Happy New Year

Wishing you all the very best from Paris!!

Paris – Day 5

Today was going to include a visit to the Centre Georges Pompidou – a modern art museum.  To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of some forms of modern art.  That doesn’t mean I don’t like it at all.  If I see a Picasso painting where the arm of a figure is where the leg might normally be and eyes are on opposite sides of the head, I might have a tough time understanding the mind that creates something like this, but it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment I get from seeing it.

But, there are some forms that I just don’t find appealing, confirming the fact that ‘art is in the eye of the beholder’ - nothing new there. 

While I didn’t have high expectations of the collections inside (although Picasso and Matisse pieces were represented), I was very interested in seeing the Pompidou Centre itself.  It’s like the building was designed inside out.  To have a building so modern amongst those that have been standing for hundreds of years…the dichotomy was worth the visit.

 

This is one of the art pieces on display (red-tone boards of varying length leaning up against 3 of the walls in the room).

We ended up rushing through the final few rooms, using the excuse of needing another jambon et fromage sandwich…right now!  (Actually, we won’t need to eat any cheese or bread for the next year.  We ate our quota in one week.  But…mmmmmm.  I wonder if they’ll serve cheese on the flight home.)

We walked through  Les Halles area and even caught a couple of young kids playing ping pong outdoors.

  

Since this was New Year’s Eve, many museums and historical sites would be closing early for the evening.  As it turns out, we had hoped to see Ste Chapelle church, but it will have to wait until next visit as we missed the cut-off by just a few minutes (we can blame it on jambon et fromage!…I am blaming weight gain on it, why not this too!). 

We’ve been to Notre Dame on a couple of occasions, including the tour of the towers, but we had never been to the crypt.  So, that was our next stop.  It really wasn’t a crypt, but rather an archeological dig that reflects the life of the people over many years – how they were able to heat their homes, the layout of the area in front of Notre Dame and along the Seine, and some insight into the day-to-day activities of the time.

That would be final ‘tour’ in Paris…New Year’s is almost here.

Paris - Day 4 (part deux)

The Musée du Louvre is a stunning building which has taken on various forms from its early days as a fortress.  From the edge of the Tuileries gardens where sculptures line the main path, through the Arched structure which recognizes the success of Napoleon’s armies, you reach Pi’s glass pyramid which was built in the late 1980’s – the main entry into the museum.

 

The museum houses some of the more recognizable and beautiful pieces of artwork.  Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is likely the most popular.  The piece dating back to the 16th century is kept behind bullet-proof glass within a climate controlled environment.

(image from Wikipedia)

Another famous piece is the sculpture Venus di Milo. 

While some rooms of paintings or sculptures allow easy access for viewing, both these pieces are often found in rooms that are crowded with those who want a glimpse of something they might have only seen in photos or read about in books.

It really is a unique opportunity to appreciate the historical significance and beauty of what these artists have created – in the artwork and the buildings themselves.

This was not our first time to the Louvre and I hope it won’t be our last.

Our dinner this evening was at Chez Janou – an eclectic French bistro located in the Bastille area of Paris.

It is an easy metro ride from where we were staying and after missing out on having dinner there last night, we were quite happy to get a reservation for this evening.  The food was incredible!!  But, wow…we have definitely gained some weight on this trip.  Just ‘looking’ at the chocolate mousse dessert that Mark had ordered (apparently, a specialty and highly recommended) added a few inches to ‘my’ waistline. 

Tomorrow, we’re off to the Centre Pompidou

Paris – Day 4 (part 1)

This was going to be a busy day.  We were about to tackle two of the largest museums in Paris – Louvre and Orsay, plus one short tour, and finally dinner at Chez Janou.

We had purchased Paris-Museum passes after seeing the very first line-up to get into a museum.  The pass allows you a separate entrance and in some cases little or no wait time.  If you do not have pre-purchased tickets or a museum pass, your wait in line could be a couple of hours…or more.  But, even with the pass, with the crowds we were seeing, quick access still wasn’t guaranteed.

Musée d’Orsay was the first stop - housed in a beautiful rail station that was designed and built as a terminal for the 1900 World Exhibition.  It had ceased being a rail station several decades ago, when in 1986 it was opened as a Museum.  It still retains the look of a train station with its large open space and of course, a large clock at one end.

It would house some of the most amazing pieces of artwork – sculptures and paintings.  Degas’ bronze sculptures of dancers, paintings by Van Gogh, Renoir, Sisley, Monet, and Cezanne are just a few of the more recognizable artists.

We left the museum and decided to do a tour of the city sewers.  Yup, you read it…sewers, or égouts as they are known in Paris.

It seemed apropos that we did this tour at the time we did…because I had to go to the bathroom VERY badly and before showing our passes, I first asked if there were ‘toilettes’ inside.  Why wouldn’t there be?!  It’s a sewer! 

With that out of the way, the tour guide warned us “remember to wash your hands after the tour is over”.  OK, while the tour was informative and interesting, this was enough for me to know that I was in for more than I had expected.  I just hoped that the ‘odour’ wouldn’t follow us for the rest of the day.  

With an extra dose of hand sanitizer, there was no reason why we wouldn’t walk the streets of the famous fashion houses of YSL, Givenchy after that tour…mais oui!  No one was going to poo-poo that idea!  :)  There were very expensive cars (with drivers) waiting outside the likes of Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and D&G shops - a totally different world than the one most of us live in. 

But…time for Musée du Louvre…(to be continued)

Paris – Day 3

We were planning on a relaxing dinner at ‘home’ for New Year’s (some yummy sustenance before going out for the festivities) in a couple of days.  So, we located a wonderful covered market in the St. Germain des Pres area to purchase a few fresh vegetables, fruit, spreads, cheese, and pasta.  The market had everything we might want and it was a nice treat to spend some time testing our French with the locals.  

Knowing we were already in the area, we decided to head over to St. Sulpice church.  If anyone has ever read the DaVinci Code, you’ll know that St. Sulpice church played a role in the story line.  The church had begun being built in the 1600’s, but wasn’t completed until the 1700’s.  We arrived just at the end of a short service and so were able to walk around with ease.

After lighting a candle for Maureen’s mom who passed away just a few days before Christmas (hugs to you Maureen), we continued on until we found a nice little butcher shop close to our apartment and had them make some fresh jambon et fromage sandwiches (cured ham and cheese) for a quick lunch.

The weather continues to surprise us.  Each day they call for rain and then it holds off for all of our wandering around (although, I’m not sure if we’ll be as successful tomorrow).

We took the metro to Arc du Triomphe so that we could tackle the 284 stairs to the top for a beautiful view of the city, before it got too dark.

     

 

We had tried to have dinner at a restaurant in the Bastille district that one of Mark’s colleagues had recommended.  Unfortunately, we hadn’t even considered we might need a reservation. Thankfully we were able to make one for Wednesday evening.  So, a dinner in the Latin Quarter would be our final destination today – an ‘interesting’ establishment…but we laughed and enjoyed ourselves.

Looking forward to our museum stops tomorrow.

Paris – Day 2

Sleeping in…ahhh, this feels good!  There was no place we had to be, so we made it a nice and relaxing morning. 

We wandered through St. Germain des Pres and made our way over to Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte Chapelle.  Paris is much ‘busier’ than in our previous visits and line-ups to get into museums and other buildings of historical significance were an indication of this. 

The Louvre (which houses the Mona Lisa and many other prominent pieces) was our next stop…not to visit (we’ll do that later in our stay), but just to walk around.

 

We walked through Tuileries Gardens on our way to see an exhibit of Renoir paintings at the Grand Palace.

Finally, we took an evening stroll along the Champs-Elysées.  At one end of the avenue is a carousel (ferris wheel) and the other is the roundabout with the Arc de Triomphe in the centre

After a great dinner at one of restaurants along the avenue, we made our way back to the apartment to enjoy some hot tea and yummy chocolate.   mmmmm…did I say that I love Paris?!

Paris - Day 1

We arrived in Paris and got settled into our tiny apartment in the St. Germain des Pres area on the left bank.  We're only a couple of blocks from the Seine, so getting around on foot to all the popular spots will be very easy.

 

One of the things we love most about Paris is the most amazing pieces of art that don't even require a visit inside a museum.  This is beautiful sculpture outside the entrance of the Petit Palace (image included).

 

Finally, we made it to the L'Orangerie museum that holds Monet's Water Lilies paintings.  We had tried to see it when we were here in 2000, but it had closed earlier that year for renovations and remained closed until May 2006.  As luck would have it, our last visit to Paris was in April 2006...a little shy of the re-opening.  Alas...we finally managed a visit today.  The building itself was worth the visit. 

 

When we left the museum, it had gotten dark and so we took a walk to the Champs-Elysées.  The trees alongside the avenue were beautifully lit with vendors along both sides selling everything from vin chaud (warm wine), hot chocolate, bon-bons, scarves, cured meats and cheeses, and so on.  We picked up a wedge of cheese and some cured meat and enjoyed the warmth of the vin chaud.  It definitely helped to take away the chill of the air.

 

Weather is a little warmer than at home, but is still overcast and we expect to remain like that for most of the week.  But, it makes for still comfortable conditions for walking the streets of Paris.

 

On our way back to the apartment, we stopped along the Seine to take in the Eiffel Tower that was basked in twinkling lights.  Beautiful!  I love this city!!!

Olympic Torch Relay – what a day!

In February 2010, the Winter Olympics will be held for the first time in Canada since the games were held in Calgary in 1988.  And, once again the flame which was originally lit in the birthplace of the Olympics – Greece - is now making its way across Canada, by torch relay, to its final destination.  This time, it is in Vancouver, BC. 

The flame arrived in the GTA this past week and on Saturday, Day 51 of the torch relay, it was going to be passing through Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, and Hamilton.  This was exciting not only because we could witness this historic torch relay so close to home, but that we had a direct and very special connection  – Torchbearer #156.

Mark was one of the fortunate individuals who had been selected to be a part of the journey – an experience to treasure. Fortunately, we could all share the experience with him…and we did - in full force!  The streets were lined with family, friends, co-workers, and strangers with a common bond – sharing the Olympic spirit of friendship and peace.

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Home-made posters, flags, banners, bells, whistles, cameras, and tons of Olympic spirit were ready to cheer him along the relay route.  The excitement was contagious and the chill in the air was forgotten.  What a day!  I couldn’t have been more proud and more inspired.  Thanks to all those who were there in person and to those cheering along from home!

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A very short video of Mark’s final steps before passing off the flame to the next torchbearer:

I think we’ll be celebrating all over again when the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic cauldron at BC Place occurs on February 12th…as it just happens to be Mark’s birthday as well.  From my very biased mindset - how apropos!

Citius, Altius, Fortius….Swifter, Higher, Stronger

Let the games begin…

Photos along the relay segment taken by friends and family.        P.S. Thanks Jacques…for those big-lens shots!

Follow the Torch – Day 51 – Go Mark!

On Saturday, Dec 19th, Mark is very excited to be part of the official Olympic Torch relay as he carries the torch along Lakeshore Rd on the eastern edge of Oakville.  To follow the torch live through streaming video online, check out:  

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/torch/follow-torch/index.html

Or if you want to be there in person, bring some bells, flags, banners, loud cheering voices…and lots of Olympic spirit!  We’re going to have a blast as we all share an experience of a lifetime.

Location:  Lakeshore Rd, beginning at Ennisclaire Drive and ending at Cairncroft Road. 

They have estimated the hand-off to Mark to occur at 3pm, but of course it could be earlier or later depending on how the earlier segments go.

Look for Mark’s torchbearer number on a bright orange route marker that will be placed at the start of his relay segment.

Torchbearer # OTR051-156

Hope to see you there!