The Summer of 2017

Toronto Pearson Airport.

What can I say about the summer of 2017?  Quite a lot, but I’ll be giving you the short version.  So much happened in the last eight weeks that I could write two separate blogs.  Unfortunately, I do not have time for such an undertaking. 

            

Shrimp salad at the Maple Leaf Lounge. (Toronto Pearson Airport)

The most expensive item I could find at
Duty Free store. No, I didn't buy it.
Toronto Pearson Airport.

I stayed in my hometown for only five days before beginning my summer travels.  Five days were just enough time for me to unpack, unwind, shop, and pack again for my trip to Albania.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Albania.  An old university friend convinced me to go on a cycling tour of the country.  I agreed because I’ve never been to the Balkans and I could use the exercise.  We booked the bike tour through Exodus Travels.    

            

Not knowing what to expect, besides biking, I bought clothing & equipment specifically made for cycling.  Some of the items I purchased were: helmet, padded shorts, gloves, and a small repair kit.  I also packed my GoPro cameras to capture my adventure on film. 

            

The Lufthansa plane I flew on to Frankfurt.

Business class snack on Adria Airways.

I flew business class all the way.  Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Adria.  I visited the lounges at the Toronto & Frankfurt Airports.  I was glad I had access to free food, drinks, and wifi Internet.  These and the business class seats on the airplanes made the flights much more enjoyable.  I flew over the Swiss Alps and landed in Tirana, the capital of Albania, on June 15.  Tirana has the only international airport in the country.  I was expecting to see an old Soviet-styled airport terminal but instead the passengers and I were led into a large modern looking building.  I cleared customs, picked up my luggage, and exited the terminal.  The weather was hot.  I checked into my Best Western hotel room and returned to the airport.  My friend arrived several minutes later.

            

Tirana International Airport

Best Western Hotel.

Albania’s currency is called the Lek.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t buy any in Canada, so I brought British pounds and Euros with me to exchange.  And then I discovered that I could withdraw money from my Canadian account using the ATMs in Albania.  That made things simple. 

            

Drive into Tirana.

Pyramid of Tirana.

We exited the terminal and took a cab into the city.  The airport is actually outside the city centre.  Only take officially licenced taxis from the airport.  My friend was staying at a small hotel just off of George W. Bush Road.  I wish I was making that up.  Apparently, the former American president, is the first American president to visit Albania, and the country honoured his visit by naming a street after him.  We spent the remainder of the day exploring the town centre.  There are more modern looking buildings than communist-era buildings.

            

Main square.

National Museum

We met our guide and the rest of the cycling group at the airport the next day.  My friend & I were the only Canadians.  We were also the youngest of the group.  Everyone else was British and middle-to-senior age.  Our guide led us to a large Mercedes van and drove us into Tirana.  The guide took everyone on a walking tour of the city centre, showing the newly completed city square, and taking us to a restaurant for lunch.  We were then driven to the town of Pogradec.  We stayed at the Hotel Millenium for the night. 

            

The first day of biking.

The bike tour began on the outskirts of Korce.  The bikes were labelled with our names.  We were also given a small bag to keep our possessions.  The tour guide would lead the way and the support van would bring up the rear.  The van was packed with water bottles and a first aid kit.  For the first day, we had to bike 72km.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was the weakest link of the group.  I had the slowest pace, especially when it came to ascents.  I made it to the final destination, Farma Sotira, but not before getting caught in a rainstorm.  I was drenched on arrival but changed into dry clothes.  We celebrated the first successful day with a large dinner.  “It can only get easier from here,” I said to myself.

            

A hotel we stayed at.

One of many coffee stops.

The next six days were much of the same.  Bike, take a break, bike, lunch, bike, and relax at the final destination.  Only the landscape changed.  We also visited several Albanian landmarks.  I was always the last one of the pack, but I persevered.  I frequently stopped to take pictures and videos of the majestic countryside.  The country is very mountainous.  Even though I was often alone, I never felt in danger.  The only time I needed to sit in the support van was on the last day.  My right knee was extremely sore and the tour guide suggested that I avoid completing the 1000m ascent to Llogara Pass.  I’m glad I heeded that advice.

Me observing what's beneath Llogara Pass.

Butrint National Park.

The city of Sarande & a cruise ship.

The country appears to be doing very well since the 1997 Rebellion.  In fact, tourism seems to be the business of choice right now.  There are hotels everywhere!  Many vehicles on the roads had licence plates from other European countries.  The food is great, the beer is cheap, and you will want to come back.  What’s great about the highways is that they were built next to natural springs; you can refill your water bottles/jugs for free.  (This plan was conceived during the communist era).  Just remember to watch out for herds of goats, sheep, and cows roaming the country roads.  Naturally, Albanian is the language of choice, but global languages, such as English, have appeared due to the influx of European tourists.

All of us at the top of Llogara Pass.

Patio area. Coral Hotel.

The last dinner. Shrimp Ravioli.

The last day of the tour was spent at the Coral Hotel near the city of Vlore.  The city’s beachfront reminds me of Miami.  We celebrated the end of the tour with a large dinner.  Several thank you speeches were given.  In total, we biked 367km!  I promised myself to exercise and train before attempting another bike tour.  We were driven to the Tirana Airport the next day.  The tour group promised to keep in touch and share photos.  The British tourists left that afternoon for London and my friend departed in the evening for Greece.  I stayed for an extra night and then flew to London, UK.

Albanian Flag

I planned a four-day stopover in London, the capital of the United Kingdom.  This was my first time visiting the city.  I landed at Heathrow Airport on June 24.  I took the Underground subway to Marble Arch.  I checked into Amba Hotel.  The room was spacious and included a complimentary minibar.  Yes, complimentary.

I woke up on June 25, got dressed, and headed outside.  I picked a random direction and started walking.  I was going to photograph as much of downtown London as possible.  By the end of the day, I had photographed many well-known landmarks, such as: Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and Trafalgar Square.  I was surprised by the number of exotic cars I saw.  I photographed many Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, and Aston Martins.  The only thing that didn’t impress me was the River Thames; the water was a dirty brown colour. 

Houses of Parliament

Cpt. Megan Couto (right).

On the morning of June 26, I hastily made my way to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard Parade.  The front of the palace was surrounded by crowds of people but I was able to get close enough to photograph and film a piece of Canadian/British history.  Captain Megan Couto, a Canadian infantry officer, was the first female soldier to command the Queen’s Guard.  She led 40 Canadian soldiers through the ceremony with the assistance of the Royal Canadian Artillery Band.  The band played Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, the “Hockey Night In Canada” theme song, and “Ordinary Day” by Great Big Sea.

The Shard

HMS Belfast

I made my way to The Shard after the parade, took an elevator to the top, and photographed the city around me.  The London skyline looked great but the River Thames still looked dirty.  The city really needs to clean up the river.  Back on solid ground, I visited the HMS Belfast, moored next to City Hall.  The entire ship was turned into a museum in the early 1970s.  The Belfast was one of many British vessels that provided support to the Allied Arctic Convoys during the Second World War.  Most of the decks are opened to the public.  I explored every room and read every information panel.

City Hall

Grenfell Tower.

I visited & photographed the remnants of Grenfell Tower in North Kensington.  The public housing tower was devastated by fire on June 14.  The area around the tower was roped off and several police officers were standing guard.  Seeing the devastation up close put the entire tragedy into perspective. 

The 02 Arena.

On my last day in London, I took the Underground to the O2 Arena and visited the Star Wars: Identities Exhibition.  The exhibition lets you create your own Star Wars character!  The exhibition also featured many models and costumes. 

My business class seat home.

Downtown Toronto.

I flew back to Canada on June 28.  I ate breakfast at the Lufthansa Lounge at the Heathrow Airport.  When I landed in Frankfurt, I made a quick stop at the Maple Leaf Lounge before boarding my Air Canada flight to Toronto.  I dined like a king in business class.  I stayed in Toronto for several days.  I did the CN Tower EdgeWalk for the 7^th time and celebrated Canada Day in Ontario’s capital.  I’m glad about that decision because later I found out that the celebrations in Ottawa were a disaster because of the overbearing security measures.

Back in my hometown, I immediately went to work purchasing & gathering supplies for the annual sealift to the north.  I sent supplies by boat last summer except it was too little.  This time, I was determined to get as much as I could up to Arctic Bay by boat.  I amassed three cubic metres of school supplies, dried goods, toilet paper, paper towels, soft drinks, bottled water, canned goods, and spare parts for my skidoo.  I paid a co-worker to transport everything to Montreal where everything would be crated and loaded onto the boat.  My supplies would arrive in Arctic Bay in late August. 

Downtown Halifax

Soon-to-be newlyweds.

The last trip I took this summer was to Halifax & Dartmouth.  The last time I was there was in 1997.  I was invited to attend the wedding of a co-worker.  She met her soon-to-be husband in Arctic Bay.  Several coworkers from Arctic Bay would be in attendance.  I rented a car from the Halifax Airport.  I got lucky because the car I booked wasn’t available and the guy behind the counter offered me a white Mustang GT.  He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.  I stayed at Coastal Inns for the duration of the trip.  The wedding was held outside at a cottage.  I photographed the setting & the ceremony.  The bride & groom had the widest grins I had ever seen during the ceremony.  There was a lot to eat during the reception.  The main dishes were chicken and lobster.  The kids were entertained by a magician and bird lady.  The celebration lasted well into the night.

I set aside enough time to explore downtown Halifax & Dartmouth.  I took many photographs.  I made it a priority to visit Pier 21 and see the Halifax Shipyard.  Pier 21 is where over one million immigrants came to Canada between 1928 & 1971.  The building is now a museum.  The new Harry DeWolf class Arctic Patrol Vessels are being constructed at the Halifax Shipyard.  I stood on the Dartmouth side and photographed one of the vessels.

Overall, I enjoyed my summer vacation.  I saw and experienced a lot over 8 short weeks.  Flying business class is life.  Now I need to focus my attention on what lies ahead: a new academic year in Arctic Bay.