MIILLIONDOLLARTRIP!!!!
WOW..I am so blown away by this 6 days in Catalonia...I really took it all in and how my ‘Catalonia Express’ trip will run....and oh my goodness me! You MUST come on this trip! IT COMPLETELY ROCKS! BLEW MY MIND!!!!
A beautiful blend of 3 totally different aspects of this area! All equally amazing! Man...I want to sign up for this Tour! 4 Days Trekking through the Pyrenees Hut to Hut with incredible landscape that is just different than anywhere I have been - 2 Days - COSTA BRAVA (Wild Coast) Cadeques...a Wowser of a seaside village with so much super cool history... that maintains its charm even being so popular! Salvador Dali, famous artist said ‘ I have spent a delightful summer as always, in the perfect and dreamy town of Cadeques....There alongside the Latin Sea, I have been quenched by light and colour.’ From here we dive into our 2 Day Kayaking adventure to Cap de Creaus ...this will BLOW YOUR MIND...then onward for 2 days in the ELECTRIC ...beautiful energy city of Barcelona...Ok I cannot contain myself....speechless...I still h!ave the permanent on my face I had doing the 3 hour Kayak adventure. Thank you PAU!! I will keep as short as I can...I did my trip like I was a participant ..of course but going to seek out unique and cool corners of my itinerary..learning more and feeling the energy of t!he place.!
So Catalonia Express Magic Moments at a Glance....Whoohooos,...heavy climbing legs... captivating sights and stories, traversing peaks, incredible cafes, beautiful people and f!riend meet ups, WHAT ONE CAN DO IN 6 DAYS....ok....MUCH.! PART1 ! From the Airport I picked up my VW Polo (wish it was a T2..but they didn't have any for me!) and blazed down the highway direct to the old quaint village of Ribes de Freser to start my Hut to Hut trek. This all kicked off the next morning at the ‘CHEERS’ hangout -‘ where everybody knows your name’..called BAR GUSI...a big bar where lots can hang out for ‘ Cortados and pre mountain sport CONVERSATION...I met some great friends there Laura and Josep...couple Cafe Solos, omelette (thank you Jordi) and then I was off!! I powered my way to my overnight hut ‘Ulldeter’ through the Vall de Coma de Vaca...I am not usually captivated by flowers but I kept wanting to roll around in these incredible purple flowers... everything looked so VIVID!! ‘Willy’ the owner of Ulldeter Hut..was busy serving his crowd of people!!
I had big Vision for Day 2 - a long way to get to Nuria - a mountain resort I was staying at...but I was going to do it...I had a little bit of a back up though! At Caranca Hut ..I was in France...COOL! The owner was wonderful..making me fresh omelette and packing bread to fuel me for my long trek...But I needed a different kind of fuel to get me through the huge pack of Cows I had to walk through leaving Caranca Hut. I looked at the cattle, then looked at my friend, and then back at the cows (hey I have a good reason to feel that way) ... oh no..i have to walk through there...he says...NO PROBLEM...I asked him to come out with me and watch...with a smile he does. As I self coach myself through the path...i feel good as I am doing it..my legs shaking....then I see him running towards me with his hands hanging low mimicking something big there..yelling ‘TORO...TORO!...You must go around...! ah no..just when I had the guts...! Long day but absolutely ROCKED! Last day powered up to the Puigmal Peak...one I have always w!anted to get to...caught in a bit of a HAIL thing on the way down....!
PART 2! I always have the Belief I will find a place to stay easy....(like some people do with parking)...and there we go...right to the seaside town of Llanca and then right into Hostal Florida...which is a hidden little gem I found driving my Polo through the narrow white housed streets OK now onto Cadeques - Look this up everybody...this is a must visit..if you love the ocean, kayak, old stone streets, funky cafes and shops...and yes romantic adventure..this is for you... There is an incredible ENERGY here that I love...Lots of artists come here to CREATE...!
OK it is bye bye coast and onward in my POLO to BARCELONA....! 2 friend Birthday meet ups with Anke and Gemma! Overnighting in the Cool Gothic Quarter, Blazin Beach run, funky cafes, electric energy...just takin it all in...and only 24hrs in BARCA! One of the best 6 days I have ever had...! CATALONIAN EXPRESS complete...cannot wait until the real thing this September!! Who else wants to join the PARTY???!
After the crazy long winter of 2014 followed by the freezing snowy spring, it was such a relief to see open water again on Georgian Bay. Photos from the International Space Station showed the great lakes frozen completely over and Georgian Bay off Lake Huron was no exception. In fact I even wrote an article about running my Kayak route of 12 kilometers on solid ice only a few months ago! I’m certain we are at least 1.5 months behind this year with the spring/summer weather.
The Niagara Escarpment
Viewing the Niagara Escarpment from the kayak
When the Niagara Escarpment is viewed from the vantage point of the kayak it is a uniquely beautiful perspective. It’s impossible to take it all in from land the way you can from the water. The Niagara Escarpment reaches it’s highest point near the town of Collingwood, Ontario, Canada and is designated a world biosphere reserve by the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). A biosphere reserve is an international designation of recognition from UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) for an area in the world which is deemed to demonstrate a “balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere.” By this is meant that collaborative efforts among people in the designated area serve to promote the sustainability of local economies and communities, as well as the conservation of the terrestrial/or coastal ecosystems they are in.
The Nottawasaga Island Lighthouse
The Nottawasaga Island Lighthouse
The lighthouse on Nottawasaga Island was built in 1858, the same year our town of Collingwood was incorporated. It was one of 6 built around Georgian Bay of the same design using local limestone. The lantern room at the top was made in France and represented the height of mid 19th century French craftsmanship. In typical French style the drip spouts from the roof gutters are gargoyles with the water pouring from their mouths!
Sadly the lighthouse in Collingwood has fallen into disrepair over the last 15 years. Parts of the outer cladding stone have fallen off and despite a series of steel cables surrounding the structure, the stones are constantly falling off. It is hold that a local lighthouse preservation society can not only purchase the lighthouse from the federal government but restore it to it’s former glory.
The Collingwood Harbour
It’s always interesting to paddle into the harbor in Collingwood right into the ship launch channel. In this channel ships were launched up until 1986 after over 100 years of shipbuilding. Ships as large as 730 feet in length were launched here to join the Great Lakes bulk freighter fleet.
Today you see new condo and town homes built on the site that used to be home to the bustle of shipyard work with cranes and launch ways. A beautiful pedestrian promenade opens the area to pedestrian traffic.
The Big Banana Boat
My 14 foot Necky sea kayak is never going to be the fastest most elegant boat like some of the fiberglass kayaks out there. It does however have some advantages like it’s toughness, and it’s low price. You don’t mind the odd scrape when coming ashore on a gravel beach. It’s blazing yellow so I named it my Big Banana Boat!
Whenever you go out on the great lakes or any other open body of water particularly far from shore it’s important to carry minimum equipment. I’ve seen people 4 km off shore with no lifejacket (PFD) and no other equipment. Any sort of experience teaches that a kayak can be one of the most awkward things to get back into if you capsize. Ejecting from your boat far from shore can be deadly in cold water. Here is what I carry:
PFD
Paddle Float
Throw Rope
Bilge Pump
iPhone in Otter box for emergency calling and navigation
Paddle Lanyard
Electrolyte Replacement Drink
Check that your deck rigging is in good order, the rudder rigging if you have one, watertight compartment covers etc. Also tell someone how long you expect to be out and what your route will be. Have a safe, active Kayak experience!
It was a gorgeous fall day with smooth glassy water. Sometimes you enjoy the blustery wavy weather, but other times it's nice to enjoy the calm conditions and reflect on life. In 2011 we were enjoying a super long summer like fall. In fact only the sun setting earlier gave any indication that it wasn't an early august day.
I had paddled out to the wreck of the Mary Ward, a 130 foot long steamer that had run aground in November of 1872. Her wooden beams are clearly visible in the 7 feet of water where they came to rest all those years ago.
After that I languished and ate some food on a small shoal about 1 kilometre east of the Mary Ward Shoal and 4km offshore where I was the only human being around for many square kilometers. The afternoon sun was slowly sinking to the west over the Bruce Penninsula.
As I paddled towards shore, the sun began to set and I ended up being able to witness one of the most beautiful epic sunsets I've seen on the bay. The photos I've posted here document this wonderful experience of paddling towards shore in the fading light on perfectly glassy smooth waters. This is living!
