Happy Love Thursday!

My love is in Paris, the city of love - tourist-ing around with some girl from the US of A that he met at his training session there and I'm trying hard not to be jealous. Good thing I trust him with all my heart. Maybe my jealousy is more about wishing it was me walking there beside him, holding hands, looking up at the Eiffel Tower from so many points in the city - Yes!...that's what it is, all right!
It's good sometimes, tho', to have these 'apart' experiences. We get to reconnect at the end with fresh eyes, new stories, appreciation for what we've created together and the wisdom gained from spending time on our own. I can't wait for that part:) I'm sure I'll have some of my own stories to share with him.
Happy Love Thursday to you all. I wish for you many special moments of love!

Thoughts on Paris...

1. Wear sensible (yet pretty) shoes. Even if you don't plan on visiting 10 museums in 5 days, you'll be walking. Paris is the perfect city to view on foot. There's something new, exciting and full of life around every corner.

2. Take some kind of city tour early on in your stay. This will give you a better sense of all the different areas and let you know where you want to spend more of your time. We arranged for a private tour in a vintage Citroën car. It was awesome having the roof "rolled" down and looking out at all the amazing architecture. (our tour guide)

3. Prepare for stairs! 99% of the time, the toilette is not on the same floor as you are and more often than not, it's 2 stories down in the basement. There are also many opportunities to climb up to the top of these historic buildings and the views are certainly worth it. This is from the top of the Arc de Triomphe...(I just kept chanting "buns of steel, buns of steel" as I counted the 284 steps up to the top!)

4. Spend time by the river. The Seine is so vibrant and full of life. There are many beautiful bridges you can cross over and watch the canal and tour boats fighting the current, or pack a picnic and join the locals at the Ile de la Cité (home of the Notre Dame Cathedral), right in the centre of the action.

5. Have a crepe from a street vendor. This is one of the more affordable luxuries of Paris and oh so delicious. When George and I were there 14 years ago, this was our backpacking staple. They were just as delicious this time around - a savoury ham and cheese followed by a sweet nutella and banana to share.

6. Take the Metro! The system has 199 km (124 miles) of track and 15 lines. There are 368 stations (not including RER stations), 87 of these being interchanges between lines. Every building is within 500 metres of a métro station. There are 3500 cars which transport roughly 6 million people per day. There are 15000 employees of the métro. Yep, it's crazy and confusing but it's where you see the best of life happening - underground!

7. If you're a meat eater, always find out what part of the animal your dish is from. Just because it says lamb, that doesn't mean it's a chop!!! (don't ask:) sorry...no pic here!

8. Have a coffee. At any time of the day and into the night, you'll find Parisians sipping a coffee at one of the many brasseries on pretty much every corner. Café (kuh-fay) is plain coffee with nothing added, but is strong as it is brewed like espresso. The cups are small and usually come with 2 cubes of sugar. A breakfast of "pain au chocolat" (chocolate filled croissant) and a cup of café is a perfect start to a day in Paris!

9. Baguettes, Baguettes, Baguettes. Get one while they're still warm and bite off a chunk as you're leaving the store - just like a local. The baguette is a descendant of the bread developed in Vienna in the mid-19th century when steam ovens were first brought into use, helping to make possible the crisp crust and the white crumb pitted with holes that still distinguish the modern baguette. Long loaves had been made for some time but in October 1920 a law prevented bakers from working before 4am, making it impossible to make the traditional, often round loaf in time for customers' breakfasts. The slender baguette solved the problem because it could be prepared and baked much more rapidly.

10. La Tour Eiffel. Go to the top if you can - the line up is well worth the wait. From any angle though, this is the ultimate symbol of Paris so soak it in and enjoy the VIEW!!! As you can see, we sure did!

I'm Baaaack! Je t'aime Paris!!!

Ok...not a lot of energy to write today but I have uploaded a whack of pix so here's the link. I know there's a LOT of pictures of the Eiffel Tower but it really is beautiful and seen from soooo many places in this beautiful city! Please let me know what you think and what your faves are.
I'm off to meet up with some friends at the Reef on Main. They're in the process of closing their store across from us which makes me sad. I am happy for them to be moving on tho' - life always has lots of good things in store for us all!

2 more sleeps!!!

The countdown is now on. I'm not wearing my best underwear or socks - all is being saved to pack:) I'm very glad that G's parents are going to come and housesit while we're away so we don't have to worry so much about the security of our home. G booked us on a tour on Saturday (the day after we arrive in Paris) which will have us picked up by a Citroen car at our hotel and drive us around the city for about 1 1/2 hours and then take us to a wine tasting! That sounds pretty cool. I'm almost packed - Barb is coming tomorrow morning to help me do a final needs assessment and culling:) I'm going to try to keep it down to 3 or less pairs of shoes - wish me luck! (I have to leave room for any new shoe purchases)
If I don't get a chance to blog before I go, I will still check back for any comments so...hint, hint.

à bientôt

Monday, Monday...

Well...another successful sailing adventure under our belts! Saturday was such a beautiful day and we were out on the water for about 3 1/2 hours-feeling a little more comfortable with the tacking and jibing. No ferry incidents, a good amount of wind but not too scary and some cold pacifico (check out this pacifico ad campaign - so cool!) at the end of the day while cleaning off the boat. Had to rush home to attend our neighbours dinner party. The drive back home seems to be hit and miss traffic wise. Our neighbours - two doors down - invited us and a few other neighbours for an Armenian feast! Shish kakobs, tabouleh, rice pilaf with mushrooms, peas and chicken, salads and a semolina pudding dessert! Way too much food but oh so delicious. The homemade merlot was also outstanding. The only problem was that we were sitting outside and I was fr*@kin freezing!!! Had a nice warm bath before bed and all was well:) Yesterday was a mellow day. We have a new staff starting at the store so I went in for a few hours and then did very little else:) Clean sheets tho' which is always a perfect Sunday bonus.
The countdown is now on for Paris so I'm packing and re-packing. The challenge? Look pretty and stylish while trying to be practical at the same time. (we will be doing a LOT of walking!)
I bought a great pair of Skechers which are a bit prettier than running shoes and are oh-so-comfy (and are my favourite colour to boot)!
Watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding last night. I forgot what a cute movie that is. Made me laugh , made me cry.
Happy beginning of the week to you...

Monday, Monday...

I took a bunch of pictures of all of the gardening we did this weekend but my camera battery is dead and I can't find the charger so here's a pic from a couple of weeks ago. There's way more flower action now. Still nice, I think?
Had a pretty good weekend.
Went to the driving range early Saturday morning and then off to the Trout Lake Farmer's Market for the first time this year. What a beautiful market. If you haven't been, you should definitely check it out. There are so many plants - edible and beautiful - that are so inexpensive compared to the gardening centres. We bought 4 tomato plants, more petunias, nasturtiums, salvias and an air plant. I could have bought so much more! There's also great organic veg, baking, mushrooms, meats...It's a great way to kick start your Saturday and support local!
We watched two french movies over the weekend in preparation for our upcoming trip to Paris. Paris, Je T'Aime and Amelie. Definitely starting to get excited about visiting this beautiful city!
Yesterday Barb invited George and I to Eat! Vancouver at BC Place. Wow! So many foods, so many people, so yummy:) We sampled Mexican, Indian, Westcoast, Okanagan wines and local cheeses. Everywhere you turn, someone has some kind of fig jelly on a cracker or muskoxe jerky ready for you to try. It was pretty cool. We sat through a wine and cheese pairing put on by the Wine Diva which was yummy and I learned a few things too. OMG, that white cheddar was delicious!
I'd say one of the highlights of the weekend was just enjoying our back deck which we finally got cleaned up and comfie. I love it back there - it's usually quite calm and peaceful (except when we get invaded by the neighbours and all the kids:).
Happy Monday everyone!