Testing

Cool... I still know how to update my blog! It took a few tries but I figured it out.

Perhaps this will come in handy in Costa Rica. Or maybe I won't go near a computer for the next 2 weeks. Only time will tell.

Spanish Fun

It's the end of the trip so I finally have time to update blog. Spain was quite fun, mainly because it was an entirely different culture from anything else I've experienced. We also got to do some different things like:
1. see a little flamenco show - guitar-guy was incredible
2. watch a bull fight - most memorable moment happened when a matador didn't succeed in getting his sword deep enough into the bull, so the bull started to buck and the sword FLEW OUT of him and into the audience, not far from our seats. A man actually got injured in the leg. The matadors, on the other hand, all escaped without a mark.
3. check out Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona, my fav being the Sagrada Familia. It is stunningly beautiful and it's not even done yet. I'd love to attend worship there.

Tomorrow, I'm heading back to Canada. Will post some pictures later. Thanks for the notes, family - good to hear from you!!

Wild Times

Who knew that there's a little french cottage country near Mont St Michel?? We had a true backpacking experience to get to our hostel today... a nice little hike down a country road, ending at a little cove looking out onto Mont St Michel bay. From here we can see a bunch of little boats, rocky shore, beautiful blue water, and the Mont way off in the distance (apparently an hour's drive away). After checking in, we kept on hiking around rocky points and found everything thing from tiny little beachy village to a swanky resort, not to mention great views of the Atlantic.

It's not at all what we expected from today, but it's been fantastic!! Tomorrow we return to the world of foreign tourists by visiting the Mont. Then it's off to Spain.

War History

This has been the theme of the past few days... with a trip to Vimy ridge on the weekend and a trip to Juno beach today. They are very different sites but each with lots of valuable stuff to learn & experience.

Vimy has preserved some landscape as much as possible to the WWI conditions (trenches, tunnels, craters from mines); is supported by the gov't; maintains a beautiful monument celebrating Canada's contribution & sacrifice.

Juno has a museum that is only 4 years old; has a couple run-down German bunkers from WWII; and is LOADED with info about Canada's cultural climate in the 30's & 40's. Definitely recommend either site to any Canadian travelling around in France.

Hope everyone's doing well!!

still in paris

oh la la, i love paris!! We starting to love our neighbourhood which is in the 'new delhi' of paris. We have a little daily routine of coffee at the brasserie of a friendly old french man, hop on the metro, walk our legs off for most of the day, have a little indian food in the neighbourhood (this is 2nights so far & we got treated like royaly the second time we went to this local place), then stop at the late-night grocery store to pick up a few beers. We've seen eiffel tower, sacre coeur (& surrounding area of montmatre), pere lachaise cemetery, arc du triomphe, notre dame, latin quarter, pantheon (which has a pendulum that supposedly proves that the earth rotates on its own axis but i'm done quite getting it - open to suggestions), versailles, and louvre. We have done lots & lots & lots of walking. We like views so we've also climbed lots of stairs. Having fun.

Bonjour from Paris!

Just a quick note to let you all know that I arrived safely in Paris. Brad and Greg met me at the airport so I was not alone trying to figure out french phones and train stations (they're trickier than you'd think). We're getting settled in our apartment (which is a bit of a hole... but cheap and a good home base nonetheless). Off to see the sites. au revoir!

New Addiction

No time to update blog... too busy on facebook. I'm sure it's okay because no one reads my blog... they're too busy on facebook. For those that aren't on facebook: my passport arrived after 3 months of waiting. My sister is visiting. We just had a great hike past Johnston Canyon, check it out:
gotta get back to facebook...