...And now it's days later, and I've missed all kinds of things; missed our time in Siena entirely. Will fill in later, with pictures at the very least. But just now I've woken up from yet another nap, and it's the evening of our second full day in Venice.
It's been a lovely day. Got up, ate the B&B's roomsevice breakfast (apricot-filled croissants & cappuccinos & little crunchy toasts & 'Nutkao' - tasty Nutella knock-off), and then spent the whole rest of it (11am-5pm) in the Guggenheim Museum, just down the road. Paying the entrance fee for the museum let us see lots of lovely and interesting art, but more than anything I think I loved the museum itself. Such beautiful spaces - a wonderful calm sculpture garden with cool shade and tall trees, a terrace looking out on the Grand Canal, and the museum cafe in a glass-enclosed balcony looking onto the garden.
They gave us a cocktail on the terrace at noon (a 'spritz' - prosecco, soda, Aperol, and an orange wedge - sweet and bitter and orange-y and cool), which gave us a great excuse to hang out there admiring the view. All that stuff about Venice's canals smelling bad in the summer seems to be hooey. It just smells like the ocean. And sitting in the warm humid shade with a cool drink, looking out over the water & watching the boats go by, was so very pleasant.
Time drifted by, and when we'd finished looking through the museum and wandering in the garden and admiring the view from the terrace just one more time - it was already 3:30 in the afternoon. I would ordinarily have been very unpleasant company by this point, not having eaten for so long, but today I just got floaty, rather than grumpy. How nice, I thought. (Derek agreed.)
Had a lovely lunch in the museum cafe. Derek got penne pasta with tomato sauce & grated cheese, and a glass of fresh grapefruit juice. I had a glass of red wine and a caprese salad - pretty good tomatoes, wonderful fresh mozarella, great little black olives, and baby leaf-lettuce, topped with yummy olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Lovely and fresh and cool, this was the meal I'd been envisioning almost since we decided to come to Italy. Both dishes were meant to have fresh basil in them, but I think they must have been out. And both were lovely anyway.
And then it was 5pm, and we came back here and had a nice long nap. In a bit we'll gather ourselves & decided what to do for dinner. I'm still feeling very drifty....
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Gelato count : 7
Soooo sleepy this morning, so descriptions are brief. Up late conversing with U.S. folks on the west coast (hi Casey and Beth and Damien and Derek's mama!). So nice! But now, sleepy. Silly time zones.
August 10:
Morning in the Precious Stones Museum. Small and sweet, and filled with lovely and detailed stone inlay (so much skill, so much patience), and with staff who seemed less frazzled than at the larger museums we've been to. There was a lady sitting at one end of each of the three long rooms, reading a book & sort of casually keeping an eye on things.
Then to Grom for a noon mustkeepupourstrength gelato. I got 'crema come una volta' (old-timey vanilla egg cream - yum), and Derek got blueberry - which, as far as I am concerned, wins the 'most delicious gelato so far' prize. It was so good and so very blueberry-y. Turned our lips a little purple for a while, but totally worth it.
Then to the beautiful and spacious Santa Croce basilica (undergoing a lot of renovation to the most famous bits, but still wonderful). I think my favorite thing about it is the way the roof beams (wooden) are completely covered in geometric decorations:
Also got to tour the leather workshop there.
Went to Vinaino di Parte Guelfa, a sandwich shop just downstairs from our hotel, for a very late lunch. Picked up yummy porchetta sandwiches & brought them up to the (air conditioned...ahhhh) room. And then slept for the rest of the afternoon. We've had siestas every day except one (the 9th), and that one siesta-less day was exhausting. So on the 10th we took two days worth of siesta.
Showered and dressed and went back to the little church with the nightly organ concerts. Got to hear more lovely music, including a bit of a more formal concert with a man singing opera in a surprisingly high register, and a wonderful, goosebump-inducing Bach piece.
And then we went out for dinner. And this dinner was the best yet in Italy. And I am not awake enough to do it justice. And we have to check out of here in the next hour. So - later.
August 10:
Morning in the Precious Stones Museum. Small and sweet, and filled with lovely and detailed stone inlay (so much skill, so much patience), and with staff who seemed less frazzled than at the larger museums we've been to. There was a lady sitting at one end of each of the three long rooms, reading a book & sort of casually keeping an eye on things.
Then to Grom for a noon mustkeepupourstrength gelato. I got 'crema come una volta' (old-timey vanilla egg cream - yum), and Derek got blueberry - which, as far as I am concerned, wins the 'most delicious gelato so far' prize. It was so good and so very blueberry-y. Turned our lips a little purple for a while, but totally worth it.
Then to the beautiful and spacious Santa Croce basilica (undergoing a lot of renovation to the most famous bits, but still wonderful). I think my favorite thing about it is the way the roof beams (wooden) are completely covered in geometric decorations:
Also got to tour the leather workshop there.
Went to Vinaino di Parte Guelfa, a sandwich shop just downstairs from our hotel, for a very late lunch. Picked up yummy porchetta sandwiches & brought them up to the (air conditioned...ahhhh) room. And then slept for the rest of the afternoon. We've had siestas every day except one (the 9th), and that one siesta-less day was exhausting. So on the 10th we took two days worth of siesta.
Showered and dressed and went back to the little church with the nightly organ concerts. Got to hear more lovely music, including a bit of a more formal concert with a man singing opera in a surprisingly high register, and a wonderful, goosebump-inducing Bach piece.
And then we went out for dinner. And this dinner was the best yet in Italy. And I am not awake enough to do it justice. And we have to check out of here in the next hour. So - later.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Tired Uffizi
That's not my joke. I got it from Rick Steves. And it's terrible, but I like it anyway. Hope everyone got a good groan out of it.
August 9:
Got up bright & early yesterday for a 9:15am rendezvous with the Uffizi. That place is huge. We were in there for nearly six hours but we did the whole thing, top to bottom, and had lunch in the museum cafe. Derek had a ham & cheese panini. I had a plate of olives, salami and cheese (pecorino romano and parmigiano). And we both got tiny intense little cappuccinos.
The highlight for me was definitly the Botticelli room. They are so beautiful. I thought 'Spring' would be my favorite, but the 'Birth of Venus' was so very very lovely. After those, I kinda tuned out for a while.
Off to Grom for a peach gelato, then to the Pitti Palace. We got there kind of late in the day, so didn't see a huge amount of it, but did get to visit a costume exhibit (the wearers of the oldest clothes must have been tiny!), a bit of the huge Boboli gardens (lovely views of the city from up on a hill), and a strikingly ugly grotto housing copies of Michelangelo's four unfinished 'Slaves' (originals of which we saw in the Accademia).
Back home to collapse for a bit. Sooooo tired.... Then dinner at Osteria del Porcellino, recommended by Rick Steves - and just downstairs from our hotel. It was a comfort food sort of meal. Antipasto of fried brie with truffle oil & salad (hooray for fried cheese). Derek had tortellone (really big tortellini) with goat cheese, pear, and walnuts, in a lovely creamy & buttery sauce. I got the Ribollita (lovely bean & veggie soup). Shared a half-bottle of Chianti. Coziness.
Today I think involves the Precious Stones Museum and some churches, or maybe the History of Science Museum? But we're getting a bit of a later start. I have stumpy feet (hello, Earl family!), and Derek is sleepy. We'll get moving any minute here, though....
August 9:
Got up bright & early yesterday for a 9:15am rendezvous with the Uffizi. That place is huge. We were in there for nearly six hours but we did the whole thing, top to bottom, and had lunch in the museum cafe. Derek had a ham & cheese panini. I had a plate of olives, salami and cheese (pecorino romano and parmigiano). And we both got tiny intense little cappuccinos.
The highlight for me was definitly the Botticelli room. They are so beautiful. I thought 'Spring' would be my favorite, but the 'Birth of Venus' was so very very lovely. After those, I kinda tuned out for a while.
Off to Grom for a peach gelato, then to the Pitti Palace. We got there kind of late in the day, so didn't see a huge amount of it, but did get to visit a costume exhibit (the wearers of the oldest clothes must have been tiny!), a bit of the huge Boboli gardens (lovely views of the city from up on a hill), and a strikingly ugly grotto housing copies of Michelangelo's four unfinished 'Slaves' (originals of which we saw in the Accademia).
Back home to collapse for a bit. Sooooo tired.... Then dinner at Osteria del Porcellino, recommended by Rick Steves - and just downstairs from our hotel. It was a comfort food sort of meal. Antipasto of fried brie with truffle oil & salad (hooray for fried cheese). Derek had tortellone (really big tortellini) with goat cheese, pear, and walnuts, in a lovely creamy & buttery sauce. I got the Ribollita (lovely bean & veggie soup). Shared a half-bottle of Chianti. Coziness.
Today I think involves the Precious Stones Museum and some churches, or maybe the History of Science Museum? But we're getting a bit of a later start. I have stumpy feet (hello, Earl family!), and Derek is sleepy. We'll get moving any minute here, though....
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Molto bene
August 8:
Light breakfast in hotel. They don't really serve breakfast, but there are a plethora of little cakes and cookies available in the kitchen, as well as plentiful tea & coffee fixins. Good enough. The fundamental ingredient in any good breakfast is, after all, caffeine.
Off to the Accademia! Our hosts made reservations for us, which rocked. Line? What line? And it was amazing. The David is AMAZING. So big, and so very very beautiful. Great Mapplethorpe temporary exhibit. Upstairs filled with soooo much gold-painted iconography...eyeballs still glittering.
Lunch at Rick Steves recommended Robiglio (next to another couple also taking his advice).
Note: If anyone should be looking at a menu in Italian any time soon, here's something that I got wrong. Now, you don't have to.
pesca = peach
pesce = fish
...Very different things.
Derek: Gnocci with a sauce of white fish (sorry Derek!). Was still delicious, but if you're expecting peaches and get fish...well, one is bound to be a little dissapointed, no? Glass of a really lovely red wine, whose name entirely escapes me.
Ariel: ItaliannameIshouldhavewrittendown, which translated to sauteed slices of chicken breast in a delicious gravy with the most porcini mushrooms I have ever seen on a plate at one time. YUM. Glass of fresh, cool pinot grigio.
Stepped from the shaded restaurant patio into the HOT sun (with a full belly and a glass of wine in me), and my brain melted. It was kind of amazing. I. Could. Not. Think.
So, obviously, we had to go get gelato.
Back to Grom.
Derek: Lampone (raspberry)
Ariel: AnotherItalianwordIcan'tremember meaning sweet cream with mint
Back to the room for a bit for siesta, then out again for a walk along the Ponte Vecchio (sparklies!), and down through Oltrarno (Florence on the other, southern side of the Arno river). It started to sprinkle, so back to the room so I could grab my umbrella (Derek had his with him, the smarty), then out to look at Orsanmichele.
Wandered along little streets and came to a little church with open doors and organ music pouring out. Sign said free concert, so we went in and...amazing. A big organ in a little church is better than listening to music in the car - total surround sound that you can feel in your chest. Beautiful little church, too, with candle-lit nooks filled with beautiful paintings & sculptures all round. Second favorite thing of the day, think, after the David. What a treat! And apparently these organ concerts happen every night, so we may just have to wander that way again, say somewhere between 8:30 and 10pm.
Wandered to the Duomo, to see what it looks like at night. Beautiful and impressive.
Headed back across town, passing a quartet of French breakdancers (!) in a square. The were so good - had a whole choreographed piece put together.... I can't imagine having feet so coordinated, or arms so strong.
Dinner at the current number one recommended place on TripAdvisor.com (use it!), La Bussola. Shared a great bottle of chianti and an antipasto plate of pecorino romano cheese, lovely thinthinthinly sliced salami, the most delicious sun dried tomatoes I think I've ever tasted, fig jam, and rucola (arugula/rocket) lettuce. Soooo much fun, mixing and matching all the different flavors, but Derek found the best combination which was everything all together at once! Yum.
Derek: Pizza of pear (making up for the not-peach gnocci earlier), walnuts, pecorino romano, and honey
Ariel: Pizza of duck salami, fresh tomatoes, pecorino romano, and a sheep cheese with (!) truffles in it. I love truffles.
I've been winning 'best meal choice' mostly so far, and Derek has been winning 'best gelato flavor choice' (says him), but these pizzas were totally tied. So different, and both delicious.
And now I must run!!! Off to the Uffizi! Botticelli...eeeeee!
Light breakfast in hotel. They don't really serve breakfast, but there are a plethora of little cakes and cookies available in the kitchen, as well as plentiful tea & coffee fixins. Good enough. The fundamental ingredient in any good breakfast is, after all, caffeine.
Off to the Accademia! Our hosts made reservations for us, which rocked. Line? What line? And it was amazing. The David is AMAZING. So big, and so very very beautiful. Great Mapplethorpe temporary exhibit. Upstairs filled with soooo much gold-painted iconography...eyeballs still glittering.
Lunch at Rick Steves recommended Robiglio (next to another couple also taking his advice).
Note: If anyone should be looking at a menu in Italian any time soon, here's something that I got wrong. Now, you don't have to.
pesca = peach
pesce = fish
...Very different things.
Derek: Gnocci with a sauce of white fish (sorry Derek!). Was still delicious, but if you're expecting peaches and get fish...well, one is bound to be a little dissapointed, no? Glass of a really lovely red wine, whose name entirely escapes me.
Ariel: ItaliannameIshouldhavewrittendown, which translated to sauteed slices of chicken breast in a delicious gravy with the most porcini mushrooms I have ever seen on a plate at one time. YUM. Glass of fresh, cool pinot grigio.
Stepped from the shaded restaurant patio into the HOT sun (with a full belly and a glass of wine in me), and my brain melted. It was kind of amazing. I. Could. Not. Think.
So, obviously, we had to go get gelato.
Back to Grom.
Derek: Lampone (raspberry)
Ariel: AnotherItalianwordIcan'tremember meaning sweet cream with mint
Back to the room for a bit for siesta, then out again for a walk along the Ponte Vecchio (sparklies!), and down through Oltrarno (Florence on the other, southern side of the Arno river). It started to sprinkle, so back to the room so I could grab my umbrella (Derek had his with him, the smarty), then out to look at Orsanmichele.
Wandered along little streets and came to a little church with open doors and organ music pouring out. Sign said free concert, so we went in and...amazing. A big organ in a little church is better than listening to music in the car - total surround sound that you can feel in your chest. Beautiful little church, too, with candle-lit nooks filled with beautiful paintings & sculptures all round. Second favorite thing of the day, think, after the David. What a treat! And apparently these organ concerts happen every night, so we may just have to wander that way again, say somewhere between 8:30 and 10pm.
Wandered to the Duomo, to see what it looks like at night. Beautiful and impressive.
Headed back across town, passing a quartet of French breakdancers (!) in a square. The were so good - had a whole choreographed piece put together.... I can't imagine having feet so coordinated, or arms so strong.
Dinner at the current number one recommended place on TripAdvisor.com (use it!), La Bussola. Shared a great bottle of chianti and an antipasto plate of pecorino romano cheese, lovely thinthinthinly sliced salami, the most delicious sun dried tomatoes I think I've ever tasted, fig jam, and rucola (arugula/rocket) lettuce. Soooo much fun, mixing and matching all the different flavors, but Derek found the best combination which was everything all together at once! Yum.
Derek: Pizza of pear (making up for the not-peach gnocci earlier), walnuts, pecorino romano, and honey
Ariel: Pizza of duck salami, fresh tomatoes, pecorino romano, and a sheep cheese with (!) truffles in it. I love truffles.
I've been winning 'best meal choice' mostly so far, and Derek has been winning 'best gelato flavor choice' (says him), but these pizzas were totally tied. So different, and both delicious.
And now I must run!!! Off to the Uffizi! Botticelli...eeeeee!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
L'Italia è bella (e deliziosa)
Temporary conversion from Derek's lovely narrative posts to Ariel's considerably less polished (and definitely less entertaining - my apologies) bullet points. But I am not so patient as Derek when it comes to writing, and I want to put this down so I don't forget all the travel and places and food food food....
August 6 :
Metro to bus to plane to bus to Treviso.
Dinner: English pub. Bruschette (giant rounds of toast with lovely things baked on top).
Derek: Iforgottheitalianname (parma ham, mozarella, tomato sauce, and yummy caramelized yellow bell peppers).
Ariel: Porchetta fungi (tomato sauce, mozarella, chopped button mushrooms, and ohmygoddelicious (delicious!) sliced roast pork).
One night at lovely (and blessedly air conditioned) Hotel Continental.
Side note:
I love staying in hotels. I get so excited about it. When I was a kid we didn't have air conditioning, and sometimes when the weather got just too darn hot we'd drive a couple of towns over and stay at a hotel. The hotel was the vacation. Air conditioning, and a pool, and those danishes with little blobs of jelly in the middle, and way more television channels than we had at home...what more could you want, really?
August 7 :
Pleasant breakfast in hotel's 'Coffee Room'. Yogurt and granola and very yummy very very strong coffee and tea and the cutest little individual-sized packets of nutella and honey and whole-grain rolls and wonderful wonderful (I ate two) peaches. Snagged apples for later snack, and picked up sandwiches for lunch at the Treviso train station.
Derek: Was going to get traditional ham and cheese, but (based on last night's roast pork yumminess) went instead with notquitesoyummyaslastnight,butstillquitegood porchetta. An excellent decision.
Ariel: focaccia caprese, which I though would be just nice, and actually turned out to be really delicous (flat bread filled with mozarella, tomatoes, basil, and - this was the best part and a delightful surprise - green olives. YUM.)
Train from Treviso to Mestre to (!) Florence. Short walk to hotel, the even lovelier Relais Cavalcanti. Met at the door by our very friendly host. Short break for settling in & (for me) a brief siesta.
Back out into lovely Florence! Went to the Duomo (inside just closed), walked around it & saw the very short line to climb the dome - why not! 463 steps is a lot. I have a feeling my legs will have something to say about it later. Lovely views. Pictures later. Florence sure is pretty.
Made it down (legs already talking to me), and went to the highly recommended (thanks Jessica, and also Rick Steves) Grom for gelatto. YUM, and cold and we'regoingbackeveryday,maybetwice,ifihavenanythingtosayaboutit.
Derek: limone (so tart that it tasted extra cold)
Ariel: melone (made with special 'Honey Moon' melons, said the sign, and since this is sort of a honeymoon trip...)
Went to the baptistry - gorgeous, amazingly gorgeous mosaic ceiling (so very much gold), and intricate stone-tiled floor - then for a lovely walk through crazily beautiful piazzas, past statues out of art history text books, to the river.
Dinner:
Osteria de' Benci - a wonderful recommendation from our hosts. Shared an antipasto plate of a variety of sliced cured hams and sausages, and got a mezzo (50cl carafe) of the house wine - YUM all around.
Derek: spiral pasta with (lots of) garlic, parmesan, and spicy peppers.
Ariel: macheronette pasta with pecorino romano cream sauce, fresh cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil (drooooool)
Home to shower and collapse - soooooo tired.
And now it's the next day, and we're off to the Accademia! Oh boy oh boy....
August 6 :
Metro to bus to plane to bus to Treviso.
Dinner: English pub. Bruschette (giant rounds of toast with lovely things baked on top).
Derek: Iforgottheitalianname (parma ham, mozarella, tomato sauce, and yummy caramelized yellow bell peppers).
Ariel: Porchetta fungi (tomato sauce, mozarella, chopped button mushrooms, and ohmygoddelicious (delicious!) sliced roast pork).
One night at lovely (and blessedly air conditioned) Hotel Continental.
Side note:
I love staying in hotels. I get so excited about it. When I was a kid we didn't have air conditioning, and sometimes when the weather got just too darn hot we'd drive a couple of towns over and stay at a hotel. The hotel was the vacation. Air conditioning, and a pool, and those danishes with little blobs of jelly in the middle, and way more television channels than we had at home...what more could you want, really?
August 7 :
Pleasant breakfast in hotel's 'Coffee Room'. Yogurt and granola and very yummy very very strong coffee and tea and the cutest little individual-sized packets of nutella and honey and whole-grain rolls and wonderful wonderful (I ate two) peaches. Snagged apples for later snack, and picked up sandwiches for lunch at the Treviso train station.
Derek: Was going to get traditional ham and cheese, but (based on last night's roast pork yumminess) went instead with notquitesoyummyaslastnight,butstillquitegood porchetta. An excellent decision.
Ariel: focaccia caprese, which I though would be just nice, and actually turned out to be really delicous (flat bread filled with mozarella, tomatoes, basil, and - this was the best part and a delightful surprise - green olives. YUM.)
Train from Treviso to Mestre to (!) Florence. Short walk to hotel, the even lovelier Relais Cavalcanti. Met at the door by our very friendly host. Short break for settling in & (for me) a brief siesta.
Back out into lovely Florence! Went to the Duomo (inside just closed), walked around it & saw the very short line to climb the dome - why not! 463 steps is a lot. I have a feeling my legs will have something to say about it later. Lovely views. Pictures later. Florence sure is pretty.
Made it down (legs already talking to me), and went to the highly recommended (thanks Jessica, and also Rick Steves) Grom for gelatto. YUM, and cold and we'regoingbackeveryday,maybetwice,ifihavenanythingtosayaboutit.
Derek: limone (so tart that it tasted extra cold)
Ariel: melone (made with special 'Honey Moon' melons, said the sign, and since this is sort of a honeymoon trip...)
Went to the baptistry - gorgeous, amazingly gorgeous mosaic ceiling (so very much gold), and intricate stone-tiled floor - then for a lovely walk through crazily beautiful piazzas, past statues out of art history text books, to the river.
Dinner:
Osteria de' Benci - a wonderful recommendation from our hosts. Shared an antipasto plate of a variety of sliced cured hams and sausages, and got a mezzo (50cl carafe) of the house wine - YUM all around.
Derek: spiral pasta with (lots of) garlic, parmesan, and spicy peppers.
Ariel: macheronette pasta with pecorino romano cream sauce, fresh cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil (drooooool)
Home to shower and collapse - soooooo tired.
And now it's the next day, and we're off to the Accademia! Oh boy oh boy....
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Homeward Bound
It's now 100%, absolutely, positively, without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt, officially certain that Ariel and I are heading back to California in the next couple of months. Of course, this may not exactly come as news to anyone, so why am I even bothering to announce it (again)? Because, at long last, I finally bought my ticket. Mark your calendars, boys and girls, because my flight to San Francisco leaves on October 6, 2009, at 1:30 pm.
I have to say, I'm feeling pretty ambivalent about this flight. I've really enjoyed the past year that Ariel and I have spent here in Paris (and I'm going to continue to enjoy it up until the Oct. 6). To be honest, there's a big part of me that doesn't want to leave. I live in a beautiful apartment in a beautiful city, my work is going well (though it won't exactly be rewarding in the financial sense this coming year), and I have a whole big chunk of my family just a train ride - or even better, a 10 minute walk - from where I live.
At the same time, it's going to be nice to be back in California around good friends, close to other parts of the family, and where hopefully work will still be good (albeit equally nonpaying). Also helping the whole excited-to-go-back-to-California side: the fact that Ariel will already be there. She's leaving Paris on September 19, so that means there's going to be a little over 2 weeks here in Paris without her. If two weeks without my wife won't make me want to jump on a plane and fly 17 hours to San Francisco (with layover), then I don't know what will.
I have to say, I'm feeling pretty ambivalent about this flight. I've really enjoyed the past year that Ariel and I have spent here in Paris (and I'm going to continue to enjoy it up until the Oct. 6). To be honest, there's a big part of me that doesn't want to leave. I live in a beautiful apartment in a beautiful city, my work is going well (though it won't exactly be rewarding in the financial sense this coming year), and I have a whole big chunk of my family just a train ride - or even better, a 10 minute walk - from where I live.
At the same time, it's going to be nice to be back in California around good friends, close to other parts of the family, and where hopefully work will still be good (albeit equally nonpaying). Also helping the whole excited-to-go-back-to-California side: the fact that Ariel will already be there. She's leaving Paris on September 19, so that means there's going to be a little over 2 weeks here in Paris without her. If two weeks without my wife won't make me want to jump on a plane and fly 17 hours to San Francisco (with layover), then I don't know what will.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Uncle Scrooge, Minus the Scottish Accent and Money
Over the past few months, my niece Sofia has become a talking fiend. She's learning to speak in three different languages, and her words in all three make frequent appearances amid the babble that pretty much constantly flows from her mouth when she's not unconscious. Give her something to eat and she says "merci." Take her for a walk to the park and she'll chant "volta, volta!" ("trip, trip!"). Change her diaper and she starts crying "I know" (Sofia tends to cry a little when you change her, so Lee and Pegs try to calm her down by shushing and saying things like "I know," which has led the Littlest Pool to believe that "I know" has something to do with diapers and booty wiping).
Lately Sofia has especially enjoyed saying people's names, which tend to get stuck on "repeat" in her brain. A pretty big chunk of her day now is spent calling out "Daddy, Daddy, Mama, Mama" over and over again (which actually sounds like "Dadee" and "Mama"). Mixed in with her parents are Yia Yia and Papou (Pegs' parents), Mamie and Pop (Lee and my parents), Bon Papa (my grandfather), "Iki" (Pegs' sister Nikki) and her children "Adada" and "Eva" (Alexandra and Eva), and us Vandersibs. Sofia got Vanessa and Ariel's names down pretty quickly: "Nana" and "ao." Damien and I have been a bit trickier, though. I'm still not exactly sure what she calls Damien, but this past weekend she finally found some semblance of my name that's been able to repeat, and she spent a good chunk of Saturday saying over and over again: "Duck."'
To me, this is excellent knews for several reasons. 1) I have now joined the pantheon of names Sofia repeats ad nauseum, which makes me feel all special. 2) "Duck" is far better than her previous attempts to say my name, which usually ended up as something closer to "Dick." And 3) looking back on Sofia's first word, it is now abundantly clear that she's been trying to say my name the whole time - indisputable proof that I am her favorite uncle.
Damien and Young: Suck it.
Monday, July 20, 2009
When Stereotypes Come to Life
We've all heard the stories of the awful American tourist. Hell, network news programs have even produced terrible, cringe inducing "reports" on them. But they don't really exist, do they? I mean, no one could possibly be that obnoxious, right? Well tonight, as I write with the apartment windows open, I am listening to what can only be described as the platonic Awful American Tourist stereotype made flesh as he shouts and cackles on a hotel balcony across the street.
Let me add that I live on a fairly busy street, near a fairly busy intersection. It's 11:45 p.m. right now, and there are still cars regularly driving by, people are in cafés and restaurants chatting, and I can still hear this guy's every word. What's he doing on this warm Paris night in the middle of what must be his summer vacation, you might ask. Based on the amount of time he's spent on the phone, I'd guess that he's calling every single person he has ever known to tell them that he's in "Pair-ee - ha HA!!"
A selection of excerpts from his many, many conversations:
"HEY HOW YA DOIN' KEN! GUESS WHERE I'M CALLIN' FROM?!!! [Yes, capitalization and extra exclamation points are necessary]."
...
"We're staying on the sixth floor of this hotel - I need some fuckin' GARGOYLES up here, ya know? Ha HA!!"
...
"I went up fuckin' Noder-DAHM today, I ate fuckin' mussels, I went to the fuckin' market...I'm lovin' it, I'm LOVIN' it! [Noise that sounds like a cross between a laugh and a lung being hacked up]!!"
...
"Yah, we've done the whole Louvre: I saw the Mona Lisa. ... No, we've BEEN THERE ALREADY!"
...
"I'm looking at that Tower right now!"*
Maybe I'm being too hard on the guy, though. Maybe this is one of those situations when, as an American, I feel more self conscious and am more irritated by the rudeness of a countryman than the French themselves are. I mean, at least the guy seems to be enjoying his visit.
...And just as I finish writing that thought, his wife gets on the phone and shrieks, "Tom, guess what? They got fuckin' Segway scooters out here! Segway scooters!!"
*(editor's note: he wasn't. You can't see the Eiffel Tower from this part of the city)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Extension for ao!
After almost two months of waiting to get the final word from Stanford Medical Library about Ariel's job and if/when she would start up again, we finally have an answer. And if you've read the heading for this post, you know it's good.
A little background first, though. Ariel first got the okay for her leave of absence to come to Paris for the year back in August of 2008, taking effect on September 1st. The leave was only good for one full year, though. After that, Ariel would have to ask for an extension, which would involve asking higher-ups at the library and human resources, etc. Despite that, Ariel was told that asking for an extra month wouldn't be a problem, provided that she made the request well in advance (like, in the spring of 2009, for example).
Of course, that was before the global economy was flushed down the planet-sized toilet.
Fast forward to early May. Around that time Ariel wrote her boss at the library checking in and (half)jokingly asking if, you know, ha ha, she still had a job when she gets back to Palo Alto. Turns out, the answer was, "We'll let you know in a week after the big meeting." Ominous much?
Thankfully, following the scary meeting Ariel still had her job (sadly, some of her friends didn't have theirs anymore). But the question of whether or not she could get the extra month extension was still up in the air. Obviously she wanted it, but she was scared to press too hard for it out of fear of endangering her job status at the library. And if she couldn't get it, she would have to go back to Palo Alto sometime in August, which be a royal pain in the ass because a) it's already the end of June and getting a ticket for August would be damn near impossible and b) I wouldn't be able to go back with her, since I wouldn't be done with my research, meaning Ariel would have to not only be in Palo Alto alone for a month and half to two months, but she'd also have to find a place for us on her own. Needless to say, not much fun.
At first, we thought we'd hear back from the library pretty quickly. Then a week went by, and then another, and another... We started getting nervous, and I for one was convinced that she was going to have to go back in August. Ariel, meanwhile, was preparing an email to send to HR asking for the status and gently pushing for an answer if only to get a plane ticket. And then, literally as we were talking about her email and when to send it, dear sweet Marcia from Stanford Human Resources wrote to let Ariel know that she could return to work on October 5th.
Victory! Huzzah! Woot!
So, that was an incredibly long and probably boring story to say that Ariel and I will now definitely be heading back to Palo Alto at the end of September. Or, at least, Ariel will be. I still need to find a plane ticket (but that's another story). Still, we'll both definitely be back in California by early October at the latest.
In the meantime, Ariel and I celebrated tonight by drinking a nice bottle of chilled white wine along with our tasty dinner and eating some ice cream to cool down from the 90˚ heat that we had in Paris this afternoon (yet another story).
Yep, it's been a pretty good night.
A little background first, though. Ariel first got the okay for her leave of absence to come to Paris for the year back in August of 2008, taking effect on September 1st. The leave was only good for one full year, though. After that, Ariel would have to ask for an extension, which would involve asking higher-ups at the library and human resources, etc. Despite that, Ariel was told that asking for an extra month wouldn't be a problem, provided that she made the request well in advance (like, in the spring of 2009, for example).
Of course, that was before the global economy was flushed down the planet-sized toilet.
Fast forward to early May. Around that time Ariel wrote her boss at the library checking in and (half)jokingly asking if, you know, ha ha, she still had a job when she gets back to Palo Alto. Turns out, the answer was, "We'll let you know in a week after the big meeting." Ominous much?
Thankfully, following the scary meeting Ariel still had her job (sadly, some of her friends didn't have theirs anymore). But the question of whether or not she could get the extra month extension was still up in the air. Obviously she wanted it, but she was scared to press too hard for it out of fear of endangering her job status at the library. And if she couldn't get it, she would have to go back to Palo Alto sometime in August, which be a royal pain in the ass because a) it's already the end of June and getting a ticket for August would be damn near impossible and b) I wouldn't be able to go back with her, since I wouldn't be done with my research, meaning Ariel would have to not only be in Palo Alto alone for a month and half to two months, but she'd also have to find a place for us on her own. Needless to say, not much fun.
At first, we thought we'd hear back from the library pretty quickly. Then a week went by, and then another, and another... We started getting nervous, and I for one was convinced that she was going to have to go back in August. Ariel, meanwhile, was preparing an email to send to HR asking for the status and gently pushing for an answer if only to get a plane ticket. And then, literally as we were talking about her email and when to send it, dear sweet Marcia from Stanford Human Resources wrote to let Ariel know that she could return to work on October 5th.
Victory! Huzzah! Woot!
So, that was an incredibly long and probably boring story to say that Ariel and I will now definitely be heading back to Palo Alto at the end of September. Or, at least, Ariel will be. I still need to find a plane ticket (but that's another story). Still, we'll both definitely be back in California by early October at the latest.
In the meantime, Ariel and I celebrated tonight by drinking a nice bottle of chilled white wine along with our tasty dinner and eating some ice cream to cool down from the 90˚ heat that we had in Paris this afternoon (yet another story).
Yep, it's been a pretty good night.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Random ao quote: British edition
Tonight, while Ariel was flossing, she paused, looked up in thought, and then asked:
"Do you suppose the Queen of England owns sweatpants?"
Well, what do you neglected readers think?
"Do you suppose the Queen of England owns sweatpants?"
Well, what do you neglected readers think?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Davises Have Landed
Ariel's parents are in town! Huzzah!!
They arrived safely this morning after a loooooooooooooong trip that, in addition to the normal, hellish 7-8 hour flight across the Atlantic, included a 7-8 hour layover in Toronto. Already today that have gotten to see such wonderful sights in Paris as
a) our apartment
b) the splendor that is the French grocery store called Monoprix
c) everything that is in between our apartment and the splendor that is the French grocery store called Monoprix (which, in our defense, includes a nice view of the Pantheon, Sorbonne, and Cluny Castle and museum, along with shops, restaurants, and other such day-to-day items)
As I write this post, they are bravely trying to stay awake long enough for dinner and then will probably pass out pretty soon afterward. That's okay, though, since we have the next two weeks to enjoy with them.
Woot!
They arrived safely this morning after a loooooooooooooong trip that, in addition to the normal, hellish 7-8 hour flight across the Atlantic, included a 7-8 hour layover in Toronto. Already today that have gotten to see such wonderful sights in Paris as
a) our apartment
b) the splendor that is the French grocery store called Monoprix
c) everything that is in between our apartment and the splendor that is the French grocery store called Monoprix (which, in our defense, includes a nice view of the Pantheon, Sorbonne, and Cluny Castle and museum, along with shops, restaurants, and other such day-to-day items)
As I write this post, they are bravely trying to stay awake long enough for dinner and then will probably pass out pretty soon afterward. That's okay, though, since we have the next two weeks to enjoy with them.
Woot!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
More photos!
Ginna's here! -- And she's a great motivator. Look at all these photos I'm putting up!
Here are some of us going out to, and then returning home from, delicious (late) fondue dinner; then (next day) touring le Cimetière du Père-Lachaise with Ginna, Brian, Melissa.
Chartres with Ginna, 4-April-2009
Giverny with Ginna, 5-April-2009
And this is from much earlier, but here's a view of the Eiffel Tower from behind the library where I work.
Also from earlier, here are a couple of photos of sweet Sofia.
Here are some of us going out to, and then returning home from, delicious (late) fondue dinner; then (next day) touring le Cimetière du Père-Lachaise with Ginna, Brian, Melissa.
 |
| Ginna's here! -- photos, 28-March-2009 to 30-March-2009 |
Chartres with Ginna, 4-April-2009
 |
| Chartres with Ginna, 4-April-2009 |
Giverny with Ginna, 5-April-2009
 |
| Giverny with Ginna, 5-April-2009 |
And this is from much earlier, but here's a view of the Eiffel Tower from behind the library where I work.
 |
| Tour Eiffel, 4-March-2009 |
Also from earlier, here are a couple of photos of sweet Sofia.
 |
| babysitting Sofia, 23-March-2009 |
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Pictures! Finally! -- photos, 8-February-2009 to 1-March-2009
Walking in the Luxembourg gardens with the Alexanderpools, pretty sky out our apartment window, a wee bit of snow, and a visit to Lille.
Lovely things seen during Joel's visit : Sainte Chapelle, Saint Severin, and the Louvre.
Musee d'Orsay on the first Sunday of the month (when Paris museums are free!).
 |
| photos, 8-February-2009 to 14-February-2009 |
Lovely things seen during Joel's visit : Sainte Chapelle, Saint Severin, and the Louvre.
 |
| photos, 21-February-2009 to 23-February-2009 |
Musee d'Orsay on the first Sunday of the month (when Paris museums are free!).
 |
| photos, 1-March-2009 |
Monday, March 30, 2009
A propos of nothing...
I saw this video online the other day, and I enjoyed it. Maybe you will, too.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
More Protests - Now with Livestock
This morning between sips of tea, Ariel let me in on this bit of news:
"Oh boy! Yesterday there was this protest in the 7th [the part of Paris where the Eiffel Tower is, as well as the American Library in Paris, where Ariel works]. They had fireworks and marching. And a cow."
The end.
"Oh boy! Yesterday there was this protest in the 7th [the part of Paris where the Eiffel Tower is, as well as the American Library in Paris, where Ariel works]. They had fireworks and marching. And a cow."
The end.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Protest by Moonlight
Hello everyone,
So...it's been a while. Sorry about that. Ariel and I aren't too good about keeping up with this whole blogging thing, I guess. In fact, I know. And so do you. So I'm stating the obvious. But I'm also posting now, right? So, there you go. We're getting better. Hopefully.
Anyway, why I'm writing tonight: it's a little past midnight right now, and I just witnessed one of the stranger things I've seen since coming to Paris - a midnight protest rally.
A little background: Ariel and I live in the 5th arrondissement, the Latin Quarter, which is home to many of Paris' schools, including the College de France, Ecole Polytechnique (just across the street), and the Sorbonne. In fact, the road just in front of our apartment is Rue des Ecoles - School Road. Fun stuff. Now, the schools in France have been in a bit of turmoil for the past few months. Namely, the professors and many of their students are currently on strike in protest against changes coming down from the Sarkozy government concerning, among other things, academic funding and scholarly independence (honestly, I'm not well enough aware of what's going on to give you any really worthwhile information - and this coming from an academic and historian of France. Sad). As part of the strike, students (and I imagine some professors) have taken to marching down Rue des Ecoles on multiple occassions as part of their demonstrations, complete with banners, chants, and the obligatory dreadlocked dude with his djembe.
It's actually been quite a while since the last protest, though. That is, until tonight. At midnight. It seems like it was an unprepared march - like a bunch of people were at a meeting, got riled up, and decided a nice walk to the Sorbonne was what they needed. I have to say, it's kind of freaky to hear a mass of angry yelling and banging head toward you in the middle of the night. To make things even better, a bunch of the students started taking the barriers set up for the construction work around our apartment and tossing them around. They moved a few of them to block in a car - which seemed a little mean. Most surprising to me, though, was the fact that they literally set up a (small) barricade in the middle of the Rue des Ecoles. Check it out - it's just under the streetlamp in this very low quality photo I took with my phone camera:
As someone whose research concerns France's revolutions and public recall to those revolutions in contemporary politics and culture, this seemed like a pretty striking thing to do - I mean, just about every popular uprising in France since the Fronde has involved people barricading the streets. Did the students have this tradition in mind when they set up their tiny roadblock? Most likely not. They probably just saw these portable metal walls and thought using them to block traffic would make their protest more disruptive and therefore effective. Or, if one's feeling less generous, maybe it's just a stupid act of vandalism. Still, the overthinking nerd in me got chills watching it happen.
Ariel, meanwhile, slept like a baby through it all.
So...it's been a while. Sorry about that. Ariel and I aren't too good about keeping up with this whole blogging thing, I guess. In fact, I know. And so do you. So I'm stating the obvious. But I'm also posting now, right? So, there you go. We're getting better. Hopefully.
Anyway, why I'm writing tonight: it's a little past midnight right now, and I just witnessed one of the stranger things I've seen since coming to Paris - a midnight protest rally.
A little background: Ariel and I live in the 5th arrondissement, the Latin Quarter, which is home to many of Paris' schools, including the College de France, Ecole Polytechnique (just across the street), and the Sorbonne. In fact, the road just in front of our apartment is Rue des Ecoles - School Road. Fun stuff. Now, the schools in France have been in a bit of turmoil for the past few months. Namely, the professors and many of their students are currently on strike in protest against changes coming down from the Sarkozy government concerning, among other things, academic funding and scholarly independence (honestly, I'm not well enough aware of what's going on to give you any really worthwhile information - and this coming from an academic and historian of France. Sad). As part of the strike, students (and I imagine some professors) have taken to marching down Rue des Ecoles on multiple occassions as part of their demonstrations, complete with banners, chants, and the obligatory dreadlocked dude with his djembe.
It's actually been quite a while since the last protest, though. That is, until tonight. At midnight. It seems like it was an unprepared march - like a bunch of people were at a meeting, got riled up, and decided a nice walk to the Sorbonne was what they needed. I have to say, it's kind of freaky to hear a mass of angry yelling and banging head toward you in the middle of the night. To make things even better, a bunch of the students started taking the barriers set up for the construction work around our apartment and tossing them around. They moved a few of them to block in a car - which seemed a little mean. Most surprising to me, though, was the fact that they literally set up a (small) barricade in the middle of the Rue des Ecoles. Check it out - it's just under the streetlamp in this very low quality photo I took with my phone camera:
As someone whose research concerns France's revolutions and public recall to those revolutions in contemporary politics and culture, this seemed like a pretty striking thing to do - I mean, just about every popular uprising in France since the Fronde has involved people barricading the streets. Did the students have this tradition in mind when they set up their tiny roadblock? Most likely not. They probably just saw these portable metal walls and thought using them to block traffic would make their protest more disruptive and therefore effective. Or, if one's feeling less generous, maybe it's just a stupid act of vandalism. Still, the overthinking nerd in me got chills watching it happen.
Ariel, meanwhile, slept like a baby through it all.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Pretty things seen in Paris, 13-January-2009 to 27-January-2009
 |
| Pretty things seen in Paris, 13-January-2009 to 27-January-2009 |
Lovely skies, twinkly lights, art nouveau, and a few thousand chickadees.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Ew
Tonight, Ariel and I were talking about my niece, Sofia. This happens a lot. Because she's kind of awesome. Her latest bit of awesomeness has been the fact that she's starting to use her words a lot. As far as I can tell, she's only got about four, but she's making them count. And the way she says them gets stuck in my head. In this case, it's how she says "hello." Because she doesn't just say "hello," but "hellooooooooo!!!!" like a 15 month-old Seinfeld with a really big smile while careening toward you at a surprisingly fast pace.
So anyway, I was walking around the apartment randomly saying "hellooooo!!!" when Ariel and I had the following conversation.
Me: (After doing my Sofia/Seinfeld impression) Sofia is just too cute.
Ariel: Too cute, huh?
Me: Yep, too cute.
Ariel: So, what are you going to do about it?
Me: I'm gonna hug the crap out of her.
Ariel: Well...... That won't take much.
Ew.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Paris photo of the day
This may just be the skinniest row of buildings I have ever seen.
The people on the top floor totally got screwed.
The people on the top floor totally got screwed.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A snippet from our evening
After watching a video in which the Black Eyed Peas member and irrationally self confident will.i.am announced that in writing his new, selflessly titled "America's Song," his goal was to write the new national anthem.
Me: Wait, wait. The guy who wrote "My Humps" wants to write the new national anthem?!
Ariel: I know. I mean, didn't he already?
Me: Wait, wait. The guy who wrote "My Humps" wants to write the new national anthem?!
Ariel: I know. I mean, didn't he already?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Another weird place for snow
My good friend Mr. Eiland Stuart Ponder sent me this photo tonight that I thought I would share.
Snow in New Orleans? That's just a hop, skip, and a jump away from hell freezing over - and you know what that means. It's the year of the Saints, baby!
Snow in New Orleans? That's just a hop, skip, and a jump away from hell freezing over - and you know what that means. It's the year of the Saints, baby!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Very Belated Post for Christmas Photos
I sent this Picasa link to a bunch of people already, and Ariel sent it to even more people, but in case you haven't seen it yet (and are interested), here are a whole slew of photos I took during Ariel and my trip to Lille for Christmas. Enjoy!
 |
| Noel 2008 |
Friday, January 9, 2009
Holy Crêpe!
It's no secret that Ariel is the most caring, thoughtful, and beautiful woman in the world. And I'm pretty sure she's been the inspiration for multiple classic works of art, too. But did you know that she's also a seriously kick-ass cook? I mean, damn.
This past week Ariel decided she would try to tackle a new dish: the crêpe. As some of you may already know, one of ao's projects when we first got to Paris was to find the best sugar crêpe in Paris - an arduous task that she boldly confronted, wandering the city, often alone, to taste different street vendors' interpretations of sugary deliciousness. She and I have also gone to more than a few crêperies to explore the savory side of this Breton concoction, though the results have unfortunately been mixed at best (and stomach-turning at worst). So if you can't find the perfect dinner crêpe outside, why not make it at home?
Sadly, we don't have the proper tools (or space) in our wee, one-butt kitchen to actually make the skinny pancake-thingies ourselves, which meant our sweet ao had to rely on store-bought versions sold in packets of ten. Even with such limitations, though, she would not be thwarted - and in fact, she managed to turn that setback into a benefit. How, you ask? By preparing three delectable dinner recipes over the past week, as well as some nice dessert dishes, too. The first night, she started off with a twist on the classic ham-and-cheese filled crêpe, adding spinach, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes to the mix, and for dessert she combined two ingredients traditionally served individually - Nutella and strawberry jam - to create a truly awesome plate of tastiness. Then, the next night she decided to take a stab at seafood, filling our French flapjacks with smoked salmon, spinach, and crême fraiche - a sort of Breton blini, if you will. Needless to say, yum. And THEN, for lunch today, she went all out with her final crêpes of the week, using zucchini, a mix of caramelized onions and sautéed lardon, crême fraiche, a hint of pesto, and parmesan cheese (the results can be seen in the drool-inducing picture at the top of the post). Like I said before: damn.
Best of all (at least for me), despite the fact that just writing about ao's experiments in crêperie has made made my mouth water so much that I need a towel, Ariel says she wasn't entirely satisfied with the store-bought crêpes that she got and that she wants to make these dishes again sometime later using a different brand. I strongly endorse this plan.
And yes, it's okay for you to feel jealous.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Photos from Paris, 24-Dec-2008 to 2-Jan-2009
 |
| Photos from Paris, 24-Dec-2008 to 2-Jan-2009 |
Christmas in Lille, Brian & Melissa's visit, some lovely museums, and last Friday's snow.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Snow Day
This morning Ariel and I woke up dark and early at 7:15, ready to get back into our normal daily schedule and work routines. I fully intended to go to the archives and finish work on a carton of documents that I started looking at before the AN closed for the holidays, and I think Ariel was anticipating getting back to her Rosetta Stone program for French and doing stuff around the apartment.
But as the sun slowly began to rise, we noticed something different about the Paris outside our windows. Something white and flaky about it. It was snowing!
In fact, it has literally been snowing nonstop all day long - it's even still snowing now, at 7:10 p.m. almost 11 hours after it started. And what's more, the snow actually started to stick! And from what people tell me, this is not all that common in Paris (at least not anymore - yay global warming).
This is the logic that I then decided to apply to the situation: when I was a child, whenever there was the slightest hint of snow in Monroe - or, more likely, a hint of sleet and slush - school was canceled and students got a play day. I'm a grown up now, according to my marriage license. But I'm still a student. As such, whenever it snows, I should take the day off. Makes sense, right? Right!
Ariel and I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon staying cozy in our apartment, reading and occasionally looking out our windows in awe as the city got colder and colder and whiter and whiter. Then around 3:00, we decided to take a walk and see how things looked.
We ended up walking around for a little over an hour, going down to the Seine, walking along the river until we reached Notre Dame, crossing over to Ile de la Cité and meandering for a bit before slowly making our way over to Ile St. Louis, then back across to the Left Bank and home again. It was great. There were at least 1 or 2 inches of snow on the ground, and people were making little snowmen, writing on the snow-covered walls, and having snowball fights everywhere.
In fact, it was one of those moments when it feels like you're walking through a cliché, only totally awesome. I mean, come on: here we were, two young people in love walking through the snow-covered streets of Paris. Just describing it makes me feel like I'm writing a script for a Very Special Valentine's Day Episode of an original Lifetime TV show. But it still might be the best I've had here in Paris so far during this trip. Snow days are always the best days...
Oh, and we took a lot of pictures. Wanna see?
But as the sun slowly began to rise, we noticed something different about the Paris outside our windows. Something white and flaky about it. It was snowing!
In fact, it has literally been snowing nonstop all day long - it's even still snowing now, at 7:10 p.m. almost 11 hours after it started. And what's more, the snow actually started to stick! And from what people tell me, this is not all that common in Paris (at least not anymore - yay global warming).This is the logic that I then decided to apply to the situation: when I was a child, whenever there was the slightest hint of snow in Monroe - or, more likely, a hint of sleet and slush - school was canceled and students got a play day. I'm a grown up now, according to my marriage license. But I'm still a student. As such, whenever it snows, I should take the day off. Makes sense, right? Right!
Ariel and I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon staying cozy in our apartment, reading and occasionally looking out our windows in awe as the city got colder and colder and whiter and whiter. Then around 3:00, we decided to take a walk and see how things looked.
We ended up walking around for a little over an hour, going down to the Seine, walking along the river until we reached Notre Dame, crossing over to Ile de la Cité and meandering for a bit before slowly making our way over to Ile St. Louis, then back across to the Left Bank and home again. It was great. There were at least 1 or 2 inches of snow on the ground, and people were making little snowmen, writing on the snow-covered walls, and having snowball fights everywhere.
In fact, it was one of those moments when it feels like you're walking through a cliché, only totally awesome. I mean, come on: here we were, two young people in love walking through the snow-covered streets of Paris. Just describing it makes me feel like I'm writing a script for a Very Special Valentine's Day Episode of an original Lifetime TV show. But it still might be the best I've had here in Paris so far during this trip. Snow days are always the best days...
Oh, and we took a lot of pictures. Wanna see?
It's Snowing!
It's snowing! In Paris! Again!
And it's sticking! Again!!
I'm a wee bit excited, in case you couldn't tell. Of course, that could just be from the second cup of coffee I had this morning.
Anyway, here are a few photos of snow sticking on the tree just outside our apartment. Ariel has some pictures that she took, too.
Enjoy.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
It's 1:30am here, and it's bed time. We've had a wonderful New Year's Eve with Brian & Melissa, with sekt they brought from their trip to Germany, champagne that Lee & Pegs gave us, & a wonderful pistachio & raspberry galette from our favorite local bakery. Good food and drink, and wonderful company. Couldn't ask for much more than that.
Happy New Year, everybody!
Happy New Year, everybody!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)