Season’s Greetings

 

                                                                  “Azure Window”, Dwerja Bay, Gozo Island, Malta

Another eventful year draws to a close and we are considering what highlights to share with our friends and family. As always we have been traveling – two trips to Winnipeg to visit Wilf’s Mom as well as the usual Stoneman get together in Bigfork, Montana during the summer. This was the centennial year for the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Manitoba, which provided Wilf with a chance to meet up with former professors and fellow students for some reminiscing. They also had a chance to marvel at all the attractive young women in the current program – some things have changed since way back when!

This fall we made a return trip to Europe, meeting up with our friends Nan and Greg in Germany, then moving on to Malta. We spent a week exploring Malta and the neighbouring island of Gozo, before flying to Sicily. A few more days with Nan and Greg, after which we continued our explorations on our own. This meant the added adventure of driving, which was, indeed, an adventure. Fortunately we had our GPS with us, otherwise we might still be wandering the back roads of Sicily. Sharon had an opportunity to unleash her inner Italian and learned to be more aggressive in her driving.

Back here in staid slow Victoria she has had some unlearning to do. Sicily was quite different from the other parts of Italy that we have visited. We enjoyed the food, the wine, the sights – it was great. We finished off with a few days in Milan for a Northern Italian perspective.

We continue to be well – Wilf flyfishes and gardens. He also completed renovations to our second bathroom this summer. Sharon is still quilting and knitting and attended several retreats and seminars. We’ve been on the West Coast now for 10 years – a fact that rather astonishes us – how the time flies.

We both wish you all much happiness in the coming year.

OMG - ROFLMAO

So I don’t do the texting thing. Mostly because I don’t have anyone to send texts to. The people I know (and this includes me) either don’t have their phone with them, or don’t have it turned on. The only texts we get are from our phone service providers and the response is usually ‘Why is my phone making that funny noise?’

That said, this summer I got an IPod Touch (oh, IPod how do I love thee? Let me count the ways….), which has been my introduction to the world of autocorrect. I have learned to double check before hitting send or save because of that feature. In the speedy give and take of texting, however, people don’t always check before sending.

The phenomenon of autocorrect errors is beginning to creep into popular culture, too. We were watching an episode of Sherlock  and he received a text message – the sender called him a cork stuffer. He read that out – they all thought about it, then nodded and agreed ‘Autocorrect’.

If that is an example of autocorrect in Britain I must say that the British software seems to differ from the American. How do I know this? Today I stumbled across www.damnyouautocorrect.com, a site that captures hilarious examples of autocorrect gone horribly, hilariously wrong.  It seems that given the option autocorrect will substitute the most profane, ridiculous or embarrassing words possible. I don’t know what’s funnier – the horrified sender or the bemused recipients of the message.

And you know how they it is difficult to express tone in electronic communications? I’d say that frustration comes through loud and clear in the text world…..

That was fast…

Its been three weeks since we got home – how’d that happen? I’m sitting here, looking at pictures, reading about Picasa web albums. And when I look at our pictures, especially those from Malta it is hard to believe that it was so hot there. Back here in the northern rain forest it is a festival of damp drippy foggy grey. Not so much with the rain. But wet, nontheless. In fact, look what I saw growing out of the gravel at the top of our driveway:

Nope – not a pinecone. A mushroom of some sort, about 4” tall. And don’t even get me started on the moss situation around here.

So – a quiet Sunday afternoon with a hot drink and a several hundred photos. Let’s see what I have to say about them.

Before and After

It appears that Grappa is an acquired taste.

Malta is cool!

Well, actually its pretty neat. But not cool – it is hot! Whew! I can’t imagine being there in the summer. But – lots to see. We stayed in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk.

Backing up a bit, Wilf and I flew from Victoria to Frankfurt, where we met up with our friends Nan and Greg. From there we flew to Malta. Greg had arranged an apartment rental for us – we had a great place right on the main street into town, short walk down and around the corner to the port.

All along the harbour are fish restaurants. We were impressed by the wide marble esplanade along the shore until we saw it in action on Monday morning – not for the convenience of the tourists strolling by,  it is actually a place for the fishermen to lay out their nets for inspection and repair.

We arrived on a Saturday, and clearly Saturday night is the night to be in town. Everyone was all dressed up for a night out – we were lucky to get a table. Having a table on the walkway meant we had front row seats for the parade of legs and cleavage that went by – wow! I don’t have any pictures from Saturday night – you’ll have to make do with Sunday morning, instead!

Being based in Marsaxlokk was convenient – close to the airport and we could take the bus to Valletta. For further excursions we rented a car. As Malta was under British control for a long time they drive on the left of the road – fortunately for us Greg is Australian and took control of the driving. Good thing – it was rather a combination of crazy Italian driving, on the wrong side of the road with lots and lots of roundabouts thrown in. Greg remained calm, cool and collected throughout, leaving the rest of us to cringe at the antics of the drivers around us.

And best layed plans, yadda yadda

First up - we're having a great time. Malta was hot and fun and interesting. Sicily has been hot until the rain blew in last night. Tonight we are in Piazza Armerina, swathed in fog and light rain. Still warmish, though.

We dropped Nan and Greg at the Catania airport noonish and switched cars. The cars deserve an entire post of their own (with pictures), but let it suffice to say that we went from the lap of luxury this morning to what may be classified as a clown car this afternoon! It got the job done and we are here.

We never did find the internet cafe in our town in Malta, and didn't see one in Syracusa, either. My netbook refuses to turn on, so I may be hooped even if we find wi-fi. Tonight's bed and breakfast has a computer we can use - although the Italian keyboard is a challenge! (I keep losing the @ symbol!) But I'll keep trying - pictures may have to wait.

It is only 5:30 pm, which is insanely early to consider dinner in these parts. But I'm hungry! I feel like we've driven across half of Sicily today and I'm ready. Besides, we want to try pasta alla Norma, so out into the fog we go!

Until later!!!!

This is what happens….

When Someone has a birthday that coincides with International Talk Like a Pirate Day. It begins with cards and the singing of Happy Birthday. Then – out come the pirate hats while during the post brunch visit to the frog prince at The Chalet in Deep Cove:

As the day progresses there are the so necessary pirate jokes, including:

What’s a pirate’s favorite inert gas? Arrrgon!

What’s a pirate’s favorite kind of sock? Arrrrgyle!

What’s a pirate’s favorite kind of cheese? Havarrrrti!

Soon enough comes cake:

And just in time, too, ‘cause this rascally fellow wanted some cake!

Happy birthday, sweetie! And many thanks to Martine for making it fun!