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Canada, Death, life, Prince Philip, Royal, Time

Almost every Saturday morning we go to the Farmer’s Market, we are lucky here on this Agricultural Island that we do have a lot of farmers, real ones, none of the phoney farmers seen in so many urban markets. We are also lucky that many people shopping around have developed a personal relationship with various suppliers for their eggs, poultry, lamb, beef, cheese, fresh produce, etc..

Today I bought some very nice cheeses and some fresh lamb for stew and a leg of lamb to roast. The various farmers have developed their products to be natural and free of hormones or other nasty products usually found in grocery store supplies.

We buy our meat from Steerman, he is the old style farmer, you buy from his farm and he can give you which ever cut of beef you want. Same with chicken from Larkin or lamb. With every purchase comes also a bit of a chat, it is customary to do so.

So we bought lamb for a stew and found this really fun recipe and one that looks easy to make. On YouTube at KITCHEN SANCTUARY, the recipe is called Lancashire Hotpot.

I also bought a turkey pot pie from Larkin’s and we will have that for dinner tomorrow.

Of course, we are still thinking of the death of Prince Philip yesterday, it seems that many thought he would live forever. He was for me a mainstay all my life. We did have the Queen Mother but this was different, she belonged to the time of her husband, King George VI.

Philip and Elizabeth were married 73 years, next week the Lieutenant Governor of PEI is coming to the Club to re-dedicate a portrait of HM taken in 1951 some 70 years ago when the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were on their first visit to Canada and PEI, Her Father only had about 3 months to live. What was not mentioned yesterday, it was the 16th Wedding Anniversary of Prince Charles and Camilla. The Queen’s birthday is in a few days and she will turn 95.

It was explained yesterday by the College of Arms or Heralds, that the title of the Duke of Edinburgh now passes to his son Charles, who is also Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay. When Charles becomes King, the Dukedom will be extinguished until such times as he gives it to another member of the Family. It is fully expected that the title of Duke of Edinburgh will go to his younger brother Edward the Earl of Wessex.

At the moment Prince Philip is lying at rest (not in State) in a chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The Royal Memorial Service (not a State funeral) will be held at St-George’s Chapel at Windsor castle and not at Westminster Cathedral. Those were the wishes of the Prince who did not want any fuss as he put it. However he will have his Statue on the empty plinth at Trafalgar square in London in a few years time.

For the time being his coffin will rest in the vault of St-George’s Chapel until the Queen dies and then they will be buried together in a mausoleum on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Prince Charles now will assume even more responsibilities, he has taken over much of every day duties delegated by his mother the Queen, we have entered what seems to me as a transitory period. The video was made a few hours ago at Highgrove the Residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, about 90 minutes outside London

Going through old photos

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Italy, life, Padua, Veneto, Venice

We have been to La Serenissima as the City of Venice is known in Italy, many times.

It is a city we saw change from being a real live city to slowly becoming a tourist trap, from selling beautiful objects, books, beautiful paper products for wrapping, to letter writing and papier maché masks to basically going whole hog with cheap chinese plastic crap putting out of business, many Venetians. Good restaurants becoming fast food junk and hotel prices in the $400 dollar range and up. Far too many cheap tourists tours, garbage everywhere, a truly sad situation.

There are still pockets where in this small lagoon city you will find the quiet pace of old, but it is becoming increasingly rare. Only the pandemic put an end to the onslaught and emptied the city.

These are photos of one of our visit in Venice, having tea at Café Aurora on an afternoon, having tea, sandwiches and pastries. The last time we were visiting Venice we stayed in Mestre which is on the mainland but not the same. We did discover that Padua is only by train about 20 minutes from Venice and a good alternative for an hotel when visiting the Veneto region. Padua is a beautiful small city, and tourists do not go there in hordes, probably because it is known for its pilgrimage sites devoted to Saint Anthony, who was Portuguese. Padua is also a university town.

Wearing my Borsalino bought in Naples.

Condé

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Berlin, Frederick II, life, Travel

Today I saw this picture of Unter den Linden and looking Eastward towards the City Palace, we see the famous equestrian statue of Frederick II the Great riding his favourite horse Condé.

Named after a French Prince of the time Louis de Bourbon-Condé, this horse was purchased in 1777 at the age of 11 and quickly became the favourite of Frederick II. He would ride him in Potsdam every day and do so until a few weeks before he died. After the King’s death Condé would continue to live a quiet life for many more years dying at 38 in 1804. He was from the Wallach breed, a German breed of riding horse. His skeleton today is at the Veterinary college.

He was according to records, spoiled, Frederick would often put slice of melon and figs in his coat pocket and Condé would come and sniff them out, it amused the King, there was a close familiarity between Condé and Frederick II, that his visitors to Potsdam observed. The same with his dogs, all Whippets, he is buried in the garden of Sans Souci with his dogs, as he stipulated in his will.

To be in Berlin in the Spring, with its parks, lakes and rivers, beautiful restaurants and great museums, concert halls and Opera houses. Maybe one day after this pandemic, we can travel.

What’s next?

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life, PEI, Spring

Easter Holiday is over and now on to Spring tune-up for the car and change of tires.

Insurance home and car payment season. I am also 21 days away from my Pfizer vaccination, I am looking forward to that. Will is only 15 days away. Some 11% of our Island population has been vaccinated which is great. People here talk about getting the vaccine like if they had won the lottery.

We had a lovely lunch, Will made his Asparagus in puff pastry tarts and we had ham on the bone with Broccoli, leek and carrots, dessert was panna cotta with blueberry coulis. All good and every one had a good time despite the weather freezing rain and heavy grey skies.

Other than that it’s pretty quiet around here. The Crab fishing Season has started and next week it will be Lobster Spring Season. May 1 is the re-opening of many restaurants for the Summer Season but, I doubt we will see any tourists, none from the USA for the time being, as for other Canadian provinces well I am not so sure either, since most have now gone in third wave mode with record infection numbers never seen before.

So it will be another quiet Summer here, difficult for restaurants and some shops who only exist because of the tourists. What amazes me is how the authorities simply shrug.

This is a photo of the BlockHouse Light House which is located at the narrow entrance into the port of Charlottetown, on the one side it faces the broad Strait and on the other this little bay and a expansive view of Charlottetown. It was once until the late 1970’s manned and the Lighthouse keeper and his family lived there, quite a big place. Now all lighthouses are automated and maintained by the Federal Dept of Parks. It is somewhat of an isolated spot next to Port La-Joye which in the 17th century was guarding the entrance into the larger bay and the river system. Someone told me that the house attached to the lighthouse is for sale or rent, though romantic to live there I cannot imagine how it would be in Winter with the storms coming with howling 100Km winds off the Strait. Beautiful in Summer.

Continuing with this blog entry we are now Tuesday and was at the garage this morning for my annual car inspection to get my safety sticker. Then finished the income tax returns with the accountant. Our taxes are simple so I could probably do them myself but I am too lazy. I did get a return amount, I think the Government loves me for being such a good citizen doing my Civic Duty, so I get a bit back. Hey this is my story and I am sticking to it. Though next year might be different story with my revenue changing and getting other benefits, so I might want to ask that they take 23% off those new benefits in taxes to avoid paying at the end of the year.

Had my glasses adjusted, I am looking at new frames, saw a POLO frame I liked but do not know how much they ask for it. Now we have to pay for the insurance for the house and car. This is Spring, the season of payments. Next in May Nicky and Nora go for their annual shots.

Now according to the Ornithologists (bird lovers) it is going to be an early Spring because of the behaviour of birds in the Atlantic provinces, who are behaving as if it was already May. I really don’t mind, I am all for it.

Lots to do today

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Acadia, Canada, Capitol, France, life, Maritimes, Revolution, USA

I had to get up early today at 07:30am which is somewhat like the middle of the night for me. Usually I am a Crack of Noon riser which is the civilized time for retired folks like me.

So at 9:30am I had to be at the Club for the Thursday morning Coffee and Conversation program, today we had an Acadian historian Georges Arsenault, O.C., O.P.E.I whose family has been living on PEI since 1700. He is also an author and has written much about Acadian life and history on the Island. He also has a voluminous collection of old photos of Acadian Life on the Island dating back to 1860. He showed us many old photos of Acadian families and explained traditions in the period 1860 to 1950. It was fascinating, he had wedding photos dating from prior to 1946. How the common people lived if compared to high society, there was a stark difference. Brides has no wedding dress, they simply wore their Sunday best and so did the groom. Only people with money did the fashionable weddings the way we think of them today. The food prepared and served at weddings was also very different from today. Essentially the wedding would take place in Church at 7:30am and then the family would return home for breakfast at 9:00am. Back then Roman Catholics, Acadians are all R.C. , were not allowed to have food before Mass. Everyone was in their Sunday best and all of it took place in the Kitchen including the square dancing. What Acadians call in French souper (Supper) took place at Noon and both meals were offered by the Bride and her parents in their home. The Dinner at night around 6pm moved to the Groom’s parents home for more square dancing and food and of course Whiskey and Island Gin at 50 proof. That’s the Gin I buy for my Island friends, they do not want the English stuff at 40 Proof. The most important element of a successful wedding meal during the day was the desserts and sweets, some families could offer over 30 different types of sweets not including the Wedding Cake which was white and baked usually in the village by a woman who was known for her cakes and hired for that day. Which reminded me of my great Aunt Marie-Ange in Charlesbourg near Quebec City who was known at Christmas for her desserts and sweets.

The family photos are also interesting, most taken outdoors for the light in an age when no flash existed. Women in Acadian fashion have their heads covered by a bonnet or large scarf, custom being that only unmarried maidens could show their hair. Families were also large on average 12 kids and many upwards of 19 kids, all living under one roof in small farm houses. One wonders how they did it. It is only again after 1946 that people start having small families of 2 or 3 children.

After the talk, I went to my barber Jared who is a very nice person and great to chat with, we talked about what had happened the previous day in Washington D.C. at the Capitol building. He was working so could not watch television and was being told by his customers what was happening, he was in disbelief like I was and many other people. Though he remarked and I agree, we could see all this coming and were bracing for it. How come the Capitol Police did not prepare, were they over confident? I watch it all and was sickened by it, how can the symbol of a democracy be attacked like that by a mob which looked like Duck Dynasty. Ignorance on parade, truly sad. I was wondering if the Ceausescu solution could not be applied to Trump and his family, worked in Romania in 1989. What I fear like a lot of people is a possible return of another Trump type in 4 years, populist but more intelligent and cunning. Is the USA sliding into authoritarianism, it could happen after all 75 million Americans voted for him, hopefully not and the world will move on.

Afterwards I went to the Service Canada Office which provides info and registration for all Federal Government Programs, one stop shopping. This was instituted some 8 years ago by the Canadian Government. I was having some problem online with an application and could not get anyone at their 1-800 number unless you are willing to wait an hour or more on hold. So I simply went down to the Office and saw an Officer in 5 minutes. She answered my questions and all appears all right, I am much relieved.

Best Wishes!

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2021, Concert, life, Music, New Year, Vienna

It was Friedrich Nietszche (1844-1900) who said Life without Music would be a mistake. This is why the first day of the Year must start with music. January 1 will be a quiet day as always for us, I will listen to the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna, conducted this year by one of my favourite Maestro Riccardo Muti with the Vienna Philarmonic Orchestra.

A concert without audience, a first, at the Muzikverein, Golden Hall in Vienna. Here is the program;

Franz von Suppè Fatinitza March, Johann Strauß II.Schallwellen (Sound Waves), Waltz, op. 148, Johann Strauß II. Niko Polka, op. 228, Josef Strauß, Ohne Sorgen (Without a Care), Fast Polka, op. 271, Carl Zeller, Grubenlichter (Davy Lamps), Waltz, Carl Millöcker, In Saus und Braus (Living It Up), Galop — INTERMISSION —

Franz von Suppè, Overture to “Poet and Peasant, Karl Komzák, Bad’ner Mad’ln (Girls of Baden), Waltz, op. 257, Josef Strauß, Margherita Polka, op. 244, Johann Strauß, Venetian Galop, op. 74, Johann Strauß II, Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring), Waltz, op. 410, Johann Strauß II, In the Krapfenwaldl, Polka française, op. 336, Johann Strauß II, New Melodies Quadrille. op. 254, Johann Strauß II, Emperor Waltz, op. 437, Johann Strauß II, Tempestuous in Love and Dance, Fast Polka, op. 393

The 2021 New Year’s Concert will be broadcast in over 90 countries and followed by millions of television viewers around the world.

Let’s hope for the best or for at least a normal year, how could it not be better.

The Muzikverein, Golden Hall, Vienna.

Memories

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2020, 2021, life, optimistic

First thing this morning I was reminded by FB that 8 years ago today I retired from work. It seems like decades ago, another time and another life. I do remember it was not a particularly cold day that Friday in 2012 and there was no snow in Ottawa at that point. I went in to sign off papers and close down accounts at work. The director of Personnel was a dreadful person who was usually quite unpleasant unless she wanted something from people. I had to wait for her despite having an appointment with her. An hour later she showed up, I signed my resignation letter, she signed it too and that was it. No words, nothing not even a goodbye.

I left the Service a year after our return from Rome. This was a period when our department was going through a period of getting rid of anyone over the age of 55 and finding creative ways to be unpleasant so people would leave. Age discrimination a prohibit ground under the Canadian Charter, yes but this is the Government, they do as they please. What I discovered a few weeks later was that a bonus was given to managers who were instrumental in getting rid of people. So much for the ethical behaviour of the Government. A few years later we would all discover that senior managers often got bonuses even when things went badly and even promotions, the Phoenix Pay system is one very good example, hundreds of millions lost and promotions handed out to the main culprits.

It was time for me to go in many ways, I had a long career, many foreign postings, more than average really, I was very tired and suffered from anxiety, etc. The work atmosphere had become poisonous and I was amongst the last of my recruitment year to leave. The next generation were at least 20 years younger and the service had changed to a point it was unrecognizable.

I remember leaving the building and finding myself on the street and feeling like a free man out of jail after a very long sentence, I felt a sort of euphoria. Now looking back all this seems like such a long time ago. But that was not the end, we left Ottawa for PEI, 3 years later for a new chapter in life, a completely different adventure which opened new doors, new friendships and new horizons.

So here we are now in 2020 or the last days of it. It was a year full of anxiety and I may put a brave face on it, I was often not looking forward to going out to shop and seeing how people did not observe the most elementary sanitary rules. We got the hang of it here in PEI but cannot say the same in other provinces in Canada. We were cut off from the mainland for our own safety and no one could come here either. Flights out were cut and so was the ferry service. It really felt at times as if we were on another planet far away. So going to the beach to look at the waves and the sea was a distraction and the fresh saline air is always good.

My blogging continued but I felt it was mundane at times and maybe repetitive, as I was following architectural stories or food shows or other topics like reading. I am a slow reader and I have several books on the go and I have not started reading the Obama biography, A Promised Land, though I am looking forward to it.

So the year is coming to an end and all we can hope for and I have reasons to be optimistic is better days ahead. On the Eve of 2020 I wondered what will it bring, on the Eve of 2021 I can only believe that no matter what happens, it has to be better.

Great Weather

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2020, Christmas, Holidays, life, World

If 2020 for a lot of people all around our planet was a disaster year full of frustrations and disease, countless death, terrible natural disaster. This pandemic was a reminder that we are not immortal and that technology cannot solve all our consumer society problems. Many political leaders around the world have failed miserably preferring to delay and dither on what to do and focus their energy on businesses instead of public health. Now as the year ends vaccination campaigns have started and I like many others wait for my turn to get the shot.

Let us hope that 2021 will be a better year for all of us.

On CBC radio on Sunday Paolo Pietro Paolo is the host of a show devoted to classical music with a segment about forgotten composers who left beautiful compositions. Because it is the end of the year he also had his list of famous musicians and singers who died this year. He always includes artists from all around the world, from Iran, India, Poland, Italy, France, England, etc.. in the end he focuses on Canadian artists. Making us reflect on the contribution all these people made to our lives.

Today is another beautiful day, sunny and somewhat cold, no snow. Christmas day was so warm that people I know went swimming in the Ocean, it was that warm and little wind. Now that is something to talk about in future years. But with climate change I think we are in for more warmish winters. Our past Summer was hot and humid, another first for the Island and in continued into the Fall. It has been so warm, that some days we simply cut off the heat in the house and I have not brought out the big Winter wool covers. I am not complaining I much prefer a Northern European Style Winter to a Frosty Snowy Canadian one.

In our trip to Fredericton N.B. last Fall we noticed how many well stocked fine grocery stores there are. Recently I discovered that you can even get Caviar. A company called Acadian Caviar farms Sturgeons and sell the eggs and the meat, this is wonderful. WWW. ACADIAN-STURGEON.COM , this fish is quite large and given that the supply in Russia has petered out due to overfishing, other countries have developed their own. I know Iran produces very good caviar. In the Maritime Provinces several fishers have developed a market for specialty fish.

Quiet days indeed as the year ends and I really don’t mind it.

Buggy rides on Water street

A good time

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Canada, Christmas, cuisine, Elizabeth II, Food, ice cream, life

We had a good Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Luncheon with friends.

The 24 Dec was a simple affair of a few friends came to say hello and exchange good wishes. We served home made sausage roll made from the meat of English Banger sausage and using a recipe of Nigel Slater we made puff pastry stuffed with British Stilton Cheese served pipping hot, with a glass of bubbles its a great little bite. He also made small pastry stars mixed with parmesan and served hot. They are very good and of course while we were not looking our Nicky managed to grab a couple. He loves cheese, so does Nora but she is not as bold as he is.

Today’s Luncheon, Will borrowed a great recipe for Tourtiere which came very close to my Mom’s, it was delicious. We also had a turkey breast, Brussel’s sprouts roasted, carrots and roasted small potatoes. We started the meal with Red Sockeyed Wild Pacific Salmon with capers and dill. Our dessert was Plum Pudding Flambé which had a good flame this year and instead of the usual hard sauce, Will made Nesselrode Chesnut Ice Cream, it was a big hit with our guests. It was the great French Chef Carême who invented this dessert in honour of the Russian/German Diplomat and Chancellor of the Russian Empire Count Karl Robert Nesselrode in 1814 after Napoleon’s final defeat.

The tradition of the Christmas day message goes back to 1928 when King George V, the grandfather of the Queen did the first broadcast. As Queen of Canada the message of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is carried on the Nation’s airwaves of the CBC at 3pm. This year unlike any other year the Queen is in Windsor Castle due to the pandemic.

It was also very warm today in Charlottetown, 50F which is unheard of and shows how climate change is really changing the world around us, normally it should be near zero or below zero and snow should be covering the ground, not so this year.

End of the year coming soon

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barber, Canada, covid, Health, life, PEI, postal service, XMAS

Today I got a hair cut from Jared who is probably one of the best barbers in Charlottetown. I use to go to a traditional barber, old school type who is very popular with politicians and regular guys. His shop is very well known and he is a very pleasant fellow. However it was not exactly what I was looking for and noticed his staff were indifferent in general unless you were a local celebrity or somebody’s cousin. I got to know my current barber Jared through the gang of Receiver Coffee Co. a local coffee shop which caters to a more cosmopolitan crowd and has a progressive outlook on life. In fact when we first arrived in PEI almost 5 years ago, we went to have coffee at Receiver which had just opened as a new business. From that point we met other people and Jared was part of that group. Though at the time he was a photographer and his work caught my eye. He has a real talent for composition and light and his work is dramatic and beautiful. He then branched out into cutting hair but decided that he should go study in London UK for it at one of the more famous schools. His girlfriend is also a photographer and does art photography, she has a lot of talent.

We also have as of January a new family doctor. Our current doctor who is on maternity leave called to ask if we would consider going to his new practice which is half of her old practice in the same office. We know the new doctor and he is very nice and has a professional and easy manner with people, so we agreed to switch. You have to know that in PEI not everyone has a family doctor, in fact some 5600 have no family doctor and have to go either to a community clinic or the hospital for care, so we are privileged. This is a new factor in Canada with one generation of medical doctors retiring and insufficient numbers coming on stream.

I noticed today that we have been receiving Xmas cards in the mail but the stamps are not cancelled. I know that the volumes of mail in Canada are very high, delivery right now is 7 days a week. Maybe they are just pushing it through and making sure it gets delivered. That is ok because some people re-used uncancelled stamps and sent cards to people.

Well we are almost finished with the Xmas decorations, just a few small details to attend to now, can do this tomorrow. Now we are waiting for the Friday conference by our Chief Medical Officer for PEI, Dr Morrison and the Premier Dennis King to tell us if some of the lockdown will be lifted. Looks like it might, no new cases and everything looks pretty calm now and also vaccination has started on PEI so it’s all good news. Heather Arsenault a front line worker at a seniors home was the first to get the Pfizer shot. Fingers crossed it all works out. At any rate we have plans to either be quiet for Xmas at home or maybe invite a few close personal friends over. It’s all up in the air…

Every year I get to put the Star on our tree, an old tradition, it is the original star of 1979, always the same which has been carefully preserved through all the years.