by Rick Millikan

Hugging the coast from California to Washington, Highway 101 re-emerges north of Vancouver and continues along two spectacular projections of land. We’re eager to explore the northernmost Malaspina Peninsula on this famed highway.

After a spectacular ferry ride through Jervis Inlet, one of many fjords in this region, we disembark at Saltery Bay.  Entering its nearby Provincial Park, we walk to its rocky shoreline and crystal clear cove imagining the three-meter bronze mermaid in offshore depths welcoming ardent scuba divers.  Here and at 18 other local sites, flippered folk commune with octopi, wolf eels, red snapper, sea bass, sea lions and other finny friends.

Driving onward, often glimpsing picture-perfect panoramas of Malaspina Strait, we sweep into Powell River past blackberry-hedged homes, waterfront businesses and beachside Willingdon Park, we stop where Powell River began. Now celebrating its centennial, the original town site stretches above the pulp mill. Arts-and-crafts homes still boast large front porches, built to promote neighborliness. One of Canada’s longest continually running theatres stands beside a heritage garden. Though law-abiding, we lunch at Jailhouse Café.

Among nearby trails, several originate in the city’s northern lake area. The old-growth forest landscape around Powell, Inland and Confederation Lakes provides splendid hikes. There’s a moderate 12-km round-trip hike looping around Mount Mahoney to Confederation Lake. Inland Lake trail is so well constructed that it won a provincial handicap-access award.  Taking a brisk 13-km hike around peaceful Inland Lake surrounded in shady cottonwoods, we return ready for crab night on the arresting terrace at the vintage Tudor-style courthouse.

Beyond Powell Lake, Highway 101 winds through Wildwood, once settled by Italians and Sliammon, a Coast Salish community and on through a large swath of secondary forest.  Ultimately, the road snakes downward into Lund, where a stone monument touts its end!

Century-old Lund Hotel, one of two hotels built by Fred and Charlie Thurin, reflects this town’s beginnings and aspirations. Arriving in 1889, these brothers named this settlement after a Swedish city and attracted countrymen to farm nearby. Comfortably refurbished, this 1905 hotel reveals the region’s fine artistry. Hallways sport aboriginal stylized salmon; room murals depict west coast scenes. Understanding the artist owns a gallery downstairs, we pop in for a chat as she meticulously sculpts realistic animals from soapstone.

At the busy harbour’s edge, a water taxi office arranges shuttles to outlying islands; Nancy’s Bakery offers patio tables for sampling aromatic goodies including scrumptious cinnamon buns.  Its boardwalk links a semicircle of craft stores, eateries and outdoor sport shops renting kayaks for paddling Desolation Sound, B.C.’s largest and oldest marine park. If neither sailor nor kayaker, Lund Hotel schedules weekly cruises on Swan Spirit. Our walk continues up a stairs along a well-marked route encircling this charming town filled with creative artisans.

Just outside Lund, a huge log identifies Hurtado trailhead where we’re inspired us to amble through prime B.C. rainforest. Overhead, whispy strands of moss drape hemlock and fir branches. Insecurely rooted in this rocky terrain, evergreens often become windfall victims. We see ferns, colorful mushrooms and velvety green moss now covering decaying logs “nursing” future trees. Several orange tiger lilies bloom in dappled sunlight.

The trail skirts low-lying, poorly drained areas where skunk cabbages thrive and in springtime exude pungent perfume from yellow blossoms. Winding upward through leathery-leaved salal, we arrive on a rock bluff surrounded by coppery-barked arbutus.   Here we gaze across beautiful sparkling waters, with Savary Island’s wide sandy beaches front and center. There, long sunny days and shallows produce the warmest swimming conditions north of Mexico!  Our next getaway along Highway 101 may end with this Savary twist!

Article & photos by Lenora A. Hayman

Wow, I am standing on the private terrace of the 60th floor of my Eastside Tower suite at the new Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas overlooking the Las Vegas Strip and the Paris Resort and Eiffel Tower and gasping at the elegant white lights of the soaring Bellagio Musical fountains. The hypershooters explode 76.2 metres( 25 ft.) in the air and provide the staccato while the robotic oarsmen move side to side and front to back to provide the legato. From this height, during the day. the metal fountain spouts can be seen weaving snake-like under the crystal, clean, green water.

My 620 sq. ft. studio included a kitchenette, marble-floored bathroom with a huge shower, for 2, if you wish to shower with a friend and save water, and a Jacuzzi. Of the 5 bars in the hotel, my guilty pleasure was within The Chandelier which offers the guests 3 unique experiences on 3 floors where you are enclosed within or around the crystal beaded curtains suspended from the 3rd floor ceiling.

It was 40 degrees Celsius(104 degrees Fahrenheit) outside so the 3 pools were busy. The Boulevard Pool overlooking the strip had musical performances on the pool stage and the Bamboo Pool offered pilates and yoga sessions. A party deck overlooked the Marquee Day Club pool with cabanas set in the refreshing pool.

With my only staying 2 nights I didn’t have the opportunity to experience their Sahra Spa and Hammam. Next time I plan to try one of their 13 restaurants in the hotel and include a massage afterwards!

Nevada’s First State Park, the Valley of Fire is just 80 kms(50 miles)NE of Las Vegas and an ideal 6hr. trip with Pink Jeep Tours. Dave White, our guide, explained that the red sandstone formations creating the backdrop of the Mohave Desert appear in the sun to be on fire.

Our first stop was the First Nations Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza which sells the largest variety of fireworks in Nevada, has a casino, café, gas station and convenience store.

Driving through the 34,880 acre park we saw wind holes eroding the jagged walls and interesting, natural, rock formations resembling a cobra, an elephant, a dog, a Volkswagen and a rock precariously balancing on top of another.

The Anasazi tribe, prior to 1150AD. carved rock-graphic petroglyphs in the natural, black varnish blackboard on the rocks. The black varnish was created by the interaction of sun, water, algae, manganese and iron. Petroglyphs are incised on cliffs and pictographs are images drawn or painted, often in colour, on a rock face. The Petroglyph Canyon is in the centre of the Valley of Fire and ends at the Mouse’s Tank. At Atlatl Rock we saw many petroglyphs on the lower walls. Others in the extreme heat, climbed many steps to view the Atlatl man holding his Atlatl or stick with a hook at the end. “The Anasazi  put 2 fingers in the carved slots, laid a spear atop the Atlatl and used the extra force generated by the Atlatl’s length to propel the spear”. Apparently the thrown spears could penetrate a mammoth’s skin.

Nearby were 3, now unused sandstone cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corp(CCC) as shelters for visitors. The CCC from 1933-1942, under Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt offered to 18-25yr. old unemployed, unmarried men from families on relief, food and accommodation in a work relief program.  The men received $30 a month, $25 of which was sent to their families. In return the lads built fire look-out towers, controlled erosion and flooding and planted trees etc.

In the heat, wee antelope ground squirrels were running around using their white tails as umbrellas to shade them from the sun.

Red barrel cacti were flourishing amongst the rocks. Although their water makes you ill, the Indians hollowed them out, creating cooking pots and used the spines as needles.

Do spend time in the Visitors Bureau to watch a film on petroglyphs and learn more about desert tortoises, great horned owls and horny toads. In the office was a live chuckwalla , the 2nd largest lizard in the region at 28-50 cms (11-20 inches). When threatened, it scurries into a crack and fills its skin with a layer of air to wedge in tightly and prevent its attacker from pulling it loose.

After a day in the extreme August sun, it was a relief to relax back at the hotel in the air-conditioned casino, prior to walking over to Caesar’s Palace and its Colosseum for Celine Dion’s show. This theatre was originally built in March 2003, for 95 million dollars, for Celine Dion’s “A New Day”.  Although there are 4,300 seats, the theatre has an intimate setting since the most distant seat is only 37m.(120ft.) from the stage. Celine’s new show opened March 15, 2011 and will run from 2011-2014. Her new show began with a retrospective video-review of her world wide”Taking Chances Tour” of 25 countries including  South Africa and New Zealand and also honouring Michael Jackson and her own family of husband, older son and twin babies. Celine had many costume changes and her powerful voice sang Hollywood and romantic classics backed by a 31 piece orchestra and dancers.

I was short of time so I took the 4hr. hotel to hotel Papillon Fixed Plane Visionary Air Tour out of Boulder City for the 1hr10min. flight over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and  the Colorado River snaking through the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon West is not part of the Grand Canyon National Park but located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation “People of the Ponderosa Pine”, 120 miles east of Las Vegas. The West Rim is closer to Las Vegas that the South Rim..

Their income is derived from tourism, river rafting, cattle-ranching and folk arts such as basket weaving and doll making.

On my return to the hotel, friends David and Connie, whisked me off for lunch at  the newest Hard Rock Café on the Strip which opened Sept. 4, 2009 in the vicinity of the Monte Carlo and New York New York hotels. It has 3 floors. Buy your gifts in The Rock Shop on the 1st floor. The 2nd floor has a psychedelic bar and dining area with a patio overlooking the Strip.  Memorabilia adorn the walls including 7 pairs of  John Lennon’s glasses, Frank Sinatra’s gold-plated microphone, a Liberace jacket and a Sammy Davis Tuxedo. The 3rd floor has 3 private dining rooms, the Chapel, the Cavern Club and the Iron Curtain, a patio, oval bar and live venue concert stage, capable of entertaining 1200 people. Wedding receptions are popular here.

Each Hard Rock has a signature burger so I chose the Local Legendary honouring the mobster Bugsy Siegel. I had a generous 10 oz meat patty topped with Caprese mozzarella buffalo cheese and tomatoes with sweet potato fries and paired it with a Tropical Breeze cocktail.

After lunch, we visited Las Vegas Mob Experience at the Tropicana Hotel and learned about the Mob and “Omerta” the code of silence. Live actors interact with visitors who become “the wise guys”. James Caan was a holographic mafia narrator. In 1946 mobsters Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, Vincent :Jimmy Blue Eyes: and Bugsy Siegel launched the Flamingo Hotel as the first resort in Las Vegas. Bugsy’s limo and Lansky’s diaries are also on display.

Although my 2 night stay in Las Vegas had quickly ended , my final pleasure was the flight back to Vancouver in Business Class(Mabuhay) on Philippine Airlines that flies 4 times a week between Vancouver and Las Vegas. A glass of refreshing, velvety, French Discipulus MannyO Blanc Sauvignon paired well with my rigatoni arrabiata with thyme grilled chicken. And yes, economy is served a meal too! Now that’s better than just peanuts on other airlines!

by Keith Richardson 

Hope you enjoyed “summer.” Felt more like “fall” in lots of ways; business was off, and we hope it rebounds with the return to cool!

What was definitely cool in a good way last month was the arrival of my new middle-of-the road 21.5” iMac with OS 10.7 Lion. Thanks to Sean N at London Drugs in South Surrey-White Rock for all his assistance in the process!

I’m learning to use the systems new features with both a Magic Trackpad and a mouse. Being familiar with an iPad and its gestures has helped me to appreciate Lion’s integration of IOS and OSX. While they take some time to get used to, Launchpad and Spaces/Exposé are actually fun to learn.  “Swiping” the trackpad or mouse to move from one Safari webpage to another and back again without having to chase up to the toolbar’s back/forward arrows is so much more efficient. I’ve grown so accustomed to “natural scrolling” that when I use my Snow Leopard MacBook Pro, I wish I could do it the “new way.” I’m also having a blast with the Mac’s speech capability and the wonderful selection of natural voices from different parts of the world. By the way, the 21.5” monitor is quite big enough for my needs, and I think most folks’.

Consumers “just looking” back in mid-late August probably didn’t see Lion touted at their local London Drugs or Simply Computing stores. Apple has not been supporting these longtime resellers as they deserve. Local stores that chose to install Lion on their old stock had to purchase and download the software from the Internet just like the rest of us. Apple Stores (Vancouver, Oakridge, Richmond) of course, had a huge advantage in this respect. About the only way to see it first hand was to find a outlets lucky enough to have received new MacBook Airs.

By now, however, new iMacs and MacBook Pros with Lion pre-installed should be widely available. And for those who have slow Internet connections, Apple is now selling Lion for download from a thumb drive (at more than double the price of Internet download–but you do get a thumb drive, too ;> \

Most of us recently are more interested in the attempted invasion of our homes by criminal scammers who phone and attempt to trick us into infecting ourselves with malware and/or providing unrestricted access to our computers. Have you been hit?

According to Softpedia, quoting security researchers from antivirus vendor Sophos, these low-lifes “pose as technical support engineers working for Microsoft, Canadian telecommunication provider TELUS or other trusted companies.”

In reality, however, these cyber criminal gangs are taking advantage of extremely cheap Voice Over IP technologies that enables them to purchase local (i.e. U.S.A. or Canadian) numbers, then use call centres in south Asia to phone us, claim that our computer is sending out errors, and offer to help us fix it.

“After determining the victims’ level of technical knowledge, the callers ask them to go to a website and download a program, usually a scareware application, or instruct them on how to give them remote access to the machines through programs like LogMeIn or other software.

In addition to installing malware or scareware on our computers, the invaders also ask victims for credit card numbers and charge for the ‘assistance’ provided.”

So widespread is this incursion that ‘TELUS is warning the public to be aware and not to turn over personal information online or over the phone to anyone they don’t personally know or have verified are who they say they are, and to protect their online accounts with complex PIN numbers.’

“The scams have spread throughout all English-speaking countries including US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Users might be more vulnerable to them because it’s more difficult to dismiss a person when speaking on the phone than in online chat or email.”

“One method regularly used to convince the target that there is something wrong with their computer is to get them to open the Windows Event Viewer. (It’s especially humorous when you realize that the caller doesn’t even know you’re using a Mac!). This operating system component is likely (on a PC) to list various warnings about errors generated by applications and services. These errors aren’t necessarily critical or require any kind of action, but non-technical users are obviously not aware of that.

The rogue tech support specialists offer to install what they claim are better antivirus programs. To add credibility to their story, they often cite the names of reputable security vendors the victims might have heard of. However, the products they tout are actually rogue applications, which display fake security alerts in order to convince users to pay for useless licenses.”

Several upset clients have reported such experiences (occurring at all times of day and night!) and decried the rudeness of the callers. I have to remind them that the scum on the other end of the line are criminals. They’re NOT just being inconsiderate; they’re trying to hurt us!

Some have received repeated calls from the same numbers. Calling Telus may help— if you want to purchase their call-blocking service. However, if you have a Panasonic handset AND have contracted withTelus for Call display, consult the phone’s manual to learn how to block up to 30 nuisance callers without paying an extra charge.

Under no circumstances try to engage these crooks. Just hang up and figure out how to block them. If you do pick up, wait a couple of seconds before speaking. When the robot on the other end fails to hear a voice, it will likely terminate the call itself.

For more from Softpedia on this, google “Cold Call Tech Support Scams Increasingly Common”.

Feel free to check out www.macseniors.ca for back issues of this column.

By Chris Millikan

BOARD-WALKING AMID TENT-CONDOS

The short ferry ride crossing Howe Sound from Horseshoe Bay proves a relaxing start to our whirlwind road trip along BC’s scenic Sunshine Coast.

Our stop in historic Gibson’s Landing reveals founder George Gibson, whose statue surveys the pretty harbour where he came ashore in 1886 when his ketch Swamp Angel blew off course. Sipping coffees at celebrated Molly’s Reach, my husband and I fondly recall shenanigans staged in this eatery throughout the long-running Beachcombers television show. Minutes later, we discover Persephone, its workhorse salvage boat on the adjacent corner.

Many are attracted to this area’s dynamic art scene. Road signs trumpet artisans working in glass, fabric, clay, gems, wood, stone and paint. Others, like us, tramp into this coast’s evergreen forests. Along Chapman Creek trail we encounter whimsical faces on fallen logs and stumps, charming wood spirits carved by an anonymous artist over twenty-five years ago. At Davis Bay we stroll the promenade to its landmark wooden pier, watch anglers catch sand dabs, bullheads and Dungeness crab…and imagine kite flyers, sandcastle builders and swimmers filling the sandy beach in summer.

Just up the road, Sechelt is festooned with soaring clan totems, named for the Shishalh band. We enjoy strolling a waterfowl conservation park at Sechelt Marsh before lunching at a pub overlooking sparkling Porpoise Bay.  Awaiting halibut and chips, the manager points out the water activities entice visitors to stay in the unique lodgings here, grinning, “…no hotel chains ’round here!”  Afterward we bask in million dollar views from our welcoming B&B above magnificent Sechelt Inlet

Savouring gourmet breakfasts, we continue to Halfmoon Bay for more hikes and a swim.  Over luscious seafood dinners, our hostess describes how today’s Rockwater Resort evolved from an early fishing lodge by adding this fine restaurant, upgrading cabins and creating breathtaking hillside, ocean view tent-houses linked by forest boardwalks. She whispers, “Joni Mitchell stayed in cabin 11, composing a new album while her nearby home was built.”

Off again next morning, we wind through Pender Harbor, Madeira Park and Ruby Lake to the peninsula’s northern tip. Some hike the trail from Egmont to the formidable tidal rapids at Skookumchuck Narrows, but we cruise from its docks into royally named fjords, deep U-shaped trenches carved by glaciers ten thousand years ago.

CHAPMAN CREEK CARVINGS

Captain Tim highlights points of interest during 30-nautical-miles up Jervis Inlet. Seals snoozing on a tiny island prompts discussion of their envious diet. “Only deep-water fish like lingcod live here,” he notes. White-shelled oysters lie strewn along the low-tide shoreline, numerous blue buoys mark prawn traps and distant floats identify a fish farm.

In Princess Royal Reach, Soda Creek’s cascading Falls electrify us with sheer vertical force; within minutes we sight red pictographs on a rock face, perhaps marking an ancient fishing spot. Surefooted natives once scaled these craggy slopes, hunting goats by chasing them over steep cliffs…

A narrow passage allows entry into spectacular Princess Louisa Inlet where snowy peaks and dozens of silvery waterfalls surround us. We learn that Princess Louisa Marine Park was ‘a gift from Mac.’ Homesteader James MacDonald passed his remote property to the preservation society he created and ultimately to the province, protecting it in perpetuity.

Docking alongside two sailboats and a floatplane, we gaze in wonder at the many scarlet jellyfish undulating in crystal waters below. A woodsy trail leads us through towering cedars to a sandy point where we investigate famed Chatterbox Falls up close, finding its thundering waters more a roar than a chatter!

Homeward bound amid sunny scenery, we reflect on life along the laid-back Sechelt Peninsula, wishing for additional time there!

Michael Dangeli at Aboriginal Potlatch Supper, VCC.

Article & photos by Lenora A. Hayman.

The Canadian Culinary Federation Convention for Cooks and Chefs (CCFCC) in Vancouver from 10-16 June 2011, included promoting both nationally and internationally,Canadian Aboriginal and Métis cuisine.

On Monday evening, the public were hosted by Chef Ben Genaille, his Vancouver Community College Aboriginal Culinary class and the College’s other culinary class to an Aboriginal Potlatch Supper. Chef Ben Genaille was born in Russell, Manitoba and has honed his fine-dining culinary skills at Le Crocodile, Piccolo Mondo and the Mandarin hotel, now called the Metropolitan .Ben was the Chef Educator at the Northwest Community College in Terrace BC prior to joining the faculty at the Vancouver Community College. After 12 months of full-time training, not only shall we see his grads working in hotel kitchens, restaurants and cruise ships but also their skills will showcase elegant Aboriginal cuisine.

While co-leaders Michael Dangeli and Mique’l Askren and the Git Hayetsk dance group(“People of the Copper Shield” whose ancestoral villages are located in Southeast Alaska) entertained us, wearing huge transformation masks, we gourmet-grazed carrying cedar plank plates, amongst bountiful tables. The bubbly Eau Vivre Gewurztraminer and Tangled Vines 3 Blancs paired well with the traditional smoked salmon with parsnip dumpling and pumpkin sauce. The lemon intensity of the Haywire Pinot Gris was appropriate with the spot prawns poached in a bentwood box with sweet onion and garlic cream. Two BC wines were matched with each of the courses. There were spiced seafood cakes with corn puree and dandelion salad, smoked trout, apple salad young cress, rabbit sausage, King oyster ragout and blueberry pine nut chutney. The Raven Ridge Ice Cider and Tugwell Mead made from honey was a nice touch with the cinnamon bannock fritters with brown sugar and cranberry sauce.

On Wednesday, at the Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside, Chef Andrew George, the instructor at the Métis  Skills and Education Centre’s Culinary Arts Program in Abbotsford with his team and students displayed their talents with a Métis  Nation Luncheon.

Andrew George Jr. was born in Smithers B.C. and did the Core/Short order, Institutional Camp Cooking at the Vancouver Vocational Institute( now the Vancouver Community College)  and also the BCIT Apprenticeship program. He was the head grill cook at the First Nations Restaurant in the Expo’86 Folk Life Pavilion and worked at the Chateau Whistler Resort and the Vancouver Four Seasons Hotel.

In 1992 Andrew George and 4 others were the first Native Canadian Haute Cuisine team to  compete in the World Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany. After his students complete the 16 week program, they can apply for an entry-level position or apprenticeship in the food service industry.

Eight food stations featured large Pacific Sardines grilled with garlic and olive oil served on a crostini and micro greens with a 5 citrus sauce reduction and a Pacific North West Potlatch Feast of pan seared scallops, arctic char, halibut, oyster and local prawns finished with a bouillabaisse style broth served with rice and seaweed. There were also musk ox and braised rabbit wraps, a wild game charcutterie station with game sausage, buffalo pemmican, pates and terrines. The pan seared pacific tuna was served on a baby dandelion, watercress salad with water chestnuts.  The stir fry of venison was tender and served on noodles. Also offered were clam fritters, juniper duck canapés and a field berry bannock cobbler with sabayon and whipped soapallie berries. The New Zealand Two Islands Sauvignon Blanc with its gooseberry and grassy flavour was a fitting accompaniment.

Honey Tomma & Beverly Saul at Raven's Landing, Klahowya Village, Stanley Park.

I was delighted to hear that from May16- Sept11, 2011 the Aboriginal Summer Klahowya Village in Stanley Park with their artisans, dance performers and story telling had returned for a 2nd year.

I boarded the Spirit Catcher train for the 13 minute journey into the Stanley Park forest and the narration of the  Aboriginal story of “How the Raven Saved the Sun”with help from his friends.As we chugged along, actors portrayed the Evil Chief, Princess Klahowya, Lil’ Bear, Wise Frog and Eagle in a version of the myth.

In the beginning the world was completely dark. A pure, white raven(trickster)  transformed himself into a hemlock needle which Princess Klahowya, the daughter of the evil chief, swallowed while drinking from the stream. She gave birth to the Evil Chief’s grandchild who persuaded him to open his bentwood boxes, one of which held the sunlight. The grandchild transformed himself back to a raven, tossed the sun through the smoke-hole in the ceiling and he too escaped through that opening. However the raven’s feathers were scorched and today the raven has remained black.

Greg Witzky, Beverly Saul and her daughter Honey Tomma, from Chase BC, run the Raven’s Landing feast house at Klahowya Village. Raven’s Landing was named after Raven, (the brother of Honey and son of Beverly and James Tomma), who unfortunately died on April 17, 2009. James Tomma, in honour of his son, etched Raven’s profile on their sign and Beverly and Honey’s T-shirts show the broken wings of a raven signifying Raven’s flight as an angel towards heaven.

In 1995 Beverly Saul trained in the  Malaspina College Culinary Arts Program (now the Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island) and in 1996 progressed to the Commercial Baking Program. Greg Witzky and Beverly Saul operate the 100% First Nation owned Pierre’s Point Campground, bordering Shuswap Lake, 7.7 kms W. of Salmon Arm on the Trans-Canada Highway.

Beverly explained that bannock dough must rest awhile to rise and become lighter prior to frying or baking. I ate a delicious BBQ’d salmon bannock while other tourists were enjoying buffalo bannock, bannock hot dogs and sweet potato fries. Bannock also known as fry bread is now a Canadian food  thanks to the Scottish fur traders who introduced the baking powder type of scone. Eating a warm, deep-fried piece of bannock dipped in cinnamon and sugar is a good place to start learning about another culture.

All 4 photos by Lenora A. Hayman

by Keith Richardson 

As I wrote this in mid-July (clad as if for mid-September!), Apple still hadn’t released its newest Mac operating system, Lion. Macophiles were starting to feel like those folks who prepared for the end of the world a couple of months back, as one by one, predictions of the release date dried up and predictors’ credibility blew away.

But arrive it did—on the very last day that I could submit the column. I can’t give you my impressions of Lion yet, but will share some observations made by an expert who had access to the advance release. As Arte Johnson on Laugh-in used to say, “Vaayrie intereshting!”

The reviewer, Paul Thurrott, writes a blog called ‘supersite for WINDOWS.’ Why is he reviewing an Apple release? Let him explain. “I’m not a Mac guy, though unlike some of my cohorts in the Windows community, my interest in the other side of the fence isn’t a recent, trendy affectation: I’ve had one or more Macs here for testing and comparison purposes since the first release of Mac OS X in 2001. I’ve owned dozens of Macs, and Apple devices, used (and written about) every single version of Mac OS X and iOS that’s ever appeared. And while I appreciate the disdain which some readers here may have for Apple’s products, I’ll remind everyone that you can’t fully understand what Microsoft is and is not doing in its own OS products unless you understand the competition as well…. With Lion, Apple has again raised the bar, making it more important than ever that Microsoft do the same with Windows 8, due next year.”

Lightly sprinkled with snide reflections on Apple and Macs, Thurrott’s review reveals cautious respect for the Cupertino giant’s ingenuity and innovations. He especially extolls the iPad and its operating system (iOS) from which Apple’s engineers have borrowed liberally in their development of Lion. “It’s impossible to look at the iPad in particular and not immediately wish that your PC (or Mac) exhibited some of its better bits of functionality: Faster performance, including boot time. Instant on with resume. Multi-touch gestures. Simple, full-screen user experiences. An integrated App Store, tied to an online account with liberal app install rights. Auto save, both in the OS (open windows and so on) and in each app (auto data save). And app auto-resume, so that when you close and reopen an app, it goes right back to where you were the last time.”

He goes on to detail how these “great, high-level ideas” have now been integrated into Lion, “resulting in what is both the best version of Mac OS X yet and, for perhaps the first time ever, the first Mac OS X upgrade that is arguably more than just evolutionary.”

In praising Lion’s “app resume” (start from wherever you left off after quitting an app), “auto save, and versions” (ability to choose from several versions of a project that Lion auto saves), Thurrott is effusive: “Apple has taken functionality that existed previously elsewhere, made it easier to use and…created something both new and different…in this case, just plain better. These features, in tandem with resume and other apps improvements, give Lion a measurable edge over Windows right now in terms of underlying apps functionality.”

Thurrott  takes a few shots at Lion as well. In discussing changes to apps that Mac come preloaded with, he carps, “On the flip side, Apple continues to bork up some UIs with unnecessary and, I think, detrimental ornamentations that resemble real world objects. So the Address Book app continues to look sort of like a paper-based address book, even though few of Lion’s users have ever even seen such a thing [I guess he’s not so conversant with of OUR generations]. And now iCal [Apple’s calendar program]  is marred by a similar effect, creating yet another app in OS X that looks and feels nothing like other apps or user interfaces.” He also severely derides, on looks alone, Apple’s Launchpad feature which makes your Mac’s desktop resemble an iPad screen.

In his “Final Thoughts,” however, Thurrott recommends that Mac users upgrade from Snow Leopard (though he makes no mention of  what we may have to give up in making the switch—a topic highly debated by long-time Mac users and something that up-graders of all OS have to grapple with). He praises Apple for trying to harmonize the user experience on Macs and iPads. His final paragraph is worthy of repeating:

“Lion, overall, is in great shape. Where I’ve generally derided Apple for over-pimping its largely evolutionary OS X updates over the years, Lion shows that there’s some life left yet in the Mac OS X side of the house. This isn’t just a collection of minor updates and refinishes. It’s a step away from the norm, finally, after a decade of steady and largely boring minor revisions. I’m excited to see where they take OS X next. “

We’ll keep you posted on OUR experience with Lion—the inevitable glitches found with any new OS, and, we hope, the satisfaction of having lived long enough to see another chapter unfold in the magic of computing!

by Keith Richardson

Summer’s here; enjoy our beer; be safe not sorry, and full of cheer!

If last month was full of speculation, prediction, and anticipation (and, for Canucks fans, dejection), July is full of curiosity and experimentation—particularly for those of us upgrading or switching to new Macs. Apple’s latest version of Operating System X (OS ten)—10.7, aka ‘Lion’—debuts on new Macs, bringing with it, Apple claims, over 250 new features including Multi-Touch gestures, Mission Control, full-screen apps, and Launchpad, all of which it claims challenge “the accepted way of doing things…” and “change the way you use a computer.” Check for details at apple.com/ca.

Among the most significant changes for many of us will be a shift in our means of interfacing with the computer. In simple language, many users will move away from the mouse and adopt the trackpad—which they will operate in a variety of ways depending upon how many fingers they employ and how they use them (collectively known as multitouch gestures). You’ll still be able to use the mouse, but even there, you’ll likely use it and the keyboard differently. And with the growing intimacy between Nuance (speech control) and Apple, look for more vocal interface opportunities, too. If you’ve used an iPad, you’ve already been introduced to this new way of doing things.

Launchpad in OS 10.7 will remind iPad users of the way they view apps on that device.

Writing this in June, I could only watch the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) online video and drool—or gasp, wondering if all these changes are really desired—and prepare to purchase, this month, a new Lion-equipped Mac. Gotta keep up with the clients, you know.

Oh, we can install Lion on our existing Macs provided they have Intel Core 2 duo (or newer) processors and they’re already running the previous OS, 10.6.7 (Snow Leopard). However, we can’t waltz into our nearest Apple store/“reseller” and purchase a disk to take home and install. No, we’ll have to download Lion over the Internet, after buying it from Apple’s “App Store.” At nearly 4GB, we’d better have a fast Internet connection! Shaw estimates that a 1.5 GB movie downloads for regular High Speed users in about 25 minutes. You do the math….

Some observers are predicting that Apple is a little ahead of itself here is eschewing software on disks, and that it will break down and make an installation disk available when they find out we’re not all as swift and comfortable with downloading as Apple engineers are. I’m not so sure; the MacBook Air used to demonstrate the new system at the WWDC doesn’t have a disc reader built in—just as Macs since 1998 have not have drives for floppy disks (remember them?). As Internet speeds increase, we’ll reach a point soon where installing something from a disc will be slower than downloading it from the ‘net….

The good news, Mac lovers, is that Lion will cost less than $35 including HST, AND we can install it on all machines we have “authorized.” Now, that’s a bargain. Plus, unlike some other OS’s, there’s only one version whether we’re home or business users. Of course, if we purchased a new Mac since the June 6th announcement but before its release, Lion is a free download.

Looking relatively spry in his surprise appearance at the WWDC, ailing Apple CEO Steve Jobs made two more significant announcements. “This fall” Apple will release the next iteration of the operating system used in iPods, iPads, and iPhones. iOS 5 promises over 200 new features. Most notable for both newcomers and those upgrading, devices running iOS 5 will be PC-free, meaning that you won’t have to own a separate computer in order to set up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch!

Other features we find intriguing: Newsstand, which enables us to subscribe to magazines on our iPads—with all the benefits of computerization over print; a great Reminders app, a Safari browser that more closely resembles it’s Mac version (featuring tabbed browsing; Safari Reader, which allows us to crush the clutter of webpages; and Reading List, which lets us easily mark websites we want to look at later). There are lots more interactive features that seniors may be less inclined to take advantage of: Twitter, PhotoStream and photo editing, Game Center, AirPlay mirroring for iPad 2, and more. But I’ll bet that some of us will try a few of these novelties, just to wow the grandkids….

Jobs also stated that Apple is dropping its MobileMe $100/year subscription service for Apple Mail and facility for synchronizing email, calendar, address books and online photo galleries on various “devices,” and replacing it with iCloud, a free service. iC will also enable subscribers to store/backup, wirelessly, at Apple’s “server farms” located in various parts of the US, other files including photos and music. Of course, companies like Google have been offering similar services for some time, though not, perhaps, on the scale that iCloud promises. (Though no sooner do we think such a thought than the competition ups its ante—such is the high-tech world we either live in or watch from the sidelines!)

So, we’ll learn more about iOS 5 and iCloud” in the fall.” This month, as MacSeniors begins its seventh year(!), I’ll be putting out to pasture my old G5 iMac (still working great even without a built in camera, or Intel processor), and trying to wrangle a new herd of broncos with new harness. (If you don’t understand this allusion, you are probably NOT a senior).

I’m looking forward to the changes. I think. Ask me more about them next month! And read the expanded Chat in Today’s Senior online (www.todaysseniornewsmagazine.com).

By Chris Millikan

At the turn of the 20th-century, Antonio Gaudi and other Catalan architects created inventive, fanciful and flamboyant structures in Barcelona.  Before cruising to other southern European ports aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam, we ramble among these glorious   legacies.

Three master pieces near Catalunya square interpret modernist design differently, suggesting competition to locals who nickname this area Apple of Discord. Amid Montaner’s Morera House and Cadafalch’s Amatller House we sight Batllo House, said to be purely Gaudian. With flowing sculpted stonework, arched rooflines and rounded features, its broken mosaic wall tiles sparkle greenish-blue and golden orange in the morning sun. Our interest piqued, we locate other renowned works.

Casa Mila aka La Pedrera dominates another block. Completed in 1912, this apartment block’s spectacular rippled façade curves smoothly ‘round the street corner; tiered wrought-iron balconies resemble a series of waves. Without straight lines, this building proves even more unconventional than Casa Batllo. Walls rest against arches and pillars supporting ceilings of varying heights. Apartments surround central courtyards, one circular and the other oval.

Hopping a bus for Park Guell, our Sunday walk in this magical public park begins along footpaths winding among Mediterranean landscapes and under arcades created with columns mimicking tree trunks. Inside the Gaudi Museum, his home from 1906-1926, his whimsical art nouveau furniture, lighthearted sketches and architectural models bedazzle us.

From the Gran Placa Circular aka main terrace, we sight two delightful fairytale pavilions sprouting fanciful roofs and brightly tiled pinnacles…and beyond, sweeping vistas of Barcelona. An incredible serpentine mosaic bench borders this lively plaza. Apparently Gaudi created its curvaceous seats using buttock imprints left by a naked workman sitting in wet clay! We try them out as a guitar trio fills the air with jazz and once rested, visit artisans’ selling wares from blankets shaded by umbrellas.

A cellist’s soothing notes entice us into the hall of columns just below. Resplendent in the sun, a mosaic dragon playfully embraces a trickling fountain near the main entrance, where the underground whisks us to Gaudi’s most celebrated masterwork.

La Sagrada Familia’s elaborate Gothic pinnacles, columns and arches soar skyward. Statuary recounting Christian lore adorns spectacular undulating surfaces. This monumental church of the Holy Family accommodates 10,000 worshippers and 1,300-voice choir. The interior suggests a forest in shades of green, in tune with Gaudi’s overarching natural themes. After dedicating 44 years to this massive project, Gaudi died with only one quarter finished. Scheduled completion in 2026 coincides with the centennial of his untimely death.

Southward, Casa Calvet was built a few blocks off La Rambla for textile manufacturer Pere Calvet. Gaudi’s most conventional house and the only one of his designs receiving an award: Barcelona’s Building of the Year in 1900. According to scholars, such symmetry, balance and order are unusual in his plans.

At a crossroads of narrow medieval streets stands a marvelous concert hall. Palau de la Musica Catalana, Montaner’s opulent red brick palace of music drips with rich ornamentation: elaborate floral motifs, tile work and statuary.

In La Ribera district we pass gothic palaces with huge arched doorways and Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona’s magnificent 14th-century cathedral. Five adjoining palaces make up Museo Picasso where 35,000 permanent pieces of Pablo Picasso’s work include his first major paintings and earliest notebooks revealing his developing artistic flair.

In the Raval district we encounter Palau Guell, a gothic mansion Gaudi created for Eursebi Guell, his great patron. Frequently used for social, literary and artistic gatherings, glittering receptions held there during the 1888’s International Exposition spread word of Gaudi’s genius.

Sampling Barcelona’s celebrated cityscapes kick off ten enchanted days of European sightseeing!

When You Go:

*Holland America offers summer European cruise itineraries; five springtime sailings explore the Caribbean. Possibilities: http://www.holandamerica.com/Main.action

ladamerica.com/main/Main.action

Story and photographs by:

Ursula Maxwell-Lewis

WENDAKE, QUEBEC:  A Huron-Wendat woman drummer wends her way between the Sagamité Restaurant brunch tables.  Today- Mother’s Day – she has been given special permission to drum. Traditionally, drumming is exclusively a male role in the Nation. Thump. Thump. The ancient sound is strangely unobtrusive – a subliminal reminder of time and place underlying the buzz of family chatter.  Occasionally she pauses, encouraging children to inspect her white hand drum. My bright-eyed 7-year-old prairie grandson, Kaden, would have been there in a drumbeat. Eventually she wanders upstairs to greet visitors on the reception level of the four-star First Nations Hotel-Museum.

Nibbling on sturgeon, turbot, eel, a selection of hot entrees and an array of local cheeses, I admire the golden warmth of the massive timbers and totems.  Full-length windows frame a grove of silver birches edging the racing St Charles River (also known as Akiawenrahk meaning “the river of a thousand meanders”) a safe distance away.  I also note the $27 brunch price-tag (regularly $23). That’s a far cry from the cost of Mother’s Day brunches in BC’s Lower Mainland.

An easy drive north of Quebec City, the obviously thriving Aboriginal tourism and interpretive complex    is clearly a source of pride in this well-run urban reserve. A quick room tour with Danisse Neashit, the hotel Marketing Coordinator, reveals airy spacious rooms capitalizing on the sight and sound of the rushing river beyond.  Beaver pelts and signature wool blankets on the beds together with classic dream catcher signify a different space and place.

Capitalizing on an expanded interpretive core structure smokehouse and long house design, the street side of the hotel is windowless to emphasize the impact of nature lavishly profiled at the back. Wisely the Band Council has not only encouraged and supported the collecting and assembling of hotel museum artifacts, but has clearly encouraged incentive, employment, and training for locals resulting in a waiting list for houses.

Young guides were not only well informed, but obviously proud of their impressive heritage.  While the history is treasured, techno-savvy Tourism and Marketing Coordinator, Jason Picard-Binet, showed off the new free Wendake apps on his iPad via free hotel Wi-Fi.

Another first for the Huron-Wendat Nation will be the staging of Shakespeare’s The Tempest by Robert Lepage (EX MAHINA) in the Wendake amphitheatre near the St. Charles River throughout July.

Near the hotel (easily reached via a well used bike and jogging path) is Kabir Kouba Falls. This year’s run-off is particularly stunning pounding down 42 metres onto the rocks of the Canadian Shield. Footpaths in the Parc de la Falaise along the river. The nearby woods house rich plant life, and (so I’m told) fossils dating back over 455 million years.

Historically, the Huron-Wendat of Wendake (formerly called the Hurons of Lorette) hailed from the Georgian Bay region. In 1634 the Huron numbered between 20,000 and 30,000 people. However, by 1650, wars with the Iroquois, French and British reduced the population to a few hundred souls. It was only in 1697 that they finally settled in their current location, the village of Lorette, which until recently was called the Huron Village.

While my heart is with my children and grandsons on the other side of this great land, the history and determination of a people who have proudly overcome much adversity touches me. Since motherhood is synonymous with birth, teaching, and strength, Wendake seems an appropriate place to celebrate Mother’s Day.

More information go to www.bonjour-quebec.com  andwww.wendake.com

Ursula Maxwell-Lewis is a freelance writer and founding editor of the Cloverdale Reporter News, She was introduced to this region by www.quebecregion.com

Article & photos by Lenora A. Hayman.

The Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival from March 28-April 3, 2011 had something for everyone, with 62 events showcasing 177 wineries from 15 countries.

This year wines from Spain took centre stage and the Global Focus was the fortified wines of Sherry, Port and Madeira.

Joey Bentall One at 507 Burrard St.opened the week with Chef Jason Koningen’s team offering a pairing of Spanish and Fortified wines with tapas in their long bar and wine room. On the wall behind the bar was an Enomatic wine- tasting machine that held 2 dozen different bottles that electronically dispensed 1oz, 3oz and 5oz pours of wine. The remaining wine in the bottle does not spoil for 30 days.

The Telmo Rodriguez “Basa” Vino Blanco, Rueda 2009, a white wine with grapefruit and green apple overtones, paired well with the Entrefino sheep’s milk Manchego cheese which was nutty and buttery.

A luncheon at Coast Restaurant on 1054 Alberni St. was hosted by Maria Martinez-Sierra, the head winemaker at Spain’s Bodegas Montecillo winery, owned by the Osborne family in Rioja, the province and autonomous community of Northern Spain and one of Spain’s most famous wine producing areas. Maria Martinez-Sierra uses only Tempranillo grapes and only when the quality is good enough. Hence not every year.

Chef Dennis Peckham paired a rib-eye wrapped Ahi Tuna Israeli cous cous, piquillo peppers, roasted tomato and braised artichoke with the deep red Montecillo Reserva 2006. It’s aged 18 months in French oak with cherry and citrus peel flavours. Five wines were poured to compare the subtlety with the roasted lamb loin ragout of Nova Scotia lobster, potato gnocchi, glazed carrots and lamb jus. The Montecillo Gran Reserva Seleccion Especial 1981 had been aged 42 months in Bordeaux-style French oak casks giving it concentrated flavours of blackberries, licorice and woodnotes. However the Montecillo Gran Reserva Seleccion Especial 1975 was aged 48 months in the French oak casks, and was a deep-brick red colour, smooth, silky and intense and will be $143.95 a bottle when listed in BC! The beauty of the wine festival is we are able to taste wines not yet available in BC!

In the evening at Joe Fortes Restaurant Roof Bar at 777 Thurlow, Michael Martini, a 3rd generation family winemaker for Louis M. Martini Winery, hosted the Iconic California Cabernet Sauvignon Louis M. Martini Winemaker dinner. Originally from Italy, Louis M. Martini built his Napa winery in 1953, near the end of prohibition. His son, Louis P Martini became a winemaker in 1954, followed by Michael in 1977. Although the Gallo family of winemakers bought the winery in 2002, the winery continues under the guidance of the Martini family. The Louis M. Martini Vineyards include Ghost Pines Vineyard in Chiles Valley, Monte Rosso in Sonoma Valley and Del Rio Vineyard near Healdsburg, California.

The 2007 Ghost Pines Chardonnay with the baked apple, pear and lemon accent paired well with the canapés of oysters, Dungeness crab, prawns and scallops.

With our smoked sockeye salmon, mushroom vin blanc and sweet pea ravioli, we tried both the 2008 Louis M.Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon with soft tannins, cherry and blackberry, and the 2007 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with velvety tannins and jammy flavours of ripe plum and bing cherries, proving that red wines can be paired with fish.

The earthiness of the 2008 Louis M. Martini Gnarly Vine Zinfandel with black raspberry cloves and spice flavours and the 2006 Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon with flavours of plum and dried fruit, both paired nicely with the braised lamb cheek, braised kale, tomato and chives.

Although the International Tasting at the Vancouver Convention Centre, East, was on for 3 evenings, I attended Thursday night only, so it was impossible to “do the whole room”. I, therefore, headed directly to the “Don’t be Mortified about Fortified” and “Sherry Caseta Tasting Stations”. to try the Sherries, Ports and Madeiras, fortified with a touch of natural brandy. After fermentation, brandy is added to enhance and preserve the sherry. Sherry is the anglicized distortion of the name Jerez. My Bodegas Alvear Fino Sherry produced from the Pedro Ximenez grape was light straw in colour, nutty with zesty tannins.

With Ports, the spirit is added while the sugars are being converted into alcohol and thus halts the fermentation process, resulting in a sweet wine, high in alcohol. The Ports were red, golden and tawny. The Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port 2003 with its intense, dark cherry and black fruit aromas and soft tannins is lovely to sip in the evening.

Madeira is named after the Portuguese island of Madeira. Maderisation, is the process of heating Madeira to caramelize the sugars in the wine. The Blandy’s Madeira 10-year-old Malmsey, with its T-cap closure, so you don’t need a corkscrew to open it, had concentrated caramel, nutty and honeyed flavours. All would have paired beautifully with a slice of Prince William and Kate’s wedding cake!

I also stopped at the booth of Sara Norman  and Tilman Hainle’s organic Working Horse Winery from Peachland to sip their new Tilman Ice”Lavender” Pinot Noir 2007. The infusion with organic lavender gave the honey and caramel flavours an exotic and calming note. The beautiful, glass-stoppered, elegant, bottle had its lavender coloured label attached with a string, making it easier to remove and return the bottle with its wooden box for the $5.00 refund.

Fortunately Canada now imports Fermin’s Iberico ham from the forests of Southwestern Spain, known as Dehesa. The Iberico pig, a descendent of the wild boar, known as Pata Negra or Black Hoof still roams freely and eats acorns and plants giving the flesh a wonderful rich, nutty flavour. Derek Bendig and Michael Ikaczuk demonstrated the carving of a shoulder, liberally marbled, giving the ham extra tenderness.

My week culminated with the Vibrant Influence dinner at Jean-Georges in the Shangri-la Hotel paired with the Napa Valley California Trefethen family wines.  Peter Luthi is the winemaker and Jon Ruel, Director of Viticulture. Loren Trefethen, told us, the Trefethen Family Vineyards are certified Napa Green. They use soy-based biodiesel fuel to reduce fossil fuel emissions and dependence on foreign oil,  and practice natural pest control with barn owls and bat boxes. In 1979 and 1980, their 1976 Chardonnay was chosen “Best Chardonnay” in the world at the World Wine Olympics in Paris.

Our Trefethen 2008 Chardonnay with notes of golden apple, lemongrass and ginger and aged in French oak had a nice affinity with the ranched Blue Fin Tuna sushi.

The blackcurrants, sweet herbs and pepper spice of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon was perfect with my grilled lamb chop.

What a treat to be offered the 2004″Halo” Cabernet Sauvignon, their flagship wine named after the children, Hailey and Loren. Lovely aromas of  blackberries, bay leaves and toasted marzipan, paired beautifully with our triple crème brie, raclette and blackberry compote.

The 2007 “Late Harvest” Riesling was exquisitely sweet due to the grapes developing botrytis cinerea, the “noble rot” and then picked 2 months after the Dry Riesling. Yes this  “Heaven in a Glass” concluded a wonderful wine festival week.