Hello all!
Renata and I are on the road once again. We decided to get an early start on our trip to Winnipeg (Google map HERE) and ended up in Watson Lake last night. We stopped at A Nice Hotel, because we had been there before and the rooms were clean. Most of the hotels in Watson are 'cesspools of horrific things'. Actually, I think there may be a hotel here with that name exactly.
A Nice Hotel was full, so she called The Cesspool and another one. Both were booked fully. She then suggested a nice little bed and breakfast out by the lake. She. called, and they had some space available.
Lucky for us. A ten minute drive out of Watson toward the airport found us at Cozy Nest B&B, operated by Cindy and Gord Sundby. What an amazing experience!! The basement suite of their home is beautiful, from lovely oak panelling, to a full size living room complete with fireplace and big-screen TV, and a nice little kitchenette. Outside the suite is a covered patio and a view of the lake that would bring tears to the eyes of the coldest man.
A little path laced with wild strawberries, and roses leads to a sitting area where you can relax and have a chat with the lake.
Fresh rhubarb muffins somehow found their way into our suite this morning. What an excellent experience. Far removed from the Watson Lake that holds a reputation of being not-so-nice (I am referring to the hotels directly here).
I invite you, as do Cindy and Gord I'm sure, to give them a call and get out of Whitehorse for a while. It's a rare treat to find such wonderful people at the beginning of a road trip, and I'm sure happy we did.
Cozy Nest B&B
Gordon and Cindy Sundby
867.536.2204
www.cozynestbandb.com
cozynest@northwestel.net
1175 Robert Campbell Highway, Watson Lake YT
Cheers,
Renata and Kevin
Friday, June 19, 2015
Monday, June 17, 2013
Pula and Medulin
So, the coast trip begins. Our traveling companions Darryl (my best man from 2011) and Susan, his beloved. They met in 2011 on a train going from Zagreb to Budapest. They plan to recreate the journey in the next few days. First we drove to Pula.
While walking the promenade in Pula, Renata and I were reminiscing about the boat tour of the Briuni Islands that we took in 2011. Lo and behold, there was the boat, right where we left it. I ran over to have Renata take my photo in front of it, and all of a sudden, there was Suad, our tour guide. He remembered us from 2011, and so we ham it up a little for the camera. Very cool.
At our hotel in Medulin, (just 7kms from Pula, and where most of the hotels are for that area) Renata flies the Yukon Brewing colors in front of a huge kiwi plant.
In front of the colloseum is a statue worth a quick pic:
More coast posts to come. I'm a little tired now, and then off the have dinner with Ivan Markovich, Eka's special friend.
Cheers,
K&R
Kitchen changes, dinner at Mickey's, and Zagreb
Renata's mom had some work done in the kitchen. It used to have a wall with a long curtain separating the oven and sink area from the dining area. Those of you that were here in 2011 will remember how tight it was.
Check it out now:
We love Zagreb. Cruising through the open air market, the amazing architecture, and sweet memories from our previous trips. Far too many photos to post, so one will have to do: The famous Ban Jelacic Trg (square):
Check it out now:
Sweet little pony wall, and much more open and appealing.
Some dinner at my sister and brother-in-law's house. Cousin Bero takes care of the grill. Marinated chicken and pork cook slowly (both home-grown in the back yard) while Mickey looks on to ensure quality control.
We love Zagreb. Cruising through the open air market, the amazing architecture, and sweet memories from our previous trips. Far too many photos to post, so one will have to do: The famous Ban Jelacic Trg (square):
The next few posts will be a series from our trip to the coast. In 2011, we only had a very limited amount of time to travel, and didn't manage to go as far south down the coast as we wanted. This year, there was nothing to stop us but fear and common sense. Fortunately, we don't really suffer from either of those conditions.
Cheers,
K&R
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Rain Rain Go Away...
Irony is so damn ironic.
During our wedding trip in 2011 (see previous posts), Croatia (and a great deal of Europe in general) experienced the worst drought they had seen in over a hundred years. In 2012, it was pretty much the same. No rain, and temperatures easily reaching 35-40 deg C.
This year, the ground is so wet, flowers are floating out of their beds here in Popovaca, and areas of Germany, Austria and Slovenia are suffering through widespread flooding.
Hilarious.
So to add further insult to injury, the area where we built the deck in 2011 heaved up in one corner around 8", and in another area, fell about 3".
Disaster. Ujo Stef came by after the freeze / thaw in the spring of 2013, and pulled up the floor boards which had simply erupted from the structure underneath.
We walked into the yard and saw this:
During our wedding trip in 2011 (see previous posts), Croatia (and a great deal of Europe in general) experienced the worst drought they had seen in over a hundred years. In 2012, it was pretty much the same. No rain, and temperatures easily reaching 35-40 deg C.
This year, the ground is so wet, flowers are floating out of their beds here in Popovaca, and areas of Germany, Austria and Slovenia are suffering through widespread flooding.
Hilarious.
So to add further insult to injury, the area where we built the deck in 2011 heaved up in one corner around 8", and in another area, fell about 3".
Disaster. Ujo Stef came by after the freeze / thaw in the spring of 2013, and pulled up the floor boards which had simply erupted from the structure underneath.
We walked into the yard and saw this:
When we left in 2011, it looked like this:
I have to admit, Renata and I had a few tears in our eyes. It was weeks of work torn apart by Mother Nature.
I love the way the wood aged, and got a nice patina after a couple of seasons, but the structure is no longer viable.
After a full day of rest, Darryl, Susan, Renata, Eka and I spent about and hour and a half cleaning up the mess, and starting the tear down. The patient is beyond saving.
We figure that tomorrow morning, it will be a couple more hours of work, and we can have the whole thing demolished. We will be saving the wood that can be saved, and the rest will find it's way to the garbage. It was all stained when we built it, and no one is comfortable burning the now toxic wood.
We're hoping tomorrow that we can walk across the street and ask the folks at the lumber yard if they can move the Rostilj (BBQ) with the forklift for a small fee. If not, we will be forced to chip away the concrete that holds the bits together, and move it piece by piece.
All hope is not lost. We have scouted a new area for the brick patio (no more wooden decks, I do have the capacity to learn) that we will install on our visit in 2016.
Tomorrow after we complete the tear down, we will determine the rest of our touring schedule.
More to come.
Cheers,
K&R
Thursday, February 21, 2013
100 Days until Croatia
Hello all,
Well, it's been 517 days since our last post.
1 year, 4 months and 29 days.
73 weeks.
12,408 hours.
744,480 minutes.
44,668,800 seconds.
Yep, it's been a while.
We arrived back in Whitehorse the first week of October 2011, only to find out our new condo wasn't ready. The developer pleasently told us it would be another month.
Renata, Eka, and I stayed with Mom & Dad for a full month, and we moved into our new place November 7th, 2011.
Soon after, the first snow.
The following spring, Easter came, and egg decorating with it.
After that, a quick drive to Lake Bennet in Carcross to enjoy the approaching spring.
Then it was time for Eka to head back home. We drove down to Vancouver, and stopped to make some new friends. Big Bison. :-)
Then the work started. We laid laminate flooring in the basement, and built our deck. Here are some before and after shots:
Walking through the woods on a dreary cloudy fall day, Renata makes an amazing capture:
Well, it's been 517 days since our last post.
1 year, 4 months and 29 days.
73 weeks.
12,408 hours.
744,480 minutes.
44,668,800 seconds.
Yep, it's been a while.
We arrived back in Whitehorse the first week of October 2011, only to find out our new condo wasn't ready. The developer pleasently told us it would be another month.
Renata, Eka, and I stayed with Mom & Dad for a full month, and we moved into our new place November 7th, 2011.
Soon after, the first snow.
The following spring, Easter came, and egg decorating with it.
Then it was time for Eka to head back home. We drove down to Vancouver, and stopped to make some new friends. Big Bison. :-)
Then the work started. We laid laminate flooring in the basement, and built our deck. Here are some before and after shots:
The fence went up a few weeks later, and a handfull of flowers get thrown in. Also made a little corner garden with an Amur Maple as the center piece.
Our friends Wayne and Susie from Winnipeg came up for a couple weeks, it was great touring them around Yukon.
Slowly, Fall sets in and I try to keep myself amused by:
Pickling Eggs !!
Building a diffuser for the DLSRs Renata and I use:
Planting a nice little spruce tree in another section of garden in our tiny little yard:
Walking through the woods on a dreary cloudy fall day, Renata makes an amazing capture:
"The Raven"
Winter came, and with that, our first chance to host a Family Christmas Dinner. Thirteen guests (wasn't unlucky at all) and more fun and laughter.
So, now it's the waiting game, 100 days and rolling until we are 'wheels up' and bound for Croatia again.
Take care everyone, Sretan Put (Good Journey)
K&R
Friday, September 23, 2011
Get Wed & Trippin' the coast
Hello all,
So, the deed is done. Yay ! What a nice young couple. I use 'young' loosely, right?
Rev Bev and our interpreter Robert Sedak. Robert did an amazing job translating the service for the Croatian guests. As well, we did half our vows in English, half in Croatian. Very cool.
My groomsmen (and Bruno, the ring-bearer), followed by Reny's bridesmaids - both a bunch of goofballs in their own sweet ways.
The next photo I like. Everyone is paying attention nicely, and Reny and I have that 'when the hell do you think they'll leave us alone' look in our eyes. :-)
Finally, we hit the hall we rented and party until very late. I call the next photo 'Rock and Roll Face'.
After Sept 10th, the guests started peeling out pretty quick. Some continued adventuring through Europe, some headed home. Eight of our guests shared the same Sept 14th flight home to Whitehorse. On Sept 16th, Renata and I headed for the beautiful Croatian coast. First we went to Pula to check out the ancient Roman Colosseum that was built there about 2500 years ago. Those crazy Romans were everywhere back in the day.
Unlike the Colosseum in Rome, this one is almost completely intact, and they continue to host concerts and productions here on a constant basis. Phenomenal.
Renata and I decided to go on a boat tour of the Brijuni Islands, where Tito made his home, and the site of various parks and zoos. The tour boat was called 'Pirate Ship Ana Marija' and it was a 5 hour tour.
Some of the tour participants (us included) got dropped off on one of the islands, where there is an ancient quarry, and some nice facilities for tourists. Also, some four-legged friends as well. Renata and her love of animals. Of course. She shares the carrots she brought along.
Walking along the Promenade in Medulin, you come across some pretty odd stuff. Can anyone say LAWSUIT ??
After our second night in Pula (actually, a small town called Medulin 7 kms out of Pula) we decided to continue along the coast to Zadar, stopping briefly for an awesome photo just outside of the seaside town of Karlobag.
On our way to Zadar, we passed through Smiljan, the birthplace of Nikola Tesla. This amazing Croatian-born scientist now has a nice memorial dedicated to him, and we toured through his house, now a museum, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
One last one, I can't resist.
"The intellect of men will govern the motion of the stars" Yeah. Go Nikola. He also predicted a few small things such as cell phones and the internet. He also did some of the very first experimentation with x-rays and a little known technology called television.
On to Zadar - one of the most beautiful coastal cities in Croatia. It is well known for it's collection of amazing churches and cathedrals. This one here is surrounded by more ancient Roman ruins. Amazing.
I'm telling you, those crazy Romans were everywhere. :-)
I love the next shot, the amazing streets in Zadar are polished to a bright shine from centuries (millennium I guess, really) of people walking the roads. Incredible to see, I hope the next photo comes close to doing it justice.
After we spent a nice quiet night in the lovely Vila Valentina, we headed back out to the now angry sea to fulfill Eka's wish - that we bring her home some sea water from the Adriatic. The waves were about four feet high and I got drenched right up to my shoulder - but hey, it's for moja punica (moy-a poon-eets-ah) (my mother-in-law) so how could I not?
On the way back to Popovaca, we drove the back road instead of the main highway. We passed through a town with a great name. God, I'm such a child. Tee Hee.
Since then, we have pretty much been kicking around the house, doing not much of anything, and actually relaxing. Visiting some folks, and laying around. It's been nice.
For those of you in Whitehorse, see you October 2nd. For those of you elsewhere in the world, and especially in Croatia, Sretan Put, (Good Journey) from the Traveling Fools.
Much love,
Kevin & Renata
So, the deed is done. Yay ! What a nice young couple. I use 'young' loosely, right?
Rev Bev and our interpreter Robert Sedak. Robert did an amazing job translating the service for the Croatian guests. As well, we did half our vows in English, half in Croatian. Very cool.
My groomsmen (and Bruno, the ring-bearer), followed by Reny's bridesmaids - both a bunch of goofballs in their own sweet ways.
The next photo I like. Everyone is paying attention nicely, and Reny and I have that 'when the hell do you think they'll leave us alone' look in our eyes. :-)
Finally, we hit the hall we rented and party until very late. I call the next photo 'Rock and Roll Face'.
After Sept 10th, the guests started peeling out pretty quick. Some continued adventuring through Europe, some headed home. Eight of our guests shared the same Sept 14th flight home to Whitehorse. On Sept 16th, Renata and I headed for the beautiful Croatian coast. First we went to Pula to check out the ancient Roman Colosseum that was built there about 2500 years ago. Those crazy Romans were everywhere back in the day.
Unlike the Colosseum in Rome, this one is almost completely intact, and they continue to host concerts and productions here on a constant basis. Phenomenal.
Renata and I decided to go on a boat tour of the Brijuni Islands, where Tito made his home, and the site of various parks and zoos. The tour boat was called 'Pirate Ship Ana Marija' and it was a 5 hour tour.
Some of the tour participants (us included) got dropped off on one of the islands, where there is an ancient quarry, and some nice facilities for tourists. Also, some four-legged friends as well. Renata and her love of animals. Of course. She shares the carrots she brought along.
Walking along the Promenade in Medulin, you come across some pretty odd stuff. Can anyone say LAWSUIT ??
After our second night in Pula (actually, a small town called Medulin 7 kms out of Pula) we decided to continue along the coast to Zadar, stopping briefly for an awesome photo just outside of the seaside town of Karlobag.
On our way to Zadar, we passed through Smiljan, the birthplace of Nikola Tesla. This amazing Croatian-born scientist now has a nice memorial dedicated to him, and we toured through his house, now a museum, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
One last one, I can't resist.
"The intellect of men will govern the motion of the stars" Yeah. Go Nikola. He also predicted a few small things such as cell phones and the internet. He also did some of the very first experimentation with x-rays and a little known technology called television.
On to Zadar - one of the most beautiful coastal cities in Croatia. It is well known for it's collection of amazing churches and cathedrals. This one here is surrounded by more ancient Roman ruins. Amazing.
I'm telling you, those crazy Romans were everywhere. :-)
I love the next shot, the amazing streets in Zadar are polished to a bright shine from centuries (millennium I guess, really) of people walking the roads. Incredible to see, I hope the next photo comes close to doing it justice.
After we spent a nice quiet night in the lovely Vila Valentina, we headed back out to the now angry sea to fulfill Eka's wish - that we bring her home some sea water from the Adriatic. The waves were about four feet high and I got drenched right up to my shoulder - but hey, it's for moja punica (moy-a poon-eets-ah) (my mother-in-law) so how could I not?
On the way back to Popovaca, we drove the back road instead of the main highway. We passed through a town with a great name. God, I'm such a child. Tee Hee.
Since then, we have pretty much been kicking around the house, doing not much of anything, and actually relaxing. Visiting some folks, and laying around. It's been nice.
For those of you in Whitehorse, see you October 2nd. For those of you elsewhere in the world, and especially in Croatia, Sretan Put, (Good Journey) from the Traveling Fools.
Much love,
Kevin & Renata
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Just when you thought you were free of me...
Hello all,
Aug 26th
No apologies for the length of time between entries, the weather turned back our way and the days went from being 3-4 hours worth of work to 10-12 hour days. Mom and Dad arrived, Mrs. Cameron (a second Mom to me) arrived from WPG, Darryl arrived, and it has been work non-stop. We finally got the air-conditioner installed. Hooray!!
Aug 28
With the help of Dad and Darryl, the work started going incredibly faster. Deep in discussion in the next photo, we figure out our next few steps.
Aug 30
Darryl and I begin working in earnest on the pergolas. Looking pretty good.
We decided to create a 45-degree angle for the roofing structure, I love a nice 'jaunty angle'. Later that same evening, we all went for a wine tasting at a local winery that will be supplying the vino for the wedding. Next few photos are the tour. It was a lot of fun, and we all left quite buzzed.
Yummy! The owner / operator also had such delicacies as pickled quail eggs, liqueur made from honey, liqueur made from walnuts, and his very own recipe for prosciutto. Some of the prosciutto legs he showed us were between 1-4 years old. Amazing.
Sept 1
Today Darryl and I finished the pergola, and installed the bar. I think the deck is well underway to becoming what I had in mind.
Renata also managed to get the new garden down, and plant two nice cedars as a compliment to it. I think it looks wonderful. Please note as well that the BBQ is finally cemented in place.
Sept 3
Two birthdays this week - Bruno on Sept 1st, and my Mom on Sept 3rd. The combination birthday party then ensued. Good times, great food, and we all had a blast over at Renata's sister's house.
One girl - two cakes: new website. Hmm - let's not go there. Aha - here comes Bruno, that's more like it.
The group of us after a wonderful dinner and enough dessert to make you sick for a week.
One last photo from that day - Renata's sister has some of the most amazing pear trees on her property - check out this one just BURDENED with beautiful fruit.
Sept 4
A monumental day !! The deck is complete, and it is almost exactly what I had in mind. All that was left is have have the inspector look at it and sign off. If you didn't know, Mike Holmes has a brother named Fred. Fred came by to have a look at our work. ladies and gentlemen, Fred Holmes.
Fred has a good close look at our construction techniques.
Well, looks like it got signed off. Fred snuggles in for a little rest after a long hard inspection. Well done, sir.
Night falls, and the bar is open. Hello Ladies !!!
Other participants enjoy the deck as well:
Also noteworthy to mention that earlier in the day, the bamboo fence went up, providing some much needed privacy from the neighbor.
Sept 6
Finally, today a nice shot of the fully decorated deck.
OK folks, have to run along for now. I will try to make another entry before the wedding.
Cheers,
K&R
Aug 26th
No apologies for the length of time between entries, the weather turned back our way and the days went from being 3-4 hours worth of work to 10-12 hour days. Mom and Dad arrived, Mrs. Cameron (a second Mom to me) arrived from WPG, Darryl arrived, and it has been work non-stop. We finally got the air-conditioner installed. Hooray!!
Aug 28
With the help of Dad and Darryl, the work started going incredibly faster. Deep in discussion in the next photo, we figure out our next few steps.
Aug 30
Darryl and I begin working in earnest on the pergolas. Looking pretty good.
We decided to create a 45-degree angle for the roofing structure, I love a nice 'jaunty angle'. Later that same evening, we all went for a wine tasting at a local winery that will be supplying the vino for the wedding. Next few photos are the tour. It was a lot of fun, and we all left quite buzzed.
Yummy! The owner / operator also had such delicacies as pickled quail eggs, liqueur made from honey, liqueur made from walnuts, and his very own recipe for prosciutto. Some of the prosciutto legs he showed us were between 1-4 years old. Amazing.
Sept 1
Today Darryl and I finished the pergola, and installed the bar. I think the deck is well underway to becoming what I had in mind.
Renata also managed to get the new garden down, and plant two nice cedars as a compliment to it. I think it looks wonderful. Please note as well that the BBQ is finally cemented in place.
Sept 3
Two birthdays this week - Bruno on Sept 1st, and my Mom on Sept 3rd. The combination birthday party then ensued. Good times, great food, and we all had a blast over at Renata's sister's house.
One girl - two cakes: new website. Hmm - let's not go there. Aha - here comes Bruno, that's more like it.
The group of us after a wonderful dinner and enough dessert to make you sick for a week.
One last photo from that day - Renata's sister has some of the most amazing pear trees on her property - check out this one just BURDENED with beautiful fruit.
Sept 4
A monumental day !! The deck is complete, and it is almost exactly what I had in mind. All that was left is have have the inspector look at it and sign off. If you didn't know, Mike Holmes has a brother named Fred. Fred came by to have a look at our work. ladies and gentlemen, Fred Holmes.
Fred has a good close look at our construction techniques.
Well, looks like it got signed off. Fred snuggles in for a little rest after a long hard inspection. Well done, sir.
Night falls, and the bar is open. Hello Ladies !!!
Other participants enjoy the deck as well:
Also noteworthy to mention that earlier in the day, the bamboo fence went up, providing some much needed privacy from the neighbor.
Sept 6
Finally, today a nice shot of the fully decorated deck.
OK folks, have to run along for now. I will try to make another entry before the wedding.
Cheers,
K&R
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