Marilyn's Odyssey

Sunday, 17 September 2023

Port Epworth, Qurluqtualuk

We sailed through the night and slept with the motion of the ship as it navigated towards our first landing at Port Epworth. This area is now know as Qurluqtualuk as many places in the Arctic are reverting to their Inuit names. There was a small settlement here once upon a time but other than two grave sites there is little evidence of such. The landscape however is stunning and it is here that has the best display of stromatolites in the world. These are fossilized blue green algae that once lied under the sea 1.9 to 2.3 billion years ago and were responsible for oxygenating the earths environment and making it habitable. Their name is of Greek origin and means stone mattress. The vegetation was vivid fall colours with soft boggy footing. The hills in the background were composed of satiated stone which added to the quiet beauty of this magical place. With guides setting up a bear perimeter we were free to explore though experts were stationed strategically to point out special features. Weather cooperated and we had a wonderful day. The next day was a sea day and was packed with lectures and special workshops to choose from. Learned about things from geology, archeology, whales and tips on using the iPhone for photography. No animal sightings as of yet but we live in hope.

The ship is anchored off and we made a wet landing by zodiac

Beautiful fall colours with low satiated hills in the background. We are of course above the tree line

Last of the flowering plants before the cold sets in

Susie was dressed in the traditional clothes of the area. The fur is fox and the beading is all hand done. The are to her left is where a building would have once stood

Smallest cemetery These 2 died in the early 20s , one a Hudson Bay worker and the other a RCMP officer

These are Stromatolites that have lost most of their layers

A very well preserved Stromatolite of which there were many

Ocean,colourful landscapes and mountains. Stunning

Hearty plants nestle into the rock crevices

Beautiful expansions of stromatolites in various stages. They were truly fascinating

Lovely waterfall tucked into the area

The Northwest Passage

We departed Victoria on August 30th bound for Edmonton to start our journey with Adventure Canada to the Northwest Passage aboard the Ocean Endeavour. Originally we were to begin our journey in Yellowknife but sadly the whole city has been evacuated due to wildfires so a quick change of plans was made which I am sure involved many headaches for the company but they did a great job. After a couple of nights at the Renaissance Airport Hotel where we met up with Bea and Susan from Ottawa with whom we did the Heart of the Arctic last year we set off on Friday the first of September. We flew by the charter air company Summit Air up to Kugluktuk where landing on a gravel airstrip we went by bus to board the ship by zodiacs. Kugluktuk was formerly known as Coppermine and is a predominantly Inuit village of approximately 1400 hearty souls. After boarding the ship and going through the mandatory drills we set off on our adventure.

This is the route we taking through the Northwest Passage

Meeting up with Bea and Susan who we did the Heart of the Arctic with

The charter plane that will take us to the start of our journey

Our first glimpse of the Arctic as we prepare to land

Not exactly the biggest terminal we have ever been to!

Rather barren looking town of Kugluktuk

No manicured yards in this town

The Ocean Endeavour awaits our arrival

Gearing up to get on the zodiacs for the trip to the ship

View of Kugluktuk from the ship

Another part of town

Monday, 13 March 2023

Around Marbella

As we wound down our time in Marbella we reflected on our time spent there. The town itself is beautiful and one of the clearest places we have ever visited. The streets and promenade are cleaned daily and there is no litter about. Our hotel was in a perfect location right on the water and the walking possibilities were endless. Restaurants were plentiful and of high quality with very friendly servers and food was beautifully presented. The old town was a delightful maze of cobblestone alleyways with small shops and restaurants and as was still early in the season was never crowded. Marbella was also central on the coast so was a good place to use as a central hub to go touring to other wonderful places in southern Spain. Definitely a place worth spending some time in!

Beautiful expanses of beach

Fun water cars to use on the beach and water

Fun displays outside shops in old town

Old town square at night

Lovely lit fountain

Dipping feet in the Mediterranean

Colourful street parade for Festival with performers of all ages

No floats but costumes galore

Large groups all coordinated

Large square with several Salvador Dali sculptures and fountains all down both sides leading down to the promenade

Sundial on another open square. So many nice places to sit and just watch the world go by

Ornate little balconies on well maintained buildings in old town leading up to a centuries old church

Wonderful green spaces that are so well looked after

Old town at night

Everything is so clean and nice to look at

Was always nice to watch the sunset while sipping on a glass of good Spanish wine

Goodbye for now. We hope to return in the future for another visit!

Eating in Marbella

The food and wine in Marbella was incredible. Restaurants of every description lined the Paseo and many beach bars opened for the season while we were there. The old town had several restaurants which served delicious food of a very high quality. In Spain the locals traditionally eat their large meal at lunchtime between 1 and 4 and then have a smaller meal later in the evening after 7PM. We did not get into this habit and we would enjoy a smaller meal for lunch which would often consist of the delicious tapas Spain is so well known for. Sometimes we would sit on our deck with some local cheese, meat and foie gras and of course wine and enjoy the view while we had our own private lunch. Dinner however was always out and did not disappoint. The plating of food was always well done and the flavours a treat. A couple of restaurants became favourites and drew us back a few times. Was lovely to sit outside, sometimes beside a heater, and watch the activity while enjoying a fine meal. Only Casa Eladio which is a Michelin restaurant was a totally indoor dining experience.