Between the brush strokes

The future of books

2011-03-10T09:57:00.017-06:00

This looks like a fascinating book and is definitely my next read after I finish My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler. Yes, my taste in books is all over the map.

Reviews from Amazon:

“This book is lively, smart, funny, wildly creative, and gives me great hope for the future of writing.” —A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically

What a fun and timely book this is. I sat down to read it expecting a coroner's report and found a manifesto instead. Maybe it's not time to go back to work at Applebee's yet, after all.” —John Wray, author of Lowboy

Thanks to Maria Popova @brainpicker for bringing this to my attention. I love her twitter feed.

Here is my handle, here is my spout

2010-12-31T10:33:00.016-06:00

Greetings, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are about to ring in the New Year with gusto.

But let’s get to the main point of this post… the teal teapot. I love it! Like really love it. Chuck gave it to me for Christmas and it’s been in heavy use since. This is my first teapot; always had a kettle, but it’s not the same as a cute little teapot. Look at it! It’s so cute and it brews a mean cup of tea too.

“Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.” Zen quote

Yeah, I took a cheesy artistic photo of it. So what?

My new favourite store might just be David’s Tea. (Sorry Sephora) I’m thoroughly enjoying their “Forever Nuts” blend right now. It has a subtle flavour of nuts, apple and cinnamon and turns a nice shade of pink.

So this is how I end 2010, talking about tea. Oh well, I might be getting older, but I raise my tea cup to one helluva year. And that’s an understatement! In the last year, I fixed up the house, upgraded the car, went on the trip of a lifetime, saw art that made me weep, learned to not hate the kitchen, and fell in love. That’s definitely a year to remember.

Happy New Year everyone! My 2011 resolution is to paint again. I'm starting to miss it.

Beautiful Christmas bouquet from Chuck.

Oh by golly, have a holly jolly

2010-12-24T10:54:00.005-06:00

Yay, Christmas is here! I love this time of year.

My Christmas actually started last week out in the country at my mom’s. We had a wonderful brunch and gave and received some sweet gifts. I got a lot of kitchen stuff this year! Pots, pans, knives, muffin tins, baking sheets and a spring-form pan (I had to ask what it was!).

Then it was off to my aunt’s for our family dinner. I’m certainly blessed to have such a great family; everyone is always happy and there is never an argument. And we’re Irish, French and German! (With some Nigerian mixed in.) Maybe it’s the booze. The one thing I missed this year was my Uncle Hans’ song “Strokin” playing through our formal dinner. Oh well, I guess you can’t get everything you want.

Today it’s Christmas Eve and I will be doing something I have never done before… I’m going to Midnight Mass. As most people know, I’m not a “churchy” person. Far from it. But I’m pretty excited to go since I will be celebrating the holdiay with Chuck. As hard as changing holiday traditions can sometimes be, this one seems like a piece of cake. If it’s anything like listening to monks chant in Florence, I might become a weeping basket case.

Another holiday change… we are attempting to make a turkey dinner tomorrow. And I’m not responsible for the turkey (Chuck is, ha). These next few days are going to be filled with new traditions, and I’m looking forward to it!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Update: Christmas mass was nice, but seriously... too much incense people! I couldn't breathe. Also, our turkey dinner was a hit. We used this glaze and it was delicious. The gravy turned out super yummy too.

It's a good thing

2010-11-19T00:16:00.007-06:00

Hello everyone, it's been awhile. I went into blogging overload in Europe and took quite the long break when I got back. Plus, after visiting all that exciting stuff, settling back into normal life just didn't seem interesting enough to talk about.

So tonight, as I was sitting at home doing absolutely nothing, I thought, "hey, how about a short little post to talk about... ah crap, I still have no idea."

Oh wait, I know, I'll talk about my foray into domestication. Cooking and baking to be exact. Yep, you heard right, I'm actually using the kitchen for what it was designed for, instead of just umm... designing it. This is something that I have shunned, ran from, and maybe actually hissed and spit at in the past. Well, no more!

In the past month I have used my stove more than I had in the previous nine years. This is hardly an exaggeration. I have made some fine pasta (with a little help from amazing herbs, oil and fresh pasta straight from Italy), great little asparagus and prosciutto appetizers (after going gaga over them at a friends party), and baked the most delicious granola bars (from a coworker who was generous to share her recipe). It's so nice when people share their recipes with you.

My friend Jen has even joined me and Chuck for a homemade meal. In the past, if visitors came for dinner I headed straight to the nearest take out menu.

Many have pointed to Chuck for kickstarting this latest adventure, and he certainly is a huge factor, but I also think my trip gave me a bit of a nudge too. Going to countries that created such simple, yet tasty stuff, was a bit inspiring.

I cannot believe I am saying this, but I'm actually enjoying it. Hopefully it lasts.

On another note, this week I downloaded the new "Martha Stewart Living" iPad app. It's absolutely stunning. It actually costs less than buying the print magazine and it has so many more features (podcasts, videos, panoramic photos). If you have an iPad, I highly recommend downloading it.

London photos

2010-10-27T10:28:00.003-05:00

I have finally started using Flickr. My first photo set is for London.

That's how you end on a high note

2010-10-06T17:08:00.003-05:00

Today was a great day in Rome. It was my last day of sightseeing. I'm here until Friday, but tomorrow I'm going to shop, pack and relax.

After breakfast this morn, I walked back to the ancient ruins. I couldn't resist, it's the coolest place. I started at Circus Maximus. It's really just a gigantic hole. But an awesome hole. That's where the chariot races were held and the stands could hold up to 250,000. That's crazy.

Afterwards I went back to the Roman Forum and paid to go in again. The tour I was on earlier this week didn't take us up Palatine hill and I wanted to see the views of Rome from up there. It didn't disappoint. This place is just a gigantic "wow!" After seeing all this I want to watch every movie or TV show on Rome when I get home. Maybe even "Ben Hur." I said maybe

As I was walking back to the hotel I met this really nice guy named Xi Tong who was selling photographs of Italy with an urban touch. I bought two. I'm happy. I have purchased a piece of art in every place I've been to. Have no idea where I'm going to hang all this stuff yet!

When I got back to the hotel I was boiling. It was stinking hot out today with no clouds. I cannot get over seeing Italians wearing sweaters and tall leather boots in this weather. I jumped in the pool when I got back. A nice quick cool down. I'm really enjoying this hotel. (They also make a great Bruschetta with fresh mint. Yummy)

Tonight I went to the Teatro dell'Opera to see their production of "Roberto Devereaux." I've always wanted to go to the opera, what a treat to actually go in Italy! I didn't know anything about this piece, but here's what I figured out:
Queen Elizabeth I loves Roberto Devereaux.
Roberto loves Sarah, the Queen's lady in waiting.
Sarah loves Roberto and is having an affair with him.
No one loves Sarah's husband.
Roberto is put to death.
Elizabeth is distraught about his death, even though I think she ordered it.

The Queen was performed by Carmela Remigio and she was phenomenal. Her voice was sublime. At the end of the performance, when the music was getting more and more dramatic, she had her final solo performance. It was just tragic to listen to. I was transfixed. Then she hit a note of such passion that my heart lifted and tears instantly started streaming down my face. Now that's incredible. Women were sobbing everywhere and the men were screaming "BRAVA!" Yes, brava indeed. That's an experience I will never forget. I'm emotional just typing about it.

One last thing. I'm very proud that I haven't been clipped or hit by a car here. They drive like maniacs and there is no such thing as "the pedestrian has the right of way." I wonder how many people are hit a year? I should google that.

Orchid at my table at the hotel:

Loges at the opera:

Yay, no more sheep herding!

2010-10-05T15:52:00.003-05:00

I just got back after my way too long 15 hour tour of Pompeii and Naples. It was my last bus tour and I have to say, I'm not in the least sad they are done. Nope, not even a smidgen.

But before I get to today... I did write a nice long blog post about my trip to the Vatican and Pantheon last night, but my blogger app trashed the post. So here is my short version of yesterday.

I visited the Pantheon in the morning and was amazed. I visited the Vatican in the afternoon and was even more amazed. (I guess I can say that about everywhere I visit in Rome.) Oh, and I bought some beautiful italian boots in between.

In the Pantheon, I loved how the only light is from the huge hole in the ceiling. And it lights the whole place. Cool. What an amazing building.

At the Vatican, I got a private tour of the museum and saw some true masterpieces of Greek and Roman statues and Renaissance paintings. I loved finally seeing the Sistine chapel. I have been dreaming of seeing this piece of art since I was a child flipping through the National Geographic issue on its restoration. A dream come true. It's everything I wanted it to be, and more. I have seen so many beautiful ceilings in the last month, but this one takes the cake. Pure awesomeness.

Another great treat was St. Peter's Basilica. It's ginormous! The art within is so cool. I loved the wall murals made out of glass mosaics. So intricate and exact. Stunning. Michelangelo's Pieta wasn't too shabby either.

Cut back to today... This was certainly the longest bus tour. From 6:30 this morning to 10:00 at night! UGH! The tour was doing three tours from the same bus at the same time so there was a lot of waiting. It took us over 2 hours to get to Naples and then we got our shitty tour guide who was an ass and sexist as hell. (I firmly believe all Italian tour guides are in the "family.") They did a tour of Naples in the bus. Not sure why as they didn't show us anything but garbage and squalor. Then it was onto a coral factory where they tried to sell us cameos (I guess for the grandmas). Then they took us for a lunch that lasted over an hour and wasn't good. I just wanted to see Pompeii!

We finally did get to Pompeii at 3:00 p.m.! WTF. Then they gave us 2 hours to go through this massive, beautiful place that is like a maze. I couldn't stay with our ass tour guide, so I wandered off with a couple from Wales. We tried to see as much as we could in the short time we had. Didn't see much, we needed at least three to four more hours. What a shame.

Pompeii is amazing. (Yes, I realize I say that a lot. I need a thesaurus.) The bodies laying in the position they died in is sad and fascinating. To see a whole village completely destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius and yet completely preserved was quite a treat.

With our time restraint I never did get to see the dirty paintings, statues or brothel! UGH, I hated this tour company.

The nice thing was I had lunch with a lovely couple from Wales, Mark and Carol. I also had a great conversation with a young woman from D.C. traveling with her grandma from Long Island. They were a hoot.

I'm too tired to write more, but I will be back in Canada soon and only too willing to discuss my travels in person. So please ask when I'm back!

Two more days to go.

Listened to these guys for awhile at Piazza Navona:

Nuns window shopping:

This ad is everywhere:

The Swiss Guard:

Walking around in the Eternal City

2010-10-04T17:46:00.002-05:00

My first full day in Rome was filled with sightseeing. This place has a piazza or fountain on every other street it seems. It's a beautiful city.

I wandered about the area for a few hours. I started with a walk down Via Vittorio Veneto, the street made famous by the Fellini movies. This is the street that was called "la dolce vita." It's definitely a beautifully winding street full of cafe's and goodies.

From there I found the Trevi fountain and threw two coins over my shoulder. One ensures your return to rome, the other is a personal wish. It's a massive fountain! I then walked to the Piazza Popolo and the Spanish Steps. It was a nice, sunny morning to enjoy my walk.

In the early afternoon I ventured to Villa Borghese, a gigantic park close by. It was packed with people and yet it didn't seem touristy or too busy. There were people walking, cycling, riding golf carts and renting Segways. I walked by a man playing great music on his saxophone. It was a really fun atmosphere.

In the evening I took a "Rome Illuminated" tour to see Rome and it's monuments at night. Unfortunately, this tour was a load of crap. They put you on a closed bus with dirty windows and they sped by every place at break neck speed. Not sure what the point of that was. Oh well.

Here are the only clear photos from this tour:

La dolce vita

2010-10-02T16:39:00.002-05:00

Buona sera from Roma! I arrived at around noon today and have already seen things I will remember for a lifetime.

First off, my train from Florence was great. I was a little nervous about the luggage situation as you only have so much space to store your stuff and my luggage is too heavy to lift into a compartment above my head! No worries, I was in the train early enough to get a good luggage spot. Anxiety averted.

I sat with a woman from Australia traveling with her husband and two young children. She told me her kids are learning italian so they thought they would bring them to Italy. Awesome mom! She said her kids are their translators while they are there. Perfect, she's already got them working too.

She was telling me on the train that you need to have reservations to see the Colosseum or you will wait all day in line. Ugh, I'm done with lines. So when I checked into the hotel the concierge recommended a tour I could take this afternoon that would get me in without the wait. Great!

Except... this means another dreaded bus tour with old people that complain incessantly. Everyone was complaining about the walking. They had no idea they would have to walk so much. Umm, hello, you are at the freaking Colosseum! When will you be here again. Suck it up grandpa and relax, or go grab a taxi and find an early-bird buffet. You don't even walk faster than a snails pace on these things anyways.

Ok, besides that minor annoyance. The Colosseum was larger and more impressive than I expected. And I expected a lot! The Romans sure knew how to build things that would last. It's a blessing to be in a place with so much history. To touch and walk around within it is an added bonus.

Look at this place! It's ginormous and kick-ass. Our tour guide was excellent. She really knew this place and you can tell she loved talking about it.

We then walked over to the ancient ruins. It was about a five minute walk. (Oh the horror!) How do you describe this place? It's just one of the coolest places ever. All this amazing stuff was just dug out of the ground. It's crazy that today's Rome is sitting on yesterday's Rome. After seeing what they have dug up so far, you understand why their subway is so limited.

So now I'm in the hotel room, sitting back and enjoying my evening inside. Oh yeah, my room is so nice here. I have a great view of the street with a little stone balcony to step out on and a walk-in closet! With the added bonus of free wifi and a pool. Yep, this is definitely a good hotel to end my trip.

Ciao

Sometimes no plans are the best plans

2010-10-02T16:12:00.002-05:00

On my last day in Florence I left very early in the morning to get in line at the Accademia to see the David. The museum lineups in Florence are ridiculous. After waiting 40 minutes I finally got in.

When I turned the first corner in the museum I looked up and there he was at the very end. All five meters of him. David is magnificent! I'm so glad I made it in. The immense size of the statue is shocking. You cannot take your eyes off him. He really knows how to dominate a room.

I sat there for quite awhile just taking in each part of him. The fine veins in his hands and arms are so perfect and look real. The longer you look at him, the more you see. His face from straight on looks serene, then you move a few feet around him and you see his face is almost menacing. Very cool. His position makes it look like he's just about to move. And I never knew he was carrying the slingshot that took out Goliath on his back. (The following photo is from a replica of the David)

I also took some time to see other peoples expression when they first entered the room. It was pretty much the same. Eyes widen, a quick gasp, and then utter silence. How many things do that to so many people? Especially in a city dominated with amazing statues everywhere you step.

Afterwards, I thought I would take a chance at the Uffizi gallery one last time as it was still early and not yet open. I got in the gigantic line and waited with a couple from London on their honeymoon. She was patient to wait and he was ready to split. After an hour of waiting and chatting we got to a part of the line that said it was still a three hour wait to get in. Forget that! I don't want to waste my whole day in line.

So I left and ventured up some steep streets and steps to get to the Michelangelo Piazzale. After all my huffing and puffing it was worth it. The views of Florence from up there are spectacular. It was a bit hazy out, but the climb was worth it.

While up there I saw a man painting some watercolors. I fell in love with one of his pieces of the Tuscan countryside with poppies and daisies in it. He made me a deal and I was a happy camper. Also, another man was playing a quiet electric guitar of some great classic songs. I left after he finished "What a wonderful world."

I then ventured up to the church San Miniato al Monte. It is a monastery that is open to the public. Just as I entered the monks started their prayer time. I sat on some steps and watched and listened to them as they chanted and prayed. It was beautiful and so peaceful. It brought tears to my eyes. I wasn't the only one though. I noticed a young man wiping his eyes too.

Hmm, I think I will take that day over a day waiting in line. Now on to Rome, The Eternal City.

Statues from the Loggia dei Lanzi:

The Mona Lisa's from my hotel (nice tits):

Vineyards, stone villages, gelato, olive and cypress trees. Oh yeah!

2010-09-30T14:21:00.002-05:00

I love the tuscan countryside more and more each day. I cannot put into words how beautiful this place is, so I won't. I'm going to attach photos instead.

Today was the day I went to Siena and San Gimignano. Siena is a town that held as much power as Florence way back in the day. Until Florence came in and took it over. Or something like that. I was so busy looking around that my attention to the tour guide went in and out. Nothing new for me.

The piazza in Siena is cool, it's shaped like a shell and it looks like most of the town circles around it. If I had known how beautiful it was, I might have stayed there instead of Florence.

We had a tour of the church there. Or what's left of it. At one time, it was larger than St. Peter's Basilica. Now, only one wing is still intact. It has Michelangelo and Donatello statues in it. The floor will make your jaw drop. It's all inlaid marble with the most amazing scenes. Thank god they don't let you walk on it.

After our tour, we had awhile to lunch and look around. I had a nice lunch on the piazza and then wandered around. With gelato of course! I mean look at this stuff! How can you resist?

After Siena, we drove to San Gimignano, a small medieval town that is still mostly intact. It was just awesome. Oh, and I had some gelato there too! I had to, they have won awards. It was good, but it wasn't as good as the one I had at Vivoli in Florence.

There were many stuffed boars in San Gimignano. They all had funky things going on. This one was wearing a hat. I saw another that was eating a piece of corn on the cob. Silly town.

On the tour I met a nice woman from Argentina. She's traveling with her parents to help them out. She started in London and has done almost the same trip as myself. We talked about how we are 20 days in and are a little homesick. It's true, I miss home, but I am also enjoying myself immensely here. We laughed at what a hard problem that is to have. ;)

I cannot believe I only have a few days left. It's been a long trip that seems to be flying by. I'm really excited to get to Rome. I want to finally see this "outside museum."

Ciao bella

2010-09-30T14:17:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Florence, the heart of Tuscany; with rolling hills, tall cypress trees and breathtaking villas. Yes, I can see why people want to retire here. Maybe not retire right in Florence though. It is crazy-busy with tourists! It's busier than I thought it would be. You can hardly move in some places.

I arrived Tuesday afternoon and my room is a hundred percent better than "the hotel in Venice that is dead to me." I'm staying at the Hotel Monna Lisa. They have Mona Lisa pictures all over the place, but they are more on the kitschy side. Most of them depict Mona smoking from a bong or joint. There is one where she is holding a cat. Ha ha, cheeky.

After I was settled I looked for the Leather School of Santa Croce. It's been around for over 50 years and you can purchase their creations. I walked into the store and it smelled divine. You could just smell quality. I looked around and purchased a couple of small things (It's not badly priced). I was about to leave, but I decided to go through the bag room again. Big mistake! I found a red calf-skin carry-on bag. It's beautiful! It's also lined in leather. I splurged and bought it. They put your name or initials on items you buy, so I got my initials burned on the front. I imagine having this special bag forever.

I did a little sightseeing after that; looking and walking and looking and walking. When I get home I'm going to want to sit and veg and sit and veg!

On Wednesday I started out walking to the Uffizi to get a ticket and look at their collection of masterpieces by Botticelli, da Vinci and Michelangelo. Once I got there I was shocked at how long the line was. It was at least a two hour wait or more. I don't really have the time of patience to wait that long. I only have two full days in Florence, the rest is touring the countryside. Drat!

I went to Boboli gardens at Pitti Palace instead. It was beautiful and quiet. A nice change from the squares of Florence and Venice. I loved it! The garden is quite large and very high up, giving you nice views of the city.

After the gardens I met up with my Chianti wine tour bus. We went to a 900 year old winery called Castello del Trebbio. It was originally owned by the Pazzi family who tried to kill the Medici family. As you can tell, we got some history with our wine tour.

The wine was fantastic! I sat with an older man from Michigan, and two couples from Sweden. We had a great conversation over our wine and tapas.

When we got back I ventured to a restaurant that was recommended as one of the best places to get pizza. It was ok. I've had better in Winnipeg. I should have had the pasta. It looked better. I shared a table with two German women that were in Florence to learn Italian. Hmm, sound familiar? I wonder if they read "Eat, Love, Pray?"

I topped off my day by going to Vivoli, the famous Gelato place. So yummy. Not as good as Berthillon in Paris, but right up there.

These locks are everywhere. I believe the story goes that if you and your partner put a lock up you will be united forever. Or something like that.

What bridge is this?

2010-09-27T08:59:00.002-05:00

It's my last day in Venice and there is a thunderstorm going on right now. I made it back to the room in time. Whew!

Yesterday was another warm, sunny day; a good day to wander around, which is exactly what I did. The nice thing about this city is you easily get lost, but then find your way again.

I would tell you where I went yesterday, but I have no idea where I was for most of it. I passed through markets and alleys that led nowhere. Went over so many bridges I lost count. Ate something wherever I went; pizza, fresh fruit, fresh strawberry juice, ice cream, cookies, more pizza and more ice cream. Oh, and this drink they call "Gingerina." Took a chance thinking it might be like ginger ale. Not even close. I can't even place the taste.

I ended up having one of my pizza slices outside a little restaurant that had the most delicious looking things called "special toast." They looked like extravagant pizzas on ciabattas, loaded with fresh ingredients. They were enormous! I didn't get one because I wasn't so hungry, but the couple sitting beside me did and they gobbled it up.

The couple were from Raleigh, North Carolina. I didn't get their names, but we ended up having our lunch together. We sat and chatted for over an hour. She is a pharmacist and he is a top Marketing Sales Associate for the largest rubber adhesive company in the world. I believe it was called "Lord." (Nothing to do with religion he said.) He seems to travel everywhere in the world for his job. I would imagine that's exciting at first, but then wears thin after awhile.

Anyways, I had a great lunch with them. Definitely a highlight to Venice. It was nice to have a lively conversation over a meal. Haven't had that in awhile. Forgot how much I missed it. Actually, I haven't had a good argument for a long time either. I'm sure CJ is missing that at work! ;)

Last night as I was walking back to the hotel room through St. Mark's square, I stopped to watch all the couples enjoying themselves as they listen to the orchestras play. It's so cute! This one older couple were bopping along, arms around each other with a hand in the other's back pocket. I couldn't resist, I had to snap a shot of them.

When I got back to the room I got a call from Chuck. He always knows when to phone me somehow. Spidey senses? He was looking for the lawnmower recharger. Ha ha. Nice, I got him mowing and cleaning cat litter. Next step, shoveling snow!

More of the same for today. For me, Venice is a two-day max visit. Now onto Florence. Ciao

Time is flying by

2010-09-26T14:56:00.002-05:00

I'm more than halfway through my tour and the time has flown by. Although it does feel like months ago I was in London. Go figure.

On Friday evening I flew to Venice. My plane had ashtrays on it and no TVs! It had to be at least 20 years old, right? The flight was fast, but I did get that cold, so my ears didn't unplug after landing. I could hardly hear the sweet italian girl helping me with my water taxi. She talked non-stop about what to do in Venice, and to be honest, I couldn't hear a thing she said.

I arrived in a torrential rainstorm, so everything was wet by the time I got to the hotel. I was so tired and sick and wet I just wanted a nice warm bed to get into.

Guess what, not at this hotel! The room is, to put it mildly, gross. Venice doesn't stink, but my room does. The bed is so old that it has sections in it that have sunk to the floor. And when I pulled down the sheets (a weave from the dark ages) it had at least four hairs in it. Ewwww. Not very tempting to crawl into when you are sick. The hotel lobby is beautiful and maybe other rooms are too, but this is definitely not the four star room I paid for. There are holes in the wall and stains all over the carpet. To top it off, the staff is not very helpful or pleasant. In case you want to know, I'm staying at the Venice - Monaco + Grand Canal.

Suffice to say, yesterday was not a good day. I was miserable by the time I sat in the room for a few minutes. I couldn't hear, couldn't breathe, was damp and sitting in one of my bed "holes." I became completely homesick in a matter of minutes.

Cut to this morning. I woke up, crawled out of the "hole" and left this shit-bag place to go on an island tour of Murano, Burano and Torcella. It turned out to be a beautiful day and the islands were so pretty. Made it all better. They gave us a cool Murano glass blowing demonstration. We all oohed and ahed, then bought some glass. You can buy Murano glass everywhere here. Every store carries it, except maybe Chanel, but you never know!

After the tour, I had the rest of the afternoon to get lost in Venice. It's not hard to do. The streets are beautiful here. And no cars! It took awhile to notice that missing sound. Pretty sweet.

Venice is quite a unique place. The gondolas are everywhere and there are people playing instruments constantly. I ended up at St. Mark's square tonight and sat down for a sandwich and ice tea and watched a lovely orchestra play. When they say Venice is expensive, they aren't kidding! That little dinner and show cost 32 euros! Most expensive sandwich ever! But the experience was worth it. Especially seeing couples get up and spontaneously dance at their tables.

I have no idea when this will get posted. The hotel has wireless in the lobby but they charge way too much for me to justify it.

À bientôt

2010-09-23T15:20:00.002-05:00

Well it's my last night in Paris and I am back at the hotel trying my best to keep from getting a cold. I can feel it coming. Oh no! I want to have my taste buds for Italy. The pharmacist nearby gave me some little supplements to try and keep it from arriving. Fingers crossed, but I do believe I am at the point of no return. Drat!

Here is a short version of my last couple of days...

Yesterday I left early in the morning to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and walk around the area. The church is so high on a hill that you can see all of Paris from it. Since I went early in the morn, most of the city was still under a haze, most likely pollution.

On my way back to the metro station I saw the Moulin Rouge. I took a photo, but it doesn't look that great in daylight. Plus, there are so many strip joints and sex shops on that street. It's kinda seedy. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of the sign for Pussy's strip club. I wanted to, but too many people around. It was a great sign though, trust me. ;)

I then went to Centre Pompidou, but I was way too early so I ended up walking down Rue de Rivoli and I never got back to it. Oh well, I wanted to see it, but I guess you can't fit everything in. Although, I did fit in another trip to Berthillon, the ice cream parlor. Yum!

This morning I bought a ticket to the Monet exhibit from the concierge at the hotel. I'm glad I did because it put me second in line. The line up to buy tickets went around the block. Whoa nelly, that exhibit was amazing!!! Definitely a highlight of my trip. They had paintings from London, Toronto, Ottawa, New York, Chicago, Boston, Harvard, Yale, etc, etc. What a treat!

They also put all of Monet's series beside each other so you could really see how he painted the same subjects at different times of the day. It was just stunning. There must have been around 100 of his paintingsf. Some of the highlights for me were his series of haystacks, London's Thames river, woman with parasol, and of course the waterlilies. He had one still life of chrysanthemums that I also loved as the colour was so vibrant.

So, that was Paris. Didn't get to see as much as I wanted, but did get to thoroughly enjoy a beautiful, artistic, laid back city. I loved it!

Oh yeah, I cannot even count on one hand how many times I saw people walking down the street carrying a full baguette and just taking random bites from it. Just something you don't see back home.

Two tours, two days, too much

2010-09-21T16:28:00.002-05:00

It's 10:30 on Tuesday evening and I'm enjoying a glass of wine I bought from a winery and some biscuits from a highly recommended bakery. That's a great end to two long days touring the countryside.

Yesterday was tiring as I had a 12+ hour long tour of the Loire valley. The French countryside is beautiful and the castles are enormous. We went to three in total. Ambiose, Chenoceaux and Chambord. All very nice.

The best part of the tour was our visit to Plou & Fils, a winery that has been handed down father to son for 500 years. The current owner is 25 and has total passion for his vineyard. He gave us a quick tour of the wine cave (not a cellar, a cave that was dug out by his ancestors) and showed us how they make certain wines. It smelled good in there. Afterwards, we lined up for a wine tasting and he gave us a sample of the wines. This was before lunch, so I got quite a buzz going and ended up buying three bottles. They were only six euros each and you cannot buy this wine outside Europe.

Now, on to today. I have no energy to blog about the castles. I've seen too many of them and I don't want to see anymore. Oh wait, I had to see Versailles today. Uh oh.

This morning I had my other tour in Paris. This one took me to Giverny in the morning and Versailles in the afternoon. As I didn't really care for Versailles, I will just talk about Giverny. Wow, Claude Monet's garden there is so pretty. The lily pond is to die for. The tree leaves that gently fall into the pond, the lily's that are still present, and the reflection all add up to a spectacular view.

I can see why Monet loved this place. You gasp when you see the way the morning light hits everything.

I found a great place to have lunch called "Hotel Baudy." It was quiet and only locals were eating there. I ordered the onion soup and goat cheese stuffed with fresh peppers and mushrooms. Oh, and wine since it's cheaper than anything else! It was a tasty lunch for sure.

When I got back this evening I did a little shopping and found a cute pair of italian leather boots from a department store called "Le Bon Marche." Ah, new shoes!

I then hightailed it to a river cruise company. I was hoping to get on the boat that gives you the view of the Eiffel tower when it is being lit and sparkling. I got there just in time and took an amazing hour long ride. If ever in Paris, definitely do the night cruise, everything looks great lit up.

On the cruise we passed by all the big monuments and when you went under the bridges, the people on the bridge would wave or try to start conversations with you. We even passed by a small park on the river where a dozen couples were waltzing to some man playing an accordion. Doesn't that sound like what Paris should be?

When our boat floated by the Eiffel tower, my camera died. Whoops. Oh well. I still got to witness the light show. It's very impressive. So much better than actually going to the tower and dealing with the crowds.

I'm off to drink my wine. Au revoir

Another beautiful day in Paris

2010-09-20T14:36:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning to a sunny, cloudless day. I opened the windows and laid back in bed and took in the view for a few minutes. Breathtaking. When I stepped out of the shower awhile later, church bells were ringing. Great start!

My first stop today was "Marche des les creations" a Sunday art market in Montparnasse. I certainly found what I was looking for, original art by local artists. I took two trips up and down the market absorbing each piece and deciding what I wanted. My first two pieces were small watercolours; one of Sacre Coeur, the other of Cafe de Flore. One is the view I look at every morn, the other is in the area I am staying. I think those were good choices. The artist, Jacqueline Legendre, was very sweet and she had some beautiful watercolours of flowers. A woman after my own heart!

I then found an oil painting by a gentle older man. He was like a sweet grandpa. He had oils of nudes. I was struck by one that reminded me of a Degas I saw the day before. Not that it is even close to a Degas, but that was the first thought that jumped in my head.

As I was leaving the market, I stopped by Jaqueline's tent again and looked through her larger pieces. She had one large pen & ink with touches of watercolour that drew my attention. It wasn't a bad price, so I bought that one too!

After I had spent all my money, I visited the Cimetiere du Montparnasse as it was close by. I didn't have a cemetery visit on my agenda, but I should have. It was beautiful. The grandeur of the head stones is impressive and it is very serene. What a nice place to walk around and glance at the history in front of you. When I think of graveyards, I usually think of bad zombie movies and creepiness. But in this one, all you see is how much they cherish the people who are no longer with us. There is a large amount of care and devotion put into one's resting place here. And the flowers! So many graves have little gardens around them with tons of fresh flowers.

That's one thing that is a huge difference from North America. The people here (and in England) cherish fresh flowers. They are everywhere. I see them being bought and carried around all the time. I wish we North Americans did that more.

After the cemetery, it was on to Notre Dame. Very cool. The gargoyles are awesome. I didn't go in as the line was very long. I just sat down and took it in. It smelled like pee. That's one thing about Paris, I think men just piss wherever. Hey boys, your pee stinks! Remember that before you whip it out.

Then it was on to Ile St.-Louis, the little island beside Notre Dame. I read that you can get the best ice cream in the world there. Yep, it's true. The place is called Berthillon. It's the parlor with at least 25 people waiting in line. It was worth the wait! Their ice cream is to die for. I got chocolate and caramel butter salt. Pure heaven.

My last stop of the day was the Eiffel Tower. What a zoo! I think I would rather take it in from a distance. When you are there it is not so parisian, more like Disneyland. I did wait the hour to go up. Now, that's much better. It's very nice up there and the view is pretty awesome.

Hey, is that me in a photo!?

I heart art

2010-09-18T16:49:00.002-05:00

Walked my shoes off on my first full day in Paris. I started out at the Rodin Museum and ended up at the Arc de Triomphe. In between I saw the Hotel Invalides, Musee d'Orsay, Garden Tuilleries and avenue Champs-elysses. All in all a full 12 hours of walking was had.

The Rodin Museum has a wonderful garden full of sculptures, including The Thinker. I had a quiet walk through and did a little sketch of a statue in the middle of a pond. I totally forgot about my sketchbook! Crap. Oh well, I did get two sketches in.

After the museum, I ventured into Hotel Invalides as it is right across the street. It is not somewhere I was going to see, but I was there, so why not. I'm glad I did. The place is massive and has the tomb Napoleon is in. Boy did that dude have a bad case of short-mans syndrome. Everything he did was over-the-top. The tomb would fit at least 50 clowns.

I then ventured into the army museum there. I believe it's the biggest in the world (don't quote me on that). The French keep everything. They have thousands of pieces of armor from medieval times alone! And the amount of artillery, swords, crossbows canons and horse armor is impressive.

I would highly recommend seeing this place if you are in Paris. It is beautifully laid out and they have demonstration areas where you can put on the armor to see how it feels.

Another cool thing they have is full depictions of most of their war battles. They have these huge screens that animate a battle and you listen and watch as they show you on maps how the battle was won or lost. I listened to the Battle of Waterloo completely.

What a contradiction though. In London, they have so many monuments and are so proud of defeating Napoleon. And in Paris, they are so proud of Napoleon and his accomplishments. It's interesting to hear both sides. It makes me want to learn much more about this crazy little man.

Afterwards I walked over to the Musee d'Orsay. Ok, this is my favorite museum ever! The amount of impressionism and post-impressionism is, in a word, impressive. The one piece that absolutely "wowed" me was van Gogh's self portrait. I bet you can see it a mile away, it's so bright with colour. The aqua colours in the painting are so bright and contrast greatly with the orange of his hair and beard. It's almost cheerful until you look at his face, which is full of pain.

I saw so many other pieces that I loved, but I will not go on and bore you with my nerdiness.

But I'm still sticking with art, I am in Paris after all. After the Orsay, I sat by a fountain in Garden Tuilleries and there was a woman beside me painting in a small book. She had her shoes off and was resting her feet on the fountain edge. She held two little metal bottles of paint while she painted. I kept looking over at her work. It was beautiful. It looked like art deco from the 40's. I finally got up the nerve to ask her if she was willing to sell. Unfortunately, she couldn't. She is making a new design for a larger piece she is working on. Her name was Rusudan Petviashvili, she's an artist from Georgia. Too bad, I would have cherished it. Wasn't meant to be. But she gave me her card and a small pamphlet of her work.

Bonsoir.

Paris c'est magnifique!

2010-09-17T15:29:00.002-05:00

Bonjour! And that's about the extent of French I know. I arrived this morning via the Eurostar. It took 2 hours and was quite a pleasant ride. The staff were extremely nice.

The Hotel Pont Royal is very nice too. The staff are extremely kind and the room is elegant and large. I'm on the sixth floor and when I open the window I have a view of the top of the Eiffel tower on the left and all of Sacre Couer on the right. Here are two pics from outside my window.

I did a short walk to the river and back as I had someone picking me up for a Louvre tour. I didn't get lost at all. Hmm, maybe I'm getting the hang of this. I have yet to see a car that doesn't have scratches or dents or worse! They drive like maniacs here.

Our tour guide was a good dude, he was originally from Holland. He said he came here for a trip and didn't go home. He showed us the big things, like Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa. Mona was stunning. It's too bad it's so busy in there. It would be nice to sit in front of it and appreciate its beauty. Hard to do when there is about 60 people in the room and they are all just taking pictures and talking. I didn't think that would ruin my experience of it, but it did. Ah well, I did get to see another Leonardo that was just as beautiful, The Virgin of the Rocks.

After the tour I walked through Napoleon's state rooms. Holy, they are ornate to the extreme. You know how American's say "go big or go home?" I believe the French originated that title. The ceilings and floors and walls are works of art, and that's not including what resides within them.

I also tasted the best quiche. I have no idea what it was, but it had mushrooms in it and was so good. I think I will just eat pastry here. ;)

There is no wireless access in my room at the hotel, it's just in the bar and lobby downstairs. I hope to upload as much as I can, but it might be few and far between.

Here are some photos from tonight. I went for a walk and there is this one pedestrian bridge that is all young people sitting around eating baguettes, drinking wine and smoking. Looked like everyone was having a great time. Also, the bridge has thousands of little locks attached. Don't know the history behind it, but it was pretty cool.

Photo fun

2010-09-17T01:26:00.002-05:00

I'm currently wasting time waiting for the Eurostar. Here's what I've wasted my time on.

Obviously they picked me up way too early this morn.

Cheers. Thanks a lot.

2010-09-16T15:47:00.003-05:00

Well, my week in London has just flown by! I'm surprised and sad that my stay is almost at an end. It feels like both yesterday and a year ago that I arrived at Heathrow. Make sense? Just when you start to get used to a place - boom - you're off. I crammed as much as I could into my short stay. I saw everything I wanted to and experienced so much more.

Enough wistfulness, on to my last day. As it was the last, I decided to walk wherever my feet took me. I started at the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park. From there I wandered through the gardens to Kensington Palace. The gardens here are so lush and rich in colour. The English sure know how to garden.

The palace was under construction, so you couldn't really see most of it. Actually, quite a bit of London is under construction, especially the nicest areas. They are probably in "get it super pretty" mode for the 2012 Olympics.

I did do the tour of Kensington Palace. They have some "Enchanted princesses" thing going on. They tried to make the rooms all dark and spooky and talk about the tragic history of the royal princess. Honestly, it was cheesy as hell, but in the dim lights, I did get to see some great royal paintings. I was probably there for 45 minutes tops.

I continued to walk around Hyde Park and I hate to say it, but the pigeons are cute! They are all pretty fat too. At the very least, they aren't hurting. I then came across three young girls practicing their horse riding. It's pretty cool that you can rent and ride horses in the middle of a city. Not sure how many city parks allow that.

I then walked over to Oxford Street to do a little retail therapy. I bought a couple of nice things in Marks & Spensers. I then went into Selfridges. Holy, it's like another Harrods. Seriously, I think I have counted at least seven Gucci and Chanel stores. The amount of high-end stores here is ridiculous. There was a lineup to get into the Luis Vuitton store. A lineup! With the amount of shopping done here you would never realize their economy is suffering.

I also had the best BLT ciabatta sandwich on a small pedestrian street. The restaurant was called Toast. It was in Mayfair, but it wasn't too pricey, well for London that is.

It was supposed to rain most of the day. This morning it was cloudy, but then the sun came out and stayed out. What a great last day.

Thank you London for a wonderful time. There will be another visit someday.. Cheerio!

...now for Paris!

Cottage country

2010-09-15T17:34:00.002-05:00

Today I did another bus tour, this one taking me to Blenheim Palace and three towns in the Cotswolds. The area is breathtaking. The thatched-roof limestone houses together with all the rolling hills and farm animals makes this place a totally relaxing and lazy place to visit.

Our guide Sue was hilarious. She was that "cheeky mum" sort. She sounded all prim and proper, but she had some of the funniest stories about the area. She talked about the Queen's old voluptuous figure and all the sordid stuff that goes on between the gentry in the country. I found it hilarious, I think some of the old codgers on the tour were a little offended. Ha, whatever.

Our first stop was Blenheim Palace, the residence of the Duke of Marlborough. Wow, what a gigantic place. Churchill was born there and there is so much history inside. As we only had an hour there, I just beelined it outside to look at the immense property. The palace backs onto a lake and the gardens that overlook the lake are picture perfect. It was a little chilly, but I did find a nice old stone bench in the sun to sit on that had both a view of the lake and garden. The bench was so old that I wondered how many illicit rendezvous were had here over the centuries? While sitting there a boater paddled by.

After the palace we ventured into Burford. Everyone on the bus but me paid extra money for lunch. Here's a tip, never do that on a bus tour. Get your own lunch. There were tons of cafe's and pubs on the main strip. While the bus people were sitting down for an hour of mediocre lunch, I picked up a small quiche, found an old church and graveyard and parked it there to eat. What a great find. The graveyard is so pretty and old and there was a tiny walking path under a tree canopy that I couldn't resist. What I found was another bench overlooking the stream and not a soul around. I parked my butt there for a good 20 minutes.

As I was taking in the view, what starts gliding down the stream? Two white swans. Are you kidding me? It was like they were on cue. I could have sat there all day.

This area makes you think, "why don't I move here? This is ideal." I actually met a man walking through the stores that was from New Zealand and visited last year and has now moved him and his wife here. He said he was only a few years from retirement, so why not. Good for him!

The next two towns were Stoll-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water. Both were beautiful. I wish I had more time to look around the area. They really just park you there to shop, but every store carries the same crap. Although, in Stoll I did find some art to buy. I walked by this tiny store and there was a man painting a beautiful watercolour of a house in the area. He, Peter Dean, was such a nice guy and wanted to show me everything, but nothing was catching my eye.

I was about to leave with nothing when I noticed a very simple painting of a water bottle. I liked the colour of it. He said it was one of his from his sketchbook. I looked through the book and found another one I liked. I asked if he would sell them and give me a deal. He was shocked I wanted them, he said he has never sold from his sketchbook before. He gave me his card when I left. It says Peter Dean, Bio Chemist. Haha He is actually a geneticist. Very cool.

A good day was had in the country.

Massage please!

2010-09-14T18:37:00.004-05:00

Well it's my fifth day in London and I feel I have walked the entire city. Twice. My shoulders are so sore. I try not to carry much stuff, but somehow a light bag gets heavier and heavier as the day progresses. I actually thought the feet would be my problem. Nope. They are holding up pretty well.

I started off the day having a great conversation at breakfast with a woman from San Francisco. She sat down at the table next to me with a huge stack of papers with editing marks all over the pages. At first I thought she was an editor, but it turns out she's a mystery writer. She is working on her next book after a long hiatus raising twins. Nice woman.

It was park day! I started in Hyde and moved over to St. James and ended with Green. Beautiful. In between I stumbled across the changing of the guard again. And again it was packed to the gills with tourists. Also nearby is the Canadian war memorial and Canada Gate. The gate is huge and directly across from the palace.

Canada Gate. Manitoba's Bison is on the left.

From there I walked over to Trafalgar Square. Holy smokes it has the tallest monument of a dude ever! It's to honour Lord Nelson's defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Trafalgar. Funny how his monument is so tall. I wonder if anyone else finds it ironic that one of the tallest monuments to an individual is for defeating one of the tiniest emperors.

Trafalgar Square

This reminded me of the movie "Stand By Me" when I first saw it. Wonder why?

Again, the fact that most museums here are free is such a treat. It makes you not think twice about going in. I walked into the National Gallery to take a look at their treasures. For something that wasn't planned, it sure was a highlight. I saw my first Leonardo and Monet. They also had quite a few van Gogh's.

National Gallery

I went through many rooms today and looked at many paintings - some much longer than others - but when I got into the 1800+ rooms I was in heaven! Those painters are one of the reasons I wanted to travel here. When I looked at my first Monet that memory flooded over me and I thought to myself, "Finally did it, I'm actually here." So far, this trip is more than I could have imagined. I'm so grateful that I can do this.

Anyways, enough sappy shit. Tomorrow I'm off to the British countryside. The Cotswolds here I come. Stay tuned, let's see if I will cry tomorrow too.

Doesn't this photo look fake? Except for the chilly pigeon on the head. This is in front of Buckingham.

Horse poop everywhere! I have no idea why these guys had the carriages going. Maybe just for exercise?

Piccadilly Circus. Crazy busy.

London in pictures - Day 3 - Tower of London, London Eye and Parliament Square

2010-09-14T02:31:00.002-05:00

Tower of London. This is definitely a treat to see. around since the 12th century.

Walking through bloody tower. This is where the two princes were killed by their uncle. Talk about a dysfunctional family!

Tower bridge. Built to keep out the riffraff.

Buckingham palace from the London Eye.

At the top. Looking over parliament.

Westminster Abbey at dusk.

Love how it's lit.

I can't seem to remember what monument this is. ;) Looks good at night though.

London in pictures - Day 3 - Palace, the Globe and St. Paul's

2010-09-14T02:06:00.002-05:00

Young soldiers. They all have to learn to ride.

Entrance to Hyde Park.

Marching in, playing a tune. I wonder if my papa had to learn an instrument too.

This just looked cool.

Shakespeare's Globe theatre.

St. Paul's Cathedral

A tourist says moo

2010-09-13T19:02:00.003-05:00

I just realized I haven't discussed my hotel yet. It's very English and I mean that in the nicest way. I'm staying at The Cadogan Hotel. It is famous for being the hotel that Oscar Wilde was arrested in for "acts of gross indecency with another male" in 1895. The hotel is celebrating the 115th anniversary this year. Kinda funny, doncha think?

The hotel is in the borough of Chelsea. This area is total high class. Down the street to the left is Harrods and Harvey Nichols; to the right, Tiffany and Cartier; with Gucci, Versace, Armani filling in the gaps. I'm the frumpiest person around! Everyone is dressed to the nines and almost every man I see wears tailored clothes. It really makes a difference. No "pants on the ground, looking like a fool" here.

My room is not too big, but it is extremely cozy. The bed is comfortable, the bathroom is all marble and clean and it has classic furniture. Not your typical Holiday Inn! They clean the bed everyday and they also turn it down for you at night. They even give you a nice goodnight note with famous quotes and the next day's weather. Charming.

The staff are excellent and so polite. They all know your name and they do everything they can to help. On Sunday I had my first breakfast here. It is not your typical continental breakfast. Tons of pastry's and fresh fruit salads and juices. Like fresh fresh. The dining room looks like it's out of a Jane Austin novel/movie with classical music playing. Seriously.

Now, about my first bus tour. I enjoyed the places I saw: Changing of the guard, St. Paul's Cathedral, Covent Garden, Thames river ride, Tower of London and the London Eye. But I didn't like feeling like cattle being shuffled along. It's not really me. I'm grateful I did it though, because I wouldn't have seen all those places.

The Tower of London was impressive. So much there and so much history. I could have spent half a day there at least (I only had an hour). I mean, this is the place that Queen Elizabeth I was kept and Anne Boleyn was beheaded with so many others. It's just cool. Then to see the Crown Jewels. Impressive. The scepter has a diamond as big as an egg! I had to have another look!

Chillin with a Beefeater. Fascinating history those guys have.

The London Eye was pretty cool. You don't even feel like you're moving on it and it never stops. You get on and off while it is moving.

Today I went to Harrods. That place is too big and too expensive. I got some souvenirs then left. I just wasn't into looking at expensive goods for fun. That's a waste of time here!

After Harrods I went to the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. They were cool, but were geared more for kids. I didn't spend too much time in either. I instead went back to the V&A museum to see the "Grace Kelly, Style Icon" exhibit. It had many of her famous clothes and accessories. I saw the dress she wore when she won an Oscar. Very nice. I took a pic, then got in trouble for taking said pic. Oh well.

Tonight I went and saw the musical "Billy Elliot" at the Victoria Palace Theatre. It was very good. The kid in it did an amazing job of singing and dancing.

By the size of this post, I would say it's been a hectic few days. Tomorrow is calling for rain. I wonder what I should do? Visit the parks in the rain or shop?

Sorry if my grammar is horrible. I write these late at night and don't really have the time to edit or review them.

Bed Knobs & Broomsticks and mummies, huh?

2010-09-12T18:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I took the London Underground for the first time. Hello, that system is simple! Everyone told me it is, but I had doubts because every time I saw the map, it was confusing. Well, it took me one short metro ride to figure it out. That's what colour coding does, it simplifies things.

Anyway, I went to Saturday's market on Portobello Road in the morning. Now a lot of people I know remember it from the movie "Notting Hill." As I am an old hag - my web teams nickname for me - I remember it from the movie "Bed Knobs & Broomsticks." If anyone remembers that movie they should remember the song about Portobello Road and all the great things you will find there.

What I found? A great way to spend a morning. It was fun talking to the shopkeepers, looking at their treasures and just absorbing a really vibrant atmosphere. I did buy one treasure, a nice tartan scarf made in Ireland. It was the one thing I saw that I definitely wanted. Must of been the Irish in me. When we aren't drinking, we are making great woolen things. I think?

After the market, I hopped on the metro and dashed down to The British Museum. I know I am excited about everything I am seeing, but I have been waiting for years to see this place. And it exceeded expectations! Everything I saw was fascinating, but I really wanted to see the Egyptian pieces. WOW. They have so much.

The first thing was the Rosetta Stone. The crowds around it are immense, but if you are patient, you will eventually get close. It literally took my breath away. I audibly gasped when I walked up to it. I never thought it would do that to me, but it did. It's so pristine and so old.

Everything in that exhibit is old. You start to feel really small when you walk by pieces that are dated 2500 B.C. Supposedly they have artifacts that date back to 10,000 B.C. Sweet jeebus!

Another piece that floored me was "Aztec turquoise double-headed serpent." It's not too large, but the colour in it is so vibrant. It's pretty kick-ass. It was the last item I was able to get a picture of before my camera battery died. ARGH, how can it die at that place? It's probably for the better. You start to get too picture happy and forget to really look at and absorb an object and think about how it makes you feel.

They also have a very nice library there too. It holds some great pieces. I got to look at a coin collection of each King and Queen. I really admire Queen Elizabeth I, so it was a treat to see her two coins. She was a pretty cool chick.

After the museum, I walked down Charring Cross Road and stumbled into the theatre district. It's hopping! People everywhere on the streets just talking and drinking. I wanted to go to a show, but I was exhausted and it was too late, so I just came back to the hotel.

London in pictures - Day 2 - The British Museum

2010-09-12T17:05:00.002-05:00

The Rosetta Stone. This made me gasp when I first looked at it.

Just some dudes chillin.

Ramses II. Big boy statue.

Statues from the Parthenon.

Mummies!

And cat mummies too.

Oh, and why not mummify bulls as well.

Aztec double headed serpent. Simply gorgeous.

Aztec skull. Simply creepy, and still kinda pretty.

London in pictures - Day 2 - Portobello Road

2010-09-12T15:59:00.003-05:00

The British really love their chickens and dogs!

Crazy leg warmers.

This was just fun.

Teapots everywhere.

Creepy watch maker doll.

Pizza car!

If it's not Scottish... It's CRAP! :)

What street is this?

2010-09-10T19:53:00.002-05:00

Cannot even count how many times that was said this evening!

After I got in a good nap this afternoon, I ventured out on a walk to familiarize myself with the neighbourhood. I'm staying in the borough of Chelsea. And boy can these streets be confusing! There are small little side streets everywhere and no street signs. At least, that's what I thought at first. But there are actually plenty of signs, they are attached to buildings. I had no idea. When I first saw them I was like "they sure like to name every building." Yep, I'm not swift right off the bat.

After I figured out the signs, I just started walking and ended up at the Victoria & Albert Museum. I love that the museums are free here. You just walk in and go, just leave a donation. What an interesting and eclectic museum. I saw renaissance and medieval art mixed with women's high fashion. I think the Juicy Couture sweatpants outfit made me chuckle the most. They had something for everyone. They even had a library solely devoted to art books. I couldn't go in :(

The web geek in me must mention, London uses the best fonts. Stylish and appropriate.

London in pictures - Day 1

2010-09-10T19:20:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures from my first day in London.

Victoria & Albert museum - the courtyard. The sign said "no puddling." I'm assuming that means jumping in the water.

Wooden sculpture. Dude killed dragon and is now just chilling with it. The detail is incredible on this piece.

The beat down. I think this is what UFC was 500 years ago.

Teeny, tiny Hasidic Jewish crown. Would fit nicely in your hand.

Beatrix Potter watercolor. An entire hall was dedicated to "Peter Rabbit." Each page is framed and displayed in a line so you can read the book.

English paintings. Look at the huge one on the right. Someone really loved that dog!

Concert and theatre posters. Loved the Sex Pistols one.

Yep, that is a Juicy Couture outfit. So sophisticated.

Royal Albert Hall at night. Got a double decker bus in there too.

Albert Memorial at night. Queen Victoria really loved her Albert! The whole area seems to be named after him.

London calling

2010-09-10T05:39:00.002-05:00

Well I finally made it into London and I am sitting down comfortably for the first time in a day. Whew! I thought I was never making it out of Heathrow.

The flying went well and I met a nice couple from California that are off to Scotland for their holiday. They were very nice. I also met a pilot while sitting in a bar in Toronto watching a really bad tennis match that would never end. Nice guy that told me more than I ever need to know about pilots and their flying time. We also had the craziest bartender that shot off bad one-liner jokes faster than you can say "cheese!" He was a really good guy though.

The flight to London arrived on time, but we had to back up and repark due to poorly painted parking lines. HA! Once inside the terminal, the lines were so long I wanted to cry. After about an hour, they split up the lines and I got a break and dashed into the other line. I would still be there if I didn't.

The customs dude was great and put the first stamp in my passport. Nice. My driver was equally great and told me of some places I should see and pointed out as many as he could. He also talked quite a bit about the death of Princess Di. First british dude I meet mentions this. Boy did her death affect this city.

That's all for now. I think I'm going to try and sleep. I've been awake for 24 hours now. Yikes.

Cheerio

Vincent

2010-09-07T09:45:00.014-05:00

Just received an email from my friend Brenda who is currently visiting Paris. She was telling me about all the art she is seeing and how fantastic everything is.

She also mentioned a Van Gogh self-portrait that made her emotional. Funny, that is exactly how I felt the first time I saw one at the WAG in 1999. I have always loved Van Gogh, but was never interested in the self-portraits. Then I stood in front of one. I was stunned. As someone who paints, I was blown away by the colour and lightness he created. The painting seemed to glow. That's the problem with prints, they just look so dull next to the real thing.

Here is the painting I saw, this is hardly how I remember it. It did not look this dark.

Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat

The final countdown

2010-09-02T22:13:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe it's only a week until I leave for Europe!

I'm so excited to leave North America and take my first steps on a continent I have only dreamt about. To see places I've only read about or seen on TV. Go to the cities of Shakespeare, Rodin, Da Vinci, Michelangelo. Sweet.

My travel agent has put together a fabulous adventure. I have many planned outings, but I also have a lot of time to figure out what I want to do in each place too. How will I fit it all in? I won't. That's ok, it will just make me want to go back again and again.

Each day I think of another thing I will see. Today, I kept thinking about my visit to Monet's garden. Yeah, that's right, I'm going to see Monet's freaking lily ponds! Are you kidding me??? Ah, so awesome.

I'm not even nervous about doing this by myself. Kind of surprising, since every time I see my mom she tells me about all the bad stuff I have to be aware of. "Watch out for the gypsies Kirsten! They will throw their babies at you! Don't catch the baby, just hightail it out of there!" Okay mom, I will not catch the baby.

Hmmm, I'm sure the nerves will come upon me once I hit the airport, but until then, I will continue to live in excitement.

Hey look kids, it's Big Ben, Parliament building

Sunset in Assiniboine Park

2010-08-15T14:12:00.000-05:00

Walking over the foot bridge on a Sunday evening.

iMight be a Mac

2010-08-07T00:32:00.004-05:00

This is my first blog post using the iPad. I got it today and I'm trying to get comfortable with it. So far, it's a blast! And super easy to use.

The iPad might just be the ultimate travel companion. I can read books, listen to music, download photos, watch movies and hopefully access the internet wherever I am in Europe. Now if only it could teach me to speak French fluently before I embarrass myself in Paris.

My coworker, CJ, told me to not even attempt to speak French because my pronunciation is so horrific. Some offended local will most likely beat me with a baguette after hearing me butcher their language. Oh well, how badly does bread bruise anyways?

Enjoy your weekend, hopefully it's a lovely one.

I was on a boat

2010-08-02T13:42:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, my cousins (the Birtwhistle boys) picked Chuck and me up in their speed boat and motored us off to a little private beach they discovered. We had a few beverages and cooled off in the water for a couple of hours.

Then it was off to my sisters for a BBQ, quad ride and bonfire (with jello shooters!) Now that is what you call a great summer day. Oh, and we were in the Gimli area for the entire weekend and didn't have to deal with the Islendingadagurinn crowds. Bonus.

Now maybe our boat ride wasn't exactly like the video below... For one thing, T-Pain didn't join us (boo) and for another, there was no helicopter. But boy, it sure felt this fun. Warning, the video has explicit language.

Ciao

Beach life

2010-07-31T14:30:00.008-05:00

It's a beautiful Saturday at the end of July and I am sitting on the deck at my mom's place. I'm enjoying just sitting here and looking out at the water. There are pelicans and seagulls floating and sitting on rocks to the left of me. And people swimming and lounging to the right. What a relaxing scene.

Evening on Lake Winnipeg

Hello? Is anybody out there?

2010-07-26T07:18:00.011-05:00

I’m definitely not following that “keep your web content fresh” rule to keep visitors coming back. I see the last time I posted something was in May. Oh wait, it was actually April! Now that’s just sad.

Well for anyone that might still visit this blog, here’s a little recap of what’s happened in my life over the last few months:

Finalized my trip to Europe (yay)
Did a stint as a juror (intense)
Finished my bathroom (finally)
Started playing tennis (poorly)
Took a trip to Minneapolis with friends (went to my first Twins game too)
Started talking basement reno (another yay)

And last, but definitely not least, started dating a really great guy. Aaaand, that’s all I’m gonna say about that. I don’t think this is the best place to discuss my love life. I kind of compare it to the people who get their partners name tattooed on them. Nothing good comes from that!

So today I think I will just talk about my European adventure because I’m so freakin excited about it! I’m spending the month of September in England, France and Italy. 28 days in total. My manager Joe hooked me up with a wonderful travel agent, Darlene, and she has planned the trip of a lifetime.

Darlene has me travelling to London and Paris for 7 days each, Venice and Florence for 4 days each, and ending my trip in Rome for 6 days. She picked out hotels that showcase each city’s culture and are in great locations:

Don’t these places look wonderful?! I’ve been spending the last month devouring travel books and becoming best friends with Google Maps. (How did we ever survive without the Internet?) Google Maps has made some of my trip trepidation disappear since it gives me access to the areas I’m staying in. It’s been good to familiarize myself to these cities before I disembark.

Château de Chenonceau
One of the places I'm visiting in France.

I cannot believe it’s now only a month away. I’ve been waiting to do this for years and it’s finally going to happen. Holy smokes!

That’s it for today. If anyone is still reading this blog and has a “must see” or a “good eat” in one of these places, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.

RIP Waldo

2010-04-20T19:02:00.005-05:00

Was leaving Shoppers today and glanced at the Winnipeg Free Press (don't worry, I'm still not reading the local news yet). On the cover was a picture of Waldo the grizzly bear from the local zoo. He has passed away at the ripe old age of 36.

I have some fond memories of him when I visited the zoo as a kid with my family, and then later, when I worked there for a couple of years. I would see him every day I worked. I mostly remember him sitting on his rock and pacing back and forth. I always wished he had more space to roam, but when you run a zoo that's free to the public for so many years, I guess you can't expect much expansion.

Bye Waldo, hope you have tons of room to roam now.

Stuff that will make you laugh

2010-04-19T20:52:00.004-05:00

My coworker Jheryll got me hooked on this guy today. His name is Aziz Ansari and he's hilarious! Enjoy (warning - some shady language)

Oh, and the "sheets" video reminds me of when I used to work at Pacific Linen and became a crazy linen lady. I'm obsessed about having good bed linens!

The sweetest smell

2010-04-16T11:02:00.014-05:00

This beautiful bouquet was delivered to my work this week from Charles. First time I have received flowers at work. So cute!

The roses are lovely, colourful and sweetly fragrant. The smell is intoxicating. They truly are the perfect flower.

Ciao

Finished bathroom... almost

2010-04-08T19:37:00.009-05:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted something. Can't really think of anything to talk about, so I will just post some pics of my finished bathroom.

I should say almost finished. The floor is still not complete as not enough tile was ordered and my beautiful new sink was crushed by a cat. Yep, that's right, my sink is crushed. I had a vase full of flowers on it and one of the beasts pushed the vase over and...crack! So I am now waiting for my floor to be completed and a new sink to be delivered. I'm going backwards! If the tub falls through the floor, I'm packing up and leaving!

Oh well, I just love the new bathroom, so the floor delay and sink breakage have not got me down.

Aaaaand the sink-hole:

Smells like spring

2010-03-11T11:34:00.013-06:00

Which means it smells like dog poop in Winnipeg! Spring is absolutely the ugliest season in this city. The snow is in a mass melt that makes everything wet, dirty and stinky; a beautiful bouquet for the eyes and nose.

Yet, I still like this season since it means winter is almost over. Soon, the trees will get leaves and the flowers will start to bloom and this city will show off its true beauty; even if it is for such a short time.

This watercolour painting is titled Poppy Field and was painted for my friend Diana’s little girl Poppy.

From yuck to "ooh pretty"

2010-03-02T18:45:00.010-06:00

Here are some pics of my bathroom reno so far. Still have a bit to do, but it's starting to look good.

Lazy blogger? You bet!

2010-02-24T20:51:00.010-06:00

Today, I was told by my coworker Anna that I am a lazy blogger. Ok, maybe those weren't her exact words, but that's what I have been. Here's my excuse... I have been super busy!

The last couple of weeks have been crazy. I am currently motoring between my home to check on the bathroom progress and feed super-fat animals; then it's off to my mom's condo on the outside of the city to bunker down for the night. It's been nice staying there, but I'm a little home sick. Oh well, it will all end soon.

And so far, it's all worth it! My bathroom looks crazy as it's not finished yet, but the tile is pretty much in and it's beautiful. It's how I pictured it in my mind, which is always a good sign.

(I have pics of the reno, but I don't have my camera cord on me to upload any. I will try to get some up soon.)

Olympic interruption: We just won Gold and Silver in women's Bobsleigh! Are you freakin kidding me?! WOOT

Yeah, so that's the other thing keeping me busy. The Olympics. I love em. I watch like a nerd for two weeks straight. Summer or Winter; it doesn't matter. But I have a soft spot for the snow sports. I become a crazy nut for it all. This time it's being held in my country and I'm not there in person. WHY DIDN'T I GO??? Silly girl.

Another thing I should mention is that I have Jury Duty tomorrow. Or more accurately, Jury Selection. The nerds at work are calling it vacation. HA, I wish. I have been through this before and it's no holiday. Hopefully, like last time, I will not be selected. I don't want to decide someone's fate, whether it's for a minor or major crime, it's just not something I want to be responsible for.

Take care all and go Canadian athletes and Vancouverites! You are making us proud.

Rub-a-dub-dub no more gross tub

2010-02-13T10:40:00.007-06:00

The bathroom reno has begun! The old tub wall is being removed as I write this. I love, love, love watching the destruction of it. I hated that wall. Stupid linoleum tub surround. It was gross.

I'm going to blog the process as it continues. I will try to take some good shots of the old (crap) turning into the new (pretty!).

Of course I'm off to a bad start as I forgot to take "before pictures" again! I really got to get better at this.

A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content

2010-01-24T23:04:00.010-06:00

What a Sunday! I have been sanding and painting my hallway all day; just giving it a badly needed refresh really.

My hallway consists of six door frames, four have doors and the other two are entrance ways. I call it the pivot zone as it's only big enough to stand in. You just pivot where you want to go.

Since my home is older, the trim work is extensive. It feels like it takes forever to paint! I started out sanding everything to try and smooth out some areas. After three hours of sanding I think it could have used more. 70 years of bad paint jobs by previous owners have done a number on it. But I do notice a difference, so that's good, yet I still want to even it out more. I'm pretty anal about crap like that. Oh well, next time I guess.

A nice thing I discovered sanding today is that you can sand old hinges and it polishes them up quite nicely. The hinges were pretty tarnished, so I thought I would see what the sander would do to them. Turns out, it polishes them back to the original silver and they are now sparkling! I think I will try to sand down the doorknobs next and see where that leads.

But I'm definitely done for a few days. Holding a sander for so long and then painting with a brush for another four hours has made my wrists ache.

Update: Here is the polished door knob. Kinda turned out gold and silver. Still looks cooler than it did.

Oh sunny day

2010-01-10T18:57:00.024-06:00

Brrrrr, it’s been quite cold in the “peg” lately. Bone-chilling cold. This city gets so frigid in the winter that it becomes easier to hibernate at home than venture outside. But today was not that day. It was beautiful. The sun was out, the sky was blue and the snow was sparkling beneath it all.

The best thing about a day like today is the air feels and smells so clean. It’s refreshing and it makes your cheeks nice and rosy. I love that feeling. It felt great to get outside and walk around. I’ve missed doing that lately. Hopefully this weather holds up for a few more days of enjoyment before it drops back down to nasty and hibernation season begins again.

Photo by Khammy Phanthavong.

Oh, I almost forgot...happy new year everyone! May 2010 bring good things.

Rubber duckie, you're the one

2009-12-13T23:30:00.018-06:00

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Work is always crazy in December; this year especially as I’m trying to finish a couple of projects before year-end. Christmas shopping is hectic and all the while I’m trying to organize getting my bathroom updated.

I’m not the best at this reno thing. I don’t really know all that goes into this stuff, so I just have to trust the guys that are doing the work. So far, they have been great. (fingers crossed it continues)

It will be exciting to see the bathroom finished. It’s tiny, so I’m going for brightness. I’m putting white subway tile and glass tile in the tub and octagon tile on the floor. I want it to have a classic old-time look, but with modern touches. That should suit the style of my house.

I picked out the new fixtures last week and I am in love. The sink is a pedestal and has a unique modern look. The faucet (pictured) was not the style I was looking for at first, but the minute I saw it I knew it was the one.

Currently, my bathroom tub is surrounded in linoleum. Yep, that’s right, flooring! It looks nasty. Really, my whole tub is a mess. Only the shower works and the tub itself is in desperate need of resurfacing.

I feel like this is the year of renos. I haven’t had an opportunity since I moved in to do all of these big fixes. Most of my fixes have been small and completed on a tight (really non-existent) budget. It’s been easy to decorate and paint. That’s stuff I can do on my own and don’t need help with. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Much of the decorating and fixes have been done with my mom’s help. She has sewed curtains, recovered furniture, painted walls and even took down kitchen cupboards when I wasn’t looking.

And to be honest, she’s the reason I’m in the “year of renos” too. If it wasn’t for her I would still be shivering in my living room every winter.

Tis the season?

2009-11-30T23:51:00.006-06:00

What beautiful weather we have been having in Winnipeg this fall. It's been so mild that I cannot believe tomorrow is the first of December! Crazy

Ah December, always a crazy month of decorating, shopping, visiting and eating. Those are a few of my favourite things. Ah, who am I kidding, those are all of my favourite things!

This year I'm a little stuck on what to give as gifts. Usually I put a lot of thought into it, but I've been distracted with other things (reno’s and work especially). I might be a little challenged in the gift-giving area this holiday...uh oh

I had good intentions to paint a few gifts, but I never got off my lazy butt to start; just did some preliminary sketches that led to... nothing. And that sucks! I enjoy receiving gifts (who doesn't), but I really enjoy when I give a good gift. That's why Christmas rocks. Birthdays are fun and all, but I like it when everyone gets something.

Oh well, I'm sure I'll find some interesting things in the next few weeks. I better! I have a no gift card policy (that would be an unwritten policy, Larry David).

Hmmm, I wonder where I can buy this leg lamp? I think it would be perfect for mom and Art's new place.

Update: I did get off my lazy butt to paint a few gifts for Christmas. Two NHL logos for die hard fans (Flyers and Devils) and this old car for Art.

wakka wakka wakka!

2009-11-25T23:09:00.008-06:00

Wow, have I ever fallen off the blogging bus! Not sure what happened there.

I don't have anything exciting to say, so I think I will just post this funny video a friend sent me.

It's Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" sung by the Muppets. I have a huge soft spot for them; the Muppet Show was one of my favourites as a kid. How can you not like the Muppets? Impossible.

Enjoy the video (esp., Beaker!)

cough, cough

2009-10-30T22:33:00.009-05:00

This H1N1 thing, I don’t know, should we be as freaked out about it as the media is telling us to be? Is it going to take us all down or is it media hysteria all over again? Anyone remember Y2K, bird flu, SARS?

All week, I’ve seen people in long lines for the vaccine and it’s been the biggest water cooler talk in the office. (Whatever happened to talking about stupid tv shows?) The biggest question asked is “are you getting the shot?” I don’t think I will as there are many more people out there that need it more than me. At least I will wait until everyone that really needs it has the chance to get it.

A small part of me thinks this flu shot hysteria is a huge pharmaceutical cash-grab. Private companies are going to make billions off the vaccine (and their stock prices are currently soaring). And it’s a little shady that many politicians are profiting off of this as well; some of the same people that profited off of Tamiflu when bird flu was labelled an upcoming pandemic. Maybe I’m too much of a skeptic, but why are we not more concerned about the 16,000 children that die a day from hunger? Any death to illness is horrible, but a little perspective please. Supposedly I have the same chances of dying from falling out of bed as I do from H1N1.

With that being said, I am still going to take my little preventative measures; washing hands frequently and taking salt water to gargle and stick up my nose with a Q-tip (funny!). That doesn’t seem too tough.

Stay healthy everyone!

Let's make a fort

2009-10-26T22:29:00.001-05:00

Saw “Where the Wild Things Are” last Saturday. What a beautiful movie. It made me wistful to be a kid again; when your imagination and energy knew no bounds.

Fast talker

2009-10-21T21:23:00.013-05:00

I gave my first presentation to the web team today. It was on writing effectively for the web. I probably should have prepared more, but I think it went well overall.

And did I ever speak fast! Must have had some nerves, which is strange since I'm a bit of a talker (understatement) and speaking within a group is never a problem. It's pretty daunting when the spotlight is directly on you though.

The team gave me some great feedback and they seemed interested. That was great to see, especially since I didn't do my first topic... Jabba the Hut vs. Yoda, who's sexier? (We would need two hours for that debate.)

I also want to share this letter my co-worker Jheryll (the thug) sent me. As a designer, I would love to have Mick as a client (call me!). The best thing about this is that the album Andy created is considered one of the best of all time (Sticky Fingers). See what happens when you are given complete artistic freedom. And I do realize this doesn't relate to my presentation at all. (As Ruby always tells me...RANDOM!)

Always waiting til the last minute

2009-10-20T20:38:00.005-05:00

I'm such a procrastinator! I've known for a month that I have to give a presentation to the web team and I am just sitting down now to figure out what to present!

Actually, I guess I'm blogging instead. Not good. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Basement update: The poly is on the walls in the basement. Yippee

Throw it all in and hit blend

2009-10-19T19:44:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, I went to a belated Thanksgiving dinner with my new blended family. As always the food was fantastic, but better than that, it was our first big dinner together. There were laughs, crazy stories, kids hollering and of course lots of wine. Good times!

After dinner, we each went around the table and said what we were thankful for. We all had our selfish thanks, but every one of us mentioned how thankful we were to meet each other and have this new family.

Our blending began when mom met her husband, Art, on eHarmony on Valentine’s Day 2008. Cute! He was the first man she met online. (They so need to be in one of those commercials!) A year and a half later, they are married and have built a beautiful home to enjoy together. The best part of this little story, I haven’t seen mom this happy in a long time. She glows. I’m glad they found each other.

Sometimes it’s hard to change family traditions, and invite others in, but I think we’ve done pretty good overall. What a great dinner. Thanks Art and mom!

Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to say at dinner is how thankful I am to have nieces and nephews. Six in total! And they are all amazing kids. Well... except when they are feeding me butt licorice (don’t ask) and getting me in trouble (not really) with one of my step-brothers for being loud at a slumber party.

I love pink!

2009-10-15T22:37:00.009-05:00

Yes! Insulation in my basement. It's finally done and feels so much cozier down there already. The dank is gradually going away. Next step, poly.

Here are the latest pics.

I see my path, but I don't know where it leads

2009-10-13T18:45:00.010-05:00

Okay, so I’ve done it now. Last week I told my sister and mom that I will not be joining them in Europe because I have decided to go on my own. I felt bad saying it. I know I would have a good time with them, but I think I have to do this by myself.

Here’s the thing, I have been planning this trip in my mind since I was 18 and now I can finally go (over 10 years later than expected – stupid responsibilities!). I kind of want this to be my own experience, as selfish as that seems.

I realized I wanted to go solo because of an old friend. Way, way back in university, my roommate Claire delighted me with tons of stories from her European adventure (she backpacked alone there for two months before heading to university). I particularly remember how much fun she said she had on her own, meeting people and going off the beaten path. That’s what I want. I want to just be there, do what I feel like on a daily basis, and just go with it. I think that suits my personality.

But now for the one crappy thing… I have to get organized! Got to figure out schedules, dates and hotels. If you know me, you know this is sometimes a struggle. I’ve become pretty good in my job organizing web content (you should see my mad bulleted-list skills) but outside of the job – ha ha – not so much. I cannot make a list to save my life! I never take one grocery shopping; I just wing it and end up walking the store four different ways, and forgetting something. When it comes to things and words, I love order; but as for life and living, it’s much more fun to wing it.

Europe. Boy I got to be on my toes, I just can’t wing it… well I can, but I have to plan it out first. Make sense? No? Ah, whatever.

Day 1: All clean

2009-10-05T19:16:00.019-05:00

Today was the first day of my basement renovation. Oh my! It looks 100 percent better! No more creepiness, or at the very least, it’s minimal. Don't know how far I will go, but it's great to see it gutted.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture (of the creepy place) before the demo. But here are a few from today.

That’s Stan checking out the area where the old room with the mailbox was. He knows something went down!

The creepy place

2009-10-04T15:09:00.013-05:00

Wow! Nothing like a call from the contractor saying he can begin the basement reno tomorrow to give me the kick in the butt I need to clean. it. out.

I've been saying I'm going to clean out the "creepy place" for years, but I never have. I hate being down there. It's cold and dank and just plain creepy. So creepy, that when I first moved in there was a mailbox nailed to the door of the old coal room. *shudders* Why was there a mailbox there? Did someone live in that little room? Was it the Blair Witch? Just weirded out thinking about it.

But now it’s going to be torn up, cleaned up and insulated. Yay! I can hardly wait til it’s done. I can now think about having a rec room, or at the very least, have my washer and dryer not across the basement from each other.

Oh, and if you are wondering... 6 large garbage bags full of crap, 10 boxes to go to the CDA and probably a full truck load of “bigger” garbage. Whew! Thankfully that’s done. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Time to mix it up

2009-09-26T15:06:00.014-05:00

I need to begin painting again. I haven't put brush in hand for months. Nothing has inspired me lately. There are a couple of paintings that I have been commissioned to do and I should get off my butt and start them, but alas, I haven't.

Starting is the hardest part, but once I begin, it will go quickly. Maybe I'll start with this old car; I do enjoy painting old cars.

Also, it's that time of year to think about painting a few presents for Christmas; a very economical way to give a decent gift.

Put that in your pipe

2009-09-25T13:44:00.032-05:00

This is the exterior of Centre Pompidou, the National Modern Art Museum in Paris.

What unique architecture. I imagine it was shocking to the locals when it first opened in 1977; but that’s what a modern art museum should be.

Did a little Googling and here’s what I found:

“The architects created huge uncluttered space inside by moving all the service sections outside. Their goal was to show the public how a building functions and color-coded the different areas – the air pipes are blue, the water pipes are green, the escalators are red, the electricity is yellow.”

Love that the building guts are on the outside and colour-coded. How cool is that?

...where the ladies wear no pants

2009-09-23T18:57:00.016-05:00

Next fall I’m travelling to Europe and last week I took the first step of my adventure, I picked up a couple of travel books. Let me tell you, I’m devouring the France one. Trying to figure out the city maps, trains, and sights to see is a daunting task, but an exciting one. I want to experience as much as I can when I get there. I just have to figure out how much I can fit in. There are at least six art galleries that are a must see with gardens, cafes, night life and so on mixed in. And that’s just Paris!

One huge must is finding a piece of art to buy off a street painter. It will hopefully be watercolour, light and airy, and depict Paris or France in a way that will mean something to me, whatever that might be. This will be my souvenir, the one that makes me remember my trip fondly every time I glance upon it.

In the sixties, my grandparents visited Paris and purchased three watercolours off the street. The paintings are of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Champs Elysées (pictured). They now hang in my living room. I love them! They are my favourite pieces in the house. I was honoured to have them handed down to me. I hope the piece I find will be just as beautiful.

La vie est l'art!

If you have a must see for France, I would love to hear it. Let me know by posting a comment.

No news is good news

2009-09-18T10:01:00.015-05:00

Very little blogging going on lately. I guess that's what happens when you get back to work after an absence; no time for the fun stuff.

In the festive spirit of Friday, and to tease my coworkers (good times!), here is a classic shot of some webbies working hard(ly) on our news bulletins.
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Enjoy the late-season warmth.

A nice place for a chat

2009-09-14T21:25:00.020-05:00

I hope to find a place like this when I go to Europe.
Café Terrace at Night - Vincent Van Gogh

A lovely sunrise

2009-09-08T22:40:00.004-05:00

Photo taken Thursday, September 3, 2009 in Gimli, MB.

The smell of autumn is in the air

2009-09-05T09:46:00.014-05:00

After all the bright and shiny colours of summer, it's time to wrap yourself up in the rich hues of fall.

This painting is titled Autumn Leaves and was painted for my friend Denise. It now hangs in her living room.

Moonbeam

2009-09-03T11:38:00.022-05:00

This week, my cousin Dale (the one with the crazy curls) came over with my new bed and helped set it up. What a sweetheart! He does stuff like that for me all the time.

But that's Dale. I don't really think of him as a cousin, he's like a brother. We are the same age and our parents are best friends. We have been stuck together since we were born. Our cabins were close to each other when we were babies and when we turned seven our parents decided to build cabins right next to each other.

We ended up spending each summer together. Every day! The poor guy. He was the silent sam to my loud lucy. He didn't need to talk, I talked for him! Again... poor guy.

I don't see Dale as often anymore. He lives with his familiy in the country, and I am in the city. But when we are together we are as comfortable with each other as when we were kids. I know we will always have this special relationship.

Dale has helped me whenever I needed it. When my mom and I tore up my backyard to build a patio he called out of the blue to see what I was up to. When I told him, the first thing out of his mouth was "Do you want help?" He then drove an hour in to the city and slaved away with us in the 34 degree heat to finish. It only cost me a couple of beers!

He helped build my fence too and one of his legs ended up in a three foot post hole... twice! That story still breaks us up.

That's what you get with Dale. You get a guy that is always willing to help and usually a funny story to go with. He never disappoints.

Rodin

2009-08-31T06:51:00.021-05:00

In the fall of 2006, my mom and I visited the Auguste Rodin exhibit at the WAG. Besides the “Thinker” and “The Kiss” I didn’t know much about his work.

Rodin’s bronzes were impressive. They were harsh and beautiful at the same time. Their rough texture made you feel the emotional state of the subject (love, passion, sadness, tension). I wanted to touch one. Run my hands over it, feel the smoothness, the bumps and try to imagine what he was thinking while sculpting it. Not touching was torture.

His subjects seemed more real than a Michelangelo. Don’t get me wrong, seeing a real Michelangelo will be a dream come true, but his subjects are the embodiment of human perfection. Rodin’s are almost grotesque in comparison. The feet and hands are way too large and everything looks harsh. It’s like Rodin’s pieces are the working class to Michelangelo’s upper class.

After seeing the exhibit, I wished I had the talent to sculpt. To take a big piece of clay and chip away at it to create something (besides a smaller piece of clay). I would love to sculpt the human form. But sculpting is all about removal and I cannot do that. I’ve tried many times, and it’s just not something I can figure out. I guess I’m more about addition. I have been blessed with the ability to look at a blank canvas and add to it to form an image, but never have I been able to subtract. Maybe that’s the difference between painters and sculptors. When you paint, you add. When you sculpt, you subtract. You have to chip away to form your image.

Back in high school I would take clay, form individual pieces and try to stick them together. It always ended in disaster. Oh well.

If you ever get a chance to see a Rodin exhibit, do it. You will not be disappointed. Just don’t touch! (Or at least not when security is watching.)

Frida

2009-08-30T06:19:00.021-05:00

Frida Kahlo is one of the greatest artists I have laid eyes on. I didn’t used to think so. I would look at her paintings in art books and think “nice unibrow.” Her paintings didn’t interest me. They were colourful for sure, but otherwise they looked boring and depressing. Seriously, how many self portraits can a person paint?

I changed my opinion awhile ago. I was in Vancouver visiting a friend and on a day she had to work I went to the art gallery. The main exhibit was showcasing the work of three women, Kahlo, Georgia O’Keefe and Emily Carr.

O’Keefe was the reason I went. I love her orchid paintings and wanted to see some in person. Once there though, I was disappointed to discover they only had her adobe paintings.

I was starting to think the exhibit was a bust (never been a fan of Carr) until I ventured into the Kahlo wing. I was struck. I couldn’t look away from her paintings and spent a long time in front of each one. They were all self portraits and the unibrow was still very prominent, but the depth in her gaze was jarring. It made me sad. I didn’t know anything about her life, but looking at those paintings told me that it was not a happy one. To this day, I can still remember the pain I saw on the canvas. To think that something that beautiful could be so painful to look at. All the paintings I saw were similar in that they had the vibrant colours of Mexico surrounding a woman in absolute pain.

I never saw the movie about Kahlo’s life that came out a few years ago. Not sure I want to. Sometimes you don’t need to know everything about a subject. Seeing the movie might ruin the experience I had. For me, watching a biography on an artist is not always necessary as their life is depicted in their work. You just have to look for it. Maybe it’s not the correct version of their life, but it’s the one you imagine.

You're gonna need a bigger boat

2009-08-27T20:33:00.012-05:00

Tomorrow, my sister Sherri is coming out to the beach to spend the night. It’s our first night together in the new house.

We are going to watch Jaws, a family tradition. We’ve been watching it together for as long as I can remember. It’s one of her favourites, which is funny since it scared the crap out of her as a child.

You see, my parents took her to Jaws when she was 6 years old. I have no idea what they were thinking?! After seeing it, she was frightened of the bath! It was a traumatic summer for her after that since we practically lived on the beach. I could even tease her about the existence of the elusive “Lake Winnipeg Shark” and it would freak her out.

But a few years ago, when we were in the Dominican Republic, she did what I always thought was impossible for her. SHE SWAM WITH SHARKS! If you know her, you would have been shocked. I certainly was. But she did it and she had the time of her life. It was awesome.

She didn’t even mention the need of a bigger boat.

What a difference an hour makes

2009-08-27T00:40:00.008-05:00

I just spent a wonderful evening with my mom’s friends.

I have to preface this by saying I was in a horrible mood before going to my aunt’s for dinner tonight. I just had a tonsillectomy and for the last couple of days I’ve had an extremely sore jaw that has made me grumpy.

My bad mood was completely erased once I got to my aunt's. You just cannot stay grumpy around these people! They are hilarious and crazy and make you laugh constantly. You will never see a group of people having more fun together. I ended up having an excellent time tonight. There was even some spontaneous polka dancing going on! (I ran from that)

I also had a great conversation with Cummy, a longtime family friend and distant relative. He’s 81 and you would be shocked by that number if you met him. He is a spry guy. I’ve been calling him an “old coot” for years and it totally fits. He’s set in his ways and usually starts a sentence with “Well, in my day…”

At one point in our conversation I ask him how he’s feeling. He turns to me and says “You know Kirsten, I’m doing really good. I have the greatest friends. Nothing is better than being with this bunch.” He then goes on to say he has no idea if he will be here for two months or twenty years and all he wants is to enjoy whatever time that is with his friends. Love him!

That’s my evening, ended up better than expected.

FAIL

2009-08-25T10:51:00.009-05:00

I was a total failure in university and I don’t care.

When I was a child I wanted to be a marine biologist. No joke! This prairie girl wanted to swim in shark cages and help save the whales. I loved the sea, even though I had never been in it. So imagine my elation when UBC accepted me. I was going by myself and was extremely excited.

When I arrived the excitement quickly faded. I was scared. I had never been away from my friends or family. I felt alone. I spent my first week crying before I went to sleep. I missed my parents. I missed my friends. I started to wonder why I left them in the first place. Why would I leave the comfort of home to come to a place where I knew no one? I was homesick.

After that first week, I bucked it up and started to meet people. I just couldn’t keep wallowing in the self pity. Once I set my mind to it, I started meeting people easily. I met so many different types of people and began loving the experience. Everyone was so unique and it was thrilling to get to know them, where they came from, where they wanted to go.

My year there became a life learning experience. It enabled me to open up and see people differently. You could sit and laugh and joke all night or you could get into a rampant debate. Both were good. You found friends that you could rely on, who would help you study (or so I’ve heard) and would understand you when you were missing home.

After that first week, I loved every minute!

University is a blank slate. It’s not even similar to high school. Why is this? Is it because we are all in the same boat; just wanting to connect with others, think for ourselves, have a unique voice that will be heard? In university you are encouraged to have your own opinion, to not let anyone speak for you. It’s refreshing! The experience is like no other for that. It becomes so much more than studying.

Well, I digress, I should be telling you about my failure. I took first year science courses and here’s something not everyone knows… I got 10% in Calculus! Is that even possible you say? Yes. I did that. Not even remotely proud of that number.

I ended my first year of university with horrible grades (failed all but two classes) and a lifetime experience I will never forget. I think of those times often and I wonder what person would I be without that failure? I don’t want to know actually. I might have been a failure at studying for exams, but I found that I was a success at being an independent person who can do things for herself.

I also learned that I will never succeed at everything, but I tried, and sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do. I’m not proud of the waste of my parents money, but if its any consolation, they did pay for a life experience and invested in the person that I would eventually become. I know my mom is proud of that and my dad would have been too.

Everything in life happens for a reason, so the fact that I didn’t continue with my childhood dream was a blessing. If I didn’t fail, I would have stayed at UBC and got a coastal job and probably wouldn’t have been with my dad for the last years of his life. Thinking about this makes me so glad I didn’t become a marine biologist. I wouldn’t give up that time with my dad for anything.

I had a friend tell me recently that he hates failure. But then he changed it to say, “maybe its not failure I hate, but the embarrassment of failure.” How true is that! I fail at something every day. I don’t care when no one sees it, but it is so hard to fail in front of others. Well, here you all go, here’s my failure… I got 10% in Calculus!!! You can’t fail much worse than that. (Oh and 45% my second time around.)

This one's for Denise...

2009-08-24T17:41:00.001-05:00

The night was sultry.

Ah, beach life!

2009-08-24T16:33:00.014-05:00

From Saturday, August 22:
Its 6:30 a.m. and I find myself wondering what to do this beautiful morning. It’s sunny and breezy, a great combination.

A morning walk into Gimli is the decision. I put the iPod on, tie the laces tight, and away I go. I find myself enjoying every minute. I love to walk, it's a great way to reflect upon your day (or in this case, plan the day ahead). I walk through Loni Beach and into Gimli, walking as close to the water as I can. I walk to the very end of the Gimli pier.

On my journey back, I pass two teenage boys carrying fishing poles and a small tackle box. It’s nice to see. No electronic gadgets in sight. Just two buddies going to do a little fishing before continuing on their day. It struck me when I saw it. It’s funny, I think you get to an age that when you see kids doing things you did when you were that age, you have to stop, smile and appreciate it. With how quickly things change and evolve in this world it was nice to see that the basics – a good friend, a fishing pole and endless conversation – are still enjoyed.

Happy Monday!

2009-08-24T15:45:00.007-05:00

When you have a day like today, you stay inside and start a blog. I'd rather be swimming though.

Life is either a great adventure or nothing

2009-08-24T14:15:00.001-05:00

Well, I finally decided to start a blog. This past year I have been thinking off and on about starting one and since becoming a Twitter addict, I think this is just a natural evolution. So here we go… here are my ramblings about life, art and anything else that catches my fancy (in more than 140 characters).

I guess, for those who don’t know, a little about me would be in order. I’m in my thirties; I have a career I enjoy, a house that I love, and friends and family that I adore. Those are my necessities, but there is so much more out there too. I love, love, love art, any kind, it doesn’t matter. If someone has created something, I want to see it, read it, hear it or touch it. I think it’s a sad life to live if you don’t enjoy art, whatever it may be.

I also want to thank two friends who have inspired me. Clancy and Anna have been delighting me with their blogging for some time now. It’s a nice way to get a glimpse of the real them.

So the adventure begins…