Bukchon Hanok Village

I hiked past Seoul crowds up to Samcheong Park with a view of the city between lush vegetation. But it was the early architecture I came to see, so I turned back to face the tourist buses and hoards roaming the streets to spot those tasteful houses from the past. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Pitt-Addington Marsh

Pitt-Addington Marsh was by Pitt Lake. The signage of this Pitt Meadows location was poor and grasses bent over the narrow neglected path, but the day was perfect and the scenery spectacular.

Rocky Point Trail

Sometimes I forget the treasures right under my nose. One gem, is five minutes drive from my home — Port Moody’s Rocky Point Trail.

By the Bay

Only a couple of streets away from where I stayed during my last Brisbane visit was Moreton Bay. I headed to Waterloo Bay’s foreshore where a giant pandanus stood at one end of a small park, and sparkling water off shore.

Narita-san Park

I’d walked through Narita-san Park two decades back, but all I remembered from that time was a frozen pond. Although it hadn’t been snowing, it was an icy January 1^stday.

The Coquitlam River

The Coquitlam River flows from Coquitlam Lake into the Fraser River — a distance of only fourteen kilometres. I’ve hiked its trails that span both sides of the river from Crystal Falls in its upper reaches to the estuary.

Naritasan Shinshorji Temple

When I first entered Narita’s temple more than twenty years ago, a New Year’s day ceremony was in full force. I climbed the steep steps to find there was no way I could squeeze into the main hall. Worshippers sat shoulder to shoulder while the sound of a drum beat a hypnotic rhythm.