Venice and Paris

Our last post! How sad! But after two weeks of travel, I think we're ready to come home.

Well, we missed our train to Paris. It wasn't so much as we were running for the train and couldn't catch it - it was more that we're procrastinators, and tried to make reservations for the train pretty much the day of, and it was fully booked. Our plan was to take the day train to Paris (it would have been a long day on the train, but in our opinion, better than a long night). Left with no choice, we booked the overnight train to Paris and decided to head to Venice for the day. Dan and I have both been to Venice before, but it was nice to go back and wander along the narrow streets and explore the little town. We vaguely recalled that it was a pretty small place, so we didn't think it would be necessary to buy a map. After about half an hour of wandering around, we were utterly lost and couldn't figure out how to get back to the main tourist area. Getting lost in Venice, in my opinion, was like getting lost in Whistler village. How lost can you get in such a small place? It turns out very lost. It took us a half hour to get lost and about an hour and half to get unlost. Not like we were in any hurry though - every few steps was another picture, another small alley to be discovered, another little shop, another stop for gelato. It was fun to wander where the locals lived - no tourists (except us). After stopping in a square near the university for a pizza and and some water, we finally caved and bought a map and found our way back to the main tourist area. We had only enough time to walk over the Ponte Rialto, take a few pictures of the gondolas, and head back to the train station to catch the train back to Florence. We both very much enjoyed our day in Venice, and also the train ride to and from (we were on one of those really nice high speed trains, where you are served coffee, wine and snacks in your seat).

Upon arriving in Florence, we had an hour and half to get back to our hotel to pick up our luggage, do a quick change, grab a bite to eat and head back to the station to take the 8pm to Milan. At Milan, we had a two hour lay-over from 10 to midnight while we waited to board the overnight train.

When we booked our reservation to Paris, Dan was quite disappointed that there were no first class sleepers left. We did spring for a first class rail pass, but it was our fault that we left the reservation so late. I didn't fully understand Dan's disappointment until I saw our accommodation for the night. I was pretty sure it was going to be the longest night ever. We were in a small compartment with 6 bunks (stacked 3 high on each side). There was only enough room down the middle for one person at a time, and there was not enough overhead room in each bunk to sit up. It was pretty much get in, get settled, and hope you don't have to move for the next nine hours. There was Dan and myself, an exchange student from Indonesia, two people from India, and one older Italian man who did not speak one word of English, but who was very confused as to which bunk was his. It took us all about half an hour to get settled in (there was only enough room for one person at a time to stand in the compartment and make their bed with the provided sheets and get in, while the rest waited their turn in the hallway). It was stifling hot, and I don't generally suffer from claustrophobia, but I certainly felt claustrophic that night. Luckily, thankfully, we fell asleep within the hour, and woke up in Paris! Not too shabby for what I thought was going to be one very long night! We did end up waiting on the train for half an hour after the train came to a stop. Once we were finally allowed out, we could tell that there was some sort of security issue. There was something that looked like a SWAT team, all with big guns, searching through luggage. Luckily, we were able to walk right by it.

While we were in Florence, we spent a few nights online trying to find a hotel in Paris, but to no avail. All the hotels we could find online (in our price range) were booked. So, in the usual Karen and Dan way, we decided to wing it. When we arrived in Paris, we walked a few blocks from the station in the direction of the main attractions, and then just started hitting hotels along the way. It was only on our second try that we found a hotel that could take us, and we ended up getting the last room! The lobby of the hotel was very nice, but our room is quite old, and the bathroom is pretty interesting. The nice thing is that we are on the fifth floor with french doors opening onto a little balcony. After we dropped our bags, had a nap, had a shower, it was time to get lost again, this time not in Venice, but in Paris! We decided to walk to our favourite place in Paris - Ile Saint Louis, which is the little island on the Seine, right behind Notre Dame. It has one of the best bakeries, our favourite restaurant (we ate there three time when were in Paris three years ago), and a bunch of cool little shops and galleries. Dan and I both agree that if we could live anywhere in Paris, it would probably be on that little island.

We stopped at the bakery and ordered a Tuna sandwich (on a baguette) and a chocolate mousse (thank you Mike!), and brought our lunch to the garden right behind Notre Dame. We sat on a bench overlooking the river and enjoyed our little pique-nique. We then decided to try to find the Luxembourg Gardens, which we knew were somewhere over the bridge in the Latin Quarter. So off we went, wandering through the Latin Quarter, taking pictures and not paying too much attention to where we were going. After much wandering around, we found a Starbucks near the Sorbonne, and craving a little piece of home, decided to stop for a coffee while we figured out where we were. Then we walked in circles, and after giving up and asking someone, we finally found our way to the Luxembourg Gardens. The Gardens were impressive, and I loved how they weren't just a tourist attraction. This is where parents bring their kids to play, where people jog, where people read, sunbathe, relax, play bocce. People don't have backyards in Paris, but they do have gardens like this one. By the time we reached the Gardens, it was naptime for Dan and I, so after spending some time wandering around and people-watching, we decided to head back to the hotel for our beloved siesta before heading out again for the evening. This took about another hour of getting lost before we emerged in some recognizable place from where we could find our way back to the hotel.

For dinner, we headed back to Ile Saint Louis to our favourite little restaurant, but unfortunately, all the tables were reserved for the rest of the night. So we made a reservation for tonight, then wandered a little further down on the street and found another restaurant, where we had very enjoyable dinner.

Today was our last day in Paris. Originally, we planned to go to Musee D'Orsay, the old train station that now houses the works of Monet and other famous artists of his era. It was the one major museum we didn't go to last time we were in Paris, and we had every intention of going there this time. But, our favourite thing to do in Paris is simply to walk the streets and soak up the atmosphere. We didn't want to spend our last day in a big museum, especially when it was such a beautiful day. So instead, we purchased an all-day pass for the "Batobus", which is the little boat that will ferry you from tourist attraction to tourist attraction along the Seine, and we jumped aboard and headed to the Champs Elysees. After walking down Champs Elysees, we jumped back on the boat and did the full tour along the Seine up to the Eiffel tower, and back down again to where we jumped off near our hotel, just in time for our afternoon nap.

This evening, after wandering the shops, we returned to our favourite restaurant, and it was every bit as good as we remembered it. It is a tiny place, perhaps only 12 feet wide, with a little loft overlooking the restaurant (the loft seats six, while the main floor only has tables for two). It is a piano bar on the weekends, but during the week, the owner plays whatever she's in the mood for. This is where we first heard Katie Melua's Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing song.

The food was incredible (by now, I'm seriously lacking creative adjectives for food). I had a sundried tomato and basil tart with melted camambert to start, and then salmon with roasted tomatoes and pine nuts. Dan had a green salad to start, and then, you guessed it - beef! We shared a warm chocolate cake for dessert, and each had a coffee (which in Paris, always come with a little chocolat on the side, which makes me think that I could live here).

By the time we finished dinner, it was already nine o'clock. We decided to wander back to our hotel. We took it very slowly, savouring the sites of Paris. Dan and I were saying that as much as we enjoyed travelling around and seeing other places, we both still love Paris. I think our next trip will be back to Paris and only Paris, rent an apartment for two weeks, drink wine, eat baguette and spend two weeks solid just wandering around and getting lost, which we do so well.

Tomorrow morning, we're off to the airport to catch our plane home. We're looking forward to the comforts of home (Fozzy and Bouk), and seeing our family and friends (we're looking forward to hearing "Dan! Aunty Dan!").

We were just saying today that as much as we love Europe, we're so happy and fortunate to call Vancouver home.

K&D

Florence

We've had a wonderful time in Florence. I don't think I've ever eaten so much gelato in such a short period of time! It didn't help that we arrived smack in the middle of a city-wide gelato festival!

Our first full day in Florence, "we" slept in (as usual) and wandered downstairs for breakfast in the courtyard. Our hotel boasted about serving an "American Breakfast", which didn't really appeal to us in the first place - who wants to eat an American breakfast after travelling all this way? The scrambled eggs were good, as was the cereal and juice. They had plenty of European-type stuff (brioche and even chocolate cake! For breakfast? I need to move here...), but we could tell right away that their big attempt at an American breakfast was serving "American'' coffee. In Italy, if you order coffee, you get espresso by default. At breakfast at our hotel, when we ordered coffee, we got a pot of instant coffee that tasted EXACTLY like the kind you get out of a vending machine at a bus depot. It was funny to be sitting in Italy, birthplace of the best espresso in the world, and trying to drink this coffee. Needless to say, we knew to order the real stuff the next morning.

After breakfast, we walked to the Duomo to hike the big dome. Pictures just don't do it justice. This Dome is huge by any standard, let alone something that was built hundreds of years ago. Hiking the dome was a mini Grouse Grind, but definitely worth it. You start with a spiraling staircase (think corkscrew), and right about the time your head starts to spin, you emerge at the base of the dome on the inside, close enough to see the brushtrokes of the fresco. The painting reminds me a lof of the Sistine Chapel, awe-inspiring, so busy with story-telling details. Then you start your ascent sandwiched in between the inner layer and outer layer of the dome, and emerge at the cupolo, with breathtaking views of all of Florence and the surrounding Tuscan hills.

After climbing the Duomo, we made our way to Galleria del Accademia to see Michelangelo's David. We purchased a reservation that morning at our hotel, so we were able to bypass the long, long line of tourists and pretty much walk right in! David was impressive, and Dan was happy to see such a world renowned statue in person (as was I - I saw it for the first time about seven years ago, but found it just as impressive second time around).

After David, we stopped to share a pizza. We managed to convince the server to convince the kitchen to make a pizza with half cheese and half no cheese. He said he wasn't sure if he could get the chef to do it, but that he would try. Sure enough, a vegetarian pizza came out with a little barrier made of crust running down the middle, separating the cheese side with the non-cheese side! I was so impressed I took a picture! The pizza was delicious - we especially liked the eggplant on it.

After pizza and wine for lunch, we wandered some more, and then went back to our hotel for our much loved siesta, and woke up just in time to wander back for some shop-browsing before dinner. We tracked down dei Frescobaldi, a restaurant that came recommended to us by Tracy at C2 (as previously mentioned, her friend's boyfriend is a professional server there). We had a fantastic dinner there, starting with a little amuse-bouche of cod on crostini, drizzled in olive oil, complimented with a glass of prosecco each. I then had a pecorino cheese souffle with caramelized pear, drizzled with honey for an appetizer - not dessert! Dan had a caprese salad (I ate the cheese as usual because the server said the chef would kill him if he asked for a caprese salad without cheese because then it would be "just a bunch of tomatoes"...lol.) For the entree, I had pumpkin and sage stuffed ravioli with a roasted almond sauce (topped with biscotti), and Dan had...you guessed it...beef! Although he did say it was the best beef he's had. We then shared hands down, the best tiramisu either of us has ever had. When we asked for the bill, the server brought us complimentary grappa (he joked it was to help us digest the bill). He warned us not to shoot it, but to sip it, an that it would keep us there for another half hour. He wasn't kidding! It knocked our socks off, and made for a fun walk back to the hotel!

Part way through dinner, we asked if there was a Francesco in the restaurant and it turns out he was one of two waiters there! We met him and explained our connection, and coincidentally, Tracey (Tracy's friend Tracy) was there sipping wine! So, halfway across the world, we met a fellow Vancouverite through one degree of separation!

The next day, we went to the Uffizi (for a lack of a better description, Florence's version of the Louvre). It was an overwhelming museum with so much to see, but the highlight for me was seeing Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus. After the Uffizi, we walked over the famous Ponte Vecchio (the bridge with shops lining each side, hanging precariously off the sides), across into the very well-to-do suburbs. We wound up narrow alley ways with walls covered in flowering vines, and old creaky doors painted in blues and greens. Dad - I found the original doorway I've been painting for you for the past seven years. We took more pictures of it and feel inspired again. Maybe I'll have it ready for you by 2017! Lol...

After wandering the hills for a few hours, we made our way to Piazzale Michelangelo for sweeping views of the river and city. We then made our way allllll the way back across town to catch the city bus up into Fiesole, a small Tuscan town on a hill overlooking Florence. The city bus wound its way up the narrow, swithbacking streets with alarming speed. I loved it! Just like a rollercoaster! The bus drivers here drive their buses like they would drive a lambourghini. It's shocking, but great. The bus took us past beautiful old villas, the kind with pools, surrounded by cypress trees and vineyards, and dropped us off in the town square just in time for sunset. We hiked to the highest point in town, which is a little monastary dating back to the 1300s. I though it was inactive until I saw a cloaked figure with sandals and rope tied around his waist running to the bell tower to ring the bells!

We then had dinner at a restaurant overlooking the city. The food was forgettable compared to dei Frescobaldi, but the view was spectacular at sunset.

We both loved Florence very much, and could probably easily spend another few days here (well, let's be honest - I could probably easily live here). That being said, our trip is quickly coming to an end, and we want to make it back to Paris with a few days to spare (just enough time so that Dan can get his fill of Pain au Chocolats, which he's been missing ever since we left France).

Arrivaderci for now!

K&D

New Pics!

Uploading new pictures to the online album!

Cinque Terre Part II

Yesterday morning, we hiked the Cinque Terre. After a solid week of eating too much food and wandering at a snail's pace around the towns, it was about time we got some exercise. Due to heavy rain a few weeks ago, unfortunately the trail leading out of Monterosso to the next town Vernazza, had been washed out. I was (and am) admittedly disappointed about that because I've heard that that particular stretch of the trail offered the best views and photo ops. That being said, we decided to take the boat (rather than train) to the next town to start our hike, which gave us a good opportunity to see the villages from the water.

The boat arrived around 10:30 (I say around, because in Italy, a departure time is a loose concept). The water was extremely choppy, and I found it particularly amusing thinking about how we were actually going to climb aboard. The boat nosed in to the tip of a breakwater, threw out an unanchored ramp (really more like a plank on a pirate ship) to the breakwater, and while bobbing up and down in what I would call stormy waters, people were staggering aboard. I get nauseous on the BC Ferries - I knew I was in for a rough ride. We managed to get on the boat without falling in, and were dropped off at the next town. We slowly walked through the town and then stopped for espresso while I waited for the ground to stop moving. Once I felt like I was on solid ground again, we climbed a mini-Grouse grind flight of stairs to the top of the town and started on the path leading us to Corniglia.

The path was suprisingly rugged, but it felt somehow authentic for connecting two old fishing villages along the coast of Italy. One wrong step, and you were tumbling down a cliff into the water - no protective barriers, no warning signs. The path lead us through olive groves, vineyards, and lemon orchards, and was lined with wild poppies, and other flowers (purple and yellow ones - not sure what kind they were). All along the way to Corniglia, there were stunning views of the sea, and you could look backwards to Monterosso and Vernazza and forward to Corniglia, perched on top of a cliff.

It's either funny or sad, but I remember all the towns by what I ate in each one. In Corniglia, we stopped for paninis. I had a grilled pomodoro flatbread panini, with mozzarella, basil, tomato and olive. I think the best panini I've ever had (so far). Dan had an ungrilled (because what if it had cheese? There would be no opportunity to pull it off it was melted) foccacia panini with ham, lettuce, tomato, and of course, no cheese. While sitting on the steps outside the snack shop eating our paninis, we were asked by a German tourist to watch his hiking poles while he stepped inside to buy a drink, which brings me to say: wow, are there a lot of German tourists in Cinque Terre! And how do you spot a German tourist? Because undoubtedly, there are carrying fancy-pants hiking poles. Every single last one of them! There must be something magic about those poles. I've never seen so many in my life. And they are super high-tech Jame Bond type poles - made of light weight material, they extend, they collapse, they have cool graphics on them.

We then hiked from Corniglia to Manarolo, where I had a very refreshing lemon gelato, and then from Manarolo to Riomaggiore, where I had a tasty strawberry gelato. Each town had its own charm, with Corniglia, Manarolo and Riomaggiore having a more authentic, non-touristy feel, and Vernazza and Monterosso being the tourist hot-spots. We took the train back from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, and then had a nice siesta (one of my favourite things about being in Italy is napping in the afternoon without feeling guilty). After dinner, we went to the little cafe in the courtyard below our apartment for a dessert and espresso, while the cafe owner sang his heart out to Franco Battiato (I only know this because I asked him to write down the name of the singer he was blaring on the stereo).

This morning, we were up bright and early to leave for Florence. We ran into Angela on our way out of town and we managed to utter a heartfelt "grazie" for her apartment (over and over again because we didn't know how to say anything else).

It took us only three hours to get to Florence, and having learned our lesson in Cinque Terre, we had reserved a hotel the night before online. We are staying in a nice little hotel that used to be convent in the 15th century. It has a beautiful little courtyard with tables and umbrellas, and even a jacuzzi. We are within a ten minute walk to the Duomo, and five minutes to the train station.

We spent a few hours in the afternoon exploring the city, and managed to track down the two restaurants that came suggested to us - one by Tracy (at C2) whose friend from Vancouver has moved to Florence for six months. Her boyfriend is a professional server at a restaurant in the heart of town. The other came recommended by Marg (also at C2), and while I had misplaced the paper with the name of the restaurant, I remembered her telling me it was right near the statue of the wild boar, and I remember it was an Osteria starting with a P. Believe it or not, we found it using only that information! We went to Osteria Porcellino for dinner tonight, and it was a wonderful experience. Although I did have my own little food adventure, similar to Dan's in Cinque Terre. To give a quick little background, I have been vegetarian for over ten years now. I do eat fish, but I have not had any chicken, turkey, pork or beef for over a decade, with the exception of the occasional small piece I've had in error. Tonight, we ordered the mixed bruschetta to start, which came with one piece of bread topped with the traditional tomatoes, one piece of bread topped with olives, and two pieces of bread topped with pureed eggplant (or at least that's what I thought it was). There was so much pureed eggplant piled on top of the bread, that I took a spoon (a big one) and scooped a heaping amount into my mouth. I knew within seconds that it was some sort of animal. I wasn't sure what kind, but it took a huge effort to swallow and not react. Dan did this at the same time I did, and although Dan is not a vegetarian, he is the type of guy who likes meats he can recognize. He had no idea what it was, and it was all he could do to swallow too. We both felt pretty badly not eating it, especially when the owner walked up to us and asked if we didn't like chicken liver. Once I explained that I was vegetarian, he brought a plate of tomatoe bruschetta out for us on the house. How nice!

I then had salmon with a lemon and caper sauce, and Dan had beef with a thick balsamic glaze. We shared the panacotta and strawberries for dessert. We both enjoyed our food, and enjoyed the atmosphere equally as much. We were sitting on a sidewalk table in a little alley, under a canopy with white twinkle lights, and a gentleman playing accordian.

Tomorrow we're off to climb the Duomo, to see Michelangelo's David, and to the Uffizi!

K&D

Cinque Terre!

We're in Cinque Terre! I heard about Cinque Terre about seven years ago while on exchange in Vienna, and I've wanted to visit it ever since. Cinque Terre ("the Five Lands") are five little, brightly coloured villages perched on cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea (just off the Mediterranean). They are traffic-free, and home to just over a thousand residents each. We are staying in Monterosso al Mare, the first of the five villages.

Our journey to Cinque Terre started off by missing our train out of Antibes. We had packed up super early yesterday morning (by vacation standards) and made the trek up to the station to catch the 7:21 train to Ventimiglia. We're still not entirely sure what happened, but there we were standing on the platform, wondering whether the train that had just stopped and left without us was the one we were supposed to be on. So back in the ticket office we went, with reservation in hand. I felt rather silly explaining that no, we were not late for the train, but yes, we did just miss the train while standing on the platform looking at it. The ticket person thankfully reissued a reservation for a later train and it was only a half hour wait for the next one. The new route we had to take stopped in Monaco (albeit for only two minutes while we ran for the next connection). At least I can count Monaco as one more country I've been to! Take that Bob! Lol...

The train ride going along Nice and Monaco, to Ventimiglia was beautiful. So many grand villas perched atop cliffs, overlooking the Mediterranean. And lemon trees! And orange trees! One of the little train stations our train stopped at along the way actually had an orange tree growing right in the middle of the platform!

We arrived in Cinque Terre rather exhausted from our travels. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon, and beautifully warm and sunny. Sunburnt from the day before, I needed to wear a hoodie so that the shoulder straps on my heavy packpack didn't rub my sunburn raw. Yes, a T-shirt probably would have done the trick too, but after packing the kitchen sink in my
backpack along with many tank tops and sundresses, apparently I didn't think to pack a simple T-shirt!! So, we trekked into town, with our huge backpacks, me about to pass out in my sweatshirt. We started with hiking to the top of town, and hit pretty much all hotels going down to the water. Every single one was booked solid for the next three nights. We hit the final hotel with fingers crossed, and of course it was booked as well. The person at reception kindly started to call other hotels for us to see if she could find us accommodation. No luck. Then she asked us if we would be interested in renting an apartment. Thinking that it would be way out of our price range, we almost said no. Last minute, I decided to ask her how much more expensive it would be to rent an apartment. The last thing we wanted to do was get back on the train. To our surprise, she said it would only be about 90 Euro a night. Sold! The hotels here were going for up to 160 Euro a night, and being that there was no vacancy anywhere, we were expecting to have to pay more money to get accommodation rather than less. Uh-oh - was this going to be some super scary place? As Dan and I like to call it, a "scary-bary" place? She called her friend Angela, and warned us that Angela spoke no English, but that she would show us the apartment, and if we liked it, all we had to do was nod our heads yes, pay the cash and be out by Friday at 10 o'clock. Angela showed up just minutes later, and she really, honestly, did not speak one word of English. Not even "hello". Although we spoke no Italian, and she not a lick of English, she seemed like a very friendly person. She walked us to the heart of town, and I found it SO cool how she knew every local she passed and would shout out a greeting in passing. For all I know she could have been making fun of us the whole way, but I'm convinced she was saying things like "Good afternoon Pasquale - how is you wife doing?" or "Hello Daniella, nice day today, isn't it?" I counted at least five people in a less than two minute walk to the apartment that she knew and greeted on the street. SO cool!

So, let me preface this next part with this: we were tired and did not want to get back on the train and probably would have been happy with a cot stuffed in some utility closet for 90 Euro a night. We got, hands down, the COOLEST apartment ever for 90 euro a night. The front door of the apartment building is off a small courtyard, up a steep flight of marble stairs, which after the first few steps, goes into pure blackness. Then, through the blackness, you arrive at the front door of the apartment (the only door on the second floor). The apartment spans from one side of the building to the next and then some, and has just been fully renovated with all the modern conveniences. We have two decks - one looking into the small courtyard, and the other - get this - spans the main street. Our deck and bathroom actually bridges the main street to the next building, meaning we can sit on our deck, eat our breakfast, and people watch as they pass underneath! All the decks and windows have those fancy shutter doors that do a million different thing (open, close, tilt, lock etc. etc. - I'm pretty sure I would need to take a course to fully understand how to operate them). The shutters are painted green, and the building is a bright yellow. I love it! We have a kitchen, and dining room table, a spacious bathroom, laundry. Needless to say, we nodded our heads yes vigorously to Angela, and then she talked at us in Italian for the next 10 minutes explaining how to work the shutters, wait for the hot water, lock the door etc. She then handed over the keys, and emphasized that we needed to be out by 10 o'clock on Friday because a bride-to-be had rented it to get ready for her wedding in the town church (at least I think that's what she was saying after making wild hand gestures to indicate a big dress and veil, at which point I pointed to my ring finger and she happily yelled "Si! Si!")

After Angela left, we took a short nap, and then headed out to find a bite to eat. On our way out, we stumbled on a small interent cafe in the square below us, and we were able to buy a card that gave us access with our laptop. It turns out that the signal reaches all the way to our apartment! Bonus! We had just been saying that the only thing our apartment didn't have was internet! We took Rick Steves' suggestion and found a small restaurant named Via Venti in a small alley just a few steps away from our place (Monterosso is a very, very small town). To start, we shared a plate of gnochetti tossed with crab meat, parsley, basil, tomato and olive oil. It was delicious! Then, I had an incredible pasta dish. I had stuffed pasat - stuffed with pear and cheese! So, so good. But Dan - well, this is a good story.

To give a little preamble for those who may not be familiar with Dan's eating habits, Dan is truly a meat and potatoes type man. He likes steak, potatoes, bread, and any combination thereof. He will occasionally branch out and take risks, only to discover that he really, really likes his steak, potatoes and bread. Every night we've stayed in Europe, he's eaten beef of some kind, potatoes, and bread. Now, Monterosso is truly a little fishing village. I encouraged Dan to try something knew, but really, I was expecting that he would order...you guessed it...beef, potatoes, and bread. To my surprise, he ordered the fried fish! Wow!

So, I'm guessing that the fried fish was a loose translation for fried seafood of any and every kind. Everything on his plate still had eyes, fins, tales, tentacles and antannae, and there was a not a vegetable or garnish in sight. It was quite literally a plate heaped with lightly fried sea critters that were probably still alive earlier in the day. You should have seen Dan's expression! Priceless! I felt very badly for him though - he was quite hungry, and unfortunately, I couldn't even offer him some of my dinner as it had cheese (for those of you wondering about that, Dan has a HUGE dislike for cheese). Poor Dan!

But here is thing though - he ate every last thing on his plate! He also drank a lot of water, but after all was said and done, he said it wasn't too bad! Well done Dan! I know that I couldn't have done it, and I usually eat way more seafood than he does.

Today we got up, and went downstairs for espresso and a slice of focaccia (the region of Liguria is the birthplace of focaccia and pesto, two things I love very much), and then went to the fruit stand just under our patio and bought a small basket of strawberries. We brought them upstairs, and sat on our little deck over the main street, and people watched as we ate them. We then went to the beach, as even Rick Steves said that going to the beach here is a cultural experience! We rented two lounge chairs and an umbrella, and lazed the afternoon away just napping, reading, and people watching. The water is turquoise here, and very clear, but also very cold. I dipped my toes in the water just to say that I've been in the Mediterranean, but there were many people swimming and splashing around in the water (I guess I'm a wimp).

On the way back from the beach, we found a small little grocery store, and bought Muesli and milk for breakfast tomorrow morning. We then got ready for dinner and went to a gorgeous restaurant perched on a bluff, with the waves crashing 60 some-odd feet against the rocks below. Our table was right on the edge, and Dan's chair was actually the retaining wall of the patio. I think we both had the best dinners yet! We started with a salmon roll, which actually looked like giant pieces of sushi rolls, but Italian-style. Dan then had a steak (yes, believe it or not, yesterday's litte adventure led him back to ordering steak), but it it did have a twist - it was smothered in orange glaze, with baked apple wedges and whole almonds. He said it was the best meal he's had so far. I had incredible vegetable stuffed ravioli, smothered in two sauces - the first layer was pesto, then it was covered with a roasted nut sauce. Roasted whole almonds and walnuts were sprinkled on top, along with parmesan. It was so, so tasty! The best meal I've had so far!

Tomorrow, we're going to do the famous Cinque Terre hike - the path that connects the five villages. It will take approximately five hours, and then we'll take the train back. Will post again soon!

K&D

P.S. Uploaded more pictures to our album!

Antibes May 24th

We love Antibes! We love it so much that we tried to book another night at our little hotel, but unfortunately weren't able to. So we're taking that as a sign that it's time to move on.

Antibes, in my opinion, is the equivalent of a North American surf town (like Tofino, or some major beach down in California), but French, which still counts as a "cultural experience" in my mind. There are little ice cream shops and smoothie stands everywhere you go, sandy beaches, and a marina full of HUGE yachts (we're talking the kind with helicopters parked on top). There is an old city wall on which you can stroll, and narrow shady cobble stone streets lined with lush crawling vines and brightly-coloured flowers. Bakery windows full with croissants, and sidewalk cafes serving crepes and coffee. Staying here was like taking a vacation from our vacation.

We had a pretty lazy day just strolling around, then sipping wine on the sidewalk patio in front of our hotel as we tried to plan the rest of our vacation (after much discussion, we decided to play it by ear like we always do). We then finished the day with a fantastic dinner at "L'Aubergine", a small little restaurant owned and operated by a husband and wife team, with just a handful of tables (the wife was the hostess/server and the husband was the chef). I started with sundried tomato and basil mousse served with grilled baguette and mixed greens, and then had salmon served with fresh pesto and a side of risotto. Dan started with eggplant marinated in balsamic, and then had beef brochettes with a herb-buttered potato. We then each had a creme brulee (with all the right accents that I can't figure out how to use in this blog). Mine was a white chocolate one, while Dan's was a dark chocolate one. Both were absolutely delicious! I loved how part way through our meal, the chef came out to ask how things were.

I have a funny little story about our experience at the restaurant. Shortly after we sat down, I took off my jean jacket and noticed for the first time exactly how burnt I was from our afternoon stroll along the marina. As I was looking at my shoulders in horror, the restaurant owner came over and told me that I should put either lemon or vinegar on the burn to soothe it. I thanked her for her suggestion, but really, I was already trying to remember where the nearest pharmacy was so that I coud buy some aloe vera gel. Although I did find her suggestion interesting - perhaps all people in this region use lemon or vinegar to soothe a burn? After finishing our appetizer and waiting for our entree, the lady approached us with half a lemon in hand. By this time, the restaurant had alread filled up - some people were locals, but the people right next to us were British. She handed me the lemon and told me to use it on my burn. I thanked her very much for the lemon, started wrapping it in the papertowel she gave me, and told her I would use it once I got back to my hotel. "Mais no! Use it now - it will help!". So, there I was, in the restaurant, rubbing lemon all over my arms and shoulders, with and elderly British couple sneaking sideways glances at me, thinking God knows what. A little embarrassing. Although, I have to say, it worked!

For those of you who know about my ongoing quest for all things chocolate and peanut butter, I have to say that I made a little discovery today. We came across an English grocery store that sold a Reese chocolate bar that I've never seen or heard of! It was called Reese Nutrageous, and while I have to say it was a cultural low to spend calories on a Reese chocolate bar rather than a freshly baked French pastry, it was very tasty and I have no regrets!

While Dan and I are disappointed to move on, we both know that we will come back here one day. Tomorrow morning we're off to Italy, starting with Cinque Terre. I'm not sure if we'll be staying at a place with WiFi, so if not, we'll post again once we get to Florence.

Au revoir for now!

K&D