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Summer Training
I recently took VIA RAIL from Toronto to Vancouver. There was zero WiFi on board, so that immediately put the kibosh on the whole the “blogging during trips” thing.
Actually, the experience was delightfully retro. The four-night, three-day journey consisted of eating, sleeping, reading and getting to know other travellers. I even considered doing a jigsaw puzzle, which is really wild.
I had the good fortune of being in sleeper touring class, which is the only way to go. Economy means trying to get shuteye in the sitting up position, which in my mind is not unlike trying to chug a milkshake while doing a headstand.
There are a few options in sleeper touring class. One is a nice private room with ensuite bathroom. Another is the hilarious “roomette” (shown above). Yes, that is a toilet. No, you really shouldn’t use it for a “number two.” Use the facilities down the hall unless you fancy living in a bathroom stall.
I can’t stress enough how wonderful the social component was. In touring class, dining is included (top-notch food, woot) and you’re forced to sit and dine with new passengers at each meal, which creates a camaraderie that is lost on buses and planes. By the end of the trip, I felt as though we were all teens away at camp.
And I’m talking about a free spirited musician from Vancouver (Robyn, see above), a retired truck driver from Ontario, a gas consultant from Edmonton, a 25-year-old tech guy from Ottawa and a German couple that barely spoke English, all laughing together like old friends. MUST BE THE STRANGE MAGIC OF THE DOME CAR! FEEL IT!!!!!!!
Here’s another car we encountered (Saskatchewan...obviously)
Somehow I always end up with condiments as souvenirs. Cause they’re so light to pack, right? Awesome flavoured honey from The John Russell Honey Company in Manitoba, and jam from BC’s Summerland Sweets!
Last morning: the heavenly sunrise in the Fraser Valley ensured that nobody wanted to get off the train.
If you’d like to know more about the train journey and its toilets, stay tuned as I will be covering it comprehensively in an upcoming Sleeping Around column.
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Beer and Dirndls at Oktoberfest
BY REB STEVENSON
MUNICH, GERMANY – The moment I saw that transformative piece of cinematic genius, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, I wanted to don the dirndl.
It’s the ultimate combination of folksy and flirty – in other words, tradition with great cleavage.
When I arrived at the Munich train station for Oktoberfest, I knew I was in luck. Even there, drunken revelers were teetering around in colorful costume.
But where the heck did one acquire a dirndl? Certainly not H&M.
I confided my fashion urge to Tanja Duerheimer, spokesperson for Munich Tourism, who confirmed that I would be remiss if I sported a t-shirt to Theresienwiese, the 42-acre field in Munich where Oktoberfest unfolds.
“Ten years ago, it was totally out for a young person to go in dirndl and lederhosen. You went in your jeans and branded clothing,” she said. “Now you’re totally out if you don’t have a dirndl.”
So we marched over to a busy shop that was economically named “Wies’n-Tracht und mehr.”
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Eat, Pray, Love Canadian Style
BY REB STEVENSON
Eating. Praying. Loving.
Incredibly common acts, if you really think about it.
But eating, praying, and loving in three exotic locales? For most people that’s an otherworldly scenario reserved only for Julia Roberts and her trusty sidekick, Hollywood.
In the bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, author Elizabeth Gilbert did a pretty good job of hyping up the notion that depression and bad relationships can be conquered by spiriting oneself away to a trifecta of inspiring countries.
But just you wait until you lay your eyes upon the delicious, sun-soaked film (which opened on August 13, and really does star Julia Roberts). It brings the beauty of Italy, India and Indonesia to life in radiant colour. Furthermore, it makes the self-help section at Chapters look mighty shoddy – you’re going to want to book an appointment with your new therapist (the world) posthaste.
Unfortunately, many of us haven’t the time or the funds to embark upon a year of international introspection. With that in mind, here are some alternative choices inspired by Gilbert’s theme. Let this odyssey be called: Eat, Pray, Love, Canada.
Read on HERE...
Oktoberfest Revisited
14/08/10 09:47
Since my Oktoberfest story in The Toronto Star seems to be generating a fair bit of traffic to my site, I thought I’d re-post the video I made in Munich last year. It’s not as slick as some of my newer stuff, and I use copyrighted music (bad, baaaad Reb), but it’s worth a look if you want to see my story come to life. Prost!
Get Ready to Partner Up with Other Girls
For more information, go to www.dirtydancingfestival.com.