Blog Archives - devolin adventures

devolin adventures

When in Spain, er, I mean Italy...

31/10/2015

One of the best parts of travelling is trying the local specialties. Italy is famous for delicious food, and most people here take time to go to markets to buy top quality, fresh ingredients. This morning, on our way to the Forum, we happened past a Saturday morning market - kind of the Roman version of the St Lawrence or Granville Island markets.

The meat, cheese and breads looked great. On our way out, we happened by this butcher shop. The irony of the pig eating bread, and the fresh sandwiches was too much to resist. Jenn, Rodney and I all enjoyed the porketa. Ursula and the kids tried it, but found it a bit "crunchy".

Anyway, it wasn't processed, and I'm not sure which part of the pig the bacon comes from, so I'm guessing the WHO wouldn't have any concerns...

Updates to the Itinerary

28/10/2015

For those who've been following our itinerary, please note I've had to make a few changes to November and December. As it turns out, I've had to deal with three flight cancellations. I'm not sure if this is just bad luck, par for the course with 20 flights, or whether booking the cheapest flights of the month (presumably because they're the least busy) makes cancellation more likely.

In the first case (Rome to Marrakech), an alternative flight was found about the same time on the same day. It was even a little cheaper. No problem. In the second case (Fez to Barcelona), I had to book a day earlier. Once again, it was a little cheaper, but forced me to shuffle hotels and reduce our stay in Morocco by one day and increase Barcelona by a day (not a bad trade-off).

The third case caused the most challenge. We depart from Abu Dhabi for Johannesburg the same day as planned, but 8 hours later (10 am instead of 2 am). While this doesn't sound like much, it means an additional night in an Abu Dhabi hotel (not cheap - especially after I booked a non-refundable 5* place by mistake) without any additional time to do stuff. It also means that when we arrive in Johannesburg we'll have to overnight, rather than driving directly to Kruger. This is because everyone - and I mean everyone - tells tourists not to drive after dark in South Africa. The upside of these additional costs is that we will be making a daytime flight, rather than a redeye (followed by a 4 hr drive) that would probably mess everyone up for a couple of days.

I guess the lesson here is that really tight plans can be ambushed by flight changes. I don't think there's an easy answer, except to expect a little bit of the unexpected.

Quiet day in Rome

28/10/2015

One thing we've learned on this trip is that, every once in a while, you need a day to do nothing. Today is that day for George, Molly and me. It's also rainy, so we don't feel like we're missing anything special outside.

To begin the day, we enjoyed a leisurely morning in our spacious and comfortable 3 bedroom apartment. George and I had baths, and the kids are watching their favourite TV shows on Netflix on their iPads. After a quick visit to the grocery store, the 3 of us decided to visit the local McDonald's for lunch. We theorized that Italian tourists in Canada probably have a slice of pizza now and then, so what's the difference?

As for me, I've also been doing lots of little chores online, such as checking future accommodation to make sure everything is in order, and re-checking car rentals (which, unlike accommodation, almost never require a deposit) to see if there are better deals now. As it turns out, the answer is that about half the time car rental prices go down near the date. The rest of the time there may not be any cars available, or there aren't any good deals to be had.

For example, the killer deal I got last spring for Belgium (a nice car for $28 a day) was unbeatable at the last minute. On the other hand, I just rebooked our car for the first week in South Africa. For less than the price of the small van I booked months ago, I got a full-size SUV (higher seating = better viewing of animals in Kruger Park) for a lot less money.

While the rest of us are enjoying our sloth today, Ursula decided to be productive by visiting the Vatican Museums. We were there 15 years ago sans enfants, but there is more than you could possibly see in a week. I think she was also looking forward to flying solo for a few hours, after being with George and Molly (and others) 24/7 for more than two months.

Anyway, that's it for now. We agreed to meet Ursula in front of St Peters at 4:30 to tour the church before heading downtown for a stroll and dinner, and we need to leave a few minutes early, as Molly negotiated a quick Italian ice cream before we meet mom...

Thanx John for filling in - and so much more

27/10/2015

I'd like to thank my father-in-law John Beachli for filling in for me so admirably during the 25 days I was back in Canada. I'm not sure Ursula would have been comfortable travelling on her own across Europe with two kids, but she was delighted to continue this big adventure with her dad's company and assistance.

As many of you know, John and I share some common values. For example, we agree that spending money on travel is far more worthwhile than buying a bunch of stuff that nobody really needs. We also agree that people - especially young people - should travel widely in order to realize that we are all really citizens of the world, not simply Canadians or Americans or Swiss.

One of my primary goals on this trip is to help George and Molly understand these values, to have an idea of where they might fit in, and to know they can go wherever they want and do whatever they want in their lives. Thanx John for reinforcing these valuable lessons with your grandchildren.

Mr. D (the math teacher) is back!

26/10/2015

After a month off, Molly got a math lesson on the flight between Basel and Rome. While other passengers probably thought I was torturing her, it was actually a good way to pass time while trapped on a discount flight with no video entertainment.

Fun with the Swiss Family Beachli

25/10/2015

George officially enters his teenage years with a Swiss chocolate birthday cake.

John and Werner in front of their grandparents' house, where their fathers grew up about 90 years ago.

Lydia and I looking at the blueberry plants (while I enjoy a cold beverage).

Well, my short visit to Switzerland ends today. Even though I was only here for 4 days, I feel like I've had a window into the real Switzerland. By staying with family, we got the royal treatment and were able to see how people live in 2015.

Yesterday we took a 3 km walk from the farm along the north shore of Zurich Lake into downtown Rapperswil - a charming town popular with tourists in summer. At this time of the year, it seemed that most of the people around were locals, out for lunch after church. (I'll take brisk weather and no crowds anytime over the mobs of summer.)

Afterwards, we walked a couple more km inland to see the farm where Ursula's grandfather grew up. It's on a hill overlooking farms and suburbs. Back in the 1920's when Ursula's grandfather lived there, it would have been totally out in the country.

For dinner, we had a big gabfest around the family dining table. Lydia made a Swiss chocolate cake for George's birthday, and we got to try all of Werner's homemade fruit liqueurs. About 9 pm, we walked the one kilometre back to the hostel where we're staying. The moon was out, and it seemed a perfect ending to the Swiss chapter in our Big Adventure. Being able to enjoy it with John made it even more special.

Today, we drive to Bern (120 km) to catch a flight to Rome at 3 pm. The kids want to cross over into Germany on the drive so they can add it to their lists of countries visited. While the weather here has been unseasonably warm this weekend, but we're still looking forward to shorts and t-shirts in Rome.

In terms of my mindset, I still read the Star, Globe and Post every day - but find myself less and less interested in what they have to say. I can feel myself disengaging. With 220 rookie Members in the new Parliament, I know that what I was part of for 10 years is now gone. For the first time since we began planning for this trip 2 years ago, I feel like the future begins now.

On the road (again)

22/10/2015

The Bachli family cabin (rustico) in southern Switzerland, perched high above the valley floor.

The Devolin family pauses while crossing an amazing stone bridge over a mountain stream.

Rather than take the Gotthard tunnel, we took advantage of a perfect day to drive the old road over the pass.

As the title suggests, I've rejoined the pack to recommence our "round the world" tour. I arrived last night about 8 pm after an uneventful 22 hour trip from Haliburton to Toronto to London to Basel to the Rustico.

This cabin is a lovely spot, perched on a steep mountainside overlooking a valley. Cars get parked at the bottom of the hill in a farmer's yard, as the last 200 m is uphill by foot, culminating in 101 granite steps to the front door. (They have a cable lift for stuff, but people aren't allowed to ride.)

Today, after a leisurely morning, we drove north of Locarno to a nearly hidden valley to walk the riverbed and visit some villages. It was a sunny, crisp fall day. I really felt like we were seeing a little bit of the "real" Switzerland that many tourists would miss. This evening, we cooked sausage on an outdoor fire, had a leisurely dinner, then practiced my children's newest hobby - poker.

As it turns out, I don't have any deep philosophy tonight. Life is good. I'm back with my family, drinking wine made from grapes grown on this very property. In it's own way, this place is as nice as a lakeside cottage in the Haliburton Highlands. Tomorrow we have another easy day here, before heading north Saturday (through the 17 km Gotthard Tunnel) to meet the relatives.

Last day in Canada; off for Switzerland tonight

20/10/2015

This post won't be long as I'm getting ready to head to Pearson airport today. For those of you expecting a political analysis, I'm retired (but very happy that Jamie Schmale is the new MP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock).

After 3 weeks, I think (hope) I've completed all my bureaucratic chores. The house rental seems to be going well. Both cars are sold. Both MP offices are closed. My (former) staff have an excellent chance at remaining employed. I think I've sent all the necessary documents to Korea for a work visa.

Today, I have a couple of things to do at the bank in Minden, then will head south. I think I'm going to enjoy the next 4 months. Get ready for my next blog posting from the Swiss Alps!

Meanwhile, back in Canada...

2/10/2015

Well, I've been back in Canada for a week - little more than 2 weeks to go before I rejoin the Devolin Adventures. As I've written before, I have lots of administrative business to do during these 25 days. I've been busy this week, but still have lots to do.

In many ways it's a little strange being here. In some ways, I've just dropped back into my old life here. Like tonight when I met the Brandon boys (Lorry is away) at McKeck's for Friday night dinner. Over the years, I've spent lots of time away from Ursula and the kids (often here at my parents' home), so that isn't as different for me as it would be for many people.

What's strange is that I don't have anything on my planning horizon here beyond two weeks. I"m not saying "see you later" to people. Ironically, many people in town don't even realize I've been away or that we don't live here any more. When someone asks "what's new", I don't even know where to begin!

It is clear to me, and most other people, that I'm no longer the MP. After 11 years that's a little weird, but I'm happy to be on a new path.

Author

Ever since my first trip to Greece in 1978, travel has been my passion and extravagance. My year in the Netherlands as a Rotary Exchange Student in 1979/80 only fueled this obsession. As I've gotten older, I've become less concerned with "seeing the sights" and more interested in observing, experiencing and absorbing the way people live today.

From my perspective, the primary objective of these Devolin Adventures is to introduce the world to our children, George and Molly.

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