Yearly Archives: 2013 It was St Patrick’s Day this week, so it seemed fitting to return to another Irish cultural icon: Guinness. July last year was wet in Ireland, and it rained much of the short time we were in Dublin. So, we visited the Guinness Storehouse: it was a good way to learn something about local history, while staying […]  Skookumchuk. Anyone who has had anything to do with boating or waters in the Pacific Northwest has heard of the legendary Sechelt Rapids at Skookumchuk Narrows. Boats, especially sail boats, need to pay careful attention to tide charts, and only attempt the narrow pass between Sechelt and Jervis Inlets at slack tide. Spectators and kayakers, of course prefer their […]  Temples in Southeast Asia are living places. This is certainly true in Myanmar. The many Buddhist temples I visited there were architecturally beautiful – and different, with no two exactly the same. But what I generally find more interesting is the life – both sacred and secular – within and around them. On my first afternoon in Mandalay, […]  Myanmar truly is “The Golden Land.” From the mines to the temples, gold is everywhere. Shwedagon Pagoda, for example, is covered in 60 tons of gold, pounded into thin leaves. Gold is an integral part of Burmese life. Every day, faithful Burmese apply gold leaf to their favourite Buddha images as offerings. So much gold leaf has been […]  When David Lean picks a location that turns a rather slight story into an academy-award winning 12-million-dollar movie, you know the scenery must be something! And it is. Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula really does scenery on an epic scale. Tiny villages are nestled amongst green fields and hills and are bounded by great cliffs on a tumultuous […] |
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