Rainy Weather Again

Seems as if every day lately we have had rain, but I'm hoping for more sun...

Lately according to the weather reports, here in Vancouver we have had an abudance of rain or at least a bit more than we usually do in the city. Really I wouldn't know since I have lived in Switzerland and Europe for the last couple of years. I can't really stand the rain, but I get by. Switzerland seemed to have some nice breaks in the rain all of the time. Here's one picture from the same month of the Montreux Vineyards.

Do you know what puzzles me the most? How some leaves can stay colored for a period of more than 1 to 2 months. Autumn leaves are still something that is new to me (yes while always driving in California, I never noticed seasons) and keeps me pondering questions in my head while I go for a run.

Looking at Female Curlers in a Different Way

Before I came to Canada and met Mr. P, I really didn't know anything about Curling. Besides seeing curling on the olympics or passing through a tv station for a few seconds, that was probably the most I was ever exposed to the sport of Curling.

The other night, Mr. P came home to tell me about his new revelation. And boy was it one! The women of curling are getting noticed in a totally different way. I'm sure it's working to gain at least a few male fans. If you'd like to check out the revealing photo, go here to find out more.

I might add that my luck with running yesterday didn't turn out to be that great. When I started, I intended to jog in a light rain. But half way into my run and far away from home, I got drenched in a down pour. Oh well, I was laughing as I ran. At least I chose to wear my rain gear and at least my head and my arms stayed dry. My clothes were so wet by the time I got home that I had to resort to drying them in the dryer. The basement doesn't have heat and my gear wasn't dry even in late afternoon.

Catching Up On Travel Bargains

The Washington Post has a pretty good list of travel bargains every week with prices that are pretty good for this time of year. One bargain caught my eye because it was pretty cheap and it's something I really miss taking - Trains. The closest thing I can get to is taking the sea bus across the Burrard Inlet.


Right now Rail Europe is offering a two-day France Railpass for $99 for a second-class ticket. It must be used within a one-month time period through Jan. 31; buy by Dec. 5.

Of course the mention of snow bound places was on the list. The idea has popped into my head as my cousin is coming up to see our wedding. He mentioned wanting to go to Whistler and since Mr. P and I have never been there, we are keen on possibly heading up that way too. With Whistler opening this weekend and with 70 cm of fresh powder, it starting to get a bit more exciting.

Making Swiss Property Open to Foreigners

With an attempt to boost the Swiss economy, there has been a movement liberalize laws making it easier for foreigners to buy property in Switzerland. According to Swiss Info, the movement was made by the cabinet on parliament who said the current Lex Koller legislation was too outdated.

In typical Swiss fashion, I'm not so sure the movement will be passed. However,
if the property market would open for foreigners the market would create jobs and increase the supply of rental properties which have been in shortage. The negatives of course are uncontrolled development and the possibility of urban sprawl especially in mountain resort areas.

The picture is of Montreux on a summer day in 2003. One of the houses in the row at the top was where I lived. I somehow don't think there will be any building in this area any time soon. It's populated enough as is.

Beauty in the Beast

Yesterday's article in the Washington Post really made me open my eyes more. Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky sees the world and landscape from a different perspective. He now displays 14 of his top photographs from certain places around the world.

What's different about all of these photos is that they come from the transformation of nature through industrialization. It's up to you to decide if you can help change the beauty in the beast.

If you haven't heard of Edward Burtynsky, you can check out his works of art here or on display at the Brooklyn Museum of art. Judging from the eye catching photo above, I'm sure you'll want to see more of this.