Pacific Spirit Ride: Balance Bike in the Forest (Video)
Back in August we took Neil for a ride in Pacific Spirit Park. He is getting quite good on his balance bike, but it was his first ride in the forest and he had a great time. I created a short clip of the ride.
BC Day ‘Short’ Weekend (Mis)adventures
Our car is a weekend warrior, pretty much like us these days. We don’t use it at all during the week since we get around by bike or by walking, but on weekends, especially in summer, we put it to good use mostly to get out of the city. I don’t think we had any problems with it in the five years we owned our old beat-up Subaru Legacy, but on the previous long weekend one of the rear tires blew out. In fact, the long weekend before that we also weren’t off to a good start as Neil threw up all over himself ten minutes after we left home and we almost…
Agassiz Farms Cycle Tour: How We Ended Up in Paradise
On Saturday last weekend we joined the Agassiz Farm Cycle Tour, a self guided tour, in which many farms are open to visitors and offer delicious food. The combination of cycling and food can rarely fail, so I knew we were up for a treat. I was excited about this ride because Agassiz is an area that we don’t know, and I am always happy to discover a new area by bike. A couple of years ago we did the Slow Food Ride in Pemberton together with Pascale and Ignacio. I think both Pascale and I were already pregnant back then (although it was probably still a secret, for both of us), so they were the first…
Allison Lake: A Short Return of Winter
We were heading towards Merritt. The rain was pounding on our car and it seemed like the wind was picking up. But we had hope. After all, many times when we’d driven east the weather was bad leaving Vancouver, but past Hope it would improve. And if it was still raining past Hope then immediately after going down from the Coquihalla summit, the sun would be shining, with no sign of rain. So we hoped. But the weather did not get better past Hope and it did not get better on the Coquihalla. In fact, as we were getting close to Merritt it seemed like the rain got stronger and the…
Taking My Ride With Destiny: Cycling Korea & Japan (Video)
When our son Neil was seven months old we went on a cycling trip to South Korea – from Seoul to Busan and then around Jeju Island and Japan – across Kyushu and island hopping south to Okinawa. Although we had both done many cycling trips before, we didn’t know what it would be like to travel by bike with our baby in tow. It really felt like we were taking our ride with destiny… It turned out to be an amazing experience, and such a great way to get to know our son and see him develop every day. We had many people helping and reaching out to us along the way, which made…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Pender, Saturna & Mayne: The Magic of the Gulf Islands
Not all trips are off to a good start. This was one of them. For years we have wanted to make it to Saturna island, but the ferry schedule makes it difficult to fit it into a regular weekend, and even a three day weekend was stretching it. So as soon as we knew that we had a four day weekend ahead of us (thanks 1QBit!) I was hoping that we could finally make our way to Saturna Island, while adding another island or two. In the week before, we constantly checked the weather forecast which seemed borderline, but since the odds of it being a nice weekend seemed higher…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Cycling & Cycle Touring, Outdoor Recreation, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids, Western USA
Edison-La Conner Loop: Small Town America
We drove into Edison, Washington, population 133. As we drove in to town, a blink of an eye later we were already outside “town” and had to make a quick u-turn before parking at the Elementary School. Maya went to a nearby cafe, where she tried to order an ice mocha, and they rolled their eyes at her – they had no idea what she was talking about. I guess the message was: “You’re not in Vancouver anymore” (she actually just wanted the WiFi password and to use the bathroom). While we were having lunch on the lush school lawn, no doubt sprayed with all pesticides imaginable, we watched several cars with…
- Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids, Vancouver Island
Gabriola Island: Escaping the Rat Race
As much as we hate to admit it, we are sometimes part of this ongoing rat race too. We live in a big city, Gili is working full time for a successful start-up company, I started my own cycling education program and peak activities were this April. And then there is Neil, of course – who is growing and changing every day, and who is now walking, even though it feels like it was just yesterday that he started to crawl. Between all of this it is sometimes hard to slow down, disconnect, get away. But we must do it, we know it, since really this is what life is…
Japan (Part 2): Cycling The Forgotten Islands
From the ferry window, I observed rocks that looked like mushrooms, surrounded by the most turquoise water I had ever seen. We had just arrived to Yoron Island via the overnight ferry from Kagoshima, a 20 hour journey, but luckily we stopped on other islands on the way to break the long journey. When we got off the ferry, we were greeted by the ferry terminal – two peeling shipping containers, where we obtained a map that was 100% Japanese. We cycled to Ohkaneku Beach, where we camped for three nights. The only nearby place to eat was a tiny take out sushi stand, in the place you’d least expect…
Goodbye South Korea & Japan: End of Trip Reflection
As 2015 is coming to a close and our trip is nearing its end, I thought it’s time for some reflection. Yesterday, as we were riding around Zamami Island, we stopped for a break at a beautiful view point. Neil had just woken up from his morning nap in the trailer and was happy and chatty as usual. We took him out, changed his diaper, had a snack and hung out, just the three of us. I suddenly realized that those will be the moments I’ll miss the most. We spent the last three months traveling by bicycle in South Korea and Japan. We left when Neil was seven months…
