“Travels to a Different Time ” : 27July2000: Samos, Greece: To Kedros Beach and a Catchy Supermarket Jingle

Picked up some liquids and breakfast of cheese, olives, bread and grapes. The supermarket is not that large. They have a catchy jingle playing with the store’s name in it. “Galanos, Galanos” it goes. I am puzzled that the chickens are frozen and are from Denmark. Off to Kedros Beach on the bus. A shortContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time ” : 27July2000: Samos, Greece: To Kedros Beach and a Catchy Supermarket Jingle”

Virus # 26 Director’s Cut: Chapter 8 ” Lessons Learnt from the COVIDs; People Were Treated Like Toddlers”

Now if you have raised children when they get to the terrible twos and have started their growth into toddlerdom you find constant repetition is necessary to correct their behaviour. Keep drilling the message in. In political terms it amounts to parental dictatorship. From the Canadian perspective the COVIDs exposed provincial and federal governments asContinue reading “Virus # 26 Director’s Cut: Chapter 8 ” Lessons Learnt from the COVIDs; People Were Treated Like Toddlers””

RKS Wine: The Dão’s Morgado Silgueiros Touriga Nacional

The Dão region of Portugal may not be as spectacular as the Douro as far as scenery goes but it’s huge glacial boulders give some of the Dão an otherworldly look. This is a co-operative produced wine. I have not been to their production facility but they are headquartered in Viseu a charming city notContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Dão’s Morgado Silgueiros Touriga Nacional”

RKS Film: “My Tree”: The Loss of Ignorance and the Great Repair

For his 1975 Bar Mitzvah in Toronto Jason Sherman received as a gift a certificate issued by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) that a tree had been planted in his honour in Israel. Not having any real emotional connection with Israel Sherman became curious about this tree. With some effort Sherman searched JNF records inContinue reading “RKS Film: “My Tree”: The Loss of Ignorance and the Great Repair”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 26July2000: Samos, Greece: Off to the Agia Paraskevi Religious Festival and Feast

Off to the religious feast and festival at a tiny church on the oceanfront near an area that is called Kedros. The church is a tiny country church overlooking the Aegean. It was a short trip on the municipal bus and was left off at a gas station with a small road leading to theContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 26July2000: Samos, Greece: Off to the Agia Paraskevi Religious Festival and Feast”

Virus # 26:  Director’s Cut:” Chapter 7 “Was Reopening Premature?”

From a traditional medical perspective re-opening the economy repeatedly during the COVIDs was an error of huge magnitude. But the medico perspective coming from upper middle-class physicians far removed from the economic realities of the working class and small business owners not surprisingly failed to account for job losses caused by the closure of businessesContinue reading “Virus # 26:  Director’s Cut:” Chapter 7 “Was Reopening Premature?””

“Virus # 26: Director’s Cut: Chapter 6 “Why COVID’s Nasty Success’

We have discussed the origins of the various waves of COVID. Why then did it enjoy such a nasty success? The highest kill rate per capita was in just about any country without a socialized medical system or a system that had simply crumbled over the years. Africa, South America, India and Pakistan are primeContinue reading ““Virus # 26: Director’s Cut: Chapter 6 “Why COVID’s Nasty Success’”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 25July2000: Samos, Greece; Finally Destination Reached! Good-Bye to Lost Luggage Hotel

Jet lag and stress is never an ideal combination. After 4 hours of sleep at the Lost Luggage Hotel in Glyfada up at 4 a.m. hungry as a lion. Read a bit and watched a couple of hours of Greek music videos until the restaurant opened at 06:30 where there were many lost luggage victimsContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 25July2000: Samos, Greece; Finally Destination Reached! Good-Bye to Lost Luggage Hotel”

RKS Wine: L’Ardoise Bachelder 2020 Niagara Chardonnay

Thomas Bachelder is the winemaker behind the Clos Jordanne label. But he also has his own endeavours including Niagara. He has a golden reputation for his Chardonnays. So lets try his Ardoise Chardonnay from Beamsville, Ontario which was made from grapes grown throughout the Niagara Peninsula. Most likely aged in neutral French oak barrels asContinue reading “RKS Wine: L’Ardoise Bachelder 2020 Niagara Chardonnay”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 24July2000: Toronto, London and Athens: Welcome to Olympic Airline’s Lost Luggage Motel! Captain Little Bird Flying Big Plane

Up up and away on an ageing Air Canada 747. Rather cheap French wine to start and the usual Air Canada shenanigans with chicken or pasta but we are out of the chicken. Cannelloni was undercooked pig slop. Nodded off and up at 4 a.m. to daylight. Breakfast, if you can call it that, wasContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 24July2000: Toronto, London and Athens: Welcome to Olympic Airline’s Lost Luggage Motel! Captain Little Bird Flying Big Plane”