Planetary Vagrant

Slideshow test from Manu's blog

2008-03-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Manu is too cool for this old blog...

2007-08-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family,

We've gone ahead and built a new blog for our tiny treasure, considering the fact that this blog was originally intended to be more travel oriented. Please feel free to wander on over to get the latest, greatest Manu news:

http://manukenzo.blogspot.com

Big hugs to all!!!

Worth the wait...

2007-08-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen...introducing Manu Kenzo Baron-Jerugim. He was officially awarded the cutest baby of all time award by our distinguished panel of judges (Severine and I). Go take a look...

http://www.mikejerugim.com/manu

Any day now....

2007-08-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hi All! I haven't posted here in a while, but seeing as my lovely wife is currently sleeping and fit to pop at any moment, I thought I would post a few shots for curious minds.

As of today we have officially hit the 40 week mark. Nesting, to the extent that not having moved into our own apartment will allow, has been taken care of. The bags are packed for the hospital, and we are simply waiting for the little monkey to let us know when the time is right.

Isn't she pretty?

We have also occasionally been watching Raphael dance tango in the park, as there are gazillions of tango in the parks here, and Raph is becoming quite the tanguero! Go Raph, go!

More to come soon.....

Moved to Montreal... yes we did!

2007-05-24T07:08:00.001-07:00

Ah yeah, we finally did it! We moved to Montreal!!! YEAHHHHH!
We're very happy to start something new, explore new things, make new friends and have our new baby!
Things have been going well, we're staying at my parents' house for now but have been visiting apartments and hopefully found one that's just right, we'll find out later this week or next.
Mike has been interviewing for jobs and had an offer he's still waiting to finalize, so no comment about that until it happens.

I'm almost 29 weeks at this point, so there is only about 80 days to go... It passes by way too fast!

Montreal January 22nd 2007

2007-01-30T16:34:00.000-08:00

Here are a few left over pics from our trip to Montreal...

There's a new osteopath in town....

This is what happens when dorkiness is passed down through the generations...

Here's a nice view over the Atlantic right after take off on the 23rd...

Back in Los angeles

2007-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

We just got back from Montreal and are getting into "slow prep mode".
Since we decided to move to Montreal we will be purging our apartment little by little, chipping at it everyday until we have the bare essentials to move with.
There is no precise plan other than the fact that I can't travel past my 7th month and really wouldn't want to pack and unpack when I'm too big, so we'll be going probably as soon as Mike gets a job offer and no later than mid-May.

So far we have chosen to take every aspect of this pregnancy very "naturally", meaning a natural birth, no epidural, help with hypnotherapy (hypnobirthing seems to be very powerful!) in a birth center if we can and if everything goes well. We saw an osteopath in Montreal who already has helped me tremendously, between headaches and my frequent trips to the bathroom. The hypnotherapist himself has been probably the best thing that could have been as he completely took away any fear I had and I now feel very calm, peaceful, and ready.
We also chose not to see an obstetrician, when we have a confirmation from the birth center, the mid-wives there will take us in and do all the necessary exams such as the ultrasounds that we might need, though as we mentioned in earlier posts, we don't want to have more than two and will have the first one around week 20 (that's how they do it in Canada anyway so it suits us!).
These are our plans so far, things can always change, but as I feel very well we believe everything is good with the baby, and everything will stay this way! These are also our affirmations so it can actually go that way instead of having our stress affect the outcome!
We picture our baby coming out like a Bodhisattva in meditation position! ;-)

These are the news....

Montreal January 15th

2007-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Cute overdose day.

Bromont Jan 14th

2007-01-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today we made a day trip out to Bromont to check on the progress of the works that are underway in the parent's country house (that sounds so pretentious...how about their "house in the country"?). Anyhoo...the works seem to be going well, and when all is said and done a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house should metamorphasize into a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house, which should be much better suited to 3 families sharing it at any given time. Here are a few pics of the works that truly don't do the plans or the new configuration any justice at all, but you get the idea...

Here are some pretty, semi-snow covered shots of the property...

Sabo keeping warm in the car with her mommy.

Then of course we stopped off at Georgia and Jeremy's place for some very delicious lunch before heading back to Montreal.

You know you want some.

Montreal Jan 13th

2007-01-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

Today we went to have lunch at the Jean-Talon market, an indoor marketplace that is one of those places that is just brimming with the spirit of what this city is all about. Fresh produce, lush flowers, good, cheap food, and people gathered together in an orderly, stress-free fashion. We know that the only reason you all follow our blog is for the food porn, so here you go!

Mmmmmmm.....caramel churro.Montreal tomatoes are yummy.

Later that evening the family friends Jake and Aurore came by for a dinner party. Not many pictures, but they are always fun (plus Aurore is 5 months pregnant right now, and they seem really happy!).

Montreal Jan 9th - travel day

2007-01-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SABO SABO SABO SABO SABO!!!!!!!!

In case you're wondering, my lovely wife Severine's birthday is on the 9th. Nothing quite like dealing with airports and stuffy plane cabins while celebrating one's birthday, but Sev did admirably (especially considering that she's pregant to boot).

Giant Sabo or tiny elevator???

The flights were relatively empty, which made for a relatively chill day of travel, which was nice for a change. Arriving in Montreal was mostly uneventful, though we did have some fun giving a couple gifts to the nephew...

Every child needs a Mr. Potato Head at one point or another, especially one that's been under Sev's chin.

The parents watch the show.

Raphael brought back some viet food for everyone (mmmmmm), then we called it a night. Travel day accomplished, as was the Sabo birthdayo.

In Montreal...

2007-01-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

So we are in Montreal.
We arrived the day of my birthday, January 9th tuesday.
So far we've been hanging out with the family, chilling and plain resting!

For those who didn't get it yet (and you would be ones who don't really look at the pictures already posted!), Mike and I are expecting a mini human.

A few details for people who want to read about it:
I am 8 weeks pregnant (10 weeks for people who count like obstetricians, we count since the actual conception, not since my last period).
We call it shrimp until now because, frankly, it looked like a shrimp for a while. Now it looks like a small alien with a really big head, but shrimp seems to stick (we mean it in the absolute most adoring way!).
Actually we base this on pictures from books and other babies because we chose not to do an ultra sound yet as we read some really bad reports linking ultrasounds to autism. It says you can pretty much have 2, maybe 3, but that beyond that it's criminal. So since in Canada they don't give you an ultrasound until your 20th week, that's what we choose to go with!

Still, here are a few photos of other babies at the same stage, baring in mind that it's probably as a big as a kumquat:

ooops and yes I am....

2007-01-12T22:32:00.001-08:00

Back in LA

2006-10-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

6 hour flight direct this time and I'm back with my peachy hubby at home in Los Angeles...
It's when you get out of LA that you realize how you need to get out of this city regularly!
At least that's how it affects us, and I can't wait for Mike to be able to get out too because I found him stuck in his shoulder and he's hurting bad, that's what stress does to ya!
GGRRR
Until next travel....

Matthieu photos (oct 28th)

2006-10-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

Photo of food for Mike:

Oct 27th, Mostly Halloween Party at Day Care

2006-10-28T20:29:00.001-07:00

But before the Halloween party, this is Bromont when the StMarc were still here, I like the rug of yellow and orange leaves, it's pretty!!!

Make up session before the stage... Matthieu adoooores it.... ;-)

Where is Matt?

The roaring lion:

And these are for Mike. Mike, we had to go to one of your favorite spot in Montreal, just for you!!! hahahaha! Guess who all this sugar is for? (sorry people, inner jokes because my Peachy Hubby is not with us, but we want to include him!!!):

For Mike too! :-D

The StMarc's photos in Montreal/Bromont (Quebec)

2006-10-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos Jean took with his reallly cool camera while they were in Quebec.

Claudette and my mother with the eternal question, "hmmm, what are we going to eat tonight"...

At the start of their trip, first week of October, when the colors of the fall were still very bright:

Chipmunks have a colony in my parents' garden in Bromont:

Montreal landscape:

Yes, we are a mac family, there are a few laptops in this picture, can you find them all?:

Last day for the StMarc (oct 26th)

2006-10-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Snif, the StMarc are leaving to go back home on the other side of the world....

BUT, here are a few pictures from yesterday:

Bromont, 24 Oct. 2006

2006-10-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today we went for a little trip around the area.
It was nice, and we stopped at a chocolate place with lots of gifts too... and really nice hot chocolate!!!

The river at my parent's place. Jean and Claudette are very cold here as they live in a tropical weather in Reunion Island, so it's funny to know that in this following picture, Jean IS wearing 2 jackets....

Dorky parents, see where I get my grimacing from?

The fearies wouldn't let me take pictures, but isn't their house so pretty?:

Yeah, Halloween!!!!!

Cold Jean:

Dad on the bench that was built out of a trunk of a tree that had to be taken down:

There are a lot of chipmunks in the garden there, and they are so cccuuuuutttteee!!!!

The store we went to didn't only have hot chocolate....:

In the Country, Quebecois

2006-10-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

We're back in the country, in Bromont, near the Vermont border (well, about a half hour away from it), in the parents' little house. Prettyyyy.

My parents' friends, the StMarc family came from Reunion Island (Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, where my parents grew up), so I came partly to see them as they are a second pair of parents that I hadn't seen in over 12 years!

That close up of a himalayan crystal is for Mikey, he likes close ups!

This one is also for my Mikey cause he likes the charcuterie (french raw meat, like hams and salamis in general), t'was gooodz!

Random Montreal photos

2006-10-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

Montreal Oct 18th, 2006

2006-10-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm back in Montreal.... But Kachu (Matthieu's name for Mike) is in LA working... snif...
Brought the Nephew a Thomas locomotive toy (which is a success) and a lion outfit for Halloween.... There is only one kid like that...

Pics of the day:

More late photos

2006-09-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, never been so late posting, but I think this one takes the prize...
These following pictures are our trip back to the US from Canada.
We took my brother in our luggage, so here are a few of these moments...

Airport sunset:

Layover in Dallas... ahhhh:

cool brother in Venice beach:

Very very very late entry:last day in Montreal

2006-08-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

July 23rd, 2006:

Barbeque at Jake and Aurore's house. Jake and Aurore are very good friends of my parents and of my sister and brother in law. They just got married and coincidently Jake and I went to the same junior high school when I went back to France during the 91-92 events in Zaire.
So it's fun to see them in Montreal. He is a helicopter pilot and she is a nurse.
Fun barbeque,Matthieu showed up with brand new crocs and loved them...

He also found the cat and started hugging him, then it became a chase... poor cat!

The barbeque was orchestrated by pretty much everybody, but here is Jake and my dad, masters of the grillin'!

Then it was time for pool amusements, Matthieu is learning to swim right now, and was able to swim by himself for the first time EVER! WoOHOO!

Of course I couldn't resist the temptation of throwing my dad in the pool all dressed up. My sister and I made this a tradition to do this whenever there is a pool and especially when it's an occasion where he has to actually dress up to look nice. Unfortunately my sister wasn't there and he wasn't dress to kill, but I just HAD to do it, so Mike helped me. The funny thing is that usually when my sister is present, my dad will smell it coming and will get rid of his watch, cell phone and shoes before we throw him in, but since my sister wasn't there he didn't think I would do it! Well think again, pal!
heyheyhey

Dryin' in the sun:

Bromont July 15th - 21st, 2006

2006-07-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

July 16th, 2006

Sunday... We went back to Bromont. Ahhh, the country and its calm!!!!!!
Nothing extraordinary to report since we've been pretty much enjoying the calm, silence, nice people and good food (like we've been eating mostly tomatoe salads with some hams and such almost every lunch)!

July 18th, 2006

Today more chilling, but los Twangueros were playing again at Chez Sam.
So we went and even recorded them so they could have a live demo type of thing(they are not very tech inclined so they were very happy)!
It was a lot of fun again and my parents and Jeremy's parents (Georgia and Francois who also run the bistrot with the crepes, and Jeremy is the lead guitar in the band) were twitching again to the sound of their younger youths!

July 19th, 2006

We just sort of chilled, and went for a ride for a little bit, it's so pretty here....
Then of course we had a tomato salad with hams and stuff!!!! hmmmm
Our days are pretty much punctuated by trips to the public library and crepes here and there at Georgia and Francois' bistrot etc etc...

July 20th, 2006

After a typical day doing this and that at home, going for a ride, grocery shopping etc, we went to the local micro brewery for a beer before going back home for dinner, very nice beers!

Weird local bug:

Cool orange flower:

July 21st, 2006:

Friday was the trip to Vermont day! We decided in the morning we should go explore a little more. So we just organically gathered to the car to go to Vermont, not even forgetting our passeports. WOW!
We started of course down through Quebec, stopped at Freighlisburg for a lunch in a very cute old general store, very well redone into a restaurant and had croque monsieur:

oh, and my dad apparently expires very soon:

After this nice lunch we were on our way towards Vermont, but first... CUSTOMS...

Well that was an event!
First thing of course, I notice my favorite people on the wall:

Honestly, I had never seen or noticed the official pictures that are put in the governmental places like these and I thought it was a joke photoshop job... Especially on Cheney... I mean, how much more do I have to say!?

Mike and I were fine (I have a green card), but my parents both have french passeports without any US visas.
So we had to get out of the car to go fill out some of those green papers where they ask you if you are a communist or if you belonged to the nazi party, then also whether or not you commited a crime, and if you're therefore a felon ("why, yes sir, I'm a criminal, but I'd still like you to let me in there!"... Would anybody ever answer these questions by a yes? Anyway...).

This was not the only thing though, the french (and other people from other countries but I don't know which) have to undergo some special treatment... Yes, you read right, they have a VIP pass that gets them access to backstage rooms where they can be photographed and even have to give their digit autographs. Can you imagine, people, how popular are my parents!?
Well, all kidding aside, we got lucky to be examined by a couple of nice officers who clearly were bored out of their mind because one of them really got into chating with the frenchies!
Still, it is not a joke, the process seems banal, but it took about 45 minutes to be over.

First they ask a million questions about where you come from, where you live, exactly where you are going (which was a problem since we just wanted to roam around, we didn't have a precise address in Vermont which of course is needed!), why you're going to the US today, etc etc...
At that point, they check out both my parents' passeports with scrutiny (in case maybe my parents misspelled their names, maybe? *just jokin', god!*), then inform us that they need to call in something because these passeports were made prior to a date where new rules about pictures were made (meaning only black and white, no smiles, no glasses, no hats etc, and most importantly no smiles, and again, no smiles, it's a country where people are all equal, we all have to look like terrorists I guess!)... That took a while.

After that it's time to take finger print scans... Which my parents have taken everytime they've been to the US since that law was enacted, so I would love to understand why these photos and scans need to be taken every time, and if it's because they are not in the systems, what's the point!?

Of course, the finger print scanner never works, so it takes a little while to have that going, about 4 to 5 passes per finger (both hand indexes have to be scanned, not your toes... yet, they probably will come to it if we continue to take off our shoes at the airport! THEN it will be a really long process!)...

Ah, it's time for the picture, NO SMILES!

So after quite a while trying to be funny, being cool about it taking forever (they also needed to call in some computer stuff they couldn't figure out!), we finally were able to leave the post to enter Vermont!
Here's your stamp!
Woo-ee!

Of course Vermont was beautiful, although we were surprised to see a few little towns that were very much on the very very low income end of things and were feeling bad for these people who had to spend these hard winters in such old old houses (that could be very beautiful if they could be redone, btw!).
Anyway, we went all the way to Stowe (very cute village), stopped there for a tea and went back around.

We did a loop, very beautiful, in the middle of the mountain and amazing plains...

Back into Quebec we stopped at a famous foie gras place (to buy it) where there was a really nice dogette (she was very cute even though the owner said she usually doesn't like the clients... can't help return clientele that much, but their problem! haha):

Another local flower:

Bromont - Montreal July 11th - 15th 2006

2006-07-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

July 11th, 2006

We're in Bromont. It's chilled being in Bromont....

On est a Bromont. C'est tranquille d'etre a Bromont...

We did a bunch of stuff during the day then went to see some friends play at the bar next door, called "Chez Sam". Our friends, Los Twangueros, play surf music as if we had gone back in time. So one could see our parents twitching from dancing in their seats, remembering a lot of things that must have happened on these particular songs!

On a fait plein de trucs pendant la journee et le soir nous sommes alles voir des copains jouer au bar d'a cote, Chez Sam. Nos amis, Los Twangueros, jouent de la musique des annees 60 comme si nous etions retournes dans le temps. Donc nos parents avaient des mouvements convulsifs sur leurs sieges, se souvenant surement de toutes les choses qui ont du se passer sur ces memes chansons!

Chez Sam:

July 12th, 2006

Today, in our eventful life in the country of Quebec (we are definitely enjoying this calm to its fullest!), the most exciting thing was Raphael having a session of driving lessons from our dad.

Aujourd'hui, dans notre vie trepidante de la campagne du Quebec (nous profitons definitivement du calme d'ici!!!!), le truc le plus excitant qui se soit passe furent les lecons de conduite de Raphael par notre pere.

July 14th, 2006

This is the day where we exchange with my sister and her family. They come to Bromont for the week-end, and we go back to Montreal.
So we crossed paths for a little bit. Kissed our little nephew and were on our way back to Montreal where we stopped to have lunch at the market Atwater (we also bought patisseries etc).
C'est le jour des echanges. Ma soeur et sa famille viennent a Bromont passer le week-end pendant que nous rentrons a Montreal. Donc nous nous sommes croises un peu, embrasse notre neveu et sommes partit a Montreal en nous arretant au marche Atwater pour le dejeuner (on a aussi prit des patisseries etc).

July 15th, 2006

Today it rained so Mike and I didn't do much... heyhey, we lazy!
For diner we went to Rumi, a middle eastern restaurant where Mike and I got a chicken tagine, and the rest (parents, Raphael and his friend Erwan) got a soup with lots of good stuff in it.
For those who are just tuning in, Mike takes a lot of pictures of food, any food. The biggest fan of these pictures is Beth, our friend and neighbor, everybody else just thinks we eat too much!
;-)

Aujourd'hui il a plu, donc Mike et moi n'avons pas fait tellement de choses... heyhey on est paresseux!
Pour dinner nous sommes alles chez Rumi, un resto Iranien, ou Mike et moi avons prit un tajine de poulet, et les autres (les parents, Raphael et son pote Erwan) on prit une soupe avec plein de bonnes choses dedans.
Pour ceux qui arrive juste sur ce blog, mike prend plein de photos de mets, de tous nos repas. Notre plus grande fan est Beth, notre amie et voisine, tous les autres pensent simplement que nous mangeons trop!
;-)

Erwan:

Raph, maman et moi:

Montreal July 4th - 9th

2006-07-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

July 4th, continued:

YEEAAAHHH! We're home where my brother and I work hard at being well mannered! Can you see the jetlag in Mike's eyes?

We went to eat Vietnamese phoodddd for diner... hmmmm, here's a weird somewhat viet dude:

There be a weird little nephew:

There be a brother and mother:

Montreal, July 5th:

So Beth came.. yeahhhh!!!!! Whatup neighbor!?

She cool!

Beth: "OH MY GOD! Me car got smashed!"

Watching the France-Portugal match in world cup... well, talking while the match was on... rather! :

Pretty sunset in Montreal:

Beth, stop air brushing pictures to make me look crazy...

July 6th, 2006:

Beth: "Me car got smashed, insurance mon!":

Insurance mon: "You be screwed, mon!":

Insurance mon: "Oh yep, you're screwed, this car be very broken!"

Beth: "Oh damn it, Mike be taking a picture of us behind lots glasses!":
Sev: "AAAAHHHH":

Beth: "hmmm. I ate the insurance mon!":

Yeahhhh, no more insurance mon, let's celebrate:

Copyright: Beth's camera, 2006

July 7th, 2006:

Mike be taking over now 'cause Sev be a bit delirious....

Hi all.

Today was smoked meat day. Sev was out. Beth and I met at Chez Schwartz. Yummy yummy yummy (my first corned beef in like 15 years...mmmmmmm). Always a long line.....it's famous:

After lunch we found the most insane chocolatier ever called Suite 88. Oh my god:

So.....after all that "foodie-ish" type stuff, we went to go meet Sev and Raphael at the Montreal JAZZ FEST. It was kickass:

Beth is trying to take over the photographer job from Mike:
Mike: "Hey, I take the photos here":

Lotto balls:

In the middle of all these free Jazz shows, we happened upon a free music trade show - NIMM:

Then something happened:

We also roamed around Chinatown to eat more Vietnamese food for dinner, and found some random public meditations:

What a great music fest. One of the best we've ever been to:

The view from Beth's hotel room:

... Before she apparently went off joining Hare Krishna:

Montreal, July 9th - World Cup Final:

Snif. Guess who we were rooting for?:

Paris July 3rd and 4th

2006-07-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

July 3rd, 2006

Ahhh, our last day in Paris... snif!
We are so exhausted after walking pretty much everywhere we went that we don't really want to do much more, BUT we're in Paris, damn it!
Feet... You will keep on going! You will rise above all the blisters and open flesh and pick up the last bit of energy you might have from some sort of divine intervention... or else...!
There there, it's all worth it!!!!
Oh, here we are, we made it to Montmartre, we arrived up there at the top of Paris, at the church of the Sacre Coeur, and one of the coolest places in Paris, behind the Sacre Coeur is the Place du Tertre where all the painters have painted!
We got silhouettes done from a couple who were really nice and cut both our silhouettes in seconds using their super sharp scissors. Then we had the typical sandwiche in Paris, a saucisson beurre (meaning baguette with butter and saucisson which is the french salami). But since Mike feels obligated to take pictures of everything we eat, I always have to wait to start, but I'm hungry!!!
Walked around a little more (I know, I know poor feet, you suffer, but your friends the legs can sympathize, you're not alone!)....

Notre dernier jour a Paris! Snif! On est tellement creve qu'on ne peut plus vraiment faire beaucoup plus, mais nous sommes a Paris non de Dieu! Nos pieds... Vous allez continuer! Vous allez vous lever face a l'adversite, au dessus de toutes ampoules et blessures ouvertes, demandez une intervention divine si vous le voulez... sinon...! Voila voila... ca vaut le coup!!!!! Ah, nous voila a Montmartre, nous sommes arrives en haut de Paris au Sacre Coeur, et derriere le Sacre Coeur, a l'un des endroits les plus genial de Paris, la Place du Tertre, la ou tous les peintres ont peint! Un couple super sympa nous a fait nos silhouettes super rapides avec des ciseaux super eguises, et nous avons fini dans une brasserie pour prendre le sandwiche typique de Paris, un saucisson-beurre! Et comme Mike doit toujours prendre des photos de tout ce qu'on mange, je dois toujours attendre, mais j'ai faim moi! Puis nous avons marche un peu plus (et oui, je sais, je sais pauvres pieds, mais les jambes vous sont solidaires dans votre douleur! Vous n'etes pas seuls!)...

After all this we just couldn't go on much further so we decided to go on the bateau mouche (well actually we went on the bateau du pont neuf, but same thing!), these boats that you can take to tour the Seine and see the magnificent Parisian edifices from a great perspective. Low impact on the feet and legs, and just as beautiful as walking around the museum that is Paris.

Apres tout ca nous ne pouvions vraiment plus aller plus loin donc nous sommes alles dans un bateau mouche (enfin un bateau du Pont Neuf, mais c'est la meme chose). Pas d'impacte sur les pieds et jambes et aussi beau que de marcher dans le musee qu'est Paris.

Diner was a little ways away so we decided to have a kir royal (champagne and cassis liquor) at a famous place called "les Deux Magots" which has been there since the early 1800's and was right below where my grand mother used to live.
A little aperitif for our last day not only in Paris but on our honeymoon...

L'heure de diner n'etait pas tout a fait la donc nous avons decide d'aller prendre un kir royal aux Deux Magots (donc la brasserie qui est la depuis le debut des 1800, et ma grand mere habitait juste a cote, donc j'aime beaucoup!). Un petit aperitif pour non seulement notre dernier jour a Paris, mais aussi notre dernier jour en voyage de noce...

For diner we stayed in the Quartier Latin where I feel most comfortable in Paris and had a nice diner in the middle of the bustling 6th arrondissement.

Pour diner nous sommes reste dans le Quartier Latin ou je me sens le plus confortable a Paris, et avons profite d'une bon diner au milieu de l'animation du 6eme arrondissement.

Two kids looking very stunned at the musicians in the street:
Deux enfants, regardant les musiciens, ebahit:

At night, back at the apartment we packed, sadly...
Le soir, de retour a l'appartement, nous avons fait nos valises, tristement...

July 4th,

Plane day... nothing to report... just plane, small seats, good food because Air France has a few advantages over other airlines! hahaha
Got to Montreal safe.

Jour d'avion... rien a rapporter... juste de l'avion, petits sieges, bonne bouffe parce que Air France a quelques avantages sur d'autres airlines... hahaha! Arrives a Montreal sains et sauf!

Paris, July 1st and 2nd

2006-07-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

July 1st, 2006 (continued)....

After posting the previous posts, we came back home, cooked ourselves some lovely eggplant pasta, cracked a bottle of Bordeaux, and settled in to watch the French soccer team get their asses kicked by Brazil in the world cup quarter finals. France won!!! It was amazing standing on our 10th floor balcony above Paris for that. Talk about an entire city going nuts! Of course, when the screams and whistles and car horns blaring didn't stop hours and hours later, it got a bit tiring (especially when we were trying to fall asleep). It was still great to be here to participate in the celebrations.
Apres l'entree precedente, nous sommes rentres a la "maison", on s'est fait des pates avec une bonne sauce a l'aubergine, un bon petit bordeaux, et nous avons regarde les francais ramolir les bresiliens dans les quarts de final de la coupe du monde. Et ils ont donc gagnes!!! C'etait super de voir les Francais gagner depuis le 9eme etage de notre appartement parisien. Les Parisiens deviennent vraiment malades dans ces cas la! bien sur des cris partout, sifflements, les klaxons des voitures toute la nuit. Super d'etre en France pour ca.

July 2nd, 2006

Today we had plans to have lunch with Nicole's daughter Annie and her husband Michael. We did have some time to kill before getting there, so we decided to go hang out in the Luxembourg park where the Senate is Located. At the park we found another outdoor photography exhibit (there seem to be many of these here in Paris).

Aujourd'hui on est alle dejeune avec la fille de Nicole, Any, et son mari, Michael aussi. D'abord nous sommes alles aux jardins du Luxembourg pour flanner a l'ombre des beaux arbres de la bas et pour voir un peu les petites expos que le senat accueillait.

A high school big band was playing from Wisconsin (of all places) as part of an "Ambassadors of Music" european tour. They were really great!

il y avait un orchestre d'un lycee du Wisconsin (il faut le faire quand meme). Et ils etaient super bons en plus.

We then rested our still very weary bones under some trees for a while before heading off to lunch. It was beautiful and perfect in every way.

We stopped along the way to pick up a lavender plant for our hosts.

The original plan was to get together with Annie and Michael, chat over a quick lunch, and be on our way. This plan of course completely failed. They had also invited the American family over who were renting their one bedroom in the 14th district for the week, the Parkers. This lunch ended up being an extended conversation about global points of view, and was really fascinating and fun. Here is a view from Annie and Michael's place:

Notre dejeuner s'est tres bien passe, et nous avons meme finalement passe tout l'apres-midi avec nos amis.

We then all jumped on the train to escort the Parkers back to the unit so that they could "check out" and be on their way.

Afterwards we joined Annie and Michael up in that unit for a couple beers and some more chilling. Next thing we knew it was 7:30. Without realising it, we had spent the entire day with them! It was nice to shift our focus from the standard art and architecture tourism to tourism of a more social kind. Plus Annie and Michael are really great!

We then left them watch to the shuttle launch, and we headed over to Isle St. Louis (the smaller of the two islands in the middle of the Seine). On the way over there we found a father and his three kids playing chamber music on the bridge. They were actually really good!

Apres cette apres-midi passee tres agreablement nous sommes alles a l'Ile Saint Louis pour diner la bas. Sur le pont menant a l'ile un pere et ses 3 enfants jouaient de la musique de chambre. C'etait genial!

We ate dinner in a really fun place that came equipped with all you can drink wine kegs and very cool older guy with his guitar singing popular french songs (unlike in the states, absolutely everyone was singing along...even the chinese women who didn't even know the songs!). People were even getting up in the middle of their meals to dance around. Really fun!

Nous avons mange dans un resto appelle "Nos ancetres les Gaulois" ou on va chercher son vin dans les tonneaux, et meme un mec avec sa guitare qui entrainait tout le monde dans des chansons comme des Trenet, Brassens etc (pas comme aux US, tout le monde chantait, meme les vieilles femmes chinoises qui ne connaissaient meme pas les chansons!). Les gens se levaient meme au milieu de leur repas pour danser. Super chouette!

After dinner we took a romantic walk around the Seine (come on...it's our honeymoon after all!), past the Isle de Cité (the other, larger island in the Seine where Notre Dame is), then the Quartier Latin (on the Rue Jacob where Sev's grandmother used to live), and finally found ourselves at the bus stop to go home again. This disctrict is so great and teeming with life and fun.

Apres notre diner nous avons fait une promenade romantique sur la Seine (c'est notre voyage de noce apres tout!), passe l'ile de la Cite, et le Quartier Latin (la rue Jacob ou habitait ma grand mere) pour finalement arriver a notre bus a Saint Michel. Mike etait surpris de l'ambiance du 6eme arrondissement, et trouvait aussi que c'etait un labyrinthe par rapport aux rues droites des US.

Uzes to Paris, June 25th to July 1st

2006-07-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

June 25th, 2006 (continued)

After all these good pool pictures we went to post on the blog and spent some time in town, then we came back to the house and had diner with Nicole and her children.
The girls were there too... Here are some funny pictures from this.

Apres ces photos de piscine sympas nous sommes alles mettre tout ca en ligne sur le blog, puis nous avons flanne dans la ville.
ensuite diner avec Nicole et ses enfants.
Voila quelques photos marrantes.

June 26th, 2006

Today we went to Avignon. The popes used to live there. They left quite a palace behind where nowadays the huge inside courtyard is used for performances. Avignon is also the host of one of the biggest theater festivals in the world. Summers there are fun because there is always activity and also just because it's beautiful!

Aujourd'hui nous sommes alles a Avignon. Les papes vivaient la bas avant, et ils ont laisse un superbe palais derriere eux.
Avignon a aussi un des festival de theatre les plus connus au monde et les etes sont vraiment tres agreables la bas.

The pope's palace:

After spending a lot of the afternoon in Avignon we went back to Nicole's and found that my old friend, Marie-Pierre, had been waiting for us there with her little 11 months old baby in the hopes of catching us. I hadn't seen her in several years but she's the kind of friend you can live for a while and still feel like you saw her yesterday. I missed her! We met in 8th grade, and now she has 2 kids.... Time goes by fast!

Apres avoir passe l'apres-midi a Avignon nous sommes retourne chez Nicole et avons trouve ma vieille copine Marie Pierre qui nous attendait avec sa petite de 11 mois. Je ne l'avais pas vu depuis plusieurs annees mais c'est le genre de copine qu'on a l'impression d'avoir vu hier meme apres toutes ces annees. Elle m'avait manque! On s'est rencontres en 4eme, et maintenant elle a 2 enfants... Le temps passe vite!

June 27th, 2006

The morning was spent at Marie-Pierre's, in her new house that her and her husband just built. Her and I had some catching up to do so we spent a couple hours chatting.

On a passe la matinee chez Marie-Pierre dans sa nouvelle maison qu'elle a construit avec son mari. On avait beaucoup a se dire pour rattraper le temps, donc on a passe 2 heures ensemble.

After the girl chat session Mike and I took off and went to explore a very old medieval village perched in the hills, called Les Baux de Provence. Had lunch there and melted until we took the road again to go to my cousin's.

Apres cette sceance de papotages feminins, Mike et moi somme alles explorer le village medieval des Baux de Provence. Dejeuner la bas, puis apres avoir fondu nous avons reprit la route pour aller chez ma cousine.

My cousin Christiane. Well actually she is my dad's first cousin. They haven't seen each other in 48 years. She's a traveler too, so it was hard to keep in touch especially that the two families weren't the closest, but also especially because my dad and his family lived very far, in Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, which at the time wasn't a place you left very often, especially not to come back to Europe (it took quite a while by boat to get there).
Anyway we just found her again, and she just so happens to live in the south of France...not too far from Avignon as a matter of fact.
So Mike and I went to test the waters and meet her and her family.
It was a very nice afternoon, we cracked open the champagne, and had a really nice time meeting close family for the first time!

Ma cousine Christiane, enfin c'est la cousine germaine de mon pere. Ils ne se sont pas vus depuis 48 ans.Mais comme c'est une voyageuse aussi, ils ne risquaient pas de ne pas se perdre de vue... Et comme mon pere habitait la Reunion quand ils se connaissaient toujours, ce n'etait pas si evident que ca de revenir en Europe a cette epoque la.
Enfin, nous sommes donc alles les rencontrer car ils habitent a cote d'Avignon.
Nous avons passes une tres bonne apres-midi, au champagne, et en tres bonne companie!

We then had our last dinner in Uzes with Nicole who made one of my favorite of hers, an eggplant caviar... hmmmm.

Puis nous avons dine avec Nicole pour notre derniere soiree pour laquelle elle m'a fait un de mes plats preferes, un caviar d'aubergine.. hmmmm...

One of the trees on our property:

Une photo de chene:

Nicole and I:

Mamie Nicolette et moi:

June 28th, 2006

After a morning of packing, getting last minute things in Uzes, unexpectedly seeing Marie-Pierre again to say good bye, and a sad good bye to Uzes, we were in a plane to Paris.

Apres une matinee de valises, chercher des trucs a Uzes de dernieres minutes, voir Marie-Pierre par surprise pour dire aurevoir, et dire aurevoir a Uzes, nous etions dans un avion pour Paris.

Fast flight, it's only about an hour and a half. Then the taxi ride was a lot longer, it took us about 2 hours to get to our destination (Porte d'Orleans) and a lot of Euros spent on that one ride... GGRRRR
There are apparently some works in motion to build a tramway on the surrounding boulevard... once again GGRRR!

Un vol rapide, ca prend a peu pres une heure et demi. Puis le taxi a ete beaucoup plus long, ca nous a prit a plus de 2 heures pour arriver a la Porte d'Orleans, et trop d''Euros... GGRRRR
Il y a des travaux pour mettre un tramway sur le boulevard Marechal... encore une fois... GGRRRRR!

We took it slowly, went to a restaurant close by and came back to the apartment my parents' friends are lending us.

On a bulle, mange dans un resto pas loin, puis on est revenu a l'appart que les copains de mes parents nous prete.

June 29th, 2006

Louvre day.
That's right, we went to the Louvre. It's such a beautiful museum! We also got lucky there was no line. There were a ton of people inside, but no line to get in! That's unsual!
So Mike had to see the basics, we went to see the Mona Lisa, and the other 3 Da Vinci paintings, of which the John the Baptist is my favorite!
Then we also looked at the Venus de Milo, other Greek and Roman sculptures, and finally I showed him my favorite part of the palace which is the Egyptian wing where there is also the ruins of the medieval castle of the Louvre.
This is written fast but it took us a while to visit all of it! Of course we had a blast!

Le jour du Louvre.
Et oui, aujourd'hui nous sommes alles au Louvre. C'est un musee tellement beau! ET on etait chanceux, il n 'y avait pas de queue! Il y avait une foule incroyable a l'interieure, mais pas de queue pour rentrer, ce qui est assez peu commun!
Donc Mike devait voir les choses de bases, la Joconde, et les 3 autres de De Vinci, mon prefere etant le Saint Jean-Batiste.
Puis Venus de Milo, et enfin je lui ait montre mon cote prefere du Louvre qui est evidemment le departement Egyptien, a cote duquel il y a aussi l'histoire du Louvre avec des vestiges du vieux chateau du Louvre medieval.

That was a lot of walking, great, but painful. Still we walked in the gardens (jardin des Tuileries) and headed back to Saint Michel to have an iced tea and go back to homebase because we thought Argentina was playing tonight, but it's tomorrow.. oh well.
We passed by the Bouquinistes, on the Quai (on the edge of the river there are boxes that have been there for decades, and the concept is centuries old, but these boxes contain books and souvenirs that these generally older people sell right out of them.)
We shopped for a few groceries, some pastries, and now we're contemplating going out for dinner, perhaps in the Quartier Latin.

Alors on a beaucoup marche, super, mais ca fait mal. Quand meme, on est alles aux jardins des Tuileries, puis de retour a Saint Michel en passant par les bouquinistes. On a cru que l'Argentine jouait ce soir donc on a prit le metro pour rentrer prendre des petites courses pour manger, mais en fait le match est demain... oh well.
On va surement aller manger dans le Quartier Latin maintenant.

June 29th, 2006

After writing the previous entry we left to go eat at a restaurant called Polidor, in the heart of the Quartier Latin. This restaurant is one of the places where artists and philosophers from the after war era used to gather in.
It was very good, great vibe, I just love that part of Paris that is still a little funky!
We also had a "digestif" at the Rhumerie...

Apres avoir ecrit l'entree precedente nous sommes alles manger a Polidor dans le Quartier Latin. Un des restos des artistes comme Boris Vian y passaient du temps. C'etait tres bon, super ambiance, et j'adore cet aspect de Paris qui garde toujours de son authenticite!
On est aussi alle prendre un punch a la Rhumerie pour faire honneur a ma grand mere qui aimait bien aller boir son punch au lait chaud!

June 30th, 2006

Today was Versailles day! It's gotta be the most beautiful castle on Earth...
We went everywhere we could inside, the King's apartments, State apartements, Queen apartments, The first son's apartments etc etc...
We also went to the Grand Trianon which was a sort of an intimate country residence for Louis XIV and later was used for several other purposes under Louis Philippe and even was a residence for the General de Gaulle...

AUjourd'hui c'est Versailles! Ca doit etre le chateaux le plus beau au monde... Nous sommes alles partout a l'interieur, les appartements du Roi, de la Reine, du grand Dauphin etc etc... Nous sommes aussi alles au Grand Trianon, qui etait donc une sorte de residence intime pour Louis XIV et puis plus tard utilises pour different raisons par Louis Philippe et meme le General de Gaulle...

Then we did the Petit Trianon which as most of the people who already saw the latest Sofia Copolla movie probably knkow already, was a hiding place for Marie Antoinette (we didn't see the movie yet! hope it's good!).
We followed by the gardens of the same woman, who liked to play farm!!! These gardens have not been open to the public until very recently, so we got very lucky.... except our feet didn't since we barely could go back to the main castle!

Ensuite nous avons fait le Petit Trianon qui etait comme beaucoup le savent (grace au dernier film de Sofia Copolla que nous n'avons toujours pas vu!) un endroit ou Marie Antoinette aimait se cacher. Nous avons fait aussi les hameaux de la Reine qui n'etait pas ouvert au public jusqu'a tres recemment, donc on a ete chanceux... mais pas nos pieds puisque nous avons eu beaucoup de mal a rentrer au chateau!

We were so exhausted from walking so heavily that we came home, went to a nearby restaurant to eat a quick pizza, got some pastries and went home to finally take a shower, and rest our swollen feet.

Nous etions tellement nazes apres avoir marche autant que nous sommes rentres, mange une pizza vite fait, puis quelques gateaux, et finallement une douche bien meritee suivie d'un repos de nos pauvres pieds tout gonfles.

July 1st, 2006

Ahhh, what a good night will do! We slept in today, we really needed it after yesterday's adventures!

Ahhh, ce qu'une bonne nuit peut faire! Nous avons fait la grasse matinee aujourd'hui, et en avions bien besoin apres les aventures d'hier!

We went to Notre Dame de Paris and spent a little bit there, just admiring.

Nous sommes alles a Notre Dame et avons passe un bout de temps la bas a admirer...

Then we just roamed around, found one of the big department stores of Paris called the BHV, and there were sales, so of course we went in because everything seems so cool to us here!

Puis nous avons barule un peu, trouve les soldes du BHV donc evidemment il a fallu y aller car ici tout nous parait genial!

Lunch at a creperie that had a basement like they do in Paris, with the old stones and the bathroom down there.

Dejeuner dans une creperie, ou ils avaient un de ces sous sols comme ils ont a Paris, avec des vieilles pierres et les toilettes en bas.

More roaming and we finally just came back to the home base to finish the entry and now we're going to take the laptop to the cyber near by and post this nonsense!

Plus de barulage, puis nous sommes rentres a l'appart pour finir cette entree et on va repartir avec le laptop au cyber pour charger toutes ces betises!

Tonight is Soccer, France against Brasil... we'll be making some fancy pasta at home and watch that from here, so we'll see who wins! Hope everyone has fun watching it!!!

Ce soir c'est France contre Bresil pour la coupe du monde... on va se faire des pates et le regarder a la maison, on verra qui va gagner! On espere que tout le monde va bien s'amuser a le regarder!!!

This car has been parked like this since we arrived, no ticket...

Cette voiture est garee comme ca depuis qu'on est arrives, pas de PV...

Oh, and I'm a girl!

oh, et je suis vraiment une fifille!! hihihihi

June 23rd - 25th, The South of France

2006-06-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

June 23rd, 2006

Friday, day of departure, road trip towards Uzes, the town I grew up in during the summers and some other holidays.
We started by going to Cannes to have lunch, so we went on the "croisette" which is the boardwalk in front of the beach.
Then we had lunch close to the marina where all the boats are parked.
We then went on our way taking the coastal road heading to St. Tropez (if anybody doesn't know, St. Tropez is one of the "hippest" riviera towns in France, very "jetset", which everyone knows we are so fond of... NOT!).
Briefly we went through Agay, St Raphael, Frejus, Les Issambres, St. Mazime, with St Tropez at the enf of the coastal ride we wanted to take.
St Tropez is very cute but the people are rude and it is a little too chichi for our tastes...

After that whole coastal detour we headed back north to catch the highway directly to Avignon where we got out and took the very known (to me) way to Uzes.

We arrived around 8pm, just in time for dinner which Nicole (my grand mother's best friend) had prepared.
Sorry kids, no photos this time... people are starting to tell us all we do is eat... ;-)

Vendredi, jour de depart pour Uzes. on a commence par aller a Cannes pour dejeuner, donc Croisette puis dejeuner dans une brasserie en face des bateaux. Apres tout ca on est partit sur la route de bord de mer et nous sommes passe par Agay, St Raphael, Frejus, Les Issambres, St. Mazime et enfin St. Tropez. St. Tropez etait tres mignon, mais les gens etaient rudes et c'etait un peu chichi pour nos gouts... Apres la route cotiere nous avons du repartir vers le nord pour prendre l'autoroute direct vers Avignon ou nous sommes sortit et avons prit la route bien connue (par moi) sur Uzes. Arrives vers 20H, juste a temps pour diner avec Nicole qui nous avait prepare un bon repas.
Desole les enfants, pas de photos cette fois-ci... Il y a des gens qui commencent a nous dire qu'on ne fait que manger... ;-)

St. Tropez:

Road to Uzes:
Route vers Uzes:

Chez Nicole:

June 24th, 2006

Breakfast:
Petit dejeuner:Homemade apricot jam:
Confiture a l'abricot fait maison:

Saturday is market day in Uzes, so I had to take Mike to see that because it's one of my favorite things to do there!
We woke up early and took off after a leisurely breakfast with Nicole and her grand daughters, Lucie and Margaux.
The market was great, I showed Mike a little of what my childhood was about that way!
We also said hi on the way to a few people I know, bought a bunch of stuff again (how are we going to come back?!) and just enjoyed walking around the town which is completely covered in market stands (food, clothing, books, cds, housewares, oddities etc).

Samedi est le jour du marche a Uzes donc j'ai voulu amener Mike pour voir ca car c'est un de mes trucs preferes la bas! Nous nous sommes leves tot et avons prit un bon petit dej avec Nicole et ses deux petites filles, Lucie et Margaux. Le marche etait super, j'ai montre a Mike un peu de mon enfance comme ca! On a aussi dit bonjour a quelques personnes que je connais d'ici et avons achete enccore d'autres trucs (comment allons nous ramener tout ca!?) puis nous avons simplement marche a travers la ville remplie de stands du marche.

After that we went to the property my family still owns (it's only land next to the house we used to own).

Ensuite nous sommes alles a Montaren, la ou les parents on toujours le terrain.

We then had a big long lunch with Nicole and the girls and Mike went swimming with them which was fun, a little reading under the umbrellas and listening to the "cigales" singing.

On a dejeuner avec Nicole et les filles puis Mike est alle se baigner avec elles dans la piscine ou ils se sont bagarres. Un peu de lecture sous les parasols et conversations avec les cigales.

After this nappy afternoon we went to town (Uzes) and walked around, then went to the village where my family had their first vacation house in, Blauzac.

Apres une apres midi un peu "siesteuse" on est alles a Uzes faire une promenade, puis on est alles a Blauzac pour voir la premiere maison de vacance des Baron.

After coming back to Uzes we decided to have dinner there on the "places aux herbes" which is the main square in town and where a few films have been shot like Cyrano de Bergerac or Jean de Florette. It is a medieval town and of course there are a lot of buildings from later periods especially the 17th and 18th like on this square.

Apres etre revenu a Uzes nous avons decide de diner sur la place aux herbes, pour que Mike passe un peu de temps au milieu de tant d'histoire.

June 25th, 2006

Nicole's neighbors use the land in front of her house to host their sheep, which is good for Nicole too because it's natural mowing for her truffle oak trees on that piece of land.
This morning, as we were writing these last two entries after having breakfast, the neighbor came with one of her trained dogs and herded the "company" to another location behind the property...

Les voisins de Nicole (qui sont donc dans la maison qui etait un gite avant) ont des moutons qui restent sur le terrain devant la maison de Nicole, comme ca ca lui fait du labourage naturel, donc tout le monde est content. Ce matin quand on prenait notre petit dej, la voisine est venue avec son chien pour chercher les moutons pour les mettre derriere la propriete...

For lunch an old friend came over to Nicole's, Monique, who was a friend of my grand mother as well.
Then Mike and I rested for a little bit in our room and after that the girls came to get us to go swimming. So Mike went to be their personal swimming horse.

Pour dejeuner Monique est venue nous voir. Puis Mike et moi avons fait une mini sieste jusqu'a ce que les filles viennent nous chercher pour aller nager, et Mike leur a servit de cheval de piscine personel.

Florence and Cote d'Azur - June 21st and 22nd, 2006

2006-06-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

June 21st, 2006 Florence to Nice by train/ Florence a Nice en train

Last photos from Florence:

Dernieres photos de Florence:

In the train:
Dans le train:

Arriving in France in Nice we went directly to get our rental car, and headed towards Antibes where our friends Gaelle and Erick live. Erick is in Corsica with their son Luca (they were all at the wedding for those who follow), and Gaelle had just got back from there.

Before we met with her for dinner we walked around the old town of Antibes (this is all near Cannes, Nice and Monaco which are all in the same vicinity) and enjoyed a bit of the "fete de la musique" which is the day (every 21st of june) where people can play in the street, it's a sort of national day for music, a national festival if you will where you can go anywhere and there will be music, in the cafes, outside on squares, in big halls, everywhere.

Then we had diner with Gaelle and had wonderful seafood ending with wonderful dessert!

En arrivant en France, a Nice, nous sommes alles directement chercher notre voiture a Avis, pour aller a Antibes ou nos amis Gaelle et Erick vivent. Erick est en Corse avec leur fils, Luca, (ils etaient tous au mariage pour ceux qui suivent), et Gaelle venait juste de revenir de la bas elle meme.

Avant de la rencontrer pour diner, nous avons marche dans la vieille ville et avons profite de la fete de la musique (je viens d'expliquer en anglais ce qu'etait la fete de la musique car on a pas ca aux US). Super sympa!

Puis on a mange du tres bon poisson avec Gaelle et des supers desserts!

June 22nd, 2006. Cote d'Azur

After a very restful night in Gaelles' guest room we took it slowly in the morning, posted a lot of picture (the previous entry) and plainly took our time.

Apres une nuit tres reposante dans la chambre d'ami de Gaelle, nous avons prit la matinee tranquillement, avons mis des photos (l'entree precedente).

Chez Gaelle et Erick:

Then we went to a village called Biot which is right above Antibes in the hills and where my parents had a house for a couple years. It is also where my sister and her husband lived before they moved to Montreal. This village is old, beautiful, perched in the hills, and very enjoyable away from the bustling of Cannes and its surroundings!

We had a nice lunch at a place my parents used to go to and where the people were happy to see one of us (the barons that is! hahaha).

Then we walked around, found the house we used to have, and then shopped for a few things we wanted to have a nice impression from the south of France in our home.

Ensuite nous sommes alles a Biot, au dessus d'Antibes, la ou mes parents avait une maison pendant un certain temps et la ou ma soeur et son mari vivait avant de demenager a Montreal. C'est un tres vieux village, superbe, dans les collines et tres sympa loin des foules de Cannes et des environs!

On a dejeune au Mas des Orangers, ou les gens etaient content de voir quelqu'un du gang Baron. Puis nous avons marche un peu partout, cherche la maison qui n'est plus la notre, puis un peu de shopping pour ramener des impressions du sud de la France a la maison.

The house that used to belong to my parents:

L'ancienne maison:

Biot specializes in hand blown glass products:

Biot a une specialite, c'est le verre:

Example of a supermarket in France... very different from the states, lots of choices in desserts and colorful marketing!

Exemple de supermarche en France! Y a des couleurs! Et y a pleins de desserts!! Ca manque!

As the country above Cannes is so beautiful we decided to go for a scenic car ride (you know, in the hills, like in the movies when they drive in the south of France...?!), so we went towards Valbonnes, Tourrettes sur Loup, Vence etc..

We stopped in Tourrettes sur Loup because it's a beautiful medieval village really high up in the hills with wonderful views.

We walked around the whole village and then I thought it wouldn't be right to be here and not find out if my grand aunt was still living here (I only know she lives in this village, no other info on her because she was not in talking terms with my grand mother who passed more than 3 years ago). So I looked for her, not knowing her maried name, I asked around with her maiden name and finally a woman told me she knew a Mariane and told me where she lived.

We went there, I knocked and she answered. I introduced us and she asked us in, she offered us some wine, and showed us some old pictures of her and my grand mother, showed us her really pretty house in the middle of the old part of the village, and generally seemed very happy to meet her grand niece and new grand nephew.

That was nice, cutting the old grudge and starting anew. She seems very well for an 80 year old woman.

Comme les villages derriere Cannes sont trop beaux, on a decide d'aller faire une promenade en voiture dans les hauts et sommes alle vers Valbonnes, Tourrettes sur Loup, Vence etc...

On s'est arretes a Tourrette sur Loup car c'est un village medieval superbe haut dans les collines avec des vues magnifiques.

Apres avoir marche un peu partout je me suis dit que ce n'etait pas tout a fait normal d'etre la et de ne pas essayer de voir ma grand tante qui habitait dans ce village la derniere fois que j'avais entendu parler d'elle.

Donc j'ai demande un peu partout ne sachant pas son nom de femme mariee, et une dame m'a finalement montre ou elle habitait. J'ai done frappe, et elle a repondu. Nous avons bien parle, elle nous a montre des vieilles photos d'elle et sa soeur (ma grand mere) et tout s'est bien passe. on est partit apres avoir bien parle, et apres qu'elle nous ait presente a pleins de gens dans son village.
On our drive:

Sur le chemin:

Tourrettes:

View from Mariane's place:

Vue depuis chez Marianne:

Marianne and I:
Marianne et moi:

Tonight we went to a very cool little restaurant in Biot with Gaelle. It seems as if this particular place, tucked off in the corner of the village, was home to the craziest collection of characters in the world. Impossible to explain, but we spent much of the meal laughing at these crazies. They were all nuts. We ate some yummy tian, and capped it off with some homegrown peaches and some divine chocolate mousse and had the order written on the paper table cloth. Tomorrow we're off to Uzes, so until then, a bientot!

Ce soir nous sommes alles dans un petit resto super sympa avec Gaelle a Biot. Au debut on voulait aller a la pizzeria du soleil mais elle n'etait pas ouverte comme la plupart des autres restos a Biot car "vous comprenez, hier c'etait la fete de la musique donc ils sont restes ouvert tard!"... D'accord.... Donc en fait on est arrives sur une petite place qui donne sur l'eglise ou il y a un resto avec des table dehors. Les serveurs super sympas, qui draguaient Gaelle et qui s'amusaient a parler anglais avec Mike. le tout avec un tres bon repas d'un tian fait maison avec de la viande dedans (donc different de celui de papa!), des peches en dessert du jardin du proprio, et le mec super qui a une collection d'art assez impressionante, dont un plafond de Folon qui apparement etait donc de son entourage... Va savoir si c'est vrai tout ca, mais en tout ca ce serait pas surprenant puisque Biot doit etre assez bien pour des artistes, pour l'inspiration et le calme tout en etant a cote de la Riviera francaise!

Florence bonus

2006-06-22T01:39:00.000-07:00

June 19th, 2006 Florence

Today we slept in! We couldn't do it, we had to take it easy. So after sleeping until about 10am we took off once again and went to the internet point to upload all the pictures we put in the last post... for your pleasure! ;-)
After that we had lunch at a tiny trattoria which made fresh pasta and had a great pasta with tomatoes and zuchinni, and where is the zuchini the best? Why, here so far! hmmmm, it was so gooooood!
Except for the jerk who smoked about 3 cigarettes in 15 minutes, which sort of spoiled our sense of taste!

Aujourd'hui nous avons fait la grasse matinee! on ne pouvait plus foncer, il fallait qu'on se repose. Donc apres avoir dormi jusqu'a 10H, on a decolle une fois de plus vers l'internet pour mettre toutes les photos sur le blog, qui sont donc sur la derniere entree... Pour votre plaisir! ;-)
Apres ca nous avons dejeune dans une toute petite trattoria qui fait des pates fraiches and avons mange un plat de pates avec des tomates et des courgettes, et ou sont les meilleures courgettes? Mais ici evidemment! hmmmm, c'etait trop bon!
Sauf qu'il y avait un con qui a fume 3 cigarettes en 15 minutes, et qui a un peu ruine notre sense du gout!

During last night a mosquitoe decided to make sure my hands were just as yummy as my face (I have 6 bites on my face!), and gave me my first test of swollen ring finger...

Dans la nuit un moustique a decide de voir si mes mains etaient aussi bonnes que ma figure (j'ai 6 boutons de moustiques sur ma figure!), et m'a donc donne mon premier test de doigt d'alliance gonfle...

We had to see the Duomo, and thought that there might be less people there than on saturday, so off we went to the cathedral and we got lucky, we got in right away! How majestic! It's soooooo big! Unfortunately we couldn't go right under the cupola to see the painting on the dome itself, but that's ok, we sneaked a few pictures and appreciated not only the cool air (it's been crazy hot here) but also the serenity of such a place. We also went downstairs to the foundations of the church it was built on, including some roman digs showing very well preserved mosaic!
We also lit a candle there for all our ancestors, it felt right!

Nous devions aller voir le Duomo, et comme c'etait lundi nous avons pense qu' il y aurait moins de gens que samedi, donc hop on est partit voir la cathedrale et on a ete chanceux, il n'y avait pas de queue.
Qu'est-ce que c'est majestique! Et grannnnnnd! Malheureusement on ne pouvait pas aller juste en dessous du dome pour voir la peinture plus en details, mais ce n'est pas grave on a reussi a prendre quelques photos. On est aussi alles en bas voir les fondations de l'eglise d'avant et aussi des vestiges romains dont des mosaiques d'une eglise du 5eme siecle tres bien preservee!
Nous avons aussi allume une bougie pour tous nos ancetres, c'etait le bon endroit!

Then we decided to go to San Lorenzo which has another example of beautiful architecture of a church (you see a lot of churches in Italy! They are beautiful!). There we HAD to sneak pictures because cameras weren't allowed, but we managed to take a few nonetheless!
There was a really cool market, more like stands that sell leather goods, clothes, shoes, fake brand scarfs, etc... Very nice atmosphere!

Puis nous avons decide d'aller a San Lorenzo, qui est un autre exemple de superbe architecture d'eglise (on voit beaucoup d'eglise en Italie! Elles sont superbes!). Et la on a du vraiment voler des photos car les appareils photos n'etaient pas permit, mais on s'est debrouille pour en prendre quand meme!
Il y avait aussi un marchet juste en dehors de cette eglise, avec des stands qui vendaient des trucs de cuir, des fausses echarpes de marques, des souvenirs etc... une ambiance super sympa!

June 20th, 2006 Florence

Last day in Florence! snif! Though we're happy to go to France now for sure.
This morning we had to do laundry, so that took a little bit off our morning, but it had to be done.

Dernier jour a Florence! snif! Mais on est contente d'aller en France maintenant pour sur.
Ce matin nous avons du faire une lessive, donc ca nous a prit un peu de notre matinee, mais ca devait etre fait!

After washing drying and folding we dropped off everything at the hotel and were off to Santa Maria Novella church on our way to the Accademia where they have master pieces including the real David (Michelangelo's).
SM Novella is a beautiful church, with a lot of incredible paintings including a Botticelli on top of the main door (the sort of triangle above the big wooden door).

Apres avoir lave, seche, et plie, on a tout depose a l'hotel et sommes partit a l'eglise Santa Maria Novella sur le chemin de l'Accademia qui a des pieces de Maitres dont le David de Michelange.
SM Novella est une eglise superbe, avec des peintures fabuleuses dont un Botticelli au dessus de la porte principale (l'espece de triangle au dessus de la grosse porte en bois).

After the church we felt hungry and had been told that there was a cute restaurant with a patio in the back on a street towards the Accademia, so we went there... They had a Salami plate that I really wanted since I hadn't touched the pork from the time we got to Italy (in my opinion, quite a mistake on my part, but sharing with a semi-vegetarian prevents from eating my MEAT!).
We ordered a caprese salad, bruschetta (the real kind, WITHOUT vinegar!), and a plate of salami.
Wouldn't you believe who actually shared my plate of amazing charcuterie? You guessed it, Mike is busted, I took pictures, it's all documented, he's eating meat again... well at least here so as to not miss out on any of that good stuff... It seems he still won't be eating meat that has been breeded with hormones and chemical stuff, so back home he probably won't eat much of it. STILL HE ATE MEAT!
hahaha

Apres l'eglise on avait faim et Lana de l'internet nous avait recommande un resto sympa avec pation sur le chemin vers l'Accademia, donc nous y sommes alles.... Ils avaient une assiette de charcuterie que je voulais vraiment car je n'ai pas touche au porc depuis notre arrivee (a mon opinion, une grosse faute de ma part, mais partager avec un semi-vegetarien m'empeche souvent de manger ma VIANDE!).
Nous avons donc commande une salade caprese, des bruschetta (des vraies, sans vinaigre comme en amerique du nord!), et une assiette de charcuterie.
Et est-ce que vous allez croire qui a partager mon assiette de charcuterie? Bien devine, Mike a ete prit la main dans le sac, j'ai des photos, c'est documente, il a mange de la viande... Enfin du moins ici, pour ne pas manque ce qui est vraiment bon... Tout de meme je ne crois pas qu'il mangera de la viande elevee aux hormones et a la chimie degueu, donc une fois rentree il ne mangera surement pas beaucoup de viande du coup. QUAND MEME, IL A MANGE DE LA VIANDE!
hahaha

After this eventful lunch we went on our way to the Accademia, only to find an extremely packed line that we decided not to brave, not only because it wasn't moving (and it was the line for people who had a reservation), but also because the last couple days have been extremely hot (around 30 celsius) and the line was in full sun. OH well, next time we'll come in the summer in an off season and do the things we weren't able to do because of the crowds!
Giving up on the Accademia we decided to go further and check out the synaguoge built in 1865 which was supposed to be very nice.
It was the only place where we weren't able to sneak even one picture because the security system is very intense!
All we got was the outside, which is very pretty morrish style. Inside is painted everywhere, of intricate patterns, and there is a mini museum upstairs that explains the history of the jews in Florence.

Apres ce dejeuner plein d'emotions, nous sommes alles a l'Accademia pour trouver une queue completement bourree que nous avons decide de ne pas prendre, non seulement parce que ca ne bougeait pas, mais en plus parce que ces derniers jours il a fait tres tres chaud (aux alentours de 30 degrees) et la queue etait en plein soleil. Oh well, la prochaine fois on viendra en hiver pour faire les trucs qu'on a pas pu faire a cause des foules de l'ete!
IL y a une synaguoge construit en 1865 pas loin de la, donc nous y sommes alles. Seul endroit ou nous n'avons pas pu "voler" de photos car le systeme de securite est tellement intense qu'on ne peut rien avoir de metallique a l'interieure.
Tout ce qu'on a comme photo c'est de dehors, qui montre bien le style de l'immeuble. A l'interieur c'est tout peint a la main partout partout, et il y a un mini musee au premier etage qui explique l'histoire des juifs a Florence.

We had really wanted to go to the Piazzale Michelangelo, and had a bus by the synaguoge that went straight there, so we walked to the stop, waited for the bus and took a ride through the hills to the Piazzale.
The view up there is incredible, so we took our obligatory pictures and went for a gelato on a terrasse with a view of the old city wall.

On voulait vraiment aller a la Piazzale Michelangelo, et il y avait un bus a cote de la synagugoe donc nous avons prit notre bus, une promenade a travers les collines vers la piazzale.
La vue de la haut est imprenable, donc nous avons prit nos photos obligatoires, et evidemment des gelato sur une terrasse avec une vue du vieux mur de la ville.

Since it seems these last days have been church days, we went to the church right behind the piazzale, the San Miniento church which is also so beautiful, and has an even better view of Florence.
After enjoying the coolness of the inside of the church a few monks started to walk through the church and set up for some service and started to sing. That was quite an experience, they had beautiful voices, it was like listening to one of those CDs of Gregorian chants, calming, very peaceful, and most of all unexpected!
Of course as soon as they started to talk we left, went to the side store where it seems these monks make products like olive oil, candies, and even one of them is an herbologist and makes essential oils, cremes, lotions etc...
We got some candy they make there honey and sesame and a few others.

Puisque ces deux derniers jours etaient des journees d'eglises, nous sommes alles a l'eglise juste derriere le piazzale, l'eglise San Miniento qui est tres tres belles, et qui a meme une meilleure vue de Florence.
Apres s'etres regales de la fraicheur de l'interieure quelques pretres ont commence a chanter pour un service et c'etait une surprise tres plaisante car ils avaient des voix superbes, c'etait comme d'ecouter un de ces CD de chants Gregoriens, calme, tres reposant!
Biens sur, le moment ou ils ont commence a parler nous sommes sortit. Il y avait un petit magazin juste en dehors de l'eglise avec des produits que ces pretres font eux meme, comme de l'huile d'olive, des bonbons, et il y a meme un des pretres qui est herboriste et qui fait des cremes, lotions, huiles essentielles etc...
On a prit des bonbons au sesame et miel.

It was time to get back to the hotel and go next door to buy some sandwiches for the long ride the next day in the train.
We hoped on the bus again, had a nice ride through thte hills again.

C'etait l'heure de rentrer vers l'hotel et d'aller acheter des sandwiches pour notre voyage en train le lendemain.
Une fois de plus nous avons prit le train a travers les collines.

It was our last dinner in Italy so we hoped we would find a little restaurant that would make our last night there memorable.
We got lucky!
Our dinner was exceptional!!! The Taverna Armando was amazing!!!!!
First we asked for a couple champagne flute to toast to our last day and honeymoon, but also to toast to my brother who finished high-school and passed his exams!!!! Congratulations my Raphael!!!!!!

Comme c'etait notre dernier diner en Italie, nous esperions trouver un bon resto.
On a pas ete decu!
Notre diner etait exceptionel! La Taverna Armando est vraiment geniale!!!!!!
D'abord nous avons commande deux flutes pour celebrer notre dernier jour en Italie, notre voyage de noce, mais aussi pour celebrer le fait que mon frere a fini le lycee, il a reussit son bac! FELICITATIONS MON RAPHOU!!!!!!

Then we kept going with a zuchini souffle that was to die for!
Puis un souffle de courgettes a tomber par terre!

And ricotta and spinash ravioli with a butter and sage sauce.
Puis des ravioli de ricotta et epinards avec une sauce de beurre et sauge.

And once more mister shared meat with me, so we had the famous Florence chicken, rosemary with salad.
Puis une fois de plus, monsieur a voulu partager avec moi, donc nous avons mange le fameux poulet de Florence, au romarin avec de la salade.

And for dessert chocolate cake and apple cake home made, plus they offered us a couple honey wine glasses for our honeymoon! First gift this whole honeymoon!

Et comme dessert un gateau de chocolat et un gateau de pomme fait par eux. Plus ils nous on offert deux verres de vin de miel! Premier cadeau de tout ce voyage de noce!

We woke up at 5am, and are now on the train to Milan, where we'll change to go to Nice.
On s'est leve a 5H, et on est maintenant dans le train pour Milan ou on va changer pour aller a Nice.

Venice and Florence, June 16th to 18th

2006-06-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

June 16th, 2006 - Venice to Florence / De Venise a Florence

Mike speaking:
Well, today was our last day in Venice, and to be honest, I think we were quite ready to get the $*%@ out of dodge. Not that Venice hasn't been amazingly beautiful, fascinating and fun. It's just draining spending more than a moderate amount of time in a city completely lacking a horizon line with tall, narrow buildings draping a twisted labyrinth of ultra-narrow streets clogged to capacity with an overwhealming crunch of brainless, drunken tourists from all over the world (mostly Americans, really). English was however heard on the street at about a 16:1 ratio to Italian. We did however have some time to kill before grabbing our 3:30 boat-bus to the venice train station, so off to brave the maze once again we were!

C'est Mike qui ecrit cette entree, je ne fais que traduire (et j'ajoute un peu! hihihi shut!):
Bien aujourd'hui etait notre dernier jour a Venise, et pour etre honete, je crois que nous sommes pret a nous casser. Non pas que Venise n'est pas ete magnifique et beau, fascinant et chouette. C'est asser crevant de passer plus de temps qu'il ne faut dans une ville ou il manque d'horizon avec des immeubles hauts et des toutes petites rues qui se forment en un labyrinthe complique remplies avec une foule extreme de touristes sans cerveau et saouls (surtout des americains...). L'anglais est entendu dans les rues a un ratio d'a peu pret 16:1 contre l'italien.
Nous avions du temps a passer avant de prendre notre bateau bus de 15:30 pour la gare, donc nous avons decider de passer a travers la jungle de touristes une fois de plus!

We had at one point read about an Italian technology exhibit a short walk away from our hotel. Granted, the Telecom exhibit was not the greatest, most functional thing we've ever seen, but it was very cool of them to host it in this beautiful old building, where we were able to escape the crowds and take our time with the various interactive stations. A couple of the highlights included a VR bicycle and some very trippy 3D holograms. The guards and gallery attendants outnumbered the visitors by quite a few, and we found it very amusing that when they saw that we were having a hard time making one of the exhibits work, standing there and staring at us as if we were lab rats was the standard protocol.

Nous avions lu a propos d'une expo sur la technologie futur de l'Italie, et c'etait assez pret de l'hotel. D'accord l'expo Telecom n'etait pas ce qu'il y avait de mieux a Venise, en fait plusieurs de leurs installations ne marchaient pas, mais c'etait tout de meme genial car c'etait dans un vieux immeuble tres beau, et tres ouvert et ou nous avons pu echaper la foule et prendre notre temps sur les installations (qui marchaient) interactives. Il y avait une installation avec un velo attache a un ordinateur et un grand ecran devant sur lequel une projection du parcours a velo etait simulee. Il y avait aussi des holograme en 3D comme dans Star Wars... Les guardiens et les employes de la gallerie etaient beaucoup plus nombreux que le nombre de visiteurs, et nous avons trouve ca marrant que quand ils voyaient que nous ne pouvions pas faire marche certaines installations, ils trouvaient ca beaucoup mieux de se tenir devant nous sans rien dire en nous regardant comme si nous etions des rats de labo....

Just before entering the Technology exhibit, we jumped in to a neighboring exhibit of antique dresses and costumes, which was really cool but brief. They had some seriously old outfits on some mannequins acting out scenes from different formal and casual situations.

Avant d'entrer dans l'expo Telecom sur la technologie, on a trouve une toute petite expo de vieux costume de l'epoque utilise dans des operas ou pieces de theatre, petit et bref, mais tres cool.

After these exhibits, there was just enough time to kill before we had to catch the boat-bus, so throwing caution to the wind, we had to grab some lunch at The Taverna SanLio once again for some amazingly simple pasta and yes, you guessed it, one more of those fabulous creme brulees. The check was paid, we returned to the hotel to grab our rollers, which we then (with annoying effort) navigated through the steets to the boat-bus station. The boat arrived about 30 seconds after we got there (not bad timing), and 3 stops later we found ourselves at the venice train station. It was time to say goodbye to Venice.

Apres ces expos nous avions assez de temps pour un dejeuner avant de prendre le bateau bus, donc nous sommes retournes a la Taverna SanLio pour manger un autre plat de leur pates fabuleuse, et aussi vous l'avez deviner une autre creme brulee!
Ensuite il etait temps de partir, donc nous sommes partit a travers les petites rues de Venise avec nos valises en essayant de nous faire un chemin comme des fourmis qui reviennent a l'envers de la file. Le bateau est arrive a peu pres 30 secondes apres notre arrivee a la station et 3 stops apres nous etions a la gare. Ciao Venise!

The train ride was around 3 hours, and aside from a little hyperactive Italian girl who for the life of her couldn't shut her mouth for 10 seconds (her mother wasn't exactly being helpful either), and some annoying, staring teenagers, the ride was quite relaxing and uneventful.

Le train etait d'a peu pres 3 heures, et a part une petite fille qui n'etait pas capable de fermer sa bouche pendant 10 secondes (faute de sa mere aussi!) et a part aussi un adolescent qui ne pouvait pas arreter de nous regarder, c'etait relaxant avec un beau paysage.

Arriving in Florence at around 7:30pm, we fell outside of the train station to join a long line to wait for a taxi. Right across the street was a gorgeous old curch, and we could tell already that Florence was going to be amazing. Our turn for a cab finally came, and it was off to our hotel. It turns out that our hotel was actually not too far from the train station, but the cab had to take a longer route across the bridge, down a ways, back across another bridge, and then back up to the hotel. Why did he have to do all this you might ask? Try asking the American consulate, just a block away from our hotel, that since 9/11 has seen fit to completely block off that stretch of road to all traffic, with armed guards and police officers surrounding the perimeter 24/7. We would hate to see the consulate in Rome if the one in Florence was tris obnoxiously imposive on a smaller city.

Arrives a Florence aux environs de 19:30, nous avons tout de suite comprit que cette ville etait pour nous en attendant le taxi.
L'hotel est en fait assez pret de la gare mais avec les baggages nous avons prefere prendre un taxi. Une fois dedans il va a l'autre bout de la place de la gare puis a travers la riviere, puis le long de la riviere puis a nouveau repasse le pont pour revenir du premier cote de la riviere et rebrousse chemin vers notre hotel... Et pourquoi? Demandez au consulat americain, 2 immeubles a cote de notre hotel, car depuis le 11 Septembre ils ont trouve ca bien de bloquer tout autour de leur immeuble qui donne sur la riviere donc toutes les rues aussi, avec des guardes armes, la police et tout ces gens la 24 sur 24 et 7 sur 7. On ne veut meme pas penser a quoi ressemble le quartier de l'ambassade a Rome si ils nous font ce genre la dans un consulat de la petite ville de Florence!

Our hotel. Our hotel. Our hotel. Sev and I seriously can't figure it out, whether it be Karma, luck, or just some life lessons to be learned, but we, for the life of us, cannot get hooked up in the hotel department for our wedding or wedding related travels. We are in the epicenter of beautifully preserved renaissance architecture, in a hotel where the front rooms are these giant vaulted rooms with a lush terrace and preserved painted ceilings, yet they saw fit to hook up their honeymooning guests by sticking us in the back building. The room was ghetto (not a single period preservation to speak of), the shower was pointed into the toliet (they were actually one and the same), the a/c was not working, there were no fans (it has been hot here), the view was into the back of another building, mosquitos were eating us for dinner, and drunken maniacs yelling in the streets kept us awake all night long, at least until the garbage truck was able to take over for it at 5am. Some honeymoon suite, huh?

Notre hotel, notre hotel, notre hotel... Sev et moi ne pouvons serieusement pas comprendre, si c'est un karma, malchance, ou juste des lecons de la vie que nous devons apparendre, mais nous n'avons pas pu avoir un seul cadeau point de vue chambre d'hotel pour notre mariage ou notre lune de miel apparement. Nous sommes dans le centre de toutes choses d'architecture de la Renaissance, et l'hotel a tout son premier etage avec des plafond bien restaures (ou juste bien entretenus), des plafonds hauts, une belle terrasse, et pourtant ils choisissent de ne pas donner cet etage aux gens qui sont en voyage de noce et preferent nous mettre dans une chambre dans une petite dependance derriere l'hotel. Cette chambre etait on ne peut plus minable (surtout quand on paye presque 200 euros pour celle-ci!), la douche etait au dessus des cabinets, l'air conditione ne marchait pas, et il n'y avait meme pas de ventilateurs (ce que Venise avait!), la vue etait de la petite rue de derriere, les moustiques etaient hyper presents, les americains saouls devaient retourner je ne sais ou toute la nuit, les poubelles sont ramassees juste la a 5 H, donc nous n'avons pas dormir de la nuit. C'est bien pour une chambre de lune de miel, hein?

However, it should be said that before dealing with trying to sleep in this sorry excuse for a 3 star, we naturally had to go out into florence to grab some dinner and poke around a bit. Our first stop was a little Osteria recommended to us by the hotel concierge, where we ate some rich-ass porcini mushroom pasta and some sage gnocci, washed down with a cool local beer. Quite good, but we were really trying to stop dwelling on our shitty luck with hotels. So to burn of some more of that feeling, a long nighttime walk through Florence was just the ticket. What a fantasically beautiful city. It's really not to be believed. All I can say it that anyone who thinks the heart of Italy is in Rome must be a Roman. One of the most beautiful places on earth. Viva Firenze!

Cependant, meme si nous n'avions pas pu dormir dans notre 3 etoiles nul, nous avons du partir explorer Florence un peu et souper. Notre premier arret etait a une Osteria recommandee par le monsieur de la reception, et nous avons pas mal mange. Et comme nous etions toujours en train de nous lamenter sur cette chambre d'hotel nous avons decider d'aller marcher pour penser a autre chose. Une grande promenade a travers Florence etait fantastique, ce n'est presque pas normal que cette ville soit aussi belle, dur d'y croire. Tout ce que je peux dire c'est que s'il y a quelqu'un qui pense que Rome est le coeur de l'Italie, il doit etre Romain. Florence est un des endroits les plus beau au monde. Viva Firenze!

Florence, June 17th and 18th, 2006

Ok...we're pretty much past the jet lag at this point. Are we still deleriously tired? Shit yes. We were up most of last night getting woken up by crazy noise and merciless mosquitos. C'est la vie. The first thing we did was eat breakfast in a room in our hotel that is impossible to describe. Take a look:

Ok... Le decalage horaire est passe maintenant. Est-ce que nous sommes completement nazes? EUh, oui! Nous n'avons pas dormi de la nuit a cause des bruits incessants et des insectes qui essayaient de nous manger. C'est la vie. Premiere chose aujourd'hui etait le petit dej dans la piece de l'hotel reservee au matin, assez sympa:

After eating, we went to explain our room dilemma to the hotel desk clerk, remind him that it was our honeymoon, and hope for the best. As it turns out he was able to move us into a room in the main building....in the back!!! Uhg. It has a much, much bigger bathroom (but no bathtub, just a tiny plastic shower), and a bit quieter, but still no period decor or views. Also no a/c or fans, nor are there real shutters here, just those shutters one might find in a storefront. At least it has been quieter here, and we're done feeling sorry for ourselves and are ready to eat Florence up.

Apres avoir mange, nous sommes alles negotier avec la reception, pour lui rappeller que c'etait tout de meme notre voyage de noce... Il a donc trouve un moyen de nous changer de chambre (on aurait dit que c'etait tout un effort, meme si nous avons vu un autre couple aller dans une chambre ou nous aurions pu etre depuis le debut!) dans l'immeuble principal... derriere!!! AARRGHH. Il y a une salle de bain bien plus grande (comme une chambre transformee en salle de bain mais sans baignoire, juste une douche en plastique qui deborde!), c'est un peu plus silencieux, mais tout de meme pas de decoration comme nous attendions, ni de vues sur la riviere. Aussi, pas de clim, ni de ventilos, et les volets sont le genre qui ferment un magazin dans la rue plutot que des vrais en bois simples qui laissent un peu d'air.
Mais bon, au moins ce n'est pas directement sur la rue.

Florence seems big at first, but after walking around until our feet were nothing more than raw stumps, we realized that we basically suceeded in checking out the majority of the city. We checked out the inside of San Gaetano church first. Kablowee.

Florence a l'air grande a premiere vue, mais apres avoir marche jusqu'a ce qu'il ne nous reste que de la fleche crue pour des pieds, nous avons reussi a voir la majorite de la ville. D'abord nous sommes alles a l'interieur de l'eglise San Gaetano. Wow!

Then we stopped at an exhibit where many of DaVinci's mechanical designs were recreated (we even got to turn levers and cranks to play around with them to see how they worked). There were even a couple orginal manuscripts of his that showed examples of his loonie backwards writing...too cool!

Puis en marchant encore plus nous avons trouve l'expo de plusieurs designs de De Vinci. Des recreations de certains de ses travaux, mais qu'on peut toucher et faire marcher. Il y avais meme 2 manuscripts originaux qui montraient des exemples de la facon dont il ecrivait a l'envers... Trop cool!

We had a pizza lunch at a place recommended to us by our Internet cafe friend Lana, but only managed to snap a picture of the San Pellegrino...oops. Following another recommendation of hers, we followed this up with some of the most sinful Gelato in the history of the world. The photos tell the story better than words.

Pizza dans un petit resto recommande par une fille sympa du cyber cafe, Lana, mais nous n'avons pas prit de bonnes photos, donc que la San Pellegrino pour aujourd'hui!
Apres la pizza Lana nous avait aussi dit d'aller voir la meilleure Gelato de la ville, et effectivement nous n'etions pas decus!

All hail king gelato!

We then walked around the Duomo...

Puis nous avons marche autour du Duomo...

...Santa Croce...

...Piazzale degli Uffizi (not the museum yet) (pas le musee mais l'immeuble) ...

...past the Ponte Vecchio (not quite ready to brave the crowds there yet) (il y avait trop de foule pour qu'on puisse passer)...

(One unfortunate thing this summer (for us, but great for the city!) is that a lot of the historical building are being restored. So some of them are completely covered and others are partially covered,,, Even the Duomo has some scaffolding on the top...
Not that it lessens the experience, but this is a blog for comments!)

(quelque chose de genial pour la ville mais pas super pour nous est qu'ils sont en train de restaurer beaucoup des endroits historiques de la ville, donc pas mal d'entre eux sont completemetn couverts ou partiallement... Meme le Duomo a des echaffaudages sur le dessus... Mais ca ne diminue pas notre experience, c'est un commentaire sur le blog!)

...and back to the hotel for a life saving siesta. After the nap we (well, I) grabbed some sludgy and delicious Italian espresso before heading past the train station to check out the Mercato Centrale, which was bustling with the activity of a modern day bazar. We also somehow managed to kill a hour or two in a fantastic discount clothing store, where we somehow managed to justify expanding both our wardrobes with a few cool Italian digs. After this, we again returned to the hotel to lighten our load and spend some time on the front terrace of our hotel (note: not the view from our room). Here are the views from the terrace...

... Et de retour a l'hotel pour une sieste bien meritee! Apres celle ci c'etait Cafe pour Mike puis a cote de la gare il y le mercato centrale, qui etait genial, plein d'activite et de vendeurs. Nous avons trouve un magazin de vetements discount donc il a fallu justifier l'expansion de nos gardes robes de quelques chemises bien sympas!
Ensuite retour a l'hotel a nouveau pour deposer le tout et passer un peu de temps sur la terrasse de l'hotel (encore, la photo n'est pas la vue de notre chambre, snif!)

Nice, huh? this was what we had thought we reserved looking at the pictures on the hotel web site! oh well... At least we have access to the terrace!

Sympa, hein!? C'est ce que nous avons cru reserver en voyant les photos du site de cet hotel... Oh well.. Au moins nous avons acces a cette terrasse!

At this point our feet need replacing, but it is after 8pm, and dinner time has come. So we suck it up and hit the streets one more time. Of course, rather than eating somewhere close, we again embarked on a long journey that took us to a restaurant right on the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. We ate great food outside, finally got around to trying some Italian wine, and topped it all off with some Nutella Cake (fun and delicious...sorry foodies, no pics again. We're slipping a bit).

A partir de la nos pieds ont besoin de remplacement, mais apres 20H, c'etait l'heure d'aller diner. Donc nous avons prit notre courage a 2 mains et sommes alles vers des restos trouve une sur la Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Tres bon, dehors sur une terrasse, un peu de vin d'ici, et comme dessert une tarte a la nutella (trop marrant!)

If we could have carried eachother back to the hotel we would have, but we somehow managed to limp back, turn on some world cup soccer (Italy vs. USA, ironically), and wind down to a well deserved sleeeeeeeeeeeeep........ Anybody knows who won?

Si nous avions pu nous porter l'un l'autre jusqu'a l'hotel nous l'aurions fait, mais en boitant un peu nous y sommes arriver. Tele pour voir le match Italie/USA (ironique), mais nous etions tres fatigues.... Quelqu'un sait qui a gagne?

The next morning we decided to take it a hair slower, so we just kinda chilled around after breakfast, checking our email and enjoying the Sunday morning. That didn't last long...we're off and running again!!! First we hit the Piazzale degli Uffizi again to try to catch the exhibit (only one of the finest collections in the world of renaissance master works). Sadly the line to buy tickets alone would have devoured most our day, with no guarentee that we would even get in before closing, so we decided to try to make reservations for Tuesday (closed Monday), and head off to the other side of the river.

Le lendemain matin nous n'avons pas pu commencer trop vite, donc on a prit notre temps, email et dimanche matin. Mais quand meme pas trop longtemps... Il fallait bien aller voir des choses!!! D'abord nous sommes retourne a Piazzale degli Uffizi pour voir un peu l'expo permanent qui a des pieces des grands Maitres. Malheureusement il y avait une queue pour les tickets qui nous aurait prit une grosse partie de la journee sans guarantie de pouvoir y aller le jour meme, donc on va essayer de faire une reservation si on peut. Au lieu de ca nous sommes alles de l'autre cote de la riviere.

We looked at some bling bling on the Ponte Vecchio. Mmmmmmm......

On a flanner (pas comme a Montreal, sinon c'est pas legal! hum hum) sur le Ponte Vecchio et regarder les beaux bijoux! Mmmm,...

We then found ourselves in the Palazzo Pitti, the Florence royal palace, which is no shabby collection of master works either. Roaming around the royal apartments, and saw some stupid, stupid beautiful paintings and decor (Some Botticellis and Raphaellos, to name a couple). Take a look...

Puis nous nous sommes trouves au Palazzo Pitti, le palais royal, qui a aussi une collection de peinture tres impressionante.
A travers les appartements royaux nous avons trouve des decors incroyables, et des peintures telles que des Botticelli, des Raphaellos etc... on a meme reussi a prendre quelques photos:

Here we are in the courtyard looking tiny...

Dans la cour interieure, on est tout petit...

At this point our feet and legs were nothing more than dangling stumps of exposed flesh, but we really had to explore the Boboli gardens. Here are some views...

Encore une fois mais de pire en pire, nos pieds et jambes ne veulen meme plus entendre parler de nous, mais nous devions absolument explorer les jardins du palais (jardins Boboli)...

Just for some frame of reference, the combination of the palace and attached gardens takes a plot of land around the same size as the city center. Big big big, and we're tired tired tired. It was just about time to once again return to the hotel and write this blog that you are now reading. Until next time, fair readers!!!

Pour voir un peu la taille, la combinaison du palais et des jardins est presque aussi grande que le centre ville de Florence. Grand grand gran, et on est naze naze naze. C'etait l'heure de rentrer a l'hotel, et d'ecrire pour ce blog que vous etes en train de lire. Jusqu'a la prochaine fois, fideles lecteurs!
(C'etait une entree de Mike, pas moi! hihihi)

Whaat???

Quoââââ????

Venice Part 2

2006-06-16T03:05:00.000-07:00

June 15th, 2006

Breakfast:

Today we decided to not walk so much as it might actually injure us if we already hurt so much after two days.,.. hahaha
Still we've been walking a lot, but in the general area of the Rialto bridge where there are some cool glass stores.
After roaming around some shoe stores and clothing stores (we only found a pair of Dr Scholl shoes for Mike but nothing else... boohoo!) we found a nice little restaurant with a modern flare to it (The Taverna SanLio).
There was a dish of seabass ravioli with basil sauce and we have to vouch for it, we finally found a place to eat REAL italian food! It was amazingly good! Since we were not starving we shared one plate and that was plenty enough.
Then we saw they had a creme brulee on the menu so we had to have it, and Mama Mia it was amazing, it was light but heavy, bubbles of air in it, and it looked like melted cheese. hmmmm It was probably one of the best creme brulee ever!

Aujourd'hui on a decide de pas marche autant car ca pourrait peut-etre nous faire du mal puisque ca fait que 2 jours et on est deja assez blesse (surtout mon dos on dirait)... hahaha Mais quand meme, on a marche, surtout dans la region du pont Rialto ou il y a des magazins chouettes de verres de Murano. Apres avoir bulle dans les rues un peu partout et passe par des magazins de chaussures et de vetements (nous n'avons trouve qu'une paire de chaussures Dr Scholl pour Mike, snif, Bata ne m'aime plus!) on a trouve un resto mignon avec un air moderne (La Taverna SanLio). Il y avait ce plat de ravioli au barre avec une sauce au basilique... hmmmm, finallement un vrai resto italien! C'etait trop bon! Puisqu'on avait pas trop faim on a partage une assiette: Puis nous avons vu creme brulee dans le menu donc nous avons du l'avoir a tout prix! Mama mia, c'etait magnifique, leger mais lourd, avec des bulles d'air dedans, et on aurait dit du fromage fondue... hmmmmmm probablement une des meilleure creme brulee que j'ai jamais mange!

After all this we did take a little nap and blogged, then went out again, walked some more, hung out at a cafe, then went to another cafe and asked for a couple champagne glasses, but instead got a whole bottle of local sparkling wine which wasn't bad but unexpected.... So we wobbled to diner, again on the Fondamenta Nuove at another restaurant which was amazing (The Algiubagio).
Though we had great food (we shared a dish of tagliatelli al funghi and a pizza with artichokes and mushrooms) we were stupid enough not to take pictures of the food and prefered instead to take dorky and unecessary photos of ourselves... it's a choice in life!

Apres tout ca nous avons fait une petite sieste, ecrit pour le blog, puis on est sortit a nouveau, on a marche encore plus, prit un pot dans un cafe ou nous avions demande deux coupes de champagne (pour notre derniere soiree a Venise) et au lieu de ca nous avons recu une bouteille de vin petillant local qui n'etait pas mauvais mais inattendu. Nous avons donc marche comme des pingouins jusqu'a la Fondamenta Nuove a nouveau mais dans un autre restaurant qui etait genial! (le Algiubagio) Et meme si nous avons mange un tres bon repas (des tagliatelle aux champignons et une pizza avec des artichauds et des champignons), on a ete assez idiots pour ne pas prendre de photos de tout ca mais plutot pleins de photos betes de nous meme... C'est un choix de vie!

hahahahah

Comments on Venice:
Mike noted that this place is the Las Vegas of the 18th Century... It still feels like it minus the slots! There is a feeling of centuries old, stale debauchery and overwhelming sensory overload in the middle of serious suffocation amongst the thousands of tourists that flood the tiny streets of Venice where the horizon line is missed!
Still we had fun, it was nice, and now we're ready for Florence. The train will probably feel amazing once we unveil the landscape of this beautiful country!

Commentaires sur Venise:
Mike a remarque que cet endroit est vraiment le Las Vegas du 18eme Siecle.... Il y a toujours ce sentiment mis a part le fait qu'il n'y a pas de machine a sous ici! Le sentiment d'une debaucherie stagnante vieille de plusieurs siecles, et une surcharge sensorielle en meme temps qu'une suffocation au milieu des milliers de touristes qui innondent les toutes petites rues ou l'horizon manque!
Tout de meme, on s'est bien amuse ici, c'etait tres sympa, et nous sommes maintenant pret pour Florence. Le train sera surement un sentiment bienvenu une fois que le paysage de ce beau pays se revele!
(La traduction d'anglais a francais a l'air assez cheezy!!!! hahaha)

ARIVERDERCI!

Venice Part 1

2006-06-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

June 11th, 2006

The day before we left for Europe we celebrated Matthieu and my mom's birthday with a "traditional" dinner at Benihana.
It was a lot of fun, very good food (ahhh beef!) and everybody was happy. Then Matthieu got his Dora gifts and proceeded to apparently kind of nudge the big Dora doll with a disgusted expression on his face. Funny how this character looks like an alien. Hopefully it won't totally make him hate Dora! hahaha

Le jour d'avant notre depart pour l'Europe nous avons celebre les anniversaires de Matthieu et de Maman avec le diner "traditionel" a Benihana. C'etait super fun, tres bon repas (aaahhh, le boeuf!) et tout le monde etait content. Puis Matthieu a recu ses cadeaux Dora et apparement il pousse la grosse poupee de Dora avec son pied en faisant une grimace de degout. C'est marrant comment ils ont fait une poupee qui ressemble plus a un extra terrestre qu'a Dora. On espere que ca le degoutera pas de Dora pour toujours! hahahahah

June12th, 2006

Plane day... ARRGHHHH
Had good lunch with family then airport, stupid detax is apparently run by a private agency now... strange to us that a tax should be handled by a private company... Then stupid plane, tiny seats, horrible backaches, neckaches, and all the joys of plane riding...(quick Mike interjection: Why are airplane seats less comfortable than the seats in airport Rental Car shuttles???)
Practically no sleep, arrive in Paris... AAAAHHHHH Almost 4 hours layover...
Can't go in town because we're too tired, and the line at security is huge... Oh well, coffee pain au chocolat at a local open brasserie, security line, wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait..... wait.... ah the plane will board... no! Delayed! AAAHHHH... Wait... wait... look! There are Tibetan monks going to Venice too! Wait.... wait.... wait.... More plane! woohoo, completely in the back, snif!
Alps, pretty! Landing on the mainland and more wait.... wait.... wait... for our luggage.
Vaporetto takes about an hour and 20 minutes to get to the San Marco place so it was slow and I fell asleep several times, Mike had to shake my hand for me to stay awake... It's about 6am for us and noon here! AHHHHH
Get to San Marco, go through mobs of teenagers and fat families, still haven't seen a couple here... strange. I thought my whole life this was the place for couples! Ok, so hotel, ok small room. at this point we see everything skewed because we're beyond tired.
But we are troopers, we decided we were going to stay awake until 10pm to get over the jetlag... RIght...
Lunch, pizza near by at the closest terrasse we could find! Ok, not incredible.
We can't nap! AAAHHHH
Walking around and pretty much killing time because we can't think of anything but sleep. But we can't sleep... boooohooo!
SO we walked around everywhere around the San Marco district and have found a lot of beautiful glass work, cool masks, a lot of americans and french people, and still no couples!
Everytime we sat some place I would fall asleep in mid-sentence (I'm not even kidding, it became quite sad at about tea time, and I have to explain that I have never felt so tired ever to the point of falling asleep while talking!!!!!!!!!! It's intense, man!).
(Another quick Mike interjection: Dude, it was kinda freaky. She would like nod off mid-sentence and almost fall of the bench. I've never seen anyone do that before).
Tea-Coffee on San Marco piazza, probably the most expensive cafe ever, so we won't mention the price, but when you're that tired, you need caffeine and whatever the price!
Then more walking around, and finally it's about 7pm, we're going to dinner. There is a place near the hotel called something or another but somewhere on the display it says "Severino" so we had to go there. Cute little patio, good food, again not incredible, but it works... Then Wilfred Brimley showed up unaccompanied (the fat one in Cocoon)...(no shit), so Mike couldn't stop staring at him and I couldn't stop staring at the only couple I had seen but they were really pissed at each other so I stopped and Mike and I started playing the game of who looks like who. Waiter: Michael McKean, Next table eater: Arvin Sloane, other waiter: Jack Nicholson, etc etc...
Back to the hotel, watch some Alias, keep yourself awake... until 9:30pm..... After we had shaken each other's hands enough to stay awake and simply couldn't go on, we just turned off the lights! FINALLY!!!!!!!

AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.................ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Jour d'avion... ARGGHHH Dejeuner avec la famille puis aeroport, detax stupide car apparement on est rembourse par une companie privee qui prend un pourcentage sur tout! Bizarre qu'un taxe soit reglee par une companie privee, mais bon... Ensuite avion stupide, petits sieges, mal de dos horrible (que j'ai toujours, j'ecris un peu coincee avec des oreillers partout), mal de cou, et puis evidemment le reste des joies de prendre l'avion... (intervention de Mike: Pourquoi est-ce que les sieges d'avion sont aussi inconfortables alors que les sieges des shuttles de location de voiture sont beaucoup plus moelleux?). Presque pas dormi evidemment, arrives a Paris... AAAAHHHHHH presque 4 heures d'attente pour notre prochain avion... On ne peut pas aller en ville car on est trop fatigue, la valise et la queue pour la securite est enorme... Oh well, cafe, pain au chocolat dans une brasserie ouverte, puis queue pour la securite, et apres on attend.... on attend..... on attend...... attente..... attente....... attente...... attente...... attente...... attente........ ah, l'avion va embarquer,... mais non! C'est retarde! AHHHHHHHHHH...... attente......attente........... attente............. attente................ attente.............. attente.......... Eh, regarde, il y a des moines tibetains qui vont a Venise aussi!. attente........... attente......... attente.......... Et puis plus d'avion! Oh yeah, la derniere rangee (la ou on entend l'avion bien fort et ou on ressent toutes les secousses).... snif! Les Alpes, c'est beau! Atterir a l'aeroport de Venise, et puis plus d'attente...... attente........ attente....... pour nos baggages. Vaporetto pour aller a Venise prend 1 heure et 20 minutes jsuqu'a la place San Marco donc c'est assez lent et je m'endors toutes les 5 minutes, Mike doit me secouer la main pour me garder eveillee.... IL est 6H du matin pour nous et midi ici..... AHHHHHHHH!!! Arrivee a San Marco, passage a travers les foules d'ados et familles de gros (probablement des americains! haha), et toujours pas d'autres couples... Bizarre. J'ai toujours cru que Venise etait la capitale des couples! Ok, donc hotel, petite chambre. Maintenant les hallucinations du manque de sommeil se font tres presentes et tout est assez deconnecte car nous sommes plus que fatigues. Mais on decide de rester eveilles jusqu'a 22H pour le jetlag.... mouai... Dejeuner, pizza sur une terrasse a cote de l'hotel! ok, mais pas incroyable non plus. On peut pas dormir!!! AAAAHHHHHH Promenade dans Venise, et on en peut pas penser a autre chose que de dormir, donc on continue a marcher partout. Mais on peut pas dormir... OUINNNNNNNN!!! Donc on marche, et on marche, et on marche,partout dans l'arrondissement de San Marco et on trouve plein de superbes travail sur verre, des bijoux, des verres, et pleins d'autres trucs supers, des masques, et pleins d'americains et de francais, et toujours pas de couples! A chaque fois qu'on s'assoit quelque part je m'endors plusieurs fois au cours d'une conversation en plus milieu d'une phrase (je rigole meme pas, c'etait assez triste au bout d'un moment, et je dois exprimer que je ne crois pas jamais avoir ressenti ce genre de manque de sommeil, au point ou meme en parlant c'etait comme si je perdais conscience, masi je ne faisais juste que m'endormir! Intense!) (une autre intervention de Mike: Oh man! Ca fait peur! Elle faisait comme s'evanouir au milieu de me dire quelque chose et tombait presque du siege ou banc, je n'ai jamais vu quelqu'un faire ca de ma vie!). The, cafe sur la place San Marco, probablement le cafe le plus cher au monde, donc on ne dira meme pas combien c'etait, mais quand on est fatigue comme ca, la caffeine est un medicamment, a n'importe quel prix! Puis plus de marche, et finallement autour de 19H on trouve une trattoria pas loin de l'hotel avec "Severino" marque sur l'affiche quelque part. Un patio tres mignon, un bon repas, mais encore une fois pas incroyable non plus, mais ca marche... Puis Wilfred Brimley (le gros de Cocoon) et Mike le mate comme si c'etait Sharon Stone et moi je regarde un couple (et oui il y en a une fois tous les millier de personnes) qui s'etait visiblement frite, donc pas joli a voir. Apres le restaurant on decide de regarder un episode de notre serie tele pour nous garder debout mais au bout d'une demi heure et a force de se secouer les mains l'un l'autre pour se garder eveiller, les lumieres s'eteignent vers 21:30 et nous voila endormi.... enfin!!!!!!!!! AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.................ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Pains au chocolat, Paris:
Strange people, Paris:

Alpes from the plane.... prettyyyyy:

Strange tired people taking the vaporetto:

Arriving at San Marco:

Basilica:

Mike steps in Venise:Our brother:

Sleepyyyyyy....
Fatigues.....

Illusions of grandeur:

Hotel:

Most expensive cafe ever:

Diner:

Wilfred:

June 14th, 2006

Today we walked some more... a lot more!
Museum for the first part of the day, 3 actually, so it took us a while. Very nice though!

Aujourd'hui nous avons marche un peu plus.... beaucoup beaucoup plus! Musee pour la premiere partie de la journee, 3 en fait, donc ca nous a prit du temps. Tres sympa!

Then we walked and had sandwiches on the "real" Venice Boardwalk
Puis nous avons marche plus et sandwich sur le "vrai" Boardwalk de Venice!

NAP!!!!
SIESTE!!!!

Blogging...

In trying to find this green area of the map (we've been feeling sort of confined) we found the hospital and a very big church... went around all of it to find the entrance to the green part, but no green, just a hospital grass patch....
Still that area was a lot quieter and had less tourists than everywhere else so we stayed and walked around a lot more, then had dinner on the Fondamenta Nuove which is the sea and looks at Isola de San Michele (other island with a cemetary on it).
We took the long way home through the Rialto bridge and then had to come back to blog not only because my back is seriously shot but also because we're tired and need to rest our feet!

En essayant de trouver une partie verte de la carte (on commence a se sentir un peu enferme ici) nous avons trouve l'hopital et une grosse eglise... on a contourne le tout pour trouver l'entree du parc ou autre point vert, mais pas de vert, juste un peu de gazon d'hopital...Mais tout de meme ce quartier est plus silencieux et a moins de touristes donc nous sommes reste et avons marche encore plus pour finir sur la Fondamenta Nuove pour dinner sur le bord de la mer avec une vue sur la Isola de Michele (une autre ile avec un cimetiere dessus). Puis on a prit le long chemin pour rentrer et passer par le pont Rialto et maintenant on est la pour faire le blog, non seulement parce que mon dos est completement foutu, mais aussi pour reposer nos pauvres pieds!

Just a quick observation....

2006-06-12T07:42:00.003-07:00

Something that's occurring to me as we're preparing to go visit our friendly neighborhood airport later today:

For all you people considering following our bold fashion revolution that are our Crocs, and if you're the kind of person who enjoys traveling, here's something to consider....

If you have yet to be asked to remove your shoes while going through airport security, wearing Crocs is the functional equivilant of sending the tsa people a singing candygram BEGGING them to make you remove your shoes. I had personally never been asked to do so (and I'm just mildly sociopathic enough to have never offered it up voluntarily), but I think I can safely expect to never pass through airport security wearing shoes again. This is a safe assumption considering that I'm never flying without crocs again....they're just too perfect for air travel (lightweight, ventilated, non-constricting, easily kicked on and off, and ugly enough to provide endless airport entertainment), and the security inconvenience will never outweigh the fact that they totally kick ass. Just a thought.

June 9th, 2006

2006-06-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today was Séverine's mom's birthday!!! Happy birthday Catherine!!!

Well, today started out normally enough, and I thought that since a picture speaks a thousand words, I would let them do just that. Here's a photo montage of the first part of the day:

After a chilled day of vagabonding around Montreal, doing stuff, but not really, we returned home to wait for Raphael to return from a post-finals weekend camping love fest (ahh, to be 18 again...). Once the swarthy young buck came back, we bid adieu to the parents who were off for an evening of unbridled debauchery (not really), and we got ready to head out to go see Camille perform.

In case you don't know, Camille is a French performer who has won some prestigious music awards in France, is insanely popular there, but is still attempting to break into the north American market. We learned of her when we saw her do a couple songs on a French live music tv show called Taratata, in which two hours of tv air time is dedicated to a revolving roster of live music and short interviews with the artists (can you imagine?). Well, we loved what we saw, but needed the family in Montreal to obtain her music for us as we could not find it in LA.

When we heard that she would be playing in Montreal when we were here, we jumped at the chance to get a few tickets, and to use Raphael's past birthday as an excuse to drag him along. First we had to take the subway there. Do you think these guys are siblings?

Along the way, we saw somthing that we thought summed up the cultural contrast that is Montreal beautifully...

The Camille show was part of a summer music festival known as Francofolies, which includes many headliner indoor shows such as this, along with a virtual labyrinth of outdoor stages set up for an endless slew of free concerts, all of which are designed to be only Francophone music. It's interesting to see musicians from so many different countries (Canada, France, African countries, Asian countries etc) who all have one thing in common between all their different musics, and that is the french language.
So streets are blocked, crowds are assembled, and music is the city wide priority. Here's just one of the stages off in the distance that we passed on the way to our show...

As it turns out, the Camille show was one of the best shows we've ever seen. It was amazing amazing amazing. She is one of the most charismatic performers I've ever seen (and I've seen Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Peter Gabriel), and even though I could only understand 80% of what was being said (I might be flattering myself), she had me and the rest of the audience eating out of the palm of her hand. She has that rare gift where she can cause of room full of people to fall in love with her. So great. Plus, she had a looping station where she would build vocal rhythms for her band to play along to....oh, and her band. Wow! It was only a 2 piece, but as I've always said about the Police and Rush, it was a lot of music for 3 people. She was accompanied by a pianist, who aside from also contributing vocal pops and clicks, prepared piano parts and accordian, was also responsible for beating Camille in the back while she sang to create a very organic choppy vocal effect. Then there was what can best be described as the human rhythm machine. We were pretty far back, so we couldn't see too clearly, but this guy had a kick drum on his right foot, either a hi-hat or some other drum on his left foot, an alternating assortment of basses between his knees, and a mic for beatboxing and singing. This guy held down the rhythmic fort like a brick shithouse - grooving as all hell. As I said, we were far back so the photos didn't really turn out, but here are a couple to give you the basic idea...

I sincerely hope that Americans can look past their cultural isolationist fishtank to embrace this non-engligh speaking wonder. She was great, and we had a great night thanks to her. Oh, I also forgot to mention that she was hillarious - she had songs that were tender and serious, but she also had a way of embarking on on-stage antics that were basically nutso. She did a whole speech making jokes with a Quebecois French accent (she actually did the accent really well and the crowd totally loved it); she stole the handbags from all the people in the front couple rows who were gullible enough to donate them (still unsure if they ever got them back); she brought 2 dorky males from the front row up on stage to dance with her; she did an acapella version of one of her songs so fast, that the song was over in under 30 seconds; she held the mic up to some dude in the front row so he could poorly take over the lead vocals for a bit...I can't even remember all of it, but she is nothing short of a classic performer. I hope you all have a chance to go check her out sometime.

Sev and I are off to Europe on Monday, so I'm not sure if much will happen before then, but if there is any more Montreal action, you can bet we'll let you know about it. A bientot!

June 5th, 2006

2006-06-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well, after all these distractions of music festivals and counrty homes, the time has come once again to get back to the basics. THE NEPHEW!!! We went to go pick him up from school...

...grab some ice cream (yummy)...

...and head to the park. Btw, did I mention that it was a beautiful, perfect summer day in Montreal? Well it was.

After all that fun in the sun, it was time to go back home...

Later that evening, Séverine, her folks and I were off to a restaurant by the name of Rumi. Last time we tried eating there it was closed for remodeling, so we thought we'd give it another try. Ok....it was closed again (apparently it is always closed on Mondays). So it was off to the pizzaria for us. There is this great little place a couple blocks away from Rumi, that has the cutest little outdoor patio in the back, stone cooked thin crust pizzas and a pitcher of local microbrewed beer. Need I say more?

Cheers!

MUTEK Festival - June 4th, 2006

2006-06-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a night! After arriving for our first Mutek show on Thursday night, we found out that the tiny 300 capacity theater was (obviously) sold out. On Sunday we finally managed to get into one of the shows that we came here to see. Fortunately for us, it ended up being the last show of the last night of the festival, so clearly we were meant to take at least a small taste from the forbidden fruit that is Mutek. For those of you who don't know, Mutek is one of the premier Electronic Music festivals in North America, this being its seventh year running so far. Now, we had always heard that Montreal was a growing hot-spot in the Electronic Music world, but truth be told, we had yet to see any first hand evidence of this. This has now all changed. There were however some obstacles to overcome, the sold out thursday show being one of them. The show was being held at an old converted foundry called "Darling Brothers Foundry". Is it me, or does every major city have at least one of these converted foundries used by artsy types for all things artsy?

However, since the foundry is located on an off-street in the middle of a chaotically organized jumble of one way streets, some serious driving around was required before finding its location. The clock was rapidly approaching the 9pm start time, and we were driving around in circles (or so it seemed). Upon finally finding it (just in the nick of time), we sat outside and waited to be let in...

And we waited...

And we waited...

And waited...

So....an hour and a half later, we were finally allowed inside (and we thought we were gonna be late - shmeesh!). Upon entering, were were greeted by a really great array of video screens,

some oddly placed reggae music, and...yup, you guessed it.....more waiting!!!

Finally, at (very) long last, the show began nearly two hours late. As we were watching the people arrive, our fear was that we were waiting all this time only to be disappointed by generic boom boom dance music. Holy crap were we wrong! The music was not only fresh and different, could be considered a bit "challenging" to the uninitiated, but what was even more impressive was the degree to which this montreal crowd "got it". There was a sophistication, enthusiasm, and acceptance that we had never seen before in an electronic music audience. It was inspiring and it was exciting. The first act was Mike Shannon, who was accompanied by Anaïs on vocals & Tim Bones on drums. The vocals were not our cup of tea, but there were sections of laptop/synths vs. drummer improv sessions that were long, exploratory, and would certainly have cleared the room in LA...but not here!!! They were loving it!!!

There were also some great visials projected on the array of screens throughout the performances.

There were even some Milo Rimbaldi artifacts on display in the lobby of the foundry.

After Mike Shannon finished his set, we had our panties blown off by Jen Jelinek, who at the time we had no idea who he was or what his name was, but he put on a beautiful, powerful, minimal performace. This is what it is all about for us...great, experimental music, and an audience that not only appreciates it, but can't get enough of it. My eyes are misting over just thinking about it. Most of the pictures of his set are blurry due to the crazy bass frequencies that were causing everything in a 15 km radius to vibrate to its very core. So, so glad I remembered to bring my earplugs. Sadly, Séverine and Raphael weren't as lucky...

Unfortunately, we were only able to stay for the first two acts, not only because the metro was going to stop running at midnight, but also because we were all genuinely fearful that prolonged exposure to the overwhealmingly powerful bass frequencies would cause our internal organs to melt. So, still glowing from an inspiring night of live music, it was off to the metro, beds waiting at the end of the journey.

More pics from Bromont...

2006-06-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more shots of the interior of the family's new pad in Bromont. Pretty cozy if you ask me....

There are of course the typical plans brewing to do a complete remodel...including raising the ceilings, adding another room or two, and generally customizing eveything, so I imagine these shots will someday serve as more of a historical record than a functional representation (this house was built around 1890 if I remember correctly, though the jacuzzi is most likely a tad more modern. Mmmmmm....jacuzzi). It should also be mentioned that all future works done to this house are scheduled to be completely green (environmentally friendly for all you neophytes out there. Mmmmmm....green).