The ME Cancun

The ME Cancun hotel. I was NOT disappointed. The hotel is beautiful. This was our room!

Ava is an artist

Calgary with the Krugers

It was so great to arrive in Calgary and have Carmen pick us up! Her kids are soooo cute. (and mine are really brown)

Au Revoir Paris

We are going to miss Paris and Rodney & Marjo's beautiful home & garden.

Rain, Rillette and Rainbows

On our last day in Paris we went back to Le Marais area near St. Paul metro. It started POURING rain. We had nowhere to go. We ran from awning to awning to get moments of relief. Finally, we spotted a place to go and sit down. It was a gay bar that only served drinks and baguettes. It turned out so great. I had panache', Chris had beer, the kids drank coke and ate delicious rillettes (pork spread...doesn't sound do good in English) on crusty baguettes. Ah, the memories.

why do I take these shots?

The best play structure in Paris

Jardin du Luxembourg. I think it was about 1.5Euro for the kids to play here. So fun.

The Statue of Liberty in Luxembourg Gardens

The first model (on a small scale) of the Statue of Liberty was builty in 1870.

Popsicles outside Hotel de Ville

The cheapest place to get delicious popsicles are in the metro.

Babar

I'm 99% sure this is the same place we bought Marmar's Babar print in 1993 when Chris and I traveled to Paris.

Gotta love Mist Machines on a hot day

That man with his shirt off sure loves mist machines too! Remember, this is part of Paris Plage...the Louvre is right behind us.

Paris Plage

No! There isn't a beach in Paris, but in 2002 they started putting sand on the banks of the Seine for all of August. There are people sun bathing like they're on the Mediterranean.

Making the most of the last 2 days!

Hanging out on Ile St. Louis

We took the foot bridge over to Ile St. Louis, recommended by Marjolaine. Rodney said we HAD to try their special Berthillon ice cream (the poire sorbet is to DIE for) This brand is everywhere on the island, but I can't find it anywhere else in Paris. It is delicious. Plus there's amazing little boutique jewellry, gourmet food stores, and restaurants down the main litle strip.

Old School Mickey Mouse

The kids were each allowed one thing from Disneyland Paris. Mia chose this wonderfully soft Mickey. She says it's 'Panda's' new best friend. She's had Panda since 2002, so that's a pretty special thing.

Waiting for the 'Once Upon a Dream' Parade

We got there super early so we'd have rock star seats!

Side Note: Ava wore those Minnie Mouse ears out shopping in Paris today. I wish I would've taken a picture. This is exactly the run-down of your outfit. Pretty white dress, Pink High Top runners with Alexandre's grey socks pulled up high, and the Minnie Mouse ears.

My view while riding the TeaCups

Sheer Bliss!

Disneyland Paris (aka EuroDisney)

We spent a day at Disneyland Paris yesterday. Let's just say that we booked this excursion for the kids. BUT, when I walked up to the castle, got through the gates, and 'It's a small world' started playing, I started to cry! Then, we saw the castle, and the girls got so excited and asking 'Whose castle is it? Do you think it's Cinderella's? No, it's Sleeping Beauty! Did you know her name isn't really Sleeping Beauty...it's Aurora!' It was wonderful! I loved the square trees. I loved the Merry go Round and the Flying Dumbo ride and the Teacups. (but...I didn't like the line-ups!)

Kissing in the rain

More Paris Photos from Joel's Flickr set

Chris, Hoegaarden and BBQ

This is living life.

Heavenly

Loved loved loved the Tuilleries Gardens. I could've sat there all afternoon people watching, sun bathing and drinking my peach iced tea (the' peche) granita. 7-11 should definitely start making those in slurpee format.

La Maison du Chocolat

Marjolaine recommended this place on Rue Madeleine. Yum! We had two different kinds of chocolat noir glace and sorbet here.

Eiffel Tower in all its cheesiness (sp?)

It's really windy at the top!

We finally made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We thought the line would dwindle down at 8pm on a Sunday night...no such luck. It's queue after queue after queue...but Ava was so adamant about making it to the top. She truly loved it. She pointed out every site we'd been too. I admit, that it was really cool, and kind of scary. It was all lit up in cobalt blue, then the lights started flashing, and everyone was cheering, then the rain started, it was all so memorable!

My suitcase is so heavy

Things I didn't need to pack:
1. Straightening iron (It was the wrong voltage & I already have straight hair)
2. Two pairs of stiletto heels (I can only walk in flip flops)
3. A journal to write in as I have an on-line blog.
4. A hair dryer (every one owns a hair dryer and every hotel is fully equipped)
5. 1/2 of the kids clothes and bathing suits
6. One blue dress and black shirt and dress that I rarely put on.

I love the George Pompidou Centre

I could spend a lot of time in this museum and their gift shop. Plus, every 1st Sunday of the month is free admission and we were there yesterday!

Les Philosophes

Best duck ever! We ate at Les Philosophes in the Hotel de Ville area. We had the best food and service you could ever imagine. This is Xavier, who took care of us, especially Mia and Ava. He even left the restaurant to buy un cadeau for them, a little kids french book. How sweet is that!

A lot of walking

I wanted to take the kids down Champs Elysees to see the Arc de Triomphe. I made the mistake of getting off at Metro stop Champs Elysees - Clemenceau (which is essentially 4 metro stops away from the Arc) Oh man, were the kids tired...and for what? They don't know what the Arc de Triomphe is. We sat and had a Cherry Coke.

Pizza Pino

I just like that a Filipino took a picture of the Pizza Pino.

Video: Man Foot Massage

Oh, the things you see in Paris.
Walking through the Trocadero Gardens, admiring the view of the Eiffel Tower and getting the kids excited for ice cream and the merry go round, when I spot these two men, having a leisurely lie down in the park. One guy massaging the either guy's feet. Ah! Paris!

Tour Eiffel

Getting off the metro at Trocadero instead of Bir-Hakeim was so much better of a view...walking up to the Eiffel Tower. The line to go up was insane so we decided to come back for the last elevator ride at 11:30pm. I timed it just 6 minutes off and we missed...we'll try again later.

Paris Photos

Scroll down to the beginning of our trip. I added photos from Paris.

Fun with Uncle Joel

I love Lausanne

Lausanne is less than 30 minutes away from Geneva by train. It is so quaint. Tons of cute little shops, and expensive shops too. The Ouchy (pronounced Ooshey) area is fun for kids. Again, more fountains to wade in, merry go round, swans, paddle boats, popsicles, ice cream, play structures and gardens with naked lady statues. Stay away from the bathrooms...squat at your own risk.

For a good time, call...

Love the background graffiti in Lausanne. I wonder if this is Ben Steaven sitting next to the girls?

Getting around Geneva is easy

Bus, Boat, Walking, Taxi. Everything's on the honour system. We buy bus passes everyday that are good for both bus and boat, but nobody ever checks to see if you actually purchased a ticket.

Resting in the Botanical Garden

Traveling with Kids

I really want to write a blog or something devoted to traveling with kids. It's really possible when you can find fun things like the fountains outside of the UN. We carried their bathing suits wherever we went, just in case we found water for them to cool off in.

Private Tour at the UN

Both Joel and Vi work at the United Nations, so we had a private tour of the grounds. Notice me at the podium! We walked through the beautiful gardens, cool sculptures, saw a gimped peacock and the ran through the flags.

Lunch at the United Nations

Ference 4 - Florence

Spicy Penne and Pizza
Lemon Gelato
Merry Go Round in Piazza
Shopping in the open market

Poor Ava

On the last night in Florence, Ava awoke in the middle of the night with a massive nosebleed, which in turn caused her to fall out of bed, hitting her tooth on the table and biting her lip. There was blood everywhere. For 2 days she said she'd never smile or run again. I'm happy to say, she is back to smiling and running.

Link to more Florence photos

Joel's Flickr Site

Earning her keep

Ava will do any job to make a Euro. (Here, seen carrying Vi's big purse)

Lighting a candle

We thought Lola would like this picture.

Santa Croce in Firenze

This is where Galileo, Dante and Michaelangelo were buried.

Don't forget to cover your shoulders!

Or else...you'll have to wear one of these in the church.

Warning: Disturbing picture

I'm warning you! These boxers are EVERYWHERE in Florence.

Chris at Garga in Florence

Perhaps it was the white wine talking, but I think Chris looks really cute here.

Interesting

Vi's real name is Vinuon. Her parents were born in Cambodia. Nuon means banana in Cambodia.
ViBanana. I love that!

Joel & Vi (Vee) = Vinuon

My cousin, Joel, and his girlfriend, Vi, met us in Florence and we stayed at the same hotel. Let's just say...we had fun! Vi loves champagne and shopping. Hello! I will forgive her for being in her 20's and still being able to wear short dresses, because she laughs at my jokes and really likes Mia and Ava.

Not the real David

But, it looks pretty good.
So, as not to over-museum the kids we counted 'p*nis*s' in the Uffizi Gallery to make a little game out of it...there are over 40 units,if you don't count the paintings (just the sculptures)

Ah!

Florence = Firenze ~ Ference

I love Florence. Wow...it's beautiful! Actually, it's shockingly beautiful. I wasn't expecting it. The Duomo is situated so close to our Hotel Casci (500 year old bulding that used to be a convent) Every 3rd shop is a gelato stop, and every second shop is a shoe store. Food-wise, it was the best pesto I've ever tasted, the best pizza Mia's ever had, and Ava went so hard on the super spicy penne arribiata.

It was no TGV!

Our train experience from Nice to Milan was a bit chaotic. First of all, we walked to the train station and realized that we left our iPod charging at the hotel. I had the big suitcase and the 2 girls, while Chris had 30 minutes to RUN back to the hotel and make it back in time for our train. He must have sprinted, because he made it back with 7 minutes to spare (and a lot of sweat seeping through his red t-shirt) When the train arrived, the doors to our coach would not open. People were getting very antsy 'is it going to leave without us?' 'what are we going to do' At the last minute, the doors opened and people pushed into our Coach #2. Luckily, we found our seats right away, but about 50 other people didn't. THEY WERE MISSING ONE COACH CAR! Can you imagine? All these people paid for seats in a 1st class, air conditioned train, and their coach wasn't there. As a result, these 20-something cute Spanish girls were fighting with elderly English speaking women. Oh man, it was nuts. Note Mia's distressed facial expression and Chris reaching behind to hold Ava's hand. I was seated across the aisle.

2 hours in Monaco

We took a crowded train to Monaco (only 20 minutes from Nice) We had to pull the kids away from swimming, so the hot, hot walk up the steep, steep hill to see a casino that they couldn't get into didn't really impress them. The gardens were gorgeous!...and the little duck pond was sweet. I was extremely tempted to pay 180Euro each to see Alicia Keys at the Monte Carlo that night, but Chris helped me see the light. It was good seeing Monaco (and last night, we were watching MTV and saw a 50 Cent video that was filmed in Monaco which gave me a small delight)

Ference 4 - Nice

Double Decker Merry Go Round
Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea
Rooftop Pool at Hi Hotel
Private Pink Playhouse at the beach

Breakfast at the Hi Hotel

The best cappucino and espresso, pomegranate yogurt (non of the low-fat stuff), chocolate au pain, kiwi, ham, muesli. Yum.

Mia & Ava: Front page of the Hi Hotel Blog

I have never been prouder of Mia and Ava`s puzzle-making skills.
http://www.hi-hotel.net/blog/hi/tribute-to-hi/

Nice is Hot (and so is our roof top pool)

TGV Rocks

I love the EuroRail. The seats are so comfy and the espresso cups are so cute, as are the bags the croissants come in.

Last day with the Geres'

We started off the day shopping in the Vincennes Market for cherries, pate pomme de terre, creme fraiche and lots of other goodies. Rodney has a nice straw basket for carrying groceries. We walked over to the Paris Jazz Festival in the park and had a perfect spot surrounded by flowers. The play structure was awesome for the kids. A huge slide, and two faux Eiffel Tower monkey bar sets (one for adults, the other for kids) We leave early for Nice tomorrow morning.

Marzipan Heaven

The highlight of the kid's day was the Metro, while Chris' was walking through the covered passages near Palais Royale. The highlight of my day was the selection of marzipan little fruits that I could buy. (Also, the gardens and perfectly trimmed trees, oh yeah, and the teeny tiny cups of espresso with sugar cubes individually wrapped in the cutest paper)

Paris

We arrived in Paris yesterday at 2pm. Rodney picked us up and we drove in his 'midsize' VW Golf. I love that the Golf is considered a mid-sized vehicle here. We walked around their area, Vincennes. A 13th century castle, Chateau de Vincennes is a 1 minute walk from their place. We stopped for freshly baked baguettes and peeked into many shops that I can't wait to get back into. We had huge kebabs and bbq'd courgettes, aubergines and peppers. Yum. I admit, I zonked out early, and Ava woke us all up at 4am. We fell back asleep. Chris and Rodney went for an early morning run, and I slept in until almost 10am :) Off for more exploring!

Day 1 - Leaving Regina

I woke up so early this morning. Why can't I do that when it's a work-day? I really wanted to bring my new book, Dead Certain, but it has a huge picture of George W on the cover and I didn't want anyone on the plane to see me with a book about him. We have an hour to kill before our plane leaves, so Mia and I are going to play Guitar Hero Co-op. We unlocked Sabotage (Beastie Boys) and Suck my Kiss (RHCP)!!! So fun. Off to Calgary...then 9hours to Paris.

This was Father's Day

I know this has nothing to do with our trip, but it's a good picture.

That was close, Mookie!

Mookie makes Canadian Idol worth watching...well, so does Earl and Theo.

Test from my Mobile Device

Test 1-2-3!
Just making sure i can update from my Blackberry.

I don't know what to expect, but this is what I'm hoping for...

Riding the Merry go Round with the girls beside the Eiffel Tower.
Eating gelato in Florence.
Swimming in the rooftop pool at the Hi Hotel in Nice.
Drinking wine and eating cheese with Rodney and Marjolaine at their house in Paris.
Seeing the United Nations in Geneva with Joel.
Playing cards on the train.
Taking the Bateau Bus down the Seine River.
Shopping in outside markets.
Going ga-ga over all the landscaping and flowers and shrubs.
Seeing a real Modigliani.
Seeing a replica of the statue of David and watching the girls giggle.
Who knows what else, but I'm so excited!

Hard to Concentrate

2 more days of work before we leave for Paris. It is so hard to concentrate on anything but the trip. After packing and re-packing 4 times, we've been able to get all our stuff into a suitcase that weighs about 40lbs (that includes 6 pairs of my shoes). Everyone else is limited to 2 pairs. Tonight, I found the best little 'Belkin Rockstar' hub thing that allows 5 sets of ipod headphones to be plugged into the same ipod. Chris has his own nano, but I will be sharing with Mia & Ava. I just spent forever updating iTunes. I bought a great sketchbook/journal without lines. It's actually hard to find journals with no lines in them. I decided on the 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner instead of bringing better haircare. I guess it will be fine. I know I'm all over the map. I just don't want to forget anything, yet I don't want to bring too much. More later...