REMOTE YEAR

Although we could have happily stayed in Valencia the entire time, I wanted to show Mom other parts of Spain during her two-week visit so we grabbed some friends, rented a car and headed south. We chose the longer, more scenic coastal route, stopping in Alicante to visit a friend.   Arthur and I used to work together, and while he liked Kelowna, he never really enjoyed the cold winters so he moved with his partner to Alicante and opened a cupcake café. I simply had to stop in to say hello! Canada Café is amazing! (I highly recommend the carrot cake sundae…)   Their business seems to be booming, as there was a constant line up out the door. I was so happy to see him thriving and doing what he loved. Isn’t it inspiring to see people go for their dreams and succeed?!   We didn’t have enough time to visit, partially due to all the customers – yay – so I promised to come back for a longer visit soon. (Shout out to Vic and his wife, lovely friends who bought a condo in nearby El Campello – they have the right idea!)   Mom and I went to explore Santa Barbara Castle, opting to take the elevator to the top of the mountain since it was the middle of the afternoon in 40-degree heat! We climbed the walls, ducked into rooms, stood at the top and admired the views.   Far below we could see the crowded beaches but it was the clear, turquoise water of the Mediterranean Sea that we loved most. The castle offered views over the city and the sea and we could easily imagine fleets of ships approaching the city for battle.   We grabbed take out for Adrienne and Patricia, who were working back at the apartment, and enjoyed it on our rooftop terrace, looking up at the castle lit under the night sky. We talked and laughed and wondered what it would be like to live here (and if Canada Café was still open for a dessert run?!)   We had a long day ahead and decided to call it a night. Adrienne climbed in and I went to brush my teeth. As I came out of the bathroom, I caught mom and Patricia sneaking out the front door!   Busted!   With a sheepish grin, mom said “oh, hi…we’re just going to do a little exploring, we won’t be late!”   It felt strange to see her walk out the door when I was going to bed and, to be honest, I couldn’t sleep until she got home. (Now I know what it’s like to be a parent!)   Road trip day two was off to Granada, which took us away from the coast and gave us a chance to see more of the countryside. It reminded us of Southern Alberta – rolling hills and farm land.   We checked into our next apartment and our landlord asked if we already had tickets for Alhambra.   Umm, nope – don’t you just buy them on site?   With a shocked gasp, she informed us tickets sell out weeks in advance!   Ackk…we had driven all this way to see the Alhambra (an Arabic palace and fortress built on Roman ruins in the 13th century) and we couldn’t get tickets?!   We spent the next few hours frantically searching online, with no luck so we decided to divide and conquer – Mom and Patricia walked into town to check out the tourist info centre while Adrienne and I continued to look online.   Success, sort of. Mom found four tickets for a night tour of the palace. Off we went at 10pm for our tour (which was only available in Spanish but at least we were there!)   The palace was beautiful, with all the rooms opening on to a central court. Columns, fountains and reflecting pools were everywhere, with the sun and wind freely flowing through the passageways. The tile mosaics where created with complicated mathematical patterns to create perfect symmetry in the rooms and we were mesmerized at the intricate details.   The next day we got tickets to a flamenco show. Not sure what to expect, we were surprised when an older gentleman with long, curly hair took the stage and began dancing around. (I did my best not to make eye contact with mom, as I knew we’d both start giggling!)   Then it was back to Valencia and off to Barcelona the next morning by train. It was mom’s first train ride and she loved it. The quiet, gentle swaying lulled us to sleep for a couple hours and we woke to see the bright blues of the Mediterranean Sea zipping past our window!   We did the hop on/off bus, jumping off near the beach to get our toes in the water. We could have stayed all day but there was so many things we wanted to see! We did a Gaudi walking tour, learning all about his influence and vision which shaped the city, did a little shopping and checked out another flamenco show.   Learning from our mistake about not buying tickets in advance, we had secured tickets for Sagrada Familia and excitedly got up the next day for our tour.   Taking a left instead of a right and underestimating the time it would take to get there by subway, we arrived a few minutes late to discover they wouldn’t allow us to enter. We had missed our group and they had already gone inside!   We phoned the tour company and they said, “too bad, should have been on time”.   What?! This is Spain – everyone is late!   We stood on the street, looking up at the majestic building and I wanted to cry. I felt like I had let my mom down. We tried everything we could think of to get in but no luck. Finally, we

I arrived in Valencia with much excitement! Not only is Spain one of my favourite countries, but it’s also when my mom is coming to visit! I’ve been traveling for nearly six months and mom will be my first visitor.   A thousand years ago, a formidable set of walls protected Valencia from invading armies, and anyone hoping to gain access to the city had to pass through one of its twelve monumental gates.   Today, the medieval walls have disappeared, but two gates remain, and my commute to the workspace takes me right through one – Torres de Serrano. This is considered the main entrance to Valencia and is the gate through which the royal processions of visiting kings would enter, and for a long time, the imposing Gothic towers were used as a prison for wicked noblemen.   How lucky am I to stroll through this gate every single day?! I can’t walk through the gate without stopping to imagine what those stones have seen.   My apartment is in a quiet neighborhood along the “river”. They say “river” but there’s no water now.   In 1957, the river flooded, destroying over 5,800 homes and killing at least 81 people. The government decided to divert the river and developed the area into a beautiful park with walking, jogging and biking paths, sports fields and playgrounds. It’s gorgeous!   Mom arrived on my third day in Valencia and I waited anxiously at the airport for her plane to land. This was her first visit to Europe and her first time traveling alone! It was a big, brave step and I knew she could do it.   It was after midnight before she came through the gate, big smiles and ready for an adventure. I scooped her up and we were off!   We started with a walking tour the next day, taking mom over the bridge and through the city gates. (She was excited to see the palm trees along the way!) The tour showed us the highlights – cathedrals, basilicas, fountains, plazas, central market, silk exchange. Mom had many questions and we made note of all the places we wanted to come back for further exploration.   One of the things I love about Spain (and it probably exists in other countries) is their bike share program. I first saw it in Barcelona ten years ago and was happy to see it in Valencia.   For a small fee, you get a card which gives you access to borrow a bike for as long as you like. The first 30 minutes are free and then it’s 0.50 euros per hour after. Simply hop on, ride as long as you like, and drop it off at another station. So convenient!   We decided riding bikes to the beach was a great idea and headed off around 8pm with my friend Patricia. Mom hadn’t ridden a bike in over 20 years (we won’t mention the “so long, suckers” incident…) but she hopped on and took off like a pro.   Riding along the river is perfect – it’s flat, no vehicles, and a dedicated bike path. Plus, it’s beautiful! There are palm trees and flowers and fountains and bridges.   We had numerous stops along the way to smell the bright pink jasmine flowers. And there were hoots and hollers of “we’re riding bikes in Spain!!”   The path takes you beside the City of Arts and Science complex, which looks like a scene out of Star Trek. It includes the opera house, Imax and planetarium, science museum, oceanographic park, and walkway surrounded by steams and pools of water. Teenagers are riding skateboards, couples are holding hands, moms are chasing after toddlers – it seems like the place where everyone likes to hang out day or night.   We arrived at the end of the river and thought the path to the beach would be clearly marked. Nope.   We rode up one street and down another, trying to follow Google maps with no luck. After several stops and starts, asking locals and strangers, we finally made it to the beach.   The sun had long set but we didn’t care. We took off our shoes and walked across the soft sand to dip our toes in the Balearic Sea. It was shockingly warm!   We waded out to our knees, under the light of a nearly full moon and laughed at our two-hour bike ride to get there. But there we were – standing in the waters off Spain at midnight. How amazing!   We decided to taxi home, much to mom’s protests that the night was still young! I looked at Patricia and she agreed – we were going to have our hands full with this one… :))   The following night my friends had organized a surprise party for mom. It was so sweet and she had no idea! Everyone brought a delicious dish, including dessert, and we chatted late into the evening. But not too late for an adventure! We had heard there was a “fun fair” happening at the river and decided to go check it out.   Sure enough, there was a Ferris wheel and all sorts of rides, carnival games and cotton candy. It was 1:30am and there were families everywhere! It’s such a different culture here – where people siesta in the afternoon and stay out late into the night.   We stayed for awhile before deciding it was time to head home. Walking along, we passed some bikes and decided – why not? Let’s ride home! There’s something freeing about riding a bike – the wind in your hair, the world rushing past, the feeling of being alive.   We did a hop on/off bus tour and decided we wanted to go back to the open-air aquarium, or Oceanográfic. The line up was long and as we stood in the blazing sun someone may have gotten cranky (okay, it was

We’ve been living in Belgrade, Serbia for month five and it hasn’t really impressed me.  Yes, the people are friendly and the cost of living is extremely low but it doesn’t have the wow factor of other Eastern European cities. I’ve enjoyed the countryside but found myself feeling restless and decided to join friends for a road trip to Budapest.   We rented a car and headed out early (after a late night before – who’s idea was that?!) Being sleep deprived led to hilarious car conversations, with tears streaming down our cheeks in laughter. Driving the wrong way through a drive-thru, I knew our weekend was going to be an adventure.   We passed fields of sunflowers and quickly arrived at the rural border crossing into Hungary. The place appeared abandoned. We looked around and saw a sign for the duty-free shop, a derelict building with plywood covering the windows, obviously long gone out of business.   As we slowly moved forward in the line of cars, we noticed something unusual – razor wire. Rolls and rolls of razor wire filled the fields from the road to the forests. It covered the fences above and below. We speculated on the harsh security – was it left over from previous conflicts? Was is to keep people in? Or out?   We finally arrived at the crossing and they quickly scanned our passports. Ready to hit the road again, we moved forward, only to be stopped by another guard. (Oops, first stop was Serbian, second was Hungarian!)   Finally on our way, we decided to detour to a small town called Szegad. I had noticed it on the map earlier and wanted to explore so when one of the girls mentioned her friend had gone to university there, we decided we had to check it out. It was a cute little town with beautiful architecture, a large stone church, and quiet riverside.   Back on the road to Budapest, we arrived and easily found our hotel. A mutual friend was staying in Budapest for the moth so she gave us recommendations for dinner. We hopped the metro and began exploring!   Budapest has a great vibe. It’s very laid-back, easy to navigate, and stunning! The architecture reminded me of Prague but with more warmth. Dinner was amazing (adorable outdoor dining at the Vintage Garden) and our friend met us later to take us to Bar 360 – a rooftop bar giving us full views of the city at night.   The next day we went exploring, determined to try traditional Hungarian food (which involves a lot of meat!) We snuck in a quick massage (still tired from our previous late night and early morning) and then made the best decision – a sunset river cruise!   The Danube river runs through Budapest, dividing the city into the Buda side and the Pest side. Sitting on the top of the boat in the night air, we captured the setting sun and watched as buildings slowly lit up. The 1.5 hour cruise hit all the main sights at their most beautiful time of day. There were several river boats, offering full accommodations, cruising beside us and it seemed like a luxurious way to travel.   The next morning we decided to check out the famous bath houses and went to Rudas Spa. What a wonderful way to start the day! We opted for the women only section (bathing suits optional) and enjoyed the five thermal pools, spa and sauna.   There’s something magical about women coming together – the laughter, the chatter, the gossip, the connection of girlfriends young and old. Although we couldn’t understand most of what we heard, we felt many of the conversations involved children, husbands, relationships, household matters, plans and dreams.   We felt the final knots of tension slip away into the hot water and left feeling renewed and relaxed.   Then off to the Grand Market Hall – a crazy combination of food and souvenir vendors selling everything from leather bags to t-shirts to embroidered aprons.   Our final stop before heading home was the Citadella, a fortress located high on a hill with sweeping views of the city. The Danube stretched out before us, the city sprawled out in every direction and we gazed out over the city we had barely begun to explore.   Driving home took longer than expected, with several stops for ice cream, coffee, photo opportunities and silliness. There was even a moment my life flashed before my eyes – diving back inside the car as a semi-truck came barreling down on us at a toll booth!   It was a quick but memorable side-trip and I’m definitely adding Budapest to my list of cities to visit again.   Next up – Valencia, Spain!          

Whoever planned our itinerary knew what they were doing – Sofia was definitely the place to recharge for month four of our journey. We actually spent five weeks in Bulgaria – as we travel on the last Saturday of each month – and I appreciated the extra week to simply “be”. Be still and relax and rest…not rushing to see one more sight before packing our things and moving on yet again.   I’ve already raved about how beautiful the country is and how nature surrounds the city so I’ll fill you in on some of the highlights during the last two weeks.   Growing up with a mom who was rodeo queen (and a darn fast barrel racer!) and an aunt who went to the Olympics for dressage, I’ve ridden a few horses in my lifetime. So you can imagine my excitement when there was extra space for the horseback riding track event!   We drove 1.5 hours outside Sofia and arrived at a small farmhouse, where we were warmly greeted with licks from the guard dogs and a foal nuzzling our bags looking for treats.   The horses were saddled with either an English or traditional wooden saddle and a simple halter with lead. The owners strived to treat them as close to natural as possible – no fences, no corrals, no bits, no reins.   Our trail ride wove through fields blossoming with bright purple flowers and butterflies fluttering all around, across streams, up hills and through dense forests. I couldn’t stop smiling at the joy of being on horseback and appreciating the stunning scenery!   While the other group was riding, we had a brief archery lesson with a Mongolian farmer. Traditionally, shooting is done from the back of moving horse so balance is key. He taught us the importance of breathing – to take a deep breath and not rush, which, he reminded us, it true for everything in life.   A perfect day of nature, horses, dogs and perspective on life.   In the spirit of self-care, I continued my yoga practice, attending classes at nearby Santosha House (which was next door to the Tea House, with yummy golden milk and raw foods!)   I also found an amazing physiotherapy clinic that combined physio, massage, chiropractor, acupuncture and ultra-sound all in one appointment – for the equivalent of $50 Cdn!   Each session started with a consultation, followed by a treatment plan that lasted 1.5 hours. Dragomir was amazing and got my weary body back on track. I saw him once a week and wished he could join us for the rest of the year!   We headed to the movies to see Wonder Woman. It amazes me that people around the world are watching movies at the same time! Even though I’m in Bulgaria, I’m still watching the same movies as my friends back home, which definitely helps me feel connected. (And what a great “girl power” movie – loved it!)   June 21 marks the official start of summer and a group of us decided to welcome the solstice sunrise. Meeting at 4am, we piled into three taxis and drove 45 minutes up Vitosha Mountain.   When we arrived, Laura said we should walk to the Tree of Wishes to catch the view from there – a simple 20-minute flat walk. (I should know by now that “simple walk” has a different meaning to the outdoorsy, active Bulgarians!)   The path led us through water, slipping into mud bogs and scrambling over boulders…all in the dark! As we went along, my friend Heidi offered her hand over the slippery sections and we decided the path was getting more treacherous so we picked our own spot to watch the sunrise.   And it did not disappoint.   Slowly the sun rose above the horizon. Warm light washed over the entire city and up the mountainside. We sat in silence and marveled at how fortunate we were to be sitting on a mountainside in Bulgaria to welcome summer. A memory we’ll both treasure.   Eventually the rest of the group returned and we made our way together in the daylight back to our waiting cabs. It was an early morning but well worth the lack of sleep!   Being a girl who loves water, I simply had to get to the Black Sea. I rented a car, grab two friends and we headed south for a three-day road trip. I’d been warned about aggressive drivers on this highway but never in my life have I seen such high speeds!   Although the posted limit was 90 km/hr (which in Canada means most drivers are going 100 km/hr), I quickly found myself being tailgated and honked at in the slow lane!   I increased my speed to 110, then 120 and still at 130 cars were flying by like I wasn’t moving. It was unnerving to see vehicles rapidly approaching and swerving out to pass at the last second. The road safety girl inside me was freaking out!   But we arrived safely at our first stop – Plovdiv, a cute city with a large old town and ruins to explore. In fact, it has the largest, most well-preserved Roman amphitheatre in the world. We explored the theatre, a fortress, various churches and other buildings before climbing back in the car and continuing our journey.   We arrived in Burgas, checked into our AirBNB and walked to the beach to dip our toes in the Black Sea. The next day we explored the northern coastline up to Nessebar and Sunny Beach (a party town that we didn’t like at all) and then the southern coastline to Sozopol (which we loved!)   Sozopol is a small town with narrow windy cobblestone streets, stunning water views, soft sandy beaches and local grandmas sitting outside selling homemade jams. We relaxed on the beach, swam in the sea and found a restaurant to watch the sun set into

When I first saw my itinerary for Remote Year, there were two cities I had never heard of – Belgrade, Serbia and Sofia, Bulgaria. After two weeks here in Sofia, I have to admit it’s quickly climbed to the top as one of my favourite cities.   Sofia is a large city (pop. 1.26 million) but it feels small. It’s easy to get around and you can be in the mountains within 30 minutes. I love being surrounded by nature – reminds me of home!   Bulgaria food is also my favourite so far! There are so many healthy options – farmers’ markets and fresh pressed juice shops everywhere.   One of their main salads is “shopska” – cucumber, tomatoes, red or green peppers, sheep’s cheese and olive oil. Refreshing! They also have sweets, with “banitsa” being the most common – eggs and cheese layered between filo pastry and then baked.   As always, I joined a walking tour when I first arrived, taking in all the major sites of Sofia’s city centre – Palace of Justice, Saint Sophia Statue, Church of St. Petka, Communist Party Headquarters, Ancient Serdica Open Museum, Rotunda of Saint George and of course St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.   We also had our usual history and language class, although it’s been our most challenging to date! Bulgaria uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which has Greek and Latin roots. There are additional letters and symbols and nothing sounds as it appears! (The letter “P” sounds like “Er”)   I’m still working on how to say “thank you” (Благодаря)!   All the walking and traveling can be exhausting so I decided to treat myself to a monthly massage. The city team recommended I go see Alexandra, a local masseuse who also practices Tibetan medicine.   The studio was small, accessed by a narrow staircase leading down from the sidewalk, but warm and inviting. The massage included heating Indian herbs, wrapped in cloth, and placing them on various parts of my body. It was an interesting combination of sensations – the smell of incense, plus heat and then massage. I left feeling relaxed and restored.   I’m also feeling more rested as I have my own apartment this month. It’s a cute little studio with a balcony big enough to sit outside with a cup of tea. I’ve always had my own bedroom on this trip but I’ve had roommates and after 12 years living alone, it can be a challenging adjustment to live with someone!   Bulgarians are active, outdoorsy people and love to hike up mountains, raft down rivers and recharge in hot springs. I’ve joined in all these activities, including canyoning – walking through a canyon, up a river and ending at a waterfall.   They are also generous people – eagerly sharing everything they love about their country. The boyfriend of one of the city team members was so excited we were here, he organized a camping trip for us to one of his favourite childhood locations on Vitosha Mountain. He cleared a path, set up tents, cooked all the food and let us discover why camping in Bulgaria is so refreshing.   As we sat around the campfire under the full moon, gazing at the stars (I found the “Big Dipper”!), and making s’mores (we had to introduce our own traditions!), my heart was full of gratitude for the kind and thoughtful people we’ve met along this journey.   The more I travel, the more I realize the world is full of beauty and magic.