OVER THE THREE-DAY Aboriginal Cultural Festival in Victoria, Canada, I witnessed the great pride of elders as they watched their children and grandchildren dance, drum and sing, celebrating and preserving their rich culture.
This carving stands on a pole at Songhees Point. It depicts the importance of children and the spirit of this sacred site to the Songhees First Nation. This area is also known as Pallatsis, meaning “place of the cradle” in the Lekwungen language. When children were able to walk on their own, parents put their cradle along the waterfront to ensure them a long life. This was the launch site of 3 canoes that participated in the ‘welcoming of canoes’ ceremony and traditional protocol of approaching a First Nations territory and asking to come ashore. A young boy is seen walking behind this pole to join his father (not pictured) before they departed in the canoes for the ceremony and to open the 2015 Aboriginal Cultural Festival in Victoria, British Columbia.
We were a mix of Indigenous people, some in colourful regalia, and non-Indigenous people that included local mayors, business leaders, and myself. We paddled in sync to the shared traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations to ask for permission to come ashore, a time-honored protocol. It was a historic day, as this had never been done before in the history of Victoria.
Chief Ron Sam of Songhees First Nation welcomed us ashore and stated the significance of the canoe ceremony when he said:
“You know I think it’s important, the acknowledgment, when we’re all in a canoe, pulling in the same direction. You know, I think that’s what we want to achieve on a daily basis.”
George Taylor, emcee of the Aboriginal Cultural Festival and director of Le-La-La Dancers of Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation sings and drums as he leads a procession of 3 canoes across Victoria’s Inner Harbor in the canoe ceremony. Ten-year-old Matthew Everson seen beside George wearing a ceremonial blanket and mask participates in this historic ceremony.Chief Ron Sam of Songhees First Nation looks on as Gary Sam, a dancer from the Songhees Nation greets the canoes, he then performed a paddle song to welcome us ashore.A young drummer from the Esquimalt First Nation joins his grandfather (not pictured) on stage at the 2nd annual Aboriginal Cultural Festival in Victoria, British Columbia.Lason Taylor performs as a young grizzly bear at the Aboriginal Cultural Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. Lason is a 3rd generation member of the Le-La-La Dancers First Nations dance company. The Le-La-La dancers are from the Kwakwaka’wakh First Nation in Northern Vancouver Island. They have been sharing their culture and traditions through song and dance under the direction of George Me’las Taylor locally and around the world for 27 years. The passing of stories from generation to generation is how their rich culture has survived and will continue to survive.A drummer stands beside elder Ray Qwulshemut Peter, director of the Tzinquaw Dancers group from the Cowichan First Nation, as they sing and drum at the Aboriginal Cultural Festival. This group presented songs and dances that were taught to them by their elders. They shared a song that was sacred to them and asked that no one record or photograph the performance. Several elders that lead dance groups stepped aside and asked the younger generation to sing and drums their songs. George Taylor spoke of the importance of the “passing of the drumstick” and teaching children and youth so that their traditions, songs, dances and stories may be carried on.A young boy drums as he performs with the Tzinquaw Dancers from the Cowichan First Nation at the 2nd annual Aboriginal Cultural Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. Children learn their traditional songs, dances and stories and participate in ceremonies and at festivals from a young age.Amber Wells shares her story through a hoop dance. Amber’s father, Alex Wells is a 3-time world champion hoop dancer and has taught Amber the basics of this dance to which she has added her own elements.Matthew Everson on stage at the 2nd annual Aboriginal Cultural Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. Matthew is a 2nd-generation dancer in the Le-La-La Dancers First Nation Dance Company.Kelly Robinson of Nuu-chah-nulth and Nuxalk First Nations displays a raven mask that he carved from yellow cedar. Kelly shared that his favourite animal to carve is the raven as it the light bringer, it brings light to the world. Kelly comes from a family of carvers as his uncles and grandfathers also work with this art. This mask is used for dances or ceremonies such as the potlatch.Young Michael Sheena of the Pauquachin First Nation shows off a drum he made from cut pieces of deer hide. He learned how to make rattles and drums from his grandfather, Virgil Bob. Virgil shared the month-long process of preparing a hide, such as putting the fur in a special solution and the scraping of fur. Michael comes from a family of artists as his grandfather’s sisters, Alva and Iona are weavers and jewellery designers. Michael was with his aunts and grandfather in the artist booth. I learned that Michael and Virgil also use elk and bear hide for their instruments.Jason, Lason and George Me’las Taylor, 3 generations of the Le-La-La Dancers First Nations dance company. The Le-La-La dancers are from the Kwakwaka’wakh First Nation in Northern Vancouver Island.
It was an honour to be in one of 3 First Nations canoes during the historic Welcoming of Canoes ceremony. Watch a short 30-second video of my experience.
For authentic Indigenous cultural experiences, attractions and events in Canada, visit:
It was the last day of our 3-country intergenerational family trip and our final day in Milan. I love nature and any chance to be near an ocean, lake, river or any body of water; I take it. In this case, the body of water was Lake Como, and it was calling. After visiting Amsterdam, Dusseldorf and spending a day in Milan, I was yearning to get away from concrete and city chaos.
I didn’t have a plan, but I knew Lake Como was reasonably close. I chose Varenna because it was a 65-minute train ride to Varenna Esino station, picturesque and not as touristy (busy) as other destinations on Lake Como.
My two boys (10 and 6) and I headed to the Milan Central station which was one stop away on the Metro from our rental apartment in Piazza Della Repubblica. The Milan Metro has several lines which can be a little confusing but with my very limited Italian, hand gesturing and helpful Milanese, we were on our way.
We arrived at the station with time to spare. We did some window shopping on the lower levels then grabbed some pizza on level two where the platforms are. After lunch, we joined the other travellers in the waiting area near Gate A where we were to board our train.
My sons at Milano Centrale
It was an easy train ride and the last twenty minutes were spectacular as the lake and mountains came into view. We took a taxi to Piazza San Giorgio, the main square, as I didn’t know how far of a walk it would be. It turns out it’s a quick 4-5 minute taxi ride and a flat rate of ten euros to get there.
The first thing you notice upon arrival is the stone church and tower on your left, the Church of San Giorgio, consecrated in 1313. The bells chimed just after we arrived and again as we got back to the Piazza before departing Varenna.
Church of San Giorgio in Varenna, Italy
Piazza San Giorgia in Varenna, Italy.
The first glimpse of Lake Como beside Hotel Royal Victoria as you walk through the piazza.
We weren’t sure which way to go to get to the waterfront, but the lane sloped downward, so we followed it. As we walked away from the church, there was a red house straight ahead; the path continued right.
A house in Varenna, Italy
Then, a house with green doors and shutters next to a house with terra cotta/orange-ish coloured walls and a window with flower pots in front of us; a mailbox was on the left corner.
My six-year-old son in Varenna, Italy
My 10-year-old son in Varenna, Italy (snapchat image)
A narrow lane continued left and offered another glimpse of the water and mountains. We could either continue to walk down the continuous path or take the steep steps on the right which led down to the lake. We chose the longer way down so we could enjoy all the little details and colours along the way.
The gradual pathway down to Lake Como in Varenna, Italy
At the end of the cobblestone path, there was a restaurant on the right with a choice to go left or right; we went right. As we continued, there was a small outdoor patio with a view of the lake on the left and then another and another. There were restaurants and more seating across the pathway on the right. We passed the restaurants in search of a gelateria.
Just after we passed the restaurants there was a stone ‘beach’, children were laughing and playing in the lake, and anchored boats were in the harbour. There were benches with views of the lake and mountains with the Alps in the distance behind them. Shops, galleries and gelaterias were also to be found. There was a pier with a water taxi service which also offered tours around the lake. Signs pointed to the ferry boat that takes passengers to Bellagio.
Lake Como from the waterfront promenade in Varenna, Italy
A view back to the photo above and the stone beach in Varenna, Italy
After a while, we turned back to Gelateria Riva di Riva Duilio, one of the gelato shops we had passed. My youngest son is a big fan of gelato, my oldest son, not so much. We both had the mint gelato; it was so fresh, creamy and minty and we were in gelato heaven. We sat on the stone steps beside the gelateria which had seat cushions for its patrons to enjoy their gelato with a view. After our gelato, we continued walking back in the direction we originally came from and made our way to one of the waterfront restaurants, Bar Il Molo. The patio nearer to the lake was full, but we managed to snag the last table across the pathway.
Lakeside patio views from Bar Il Molo in Varenna, Italy.
We were enjoying our time in Varenna so we opted for one of the latest trains back to Milano Centrale, one that got us back to Milan just after 9:30 pm. We had a minor blip on our trip back as we ended up on a train going in the wrong direction. No big deal I thought, we’ll just get off at the next stop. Luckily it was only a few minutes away; we were about 6-7 minutes ahead of our schedule, and the right train was delayed for ten minutes.
Note: If you’re at Varenna Esino train station and are going to Milan, take the stairs to the lower level and go through a short tunnel under the tracks to get to the other side. ‘Getting lost made for an adventure and thanks to helpful people that pointed us in the right direction. There is some street art in the tunnel, mostly The Simpsons.
Street art in the tunnel at Varenna Esino station. (Snapchat image).
Waiting for the train to Milano Centrale at the Varenna Esino station in Italy
It was an uneventful ride back to Milan and a short trip back to our apartment. It was the perfect day trip with my two sons. They loved both Varenna and Milan, though I think it was the pizza and gelato that sealed the deal.
Continuing with a new series on the wanderingiPhone blog ‘in 9 squares’.
In March 2012, I went on a solo trip to Europe. One of the cities I visited was Prague. In my research, I came across comments that suggested that Prague may not be safe. I took Prague off my itinerary but then put it back on as it was a city I wanted to visit. I am glad I did and am happy to report that I felt completely safe and my visit was without incident.
I, unfortunately, had only a short time in Prague and felt like I only scratched the surface of this beautiful city. I made the most of my time there but with its architecture, bridges, churches and overall charm, I’d love to go back and explore more and travel deeper. My favourite time of day was just as the sun was beginning to set and as the lights on the buildings started to shine. The only word I can think of to describe it, magical.
Here are my favourite 9 Instagram photos from that trip. Click on the 9 squares below to see a larger version.
Charles Bridge, Tyn Church, St. Nicolas Church, Estates Theatre, Prague.
Walking through the cobblestone streets with a hot Sva?ak (mulled wine) in hand as you make your way to Charles Bridge.
Standing on the infamous Bridge overlooking the Vltava River with several other bridges in the distance.
Watching a Mozart opera in the same building that Mozart debuted Don Giovanni over 200 years earlier in 1787.
These are the memories that play over in my mind and I hope to return with my family and learn more about the culture and history as I recently learned that a maternal great grandmother is from the Czech Republic.
March is a great time of year to visit Prague. It’s off season and there are deals to be found. I stayed at the 5-star Hilton in Old Town for only $70USD per night thanks to a winning bid on Priceline’s ‘name your own price’.
This Mother’s Day I’m honouring animal mothers and their babies. This series of animals were photographed in 2014, 2015 and 2016 in Kruger National Park and the greater Kruger area in South Africa.
One of my favourite animal mothers to watch is baboons.
This little one couldn’t have been more than a month old. I first found it napping with mom standing over it.
Mama giraffe cleans her newborn. This giraffe was about an hour old. When we arrived at the sighting, we found it surrounded by eight hyenas. Mom stood on guard until the baby giraffe stood up. Happy to report that hyena did not attack. See video below.
Mom and baby black rhino
These cubs are part of a pride of 9 lions and were about three months old in this photo. This kill was one of their first meat based meals.
This baby giraffe just finished suckling from its mom.
Watched this pair of baboons for a while as they walked through an open area with their troop. The baby would hitch a ride then climb down to suckle and return to its spot on mom’s back.
Bonus:
With Father’s Day around the corner, I couldn’t resist this one of this lion cub and his father. This cub is one of the cubs from the photo above of the lioness and her three cubs. In this image; he’s about nine months old.
This week I’m starting a new series on the wanderingiPhone blog ‘in 9 squares’ with a focus on a destination I have travelled to and my favourite 9 Instagrams.
The weekend of April 22, 2016 I went to California with my father to meet relatives I had never met and up until about a 2 years ago didn’t know existed. After some research and DNA Ancestry, we connected. I’ll save that story for a later post.
Between family dinners, lunches and discovering Burmese restaurants in Palo Alto and Berkeley, we saw a bit of San Francisco and Palo Alto and drove the infamous Pacific Coast Highway from San Luis Obispo to Monterrey, California after driving down to Santa Barbara to meet more relatives. Here are my favourite 9 Instagram photos from that trip. Click on the 9 squares below to see a larger version.
Stanford Memorial Church, Pacific Coast Highway, Elephant Seals, Stanford University Quad, McWay Falls, Golden Gate Bridge
If you’re looking for a Burmese restaurant in the San Francisco area, check out Burma Ruby. It’s been my mission to find Htamin Lethoke (rice salad) like the way my grandma, grandaunt and I make it. I have to say Burma Ruby is the closest I’ve come to that taste. So good.
Incase you’re wondering, my father, grandmother, some great and great great grandparents come from Burma or what is known as Myanmar and I still have over 100 relatives there. Read about my travels to Myanmar in The long road to Mandalayand my Myanmar travel tips in 6 things to know about travelling to Myanmar in 2016. I’m a first generation Canadian and have a very ethnically diverse family who moved around a lot. I swear I come by a ‘travel gene’ honestly 😀
Muizenberg Beach Victorian bathing huts at dusk. Muizenberg beach is a popular surfing and family beach. There are several restaurants and surfboard lesson and rental shops.
