Sorry I haven't updated the blog in a week but I haven't had much to say. We spent last weekend indoors, reading and watching Netflix. The weather has not been cooperating at all. We had some nice weather at the end of April but the entire month of May has felt like the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day". It's the same thing everyday. Temperatures in the low to mid teens and cloudy most of the time. We get a few sunny breaks mixed in but we also get a few showers mixed in as well. Everyone keeps telling us that this is very unusual for this time of year. The locals are even more upset by this weather than we are.
http://www.thelocal.fr/20130521/weather-men-bring-more-bad-news-for-france
We are hoping for better weather soon. The long range forecast calls for sunny days and temperatures in the 20's next week. Lori's Mom will be here a week from today so I hope the weather cooperates. I'm looking forward to Lorraine's visit, it will be great to have company and it will give us a chance to get out and see all the tourist spots within Paris that we haven't gotten around to yet.
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Wednesday 29 May 2013
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Rhine River
On Sunday we boarded a tour boat in Bingen and toured the Rhine up to St. Goar and back. This stretch of the river is loaded with castles that were built by local Robber Barons. They would stretch chain barricades across the river and only raise them after ships paid a toll. Some of these castles are almost 1000 years old and they are still standing. It's a beautiful area and to me, it felt like this is where fairy tales took place, with a Princess sleeping with a pea under her mattress and trolls living under bridges.
We got off the boat in Bacharach and toured the town. It felt like we stepped back in time into the Middle Ages. The Stahleck Castle sits above the town and now serves as a youth hostel. We meandered through the narrow, cobble stones streets.
We got back on the boat and made our way up to St. Goar where we got off to have lunch. We found a great restaurant not to far from the dock. I had the Pork Meatloaf with fried potatoes and sauerkraut while Lori had Potato Dumplings stuffed with sausage. Hard to believe that when I was a kid, I didn't like fried potatoes or sauerkraut. Not sure what was wrong with me.
After lunch we headed back to Bingen. The beer was flowing by this point. What appeared to be two different tour groups melded into one. First the Germans would get up to sing a song and the Japanese would applaud. Then the Japanese would get up to sing and the Germans would applaud. There was lots of laughing and back slapping. It was so cool.
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We got off the boat in Bacharach and toured the town. It felt like we stepped back in time into the Middle Ages. The Stahleck Castle sits above the town and now serves as a youth hostel. We meandered through the narrow, cobble stones streets.
We got back on the boat and made our way up to St. Goar where we got off to have lunch. We found a great restaurant not to far from the dock. I had the Pork Meatloaf with fried potatoes and sauerkraut while Lori had Potato Dumplings stuffed with sausage. Hard to believe that when I was a kid, I didn't like fried potatoes or sauerkraut. Not sure what was wrong with me.
After lunch we headed back to Bingen. The beer was flowing by this point. What appeared to be two different tour groups melded into one. First the Germans would get up to sing a song and the Japanese would applaud. Then the Japanese would get up to sing and the Germans would applaud. There was lots of laughing and back slapping. It was so cool.
db
Monday 20 May 2013
Germany
We had another fantastic weekend away. We left here on Friday afternoon and took the northern route through Belgium, The Netherlands and into Germany. Traffic was fairly heavy because so many people were going away for the weekend and there was a lot of road construction. Our first stop was in Düsseldorf. We stayed in one of Lori's famous Hotwire purchases. This one turned out to be the Hotel Nikko, which is a Japanese Hotel. So our first night in Germany we didn't have sauerkraut and bratwurst, but we did have some really good sushi. The room was unreal. I'm not exaggerating at all when I say the hotel room was considerably larger than our apartment. They should provide a Segway with this room.
Saturday was not filled with your typical tourist outings. We ended up shopping at Ikea. We needed a few things for the apartment and it's difficult to get to an Ikea in Paris without a car so when we passed one on the highway we decided to put the rental car to good use and filled it up with cheap but functional furniture.
Later in the day, we stopped in Cologne to visit the Cathedral and walk along the river. The Cathedral is very impressive. While we were there, we read that it is Germany's most visited landmark. I found it a little odd that such an impressive Catholic Cathedral is located in a Lutheran country but construction started in 1248, almost 300 years before the Protestant Reformation.
Eventually we made it to our next destination, Bad Kreuznach. It's a nice little town on a small river and we stayed at another nice hotel. What we didn't know about this town was it has many spas and salt baths used as therapeutic retreats. Needless to say the town was a little sleepy and we were two of the younger guests.
We did find a great little family restaurant for some real German cuisine. Everywhere else in Germany people spoke English very well and we didn't have a problem. It was a little tougher here. The owners of the restaurant didn't speak any English, but we were able to point and gesture enough to get by and they were wonderful. We thought it was hilarious when they used my coaster as a bill. Every time they brought a beer or some food to the table, they would just write the price on the coaster.
At the end of the night, they just added up our coaster and we paid our bill. The food was great and we really enjoyed ourselves so we left a nice tip. It might have been bigger than they were used to because he wouldn't let us leave until we each had a shot of Ouzo on the house.
Tomorrow I'll tell you about our river cruise on the Rhine. It was spectacular.
db
Saturday was not filled with your typical tourist outings. We ended up shopping at Ikea. We needed a few things for the apartment and it's difficult to get to an Ikea in Paris without a car so when we passed one on the highway we decided to put the rental car to good use and filled it up with cheap but functional furniture.
Later in the day, we stopped in Cologne to visit the Cathedral and walk along the river. The Cathedral is very impressive. While we were there, we read that it is Germany's most visited landmark. I found it a little odd that such an impressive Catholic Cathedral is located in a Lutheran country but construction started in 1248, almost 300 years before the Protestant Reformation.
Eventually we made it to our next destination, Bad Kreuznach. It's a nice little town on a small river and we stayed at another nice hotel. What we didn't know about this town was it has many spas and salt baths used as therapeutic retreats. Needless to say the town was a little sleepy and we were two of the younger guests.
We did find a great little family restaurant for some real German cuisine. Everywhere else in Germany people spoke English very well and we didn't have a problem. It was a little tougher here. The owners of the restaurant didn't speak any English, but we were able to point and gesture enough to get by and they were wonderful. We thought it was hilarious when they used my coaster as a bill. Every time they brought a beer or some food to the table, they would just write the price on the coaster.
At the end of the night, they just added up our coaster and we paid our bill. The food was great and we really enjoyed ourselves so we left a nice tip. It might have been bigger than they were used to because he wouldn't let us leave until we each had a shot of Ouzo on the house.
Tomorrow I'll tell you about our river cruise on the Rhine. It was spectacular.
db
Friday 17 May 2013
Rhine Valley
There is yet another long weekend in France but this time we are getting out of town as well. We are visiting the Rhine Valley in Germany. We pick up the car this afternoon and we're staying in Düsseldorf tonight. For the rest of the weekend we'll be in Cologne, Bonn, Bacharach and cruising the Rhine River. The region looks beautiful and is home to dozens of castles once owned by local robber barons. It will be of no surprise to anyone to discover that I'm most excited about the beer though (and the food too).
It's hard to believe that we have been in Paris for almost four months now. Under the original plan, we would have been packing our bags and heading back in a few weeks. I'm not ready to do that yet, I'm having too much fun. Hope everyone has a great Victoria Day weekend back in Canada and I will post some pictures on Tuesday.
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It's hard to believe that we have been in Paris for almost four months now. Under the original plan, we would have been packing our bags and heading back in a few weeks. I'm not ready to do that yet, I'm having too much fun. Hope everyone has a great Victoria Day weekend back in Canada and I will post some pictures on Tuesday.
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Sunday 12 May 2013
Quiet Weekend
It felt like we were the only people who spent the weekend in Paris. I think the rest of the city was in the south of France or Spain. It was a very quiet weekend. We went furniture shopping on Saturday. Now that we are staying for an additional year, we thought about moving into a larger and more comfortable apartment. After looking for one, we decided to stay in this apartment and just make it more comfortable. We love the neighbourhood and we love the terrace, but the furniture is pretty worn out. First on the agenda was a new bed which was delivered on Saturday night. We are also looking at a new convertible couch and counter-top oven.
Also on Saturday, we went for a walk down one of our favorite streets in Paris, rue Cler. It's not far from the Eiffel Tower and it's full of markets and cool shops. We bought some incredible strawberries and oranges. I bought a Chocolate Eclair that must have weighed 1 pound. It was delicious. Then we went into a traiteur, which is like a deli, and sitting in the display case was real bacon.
We had it on Sunday morning and it was so good. Lori says if I keep writing about bacon, everyone will think I'm obsessed with it. I'm not exactly sure what her point is.
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Also on Saturday, we went for a walk down one of our favorite streets in Paris, rue Cler. It's not far from the Eiffel Tower and it's full of markets and cool shops. We bought some incredible strawberries and oranges. I bought a Chocolate Eclair that must have weighed 1 pound. It was delicious. Then we went into a traiteur, which is like a deli, and sitting in the display case was real bacon.
db
Thursday 9 May 2013
Big News
Things have been happening in the background for awhile and I haven't been able to say anything but it's official now, we are staying in Paris until June 2014! We are very happy. There is so much to see and do, we felt like we were running out of time. The original secondment was supposed to end in July, then it was extended until August and now June of next year. Lori is really enjoying the work as well.
On an unrelated note, last Sunday marked the 20th Anniversary of the night Lori and I met. We were so excited about our trip to Sweden that we both forgot about it. On one hand, I can't believe 20 years has passed but on the other hand, it feels like we've been together forever. I can't remember what life was like before we met. August of next year marks our 20th Wedding Anniversary and for those who don't know, we are having a party in St. John's. Mark your calendars.
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On an unrelated note, last Sunday marked the 20th Anniversary of the night Lori and I met. We were so excited about our trip to Sweden that we both forgot about it. On one hand, I can't believe 20 years has passed but on the other hand, it feels like we've been together forever. I can't remember what life was like before we met. August of next year marks our 20th Wedding Anniversary and for those who don't know, we are having a party in St. John's. Mark your calendars.
db
Tuesday 7 May 2013
World Championships
We had a great time in Stockholm but the funny thing is, if the World Championships hadn't been there, we probably wouldn't have picked it as a destination for one of our weekend getaways. Even though Canada didn't play as well as I hoped, it was still nice to see some hockey. There weren't a ton of Canadian fans there, but we met a few. These guys were at the Denmark game and they were getting a lot of attention from the camera.
I had my Canada sweater with me and I made sure I wore it to both games.
When I would watch this tournament every year at home, I was always amazed at how empty the stands were, but after being there, I realized it's an illusion. The seats closest to the ice are empty because they are so expensive. We had seats in the corner, about 12 rows up and they were half the price of the seats behind the bench and I thought they were great.
Individually Canadians are great hockey fans. We're passionate and knowledgeable but as a group we pale in comparison to the European fans, especially the Swiss. I would estimate that 90% of the fans were from Switzerland during that game. They sang songs, had call and response cheers and coordinated clapping routines. It was incredible. Not to mention there were at least three groups of guys dressed as cows, plus dozens of cow bells in the stands. Some of the bells were hand-sized while others were the size of a microwave oven. Chanting 'Go Canada Go' just didn't match up.
After Canada lost to Switzerland, everyone became an analyst or coach and espoused their theories on why it happened. They were tired from the travel, not used to the large ice or not used to playing together. One thing I noticed being there that may not have been obvious on TV, was how small Team Canada is this year. Claude Giroux, Jeff Skinner and Stephane Robidas are all great players but they were tiny compared to the Swiss team. I also think that we have to accept the fact that Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Norway are all improving as hockey nations and we can't take them lightly anymore. Personally, I think it's great and I will be secretly cheering for the Swiss during this tournament (unless they meet Canada again).
db
I had my Canada sweater with me and I made sure I wore it to both games.
When I would watch this tournament every year at home, I was always amazed at how empty the stands were, but after being there, I realized it's an illusion. The seats closest to the ice are empty because they are so expensive. We had seats in the corner, about 12 rows up and they were half the price of the seats behind the bench and I thought they were great.
Individually Canadians are great hockey fans. We're passionate and knowledgeable but as a group we pale in comparison to the European fans, especially the Swiss. I would estimate that 90% of the fans were from Switzerland during that game. They sang songs, had call and response cheers and coordinated clapping routines. It was incredible. Not to mention there were at least three groups of guys dressed as cows, plus dozens of cow bells in the stands. Some of the bells were hand-sized while others were the size of a microwave oven. Chanting 'Go Canada Go' just didn't match up.
After Canada lost to Switzerland, everyone became an analyst or coach and espoused their theories on why it happened. They were tired from the travel, not used to the large ice or not used to playing together. One thing I noticed being there that may not have been obvious on TV, was how small Team Canada is this year. Claude Giroux, Jeff Skinner and Stephane Robidas are all great players but they were tiny compared to the Swiss team. I also think that we have to accept the fact that Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Norway are all improving as hockey nations and we can't take them lightly anymore. Personally, I think it's great and I will be secretly cheering for the Swiss during this tournament (unless they meet Canada again).
db
Stockholm
We had a wonderful weekend in Stockholm. I love Paris and fell in love with Stockholm instantly, but it's so weird how different they are. One way to describe Stockholm is to say it's everything that Paris isn't. Stockholm is clean, efficient and orderly while Paris, as amazing and beautiful as it is, can often be messy, chaotic and haphazard. Being borderline obsessive compulsive, I immediately identified with the symmetry of Stockholm. The airport, train station and downtown core all had helpful signs directing us in the right direction. The train from the airport into downtown was the most comfortable and luxurious train I've ever been on.
Another big difference between the Swedes and French was in personal expression. While French society may be anarchic, their personal appearance is very regimented. People are expected to dress and behave a certain way while in public. The Swedes are more individualistic. You can see middle-aged women with pink stripes in their hair, thirteen year old kids with Mohawks and young guys with really long beards.
Of course it goes both ways. The Swedes don't seem to have the same passion as the French, especially for food. Food in Stockholm was more generic than we're used to in Paris. With chain restaurants serving burgers, ribs and nachos, it felt more American than European. I think the best way to describe the difference is the French live to eat while the Swedes eat to live. Having said that, Lori had some really good Swedish meatballs and I ate reindeer that was really good as well.
A lot of cities have hop on/hop off bus tours but Stockholm also has hop on/hop off boat tours which work very well. I didn't realize how nautical Sweden is. Stockholm lies between the Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren and there are approximately 30,000 islands in the Stockholm area. As we flew in, we could see hundreds of islands and half a dozen ferries moving between them.
The af Chapman is a three masted schooner built in the United Kingdom in 1888 and now serves as a youth hostel.
Sweden also has a Royal Family and we stumbled upon the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the palace.
Tomorrow I'll talk about the World Championships and have some more pictures.
db
Another big difference between the Swedes and French was in personal expression. While French society may be anarchic, their personal appearance is very regimented. People are expected to dress and behave a certain way while in public. The Swedes are more individualistic. You can see middle-aged women with pink stripes in their hair, thirteen year old kids with Mohawks and young guys with really long beards.
Of course it goes both ways. The Swedes don't seem to have the same passion as the French, especially for food. Food in Stockholm was more generic than we're used to in Paris. With chain restaurants serving burgers, ribs and nachos, it felt more American than European. I think the best way to describe the difference is the French live to eat while the Swedes eat to live. Having said that, Lori had some really good Swedish meatballs and I ate reindeer that was really good as well.
A lot of cities have hop on/hop off bus tours but Stockholm also has hop on/hop off boat tours which work very well. I didn't realize how nautical Sweden is. Stockholm lies between the Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren and there are approximately 30,000 islands in the Stockholm area. As we flew in, we could see hundreds of islands and half a dozen ferries moving between them.
The af Chapman is a three masted schooner built in the United Kingdom in 1888 and now serves as a youth hostel.
Sweden also has a Royal Family and we stumbled upon the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the palace.
Tomorrow I'll talk about the World Championships and have some more pictures.
db
Wednesday 1 May 2013
Holidays
May is the month of public holidays in France. The first is Fête du Travail or Labour Day. In my French class I was the only one who came from a country that did not celebrate Labour Day or May Day on the first of May. The other students from Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Argentina and Brazil were amazed that Canada (and the United States) celebrate Labour Day on the first Monday in September.
Next week there are two public holidays. Wednesday, May 8 is Victory in Europe Day which obviously marks the end of the Second World War. Then Thursday, May 9 is Ascension Day which is a Christian holiday. Ascension Day is not the same every year, it comes 39 days after Easter and it's unusual that it's so early this year. The final holiday falls on May 20 and it's Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday. It's a Christian holiday that's dependent on when Easter is as well.
Most people use the large number of public holidays to their advantage and plan their vacation around them so they don't have to use as many annual days. Most of Lori's co-workers will be gone for the next two weeks and things slow down in most businesses. As for us, I think we'll be spending our day off walking the streets of Paris. Everything is in full bloom here and it's beautiful. The difference between Paris in winter and Paris in Spring is like night and day.
db
Next week there are two public holidays. Wednesday, May 8 is Victory in Europe Day which obviously marks the end of the Second World War. Then Thursday, May 9 is Ascension Day which is a Christian holiday. Ascension Day is not the same every year, it comes 39 days after Easter and it's unusual that it's so early this year. The final holiday falls on May 20 and it's Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday. It's a Christian holiday that's dependent on when Easter is as well.
Most people use the large number of public holidays to their advantage and plan their vacation around them so they don't have to use as many annual days. Most of Lori's co-workers will be gone for the next two weeks and things slow down in most businesses. As for us, I think we'll be spending our day off walking the streets of Paris. Everything is in full bloom here and it's beautiful. The difference between Paris in winter and Paris in Spring is like night and day.
db
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