Newfoundland's Fallen War Birds

Gander, Newfoundland may not be your first pick as a tourist in Newfoundland. If you have an interest in World War II history, though, I'd suggest making it one of your stops while on the island.

And if you're from the province and don't know about Gander's wartime history as a vital link in the chain of defense, I'd suggest making it part of a staycation this summer or sometime in the future.  Many military planes took off and landed successfully during WWII but more than 30 met their end in or around Gander. This past summer, I had the pleasure of tagging along with 2 archeologists who are documenting those sites and the stories that go along with the crashes.  

WWII plane crash site, Gander, NL

WWII plane crash site, Gander, NL

WWII plane crash site, Gander, NL

WWII plane crash site, Gander, NL

Gander, NL during WWII

The documentary recently aired on CBC's Land & Sea and I thought I'd post it here on my blog. Click the link and discover the long forgotten planes that didn't make it to the front lines of Europe, they are Gander's fallen war birds.  

http://www.cbc.ca/landandseanl/2015/06/fallen-war-birds.html

Until next time,

Rove on,

Jane

St. Pete Sophistication

I’ll be honest, a trip to Florida is not really my idea of travelling.  I’m not newly wed or nearly dead so it’s hard to find my kinda people or entertainment in some parts of this southern state. Still, you can't beat a long run on St. Pete’s beach in the middle of a Canadian winter and in January, I did just that. You see, 'my people' actually are there. My parents are Snowbirds and have been for as long as I can remember.  They’ve got it knocked, as my father says. And, I suppose, I do too.  I dart down some years to defrost and crash with the folks for a week in the heat.  

St. Pete's beach, Florida.

They love their seasonal sanctuary.  It’s familiar, it’s safe and Pinellas County seems to have a Marshall’s or T.J. Maxx on every corner. I didn’t inherit my mother’s 'shop ’til you drop’ gene, though, so those discount stores don’t hold my interest for very long. And Gulf Blvd, well, that strip is almost like Kenmount Road, although the gorgeous palm trees are a fine replacement for dirty snow banks. On this most recent trip to Florida, I was determined to get to know the more sophisticated side of St. Petersburg my parents talk about from time to time. Off we went to the downtown area, in search of a little culture.  

There are lots of trendy little outdoor cafes and shops all along Beach Drive and a walk along the waterfront will acquaint you with some major points of interest for your day downtown. Start at Vinoy Park and drop into the pink and posh, Vinoy Hotel. This spot was built in 1925 and has an interesting history. Baseball great, Babe Ruth, Hollywood's Jimmy Stewart and US President Herbert Hoover are all known to have stayed there. During WWII, the US Army took over the hotel and used it as a training school.  

The hotel fell into disrepair in the 60s and closed its doors in 1974. Homeless people are said to have been living inside for years after the closure.  In the 90s, the property was bought by Renaissance Hotels and Resorts and underwent a 93 million dollar renovation. The Vinoy has regained its reputation as a playground for the elite. Take a peak inside at the incredibly colourful furnishings and a stunning blown glass ballroom chandelier by world renown artist Dale Chichuly. A permanent collection of Chichuly's work is on display in a gallery a short walk away from The Vinoy.  http://www.moreanartscenter.org/content.php?id=91

Vinoy Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida

Continue along the waterfront boardwalk and you’ll soon find the St. Petersburg Museum of History and across the street, the Museum of Fine Arts. MFA is celebrating 50 years in 2015 and a has a number of exciting exhibitions including Monet to Matisse, exploring impressionist visions of the coast of France (February 7th to May 31st). If art is a passion of yours, then you’ll also want to allow time for a lengthy visit to the Dali Museum.  

Salvador Dali is one of those artists we probably all know a little bit about. Remember those poster sales they’d hold at Canadian universities? If you were like me, you walked away with a few of Dali’s famous images rolled up under your arm. His warped clocks adorned my Toronto apartment walls when I was in journalism school. I never took much time to understand the man as an artist, then. I just thought he must have been very much into LSD. Turns out, Dali had a long history as an artist well before his timepieces melted.         http://www.biography.com/people/salvador-dal-40389

Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida

The museum in St. Petersburg was started by an American collector and it will take you on an incredible journey through this famous Surrealist’s life. My favourite piece in the museum is of his wife, Gala, entitled “Gala Contemplating The Mediteranean Sea”. When you view the painting up close, you see Gala in the nude, looking out to the horizon. When you view the same painting from 20 metres away, you see the head of Abraham Lincoln. It’s baffling to imagine how he achieved this double image in 1976, long before the high tech world of computers.  

"Gala Comtemplating The Mediterranean" by Salvador Dali, Dali Musuem, St. Petersburg

There are plenty more double images that will astound you and when you’re done with the real works, you can make your way to the gift shop where you’ll find clever and quirky souvenirs of your time spent with this famous moustached man. Click on this link to get to the museum's website:

http://thedali.org

Dali clocks at Salvador Dali Museuem, St. Petersburg, Florida

Now, depending on how much money you spend in the gift shop, shopping on Beach Drive or your very cultured lunch, your day in downtown St. Petersburg might set you back quite a bit. A ticket for the Dali museum, for example, will cost you about $25 and add on another $10 to park. Not quite as economical as frolicking in the sand and enjoying nature’s own masterpiece, the sunset at Passe-A-Grille beach. What the hell, shake it up a little. There’s a lot more to Florida than flee markets, shuffleboard or lying ten toes up in the sun. Besides, if you’re not one of the newly weds, you might be one of the nearly deads and there’ll be plenty of time for lying down later on.  

If you really can't get yourself up off that lounge by the pool, you might want to check out my photos in the gallery. It'll be almost like being there!  

Until next time,

Rove on,

Jane

Christmas Gift of Light

There’s a colourful Christmas tradition, in a small Conception Bay town in my province of Newfoundland, that draws a crowd every year. 

Port de Grave, Newfoundland.  Photo taken by Michael Winsor.

Port de Grave’s annual boat lighting in the harbour is a festive sight to behold. I was there last year to tell the story of how the tradition first began.  What I discovered, was a place that knows the true spirit of Christmas and community.

Port de Grave’s gift of light is my gift to you this Christmas.  Please click the link and enjoy this tale of bulbs on boats and warmth in hearts. Here is Land & Sea's A Gift of Light

Merry Christmas from Newfoundland.

Jane

Some Like It Hot

You know that song by Robert Palmer, ‘Some Like It Hot’? He’s singing about me. I like it hot, really hot. Why? Well, it’s simple: I am always, always cold. I wear long johns from November until April and even in summer, I have socks on in bed. Yes, I shiver uncontrollably in the meat section of the grocery store and have been known to sit so close to fireplaces that my clothes have actually been singed. 

So, for this heat worshipper, one of the best things about travel is being transported to places where it’s hot, really hot. Among my favourite destinations in the Carribean is the Domincan Republic. Not much beats the feeling of stepping off the plane and being hit with a wave of warm air. Those first few steps always feel like I’m walking in bath water. My tense shoulders drop and my skin seems to loosen. I lift my face to the sun’s glorious rays and smile. On my most recent trip, in November, temperatures hovered around 32 or 33 degrees Celsius all week. It was hot, really hot and I was happy, really happy.  

While the steady sultriness is obviously the biggest draw for me, there are so many other reasons I love the north coast of the Dominican Republic. You might love it there too. 

Beautiful Beaches.

The beaches in this part of the DR are stunning. There’s gorgeous golden sand and the surrounding lush greenery makes it feel truly tropical.

A couple of my favourites are in Sosua. There’s Sosua Beach where you can connect with local people and tourists alike. This beach is lined with restaurants and souvenir shops so there’s lots to see and do if you need a break from lounging in the scorching sun. Playa Alicia, Alicia Beach, is in Sosua too. Mostly tourists hang out here on blue lounge chairs, under sun-faded blue umbrellas. It’s a small beach but very clean and quiet. Playa Grande is a another popular place to take sun and relax but if you're looking for a sandy spot that's very natural and unspoiled, I’d suggest Playa Precioso, just east of Playa Grande. There is no commercial activity here at all and many days, it might be just you and fallen coconuts lining the beach. 

Swimmer’s Paradise.

If you love to swim, then you understand the incredible sense of freedom that comes with a dip in the ocean. The water on the north coast of the DR is warm and crystal clear. Its shallow bays allow you to swim forever and still see the bottom. At Sosua Beach, a favourite morning workout of mine is to swim out to a large shallow reef teaming with colourful fish. After a few laps around the reef and back into land, you’ll have worked up a healthy appetite for lunch.  

World Class Water Sports 

If swimming is a little too tame, you can take on the ocean in other challenging ways.  Four mile long Cabarete beach is alive with the action of water sport lovers. There’s wake boarding, stand-up paddle boarding, wind surfing and more. But the craze that Cabarete is known for is kite surfing - balancing on a short surf board while harnessed to a crescent shaped kite over head. The kite catches the wind and you ride the waves! The trade winds and thermals provide strong and consistent gusts. The wind blows easterly and that means perfect side-onshore sailing conditions. 

Traditional surfing is also big on the north coast but if that’s your bag, try a quieter beach like Playa Escondida (hidden beach) in between Cabarete and Sosua. You’ll have a lot more room to play away from the kite boarders.  

If you’re more interested in what’s under the waves, scuba diving is also top notch.  Sosua and Cabarete have a few tour operators as well as certification schools. Enjoy some of the most colourful and spectacular sea life, soft corals and wrecks in a welcoming water temperature. Even I didn’t get cold!

Mountain Views

Beach scenery with lush green foliage is already plenty for me to enjoy.  Add to that a view of a majestic mountain and the impressiveness of the real estate skyrockets. On Playa Sosua, Playa Alicia and Cabarete beach, you look across the ocean to Mount Isabel de Torres. The mountain is in a national park and is one of 4 protected scientific reserves in the country. You can hike through sub-tropical rainforest, filled with indigenous birds and plants, to the 2,700 ft summit. There’s a gorgeous view from the top and a huge statue of Jesus overlooking Puerto Plata. You can hoof it back down the mountain or take a cable car to the bottom.  

Rare Rock

If you’re looking for a unique momento from your time in the Dominican Republic, a striking blue rock called Larimar should be on your list. 

Larimar is an extremely rare gemstone and is found only in the Dominican Republic. The crystallization of this light blue pectolite happened in volcanoes. The Larimar was pushed into tubes or chimneys of the volcanoes by hot gases. The result is a pretty turquoise stone. Originally discovered in 1916, it was rediscovered in 1974 by a Peace Corps volunteer and Miguel Mendez. Mendez took the name of his daughter, Larissa and the Spanish word for sea (mar) and formed Larimar. You can find pieces of jewellery for just about every budget all over the Dominican Republic. If you are curious about the geology, you can even tour the mine located in the Barahona area, in the south west of the country.  

Flower Power

If you love tropical flowers, there’s quite a vivid variety on the north coast. My favourite has a delicate pink petal with a bright yellow centre. The flower sits on top of a thick, grey stem covered in thorns. Euphorbia Milii is native to Madagascar and is known as ‘Crown-of-Thorns’ or ‘Christ’s Crown’. I saw it everywhere in Sosua. Take photos and admire but do not touch. This plant is poisonous and is a skin and eye irritant.

Delicious Dining

The first time I stayed on the north coast, I was surprised by the variety of restaurants and the high quality of the food. There is a big European influence on the culinary scene in both Sosua and Cabarete. If you crave French, Italian or German food you’ll find it. There are plenty of Asian offerings too. But first, be sure and sample the tasty local cuisine. I recommend Mofongo, a dish made from plantains or a traditional Dominican goat stew. If you’re a health nut, you must try 'Fresh Fresh'. Their smoothies will rehydrate and energize you if the sweltering heat starts to wear you out.

A few of my favourite restaurants were Otra Cosa and Papi’s in Cabarete and Restaurant 21 and Casa Valeria in Sosua. Buen provecho!

Good Value

Despite its incredible natural beauty, the north coast is in a bit of a slump in terms of tourism  It started with the economic downturn in 2008 and hasn’t yet recovered. There are many half built condo developments that languish along the coast. Those that are complete, and available for rent, are a bargain. Visitors can choose from beautiful accommodations at very reasonable rates. A fine meal with wine, at a high end restaurant, won’t set you back more than 45 or 50 dollars. This is a welcoming country and the locals involved in the tourist industry are thrilled to see you arrive. 

Warm Air With No Airs

Each trip I take to the Dominican Republic I appreciate more and more the modesty of the local people. This country is poor and the signs of economic struggles are everywhere. There is no pretentiousness and I’ve witnessed a genuine willingness among the locals to share their culture and their time with foreigners. The key is to get away from the all-inclusive resorts and find a community where you can disconnect from your smart phone and reconnect with people and nature. I have never felt unsafe in the Dominican Republic but safety is a responsibility that tourists must take on themselves. I haven’t gotten into any trouble largely because I’ve stayed out of trouble. Don’t make yourself vulnerable and you won’t be a target for theft or any other kind of crime.  

I have spent most of my time in a small quiet corner of Sosua, called Playa Chiquita. There are small hotels, condos and houses for rent. It feels familiar, like rural Newfoundland but with palm trees. Roosters crow in the early morning and horses and donkeys graze in wide open fields. Farmers slowly move their cows along dusty dirt roads and hopeful fishermen, on the hunt for dorado, cast their lines at 'Little Beach’. Birds sing from sun up to sun down in Playa Chiquita. Their songs take me far away from the hectic pace of life I left behind. I sip cold coconut water and stare out at the waves as they crash against the high coral cliffs.  There’s air conditioning just a few steps away but I’d never think of going inside. I’m blissful in the blistering heat.  Some might prefer cool air but some like it hot! 

For more photos of the north coast of the Dominican Republic, including some aerials, please look in the gallery.

Until next time,

Rove on.

Jane

Summer in November

Do you ever wish for a week of summer in November? Well, I do.  In fact, I’d take summer all through December, January and February too.  Well, this November I got my wish.

Not only did I take a break and head south to the Dominican Republic (blog post on that to follow soon) but when I returned to work at CBC, a Land & Sea story we had shot in July was being edited.  This show was all about the 100th anniversary of Bowring Park.  Viewing the video took me back to the week we spent in that glorious green space and some of the hottest days of the year.  Some of those days, I felt like a visitor in my own city.  There were so many things about Bowring Park that I had never known.  As one of the people interviewed described it, the park is a jewel in St. John’s, Newfoundland.  After a century, it is a gift that keeps on giving.  If you haven’t spent much time in Bowring Park, or you’re planning to visit Newfoundland, a picnic here is a must. 

So, while I continue writing about my adventures in Sosua, Dominican Republic, please enjoy this story and a visual trip to a place where I grew up riding my bike and playing catch and hide and go seek.  Here is Land & Sea's Bowring Park - A Century of Memories. 

Rove on,

Jane

Vessel Van Gogh

My paying gig as a storyteller for CBC's Land & Sea kept me busy this past fall and winter. Traveling around the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, interviewing unique characters with interesting lives, is such a privilege and a pleasure.  

In this story, you'll meet a fella who does his own fair share of traveling. Artist, Jason Sharpe, moves from town to town with his paints and brushes in the back of his truck. Once his works of art are complete, well, they travel too. Meet a talented boat beautifier, Newfoundland's Vessel Van Gogh.

View Land & Sea's story about Jason Sharpe here: A Vessel Van Gogh

Twillingate, Newfoundland's marine artist, Jason Sharpe.

Twillingate, Newfoundland's marine artist, Jason Sharpe

La Scie, Newfoundland

La Scie, Newfoundland

Until next time,

Rove on.

Jane

Cemetery Tourism - The Final Journey

When I was a little girl, I’d hold my breath as we drove by a cemetery. It was some superstition I’d heard of and I practiced it religiously along with avoiding cracks in the sidewalk and not passing anyone on a set of stairs. All of these habits, I believed, would ensure a long and prosperous life. But when I got a little older, curiosity about death outweighed superstition and I ventured into graveyards as often as I could. Now, when I travel, a tombstone tour of any city is a must.  

Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris, France

I stayed a month in Paris a few years ago and lived in the 14th arrondissement, not far from Montparnasse cemetery. I spent hours admiring the ornate headstones and elaborate tributes to the dead. This cemetery is the eternal home of many of France’s intellectual and artistic elite. Philosophers and authors, Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, playwright Samuel Beckett and one of my favourite French poets, Charles Baudelaire, are all buried at Montparnasse. Their grave sites are relatively understated but there are others within this cemetery that are dramatic in scale and decoration. Montparnasse is more like an inspirational art gallery than a sombre cemetery. 

Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris, France (Grave of Charles Baudelaire)

Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris, France.

In South America, I was fascinated by columbaria. Ecuadorians preserve the memories of loved ones in small cubic spaces. Visualize a community mailbox. The delivery? Urns full of ashes. Cremated remains are protected inside square openings called niches. It’s a practice that dates back to ancient Rome. The term columbarium comes from the Latin word ‘columba’, which means dove. A columbarium was used as compartmentalized housing for doves or pigeons. Doves are symbols of peace and peace is, I suppose, what you ultimately want for a loved one who has passed. It is a much more pleasing image than a mailbox full of unopened mail. 

Cemetery near Salinas, Ecuador

One of the most beautiful cemeteries I have ever visited sits at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery was built outside the walls of the Fort San Felipe del Morro Fortress. The fortification was built in the 16th century to protect San Juan Bay from attacks by water. The cemetery lies below the fortress and was constructed in 1863. At that time, the Spanish colonial government felt the location symbolized the spirit’s symbolic journey across the sea into the afterlife. 

The day I visited, there was a kite festival on the grounds above Santa Maria Magdalena. Young school children, full of life, were running and laughing as their colourful kites danced high above the entrance to the cemetery.  

Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

I descended a narrow roadway with high cement walls covered in spray paint. Luckily, the irreverence of the vandals appeared to stop at the gates of Santa Maria Magdalena. Inside, bright white marble butted up against an endless blue ocean. I felt encouraged to see a respectful care taker pressure washing dirt away from headstones, in an older section of the cemetery. The Puerto Ricans laid to rest here were gone but not forgotten.  

Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Please see the photos from my visit to Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis in the photo gallery. 

It is late fall. Decaying leaves are falling to the ground and we’re coming up on Halloween. Zombies and ghosts hang in windows and on doors. If one was prone to think about death, it might be now.  

I was out for a run the other day and jogged through a cemetery in downtown St. John’s. One of the headstones near the entrance had engraved the family name 'Downer'. “No kidding,” I thought, as I picked up the pace. 

Okay, enough about the final journey, we travelers have so much more to see and do!  

Let me leave you with more cheerful thoughts from a poem by that French poet I mentioned.  

Charles Baudelaire wrote “Enivrez-Vous”.

To find joy, he says, live life to the fullest, celebrate and get drunk!  (English translation below.)

"Enivrez-Vous”  (“Get Drunk”)

Il faut être toujours ivre.
Tout est là:
c’est l’unique question.
Pour ne pas sentir
l’horrible fardeau du Temps
qui brise vos épaules
et vous penche vers la terre
il faut vous enivrer sans trêve.
Mais de quoi?
De vin, de poésie, ou de vertu, à votre guise.
Mais enivrez-vous.
Et si quelquefois
sur les marches d’un palais
sur l’herbe verte d’un fossé
dans la solitude morne de votre chambre
vous vous réveillez
l’ivresse déjà diminuée ou disparue
demandez au vent
à la vague
à l’étoile
à l’oiseau
à l’horloge
à tout ce qui fuit
à tout ce qui gémit
à tout ce qui roule
à tout ce qui chante
à tout ce qui parle
demandez quelle heure il est;
et le vent
la vague
l’étoile
l’oiseau
l’horloge
vous répondront:
“Il est l’heure de s’enivrer!
Pour n’être pas les esclaves martyrisés du Temps,
enivrez-vous;
enivrez-vous sans cesse!
De vin, de poésie ou de vertu, à votre guise.”

English translation:

You have to be always drunk.
That’s all there is to it—it’s the only way.
So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually drunk.
But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be drunk.
And if sometimes, on the steps of a palace or the green grass of a ditch
in the mournful solitude of your room
you wake again
drunkenness already diminishing or gone,
ask the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock
everything that is flying
everything that is groaning
everything that is rolling
everything that is singing
everything that is speaking. . .
ask what time it is and wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you:

“It is time to be drunk!

So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk!
On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish.”

- Charles Baudelaire

I say, let’s drink to the love of travel.

Until next time, rove on.

Jane

Tip My Hat to Ecuador - The Story of the Panama Hat

I come from a place where the traditional headwear offers protection from the harsher elements mother nature delivers. A sou’wester is worn mostly by seafarers. It’s an oilskin and has a wide brim in the back to keep the wind and rain from pelting the necks of fishermen.  Another traditional topper is known as the 'salt and pepper'. It’s a knitted cap made from white and grey wool with a short bib on the front. Your ears might get cold but you can be assured that the crown of your head will be as toasty as a tea bun just out of the oven. 

Photo: thejoysofknitting.wordpress.com/category/hats/

To be honest, I’ve never had the need to wear a sou’wester or a 'salt and pepper' cap but I do love a chic chapeau. And when you think of stylish brims, one would have to include the Panama Hat. I always assumed, as one logically might, that the Panama hat was made in Panama. In fact, the Panama hat is Ecuadorian and I learned a great deal about its history at the Homero Ortega museum in Cuenca, Ecuador.  

Five generations of Ortegas have been involved in hat making.  Homero learned the skill from his dad. Father and son would trek through the mountains of Ecuador to the port city of Guayaquil. The Ortegas would then sell their wares to the merchants on board vessels. From there, the hats were transported to Panama and sold. So, that’s how the name stuck. It was less about their country of origin and more about the point of international sale. 

The Panama's functional popularity took off in the mid 1800s.  Miners seeking their fortune during the California Gold Rush travelled via the Isthmus of Panama.  They bought the straw hats to protect them from the tropical sun. Around the same time, the Panama hat was showcased at the World Fair in Paris. It caught the eye of style mavens and Ecuador’s straw export soon became the must have accessory among the elite and film stars of the early 20th century. US President Theodore Roosevelt helped promote the Panama’s popularity too. He visited Panama during the construction of the famous canal in 1906 where labourers were wearing Panaman hats. When Roosevelt’s photo from the site appeared in the New York Times, what did he have on his head? You guessed it, a Panama hat. 

Since the 16th century, the hat has been made with the toquilla palm. Some are woven so tightly they can double as a water bucket. Each Panama is unique because they are individually created by hand. Today, the intricate weaving is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.  

Homero Ortega’s is just one of many hat makers in Ecuador. A wall in their Cuenca factory boasts the famous lids they’ve covered. Frank Sinatra, Jackie Onassis, Princess Diana, Charlton Heston, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Johnny Depp are among the many celebrities who’ve worn Ortega's genuine Panama hats.  

Our tour through the factory started when we saw a man with a wheelbarrow full of limp straw hats. He was headed out back where all the action was happening and we were eager to learn the process. Woven hats are dumped into huge vats of a steaming liquid for washing and bleaching. Once dried, the hats are placed in a variety of differently styled metal moulds.  Workers then lower a heated mechanical press onto the mould and, presto, a permanent shape is formed. Nearby, a room full of women in white lab coats work feverishly sewing cloth bands, bows, and other straw adornments onto a rainbow of colourfully dyed head pieces.  

I could have spent hours in the showroom trying on each and every one of the beautiful bonnets. How many would I own if I lived in a place where the sun’s rays were too strong and penetrating to go hatless? I imagined a line designed with foreigners like me in mind. For the wind in Newfoundland, I need a Panama hat with chin straps or one made of rubber for the rain, drizzle and fog. Though my homeland's weather may not suit it, I did buy one of the classics. On calm, sunny days I don my shades, put on my Panama and tip my hat to the talented hands in Ecuador. 

If you'd like to see more of our tour at the Homero Ortega factory and store, have a look at my photos in the gallery. 

Rove on,

Jane