Wanderlust and Words

It’s been an exceptionally mild winter in Wales, so all sorts of spring flowers are beginning to pop up in the garden and around Newport. Daffodils are the most prolific, but I’ve also seen snowdrops and miniature iris. The sun was shining so I headed down to the Parrog (harbour or port). Although the houses have filled in, you can tell that it was originally a separate community and there is still only one road connecting Newport and the Parrog. The estuary and inner harbour were quite calm, but the waves were fierce once I reached the mouth of the harbour. I enjoyed watching the gulls soaring on the air currents and the swans feeding in the estuary. This is such a beautiful place. I’ll be sad to leave.

City Centre Food Co-op, Jan. 28 The next CHEP Community Fresh Food Market is from 10:30 am - 4:30 pm , Jan. 28, at the Saskatoon Community Service Village. Wine & Cheese, Feb. 14 Tickets are now available for Valentine’s Day wine and cheese pairings at 6 pm , Feb. 13 & 14, at Riversdale Delicatessen – 3 wines, 3 cheeses and antipasti, and a 20% discount on all store items. Out Of Your Tree Out Of Your Tree in Saskatoon was established to harvest and share otherwise unwanted fruit. The Facebook moderator has moved and the group needs a new coordinator. This type of project has done extremely well in other cities. Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton not only picks and shares fruit but also cans and preserves it. They’re creating a micro orchard and are offering educational classes. There is so much potential for something similar in Saskatoon. Why not thinking about helping out? Eating Right Can Save the World Our food choices have environmental consequences...

As you approach most of Great Britain’s cathedral towns, the first thing you see is the cathedral spire. But that’s not the case in St. David’s, Wales . St. David’s Cathedral is tucked away in a valley below the city’s High Street. Follow one of the narrow lanes that leads to the wall dividing city and cathedral, and you’ll find yourself looking down over a lush green lawn to the cathedral and the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace . Head over the green hills in the background and you’d reach the coast. The Cathedral has a lovely latticed oak ceiling that was installed to hide 16th-century emergency repairs. The Bishop’s Palace was once the largest and finest in all of Britain. It’s now in ruins – a reminder to us all that worldly goods have a very short life span. Because it has a cathedral, St. David’s has the right to call itself a city, but it’s really a village of under 1700 inhabitants. It’s a quiet, sleepy place in mid-winter, but in summer it bustles wit...

Cognac, Jan. 30  Sample a range of Cognacs and learn about the history of the region from 7-9 pm , Jan. 30, at Saskatoon Co-op Liquor . Wine Tastings  Fine Wines Sask is hosting wine tastings on the following dates across the province: Jan. 27 – JT’s Pub, Prince Albert Jan. 29 – Highway Host Family Restaurant, Rosetown Jan. 30 – Tilli Beans Bakery & Coffee Shop, Wolseley Paint Nites, Rook & Raven  The Rook & Raven will be hosting paint nights on Jan. 24 , Feb. 7 , and Feb. 21 . PaintNite is an international franchise that “invites you to create art over cocktails at a local hotspot, guided by a professional artist and party host.” Downtown Food Options  Downtown grocery stores face multiple challenges. They aren’t big enough or popular enough – and so they are shut down. The Good Food Junction was established 3 years ago to provide fresh food to core neighbourhoods, but poor sales are forcing them to shut down. The Shop Easy ...

The sheep did NOT appreciate having to share the road. Culture Café, Jan. 23  Learn how to make kefir at Intuitive Path Super Foods’ Culture Café at 2 pm , Jan. 23. Robbie Burns’ Day, Jan. 25 The Woods Ale House is celebrating Robbie Burns’ Day on Jan. 25 with a dinner paired with Scotch (hosted by Laphroaig). You can also attend a Scotch tasting at Saskatoon Co-op Liquor from 7-9 pm , Jan. 25 , or have a taste of Auchentoshan and Bowmore Scotch from western Scotland on Jan. 22 . Tomato Geeks  If you’re enthralled by tomatoes with names like Pink Boar, Spudakee, Absinthe, you should be following Tomato Geeks on Facebook . It makes me lust after growing a garden with row after row of gorgeous, unusual tomatoes. Quebec Beer  Have you ever taken a close look at the labels on Quebec’s craft beer? There’s a lot of history and politics in those names and images . 10 Ways to Celebrate the Annual Year of Pulses "Pulses can contribute significantly in addr...

Fishguard is a pretty little town, just a short bus ride from where I’m staying in Newport, Pembrokeshire. It’s built on a steep hill and the descent into Lower Town and then up into the main square includes some interesting corners that can only be negotiated by single-lane traffic. I don’t envy the bus drivers. I particularly enjoy the brightly-painted old buildings around the main square. Harbour  Fishguard is a quiet town nowadays, but in the late 18th century it was an important trading port with over 50 small vessels carrying coal, lime, slate, and herrings. It was also a centre of shipbuilding. Nowadays, Goodwick, just around the point from Fishguard, is a port for ferries travelling to and from Rosslare, Ireland. Old Fort  In 1779, an American privateer fired on Fishguard from his ship. This prompted the construction of the Old Fort with an array of 8 9-pounder guns. The Last Invasion  In 1797, a squadron of 4 French ships drew up and ...

Winter Holidays  The Griffin Takeaway will be closed from Jan. 1-10 . The Odd Couple Restaurant will be closed from Jan. 1-31 . UNA Pizza & Wine Calgary-based UNA Pizza & Wine is opening a second restaurant on Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon in about 10 days time. I’ll be curious to see what it’s like and how it tries to differentiate itself from all the other pizza places that have recently opened in Saskatoon. Calgary’s wine list looks very interesting, emphasizing small boutique wineries and specifying which ones are organic, sustainable, or biodynamic. I visited Parés Baltà winery in Spain and would highly recommend their wines. The Calgary take-out menu shows quite a few vegetarian options (vegans would need to ask for the dishes without the cheese). Choo-It Craig Campbell introduced Choo-It cereal in 2007. He’s now ceased production and it looks like he’s beginning a new adventure as Rock Paper Coffee Roasting Company . Chain Reaction Urban Far...