Category Archives: Winter

Banff, Canada: ……… and then the hotel burnt down

Posted on January 9, 2017 by BarryH

If I may quote HMQ speaking on British TV in November 1992, for me and for many others I’m sure, 2016 was an Annus Horribilis, a horrible arse of a year. Returning to Banff in early February to continue to … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Health and humour, Winter | Tagged Annus Horibilis, Banff, Canada, canadian rockies, Christmas, community spirit, First World Problems, flight delays, Greek Health Service, health, hotel fire, Mount Royal Hotel, New Year, skiing, Symi | 5 Comments

Banff, Canada: A Rocky white Christmas

Posted on December 26, 2016 by BarryH

A change of scene. And what a contrast. After a journey during which British Airways and Air Canada seemed to conspire to cover themselves with ignominy rather than glory we arrived in Banff a day late and minus three of … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Landscape, Mountains, Photography, Weather, Winter | Tagged banff canada, Canada, canadian rockies, Christmas, mountains, New Year, photography, skiing, snow | Leave a comment

Canadian Rockies and Greek Islands: twittering and tweeting

Posted on March 20, 2016 by BarryH

2016 is not going at all well for me. Just diagnosed, I now have a long-term health issue, probably triggered by the flu, which means a period of monitoring and the need to review plans and maybe lifestyle. So, still … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Canada, Greece, Health and humour, Nature, Photography, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged banff canada, Canada, canadian rockies, Die Ztwitscher Maschine, Greece, Greek cuisine, Paul Klee, spanakopita, sparrows, swallows, Symi, The Twittering Machine, tweeting, twittering | Leave a comment

Canadian Rockies and Greek Islands: looking back, looking forward

Posted on March 9, 2016 by BarryH

So far 2016 has had its share of setbacks. A minor viral infection in January which kept me indoors in Banff for two day and impaired activities for the rest of the stay. A skiing accident resulting in a dislocated … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Nature, Photography, Reflections, Spring, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged Banff, Bow River, Bow River Falls, Canada, canadian rockies, Forty Mile Creek, Greece, Lappatoniou Castle, Snow and ice, squirrel, Symi, thermal springs, Vermilion Lakes | 2 Comments

Banff, Canadian Rockies: snow fabulous, snow fool like an old fool

Posted on February 8, 2016 by BarryH

I learnt years ago from white-water and sea kayaking that the most likely time to capsize, become a cropper, was on the flat bit of river after the difficult rapid or waterfall or in the shallows after getting through the … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Landscape, Mountains, Photography, Uncategorized, Winter | Tagged AC joint separation, Canada, canadian rockies, dislocated shoulder, feague, Greece, Horologicon, Lake Louise, lost words, Mark Forsythe, mountains, photography, Sea kayaking, skiing, snow, Sunshine Ski Area, Sunshine Village, uhtceare, white water kayaking | 2 Comments

Banff, Canadian Rockies: a walk on the lake

Posted on January 14, 2016 by BarryH

On one of my days-off from skiing I fastened snowshoes on my pack and headed out northwards from Banff along the Bow River, then along its tributary Echo Creek, crossed the Trans Canada Railway at the point where a Canadian … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Reflections, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged Banff, Canada, canadian rockies, Cascade Mountain, elk, frozen lakes, ice, ice crystals, Rundle Montain, snowshoeing, Vermilion Lakes, wapiti | 2 Comments

Banff, Canadian Rockies: climate contrast

Posted on January 3, 2016 by BarryH

Completing my blog posts about the summer in the Greek islands I wrote about Kalymnos that it was: “only a short stay but a good way to round off the summer and pause for thought before heading for the Canadian … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Greece, Grey Britain, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Photography, Uncategorized, Weather, Winter | Tagged Banff, Bow River, Canada, climate, Grey Britain, Mount Rundle, photography, skating pond, skiing, snow, trekking, Tunnel Mountain, weather | 2 Comments

Canadian Rockies: A White Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2015 by BarryH

A bit of a contrast from Greece. In the Canadian Rockies, in the ski resorts near Banff temperatures dropping to minus mid-twenties overnight, highs of minus 15 in the afternoon. More to follow but in the meantime ….. Happy Christmas … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Landscape, Mountains, Photography, Weather, Winter | Tagged Banff Alberta, Canada, canadian rockies, Happy Christmas, skiing, snow, sun dog, winter | 1 Comment

From Grey Britain to Greek sunshine: looking forward

Posted on March 15, 2015 by BarryH

Into March now, in theory the beginning of spring. Despite the occasional day of sunshine it’s still mostly grey, wet and cold. Not much sign of the weather warming up significantly but my focus has shifted. I’ve reluctantly turned my … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Grey Britain, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Spring, Wales, Winter | Tagged Crocuses, daffodils, flowers, Greece, Large Tortoiseshell, photography, spring, Wales, winter | 2 Comments

Brecon Beacons: an hour’s trek to a frozen world

Posted on February 25, 2015 by BarryH

Monday and it was sleeting at home when I got up. The Met Office forecast heavy showers of rain, sleet and maybe snow all day with temperatures rising to a maximum of 3oC. I knew it might be snowing on … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Photography, Wales, Weather, Winter | Tagged brecon beacons, brecon beacons national park, Cadair Idris, Corn Du, footpaths, hiking, mountains, paragliding, Pen y Fan, photography, Snow and ice, Wales, winter | 2 Comments