Seen and heard

I bought tickets to the U2 concert in New York months ago, and last week the wait was finally over! The concert itself was amazing - they played for over two hours, and included most if their hits. The new stage set up, suspended from 4 legs, supported a giant round video screen. Of course, the best part of the concert wasn't the songs, or the screen, but the electricity that 80,000 fans and one band can create. We met other fans from Mexico, Australia, Ireland, other parts of Canada and of course the US. What other band could convince people to travel that far for "just a concert". The rest of the trip was good, but perhaps somewhat uneventful - Phantom, many glasses of wine, some shopping, and some great food.

I think I've figured this out..

I'm safely in Manhattan, waiting for a friend to show up and hoping
that everything goes acording to plan.

More soon.

I successfully mobile blogged

Consider yourself warned :-).

Sunday Updates

I've finished one Christmas ornament during the week, and started on another. I can't share them here yet, as they'll both (likely) be for the TWCOE. One is entirely beaded, and I'm not sure whether I should enter it into the exchange or not. I put the question to the Wagon, and most people liked the idea of getting a beaded ornament, but there were one or two who didn't, so I'll have to decide closer to when I actually have to let the organizer know about everything. I usually put in 4 ornaments, and so I'll have to get cracking on the other two before the deadline.

I also got a brand new iPhone this week. I needed a new cell phone, and a new mp3 player, and wanted a pocket camera, so the iPhone fit the bill. I'm really liking it so far, although my opinion of it might change once the first bill comes in! Cell phone bills in Canada are generally more expensive than in other countries, and iPhone services don't come cheap up here.

New Socks

I guess when you take a break from blogging for as long as I have, you end up with quite a bit done when you return! I usually knit on the bus in the mornings and evenings, and these socks are the result. I have three other pairs on the go - one that just needs some minor repairs, one that's about 3/4 done and a new lace pair that I can only knit a few rows in before becoming frustrated. All are coming along well, and I should have toasty toes this winter.

More updates - purse decoration

I found a group a few years ago that makes purses and hats to raise money to benefit African grandmothers. Often the hats are beautifully knitted, but just need a little something to make them stand out. I made an arrangement with the organizers that I would decorate the bags and other items that needed a little embelishment, and wanted to post a picture of the latest batch. Sometimes just one button or a few beads can take something from quite plain to very marketable. I'm actually very enamoured with the grey bag with the red button, and may try and nab it at the sale.

Giveaway

Mary of M Designs is offering a drawing in celebration of her ornament being published in the JCS 2009 issue. Details are here.

What I've been up to....

I started a bracelet recently that I'm quite excited about. I included the pattern picture, as it's mostly just a dark blob that doesn't photograph well. I'm using two different shades of dark blue oilslick beads - a shiny one for the dark colour and a matte one for the light colour, but it all just mostly looks black when photographed.

I also am working on my first non-sock knitted project - a baby sweater for some friends who just had a little girl. I still need to add the other front and to knit the raglan yoke on the sweater.

Popping in.....

Just wanted to remind everyone that the Christmas Ornament Exchange is on again at the Teresa Wentzler BB. I know a lot of people migrated from the board when the board stopped having a general discussion topic, but the exchange is back and still going strong.

The ornaments I sent and received for the last few years can be seen here.

I guess I better start stitching!

Germany and the Wedding

The real reason for the trip was a family wedding in Germany. The couple tried to combine the best of Canadian and German traditions, and had most of the ceremony translated to save those of us with very poor German skills.

It was a beautiful wedding, followed by a reception in a castle, the outline of which I captured at sunset the night before. And to follow, were fireworks.

Strasbourg and Zurich

I spent a couple of lovely days in Strasbourg - I was going to try and make it to London, but it was going to be too crazy and too much stress. I hadn't had a holiday off work in a year, and really needed some time, so I spent a couple of very relaxing days in Strasbourg. The hotel that I booked was right next to the Galaries Lafayette food store, so I picked up some bread and cheese for dinner one night - so yummy!

After that, I went on to Zurich, where I met up with friends. I picked a mid-morning train, and much to my surprise, the promotional train for the latest Harry Potter film was at the train station. There were a surprising number of people dressed up
(especially for 10am on a Sunday morning) and they had the owls out in full force. They surprised me by taking me to the mountains. It was beautiful there, but like the rest of Europe, it was wet and cold. So much so that it actually snowed. Snow - in June! Not what I had expected!

The gardens of Giverny

I hopped on yet another train to Vernon, and from there, headed out to Giverny by tourist bus. The busses meet the train, and also timed to get back to the train just in time so that everyone can board. Where I live does't have trains, so I think it's a bit stressful to catch trains - in larger centres, the track that the train is on often isn't posted until just a few minutes before the train leaves, and I'm always afraid that I'm going to get on the wrong track or catch a train going in the wrong direction.

Giverny is home to the house where Monet painted, and his house and back garden are open to the public. The house was beautiful, but the gardens were spectacular - just what you think of when you imagine a Monet painting. Giverny is also home to the Impressionist Museum which had a Monet exhibition open for the summer. I didn't manage to make it to many of the museums which had Monet paintings in Paris, so I was glad that someone had arranged to transport them to Giverny for me.

When I got back, I spent the next day visiting two of the smaller museums in Paris - the Marmottan, which houses a huge collection of Monet paintings, as well as other impressionist painters, and the Cluny Museum, also known as the Museum of the Middle Age, themes of Cluny. The Cluny Museum has the famous Cluny tapestries of the "Lady and the Unicorn" displayed. I'd visited both museums on recommendations, and would definitley go back again - the museums were smaller than some of the better known museums, but without the line-ups and the crowds of other places.

Ah.... Paris!

After visting Vimy Ridge, I spent the next day (and one of the only nice days on my trip) doing some sight seeing. I also took a break for a coffee and some macarons, which are small almond/merangue cookies, filled with icing or jam. There was a bakery a few blocks from my hotel which had the most wonderful flavours - the one's pictured are pistachio, salted caramel and rose, but they also had passion fruit, cassis, and chocolate. Dinner in Paris is usually served late, and many restaurants don't even open until 7:30. I'd usually finish my sightseeing day in the early evening, and then pick up some of these delicious treats to hold me over to dinner.

Pictures - Vimy Ridge

I'm back, and have finally found a few moments to write about the trip!

I arrived in Paris, and spent the first day exploring the flea markets. I had printed off some instructions on where to find good places to buy beads in Paris, and managed to scoop up some gorgeous vintage glass, buttons and other treasures.

The next day, I was up very early, and climbed the hill near my hotel to the Sacre Cour. It was so nice to be up before everyone else, and snap off some pictures when everything was dead quiet.

I then headed for the train station to catch my train to go out to the Canadian war memorial at Vimy Ridge. This is a particularly significant monument for Canadians, as it was one of the first times that Canadian troups fought together, and they were able to capture a particularly difficult position held by the Germans. The monument contains the names of all of the Canadian soldiers who died during the first world war.

Vimy Ridge isn't particularly easy to get to - an hour by train to Arras, and then a taxi ride up to the memorial itself. Fortunatley, most of the taxi drivers know what tourists (particularly Canadian tourists) want when they indicate that they'd like to go to Vimy Ridge. There is direct service between Paris and Arras several times a day.


















The female figure in the last picture represents Canada, as she mourns for those who were lost in battle.

Onwards....

I'm in Strasbourg for a couple of days - my original itinerary called for a quick trip to London, and I realized when I sat down to make final arrangements that a trip over the channel would either see me spend way too much time on a train, or be very expensive. The alternative was a stop in the charming city of Strasbourg, which is about half way between Paris and Zurich.

My university offered an exchange year here, which I didn't use or apply for, and this trip is a nice chance to see what life would have been like if I'd gone away for the year. Strasbourg is charming and lovely - everything you'd expect from a small European town. It's also much different than Paris - less English is spoken or available, still touristy, but in a more French/German way.

I'm off to Switzerland tomorrow to catch up with some friends for a few days. They've promised to show me the "real" Switzerland, and if their past tour guide skills are any indication, I'm in for quite a treat.

The beauty.....

I travelled up to Giverny yesterday to see Monet's house, garden and studio. The museum in Giverny was also hosting an exhibition of his work, so I got to see examples of all the paintings they were referring to. Friends had recomended Giverny - they'd really liked it, and now I can see why - it was a beautiful place, and so peaceful.

I will definitley be posting pictures when I get back - at the moment I don't have a way of transferring pictures from my camera to the computer, but I will post lots when I return.

On the road

After navigating several airports, a few train stations and several other modes of transport, I've finally arrived! I learned to navigate the french keyboard system while in Morocco, and it's proven to be a challenge yet again as I learn to type over again. I discovered a charming bakery near the hotel that makes gourmet macaroons, and have devoured far too many of the sweets. So far my favourite is proving to be the salted caramel, but the pistachio is also fantastic.

I managed to navigate the french train system to get to Vimy Ridge yesterday. Vimy is the site of one of the largest Canadian First World War monuments. The farmland that surrounds the monument is so lush and green that it was hard to imagine the fighting that occurred almost a hundred years ago. Surrounding the monument were the soldiers cemetaries - not only for Canadian troups, but also for British and Japonese soldiers.

Busy-ness

I forget what it's like to get ready to go away on vacation - I spent a good portion of last year travelling for work, but it was always just a couple of days here, and a few other days there. This trip is bigger - connections between cities, hotels in different places, all of those good things. Of course, with the economy not doing well, it's nice to be able to book most things last minute and still be able to get good prices and good availability.

On the other hand, it will be nice to have a week or so to decompress - my last holiday was a year ago, and even then, it was only 4 days. I'm really looking forward to the two weeks, even if it will be slightly mad.....

Remembering

I was looking through my blog yesterday to try and find something I knew I'd written, and in searching through all of the posts, it occured to me that somewhere along the way, I'd stopped writing. I used to actually write about "stuff" in my life, the social things, special people, trips, things that were everything and nothing at the same time. I'm not sure where, or how it stopped, but it did, and I'm hoping to bring it back a little at a time.

I'm feeling guilty today, as it looks like I won't be able to meet up with some friends in London later in the month. I hate making plans and then having to back out of them later, but it just doesn't look like the logistics on this one are going to work.

I'm travelling to Paris as part of a trip to attend a family wedding. I'm also scheduled to meet up with some good friends in Zurich, and then head on to southern Germany for the wedding, before flying out of Frankfurt. The whole thing is only scheduled to last two weeks, but I thought I might be able to spend a couple of days over in London as well. Of course, I planned this whole thing in my head, without ever consulting a map or a train schedule. I could go to London, but it would mean spending 11 hours on trains to get there and then travel on to Zurich. It would also mean spending a small fortune on train tickets, in addition to hotels and whatever other transport costs I'd have to pay. I'm now seriously considering spending the two days in either Strasbourg, Basel or Dijon, all of which are considerably closer on the route between Paris and Zurich.

I have been stitching...

and I have ORTs as evidence. This is the extras from Egyptian Garden, one sock and the start of a new bracelet.