Crosscut, a dandy online publication in Seattle that features News of the Great Nearby (Washington/Oregon/Idaho/British Columbia), takes a fresh, regional look at the Pacific Northwest.
In today's edition, my photo of Victoria's Ross Bay Cemetery is featured on the front page. It's also featured here.
One of my favorite ways to get to know a place is by visiting a community's cemetery.
On a recent trip to Victoria, I toured the Victorian-era Ross Bay Cemetery.
Much to my surprise, legendary artist Emily Carr is buried there.
Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, BC
Photo by Sue Frause
Numerous Canadian restaurants and hotels have joined the ranks of businesses who are acknowledging Earth Hour by turning off their lights for an hour.
I wrote about it in a previous blog on March 24.
But is it helping the environment?
Some think not.
An article in the Ottawa Citizen presents another side to this latest campaign to raise the level of awareness about climate change.
Coincidentally, my husband Bob Frause is quoted in the article.
Dessert at Mii Amo. Photo by Sue Frause.
The 8th Montreal Wine and Spirits Show, the largest event of its kind in Canada, runs March 27-30 at the Palais des congres de Montreal.
The show takes place every two years. The 2008 edition features 230 producers, vintners, distillers and brewers representing 30 countries. They will be presenting some 2,000 products, and only several hundred are available during the show.
Several hundred of them are available only during the show.
Ambassador of the show is Elyse Lambert, sommelier of XO, the renowned resto at Montreal's Hotel Le St-James.
Ranked as #1 sommelier in Quebec in 2004 and #3 in Canada in 2006, she will share her passion for wine and spirits with the general public.
Admission is $15 and includes an expert tasting glass and official show guide. A passport for unlimited access during the four-day event is also available for $40.
The cost of taste-testing varies in accordance with the products that are offered.
I've always loved Anne Murray.
Recently, I listened to her new CD, Anne Murray: Friends & Legends.
It features vocalists Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Nelly Furtado, Isabelle Boulay, k.d. lang, Celtic Woman, Carole King, Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris, Jann Arden, Shelby Lynne, Sarah Brightman, Celine Dion, Amy Grant, Indigo Girls, Dusty Springfield and Anne's daughter, Dawn Langstroth.
I had no idea Anne's daughter was a singer in her own right.
This spring, they'll be touring/singing together across Canada as part of a North American tour. The Canadian portion begins April 15 in Moncton, New Brunswick at the Moncton Coliseum and wraps up on May 23 in Toronto at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
Hopefully I can get up to Vancouver to hear and see Anne and her daughter perform.
Victoria’s Oswego Hotel has a fun Downtown Divas package:
*Two nights accommodation in a two-bedroom suite
*O Bistro’s signature Urban Platter and Cosmopolitan Martini Bar
*Ayurvedic consultation and 60-minute Abyhanga Massage at Sapphire Day Spa
*Daily breakfast
*Late check-out
*Valet Parking
The Downtown Divas package starts at $549 per person based on double occupancy. Available year-round.
The 80-room Oswego Hotel offers an eclectic mix of rugged West Coast and contemporary design. Rooms feature fully equipped gourmet kitchens and spacious living rooms. It's conveniently located in James Bay, two blocks from Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
Photo by Sue Frause
I missed Earth Hour last year. It originated in Sydney, Australia and was a huge success -- nearly 2.3 million Sydney-siders participated by turning off their lights for one hour.
Coordinated by the World Wildlife Fund, it resulted in a 10.2% reduction in Sydney's energy consumption. That's equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the road for one year.
A number of Canadian hotels and restos are getting into the act. The Sutton Place Grande Hotels Group, with hotels in Vancouver/Edmonton/Toronto/Chicago, is turning off the lights in its buildings for one hour at 8 PM PDT on Saturday, March 29.
Hotel guests will also be invited to participate by switching off all non-essential lighting, computers, televisions and appliances during that hour.
In Vancouver, lights that outline the iconic green copper roof of The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver will cease to illuminate the Vancouver skyline, and guests will dine to the flicker of candlelight in Griffins and 900 West.
Five blocks away, the Fairmont Waterfront will rely on the daylight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows to illuminate the airy marble lobby -- holding off on flicking the light switches for as long as Mother Nature allows. From 8-9 PM, Herons Restaurant guests will enjoy candlelit dining while the hotel dining room observes Earth Hour with the dimming of the lights.
Also in Vancouver, restaurateur Harry Kambolis is shutting off lights at his three restaurants: C Restaurant, Raincity Grill and Nu Restaurant + Lounge will flick the switch and serve by candlelight from 8-9 PM on March 29.
A candleabra in Norway. Photo by Sue Frause.
Approaching Victoria on a Kenmore Air flight from Lake Union in Seattle. Photo by Sue Frause.
Ferry service between Sidney, BC on Vancouver Island and Anacortes in Washington state resumes on Sunday, March 30.
The ferry doesn't run during the winter months due to bad weather and high seas.
An informal day of celebration is planned for the reopening of the Washington State Ferries Route, which has one round-trip sailing per day. It will feature marching bands and town criers, and a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will meet the first sailing. It leaves Anacortes at 7:45 AM and arrives in Sidney at 10:50 AM.
The celebration is hosted by the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce, the Sidney Business Association, the Anacortes and Sidney Sister Cities Association and Washington State Department of Transportation.
Remember to travel with your passport!
Walk-on passengers disembark in Sidney. It's a quick jaunt to the town center. Photo by Sue Frause.
If you're in Victoria during the coming year, pay a visit to the Royal BC Museum and wish British Columbia a 150th Happy Birthday!
I saw a preview of the exhibition Free Spirit: Stories of You, Me and BC before it opened on March 13. It's pretty wonderful.
Read a travel feature I wrote about it in The Province.
This tartan jacket on display was once worn by BC Liquor Control Board employees and is made from the official tartan of British Columbia. Photo by Sue Frause.
Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa is opening its new restaurant, bistro Cordon Bleu, on April 3, 2008.
The full-service fine dining restaurant, run and staffed by students and supervised by a Le Cordon Bleu chef, will offer inexpensive three course lunch menus.
bistro Cordon Bleu, located at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute, will be the school's full-service, fine dining restaurant managed and staffed by students.
At the end of their 9-mos. curriculum, students will be required to work in the restaurant, putting their culinary skills and training to the test while gaining hands-on experience in the dinning room.
Three course menus at the 30-seat resto will feature seasonal French bistro favorites. Set price menus will include the option of a glass of wine. The bistro is open Thursdays and Fridays for lunch. Reservations are recommended at 613.236.2499.
Located in the heart of Sandy Hill section of Ottawa (453 Laurier Avenue East), bistro Cordon Bleu joins the well-established 5 Diamond awarded Le Cordon Bleu Signatures restaurant, also located at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute.
So, how's that for eating somebody's homework?
They call it the biggest snowsports party on the planet, and every spring it draws the world to Whistler for amplitude, altitude and awesome entertainment.
It's the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, April 11-20.
The ten-day festival showcases Canada's largest free outdoor concert series, big-air ski and board spectacles, fashion runway shows and unconventional photography, art and cultural events.
Book now and get festival room rates starting at $109 per night.
Photo at Whistler by Sue Frause
Toronto-based Porter Airlines is expanding into the US market with seven daily round trip flights between Toronto City Centre Airport (TCCA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) beginning March 31, 2008.
Porter Airlines flies from its own dedicated terminal at Toronto City Centre Airport, minutes from downtown. Complimentary Porter shuttle buses take passengers the short ride to Union Station, located near the financial and entertainment districts. The airport is also accessible by public transit, taxi, limo or personal vehicles.
Porter's fare structure includes complimentary changes and cancellations, advance seat selection and same-day changes at the airport. Passengers clear Canadian and US Customs at Toronto City Centre and Newark Liberty International airports, respectively.
On board, enjoy complimentary snacks, wine and beer, a spacious cabin with leather upholstery and extra legroom. Customer service and flight crew uniforms are designed by Pink Tartan, a Toronto and New York-based fashion label.
Porter's modern, comfortable and stylish lounge at Toronto City Centre Airport includes WiFi access, refreshments and a business centre.
In addition to the seven daily round-trips, there are two Saturday round-trips and three Sunday round-trips. Fares start at $120 CDN for one-way flights.
For reservations, call 888.619.8622 or go online to www.flyporter.com.
Toronto City Centre Airport is located on the Toronto Islands, seen here from the CN Tower. Photo by Sue Frause.
Will winter never end?
Read what The Weather Network has to say about it.
Parliament Hill in Ottawa
Photo by Sue Frause, September 2004
Toronto author Susan Bourette was a vegetarian for five weeks and 37 hours.
That was a result of spending a week at a slaughterhouse, tormented by the squeals of pigs being herded to their death.
But it made Bourette wonder: can you eat meat with a clear conscience?
She's written about it in her very funny and informative memoir, Carnivore Chic: From Pasture to Plate, a Search for the Perfect Meat.
On her search for superior meat, Bourette crosses the country and takes readers behind the bucolic facade of cattle farms, on an Inuit whale hunt, behind the butcher-shop counter and into the kitchens of five-star restaurants.
It's her quest to be a "compassionate carnivore."
Barbara-Jo's Books To Cooks in Vancouver is hosting Susan at its popular Six O'Clock Salon on Tuesday, March 18 at 6 PM.
Cost is $45.00, which includes a signed copy of Susan's book. Call 604-688-6755 to register.
To read an excerpt from Boutette's book in the Globe and Mail, click on here.
Livestock on Scotland's Drover's Trail
Photo by Sue Frause
Quebec City took its 400th anniversary seriously this winter.
Last week, the snow total in the provincial capital hit 400cm (that's more than 13 ft!) and its former record of 458cm (15 ft.) in 1965-66 was broken.
CBC News has a map with Canadian snow records.
But there's a dark side to all this white stuff.
In the Laurentians, three women were found dead in the rubble of a warehouse whose roof apparently collapsed from the weight of the snow and then caught fire.
A worker clears off a rooftop
Quebec City, February 2004
Photo by Sue Frause
Delta Hotels, which has 41 hotels and resorts in Canada, is offering Triple Aeroplan® Miles through April 30, 2008.
During the promotion period, travellers who enroll in Delta Privilege will earn 1,500 Aeroplan Miles for each of their stays, to a maximum of three stays and 4,500 Aeroplan Miles.
Current members are also rewarded with a chance to win one of ten prizes of 25,000 Aeroplan Miles through the promotion’s stay-and-referral program.
In addition to earning 500 Aeroplan Miles on each stay at a Delta hotel or resort, current members will receive a contest entry form. And if they refer a friend who joins Delta Privilege, they'll earn another ballot.
After their third qualifying stay, new members will earn 500 Aeroplan Miles for subsequent stays during the promotion period.
Complete promotion details can be found at www.deltahotels.com/triplemiles.
Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa, Victoria
Photo by Sue Frause
Sometimes I want more than just a room somewhere.
Several years ago on my way to the Chic-Chocs of Quebec, I spent an evening in Vieux Montreal at the Place D'Armes Hotel & Suites.
After a long flight from Seattle to Toronto and at last Montreal, it was a welcome space to rest my weary head.
I remember receiving a voucher for a complimentary glass of wine from the hotel's bar, which I took up to my room.
I'd like to go back, next time with my hubby. I notice they have a Passion for Two package that sounds quite yummy. It includes:
Two nights in a luxury room or suite;
Continental breakfast served in the room;
Wine and cheese every evening from 5-7 PM;
Gastronomic dinner for two at the hotel's restaurant, Aix Cuisine du Terroir (service included);
Two, one-hour Swedish massages at the on-site Rainspa (gratuity included);
Chilled Champagne;
Bouquet of freshly cut flowers in your room upon arrival;
Box of chocolates
It's available now through April 30, 2008.
Package for two people starts at $785 plus taxes; extra nights available starting at $165. Photograph by Sue Frause
One of my favorite songwriters is Leonard Cohen.
At long last, the rest of the world has acknowledged the Montreal born artist.
Sunday night in a ceremony at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He joined Madonna, John Mellencamp, Gamble & Huff and Little Walter in the prestigious Who's Who of Rockers.
I first met Cohen not on a CD, but vinyl. It was a well-worn copy of his LP The Songs of Leonard Cohen and contained the hit Suzanne.
Of course I liked it -- it was my song, even though my name was Susan.
I recently picked up a copy of Book of Longing. It's his collection of poetry, 20 years in the making, written in California, Montreal and Mumbai. It includes his playful line drawings.
This summer, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal's (Montreal Jazz Festival) line-up includes Leonard Cohen.
Organizers say it’s a rare and long-awaited visit from the 73-year-old singer-songwriter. He will perform three pre-opening concerts on June 23, 24 and 25, in Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts.
Tickets go on sale Thursday, March 13 at noon (Montreal time) by logging onto http://laplacedesarts.com or http://admission.com. To talk to a live person, call 514.790.1245.
Read Mark Lepage's feature about Cohen and the ceremony in The Gazette.
My much played copy of Leonard Cohen: The Best Of
Photo by Sue Frause
Butterfield & Robinson, a Toronto-based touring company, has been in business since 1966.
The Canadian company specializes in biking and hiking trips, offering 90 itineraries in 60 destinations around the world.
I went on my first group bike trip in France with my husband and two friends several years ago. We found it to be a fun way to see a place from the inside out.
Not to mention being able to indulge in all of the fine food and wine of the region -- plus stay fit while on the road.
Here are Butterfield & Robinson's latest Canadian offerings:
Québec Biking
Québec is a predominantly French-speaking province on Canadian soil. On B&R’s five-star and five-night trip, a rendezvous and overnight at Le St-James in Montréal begins the trip. Then it's two nights in the Eastern Townships at the lovely Hovey Manor in North Hatley, followed by two nights at Québec City's elegantly rustic Auberge St. Antoine. Quebec City is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year so expect more than the usual joie de'vrie!
Gulf Islands Biking
Located off mainland BC, Canada’s Gulf Islands offer a haven of quiet roads and scenic vistas. The cycling routes take advantage of such designated bike paths as the Galloping Goose Trail and the Trans Canada, while stops along the way take in local wineries, cheese makers and artisans’ shops. The trip begins with a seaplane flight from Vancouver to Saturna Island, with stops on Galiano and Vancouver islands. Accommodations during the six-night trip are at Galiano Inn & Spa, Brentwood Bay Lodge and the award winning Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island.
Newfoundland Walking
Newfoundland is that quirky, isolated Atlantic isle as famous for its fun-loving inhabitants as for its cod fishery. Coastal walking trails are among the best on the continent, while a sunset paddle can find a kayaker face-to-face with a whale. Other highlights of the B&R journey include a scenic flight over Gros Morne National Park, a traditional mussel “boil up,” a visit to the site of the first Viking landing 1,000 years ago and a stay at The Lighthouse on Quirpon Island. Other accommodations include Strawberry Hill Resort overlooking the Humber River and Fishers’ Loft in Trinity Bay.
Biking in France's Loire Valley in 2005: Sue Frause, Bob Frause, Sandra Jean Wainwright and Victoria Locke
BC Ferries' newest vessel, Coastal Renaissance, begins service on Saturday, March 8 at the regularly scheduled 3 PM sailing from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) on Vancouver Island to Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver).
On that day, the ship wil also depart Horseshoe Bay at 5 PM and 9 PM, and from Departure Bay at 7 PM.
Coastal Renaissance is the first of three new Coastal Class vessels.
The other ferries are Coastal Inspiration, which is currently awaiting passage through the Panama Canal and the Coastal Celebration.
The Coastal Inspiration will be on the Duke Point-Tsawwassen route before sumer, while the Coastal Celebration will join the fleet in the fall.
John and Lisa Lepinski have a big celebration coming up in Coquitlam.
Their family owned and operated John B Pub turns 30 this year.
To celebrate, the Lepinskis are holding a four-day event from March 10-14, with plenty of prizes, games, drink specials and items from their global menu. On Friday night the 14th, a live band will perform.
The pub features more than 85 single malt scotches, 21 varieties of beer (including a sub-zero beer line), 450+ types of liquor to choose from and an extensive wine list.
The popular lower mainland neighborhood pub has been honored by the local media with Best Patio, Best Pub and Best Pub Food over the years.
If you're a transit hugger and a bus lover, Translink of BC has teamed up with Google Transit to produce a cool tool for getting around in Vancouver.
Travelers can visit the Google Transit site and type in a starting point and destination. You'll then receive detailed instructions and route plans using Google's e-z to use maps.
In many cases, an address is not even necessary. Just type in the name of a hotel, restaurant or the attraction where you're headed and you're good to go.
Google at the 2007 Frankfurt Book Fair
Photo by Sue Frause
A spiritually oriented group tour by Sacred Earth Journeys of Vancouver is being offered to England this spring.
Guests will journey to Stonehenge, Glastonbury and Avebury -- some of England's most famous ancient pilgrimage sites.
The tour will be led by Karen Rae Wilson, a Celtic singer and visionary, and the founder of Wisdom Culture Consulting.
The company is dedicated to "inspiring personal leadership and social change."
Wilson combines traditional knowledge with the input of indigenous elders around the world. She has sung internationally for such events as the United Nations Conference for Women in Beijing, The State of the World Forum in Belfast and the Future Visions Conference for the Millennium Summit in New York.
An accomplished writer and composer, she developed and toured the US with her one woman show, Many Women, One Voice.
Return to Avalon is a ten-day tour designed to honor the feminine, inspire personal revolution and become a personal change agent for planetary peace.
The tour includes a private evening at Stonehenge during the Wesak full moon.
On the itinerary are Glastonbury Abbey and Chalice Wells, Avebury stone circle, Silbury Hill, Salisbury Cathedral, Stourhead Gardens, Bath, London's Temple Church of the Knights Templar, Westminster Abbey and a farewell cruise on the Thames.
Throughout the tour, West will offer songs, stories, ceremonies and insights on how the knowledge and power of these sacred places can ignite both a personal sense of purpose and planetary change.
Participants will have free time for individual exploration and shopping in the countryside near Wells and in the heart of London.
More details may be found on Sacred Earth Journeys' website.
The Vancouver Sun had an interesting article in its weekend edition.
20 great ideas that were born in B.C., written by Miro Cernitig (with research by Sun librarian Kate Bird), includes everything from Doug Coupland's book Generation X to Asian fusion.
It's a fun read.
Vancouver skyline across False Creek
Photo by Sue Frause
Yup, MIA. Missing in Action. I've been on the road and it hasn't been O Canada!
For the past week I've been cavorting around Norway. My journey started in Kirkenes and will end this afternoon in Bergen.
The main part of the trip has been aboard the MS Polarlys, one of 11 ships in the Hurtigruten fleet.
It's not a cruise ship, but a working ship, and we've stopped at 34 ports of call.
On board was a friendly Canadian from Calgary.
Although not of Norwegian descent, he fit in with the Scandinavians and other passengers on board.
I fly home to Seattle tomorrow via Amsterdam.
I'm looking forward to being closer to the 49th Parallel.
A Canadian visits Magic Ice in Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands
Photo by Sue Frause
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