Canada Day in Ottowa.
2025年7月1日, カナダ ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Overnight I had to venture out of my cell ,to go to the loo.The lights were out on the corridor and it was pitch black..Slightly uncomfortable going round the cell blocks in the dark ....but survived.
Breakfast with the inmates was OK, bread, fruit ,cream cheese jam, boiled eggs cereals . No porridge here !😅The tea wasn't great though,il take a Yorkshire tea bag tomorrow
Going out 1st thing today ,my mission was to find Ottowa University as Fr John Chaloner, who was a huge part of my life and my family's life was here in Canada for a while and did a course at Ottowa University
I was delighted to be told the campus was just up the stairs at the back of the hostel..
Today is Canada day, so finally in a country when its a significant day ....having missed the new yr in Cambodia and the Maori new yr in New Zealand
It wasn't long before I was confronted with a sea of red and white ... the whole area was heaving with people on a level I've rarely seen...more red and white than a Man united match!
I managed to make my way to the hop on hop off bus and did the 1hr tour ,but nipped into a pub for a drink as it is an extremely hot day .
The tour passed thr British High Commission , a nice building and the USA embassy apparently the largest and most expensive build of any of the embassies
Following the bus tour I mingled with the crowds in the Parliament buildings area.
Ottowa has a really nice vibe .Its much nicer than Vancouver. Banff is different, its a large town ,but does have a nice vibe.
I' m glad I came and not regretting missing the Calgary stampede.
Mark Carney,currently Prime Minister, has an office on thr 2nd floor of one of the buildings ,none of the hoo ha and security of 10 Downing St
The Parliament building is a mini version of our houses of Parliament...I learned later the British actually built the building here..so no wonder it looks similar .
There was a fantastic folk band playing at the roadside ,I didn't hear them for v long ,but spotted the fantastic painted euphonium
I asked to have a photo with it,which was agreed to
People were clamouring to see pipers and Scottish dancers. Although I tried to see ,it was impossible, not to worry. It was so hot and the crowd so intense that one girl almost fainted .
The security staff were quick to assist
There was a free water station provided where people cuddles fill a bottle or have a paper cup of water .
At 4pm ,the Canadian Air force did a formation fly over display ..flying over and round the Parliament buildings several times..They are known as the snow drops ,flying in white planes
I decided to go for food after this was over ,before the rest of Canada decided it was tea time ! Passed a piper playing on the bridge over the canal.
Restaurants were heaving ,but the bonus of solo travel ,meant I could have a table immediately, bypassing the groups waiting!😅🥳.
After my meal it was too early and too nice weatherwise ,to go back to the hostel, so I went and sat on the canalside....until it started with torrential rain!!
I started to walk back to the hostel, but spied a taxi and jumped in.Taxi driver wasn't happy the journey was so close.
I spent a while in reception on the only comfy sofa in the place, doing my penguins app...its actually quite interesting to see who my cell mates are ...they all look dodgy !😅😅I've .spoken with a guy from Chile and another from the Quebec area
Its interesting to see how interchangeably French and English are spoken here. The tour guide gave a totally bilingual commentary.
In the restaurant, a grumpy woman who arrived nexr to me asked Parle vous Francais and without thinking i replied" un Peu..a little ...I suprised myself
There are fireworks and a public concert tonight, which, I initially thought Id go to ,but based on my experience of the crowds today Im not going to bother .
Actually, with being in reception at the hostel the staff told me the fireworks were being live streamed.. .perfect effortless way to see them.もっと詳しく
Jailbreak. Hiding in Halifax Nova scotia
2025年7月2日, カナダ ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
This morning I participated in the jail.tour and learnt a lot....some of it Very unpleasant and uncomfortable.
It was built by the British. There is a grim solitary confinement cell and the remaining gallows with rope ,from the previous hangings that happened at the jail ....and the hole which the person dropped through is still there to be seen
On the 8th floor, is death row.
The floor on death row is wooden in contrast to concrete everywhere else..it was a deliberate act ,so the prisoners knew From the creaking flooring they were on death row.Apparently the person to be executed was paraded in front of the others on death row.There was no heating lighting or running water and no glass in the windows
It sounds like alcatraz ,which Math and I visited
There's a pair of original handcuffs from the 1800s and a huge padlock
There's also the notes of the surgeon general, who assessed on admission if the person could withstand corporal punishment and then shaved all hair off the head,but gave a comb.people of all ages were imprisoned, including children..2 aged 7 were mentioned..
It was a fascinating insight and Im really glad I did it at the end of my stay....we were also told the prison is haunted 👻.
I was oblivious to all of the above before this morning...Would I have stayed if Id known....honestly not sure....the most alarming thing was the gallows still in situ.
After the tour, I went to the nearby shopping mall and had a fruit smoothie..
Returned to the hostel ,collected my bags and went in a taxi to the airport for flight to Halifax Nova Scotia .
Halifax is 1hr ahead of Ottowa but only 4hrs behind the UK.,the smallest time difference since I left in March.
However it meant I landed at 9.30pm.and arrived at the hostel at 10pm.....although i got in ,there was noone on reception and therefore I couldn't access a room . There was no on call number and the website number just rang in the office. A sign on the door said back at 11...but no indication if that was AM or PM .
I was hungry and some of the people already staying at the hostel said there's usually someone on overnight and for food there was a supermarket down the road.
I left my bags and wandered down the road ...now 10.15pm.
Turned out the supermarket was shut but the petrol station was open so my tea was crisps and kitkat ..no ideal...but nothing else available
I returned to the hostel. Another lady in the same situation as me ,arrived. We waited to see if anyone came at 11pm...Id already started checking out nearby hotels on booking .com
Anyway the night staff guy turned up....and i checked in
I thought id booked ensuite room but I've not got one...so back to reception ,only to be told there's none available now .
Il speak to the manager in the morning
Its a v nice room but far too hot and no air-conditioning
But it will at least do for tonight and I glad I didn't have make late night alternative arrangementsもっと詳しく
Halifax Harbour front
2025年7月3日, カナダ ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
A late start to going out and about today due to life and holiday admin that needs sorting even though away.
I was delighted to discover when I did go out that my hostel is a mere 5mins walk from.the harbour front ....and it is fantastic!
Strangely doesn't feel like the other places in Canada that I've visited, which all felt similar to one another, possibly due to having the Rockies in common 🤷♀️🤷♀️
I'd say if I was to move to Canada it would be here.The people are lovely and also like where they live .
Its clean,chilled and friendly
I've only just realised how close it is ,here ,to Boston and New York ...only 4ish hours flight..but that will have to wait!
I meandered along the board walk , just soaking up the stunning scenery and great vibe .I eventually stopped at a restaurant where I had a waterside view and fish and chips whilst chatting to Math
The harbour has something for everyone play area for children, a sandy area for volleyball, food, souvenir and tickets for tours
shops . There's also hammocks and multi coloured deckchairs along the waterfront
There are ships and boats of all kinds including the military and jet skis .
Visible from the harbour is George island which has historical significance .Its possible to visit the island to look around. I love the lighthouse there ,visible from thr mainland.
After an enjoyable mooch round the shops including Cows the ice cream shop ,where I grabbed a cheeky photo in cowprint onesie and cowprint cowboy hat ,I joined the tall ships sunset cruise.
I couldn't resist the opportunity to raise the sails ...they are heavy.
I asked a guy nearby to take a photo...which he did
Later he came and chatted with me .He'd lost his daughter, had brought his 12yr old grandson,drove trucks with expensive cars such as Aston martin and lamborghini ...he had the photos to back it up.
Anyway we chatted and ultimately unprovoked before we got off ,he decided to hug me!🤷♀️
That was that and then I passed him.again on the harbourside ..saying haven't I seen you somewhere before ...and I carried on ..
Been a really lovely day..and i am really glad I came rather than staying for the stampede in Calgary.
Managed to by milk in the pizza shop on the way back ..so made a brew and chatted with a guy from Washington Dc who had a folding bike with him ...
Also chatted with the girl on reception.
I n hostels people are more like minded and open to chatting ,much more than in hotels
Many are also solo travellers ,so happy to help, share tips and experiences which can be really helpful
In both Nz and Canada I've managed to stay in really decent hostels with private rooms and ensuites are available, though in error of allocation,here, I've not got one. The hostels are a fraction of the cost of hotels too.もっと詳しく
旅行者Looks really beautiful Jo, as does a lot of what you’ve seen - you’ll need some time for all those experiences to soak in when you come back! Have you got more travelling actually planned yet? Be nice to see you before you go again x
A very interesting & informative day
2025年7月5日, カナダ ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
This morning started with calling in at St Mary's Basicila ,to light a candle in Fr John's memory. I spoke with a young man at Church who was a Seminarian .I was pleased to discover that Church was very close to my Hostel.
I continued to walk to the Halifax Citadel ..historically, a fortress built by the British for their soldiers, here in Halifax.
Each day at noon ,a cannon is fired ,which is a tradition from at least the 1800's . There were great views from the top look out posts . After finishing at the Citadel I caught the hop on hop off bus painted and delighted it was a 1963 London buses the same type I have been to school on ,jumping on and off whilst still slightly in motion.
The most poignant stop,on the tour was the Fairlawn Cemetery, where victims of the Titanic are buried,as well as those from the 1917 explosion.
The headstones are cut at an angle to reflect how the ice cut into the Boat.
There is a grave for an unknown child ,who was 6months old more recently identified and now named. The shoes for this child are on display in the Titanic exhibition in the Maritime museum in Halifax. It was a sobering experience.
The bus moved on past the docks and ship building, military operations and a place known as ground zero where a munitions ship collided with another in 1917 and caused a devastating explosion and fire ,with huge loss of life in the area.
Moving on again we arrived at Pier 21 which is associated with immigration.
Many families today have connections to those who emigrated to Canada after the war ...apparently 40,000 English brides who'd married Canadian soldiers are among those arriving in Canada via Pier 21.There's a museum which recognises the huge amount of immigration into Canada
Families can attempt to trace their immigrant relatives .I took time to look round the Pier 21 museum.
The sculpture of a migrant arriving outside Pier 21 is phenomenonal! It literally speaks to you ,it's so well done! You can just relate to the sentiment it conveys ...you've arrived, you're knackered so you sit down kick your shoes off and wait to be collected, not knowing what on earth the future holds. I've experienced this personally with people I've helped through chaplaincy at the airport and its a huge undertaking for the people who have lefteverything,bringing only what they can carry to start life in a strange country. ..I found this sculpture really emotional...quite took my breath away.
Finally catching the last hop on hop off bus...delightfully painted pink! I went to the Maritime museum to see the Titanic exhibition,as well as other aspects of Maritime memorabelia .
I did see the shoes of the unknown child...hugely poignant.
Personal effects of those who died were destroyed, but the person who found the shoes of the unknown child, couldn't bring themselves to dispose of them and put them in his desk drawer where they remained.
I learnt that the crew hadn't known how to use the lifeboats, and that the lifeboats were dispatched with less people than they had capacity for .. So, more people could have been saved There's displays of the 1st 2nd and 3rd class cabins ,plus wood from the grand staircase. Its a small but excellent and hugely moving exhibition.
I have been and will now go again in September to the Titanic exhibition in Belfast, particularly ,after today.
Bodies were brought to Halifax because of the railway links. 1st class passengers got a coffin, 2nd and 3rd class passengers got a body bag ,crew were just uncovered on a trolley. The bags were all numbered, and contained personal items which apparently helped with identification. I saw some descriptions ...which included things like hair colour and the clothes worn...stark!
I learned also that in the Jewish cemetery it was assumed that all 10 victims of the Titanic buried there ,were Jewish, but, it transpired that 2 were actually Catholic and the Rabbi allowed the Catholic Bishop to consecrate the ground they were buried in...I love this story and instantly shared it with my Jewish chaplaincy friend and colleague. If only such interfaith cooperation could exist in the wider world !
The Maritime museum is at the waterside so I moved on ,from there , to have a fabulous steak and a small Malbec in a waterfront restaurant. Felt suddenly knackered and decided to chill out sitting at the waterside. There are benches and chairs all the way along..so I kept sitting down between making some progress towards returning to the hostel.
In one prolonged stop ,I nodded off 😅...funny that it was near Cows ice cream shop...So, having sufficiently recovered from my main meal ,and woken from my power nap ! ....a Cows chocolate ice cream, definitely helped me with the final spurt of getting back to the hostel.
I settled early ,about 9pm..as had busy day, but on only 4hrs sleep the night before ,only to be woken at 11pm.by a fire alarm that could have woken the dead!!...so had to get up and go outside. The fire brigade came,but we had all been able to go back inside before they arrived...not sure that's the right thing to do.
Since then not got back to sleep so having a brew and doing my penguins...
Halifax is proving to be a very interesting as well as beautiful place to be .
I've learned so much more by coming here than if I'd gone to the Calgary stampede.
Really think Fr John would have loved so much about this place as there is a lot to like!もっと詳しく
Peggy's Cove ,Lunenberg & 3 more places
2025年7月5日, カナダ ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Today I was collected at the hostel and went on a trip to Peggy's Cove ,where there is a Lighthouse, Lunenberg ,which is a Unesco site with multiple coloured houses ( which i really love ) Mahone bay which has 3 churches of different faiths next to each other overlooking the waterside, Oak island which is closely guarded island across a causeway .It has a questionable history and is shrouded in secrecy.I felt uneasy at this stop. Hirtles Beach ,just a beautiful almost deseted beach
The Final call was at Ovens caves which were amazing, I even managed to go inside one of the caves and see the sea inside there.
A really enjoyable day out in a small group, just 4 of us . A mother and daughter from Quebec ,though the mother was originally from Finland. I had lunch with them
Another woman who never spoke the whole time and disappeared off on her own at each stop .
Returned back to the hostel and did my washing, so that il arrive in Toronto tomorrow with all clean clothes...cheaper to do my own washing and drying and happy to do so as its a super clean hostel
With my washing done and bags packed, I bought a takeaway pizza from the shop nexr to the hostel, which I took down to the harbour front and enjoyed with the views, for one last time.. It was lively and lovely.A container ship had dropped anchor in the bay and people were salsa dancing on the harbour front.
All really lovely. Il be sorry to leave Halifax Nova scotia
The guys at the hostel helped me with downloading the uber app and confirming a taxi for the airport run at 3am .Anxious about the reliability of a taxi in Halifax, as it is a really dead / deserted place overnight or so it seems to me .もっと詳しく
Last Stop Toronto
2025年7月6日, カナダ ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C
After a snooze for 4hrs 10pm.5th July to 2am 6th July, with the lights on .I ventured down to the kitchen at the hostel with my luggage for a brew and to anxiously wait for my 1st ever Uber taxi to arrive at 3am.
Halifax is so quiet overnight I was v concerned that if it didn't show up ,id no idea how id get to the airport half an hour away in time for my 7am flight. All was well and I arrived at thr airport at 3.30am
Air Canada announced at the time of boarding they may not be able to take all passengers on the flight....and offered compensation for people prepared to wait till 1.30pm....no way was i offering...compensation started at$1000 then $1500 then$2000 but it was a voucher for Air Canada, no use to me
I did get on the 7am flight
On arrival at Toronto I spotted the Chaplaincy and went in .I had a chat with Fr .Ignatio,the Catholic chaplain, who was new in post. He was suprised to hear how big our Chaplaincy team is in Manchester, compared to the one at Toronto.
We spoke about how our respective teams deal with the Humanitarian aid cases we encounter and there were definite differences...Toronto refers to an office in the diocese that sorts things out ,Manchester does a lot more direct sorting of situations.
I had a brew and a donut 🍩 at the airport, before going for a taxi.
Toronto is an hour ahead of Halifax so Im back to being 5hrs time difference with the UK .
At the hotel it was chaos and no rooms available for early check-in.Id messaged ahead to request this...
Instead I'd to wait an hour and a half..till 1pm for a room.
It had been my intention to have early check in, power nap and go to the Blue jays baseball game...but this notion faded fast ..
It was also 30degrees outside , no shade at the stadium and I was tired.
When i eventually got a room I simply crashed out asleep and then went to the restaurant at the hotel for my meal.
On reflection, a proper night's sleep and the afternoon flight would have been the better less stressful plan ,but I was soo keen to get to Toronto which has been on the list for forever ! that I jumped at a 7am flight without thinking it through..not to worry.
The day wasn't entirely wasted having made contact with Chaplaincy colleagues,at least.もっと詳しく
Amazing Niagara Falls at night
2025年7月6日, アメリカ ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C
In researching trips to Niagara falls I discovered that every evening there is a light and fireworks display. After that discovery ,no other Niagra experience would do ! Initially couldn't find a tour operator,but ultimately did .
I booked the trip a couple of days before the end of my tour, just in case ,it had to be rescheduled for any reason.
Setting off at 3pm.,a number of stops were planned en route .
It turned out to be just me and a guy from Chester called Mark .
Mark was really lovely but no oil painting, add in heart disease on medication, obviously overweight , short sighted , hard of hearing and one front tooth missing... not exactly the man of my dreams ..but lovely....did gave a sense of humour that made me laugh ...But No !!!! ....we won't be keeping in touch !!
In fact I fell asleep on the way there ...and back !🤣
En route to Niagra we visited a wine tasting place, tasting white rose,and red wine in under 30mins ...now i know why Niagra is niagra falls as risk being pissed and falling in. The place we stopped was the official winery of the Canadian Olympic team ...actually...how well did they do ?
I got really giddy especially whn Mark decided to swig bottled water,saying it was to cleanse his palate ..We both like red 🍷 though Ididn't really rate any of the wines we tried and the girl didn't know what Malbec or Zinfandel is.. tut tut !
The area around Niagra has loads of vineyards ..Surprisingly
Overall the route to Niagra is not at all what I expected..its semi rural and several lovely posh places..Id imagined just a highway with the falls at the end ..
We stopped at a viewpoint where the right hand side of the river and the land was the USA and the left side is Canadian.
We called at the smallest chapel in Canada...my shed is arguably bigger.
A further stop was at a working floral clock which was very pretty.
Another, at the Ontario hydropower station
The final en route stop was at a gondola over an area lower down from the falls, where the water has travelled to ..no opportunity to do the gondola, but it wasn't that impressive.
When, at last, we reached the falls, they were initially noticeable from the mist created from the power of the waterfall.
The falls are exactly as I imagined ,only much, much better.
It was possible to do a walk behind the falls via an underground tunnel.
Mark looked very fetching ( not ) in the yellow poncho that's provided.
I declined to wear one and stuck with my Patagonia coat with 10, 000 hydrostatic head waterproof level of protection! Much more effective!
It was incredible to be so close to the waterfall.
The power of the waterfall is intense
Next we went on the boat trip right into the mist of the waterfall
Mark reluctantly wore a red poncho for this😅...as a man city supporter, red wasn't his preferred colour. 🤣
I stuck with my coat which was seriously tested.. My trousers were absolutely soaked.,but thankfully quick drying. ..The wind blew the water and the red poncho brigade were absolutely soaked 😳 ...Im really glad to have done it ,though did stand with my back to the falls quite a lot ,as otherwise the water was harshly blown in your face,by the wind
Its possible from thr Canadian side to see both the American and Canadian falls..
Canadians proudly say that the Canadian falls are better and they are! 100%
Having experienced it from the Canadian side I'm.glad Ive not tagged it on to any proposed trip to New York..
We moved on to the Skylon tower,where it was possible to get an overview of the entire area
ie , both the American and Canadian falls, with the contributing rivers.
This was stunning and added clarity and context to my understanding of the different falls
The island in the middle is known as Goat island though there aren't any goats present.It is on the American side and people appeared to be walking round the area.
It was strange to look across the water and think that is America.
From the Skylon tower it was possible to see the border controls for America.with the red stop lights above a toll gate style set up..
Ultimately, we watched a lights and fireworks show which was fabulous.
I asked the driver to call at Macdonalds on the way back,as I was hungry, which he did.
We arrived back in Toronto about 1.5hrs later at 11.30pm. Mark thanked me for a lovely time, which it had been .I thanked him too
Our paths may yet cross again unintentionally!!! as both of us planning separately! ...to do the CN tower and the Hop on hop off bus tomorrow...we shall see ..
I've so.many photos and videos of this trip,more than I can include here.
It was a really good trip ,bucket list ticked and felt like the formal ending to my amazing let loose tour .. even though there's a couple of days left..もっと詳しく
Turbo Toronto Tour
2025年7月8日, カナダ ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Not quite sure why but feel I' ve not got to grips with Toronto. After years of craving to come ,the journey into the city from the airport felt like an anti climax even when I saw the CN tower, maybe because I was tired
Anyway, today is now or never ,so best get a grip
I started with the CN tower. Definitely the right decision. Huge skyscraper view over the city which put things into perspective. Skyscrapers as far as the eye can see and surroundings of water which I hadn't expected...apparently its Lake Ontario .I noticed an airport to the right which is an international airport but very few planes can use it due to the very short runway ..
And then ...whilst having a brew and carrot cake, a voice said ," can't get rid of some people "....it was Mark from last night!😳🤣🤦♀️
We had a chat ,and discovered we may yet both end up on the last hop on hop off bus tour of the day ...indeed ....we did .He was waiting at the bus stop ,when I tapped him on the shoulder. This time ,he was polite, but I felt perhaps he wasn't chuffed?🤷♀️
He eventually got off and I continued the tour .As he left we said goodbye...He's going to Ottowa in the morning and No ! We will NOT be keeping in touch.
I'd decided to do a sunset harbour cruise to get the photo of the harbour front including the CN tower..which seems to be a standard Toronto photo
I found one company that wanted to charge $5 extra just because it was going to be sunset...rip off ...but eventually found a company that was doing the cruise and had availability as some were sold out ...
The cruise was enjoyable and went to the islands across the harbour ,which was interesting and unexpected. I got the harbour front photo !
On my return ,I enlisted the help of a guy working at a local shop to help me book my 2nd uber ...which appeared in under a minute.
On my return to the hotel, I got a Caesar salad ,teabags and milk to take to my room. Ceasar salad was rip off ..just loads lettuce and not much else.
My bags are more or less ready for tomorrow and time to sleep
I'm glad I finally got to grips with looking round Toronto. Its nice but fairly sure ,I won't return.もっと詳しく
Time to go home
2025年7月9日, カナダ ⋅ 🌧 20 °C
So the final day of my epic let loose tour has unbelievably arrived.
I arranged a late checkout from my room till 1pm...during which time I caught up with my penguins app.
Having checked out ,i had lunch in the restaurant and then enlisted the help of the concierge to book my 3rd uber ,which yet again came in under a minute .
Although massively early leaving the hotel at 2pm.for a 10pm flight the traffic in Toronto is beyond insane and crawls most of the time.. The airport is also a considerable distance from the centre ...
In the end it took an hour and a half to do ,what is a 30min journey,if there's no traffic.
The airport was insanely busy and turned out id been dropped off at the domestic terminal and it was miles to the international terminal.
I tried, unsuccessfully to get into the business lounge earlier than the 3hrs allowed, but no luck, so I sat in the main concourse and had a brew ..Ultimately ended up speaking to a lady travelling alone with her 2 teenage girls ,for the first time and telling them about my trip .
At the boarding gate I spotted a young pilot and asked if he was flying us to Manchester. We chatted briefly. Turns out he was the spare pilot. When seated on the plane, he came and said hello . He and another reserve pilot were resting in the 2 seats behind me
My space was nice but very compact...and felt narrow when lying flat, but it was a privilege to be able to do so and I did sleep, waking only when I heard the announcement that it was half an hour to landing .we flew in over Ireland and the Fylde Coast
Arrived an hour early at Manchester airport gate 304 ..which is a hike and a half from. Immigration.
At immigration the border force guy took my emergency passport from me ..as it has served it purpose. Il now have to get another one 🙄
I rang my friend and colleague Debbie to say id Arrived..they'd been waiting at arrivals ,with a sign with my name on but I'd missed them, as they were expecting me to have checked baggage which I didn't have
I spent about an hour chatting with them ,before getting a taxi home.
On the flight instead of watching a film I worked out a few statistics which I initially wrote on thr sick bag...for want of some paper, later transferring to the tray cover sheet..
I've done
10 international flights
6 internal flights
5 bus journeys totalling 25hrs
A bus tour with daily journeys
4 train journeys
35 hotels and 1 home stay
I have spoken with people from all over the world in all the different countries
Those that stand out though are the homeless girls who made me laugh when I was so stressed about my lost passport...just Shrug and Stride..girl ..what a great way to think ,in a crisis.
Despite the world being in the mess its in ,the people I've met are generally kind and friendly.
I have learned as a by product of my adventure, what other countries are doing in terms of conservation. It has made me question, what the uk is actually doing ...I've not become an eco warrior
I have had umpteen amazing experiences ,adrenaline ones and others
I have done everything,tried everything that has come my way and been hugely fortunate to have been able to ,tho it will always be bittersweet..もっと詳しく
Oslo
2025年8月29日, ノルウェー ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
After an epic 13hr sleep 😴 💤 I woke at 9.30am..As I'd been told last night that my September 10th commitment for the air ambulance had been cancelled, I rang Trailfinders to see if I could change my flights and extend my trip to include Tallin Riga and Stockholm...which is indeed possible!🤣🥳
Well I may as well call in ,as I'm in the area ...and no pressing matters at home ..so adding a further 8days away from Urmston
With that sorted i set off to find the hop on hop off bus .The weather was awful...raining hard.
I stumbled across a Fjord cruise ...having been on dry land for 48hrs .time to go back on the water...noticing birds and cruise ships 🚢 I think im scarred for life looking out for birds and in the centre of the harbour is a monument that's meant to represent an Iceberg, as is the shape of the opera house apparently.
The cruise was enjoyable and afterwards, I went in the Opera house. There was the tail end of a midday concert...
Id seen the Oslo Philharmonic were playing this evening and asked if it was in the opera house
However ,it was in the Concert hall and Id no idea where that was.
The opera house which is extremely close to my accommodation, were doing the opera Tosca...
My dad loved opera, my mum didn't and wouldn't go with him ,so he never went ..So,in his memory I booked a ticket for this evening, wishing id thought to offer to go with him,in years gone by..
The rain persisted and I caught the hop on hop off bus ..which was a useful way to see Oslo today. Id have considered going in the Flam museum and the Nordic Cultural museum but Id got on the bus late in the day and was keen to see the Nobel peace building
With this in mind I stayed on till the appropriate stop but still had a 15min walk in the rain 🌧 .My walk took me passed a world cup homeless event ....with both men and women playing football. I'm not sure how the event relates to homelessness
The Nobel peace building was extremely interesting and the displays well presented.
It had an interactive game to see what kind of peacekeeper you would be Characteristics included ,motivated ,caring, strategy and 3 others ,which you prioritise from 6 being highest priority to 1 being lowest..
I couldn't resist doing the game and it decided I'd be an activist style peacemaker...as was Martin Luther King and Malalya the Pakistan girl who I admire and whose autobiography i have..
The result did make me laugh as im more likely to cause a riot than create peace !😅
It was also ironic to learn that Albert Noble's interest in inventions resulted in him creating dynamite, a material more commonly used in conflict, not peace .
A further coincidence was seeing a big display about Hiroshima, as I'd been in the peace park in Hiroshima in March this year and having seen this and been there it served to link both of my travel destinations together in a way I hadn't expected or even thought about
With the help of the peace building staff ,I downloaded the app needed to buy a tram ticket back to the opera house,as I felt it was probably too late to get the hop on hop off bus back
The opera house is across the road from the station and as I have an early 6am.start tomorrow I went into the station to find out more about where the train journey would start.
It was also useful, as I got another delicious Ceasar salad from the supermarket and sat in the station to eat it .
I was actually able to buy a cup of tea ! .For some reason they don't seem to have English breakfast tea only earl grey ( yuk !) and fruit teas ....in Oslo! I took it over to the opera house and sat in the foyer to drink it
The auditorium is impressive with a huge orchestra pit
Id no idea what to expect.
Thankfully, there was an English translation available in the seat ,as it was all sung in Italian with some Latin thrown in.
I had a seat 5 rows from the front, in the stalls
Well !! It turned out to be some funky modern interpretation of a classic opera...Two adult midgets in school uniform, a guy dressed as a woman with a black dress and waitress apron and heels ,who was doing cartwheels at some point, a stage that the actors pulled tape across to form some kind of Web, that other actors later tore down and the piesta resistance was a woman who was completely naked but sprayed silver....she lay curled up on the front edges of the stage for about 20mins, with her back to the audience and clearly visible the paint had missed in between her buttocks ...just saying!🤣...Her foot was shaking the whole time she was lying there and I couldn't decide if she was meant to do that or if she was freezing ...
Ultimately she got lashed with the tape that had been torn down and twisted into a whip...and the guy didn't spare her the lashes!
There was a sort of a choir at the back with school children in the same uniform as the midgets ! ,as well as adults in contemporary dress ...eg jeans 👖 and trainers
Near the end one of the school children came on solo and sang then went to the side and lit a cigarette...cant be sure how old he was...possibly 16?
The whole thing was wierd ! It had me on the edge of my seat most of the time.
The audience gave a standing ovation ..which i didn't understand but joined when the excellent orchestra were acknowledged
Coming out of the opera house there was disco music from across the harbour and people were still participating in the river plunge and sauna area of the harbour that I'd seen earlier in the day
It wasx only gentle 10mins walk back my accommodation via a cafe to buy a brew and a chance to catch up on my penguins app.もっと詳しく
