Sunday, August 20, 2006

All aboard!


All aboard!
Originally uploaded by victorpanlilio.
We took a guided tour of the S/V Concordia, a school-on-a-ship for 11th and 12th graders (only 48 are accepted each year, and there are seven teachers on board, so the student-to-teacher ratio is excellent). The ship sails to over 43 destinations over a 10-month school year, and the students learn about much more than just academics (it's a university prep program) and sailing on a modern tall ship (they have to work as part of the crew). The tuition is 27,500 Euros, or about $100 per day. All things considered, this is a relative bargain. More info here.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Road Trip 2006


Pilot One
Originally uploaded by victorpanlilio.
Every year around late August, we go to Vancouver to visit Dominic, Caroline's Dad. Normally, we fly (WestJet), but this year we decided to try driving instead, with frequent stops along the way to enjoy the scenery. On our first day, we got to Salmon Arm and decided to stay overnight. The Holiday Inn was very nice and comfortable -- really a hotel more than a motel. We got there around 5:30 PM local time, and the parking lot was still pretty empty. Caroline and CJ wasted no time checking out the pool and the water slide. Then it was back to our room for a quick shower. By the time we got back from supper (at Joey's Only, a few kilometres down the road), the parking lot was a lot fuller. I hooked up our Airport Express to the room's Ethernet jack, and presto -- instant secure WiFi! Sweet!