No, YOU'RE a Dodo!

 

Day 036:  This morning, Jay and I decided to walk down the beach a fair bit.  We saw that the bus route ends in a place called Womar and we found where that is.  We saw a small supermarket and decided to go inside.  I saw several things I thought were interesting.

 

Inside the shop, there was a collection of souvenirs for sale.  So, far I hadn't mentioned that Mauritius is the island of the famous, but extinct, dodo bird.  You must have learned about the bird species in school.  It represents one of the first times that humans had a hand in the extinction of an entire species.  That's why it was in your school book and you probably remember it because it had a funny-sounding name.

A second interesting thing I spotted was Corona beer for sale.  Granted this is a beach town and a smooth sweet beer can quench one's thirst.  Yet, I sort of thought the Indian Ocean was an odd place to sell Mexican beer.

Riding Around on Transit

Day 16 - We realized we've just a couple of days left in Warsaw.  We pack up on Friday and check out of our hotel.  Later in the afternoon on that day, we'll find our hotel in Białystok, in Poland's northeast.

As today looked as though it would be a little cloudy and given the fact we've been walking a dozen kilometers per day for a few weeks, we decided to make use of Warsaw transit.  We trammed out to the ends of a couple of lines.  It was interesting seeing the neighborhoods.

We also got back to Centrum on the Metro.  The underground subway is fast and efficient too.  Numerous tram lines feed those stops and an extensive, modern, electric bus system picks up loose ends.  It'd be very easy living in Warsaw.  The whole transportation system works as a single unit and its tickets seem really cheap to Jay and me.

We bought 3-day passes and are able to use discounted fares because we're seniors.  That works out to providing unlimited access for around $US 1.50 per day each.  I've always been an advocate for public transit spending.  The way that transit works in a lot of North America is ridiculous, inefficient, and ends up being more costly for society in the long run.

I think Warsaw would be an easy city in which to spend time.  It has a lot of cultural events.  It has stark history but seems to offer a strong and resilient future. 

We came back to hotel but decided to return to our favourite Thai / Viet restaurant for lunch.  It is always hard to finish the food there because the servings are so huge.  Today's Pad Thai cost less than $US 7 and was literally more than I was able to eat.

Lastly, this is the beer I chose to sip this evening.  There are so many unfamiliar types, even discounting the zillions of craft choices.  Perhaps there's a primer of beers before taking a trip.  After all, the Internet has just about all human knowledge, although most of it seems well hidden when I'm looking for something.  Some of the beer brands boast beginning in the 1400s but today's a relative newcomer!  I need more vacation time.

Saying Goodbye to the Lion

Day 118 - Today was sort of an in-between day. Other than packing there wasn't much to do today. The weather is pretty hot now and I'm a little sweaty soon after I take one of my several, daily showers. I had this can of Lion Lager to drink as Jay's elder sister found it in the back of her refrigerator. I left it when we stayed there. 

I'll miss this beer but as I said on Facebook, at least I will have BC craft beer to look forward to this summer.

 

Meet My Gang of 8.8%

 

Day 73 - There's not a whole lot to add to today's picture.  It is assuredly worth at least a thousand words.

When in town today for some shopping, we stopped at the Beer Store, so I could stock up.  I lined up my sampling for a photo.  I've loved the Lion Stout for its taste but always purchased it for its strength.  It has always been an amazing stout which one might not think to look for from a brewer in a tropical location.  

Now all these beers are 8.8% by volume. They're all made by Lion Brewery Ceylon.  From my first stay in Sri Lanka thirty-five years ago, I used to buy their 750 ml bottles and continued doing so even when the glass shrunk to just 650 ml.  Alas, I've become too lazy to wash, save, and return the containers for the deposit. So, I buy the 500 ml cans now.

Moody Park

Moody Park is a part of uptown New Westminster. We seldom visit as our time uptown is mostly spent shopping.  Today though, after going into Burnaby on Kingsway for Kin's Farm Market, we parked next to the uptown public, outdoor swimming pool. Today continued to feel cold but at least the sky cleared up for what I guess might be an extended period of sunshine. 

We noticed the large area where the use of liquor is now allowed. Seven parks in our city have implemented a test run of new rules on alcohol consumption. I think we have COVID-19 to thank for this change in Victorian-era-inspired regulations. It will be nice to be able to bring a bottle of wine or six-pack when visiting a park on a sunny day. I hope people don't ruin it by acting foolishly.

 

Buying a Blueberry Bush and Beer

 

Jay read that blueberry bushes don't like to be alone. So, I convinced him that we should go pick up a twin. The spring garden center at the Home Depot across the river really is quite good. Unfortunately, there were no more little potted bushes of the type he bought last weekend. However, a few Burpee blueberry starter bushes were for sale. They were smaller but more than enough company to make Jay's first plant happy, I'm sure. 

Home Depot also sells the no-nonsense professional drain cleaner that we regularly use in the washing machine pipe. I think cold water detergents cause more build-up. The bill looked a bit overpriced for our goods. Then, we noticed that two plant pots were stuck together when rung up. So, we had to go to the car after walking through customer service. 

As long as we were on that side of the river, and because it was after 11:00 am, I wanted to go to Central City Brewers. There has been an empty half-gallon growler in the car for a while.

   

We hadn't gone by Central City in 2021. I was surprised by the large distillery right beside the brewery. I was also a bit surprised to see the price for filling my growler was now $12 too. Even though the weather is spectacular now and I should be thinking about summer brews, I couldn't pass up trying the Moonlight Rider Vanilla Stout. I'm sort of a stout guy, no pun intended.

 

Consider Me an Expert

There are approximately one million online suggestions on how to create a sourdough starter. It seems that everybody thinks he or she knows the only way. So, although I'm only three days into a topic that's new to me, I'm already giving out free advice. I've never ever let a lack of experience affect my willingness to share a multitude of opinions. 

The photo below was Brad McGillicutty this morning. He was born on Sunday night and still lives in a bowl. I expect he'll move into his own glass jar at the end of a week. Therefore, this sourdough starter is obviously not mature yet. This fact is not going to force me into following others' instructions and rules.

I think collecting wild yeast will be pretty forgiving and I'm not at all afraid. In fact, I just saved a half can of Vancouver Island Brewing's Twisted Stalk Blackberry Helles. It's on the counter and already lukewarm. I'm going to share it with Brad during his next feeding. Tap water is boring but Brad and I both celebrate complexity, especially as an excuse for beer.

 

Simple Cause & Effect

The following photograph highlights a brand of beer brewed locally in Mazatlan, Mexico.  It also showcases the resulting beer belly.

 

It Wasn't in a Clear Bottle

I have an app on my phone for sharing and remembering the various types of beer I drink.  The site is good for keeping track of craft beers and foreign beers I enjoy  when travelling.

My UNTAPPD Profile: DennisSylvesterHurd

   

I never really thought I'd add 'The Champaign of Beers' to the UNTAPPD listing but I did just tonight.   This is the entry for the double-can I had this evening with my totopos and salsa.

Miller hencho en Mexico? Miller was probably the first six pack of beer I ever bought legally at 18 years old. That would've been in the 70s. This 710 ml can called to me from the supermarket shelf today. I've moved on in life, but it tasted familiar.

For 26 Mexican Pesos (Only US$ 1.29)

Some days 355 ml just isn't enough to hit the spot.

   

Last Sunday, I posted a glass of beer and said the brand wasn't the most amazing cerveza I'd ever had.  It also isn't the strongest.  Yet, this bottle will probably be more than enough for me.

Rain Showers and Cheap Beer

It rained.  In fact, it rained and rained.  We woke up to rain, watched it raining outside at lunch, and watched Netflix in the evening to rain.  We missed thunder and lightning though.  

We did make it to the Chedraui Supermarket during a brief respite.  Yet, we weren't so lucky when trying to do our usual evening walk.  It looked as though it was clearing.  However, we had to hide under some eves for about 20 minutes of a 35-minute walk.  I have to admit there's something better about rain that's 27C.

 

On a brighter note, I've taken to having a drink and nachos before dinner time.  A bottle of rum set me back about $US 5.25.  Yet, on some days I prefer wine or beer.  The brand I had today was probably not the most memorable cerveza I've drunk.  It wasn't terribly strong either, but at $US 0.40 a can, I can have another ... and another!

Faller Northwest Pale Ale with Dinner

One great part of being in British Columbia is access to its beer. I've stopped at the liquor store only once since being back. I bought another great Vancouver Island variety pack. I really like the scope of their offerings and didn't really come across one I didn't like. Also, it seems they do not try to sneak low alcohol content Radlers into the summer packs.

Still, I feel it is definitely time to get back to filling up my growlers! The Central City brewery store must be open. Now, there's a good errand for this Canadian long weekend.

Stay Home

Being home has its benefits. BC craft beers, for example.

US $0.57 for a Tuk-Tuk to Town

Day 22 - Today was pretty nice. Jay and I ordered a tuk-tuk and went to the supermarket to pick some things in town. 'Keells Super' shows as only 1.8 kilometers from the house. The PickMe guys are not always familiar with the exact location of the house and have to confirm with a phone call. We come up listed as on Unnamed Road just off Kopiwatte (which translates to coffee-garden) Road.

In the past, we had always telephoned known drivers when wanting to ride into Minuwangoda. Well, in the really old days, we used to walk down to the junction and catch a bus. Now, I just open a phone app and voila, someone's waiting at the gate! Today, our trips cost SR 103 to go and SR 153 to return and they were automatically charged on one of our no-foreign-transaction-fee credit cards.



Jay had a small shopping list. The main reason, in my mind, for today's trip was for a beer run. The bottles are returned for refilling, so they need to be empty in order to buy beer again. It's not a huge problem as nowadays the beer sold in cans is the same price. So, "Six Lion Lagers in the big 625ml bottles and give me three cans of 8.8% Lion Stout in the small cans of 325ml, please."

A Nice Day for a Beer or Four

I'm glad we had the chance to do a beer crawl this afternoon. Tim had a flex day and Ed was home. We hadn't had one of our days out this summer. We chose to head to breweries in North Vancouver.

We met at the Waterfront Station at 11:15 am and immediately got on the Seabus to cross to North Vancouver. The Lonsdale Quay was nice in the bright sunshine.



We hit only four breweries and pub clubs but had a Panago pizza delivered to one while we were visiting. Time flew, as it always does when we get together. As soon as I get a group selfie from Tim, I'll put it below. This officially marks the end of 2019 BC beers for me. I'm already looking forward to 2020.

Ah, This IS Summer!

What's the relationship between the following two photos? I guess the answer would have to be the great weather we're having.


The Red Truck Beer Company is a local craft brewery which is really trying to grow its presence in this market. There seem to be 'Red-Truck" umbrellas all over outdoor patios around here. I bought a variety pack a while back and found their IPA was the best of the lot. I went to the store and picked up several 8-packs today.

Of course, I can sip them on our balcony as the evenings remain warm and pleasant. I like the LED strip and bulb in green when it gets dark. Even better, I like that rather than finding a switch, I only need to say, "Okay Google, Turn on the balcony lights."

A Beer for My Thoughts

I always figured I could do just about anything I wanted. I mean, I might not choose to do something but I probably could have figured it out. I certainly don't enjoy everything. For example, plumbing is not a favourite task. I don't really have the manual dexterity to repair small, complex machinery; nor do I have the patience to accomplish some jobs.

Yet, I consider myself a modern-day Renaissance Man. So many people offload responsibilities to others for the sake of convenience, I guess.

Today, we were at our bank setting some financial goals for the upcoming year. I never doubted I should prepare my own taxes nor choose my own personalized financial strategy. There are dozens of things that I deem important enough to at least initially try to do oneself.

Lastly and most importantly, I am absolutely sure of a few things. One is the fact I will finish this beer now.

Royal City Ale

When Jay went to the gym at Bonsor Recreational Complex in Burnaby this morning, I did something more to my interests.



I drove to Steel & Oak Brewing Co. a bit up Columbia Street in New Westminster. It's not far but a bit further than is comfortable walking with a half-gallon sized growler. I got their flagship brew. A fridge isn't adequately stocked if there's no beer inside!



We are known as the Royal City. This was because Queen Victoria was asked to name the capital (at the time) of British Columbia and she reportedly suggested her favourite part of London.

Priorities

We got the suitcases out of the closet. When initially choosing clothing for them, we found several bags worth of clothes to donate to the thrift store. That was the first errand this morning. We also went uptown to pick up several token gifts for a few people as we won't be here during Christmas gift-giving season. As we were driving down the hill in New Westminster, I additionally considered there was no beer in the apartment.

The thought of returning to a place without a single bottle of BC beer suddenly sounded horrifying. Having some stored for next spring should provide a welcome-home beverage next April. We don't head to YVR until Sunday night; I hope a few of these 12 bottles remain!

So Long, September!

These two pictures are obviously related. We heard rain hitting the windows last night. Inland, high-elevation passes in British Columbia are braced for up to 10 cm of snow. Around here, the some of the beer is appropriately dressed in umbrella packaging. Some new friends are stopping in for an early dinner this evening. I hope a beer or two will suffice before Jay puts his examples of culinary prowess on the table.