Paris

Hello from beautiful Paris. We have been here staying in a beautiful 5th floor apt in St. Germaine. Lovely neighboorhood with little shops both independant and big brand (Hermes, Dior, Cartier) qnd resturants. We walked over to Pont Neuf and to Notre Dame the first night we were here. We,ve been enjoying our apt so much we have been cooking for ourselves quite a bit, plus there is an espresso machine there sooo....


We went to Versailles yesterday. We rented bikes there and rode all aroound the pond/lake/pool. We walked through M.A.,s little town, and house, then the big palace. Grand. Today we are looking around Le Maris. Just a few more days here, we all miss our friends at home, but would love to have more time in Paris.

A

Venice

Got into Venice yesterday afternoon, after spending an enjoyable last day in Spain in Stiges. It was a mediteranian resort town. We stayed in a hotel across a small street from the beach, with a lovely roof-top bar. Yenna went for a swim, I read my book. The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Anouther astounding book by him, the story was harsh, apocolyptic and so incrediably sad. I could hardly stand it, but I could hardly put down.

We took a mostly empty Italian Myair plane to the Marco Polo airport just outside Venice, jumped on bus and then the water bus to meet a woman who walked us to our rented aoartment. it's great to be back in Italy, and Yenna is super excited about having more veggie choices to eat! The apartment is comfortable, and nicely located...it feels like we are staying at someones great aunt's house. Today, we took the train into Padova, walked around until the afternoon, an came back into Venice. We may go see some Vivaldi tonight.

A

San Sebastian

Hola from the west coast of Spain. We picked up our little Citroen car on the 9th and headed off to Pamploma. Reid had just finished reading The Sun Also Rises and wanted to see this famed Hemmingway town. We pulled in and there was nothing happening in town, it seemed like there should be a tumble weed rolling through. So we filled up with diesel and kept going down the highway to San Sebastian, and we were charmed in the first minute, and have spent the past 2 nights here, tonight will be our third.

It is a lovely old seaside resort city that is known for its Pinxtos. Basque for small tapas snacks. The oldest part of town, with small streets are teeming with bars with their bartops covered in little tasty treats. You can go in (¡Yenna can go in!) order a small wine or beer and help your self to little open faced sandwiches, and hor´dorves. You can also order small hot snacks like grilled shrimp on a skewer covered in a picante olive oil/shallot (?) mixture served on little slices of baguette. Yum!! I had a deep fried mushroom wrapped in spanish bacon-yum. The local wine here is poured from an arms reach high into a waist level waiting glass.

We have been staying at a nice hotel, and are sad to think of leaving. But Bilbao waits for us.

Tried to figure out how to download some photos, but haven´t got it yet....

A

Barcelona

Well, we are in Barcelona. We have found it beautiful, with interesting buildings that unlike anything we have seen elsewhere. We visited a Gaudi apartment building yesterday that was pure genius. We have been eating non-stop.

I had thought we were over our jetlag yesterday, however we slept until 12:30 today, after staying up until 4am the night before... Last night we took a cab from the Gothic area in which we are staying to the beach. We walked along the med listening to the street musicians and young people toasting a popping open a Cava. There were small children and grown men playing with soccer balls in the moon and street light. At the sea side the streets all seem to end abruptly, with long narrow steets diappearing into the distance, one lined after the next. We stopped at a resturant and had mussels and paella with sangria. Yum.

First thing out in the city this morn I discouvered that my Visa was missing and most of the day today has been spent dealing with phoning on the spainsh street phones and finding the internet.

Tomorrow we pick up our little Spanish car to drive off into the country side for 5 days.

Getting Ready!

Drove to Maple Ridge this morning to drop Jordy off at Gayle and Ken's beautiful home and property. As we drove up to their lane Jordy became restless in the back of the car, sniffing the air. Seemed like he knew he was somewhere familiar as we approached his birth place. Once we arrived he was quickly enveloped into the fold of his Ridgeback clan. Summer, along with Jordy's mother Asha, and brother Akala seemed happy to see him, and the standing order seemed to sorting out as we left.

Now we are finishing laundry and thinking about how to pack with our 15kg luggage limits!