Way back in time, well before wifi and full body airport scans, I bought my first bottle of “premium” bourbon. It was Blanton’s, touted by the company as the world’s first single barrel bourbon, and it was daaaaaaamn good. In those heady crazy days, bourbon was undergoing something of a renaissance, it was available, affordable (screw you scotch!), and several distillers offered fancy versions of their products. These days are long gone. Today, in Québec at least, you will no longer be able to enjoy the enticing promises of Rare Breed, or Booker’s, and I won’t even mention Pappy, because, well, if you know bourbon you know what I mean. It’s not about cost (though they are now on par with scotch), they are simply not to be found. Even “regular” offerings like Elijah Craig and Knob Creek have deserted the shelves years ago. On a bad day Makers Mark can be hard to find. So imagine how excited I was when I heard rumors (read in a newsletter to be exact and less mysterious) that Blanton’s was making a comeback (of sorts). School girls at a Corey Hart concert had nothing on me.Read more
I had not realized how much I missed the Ocean, or as I call Her, the Mysterious Lady of the Sea. After the Guadeloupe mini debacle, debacle is a strong word (though I feel we did get mini fucked over by the travel insurance that comes with our gold titanium diamond superhero credit card), we had to plan B in a hurry, sort of like the morning after too great a party. As we were cancelling trip number one due to mild civil unrest, I received a promotional email from a place we dove with previously on Cozumel. At the same time, a friend sent us an advertisement for a good deal on a resort on that very same island. I think Cozumel, the Island of Swallows, wanted us back. Since burning tires at crossroads kept us from the French Antilles, Mexico it would be. Avast me hearties!Read more
At the tail end of summer 2019, after the Indian Ocean peregrinations, (here’s a sample, with manta rays towards the end), we went scuba diving for scallops in New Brunswick, and yes, it was as AWESOME as it sounds.
We had a great time, and had planned to go back in 2020, but you can guess what happened. Hopefully this year will be different. The bayside cottage (with grill, we are not savages) is already reserved, has been since 2019, and I must say the owners of the Motel & Chalets Acadien were very cool about this whole global debacle thing and moneys and what not). We have our very own not rented dry suits this year and a bit more cold water experience. We are keeping our fingers crossed that provincial boundaries may be as well.Read more
I can’t believe it has been two years since my last post. I would explain that my life has been crazy (especially 2020…) and stuff, but so has yours. You, me, and eight billion other people. So meh for excuses.
To wind back a touch, we were on the tail end of a scuba trip through the Indian ocean, and the last scuba stop before heading to Luxembourg was Reunion island, which is French territory right off Madagascar.Read more
Most scuba divers we’ve met on the trip so far said pretty much the same thing: you’re doing your trip in the wrong order, from best (Maldives) to meh. Apparently the scuba in Mauritius and Reunion really isn’t anything to write home about.Read more
Scuba diving, quality cocktails, taking it easy and other treasure maps.
