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World traveler and photographer. Very interested in the people and places that I have seen and the ones that I have yet to see.

  • Palenque and on to San Cristobel – Day Five

    Ruins at PalenqueAn exciting day of adventure today. As usual, up early, packed, breakfasted and checked out by 8:30 as we were meeting our guide, Carol Karasik at the entrance gates to the Palenque ruins. Left our luggage at the hotel and walked to the roadside where we caught a combi, minivan buses that stop wherever flagged for pick up and drop off; very handy.

    Met Carol and expected that we would have a very good and interesting day, a prediction that was absolutely fulfilled. Carol is an author and a staff member at the Mayan Exploration Center. Erudite, charming and interesting, she spent the day walking us through the Mayan ruins and the museum attached to the site. (more…)

  • Mexico City to Palenque – Day Four

    Up early and out of the hotel by 8:00. We had pre-arranged a taxi the night before, expecting that the drive to the airport would be as time-consuming as our previous two night’s restaurant drives had been, but we flew to the airport and were there at 8:30 for an 11:30 flight. Not a problem however, as we had off-loaded a suitcase of stuff that we had brought for the conference, jackets, dress clothes and shoes etc so managed to cut our luggage in half. Our last night in Mexico, next Monday we will be spending at the airport Hilton as we fly back from Chiapas that evening. Accordingly, we had our taxi drop us at the Hilton and they will keep our extra bag for us until we pick it up on check-in next week. (more…)

  • Mexico City – Day Three

    Day of the Dead alterpiece in San AngelLazy day today for the most part, and few pictures taken. V’s last conference day and tomorrow we fly to Palenque in Chiapas to begin our week on the road to ruins!
    Wasn’t keen to pay Four Seasons prices to have laundry done, cheaper to throw everything away and buy a new wardrobe so scrubbed stuff in the sink and festooned the bathroom with bits hanging from every knob and projection. Should be in good shape for the next 4 or 5 days.
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  • Mexico City – Day Two

    Sunday on Paseo de La ReformaOn Sundays until 14:00, one of Mexico City’s main streets, Paseo de La Reforma is closed for vehicular traffic and the roadway is taken over by bike riders, joggers and all forms of human-powered transport. It’s a very wide thoroughfare with a barrier down the middle and bikers and rollerbladers fill the lanes. Where the road meets other major intersections leading to significant public sites and squares, the roads are also closed to traffic and the whole thing is managed by legions of police and volunteers who keep the cyclists safely in their lanes when cross roads are reached so that crossing automobile traffic can get through while the bikes are kept safe. (more…)

  • Mexico City – Day One

    Wall painting on stucco San Ángel district, Mexico City. November 2013. Original size 5090x3684px. (Gerald FitzGerald)I think this is our 4’th time in Mexico City over the last 8 or 9 years. I have always liked the city, hectic, scruffy and shining at the same time; 22+ million people spread out over a vast area, very few tall buildings, and for the most part, low to the ground. Traffic is chaotic, over 5 million cars, but the air is surprisingly clean and crisp and things seem to work. Enormous wealth and enormous poverty within a stones throw; for no good reason that I can identify, it always reminds me of a latin Bangkok.
    V is here for a business conference and I’m coat-tailing. Conference finishes in a couple of days and then we are off to Chiapas, the Mexican state on the border with Guatemala. We will be wandering there for a week, expected highlights are a couple of old colonial cities and some incredible ruins.
    (more…)

  • Tomato & Chili Chutney – Black Oystercatcher Restaurant

    Fresh farm tomatoes[insert_php] if(function_exists(‘pf_show_link’)){echo pf_show_link();} [/insert_php]
    This recipe is for a relish that we had at the Black Oystercatcher Restaurant and Winery in Elim, South Africa. At the time I thought that it was one of the best tomato relishes that I had ever tasted and I wrote the restaurant for the recipe when we returned to Toronto. They very kindly sent it to me and I have just made my first batch and it’s every bit as good as I remember.
    Please give it a try; it really is remarkably good with cheese or cold meats.
    (more…)

  • Dublin Ireland – On our way

    Out over the Atlantic at sunset, Dingle, Ireland. August 2013. Original size 5106 x 3404 px. (Gerald FitzGerald)As usual, last day spent running around doing things that could and should have been done in a more relaxed fashion over the course of the last week.
    Flight left on time but the plane was, to put it mildly, old, tired and well past its prime. Apparently a backup that they throw into service during summer when they run a direct flight to Dublin for the summer crowds; cabin crew was in keeping with the plane. (more…)

  • Dublin Ireland – Getting ready

    Have been planning a trip to Ireland for some time now; not going to be as long as we’d like but schedules are sometimes hard to massage. James, my son, has been working towards getting his accreditation as a CA for the last two years. He has been slugging away, doing a 4 year program in 2 years and has had a choice of firms that have offered him articling positions. He finished his last final exam, Taxation, last week and starts work at Price Waterhouse the day after Labour Day so we are going to squeeze in a golfing/touring holiday in Ireland to celebrate.Ruined church at Clonmacnoise, Ireland, August 2013. Original size 5679x3786px. (Gerald FitzGerald) (more…)

  • Amsterdam Days Three, Four and Five

    Bicycles outside an Amsterdam cafe. Original size 5342x3767px. (Gerald FitzGerald)
    Last three days have been all about the conference. Breakfast at the hotel and then at the congress hall by 9. Lots of very interesting papers and symposia and an equal number during which I count my heartbeat to make sure that I’ve survived the boredom and I’m still alive. Presentation skills do matter; as fascinating as the topic may be, a barely audible monotone backed by 100 powerpoint slides each of which contains an entire section of a recently published paper is not compelling watching. Thank god I missed the call to academe! However the good ones were very good and sparked some interesting ideas to take away and think about.
    There’s more! Click here to continue reading…

  • Amsterdam Day Two

    Slept late and caught up on jet lag deficit. Breakfast and then off to the conference to register for the program. Today is a day of pre-conference workshops but have not signed up for any so will only register for the conference and pick up my program to save time tomorrow. Took a taxi from my hotel to the conference centre at the university; it turns out to be a bit of hike, about 5k, as I quickly discovered. Day was pleasant, bright overcast with patches of sun and pleasantly cool with a breeze so I decided to walk back to the hotel. I programmed my route into Google maps on my iPhone and set off. I had worn loafers with no socks and the day which was pleasant when sitting was decidedly hot when walking with a bag full of conference bumpf, a camera and a couple of lenses, a coat and umbrella and two hot and blistered feet. Not exactly running a full marathon, but I was glad to get back to my hotel.
    Have not really taken any pictures yet and strangely, have not felt the urgency to take any. I’m usually continually looking around for angles, light and possible shots but I have just felt too peaceful enjoying the atmosphere to want to take pictures of it. I hope that this mood will pass and I’ll be back to normal tomorrow. And no, I have not been sampling coffee shops.
    Dinner at a very pleasant little outdoor cafe and an early bed.