One BIG Trophy!

I don't think there is a bigger trophy in the sporting world (although the European Cup comes pretty close I think). Anyway, if you make it to Toronto and have any interest in ice hockey then a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame is unmissable.
And the highlight is getting your photo taken with the Stanley Cup! It was actually formed in Britain and then brought over to North America. So thats quite a nice bit of British involvement in hockey history.

More snow!

Looks even more impressive when you see a whole street covered.

One last bit of news on this update. Congratulations to the Cardiff Devils ice Hockey team (yes I've been managing to follow from this side of the Atlantic) for winning the British Knockout Cup 3-0 in Coventry against the Blaze last week.
A great result and fantastic reward to the whole team and supporters after what's been a pretty messy and very hard-working season. Well done everyone and roll-on the play-offs!

Proper winter!

For those of us from the UK, even the threat of a few cm of snow is often enough to bring the country to a grinding holt! So how does the rest of the world cope when there's a little more of the white stuff flying around. Well check out these pics from Orillia after a "real winter snow storm"!

All this fell in about one 4-day snowfall.

Photos from St David's Night

So we did manage to make it out for a mini-celebration on St David's day, and while no-one else in the bar had a clue what we were doing, it was nice to at least have a little bit of fun with the flag!

Amanda looks pretty comfortable wrapped-up in a nice Welsh Dragon!

And here we see Izzy trying to steal my pint as I get into the celebrating mood! (Cheeky polar-bear!)

Happy St. David's Day

Bore da!
Just a quick message to say Happy St. David's Day to everyone back home in Wales, and infact everyone around the world. Hope you have a very good day and enjoy celebrating your "Welsh-ness." I find a few pints of Brains usually helps with that!
Hwyl!

Winter in Toronto

Well the snow finally came, and this is how the city looks covered in a blanket of white.

Izzy discovers Marshmallow Fluff.

Imagine the sweet creamy centre of a marshmallow. Now imagine that being put into jars and sold en masse for people to eat without the pain of all that chewing! Now imagine putting that infront of Izzy!!! It didn't last long I can assure you!!

Is that the time?!

I really did have good intentions of updating this far more often, but the last couple of weeks have been rather hectic to say the least. So finally, Happy New Year to everyone (make that Chinese New Year as it was yesterday, and doesnt seem anywhere near as out of date then) and to make up for it all I'm going to put up a bonus set of updates and photos today. Yippee!

After a very warm and mild start to winter here in Toronto, Mother Nature finally bit back in January. It -15c (wind chill of about -30c) three weeks here, which means it feels totally tropical to be a balmy +2c outside today!!!!

Ice Hockey Star meets World Famous International Backpacker

When Toronto Marlies Assistant Captain and centreman Kris Newbury heard I was attending the game against Milwaukee (along with Dave - see earlier post) a couple of weeks ago, he couldn't wait to meet me after the game. "Hearing that Owain was in town, and then that he was going to be watching me playing was such a thrill. I couldn't pass up the chance to impress him and really show what I could do on the ice." Kris may, or may not, have said in a post match interview.

Since that meeting, Kris's career (we're on first name terms now!) has taken a marked upward turn, and while the Marlies have not been in exactly red-hot form, Kris has been playing well, and as a run of injuries took their toll on the NHL Maple Leafs team, he was called up for his first NHL appearence last night in Pittsburgh against the Penguins. Sadly a weakened Leafs team, totally unaided by some incredibly incompetent officiating, lost 4-1, conceding 3 goals in the final period, but Kris played a solid game, and even laid a couple of good hits on Sydney Crosby.

I think its clear for all to see that, I am infact the catalyst for Kris Newbury's blossoming all-star NHL career, and if any other potential hockey greats need a helping hand I am more than willing to offer them the opportunity for an autograph and photo session. Just drop me a note at the usual address or add a handy comment here with your contact details!

Have fun everyone and join in with me again please:

"Go Leafs Go! Go Leafs Go!"

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Just one last Christmas post I think. Here's a photo of Amanda's family on Christmas Day. A good day was had by all, and even my cooking went down well..... which is always a nice surprise to me. A big thank you to everyone up here in Orillia who has made me feel so welcome. if I couldn't be home for Christmas, then I think this is the next best thing.

(l to r): Thelma (family friend), Aunt Lois, Grandma Marion, and Amanda.

Christmas wishes to you all, and especially those of you back in sunny South Wales who I'm not with at this special time of year. Take care and have fun everyone.

Izzy's Christmas

Here we see Izzy preparing to tackle the excellent Christmas Dinner. The butternut squash and homemade (British style) stuffing were her personal favourites. I did attempt an "after" photo as well.... but the scene of carnage and destruction left by a small backpacking polar bear in the middle of Christmas dinner was too horrific to be broadcast to a family audience!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Just a message to wish all our friends and family around the world a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2007. We hope you are all having as fun, happy and special festive season as we are.

love Amanda, Owain & Izzy (of course!)

Quick Update

Just a quick update from me now. Been very busy and very hectic since I last had chance to do anything on here, so this is it!
I'm still over the Atlantic in Canada, and having a great time doing loads of cool stuff.... including ice skating at Trinity-Bell Square in Toronto (an outdoor rink by the city hall which has a great atmosphere there), and hanging out with some friends from the hostel in the Eaton Centre.


Friends from the hostel in Toronto. One of us all infront of the Christmas tree there. Those sparkly bits aren't lights, they are infact crystal decorations!!! Very Expensive crystal decorations! (from l to r): Emily, Ben, Me, Amanda & Dave again.



A nice one of me and Amanda skating. Look, you can stop laughing now! The thought of me on ice skates isn't THAT daft.... I didn't even fall over once! Yeay Me!

A new arrival!

Along with Richard and Karen (congratualtions guys..... and welcome Max. A little playmate for Ozzy!), I've had a new arrival in my life. Every traveller needs a mascot, and after Barry's success in the tournament, I got a little white Canadian Post polar bear to keep me company. So say hello to Izzy from St. Isidore please everyone.

Here Izzy is enjoying the Toronto Marlies v Milwaukee Admirals AHL game from the stands. The Marlies won 4-2! Yeay!


Izzy's quick to make friends with a fellow backpacker. Dave from Middlesbrough was a top lad who I hung out with for a few days in TO.

The Final

After a tough first period the guys found themselves 2-0 down, but played amazingly well to come back to 2-2, and then out-skated their oppontents to win 4-2. Sorry, camera batteries ran out (typical eh?!) during the celebrations, but this shot is just before the comeback, as the Capitals (in red this time) start the decisive 5-on-3 powerplay they subsequently score 2 goals from.

Barry's Tournament

Its been a hectic week, and now I have the chance to catch up a bit. Last weekend I was back in Ottawa staying with my wonderful family there. It also happened to be a tournament for Barry's hockey team in the nearby town of St. Isidore. Of course, this meant more photos as we cheered on the boys from the sidelines. Never thought i'd be a "hockey mum" .... or in this case, cousin, but guess I am now!

Here Barry winds up for a slap shot which forced the keeper into a smart save.


Frasor's shut-out (sorry if I've spelt your name wrong) in the semi-final was a fantastic effort and well deserved.

All my photos so far!

If you have either the time or inclination to check out my photos so far, then I've started uploading them onto my online Kodak gallery, which is quite handy indeed. (Some of them are pretty dodgy though... especially the ones with me in!)

There's ones from downtown Ottawa, a few more from the game, the sights of Montreal lit-up for Christmas (including of the window of the Hudson Bay company for you Mum!), two of Sylvie's flatmates (Trisha and Butters), and lots of Barry's hockey tournament from last weekend, in-which they won the B-group! More of that in an email update soon...ish!

There's also photos from Rich and Karen's wedding in the summer... finally!!!
So follow the links below!

Canada Photos part 1

Rich and Karen's Wedding

Enjoy! (and let me know if theres any problems and I'll try to sort them out)

Last photos from "Ottowaaaahhhhh".

Does anyone know just WHAT a 25' high spider is doing outside a church?! (Actually its outside the Ottawa Art Gallery, and across the road from the church, but the photo was too good to miss!)



Here's a really cool one from the game. They put this effect on the ice when the US anthem was being played before the game, but sadly didn't do the same for the Canadian anthem, as that would have looked really excellent.

Sens go Wild over Minnesota!

Here's a few pictures of Barry and me at the Ottawa Senators v Minnesota Wild NHL ice hockey match last week. As you can see we were up in the gods, but still had a tremendous view of the action. Ottawa won 5-3, and all round was a great game.

The view from our seats in Scotiabank Place.

Barry and me getting ready to enjoy the game. The Minnesota fans infront of us didn't enjoy the result too much!

Ottawa... The city that eats Beaver....

... Tails!!

And here is a chocolate hazelnut variety of the species! Best eaten hot on cold winter days!