It’s been a while since our last newsletter and we have quite a few stories and a big surprise to share.
Top of the list is that we’re having another baby! This June we’ll welcome our second baby Angus into the world. Our adventures have, in many ways, prepped us for parenthood, although I still haven’t decided which is tougher. When you row across an ocean, the hard work ends when you reach shore. With parenthood the adventure never ends, it just changes and grows until you have a 40-year-old living in the basement.
We’re keeping the gender a surprise, so the naming possibilities have been doubled. A few we’ve scratched off the list include Genghis, Angus, all names starting with A (to avoid the initials A.A.), Geoff (or any other G names to avoid association with the great Khan through G.Angus). If you have any suggestions, please share.
The other exciting event is my upcoming book launch for Olive Odyssey – Searching for the Secrets of the Fruit that Seduced the World, which will be released in Canada and the US in May. My book tour begins May 10th in Vancouver and there will also be events in Courtenay and Victoria, BC. I will be touring Canada more extensively in the fall when there’s no risk of needing to summon a maternity doctor from the audience.
For those of you in Vancouver, Victoria or the Comox Valley, I’d love to see you. There will be olive oil tastings at each event, and I’ll be sharing a multimedia presentation detailing our National Geographic expedition. Colin and I, along with our ten-month-old baby, Leif, spent four months unravelling the secrets of the olive as we voyaged the Mediterranean in our 27’ sailboat. Along the way we talked to scientists, historians, producers, farmers and countless others piecing together the story of what is one of the world’s most influential crops.
Watch the video trailer for Olive Odyssey by clicking here.
Olive Odyssey Book Events
Some of these event times may change, so please check our website in a couple weeks when we’ll have the final schedule up.
Vancouver
When: Sat., May 10 at 2 pm
Where: Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, 1740 West 2nd Ave., Vancouver
What: Presentation, Q&A, Book Signing, Olive Oil Tasting
Courtenay
When: Sat., May 17th at 2 pm
Where: Signature Oil & Vinegar, 2060 Guthrie Rd., Courtenay
What: Presentation, Q&A, Book Signing, Olive Oil Tasting
Victoria
When: Sun., May 25th at 11 am
Where: Olive the Senses, Public Market at the Hudson, 1701 Douglas Street Suite 9, Victoria
What: Presentation, Q&A, Book Signing, Olive Oil Tasting
Victoria
When: Tues, June 3rd at 7 pm
Where: Bolen Books, Hillside Shopping Centre, 111-1644 Hillside Ave, Victoria
What: Presentation, Q&A, Signing
Expeditions to Follow
There are lots of exciting expeditions going on right now and here’s a handful to wet your adventure appetite:
Big congratulations to sea kayaker Aleksander Doba (67) who kayaked across the Atlantic Ocean from Lisbon Portugal to Daytona, Florida. His incredible saga lasted over 6 months and included appalling weather that would have stopped most other adventurers. But he vowed never to quit and now he’s achieved the first kayak crossing from Europe to North America and the longest kayak crossing ever. Amazing, especially when you realize he’s 67 years old and this is his retirement project! I guess R.V.s come in all shapes and sizes!
The first Pacific Ocean rowing race will begin in less than two months. On June 7th, fifteen teams will leave Monterey California and attempt to row 3,800 km to Honolulu, Hawaii. Nine countries are participating and the Canadian team is the only all-female pair. Rebecca Berger and Leanne Zrum from Vancouver make up Team Clearly Contacts and are attempting to be the first Canadians to row the Pacific Ocean. We wish them all the best and look forward to following what will undoubtedly be an exciting race.
Another row we’ll be watching closely is John Carinha’s 1,100 km row around Vancouver Island, which begins this June. John will be rowing solo and his journey Row4Autism is in support of autism, which affects his son. John is rowing an Angus Expedition Rowboat that he built and is the same model of rowboat Colin used when he rowed around Vancouver Island and beat the speed record for human-powered circumnavigation of the Island.
Best wishes from all of us here at Angus Adventures.
