The Balanced Life

Local bars are the kitchen and heart of Extramadura, writes John Swart, continuing his travels in Spain

It was a tougher start than expected, writes John Swart

Our man John Swart is back with his weekly take on active living, with opinion, advocacy and some fun

A s I crossed the porch toward the side door of Chevy Halladay’s century home near Orillia, Ontario, I had no idea what to expect.

W ho doesn’t love the feeling, those very few seconds precisely before you fall asleep, when your lungs exhale and your brain relaxes as the weight of your world lifts from your shoulders? Apparently for many, the opposite is true.

T he woman in your life loves cycling, and you love that she’s a cyclist too. Choosing her Christmas gift should be easy. Select a bike-related item, find someone capable of wrapping it perfectly, and it’s a fait accompli.

I f ever you sought an example of vested interests eager to promote their products using dodgy and incomplete, but sensible-sounding, science and studies, Esports (electronic sports) and Exergaming would be it in 2022. We’ve been here before.

O ur small band of four cyclists had already ridden 90 kilometres, and we were getting worried about the distance still required to cycle back to our hotel.

W ould you trade the cost of a couple dinners out or one more pair of the latest hi-tech runners for better health, the opportunity to discover Pelham from a new perspective, and a chance to avoid the winter blahs? That’s what a pair of snowshoes can

S omething had to be afoot. Seven people sitting in mismatched plastic chairs or balanced on a dusty, sloping picnic table, basking in glorious early-November sunshine, and not a dog in sight.