“TRAVEL TALES”

During our travels over the years, I have always kept a hand-written journal to remind us later where we were, what we did, how much things cost, etc. Later, we would recall certain experiences and laugh . . . or cry about them. “Remember that little guest-house . . .? or remember that great meal we had at . . .? That’s when I started writing these experiences down, recording little stories or what I call “travel tales”, to share with others, either family or friends. So what follows here is an eclectic sample of short anecdotes about our international travels over the years. To view a list of all the Travel Tales, click here Read More

May 8, 2022May 7, 2022 by iankent

Lunch at Villa Delia

Anybody who has lived near Greater Vancouver in recent years should be familiar with the name Umberto Menghi. For those die-hard ‘foodies’, who can forget ‘Il Giardino’ at the corner of Hornby and Pacific, the little yellow house that really started it all for Umberto in Vancouver? Read More

April 24, 2022February 19, 2022 by iankent

Ancient ‘Secrets’ of Greece’s Parthenon

The name ‘Parthenon’ immediately conjures up iconic images of a Greek temple like the most famous one on the acropolis in Athens. In ancient Greek however, one use of the word ‘parthenon’ referred to ‘a room for virgins or unwed maidens’. Read More

April 10, 2022April 25, 2022 by iankent

The Saga of Seven Greekophiles Part 2

The shipwreck that I refer to in this section is the famous iconic photo you see in a lot of the advertising for Greek tourism, the rusty old hulk, lying on a pristine sandy beach in a small cove. This ship, the “Panagiotis”, sailing from Turkey to Italy in October, 1980, and was caught in a huge storm and driven ashore on the west coast of Zakynthos. On Zakynthos they call it “Navagio Beach” and has become a major tourist attraction, both for those who arrive by boats, or like us, drive to the top of the cliff to look down. Read More

March 27, 2022February 14, 2022 by iankent

The Saga of Seven Greekophiles Part 1

Here we are, back in the Greek islands, one of our favourite places to be! I mention in the title the term ‘Greekophile’, for someone who admires anything Greek, its culture, its food, its music, etc. The actual term should be ‘Philhellene’, which comes from the Greek φιλέλλην, from φίλος – philos or friend, lover, and Ελλην – Greek. Basically, I’m talking about a bunch of us who love Greek food, drink, music and especially, the Greek islands. Read More