Summer's Ease

Kay Broome

Flowering Catalpa, West Toronto (Photo: Kay Broome)

Summer is holiday season so what better time to have a discussion about vacations. Unfortunately, with the present unrest in the world – countries at war or sanctioning each other, the shutdown of the Gulf of Hormuz, even the exorbitant cost of basic items such as groceries – travelling is becoming more problematical. With the highly volatile international situation, there are quite a few countries people must exercise high caution in visiting, if not outright avoid. As of this posting, along with the usual “high risk” nations, the Government of Canada website deems the following countries to be under yellow alert:  Belgium, Denmark (!), France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Many no doubt, are due to riots and civil unrest in progress in Europe, caused mainly by government corruption and incompetence.

https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

Thunersee from Thun Castle, Switzerland  (Photo: Kay Broome, 2023)

Oddly, the United States is still deemed fine for travel. I’m surprised it is not under caution, simply due to the high gun violence, as well as the increasingly heated conflict between followers of the two main political parties. Most of the world's current problems are karmic: bellicosity, boorishness, lack of diplomacy, coupled with constant disregard for international law. The result is unprecedented tension between western nations, and the east and global south; and travellers will be further restricted as to where and when they are allowed to journey. The world is certainly a far cry from even a few years ago and is rapidly changing.

       Traveler with Suitcase (Photo: Mantas Hesthaven)

Traveling Blues

In spite of all this, rest, recreation and a change of scenery are crucial for our all-round good health. Being stuck in the same situation week after week, month after month, brings us too close to our problems. We need to step back and see the bigger picture, the lay of the land, the forest for the trees.  Here we must step away for a time, clear our heads and take a breath of fresh air before heading back to our daily routine. Summer is the customary season for travel with dependably pleasant weather and ease of navigation. In contrast, there are many who imitate the songbirds, preferring to travel to warmer climes to avoid the dreary, dark days of winter.

          Tropical Beach (Photo: Christian Joudray)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Everyone complains about having to fly but it has its advantages: you get there quicker (unless of course your flight has been delayed); time is saved travelling to and from your destination, with an extra day or two of vacation; and at least here in Canada, the plane ride is often just as cheap as the train.  Many of us however hate planes. Never mind the fear of crashing, there are the cramped conditions, stale, germ-laden air, and the sense of being suspended in nothing with no sense of progress.  We are the train lovers – we are lulled by the rocking motion of the train, watching the surrounding countryside go by and on long trips, being able to get out and stretch between stations.  Trains however, take a leisurely pace and are better suited for those trips where you have a lot of time and actually want to see the countryside.

Many like the luxury of a boat cruise, with the added benefits of relatively comfy sleeping quarters and at least two square meals a day. But travel by sea can be monotonous and not suitable for people with motion sickness. Also, cruise ships have their own perils, as we have found with recent accusations of suspicious deaths, white slavery and drug smuggling onboard. Boat cruises are better suited for inland travel such as the Rhine river cruises, or self-propelled narrowboat rentals for English waterways. Last but not least, there are those of us who actually enjoy driving and taking control of the journey. If you own a car or can rent, this option gives you more freedom to come and go as you please, but then you have to worry about road safety and parking, as well as finding a place to stay for the night while on the road.

Train through the Scottish Highlands (Jack Anstey)  

Some Things to Remember While Travelling

As it becomes increasingly more difficult to travel to other countries, we might want to make do with travelling in our own back yard.  I am always amazed that people live all their lives in very close proximity to spectacular natural phenomena or sites with vibrant histories, but have never visited. I’m just as guilty of this as anyone.  I have lived in Toronto about 45 years, yet it wasn't until my late 60's that I finally visited Toronto's 19th century Fort York barracks and the intriguing Dundurn Castle in nearby Hamilton.

Foyer of Dundern Castle, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (Photo: Maya Maceka)

Whether you travel to your back yard or the other side of the planet, here are some vacation pointers:

Don’t rush. Make sure you have lots of time to get to the airport, especially if you are taking transit. If you’re not driving, make sure you leave plenty of time to catch the final connection back to your accommodations. While leaving the Cathar ruins of Peyrepertuse in southern France, I tore the meniscus of my left knee, scurrying down a mountainous "shortcut" that was way too steep for my middle-aged body. As a result, I was forced to hobble around southern France for the next week and a half.  This experience highlights that at some point in your travels, you will have to choose to keep on through indisposition, or risk missing a once in a lifetime experience.  Although I readily aver that I don't remember my setbacks nearly as much as the pure enjoyment that I had visiting so many captivating places.

Having said that, it is wise to understand that you will never be able to do everything you wanted to and if you miss out on something, don’t let disappointment stand in your way. If you didn’t get to see King Tut’s tomb, there are other more marvelous sights to see in the Valley of the Kings. Stonehenge may be a letdown, but the far worthier Avebury is a close bus ride way. It too has standing stones, as well as a long barrow and mound close by!  I remember how frustrated I was when I missed seeing the Rollright Stone, having gotten off at the wrong Cotswold train station. However, many sources suggest they’re no big deal. I’ll even wager they’re nothing compared to Scara Brae, Clava Cairns or Kilmartin, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed on my trip to Scotland eight years later.

Interior of Maeshowe Cairn, Orkney, Scotland (Photo: Kay Broome, 2006)

Pace yourself and daytrip. England was my first overseas trip and near the end of my three weeks there, I was sidelined for a day or so with a head cold. This was no doubt due to wearing myself out trying to find a place to sleep every night, instead of staying in one central place for a few days. Book your rooms and travel arrangements in advance as much as you can.

That is easiest done if you have an itinerary of where you are going and when. This is crucial and is a great place to start planning your trip. Decide first on the sights you absolutely must see, then plan other places you’d also like to visit. Finally, leave a day or two here and there to just rest up from your travels. Usually, I would use the day I arrived at a location to just spend resting up and seeing nearby interests. Map your trip so that you travel in a circuitous route to return to where you are departing from. If you wish to see more of the countryside, you can take a train or boat tour to arrive there. When I visited southern France in 2003, I chose to fly into Paris – much cheaper than either Marseilles or Toulouse – and took the exhausting but wonderfully memorable Sud-Ouest train from Paris to Marseilles.

Peyrepertuse Castle seen from Above (Photo: Kay Broome, 2003)

Travelling is a profoundly affecting and fun way to gain knowledge and learning.  Once you visit another place, you never look at that country or your own the same way again. Even preparing for a trip puts you in a strange frame of mind: anxious yet anticipatory, methodical, yet venturous. Travelling brings one back into a childlike state, when everything is new again, and seen with fresh eyes.  Frequently, upon your return, you look at your homeland in a different light as well. I have always been a Britophile, taking great pleasure in the culture of the UK. But after visiting England in the 90’s and Scotland in 2006, I gained more appreciation of what Canada has to offer.  While I still love Britain with its pubs, cozy mysteries and absurdist humour, I can more clearly see how odd and even outlandish their customs are. For example, I still don’t understand the fawning over royalty, especially now, and could never abide Punch and Judy shows.

Travelling Gods

Poseidon Fountain with Triton and Dolphins (Photo: Margaret Giatras)

If you want to ask for divine guidance and protection while travelling, there are plenty of gods to pick from. Of course, we are all familiar with that famous traveller Hermes, in Rome called Mercury. His winged helmet and sandals are iconographic representations of speed and dispatch. Also Greek, Poseidon, god of the ocean, was helpful for those voyaging by sea. The Egyptian moon god Khonsu, whose name means "traveller", watched over wanderers, especially those journeying by night. On the other side of the world in Hawaii, the ocean god Kanaloa guided the canoes of those sea-faring peoples. Odin of the Norse wasn’t known specifically as patron of travellers, but he was a famous wanderer and protector of those who were deemed outsiders. The Celtic solar god Lugh, also well-travelled, could perhaps be called upon to protect the voyager. Certainly the latter two gods were often correlated with Hermes.

Khonsu, God of the Moon and of Travel Louvre Museum, Paris France (Photo: Open Source)

The cheerful elephant headed Ganesha often rides, albeit incongruously, on the back of a mouse, but is nevertheless invoked for good luck by Hindu travellers. Images of this, perhaps India’s most beloved deity, are seen all over the subcontinent and the Hindu diaspora. Not to be outdone and perhaps giving Ganesha a run for his money, is the delightful Chammo Lam Lha, who is often pictured riding a bee. She is the patron of travellers in the proto-Buddhist Bon religion. Lam Lha would no doubt appreciate this blog’s featured tree, the Catalpa, as it is pollinated by various bee species.

Ganesha Honoured at an Indian Festival (Photo: Billeasy)

The Lazy Tree of Summer

The catalpa is an ample, languid tree, with large expansive branches. This grand specimen dwells in the Carolinian forests of the US and into southern Ontario. Catalpa is a tree of the warmer temperate and subtropical regions, foraying only rarely into the Boreal zone.  There are about three species native to China and a few also growing in the Caribbean. North America’s catalpas include northern (C. speciosa) and southern (C. bignonioides) catalpa, very similar in appearance to each other, save speciosa is somewhat larger.  For such a magnificent tree, it has very little mythology surrounding it, known mainly as a tree that attracts various species of caterpillars. One of these, the larvae of the catalpa sphinx moth, makes excellent catfish bait, according to fishermen in the southern States.

Catalpa Tree, late summer, West Toronto (Photo: Kay Broome)

One can be forgiven for thinking that our catalpa species was originally transplanted from the tropics.  The heart-shaped leaves, large as dinner plates; the large, pea-like flower clusters, white with pink or purplish throats; and the unique vanilla bean-like pods that stay on the trees well into winter – all give the impression of a species from a much warmer clime. Its confusing alternate name, Indian bean tree refers not to India however, but to the Catawbas, a First Nations people living in the Carolinas. The name Catalpa is a corruption on the tribal name. The wood of catalpa is soft and weak; it does not cope well with strong winds or icy winters, hence why it is so rare in the boreal forest. However, the malleability and honey yellow shades of the lumber make it a favorite of wood carvers, musical instrument makers and other artists.

             Left: Catalpa Flowers (Photo: Vladimira Slyusarenko)                                           Right: Bean-like Pods (Photo: Cody Hough)