Harbour City Ramblings

A frog once educated me in song form on the difficulties he faced being green.  I admit, he was typically a rather downcast character, often distraught over blending in with ordinary things or his relationship with one specific swine, so I didn’t pay much attention to him. In fact, I find his statement to be completely false.

These days, what Kermit once cursed- deeming his natural shade a constant detriment- is all the rave and practice amongst the masses who are hoping to either master, or cash in on, the art of being green.

For forward-thinking minds wanting to see this world around much longer than the Maya prophecy inaccurately predicts, buying local, seeking out chemical-free products, and expanding their knowledge while raising awareness have become an everyday pastime.

Personally, for years I have been phasing out cleaning, clothing, beauty and other products around my home and replacing them with certified organic and natural items.  Currently I am working on increasing my ability to live off of a local diet, ensuring I purchase products not laden with pesticides, herbicides or other pest and insect controlling substances.  I am also employed by a company who shares in these views, creating dynamic development properties certified platinum by the L.E.E.D standard, utilizing local, sustainable building materials and practices.

There is a growing list of products I now consistently pick-up when grocery shopping which cater to my need to be green.

For the sake of my stomach (and health) I always have on-hand:

• Level Ground Trading coffee – Cafe San Miguel is my favourite blend from this Victoria-based producer of fair-trade, locally roasted coffees. Their newest venture- the Ecotainer, is an absolute blessing to see, as I constantly find myself cringing at the site of conventional coffee cups being thrown into trash bins around town. If you’re not B.Y.O.Mug’ing then this is the best alternative.
• Island Bakery’s organic Sunflower and Flax or Ancient 7-grain bread – Located less than 50kms up north in quaint Cobble Hill, their wholesome breads are hard to beat.
• So Nice soy beverage – Produced in Vancouver, their completely natural and preservative-free soy is a staple of my diet.  I would not switch back to it’s nutrient-lacking-in-comparison cousin milk any day.
• Golden Organics peanut butter – No salt or sugar added, simply pure roasted organic peanuts made a ferry-ride away in Burnaby.
• Nature’s Path granola – Though not produced completely locally, their environmentally sound methods of production, goals to be waste-free by 2010, and an outstanding line of such good organic granola make for the perfect morning brain-boost (or when mixed with the above soy, or yogurt and a banana, you have yourself a work-out fueling snack).

Green reading material is widely available through various means.  Tips on how to bring out the earth-lover in all of us are plastered all over the internet, it has also been the theme of various Expos- such as this weekend’s Organic Islands Festival- and you can learn more how-to’s and benefits at most any spot you will find literature sold.  I would recommend this read- a gift my cousin Ali picked up for me last year- Adria Vasil’s national bestseller Ecoholic, a great resource for some of the best environmentally friendly information, products and services around.

I know Kermit the frog has been around for over 60 years now, but if he wants to maintain this level of popularity he might have to change his way of thinking. If only when it comes to being green.

It’s been a while.  People get busy, it happens.

These past couple of weeks I have been watching the number of out-of-towners multiple like rabbits wandering the grounds of UVic. It’s not yet even June and already we have seen a huge increase in tourists ambling about.

Living on a busy route in James Bay they wander past regularly in one long consistent stream. Looking relaxed, but quite bored, craning their necks whilst being dragged in a carriage by horses trotting slower than they could walk, or strolling in a Kabuki Kab while getting the tour from, well, what I hope are locals but fear to be foreign students who know too little about our city. Either way seemingly all of their drivers are extremely neighbourly, passengers are out in the open taking in the beauty of each unique area along the way and it’s a completely green means of transportation.  As opposed to the cramped, closed-off massive old charter buses, which, thankfully, are prohibited down my street.

In any case, there have been a huge influx in all of the above due to the cruise ships and an upcoming US long-weekend.  Nice to see Victoria has yet to really feel the crunch of this economy.

I have much to do in the next little while to prepare for the busy summer that lies ahead.  But first- this time next week I will be taking a quick 2-hour and some flight down to San Franciso for a short get-a-way.

Mom picked me up Frommer’s “San Francisco- Day by Day” (purse-sized, with multiple maps and awesome tips), the Alcatraz night tour is booked, and just earlier today Dylan discovered/purchased tickets to see Propagandhi @ Slim’s the night we arrive.  Should be a great trip!

Now off to finally check-out Star Trek…

I live in a tourism driven community. Approximately twice weekly on my way to or from James Bay, I find myself behind the lens of a foreigners camera, taking that memorable family photo in front of the Victoria Legislature. Finally, it’s my turn…

We touched down in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday around 4:30pm local time. Upon arriving at the airport we quickly regained our strength at one of the many airport cafes, dinning on tomato soup (or more so, delicious tomato paste), frankfurters and cold beer. Much to my dismay Frankfurt was a practically unbearable 30 degrees… Didn’t much help to have 16 kilos of clothing strapped to my back!

The Netherlands

We had an ICE Train reservation for 7pm to the small Dutch town of Arnhem, a couple hours west of Frankfurt. The train system here is incredible. We moved at a speed of 250 Km+ at times through south-west German rolling plains into the Netherlands.

We were greeted at the Arnhem Central Station by an old family friend of Dylan’s, Stijn. We were then fortunate enough to spend the next few days getting accustomed to the European lifestyle at the home of Stijn, Mim, and their two beautiful young girls, Mirre and Evie in Elst, the Netherlands.

The Horse Market

On Monday, Sept. 1st, we awoke sans jet lag and attended a horse market that has been going on annually in Elst, since 1200. Horse breeders from all across Europe lined the cobble-stoned streets with hundreds of their horses. If you want the best deal on the most impressive horse you’re there at 5am… Luckily we were not. We biked in by 8am, and had a beer in hand by 9am.

Seated next to a table of 4 local gentlemen, I was offered a horse for a mere €40! Unfortunately I don’t believe my landlady Opal would allow it in my tiny flat.

Kinderdijk

The next few days were spent wide-eyed touring the southern Netherlands. We wandered the modern markets and shopping areas of Rotterdam, visited the oldest city in the Netherlands, Nijmegen (an ancient Roman settlement), took a tour of Mim’s coffee factory, and drank a lot of beer- which goes without saying. The highlight was definitely the 250 year old windmills in Kinderdiijk.

Antwerp, Belgium

Wednesday we reluctantly left our incredibly accommodating tour guide, Stijn, behind, as well as the comfort of their home in Elst and hopped on a train headed west.

Our destination was an unexpected one, we spent the night in Antwerp, Belgium last night. A decision I’m most happy we made. This was the first Hostel experience for both Dylan and I. We used his handy Let’s Go: Western Europe book and located the New International Youth Hostel about a 15 min. walk from the Antwerp Central Station. As the book states, it is a well-worn place, but it was most enjoyable and we met folks from all across Europe.

Antwerp itself is stunning, a melting pot of cultures, amazing architecture and world famous fries (to die for, especially with garlic sauce!).

At the moment we’re south-bound on the Thalys to Paris, then we will head north straight-away. Our official plan is to spend a night or two in the northern sea-side town of Dieppe, France, and get our Paris sight-seeing in most likely on Saturday. Dylan’s not big on the French culture, something to do with the French Immersion kids clashing with his English classmates back in his Elementary School days- so we’ll see how he fares with all the berets and croissants…

I started the summer with an outstanding read.  My co-worker/great friend, Linda, lent me a novel she claimed to have just devoured earlier this spring: Elizabeth Kostova’s “The Historian.” I followed suit and enjoyed the thoroughly suspenseful tale of a girl following her family’s tracks back in time.  Her journey to better understand their history leads her through European countrysides, coasts, mountains and valleys.  From monasteries to libraries, and the depths of ancient crypts, as she comes across possible past blood connections to a well-known 15th century historical figure- Vlad the Impaler (better known as Dracula).  Truly, a page-turner.

In preparation for the Netherlands leg of our own Europe trek, I’m revisiting (though practically reading for the first time, as it’s been many years and was previously mandatory for grading purposes in middle-school,) “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.”  What a brilliant, most sharp young mind, she had, even through all of that.  Of course, we plan to stop by the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

Also picked up a couple of classics to possibly get to before or during the trip: Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” (a children’s novel, technically sure, but still a classic!), and Jane Austen’s “Emma”.  Here’s hoping I find the time to get to an optometrist this summer- the eyes, they’re strained… I wish Wii Fit could help with those types of exercises.