A winter road in Grande Prairie. You don’t have to worry about NOT having a white Christmas up here.

We did manage to get the 7 foot tree in the trunk of our car but...

...it meant shuffling around the groceries in the back seat.

Chris started sawing off the bottom of the tree.

I tried to help out a bit, but was pretty useless at sawing, so Chris took over again and finished the job. Together we secured the tree in its stand and “voila” after letting it thaw overnight we pulled out the Christmas decorations and decorated it together.

Chris decorating our first Christmas tree.

Laura getting ready to put a shinny red ball. We were so cute, Chris put on his green shirt and Laura her red sweater in honour of decorating the tree.

Chris and I at the County of Grande Prairie (my employer) Christmas party. (Sorry it’s a crummy point shoot shot.)

Phil Bell (my co-worker/friend) at the County Christmas party, with his arm around the door prize he won. It was handmade by someone who works for the County.

We had our two nephews and two nieces spend the night one Saturday. Of course the girls and I played dress-up. They both tried on my nun costume from when I was in “The Sound of Music” in Grade 9. This is Delaney, age 6.

Bridget, age 8, dressed up in my Grade 9 nun costume.

Of course the girls had to try on their Auntie Laura’s wedding dress! Delaney, age 6.

Bridget, age 8, in Auntie Laura’s wedding dress. These days, wedding dresses always have ribbing and formed “boob” shapes, otherwise the dresses would loose their flattering shape because of the weight of the material that makes up a wedding dress. Kinda awkward looking on an eight year old, but yet cute.

The mittens I knit my mom for Christmas. I am now making Chris some, then myself. The are made with 85% mohair and 15% natural wool. I made up the pattern and design since I do not yet know how to read patterns. Not another pair on this planet exists like them. I hope they are keeping my mom very, very warm, especially this past week when temperatures all over Alberta were around –30.

Our niece, Bridget, on Christmas morning.

Our nephew, Ryley, holding the T-shirt we gave him. He is enthralled with palaeontology and, to say the least, views my co-worker Phil as a hero.

Chris gave our nephew, Gregory, the guitar that he, his cousin Shane and his friend Mike (Ham) all learned to play on. What a great Uncle, passing on the gift of music! On that note, Chris bought me an electric piano for Christmas, jazz sheet music and the sheet music for Charlie Brown’s Christmas. It’s been wonderful getting music back into my life. Thank you Chris!

Last, but not least, our niece, “Delaney”, proudly and happily holding up some skates Santa gave her.

Chris and I spent a couple hours one night practicing with our light stands and flashes. Here’s one of the portraits Chris took of me.

A portrait of Chris that I captured that same evening.

Related posts:

1. Dinosaur Christmas Tree & a Cat in a Christmas Sweater?
2. Happy Birthday Bridget!
3. Thank you, thank you, thank you

Us on the airport CCTV. Nicely seen and photographed by our buddy Dale.

After 28 hours of flying and airports, from Bangkok to Taipei, Taipei to LA and then LA to Vancouver, we finally made it home. Exhausted and excited we exited the baggage/customs area of the Vancouver airport to a group of fabulous, supportive friends. Dale, Kate, Katy, Brianna, Colin, and Mike thank you so much for welcoming us home!

Clouds above Taipei

Some airlines still offer decent meals, thank god. China Air’s in-flight meal. Fish, rice, squash, coleslaw, fruit salad, dessert, and a bun. Plus free red wine...

This is a MEDIUM cola at the Burger King in the Los Angeles airport. Talk about reverse culture shock.

U sout of the arrivals gate. Photo by Dale.

The gang who met us at the airport. Such lovely folks.

Dale, his daughter Isla, and us. Photo by Des.

Related posts:

1. Dinner at the Millers’
2. Vancouver, B.C., Canada
3. Skiing at Powder King in B.C., Canada

Bridget (top) looking good and having fun with her sis Delaney. These are the smiling faces we get to look forward to in Grande Prairie (as well as the weather conditions, thanks for asking). If you come from a sane place, yes, that is snow...

It was our niece Bridget’s birthday yesterday. She’s a whopping EIGHT! That’s like almost a whole decade. Pretty soon she’ll be driving cars and scuba diving and pretty much anything else she decides to want to do. For now, I think she’ll be concentrating on learning how to rollerblade, which we think is pretty AWESOME. Just be careful Bridget.

Anyway, Bridget we love you. Happy birthday, and we’ll see you soon. Your birthday present will be coming home with us on September 4th. Hope you don’t mind waiting!

–Uncle Chris and Auntie Laura

p.s. — We’re in a country called Thailand, Bridget, learning how to SCUBA dive, just like your Mom knows how to do. Tomorrow we take our first dive in the ocean, instead of just in a swimming pool. We’re excited! Also, we sent you a postcard. Let us know when it arrives. We were hoping it would get there in time for your big day.

Related posts:

1. Thank you, thank you, thank you
2. Vancouver, B.C., Canada
3. Dinner at the Millers’

It’s all over at 30.

Wow! Who knew turning 30 would be such a blast. I just want to say thanks to everyone for the kind wishes (especially Laura for arranging so many neat surprises). We had another party last night here at Christine’s place in Piacenza. It was a funeral theme, and all of Christine’s international school friends came dressed in black. They also all sang happy birthday in their native tongues which included French, Russian, Spanish, Afrikaans, Xosha (which I just learned is a South African language). It was really fun meeting them. Thanks Christine.

Jon and Cam, thanks for the books. They’re perfect choices and I haven’t read either of them already. Although I’ll probably trade them for other books after I read them (the joys of traveling light). That was super thoughtful. Erin, thanks for the card. It does get better and better. We miss you too.

Kate (and crew): thank you so much for the video! I just had to share it.

I also had to share this. I got it in an email from my sister, and I gotta say, right now Uncle Chris is missing his family. It made me cry a little because I love them so much. Anyway, thanks again everyone.

Top 30 Reasons why we LOVE Uncle Chris

30. Because he is handsome (Bridget)

29. Because I have to (Dean)

28. Because he is nice (Bridget)

27. Because he has a nice haircut (Dean)

26. Because he is so talented (Kelli)

25. Because he buys great souvenirs (Ryley)

24. Because he is a great photographer (Kelli)

23. Because he is kind (everyone)

22. Because he is funny (Gregory)

21. Because he is our uncle (Delaney)

20. Because he is a part of our family (Bridget)

19. Because he is an awesome uncle (Gregory)

18. Because he is smart (Bridget)

17. Because he sends pretty cool blogs to us (Ryley)

16. Because he gives great hugs (Kelli)

15. Because he is a special kindergarten helper (Delaney)

14. Because he sends us money on our birthdays (all kids)

13. Because he plays with us (Bridget)

12. Because he gives us toys (Delaney)

11. Because he likes to play board games (Ryley and Greg)

10. Because he gives us kisses (Bridget)

9. Because he is “Ours” (Grandma on the phone)

8. Because he is super caring (Gregory)

7. Because he is supportive and encouraging (Kelli)

6. Because he likes beer (Kelli)

5. Because he is a good cook (Gregory and Delaney)

4. Because he likes Star Wars (Gregory)

3. Because he is tall (Delaney)

2. Because he got us a great Auntie (Gregory)

And The #1 Top Reason We Love Uncle Chris...

Is That He Is The BEST UNCLE EVER!!!!

Happy 30^th Birthday!

xoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Kelli, Dean, Gregory, Ryley, Bridget & Delaney

And one more shot of the Piacenza wine gang... thanks guys.

Updated April 30: Xanthos is South African, not South American (doh!) and I didn”t realize Cam went in on Jon with the book package.

Related posts:

1. Happy Birthday Bridget!
2. Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
3. Awwwwwwwwwww... I ♥ U!

I know I can speak for Laura as well when I say that we found it difficult to leave Lanciano.

As I write this, we’re speeding north in a cozy train compartment toward Piacenza, Italy to see our friend Christine. Laura is napping on the seats across from me, lines of sunlight and shadow moving lazily across her face as the train rounds a bend. The view is a blur of green, with olive groves, wineries, and distinctly Italian villas giving way periodically to sleepy towns of squat, graffiti-clad concrete buildings and ancient looking stone houses. Across the aisle I see nothing but blue sky and the slowly lapping waves of the Adriatic Sea. I know I should be excited to be back on the road, but I can’t help but feel like we’re leaving something behind that’s not easily found. Or replaced.

Cris met us this morning at the Mercato, where we enjoyed our last Cappucino in Lanciano. Coffee at the D’Alessandro’s market has been one of our daily rituals here, and the bartender Shamim makes them better than anyone in town. Parting with Cris at the train station was bittersweet, as parting with friends always is. But I think it’s the sense of community, of belonging to a place and a time and a group of people that we’ll miss the most.

Shamim at the Mercato Coperto makes the best cappucino in town.

We’re currently at the end of Month 4 without full-time jobs or a home, and both of us have started feeling tinges of homesickness and a subtle longing for those parts of living that a stable home life, work life, and friends and family provide. Thanks to the D’Alessandros and the cast of characters associated with their life in Lanciano, the past four weeks have been a respite for us from these feelings. We found friends among the teaching staff at CCI, coworkers (of sorts) among the Mercato staff as we did our best to help out as needed, and family among the D’Alessandros, people I have been hearing about since meeting Laura almost six years ago, but whom I only really met over this past month.

We printed some photos from the family portrait session for the D’Alessandros, and had this one framed.

We were really lucky to have visited at a time when the whole family was around, and to have been able to integrate so much with all the people here. We’ll miss Eligio’s and Mrika’s ciaos at the market, Franco’s whistle (indicating he has “a little job” for us), Marissa’s hugs, David’s film tips, Tim and Vittoria’s dance moves, Carla and Cris’s sisterly bickering, Davide’s impassioned speeches, conversations with Nonno and Nanna, Said’s buffets, poker nights, and a dozen other things and people that made daily life so rich for us.

We really enjoyed helping out as well, in the limited way we were able to. It was a pleasure to shoot school yearbook portraits of the students and staff at the school (with Laura as my fashion and hair assistant), and helping out however we could at the market, from unloading produce, wine, pasta, and flowers, to making bouquets (this was firmly Laura’s territory—I was her assistant), running separate and very spaced out cash registers during an influx of hundreds of pilgrims (despite my nonexistant Italian), or setting up (and taking down, and setting up again) chairs and tables each weekend. Laura also typed up some 500 names and addresses for the Mercato mailing list. We were happy to undertake these tasks; these little jobs allowed us to fit in.

Marissa asked me if I could shoot the yearbook pictures this year. I did my best to make them consistent considering I had no flashes or tripod, and that they were taken over the course of several days as people became available.

Laura stocks wine in the Mercato. We unloaded several palettes of the stuff.

Our friend Eligio makes like a true badass.

Eligio has been a friend of the D’Alessandro family since him and Davide used to play together as infants. He’s pretty much Franco’s right-hand man at the market and Allegria (hotel/restaurant). This shot is much more indicative of his warm and cheerful personality.

The chef Said is from Egypt, and is responsible for most of the staff and student meals. We enjoyed his work on pretty much a daily basis. He’s a genius.

We had two poker nights while in town. At this one, Tim’s chip pile eventually included most of his girlfriend Vittoria’s as well. All’s fair in love and poker, I guess.

But by the end of the night, Cris was the big winner, raking in some 15 Euro in profit.

As sad as we are to leave, we couldn’t have chosen a better note to end on. Laura and Cris have been conspiring over the last week or so to throw a joint birthday party for Mrika and I, and we had an absolute blast this past Saturday night. After a delicious meal and a few glasses of red wine in a local restaurant, we moved to the D’Alessandros’ Allegria, where Cris and Laura surprised Mrika and I with a fantastic pastry tart, complete with candles to commemorated our combined age of 61. After Mrika and I made the rounds sharing the leftovers with everyone in the restaurant, we moved downstairs to dance the night away amidst our own private Balloon Battle Dance Party.

Mrika and I blowing out the candles of our joint birthday cake. I don’t want to give away Mrika’s age, but 30 of those candles are mine, so to speak.

Tim and Vittoria at our birthday dinner. Tim teaches math and physics at the school. Vittoria is a don; she oversees the girls dorm.

The gang surprised us with a wall of noisemakers when we finally made it downstairs for the birthday party.

That’s when the wine really kicked in and we had a spontaneous Balloon Battle Dance Party. We acted like children. It was great.

Carla smokes David with a balloon of death. Carla was particularly ruthless.

Speaking of balloons of death, Tim doesn’t just take Vittoria’s poker chips, he also beats her with balloons... Actually, these two are ridiculously affectionate and pretty much a perfect couple.

Lanciano is a place that was formative for my wife while she went to high school, and after meeting some of the people responsible for that and getting to be a part of that life, I can finally understand why. It truly meant a great deal to us for her to be able to share it with me.

I definitely am excited to be back on the road. We’ve got a week in northern Italy ahead, before heading to Morocco, a country I’ve wanted to visit for years, and then Romania, Eastern Turkey and Iran. The next eight to ten weeks may be among the most interesting and exotic of our trip. But I’m also excited to begin thinking about once again having a home, whether it’s a temporary one in Thailand, or a more permanent one back home. We’ve been talking a lot of crazy talk lately about what we plan to do when we do get back to Canada; about the businesses we’ll start, the home we’ll build, eduction, children, and the life we’ll create. We can only hope to find a sense of belonging and community as rich as the one we left behind this morning.

Marissa, Franco, Carla and Cris all asked us when we’ll be coming back, and (separately!) encouraged us to do so when we “run out of money.” While we definitely don’t intend to return under those circumstances, we will be back some day.

The D’Alessandros graciously put us up in a beautiful furnished apartment that happened to be sitting empty at the moment. When we weren’t hanging out or working at the market, we were watching DVDs of the Sopranos and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Laura gets dolled up at our swanky pad. I noticed this shot while leaning out of the window admiring the view and just had to run and grab my camera.

Related posts:

1. Lanciano, Laura’s old stomping grounds
2. Meet the D’Alessandros
3. Pasta babies from the pace of life in Piacenza

We’ve been relaxing in Lanciano with my good friend Cristina (who I call “Cris)  and her family. I met Cris when she was 13-years old and I was 16-years old. We hit it off from the very beginning. Some of you might recognize her because she was one of my bridesmaids.  Her family runs the high school here, called Canadian College of Italy the Renaissance School, where I attended grade 10, 11 and half of 12.

Here are a couple photos of this beautiful Italian town and the people I love.

Chris walking through the main piazza of Lanciano featuring the bell tower and the Basilica.

The bell tower rings every 15-minutes. First it rings one tone of bell for what hour it is, then another tone lets you know if it is 15-after, 30-minutes or 45-minutes after the hour. To say the least, if you visit Lanciano be prepared to hear a lot of bells.

Since arriving it has become a daily ritual for Chris and I to wake-up and head directly for the market or “mercato” in Italian, to satisfy our craving for caffeine. A double espresso or cappuccino usually does the trick.

Carla and Chris enjoying a cappuccino at the market.

We’ve also been helping out with odd tasks around the school and market. One of the first things we did was help Carla, Cris’s sister, decorate the market for Easter.

Carla and Chris hard at work trying to figure out how to make the purple and green paper hang “just-so”.

We even worked out our muscles and helped unload a van full of fresh produce the night before the weekly Wednesday market. I had no idea a crate of zucchini’s could be so heavy.

Laura and Chris help unload fresh produce at the market as their new friend, Mrika, chuckles at their technique.

Of course after a workout like that we were all craving a well deserved drink so we headed back to the Allegria, the restaurant/hotel where the students eat lunch and dinner, which at one point also contained a wine bar for the public.

From left to right: Eligio (staff member of the market & restaurant), Cris (my lovely girlfriend), Mrika (staff member of the market & restaurant), Davide (my girl friends brother) and me!

Cris and I enjoying our first beer together, EVER! She has only recently discovered the beauty of beer. I have a feeling we’ll be drinking a few more together.

Filled with excitement and energy after a good nights rest, I wanted to show Chris the school.

Chris spots my Grade 12 school photo hanging on the wall in the school.

After exploring the school for a bit, we met up with Cris, her boyfriend Dave and her sister Carla. Of course I had to get a shot of them in front of the school.

Dave, Carla, Cris and Chris standing outside CCI The Renaissance School the Canadian high school in Lanciano, Italy.

Cris and Chris, essentially THE two Chris’s in my life, walk past some students on their way to lunch.

One evening Cris took us on a tour of the central town. Her tour focused primarily on churches and architecture with its most exciting and well known topic being the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano. Seeing as the miracle is in a church I didn’t feel comfortable taking a photo, but the link provides excellent information on both Lanciano and the miracle. However, on the tour we did see some wonderful examples of modern day life and old architecture.

People having a smoke break outside of the town teatro (theatre).

This large space rests directly under the basilica. Other hallways and corridors are found underground which were used as protective passageways for priests and as a cistern hundreds of years ago.

Lastly, I snapped a couple of photos while we were in Rome. Chris was doing a lot of street photography while we were there so I shot a few as well and a couple of the church that displays a Michaelangelo sculpture.

A little boy in Rome marvels at the Egyptian looking mime.

An intense walk.

San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome, Italy. The church that contains one of Michaelangelo’s masterpieces.

A quiet corridor of San Pietro in Vincoli, a church in Roma, Italy.

Related posts:

1. A Month in Lanciano
2. Meet the D’Alessandros
3. Easter Procession

Meet Gloria and Petrit. They are on a journey very much like our own, only their ambitions include making it all the way to Australia, without taking any planes. We got to know them unexpectedly well. Nothing quite like shared hardship to really get to know someone...

It was a chance encounter.

We had met Petrit and Gloria only the morning prior, as we ate breakfast in Selcuk and prepared to go our separate ways. They told us about their trip, and we learned that theirs was remarkably similar in both scope and itinerary to our own. We had each been in Istanbul in the same week; but while we are headed for Thailand to teach, they are on an immigration to Australia, Petrit’s home country, after three and a half years in Gloria’s native Italy.

We got along right away, and enjoyed 30 minutes of conversation over breakfast. But as our plans were sending us separate ways, we didn’t really expect to see each other again. I hastily told Petrit how we had scoped out what sounded like a great village near a coastal national park, and intended to go there to take a break from ancient sites for a day or two.

So it was a pleasant surprise to see them turn up at the Ecer (pronounced “Ejer”) Pansiyon shortly after us, and very nice to hear that they were interested in joining us on a hike the following day in nearby Dilek National Park. Little did we know what was in store...

We started the day auspiciously enough, with a wonderful swim in the Zeus Magrasi (“Mah-ras-uh”), a natural grotto fed by spring water, keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter. This is Gloria, who bravely took the first plunge.

We started the day late, which was probably the worst mistake of all, but we were enjoying the breakfast and the company of Ecer-owner Nacep (pronounced Najip) so much that we were happy to kill the early morning kicking around the pansiyon. After an exhilarating swim in the nearby Zeus Magrasi, we all felt this was turning into a perfect day. Maybe if we had stopped then, it would have been, but instead, we walked the 1km or so to the entrance of the park.

The attendant at the ticket booth didn’t speak English, but he was friendly enough, and at least semi-helpful in interpreting the crude park map. We felt reasonably confident that he was telling us that our planned hike–a long loop around ancient Mt. Mycale’s jagged peaks–was a mere 17 km, a distance perfectly doable in one afternoon. So, we set off down the road to the Kanyon Hike trail head. The weather was beautiful and the day still seemed full of promise.

Gloria, Petrit and Laura (the fifth leg visible behind them) as we walked the roughly 6 km to the actual trailhead.

These caterpillar critters were enjoying the shade at the start of the Kanyon trail. We stopped here briefly to refill our water and catch our breath. After all, the man at the gate told us this hike was only about 17 km. Little did we know...

By now, it was shortly after lunch time, but we figured we only had 17km to get back to the Ecer. Based on the map, that seemed about right, so we enjoyed a short break and set off on the Kanyon trail.

Laura looks up at the steep and rocky Kanyon walls.

We stopped several times for Petrit and I to geek out on long-exposure photos, and to play with my polarizer. These impromptu photo workshops did very little to help us complete our hike before nightfall...

Laura scopes the view from about halfway up the mountain. This was one of the last times we saw the Aegean on the proper side of the peninsula. At least the views were stunning.

Looking back, I can tell from the huge gap in my photos at which point in the day my mood went from optimistic and cheerful to apprehensive and stressed out. Apparently my desire to shoot photos disappears when I’m concerned about being lost in the mountains, but I’ll try to fill the blanks with some hasty narrative.

By the late afternoon we had made our way through the Kanyon and climbed about 800m in altitude towards the crossroad where we needed to hook left. Based on our assumptions, we expected to reach the crossroad by about kilometer 6 or 7. We climbed higher. When we hit kilometer 9 with no crossroad in site and after some steep ascents, Laura and I were beginning to get concerned. Gloria and Petrit were bringing up the rear and we started to think that maybe the hike was longer than we had assumed. Looking at the map again, something clicked, and I realized that the hike we were on was listed in a confusing way on the index. According to this, it seemed that we were looking at closer to 35km, not 17! Shit!

But having come at least 15km, turning around just didn’t feel like an option. “Besides,” we told ourselves, “this map is so crappy, it’s probably just wrong. That can’t be right.”

We hit the crossroads shortly after. So, with a slightly brisker pace, and a slowly growing sense of dread, we set out again. Immediately, we found ourselves climbing still higher. Before we knew it, we were in the clouds...

This is about where we got into trouble. By mid to late afternoon, we found ourselves walking above the cloudline, as moisture had caused thick clouds to form on Mt. Mycale’s peaks.

It was in this fog, about 1 km above sea level that things took a turn (literally!) for the worse. Unable to see the landmarks all around, Laura and I came to a perfect fork in the road. Gloria and Petrit were about 10 minutes behind us, so we stopped and scratched our heads, trying to remember Nacep’s instructions. “Take two lefts, and then a right, where the road goes down.” Of course, when he was saying this, none of us were really paying attention. It’s a national park hike, we figured, it’ll be marked...

So Laura and I were at the junction. Left? or Right? The left road continued to climb. The right road started to descend. Surely we were at the point where it was time to descend... If only we could see some landmarks.

“Let’s go right!” we agreed, although both of us commented later that our guts’ were telling us to go left. We left an arrow for Gloria and Petrit to follow our lead and set off to explore the road down. But after a bit, I started getting serious doubts. The road seemed to be descending too rapidly, crisscrossing down the mountain in the direction away from Guzelcamli and the delicious potluck dinner we had planned to hold.

We turned back to find Gloria and Petrit, to see if they agreed with our decision. Sure enough, they also felt this must be the right road. So, we dropped further. By the time we fell back below the clouds, I was sure we were on the wrong track, but with less than two hours of daylight left and the prospect of climbing back up into the formless void, we decided it was probably better to just get off this damned mountain. So we kept following the road.

But the road was clearly built for vehicles, not people on foot. It cut back and forth across the mountainside in a serious of long switchbacks and hairpin turns. So while we would walk for 500 m in one direction or the other, we would maybe only descend 20 or 30 m. The steep cliffs and scraggly plants kept us from setting off straight down, so we stuck to the road. And walked. And walked, and walked.

Switchback after switchback, hairpin, after hairpin. We walked. The sun went down, so we walked in the dark, with bouncy flashlight beams to light the rocky road.

By the time we finally reached the valley floor, and the small village we had seen from the mountainside, the stars were out. We found an older gentleman on the street. We asked him how far it was to Guzelcamli.

“Elly kilometre,” he said.

“No, that can’t be right,” we said to each other in English. “Ask him again.”

“Elly kilometre.”

In Turkish, Elly is the word for 50. Not 17. Not even 35. Fifty.

We had walked oursleves 50 km from Guzelcamli and the warm hospitality of the Ecer Pansiyon. Luckily, after some more hand signals and garbled Turkish, the man agreed to drive us back for 50TL (about $35).

Our saviour, sort of. This gentleman met us on the road in Tuzburgazi, and after some miscommunication involving our pathetic efforts in Turkish and some exaggerated hand movements, agreed to drive the four of us the 50 km back to Guzelcamli for 50TL (about $35 CDN). After bringing us back to his house to show off his impressive woodwork and meet his son, he offered us a bag of fresh lemons (Turkish hospitality) and we hit the road.

At least we rode in style. He drove a late-model Benz.

When we arrived, we were greeted by smiling Nacep. Although we were all tired, we went ahead with dinner, and managed to share some drinks, stories, food and laughs until well into the wee hours.

Nacep’s father made this delicious sardine dish for us as part of the potluck dinner we had planned from the night before. Although we arrived back much later and far more tired than we intended, we set to work making out own dishes for the dinner. The “Sigara,” or cigarette rolls on the left were made by Nacep, and were deliciously filled with cheese and herbs.

Gloria and Petrit represented the Italian contingent admirably, with a delicious el dente pasta.

Laura and I sort of winged it (what the hell is Canadian cuisine, anyway?), with this roasted vegetable dish heavy with mushrooms and garlic. It went over pretty well.

Gloria kicks back after one very long day.

Despite our fatigue, we ended up staying up well into the wee hours talking, laughing, and enjoying the best company we had found on the road since leaving Canada.

Nacep (“Najip”) here runs by far the most hospitable pansiyon we’ve visited, in a country full of hospitable pansiyons. His good humour and easygoing nature is inspirational. “I’ve only known one group of people who have gotten lost on the mountain,” he told us on our first night. By the end of our stay, we had become the second! I can’t recommend the Ecer (“Eh-jer”) Pansiyon in Guzelcamli high enough.

Gloria even taught me how to make paper boats! I’m afraid she’ll be angry with me next time we meet once she realizes all her teaching has disappeared down the memory hole.

We parted ways with these two in Soke (“Soor-ke”), but I’d be surprised if we don’t meet again, whether in Iran, Australia, or maybe one day in Canada. Thanks for making a screwed up hike such a good experience guys! It was a pleasure...

It was a chance encounter, and although it wasn’t the perfect day we had hoped for, it was one of the best we’ve had to date.

Related posts:

1. Some snap shots
2. Sorrento, B.C., Canada

Chris enjoying Turkish coffee at a cafe by the coast in Fethiye, Turkey.

Pen and Ben, our Australian buddies we first met on our tour of the Gallipoli battlefields, and then again, by chance, two weeks later in Olympos.

A tracker crosses the river, the only path for vehicles to get from our hotels side of the river to the other.

Chris preparing dinner with Petrit and Gloria, who we met in Selcuk and traveled with for two days.

Related posts:

1. Tree House Paradise
2. Animals and Nature of Olympos, Turkey
3. Earthquake Update and a Couchsurfer’s Plea

Although it is my intent to write more once we get a bit more used to life on the road, for now I think I’ll let the pictures do (most of) the talking.

Colin gave us a few rides in his Bronco, including from the G-hound station. What a guy.

Nerds on ice. Photo by Brianna.

Laura is graceful like a gazelle, except when she fell on her bum (which may have been partially my fault. sorry babe!).

Later on we met Katy and Kendall for a movie and a pint. Katy’s a journamalist.

Brianna’s cat Seepo clearly wants to do some traveling of his own. Unfortunately, we had to leave him behind.

Pig on pig: Des made Dale his meal of choice for his birthday–Pancetta bacon wrapped on a juicy pork roast. It was indeed porkalicious.

Over 10 pigs died to bring us this meal.

As usual, Dale does all the work while everyone else stands around. Actually, that’s not usual at all.

Des made Dale half a birthday cake. She also made us half a going-away cake (notice the word “BYE” on the right). Aside from being an awesome new-Mom, she’s also a master baker.

Group shot!

Laura and Isla-bean. What a couple of cuties.

Bath time! Rubber ducky you’re so fun!

Okay, this one’s not Vancouver, but I didn’t have time to post it before. Laura rocks out with the Malibu Knights in Kelowna. Dean (on bass) put us up. Woot.

Related posts:

1. Dinner at the Millers’
2. Home sweet home
3. Sorrento, B.C., Canada

Chris and Dale making dinner at Dale’s home in Vancouver.

The next day we went to Dale’s parents house (also Millers) for dinner. Margie whipped up a fantastic red meat pasta sauce which we washed down with two red wines: “Gnarly” and “Gnarlier”. I preferred the “Gnarlier”.

The Millers’ home for dinner.

After dinner Mr. Miller brought out the Scotch and Port. We ended the evening with a crash course, delivered by Chris, on how to clean your camera sensor.

Front and center is Dale and Des’s beautiful 3-month old daughter Isla!

Related posts:

1. Vancouver, B.C., Canada
2. Home sweet home
3. Vancouver Aquarium