NATURE TRAVEL: Kluane National Park - Canada

NATURE TRAVEL: Kluane National Park and Reserve—Canada  

By Jorge Jefferds June 30, 2015

Kluane – high in the mountains of southwest Yukon – is an extremely wild territory. The park is home to Canada’s highest peak (5,959-metre Mount Logan), its largest ice field and North America’s most genetically diverse grizzly population. Travelers from around the world come to traverse alpine passes on backcountry odysseys and raft past calving glaciers. With exceptional day hikes and highway-side scenery, Kluane awes from every angle.

If you yearn for the wild beauty of an unspoiled Canadian landscape, Kluane National Park and Reserve is for you. Explore mountains, lakes, rivers and forests that have been home to Southern Tutchone people for thousands of years and discover the heart of their traditional culture and way of life. From scenic hiking on gentle trails to backcountry adventures in the mountain wilderness, a variety of activities await you.

This is an empire of icy mountains in a vast international preserve; most of them are, actually, the tallest peaks in North America and the largest ice fields outside the polar caps. Over half the land mass is permanently draped in snow and ice – the remainder fosters forests and tundra and stable populations of eagles, grizzlies and other species often at risk elsewhere.

The climatic overlap of the pacific and arctic air masses over Kluane National Park & Reserve has resulted in one of the greatest diversity of plants and wildlife in northern Canada. A mountainous forest of white spruce, trembling aspen and balsam poplar covers much of the lower valleys and slopes. Tree line is at 1050 to 1200 m (3,500 to 4,000'), depending upon local conditions. Low-growing or stunted shrubs in the transition zone include: willow, dwarf birch, and alder, which provide protection for the smaller plants. Summers in alpine tundra (generally above 1400 m or 4600') are a flourish of color, with over 200 varieties of alpine flora.

Mount Logan at Sunset

Kluane National Park & Reserve provides prime habitat for many species of wildlife, particularly Dall sheep, the park's most abundant large mammal. Visitors often see them foraging on the wind-swept slopes of Tachal Dhal in the spring, fall and winter. Mountain goats scramble along rocky cliffs and ledges in the south, and a small herd of caribou occasionally wander through the Duke River area. North America's largest subspecies of moose also range through Kluane National Park & Reserve.

Populations of grizzly bears move between alpine meadow and valleys with the passing of the seasons. Black bears, which prefer forested areas, are also common in Kluane National Park & Reserve. Visitors to Kluane National Park & Reserve should remember that bears make their home in the park. We are the visitors. They are the inhabitants.

Dall Sheep

As well as a transient population of wolves there is also a variety of smaller mammals. They include wolverine, muskrat, mink, marmot, red fox, lynx, otter, coyote, beaver, snowshoe hare and arctic ground squirrel.

The south-western Yukon has a great diversity of birds. At least 150 species have been observed in Kluane National Park & Reserve, of which 118 nest in the park. On a spring day, sightings could include varied thrushes, yellow-rumpled warblers and mountain bluebirds. Kluane National Park & Reserve also provides sanctuary for a variety of birds of prey from the swift flying falcon to the broad soaring wings of bald and golden eagles.

Kluane National Park & Reserve is dominated by mountains and ice, which make up 82% of the surface area. The St. Elias Mountains, Canada's highest and most massive mountains, have two ranges separated by a narrow trough, the Duke Depression. The Kluane Ranges, a chain of mountains averaging 2500m (8,000') in height, are visible to travelers on the Haines Road or the Alaska Highway. Beyond these guardians of the interior, to the west lie the rugged Icefield Ranges, whose peaks soar into the 5000m (16,000') range. The giants are: Mount Logan (5,959m, 19,545') the highest mountain in Canada and the second highest peak on the continent; Mount St. Elias (5,488m, 18,005'); Mount Lucania (5,231m, 17,162') and many others.

St. Elias Mountains

Although many of the highest mountains are not visible from any point along the highway, some of the higher peaks can be spotted in the distance from viewpoints near Kathleen Lake or the Donjek River.

Amid these ranges is a legacy of the last Ice Age - one of the world's largest non-polar ice fields. Massive quantities of snow continue to accumulate as moist Pacific air moves over the St. Elias Mountains. Valley glaciers such as Naludi (Lowell Glacier), 65 km. long, radiate from the ice fields. Glacial movements are often immense and spectacular. In the past, surges of Naludi (Lowell Glacier) have blocked the Alsek River near Goatherd Mountain with a dam of ice. The resulting glacial lakes extended well back to, and over the present site of Haines Junction.

Lowell Glacier

The most recent Lake Alsek is said to have drained around 1850 in two days after the ice dam broke, with a flow rate comparable to that of the Amazon River. Huge gravel current ripples from this outflow, as well as wave-cut lake benches, are visible along the Alsek trail, 10 km north of Haines Junction along the Alaska Highway. The flooding associated with the advances and retreat of Naludi (Lowell Glacier) is the subject of many Southern Tutchone native people's legends and stories.

Rising in the mountains of Kluane National Park Reserve, its braided upper reaches nestle in a broad valley, providing an oasis for mountain goats, Dall sheep and other wildlife. Sand dunes and glacial till provide a contrasting environment for the diverse vegetation found here. Downstream, rivers of ice flow into the Alsek's silt-laden waters, calving huge icebergs into the river before it leaves the Park on its journey to the Pacific Ocean on the Alaskan Panhandle.

HEALTH DESTINATION: Thermae Bath Spa - Relaxing Time in Somerset, England

HEALTH DESTINATION: Thermae Bath Spa—Relaxing Time in Somerset, England  

By Jorge Jefferds June 27, 2015

In the city heart of Bath, in England, Thermae Bath Spa is an award-winning Natural Spa where you can now bathe in Britain’s only naturally warm, mineral-rich waters as the Celts and Romans did over 2,000 years ago.

By day and by night, you can relax in the indoor Minerva Bath and open-air rooftop pool with spectacular views over the city of Bath. Additionally, you can refresh your senses in the aroma steam rooms and choose from over 40 spa treatments and packages. Thermae Bath Spa is a perfect place to go for a spa break whilst visiting Bath!

The Rooftop Pool

There is no joining or membership fee at Thermae Bath Spa and you can simply choose a 2-hour spa session in the New Royal Bath. A spa session gives full use of the indoor Minerva Bath, open-air rooftop pool, aroma steam rooms plus access to the Springs Café & Restaurant. Spa sessions start at £32.  Please note children under 16 are not permitted in the New Royal Bath.

Spa treatments range from traditional massages, facials and Hot Stone therapies to our the Spa’s signature treatment, Watsu, which involves being gently stretched, guided and massaged in the thermal waters of the historic Hot Bath. 

The Minerva Bath

The selection of spa packages offers great value with a choice of spa sessions, treatments and meals in the Springs Café Restaurant. All spa treatments and packages including treatments should be booked in advance by calling 0844 888 0844.

One of Thermae Bath Spa’s popular packages is the Twilight Package, or Twilight for Two. As late afternoon turns into early evening, you have the opportunity to make use of the spa facilities and experience the gradual change in light and atmosphere at Thermae Bath Spa. The all-inclusive price of £45 (or £85 for two people) features a 3-hour spa session, use of towel, robe & slippers, choice of one dish from the ‘Springs Menu’ and a glass of house wine, lager or juice in the Restaurant.

The Springs Cafe Restaurant

The Cross Bath is a separate building with its own open-air thermal bath and provides an alternative to the more extensive spa facilities in the New Royal Bath. Fed by its own natural spring, this beautiful building with its own changing facilities can be enjoyed by individuals or as a unique venue for an exclusive spa break for a group up to 12 people.

Spa sessions in the Cross Bath last 1 ½ hours and start at £18 per person. An exclusive booking for up to 12 people starts at £125. Please note children under 12 are not permitted in the Cross Bath. Young people between 12 and 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult / guardian on a 1:1 ratio.

If you wish to take a little bit of ‘Thermae’ back home with you, our the Thermae Bath Spa shop has an expanded range of spa, health and beauty products and a full selection of spa gift vouchers.

The Cross Bath

Many accommodation providers in Bath and the surrounding area also offer a spa break package which incorporates a visit to Thermae Bath Spa.

ART JOURNEY: Holburne Museum - Bath, England

ART JOURNEY: Holburne Museum – Bath, England 

By JorgeJefferds June 26, 2015 

With free admission and open daily from 10am to 5pm (Sunday and Bank Holidays from 11am to 5pm), the HolburneMuseum embraces visitors with an inspiring collection of neoclassicism created by Sir Thomas William Holburne (1793-1874). Even though, detail of the circumstances and pattern of Sir William’s collecting are unclear, to some inherited family treasures (Chinese armorial porcelain, silver and portraits) he added seventeenth- and eighteenth-century silver and porcelain, Italian maiolica and bronzes, old master paintings, portrait miniatures, books and furniture and a variety of other smaller items including Roman glass, coins, enamels, seals, gems and snuff boxes. All of these give the Collection its unique character.

Some of the highlighted items displayed in the permanent collection include

- A beadwork basket, English, glass beads and lampwork on wire frame, made in about 1665. Like silk embroidery, beadwork was a fashionable pastime for amateur girls and women in wealthy households. They were taught the art in much the same way that they were taught other forms of needlework and embroidery. However, whereas most silk embroideries are now much faded, here the glass beads retain their astonishingly vibrant colors. The composition is made from thousands of beads of varying sizes and colors that have been skillfully threaded onto fine wires and attached to the mesh-like basket frame. The use of lamp worked glass heads and hands on the Royal figures is exceptionally rare and important.

-The Witcombe Cabinet, English, japanned and silvered wood, made in about 1697.The cabinet is in remarkable condition and is unusual in retaining its original silvered stand and cresting (above). Imported Chinese and Japanese porcelain would have been displayed on the brackets on the cresting. Lacquer cabinets were a great status symbol in the late seventeenth century. The secret of genuine Japanese lacquer was unknown but English craftsmen imitated it using varnish and shellac, known as japanning. A fine imported Japanese lacquer cabinet would cost up to £50, an English japanned cabinet sold for less than half that amount.

-Diana and Actaeon, Siena, tin-glazed earthenware, made in about 1495. The inscription translates as: ‘By the water which thou hast cast upon me with thy hands I am made a stag and killed by my hounds.’ This magnificent dish is one of the world’s earliest and most remarkable maiolica dishes depicting a story. In the centre the hunter Actaeon is killed by his own hounds after being turned into a stag by the goddess Diana. Around the rim is the battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs.

 -An embroidered panel featuring the Restoration of Charles II, English, silk and metal thread raised work, made in about 1665. This fine example of raised work shows the small figures of the young Charles II and his companion William Carliss hiding in the Boscobel Oak following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Above to the right, he is seen disguised as a servant escaping on horseback with Jane Lane. In the foreground the mature Charles II is shown wearing his crown, following his restoration to the throne in 1660, flanked by Queen Catherine of Braganza and courtiers. The Holburne Museum has a remarkable collection of embroidered pictures. Most were made by young, highly skilled amateur needlewomen in wealthy households although a few may be the work of professional embroiderers, who were usually men. Many of the embroideries incorporate raised work (or stump work), the technique of embroidering over padding in high relief. Their enduring appeal comes from the combination of exceptional craftsmanship with the naive charm of designs which often include outsized animals, birds and insects.

Certainly, the museum offers several other events all year round. For example, between June 27 and October 4, there will be a display of famous painter GiovanniAntonio Canal’s work. When the Venetian artist arrived in London in 1746, Britain was booming. During his nine-year stay, he captured the latest achievements of British architecture and engineering. Included are loans from Compton Verney, The National Trust, The British Museum, Royal Collection Trust and Tate. The exhibition, called ‘Canaletto Celebrating Britain,’ also features Canaletto’s British contemporaries and a review of John Wood’s reinvention of architecture in Bath.  

The Holburne is happy to recommend two Partner Hotels and one recommended Guest House as a place to stay when visiting Bath: the Abbey Hotel, the Tasburgh House, and the Apple Tree Guest House. Not only are they great places with a warm welcome but supportive as well. They have given to the Museum accommodation for their many visiting artists, curators, art handlers, speakers and musicians.

A couple of things to consider are related the transportation to get there. For cyclists, the museum offers some bike racks and the cycle along the canal is a wonderful way. For vehicles, there is a very small pay and display car park for Museum visitors and a number of free disabled parking spaces for blue badge holders. A charge is, however, applied and the parking garage is regularly checked by traffic wardens. Don’t forget to bring change, which is always useful. The parking service is open from 8am to 6pm; actually, they lock the doors at six o’clock.

RESTAURANT DESTINATION: Sally Lunn's - The Best Bath Tradition in Buns and Local Food

RESTAURANT DESTINATION: Sally Lunn’s—The Best Bath Tradition in Buns and Local Food 

By Jorge Jefferds June 18, 2015

One of the mandatory stops you’d better make in your trip to Bath, Somerset, England is Sally Lunn’s. They are really famous for the confection of the so-called Sally Lunn buns, a type of teacake that have long been baked in this part of the country. They were first mentioned by name in verses printed in the Bath Chronicle, in 1772. At that time they were eaten hot at public breakfasts in Spring Gardens. They can be eaten with sweet or savory toppings and are sometimes confused with Bath buns which are smaller, round, very sweet and very rich.

The Sally Lunn Bun

Sally Lunn’s is much more than a world famous tea and eating house. Their historic building is one of the oldest houses in Bath. The kitchen museum shows the actual kitchen used by the legendary young Huguenot baker Sally Lunn in Georgian Bath to create the first Bath bun.

Sally Lunn’s is open for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, pre-theatre dinner and dinner. Menus offer historic refreshment based on the mentioned recipe.  The restaurant is a truly authentic English eating house serving regional English food – including the popular trencher dinner.

Sally Lunn's House

Trencher dinner is an evening menu that requires a little explanation. Traditionally, a type of bread – known as “Trencher” was used before the invention of plates. Unlike plates (invented around 1500), the Trencher bread gets its flavour from the food and is eaten as part of the meal. The use of Trencher breads remained popular in Georgian England – perhaps the most famous of all being the Sally Lunn Bun, enjoyed at Sally Lunn’s House for over 300 years.

Respect to Sally Lunn`s origins, legend has long been certain that a young Huguenot refugee – Solange Luyon – came to Bath in 1680 after escaping persecution in France. She found work in the kitchen of the bakery in the street known in those days as Lilliput Alley, and originally sold the baker’s wares from a basket in the lanes around Bath Abbey. But Solange – who, due to her colleagues’ unfamiliarity with French pronunciation, became known as Sally Lunn – had arrived in England with a unique skill to share. She began baking a rich, generous brioche bun similar to the French festival breads that she would have been so familiar with before she fled France.

Trencher Dinner

Actually the word bun is an unhelpful description. There is no truly useful common English word to describe a Sally Lunn Bun as it is part bun, part bread, part cake…A large and generous but very light bun; a little like brioche/French festival bread….but traditionally it is a bun so, even if it isn’t really a bun, let’s call it a bun!

Versions of the Sally Lunn bun can be found across the globe – bakers in the UK, Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia have all tried to replicate it…but without success. And that’s because the original secret recipe was passed on to the restaurant with the deeds to Sally Lunn’s house.

Recipes claiming to be similar to this unique creations can, however, be found in publications dating back to the early 18th century – but don’t be fooled by the fakes. Elizabeth David, who wrote the definitive book ‘English Bread and Yeast Cookery’ in 1977, suggests from her extensive research that the authentic Sally Lunn bun “differed greatly from a version downgraded by bakers into the amorphous, artificially colored, synthetically flavored and over-sugared confections we know today. The London Bath bun should be clearly distinguished from the Bath Bun of Bath.

Cinnamon Butter Bun

The story of Sally Lunn’s House starts long before the arrival of Sally Lunn in 1680. Excavations in the cellar’s of this timber framed building, firstly in the 1930s and more recently in 1985 have produced many finds dating back through Bath’s history to Roman times. The excavations on display in the north cellar reveal, at the deepest level, the Roman occupation. There, many box flue and other tiles have been found from a hypocaust (underfloor central heating system) together with tesserae from floor mosaics, painted plaster from the walls, roof tiles and pieces of high quality Samian pottery. A particularly exciting discovery was the painted rim of a mortarium (mortar) designed for teasing the flavour from aromatic plants. Without doubt there was a Roman building on this site in which food was prepared and eaten. Located so conveniently close to the Roman baths it could have been a Roman inn for travelers. This would take the tradition of hospitality and refreshment back nearly 1800 years, to the period when the hot springs and the temple of the goddess Sulis Minerva attracted visitors from all over north-west Europe.

The Museum Sign

Sally Lunn’s is open under the following timing: the Kitchen Museum (Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sundays 11am – 6pm), Daytime Refreshment (Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sundays 11am – 6pm), and Evening Refreshment by candlelight (Monday – Thursday 5pm – 9.30pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5pm – 10pm and Sundays 5pm – 9pm).