View this email in your browser

Destinations Detours and Dreams April 2017

What's Been Happening

March is a transition month in many ways. In Manitoba, winter is still very much present at the start of it. By the end of March, spring seems imminent, although a big snow storm at that time is not completely unheard of. This year, the start of March was a tough one for me personally as it began with my brother's memorial service, a sad occasion which also brought some joy in seeing family members I hadn't seen for a while. The end of March found me in Victoria, British Columbia where spring was very much in evidence in the blooms of spring flowers and the cherry blossoms.All of this reminds me that life brings a range of experiences. We need to embrace all life offers and treasure the moments with those we love.

Rick and I are halfway into a housesitting stay in Victoria. It's the first time we've done a housesit and it's working out well. Unlike many housesits, there are no pets to take care of. The owners of the house like someone to stay while they are away because their 97-year-old mother lives in a separate suite in the house. She is a lovely, lively lady capable of looking after herself, but her children feel more comfortable with someone near by. We are enjoying getting to know her.

Back in Winnipeg before heading to Victoria, I visited the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada and wrote a blog post about the experience. I went to the Manitoba RV Show and did a bit of daydreaming and also wrote about that. I took a public art tour hosted by the Winnipeg Arts Council. One of the month's post was about public art at Winnipeg's Millennium Library.

In Victoria I've been visiting places I haven't been to before or haven't visited in a long time, including Beacon Hill Park and the Royal BC Museum. I toured an 1860s house being restored as an architectural museum. I visited a tea farm near Duncan. Yes, a tea farm in Canada! My sister and I had afternoon tea, West Coast style, at Gatsby Mansion. This is just a few of the highlights so far.

What's On The Horizon

The beginning of April finds me exploring more of Victoria and looking forward to a visit with our daughter, who is coming over from the mainland for a couple of days. We have a chocolate and tea tasting session on the agenda.

By now, you may have guessed you're likely to see Victoria and Victoria-area articles on the blog in April. There will also be more on Winnipeg art and architecture.

I have no specific plans for travel or exploration beyond the first part of April. For a planner such as myself, it feels a bit strange. But it also feels good to be open to what will come our way.

February Stories You Might Have Missed

Hé Ho: Festival Du Voyageur Highlights

The “joie de vivre” of Festival du Voyageur, Winnipeg, Manitoba’s winter festival

Spanish Colonial Architecture in the Azuero Peninsula

Discovering Spanish colonial influence and traditions in Panama’s Azuero Peninsula

Pioneering Women at the Aviation Museum

A tour of the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada with a focus on women aviation pioneers

Art at the Library

A tour of public art at the Millennium Library in Winnipeg, Manitoba

RV Dreaming

Daydreaming of “hitting the road” amid a visit to an RV Show

Beacon Hill Park Beckons

A beautiful 200-acre park in downtown Victoria, British Columbia

From The Archives

I was in San Antonio April two years ago. At the San Antonio Botanical Garden I learned about Texas ecosystems and fell in love with Texas bluebonnets, the state flower which blooms a brilliant blue for a few weeks in spring.

Donna Janke is the author of Destinations Detours and Dreams, where you can find travel stories from near and far, the familiar and the obscure, the beautiful and the bizarre, with a focus on history, gardens, nature, art, architecture, culture and the snowbird life. She tells her stories through a combination of narrative, photos and personal reflection. Sign up for the monthly newsletter here.

Follow on the social media networks below.

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Google Plus