Weekend adventures. Friday with 👸 E. Jean Carroll, being every bit as spectacular as I remembered and then some; also @youngblutshelley being a brilliant host (the Richard Harris follow-up question was a lesson in great interviewing). Saturday at Banff Mountain Festival with my people. Sunday hiking with @neil.real.deal , who keeps me organized despite myself.
Back in yyc just in time for @wordfest . Wouldn’t miss it. Fought jetlag at late night candy buffets with @neil.real.deal and @marcello.di.cintio .
Marcello’s new book, Precarious, is out now and it’s vital reading for all Canadians. Go buy it.
If you’re here, you know the drill: Read books. Buy them. Support the freedom to speak, read and write. Show some ❤️ for your writer friends. Thanks @youngblutshelley , @ritavsirignano and co for one heck of a festival.
Last days in Cyprus: road cycling (but didn’t take photos 🤷🏻♀️), beach cats, sunsets, discovering some old photos and a last look at my home away from home, my true navigational north.
A few birthday snaps. We hiked the Madari Trail; I’d heard it called Cyprus’ most beautiful hike and it lived up to the billing. A night at my favourite hotel where cats try to sneak into your room and join you for morning reads in the sun. A swim at Yiannakis Beach. A sunset at the Sea Caves. Onto a new year.
Akamas Day 3. This time, a dusty mountain bike ride to Fontana Amaroza. We swam. We snacked. @neil.real.deal had a crank break at the bottom of a hill, saved 20 minutes later by the sudden appearance of the rental guy who was driving down the road to rescue an ATV. Fixed it with a rock and an Allen key, and we were on our way.
I really wanted to take @neil.real.deal hiking in Avakas Gorge. The catch? Can’t take the rental car over the rough roads. So I agreed to something I never thought I’d do — get there by ATV. We hiked. We swam. We accidentally went to a nudist beach. We celebrated our survival with beer back at our home beach.
Montenegro + more Croatia photo dump:
1. Water taxi from Perast, Montenegro 🇲🇪 to visit an island made to house a church
2. How a former Navy man always travels in water taxis
3. Said island. This church is filled with odd donations that people have made as thanks, including old Yugoslav typewriters and gramophones
4. Perast 🇲🇪
5. With @neil.real.deal
6. Kotor
7. Ferry ride to Korcula on what my Poppy would have called “loppy” seas
8. @neil.real.deal rarely drinks wine but when he does, he makes me laugh
9. Mini-Jaxy
10 & 11. More Croatia stuffs
We set up base camp in the town of Cavtat, then adventured into beautiful and busy Dubrovnik. Found refuge in the war museum at the top of Mount Srd with its “newspapers speak truth” photos. Plus, my favourite pretty lemonade.
