromptu trip to Texas. Spending two days in the warm dry south was a welcome respite, but the true joy of this excursion lay in the journey itself. We were not to travel via airplane, but rather via car; and a fast one at that! The object of the trip was to drive from Vancouver to Goliad, Texas to participate in the Texas Mile high speed event.
Attending the event would be an enormous opportunity to introduce our small company, HPA Motorsports, to the sports car enthusiasts and media who would be congregating for the bi-annual running of the mile. A quick calculation showed us we had 2465 miles to cover, but our responsibilities back at the office only allowed us two days to do it. Time to break out the road trip math…
After studying the road atlas, looking up the various state speed limits, and referring to Google Maps, we spend hours calculating the probability of pulling this off. We figure 32 hours of driving at 75mph seems reasonable (assuming a few higher speed spurts offset by gas and food stops) which should allow us an 8 hour sleep break at the half way point plus an 8 hour sleep upon arrival before the event begins.
sheesh... how many electrical devices do you need for a road trip these days???
A plan is made, the car is loaded up with racing gear, basic pit crew kit, on-board diagnostics, radar detector, GPS navigation unit, camera gear, cooler full of drinks and snacks, laptop and mobile internet stick, clothes and toiletries, and 2GBs of road trip tunes. The highway reports are all clear, and the weather ahead looks to be a big improvement over the rainy days that have cloaked our fair city for the past several weeks. We are officially ready to hit the road.
I was looking forward to some time on the road, the opportunity to see some parts of the US that I had never visited before, and a unique out-of-office chance to get to know my copilot better; and was not disappointed…
–To be continued…
My first memory of Briet is on her first day of school. She is memorable. A tiny, brown, girl pops up and introduces herself as Briet from Iceland. Did I hear that right? When I think Iceland I see big, blond Vikings. Thus began my education and fascination of Iceland. Briet is now my dear friend and shares a few thoughts and photos with us while I’m travelling.
Time flies when you have fun and also when you are doing the same thing for long time. Is that just all fun in some way?
Feels like yesterday it was summer here, and I sure am happy I got home when it was warm not when it was cold. But even the cold is welcome when I am hugged by my old friends the mountains, the sky bluer then everything, and the snow covering the green grass like it was hiding the summer, like it should just been done, like an old warm memory, hidden in my mind.
So this day was going be my little tourist day, just from my work and home, taking pictures for friends far away, but still so close.
I walked slowly taking things in. I couldn’t believe it; I had been in Vancouver for almost 2 years, learning new things about myself and others, being in a big city(for me at least) in Canada compared to my little fishing town in Iceland, where you mostly know everyone and you could run out from a small age and be safe. I am home….home.
How much has changed, but sometimes it feels like I was just gone for a day.
Briet's hometown - look at those glorious mountains!
Walking to work in the morning, freaking myself out on all the ghost stories I have heard over the years, all the houses with their history, the landscape again, so beautiful, the troll seat in the mountain, wondering if they are out there somewhere. I think of the people, my lovely house that I lived happily in with my parents and brother since they bought it when I was 6 months old and of course my family. I work with most of my family and my grandmother who is 88 years young. I’m glad every day that I get to spend time with her and learn from her. They haven’t changed and that keeps my sanity, in the insanity.
An oldstyle Icleandic home Briet's father built.
Vancouver was like another home for me. I was happy I picked city that I could see the ocean, trees and mountains around me. I was surprised that I felt safe to go places by myself and loved that I could walk downtown and the bus system was easy enough. It is surely a freedom to go anywhere like this.
I got freaked out often enough seeing animals like raccoons, squirrels and skunks just chilling down the road because surly I didn’t see much of those here, but watched fascinated by the way they move. Like Iceland, I loved the nature even though I didn’t see as much as I wanted but that will be my plan in nearest future, hoping to see my Vancouver “family”. I bet if I was in Vancouver, it would be in all the beautiful fall colors that are so way different from the fall here. We have ‘finter’ here…. fall with a lot of winter.
The parts that have changed aren’t as noticeable; the once little kids that are turning into over grown hormone bombs. I’m more alone now, and how much I hated that when I was younger. It doesn’t bother me as much today. My time in Canada helped me to see that time with myself is not less then time with others. Maybe I’m just growing up, knowing more and being more comfortable with who I am and what I have been doing.
I miss Vancouver, the nature and the friends I have there, but I would miss Iceland and my family just as much if I was there and vice versa.
Reflections on life and the blue Icelandic sky.
‘The grass is greener on the other side’…. I would say the grass is the same color green on both sides if you are just ready to notice it. Now my Vancouver chapter is hidden under the white cover of snow in my fall mind, waiting to spring up in summer in Iceland.
Welcome home.
It’s dark when I leave for work and it’s dark when I get home. Thankfully, the tradition of Christmas lights brings a bit of brightness to carry me home. Some of my neighbours go all out, but I appreciate even the lone strand to acknowledge the season.
In a neighbourhood not too far away they’ve taken it to a whole new level. Why not combine the enthusium for Christmas lights with charity?
For over 10 years the neighbours of Trinity street have pulled out all the stops to deck their houses with lights and whimsy and created a great tradition. It’s free to walk along the street and enjoy the display, but even better you can buy a ballot at the local McGill Grocery, for $2.00 and vote for your favourite house. The funds raised are donated to a local Hospice and Daycare. This grassroots charity really brings home what the ‘Season of Giving’ is all about.
There have been some dark moments in that past as the event grew, drawing record crowds and the unpleasant side effect of property damage and gridlock. Let me explain that Trinity street is only about 6 blocks long and there is lots of parking, especially on the surrounding side streets. 
There is also lots of parking south of McGill and two easily accessed crosswalks with pedestrian controlled lights. You could even take the number 4 bus from downtown! Most importantly, you won’t get the full effect if you are driving.
Please, from me and from the Trinty neighbours, park your car and walk – you won’t regret it!
Trinity Christmas Light display is open from Dec 14th to 20th and runs along Trinity between Nanaimo Street and Renfrew Street.
Happy Holidays!
p.s. My skills don’t nearly capture the amazing lights on this street – I guarantee you won’t be dissappointed.
It’s Sunday; there is a break in the perpetual November rain and I’m heading to the west side to visit the Aunt Leah’s Christmas Tree Lot. Yup, you can’t deny it – Grey Cup is over and it’s time to enter the consumer season and pull our economy out of this recession. This year I’m only buying one gift. My family is scaling back – what do we need? I see people all around me who are in greater need and none more so than the people helped by my favourite charity, Aunt Leah’s Independent Life Skills.
There are a lot of charities to choose from at this time of year and a lot of different ways to help, let me put in my small plea to you. If you are going to buy a Christmas Tree this year, why not buy from Aunt Leah’s?
They have two convenient locations, prices that haven’t changed since 2001, lots of friendly volunteers and delivery service if you don’t have a car!
Aunt Leah’s is not one of those big, sexy, charities like Breast Cancer with Pink Ribbons, Cancer with Daffodils or a star-studded televised fundraising marathons. I’m not saying those charities don’t deserve our support, but they have a bigger budget to reach a wider audience. Let me tell you about the people Aunt Leah’s helps. They are people from your community, young single mom’s, and near and dear to my heart, young foster kids who are transitioning out of government care.
Think back to when you were 17, 18, 19. Think back to the first time you moved out of the house. Did you ever get help or advice from a family member? Did you ever call home because you couldn’t quite meet rent and needed some help? Did anyone ever sit down with you and teach you how to balance your cheque book? or how to cook a meal? Maybe some words of encouragement while you went job hunting in a recession?
Now imagine what your young life would have been like if you didn’t have parents, a community or just someone who cared whether or not you were getting by. Imagine if you didn’t have anyone in your life to teach you some of the life skills needed for a successful adult life? There are many young people in the foster care system who face these challenges alone. Aunt Leah’s provides a community, housing and those much-needed life skills that lead to self-sufficiency.
I am lucky. I still have the support of wonderful parents, family and a community of friends.
If you’re going to buy a tree this year, I hope you’ll consider Aunt Leah’s tree lots and help out a young person or young mom who isn’t as lucky as you.
Happy Holidays!
http://www.auntleahs.org/events.treeLots.html
It’s cold. It’s wet. It’s dark. November in Vancouver can be a challenging month to get outside and Mondays are even tougher, but there is a carrot dangling if you can set that one foot on the path. Monday Night Quiz at the Cascade Room hosted by the dazzling Karen Nicolay.
Karen Nicolay hard at work
I first discovered Quiz through my ex-pat friend Laura and was immediately hooked!
This popular pastime in pubs throughout the commonwealth has found a home, and a slight twist, through Karen.
“In the UK teams play for the pot – but there’s too much negative competition”. Karen’s solution, each team nominates a charity and the money collected is donated to one of the charities (either the winning teams or drawn from the hat – she likes to mix it up). This year, Quiz has donated approximately $8500.00 to local charities. Amazing! Some of the frequently nominated charities include Covenant House, Downtown Eastside Women’s Shelter, and the SPCA.
Quiz has been running for about 18 months. Cost is $2.00 per person to play. Four players per team or lose 3 points for each player over the limit. Each week it consists of three rounds of questions ranging from Geography, History, Current Events, Entertainment news and Sports. Karen spends 7 to 8 hours each week building and researching the quiz. I-phones and Blackberries are not permitted and the Quiz Mistress is always right.
Our quiz with Geography questions - oh man did that fuel some debate!
There is lots of time for some serious debate and good-natured team rivalry. My favourite question last night, and one that caused a great deal of discussion, ‘If you are being sized with a Brannock device, what are you being sized for’.
Karen is very passionate about Quiz and has a lot of loyal regulars, ‘There was this one team, ‘Can You Hear Me Now’, they tried so hard to win. It came down to a tie game but they ended up winning on a technicality because the other team had one too many players. They were so happy, they kissed their beer!’
The room has a great vibe, with a mostly 30-something crowd of smart people. My team had two Bachelor degrees and two Master’s degrees. I wondered if Quiz had sparked any romances? “No romance that I know of, but maybe a little Bromance! ‘Wow – you have such an awesome brain. We should be team mates’.'” Probably the best place to spark something would be the washroom line up between rounds!
I asked my friends why they liked coming to Quiz and the most common response, ‘I always learn something interesting – a new tidbit to share with my partner/husband/wife/co-worker. Oh and the food! Polenta fries are a big favourite at our table. Cascade Room has a good variety of small plates and full dinners, local drafts and a classic cocktail list. We had veggie burgers, (made on the premises with chickpeas, lentils and edamame) ,crisp salad and generous portions of fries (polenta or regular). The draft pours well with a perfect creamy top on my Storm Scottish Ale while some of my table mates enjoyed a Kettle Valley Pinot Noir. Laura almost always starts with a champagne cocktail – it gets the brain limbered up!
Two teams hard at work
Last night’s winning team ‘Do you like my tight sweater’, achieved a score of 47/50 and received a gift certificate for Habit restaurant. (Yes there are even prizes!)
You’ve got one last chance to quiz this year. Monday Nov 30th is the last quiz until January 11th. Quiz starts promptly at 7:00 PM but you should plan to come at least 30 minutes early to guarantee a table. Next week’s charity, the Vancouver Food Bank.
I can’t think of a better way to spend a Monday night with friends! Great room, workout for your brain, yummy food, prizes, and you get to raise money for charity! It doesn’t get much better than that!
A big THANK YOU to Karen and all the staff at Cascade room for the Charity and the good times.
http://thecascade.ca/about.htm
Dear Reader,
I’m going travelling. Really travelling. To a far away exotic place. I thought it was time, dear reader, to assure you that you wouldn’t be stuck with week after week of Vancouver ramblings. There are some foreign travel tales coming soon.
This trip has been a real uphill climb and it’s not over yet. Maybe it’s a test of my resolve to actually go. Two surgeries, major car repairs and a stolen laptop tested my health, my courage, my fortitude and most noticeably my bank account.
But life’s too short. I’m going.
Sunday I packed. I’m not a very good packer, so I brought in some help, my sister. I washed every stitch of laundry I own, folded it extra neatly, and arranged it in piles for easy access. Those of you who know me, know I’m a pretty good planner and organizer; you haven’t met my sister. She arrived ready to work, determined the pertinent facts, and set about reigning me in. ‘But I might need it’ to which she just replied, ‘no’, ‘nope’, ‘I really don’t think it suits you’. She wrote everything down, and as I cooked dinner she created the most amazing spread sheet of items, tasks and questions that I still needed to ask my travelling companions. It was colour coded. I finally felt like my trip was real – even if it is over three weeks away.
I know what you’re saying, ‘Three weeks!!Packing? This chick is nuts!’
But here’s the thing, packing is the only thing I’m in control of. My itinerary is out of my hands; kind of a mystery to me. It’s really stressing me out! I haven’t even confirmed if I’m being met at the airport. (Last time I travelled with this cousin he was four hours late picking me up and his phone had died so I couldn’t reach him.) I don’t know what we’re going to do just that we’re going to do something, see many places.
So maybe this is the thing, maybe I have to learn how to let go and let someone else take over. Maybe I need to be more spontaneous and just see what comes up. Traveling is that magical time when you get to be someone else, not your day-to-day self. I feel like I have super powers! When I mention my trip people actually listen to me. There is a license with travellers to do the unexpected. Like last night, I’m at a friend’s birthday, and after I mention my trip I get, ‘Oh you have to meet Ben. He’s from there.’ Next thing I know, Ben, whom I’ve known for exactly five minutes is inviting us to visit and go sailing when we are in his home town. How strange yet lovely that we offer these warm invitations to the barest of acquaintances because they are travelling. I mean, you wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and say, ‘Hey! I’ve got a boat – let’s go sailing?!’
So stick around. My camera will be home from Egypt on Friday and I’ve got lots of goodies in store!
P.S. Due to technically difficulties there will be no photos this week. Sorry!
Today, a dear friend arrived from Italy, (she’s Italian) and for a moment I am warmed by the Italian sun. She is sunshine. My one and only trip to Italy was in 1989…and I long to return. Although Italy is not in the cards for this year, I do ease that longing just a bit with a visit to little Italy, here in Vancouver.
There’s an Italian Family restaurant, an Italian barber and an Italian Deli all within a short walking distance of my home. Vancouver has a vibrant Italian community stretching along Commercial Drive and East along Hastings into North Burnaby. There are bocce tournaments in the summer and a large Italian Cultural centre on Grandview and Slocan. Best of all, a brisk walk brings me to a little piece of Italian Paradise.
Il Giardino Italiano.
It might not be 48 degrees and sunny but it doesn’t require a passport either; this hidden gem is a perfect change of pace. 
The park is full of formal lines, lush gardens, gurgling fountains, homages to Opera and the old Roman Gods abound.
I wonder how hard it must be to leave the known world for the unknown? Could I leave my country? If I did, what would I take with me? What would a ‘Canadian Garden’ look like in Singapore? What would a ‘Canadian Restaurant’ serve in Denmark? What would a wave of Canadian immigrants do to change the cultural landscape of Tuscany? Seems a bit ridiculous to think that our toddler country could have any cultural impact. And yet….maybe we make a different impact.
I’m drawn to another statue. This one has a more sombre air. It depicts Italian immigrants arriving in Canada. I think about Canadians helping bring Peace to Italy in what seems like a simpler time and a simpler war. 
We are not perfect but we are peaceful. We are for the most part peacekeepers. And maybe it is this Peace that we can try to share with the world. Maybe Peace is our impact.
My dad was in the Nato Peacekeeping forces in Europe, now he volunteers with the Royal Canadian Legion. This will be the first year in a long time that he won’t participate in the parade on Remembrance Day. He’s been longing to go back to Europe since his time in service and this is the year. In fact he has my camera in Italy right now. He will finally get to see the Trevi fountain and the canals of Venice.
The last statue I visit in this garden is of a great traveller, Christopher Columbus. It is a gift from the city of Genoa. A gift to keep our cities close and bind our friendship, lest we forget.
I hope you will spare a peaceful moment on November 11th at 11 AM. Just one moment of peaceful silence. Lest we forget our impact in the world.
