I have ventured to the Yukon! Connie and I have joined Greg Johnson and his Camera Adventure tour.
We travelled to Whitehorse, Yukon yesterday on the 9th via Vancouver from Regina. Pretty uneventful flight and relatively short.
We checked into the Sternwheeler Inn for a couple days. The rest of the group arrives by midnight tonight and the tour starts tomorrow.
Today, we ventured to the MacBride Museum to gain some knowledge about the history of the area, gold mining, Sam McGee, Alaskan Highway (created due to Japan bombing Pearl Harbour as Whitehorse became a US military post) and we tried on some Klondike and NWMP costumes! We were looking good!
Had a light lunch of London Fogs and pizza then a little retail therapy was needed but we remained in control as we have very little space after packing all of our camera gear.
Played around with our cameras waiting for the rain to disappear then went for a little hike at Miles Canyon. It was beautiful and gave us a little taste of what is to come we believe!
Supper was enjoyed at the Klondike Rib and Salmon which was excellent! We will visit there again.
Tomorrow will be a big day of going to an animal preserve and going to the Fox Bay Retreat. Later!
The day started with a rude awakening as the alarms went at 2 am (6 pm Thursday night at home) so we could make 230 breakfast and 3 am departure.
We had one traveller who may have slept through the alarm, but all was good as that possibility was built into the schedule.
I went to knock on the traveller’s door and found the door open and unlocked. I knocked and called a name. I turned the light on and saw golf clubs and heard a voice that didn’t match any of our travellers’ voices. Oops. I used the wrong rooming list and opened some stranger’s door 🥴 as it was unlocked. I made a hasty retreat down the hallway.
The Malaga airport was surprisingly large and very busy for 330 am. We said goodbye to our Matthew and scooched through security. The 2.5 hr flight to Paris seemed pretty short as many of us caught some shuteye.
Our travellers ❤️ Every trip YGTravellers have embarked on brings new discoveries. We like to travel, but always come back to the idea that we live in the best place on earth – as long as the election on Monday goes the “right” way 😘 Each traveller always brings something unique to the trip
Ben. The quiet, lone male on our trip. He easily could have cancelled and choose not to travel with the bevy of women, but he soldiered on with the gentle smile on his face. He was always game to try to new food whether it be octopus, calamari, gazpacho or anything else that were considered leftovers. I felt bad for him for when we finally landed in Madrid after our 22 hr trek to arrive. We had lunch and he ordered a full meal and enjoyed every morsel. “It was the first full meal we had since we left home” was the phrase he used as we had been eating airline food and snacks along the way. He was always patient with posing for our group photographer, Connie, and I think he enjoyed it eventually. I hope Ben keeps his inquisitive attitude and willingness to try new experiences.
Ciara. Our quiet determined young lady who was brought up not to offend and to be respectful. On our tour, we had some not admirable behaviour from the other group. Ciara was not impressed when they choose to not wear their “whispers” (portable headphones to hear the guides). She told me they should just put their earphones in and pretend to be listening as it was really rude to the guide not to pay attention. ❤️ I also got a bang out of her when we had our giant lunch at the Spanish lady’s home yesterday. She had given us a huge bowl of lentil stew which was a lot for everyone and if you aren’t prone to liking lentils, it could be not to your liking. When the Spanish lady questioned Ciara, Ciara blushed making the lady smile broadly. I was proud of her for standing her ground, but being respectful to the host. She also encouraged the other girls in doing the trapeze. She was a good addition to our group. ❤️
Brooklyn. I really didn’t know Brooklyn before travelling other than knowing some of her family. I have never met a Williams who I haven’t enjoyed. Brooklyn definitely has the fun Williams genetics that her dad and Uncle Steven possess. She was always ready to have fun whether it was flying on the trapeze or having a giant grin zipping across the Spanish river in Toledo. Her blue lively eyes sparkled with mischief every morning and she was ready for adventure with her hearty laugh
Rozlin. She is a quiet and determined young woman. I didn’t hear one negative utterance from her all week. Always a smile on her face and wanting to soak it all in. She shared with us that her mom thinks she had the same tour director just a couple of a few years ago. I loved her enthusiasm for the scavenger hunt that the students at did in Saville. YG didn’t place first in it, but according to Roz, “We just didn’t use our data like the other teams did. They didn’t cheat, but the other teams just used technology to find things.” Solid, dependable, unflappable Roz ❤️
Jacey. She was my only returning traveller this year from 2023. Jacey is fun and understood the assignment about embracing all aspects of the trip from food and activity trials. From literally running in the scavenger hunt up and down the steep hills, jumping into the sea, doing a back flip on the trapeze, Jacey embraced!
These five students weren’t necessarily a team before the trip, but they gelled so well together, it was as if all five had known each other their entire lives.
I feel honoured as I get to keep travelling showing students, who aren’t even my students anymore, the beauty of travel. There are numerous quotes about the importance of travel, but a few have really struck a chord with me.
All who travel are not lost. The best way to really appreciate home is to experience the wonders of other places. Every place we travelled to was different from home in a good way, but home is still best.
The phrase “travel beats racism” can be interpreted in a few ways, but it generally conveys the idea that travel can help to combat prejudice and promote understanding. The phrase “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” by Mark Twain is a famous quote that expresses this sentiment. We are all people who strive for very similar ideals no matter where we live or culture we are used to experiencing.
I’m so lucky as you, the parents, trust me (and Lindsay) enough to allow us to travel with your family members. I get to travel to young people who see the world in a new light and with my friends who join us for these adventures. This was Felecia’s 4th trip with me, Lindsay’s second and Connie’s first EF tour. I’m a lucky, lucky woman to be able to share my love of travel with friends!
Last day of touring! We are doing the spirit of Andalusia today.
We left the hotel at 830 to pick up our guide. He told us we would be trying churros and the bus cheered as Connie has been wanting those babies all week and we have been having a churro drought! We cheered and the guide was surprised by our enthusiasm for churros!
We are travelling north of Malaga to farms today. We stopped in Colerma (sp?) for fresh churros. Sampling with plain, sugar and chocolate. Pretty neat to watch the lady pour the mixture into the oil and make the circle with the long piece of dough.
Olive farm. We saw the processing which is very similar to how we would take grain to the terminal dumping in the pit, augering up and getting weighed. We had a taste of pure olive oil plain and one with garlic cloves in the oil. Very good! Olive facts: 350 million olive trees
We then had a walking tour of the wee little town where we were definitely the only tourists and everyone else was a local. Very quaint, peaceful and calming which is a huge change from everywhere else we have been.
Recycling spot made into art Super busy street🥴
Lunch. Our adventure includes being invited into a home for a typical Spanish lunch for company. We started with salad with oil and vinegar and meat and cheese with bread. Then the lentil stew arrived which had hints of orange in it. We were full. Then the pork and potatoes with homemade aioli showed up 🥴Custard for dessert was eaten but everyone was definitely slowing down. Then the dessert of anise cake, coffee and quinze liquor (for the adults) was offered. It was all so good, but man alive are we full. It will be a very quiet bus back down the mountain to the beach for the last few hours of our tour.
Our little group Our little group with Matthew, our tour directorOur little group with our lunch chef
The last two days of our tour were spent without our consolidated school as they choose not to tour Gibraltar or do the Andalusia experience. Our group feels that they missed out as the last two days have been very different from the rest of the tour – minimal crowds in Gibraltar, absolutely no crowds on the farm, and the food has been delicious! We also prefer to travel with our group of 9 plus the tour director. We are built for speed with only 10 people.
Tomorrow morning will have us leaving the hotel at 3 am (7 pm home) time. Hopefully, all flights are on time so we arrive in Regina at midnight on Friday night.
It has been another good trip for YgTravellers! Stay tuned for our next adventure!
Early morning as we were off to see the monkeys at Gibraltar!
Our little group of 9 with Matthew, our tour director, left the hotel and our sister school behind behind at 730 am. We travelled to Gibraltar for 1.5 hrs. Seeing the rock from afar was picturesque with one cloud around the top.
After arriving at our meeting place, we teamed with another EF group since we were so small. What’s. small world – Balgonie was our partner! Of all of the places in the world, a town an hour away from home. There was one girl who has relatives from YG and Pangman area.
We jumped in smaller vans and went to see the view as we crawled up the rock. We saw where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet up and saw the spot that the Queen and Prince Philip stood when they were there. I wonder if they will put up a plaque for us.
Our next stop had us going into a monster cave and seeing the beautiful stalagmites set to a light and music show. After emerging from the cave, monkeys were there to enjoy and view. The monkeys are very important to Gibraltar, which has been ruled by the Moors, the Spanish and then the British. Winston Churchill said that the rock will remain British until there are zero monkeys left.
From there we went to tour the tunnel system in the big rock.
It was very interesting to see, but we could have spent more time with the monkeys.
We went for a British tapas lunch of Yorkshire pudding, shepherds pie, and fish and chips with mushy peas.
A little shopping followed where souvenirs were found with lots of monkeys and then back to the beach for a couple hours.
Our time is winding down. It’s been fun , but I think the energy is starting to be spent.
Tomorrow we tour an olive and almond farm and then prepare for our long flight home on Friday.
Today started with a city tour of Seville on the bus.
We went to the Seville City Center which was where all regions of Spain could trade. There were different stalls for each region with ceramic and shelves. Pretty neat to see as it was so huge. It was used in Star Wars movies for the all trekkies out there. Horse drawn carriages circle the centre. Vendors selling fans, castanets, and paintings. Gypsy women trying to give you rosemary and tell your fortune.
We toured the Seville Cathedral. It was questionable if we would be allowed in as they are to prepare for a mass for the Pope’s funeral since he passed when we have been travelling. It is big news worldwide, but especially in Catholic Europe. The students and most adults walked up to the top of the tower in the cathedral for an impressive view of the city of Seville.
We went for another bus ride to our final hotel in Malaga! Right on the beach! The smiles on our Ygtravellers face was awesome to see!!
Tomorrow we go to Gibraltar bright and early to see the English colony and the monkeys!
Today was an early morning with breakfast at 645 as we had to be checked out and on our way by 730.
We visited the Alhambra today and we were one of the first groups to go through today. It is a giant complex that has Arab origins where the sultan used to have over 200 wives! It used to be used for religious purposes that were transferred from different groups. Very beautiful and very complex with many Arabic influences.
The students did a scavenger hunt looking for certain monuments – trust me it was safe. They had to find monuments and take selfies with them.
We also visited an alley called Little Morocco. Spain is very close to Morocco and they sell their wares there from purses to decorative pomegranates to bookmarks. Very pretty.
We nine had a lovely lunch outside or al fresco of more Italian influences then Spanish influences with pizza, pasta and risotto with a splash of gazpacho soup.
Lindsay has been inspiring us with her dancing and photo poses. Have a peek.
She says she was trying to warm up, but I think she was just finding her groove.
I can’t believe my good luck in parents trusting me with their children in allowing me to travel with them. Our travellers have been kind, generous, PATIENT, and just over fantastic! Zero complaining. Following the rules. Zilch for drama. A little tired, but having fun!
From Granada, we took a 3 hr bus drive to Seville where we will dine tonight at Spanish time of 830 which they still consider early. Tomorrow we tour Seville and then head for the south of Spain!
Olives. Extra virgin is best. Pressed in November is best.
Pain main money making: wine, fruits and vegetables, olive oil and tourism.
Quite a bit of time riding the bus today. The countryside is very rolling with grape trees/vines (called whiskers), olive trees and almond trees. Some colorful flowers with poppies growing in the wild with lots of Russian thistle with its purple flowers. Weather is quite cool today (10 degrees Celsius). No rain yet, but the clouds are getting more built up and grey as we travel to Granada.
I spoke too soon. Going through periods of pouring rain showers. Good thing our awesome bus driver has good wiper blades.
We travelled to Consuegra to tour the Don Quixote windmills: tour of the castle and the explanations of the moat and all the intricacies of the building. Very interesting and beautiful views when we crawl the stone steps to the top of the castle. Ciara and Brooklyn were crowned knights in the demonstration! We also visited the windmills which were used for milling grain.
Spanish teenagers make cheap alcoholic drinks by mixing cheap red wine with coke. It is supposed to taste like Dr Pepper, which is very expensive here.
Our group has noticed that there is ham everywhere – hanging in huge amounts in stores, on potato chips, in croquettes that trick you into thinking it is a mozzarella stick, in thick pieces and as skinny meat at breakfast and on tapas. We haven’t seen any pork ranching (is that even what you would call it??). Where is all the ham coming from??
We have viewed many many wind turbines along with solar panels for “green” energy. It seems a shame to pollute the beautiful scenery with those contraptions.
We received the zip line company’s photos today from yesterday’s zip!
We arrived in Granada at 6 pm. We just had time for supper of a green salad with roast chicken.
Flamenco dancing! We took a little bus into the higher elevation of Granada with very narrow streets. The bus driver was incredible! We went into a cave for lack of any other word. A long narrow cave where the dancers and singers sat at one end, all of the spectators lined the length of each wall on chairs (probably 50 people) and then the dancers did the flamenco dancing up and down the alley with incredibly fast stomping feet! It was loud and vibrant. Lindsay couldn’t decide if it was the best thing ever or a Saturday Night Live skit! I saw Ben tapping his foot It was heart pounding either way!
We are only in Granada one night.
Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughs and maybe hearing a few jaw-cracking yawns are all wonderful aspects of the trip.
Tomorrow, we will explore the Alhambra! Now I must get some sleep!
Happy Easter everyone! Take a little peek at my lovely little granddaughter celebrating her first Easter!
It was raining in Madrid, but we left it behind going to Toledo, which is a wonderful, rugged little city.
First off, we visited a blacksmith shop where they created swords, knives and jewellery. It was interesting to see.
Then we visited the Cathedral of Toledo which is very old (1200) but very beautiful
From there we went to the highlight of the trip – so far- zip lining! We zipped across the Tajo River after a really long wait which is very unusual for EF, but seeing everyone’s nervous smile and elated smiles at the end was so awesome!
Had a late lunch at a food court in Toledo so the kids got their McDonald’s fix or giant burgers else – burgers that included pork chops!
Ms Roz
Drove back to Madrid for a little souvenir shopping and supper. Tonight will be our last night in Madrid and tomorrow will take us to Granada.
Connie has been taking some beautiful pics so I will try to upload as many as possible tonight.
Once again, our travellers are so good!
Lovely Ciara!Ok. I’ll do it this time 🤗Long legged JaceySweet BrooklynBen loving the swordsLindsay, group leader in trainingLet go Jacey!Our official photographer ConnieThis was from the night before. So many umbrellas!Tour director MatthewOverlooking ToledoFelecia soaking in Europe
ygtravellers 