By: Zdenko Kahlina
Off the beaten path to visit historical Yorktown

After we left Fredericksburg we were heading south on Route 17 which is actually a George Washington memorial Highway. This is an amazing road. Not very busy, but going through some beautiful scenery.

Following highway on our way to Virginia Beach, we found ourselves on the Chesapeake bridge over the York river, and in front of this small town on the river shore. I just had to make that turn and see what this town was all about.

George Washington Memorial highway (Route 17)

Yorktown is close to Williamsburg and Hampton in the south. Heading towards south, immediately after crossing the bridge, turn right onto Mathews Street and follow down to the Water front Street. There is adequate nearby Parking – a parking terrace is within easy walking distance of the piers and River walk Landing. A Trolley shuttle is available daily during the summer, weekends in spring and fall and for special events.

George Washington Memorial highway (Route 17) - Chesapeake bridge

Chesapeake bridge over the York river

History & Culture

Yorktown was established by Virginia’s colonial government in 1691 to regulate trade and to collect taxes on both imports and exports for Great Britain. By the early 1700s, Yorktown had emerged as a major Virginia port and economic center. A well-developed waterfront boasted wharves, docks, storehouses and businesses. On the bluff above, stately homes lined Main Street, with taverns and other shops scattered throughout the town. Yorktown had 250 to 300 buildings and a population of almost 2,000 people at the height of its success around 1750.

Yorktown painting

Colonial history

The American Revolution had entered its seventh year when, in 1781, British general Lord Charles Cornwallis brought his army to Yorktown to establish a naval base. In the siege by American and French forces that followed, much of the town was destroyed.

On October 19, 1781, the decisive military campaign of the American Revolution culminated with the British surrender to combined American and French forces under the command of George Washington. The Siege of Yorktown effectively ended the six-year struggle of the Revolutionary War and set the stage for a new government and nation.

By the end of the Revolution, less than 70 buildings remained in Yorktown and the 1790 census recorded only 661 people in town. Yorktown never regained its economic prominence. A fire in 1814 destroyed the waterfront district as well as some homes and the courthouse on Main Street. Additional destruction came during the Civil War Siege of 1862 and the occupation by Union troops that followed.

Yorktown Victory Monument 

Lady Victory is on top of a pedestal of Maine granite. It is located on the southeastern end of Main Street in Yorktown, Virginia.  In 1956, the original figure of liberty, damaged by lightening, was replaced. The first picture is one that I took in 1964 when we lived in Norfolk. The other picture was taken at dusk in 2004.

The shaft is 84 feet high and Liberty is 14 feet high Construction began a century after the battle, and it was completed in 1884. There are informational signs which explain the importance of the battle.

Today, there are still some tangible reminders of Yorktown’s historic past that have survived, giving much of the town a colonial atmosphere. During the visit to Yorktown, stop at the Nelson House on Main Street, the home of Thomas Nelson, Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and commander of the Virginia Militia during the Siege of Yorktown. For hours of operation, see Yorktown Programs and Activities.

As we strolled the streets, we have had the opportunity to imagine Yorktown as it once was–a thriving tobacco port–that witnessed the last battle of the American Revolution.

Today the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution, chronicles America’s evolution from colonial status to nationhood through a unique blend of timeline, film, thematic exhibits and outdoor living history.

An open-air exhibit walkway details events that led to American colonies to declare independence from Britain.

Indoor exhibition galleries portray the Declaration of Independence as a revolutionary document that attracted international attention, recount the war’s impact on 10 ordinary men and women who left a record of their experiences, highlight the roles of different nationalities at the Siege of Yorktown, and explore the story of the Betsy and other British ships lost in the York River during the siege. Exhibits also describe how people from many different cultures shaped a new society and the development of a new government with the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Outdoors, visitors can explore a re-created Continental Army encampment, where historical interpreters describe and depict daily life of American soldiers at the end of the war. A re-created 1780s farm, complete with a house, kitchen, tobacco barn, crop fields, and herb and vegetable garden, shows how many Americans lived during the Revolutionary era.

Immerse yourself in 300 years of Yorktown history.  Here you can experience 18th century homes, revolutionary battlefields, a scenic riverfront beach, one-of-a-kind restaurants and lodging apart from city crowds. Park your car and stroll along picturesque streets or take the free trolley. Visit art galleries, antique stores and specialty shops. Experience the museums offering hands-on history programs and exhibits. Walk along the scenic Riverwalk and relax on the sandy beach at river’s edge. Enjoy sounds of The Fifes and Drums of York Town and live entertainment on the riverfront. After working up an appetite, dine at one of the charming restaurants, many with a view of the York River.  Enjoy a sail on the York River during the day and as the sun goes down, enjoy a sunset sail on the Schooner Alliance.

Vera in Yorktown

Yorktown waterfront 

In Spring 1862, The Confederate heavy artillery batteries on the bluffs of Yorktown, as well as those positioned along the waterfront on both sides of the York River, effectively blocked the US Navy’s attempt to bypass Magruder’s 2nd Peninsula Defensive line. The waterfront fortifications were built by Maj. Gen. John Bankhead Magruder’s Army of the Peninsula and Confederate naval personnel.

The earthworks on Yorktown’s inland perimeter were mostly constructed atop the British defenses from the 1781 siege. On the night of May 3-4, 1862, the Confederate Army abandoned the 2nd Defensive line. Gen. Joseph E Johnston, CSA, believed that the confederate positions could not withstand Maj. Gen George B McClellan’s USA elaborately prepared bombardment with heavy siege guns. The Confederate army was prevented from evacuating its heavy equipment and artillery via the York River because McClellan’s Siege Battery #1 comprised of 100-200 pound Parrot Siege cannon, had already bombarded the waterfront.

The Confederate evacuations suddenly converted Yorktown into a busy port supporting the Union advance on Richmond. Members of the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery retrieved the ordinance from the siege batteries around the town, and troops assembled at Yorktown to be transported up river to the Federal base at White House on the Pamunkey River, a tributary of the York River. As the Peninsula Campaign continued casualties from the battles around Richmond were transported to Yorktown which became a major hospital area.

Following the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, Yorktown became a Union garrison and headquarters for a federally held district which includes Williamsburg and Gloucester Point. Its waterfront area was an active port for Union forces until the summer of 1864 when the Union army established a supply base at City Point on the James river during the Petersburg Campaign.
River Dine – savor dining at one-of-a-kind restaurants, many with a waterview or grab an ice cream cone and enjoy it as you stroll by the river or sit on the beach.

River View - enjoy a mile-long pedestrian walk along the York River from the Yorktown Battlefield to the Yorktown  Victory  Center. Like the water? Enjoy a sail on the Schooner Alliance or make your own fun on the beach. 

Up the hill in the village are even more shops, galleries, museums and fine dining. Special events year round feature musical performances, artists, fresh local food, living history and fireworks.

Plan your visit to coincide with festivities to include: Market Days with plenty of local food and more for sale, Shaggin’ on the Riverwalk with beach music and Motown, and Rhythms on the Riverwalk with jazz and swing. Come back for July 4th and Yorktown Day (Oct. 19) for patriotic concerts, performances by the Fifes and Drums of Yorktown, plenty of food, and other entertainment. Holiday events include a lighted boat parade and visit from Santa.  

 Home Away From Home
Sanja and her friend Jenn decided to take some time off from the work and all daily routines here in Edmonton, and travel the world for a while. I will publish blogs about their traveling adventures, so return to this site again to read more. They left Edmonton in mid July 2010 for a short visit to London, and than headed off for capital city of Croatia – Zagreb.

Family house in Kraljevec street (Zagreb)

Zagreb, Croatia July 17, 2010

We made it!

After a night in London wide awake wondering what the F** to do, we made it to the Luton airport ready to get to Croatia. We were in surprise as we made it through customs with nothing but a nod hello. Nothing like the London customs where they needed a pee sample.

Hello Croatia! I was so ready to say hello to my new home. Although I couldn’t even say hello but I felt like I was home.

We were not in any mood to take the big airport shuttle to downtown Zagreb, as it was +35 and the thought of crowding on a bus with about a hundred other sweaty people was not worth the 30$ we would have saved. So we used Sanja’s left over Euros from a previous vacation and hailed a cab. We had pretty much lost as many layers as we could, without sitting in the back seat with nothing but our under garments on.

Cathedral in Zagreb

As we drove through the city en route to Baka’s house, I noticed just how different everything was to me. Nothing looked anything like home. The streets were small and narrow, cute little details such as street signs, lamp posts, the patios full with people sipping their expressos and puffing on their 15th cigarette. The rail went right through the middle of the roads, the people filled the streets wearing nothing like the typical fashion we were so used to seeing. Just about everywhere I looked, totally different to what I was so used to seeing as I drove the streets of Edmonton. Unreal to someone who thought she had done much for travel. Well up until now, I had barely graced the surface of the world.

As I sat back and listened to Sanja speak in full Croatian to the taxi driver, finding it hard to not throw in the odd English word as she would with her parents at the dinner table, I started to panic. I didn’t know a word of the one language I was now surrounded by for the next few months. As Sanja turned and explained what she just said, I breathed a sign of relief, I was in Croatia with a Croatian, whew, I was going to be totally fine.

Our temporary home… street side

View from the back of the house

As we made our way to the house we now called home, it was almost a surreal feeling. We had made it. Yes, we were here. We actually did what we talked months about preparing for this exact moment. It was nothing like I had ever felt. I couldn’t ask Sanja what she was feeling as she was directing the taxi driver to the exact address I thought it might not be the appropriate time to have an in depth conversation about our big adventure and a totally new direction our lives were going just from this one trip.

Main entrance into the old house

We pulled up to the big house with the red brick roof. It was exactly how in looked in the pictures that hung on the Kahlina’s wall at home in Canada. It was very homey. Reminded me of my Gram’s place in Ontario. The house even smelled like my Gram’s. It was so neat that our families lived worlds apart yet they were so similar with the way their homes were set up. The little pictures hanging on the walls to the ornaments nicely organized on the coffee table. It was just perfect for the two of us for the next few months. We had left our families to explore the world but felt closer to them just by staying in this home.

We took a mini tour of the place, figured out which room we would have the pleasure of unloading our 140 lbs of items we squeezed into our poor luggage to get it here. It was like a department store, we couldn’t remember all the items we placed in out bags, as closer to our departure, we were taking things out to comply with the weight restrictions. We both couldn’t help but laugh as we unpacked yet another white tank top. Seriously, how many white tank tops did we need… apparently six! Yes, Zdenko, you were right, we didn’t need half of what we brought but we brought it anyway. Laughing away as we neatly placed everything in the cupboards and closets. We were set!

We were both extremely tired by this point that we just wanted to go right to bed, but once again, we didn’t think going to bed at 2 pm on a Friday night was he best solution. Instead we went to the local neighborhood store (or market as they are referred to here) and picked up the basics to get us threw till we could hit up a bigger market to stock the house.

St. Mark’s church in Zagreb

We literally didn’t do much for the rest of the day and night. Went for a nice walk around the downtown area just to get familiar with the city. It was still not sinking in that this was our home for the next few months. I must have looked completely confused when an outsider looked at me. Not understanding another language is frustrating. I was determined to figure out the basics of the language before I left though. I repeated that to Sanja as she tried once again to teach me how to pronounce the address we now lived at. Yep! Still can not say it… Kraljevec 9.

Day 2 started off great. We both rolled out of bed at 12:30 pm all upset that we missed going to the market in the downtown square. Since we now lived in a humid, overly hot climate, we had to make sure that we got majority of our outside activities done by noon otherwise we had to wait until the evening. The heat here is nothing like I have felt. I have been to Hawaii and Mexico multiple times but nothing was like the Croatia sun. Seriously, I was sweating just brushing my teeth.

Park in Zagreb with big trees

Horse nuts trees are everywhere

      The kitchen window and the box of good Cabernet Sauvignon wine!

July 20,2010

So it’s 8pm and we are sitting at a little table under the kitchen window, where the boxed wine is keeping us hydrated. It’s quite the life we have:) We spent all day in the garden, getting all the weeds out and trimming the overgrown plants. It’s a lot of work, that I didn’t think I would want to be doing, but turns out that we are both enjoying it very much. I just wish I could tell the difference between a weed and a plant. There was a lot of confusion as to which greens to remove and which to keep, but we somehow decided what would look best and went with it. So, sorry mom, if you come here next year and wonder where that wonderful plant went that you planted strategically in a special spot…..we may have mistaken it for a weed and killed it. I’ve never claimed to be much of a gardener, but at least we’re trying.

Somewhere in the vineyards of Zagorje region…

Time to finally enjoy our trip with good food and vine!

In the corn field

Anyway, the last few days have finally cooled off a bit, and it has been cloudy, so we spent most of the days outdoors. We couldn’t resist but to go out on Saturday night, so we dressed up and found ourselves a cute little caffe/bar on Tkalciceva street. We ordered our usual, red wine for Jenn, and my vodka with a new favorite, tonic water and lemon. I have a feeling we were the only ones consuming alcohol, as all you could see on everyone else’s tables were coka cola bottles. But at least we weren’t chain smoking like the rest of the crowd. After a few hours of people watching and chit chat, we headed home. Usually in Edmonton we would have stopped at the nearest Mcdonalds drive through on the way home, but here I think we have found something even better. Gelato!!!

icecream – Gelato – Sladoled

As you walk into any one of these wonderful ice cream stores you instantly get a feeling of being a kid in a candy store. There is at least 20 different flavors of ice cream spread out in front your eyes and it looks kind of like clouds of ice cream. Big tins filled with soft, creamy, delicious flavors of all sorts. And at 6 kunas ($1.25) per scoop, who could resist this heavenly treat. So we then strolled down to Britanski Trg where we got on the bus to Baka’s house. I think this was only my second time in my life taking public transport while a little under the influence, but it was quite fun.

Sasa and Iva with Sanja: they were wonderful hosts and guides

Sanja under “attack” by “Neanderthals” from Krapina (Zagorje)

Monday turned out to be quite a productive day, as we did most of our shopping for the week. And no, I don’t mean shoes and clothes, but food and market necessities. Fruits and veggies at the fresh outdoor market, groceries at the Konzum (the local store), and toiletries at DM. All this is located about a 20 minute walk from the house. So after that we went back and relaxed at home. In the evening we met for drinks with an old friend, Martina, and made plans to go to an island with her and her friends from August 11-15. How easily plans happen:) Martina also showed us where the English bookstore was located, and we spent about an hour there, picking out our next reading pleasures. Jenn’s picks are fun, mindless, entertaining books about sex and the city type of stuff. And I am apparently trying to be grown up and pick a few classics, like the count of Monte Cristo, which I’m sure will keep me occupied the entire 8 months as it is 1100 pages long. But at least we can say we are reading books, instead of watching TV.

Ivan i Durda our friends who live in Sydney

Wednesday night we were invited to a family friends house for dinner and of course home made desserts and wine. Mladen ensured that our wine glasses were never empty and the ladies just made us eat. After expressing how much we enjoyed the wine, Mladen explained that it was home made wine that he makes at his vineyard. So Jenn immediately expressed how she has always wanted to learn to make wine, and just like that we were invited to his vineyard in the fall for the harvesting and the making of the wine. And not just a few bottles, but apparently 800 Litres, of which I’m sure he could spare a few for us. Life couldn’t get any better than this but than again, we are only a week into our new adventurous selves.

To be continued…

 Cheers!!

Former Tour de France winner loses fight against cancer
(12 August 1960 – 31 August 2010)

A tear in my eye for the man I’ve never met

This morning I was shocked to hear that Laurent Fignon passed away. A tear came to my eye for the man I have never met.

I knew about his cycling “palmares” a lot, at home I have a tape from the Giro and Tour de France that he won which I watched many times. I admired his attacking style of racing. His ponytale was a trade mark. He was turning pedals with such an ease. He was just way too young to go, still he is not here any more. Suddenly it appears that I have too many “in memory of” blogs on my site.

Laurent Fignon stood out in the peloton during his 12-year career because of his distinctive round glasses, long ponytail and impulsive character.

He was nick-named “the professor” but was one of the classiest riders in the sport and one of the true greats of French cycling. He raced with panache, often throwing caution to the wind and making surprise, audacious attacks. However he had the ability to back up his aggression and won both Grand Tours and major classics.

Former Tour de France winner loses fight against cancer

Laurent Fignon has passed away after losing his fight against cancer, French television has announced.

The Frenchman twice won the Tour de France during his career. He was 50.

Fignon disclosed in June 2009 that he was undergoing treatment for cancer. It is said to have started in his intestine and then spread further through his body. He continued to commentate for French television on the Tour de France this summer despite a tumour affecting his vocal chords.

“I don’t want to die at 50,” he said, earlier this summer. “All I know is that my cancer isn’t evolving. I’m still fighting.”

Fignon won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984, and a total of nine Tour stages. He also won the 1989 Giro d’Italia. He famously finished second in the Tour in 1989, famously losing to American Greg Lemond in 1989 by the slimmest margin ever in Tour history, a mere eight seconds.

Fignon was diagnosed with cancer in May 2009, and he revealed his illness it shortly thereafter. He had been very open with the press and public about his illness. In his book, “Nous étions jeunes et insouciants” (We were young and carefree), he confessed to having doped during his career. Later, he discussed the possibility that his cancer was linked to his doping.

We Were Young and Carefree

In 1989, Fignon lost to LeMond by eight seconds. The two dogged each other for weeks, the leader’s yellow jersey passing back and forth. Finally, with only the last-day time trial left, Fignon had a 50-second lead that appeared decisive.

But LeMond, riding with an aerodynamic helmet and new triathlon handlebars that Fignon maintained were illegal, set a blistering pace. It was the fastest full-length time-trial stage ever ridden at the time.

Fignon rode last, using traditional handlebars and with his ponytail blowing in the wind. He gave everything he had, collapsing to the ground after finishing. But it was not enough. LeMond took the Tour by the smallest margin of victory.

“The cyclist who doesn’t know how to lose cannot become a champion. … But to lose like that, on the last day, with such a small gap, and principally because of handlebars that were banned under the rules, no, that was too much for one man,” Fignon said in his autobiography, “We Were Young and Carefree,” published last year.

LeMond remembers Fignon

American recalls 1989 Tour de France rivalry.

Greg LeMond said he was shocked to hear of Laurent Fignon’s death, admitting he felt sorry for his Tour de France win in 1989, when LeMond snatched victory from Fignon in the final time trial to Paris.

Speaking on French news channel France 24, LeMond said: “It’s a really sad day. I see him as one of the great riders who was hampered by injuries. He had a very, very big talent, much more than anyone recognised. For me he was one of the greater champions that was not recognised. He was more recognised for his loss in the Tour de France than for his two victories.”

“We were teammates, competitors, but also friends. He was a great person, one of the few that I find was really true to himself. He didn’t have an ego. He really knew himself.” 

“When he lost the Tour de France in 1989 it was one of the few victories where I felt we both won. The saddest thing for me is that for the rest of his career he said he won two Tours de France, when in reality we both could have won the race.”

He was one of the few riders who I really admired for his honesty and his frankness. We talked about a lot of different things outside of cycling and I was fortunate to really get to know him when my career stopped. I believe he was also one of the generation that was cut short in the early nineties because he was not able to fulfil the rest of his career. But he was a great rider.”

Fignon won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984. LeMond was a young but talented teammate at the Renault-Elf-Gitane team in 1984 and finished third overall in the Tour. They went their separate ways in 1985, with Lemond joining forces with Bernard Hinault at La Vie Claire.

When LeMond recovered from a gunshot wound and returned to the Tour in 1989, Fignon emerged as his biggest rival in what would develop into arguably the best ever duel in Tour de France history. Fignon had won the Giro d’Italia in May and gained time on LeMond in the mountains but the American reduced his losses in the time trials.

Fignon started the final 25km time trial with a 50 second advantage and many considered it enough to win the Tour. However LeMond was one of the first riders to use aerobars and refused to give up, while Fignon was suffering with saddle sores and was very nervous.

Fignon finished third in the time trial but lost 58 seconds to LeMond and lost the yellow jersey. As LeMond celebrated, Fignon fell to the ground after he crossed the line, knowing he had lost the Tour by just a few seconds.

The eight second time difference is still the smallest ever winning margin in the history of the Tour de France.

“In 1989, when I was on the podium (at the Tour de France), I felt bad for him,” LeMond told France24, remembering Fignon’s defeat on that fateful day 21 years ago.

Robert Millar remembers Laurent Fignon

Scot recalls special moments from the 1983 and 1984 Tour de France

Robert Millar and Laurent Fignon both made their Tour de France debut in 1983. And at the time both were perhaps ‘young and carefree’ as Fignon would go on to title his autobiography.

Fignon went on to win the 1983 Tour, while Millar won a mountain stage and was fourteenth overall. In 1984 Fignon won the Tour again and Millar finished fourth overall and won the polka-dot climber’s jersey.

Both were unique individuals but became close because of their idiosyncrasies, while still being fierce rivals on the road.

Here Millar remembers Fignon, who died yesterday from cancer, confirming the Frenchman’s talent and character with revealing anecdotes from the 1983 and 1984 editions of the Tour de France.

“I was lucky that I had the chance to race with Laurent Fignon for most of my career but I was even luckier that sometimes he used to talk to me during the quiet moments in races, the times when you could linger at the back of the peloton and reflect on things.”

“I liked him as a person. Sure I liked how he raced and how he always fought but primarily I liked Laurent the man. He was intense, passionate and demanding when he competed but he was also respectful and fair to his rivals and teammates. And when the race was over it was over so you didn’t have to talk about it forever and a day.”

“Others called him difficult and moody but I liked that aspect of his character and I liked that he didn’t tolerate fools and shoddy media people either. I liked the fact that he used to hide behind the Credit Lyonnais stand in the Tour village so he could grab five minutes of peace and quiet to read his newspaper without interruptions. Or that if I sneaked off for a real espresso in a small cafe just before the start of an Italian race, I would more often than not find him and a few teammates having a laugh in the corner of the same cafe.”

“I was shocked when he announced he was ill and I resented that he was suffering so much until he passed away. After giving so much of himself he deserved better. He was intelligent, humorous, and truly special as an athlete and a person. He’ll be missed.”

Tour de France memories

“A couple of examples of how gifted Fignon really was come to mind as I remember when we raced together.”

“We’re at the 1983 Tour de France and it’s the morning of the 50km Dijon time trial, the day before the final stage to Paris. I’m out riding the route to see what it’s like, the usual stuff of assessing gearing, wind direction and road surfaces. About forty kilometres into the route and nicely warmed up, we are riding hard to get an idea of how the legs feel spinning a big gear, when Fignon suddenly comes past going considerably faster.”

“We think ‘Ok, showing off are we?’, ‘trying to psyche us out?’ And so we give chase. What a bad idea. I can’t remember who I was with but there were three of us going through and off and yet he just disappeared into the distance very quickly. We were totally demoralised when we finally catch him up at the finish area and see he is hardly sweating. We knew who the winner would be that afternoon. Sure enough Fignon wins the time trial and the Tour. The next day I catch up with him and offer my congratulations. We briefly talk about the time trial and he admits in total sincerity that he only changed gear a couple of times during the whole thing. He said he went down from top gear for the harder bits because he felt he ought to, not because he needed to.”

“Another great memory I have is from the year after, 1984, during stage 20 of the Tour de France from Morzine to Crans Montana. It’s boiling hot. As we hit the bottom of the final climb to the finish, Pascal Jules from Fignon’s team is in front with about a minute lead. There are a few attacks but then Fignon hits the front to calm things down, probably thinking that if he controls the pace then no-one will dare come past.”

“He’s not wrong as he’s going so fast the talking has stopped in the bunch. After a couple of kilometres I somehow find myself in second position right behind him and start thinking and feeling that the pace he is setting is way too much for my liking. As it becomes more and more uncomfortable to maintain some kind of composure I think to myself that it might be better to slip back a bit and get more shelter amongst the wheels of the group, maybe recover a bit because I know it gets steeper later on. If Fignon had been going slower I might have been able to look round and see there was no group to hide in. We were lined out in the gutter so much that when I pulled over to recover a bit no-one came past. And with that Fignon rode off to catch his friend and win the stage.”

I was waiting for one of the other riders to complain that I had let the wheel go but strangely no-one mentioned it. Everyone knew just how strong Fignon was and knew they would not have been able to hold his wheel either.”

 Laurent Fignon, we’ll miss you, RIP.

By: Zdenko Kahlina
On the road: Traffic congestion.

We left Washington City early in the morning one Saturday, with the idea of making it all the way to Virginia Beach before dark. Should be an easy task, right! Wrong.

Traffic congestion on highway I-95 around Dale City made us lose three hours of our estimated travel time. This was the worst traffic backup I’ve seen lately. From Dale City to exit 152 it took more than three hours as we were barely moving, just sitting in a car. We even turned onto secondary highway 1, thinking it might be better, but it was just as bad.

Route we completed in two days (550 miles)

So, finally we decided to turn north on exit 152 towards Manassas city in Prince William county.  We made a huge detour on the secondary roads 646, highway 28 and highway 17. Except for lost time we had no regrets. At least we were driving and the area was gorgeous.

Once on the George Washington Memorial parkway (Route 17) we just followed the road and around lunch time we were entering historical town of Fredericksburg.

In the Fredericksburg area, one can throw away the alarm clocks. Get ready to be whisked away to another century where the first president roamed free as a boy and the North and South came face to face in battle. The area, standing midway between Washington D.C., capital of the Union, and Richmond, capital of the Confederacy, was the major site of five Civil War battles.

We arrived there mid day only for a quick visit (couple of hours). After finding parking on the city lot (free parking) we walked through the old town streets. It appeared that we didn’t need our car for anything here. You can take the trolley tour at the visitor’s center. Very informative, and you see everything.

Walking in downtown Fredericksburg was very nice, with many colonial buildings to visit. There is Hugh Mercers Apothecary shop (Hugh was a friend of George Washington and a Rev War general), the Rising Sun Tavern, which was run by one of Georges brothers, Kenmore, the beautiful mansion built for his sister, and yes, the Mary Washington house.

In downtown, find chef-owned restaurants, art galleries and studios, and antique and specialty shops. George Washington grew up at Ferry Farm, and the great early 20th century artist, Gari Melchers, lived and painted the local scene at his estate, Belmont. Four major Civil War battles were fought in the region, and more than 7,000 acres of hallowed ground are preserved by the National Park Service. Water sports abound on beautiful Lake Anna and the pristine Rappahannock River.

Visiting all of these places would take about 4-5 hrs, and all are within easy walking distance in the downtown area. Chatham is a very nice colonial mansion on the Stafford side of the river, and it’s free. Ferry Farm is the place where George grew up, and it does have a nice view of Fred from the Stafford side. Do try to visit either the Fredericksburg Battlefield or the Chancellorsville Battlefield. About 30 min drive north of Fred is the Marine Corp museum.

We had a wonderful lunch at the Capital Ale House, where local micro-brews can be tasted alongside new and classic American handcrafted beers. We sampled the great local beer that carried the flavor of tradition and history of this place. After the crub dish we ordered, it was time to head straight to the car and continue our journey.

Heading south from Fredericksburg on George Washington Memorial four-lane highway, also known as Coastal Highway (Route 17) was delightful. The road follows Rappahannock river and is very good, going North-South, through the woods and hills of Virginia and we had very light traffic. It was nothing like when we were leaving Washington on highway 95.

We didn’t know at the time, but our next stop was going to be historical Yorktown, that just happened to be on our way.

Fredericksburg History:

One of the reasons that Fredericksburg has had such a long and interesting history is its strategic location at the falls of the Rappahannock River. To the Indians, the falls were favorite fishing and hunting grounds. To Virginia’s early settlers, the fall line was the colony’s first frontier.

Just below the falls of the Rappahannock River, the town of Fredericksburg prospered as a frontier river port. The town’s importance grew with increased river traffic. In 1728, it became an official inland port. Tobacco trade brought prosperity.

Perhaps it was its proximity to George Washington’s boyhood home or maybe it was its safe distance from the Colonial government in Williamsburg, but Fredericksburg contributed heavily to the American cause in the Revolutionary War. Munitions were manufactured here; five generals left their families here to fight; and Fredericksburg fortunes were devoted to the fight. Thomas Jefferson and others met in 1777 in Fredericksburg to draft the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom.

After the war, the city settled down to relative prosperity. Grand mansions mingled with tidy frame houses and a bustling business district by the river. But a few generations later the city’s location would come again into play – and this time it brought danger and disaster.

Located halfway between the two Civil War capitals Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va., Fredericksburg was battered bloody for three years. The city was crippled by a Federal offensive in December 1862. Confederate troops defending the heights above the city were able to hold off repeated Union attacks mounted from the shell-pocked remains of the business district. The armies were back in the spring of 1863. This time most of the fighting raged outside the city, at a country crossroads called Chancellorsville. Again, in 1864, the blue and the gray clashed nearby. Ulysses S. Grant had begun the last big campaign in the East in the tangled Wilderness. Ignoring massive losses, he soon had punched through to Spotsylvania. In each of the campaigns, the armies left many of their dead and wounded behind.

Today’s Fredericksburg has preserved its memories well. Its large downtown historic district is dotted with Colonial structures and reminders of the people who lived and worked here. Its Civil War past is inescapable. A major National Park interprets the battles, and the city still shows its glories and its scars.

Click on the link below to view the Central Rappahannock Regional Library website.

www.historypoint.org

Text: Marcus Fernando
Pictures: Zdenko Kahlina

Take a historic neighborhood, add dozens of different venues, stir in performers from around the world, throw in a few hundred thousand audience members and let it grow over 11 days. The result: one Fringe Festival. The Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival hits the streets of Old Strathcona for 11 days of theatrical merriment. From noon to midnight daily, performers from around the globe and around the corner entertained audiences with song, dance, drama, comedy, and everything in between. Thousands of people packed the various Fringe venues daily, making Old Strathcona a see and be seen neighborhood. I am posting here couple of blogs from an interesting blogger who was one of the entertainers at the Fringe festival.

Edmonton Fringe Festival: 

Greetings, Ex-Fringers!

Well, here we are on the morning after the night before. The last performances have performed, the sets have been cleared, the traders have moved out, and there is only the Tumbleweed of redundant show-posters blowing in the wind to remind us of the fun we’ve all just had. Sad…in a way, but so it must be!

After all, think of what happens now. All of those performers go somewhere else. Some stay in Edmonton, or Alberta, or Canada. Some (like us) go abroad to many far-flung parts of the world. Some might be taking their productions elsewhere, for more audiences to enjoy. Others might be heading back to more “conventional” jobs….whatever they might be. It’s wonderful, isn’t it? All these many and diverse people came together in one place at one time to contribute to the great theatre party that is Edmonton Fringe Festival. For a while, everything was intense, fast-paced, even manic…but now it all returns to normal.

What should we call this day after the final day? The “Post-Ultimate” day, possibly? A day of sadness (possibly), tidying up (almost certainly), Rest and Recuperation (hopefully) and travel (maybe). As I write this, The Dragon wagon II is parked outside, with sets and costumes from both productions still in the back. No, that’s not quite true. The picture frames from “Red Wine and Canvas” we decided to break up and bin, rather than store. We needed to have a good think about this, as we hope to bring the full-length version of the show to Canada next year (out of Fringe time), if our sponsorship goes ahead. So, we’ll need to make up some new frames now. But it was still considered better than trying to store them.

As for the rest of the Dreamscape ephemera: well, the costumes will travel back with us. We’ll try to keep everything together, so that we can easily resurrect either show if required. But you know how it is…bits of costumes get used for other shows, other pieces were borrowed and have to be returned….and some just end up getting worn in “civvy street”!! Yes, there’ll always be a need to do more costume shopping at the Charity Shops!

The projector will stay here in Canada, to be used for future productions. Now that we have it and know it works, we have the option of adding slide or film projection to future shows. Excellent! And we shall certainly keep our Walmart bed sheet projection screen in storage here!

The Dagger will also stay over here. I’m not entirely sure what (if any) future application it might have, but I’m not going to try to take THAT back on the plane! And that’s it…nothing else to carry back. Well, that’s not quite true: we have our reviews (good and bad), which we will add to the Dreamscape Portfolio, along with posters, programs, ticket stubs and the like. It’s nice to be able to flick back through the history of Dreamscape…and it will be something to show our child…if they’re interested!

So…a little bit of history is going back with us. Another page in the Dreamscape Chronicle, fitting neatly into the space between the Past and the Future. You know, maybe it isn’t really sad. It’s just another wonderful step of the Great Adventure!

A few of my favourite things…

Greetings, Fringers past, present and future!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve really had the most wonderful time here at the Edmonton Fringe. It’s not just about audience numbers, or reviews, or hold-over’s….it’s about atmosphere. So many people having a great time. Of course there is the rough as well as the smooth. The reviews which don’t like us, the empty seats in the theatre, the stress of trying to get the projector up and running…but hey! The positive outweighs the negative a million times over!

GEEKWARE at the Fringe, recycling obsolete electronics into fun geek gifts

GEEKWARE – www.GEEKWARE.ca

I have one cloud looming on my horizon. Paperwork and Tax. As usual, I shall do everything I can to keep everything above board and official (both here and in England), but my past experiences with the Winnipeg office leaves me with that worrying thought that no matter how properly we (and the Edmonton tax office) do things, there’ll always be someone willing to say we got it wrong. I shall take advice from an Accountant. It shouldn’t have to be this complicated…but better safe than sorry!

But enough of the cloud: let’s concentrate on the silver linings! And there are MANY! I am full of praise for the Edmonton Fringe, and here are a few of my highlights:

The Fringe Organization. Thomas Scott and the rest of the team have done a marvelous job in keeping the Fringe friendly and accessible. In particular, it is NOT about big budgets or having powerful friends. This has allowed small overseas companies such as Dreamscape to come in and take part on an equal footing. My word of caution, though: if it is allowed to go too much over to BYOV’s, then it could end up descending into an “Edinburgh” scenario, with venues charging huge premiums, and vetting the productions. This would be a disaster…believe me: I’ve seen the results! However, a huge THANK YOU to all the Fringe Organizers. I can not even comprehend the huge amount of organization and paperwork involved.

The Volunteers. Can’t praise these people enough. So very Canadian. So wonderful! These people give up so much of their time and effort to support the Fringe, and without fail every volunteer we were dealing with were lovely: always friendly and smiling. THANK YOU to all volunteers!

Block 1912. Yes, I know it came in for a bit of criticism in one of my earlier columns, but it still was (and will be) our place of choice to rest and recuperate. Indeed, they excelled themselves yesterday, when a group of us went in there for food and hot chocolate. One of our group had a Thai Tea from one of the on-site vendors. We thought she wouldn’t be allowed in with it, but they quietly offered to pour it into one of their own cups, so that no-one would notice! THANK YOU Block 1912!

Our Front of House staff. Yes, I know they sort of come under the heading of “Volunteers”, but they have been wonderful, and I’ve really enjoyed our little chats before and after the shows. THANK YOU Walterdale FOH!

The Audience. What can I say? You made the effort to come to the Fringe. To come to our show. You spent your money, your time, and you supported the Arts. And many of you made the effort to chat to us to give us feedback, or to recommend the shows to your friends. Some of you remember Dreamscape from past productions SIX YEARS ago! Canadian audiences are amazing. THANK YOU Fringers!

Fellow Artists. I just LOVE the support one gets from other theatre teams in the Fringe. We’ve re-established old friendships, and made new ones. THANK YOU fellow Artists!

And my top thank you….my thank you for really making this Fringe something special: This accolade goes to our two Technicians at the Walterdale: Nico and D’Arcy (or is it simply Darcy? Whatever!). These guys are not only damned good at their job, but made us so welcome from the moment we arrived at the theatre. They put in extra hours to sort out our technical problems with the projector, they made us bacon sandwiches, and kept us to schedule, they ran the theatre like a tight (but very friendly) ship, and at all times remained cheerful. These guys really are the spirit of the Fringe…and of Professional Theatre! THANKS GUYS!

There are more, so many more to thank. Of course. Family, friends, even reviewers. But my final thanks goes to Patti and Paul for giving me the chance to write this Blog….and to all of you for taking the trouble to read it! I’ve had a great time. I hope you have too! THANK YOU!

A la prochaine!

FERNANDO

Away We Go…
Sanja and her friend Jenn decided to take some time off from the work and all daily routines here in Edmonton, and travel the world for a while. I will publish blogs about their traveling adventures, so return to this site again to read more. They left Edmonton in mid July 2010 for a short visit to London, and than headed off for capital city of Croatia – Zagreb.

London: Before crossing the street… warning for tourists!

Travelers & bloggers: Sanja & Jenn

They left Edmonton in mid July 2010 for a short visit to London, and than headed off for capital city of Croatia – Zagreb.

London

July 14-16, 2010

We arrived in London separately. Both of us were still groggy from my muscle relaxants (I injured my back a few days before the trip). Since Sanja had arrived an hour prior to me, she was awaiting my arrival past customs.

Sanja seemed to get past customs no problem, yet myself, well lets just say I was lectured for 25 minutes on who the UK allows into he country “I am sorry Miss, but we are unlike Canada and their customs, we do not allow just anyone in”. I got off with a warning and was given 48 hours in the country. I am not sure if he was just giving me a hard time because I stated “unemployed” or that I had no idea where I was going.

Once we collected our 140 lbs in luggage (no, this is not a joke), we proceeded to the trains.  We had been advised the train system was tricky, so we wanted to give our selves plenty of time to get there without rushing. Since I was still injured from my back incident, poor Sanja was responsible for majority of the luggage handling throughout the airport. I must say, the airport wasn’t half as big as I thought it would be. We managed to get to the trains in less than 10 minutes from collecting our luggage, even with the luggage being delayed from being taken off the plane. We had time to rest before taking the train to Downtown London.

We were surprised when our train pulled up completely empty. As I was getting onto the train, I had the pleasure of the door shutting on me. Since I was unable to lift the luggage in time, I let go of my handle and watched the luggage fall toward Sanja. I gave a small wave to Sanja as she stood there in shock with all bags at her feet. I think we both had a mini panic attack.

Once we both realized the train was not going to leave either of us separated, we could both breathe.

We struggled to get on the train with all the bags. Sanja was getting yelled at by some man to get on the train, not even taking a look at all the bags she actually had to get on the train with. We did it though. We came to realize that we work very well under pressure. We rode the train to the last stop, London Victoria. We managed to get our luggage through the huge train station to hail a cab to our hotel.

We have been in disbelief on how not one person would assist us with any of our bags, not that we expected help, but an offer would have been polite. The cab driver didn’t even help us get everything into his cab, he just sat there waiting impatiently as we loaded all our stuff in his cab.

About 5 blocks later and 5 British pounds we were dropped outside our hotel.  Once again removing all our luggage on our own with no assistance from the cabbie. As we looked into the hotel we realized we booked a budget hotel, which didn’t have an elevator nor a bell boy. So once again, there we are struggling to get all our bags up the 2 flights of stairs. We laughed so hard when we tried to open the door to our room to realize the room might have been as big as most of our bathrooms back home. Once again, not joking. As we managed to fit ourselves and our bags into the room we sat in a numb state that yes, we had made it.

We found the nearest pub to our hotel and had some lunch. Familiar foods like nachos and grilled cheese/ham sandwiches. Can’t go wrong. As we were paying our bill we noticed the “snacks” on the bar counter – pickled olives, popcorn, mixed nuts and a scotched egg. (don’t ask).

Since we were both exhausted but didn’t think going to bed at 1 pm in the afternoon would be smart, we decided to go check out some sights. When I say some sights what I mean is one. We managed to make it to Buckingham Palace. I think because we were both so tired, we didn’t get too excited as we stood in front the Queen’s home. We snapped a few pictures and proceed back towards our hotel.

We made a pit stop for the basics, water and chocolate digestive cookies. Then headed straight to bed at 4 pm. We awoke at 10:30 pm well rested and ready to take on London, or at least that’s the idea we had for the first 20 minutes of waking.

As I sat here to type out this first excerpt I watched Sanja struggle to find a plug in to charge her camera battery. She sat there all confused that all our plugins were child proof but soon to realize she just was using the wrong adaptor. Yes people, she was using the typical standard European adaptor but London has their own 3 prong adaptor.

Now we are off to hit up London like originally planned. In true Canadian form – lululemons all the way!

Day 2 (July 15, 2010)

So, turns out, that a combination of muscle relaxants and jet lag is a bad idea. Day 2 started at 13:40 when I finally made myself sit up in bed, look at the time and say, “seriously Jenn, we need to get up”. We clearly missed the included breakfast at the hotel, so in search of a good breakfast place we went. Although, first stop needed to be an exchange office where they would assault our Canadian dollar once again. So, we randomly chose a direction to walk in

search of the nearest exchange office. After 30 minutes of strolling random london streets we finally came across a post office that was a little nicer in the exchange rate, than the previous day at Victoria underground station. Once we stuffed our pockets with the 60 GBP we were off in search of food. But, turns out we accidentally came across all the biggest sights London had to offer, such as Big Ben, the Parliament buildings, London eye, and a few large cathedrals. We kept walking and eventually got a little lost (although my inner compass was definitely guiding me in the right direction), so we stopped and asked for directions to Victoria station just to get our bearings. The guys completely pointed us in the wrong direction, but not to worry, we found our way anyway. We finally made it to an area that was familiar and grabbed a quick bite to eat in a very nice park at Buckingham Palace. Having walked for two hours straight we decided to sit down for a nice coffee and read our books. It turns out we both really enjoy not being on a schedule and having nothing to do. So after about an hour at the coffee shop we strolled back to our hotel to freshen up a bit before dinner.

We decided to treat ourselves with dinner, and by that I mean, actually sit down in a restaurant and order a meal. The sign outside this cute little italian place said “pizza and a glass of wine 10GBP”. So we thought that sounded great and took a seat. Well, one glass of wine turned into a few and of course couldn’t pass up dessert once we were a little tipsy, so our budget went out the door and a credit card came in handy.

So now, it’s 2AM, and we’re both wide awake thanks to our early afternoon wake up. We need to be on the bus to London Luton airport in two hours. I guess we won’t be needing that wake up call we asked for.

To be continued…

By: Zdenko Kahlina
Walking tour of old town Alexandria
When Vera and I purchased Metro daily passes while visiting Washington, we had to use them to get our money worth. We rode in the Metro for hours, visiting places such as Bethesda and Alexandria.

We really enjoyed our visit to Old Town Alexandria, as it is very quaint and extremely busy little place. We enjoyed all the little shops and numerous restaurants.

Old Town Alexandria is a quaint historic town just on the other side of the Potomac River from Washington, DC. Dating back to 1749, Alexandria’s riverfront was an important colonial port during the colonial, revolutionary and Civil War periods. Today Old Town Alexandria is a revitalized waterfront with cobblestone streets, colonial houses and churches, museums, shops and restaurants.

Torpedo factory in the Alexandria harbor

Zdenko in the Alexandria harbor

Torpedo factory in the Alexandria harbor

Alexandria, Virginia is an independent city located along the Potomac River, six miles south of downtown Washington, DC. Regan National Airport is just seven minutes away.

The historic center of Alexandria, known as Old Town, is the third oldest historic district in the United States. The charming neighborhood contains more than 4,200 historic buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, including homes, churches, museums, shops, small businesses and restaurants. Alexandria is the center of nightlife in Northern Virginia and is a popular destination for tourists as well as residents of the DC/Capital region.

According to the 2000 census, the City of Alexandria is home to 128,283 residents.

How to get to Old Town Alexandria

We took the metro and get off at the King Street stop and walk about 10 blocks to the east. If you’d rather save your feet for your sightseeing tour, take a DASH bus for a dollar or pop up the Circulator bus for free. This is a busy tourist area, so start out early and plan to spend several hours exploring, shopping and enjoying a meal.

Walking Tour of Old Town Alexandria

Once in Alexandria, step aboard the free King Street Trolley, which travels along the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare, making many stops, so it’s easy to hop on and off.

If you are walking, begin your walk at the Ramsay House Visitor Center at the corner of King and Fairfax Streets, in the heart of the Old Town Alexandria Historic District. Pick up a map and some brochures of the many museums and businesses in the area.

Head north on Fairfax Street and turn left on Cameron until you come to the redbrick buildings across Royal Street, known as Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. Gadsby’s is an Early American-style restaurant and a museum of 18th-century antiques. George and Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had temporary quarters here. The buildings are noted for exquisite Georgian architecture, preserved and restored to a late eighteenth century appearance. You can take a 30-minute guided tour of Gadsby’s or come back here later for lunch or a snack.

From Gadsby’s, continue west on Cameron Street and turn right on St. Asaph Street. You will cross Princess Street. The cobble paving stones are original and traffic is banned here. Go one block farther on St. Asaph, and turn left at Oronoco Street. The house on your right at number 607 was The Boyhood Home of Robert E. Lee . It is now a private residence.

Across Oronoco Street, at the corner of Washington, is the Lee-Fendall House . the home of several generations of Lees. The tour here is brief and interesting, including a display of Lee family documents, among which is the original copy of Harry Lee’s eulogy of George Washington. For doll house enthusiasts, the third floor displays a wonderful antique doll house collection.

King Street

Continue on Washington Street and you will come to the Lyceum , a city historical museum. This free museum is worth a short visit browsing the two galleries, historical exhibits of Alexandria and a gift shop.

Next, head to the intersection of Washington and Prince Streets to view the bronze sculpture of The Confederate Soldier. In 1861, when Alexandria was occupied by Union forces, 800 soldiers marched out to join the confederate army. This statue marks the point at which they gathered. This is a memorial to the fallen soldiers. One hundred names are carved onto the base.

Restaurants are lined up on the King Street

We had a lunch at “The Warf” restaurant – very good food (and service)!

Continue walking east on Prince Street and turn left on Fairfax Street to the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop which displays a collection of early medical supplies and hand-blown glass containers.

Head south on Fairfax Street to Duke Street to the Old Presbyterian Meeting House. The graveyard here has a marker commemorating the Unknown Soldier of the Revolutionary War.

Retrace your steps back to Prince Street and turn right. Cross Lee Street to Captain’s Row. This is a cobblestone section of Prince Street that runs along the Potomac riverfront. Stroll down to the waterfront park to see the scenic view of the river.

Continue north on Union Street. You will come to the Torpedo Factory. Torpedoes were manufactured here during World War I and II. Today, the building houses the studios of about 160 artists. You can watch printmakers, jewelry makers, sculptors, photographers, painters and potters at work. This popular attraction is a great place to find unique gifts and decorative items for your home.

We spent only several hours in Alexandria, but we loved the old town warm ambience of yesteryear with the modern comforts and conveniences that today’s travelers crave.

By: Zdenko Kahlina
A small town in Montgomery County, in the Washington-Arlington metro area.
When Vera and I purchased Metro daily passes while visiting Washington, we had to use them to get our money worth. So we decided to take the train and travel from one side of the city to the other. It was a Friday afternoon, my conference was over and we had plenty of time.

We boarded the train at the Metro Center station in downtown Washington City. Metro escalators are long and go far under ground. We were impressed…

Long escalator accessing the Metro station

The RED Metro line goes from Glenmont in the far North of the city to the downtown and all the way to Shady Grove in the northwest suburb area of Washington. After about 20 minutes from downtown the train stopped in Bethesda and we decided to explore this place on foot. I heard that if you go by car it will take at least 45 minutes, because traffic can be really heavy.

Bethesda Metro Center : band was playing when we were there.

Main square in Bethesda

Waiting for the Circulator bus which never came…

Bethesda, Maryland is a small town in Montgomery County, in the Washington-Arlington metro area. In general, Bethesda is center for government and private research organizations. The town is a thriving urban district, brimming with nearly 200 restaurants, two live theatres, 20 art galleries, and some of the best shopping in the Washington, DC Metro Area. The district has ample parking, and is accessible by the previously mentioned Metro Red Line. Located just outside Washington DC, Bethesda MD is also the home of the Bethesda Naval Hospital (Bethesda Naval Medical Center) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). One tradition says the community was named after a local church; another traces its name directly to the biblical place. The population, at the time of the 2000 census, was about 55,000.

Being a suburb, there’s not a ton of stuff to do in Bethesda. However, Vera and I followed the route of the Circulator bus from the town’s brochure and it took us only 30 minutes of walking.

Very colorful restaurant… I think it was Mexican…

Tourist center with plenty of brochures…

Bethesda has more restaurants per square mile than the US, so there’s bound to be a great place to eat that will satisfy your family. The most popular ones and family  favorites are Cafe Deluxe, Austin Grill, Jaleo (a bit pricier), as well as Stromboli’s and Vace’s for Italian. There’s also a Potbelly’s (a famous sandwich shop on the east coast) and Chipotle, etc. These restaurants are all pretty much within walking distance of the Residence Inn.

www.downtownbethesda.com/guide/dining.php

But ultimately your best choice for a great lunch with local flavor might be to get some good crab cakes near BWI, if you want to leave a little later than you’re planning. Three places that usually leap to mind are G&M Restaurant, the Olive Grove and Timbuktu. Opinions are widely varied as to which is best (ask ten different Marylanders on where to find the best crab cakes, you’ll get ten different answers, I’m sure you’ll hear some here), but I don’t think you can make a mistake going to either of the three.

Their dining rooms all open at 11, but the atmosphere of eating in is nothing special at any of them. All three will do carryout if you want to have that picnic lunch (G&M and Olive Grove’s carryout operations open at 10).

For movies, there’s a Regal Theater right across the street from the Bethesda Court hotel.

Since the metro is pretty much across the street from the center square in Bethesda, it is very easy to get back and forth from DC. I’m not sure when you’ll be coming to the area, but the Cherry Blossom Festival and Parade is always a big hit with kids. You can also rent paddle boats in the Tidel Basin.

North Bethesda shares a common history with most of its Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County neighbors. Archaeological evidence suggests that Paleo, Archaic, and Woodland Native Americans lived nearby, along the banks of the Potomac River. These peoples traveled along an ancient route known as the Seneca Trail (which is today approximately followed in North Bethesda by Old Georgetown Road). Like many ancient roads, the Seneca Trail followed a ridge line – in this case, the high ground between the Potomac River and Rock Creek (Potomac River) Rock Creek. Much later, development would spring up along this route.

The recorded history of the area commences with the colonial era. Settlements formed along Rock Creek and the Seneca Trail in the 17th Century, with recorded land grants in this area known originally as “Dan” and “Leeke Forest.”

In the early 19th century, much of the area was part of a 3,700 acre tobacco plantation owned by a slave owning family with the surname of Riley. One of the Rileys’ slaves, Josiah Henson, is thought by historians to be the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. During this period, the Washington Turnpike Company was founded to improve the old Seneca route, by then known as the Georgetown-Frederick Road. The road was opened in 1828, but had nearly washed away by 1848. The Riley plantation house was located on this road, and the plantation house’s kitchen (in which Henson is known to have slept) still stands near the course of this road.

By the late 19th century, the area was privileged with stops along a train route, and by the early 20th century with its own trolley tracks on the line connecting Georgetown and Rockville (along current-day Fleming Avenue). During this time, development bloomed around train and trolley stops, and a number of wealthy families, including those of Captain James Frederick Oyster and Charles I. Corby (who developed methods that revolutionized the baking industry), lived or summered in the area. Nonetheless, the area remained sparsely populated through the 1920′s.

The arrival of the automobile eventually transformed the area into a commuter suburb of Washington, D.C. By the 1950’s, the area had sprouted a number of developer-conceived neighborhoods with tract houses for the middle-class.

Today, the area remains largely a commuter suburb, with most residents traveling an average of 30 minutes to their workplace. While some traditional neighborhoods remain, other areas have struggled with issues related to suburban sprawl. Over the last few decades, the area has become increasingly affluent and, like most areas in southern Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County, has attracted a highly educated and older population.

Read more: What is the history of North Bethesda, Maryland?

From: Italian Cycling Journal, posted by Angelo Senza
Remember Claudio Chiappucchi? This is a short story about him and what he is doing these days.
Born on February 28, 1963, Claudio Chiappucci was an accomplished rider in the Grand Tours who was known for his constant attacks and long breakaways.

Claudio Chiappucci, “Il Diablo”, will be the guest rider during the new “Le Strade di San Francesco” granfondo. Team Bike Ponte is organizing the event that will be held on May 1st. The photos are of Chiappucci riding the course recently with club members and promoting the event.

Chiappucci, who was born in Uboldo (Varese), was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification – second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992. He retired from racing in 1998.

These days, Claudio is often seen at the grand fondo events across Italy. He will be the guest rider during the new “Le Strade di San Francesco” grand fondo. Team Bike Ponte is organizing the event that will be held on May 1st. The photos are of Chiappucci riding the course recently with club members and promoting the event.

The grand fondo will begin in Ponte San Giovanni (Perugia, Umbria). The grand fondo will be 139 km long with 1650m of climbing and the medio fondo will be 89 km with 690m of climbing.

http://www.italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/

Nicknamed “il Diabolo”, Chiappucci burst on the scene in the 1990 when he was a member of a select group of breakaway riders in the first road stage of the Tour de France. The group gained ten minutes on the pack. Chiappucci held on to his lead through the Alps then saw it cut to two minutes after the Pyrenees.

Greg Lemond slowly bided his time, assuming that Claudio would crack.

Lemond took overall leadership in the penultimate stage time trial and went on to victory without winning a single stage and having worn the yellow jersey only on the last day of the race.

Chiappucci never won a Grand Tour, but he placed second in the Tour de France to Greg Lemond of the USA in 1990, and placed second to Miguel Indurain of Spain in 1992. Chiappucci placed third in the 1991 Tour de France behind Miguel Indurain and Gianni Bugno of Italy.

Chiappucci also won the Mountains Jersey in the Tour twice, in 1991 and 1992.

In the Giro d’Italia, Chiappucchi placed second in 1991 to Franco Chioccioli of Italy. Chiappucci also placed 2nd to Miguel Indurain in 1992, and placed 3rd in 1993 behind Miguel Indurain and Piotr Ugromov of Latvia.  In addition, Chiappucchi won the Mountains Jersey three times, in 1990, 1992, and 1993. He also won the points jersey in 1991.

In the one-day events, Chiappucchi was second to Luc Leblanc of France in the 1994 World Championship Road Race. Chiappucchi also won the 1991 Milan-San Remo Classic and the 1993 San Sebastian Classic.

By: Zdenko Kahlina
Cariwest Carnival Caribbean parade on Jasper Avenue

Parade started at noon on Jasper Avenue & 108 Street and headed towards Sir Winston Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton. Cariwest masqueraders danced under sunny skies through downtown Edmonton Saturday afternoon in brilliantly colored costumes to the pulsating sounds of the Caribbean.

The parade draws huge crowd every year. This year almost 60,000 people came out to the 26th annual Cariwest Caribbean Festival parade, which snaked along Jasper Avenue, ending at Churchill Square, where the party continued into the evening with Caribbean music, food, and dancing. Traditional Caribbean cuisine was served at the Churchill Square. That’s where you could try, not only the Caribbean food, but also an assortment of rums at the CariWest rum shop. There was a Caribbean village in Churchill Square where you could enjoy some free entertainment.

 I followed the parade along the Jasper Avenue and witnessed first hane the essence of  proud Caribbean culture.

Karella Cummings, the Festival Director, says Edmonton continues the tradition that Trinidad started so many years ago.
“It started in Trinidad and it would be a beautiful thing if everybody could go and see what goes on down there; ’cause it is a beautiful thing,” Cummings says, “We just take a piece of what that is, the talent of the masks … the people that make the costumes, and we bring it here.”

It all started Friday with a costume extravaganza at the Jubilee. On Saturday, a very colorful parade moved down Jasper Avenue.
Even the sun got into the island spirit for Saturday’s Cariwest parade. With the heat beating down on the downtown parade route, it felt like the procession could have been in the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, instead of Alberta’s capital.
This year’s Cariwest parade featured dancers, DJs, steel drums, and about a dozen elaborate examples of “mas.”

Caribbean mas designs — short for masquerade — are part costume, part float, and all show. Most of the ones in Saturday’s parade were supported by wheels, with the wearer strapped into the front and dancing it along. A few brave dancers, however, carried their mas without any help other than generous foam padding under the shoulder straps.

Among the mas on display Saturday were a skeleton king on his throne, a tropical flower-themed design with two massive hummingbirds on the sides, and a huge sunburst of golden faces.

The mas that led the parade was built for this year’s festival theme, “Cariwest, Alberta Best.” The Sweet Wheat costume was two huge fans of wheat, one green and one gold, each decorated with large fake honeybees.

 Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Cariwest+parade+downtown+Edmonton+draws+huge+crowd/3372933/story.html#ixzz0vxz7lVcB

Until next year!!

Overall, Cariwest is another great festival that adds life and color to our downtown. There were lots of people out to watch it. Colorful costumes, gorgeous scantily-clad ladies, arse-shaking music.

By: Zdenko Kahlina
IBM System Storage Technical University (Formerly known as the IBM System Storage Symposium)

I recently returned from Washington, DC where I was attending an IBM storage conference. The conference has hundred’s of sessions to choose from in the IBM System z10 and zSeries Mainframes, Systems Storage and Linux areas. These sessions are presented directly by IBM developers, which provide the opportunity to learn directly from the experts. The purpose for me was to find out how can we at WCB address the growing challenge of managing and securing retention-managed data, using storage solutions from IBM.

 All activities were held at Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel wardmanparkmarriott.com‎ , easily accessible from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – DCA. The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel is a Marriott International property in Washington, D.C.. The hotel is located in the upscale Woodley Park neighborhood at Woodley Road, NW and Connecticut Avenue, adjacent the Woodley Park–Zoo/Adams Morgan station of the Washington Metrorail system.

 Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel

 Good Location to visit DC area with Metro within one block

Even among the most sophisticated hotels in Washington, DC, Marriott Wardman Park rises above. With a blend of charm, modern elegance and a historic landmark setting, this NW Washington, DC hotel’s stunning guest rooms, event space and impeccable service make it the perfect choice for business and leisure travelers.

Wardman tower 

Hotel lobby area

Situated on 16 garden acres, this hotel in Washington, DC has hosted a long list of U.S. Presidents, dignitaries and VIPs. With 1,335 guestrooms and suites, including 145 VIP suites, plus an outdoor heated pool, vacationers will find the perfect place from which to explore the city and enjoy their down time. Families will delight in the hotel’s close proximity to the National Zoo and the National Cathedral. With 195,000 sq ft of event space and 95,000 sq ft of exhibit space, meeting and conference planners will find the Washington Marriott Wardman Park a perfect venue for events of any size. Additionally, the comprehensive conference services and expert staff ensure that every event is perfect.

IBM storage representative for Western Canada Brian Neudorf with Zdenko

Group of conference attendees from Alberta

This hotel is split into two towers, Central and Wardman. The Central part of the hotel consists of the main tower and two wings and it is so big people get lost. If you take time to review the map it will save you a lot of steps when you walk to the metro (and you need those to walk the national mall area). They are significantly different. The Central tower is like a typical business hotel while the Wardman tower is more luxurious and has finer furnishings and gardens etc. The hotel lobby areas and bars are very nice and elegant.

I’ve requested a room in Wardman tower because I heard this was a newer section of the hotel and the rooms are newer and bigger. The room (2323) was nice and clean, with new furniture and big window overlooking the pool. I must admit it was hard to leave the room every morning for the sessions, seeing all those people swimming in the pool. But I did what I had to do and didn’t miss a single session.

Hotel pool was always busy

Pool view from Zdenko’s room

The metro was very convenient within a block of the hotel at the corner of Woodley Road and Connecticut Ave. An all day pass on the metro was only $9.00. The zoo is within walking distance of the hotel.

Plenty of places to eat around the area or just a subway ride away. We did not use any of the amenities in the hotel as there is so much to do and see around the DC area.

One warning–the hotel offers the use of three complimentary computers in the lobby (right next to the bar where it’s noisy and very dark) for web browsing. If you have any real work to do, however, the hotel business center charges $24/hour (!!!!) for the use of its MS Office-enabled computers and printers. So definitely bring your laptop. Even than be careful, as a daily internet fee is about $13. I was offered Marriott’s membership (thanks to Brian who mentioned this option to me!) and received complimentary access to the internet as part of the package.

Conference

At the IBM conference, I learnt about the latest enhancements to the IBM System Storage portfolio, all of which support virtualization. I sat at the sessions about the new IBM XIV® Storage System, a revolutionary high-end Open Disk system designed to support key business requirements.

Many more sessions were available as conference was spread all over the Marriott Wardman Park hotel conference center. I must mention how well conference was organized. I couldn’t find anything that was out of order.

Opening General Session

I discovered new Tivoli Storage Productivity Center functions that deliver enhanced management capabilities for virtualization. I also attended a session to learn how to use IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) to automate data backup and restore functions, and centralize storage management operations. At the conference IBM had setup Solution Center where their best Business Partners were presenting their storage products and solutions.

Entrance to the IBM Solution Center

Solution Center 

IBM selling boot camp

IBM System x Rack and Power Infrastructure

Highlights and Featured Sessions

I am listing here just some of the sessions the 2010 IBM System Storage Technical University conference was offering this year with the short description:

Opening General Session

Presentation on trends and directions in IBM Storage by IBM Distinguished Engineer and Chief Technical Strategist for IBM Systems & Technology Group, Storage Platform.

XIV Overview

The XIV system is an exciting addition to the IBM disk portfolio. This session covers the underlying architecture and describes the different configurations currently available.

DS8000 Technical Update

This session discuss the enhancements to the DS8000 product family during the last year. A new model of DS8000, new disk options, and exciting new functions such as Easy Tier were covered. 

DS8000 Space Efficient Storage: Flash Copy and Thin Provisioning

This session compared and contrast two different space efficient implementations on the DS8000, and then provided an update on the situations in which these implementations performed best. 

Easy Tier Implementation and Use on DS8700

This session introduced the new Easy Tier functionality provided by the latest release of the DS8700. It provided an overview of the capability to monitor an active subsystem, automatically moving data which is most likely to benefit from Solid State Disks onto SSDs, managing this resource based on application usage. 

Data Deduplication

This session cover the data types that deduplication does well and which ones don’t, capacity planning exercises and considerations to maximize performance and network bandwidth.  

IBM System z Storage Management Overview

This session provided an overview of IBM’s strategy for managing z/OS storage environments and some about z/VM. Details were provided about each layer of the z/OS Storage Management strategy: Process management, IBM Service Management foundation and Operational management. 

IBM Tivoli Storage Productivity Center Overview and Update

IBM recently announced its latest version of Tivoli Storage Productivity Center, a storage resource management tool that manages both IBM and non- IBM storage devices, including disk systems, tape libraries, and SAN switches. This session gave an overview of the various components of Tivoli Storage Productivity Center and describe what’s new in this version of the product.

Tivoli Storage Manager Version 6 Technical Overview

Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) Version 6 includes many new features, including client side deduplication, automatic deployment for Windows clients, simultaneous write during storage pool migration, a new reporting and monitoring server, and several others. This session was a technical overview and was intended as an introduction to all the new functions introduced in TSM V6.2.

What’s New in DFSMShsm

With a new release of z/OS and DFSMS coming out every year, clients need a regular update to keep up with what is new in DFSMShsm. This session covered the latest and greatest enhancements to the product delivered in the latest official release and via development APARS.

What’s New in DFSMSrmm

This is a review of z/OS V1R11 content for the DFSMSrmm component. The material covered includes all the latest functions: command and dialog enhancements, cross-verification of tape labels, new GDG retention options, exploitation of the z/OS Dynamic Exit Facility, and reporting changes.

SEA CATCH Restaurant

IBM representatives from Alberta invited all their business partners from Canada, who were attending the conference, for a dinner on Tuesday night. The reservations were made at the “Sea Catch” restaurant. Known as one of the top downtown DC restaurants, Sea Catch Restaurant and Raw Bar prides itself on offering the best in seasonal seafood in a welcoming and pleasing environment.
 

The Canal Square Building is the birthplace of the original computer.

Restaurant setting

Situated in a restored building over 150 years-old and just steps from the charming C & O Canal, this restaurant offers a unique and delectable dining experience.
Today guests to this exceptional seafood restaurant in Georgetown Washington DC are invited to honor the history of the building, while appreciating its present incarnation as home to the Sea Catch Restaurant and several art galleries. Please take a moment to view a commemorative plaque, an original punched card plate and a pictorial display of Hollerith’s achievements during your visit.

Seafood platter was served as a starter

Delicious Crab cake was served

Historians recognize the Canal Square Building as “the birthplace of the original computer”, long before it became a renowned Georgetown Washington DC restaurant. The building was originally built in 1842 to serve as a shipping warehouse for barge traffic on the bustling C&O Canal. It later served as a coopers shop, the art of crafting casks to hold such goods as flour, wine, and gunpowder. However, the Canal Square building gained its full historical status when Herman Hollerith converted the structure into a factory for manufacturing & printing punched card tabulating machines.

Patio overlooking C & O canal

Hollerith’s punched card tabulating machine shortly proved their worth. By using these machines in the 1890 census, the government was able to shave 2 years and 5 million dollars off of the project as compared with previous censuses.  

A pictorial display of Hollerith’s achievements with the original punched card plate in the middle

With such a success, it is no wonder that Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine Company was merged with two others to eventually create, in 1924, the “International Business Machines Corporation” or IBM. In 1984, IBM recognized the Canal Square Building as a historic site.

With this, I would complete this blog about another successful IBM System Storage Conference.

By: Zdenko Kahlina

What is a Pow Wow? For those not familiar with Pow Wows, it is one of the oldest, most important and colourful Aboriginal ceremonies.

Pow Wows traditionally have been dedicated to warriors and a way of giving thanks to the Creator for all that Mother Earth provides for Her people. In short a “Thanksgiving” ceremony.

Chief Cam – Alexis, Alberta

The Pow Wow is the center piece of the Canadian Aboriginal Festival with visitors from all parts of Canada and around the world gathered in Hamilton at the Copps Coliseum to witness this most beautiful traditional ceremony.

All peoples of all races and creeds are invited. In fact you do us honor by attending this great offering to the Creator.

What is a Pow Wow?

Pow Wows are all about drums, songs and dance. The drum – a term which describes the instrument and its complement of singers, what Americans would call a band – is the center of the arena and the center of attention. The drum performs songs for all occasions, including contest songs, flag songs, memorial songs, intertribal songs and more. Drums travel many miles to attend Pow Wows Dancers from as many as two dozen tribes will participate in dance competitions, with competitors broken into groups from toddlers through senior citizens. They’ll compete in fancy dancing, grass dancing, jingle dress dancing, bird dancing and singing, and many other structured dances.

The term “Pow Wow” originated by the early settlers observed the gatherings and often heard a particular word that refers to the Medicine Man. The Medicine Man is a very important person in the community and he was always greeted by most of those gathered. This name was heard at almost all gatherings and was misinterpreted by non-Native people to mean a gathering.

A Pow Wow is many things to many people. It is a time to thank the Creator, honour our warriors, meet old and new friends, share and enjoy the rich heritage and culture of our people as well as an opportunity to display or purchase arts and crafts.

The Pow Wow concept has not changed over thousands of years since their beginnings on the western plains of Turtle Island (North America). We are told by our Elders that in the beginning, the gatherings were usually held in the spring and the fall when people from various nations would gather. Over the years, the look and style has evolved to include English as well as other cosmetic changes such as colourful regalia. However, the cultural importance for the celebrations have remained the same.

The Pow Wow is an important vehicle for handing down Native traditions from one generation to the next. It is also an excellent opportunity for all people to participate in a vibrant and vital aspect of Aboriginal heritage.

The Drums

The instrument itself is a drum made from a wooden shell covered in rawhide. Today, cowhide usually is used, although a buffalo-hide head is not uncommon. The average drum is about two feet in diameter and can seat eight to ten people around it. In the Northern style of singing, drums are smaller and are often commercial bass drums, like those used in marching bands. The sticks used to strike the drum are usually thin fiberglass rods with a leather handle and leather-padded head.

There are about ten people in the average drum, seven or eight men and two or three women. In the Southern tradition, women are not seated at the drum nor allowed to strike it, but instead sit in a second row behind the men and sing. The people on a drum are required to know many songs, because a good drum is expected to sing for an entire Pow Wow without repeating a song. A song is started by the lead singer, who does not announce what song they are about to sing but simply begins with the lead.

The Songs 

To newcomers, songs can be the most puzzling aspect of a Pow Wow. It is not uncommon to hear a visitor say to the performer, “I didn’t know you were singing different songs.” To the contrary, there are literally thousands of songs and more are composed every year. Every song has its own unique characteristics and subtle effects. One of the differences between Northern and Southern-style Pow Wows is the way songs are sung. Northern songs are sung in a much higher falsetto voice and follow a different format in the way they are arranged. Both types of songs will be performed at the Avi Kwa Ame Pow Wow. There are songs written for all occasions as well as for families and individuals. Some of the most common themes are flag songs, contest songs, inter-tribals, veteran songs and quitting songs. Just as the United States has its own National Anthem, nearly every tribe has its own Flag Song, which is a song dedicated to the flags that are brought in during the Grand Entry. The Flag Song is sung every time the flags are brought in, and every person in the arena is asked to stand and be silent to give the flags their proper respect.

Contest songs, which will be plentiful during the Avi Kwa Ame Pow Wow, are written to test a dancer’s skill. They often increase in speed or stop in unexpected places to help the judged determine who among the dancers is the best. Contest songs usually are written to suit a particular dance style, such as grass or jingle dress. Inter-tribals are the most common form of song, sung for everyone to dance to and used as all-occasion songs. Sets of three or four intertribal songs are performed throughout the Pow Wow to keep spectators involved in the festivities.

Rules To Live By 

There are certain rules Pow Wow spectators need to be aware of. First, pay attention to the Master of Ceremonies for directions as to what to do throughout the event.  Everyone is invited to join in the social dances, such as inter-tribals, the blanket dance, honor songs and the two step. Spectators are encouraged to ask questions and learn more about the activities. However, it is taboo to touch anyone’s dance regalia or take photos or video without first obtaining permission. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the Pow Wow area and spectators are not allowed to enter or cross the arena unless the Master of Ceremonies calls for everyone’s participation. Above all, everyone is invited to watch, dance and learn about Native Canadian dance, music and culture.

Watch Pow Wow on “YouTube”:

Pow Wow (3:53) 

May 06, 2006

Native American Indian dancing @ Northeast Arizona, on White Mountain Apache land.

Northern Cree – Hand Drum Contest – Nipisihkopahk Pow-Wow 2008  (2:32)

Northern Cree Jamming @ Samson Pow-Wow in Hobbema, Alberta, Canada on July 13, 2008. 

Alexis – Cardinal River Landsite (Nakota Gathering)

Teepee

By Ed Potts 

Teepee means “home” in our language.

Some in our tribe would also say teebee, both mean the same thing. They were made with buffalo hides in the old days, and later with canvas. This is one of the dwellings our poeple utilized because we were often on the move and it was perfect for that reason. It took very little time to set up and take down. There is a story about the design. It is said that it was given to a girl many years in the past. As she sat below an aspen tree relaxing she was given this gift that would house the people and it would be their home where ever they went.

Teepees

The design itself was a curled up aspen leaf that was split at the top, forming the smoke holes. She was told how to make this design from buffalo hides and what poles to use to hold it up. It was a gift to the women so that they might have a home for their families. 

There is one other dwelling that we used it was called “cha tee” as the name says it was a tree house much like the teepee but made with just poles,bark and mud to fill the holes around the outside. These were used in the bush in areas where we would winter. 

Traditional way to dry meat

By: Dumneazu

Korean New Jersey – The Kim chi belt

Don’t like Korean food? Then go away right now. In this part of Jersey, you eventually come to like Korean food. This blog is about Kim Chi food.

Recently a friend of our quit Budapest and moved to the sunny coast of Dalmatia in Croatia. She sends us sms messages every few hours revealing what she has found in the local markets of Korcula, Split, or Rovinj… tuna, octopus, fresh sardines.

This kind of news is harmful to those of us who still live in Budapest, where the only “seafood” is carp or frozen fillet of hake. So, Princess Oooh-La-La, consider this post a gentle version of revenge… welcome to New Jersey, an outlying province of the Republic of Korea! My family is lucky (although they don’t seem to recognize it) to be living in a part of New Jersey which hosts the largest Korean community in the New York area – neighboring Palisades Park and Leonia are nearly 40% Korean, complete with an idiotic white bread Mayor trying to enforce English language sign laws that would make a small-minded nationalist Transylvanian mayor (I’m talking ’bout you, Gheorghe Funar) seem insane. But the Koreans don’t care. They have revitalized a series of dumpy old towns into vibrant Kim chi suburbs.

Don’t like Korean food? Then go away right now. In this part of Jersey, you eventually come to like Korean food. We started our journey into the depths of garlicy cabbage pickles at the Fort Lee institution we discovered last trip: So Kong Dong Soft Tofu Restaurant. As Anthony Bourdain said before pigging out here “Soft and Tofu are two words that usually mean I don’t want to eat it.” Put away your preconceptions: this place rates almost as high as Katz’s Deli in my list of must eat in New York Foods. Almost everything on the menu is $9.00. The kalbi ribs are $15, but you must have them, so no complaining, they are said to be the best in the NY area -and there is a lot of competition in this area for tender marinated grilled kalbi ribs.

The plan is to order your soft tofu soup and wait while the staff cover your table in Kim chi and banchan - little dishes of hot pickled delights to accompany the rice. The rice is spooned into metal bowls: Koreans do not pick up their rice bowls like Chinese and Japanese. Tea is then poured into the hot stoneware rice serving bowl to make a special soupy tea-rice for those who like a bit of the burned rice as a hot beverage.

Kim chi is an acquired taste for non-Koreans, and I highly advise you to acquire it. We have actually tried to make this at home in Budapest with varying success. And now the star of the show arrives: a cast iron bowl of bubbling hot tofu soup – I chose seafood and beef – into which you break an egg and then wait while the egg cooks.

I looked around the packed house and a lot of the tables were filled with local Chinese people, not Koreans. So… this is what Chinese folk eat when they want to go out for something exotic and Asian. A classic aha! moment! Stuffed and satiated, we went out into the foot deep snow that had been dumped on New York the night before. Problem was, we no longer had Kim chi in front of us. That was easily fixed by hopping into one of the many Han Ah Rheum supermarkets serving the local Korean community. These are huge Kim chi retailers, and you wonder how could anybody eat that much spicy fermented radish? But they can and do. A lot of non-Koreans help out – once you are hooked on fermented spicy cabbage and squid pickles, there is no turning back. The seafood at these markets is mind-boggling: fresh (as in alive) and cheap as you can find.

These sea squirts were floating around waiting to be bought and consumed by adventurous eaters: this is about as out there as human seafood consumption can get. Described as “tasting slightly of urine” even the Japanese consider eating sea squirts something of a frat-boy challenge, definitely not for everyone.

Outside in the parking lot there was a wood fired iron stove cooking up yellow fleshed Asian sweet potatoes, a winter delicacy in Korea and Japan. Speaking of Japan, we also hit the Mitsuwa Japanese Shopping Mall on the way into New York city for a quick fix of fresh Santoka Ramen noodle soup.

This was Aron’s first experience of real, fresh ramen soup, not the instant packaged soup that has taken over the world. He like. He like very much. He also liked the accompanying bowl of rice topped with salmon roe. It is great to have a teen aged kid who says “fish eggs on rice? Yeah, Papa, I’ll have some!” Last night we downed a dozen raw clams on the half shell from the Korean market. Maybe I will get him started on sea squirt sashimi before he heads back to Budapest.

All this with a soy sauce hardboiled egg for $10.Like I said… we were not the first to discover that some of New York’s best eating is across the Hudson river in New Jersey. Anthony Bourdain is from Leonia… just down the street from where I am typing this. He trod these same pathways in an episode of No Reservations a few years ago.

http://horinca.blogspot.com/2009/12/korean-new-jersey-kimchi-belt.html

By: Zdenko Kahlina

 During my recent visit to a friend who lives in Mississauga (Ontario), I wanted to explore the area local cyclists are using for their training rides. I asked my friend (an excellent cyclist) for advice and he suggested I should go towards hamlet of Belfountain and beautiful surrounding Caledon hills, just north of the city.

I took his advice and that’s exactly what I did. Since I didn’t bring my bike with me  to Toronto this time, I explored the area with the car.

If you start from Kipling as this map suggest, this route will be about 122 km long. There are very few variety stores on certain stretches of this route – so when going with the bike, stock up on food and fluids BEFORE leaving the city. Be sure to pace yourself and take breaks when needed – you do not have to wait till the designated break to stop and take a rest.

Small hamlet on the Heritage road

On my way out of Mississauga I took Heritage road north/west, all the way to Mayfield Road. As I was driving and approaching Halton Hills on Heritage road, suddenly on my right  appeared a beautiful wooden structure of the Ukrainian Catholic St. Alias Church. It was early in the morning, but the Archpriest Fr. Roman Galadza just happen to arrive at the church while I was there and politely offered me a tour of the church.

The parish church of St. Elias

The parish church of St. Elias 

The parish church of St. Elias the Prophet rises high on the Peel Plain above the Credit River Valley. Though this building was built in 1995, the parish community was started in 1976.

A wooden structure of heavy timbers (Douglas Fir), it is sheathed in Western red cedar. It has been constructed according to an architectural style known as “Boyko”, derived from western Ukraine. The 3 sections (altar, sanctuary, and narthex) are each topped with a dome or cupola.

According to Byzantine liturgical typology, the dome is an image of the heavens.

The narthex is the world fallen after the sin of Adam, the Sanctuary is the world redeemed following the Passion and Resurrection of Christ Jesus, and the Altar is the World to Come, an image of the New Jerusalem. The cupolas on the church of St. Elias are in the 17th century Cossack style.

After this unexpected but nice experience, I continued my journey north towards Terra Cotta. There I turned to Mississauga Road, and pretty soon I was in the Caledon hills surrounded by big trees.

This long ride takes you though an incredible variety of terrain – through the beautiful Caledon Hills, past the unearthly dunes of the Badlands, through the breathtaking Forks of The Credit Provincial Park and up an actual switchback hill to the goodies of the quaint Belfountain General Store.

At the General Store cyclist (and bikers) usually stop for a break. There are sandwiches, cookies and ice cream available for those who need more energy, before they head back to the city.

Belfountain General Store

Belfountain Conservation Area is situated on the Niagara Escarpment in the valley of the West Credit River at the junction of County Roads 1 (Mississauga Road) and 11 (Forks of the Credit Road), just west of Highway 10 and approximately 15 kilometres south of Orangeville. It’s also about 30 kilometres northwest of Brampton, and 82 kilometres northwest of Toronto. 

The first settlers arrived here before 1850, and in 1852, the village was called “Tubtown”. This was a reference to a local blacksmith, Archibald McNaughton, who used large octagonal iron tubs to cool hot metal. The tubs sat outside his shop, which occupied a prominent place in the village, next to the town gas pump.

Belfountain General Store

Belfountain Bed & Breakfast

Fortunately, this name did not last long. A post office was opened at Belfountain (some sources cite it as “Bellfountain”) by Thomas J. Bush in 1853. By the 1870′s the village had a population of about 300 and the local business establishments included a tannery, grist mill, sawmill, one hotel and two general stores.

The picturesque location of Belfountain draws visitors from far and wide, particularly in the autumn when the changing leaves clothe the surrounding hills in brilliant colours. The origin of the name appears unclear, although it may have come from the French “belle fontaine”, or “beautiful fountain” – a reference to the clear waters of the Credit river.

There is plenty to see and do at Belfountain. A nature trail spans the river gorge using a suspension bridge and then winds along the steep sides of the Escarpment requiring steady feet and approximately 30 minutes to walk. A short distance downstream is the juncture of the West and main Credit Rivers, the scenic “Forks of the Credit” area. These can be reached by a rugged hike down into the valley along the Trimble Trail that will take you out of the Conservation Area. The Trimble Trail is not a loop and you will have to retrace your steps to return to the Conservation Area.

On this particular day at the beginning of July, it was really a beautiful summer day, with temperatures in the thirties. Following twisty Forks of the Credit Road I descended from the old town into the valley where the road followed West Credit river.

At the top of the hill you can take a turn and visit Forks of the Credit Provincial Park

Switchbacks on the descent from the Belfountain into the valley

Take a look at this short video of the climb to the Belfountain, by Wes Hodgson: http://vimeo.com/6240853

The cold, spring-fed waters of the West Credit River provide ideal habitat and ample angling opportunities for brook and brown trout and other fish. Freshwater springs flow from the steep valley walls that enclose this tranquil oasis. Heavily treed woodlands of cedar, oak, maple and birch are alive with wildlife – songbirds, rabbits, flying squirrels, ruffed grouse and white-tailed deer. Walkways, a beautiful fountain, gardens, historic stonework including a cave and a grinding stone from a gristmill that once stood beside the river add interest to this beautiful site.

I stepped on to the suspension bridge that spans tumbling waterfalls and take in the view of the river gorge below. You can walk along cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment and watch freshwater springs flowing down limestone cliffs. As you explore, listen for the staccato beat of the ruffed grouse and look for the quick flash of the white-tailed deer. An historic fountain, cave and grinding stone from a gristmill that once stood beside the river also add interest to this beautiful site.

Road thru the valley

Closed Ice cream parlor in the valley

The Credit River is 90 kilometers long, and is home to a wide range of wildlife. Some species are permanent or seasonal residents while others are sighted occasionally. For cyclists and bikers, this is a wonderful drive thru the valley, as the road goes over the small hills. Few kilometers later and I was on McLaughlin Road heading back south towards Brampton.

Beautiful scenery around Inglewood area

Local farm and surrounding hills

Caledon Hills cycling shop

 As I was approaching city and very dense populated areas, memories of this beautiful place that I just left behind were still with me. That’s when I decided to put together small blog so many others who will read this, might one day decide to visit “Forks of the Credit” conservation area in Brampton suburbs. 

Region of Peel, Caledon

At the end, I was so jealous on my friend who can often ride these roads and enjoy the beautiful scenery around Belfountain Conservation area. Next time I should definitely bring my bike with me and do this tour on the bike.

Friday, August 31, 2007
Words and Pictures by: Zdenko Kahlina

A cyclist himself, Zdenko Kahlina (EMCC member) who lives in Edmonton (Canada) recently took his first cycling trip to Italy to climb some high mountains very often included in the Giro d’ Italia. He chronicled his experiences traveling with his bike and his buddies. He chose Bormio area in Italy (Lombardy) as his base. We should all do this… soon.

Friday, July 20^th was another clear, bright and promised a warm day. It was our second day in Grosio and today we had planned to climb Passo dell Gavia. Our legs still hurt from the previous day’s climbing to the top of Passo del Stelvio. Some one from the group said yesterday thinking of Stelvio: “There can’t be a more difficult climb in the world”, and I was thinking (but didn’t want to say it than) “wait until you see Gavia!” And I was right.

Gavia is like Mt. Everest to cyclists. Some cyclists say, that the Gavia climb, although steep, has always been an “easy” climb because it is so scenic and so “civilized”. Its steepness is always balanced by easier sections that seem to come along just when you want them. Its warnings also seem more severe than the terrain suggests.

The Gavia is an important pass in the Giro d’Italia – for good reason. Champions have been crowned here. They also called it “Cima Coppi” (status awarded to the highest mountain in the Giro). Ivan Gotti attacked on the Gavia en route to victory in Milan. American Andy Hampsten etched his name in cycling history by defending his Maglia Rosa here as a punishing blizzard dumped snow on the harsh slopes of the Gavia. You can still see photos of Andy, pink jersey covered by an inch of snow, in the café-bar at the 2,621m summit. But if you plan to ride to the top, hope for better weather than the brave American had or there’s a good chance you’ll never reach the summit…
Just like yesterday, our plan was to get into the cars and drive from Grosio, over the top of the famous Mortirolo climb all the way to Ponte de Legno, small village on the main SS42 road. Once there we would unload the bikes and climb the Gavia from the eastern side.

At the breakfast atmosphere was good and it looked like everybody was ready for another day of climbing. We loaded the cars with the bikes and left our hotel parking lot at 9:00 AM.

Route with car: Grosio – Passo di Mortirolo – Svincolo – Monno -Stadolina – Vione – Temu – Ponte de Legno  (41 km).

We rode in our cars over the Mortirolo climb and through Ponte di Legno (1,258m), where the Passo Tonale (1,883m) heads south. The Passo di Mortirolo is a small road that doesn’t even appear on many maps. Technically it is the Passo di Foppa, the true Mortirolo pass being a rough crossing to the north-east – but all the road signs are for the Mortirolo. Mortirolo is a little turning on the right about 5 K out of Tirano on the Bormio road; very twisty and narrow road. Mortirolo is a vertical face with a summit concealed by clouds. It cannot easily be climbed by foot. It is definitely not a place for the weak. We were all glad that we didn’t decide to go over the Mortirolo with our bikes. Incredible climb..

Few kilometers before Ponte di Legno, we found a nice parking spot by the main road where we stopped our cars. It was again time to be serious and get ready for the bike ride. Around 10:30 we were ready for another day in the saddle and off we went up the hill to the Passo di Gavia (2,621m).

And off we went up the hill to the Passo di Gavia.

Cycling Route: Ponte de Legno – Pezzo – Passo del Gavia -  Bormio – Sondalo – Grosio  75 km

The climb begins slowly enough, but gains altitude quickly after Pezzo, where an array of signs warns that the road is narrow and twisty, that it lacks guard rails, that the surface may be frozen or blocked by avalanches, that one should proceed with caution and that chains are mandatory from September 1 to July 15. Well then!

The gradient is quite easy in the first 5 kilometres, until they reach a bunch of buildings going under the name of Santa Apollonia (1500m asl). That’s where the “real” Gavia kicks off. That’s where the road gets narrow and the asphalt surface worse (but don’t whine about it, please. Until a couple decades ago, there was no asphalt either over much of the ascent!).

That’s where you can see that damn road sign telling you the gradient is somewhere around16% (and it’s going up to a maximum of 19% soon). And that’s where you may enjoy a magnificent landscape (you just entered the Stelvio National Park, after all).

The first 16% stretch on Passo di Gavia and very narrow road.

 After two harsh switchbacks in the alpine forest, the road gave me a brief look down into the valley. So it’s a tortuous and narrow road with little protection from going over the side. Just like yesterday, early on, Danijel set high pace up the mountain and he left us all behind. I followed Kreso who seemed to be the strongest, and than when he started to fade, I took off and went after Danijel.

The climb initially offers few glimpses of the valley below as the narrow road climbs through the trees. Part way up the climb and the road steepens from steep – ya gotta go deep. I found myself looking for more gear as I bogged and slogged in the 34X27.

The road eases a little (say little…) as it emerges above the tree line. The view is spectacular – if you like hanging off the edge of suspension bridges. To the left is a HUUUUGE drop to the valley below. There are no fences here but lots of little wooden crosses serve as reminders of where the road has claimed its victims. I found myself hugging the right shoulder…

On a day we were there, there were lots of cyclists and bikers coming down on this side of the mountain. Traffic was intense and our support vehicles had lots of difficulties driving behind us. More than few times they had nowhere to go but to backup a little until they found wider road to allow oncoming traffic go thru.

The steepest section of Gavia.. 19%! It is smart to have 34 x 27 here!

 Ahead and up was a massive snowfield. You can just make out a small ribbon of road winding off in the distance. It’s enough to make you turn back so you look down and suffer like a pig, sweat dripping off your chin like a prune in a Finnish sauna in the near freezing temperatures. The rugged beauty is deceptive – the mountain refuggio far below serves as a reminder that this is no OLN adventure – this is you, a bike, some wooden crosses and the cycling gods.

 Danijel set the pace for a long time..

 Just a few km’s before the top and there is a lonnnng galleria – an avalanche tunnel with no lights. With your pupils welded shut from the alpine rays reflecting off the snow for the past hour, passing through the lengthy tunnel is a journey through the dark side… this was THE most difficult part of this climb.

With the help from an unknown Lampre rider, I was ahead as Danijel finally couldn’t follow any more..

 I don’t have much experience with tunnels, so this was new stuff. It wasn’t overly long, but it climbed the whole way through, and at about the middle of it, there was only a tiny speck of light to be seen at the end of it. The light always seemed to recede further and further away, at one point I looked down and I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t see my hands or my legs. It was the eeriest feeling, but like everything on the climb, it was wonderful. I don’t even know how to describe the feeling, it felt like I wasn’t attached to a body anymore, yeah, I know, funny how that works when you can’t see your own body. Seriously, it just felt so incredibly weird, almost like flying.

A little help from the car makes a difference..

 Above tree line the climb became truly spectacular as rays of sun broke through the clouds and lit up the mountain side. But the top of the mountain was hidden by clouds, and we covered the last couple of kilometers enveloped by milky whiteness and some very cold wind. Some of us barely “hanging” (see previous picture!).

Soon after you are out of the tunnel …you get a warm welcome by another part of the ascent at a 15-16% gradient., and it was around here that I saw his name. Pantani’s name was still painted in the road, it looked almost ancient. The road had chipped away in certain places, but it was still there, the yellow letters with the big P, it was still there.   

A happy face at the end..

 And finally I could see the top of the mountain. The top of the Gavia cuts through a saddle in the mountains, and we could all feel that cold wind coming down the mountain. I made it to the top in 1 hour and 32 minutes (16 Km). This time discribes the mountain, better than I can..

Passo di Gavia – bella, dura, magnifico!!!

We spent some time at the Rifugio Bonetta on the summit, warming ourselves with beer (!) and admiring the many cycling photos on the walls. Most other cyclists grab a quick espresso, a photo and emerge into a sudden blizzard. There is no Club Med atop the Passo di Gavia. It’s hammer time.

We looked at the photos of Andy – his story of courage immortalized on these high peaks. You see the tifosi handing out newspapers to the suffering riders – shivering in the storm as they seek faith and courage for the bone-chilling descent. We were all impressed with the photo of a Croatian cyclist Vladimir Miholjevic who was first on Gavia in 2004 Giro d’ Italia. These are all the legends of the Gavia.

Brothers at the top of Gavia, getting ready for the downhill ride to Bormio..

 We descended under light clouds with great visibility along the high valley where the glacier covered peaks of the Ortler, Gran Zebru, and neighbors showed off their fresh snow. The descent was cold but exhilarating, and as we dropped below the cloud cover we caught a beautiful sunset over Valfurva.

You can wear out a pair of break blocks descending this midway thriller so bring some spares – it’s worth it!!! After Santa Caterina (1,780m), we rolled down the long swift straight sections against a light breeze and stopped in warm Bormio.

We arrived in Bormio at dusk after a long and very fast descent, with peaks above 85Km/h. Now it was time to look for a good food in a nice restaurant. We almost settled for sandwiches in a bar Capriccio, when little Ivan Lojen said:”I am not eating this s**t!”. Because we always listen our kids, we searched some more and finally found a decent place where we had a real food and a good lunch.

Back To Reality
The whole way up both the mountains, I just felt like I was riding in the paths of the great ones, and just thinking about how they followed the same path just made an already perfect climb that much more special. Pantani’s name just seems like it belongs on those great climbs. That man climbing was just as someone described it: flying.