Mae & Tim's Excellent European Adventure (2024)

11/10/2023

Random things I Learned:
Italian Hotel Rooms:
1. They have door k***s but they don’t turn. They appear to be decorative as you just put in your card and push.
2. They have a interesting system where when you come in the room you have to put your key in a slot to activate the electricity for the room.
In theory this is great - no unnecessary use of electricity. Except in this day and age. I can’t charge my computer when I go to dinner - cuz I need my key to get back in and if it’s not in the slot it won’t activate the plugs.
3. My hair is grateful to be home as conditioner is not a thing. Shampoo - shampoo/body wash - yes. No conditioner.

Masks - in all the countries we visited we would see a rare sighting of a mask. Until we got to our flight to Canada. Then we saw numerous people wearing masks. Is it a Canadian thing?

Missing English - After a month of rarely being anywhere that English wasn’t the first or even the second language I didn’t realize how much I missed understanding what people around me were saying.
@

08/10/2023

Today we had our final breakfast together and prepared to leave the resort. Tim and I walked the very steep path to the beautiful remains of a castle. True to fashion Steve lead everyone in a sing along as we waited for our shuttles to the train station. We arrive to mainland Venice and headed to a hotel near the airport. Tomorrow home. Missing everyone on thanksgiving.

08/10/2023

I didn’t post yesterday as it was pretty well a repeat of the day before - Tim courses, me work, evening of amazing music. Tonight was kind of the final night. Absolutely stunning performances. Lots of hugs, laughs. It was truly a bonding experience for everyone. The weather has been stunning. Tomorrow we say goodbye.

05/10/2023

A busy quiet day here today. Tim is absorbing so much great information and everyone here is warm and friendly. I have found a nook to work in the conference area where the internet is good. Another round of performers tonight. Our lovely Italian friend “Billy” (he has a much more romantic sounding name in Italian) performed tonight. It was a large sound circle tonight so we only stayed for a bit. Starting to confirm travel home arrangements. 4 days out.

04/10/2023

Well the laundry had to be done. The closest town is 3 klm away and apparently taxi isn’t an option. So I strapped on Tim’s backpack and made the walk. It was ok cuz it was all down hill. Already thinking about the trek back up. Started the laundry and went to the grocery to pick up some essentials (like wine and cheese). Luckily I ran into one of the organizers who ended up giving me a ride back. A win for Mae today! Fought with the internet this afternoon while Tim participated in his sessions to get some work done. This evening it was dinner then open mic. I have to say it was one of the best nights of music I’ve had for a long time. Folk musicians are storytellers and I heard some of the most amazing stories and songs from around the world. They touched my heart, they made me laugh, they made me cry. The crowning moment when Tim took the stage. It was probably the first time I hadn’t ask him what he was playing. And he told the story of writing a love song. He sang “Fly to Me”. The video probably won’t be great as things were a little blurry for awhile.

04/10/2023

So another travel day. Left our little apartment at 11 and made our way to a cafe. Now besides our bags we are carrying a hard guitar case guitar with a a guitar in it and a soft case with dirty laundry 😂😂so now three bags each. Just found out that we can’t get the shuttle until 3 - so what to do for 3 hours. Decided to head to the train station where the pickup was. Found a nice shady tree and just settled. Now that Tim has a guitar he is much happier to put time in. Got to our resort and it’s halfway up a very large hill. Quite beautiful. There was a welcome dinner. We’ve already met a lovely Italian guy, a woman from Switzerland, an Irish guy and a woman from the UK as well a number of people from all over the US. It’s going to be an interesting week!

02/10/2023

Day two in Verona. The huge lines to see Juliet’s balcony were better today so we got a peek. You can thank us later. We then went to a huge garden that was created in the 14th century and has been maintained. This family were in the wool dyeing trade. For Tim and I who love history and plants it was pretty awesome. We also toured a portion of the apartments. No pics here as we just enjoyed looking at centuries of history that has been maintained and lived in until the 1950s. It was time for tim to get the guitar he needed for the upcoming song camp. While he did that I caught up on some work. Dinner was around the corner from Bar Madonna Verona where there was an open mic. What an amazing night of music to introduce many of the people involved in this camp from all over the world. Tomorrow we head to the resort which will be our home for the next 6 days. Looking forward to settling for a bit.

02/10/2023

Italian food rules
- remembering now how table water is not served. If you want water - you pay for water and it comes in a bottle. Make sure you say still.
- You may not tip but you pay for sitting in your seat. Almost every restaurant charges to sit at their table.
- You might need patience to get your bill. You will be ignored and it’s 50/50 whether you have to go in the bar to pay or at the table. But they won’t tell you.
- the Italians are not rude but not nice. They are the Switzerland of manners.
….. but the wine is good.

01/10/2023

On to Verona today. We landed right in the heart of the old city. Steps from us is the balcony that Juliet stood on. We wandered the streets and saw a number of iconic sites. But it is truly to be enjoyed at night with the lights of the city on the piazzas. Our host suggested a restaurant that only served fresh made pasta. You go to the counter and order your pasta and get it in a little round box of deliciousness. It was a good day.

01/10/2023

We made the decision to walk to the train station this morning since getting to the water taxi seemed as much work. It was a 25 minute walk which would be a lot with each of us carrying two pieces of luggage. But you then have to add in the more than 1/2 dozen bridges over the canals. Any way we did it taking breaks and enjoying the beautiful day. We landed in Padua half way between Venice and Verona to spend the day. Imagine how surprised I was to learn that the original St Anthony of Padua basilica resides there. Having 4 generations of my family attend St Anthony of Padua in Centreville it was a nice happenstance. I visited hoping to light a candle for my mom and dad but there was not an option. It’s a beautiful old city and we enjoyed our day and evening there. We ate at a very eclectic little place where they’re pizzas are square and are cut in bite size squares.

30/09/2023

Venice. A day of wandering the city. A million tiny streets, a canal at every turn. And it’s hot! 28 degrees! We visited a few sites not to be missed and had lunch at the main waterway. Back for nap. We decided to try and walk to the train station tomorrow so made the stroll tonight to make sure it was doable. On the way back had dinner at a restaurant and the old owner said it had been running for 74 years! As we were walking back heard live music so it was nice to hear it again. Out of the blue this couple from Germany came in and danced. It was crazy. I’d never seen two people dance like that in my life. On to the Irish pub to watch rugby. Ending up sitting with two lovely New Zealand girls and got a kiss from an Irish woman. It was so much fun. There is literally not a street that is not photographical.

30/09/2023

Thursday was a travel day. We realized that it was going to cost double to fly to Venice on Friday than Thursday so opted for an evening flight. Our boat accommodations allowed us to stay until noon and then we went and ate lunch at a sweet little spot. Well apparently Ubers don’t exist in Zwolle. Back to the boat to see if Margret might call us a cab. She did but it was over 30 minutes before they could pick us up. We would miss our train! Margret to the rescue who drove us to the station! We had a long wait there but decided to hunker down. We found a massage booth and were excited! After hauling luggage for weeks our bodies were feeling it. The flight was uneventful but we were late landing and it was after 10:00. We were suppose to grab a water taxi but it wasn’t leaving until 11:30. It was an interesting experience! For the first time ever we are staying in someone’s home. Melo met us at the door and we just quietly, tiredly went to our room. We are in Venice.

28/09/2023

Left our sweet little hotel today to head to zwolle (pronounced Zwala). A city just a bit smaller than Kingston to take up residence on a canal boat. It did not disappoint. We fell in love immediately with the small city and this location. It had everything from a fantastic vinyl collection to a bottle of wine to welcome us. We wandered the town and once again missed out on seeing the one museum we thought would be interesting - the Herman Brood Museum - he apparently was a big rock ‘n roll star. We had good food. But to be honest we came for the boat on the canal. We came home and drank wine and played Mastermind and listened to vinyls and just soaked in the ambiance. It was 100% worth the trip. BTW feeling much better today. Just a few tweaks

27/09/2023

The day did not begin as I hoped as I woke up with a kink in my neck which was very uncomfortable. First order of business was to find a pharmacy to get me some relief. We then headed to the one museum we both really wanted to see The Van Gogh museum. We were very disappointed that they were sold out. We enjoyed a waffle with blueberry and chocolate while trying to decide what to do next. We considered a hop on hop off boat but ultimately decided to make the walk down to City Centre. The weather is a lovely 21 degrees. We wandered the streets and through a huge flower market and were so sad not to be able to bring back some bulbs with us. We decided to stop at a restaurant and enjoy the sun and square activity. Best service. We were trying to decide on a rose wine and they ended up bringing us 3 tastings and we had a lively conversation about wines. A delicious lunch of sandwiches and cheese sticks which were wrapped in wontons and soft cheese inside. Yes they were good! On our way home we found this amazing cheese shop where the lady encouraged us to try a huge variety of cheeses. We obviously came home with some and grabbed a bagette on the way. Tim debated about the Heineken tour but instead opted to have his mandatory beer on a patio. After rest we headed to a library for a night of live music from an organization called “Loving Room Concerts”. Lots of interesting music, and Tim also performed and did wonderfully. I was still in significant pain so we headed home and I took a double dose of muscle relaxers and prayed for a better day tomorrow.

26/09/2023

Well hello Amsterdam! A few funny incidents today. First we get off the train and to leave the station you have to scan your ticket. Why? You’ve already been on the train! Couldn’t get ours to work. Finally found someone who showed us I just didn’t have my phone on bright enough! We opted to stay in a small family owned hotel here. It’s lovely and a nice change. After dropping our bags we take the 40 minute walk to the music store Tim had information on. Some time later and with some negotiation he came out with a guitar. Stopped at a very nice restaurant and I had crispy chicken bites. Luckily I only ate one before cutting it open. Pretty sure that chicken wasn’t completely cooked. The guy was super nice and of course I didn’t pay for them and gave us 10 Euro off a bottle of wine to take home. Rest time was necessary. We headed to Labyrinth the bar that was hosting music and written word evening. Very eclectic and cool. And the food was Cajun/African influenced and was delicious. Tim did wonderfully and was well appreciated. However getting there was an experience. We got an Uber and just steps from our location he proceeded through a green light. However there was a guy in a bike that decided he had the right of way. He proceeded to start yelling at the driver and pounded on his window. The driver was having none of that and jumped out of the car! However he forgot the minor detail of putting it in park! So we continued to roll! The driver managed to get back in the car, put it in park and then jump back out. The biker had proceeded on but the driver continued to yell at him and invite him back to settle the argument. Very exciting!!

25/09/2023

Yesterday we decided we wanted to see “Mini Europe”. Ended up it was just as cheap to jump on a Tootbus so we also saw some of the city. It arrives at the Atomium. A structure created for the 1958 World fair. It’s crazy. And apparently you can rise up to some of the globes. Heights is not my thing so I chose not. We then walked a short distance to Mini Europe. This is an amazing park with miniatures of all the European countries and more. It was fascinating with all sorts of electric trains running through it and electronically moving part to make ships float around, smoke billow out of volcanoes to name a few. When we got home we had a siestas and then picked another direction to wander around. Tomorrow we leave Belgium and head to The Netherlands!

23/09/2023

We ventured on to Brussels today. Smooth sailing. Again our Airbnb hosts allowed us early checkin so we were able to wander the streets and visit the Grand Place with its spectacular architecture. Tim visited 3 guitar shops. There was a huge area around us that had wide streets dedicated to pedestrian traffic only. We are wondering if this just happens on the weekend but what a great way of seeing the old city. It was a busy day in the city with lots of markets and events happening. Right at our spot was some kind of crazy protest parade that we watched congregate. We managed to find an Irish bar that was showing the rugby game. Apparently there are a lot of Irish folk in Brussels - who knew!

22/09/2023

Another day - another a country! Today we entered Belgium and the city of Brugge. Our Airbnb is above a beer making establishment! And they just gave us the keys as we have to walk through it to get to our accommodation! What a quaint lovely town. We rested and then spent about 2 hours wandering the town. Such beauty and history. Just as we had looked around the skies opened. We were very grateful that Spencer left us his umbrella! We dipped into one of many restaurants lining the square and stumbled upon the most delicious tomatoe soup. Tim had a mushroom toast which he said was also delicious. He tried a local beer that was great and 10% alcohol! On our way home we treated ourselves to a Belgium waffle with dark Belgium chocolate. Yes it was as delicious as it sounds. As we made our way home we walked past an antique shop we had noticed. And apparently they are also a bar of sorts. What an experience. Sitting amongst all these antiquities with the locals drinking and drinking wine from antique glasses. We decided we needed an night at home just to rest and relax. Brugge you are beautiful.

22/09/2023

From Paris to Lille. We thought we were well organized until we got to the train station and realized we were at the wrong one ☹️. A Metro ride and some miscommunication later we were on our way to Lille. We stayed in a very quirky Airbnb and were grateful the rain stopped just in time to wander the city. We are on a very picturesque square. We found a restaurant called Le Bloc which specializes in Cheese!! I had a burger but the burgers here are actually made of chopped steak with the locally made cheese. It was delicious. I was particularly glad to have some real potatoes. Tim had shrimp Croquettes which were amazing. We then headed to the local sports bar to watch the rugby game. Very crowded. We only lasted about 1/2 way thru the first half and left. Saw a little bar across the way and it was quiet and playing the game! Hurray! Learned an important lesson regarding stereotypes tonight. Met a young woman from New York who was lovely. Met a woman from London, Ontario who was not. There you go.

21/09/2023

New Things I’ve learned about Paris and France:
1. The French frequently use sun-dried tomatoes. How do I know this? It is the one thing Tim is allergic to. Luckily we discovered it quickly and are more cautious about how we order now.
2. Dogs go everywhere. They are in the stores with their owners, in the restaurants. You never see a dog tied up outside of an establishment
3. The traffic here is like a crazy dance that everyone understands. The lines on the roads are suggestions only. And cars can and will make another lane out of whatever space is available - bike lanes, bus lanes. They will dart down one and then merge back in and everyone seems to accept it. Motorcycles and scooters have no lanes. They create their own lanes through the lanes of cars weaving in and out where they can find space.
4. There are two kinds of Pedestrian crossings. One with lights and ones without. No one really pays attention to the lights either way. However the cars are extremely respectful of these crossings and pedestrians seem to feel very confident of walking in front of cars speeding toward them that they will stop. And they do.
5. I have found that 85% of Parisians are quite lovely. Always doing their best in English for us English folk.

21/09/2023

Slow start to the day - Tim snoozed and I worked. We then made our way to the Museum d’ Orsay. We considered the Louvre but with limited time Tim opted for this one. We enjoyed the many exhibitions of neo impressionists and post impressionists. We decided to end our time in Paris with a dinner night cruise along the Siene. It was lovely even if finding the pickup spot took a little searching. We had a nap before since it didn’t start until 9:45! Even the non-rich dined late!

19/09/2023

Oh Paris. What can I say. Easy start to the morning. We decided to do the hop on hop off as we only have two days here. It was a beautiful walk over the river to our stop where we saw all the sites. It was much cooler today and I could have used a sweater! We spent just over 2 hours viewing the high spots of the city and then wandered the Latin district and I had my first taste of French Onion Soup. And it did not disappoint!! They put a Mae amount of cheese on it! We also had a 3 cheese fondue as we thought we should! An excellent meal. Then we wandered through a whole area of vintage clothing shops. Tim found his treasure there. After a rest we just picked a different direction to wander in our area. I had a French chicken club sandwich. Guess what - no bacon but boiled eggs!! Hilarious but tasty!! We finished with a dessert of lime basil sorbet in a bath of strawberry soup with a wedge of lemon loaf. Every corner has a cafe where people are gathered. It’s a constant hum of humanity.

18/09/2023

Today we said goodbye to Spence as he heads back to China. What an amazing time. So happy that Tim and Spence had this time together. It was a little emotional as we watched him drive away. We cleaned up the Airbnb and then spent an hour or so on a lovely patio waiting for our train to Paris. We were later than we hoped but - oh well. Paris - wow. Crazy amount of humanity in one place. Got our taxi to our new home. Omg. Welcome to Paris. 3 flights of stairs to a little bachelor where the window opened to the local vibe. Wandered down our street and just got seated when the skies opened up. Slid into the restaurant and had some wonderful food! We are tired. Exploration begins tomorrow.

17/09/2023

Random Pictures and observations:
1. Hair conditioner isn’t a thing here. I’ve been looking and at last found one bottle of “detangler” among a dozen shampoos. Maybe missing something in translation?
2. Convenience stores are called “Tabac” - I think in reference to the fact you can buy smokes there?
3. Expected to find “French press”
Coffee makers in every Airbnb. False. Maybe the French don’t use French presses?
4. Mirrors don’t seem to be a thing. Outside of the washrooms there has only been one Airbnb that had a mirror to use in the living areas. How do they do the final check before leaving the house?

17/09/2023

It’s the end of our day here on Sunday and our last day with Spencer. Had a quiet morning - we all needed a bit of downtime. The boys headed out to their final rugby game at 1:00 and I roamed my area a bit. I really wanted to get more confident in my abilities to find my way around on my own. Very proud of myself how well it went! I did laundry today and spent some time working. When the guys got back we walked across the canal and watched the end of the Fiji game and then ate dinner at a cool restaurant on a boat. There was a crazy rainbow that came out and we just soaked it all in. We shared a half bottle of champagne to toast the end of an amazing experience together. We will miss Spencer but have made precious memories. Also he hauled my luggage so I’ll miss that too😉

17/09/2023

Yesterday we made our way back to Bordeaux, got in about an hour before checkin so we stopped at the most amazing place to eat. It has over 22 stalls of food vendors - pretty well any kind of food you can think of. We all ate from different vendors and it was delicious! On to the Airbnb where we dropped our bags and headed to the boys 3rd rugby game and my first. It was a 15 minute walk to the pickup stop but we realized the bus was going right by our door and stopped there on our way. It was another hot 30 degree day but apparently less crowded than last time. We unfortunately were on the sunny side of the stadium. It was very exciting to be present with the Chileans putting on a very vocal show! I met two guys in the refreshment line from England wearing large red Chilis. They were hilarious and one said he’d visited Canada as his girlfriend had family there. He couldn’t remember but knew it was outside Toronto and had Blue in it. I realized after he probably meant Blue Mountain. After the game we had a rest and went back to our eating spot as they had big screens up for the game. We ended up sitting with a Chilean Doctor and his family and a French couple. We had such wonderful conversations and learned so much about the Chilean culture! We were all exhausted from too much sun and beer and wine and slept very well last night!

16/09/2023

So yesterday was interesting. It was a day for lessons learned? It started in Toulouse with a day planned to tour Carcassonne an intact walled city. We made the one hour bus trip out and literally just walking over the draw bridge when we received messages from our Airbnb. Too long to go into here but Tim and I ended up having to grab a train back to Toulouse to deal with our accommodations and we insisted Spence stay. It all worked itself out but our first experience of “sh*t happens” and you deal with it. The evening ended with Spence and Tim at an Irish bar watching rugby and me on a zoom call with clients. Friggin love technology.

14/09/2023

As I’m Finishing my day (even though I know your evening is just beginning - we are 6 hours ahead) I might as well give you the lowdown on today. We got up this morning and did some research on what to see. First we went to one of the other parks attached to the one we visited last night. The trees come from all over the world - some planted for centuries. We visited a street known for its vintage shops (I got 3 tops for 10 Euro!) and although they boasted cowboy wear, Tim found little. There were some amazing cathedrals, and Tim found 2 guitar shops that we thought he was going to take up residency in. We went to visit a market but it was just closing up. We stopped at a little restaurant where most of their food is locally sourced. Spencer had a Toulouse staple - Toulouse sausage and it was probably the best sausage I ever tasted. All our meals were delicious. Today we walked somewhere in the ballpark of 7-8 klm. The boys headed down to the rugby “village” to watch the game tonight and I stay home to catch up on some work while eating cheese, baguette, dark chocolate and French butter (it is amazing). And yes it is very surreal.

14/09/2023

Things I didn’t know about Toulouse and am learning about France:
1. It is known as “La Ville Rose” (The Pink City) due to the terra cotta bricks. We think that explains the pink toilet paper in our Airbnb?

2. It is a huge rugby city with 17 players on the national team.

3. Traffic is very different here (all the towns we’ve visited so far). Cars are very aware of pedestrians and will always give way. Many streets are a crazy combination of people walking, bikers riding, motor bikes and cars all seemingly sharing the same space. And it works. Cars are patient as pedestrians move out of the way to make room, bikes use their little bells to let folks know when they’re coming through. And nobody ever seems to get upset or frustrated. Fascinating to watch.

4. So far our experience with the locals has been lovely. Many have enough English to be able to get messages across. Those that don’t aren’t frustrated with us. They have been very friendly. Tims Duo Lingo is paying off!

14/09/2023

So Wednesday was our travel day where we said good bye to Lebourne and took the 2 hour train ride to Toulouse. I could immediately feel a different vibe. This is a city steeped in history with a more metropolitan feel. We settled at our Airbnb and took the short walk to the grocery for the staples - bread, cheese, fruit, eggs, wine and beer. After a rest we set out to explore. Our spot is along the canal that winds through the city. Just steps from our place is a huge round park called Jardin Du Grand Rond which was created in the 1700’s. It is attached to 2 other parks by bridges. We wandered the streets. Toulouse is more compact than Bordeaux and not as many squares as such. We did end up having dinner in one square we found. Spencer tried the Cassoulet which is a regional specialty. First impressions were wonderful.

Mae & Tim's Excellent European Adventure

11/10/2023

08/10/2023

08/10/2023

05/10/2023

04/10/2023

04/10/2023

02/10/2023

02/10/2023

01/10/2023

01/10/2023

30/09/2023

30/09/2023

28/09/2023

27/09/2023

26/09/2023

25/09/2023

23/09/2023

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22/09/2023

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19/09/2023

18/09/2023

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