INSPIRED
Winter & Snowbird Travel Spring Cruising
S Senior Living OCTOBER 2015
Immerse Yourself in Old-World Charm
Cast Off from Shore to Find Tranquility David “Patch� Patchell-Evans Founder & CEO of GoodLife Fitness
Secrets to living
SL
the Good Life
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OCTOBER 2015
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Look Closer‌ When a person looks back on a lifetime of eight or nine decades, there is likely a long list of gifts that have been shared with their community. The hard work, dedication, skills, creativity and wisdom of our elders have built the community we enjoy today. It is now our turn to give back to them.
See the Need. Give the gift of care, comfort and quality of life.
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Eldercare Foundation • See Me Senior Living Magazine
OCTOBER 2015
13
OCTOBER
In this
issue
feature articles
6 10 14 16 20
Going For Everything
departments
By Bobbie Jo Reid
Friendship in Panama By Rick & Chris Millikan
First-time Snowbirds By Janet McMaster
Go East, Friends By James Ellsworth
Northern Europe’s Glorious Ports By Rick & Chris Millikan
24
Creating Memorable, Safe Adentures By Aileen Stalker
26 30
Paradise Afloat By Cherie Thiessen
Snowbirding Cottage Style By Jane Cassie
38
It’s a Wrap
By John Thomson
INSPIRED S Senior Living Winter & Snowbird Travel Spring Cruising
OCTOBER 2015
Immerse Yourself in Old-World Charm
Cast Off from Shore to Find Tranquility David “Patch” Patchell-Evans Founder & CEO of GoodLife Fitness
4 29 42 44 40 43
The Family Caregiver By Wendy Johnstone
Fashion Forward By Bobbie Jo Reid
Courageous & Outrageous By Pat Nichol
Forever Fit By Eve Lees
in every issue Attractions & Enterainment Marketplace
INSPIRED Senior Living Senior Living is published by Stratis Publishing.
Publisher Barbara Risto
Editor Bobbie Jo Reid editor@seniorlivingmag.com Secrets to living
the Good Life
onL the cover S
Inspiration for people over 55 • www.seniorlivingmag.com
David Patchell-Evans (Patch) is the founder and CEO of Goodlife Fitness Clubs. See story on page 6. Photo: Geoff Robson
Office Manager Shayna Horne 250-479-4705 office@seniorlivingmag.com Advertising Christine Bollenbach 250-479-4705 ext 102 Lorraine Brett 604-351-8497 (Vancouver) Bob Ramsey 250-479-4705 ext 104 Kathie Wagner 250-479-4705 ext 103 For advertising information, call 250-479-4705 sales@seniorlivingmag.com
Senior Living is distributed at all BC Pharmasave locations.
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Head Office Contact Information: #3, 3948 Quadra Street, Victoria BC V8X 1J6 Phone 250-479-4705 Fax 250-479-4808 Toll-free 1-877-479-4705 E-mail office@seniorlivingmag.com Website www.seniorlivingmag.com
Subscriptions: $32 (includes GST, postage and handling) for 12 issues. Canadian residents only. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an independent publication and its articles imply no endorsement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolicited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to editor@seniorlivingmag. com Senior Living is distributed free throughout British Columbia. Stratis Publishing Ltd. publishes Senior Living (12 issues per year). ISSN 17103584 (Print) ISSN 1911-6403 (Online)
Editor’s Desk T
Senior Friendly Businesses WHERE TO FIND ALL OF OUR ADVERTISERS
he world lost one of baseball’s greatest legends last month when former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra died at age 90. Among his famous quotes, Berra said, “it ain’t over ’til it’s over.” Naturally, he was talking about the game, but the theory also applies to life. While many of us may be rounding second base – or well on our way to third – nothing should be holding us back! This month, we are reinventing Senior Living magazine by launching our new name and our new direction. INSPIRED Senior Living, as we’ll now be known, is taking the field and bringing the heat. Our experiencedriven focus will reflect the vibrancy of the maturing population and their radical, awesome and spectacular lives. Our feature content, both online and in print, will be startling, compelling and credible – always! The people we profile will be successful, passionate, influential, engaging, kind and committed. You know, the heavy hitters. We lead off with Goodlife Fitness founder and CEO David “Patch” Patchell-Evans, whose rags-to-riches story inspires us with his unwavering determination to overcome life’s obstacles and knock it out of the park. With a contagious enthusiasm and a foundation of caring, Patch exudes an attitude that makes you believe anything is possible – even after the seventh-inning stretch. As we transition over the next couple of months, I hope you’ll journey with us. We’re striving to cast our floodlights on extraordinary people, astonishing articles with inspiring, uplifting tales, and beautiful, elegant design to deliver a fresh, first-rate publication. We’re stepping out of the dugout and into the sunshine for a whole new ball game. Won’t you join us? SL
Attractions & Entertainment • Chemainus Theatre Festival (pg 40) • Cinecenta Films (pg 41) • Early Music Society of the Islands (pg 40) • First Metropolitan United Church (pg 41) • Langham Theatre (pg 40) • Silver Reef Casino (pg 33) • University of Victoria Farquhar Auditorium (pg 41) Charities • Burns Bog Conservation Society (pg 39) • Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation (pg 1) • North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (Inside Front Cover) • Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation (pg 19) Health | Wellness • BC Perio Dental Health & Implant Centre (pg 9) • Connect Hearing (pg 19) • Health Products Stewardship (pg 44) • Pharmasave (pg 23) • Saanich Recreation (pg 19) Housing • Alexander Mackie Retirement Community (pg 42) • Berwick Retirement Communities (Inside Back Cover) • Legion Manor Victoria (pg 25) • Norgarden (Inside Front Cover) • Revera Retirement Living (pg 18) Financial | Government | Insurance | Legal | Real Estate • DFH Realty - Joanne Brodersen (pg 23) • Green Party of Canada (pg 39)
• Interior Savings Credit Union (Inside Front Cover) • Island Savings Credit Union (Back Cover) • Kenneth Walton Law Corporation (Inside Back Cover) • Travel Guardian (pg 28) • Travel Insurance Specialists (pg 13) • Verico Zanders (pg 33) Retail • Barbara’s Boutique and Showroom (pg 29) Senior Care • Alpha Home Care (pg 42) • Saint Elizabeth (pg 4) • Shekinah Assisted Care Services (pg 12) Services • Age-Friendly Business (Inside Back Cover) • Casalinga (pg 19) • Chef on the Run (pg 22) • Fortis BC (pg 5) • Royal Oak Burial Park (pg 3) Travel & Leisure • Accent Inns (pg 27) • Ageless Adventure Tours (pg 25) • Collette Vacations (pg 21) • Hanover Holidays (pg 27) • Langara College (pg 39) • Marine Link Tours (pg 12) • Merit Travel (pg 17) • Mile Zero Tours (pg 28) • Pitmar Tours (pg 11) • Tourism Harrison Hot Springs (pg 29) • Travelodge Victoria (pg 18) • Wells Gray Tours (pg 11) • West World Tours (pg 15)
Is this really where she wanted to be? We provide dignified places of remembrance for cremated remains.
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2015-09-18 3:50 PM
OCTOBER 2015
35
The Family Caregiver
Caring from a Distance It’s 5:30 pm on a Monday and I’m interrupted from a Board Meeting by a colleague. She says, “It’s your brother from Toronto calling.” The conversation is choppy. It’s Dad. He’s had a massive stroke. Don’t fly home. He was a candidate for surgery and is recovering in hospital. He should be fine. My brother repeats, “Don’t fly home... yet. I’ll call you tomorrow with an update.”
A A
s a long distance daughter concerned about my father’s care, I was at a unique disadvantage. I felt helpless, “out of the loop” and was struggling to understand the full extent of my father’s circumstances. Telephone tag with health professionals, confidentiality obstacles and unfamiliarity with available resources in the community where I grew up, I found being a family caregiver incredibly challenging and frustrating from afar. Many out-of-town family caregivers are taken aback to see how much the person they are caring for has declined mentally, physically or emotionally from visit to visit. Sometimes, aging parents forget what the doctor told them or they choose not to burden their families with their problems. Distance caregiving is an emotional ride – guilt for not doing enough or for not being there, sadness in accepting the toll a disease can take, anxiety of frequent and unpredictable travel and fear of the unknown. Distance caregiving can work with these key strategies: Talk First, Act Later: before jumping in and getting too involved with researching available help, start with an evaluation of your aging loved one’s situation. Collect information, either during a visit or over the phone. Find out what’s been done by intown family, friends and community health professionals. Talk about future care and housing options. Learn everything you can about the disease or disability affecting the person for whom you are caring. This becomes the backbone of your care plan. Build a Team that Works: find out who is in regular contact
BY WENDY JOHNSTONE
with the person being cared for and ask them to be part of the care team. Be clear, in advance, on what type of care and help is needed and assign everyone tasks best suited to their skills, availability and willingness. Get to Know the Locals: research programs and supports available in the community. Patience and persistence are a must to navigate a health care system from afar. Keep Everyone In the Loop: long-distance caregivers often feel left out of decisions or get information second hand. Finding a way to stay current and connected can help prevent family feuds and allow everyone to know and understand the options. Use an online calendar and task system such as Google Calendar or Tyze that your care team can access and receive updates. Know Your Limits, Care Within It: it’s easy to get absorbed in your role as family caregiver. Don’t forget about your own life plan. Define the limits of what you are prepared and able to do. This will help you see more clearly what is needed and what is SL realistic for you to provide. Next month: Sharing the care: Tips for Siblings when Caregiving Wendy Johnstone is a Gerontologist and a consultant with Family Caregivers of British Columbia in Victoria, BC. Call 250-384-0408 or go to www.familycaregiversbc.ca for more information.
The Family Caregiver column is brought to you by the generous sponsorship of Saint Elizabeth
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2014-10-15 11:25 AM
Natural gas rates: you have a choice Starting November 1, 2015, you’ll have a choice when it comes to buying natural gas. A program called Customer Choice lets you buy gas from an independent gas marketer at fixed rates and terms, or from FortisBC at a variable rate. Independent gas marketers may knock on your door to discuss these options. Either way, FortisBC would still deliver your gas. To learn more about your options, visit fortisbc.com/yourchoice.
Compare natural gas prices Residential fixed rates (per GJ)* Gas marketer
Contact info
Access Gas Services Inc.
1-877-519-0862 accessgas.com
Direct Energy
1-877-376-1445 directenergy.com
$3.99
Just Energy
1-866-587-8674 justenergy.com
$4.78
Planet Energy
1-866-360-8569 planetenergy.ca
$4.99
Summitt Energy BC LP
1-877-222-9520 summittenergy.ca
Local natural gas utility
Contact info
FortisBC
fortisbc.com/rates
1 yr term
2 yr term
3 yr term
4 yr term
5 yr term
$3.89
$4.89
$4.89
$4.89
$4.89 $3.99
$4.78
$4.78 $4.69
$5.39
$5.39
Residential variable rate (per GJ)** $2.486
Already a FortisBC customer? If you want to keep your variable FortisBC natural gas rate, there’s nothing else you need to do. *Chart shows gas marketers’ rates for a range of fixed terms, valid as of October 1, 2015. Marketers typically offer a variety of rates and options. Check gas marketers’ websites or call to confirm current rates. **Residential variable rate valid as of October 1, 2015. FortisBC’s rates are reviewed quarterly by the British Columbia Utilities Commission. A gigajoule (GJ) is a measurement of energy used for establishing rates, sales and billing. One gigajoule is equal to one billion joules (J) or 948,213 British thermal units (Btu). The Customer Choice name and logo is used under license from FortisBC Energy Inc. This advertisement is produced on behalf of the British Columbia Utilities Commission.
WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM 15-018.18
OCTOBER 2015
57
Cover
GOING FOR EVERYTHING
David “Patch” PatchellEvans tries to lead by example and says he’s still 100% “in.”
BB
eing the founder and CEO of the world’s largest fitness club owned by a single individual doesn’t happen overnight. And it doesn’t happen by accident – unless
it does. David Patchell-Evans, affectionately known as Patch, 61, serendipitously conceived his mega brand, GoodLife, after suffering a motorcycle accident while in university. The experience ultimately taught him the profound benefit of exercise first-hand; it helped him repair his badly broken body. Through his arduous journey of recovery, Patch developed both strength of body and mind by adopting an athletic mindset. That mindset, coupled with a natural competitive drive, led him to the top of the podium as a five-time Canadian rowing champion. Later, it would also lead him to the top of the fitnessclub industry. The climb wasn’t without its challenges, nor was it ventured 68
SENIOR LIVING
Photo: Geoff Robson
BY BOBBIE JO REID
alone. Among the many who inspired him, including coaches and friends of the family, Patch considers his mom one of his greatest mentors. Widowed while he was still a boy, Patch’s mom, now 95, supported the family by working as a bookkeeper for several different businesses. “I have a huge recognition and appreciation for the strength and capability of women thanks to my mom,” says Patch. That recognition and appreciation translated into one of his best business decisions. In an industry dominated by men, Patch quickly learned to thrive by shifting his focus to the drivers of that industry – women. “I think one of the strengths of my life has been knowing that women were smarter than I was,” he says. “My CFO, my COO, and the majority of my vice presidents are all women. So, I think that gave me a huge edge in the world.” Among the male role models who stepped in to fill the gap
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“That’s the way I think, and we hire people who think that left by Patch’s late father, Dr. Phil “Doc” Fitz-James represented a shining example of how one could “do it all.” Doc way,” says Patch. “The strength of the company comes from was a distinguished microbiologist and biochemist, and caring about all the people who helped me and trying to give served as head coach for Western University’s rowing club back. That’s why we give so much to charity; that’s why we try to find the cause of autism; that’s why we have the Goodfor more than 30 years. “Here’s a guy who was a rowing coach, had two PhDs and Life Kids Foundation; that’s why we have free teenage fitvolunteered his time, totally, to his athletes,” says Patch. “He ness. When you give back caring, things work out.” Things are working out for GoodLife in a big way. In had figured out how to do it all. He was truly a renaissance guy. He knew poetry, he knew wine, he knew rowing and he 2009, while the world faced economic instability, the company expanded by an incredible 60 per cent. With 350 clubs knew cars.” A drive to excel has led Patch to a renaissance of his own, throughout Canada, Patch has ambitious goals for the future. despite life’s setbacks along the way. Setbacks defined by at- Backed by GoodLife’s mantra to “help every Canadian have titude rather than circumstances turn negatives into positives a fit and healthy good life,” Patch’s belief is steadfast and the company continues to grow. on a daily basis. “My wife asks me if I ever think about retiring and I say Those positives have generated business success, numerous awards and financial wealth, but Patch considers his most ‘what can I do that makes me feel this good?’ I’ll work less, important achievement to be something more humbling: but if I’m away too long, I miss it,” he says. Still, Patch finds time to get away from work and focus on learning the appreciation of gratitude. other areas of life that are equal“I have a severely autistic ly important to him. daughter [Kilee, 19], so I don’t “You can’t be all work... and think about the problems that I don’t want that for my staff creates, the challenges it creeither,” says Patch. “If people ates… but what I focus most on don’t get refreshed or rejuvenatis what I get out of that relationed, they don’t have a life. I really ship,” says Patch. feel if I care the right way for my Where some may look back staff, they’re going to care the over their lives and see a disjointright way for our members.” ed series of difficult situations, His children, family and Patch sees a proving ground that –David “Patch” Patchell-Evans, founder and CEO GoodLife Fitness friends bring him the greatest helped prepare him for one of his happiness and fulfillment. Marlife’s biggest challenges. ried to Olympic rower Silken “Life is an accumulation, so the injury I had at a young age forced me to focus on what I Laumann, the couple shares four children and call Victoria could do, which is the most powerful saying I use in my com- home, where they enjoy year-round activities. “I try to get some nature time – everything from skiing to pany – focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. With arthritis, that helped me the same way. If those two things canoeing, being in the outdoors. Or going for a walk to get hadn’t happened to me, I don’t know if I would have been some outside time, that’s really important to me. Being with able to cope with the full responsibilities of autism. I had my family and friends renews me, quite honestly.” Renewal, however, isn’t just about the body - even for two training.” Given his path, it should come as no surprise that Patch world-class athletes. Patch constantly rejuvenates his mind draws a strong parallel between the training provided by life through real, heart-to-heart discussions with his wife. “Not superficial discussions, but like ‘what does this shit and the training provided by athletics. “It’s like an athlete in two sports and then goes to a third, really mean?’” says Patch. “You can’t have self-growth if and becomes good at it because they already had a physiolog- you don’t self-examine. We read the books that make us selfical and psychological basis to cope with the third sport. So, examine and we talk to each other about things – that’s really those things helped me that way. Having gratitude for what the basis of our relationship. We talk about things like ‘what is the meaning of life; why are we here together; what are we you have puts you in a whole different mindset.” Built on gratitude, the ideology Patch has created around doing?’ It’s both our second marriage, so we talk about ‘what is it that we’re bringing to the table for each other as a couple; his brand settles for nothing less than genuine caring. “Culturally, you don’t really fit in at GoodLife if you don’t what are we giving to our children; how are we going to grow care. There are lots of other places you can go and teach class- and be improved versions of ourselves next year; what are our goals as individuals and as a couple?’ I have a pretty ambies or be a trainer... but our focus is on caring.” So inherent is this focus, he calls it the foundation of his tious wife and she asks some pretty tough questions. When I work out with her, she puts me through a tough workout, company.
“Culturally, you don’t really fit in at GoodLife if you don’t care... our focus is on caring.”
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OCTOBER 2015
79
Snapshot
with David Patchell-Evans
Snapshot Q &A
If you were to meet yourself at age 20, what advice would you give yourself? “Don’t hesitate.” “I could have trained harder when I rowed; I could have gone for business quicker and harder; I could have been deeper and more meaningful in my relationships with friends and people I dated and married. When I say ‘don’t hesitate’ I mean ‘go for it’ more in all aspects.” Who or what has influenced you the most? And why? “My autistic daughter, Kilee.” “…Entrepreneur-wise, I wanted to succeed. I came from a point of not having stuff, so I was driven to have some sense of accomplishment and to get stuff, whether it was enough money to live on or whatever, and once I could do that, I think of Maslow’s Theory of Needs. Once I got to the point where I knew I had a house and I knew I had relationships, then there was room for altruism to come in. First you do it because you need to do it; then you do it to prove it wasn’t a mistake. Then you really have that special ingredient in whatever it is. And some people, like me, are lucky enough to find something and do something to get those first two things, and the thing that I do is something I love and it adds value to the world. I’m making a lot of people healthy and happy and I’m helping them live a long time. I like knowing I’m making a difference in the world that way. What I’m doing makes me feel good.” What does courage mean to you? “Courage is all those people who look after a special needs person and never give up. There’s no reward system other than the gratitude they get from understanding they’re helping these people. They have the courage not to give up and to always be there for someone. When you see the parents and caregivers of people who can’t look out for themselves, they are the people who have the courage to look out for them. Right down to the weird looks when you’re walking down the street and your kid’s screaming something out or you’re with an adult who doesn’t fit in and you’re the person looking after them – that takes courage.”
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What does success mean to you? “Success is having people that love and appreciate you.” And in business? “Same thing.” “Someone with my entrepreneurial mindset can make money doing a lot of things. You can make money doing things that don’t really help people; you can make money doing things that actually hurt people and I see how I could do that, if I wanted to, and I see how other people do it. And I think they shortchange themselves.” SENIOR LIVING
too,” he says with a laugh. With Silken, it seems Patch has met his match. Both driven, passionate and competitive, the couple can stand toe to toe as easily and comfortably as side by side. But it’s their level of caring that resonates most profoundly. “Silk has adopted autism as a passion, along with me,” says Patch. “She’s become as much a part of the autism world as I am and she didn’t have to do that. She chose to do it. Even though we’re both alpha dogs, we’re very much a team.” A multi-billion dollar industry, health and fitness rank high in consumers’ minds as the vital ingredients for living a longer, healthier life. As a fitness guru, Mr. GoodLife is often tapped for advice. “Physically, try to stay your best, but be moderate. I know that sounds contradictory because it is. I think that’s the key to growing older, recognizing that you keep having to do everything just as intensely. I would say to someone, if you want to have a cold beer or a glass of wine, have it, but also have your workout.” The essence of Patch’s advice can be boiled down to two words. “I think of it as ‘aggressive moderation.’ Go for everything… but go for everything. Don’t be aggressive in just one direction. Realize that you still have to do everything – look after your health, look after income, look after friends and go after each one of them – when you’re there – full on. But do it moderately, so you don’t just do one thing and not the other.” The intensity Patch advocates for others is the ethos by which he lives his own life. He and his team have three major thrusts on the horizon. “I want to help find the cause and cure of autism; that would be the most important thing to me,” he says. “I want to grow our company to 1,000 clubs. I want our staff to love what they’re doing in helping people. I want to continue having a great relationship with my family.” Though he’s approaching the age where many Canadians may be considering retirement, Patch has no plans to toss his oars just yet. “I’m still 100 per cent committed to those three things; I’m still 100 per cent in. There’s no backing off because I’m 61 years old. I’m probably more competitive now than I was at 31. I’m focused on caring and I’m focused on making a difference in the world and I’m 100 per cent at it. I’m focused on growing the company but I’m also focused on my kids. You could say I’m really confident; if you’re going to create something new and different, you better be confident. You better believe you can make a difference just because you have the SL belief. That’s usually what it takes – the belief.” Check out the full audio interview with Patch by visiting www.seniorlviingmag.com/articles/patch-going-for-everything
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OCTOBER 2015
11 9
Cruising
p i h s d n e i r F g n i t a a m a r n b a e P l e n i C
AA
dream cruise celebrating long-time friendships recently becomes a memorable reality. Our holiday kicks off close to our ship’s Port Everglades dock. Aptly nicknamed Venice of North America, Fort Lauderdale’s water taxis help us explore famed stretches of its 266 kilometres of canals. A jolly skipper points out luxury yachts belonging to Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and lavish waterside homes of the rich and famous. “Lee Major and Farrah Fawcett tried selling their mansion,” he recounts, winking. “But inspectors discovered major faucet problems!” Ashore, we stroll the historic Riverwalk. Inside an inn turned museum, we learn how early irrigation canals here evolved into today’s scenic canals. The next morning, we bicycle through neo-tropical Taylor Birch Park and along the intercoastal waterway. Buying most of Lauderdale for $2 an acre, Birch established this park and gave his daughter an adjacent estate. There, we admire Bonnet House, her artistic husband’s eccentric creation. Once aboard the Veendam, shipboard activities are soon coordinated with steadfast friends. Jack, Barbara, Lynn, Wayne, Marian and Bruce join us for shuffleboard, team trivia and pool times. Enthusiastically attempting Dancing with the Stars routines, we cheer on our double finalists: Marian waltzing to victory and Bruce triumphing with his saucy samba. Leisurely four-course dinners spark jolly conversations. Evening fun continues with lounge quartets inspiring lively jives, foxtrots and cha-cha-chas… and theatre extravaganzas. Brisk morning laps around the open verandah include sightings of flying fish, dolphins and distant isles. Breakfasts stir chatter with shipmates about onboard entertainment: chef demonstrations, popular movies and port talks. For us, first landfall revisits Aruba. So renting a car, we play tour guides taking Bruce and Marian snorkeling off Arashi beach, to Bubali bird sanctuary, Casa Bari Rock and Aruba’s old fort. Onboard presentations prepare us for the remarkable Panama Canal, a century-old engineering feat. At Colon, we spot the huge cranes that inspired Star Wars imperial walkers. They transfer cargos to trains, allowing some shipping companies to avoid canal costs. Having paid the $35,000 reservation and cruise ship fees, million-dollar tugboats nudge our ship forward. Men in rowboats and 73,000 horsepower mules “rope” us into the centre of the first lock, leaving threefoot clearances. The enormous container ship ahead has mere
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SENIOR LIVING
STORY AND PHOTO BY RICK AND CHRIS MILLIKAN
inches to spare. As lock gates close, waters smoothly enter and upward we rise, proceeding slowly through three locks and out into Gatun Lake. The French canal lies unfinished off starboard. Though triumphantly digging the Suez Canal, de Lesseps failed to overcome Panama’s formidable terrain with another colossal trench. A decade later, Teddy Roosevelt’s engineers took a different approach, constructing six locks and manmade Gatun Lake. A pilot navigates our ship through Gatun’s channel. Hours later, we see the now benignly flowing Chagras River and recall how it once flooded regularly, decimating rail and ca-
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nal constructions. And nowadays, the treacherous nine-mile Gallard Cut boasts stabilized cliffs – and continual dredging. Stepping down three more locks to the Pacific, we view Panama City’s glass skyscrapers, clearly a prosperous trade centre. Five Pacific port stops divulge historic revelations and celebrations of nature. Motor-coach tours often skirt coastal sugar cane, cattle pastures and wild forests. In Costa Rica, our guide passes around unique tree fruit: ear tree’s lobed pods, red cashew fruit, two-foot beans and gourds for making maracas. In a jungle boat, we explore a mangrove estuary, encountering yowling howler monkeys, playful scarlet macaws, basking alligators, iguanas and even a basilisk lizard. Next, a narrow-gauge train takes us chugging through mountainous countryside past small ranches, melon farms, mango orchards and villages. Nicaragua’s excursion focuses on Leon’s World Heritage Cathedral. Blending baroque and neoclassical, this stout cathedral rises stylishly with thick walls to withstand the occasional earthquakes. Inside, Christ’s 12 apostles adorn columns. Below Saint Paul, a mourning lion marks Ruben Dario’s tomb. Journalist, diplomat, noted critic of US policies and world-renowned poet, Dario exemplifies this city’s intellectual climate and impact on Latin America. Atop the whitewashed rooftop, 34 domes and huge statuary bedazzle us. Virgin Mary crowns the top. Pairs of Atlanteans support beams between the central gable and bell towers. Just below stands Central America’s oldest University. Lively streetscapes radiate from its plaza. Murals depict Sandinista revolutionaries who overthrew Somoza and fought reactionary Contras; a sidewalk sawdust sculpture memorializes Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez. In the distance brood eight volcanoes. Guatemala’s tour highlights World Heritage Antiqua. Though earthquakes repeatedly destroyed its colonial buildings, Church of Mercy stands unscathed, displaying baroque beauty in white-filigreed lemon yellow. Marble saints surround Merciful Mary. San Pedro Arinengol holds a rope, recalling his martyrdom. A nun and bishop border the entryway. Inside, we learn how this church helped heretics escape the inquisition and supported struggling families of convicts. The prisoners reciprocated by creating the mosaic material decorating its columns. In this old capital’s main plaza stands magnificent halfrestored Saint Joseph Cathedral. Earthquakes repeatedly destroyed the cathedral. Originally constructed in 1554, it was persistently rebuilt. Skeletal ruins recall its previous immensity and grandeur. Here our guides points out the tombs of Bernal Diaz, famed diarist of the Spanish conquests, Cortez’s commander Pedro de Alvarado and his powerful consort Luisa, a Tlaxcaltec Chief’s daughter. Recounting how Luisa protected native communities, our guide shows us her underground shrine where Mayans still come to light candles. Travelling from Mexico’s Zihuatanejo, we investigate Olmec culture at a newly developed archeological site. A museum map reveals an extensive site of 16 pyramids and ball
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Leavenworth and warm Beach
December 3 - 6th, 2015 - 4 Days, 6 meals.
This 4 day adventure is bound to lift your Christmas spirits to new levels. Staying at the Tulaylip Casino Hotel you venture out to a 1.5 million light display at Warm Beach, Stanwood. There you are entertained while dining on a 5 course dinner to a live state production. In Leavenworth you are treated to a horse drawn sleigh ride, a Bavarian Dinner and the famous lighting festival. Book before October 3 and save $50 each. $795 Cdn pp Dble occ.
chemainus theatre and Butchart Gardens
December 15 - 17th, 2015 - 3 Days, 4 meals.
More Christmas lights await as you stroll through Butchart Gardens in Victoria. A live stage production of “The Elf” along with a lunch buffet. More lights in Ladysmith to enjoy. $695 Cdn pp dble occ. Book before Oct 15 and save $50 each.sleigh ride, a Bavarian Dinner and the famous lighting festival. Book before October 3 and save $50 each. $795 Cdn pp Dble occ.
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Grace & Glorie at Chemainus American Thanksgiving in Portland Leavenworth Christmas Lighting Elf the Musical at Chemainus Christmas at Harrison & Vancouver
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Photo: American Thanksgiving
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Do you need support at home? Help with meals? Bathing?
Please call us at
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Amazing 5-Day Freight Boat Cruises, exploring the remote channels, islands & fjords of British Columbia’s rugged, central coast. Campbell River, British Columbia
Join us at the 55+ Lifestyle Show, Olympic Village, Vancouver, th October 20 .
courts. Findings are well displayed: bells, whistles, obsidian blades, jade jewelry, a large sacrificial stone and slats, once flattening children’s skulls to create noble profiles. One nearby ball court lies amid four restored walls. “Fans watched from surrounding slopes,” says Miguel. “Using hips and shoulders, players tried to bump their heavy rubber ball through a stone ring.” A huge nine-step temple rises just beyond. “It’s authentically reconstructed with adobe block and coated with clay,” Miguel explains. “The top enclosed a pool filled with fragrant flowers to prepare sacrifices… maybe winning ball players!” Our last port-of-call, Cabo San Lucas, involves a water taxi trip to Land’s End with Lynn and Wayne. Beyond the harbour, we begin surveying its iconic arch and other remarkable limestone formations. Pelicans gather on offshore islets, sea lions cavort on rocky ledges and frigate birds soar above us, flashing scissor tales. Stepping off into shallow surf, we first wade through the soft, warm sand of Lovers’ Beach to tumultuous Pacific’s Divorce Beach. Retreating to the calm, amorous side, towels are spread below a shady bluff. Snorkeling around a rock pinnacle, Mexican relatives of multicoloured tangs, Moorish idols, sergeant majors, goatfish and unique yellow-
tailed chanchos are quickly identified. Fish scatter when a cormorant swims upward toting a silvery meal. Enterprising vendors hawk silver jewellery and cold drinks along the beach. One offers photo ops placing an emerald iguana on a knee. Revving interest, he moves the small dinosaur onto my chest. Repeating “No gracias!” eventually works. Returning three hours later, we spot far-off whales breaching. Sleek sea lions hitch rides on fishing boat sterns, providing another “show.” This seems odd… until noticing they’re fed fish snacks! As this exhilarating 15-day voyage ends, our merry gang gathers in the ship’s lofty Pinnacle Restaurant. Special French-style cuisine celebrates Barbara and Jack’s birthdays – and our SL fun-filled times together. For IF YOU GO information and more photos, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/ articles/panama-friendship-cruise
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C:\Users\mmacewan\Documents\Senior Living ad AUG 2015 final.cdr Thursday, August 20, 2015 12:29:58 PM
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OCTOBER 2015
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Snowbird/Winter Travel
First-time
Snowbirds
BY JANET MCMASTER
M M
y husband used to proudly declare that we were “four-season people” as we suffered through yet another frosty Canadian winter. While we enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, we decided to take winter mostly out of the picture the year Tom retired by renting a condo in Mesa, Arizona for 10 weeks. Thus, we embarked on a journey that resulted in a surprising number of discoveries. We had travelled to Arizona several times in the past, usually for a one-week winter escape. We knew the sunny, dry weather appealed to us and we had found a number of golf courses we liked. We also have several snowbird friends in that area, so choosing Arizona as the location for our first snowbird experience was an easy decision. The weather in Arizona in the winter turned out to be even better than we expected. Yes, there were a few days of rain but, for the most part, it was sunny and warm with bright blue skies. We quickly distinguished ourselves as winter visitors by wearing short-sleeved shirts and shorts most days. One sunny morning, as we were heading out to the golf course, we saw two people walking their dogs. The first was an older man wearing long pants, a jacket and ear muffs, so we assumed that he was a local who found it chilly. A few minutes later, we saw a woman in capris and T-shirt who likely was a winter visitor marvelling at what a beautiful morning it
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was… even her dog looked happy! Because we were in Arizona for a longer period this year, we were able to try a number of different golf courses. There are many golf courses to choose from and good deals can be found any day of the week; in fact, some of the best bargains are on the weekends, when the courses are often not busy. We golfed with three other couples on a sunny Sunday afternoon in January at Painted Mountain Golf Course for only $45 each, which included 18 holes of golf, cart, and a steak dinner. We also golfed with a group of friends regularly on Saturday mornings at a golf course in Gilbert for nine holes of golf and a breakfast special that was only $20 per person. It is still a novelty for us to be golfing in the winter, but being able to golf and find such reasonable rates was an added bonus. This was the first year we had the opportunity to explore the excellent state park system in Arizona. We began by going on a First Day Hike on January 1st, an initiative promoted across the United States as a healthy way to begin the New Year. We met the Director of Arizona State Parks on this guided hike at Lost Dutchman State Park. We quickly found out what terrific programs they have at their state parks, including a full schedule of volunteer-run guided hikes during the winter months. We purchased an Arizona State Parks Annual Pass that gave us unlimited access to the state parks, including the outstanding Boyce Thompson Arboretum, which we
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Photos: Tom Byttynen
market, and it is up to the renter to visited a couple of times. We went thoroughly investigate (and prefon a variety of guided hikes and erably check out the rental unit in learned about Arizona birds, geolperson) before signing on the dotogy, and the fascinating history of ted line. the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. On previous trips to Arizona, Our days were surprisingly full we had looked at homes in a vawhile we were in Arizona. In adriety of communities, so we had a dition to golfing, hiking and visitgood sense of the real estate maring friends, we went to a variety ket for both new and used homes. of markets and swap meets and to We ultimately decided we liked the a spring training baseball game. snowbird lifestyle and wanted to To get a better understanding of A rare frosty morning at the spend our winters in Arizona, but the local history, we went on two Elvis Chapel in Apache Junction. we were reluctant to book another historic home tours in Mesa and Phoenix that were fascinating and gave us the opportunity of rental. While our Canadian dollar was still on the downward meeting some interesting local people. We also enjoyed going spiral, there were definitely some bargains to be found, as US to concerts and dinner theatres, including the very popular housing prices are still in recovery mode. We are fortunate to have snowbird friends in different Arizona Opry at Apache Junction. Another wonderful Arizona experience was volunteering at the Waste Management communities in Arizona; some have RVs they drive down from Canada every year, others own mobile homes in large Phoenix Open Golf Tournament. We found the cost of living in Arizona to be reasonable. RV parks, and others have purchased houses in newer, as well Even taking into account the Canadian-US exchange rate, we as more-established, areas. We visited several friends who still found some excellent bargains on food, alcohol and gas. were kind enough to tour us around their communities and There happened to be a bumper crop of citrus fruit in Arizona tell us what they felt were the advantages and disadvantages when we were there. A few orchards in Mesa offer reason- of their areas. We ended up buying a bungalow-style condo in Leisure ably-priced oranges, lemons and grapefruit, but the best deal we found were the free lemons picked by a neighbour and left World, a well-established gated community in Mesa. With two golf courses and two large recreation centres that offer in a bin on her lawn for people to help themselves. The only thing about our first snowbird experience that dozens of activities, we felt it would more than adequately did not work well was the accommodation we rented. The meet our needs, both now and in the future. condo, owned by a Calgarian and managed by a local propThe community is in a central location near several of our erty manager/realtor, was a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit friends and close to some excellent shopping areas. We took in a large development in downtown Mesa. Several problems possession March 1 and had a busy but enjoyable month getemerged throughout our 10-week stay. ting our new home in order before heading back to Canada. I While there are some good rental properties available, the admit it was an adjustment, but I am sure we will quickly settle SL short-term vacation rental market in the US is a buyer-beware into our snowbird nest when we return in the fall.
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OCTOBER 2015
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Snowbird/Winter Travel
Go East, Friends
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMES ELLSWORTH
H
orace Greeley may have coined the phrase “Go West, young man” in 1865 but, after 150 years, perhaps it’s time to consider a new direction. Many West Coasters think only of the western point of the compass when wanting to beat the Canadian winter, travelling to Hawaii, Mexico or California. But with careful research of airlines and travel time, the same approximate effort can get you to Florida on the East Coast. It may seem like going against the flow. But British Columbians know all about salmon and swimming upstream. I’m not making comparisons; that would be unfair. The Hawaiian Islands are beautiful and unique; Mexico has its own charm although security issues and occasional warnings by Foreign Affairs may cause a moment’s reconsideration. And California and Arizona have their own touristy draws to lure the snowbird migration. But with comparable sub-tropical temperatures and flora; endless wide, white sandy beaches; and a plethora of ways to spend a day or night, Florida deserves some thought for winter getaways and experiencing American culture.
The Push and Pull of Florida
The wet, dreary, storm-watching month of November seems to be the biggest push to get away from western wintry climes. From 2012 to 2014, over four million Canadians, on average, travelled to the US each November, with about 700,000 going to Florida in the fourth quarter of the year. Florida presents a wonderful climate most months. If one uses November as a bellwether, however, the Sunshine State can compete with the best of destinations. The Tampa Bay area averages highs in November of 26 Celsius and lows of 16 Celsius, Fort Lauderdale is only slightly warmer. This compares favourably to Honolulu and Puerto Vallarta at 29C and 21C, and presents more comfort than Phoenix at 23 and eight degrees.
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November is a great time to escape the grey west coast, whether it is outdoor activity, wish-list experiences for the family, or spectator sports to draw you and yours away. There are plenty of deals in Florida to help offset any currency exchange rates.
Activities Galore
If one were to focus only on Central West Florida and the environs of Tampa Bay, one would find a virtual potpourri of what the state has to offer, all within an hour or 100 kilometres away. The list includes a variety on offer, from Disney World in Kissimmee, to the Ringling Brothers estate in Sarasota, or the beaches of St. Petersburg all as easy day trips. If one wanted to go a bit further, say a two-hour drive, then astronaut wannabes could visit Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. Likewise, history and golf aficionados could explore 450-year-old St. Augustine’s, which Biking the beach in Florida. also has been home to the World Golf Hall of Fame since 1998. And speaking of golf, you could play the King and Bear course at the World Golf village in St. Augustine’s, but choices abound in the Central West region. Tampa Bay has over 100 golf courses with six ranked in the top 75 of Florida by Golf Digest. And within an hour of that city you can play the historic Bobby Jones Golf Course in Sarasota or a round at Sandpiper Golf Course in Sun City Center, often at discounted prices in low-season November. In fact, Sun City Center is an innovative active retirement living plan, a Del Webb concept. He started them in the 1960s in Arizona, California and Florida. They now dot several states. A Del Webb-designed retirement community is an interesting experience. The idea of Activity, Economy and Individuality combines affordable model homes surrounded by golf courses and other community amenities, such as pools, libraries, tennis courts, and biking trails in close proximity to supports including hospitals and shopping.
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Beaches are a necessary allure for a winter holiday and Florida beaches are among the best. The Tampa Bay area has over 10 Gulf Coast beaches. Clearwater Beach was voted “best beach town” in 2013 and has four kilometres of fine sandy beach. Indian Rocks Beach has 27 access points on its four-kilometre stretch. Beach life, however, offers more than just sand and surf, wading and reading. Treasure Island beach is wide enough to host Sanding Ovations, the Master Cup Sand Sculpting Competition and Music Festival, a four-day competition of 10 sand sculpting masters from throughout North America, Europe and Asia, as well as southern blues bands. Incidentally, there are two other Florida venues for master sand sculpting competitions in November; Siesta Key near Sarasota and Fort Myers.
Loews Don CeSar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, Flor ida
Sports and Shopping
Nothing immerses you in American culture like sports and shopping. Much more than other getaway destinations, Florida has professional sports for spectators. In November, you can take in NHL hockey (Tampa Bay Lightning or Florida Panthers); NFL football (Tampa Bay Buccaneers); and basketball (Orlando Magic). Or you may want to sample the ubiquitous high school or college football and basketball games to soak up American values. Gainesville, a two-hour drive from Tampa, is home to
the University of Florida Gators. Attending a Florida State University Seminoles vs. Gators football game at the ‘Swamp” (an 88,000+ capacity stadium) will throw you into the middle of a college experience that is pure Americana. Usually the last game of the season, this football game is considered one of the fiercest rivalries. In fact, there are three Gator home games in November 2015. Included in the spectacle are the Fightin’ Gators, the 2013 recipient of the Sudler Cup
You and your friends are invited to our FREE INFORMATION SESSION
TWO DATES • RSVP TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT Learn more about this remarkable cruise opportunity.
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Wednesday, October 28 - 6:30pm
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120 West Broadway, Vancouver BC RSVP: 604.659.2887 or Vancouver@MeritTravel.com
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OCTOBER 2015
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Travelodge
Victoria Whether you’re travelling to visit family, attend a medical appointment, or escape the winter blues, Travelodge Victoria has a home for you! *Senior, snowbird and medical rates available. • Kitchen & one bedroom suites available • Heated indoor pool, saunas & gym • Restaurant & guest laundry on-site • Free parking • Free WIFI
Victoria Direct: 250.388.6611 229 Gorge Road East, Victoria, BC V9A 1L1 Reservations: 1.800.565.3777 travelodgevictoria.com
for top university marching band. There have been many analyses of what sport means in American culture, from warriors and militarization, to gender equality (now one in three athletes in the US is female); to the socializing tailgate parties and Friday Night lights phenomenon. Attending a sports venue can be a portal into later discussions of culture and the differences in Canada or one’s own youthful experience. Black Friday, the day after the American Thanksgiving Day, falls on November 27, 2015. Originally associated with traffic jams connected to the first day of Christmas shopping, it has since signified the positive retail colour of profit. Over 80 billion dollars in sales are expected in 2015 as people line up to take advantage of incredible deals.
Black Friday has been the busiest shopping day in the US since 2003. Some see shopping on Black Friday as a national duty to help the American economy; or to be part of a large celebratory crowd (approximately 133 million in the US in 2014); or as one cynic said, to be part of an event where people vie for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they have. Florida boasts 361 days of sunshine annually. Whether it’s Fort Lauderdale on the eastern Atlantic coast or the Tampa Bay environs on the western Gulf coast, the Sunshine State offers a cornucopia of holiday fun. The diversity is limitless in the November sun. You could be surprised by Florida either as grandparents planning a multigenerational family holiday or simply to SL enjoy an adult respite.
Florida boasts 361 days of sunshine annually.
Guide them as well as they have guided you. Join us for our Family Caregiver Series at Revera – Parkwood Place.
Understanding Dementia October 7th, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm Understanding Communication October 14th, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm Understanding Behaviour October 21st, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
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• Fried Chicken • Shepherd’s Pie • Gluten free & vegan meal selections. Casalinga Food Services provides frozen meals and desserts Meals start as low as $5.50. Delivery $5, free delivery on orders over $40. delivered to your door. If you are currently meal or we don’t make it at all.” “We make getting the best service, we would like to send you Greater a sample ofVancouver our home to Chilliwack • Greater Victoria cooked meals at noChicken cost. Pot Pie FEATURE DISH:
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OCTOBER 2015
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Cruising
s ’ e p o r u E n r e h Nort Glorious Ports STORY AND PHOTOS BY RICK AND CHRIS MILLIKAN
The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg, Russia.
E E
ager to visit Northern Europe, we book on HAL’s Eurodam, which offers us extra days in St. Petersburg and Stockholm. Long-time friends come along. Settled in downtown Copenhagen, our ambitious walk passes Tivoli Gardens, statue of Hans Christian Anderson, dragon-adorned city hall, Tycho Brahe’s 16th-Century observatory towering above bustling shops and into a royal park. Here, renaissance-style Rosenborg Castle lures us inside, where three floors of regal artifacts reveal Danish history. Proceeding through quiet neighbourhoods and Kastellet, a
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star-shaped fortress, we arrive at the waterfront where the renowned Little Mermaid sits upon her rock. Just beyond rises Gefion Fountain portraying Denmark’s creation myth. The marble masterpiece depicts Goddess Gefion whipping four oxen, which rip away a piece of Sweden to create Denmark’s main island. From waterside Amalie Garden, we spot Amalienborg Castle and magnificent Marble Church before rambling on to the picturesque Nyhavn canal district. Below the apartment where Hans Christian Anderson wrote his beloved fairy tales,
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we enjoy succulent ham sandwiches with Carlsberg ales celebrating our 12-kilometre stroll. After a morning canal boat tour and visit to Glyptek Art Museum, we embark on sea adventures with our friends. A series of delicious meals ensues, spiced with camaraderie. Days embrace morning promenades, trivia games, cookery sessions and zesty port talks. Evenings provide shows with toe-tapping pleasure and hearty laughter. Shipboard explorations add more fun. Black and white photos along corridors recall the development of cruising. Rembrandt’s artwork, including self-portraits, adorn stairwells. A favourite painting parodies his celebrated Nightwatch by depicting models’ zany antics 15 minutes after posing. At Tallinn, our foursome walks from port to Fat Margaret, main gate of its 16th-century walls. In World Heritage old town, cobblestone streets lead us past St. Olav’s 12th-century
JUNE 10th - 25th 2016 16 Days • 41 Meals
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Highlights: Amsterdam, Cologne, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Miltenberg, Wertheim, Glass Museum, Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Wachau Valley, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Evening Budapest Cruise, Folklore Show
Visiting Copenhagen.
Church, towering above remaining gable-fronted burgher’s homes. A carved marble façade and red door denote “House of the Blackheads.” A plaque describes association members as young bachelors ineligible for the Great Guild, but perfect for defending city walls. On market-square’s centre stage, costumed musicians sing lustily while playing medieval instruments. Behind numerous stalls, smocked townsfolk sell handicrafts. Once enclosing a warehouse, theatre and courthouse – and now museum – the lofty town hall borders this bustle. A walkway leads us up Toompea Hill, where onion domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral recalls Russia’s former rule. The adjacent pink czarist-era palace became Estonia’s parliament. In St. Petersburg, excursions prove bargains; independent travel requires $200 Russian visas. Joining shipmates, we visit Peter the Great’s summer palace, 30 kilometres outside the city. “Tsar Peter began designing Peterhof’s 30 rooms in 1714. Daughter Elizabeth and his grandson’s wife, Cath-
Regular Rates: Lower Outside Cabin Rates: Double $7,099 CAD Middle Outside Cabin Rates: Double $7,624 CAD Upper Outside Cabin Rates: Double $8,029 CAD Suite Cabin Rates: Double $9,654 CAD Included in Price: Round Trip Air from Vancouver Intl Airport, Air Taxes and Fees/Surcharges of $540 per person (subject to increase until paid in full), Hotel Transfers * All Rates are Per Person and are subject to change **This tour was priced in USD and converted to CDN at a $1.20 exchange. ***Price is locked in against any currency fluctuation.
Call Your Local Marlin Travel for Reservations: Broadmead Village 250-383-5414 • Oak Bay 250-370-1222 Cadboro Bay 250-595-1181 • Sussex Place 250-383-6101 Westshore 250-478-1113 • Sidney 250-656-5561 • Duncan 250-748-2594 Ladysmith 250-245-7114 • Nanaimo 250-758-3924 Parksville 250-248-2041 • Langley 604-532-0507 Kelowna 250-868-2540 • West Kelowna 250-768-6875
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*with a minimum of 15 passengers traveling
OCTOBER 2015
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motifs frame radiant biblical scenes and figures. Shimmering in gold, silver and pastel enamels, Holy Gates enclose the main altar. In a concert hall that evening, a troupe of entertainers transports us across Russia, performing Don Cossack dances, folkloric Russian, Ukrainian and Gypsy songs and comedic routines. The next morning, we explore the Hermitage. In the Winter Palace, the dazzling 18th-century Jordan Staircase takes us to a lavish ballroom. In smaller Pavilion Hall, we admire the gilded, bejeweled Peacock Clock, a gift to Catherine the Great from a devoted suitor. Rembrandts fill a nearby salon. Tsar Peter purchased these while studying shipbuilding in Holland. Catherine the Great’s exalted collection of renaissance and golden age paintings hang in surrounding rooms. Lastly, entering the vaulted Golden Room, we look a ni to upon priceless gold relics gathered throughTallin, Es out the Russian Empire. erine the Great, expanded his Helsinki introduces us to Jopos. “Local engineer Eero efforts,” guide Tanya explains. “As you see, they Helkama designed Jopos as affordable, practical, all-season loved Western European style.” Silk wall coverings, luxu- bikes,” informs guide Brian. “Now they’re part of Finnish riant draperies, brocaded furniture and precious porcelains culture.” Beyond the dock, our group pedals wide bikeways adorn chambers. In the ballroom, gold and crystal chande- into a sunny plaza. “Those waterfront apartments feature sauliers bedazzle. Daughter Elizabeth, as patroness of arts and nas, another Finnish innovation,” notes Brian. sciences, “floats” on painted ceiling clouds. Our tour ends in Passing a sandy beach, we grind gearless Jopos uphill into extensive gardens filled with a gilded statuary and fountains. Sibelius Park. There, a harmonic “forest” of stainless steel A hydrofoil returns us swiftly to St. Petersburg. Plying pipes memorializes Finland’s famed composer. “Among Jean the Neva River, we see those canals and islands inspiring its Sibelius’s masterpieces, Finlandia was considered revolutionnickname: Venice of the North. Swimmers bask on the sandy ary in 1900,” Brian recounts. “Finns still revere its patriotic beach where Tsar Peter built a fortress. A golden spire iden- hymn.” Our delightful 10-mile bike ride gives an overview of tifies Peter and Paul Cathedral entombing Russian royalty. Helsinki’s beautiful parks, shorelines and architecture. Disembarking along Palace Embankment, sightseeing conAt Stockholm, our excursion group investigates Vasa tinues. Museum’s spectacular early 17th-century Swedish battleAmong monumental sights, Resurrection of Christ Church ship. Capsized during her maiden voyage, the Vasa was salproves breathtaking. Onion domes sparkle with blue, yellow vaged intact. A 10-foot lion representing King Gustav Vasa and green tiles, two in gold. Inside, 7,500 square metres of decorates her impressive prow. Five hundred carved statues brilliantly coloured mosaics cover walls and ceilings. Tile embellish this wooden ship. Many, wondrously replicated, appear as rosy-cheeked, pink-skinned nobles, sailors, soldiers and cherubs on Celebrate Thanksgiving the opposite wall. Celebrate Thanksgiving We next head north to Sigtuna, with Turkeywith & all the Trimmings $ Turkey with Turkey & allONLY the17 Trimmings Sweden’s oldest town. One-hundred$ Onlyand 16all the Trimmings $ fifty Nordic runes reflect Siguna’s Vi• Chef Prepared Only 16 • Book Early Available 5 -10, 2015 • Book Early king heritage. Town hall faces a small • ChefOct Prepared market square; golden crowns above PUMPKIN PIE $3 its portal indicate its service as royal • Chef Prepared www.chefontherun.ca capital. Before leaving, we witness • Book Early3 Frozen Dinners $21 www.chefontherun.ca Also Available – Gift Certificates – Catering Also Available – Gift Certificates – Catering 3 Frozen Dinners $21 families, enrobed as Vikings, sailing Pickmeals, up 2020 Oak Bay Ave at Deli Healthy fresh for you. Pick up 2020 Oak Bay Ave at Deli or call 250.595.3151 for delivery WWW.CHEFONTHERUN.CA replicated longboats on Malaren Lake. or call 250.595.3151 for delivery The next morning, a public bus ALSO AVAILABLE - Gift Certificates - Catering 3 Frozen Dinners $21 takes us to Gamla Stan Island, StockPICK UP 2020 OAK BAY AVE AT DELI OR CALL 250.595.3151 FOR DELIVERY 24 22
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holm’s original town square. Here, Danish rulers beheaded dissident nobles, merchants and priests in 1520. Amid gable-roofed homes, 80 white stones surrounding windows and doorways on one redbrick building memorialize these victims. One noble’s son escaped, returning later to lead a revolt. That rebel, Gustav Vasa became Sweden’s first modern King. From Warnemunde, a coach carries us to Wismar, boasting renaissance, gothic and baroque-styled buildings. Vintage merchants’ homes and town hall border its 13th-century market square. Strolling cobblestone streets, our group gathers at a medieval brewpub to enthusiastically sample dark Mumme beer and giant German pretzels. Docking at Kiel, our last excursion reveals Lubeck, another World Heritage site. Holsten Gate is all that remains of medieval walls making this island city impregnable. Remaining riverside warehouses once stored “white gold,” salt used to preserve codfish traded throughout Europe. At market-square, one of Germany’s oldest city halls flaunts a baroque façade, gothic arches, soaring copper spires and red-and-white shields. St Mary’s Church rises in the distance. Later inside, reminders of life’s uncertainty are everywhere. One niche displays bells shattered during WWII. In another, a stained glass window features a skull, below stands a skeleton amid cherubic statuettes. On the wall, lithographs depict danse macabre. So in a coffee house, everyone lives it up savouring slices of Lubeck’s signature marzipan gateau. Marzipan bonbons make sweet souvenirs. Back in Copenhagen, we pedal numerous bikeways and sight more public art and eclectic architecture. A city train carries us to the airport the next morning, and then we jet homeward. Our Baltic Cruise presented over 12 days of intriguing, fun-filled North European SL experiences. For IF YOU GO information, visit www. seniorlivingmag.com/articles/northerneuropean-cruise
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OCTOBER 2015
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Snowbird/Winter Travel
Creating Memorable, Safe Travel Adventures
O O
BY AILEEN STALKER
ne of the pleasures many retired people enjoy is travelling. The negative events that some tourists experience, as reported in the media, may give one second thoughts about going beyond familiar communities. But if that yearn to travel is strong, the question becomes “How can we travel safely and independently (or on a group tour) and return with memories to share for a lifetime?” My partner and I developed the following suggestions to help us on our “life is short” program of regional and international travel. Create a travel box. In it, place (and replace when you return from a trip) items such as travel binoculars, a money belt, any leftover foreign currency from previous trips, electrical converters and plugs, sunglasses, sunscreen, airplanesize lotion and toothpaste, airplane earplugs, pillows and eye covers, maps, travel book(s), nylon recyclable grocery bags, travel utensils and plastic plates for picnics. “We are leaving now – what do we/I need?” This question, exchanged with your travelling companion or asked of yourself, is pivotal every time you leave a place – your house at the beginning of any trip, a hotel room, your seat at the airport or the car rental office. It prompts you to look around, take stock of what you need to take or need to ask about. It often reminds you to look under the bed before you leave a room, take the essential tickets, maps and guide books for your city tour or pick up the correct lenses for your camera. This same question leads directly to the need for lists. Lists provide needed information quickly, and effectively organize our memories. Place your travel lists in your travel box. The first list should be of necessary documents – passport, itinerary, visa and vaccination requirements, birth certificate, health insurance card, travel insurance information, driver’s license, car rental documentation, credit card and bank card, as well as currency needed for each country you will visit. List the phone numbers where you report stolen or lost cards and have a duplicate copy of all your cards and passport. Having a copy of passports recently accelerated our exit from France when my partner lost his passport and discovered the loss on a national holiday, two hours before we were due at the airport. “No problem,” said the Canadian consulate staff, who did the paperwork with efficiency and patience. If you are travelling with a partner, each person should carry a copy of their own and the other’s personal information, travel agenda, tickets, reservations and passport. On your own, carry your originals and a copy – each in a separate, safe location that you carry with you (i.e. not in checked luggage.)
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Make a list of family contacts for emergencies – both telephone and email addresses – and keep this on both your tablet/ cellphone and on paper. Itemize the locations and contacts for each place you will be visiting and give this to your children or a close friend in your home community, as well as keeping a copy for yourself. Record the Canadian consulate numbers for each country you will visit. Consulates will often have names of physicians that speak English or your preferred language. A list of medications – name of the drug, dosage and frequency, is important, as well as a copy of your prescription for eyeglasses and hearing aids. A list of clothing you need for different activities results in organized packing. The use of small nylon bags to separate each group of clothes helps with living out of a suitcase – one for underwear, one each for tops/shirts, pants, dresses, sportswear etc. Take an extra bag for laundry, and remember to take a few pouches of liquid soap for washing clothes in the sink. Depending on the location, type of activities, and the average temperatures of the places you visit, you may need to develop several seasonal lists. For each trip, select the one that fits your current travel needs. It gets complicated when there are multiple diverse needs, such as on one of our recent trips when we needed hiking gear (New Zealand), clothes for weather 30 degrees Celsius (Australia) to five degrees Celsius (Great Wall of China), plus a wedding! Whatever you pack should be only what you can easily carry – subway escalators often break down and wheels sometimes fall off suitcases. Tour guides are not porters. Safety is always a concern for travellers; even one bad experience can ruin the memories of a trip or country. After hearing horror stories from friends about drive-by Vespa robbers in Italy, we were on high alert, but had no problems during three weeks in the Tuscany area. Not that we stopped our safety techniques, which include having me walk on the inside of the street, with my bag slung across my chest, keeping all billfolds and money out of sight and in zipped pockets and, when viewing a plaza, standing with our backs to the wall rather than standing in the wide open area. Travelling in a tour group does not ensure your personal safety. Tourist groups are often the target of thieves; they can easily approach from the back while tour members listen to guides or take photos. Use of an agreed upon nonsense word to alert your partner or friend, if you observe suspicious behaviour, helps initiate a preventative strategy. When taking money out of an ATM, try to get it from inside
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AGELESS Escorted ADVENTURE tours Tours
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a bank enclosure rather than on the street. Thieves may be watching for just this opportunity to grab and run. Inside the bank, you can ensure you put the money away before leaving the area and that your money belt, purse, zipped pocket or neck pouch is not observed. Read up on the favourite scams in various countries, like the “found” gold ring in Paris and the “bird poop” on the backpack in Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, infiltrated bank machines are a problem in any country and are hard to identify and combat. For excellent resources of current scams, visit www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti11.html and www. bdpad.com. As at home, do not give pin numbers, credit card numbers or other access codes to anyone, at any time, and if the offer sounds too good to be true – it is. Spending precious vacation time in lineups to see a gallery or museum will decrease your positive travel memories. Read travel books or visit travel websites before you go, find out what places have tickets you can reserve to do certain activities on specific days. Yes, it decreases spontaneous decisions, but for the most popular sites, it is worth the intermittent inflexibility. Seeing a two-hour-long lineup, as we passed by with our electronic tickets to rapidly enter the Vatican, amazed us that others had not made use of technology to avoid the wait. Special deals can also be found through travel book tips, travel blogs or the experiences of friends. We were able to get senior rail passes for travel throughout Britain, resulting in very large savings and pleasant memories of an under-budget trip because we had a requisite address in Britain to where the tickets could be sent. The Dalai Lama encourages mindfulness in our daily lives and when planning your trip use mindfulness in considering your mode and distance of travel. Do you have to see the entire country or many countries, or is a more lingering taste in an area of a specific country going to satisfy your travel palate? Increasingly, my partner and I choose slow travel with at least four days in each city/town before we move on. Using secure internet sites, we book small apartments so we can have the fun of local shopping and cook many of our own meals using regional specialties. Less movement also means decreased lugging and unpacking of suitcases. By staying longer in one spot, you may get to learn some of the local language, the small hidden places speed tourists never get to see, locate your own favourite restaurant, park and sorbet or croissant shop. For us, the travel box, the lists and slowing down our travel all led to more enjoyment and lasting memories. We also realized that being flexible and anticipating responses to possibly negative experiences helped decrease our stress if events occurred over which we had no control. So, join the “life is short” program and get out there! By preplanning and organizing before you depart, and using safety strategies while away, you can make your travel safe, SL enjoyable and memorable.
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OCTOBER 2015
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Cruising
Paradise Afloat W W
Arcturus. Cindy at the bow on last night at Fiery sunset on the ver base. Ri ll we Po Cooper Boating’s
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STORY AND PHOTO BY CHERIE THIESSEN
e’re on a roll, beating up Malaspina Strait with the wind in our noses, the sun on our heads, and the dancing whitecaps all around. We’ve chartered a thoroughbred sailboat, Arcturus, a beamy 32’ Bavaria only a few years old that’s been chomping at the sheets (lines) to get its sails up and gallop toward Lund. Long-time sailors familiar with these waters, we wanted to take my brother, Maury, and his wife, Cindy, on a cruise to explore these enchanted waters. Boating is the only way you can really experience this part of the west coast. Between Vancouver Island and the Mainland, at the northern reach of Georgia Strait, at the confluence of Malaspina Inlet and Homfray Channel, lies this paradise, ironically monikered Desolation Sound Park. Most of it unreachable by cars, this pristine marine landscape is the largest marina park in the province, with over 14,000 acres of high land and 6,350 acres of shoreline, coves and islands. The 8,000-foot Coast mountains loom dramatically over much of the land and marine scape, the sea is warm, unpolluted and emerald green; clams, oysters, prawns, salmon and whales thrive, and the serenity is soul enriching. Why then, did Captain Vancouver call it Desolation Sound on his 1792 survey trip? How could he possibly write, “There was not a single prospect that was pleasing to the eye?” He must have been there in November when rain and fog obscured it all. Or he had a hangover. We left Cooper Boating’s base in Powell River’s Westview docks this morning, after spending a night aboard and getting briefed and familiar with Arcturus. Under three hours later, we’re at our first port of call, Lund, the northern terminus of the famous coastal Highway 101 and the end of the road. Darlene Denholm is Harbour Master here; the busy port hums in early July, but she’s got her eye on boats coming and going and seems to always be there to grab the mooring lines and help ease the skipper’s and crew’s nervousness. She snugs us in and Maury, spry and fit and, at 58, the youngest in the family, leaps nimbly ashore and helps secure Arcturus. David and I smile hugely – we may be experienced sailors, but we can’t leap like that anymore, and how inspired of us it was to invite younger crew to share this experience. It’s one of those special times when you think you’re doing
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This travel article brought to you by the generous sponsorship of Accent Inns something for someone else, but it rebounds and you get twice as much back as you’ve given. I’m glad we have the whole afternoon here because there’s lots to see in this small coastal community: the historic Lund Hotel with its wide harbour-facing verandah is a perfect place to sip a cold one and the old-world General/Liquor Store located beside it is a walk down memory lane, while behind it, the expansive Tug Ghum Gallery represents over 40 skilled local artists. We sample the Boardwalk Café’s awesome fish and chips and finish off with shared cinnamon buns from Nancy’s Bakery, a favoured local hangout. An upstairs bookstore shares space with locally made, top-quality Pollen Sweaters. It’s Friday and today the farmers market is humming across from the hotel. At happy hour, we watch the skinny Savary Island car ferry chugging in and out and the kayaks from Terracentric Adventures and Powell River Sea Kayaks slipping in and out of the water. We could spend another day here, easily, but the Siren is calling. The next day, with the Copeland Islands slipping by on our left (port) side, we enter Desolation Sound and head for Grace Harbour off Malaspina Inlet. In early July the summer rush has not yet started and we share the harbour’s ample secure anchorage with only a handful of other boats. It’s time to put down the swim grid and climb in the rigid hull inflatable to go ashore for a half-mile hike through to Black Lake. A pair of loons calls to us as we stand indecisive about whether we should try a dip in the welcoming fresh water, but we opt, instead, to have our swim back to the “mother ship” and turn to picking huckleberries from the nearby bushes for our morning pancakes. Eventually, happy hour wins out and we head back, with me and Cindy wading into the warm seawater, and Maury rowing the dinghy with David cradling our precious red berries. Desolation Sound has the warmest ocean water on the coast, so swimming is our favoured pastime, aside from sailing. There’s nothing like swinging at anchor overnight in a windless, sylvan anchorage and we sleep well in our separate staterooms. The next day, we head for Okeover Inlet’s expanded new docks, to gather fresh oysters and clams from the pristine beaches, (fishing licenses are required, and check limits and red-tide warnings. See sidebar online), explore the campsite here, swim and have dinner at the area’s famous, long-established Laughing Oyster restaurant. That night, with clams and oysters stowed, we sit outside at the restaurant listening to David Cox’s mellow tones as he sings all our old favourites, while David and Maury enjoy draft pints from the Powell River brewery and Cindy and I sip ciders with our Gunpowder Prawns and Barbecued Salmon. Life is good and tomorrow we will be at Melanie Cove, at anchor once again. We pick our way carefully through the rock-studded entrance, lining up the park signs as our reference book advises, and then luck out with a perfect anchorage at the head of the bay. The rest of the day is spent swimming and hiking the mile trail through to another anchorage, Laura Cove, once the site of an old homestead and now home to zillions of oysters.
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OCTOBER 2015
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Mile Zero Tours – Vancouver Island’s Own Guided Travel Company Mile Zero Tours is a Victoria based tour operator specializing in fully guided deluxe tours from Vancouver Island to destinations across North America. Mile Zero Tours’ knowledgeable and experienced staff provide travellers with a stressfree travel planning experience by preparing itineraries that cover every detail. Travellers can take advantage of an expertly planned program that maximizes their experience while on tour. And all tours are fully guided by a professional tour director who educates and assists guests throughout their trip. The packages include all transportation from Vancouver Island with complimentary home pick-up offered across all of Greater Victoria & Nanaimo. The tours feature first class accommodations, many delicious meals, and itineraries packed with both the must-see attractions and unique experiences often missed by the typical visitor. With destinations ranging from New York to Newfoundland, all tours feature the same first class service, attention to detail and a focus on the life-long learning opportunities that only travel can provide. As a locally owned and operated business, Mile Zero Tours’ primary objective is to provide a deluxe guided travel experience uniquely tailored to the needs and expectations of Vancouver Islanders.
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New York, New York! -April 16 Epic Canadian Rail Journey—May 20 Magical Maritimes—June 4 Discover Newfoundland and Labrador—June 13 Call or visit the website for more details or to order a free brochure. (250) 590 0811 or 1 844 590 0811 www.MileZeroTours.com
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Another evening passes blissfully, anchored under a watchful moon with the bioluminescence lighting up the water below us every time the fish swim by or our hands trail through it. It’s a natural phenomenon I never tire of, even though I’ve lived by the sea all my life, and in this natural environment with no light pollution, its sparkles are brighter than ever. A sail under perfect 10-knot winds the next day makes the journey effortless and exhilarating, and once again we are in Refuge Cove before noon. Located on West Redonda Island, this small waterfront community, with a string of homes perched above a quaint shoreline boardwalk, seems timeless. It looked just like this 10 years ago when we last visited, except for the addition of a welcome gallery chock-a-block with interesting art, wearables and aromatics, and a deck-side café hanging over the docks. Another General Store sits atop an old barge offering everything from hard ice cream to liquor, fishing tackle to fresh produce, and everything in between. Cindy and I head for the second-hand bookstore and I can’t resist picking up a jar of local honey. I can see the hives where it came from just above on the hill. Of course, a week is never long enough when the days begin and end with clear skies and the winds, scenery, and company are perfect. So many more places are left to explore, but return we must. The final gift is a Chinook salmon fatally drawn to the lure we trolled just before entering Westview; a delicious feast follows that night along with sea asparagus gathered that morning, and Desolation Sound and Powell River say goodbye with a fiery red sunset. Cooper Boating charters is the closest charter company to Desolation Sound. It charters powerboats as well as sailboats, but if you don’t have your small craft boating license and aren’t prepared to study for it, the company can help you with obtaining a skipper/crew. There is absolutely no better way to see this nautical nirvana than SL in your own boat. For IF YOU GO information and more photos, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/ articles/paradise-afloat
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Canada’s top designers weigh in on questions from mature women about how to dress, what to wear, what to avoid and how to look their very best. Each month, we’ll tackle a new question to help you stay stylish and feel great! Have comments or suggestions? Email fashion@seniorlivingmag.com BY BOBBIE JO REID
Q: Black: Is it a good choice for us? SIMON CHANG: “Black is a classic, classy choice and a class act in any wardrobe. The key is to accentuate with a colourful scarf or statement earrings and jewellery around your neck area. Black can be draining worn on its own. Even if black is a slimming colour and easy to match, you need the right fashion accessories to give you the razzle dazzle look.” Simonchang.com PETER NYGÅRD: “Absolutely! But black should only be used as a background colour. Everything accents off black. Head to toe, black is a very safe colour and look, so it needs to be revved up with colour, perhaps with a top or accessory. Never all black.” Nygard.com
JAN STIMPSON: “Colour is the best way to incorporate a new trend into your wardrobe, but black is classic and never goes out of fashion. At Sympli, we do an entire collection each year just in black. It’s slimming and forgiving and easy to match with favourite pieces from your own wardrobe. When you see a woman in black, you tend to notice; she looks classy and cool. Black is also a perfect neutral that goes with everything, so you can enhance it with colourful accessories that modernize your look and keep you on trend. If you are looking for a good alternative to black, choose a deep navy, plum, chocolate or midnight.” Symplithebest.com
Barbara’s Boutique and Showroom 2392 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, BC www.badenbadenboutiques.com We carry Simon Chang and Sympli.
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OCTOBER 2015
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Cottage Style
BY JANE CASSIE
W
here can you book a beautiful 400-square-foot fully-equipped holiday cottage that’s close to languid pools, awesome activities and ongoing entertainment for a fraction of the price of a comparable hotel stay? Normally we’re not on the lookout for accommodation when we motor south to our favourite snowbird home, as our roving fifth wheel is always in tow. But due to unexpected circumstances this year, our visit to Golden Village Palms RV Resort (GVP), in Hemet California, needs to be a shorter one, so we zip down quickly by air to where a park model awaits our arrival. More than a dozen craftsman-like cottages are the newest kids on this popular resort’s block. Our covered veranda extends a warm welcome and beyond the threshold is every primal comfort necessary for a lengthy stay; two flat screen TVs, wifi, DVD, and a heavenly pillow-top bed. Our spacious living quarters are decked out in designer duds and an allequipped kitchen makes entertaining a breeze. The back door leads to a patio where a barbecue promotes dining alfresco and just steps away is fun, fun, fun!
Over the next seven days, we attempt to fit in as much as possible. We load up on fresh produce at Tuesday’s farmers’ market, try our luck at cribbage, games nights and Texas hold’em, and please our passion for pickleball. The four outdoor courts, just a short stroll away from our homestead, get plenty of action and a challenging tournament raises our competitive spirits. A fitness centre, zumba classes, volleyball and aqua-fit are heart-healthy contenders, as are the nearby hiking trails, pristine parks and over a dozen reasonably-priced golf courses. Live music wafts over the pool deck every afternoon, and both tribute and dance bands provide regular evening entertainment. Although we miss out on this year’s featured bands like The Beach Boys, CCR and Santana, we enjoy a taste of Polynesia on our final night when the pool patio turns tropical and umbrella drinks are paired up with luaustyle entertainment. “It’s been an amazing week,” my husband says as we saunter back to our holiday home. “And thanks to our cozy cottage, our RV has enjoyed a rest too!”
Golden Village Palms RV Resort
Golden Village Palms RV Resort
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SENIOR LIVING
Photo: Brent Cassie
Snowbird/Winter Travel
Snowbirding
Address: 3600 West Florida Ave, Hemet, CA 92545 Phone: 866-477-6154 Website: www.goldenvillagepalms.com Rentals: Daily: $160 to $240 Weekly: $880 Off season: $2,550/month High season: $3,150/month Some local activities – Diamond Valley Lake for fishing boating, hiking, biking, Temecula vineyards, mountain town of Idyllwild, Western Science Museum, March Field Air Museum, 72 Km west of Palm Springs, 137 km east of Los Angeles and 137 km north of San Diego. If you’ve always wanted to be included in the flock of snowbirds but are sans the roving home, here are a few other resorts that offer accommodation rentals.
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Emerald Desert RV Resort Address: 76000 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 Phone: 760-345-4770 Website: www.emeralddesert.com Like GVP, Emerald Desert is another one of Sunland’s jewels. Located in Palm Desert, this oasis is close to championship golf courses, shopping and dining. A few of the upscale amenities include: temperature-controlled pools, a putting green, driving range, tennis and pickleball courts and a grand clubhouse. Emerald Desert offers 12 rental villas, ranging in size from studios to three bedrooms. Rentals: From April – December: Daily rates $95 - $225 From January – March: Daily rates $150 - $325 Some local activities: Golf, hiking, shopping at El Paseo, celebrity tours. Emerald Desert RV Resort
Rincon Country East RV Resort / Rincon Country West RV Resort
Rincon West Train Garden
Address: 8989 E Escalante Tucson, AZ 85730 / 4555 S Mission Rd Tucson, AZ 85746 Phone: 888-401-8989 / 800-782-7275 Website: www.rinconcountry.com Whether you’re looking for an intimate resort, like Rincon Country East, that snuggles into a quiet neighbourhood, or the spacious Rincon Country West, that hugs up to the Tucson Mountains, both aim to please. Between the two, there are over 100 hobby and interest clubs to choose from. And while Bowser paws around the agility course at Rincon West, train buffs will be lured to its railroad garden – the largest of its kind in Arizona! The east location has 18 wellstocked park models. The West has 28. Price is reflected in the age of each unit and its individual perks. Rentals: Weekly: January – March: $630 April – December: $450 Monthly: Jan – Mar: $1,950 – $2,250 Apr – Jun: $1,300 – $1,400 Jul – Sep: $900 / Month Oct – Dec: $1,300 – $1,400 Some local activities: O.K. Corral, Kartchner Caverns, Pima Air & Space Museum, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park, golfing, hiking and biking. WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM
OCTOBER 2015
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Sky Valley Resort and sister property, Caliente Springs Resort Address: 74711 Dillon Rd. Desert Hot Springs, CA 92241 / 70200 Dillon Rd. Desert Hot Springs, CA Phone: 760-329-2909 / 760-329-8400 Website: www.SkyValleyResort.com/ www.CalienteSprings.com Rentals: These nearby resorts are located in the Coachella Valley on the outskirts of Palm Desert. In addition to a great location, beautiful views and loads of amenities, they feature natural hot spring pools and spas, golf, pickleball, tennis, and very active activities and chapel programs. Each resort hosts 13-15 fully-stocked park models, most of which are less than five years old. Daily: $150 per night in highest season Weekly: $675 in highest season April – December: $1,575* / month January – March: $2,500 / month * Includes 30 per cent off season discount. Cannot be combined with other discounts or offers. Some local activities: nine-hole executive golf course integrated into Caliente Springs Resort, wind farm tours, Palm Springs Tram, College Of The Desert swap meet, Big League Dreams Sports Park.
Caliente Springs Resort
Westwind RV and Golf Resort
awaiting photo
Address: 9797 E 32nd Street Yuma, Arizona Phone 866-440-2992 Website: http://www.westwindrvgolfresort.com This property, on Yuma’s sunny foothills, has been luring snowbirds since 1985. Integrated in with the standard mix of activities, is a full-service restaurant, kidney shaped hot tub, bocce ball, 9 hole golf course, pickleball, volleyball and shuffle board. There are seven resort-owned park models (four which are brand new) and an in-house list of private rentals. As with the other resorts, all units are fully-equipped. All you need is your toothbrush! Rentals: Weekly: $600 in highest season November – March 1 month: $1,900 November – March 2 months: $1,800 November – March 3 months: $1,700 April – October 1 month: $1,600 April – October 2 months: $1,500 April – October 3 months: $1,400 Monthly fee of $40.00/month for water/trash/septic Some local activities: Golf, hiking, biking, boating, ATVing. SL
All rates are quoted in USD and subject to change. All photos are courtesy of their respective resorts, except where indicated. 34 32
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OCTOBER 2015
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55+ Lifestyle Show October 20, 2015
11am - 8:30pm
LOCATION :
1 Athletes Way, Vancouver BC (Creekside Community Centre at Olympic Village)
Come explore a variety of inspiring lifestyle options, products and services for people over 55.
DOOR PRIZES • 55+ Winter Celebration Package - 3 Night Retreat, all inclusive with transportation, courtesy Fairmont Chateau Whistler • 2 Nights Accommodation at any Accent Inns
DOOR ADMISSION $5
Get your advance 2 for 1 tickets online at www.55pluslifestyle.com
WOW! Your Admission includes: • Free access to seminars • Free Entry to Win Door Prizes • FREE Bestseller Book “To Move or Not To Move”
60+ Exhibits All Day Seminars Interactive Displays Free Giveaways and more
(first 1000 visitors - Value $10)
• Discount Coupons for local food & entertainment (first 500 visitors)
Presented by
Senior Living
COME JOIN US!
In Partnership with Eldercare Foundation
Info & Booking: 1-250-812-8782 caroline@seniorlivingmag.com 36 34
SENIOR LIVING
www.55pluslifestyle.com
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Transitions & Transformations | Seminar Schedule Deborra Hope, RETIRED TV ANCHOR
Fearless “The reDiscovery Adventure of You Retirement” From home renovations to world Cheryl Wilson-Stewart - Red Shoetravel Zone Panel
Noon
- the challenges and joys of retiring. “I’m free!” That’s what Life Part II meant to the creator of the Red Shoe Zone, Cheryl Wilson-Stewart. Set to live a rich, vibrant, meaningful life she discovered that outside of career and motherhood she’d lost herself. On top of that she was Cheryl Wilson-Stewart, BLOGGER sitting squarely in a comfort zone. To live the life of her dreams she’d have to break free and rediscover her fearless self. “The Fearless Re-Discovery of You” Red Shoe Zone Panel welcomes four women, Move beyond self doubt, fear and not knowingwho could easily be your next door neighbor. They are living fearlessly and doing things in Life Part II. Hear their stories, how they rediscovered to create the lifeextraordinary you love. passion, took the first steps and overcame fear to live Big.
Submit your seminar topic for consideration.
How to Retire Successfully: Your Wealth is More Than Money Tom Pownall, Sigma Wealth – ScotiaMcLeod
1 pm
Explore and define the purpose and intentions behind your wealth, and how to manage your finances to reach your retirement goals and dreams. Most people don’t realize how much risk they take on until it’s too late. But in the 4th quarter of your life, when your wealth means more than money, risk is more than a gamble. Your wealth is defined by your family, your retirement and your legacy - it’s not easy to come to terms with investment risk when this is what’s at stake. Tom’s clients know the true meaning of experiencing their money, and he would like to share some of his experience and expertise on this topic with people who would benefit from it the most.
Leading Edge Health: Teeth in One Day Dr. Bobby Birdi & Dr. Ron Zokol, BC Perio Dental Health & Implant Centre
2 pm
Changing people’s lives with leading edge technology. Say Good Bye to Dentures, and Say Hello to Teeth in One Day! Dr. Bobby Birdi is one of North America’s very few Certified Dual Specialists in Periodontics and Prosthodontics (Periodontist & Prosthodontist), and the first and only specialist in the world to attain Canadian and American board certifications in both Periodontics and Prosthodontics. Join these doctors and satisfied patients for a Q&A session including before and after photos and see what the future of dental health looks like.
3 pm
The Six Pillars of Wellness & Vitality Jennifer Logan, Amica Mature Lifestyles
travel
A comprehensive approach to wellness includes six pillars of active aging. They are multi-dimensional and provide the framework for a healthy life balance. These six pillars include the Emotional, Physical, Social, wellness Intellectual, Vocational and Spiritual elements of wellness. how we apply these dimensions to help passion leisure Hear seniors find a balance in all areas of their life in order to experience the best lifestyle possible. Jennifer Logan is a registered Kinesiologist and Wellness & Vitality Coordinator with Amica Mature Lifestyles.
What’s On Your Bucket List? Susan Zanders, Senior Reverse Mortgage Broker
5 pm
Access the cash to do what you’ve always wanted! Susan Zanders and her team, along with John Fries, will explore answers to questions many seniors have around retirement and explain a great way to establish the cash flow needed to live out your retirement dreams. Are you curious about reverse mortgages? Join us for answers!
7 pm
The Adventure of Retirement Deborra Hope with Tom MacLean
From home renovations to world travel – the challenges and joys of retiring. Deborra Hope left a high-paced media career for a new life of tranquility, a husband and a dog. At least that was her intention. She addresses the challenges, joys, uncertainties and the new awareness that comes from creating a life that does not revolve around a ‘job.’ Also hear about her recent hosting of a Collette Vacations trip to Ireland and get the exciting details about her next 2016 European River Cruise, another partnership between Collette Vacations and Senior Living. WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM
OCTOBER 2015
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Hit Your Stride at 55... and beyond The 55+ Lifestyle Show in Vancouver
R
eady for some fun and inspiration? The 55+ Lifestyle Show, to be held October 20th in Vancouver, offers something of interest for all ages. The first such event to be hosted in Vancouver by Senior Living Media has garnered strong support. Over 70 exhibitors have stepped forward to be part of this inaugural event. Since 2006, a similar event has been successfully hosted in Victoria, averaging about 125 exhibitors and 2500 attendees. It is a one-day event that people look forward to year after year. Some book their calendars a year in advance, says Senior Living Publisher and promoter of the Vancouver show, Barbara Risto. “Because of our success in Victoria, we’ve often been asked to bring our show across the water to Vancouver but, for one reason or another, the circumstances weren’t right. This year, everything fell into place. We’re really looking forward to hosting this event and getting to know the Vancouver community better. And we’re likely to still see
some familiar faces. We’ve heard there are people coming from the Island, just because they enjoy themselves so much at our Victoria event.” The Vancouver event will be held at the beautiful Creekside Community Centre, along False Creek — just a 5 minute stroll from Science World and the Main Street Skytrain Station. So what makes this event worth attending? The 55+ Lifestyle Show explores lifestyle options. It’s about making informed, smart decisions about the future. Particularly after age 55, some fairly significant transitions can occur related to career, family, friends, health, finances, housing, travel, and more. The seminar series that runs throughout the day offers a variety of topics ranging from health and housing to finances and travel. Within the mix are two keynote speakers, retired TV anchor Deborra Hope and former actress and educator Cheryl Wilson-Stewart - who both discovered a
Getting There We highly recommend public transportation in order to limit the vehicle congestion in this area. Underground parking at the Creekside Community Centre will be reserved for exhibitors. Your best alternatives are:
Creekside Community Centre @ Olympic Village 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver BC
Granville Island Ferries Village / Science World Stn- Granville Island There is an all day pass for Seniors (65+) for $11 Adult: $5.50, $10 return Senior / Child: $3.75, $7 return 2 Ticket Zones The Vancouver Aquabus Stop #8 called the Village - It stops at the DragonZone dock which is right next to the Centre Skytrain - Main Street-Science World Sky Train Station (5 min walk to the centre from this station) Parking lots - within walking distance (map on right). Rates vary - See http://en.parkopedia.ca/parking/vancouver 38 36
SENIOR LIVING
different life waiting for them after high profile careers. Re-inventing themselves was an essential and empowering ingredient in order to move forward into the next stage of a fulfilling life. Many of the most significant life changes occur after age 55, says Barbara. “In publishing Senior Living Magazine, I have been witness to countless stories of people who turned challenges into opportunities, who transformed themselves as they went through a transition in their life.” “Never discount the ability of the human spirit to rise above challenging circumstances. When we get out of the ‘aging’ mindset, we start to realize that age is just a number, not a condition. It is an important distinction that can make a world of difference in how we live our lives and how we perceive our future.” “After 55, people often have a tendency to create a lifestyle that is more aligned with who they really are at their core. We sometimes get crammed into careers and responsibilities that don’t allow us to be our authentic selves. When
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we find the opportunity to spread our wings, we really rise to the occasion.” Barbara suggests that this ‘third age,’ as some call it, can be transformational, and better than you ever imagined. “Re-invent yourself, try new hobbies, follow your heart, pursue your interests and passions, explore the world, start a new business, embrace new relationships. “Don’t let a number take you out of the game and prevent you from living the best years of your life.” Life after 55 can be as interesting and fulfilling as you want to make it. The possibilities are endless and the resources are phenomenal. “We can talk to people anywhere in the world. We have front row seats at every news-breaking global event. We can access information and advice on any subject that crosses our minds. “The ability to connect or be connected is limitless. We can fly half way around the world in less than a day. We are highly educated, and hold deeper insight into how we are engineered physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually... more than any other generation.” This, says Barbara, is a new framework for success that former 55+ generations never had at their disposal. “We have no reason not to get out there and live life to its fullest. The resources and opportunities are there. Our only limitation is our mindset.” Barbara believes the 55+ Lifestyle Show will begin to dispell some of the myths around age. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Two floors of exhibit space will provide plenty of opportunitiy for attendees to gather information, enjoy a variety of entertainment, and meet lots of interesting people. Some of the exhibitors will have items for sale or to sample... come try new things and perhaps buy an item or two to support the participating businesses. Admission is $5 at the door. Visit www.55pluslifestyle.com to buy 2 for 1 Advance Tickets and bring a friend! Everyone gets a free entry form for the door prizes: a 3-night all-inclusive 55+ Winter Celebration Package at Fairmont Chateau Whistler... or two nights accommodation at any Accent Inns in BC. Local entertainment and dining venues have donated coupons for the first 500 visitors. Senior Living is giving away 1000 copies of its bestseller book “To Move or Not to Move.” First come, first serve. Value $10. We look forward to seeing you there!
THE VENUE: The picturesque Creekside Community Centre PHOTOS BELOW: Images from the March 2015 Show in Victoria.
Photos: Geoff Robson
Our appreciation to our supporting sponsors:
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OCTOBER 2015
39 37
Photo: George Zador
Sports & Fitness BY JOHN THOMSON
It’s a Wrap!
“I“I
was totally surprised. I felt very, very honoured,” says 87-year-old Betty Jean (BJ) McHugh, of being asked to kick off this year’s edition of the 55+ Games in North Vancouver. The 55+ Games, formerly called the BC Seniors Games, started August 25th and concluded August 29th. BJ, as she prefers to be called, was tasked with carrying the torch to light the official flame and start proceedings. True, she was a little nervous beforehand, but BJ is no stranger to the spotlight. At 86, she entered the 2014 Honolulu Marathon and set a world record in her class, shaving a full 90 minutes off the previous mark. This is after she started running three times a week at age 50. She reckons her longevity, not to mention her dedication, earned her the honoured position. “I get up early in the morning and go out and get a good start to the day. I just don’t feel fulfilled if I don’t run,” she says non-chalantly as she watches the parade of athletes file into the Capilano University Sportsplex, the site of this year’s opening ceremonies. Led by a pipe band, the 12 contingents or zones march in, each decked out in its distinctive livery: red shirts for Zone 2; purple for Zone 6; green for Zone 7; and so on. Each zone represents a different part of the province. A big cheer erupts as host Kevin Evans announces the arrival of the host contingent, Zone 4, which includes North Vancouver. Mind you, “Mr. O Canada,” anthem singer Mark Donnelly, has already primed the pump by endearing himself to the audience. “This is a special Games to me because, this year, I can offi-
40 38
SENIOR LIVING
cially participate,” the 55-yearold tells the crowd before leading them in a rousing rendition of our national anthem. The audience goes wild. You’d think we were at a Canucks home game where, of course, Mark belts out the anthem on a regular basis. After a round of speeches, dancing and a dazzling exhibition of dexterity from Cirque Aerial, BJ runs out from behind a curtain with torch in hand. She passes it to North Vancouver MLA Naomi Yamamoto and, together, they set the cauldron aflame (pictured above). The Games have begun. This year’s 55+ Games attracted 3,300 entrants participating in 24 sports and 746 events. Track and field posted the largest contingent. Slo pitch and badminton also recorded a large number of registrants as did the ever-popular dragon boat races. Events were held in 23 venues throughout the north shore with many sports clustered together for ease of accessibility. Records fell like dominoes: 45 Games records, 20 BC Masters and 11 Canadian records were broken. Lenore Montgomery, representing Zone 4, set a world record for women aged 85 to 89 in the 5,000 metres. Zone 4, representing the Lower Mainland, scored the most medals followed by Zone 3, the Fraser Valley and Zone 1, Vancouver Island South, which includes Victoria. The youngest competitor at the Games? That could well have
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Photo: George Zador
been the aforementioned Mark Donnelly had he doffed his street clothes for a track suit – he did say this was the first year he could officially participate – but the oldest was definitely swimmer Alfred Schulhof, 96 and still racing. “I wouldn’t call it racing,” he says modestly. “I’m swimming.” Alfred was a competitive swimmer in university, but gave it up when he moved to Vancouver from Ireland, preferring to swim recreationally in the ocean. He resumed competitive swimming in 2000, at age 80, when he popped into a community pool and saw other men his age in the water. “I thought this would be fun to do so I started,” he says. “It’s fun to be with people with similar interests. There’s camaraderie with other swimmers. It keeps me young,” he adds. Alfred signed up for six events at the Games and beat out younger competitors in his age class. Despite his success, he says he’s thinking about retiring. “It takes too much time in training. There’s a time when you shouldn’t be trying so hard, just swim for joy,” he says. “The Games were a great success,” says host President Brad Lund. Rain did disrupt the schedule, but the organizers successfully juggled dates and venues; the 10K run/walk was the only event cancelled. Lund is immensely proud of his team – the thousand-plus volunteers who made the Games a reality. “It was absolutely incredible the hours volunteers selflessly put in. That would be my biggest takeaway,” he says, “the fact that volunteerism is still alive and well in
North Vancouver.” “I like to volunteer at sports events,” says June Barnes, one of those thousandplus volunteers. “It’s fun and you feel you’re still engaged with the human race.” June was a host co-ordinator, overseeing other volunteers who were on hand to answer questions about transportation, where to eat, when’s my next match, and the like.
This year’s 55+ Games attracted 3,300 entrants participating in 24 sports and 746 events. Mike Layne also loves sports. He volunteered for the Odlum-Brown Tennis Tournament, the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Grey Cup before he signed up as a 55+ Games shuttle driver. Not only did he take officials to their venues, but he also refereed a hockey game and, as an added bonus, provided guests with a little background music with their salmon plate at this year’s dinner and dance. Mike plays a pretty mean steel drum. “I retired a few years ago and I don’t want to stay home. I want to get out and see what’s happening in the community,” he says. In addition to athletics, this year’s agenda included a full social calendar consisting of entertainment and discount-
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ed harbour tours. The Games culminated in a closing dinner and dance that introduced local talent to the participants and their guests. Cue Mike, his steel drum, his trio and many other performers. Although she carried the torch to kick off proceedings, BJ McHugh did not compete in the Games. A torn patella kept her from running, but it didn’t slow down her daily regimen of yoga and weights. In fact, she plans on doing another Honolulu Marathon this December, even if it means walking the route instead of running it. Her goal is to keep fit. That’s the message she’d like to pass on. “Women, particularly in their fifties, feel there’s no way they can start doing stuff and I say you don’t have to run a marathon. Just be active and get out there.” Next year’s 55+ Games will be held in Coquitlam, and BJ says she’ll definitely SL attend. Check out the 55+ Games wrap-up video online at www.seniorlivingmag.com/ articles/55-games-wrap-up-2015
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OCTOBER 2015
41 39
Early Music Society 31st
OF THE ISLANDS
Chaconne!
Ensemble Caprice Montreal
… what music should always be about
Chemainus Theatre – Grace & Glorie In a quaint Virginia cottage, a cantankerous 90-year old faces her final days while her guilt-ridden, big-city caregiver faces her future. They don’t always see eye-to-eye, but will inspire heartwarming laughs and new perspectives on life. www. chemainustheatrefestival.ca See ad page 40.
The WashingTon PosT
17 October 2015 Alix Goolden Hall 8pm www.earlymusicsocietyoftheislands.ca
Cinecenta at University of Victoria Cinecenta is an inexpensive movie alternative for students and the public at large. Cinecenta loves seniors. Their cozy 300-seat theatre and terrific concession bar features tasty baked goods and great coffee. Popcorn with real butter at no extra cost too! Seniors (65+) only $5.75. www.cinecenta. com See ad page 41.
Coming up
Early Music Society / September 2015 Senior Living / four colour / 150 line screen / 3.5” x 4.75”
Grace & Glorie
By Tom Zeigler
Oct 16 - Nov 7
Elf The Musical
Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin Music by Matthew Skar Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Nov 20 - Dec 31 call about our
Luxurious Theatre Getaways
BOX OFFICE 250.384.2142
theatre, dinner & breakfast with accommodation
1.800.565.7738 42 40
SENIOR LIVING
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| chemainustheatre.ca
Early Music Society of the Islands “Chaconne!” – Ensemble Caprice, Montreal: In the baroque era, chaconnes, with their steady harmonic progressions, were associated with the concept of eternity. Composers from across Europe, including Bach, Falconieri, Merula, Vitali, and Rebel used the chaconne form to transcend the boundaries of time, conveyed through body rhythms and expression. www.earlymusicsocietyoftheislands.ca See ad page 40. First Metropolitan United Church A one day event for seniors explores aging as a spiritual practice, men’s and women’s health, finding meaning in the concluding years, and much more. Author of numerous books, including his recent 50 Shades of Black, Arthur Black is a three-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Arthur is a long-time host of “Basic Black” on CBC Radio. See ad, page 41.
Langham Court Theatre Langham Court Theatre is a Community Theatre in every sense. The community provides volunteer actors, directors, designers, crew, ushers, etc. Our audiences come from the community, too. And what we do helps to build the community we all love. www.langhamtheatre.ca See ad page 40. UVic Farquhar Centre Paco Peña and his world-renowned flamenco troupe returns to Victoria with his newest show Flamencura. If you only see flamenco once in your life, make it this. www.pacopena.com See ad page 41.
Seek culture, creativity, community. Find it at the Farquhar Auditorium.
PACOP e ña Flamencura
October 25 7:30 pm “If you only ever see flamenco once in your life, make it this!”
Independent on Sunday, London
Global Arts
tickets.uvic.ca 250-721-8480 Exploring Aging “The Upside”
with
Arthur Black and Friends
October 21 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Earlybird Deadline: Oct. 13 First Metropolitan United Church www.firstmetvictoria.com WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM
OCTOBER 2015
43 41
Column
Courageous
&
Looking at Life
II
“It’s never too late to be who you might have been.” –George Eliot
have been scrambling to come up with some words of wisdom for my column this month. It doesn’t help that I am housesitting on Salt Spring Island and my “island mood” has taken over. This mood causes me to sit and stare at the horizon, the clouds, the trees – and anything else I can lock my dreamy gaze upon. Last month, I shared some ideas on birthdays; this month, as my 75th birthday comes ever closer, these words of George Eliot (pen name of Mary Ann Evans) are flashing neon to me. Some days I know exactly who and what I am and, other days, I’m not sure what I want to be when I grow up. Who DO I want to be? Can I be happy being who I am today? Will it be okay to be someone different tomorrow? Maybe this last question is the way to go. Today, I will be Pat the writer, tomorrow, I will be Pat the explorer, and explore my neighbourhood. Maybe I will explore an ancient civilization while sitting at my laptop in a cozy chair, with my pith helmet firmly placed on my head. So, here is my challenge to you: don’t just allow each day to drift away like tendrils of smoke dissolving into nothing.
Begin today and look at the dreams and goals you once had. Physically, we may not be able BY PAT NICHOL to do the things we once did or might have done. But there are other aspects of that dream or goal yet to be achieved. Most of us are not 10 or 20 or even 40 anymore. Who might you have been? Now, who do YOU want to be? What part of your life purpose do you think you haven’t completed? What do you want to be when you grow up? Play with these ideas and then let me know what you’ve come up with. Remember, nothing has to be written in stone. You have my permission to change your mind every day. Just do it. Often, I come back to the quote by Richard Bach, “Have you completed your life purpose? Are you still alive? Then, SL no, you have not.” It gives me hope.
Outrageous
Pat Nichol is a speaker and published author. Reach her by email at mpatnichol@gmail.com
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BY EVE LEES
Tennis Can Keep You Fit – At Home and Abroad
T T
ennis is an activity you can enjoy at home and when you travel. There are courts everywhere and tennis racquets are easy to pack or are supplied at most resorts. Tennis isn’t really considered an “aerobic sport” (best for heart/lung health), but it does requires stamina, speed and strength, and also develops agility and co-ordination. When combined with aerobic activities like running, cycling or swimming, tennis is an excellent contribution to your overall fitness. Tennis also requires focus and concentration – great exercise for the mind. And the concentration helps reduce stress and tension because you’re focused on the game, not your daily concerns. Tennis is a better workout for those more skilled at the sport. It will challenge your heart and your muscles if you play long and hard enough. Until your skill improves, here are some tips to get a better workout: • Play with an opponent of your skill level, so you’ll have extended volleys. • Run; don’t walk, to retrieve the ball. • Play singles tennis – it’s more effective for heart conditioning and keeps you moving more for the best fatburning benefits. Singles tennis burns as much as 400 calories per hour if you play at a good pace. Physical conditioning is often overlooked in tennis – especially lack of strength and flexibility in the shoulders. Weak shoulders can accumulate in a series of ailments that weaken the WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM
arm, and eventually lead to tennis elbow. The quick starts and stops of tennis can put extra stress on joints and ligaments. This can be a problem for those less fit. Injuries usually result from doing too much too soon with muscles not strong enough or flexible enough to handle the stress. If you decide to play regularly, follow a full-body weight-training program, at least twice weekly. Include exercises to strengthen and stretch muscles in the arms, shoulders and back. Take lessons to learn the right technique: bad form in the backhand (making the wrist do all the work) can lead to injury. Using the forearm for power, instead of control, is another cause of injury. Stroke power should generate through the legs, torso and shoulders, and be co-ordinated with hip rotation. Hit the ball with the “sweet spot” to allow the racquet – not your arm – to absorb the shock. Plant your feet securely before hitting the ball, and follow through with every stroke, instead of stopping the stroke suddenly after hitting the ball. If you play tennis infrequently and don’t plan on becoming an avid player, there’s no need to worry about having a high fitness level or being proficient at the sport. As long as you don’t overdo it, and stretch your muscles afterward, you can enjoy hitting the courts on your SL holiday! Eve Lees was a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Counsellor for 30 years. www.artnews-healthnews.com
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