To begin, let me say that I love BBQ.  Not grilling like we do on our patios but real Southern Low and Slow smoked BBQ. Brisket, pulled pork, chicken,  ribs and beans. Now, I have never been to any of the famous joints like FRANKLINS in Austin, Texas   where customers start lining up 2 hours before it opens, or CHOO CHOO BBQ in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our son Jackson and his business partners treated their largest clients to a Franklin BBQ picnic while at a conference in Austin this Spring.  They ordered several briskets, two turkeys, ribs and all the sides and served it outside in a local park. They pronounced that it was OUSTANDING!

Even though I’ve been to many southern cities and even drove across the south once, I have, for some unknown reason have missed these fabulous joints.

So, I was thrilled when Park Heffelfinger and George Sui Opened  MEMPHIS BLUES BBQ on West Broadway in Vancouver in 1999. Their beef brisket was outstanding, the ribs superb. I loved the place. They now have places in Vancouver, Surrey, Kelowna and Edmonton.

But since moving to the island we have not been near Memphis Blues. We have thought about SMOKIN GEORGES BBQ in Nanaimo for about 3 years. Today was the day to give this place a try.

SMOKIN’ GEORGES looks and smells like a BBQ JOINT with painted concrete floors, several tables and a couple of booths too. Very industrial in atmosphere and a really friendly staff. My best pal of 49 years opted for a pulled Chicken Sandwich while I had to try the Brisket. We ordered at the counter, took a beer and a Pinot Grigio to a booth and checked out the ambiance while waiting for the food to arrive. It was quick. Both items were good, but not great. I think MEMPHIS BLUES is better.  The Brisket in a bun was $9.50 and if you wanted beans, slaw, or corn bread that was extra.

They feature Phillips Craft Beer from Victoria and Sumac Ridge wine.  Both  were good.

Its worth a try if you want a fast lunch in Nanaimo but would I become a regular? probably not.  I think I’d order the BBQ Pulled Pork at Cactus Club  first.

Just saying…

Seven days and eight hours and the lead boats are already south of DAKAR on the African West Coast.  The leader is the Englishman Alex Thomson driving the HUGO BOSS.  He has covered over 2000 nautical miles and sailed 429 nm in the past 24 hours. That’s an average speed of over 18 knots.

The second placed boat is 31 miles behind while the 28th boat is now over 1000 miles behind the leader.  Yesterday some of the boats were running at 19 knots.

If you want to follow the race more closely, try the Vendee Globe App on your iPad or iPhone.  Or follow the race on Facebook or on the net at http://www.vendeeglobe.org.

Only 21,800 miles to go.  Wait until they turn left at Capetown and head across the wild Southern Ocean.  60 foot boats, full crew of one.  That’s it. Just the skipper.  Alone!  Not for me.  Just saying…

Last night we joined some friends for dinner at the QUALICUM BEACH INN.  it was our second time for dinner here.  The hotel was totally renovated a couple of years ago and the result is very nice space. A bonus in the summer would be dining outside to enjoy the water view, But in November inside is the only option.

The dining room was very busy last night, capacity I would say.  As a result we found it very noisy.  No quiet tables here .

The menu is broad and there is always a Specials Sheet. My favourite girl opted for a scallop appetizer and a spicy Chicken Entree.  I chose Moules Frittes, Saltspring Island  mussels and Kenebeck fries.  The fries were outstanding but the mussels were small and not hot enough.  Because the place was so busy I suspect the mussels languished in the kitchen for too long before they made their way to the table.  Very good though and served with a spicy aioli.  We shared a chocolaty Creme Brûlée which was OK.  I prefer a transitional Brûlée.  Two of our friends enjoyed Ribs and the other entrees included a seafood pasta dish.

Service was good and our waiter was very charming and knew his stuff.  The wine list is extensive and we chose an Arborlea Pinot Grigio from Duncan. It was delicious but at $35 was the cheapest white available.

The Qualicum Beach Inn is a nice place to dine but for the money I would choose BISTRO  694 in Qualicum Beach every time.

Just saying….

Never did we expect that in our retirement we would enjoy pub food as much as we do. But, in fact, Pub lunches are our first choice mid day dining. Most have really tasty food at reasonable prices. Fortunately, Vancouver Island is home to a host of really good pubs.  On this blog we will,  over time, comment on some of our favourites.

Often, if we are heading home after a Nanaimo trip, we will stop in Lantzville and have a bite in the Lantzville Village Pub. Amazingly, this pub first opened nearly 100 years ago in 1925.  It is a quaint old building and quite inviting inside. The staff are welcoming and best of all the food is consistently good. We like their Fish & Chips and we share a two piece plate often. Nicely done, not too much batter, good fries and tartar sauce. Also recommended are the Fish Tacos. Three soft tacos with spicy deep fried cod. Excellent. Other menu items include a wide range of sandwiches, soups, salads and pastas. You can even order Seafood Crepes.

The pub has daily specials so be sure and check the chalkboard.  Recently I was there with two old pals and we chose the special, a delicious Beef Dip.

If you haven’t been to the Lantzville Village Pub you need to try it. And, by the way, it has a nice ocean view over the Strait of Georgia.

http://www.lantzvillepub.ca

After slogging through France Canadian troops were sent towards Belgium where they fought their way up the Shelde into Antwerp and Holland. We visited the Bergen-op Zoom Cemetery about 40 kilometres from Antwerp. Over 1200 graves are here, mostly Canadians. If you have not seem any of these cemeteries and you are in Norther Europe or Italy, take time to go to one.  It’s an amazing experience.  LEST WE FORGET.

On June 6 1944 thousands of American, British, Canadian and other Commonwealth troops landed on the beaches of Normandy beginning a battle to defeat Nazi Germany. The fighting continued through France, Belgium, Holland and eventually into Germany. The death toll was enormous on both sides. Here are some of the cemeteries where many of those valiant soldiers are buried.

The Americans landed on Utah and Omaha Beaches and the cliffs go Pointe Du Hoc.  The casualties were very high and many of those who perished are laid to rest at the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach. 9,387 American boys are buried here. It was the first overseas Cemetery we visited and is was an overwhelming experience to see the rows of white crosses.

A few Kilometers east is Juno Beach where the Canadians landed on June 6. Our troops fought their way off the beaches and into Normandy. They were in the Battle for Caen, Falaise and we visited two Beautiful Canadian Cemeteries in the area.

The Canadian War Cemetery at Beny-sur-Mer in Normandy is the resting place for 2,049 brave Canadian soldiers who landed at Juno Beach in June 1944. Most of these boys were between 18 -26 years old. We visited in 1998 and 2005.

On the road from Caen to Faliase in Normandy is the Brettevile-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery. 2,782 Canadian boys are buried here. They fought in the Battle of Caen, and the Battle of the Falise Pocket in 1944. We visited this beautiful place in 2005 on the way to Saint-Lambert-sur-Dive near the famous ‘Coridor of Death’.

I have posted a few brief reports and photos of War Cemeteries in Europe recently on Facebook but a good friend asked me to post them here too for the benefit of those who are not on Facebook.

In 2014 on a trip to Italy, a Roman friend graciously took us to Anzio, south of Rome to see where the Allies landed in the invasion of Italy. We visited 3 cemeteries near Anzio. All of these Cemeteries are beautifully maintained 70 years after the war and for us it was a truly moving experience to see and to walk through the row and rows of headstones.

The Beach Head Commonwealth War Cemetery near Anzio contains 2,316 burials of the Second World War, 295 of them unidentified. The invasion of Italy began in September, 1943.

Also, near Anzio is the Sicily Rome American War Cemetery where 7900 American men and women are buried. There are 26 sets of brothers lying beside each other. These soldiers perished in battles in Sicily, Anzio, Cassino and Rome. 

Near Pomezia, south of Rome is a huge German War Cemetery containing the graves of 27,000.  The enemy also suffered enormously in Italy. It was almost surreal visiting here.  Notice that there are 3 soldiers per grave.

A trade journal, RESTAURANT BUSINESS, recently published a list of the top 100 restaurants in the USA rated by Gross Sales.  The numbers are really amazing. At number one with annual sales in 2015 of almost $48,000,000 was the TAO ASIAN BISTRO in Las Vegas. The most expensive restaurant is CARNEVINO ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE in Las Vegas. Dinner there will cost you $180 per person. This joint is owned by celebrity Chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastanich.

At the other end of the per person cost is Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, Michigan.  For $15 per you can enjoy all you can eat chicken. And they serve lots of it having fed 967,000 hungry people in 2015. Total sales were $14 million.

Of the 100 there are only 4 that I have visited. SMITH & WOLLENSKY in New York is a classic NYC steak house and we had a memorable dinner there several years ago. You can easily drop $100 US for dinner for one. #7 Is SCOMA’S at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. It is a classic but kind of a touristy place. Expensive too. I think I went there on my first trip to San Francisco. I’d skip it next time. TAVERN ON THE GREEN in Central Park in New York was a delightful experience. It’s a beautiful setting in the park and has recently been renovated. We would certainly go again.  In lower Manhatten is BALTHAZAR, a frenchy Bistro. It’s #89 with sales of $13 million per year. Cool place where you can dine for about $75 each.

If you have travel plans in the USA you may want to check out the list and perhaps try one of these fabulous restaurants. Make sure you have a big limit on your VISA.

To see the entire 100 go to

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3913830/Form-family-style-chicken-restaurant-Mario-Batali-s-Vegas-steakhouse-100-highest-grossing-independent-restaurants-revealed.html#ixzz4PRAofHGW

As Chef Jacques Pepin would say…..HAPPY EATING❗️

In 2005, our son Jackson and I made a 10 day WWll trip to England, France, Belgium and Holland.  We visited most of the battle sites and cemeteries in the area which was fascinating since we both had read several books on D-Day and beyond. It was, to be sure, a most memorable trip for both of us.

One of the most interesting experiences happened as we drove south on Route D13 past Falaise as we searched for the famous Falaise Gap and the Coridor of Death where German troops tried to escape Normandy through a very narrow road with thick hedgerows on either side.  The German Army suffered enormous casualties at the hands of Canadian and Polish troops.

As we cruised down the road through the beautiful FRENCH countyside, we broke over a hill and saw a large Canadian flag flying in the town of St. Lambert-Sur-Dives.  We stopped under the flag and found a memorial to Major David Currie of the South Alberta Regiment.  Currie had commanded a tank force, the Calgary Horse, in the Falaise Gap battle. The Germans lost 300 men, 500 wounded and The Canadians captured 2100.

The local residents honoured Major Currie with this memorial.

Major Currie was awarded the VICTORIA CROSS for his efforts.  He later served as the Sergeant of Arms in the House of Commons in Ottawa.

Not far from this memorial is the Corridor of Death where the battle took place.

And here is a historical photo of the Germans surrendering to Major Currie. He is on the left holding a revolver. He was 32 years old

It was an amazing day for Canadian to visit this spot in France where our troops had played such an important role in WWII.

Lest We Forget🇨🇦

Today 29 skippers departed from France in the 2016/17 VENDÉE GLOBE Around the world sailing race, the 8th running of the race.  The course is over 24,000 nautical miles and will take up to 3 months to complete. These sailors are single handing 60 foot very high speed sailing vessels. They can easily average 15 knots per hour and can reach speeds of 30 knots. The skippers are from France, Switzerland, England, Ireland, and the USA.

You can follow these boats at http://www.vendeeglobe.org

There are also videos posted on YouTube!

Just saying…