The Silly Log

Well – It’s About Time

by Larry

Well It’s About Time…. or at least that’s what we think most people will say/think when they discover that we have finally done an update to our blog.

The ‘Readers Digest” version is as follows. Since Sage and Conrad visited the following are events from our busy retirement life: I played in a seniors golf tournament in Cache Creek; we had our grand-cat visit for one week while her parents were off to Toronto for a conference; our good friends Rick and Gayle and daughter Jeanine (who is expecting) came over for dinner; we went to Kelowna for a quick weekend visit; the Rube Band played a concert in the park; we had a coffee and visit with my cousin Trudi and her husband Norman from Victoria along with my sister from Sechelt Donna, sister Lynda from Kamloops and Nieces Tricia and Lynette – it was great to reconnect; we were off to Princeton to get in a much needed grand-kid fix plus I was spoiled with a 57th birthday celebration by Tamara, Kevin and Brenda, we visited our good friends the Smith family in North Vancouver, we were able to get in many enjoyable bike rides (note: the hills back up to our house are getting easier – honest); we attended our Annual Friends Reunion – year # 31; this was hosted by Judy and Dean - we visited Barkerville and stayed at Judy & Dean’s estate/mansion on the North Nechako River in Prince George; and finally at the end of August Jeff and Lindsay came for an Ultimate Tournament and they stayed over an extra day to make Salsa.

So it’s been a busy and fast summer…… where has it gone. The pictures are in no real specific order and they are random.

Shuswap Lake Park

Visit to Lynn Valley Canyon in North Vancouver

With our Niece Sabrina at Second Cup Coffee

September 1, 2010 No Comments

Sage & Conrad Summer Vacation – Pictures

by Larry

Well trust us it was too busy to do any updates, posts or anything that wasn’t grand-kid related. Sage and Conrad were great to have for the 5 days and we know that we probably worry and fuss more than their parents. However we did get a chance to take a bunch of pictures…. so here they are!

July 7, 2010 No Comments

Sage & Conrad -Summer Vacation

by Larry

On July 1, 2010 we picked up Sage & Conrad in Merritt so they could come to our house for their summer vacation. We had them last year for a few days and it was a lot of fun for everyone. This year we have a lot more things planned to keep them entertained and so they will have fond memories of summer vacation at Namma’s and Grampa’s House.

July 1st in Merritt is crazy busy at all the restaurants; however we we were lucky enough to find the Best Western where a tour bus had just left so it was fairly empty and the food was outstanding. Lots of leftovers for Kevin to take for his weekend shift at work.

After saying goodbye to Mom & Dad who where off to have some time together alone, we headed to Kamloops and almost as soon as we got there and got the car emptied we were off to Prince Charles Park Wading Pool…… it was a “must do” on Sage’s summer wish list. With the recent weather the wading pool was very cool, but there she was in swimming and having a great time. Conrad was a little more unsure of the freezing water and stayed nearer the edge and did not get wet past his knees. Anyway, lots more fun things to do in the days ahead.

July 3, 2010 1 Comment

Cellphone – Camera – Running Shoes

by Larry

If you have been following our post you’ll remember the day in Holland when I lost our cellphone, broke the camera and got oil/tar all over my running shoes. Well here’s an update.

When we got home there was a message on our answering machine from Kamloops Airport Security…. and guess what, they had our cellphone. I know I had it when I cleared security in Kamloops so it must have fallen out of my day pack somewhere between Kamloops and Vancouver. Mystery #1 solved. Then I took the Digital Camera back to London Drugs and it’s been sent off to Sony for warranty repair; 4 -6 weeks it should be back. Finally the shoes, well they traveled to south of France but after walking absolutely everywhere in my Keen Sandals I didn’t think we needed to pack them any farther, so we left them in Arles. I’m going to get some new hiking shoes when I get a chance. So in the end everything has worked out alright!

June 9, 2010 1 Comment

The Long Trip Home

by Larry

Sunday morning in Nice we got up early walked to the nearby bus stop and for 4 euro each we caught the local bus to the Nice airport. That is definitely one thing that they really do well in France; local bus transportation is very reasonably priced. Nice is the second largest airport in France, so it was fairly busy for an early Sunday morning. We got there in lots of time so it gave us a chance to look around and there on display was a Formula 1 Grand Prix Race Car (pictures are attached).We flew from Nice direct to Amsterdam on Transvia airlines; one of Europe’s low cost carriers, where the flight was cheap, around 200 euro for both of us, however you pay for everything on board….. even water. It was also our first view of The Alps; even if it was from 30,000 ft. We arrived to a rainy, wet and cool Amsterdam. Once there we finally located our hotel, which we found on line, it was called the CitizenM at Schipool and is a new generation type hotel. It looked to me like they were going after the IPod, IPad, Mc Book, etc. generation. It was self check in (with little assistance), very bright colors, MacPro Desk work area but the coolest were the rooms. Now the hallway looked a little bit like a prison bunker or University Dorm, but the room was Cool and Funky. The room was as wide as the bed at the end which was a little larger than a king size bed. The shower and toilet were on opposite sides of the room and you used sliding curved floor to ceiling glass wall enclosures to close them off. Then the real glitzy thing was the room electronic controller touch pad that you used for all electronic functions in the room. For example you could set the mood for the room with colored lighted ceiling panels above the toilet and the shower, dim the rest of the lights, select television stations, movie channels, adjust the room temperature, set the alarm for the room to wake up, close the venetian blinds, close a the window black out curtain, select from almost any genre of music, etc. Anyway enough about CitizenM. Monday we were up early and headed for the long trip home. Lufthansa to Frankfurt then Toronto and then Air Canada from Toronto to Vancouver. Total time in the air or on planes today was 14 hrs. Delayed over an hour in Toronto for a number of reasons so late into Vancouver, but we finally made it to the hotel. So, that’s about it for our first European Adventure; we have many more stories to tell and a ton more pictures to share.

June 1, 2010 1 Comment

Nice – Our Last Day

by Larry

Today was our last day in Nice so we were going to enjoy every minute of it. We started the morning by going to the Old Town of Nice Market. Even though it runs Monday through Saturday, today was even bigger and certainly more busy and interesting than previous days. Most impressive was the Flower Market and the many booths with herbs, pates, sauces, foods, fresh seafood, vegetables (like white asparagus), fruits…. but most interesting were the many different varieties of olives (pictures are attached of the olive booths). During market we stopped for a great cafe au lait and then strolled along the promenade. After that we headed back to get changed into swimsuits so we could wade up to our knees in the Mediterranean Sea… it was very cool so that’s as brave as we got. We really notice that the water here is an aquamarine blue which is very different to the Caribbean turquoise blue. Later in the afternoon we did a little shopping and then wandered down the beach taking in the sights and sounds of Nice. Tomorrow we are up early and off to Amsterdam for the night as we prepare to fly back to Canada. Au Revoir from the Sunny French Riviera!

May 29, 2010 No Comments

A Day in Monaco

by Larry

Friday we headed to Monaco and said “to heck with the trains” we’re ready to tackle the Nice Intercity Bus System. So after a morning stroll and checking out a food and flower market we were able to find Gare Routiere. So, for 1 euro each we took the most amazing and scenic bus ride through the French Riviera. We passed through Cap Ferrat, Villefranche-Sur-Mer, Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, Eze-Bord-De-Mer, Cap D’Ail and finally into Monaco. The bus stops are not well defined and thanks to an alert bus driver and our Rick Steeves book we got off at Place-des-Armes to start our walking tour in Monaco. First off we hiked the hill to the top and to the Monaco Royal Palace. It’s not just one building but is more like a small city at the top. Complete with Royal Guards at the Main Palace where Prince Albert resides, the Church where Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly were married, a Oceanography building, an Abbey and streets with Cafes, Shops, etc. Plus the view from the top was amazing. After a lunch we headed down to the main area of Monaco. They were dismantling the bleachers and stands from the recent Monaco Monte Carlo Grand Prix. Along the way we passed shops selling Lotus Cars, Versace, Louis Vutton, Rolex, Hermes, etc….. just the usual pleasures for really rich people. From downtown we hiked the hill towards the main Monte Carlo Casino. WOW! Very expensive cars and well dressed people everywhere……. we were a little under dressed to head inside. Hey…. we’re on holidays! After this we ran to catch the bus back to Nice along the most beautiful 1 euro bus ride in the world. Whew… time for some French Wine and munchies!

May 28, 2010 5 Comments

Arles – Nice

by Larry

On Wednesday we headed off to Nice. This involved taking the train from Arles to Marseille and then changing trains in Marseille to get to Nice. Guess what….. the Marseille Train Station is HUGE…… that’s right at least 12 platforms and over 2 dozen trains coming and going at any time. Coming into Marseille our train from Arles was a little late getting stopped; we coasted into the station and coasted and coasted and it felt like we were never going to stop. Once off the train the next challenge was to find directions for our train to Nice. Well that turned to be out the easy part, you just had to look up at one of the monitors and there it was; the train to Nice leaves from platform #5. One small problem………. ALL THE FRIGGIN PLATFORMS ARE ALPHABETICAL!!!! So we immediately put on our “Bionic Man Steve Austin” eyeglasses and way in the distance I see a number for a platform. So, that’s a good start and then Brenda figures out where we need to go. Oh! Our train leaves Marseilles at 12:19…… it’s now 12:17…… so we pick up the pace to somewhere between a Boston Marathon and the 4 minute mile and we get on the train to Nice. The doors close and exactly at 12:19.Once aboard the ride was great, lots of vineyards and finally the Mediterranean Sea. The prettiest and most spectacular part of the ride was between Saint Raphael through Cannes (where the yearly film festival is held) to Antibes and right through to Nice where we got off. A lot of people on the train were standing taking in the sights; beautiful beaches, palm trees, mega yachts, etc…. we even saw the amazing sailing ship the “Malteses Falcon; obviously in town for the Cannes Film Festival? Once off the train we headed for the Hotel Gounod, it’s a great hotel in a great location, not far from the main beach in Nice and the French Riviera. So once checked in we headed off on walk. Well it’s like Waikiki only bigger…… much bigger. The main walk along the beach is called The Promenade D’Anglais, it’s at least 40′wide with a walking area and separate bike path. However the “Shock of the Day” was that the beach is not at all what we expected; it’s covered in small rocks/pebbles and looks uncomfortable to spend the day on as there is not a bit of sand in sight, it is so unlike the Caribbean, Hawaii, Canadian Beaches, etc. that we are used to.

May 27, 2010 2 Comments

Arles – last day and off to Nice

by Larry

Tuesday was our last full day in Arles before we head off to Nice by train (Oh Boy! Another train adventure….. hold us back!!!). So, we made it a very laid back relaxed Brenda and Larry day which started with a short walk and you guessed it a cafe au lait at a local cafe right next to the Amphitheatre. On our way there we walked along the Rhone and it’s very interesting to see the number of Rhone Cruise Boats that come and go from Arles. Also are a couple pictures of a couple of Vincent Can Gogh’s work that has been recreated into plaques for a City walk and to remember the famous painter who used Arles as his home for a number of years and to do many of his famous paintings.

May 25, 2010 1 Comment

Avignon Day Trip

by Larry

Monday was a holiday in France, however not letting that stop our travels we headed for the SNCF Train Station in Arles for a day trip to Avignon. We knew there were two trains leaving shortly after 9:00 am. We arrived a few minutes after 9 am and got in a line up for tickets as we haven’t quite figured out the SNCF ticket machines. We knew we were cutting it short for the 9:18 train and as luck would have it the person two in front us had a list of questions and as we got to the ticket window the 9:18 train was leaving the station. Oh Well, there is the 9:50 train! As soon as we bought the tickets there was an announcement that the 9:50 train was delayed 15 mins, then 30 mins, then 40 mins, then 1 hr and finally 1hr 30 mins….. to make a long story short we boarded the 9:50 train at 11:05 am. The trip takes about 18 minutes to Avignon. Once there we visited the Tourist Information, got a map and headed off to see the sights. So, what’s the most visited sight in Avignon? Well of course it is the Pont Saint-Benezet sur la Rhone. Famous for the song “Sur la Pont Avignon” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZUzzWlvn1w , we tried our own version but thankfully for you readers we couldn’t get it to load into our web page. The bridge at Avignon was built in the 12th Century and was the first to cross the Rhone, it was destroyed by an ice dam/storm in the 17th Century. We crossed the Rhone River on a small free ferry for a walk along the bank opposite the Pont and to take some pictures. Avignon is also home to Palais des Papes or Palace of the Popes; sometime in the 1300 – 1400 the Catholic Church moved from Italy and set up this Palace for it’s Pope. Then the Italians complained, so for a while they had 2 Popes from about 1378 – 1417 until they settled the internal dispute and went with 1 Pope and moved him to Vatican City. In Avignon you hear a lot of English being spoken in the shops, cafes, and streets. However in Arles it is very rare to hear English spoken anywhere and it actually catches your attention when you hear it. Avignon is much larger, busier and more of a tourist town than Arles. It is defintely been restored and updated more than Arles and is quite pretty, we would defintiely return. However we are used to less crowds after a few days in Arles, so we were happy to get back on the train to quiet little Arles at the end of the day.