INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle Magazie - June 2019

INSPIRED 55+ lifestyle magazine

JUNE 2019

BOOGIE-WOOGIE PIANO PLAYER DAVID VEST

OVERLANDING IN SOUTH AFRICA EXPLORING ECO-TOURISM IN GRENADA TRACKING NAPOLEON’S HISTORY IN PARIS

Inspiration for people over 55

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content

JUNE 2019

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David Vest: Still a Blues Master

by Hans Tammemagi Overlanding in South Africa

by J. Kathleen Thompson What If: The Importance of Travel Insurance

by Marilyn Jones Napoleon’s Paris

by Rick & Chris Millikan “Greenada”

by Alan G. Luke & Jacquie D. Durand Train Characters in Transylvania

by J. Kathleen Thompson Adventures in Egypt

by Marilyn Jones

REBOOT 20 FOREVER FIT 21 MAKEOVER 25 FAMILY CAREGIVER 26 MARKETPLACE 27 COURAGEOUS & OUTRAGEOUS

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INSPIRED 55+ lifestyle magazine

Cover

DAVID VEST

This blues piano player made Canada his home when he fell in love with a BC woman; Canadians have fallen in love with his music.

Photo by Regina Akhankina 4 2

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Publisher Barbara Risto Managing Editor Bobbie Jo Reid editor@seniorlivingmag.com Office Assistant Shannon Nichols 250-479-4705 office@seniorlivingmag.com Advertising Sales Kathie Wagner 250-479-4705 x 103 Head Office 3354 Tennyson Ave., Victoria, BC V8Z 3P6 | 250-479-4705 Subscriptions (12 issues): $33.60 includes GST, S&H. Canadian residents only.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher.

INSPIRED Magazine is an independent publication and its articles imply no endorsement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for compliance with all copyright laws related to materials they submit for publication. INSPIRED Magazine is distributed free throughout British Columbia by Stratis Publishing Ltd. 12 issues per year. ISSN 2562-1041 (Print) ISSN 2562-105X (Online)

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David Vest and his wife, Annie Bowers, at his concert at Hermann’s Jazz Club in Victoria.

Photos: Regina Akhankina

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DAVID VEST: STILL A BLUES MASTER

by HANS TAMMEMAGI How long can a piano player’s fingers keep tickling those ivories? How long can he continue to belt out blues tunes to packed houses? How long can he win awards and write songs?

Surely it must slow down at some age. It should, but not for David Vest, the amazing blues piano player, singer and writer.

He’s 75 years old and going like a southern dervish – okay, a northern dervish, for although he started in the deep South, he’s now a Canadian.

Time has barely put a dent in David’s energy, skills and creative drive. He continues to bring audiences to their feet and to demonstrate why he has been called “one of the greatest living boogie-woogie piano players.” And his mental acumen continues unabated with songs and wisdom pouring from his pen.

David Vest is an authentic, Southern-bred boogie-woogie piano player, blues singer and world-class entertainer. Born in 1943, David grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He came from poor roots as his father was a sharecropper. But music, and especially blues, coursed through David’s veins from his early days. His grandmother bought him an upright piano for $50 and his father would drive it on the back of his flatbed truck to David’s next performance, often in a local field.

His first paying gig was at age 13. By the time he opened for Roy Orbison at age 18, he was already a Gulf Coast roadhouse blues veteran. He backed Big Joe Turner in the 1960s and later toured with Jimmy T99 Nelson, Floyd Dixon and Lavelle White, as well as the rockabilly group Bill Black’s Combo. David was also the co-leader of the Paul deLay Band.

Along the way, he picked up five Muddy awards from the Cascade Blues Association, including best keyboard player.

According to the award organizers, David is “Blues Piano Perfection.” No question, David had settled into a solid career in the American blues scene.

But then a black-haired Canadian girl named Annie changed the landscape. In late 2003, the two met in Portland, Oregon, and David soon became a frequent visitor to Victoria,

where Annie lived. One of their first dates involved typical Vancouver Island culture: they savoured cups of tea at Murchie’s, a well-known tea shop in Victoria. In 2005, the couple married. David moved to Victoria and he and Annie live happily there today. He re-oriented his career and has been extremely successful in his newly adopted country. Although he still speaks with just a trace of southern twang, he has become a true-blue Canuck. And Canada appreciates the multi-talented relative newcomer.

Greg Baert, David’s agent since 2008, helped David reestablish and knows him well. Baert says, “David is a consummate, astonishing musician, one of the best piano players in my lifetime, and I know piano.” In addition, Baert revealed a side of David of which most people are unaware. “In addition to his tremendous musical ability and dry wit,” Baert says, “David has a super intellect.” He explained that David has a Ph.D. in American literature and is a published writer. As though that isn’t enough, he also speaks French and is computer savvy. And he has a legendary knowledge of rock ’n’ roll, jazz, blues and musicians, especially those from Alabama.

I was awestruck and completely surprised, for I had had two lengthy interviews with David, who had not mentioned these formidable talents. What a modest guy!

I met David for the first time at his condo in downtown Victoria. Wearing a black shirt and jeans, he lounged at a large, shining black Kawai conservatory grand piano, which crowded the living room. His round face, which often broke into an infectious smile, is topped by thick, black hair heavily laced with grey that was combed straight back. A hint of a grey goatee hangs below his lower lip.

A measure of David’s success is that all four albums he’s released in Canada since 2012 have placed in the top three in the Roots Music’s Top 50 Canada Album Chart. “I had no idea there was an audience here for my kind of music,” he says.

“The positive response to it has astonished me. It’s something I would never have imagined.”

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Snapshot with David Vest If you were to meet your 20-year-old self, what advice would you give him?

“Protect your hearing. Play what you believe in and ignore what’s fashionable or not. Be true to yourself. Remember Bob Dylan’s words, ‘Sometimes no one wants what you got.’”

Who or what has influenced you the most? And why?

“I have been most influenced by the character of the older blues people I met. Jimmy Nelson would not let you badmouth another musician. ‘Wait ‘til he’s here,’ he’d say. I learned the concept of ‘necessary respect’ from them. Floyd Dixon, who has since passed away, once borrowed my piano.

Afterwards, he tried to pay me, but I said no, feeling he had increased the value of the piano by using it. But Dixon insisted because he needed to show the ‘necessary respect.’ Little Richard felt the same way and used the same phrase. Katie Webster, the Queen of Swamp Boogie, after hearing me play, said ‘I knows it when I hears it.’ I was flattered as it was one of the nicest things ever said to me.

Later, she suffered a stroke and had to use a walker.

She fought, though, and worked her way back to performing. I was moved by her courage. I learned to realize that it’s not wild drinking and drugs, but character and courage that are important. Blues are part of the community; they’re at the table, and you’ve got to respect it. Often, the people who have the least, contribute the most.”

What does success mean to you?

“Never having had to do anything I would call work, not like my dad who was a sharecropper.

Success means enjoying the music I play, and also having an audience. I opened for Roy Orbison in 1952 and he had a very small audience that night.

But he still put on a full show because he appreciated the audience.”

What are you most grateful for?

“Having discovered what I’m supposed to be doing in life, accepting the path, and being given the ability to do it.”

A Songwriter of the Year nominee, David’s songs have been covered by artists ranging from Tammy Wynette to the legendary Downchild Blues Band. Downchild’s cover of his song “Worried About the World” was a No. 1 hit on the Roots Music blues chart.

David had an exciting career and in his younger days was shot at, robbed and threatened with death. He compared these adventures to his experiences in his new country, “I didn’t quite envision touring Ontario, Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan in January, but I’ve done it – more than once!”

What keeps him so young and energetic?

“The music, a happy life and good friends,” he says.

Adding, “Also coming to Canada has rejuvenated me. It felt like coming home. I’m loving it and I’m here to stay.” What about lifestyle and exercise? “I used to play softball and tennis, but now it’s just walking. I do a lot of walking. I quit smoking more than 35 years ago and don’t drink any alcohol at all.”

He explained his philosophy. “Blues is about feeling. If you’re ‘feeling no pain,’ if you’ve numbed all feeling, you’ve stepped away from the blues. If you’re drinking how can you feel?” He remembered some big shows, and the famous stars were all healthy and sober. “The audience can get blasted, but not the players. It’s a great misconception that musicians are party animals.”

One of the biggest satisfactions of David’s career is feeling accepted by the older blues musicians he looks up to and respects.

Of course, he is also pleased by the five Muddy awards he received in the US and feels they are huge tributes. But he is particularly proud of the five Maple Blues awards he’s received since moving to Canada. He proudly held up the most recent one he received in Toronto for Piano Player of the Year for 2018.

And what about the future?

“I’m going to keep playing,” he says. “In addition, I’m looking at new directions for the blues. I’d like to play the blues as a guest artist with symphony orchestras and write some new music for that situation. And I’d like to call more attention to blues artists as songwriters.”

Clearly, age is not slowing down David’s activities nor his ambitions.

Awed by his longevity, I wondered how long he could maintain this phenomenal level of activity. “I’m going to keep going ‘as long as the flavour lasts’ to quote Jimmy T-99 Nelson,” he says.

David says he doesn’t feel slower, although the number of gigs he does is down to about 30 per year. In fact, David feels he is gaining momentum. “I’ve the good fortune to be in music where age doesn’t matter. In blues, the older musicians are more revered.

Old age is not a disadvantage.”

David gave a hint of his possible goal by noting that Pine Top Perkins lived to 97, when he was still touring with about 200 gigs a year. “We played together at his 90th birthday, and he could still bring the heat.”

David Vest is a true inspiration and a cherished addition to the Canadian blues landscape. I plan to be around to watch him play on his 90th birthday. | For tickets to one of David’s shows, visit http://davidvest.ca/shows/

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OVERLANDING IN SOUTH AFRICA

by J. KATHLEEN THOMPSON What are the chances that on a four-week trip through South Africa you are going to get to know a driver with four wives; a man who was expelled from high school and now, between stints as a park ranger and a guide, is writing music; two entomologists who will have their telescopic lens glued to the ground for the duration of their trip; an Italian woman whose pharmaceutical advice is dispensed while the rest of us are sleeping; and a collective that is working hard for the welfare and economic rejuvenation of their Zulu village? Pretty good, we found out, if you do something my partner and I seldom do – take a guided tour!

On the first day of our tour, at the 5:00 a.m. departure for Kruger National Park, we meet Collen, our Zulu driver, and the truck we will be calling home for three weeks. Both look sturdy and broken in. Our guide, likewise, appears to have been down an African road or two. With a brusque African accent, he touts random statistics about the current state of wildlife breeding in Africa and the price of a hybridized bull at a recent auction, assuring us that we haven’t got someone who has parachuted in from Devonshire for the job.

Before long, we have been introduced to the rest of our truckmates. The most colourful have been mentioned, and all have come with open and even-keeled minds about exploring the tip of “the Dark Continent.”

We sweep into Kruger, and the first thing we see is, not a rhino, but a large snake slithering down a tree at the 10 8

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side of the road. Initially fascinated by the horror of it, we are all furtively sneaking glances at it. As it gets closer, our guide is delirious with excitement.

“OMG! – who’s got binoculars I can borrow? I think it’s a boomslang! I’ve never seen a boomslang on a tour before!”

Suddenly the mood is changed. People hang out the truck windows to get the best shot of the snake to give to the guide for examination. We watch it strike and begin to devour a lizard whole, its mouth expanding to four times its size. What was before a creepy “nature incident” has become a science lab of epic and privileged proportions. We had witnessed a boomslang, the most venomous snake in South Africa, do what so few others witness – dine in the wild.

We learn later about the animals our guide felt he needed to warn us about: the water buffalos, hippos, zebras (“360 degrees of kungfu with very sharp hooves”), hyenas, ostriches (“its front claws can tear a person apart”), and anything black and white in nature. Snakes and spiders don’t even rate a mention.

ABOVE | Elephants in Kruger National Park. Photo: J. Kathleen Thompson

We appreciate that he didn’t have a fetish about warnings and safety and all-the-things-that-were-going-to-eatus in the African jungle. He trusted us to make our own judgments about how far to stand away from the edge of the mighty Blyth River Canyon, to size up our strength versus the cross-currents of river deltas next to the Indian Ocean, and to be realistic about our competencies as climbers in the Drakensberg Mountains.

Upon reaching our beautiful base camp at the Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge, we chose a hike “for the young at heart.” It ascends a vertical rock wall with chain ladders and ropes, and wanders along a windswept landscape that drains, unmarked, into a massive waterfall. In the mist and pouring rain, we descend with cautious foot placements another series of ladders fastened to a massive stone wall of the geological wonder they call the Drakensberg (Dragon) Mountains. We suck it up. We do it. We feel stronger for it, realizing we would have been denied the opportunity to prove ourselves young at heart if Jay had told us it was a trail for only the most advanced or intrepid hikers. We thank him for that.

As we approach the metropolis of Durban aside the Indian Ocean, we sweep up into the Valley of a Thousand Hills for an overnight homestay in a Zulu village. Strolling along the village’s red dirt roads past tiny rondavel huts buried beneath jacaranda trees ablaze in red flowers, we listen to our hosts Max, Thulia and Big Mama describe the village’s grassroots efforts to generate educational and employment opportunities for their youth. It’s a local economic initiative we are happy to support.

Entering the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, we cross “a border” into treed boulevards, stuccoed homes with fenced-in pools and spacious designer malls, and increasingly more beautiful rest stops, like the campsite at Storm’s River adjacent a deep river canyon on the Indian Ocean. Shoreside wanderings along the first part of the world-renowned Otter Trail gives us a taste of the spectacular walking adventures that await the traveller in South Africa.

Canyons, deep valley vineyards

tucked into them, and vast tracts of grassland burnt by the sun continue until Cape Town. A night at a lodge by a river known for its white water rafting is rearranged by a river that is virtually dry, but no matter; the experience of directing five kayaks down the river between us as the late-afternoon sun frames the river valley in a soft bowl of blue is heavenly.

Taking care not to run over any elephant dung (which is harbouring the allimportant but endangered dung beetle),

we drive the final ocean-hugging miles to Cape Town. One senses that all of us on the truck are filled with the usual mixture of feelings about farewells and new beginnings. After the flurry of hugs and photos that ensue upon arriving, we gamely shoulder our packs for the new paths that beckon. Table Mountain, after all, is merely a cloud’s wisp away. | For IF YOU GO info and additional photos, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/ articles/overlanding-south-africa INSPIRED | JUNE 2019

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WHAT IF?

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE

by MARILYN JONES For years I travelled all over the world and never carried emergency evacuation travel insurance. I didn’t really think about it until three events spaced closely together changed my mind.

The first event was when I read about a travel blogger. While travelling in South Africa, she was in an auto accident. Her health insurance paid for her medical bills, but she had no way to get back home. Her injuries were too severe for commercial airline travel, and she didn’t have the money to pay for a private jet. She had to stay in South Africa until she was able to fly commercially, which caused all kinds of additional problems let alone being away from home for so long.

ACCIDENT Shortly thereafter, I visited Germany, Luxembourg and France. While travelling by train from Luxembourg City to Lyon, France, I had to change trains. It was a wide gap between the train and the platform. I put my luggage on the platform, and when I used the step to get to the platform I slipped and fell between the train and the platform. You can imagine my panic! To this day, I don’t know how I slipped or how I managed to pull myself up onto the platform just before the train took off.

A conductor asked if I was all right and I thought I was.

Within an hour, my right leg had swollen to near double its regular size, painfully pushing against my blue jeans. I asked at the dining car for ice. The young woman said they didn’t have any ice and asked why I needed it. When I told 12 10

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her, she immediately had the conductor ask if there were any doctors on board.

Three doctors, who spoke a little English, told me they thought my leg was broken. This was an express train, but it stopped in a small village. Paramedics took me off the train and to a tiny hospital. After x-rays, they determined it was a severe contusion and that there were no broken bones. I spent the night in the hospital before continuing to Lyon.

ILLNESS Six month later, I was on an expedition ship sailing to Antarctica when I became violently ill. At first, the doctor thought it was sea sickness because we were crossing the Drake Passage, notorious for its rough seas.

The ship pitched and swayed.

When we arrived in Antarctica, I felt better and was able to visit Palmer Station, an American research facility. Once back on the ship, I became ill again.

Not knowing what was making me so sick, the doctor gave me intravenous antibiotics. This time, the doctor quarantined me in my room for nearly the entire time in Antarctica. For nearly a

ABOVE | The author watched other passengers take Zodiacs to the shores of Antarctica while she remained quarantined in her room due to illness.

INSET | When she was finally cleared to go out – on the last day – penguins visited her on the pebbled beach. Photos: Marilyn Jones

week, I observed the beauty of Antarctica from the window of my stateroom. I was fortunate to be able to leave the ship on the last day to see Chinstrap penguins on a rocky beach.

I was fortunate. My private insurance policy covered my medical expenses in both cases, but what if I broke my leg or worse when I fell off the train and couldn’t fly commercially to get home?

What if my Antarctica-illness was life threatening?

THE RIGHT POLICY I decided I would, from then on, always purchase emergency evacuation insurance.

I started by purchasing separate insurance for each trip, but because I travel so much, I now carry insurance with an annual premium.

According to Travel Guard, “when you leave Canada, even if it’s only for a few hours, you are leaving behind up to 90 per cent of your government health insurance plan (GHIP) coverage. Only a portion of your medical expenses are covered by your GHIP when you travel domestically within Canada outside of your home province.

Medical costs outside Canada can be very expensive and medical bills can quickly add up. For example, US hospitals can charge over $5,000 per day for inpatient care.

If you carry private insurance, check to see if it offers emergency evacuation.

Some policies do. And know what you are buying. Sometimes, travel insurance is coupled with trip cancellation, interruption or delay, and lost, damaged or stolen luggage and other personal items.

I only carry evacuation coverage, but that’s my preference. There are several different options to choose from and several different companies offering travel insurance. The insurer should offer 24/7 telephone assistance.

Know, too, that a lot of tour companies are now requiring participants to carry evacuation insurance, so it’s good to do a little research before you travel.

I was foolish to think I didn’t need it, but fortunate to learn without any dire consequences. And, of course, I hope I never have to use my insurance policy, but having it gives me the security to know it’s there if I need it. |

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NAPOLEON’S PARIS: HIS LIFE, HIS LEGACY

by RICK & CHRIS MILLIKAN In Paris, Arc de Triomphe acclaims Napoleon Bonaparte France’s most renowned leader. Marble friezes represent his key victories. Thirty shields highlight battles where he passionately defended the new Republic and its revolutionary ideals. This enormous iconic arch sparks our investigations into Napoleon’s lifetime of achievement.

A Viking Cruise excursion skirts École Militaire where Napoleon excelled in war crafts and takes us onward into the city’s eastern suburbs to visit Château-de-Malmaison.

Our guide recounts, “Josephine, a wealthy widow, bought her new husband this two-story 18th century home during his Egyptian campaign.” Decorated to impress, classical sculptures line a spacious foyer. A huge billiard table dominates the adjacent room. Upstairs, Roman and Egyptianstyle furnishings evoke Napoleon’s early conquests.

Paintings reflect the influential couple’s support of revolutionary fashion. Renouncing the monarchy’s restrictive wear, women like Josephine rejected corsets, hooped skirts and heavy brocades. Portraits reveal simple, high-waisted, flowing Greco-Roman dresses flattering her natural beauty.

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Men abandoned foppish makeup, wigs, neck ruffles and lacy floral garb. Looking dynamic, Napoleon sports no-nonsense trousers, trim waistcoat, tricorn hat… and snappy riding boots.

His bedchamber proves austere. Canvas camp chairs stand beside the tent-like bed he used during military operations. As sole ornamentation, a gilded eagle perches above. In a glass cabinet, an elaborate toiletry case suggests efforts to look dashing for artists; one framed result hangs in the salon. Napoleon Crossing the Alps depicts him as a heroic figure mounted on his white stallion, Marengo, yellow cape flowing.

ABOVE | The Arc de Triomphe’s marble friezes represent Napoleon’s key victories for France.

PAGE 14 | (top) Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel; (bottom) Napoleon’s tomb.

TOC PAGE | Napoleon’s son’s chamber at Château de Fontainebleau.

Photos: Rick & Chris Millikan

Outside, a portion of Josephine’s famous garden remains. A placard explains the evolution of her beloved rose collection.

During military campaigns, Napoleon ordered his officers to find, dig and transport roses to Paris. Many of these 250-plus species still perfume the air.

Another day, we cross Pont d’Iéna, one of Napoleon’s early projects. His nephew, Napoleon III, later added sculpted Arab, Greek, Roman and Gallic warriors along the balustrades. On through the Trocadero and along the World Heritage waterfront, we arrive at Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel celebrating Napoleon’s Italian victories. To rival imperial Rome, he funded this and many other monuments. Nearby lies Place Vendôme commemorating his triumphant Battle of Austerlitz, defeating and destroying the Holy Roman Empire.

Our stroll continues into the Tuileries. The magnificent centuries-old palace served as his residence from 1799. While there, he added a Louvre Museum wing, providing space to publicly display more artwork and war trophies from Italy, Austria, Netherlands and Spain. Nowadays, a glass pyramid rises amid Place Napoleon, the Louvre’s courtyard.

To link the Tuileries to the left bank, he constructed Pont des Arts, an innovative iron bridge. We instead proceed along Rue Rivoli, a street he had widened.

Below lies Fontaine du Palmier recalling the Egyptian offensive meant to sever Britain from India. Four sphinxes surround a Romanesque column and fountain. His funding also created several neoclassical buildings, like this district’s Palais Brongniart, a Parthenon-style stock exchange. Pausing at 17th century City Hall, we consider how he ended post-revolution terror. Replacing the elected mayor, he appointed a Prefect of the Seine and established a Prefect of Police.

Crossing Napoleon III’s Pont d’Arcole to Ile-de-France, we soon behold magnificent Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris.* This magnificent 14th century gothic cathedral hosted Napoleon’s Imperial Coronation in 1804. Altering the traditional ceremony, Napoleon rose beside the Pope to crown Josephine Empress and himself Emperor. Josephine retained her title, even after his remarriage.

Walking south, we visit 17th century Luxembourg Palace.

His post-revolution government welcomed the public into its extensive lawns and gardens dotted with sculptures. The palace encompassed Napoleon’s First Consul office and new Senate. Through his leadership, Paris developed into Europe’s political, diplomatic and social hub.

Another morning, a train takes us 40 kilometres southeast of Paris to Château de Fontainebleau, Napoleon’s favourite residence. Inside, audio guides introduce this World Heritage palace. Larger-than-life family portraits line an extensive gallery alongside his apartments. In the first chamber, we admire the painting of his second wife, 19-year-old Austrian archduchess Marie Louise… and now Queen. Two further rooms celebrate their son and needed heir, christened King of Rome.

Beside a gilded bassinette, a small portrait shows their healthy baby. A glass case exhibits his little sword and working rifle, among other toys.

F O R F I T N E S S . F O R F U N . F O R G E N E R AT I O N S .

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Olympic Peninsula July 21-24, 2019 | 4 Days

Join us as we explore the temperate Hoh Rainforest, Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park and the West coast of Washington. Discover Port Townsend, the Olympic Game Farm, Astoria Column and the Norwegian town of Paulsbo. 3 Meals $1,095 Cdn PP Double. $1,395 Cdn Single. NO GST

Okanagan and the Kettle Valley Railway

Aug 17-19th, 2019 | 3 Days Stay in the heart of downtown Kelowna for two nights and experience a ride on the Kettle Valley Steam Railway operating on the only remaining section of the historic Kettle Valley Railway; enjoy a boat tour from Kelowna on Okanagan Lake; Wine tasting at a local Summerland Winery. Lots of fun and adventure packed into these 3 days. $785 Cdn PP Dble occ. plus GST. Book before June 17th and save $50 pp.

•Alberni Inlet & Pac Rim Park • Butchart Gardens & Miracle on 34th St. Dec 4-6: 3 Days June 11-13: 3 Days • Maritimes Coastal Wonders • Leavenworth and Warm Beach Theatre Dec 12-15 Sept 8-19: 12 Days

• Panama Canal Cruise Jan 5-24, 2020

DOOR-TO-DOOR PICK UP AND RETURN WITHIN THE LOWER MAINLAND CALL FOR YOUR 2019 BROCHURE TRAVEL PROTECTION BOB & TERESA MARSHALL INSPIRED | JUNE 2019

15 13

Following the French Revolution, this 12th century palace was stripped of furnishings and became dilapidated. Emperor Napoleon rehabilitated Fontainebleau’s previous grandeur.

Admiring the 15th century work of Italian artisans, Napoleon refurbished Francois I’s art treasury. This included restoring the gallery’s mythically themed frescoes and ballroom’s oil paintings that convey moral narratives.

Royal chambers were upgraded. Louis XIV’s former bedroom became Napoleon’s throne room. Replacing Bourbon fleur-de-lis, industrious bees dot the rich blue velvet draperies embracing his platformed throne. Two golden eagles perch above; wreathes encircle the letter N. The Queens’ boudoir boasts gilded, white paneled walls and Egyptian-style furnishings. In the bedchamber, silk wall coverings and dazzling red roses embellish exquisite furniture. Marie Louise enjoyed the sumptuous canopied bed created for, but never used by, cousin Marie Antoinette. In contrast, Napoleon’s room contains his 16 14

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preferred tent-style bed.

In the last room, plush, red chairs surround a small round table. Here, in April 1814, Napoleon signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau. From the chateau’s horseshoe staircase, he restated his love for France and bid adieu to Old Guard officers. His wife and son eventually moved to Austria, where Napoleon II developed into a successful Austrian army officer. Napoleon’s exile to Elba lasted less than a year. At Château-du-Malmaison, he reassembled an army. One hundred days later, he was defeated at Waterloo and exiled to remote Saint Helena.

Our visit ends in the baroque chapel where Napoleon’s nephew Louis was baptized. When Napoleon II died of tuberculosis at age 31, Louis adopted “Napoleon III” as his name. France overwhelmingly elected this new Napoleon president and later passed a referendum making him Emperor. Thus, he became Fontainebleau’s last royal resident.

Back in Paris, we learn that with Prefect Baron Haussmann, Napoleon III carried on his uncle’s work. Beautifying and enhancing Paris, they created new parks, aqueducts, fountains, squares and widened roadways. They also saved and refurbished Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle and conical towered Conciergerie, and the ancient jewels of Ile-de-France. And in 1850, he fulfilled his uncle’s wish to be interred along the Seine.

Our last amble skirts the left bank to his resting place in the gold domed chapel of Place des Invalides, a 17th century army hospital. Amid its immense rotunda, we gaze upon Napoleon Bonaparte’s colossal quartzite sarcophagus. Other military leaders lie in surrounding crypts. One honours older brother Joseph, who led the army that captured Italy.

In the downstairs chamber, a series of white marble friezes surround Napoleon’s tomb. Several show him as first consul, reorganizing the Grand Écoles to train engineers and administrators, who improved the roads, canals, water supplies and sewers. Another pictures him developing extensive wharves and warehouses. Another panel portrays his appointment of judges, who established France’s Napoleonic Code. Other friezes picture him ending feudalism, protecting freedom of religion, press and association. And from a central niche, the statue of Emperor Napoleon watches over his own son’s tomb.

Thanks to two Napoleons, France progressed and prospered. And due to their many civic-minded projects, Paris became the magnificent city travellers like us love visiting! | *Due to fire damage, Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris is closed to visitors and worshippers until further notice.

For IF YOU GO information, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/ articles/napoleons-paris

FIRST 55+ TRAVEL CLUB EVENT KICKS OFF IN VICTORIA

by INSPIRED STAFF The brainchild of INSPIRED Magazine publisher Barbara Risto became reality on May 22nd when 60 travel enthusiasts met to launch the 55+ Travel Club in Victoria. Held at the elegant Berwick Royal Oak residence, attendees were treated to a reception of tasty hors d’oeuvres prepared by Berwick’s chef, followed by three unique travel destination presentations.

INSPIRED Magazine is celebrating the completion of 15 years of publishing this month.

“Over the many years of publishing, I have discovered that travel is a common passion I share with our readers,” says Barbara. “I thought our 15th anniversary would be a fitting time to launch the 55+ Travel Club.”

“I wanted to bring travellers together. First, so we can learn more about special places to travel. Second, to help those who are reluctant to travel on their own to find companions with whom they can share their passion.”

Over the course of publishing the magazine, Barbara has met many 55+ people who love to travel but are increasingly reluctant to book a trip because they lack a travel companion. People who are single, widowed or divorced can have difficulty finding a friend with the time and means to travel.

“Even couples run into this problem when one of them loves to travel and the other one doesn’t or can’t,” says Barbara. “My intention is to develop a network where members can find travel mates to join them on their adventures.”

The networking might even help solo travellers who are hit hard in their pocketbook by the single supplement, unless they can find someone to share the cost. They often have to foot a cost almost equivalent to what two people would pay.

The recent travel club event offered an opportunity for members to join a travel buddy list. Members on this list will be contacted when potential matches are noticed – for example, two people indicating an interest in travelling to Peru.

Barbara is also planning a luncheon, just for those looking for travel buddies.

“I was astonished by the response to our first event,” she says.

“I expected maybe 30 or 40 people, but we ended up with 60. We scored predominantly 4 and 5 stars on our feedback survey. So many people came up to say how much they enjoyed the evening.

I think we’ve started out on the right foot and we’re going to keep looking for ways to improve our events and our connection with these club members.”

Next on the horizon is a potential club on the Mainland and/ or mid-Vancouver Island. “I’ve had lots of requests since starting the Victoria club to expand it to other regions. If the interest grows, you’ll see us bringing events to Vancouver and up-island.”

The kick-off event featured presentations

by Mile Zero Tours (an autumn trip to Quebec and Ontario in September, see ad page 23), by Pitmar Tours (a Panama Canal tour visiting 6 countries in January 2020, see ad page 13), and by Collette (a Seine River cruise departing Paris in June 2020, see ad page 24).

The Seine River Cruise is hosted by INSPIRED Magazine owner Barbara Risto. With only 15 seats available, it’s expected to sell out quickly. Book now to reserve your seat and receive a $500 savings.

SPECIAL THANKS to Berwick Royal Oak, the presenters, and all the prize sponsors. Prizes included a selection of travel books written by BC authors donated by Harbour Publishing, Douglas & McIntyre Publishing; a copper tree sculpture (pictured above) hand-crafted by Teresa Marshall, co-owner of Pitmar Tours; two decadent bottles of French wine and a $250 gift certificate by Collette, a one-night hotel stay by Days Inn Uptown, travel bags and accessories by Pitmar and Mile Zero, a gift certificate from Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre and tour tickets from Walk Victoria. |

INSPIRED 55+ Travel Club Join our monthly newsletter.

Stay informed about unique travel destinations and be part of local club events.

• Meet other 55+ travellers • Be first to know about planned trips & special travel discounts • Exchange travel experiences • Find travel buddies

Are you interested in attending a club event in the Vancouver area?

Let us know. Email us at travel@seniorlivingmag.com www.seniorlivingmag.com/travelclub

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INSPIRED magazine

INSPIRED | JUNE 2019

17 15

“GREENADA”

by ALAN G. LUKE & JACQUIE D. DURAND Known as “Spice Island,” Grenada’s mandate is “build back better” while going “green.” Just as the phoenix rises from the ashes, Grenada is re-emerging after weathering the storms. After being devastated 15 years ago by Hurricane Ivan, the world’s second largest producer of nutmeg (myristica fragams) has prevailed.

Grenada’s nutmeg logo is an omnipresent symbol. To experience the true spice of life, we visit Dougaldston Estate where a variety of spices are grown and receive primary processing. The unique evergreen nutmeg tree is the only one that produces two spices. Inside the wooden facility, Catherine Duprey expounds upon this multi-functional product: “The outer fruit pulp is made into jams, jellies, syrups and liqueurs while the red lacy mace covering the nutmeg shell is dried and used in cooking, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.”

In addition, I discover that even the shell casing of this versatile organic entity can provide a particular purpose in landscaping. Cracked shell fragments make ideal horticultural mulch for gardens and an effective surface covering for pathways and driveways.

“Not only are the nut shells an insect repellant and a natural ground alarm for the premises, they also emit a pleasant aroma following our tropical rainfalls,” says our local tour guide.

We observe venerable employees, Delta Duprey and Cicely John, meticulously separating both mace and nutmeg. This appears to be the ultimate efficient environmental commodity ensuring domestic sustainability.

A one hour’s drive north of the capital is the Belmont Estate, a fully functional 17th century plantation. We witness cocoa being produced in the traditional manner and chocolate going “green” at the Grenada Chocolate Company processing centre. Belmont has been operating continuously for more than three centuries, and we are welcomed with a rich cup of cocoa tea.

Sixty hectares of organic cocoa farms mean the product is locally grown and produced while being cooperatively structured. The chocolate factory uses photovoltaic solar panels to create electricity to run the machinery. Further eco-friendliness is reflected by the delivery of the finished 18 16

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product in the Caribbean by sailboat. Following the tour, I purchase a large chocolate bar from the guide commenting: “Genuine food of the gods, isn’t it?” “Yes, this organic dark chocolate contains 74 per cent cocoa,” he tells me.

Driving a short distance east of Belmont Estate, we visit another facility that also promotes environmental integrity. Established in 1785, the River Antoine Rum Distillery is a plantation occupying 200 hectares of lush land. Every stage of rum processing has been retained since its inception.

Depicted on one of their rum bottle labels is the original waterwheel that still provides power to drive the conveyor belt and crushes the cut sugar cane for its rum-making liquid.

“We are the oldest water-propelled distillery in the Caribbean,” our guide says proudly. After the cane is pressed for its sweet juices, the residual cane stalk is combined with hardwood and used for fuel to heat the furnaces during the distillation process. The ashes are then recycled as compost and returned to the cane fields.

Award-winning British entrepreneur Peter de Savary has completed several “Savvy Grenada” developments that support the island’s “build back better” initiative. Among de Savary’s impressive projects is Port Louis, a West Indian and Mediterraneanstyle community overlooking the Carenage of St. George’s and its marina village.

ABOVE | Grenada’s Maca Bana villa with solar panels.

RIGHT | (top) Raw cocoa beans and organic chocolate bar. Photos: Alan G. Luke (bottom) Nutmeg based products and mace covered nutmeg. Photo: Jacquie D. Durand

The Tufton Hall development is in the heart of St. Mark’s tropical rainforest overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Grenada’s premier eco-spa will be established here with organic and herbal treatments. Emphasizing back to nature, activities will include donkey trekking to the island’s tallest waterfall (25 metres) for a refreshing natural swim in its mountain pool.

Eco-tourism is a galvanizing issue with efforts to preserve the island’s diverse eco-systems a major priority. Dedicating land and nature preserve, as well as introducing artificial reefs in order to encourage marine life, has aided in the maintenance of the environment.

Along the Grand Anse beachfront sits the all-inclusive, eco-resort established in 1961. Spice Island Beach Resort utilizes solar-heated water, energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs and a pool treated with saline not chlorine. Rigorously recycling and composting kitchen scraps, they also grind guest soap remnants to use as laundry detergent for hotel uniforms.

Water and energy conservation, elimination of waste and support of their local habitat and communities are paramount in promoting “responsible tourism.” Travel + Leisure magazine classifies such hotels as “eco-chic icons” and further added that these resorts “hold the highest standards of sustainability without sacrificing an ounce of style.”

Following a lengthy hotel closure due to the impact of Hurricane Ivan and subsequently Hurricane Emily the following summer, they have since been recertified in the prestigious Green Globe program with the 11-point environmental policy criteria. A designated “Green Team” adheres to their development and maintenance of eco-friendly operations, reduction of air emissions and water pollution plus property minimization of hazardous chemicals in favour of biodegradable alternatives.

The resort staff is empowered as “Environmental Agents” to advocate the environmental earth-smart agenda. Preference is made to locally and organically grown produce and the Fish and Farmers Markets in Grenada are key repositories of sustainable and renewable resources for locals and visitors alike.

Maca Bana, a boutique resort that opened in 2006 was also instrumental in setting the pace for green tourism. The 48 solar panels on the roofs of the seven villas provide much of the electricity on the property. There are solar water heaters and a desalination plant adjacent to the beachside restaurant. Recycled grey water is used on the organic nursery and fruit tree orchard. Pesticides are not sprayed on the premises and guppies are put into ponds and standing water to curtail mosquito larvae. Also, coconut palms are going to be planted along the beach creating a palm avenue so root production will promote sand retention.

General Manager of Maca Bana Michaela Karger explains, “we want to provide a luxury product in tune with nature, which will hopefully make a difference by trying to incorporate nature into the villa environment.”

Described as “a discreet romantic hideaway quietly nestled on four hectares of untouched land,” Laluna is a secluded seaside resort that has a “casual-chic, rustic-modern appeal” with its villas and cottages.

Canadian General Manager Christine Nelles administers myriad eco-friendly elements while extending the environmental awareness outside the property to youths on the island.

A committee called “Let’s Impact the South” (LITS) offers a “Green Team” to inform children at schools. Nelles emphatically states, “it is important to do what we can for the environment. It starts with educating the people and ensuring our beautiful surroundings are maintained!”

It can be an expensive venture going totally “green,” especially for established resorts. With the organic industries, “green” resorts and increased public awareness, a positive “environ-mentality” has permeated Grenada. Collectively employing ecological efforts may, in due course, transform the “Isle of Spice” into a genuine “Greenada.” | For IF YOU GO information, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/ articles/ecotourism-grenada

INSPIRED | JUNE 2019

17 19

TRAIN CHARACTERS IN TRANSYLVANIA

by J. KATHLEEN THOMPSON We were travelling from Budapest to Istanbul by train and it wasn’t just the scenery that was getting better. By Transylvania, scenes of pocket-sized farms carved into dense forested hillsides were becoming secondary to what was really capturing our attention: our fellow passengers.

Upon leaving the lush, green mountain town of Sighisoara in Romania, we meet a young American videographer who has just returned from Ethiopia where he had been filming skateboarders in Addis Ababa. A grassroots movement, coupled with a coterie of international supporters, had led to the establishment of a new public skatepark; the Addis Skatepark, and Matt’s videos were vital to securing ongoing international interest and support for the project. Still vibrating from his experiences in Ethiopia, freshly showered Matt is on the way to another assignment. As we head deeper into Transylvania and Vlad the Impaler’s hunting ground, he turns north towards the Ukraine.

Ground central for Transylvania is the city of Brasov, named and built by its Saxon founders. Finding its cobblestoned streets more akin to a scene out of the Pied Piper of Hamelin than one backdropping Vlad’s reign of terror, we nonetheless play along with the dominant tourist schtick in the town and the macabre humour that it had engendered. Vlad was not a man to be trifled with: 100,000 people had been subjected to his brutal means of torture and death. Our city guide reassures us that, other than inspiring a book – Dracula

by Bram Stoker – Vlad’s techniques have fallen out of fashion.

Brasov to Bucharest is a morning’s train ride away, so it was no surprise meeting Arlene and Larry, two other senior backpackers, upon reaching the station. Their swing into this legendary corner of Romania was via Bulgaria and, according to Arlene, a sizzling tour with Road Scholars, a not-for-profit educational travel company.

“It was a fantastic tour,” she tells us. “They took us to all

TOP | The gate into Brasov.

MIDDLE | The Romanian countryside.

BOTTOM | A Romanian family on the train.

TOC PAGE | A Monastery in Bulgaria. Photos: J. Kathleen Thompson 20 18

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the historical hot-spots in Bulgaria. We had no idea that Bulgaria had been so powerful, particularly during the Second Bulgarian Dynasty, so the country teems with artifacts from those eras. You should have seen the fresco work – inside and out – in some of the monasteries. Stunning!”

It seems that Road Scholars is a way for seniors with a bent for culture and an aptitude for dates to unearth and explore their inner archeologist, and Arlene’s retelling of their trip through Bulgaria attracts a few eavesdroppers. Eager to practise a language she is learning, a young woman, who introduces herself as Chantel from Sicily, chimes in. She has no problem swinging the conversation over to a subject she is passionate about – her mother country. She highlights the areas on Sicily once settled by the Ancient Greeks and, within moments, we could feel the searing sun and the dust between our toes as we imagine scrambling about the ruins scattered across the island.

But we had a train to catch first. As we board the busy Friday afternoon train to Romania’s capital, a family clan of many, with children too excited to sit, crammed into the seats across from us. Their conversation is animated, switching back and forth between Romanian and German. One of the women slips seamlessly into English to inquire, mirth dancing around her eyes, how we were enjoying Brasov and Romania and the always-late trains. She translates our responses to her eight-yearold son who, having found out that we live just north of the US, reiterates to his mom that though he liked Obama, he is no fan of Trump. We find out the precocious boy’s mom is a German teacher, with a PhD in English literature, and his father is a mechanical engineer working for a German company in Brasov. They have taken the Friday off for a family trip to a local castle, and I catch a photo of them in the full flush of “flying the coop.”

When the Brasov family leaves the train – children and baggage and laughter trailing behind them – their seats are taken

by Paula, a young Romanian woman. She is keen to converse (being fluent in both English and French) and tells us she is taking a reprieve from work.

“What is it you do?” I ask.

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“I animate kids,” she replies. working with kids exhausting. She is Well, that needed some unpacking.

29 years old.

Turns out she works in theFILE children’s Animating kids for Club Med, filmNAME: Connect-Hearing_Brand-Ad_BC DATE: 04/23/19ing Ethiopian skateboarders, two seniors activity department for Club Med. CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK PROFILE: Her last post was in the Dominican on the road to scholarship in Bulgaria, Republic and, in a few weeks, she will one scintillating Sicilian, a Romanian be heading to Tunisia (well away, she couple with five university degrees and assures us, from “the trouble” there) to a Trump-intolerant son between them – help the children learn to kitesurf while these are the treasures uncovered within their parents sip cocktails by the pool. three days of train travel in Romania.

She tells us she will be looking for a Now, that’s what I’d call a meet-up new job after this posting as she finds extravaganza! | INSPIRED | JUNE 2019

21 19

T O O B

RE

by VERENA FOXX

DR. JOHN MILLAR started his medical career as a McGill graduated internist with a pilot’s licence, joining a team of Zambian Flying Doctors (although he was flown – not piloting himself – to the villages he supported) in the 1970s. In his next position as Chief Medical Officer in Papua New Guinea, where he served impoverished communities, John focused on obstetrics and trauma surgery, both of which were more applicable to the needs there. In the mid-’80s, he returned to his native Vancouver and retrained in public health, which then became his life focus and passion.

As the first Provincial Health Officer in BC, he set up health goals for the province.

“I like data and collecting evidence, and then translating evidence into policy,” says the avid downhill and back-mountain skier and long-distance sailor.

Ultimately, John retired from his position as Executive Director of Population Health in BC, but he continues in his role as Clinical Professor Emeritus at UBC, mentoring and advocating for the idea of a guaranteed basic income with the

goal of eliminating many poverty-related health and crime issues.

“I’m all about prevention,” he says, “I want to see change.

Everyone has the human right to have housing and food in our rich province.”

JANA RAYNE MACDONALD says she has been painting all her life, but sometimes “life gets in the way of dreams.” After 30 years as a Costume Supervisor with Vancouver’s film industry, including working on Hollywood blockbusters (The Revenant, Bad Times, Warcraft), Jana says her career taught her the discipline she now – after raising two daughters – applies to painting full time.

“It’s my language into the human condition and into asking the questions,” says the sociology and urbanplanning educated native of Nova Scotia, whose artistic expression is realism.

“Costumers create characters with clothing, and I use clothing in my paintings to represent people,” she says, mentioning that Vancouver’s Ian Tan Gallery is now carrying her work.

As a member of THRIVE Vancouver, a collective of women artists, Jana found a balance to her solitary creative work, plus an environment with other artists that sustains her.

“My husband supports me in taking some weekend time off,” she says. “If he didn’t, I’d just carry on painting.” |

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FOREVER FIT

by EVE LEES

MEDITATE ON THIS… Meditation is exercise for the brain. Try to meditate daily, even if it’s just for 10 to 15 minutes.

Mediation can also train you to control your thoughts, especially stopping the constant mind-chatter of senseless worrying. Meditation develops the ability to look inward and change an emotion you may not want to feel, like anger, frustration, unhappiness, etc.

No, there is nothing wrong with feeling these emotions or being “stressed,” but dwelling for too long on worries and fears is not conducive to good health. Ongoing research shows the many physical and mental benefits of keeping your cognitive cool. Each time you practise meditating, you are strengthening your ability to decide what

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thoughts you want occupying your mind (so try to make them “good” thoughts!).

Do a variety of meditations or stick to one you like. And, incidentally, meditating doesn’t mean you have to wear beads, sit cross-legged or stare into a candle flame while chanting.

Here are several of my personal favourite “meditation” ideas: Sit quietly and visualize a bright white light surrounding you. Feel your body functioning perfectly and efficiently.

Relax in a warm tub, close your eyes and list all the things you are grateful for. Even if things aren’t going your way, you can still find many things to be grateful for: that you are alive, that you have a bathtub to relax in, that you have a roof over your head. Do you own a coffee table? Sure, be grateful for that too. Because while you are in a state of being grateful, there is absolutely no way you can be worried, afraid, angry or depressed.

Meditate as soon as you awake in the morning by thinking of all the positive things that will happen today (traffic to work will be light or you’ll find a $10 bill).

Meditate while you fall asleep at bedtime, reciting all the wonderful things that happened to you during the day (like the light traffic or the $10 you found).

Make up your own type of meditation. Perhaps just listen to the sounds around you, without analyzing or thinking about them at all. Keep your mind present. It’s actually quite fun to see how long you can do this before your mind wanders. And the longer you can do it, the better you become at being able to control your thoughts or, at the very least, avoid thinking about your troubles.

Practice makes perfect! |

Eve Lees has been active in the health & fitness industry since 1979. Currently, she is a Freelance Health Writer for several publications and speaks to business and private groups on various health topics. www.artnews-healthnews.com

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21 23

ADVENTURES IN EGYPT

by MARILYN JONES It’s after sunset when our Turkish Airlines flight lands in Cairo. I am met by a G Adventures representative who, along with our driver, takes me to Mercure Cairo Le Sphinx Hotel where I will stay the first three nights of my visit. A young bellman in his early 20s enthusiastically tells me my room has a wonderful view, but in the inky black punctuated with security lights, I can’t see anything too exciting.

The next morning, when I pull back the curtain, there they are – two of the three pyramids of Giza. I had heard the pyramids were close to the city, but this “room with a view” is a genuine surprise; the first surprise of many during my 12-day trip back in time.

Egypt: pyramids, temples, tombs, kings, queens, gods and goddesses; I’m ready to experience as much as I can. Making this happen is Chief Experience Officer (CEO) guide and Egyptologist Mohammed Bayoumy. Enthusiastic, professional, friendly and so knowledgeable, he will introduce the group of 14 Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders to his country.

CAIRO Although I am eager to visit the pyramids, our guide wisely takes us to the Egyptian Museum first. The museum opened in 1902, specifically to house Egypt’s historic treasures.

Mohammed uses the sculptures, reliefs and other artifacts to teach us the chronological history from Old Kingdom (approximately 2700 BC) to the Greco-Roman period.

The museum is overwhelming even with a guide, but without one, it would be nearly impossible to understand 24 22

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what you are looking at. There are more than 120,000 artifacts, including items from King Tutankhamun’s tomb and most of the royal mummies that have been discovered since the 19th century.

During the following days, Mohammed uses what we learn in the museum to relate to the sites we are visiting.

The Great Pyramids of Giza are, of course, one of the highlights of any visit to Egypt. When we arrive, Mohammed tells us the largest pyramid was built over a 10- to 20-year period around 2560 BC. It is amazing to see how big each block of stone is and the masterful way they were used in construction.

We all decide to venture inside the largest pyramid taking a narrow passageway deep inside to King Khufu’s tomb. The chamber is large with 19-foot ceilings, but all that is left here is the king’s sarcophagus. The Sphinx is a short bus ride away and again we take our time photographing it and taking in the moment.

ALEXANDRIA Like Cairo, Alexandria is a bustling metropolis with more than five million residents (compared to Cairo’s 20 million).

There is a lot to see and do here. Because of its location on the Mediterranean Sea, it is a popular vacation destination for Egyptians.

ABOVE | The temples at Abu Simbel honour King Ramses II and his wife.

TOC PAGE | The Great Pyramids of Giza are the only Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to survive. Photos: Marilyn Jones

Our first stop is the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa; one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Descending into the top two levels (the third level is often flooded), Mohammed points out the Greek, Roman and Egyptian artwork from the 1st to 4th centuries AD. The tombs were used as the final resting place for as many as 300 mummies.

A short bus ride away is Pompey’s Pillar, a 27-metre-tall (including its base and capital) monolithic Roman pillar. It is the only artifact remaining of a massive temple dedicated to the god Serapis. The entire structure, except for this single pillar, was destroyed during the 4th century AD by Coptic Christians attempting to eradicate paganism from the city.

The pillar is one of the largest ancient monoliths still in existence. Unlike many similar pillars that were composed of drums, this one was carved out of a single block of red Aswan granite. It is estimated to weigh around 259 tonnes.

Our last stop is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, also known as the New Library of Alexandria. Second in size only to the Library of Congress in the US, the library is designed to hold around eight million books. Beautiful in design, the massive building also houses art galleries, the Sadat Museum, dedicated to the late President Anwar Sadat, Manuscripts Museum, Antiquities Museum and History of Science Museum.

Our hotel is located near the Mediterranean Sea, where a long promenade offers a great place to walk and enjoy the beauty of the water. As I walk, several people smile, wave and say, “Welcome to Egypt.” It is a pleasant way to spend the evening just before the sun sets.

ASWAN Back in Cairo, we catch a plane to Aswan in Southern Egypt located just north of the Aswan Dam, which formed Lake Nasser.

The first site we visit is Philae Temple, built to honour Isis, goddess of beauty and love, the wife of Osiris, god of heavens and the lord of the underground world, and mother of Horus.

The falcon-headed Horus was originally the sky god, whose eyes were the sun and moon and later known more as the son of Isis and Osiris.

The temple, built between 380-362 BC, was moved from its original location on Philae Island to its new location on Agilkia Island when the newly formed Lake Nasser was created.

Another site relocated because of the lake is the Great Temple of Ramses II. The temples at Abu Simbel were built to honour the king and his wife. The two temples were originally constructed between 1274 and 1244 BC. Giant statues of Ramses II, his wife and Egyptian deities frame the entrances. Inside, there are remarkable statues and wall etchings depicting gods, goddesses and life scenes of the king.

CRUISING THE NILE Everything I do and see in Egypt is a highlight, but I can’t say enough about how much I enjoy my three days on the Princess Sarah river cruise ship. River cruises sail between Aswan and Luxor offering a wonderful way to see the Nile Valley. The Princess Sarah is a lovely ship offering beautiful surroundings and an

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attentive staff. I enjoy the relaxation of watching the world go by and being able to stop along the way for shore excursions.

Kom Ombo temple, dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus is along the river, so as soon as we leave the ship, we walk to the temple. It is later in the evening, so we hurry to see and better understand the temple before going to the adjoining museum where the mummified remains of crocodiles dating to 180 BC are on display.

Another temple we visit along the Nile is Edfu dedicated to Horus. This is the most complete temple in Egypt. As we disembark, we are greeted by calèche (horse-drawn buggy) drivers who help us up onto the buggy and take us through the village to the temple that was built during the Ptolemaic era from 237 to 57 BC.

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LUXOR Luxor is a fascinating city with two temples once connected by the recently discovered Avenue of the Sphinxes.

Luxor Temple was built over the times of several kings from 1390 to 1213 BC. The temple was dedicated to Amun, king of the gods, his consort Mut and their son Khonsu.

The Avenue of the Sphinxes connected Luxor Temple with the Great Temple of Amun at Karnak, the largest religious building ever made. Covering about 81 hectares, Karnak was also dedicated to Amun, Mut, and Khonsu and built between 1390 and 1353 BC. Originally more than two-and-a-half kilometres long, the Avenue of the Sphinxes was used once a year during the Opet festival when the Egyptians paraded the statues of Amun and Mut in a symbolic re-enactment of their marriage. The avenue was finished during the 30th Dynasty rule of Nectanebo I (380-362 BC). It is currently being excavated and restored to its former glory.

VALLEY OF THE KINGS I am amazed with the Valley of the Kings. In the visitor’s centre is a display showing the tombs going into the mountain. There are 63 tombs in the valley, each decorated with scenes of what the Egyptians thought would take place in the afterlife.

Constructed during Egypt’s New Kingdom (1539-1075 BC) most of the contents were removed by tomb robbers, treasure hunters and archeologists over several centuries. The contents were items the king would need in the afterlife including clothing, food, wine, personal treasures and jewellery.

In 1922, Howard Carter discovered the resting place of King Tutankhamun; number KV62. In 2005, another tomb was discovered about 15 metres from King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Although there was no mummy, KV63 contained objects including pottery, linens and flowers. Archeologists are still working to solve its mysteries.

Egypt is a land of culture, history and beauty; a country I recommend for anyone who wants to travel back in time and be astonished by what the Egyptians accomplished thousands of years ago. | For IF YOU GO information and additional photos, visit www. seniorlivngmag.com/articles/adventures-in-egypt

AN INSPIRED MAKEOVER Landscape photographer Sheila Blake has undertaken some big adventures in her life, not the least of which was immigrating to Canada from the UK as a newlywed in 1966.

The marriage may not have lasted, but Sheila’s taste for adventure remained intact. In the early ’90s, after the son she had raised alone left the nest, Sheila headed back to the UK to manage her uncle’s market garden business in Devon, while he went to Malawi to teach the locals how to construct lime kilns. An enjoyable and challenging year followed, during which she began studying photography.

Sheila became a member of the Royal Photographic Society, and several sorties over the wilds of Dartmoor resulted in a portfolio later exhibited in various galleries in Devon.

On her return to Canada in 1992, during a “welcome home” lunch with some Vancouver girlfriends, one of them casually asked if Sheila would like to join her in sailing across the Atlantic.

“Frankly, I thought I’d either misheard or she’d had one glass too many,” says Sheila. “But, no. She was serious!”

Her friend was about to leave on the Darwin Sound, a 70’ ketch, as part of a 10-person paying crew to sail from St. Augustine, Florida to Portugal.

“When I’d finally recovered my senses, I leapt at the opportunity. What an experience!”

Now living on the Sunshine Coast, Sheila enjoys kayaking, playing golf (“badly”) and occasionally sailing. With a large family still residing in the UK, she has recently purchased a static mobile home close to the Sussex Coast where she grew up. When she visits, she is able to entertain friends and family in her own home away from home.

Sheila was drawn to the INSPIRED Makeover after struggling to style her once-manageable hair. Challenges applying makeup to her changing skin and thinning brows and lashes, after a serious fight with breast cancer, was the tipping point.

“The makeover experience was fun and the people I met delightful,” she says. “Hana gave me a marvellous, layered haircut (and colour), which is much easier to manage.”

Sheila says she gained more than a fresh, updated look.

“I realized that ‘old’ has nothing to do with numbers and everything to do with one’s state of mind,” she says. “I have a 90-year-old aunt who could be taken for a very attractive 65, dancing at her recent birthday party with one of the young band members. I would definitely recommend the makeover experience to any friends who were offered the opportunity.”

WHAT THE STYLIST DID: HAIR: Using the Shades EQ Gloss by Redken, I brought Sheila’s hair colour to a rich chestnut. I then updated her highlights with a more modern balayage technique using Redken lighteners. I toned her highlights with Redken’s

Shades EQ Gloss in a mix of beautiful papaya and vanilla creme tones. I chose Shades EQ because it’s “the colour that thinks it’s a conditioner,” leaving the hair beautifully shiny. It isn’t a high-commitment colour and it’s not going to drastically change Sheila’s colour, so she’s won’t have to deal with roots every four weeks.

For her cut, I decided on a textured bob with a nicely textured fringe. The textured bob is a classy yet fun and free hairstyle. She can wear it smooth when she wants a polished, sophisticated look or add curls and movement when she’s feeling more free-spirited.

MAKEUP: For makeup, I always like to start with a base of primer to fill any fine lines or pores. I added a little dark contouring on the hollows of Sheila’s cheeks, on the sides of her nose and the side of her jaw. Then I went with a cream blush. For her eye makeup, I used a slightly smoky eye shadow to bring out the colour of her eyes and finished with mascara. Sheila’s lipstick is natural and fresh. The overall look is updated and uncomplicated. | Special thanks to the entire INSPIRED Makeover team: Hair Stylist – Hana Akai of Akai Hair Design 2559 Quadra St. Call Hana for details about hair and makeup 250-383-3227.

Visit online at www.akaihairdesign.com. Hana is an educator for Redken; all the hair products were sponsored by Redken 5th Ave. Makeup provided by London Drugs, Yates Street, Victoria.

Shiela’s clothing was provided by Blue Sky Clothing Co. Facial and nails: Shimmer Body & Nail Spa. After makeover photo taken by Regina Akhankina.

For more information, www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/ makeover-june19 INSPIRED | JUNE 2019

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By Wendy Johnstone

Creating Connections in the Community

Many caregivers feel alone in their role and responsibility. In the research, social isolation is identified as one of the highest risk factors experienced by family caregivers. It’s also what friends, family and professionals frequently observe. Yet, it can also the be the hardest area to change or improve.

Connections with others can start to wane as a family deals with a worsening condition, chronic disease or terminal illness. Or when symptoms become more apparent and challenging, sometimes people don’t know how to help or what to say. Creating or sustaining personal connections can fall by the wayside for caregivers; it’s easy to put one’s emotional and social needs aside when caring for someone else. Gradually, as the role of caregiving lengthens or intensifies, it can harm quality of life and makes caregiving less sustainable.

Before we talk about the benefits of staying connected, it’s important to acknowledge the energy required to nourish or develop our social circle. There can feel like a hundred good reasons to not invest the time or energy required. Sometimes caregivers don’t have others locally to support them or time devoted to caregiving can cause caregivers to feel isolated from friends, family and a social life. Sometimes they are simply too tired to go out. Or the care recipient’s health may prevent the caregiver from leaving them alone or no respite care is available. And many caregivers don’t ask for help. They believe they should be able to do everything themselves. They may believe people are too busy or they will burden others with their needs.

All of us, in different degrees, need stable and satisfying relationships in our lives and within our community.

These relationships go both ways: giving and receiving social support. Meeting social needs gives way to participating in activities that we enjoy and socializing with friends or like-minded people. It results in feelings of being supported and creates opportunities to spark joy and laughter. In other acceptable circles, such as support groups, it gives a safe and trusting place to express frustration, anger and feelings of guilt.

Some places to start: • Think about who you have in your inner circle of support. Try reaching out and talking about or asking for one thing that could support you in your caregiving role. The more specific you are, the easier it is for someone to help.

• Share your experiences with others at a support group. It can help alleviate the feeling that you are alone in your caregiving. With online support chat forums and workshops, there is always someone to connect with 24-7.

• If you haven’t already, reach out to local community and health organizations that provide respite care and services for family caregivers. It doesn’t work in every case, but when it does, it provides both you and the care recipient with opportunities to interact with other people. It can also provide a break, so you can connect with others.

Staying connected and socializing bring positivity to the demands of caregiving.

Caregivers who feel supported and can find small breaks to stay socially connected are able to continue caregiving and have an increased quality of life.| Wendy Johnstone is a Gerontologist and a consultant with Family Caregivers of British Columbia in Victoria, BC.

Overwhelmed in your role as a caregiver?

Unsure of what to do next or where to go for help?

Our Caregiver Support Line is free and designed to give you the support and information you need. Call us at 1-877-520-3267

www.familycaregiversbc.ca Caregiver Support Line 1-877-520-3267 Office: 250-384-0408 Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm 28 26

JUNE 2019 | WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Marketplace COLLECTOR SEEKING vintage/collectable cameras, binoculars and microscopes. Nikon, Leica, Contax, Rolleiflex, Zeiss, Canon, etc. Mike 250-383-6456 or e-mail: msymons6456@telus.net Victoria WANTED: OLD POSTCARDS, old photographs, and pre-1950 stamped envelopes. Also buying old coins, medals and badges. Please call Michael 250-6529412 or email fenian@shaw.ca WANTED Danish Mid-Century Furniture from the 50’s & 60’s. Teak & rosewood, pieces any condition. Wanted records & LPs - jazz, blues, classic rock. 250-3807022. lacknerwayne@gmail.com EVER CONSIDER MOVING TO AFFORDABLE SOUTHERN ONTARIO?

Please contact Robert Tatomir, Broker: Future Homes & Real Estate. 1-800677-5810; robert@future-homes.com; www.future-homes.com.

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by PAT NICHOL

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JUNE 2019 | WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

THE ROAD AHEAD

&

COURAGEOUS OUTRAGEOUS

As I wander down the streets of my life, I look back over my shoulder and see that nearly everything I wanted, I got, and nearly everything I wanted to do, I did, almost exactly as they were laid out in my dreams.

There have been some curves, for sure, but no dark alleys.

Some detours, potholes and even roadblocks changed my course, but when I look back on those, I realize each one took me on a better path than the original road.

During this third act, sometimes it feels like I am giving up – willing to just drift; even knowing that there is more to me than I have explored. I’m a little unsure right now of where I can best serve – myself and others – but I’m open to suggestions.

I realize the perceived walls surrounding me, at times, are illusions and not bricks. This is the youth of my old age.

Time to: • Be true to myself; • Like what I do; • Be open to new ideas; • Trust me – stop second guessing myself.

Now is a time to mentor others. I have so much knowledge (I think), why not use that knowledge to help others?

Have I done everything I am meant to do? I DON’T THINK SO! So, what am I doing about it? For me, it’s time to become more curious, look for more ideas, talk to more people. My time is more my own, so now is my chance to choose, to determine what I want my legacy to be.

Maybe it’s your time, too!

To start, I will list the things I can do, rather than those I cannot.

I can walk, talk, laugh, sing, dance (a little) and write.

How about if I begin to do each of these things with others, expand my network of people? Less Facebook time, more face-to-face time.

While I’m thinking about the road ahead for me, you could be thinking about what’s in store for you. I’d love to hear how you plan to walk the road during this third act of your life. | Pat Nichol is a speaker and published author. Reach her by email at mpatnichol@gmail.com

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The Harrisons, Langley’s Premier Retirement Living Communities

Independent & Assisted Living

Happy Father’s Day! Celebrating all of our Men in June and appreciating the strength, wisdom and talents they bring to our communities!

People don’t just move into a Harrison Residence because of What We Do. They move in because of Why We Do It!

The Harrisons Offer: Complete Condo-style

Suites, Chef Prepared Meals, Active Lifestyle Options, Assistance 24/7 if needed, Outstanding Essentials, Amazing Amenities, Wonderful Optional Services and so much more!

Come for a TOUR & COMPLIMENTARY CHEF PREPARED LUNCH anytime and see Why The Harrisons Really Do Offer A Better Way of Life!

Harrison Landing 20899 Douglas Crescent Langley, BC V3A 9L3 604.530.7075 www.harrisonlanding.com 32 JUNE 2019 | WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Harrison Pointe 21616 -52 Avenue Langley, BC V2Y 1L7 604.530.1101 www.harrisonpointe.ca

The Harrisons