It's Better in Acapulco

Our vacation was just what the doctor ordered--sun, warmth, swimming, reading, food and unmentionables. Acapulco is not the most charming town, but the weather can't be beat. Our hotel was great; it was right on Condesa Beach:



The hotel had a pool that wound through the grounds like a river, and two adult pools, including my favourite, this gorgeous quiet infinity pool with a view of the ocean:



Our room had a lovely view as well:



And we watched the sun set from our balcony each night:



Acapulco is a party town. I think T-dot needs fewer hotdog carts, and more of these:



The seafood was great--we treated ourselves to a delish lobster dinner on our last night:



When I wasn't eating, I was reading like mad. I burned thorugh 10 books! I caught up on some old stuff I hadn't read yet, as well as some lighter stuff I don't usually read: Pretty Little Dirty, The Gum Thief, Buffalo Jump, Revolutionary Road, The Rapture, Atonement, Tempting Faith DiNapoli, Stunt, Muriella Pent, The Omnivore's Dilemma. I think my favourite was Pretty Little Dirty. It reminded me of my own adolescence so much it was scary.

Now I'm back to dreaming about the next holiday, but I don't think it will be anytime soon! Anyone working on any travel plans?

More Italia

I wish I’d had the time to blog more in Italy--it’s so much harder to get the impressions down after the fact. But I still want to share a few of my pics, and talk about a few of the places I haven’t talked about yet.

Cinque Terre

Unfortunately our day in Cinque Terre was the one day it rained during the vacation. And it was cold! That didn’t stop me from sitting on the top level of the ferry to get these beautiful pics:





The towns of Cinque Terre have so much charm. They also have gorgeous beaches, (which we didn’t get to use). Another thing I really wanted to do, and didn’t have the time, was to hike between the villages. We walked a brief stretch on one of the trails, and the view was gorgeous. Next time!

Milan

I’m usually not a shopper, and I did not think Milan would be one of my favourite stops on the trip, but it was! The energy, money, and pace reminded me of London. As you’d expect, everyone is dressed to the nines (this is true in much of Italy, but especially in the North). Even the children are dressed in expensive shoes. I actually managed to buy some new clothes, in record time. At one point McHotty was in line to pay for a few things, while I was off to the next shop. I purchased a dress, a tunic, and a couple of sexy tops, all for 100 euro. I also learned, I love negotiating a deal for a knock-off bag.





Venice

Venice is probably my favourite city. When we stepped out of the train station, and I caught my first sight of the Grand Canal, I had one of those really moving moments, where I feel a lump in my throat (this also happened to me in the Blue Grotto, in Capri). And it happened again in Venice, at dusk, when the lights suddenly came on in the square. Stunning. We will be back to Venice one day, to share it with Cakes. I want to be there to see her face when she sees this beautiful, unique city for the first time.




Rome

We finished the trip in Rome. Again, like Florence, we just didn’t have enough time. We expected this, and knew it was the trade-off for getting to see so many different places in so little time. No regrets. But like in Florence, we didn’t have time for any museums. Another place we’ll have to get back to. We did do an excellent guided tour of Imperial Rome, including the Coliseum. The Coliseum made me feel really strange--it’s hard to get your head around the fact you’re standing in a place where so much violence took place.




We only had a day in Rome, but we did make it to Vatican City. We visited St. Peters, and were wowed by the grandeur.



Photos can’t capture it. By this time, we were beat, so we had to skip the Vatican Museum (we needed to get back to our hotel in time for a last-night quickie in Rome, and a nap before the farewell dinner). And speaking of the farewell dinner, I still have to tell you about the people. Next post!

Venice, Baby!

I dont know what day it is anymore. This trip has been fantastic, but the pace is catching up--Im whipped. Its late at night and we just came back to our hotel after walking for about nine hours in Venice (I cant find the apostrophe, in case youre wondering why theyre all missing). Venice is truly amazing. Its so easy to lose the crowds in just a few minutes, and get lost. Will talk more about it when I have my pics.




Yesterday we went to Lake Garda, on a boat trip (the Italian version of the Muskokas). We had our best meal of the trip, on a lovely balcony overlooking a castle, a canal, with a view of the sea. A crisp white, and some fish and I was happy, happy, happy.





Tomorrow, a long bus trip back to Rome. The next day, were doing a very full day in Rome, and that night were having a farewell party--there will be a lot of slobbery, slurry hugs Im sure.

Am completely beat now. Miss my babe. Pics and stories coming soon!

Bella!

I feel like I'm so behind in my updates--so much has happened in the last few days, I don't know where to start. I don't have adequate words for Italy--I'm going to wait and talk about the places more when I get home and can post along with the pictures. Each region is so unique and it just keeps getting better.

I'm so happy with Contiki thus far. But the pace is incredible--a fast pace is our thing, and this is really pushing the limits. What I didn't expect to happen is that I'm in love with my tour mates. There are 40 of us, which is a lot, but we really gelled pretty much from the first day.

The day after Sorrento we travelled to Capri. OMG. Again, will talk about more when I have the pics. We jumped into a couple of boats and had a 2.5 hour tour around the island, passing a few pints around and sitting back in the boat with big smiles on our faces. Then we pulled into a cove where there a couple of dozen men in tiny rowboats--the Blue Grotto. We jumped into the floors of the boats, and ducked through an opening in a hole in the rock, into a cavern where the limestone under the water reflects the light creating a luminous turquoise colour. The men sing as we explore the cave. It was just magical.










After dinner that night a half dozen of us decided to go back to our terrace for another bottle of wine (McHotty and I always keep a reserve in our room). We finished our reserve, then Mike's, then Steve's Limoncello, then Julia (who I have a girl-crush on) brought out the absinthe. We did shots of absinthe, and after a few minutes we didn't see any green fairies, so Julia filled out glasses again. Next thing I remember, we're talking to a couple of women on scooters outside the hotel who give us directions to the local bar (we were in a little town outside of Sorrento called Meta). We get there and the place is packed--the local band is playing American rock and roll. We just had a blast (as far as I can recall).

We got home at 3 or 4 I think and had a 5;45 wakeup call for the longest drive of the trip--from Sorrento to Tuscany. I thought I might die. We made it to Tuscany by mid-afternoon where we had a wine tasting and sampled a couple of local specialties (sheeps milk cheese and olive oil). The tasting revived us, and we felt good for the Karaoke bar in Florence that night (but we made it an early one).

Ah, Florence. We went to a leather demonstration at a wonderful leather shop and I thought my head would explode--I wanted to buy everything in the place. That night we had a wonderful group dinner at a villa in Tuscany with a breathtaking view of the landscape. That night we went to a dance club in Florence where celebrated the ten-year anniversary of Sam and Roger (the only other couple with kids--they have four girls!) Sam and I thought it rather ironic we were spending mothers day dancing on a platform in a club, but hey. When in Rome.




Anyway, Im almost out of minutes, and McHotty is pacing outside. We are in Verona today and we only have an hour or so left before we push off for Venice. Yesterday we did Milan (yay, shopping!), and the day before, Cinque Terre. Still have lots more to tell you about the people, and our tour guide who is rocking our world. Will fill you in more soon.

Ciao Bellas!

Sipping and Cybering

McHotty and I have found the perfect compromise in Sorrento--a cocktail lounge/internet cafe! I can blog without being furtive!

The trip is fab so far. Flight was great. Nice group--an Australian couple our age we really hit it off with already. Tour guide is awesome.

Today we left Rome and went to Pompei. Such a fascinating place. I'll post some pics and explanations when I get home.

After Pompei we drove down the gorgeous Amalfi coast, to Sorrento, where we took off from our group and just had a fabulous dinner. The house wine was so tasty we bought an extra bottle to go. For those of you coming here by googling restaurant in Sorrento, the name of the place is O Parruchiano, at Corso Italia 71. You're welcome.



I'm really missing Cakes, but I just had a comforting but somewhat disturbing email from my mother-in-law that Cakes is doing just fine thanks.

Tomorrow we're off to Capri for the day. Our slightly laviscious (in a charming way) tour guide keeps reminding us to pack our bikinis. Fat chance.

Arrivaderci dudes!

I Heart Da Chi

In between all of the partying, posing, and boob-grabbing I did manage to see a little bit of Chicago. What a wonderful city. The waterfront is magnificent—this is what Toronto should strive for.

The walk from the W down the Magnificent Mile to the Art Institute was fab. There is so much outdoor art and the parks and planters were lush with gorgeous plants and flowers. The Art Institute, which houses what’s considered the best Impressionist collection outside of Paris, is free Thursday evenings. There were children taking an art class in the building (I resisted the urge to photograph them). I didn’t resist the urge to buy Cakes a souvenir book from the gallery gift shop.

Sunday morning Redneck Mommy and I did an architecture river tour. It was fantastic. As we sipped lemonade the guide discussed the various types of architecture (there are so many examples in Chicago!) as well as a little bit of the city’s history. The architecture is breathtaking…






Please forgive my shitty camera. If you’re a photographer, this city’s for you.

I feel like there’s so much I missed: the theatre, the music scene, the aquarium. I’ll definitely be back with Cakes and McHotty one day. It seems to be a very family-friendly city—very walkable, and lots of attractions that would appeal to kids.

If only it weren’t so humid.

Home from the North

I love visiting up north, but my god, it feels like you’re driving to the north pole, it’s so fucking far. Cakes did really well in the car this time though. We’ve learned it’s all about the DVD player for long drives (our neighbour lent us theirs and it was magical). Cakes was pretty happy to chill out and watch Hi-5. We stopped at Weber on the way for fab cheeseburgers and fries. Cakes is so odd—she won’t eat burgers, hotdogs or fries and ketchup like a normal kid. She kept looking around for some brie or smoked salmon (that’s about all she ate all weekend—that and shreddies).

We had a super visit with my SIL and her hubbie (M & T) as well as crazymumma and her wonderful family (jen, she gave me a big hug from you). We made the most of a rainy Saturday by sleeping in, back-to-back movies for the kids, eating chips all day, and tons of cheese and wine. M & T cooked up a veritable feast for dinner--steaks, corn on the cob, portabella mushrooms with goat cheese, T’s famous caesar salad--and we even managed to top it all off with brownies (made by cm’s youngest) and ice cream. And of course, more cheese and wine. I’m afraid to get on the scale.

Did y’all have a good weekend? How’d you cope with the rain?

Holiday

Sorry I haven’t been ‘round lately, we’re just back from a wee holiday in Kingston with my lovely in-laws. It's wonderful there, except for the dial-up (I almost slit my wrists just trying to check my email). We did lots of lazing by the lake and sleeping in. I reread Wuthering Heights for one of my fall classes. McHotty played with his new iPod I surprised him with for his birthday/fathers’ day gift (thanks for all your help Jana and Niloc! He was thrilled.) Cakes had a blast with her grandparents and is now all about the ducks (bunnies are so last week). We ate and drank like kings (I think I’ve gained five pounds) and made it to the pub once. As always I took lots of photos:

Paree: Part 2

Alternate title: The Liver is Evil and Must Be Punished

Monday we slept in again, and ate several more croissants before heading to the Marais district. We visited the Picasso museum (excellent) and rested at the Places des Vosges, a lovely square. Then we walked to the Ile St.-Louis and explored the narrow streets and sweet little shops. We stopped at a café for lunch and had salade nicquoise and an espresso before walking, once more, along the Seine, looking for souvenirs. I bought some posters and we found a woman on Pont Neuf painting wonderful café scenes. She was thrilled when we bought two and we didn’t bother trying to barter. We went back to the hotel to stow our goodies and nap before heading out for dinner. We went to the 8th looking for a restaurant my sister-in-law had recommended. We couldn’t find it, but instead found a nice looking place with Michelin star (and no english on the menu). My starter was scallops on a thin toast spread with a tapenade accompanied by a salad. My main was duck prepared three ways (breast, leg, and a sausage which McH overhead the waiter tell someone was duck brain—he wisely didn’t mention it until later). The duck was delish. For dessert I had a raspberry soufflé that was disappointing. It was a lovely evening though. There were more friendly Americans on either side of us, so we chatted and took each other’s pictures. Another fun night.




Tuesday, our last day in Paris, we were up early, devoured croissants, quaffed cafes, and headed directly to the Musee d’Orsay to be among the first in line when it opened. It was a good thing too, the line quickly grew long. Once inside, I consulted a map, and we immediately headed to the 5th floor, where the Impressionists are (my favourite, especially Renoir and Morisot). It was very emotional for me. I was practically alone with all of these great works of art and I loved it. After a couple of hours I rejoined McH (I need to go at my own pace in a gallery) and we went for an espresso and started to stroll back towards our hotel. We returned to our favourite café for a final leisurely lunch. We ordered wine, and I had steak frites (again!). We took our time and just soaked it all in. After lunch, we ordered two café au lait and loitered, not wanting to leave. We soaked up the sun, the sights and sounds, the hustle and bustle, the energy. It was sublime.

The whole trip was sublime.



***

You can see the full set of pics here.

Moveable Feast

We took the Chunnel to Paris early Saturday morning. It’s so fast and easy. I’m envious of Europeans who, with the Chunnel and the cheap flights, can so easily travel Europe, even just for a weekend.

We were a little weary from our busy schedule in England so we resolved to take Paris more slowly, and we did. It’s less about seeing the sites, and more about just soaking it all in anyway, I think.

After we checked into our hotel (in the 7th, near the Eiffel tower) our first mission was to plant ourselves at a café. And there I found heaven. A café in Paris is my happy place. All the seats facing out for optimal people watching. Not a cell phone, laptop, iPod or blackberry in sight. Heaven. The cheapest thing on the menu is wine, so what’s a girl to do? We had a half-litre with our lunch.

After that, we were a little sleepy. We strolled over to the Eiffel tower. It was a glorious day and everyone was lounging around the park directly below it. We joined them and had a nap.

We spent the afternoon exploring the neighbourhood, then after a shower we took the Metro to Montparnasse, former stomping grounds of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Callahan, among other greats. I love this neighbourhood. Lively and vibrant and tons of great places to eat it seemed. We stopped for a drink at La Rotonde, a café Hemingway and Picasso used to frequent. Then we strolled around looking for a place to eat. We had resolved during our time in Paris not to eat dinner at any restaurant with an English menu. We found a small bistro on a side street that was full of Parisians. There I tasted my first steak frites in Paris. Heaven, I tell you. The meal, plus a nice bottle of red and chocolate soufflé for dessert, and I was a very happy woman indeed.

Sunday morning we allowed ourselves to sleep in (what a luxury). We started the day with the hotel’s breakfast, an awesome buffet of fresh baguette, croissants, Danish, café au lait (my god the coffee’s good in Paris) as well as a bunch of healthy food, which we ignored. Then we took the Metro to the Latin Quarter. We explored for awhile, then crossed the Seine at Notre Dame. Notre Dame is absolutely stunning. Pictures don’t do it justice. It is the thing that exceeded my expectations most on this trip, I think. Next we took a Seine cruise. It was glorious. I soaked up the sun and took in the sights. After that, we walked to the Louvre and, amazingly, there were no lines, so we went in. The Louvre was probably the most disappointing thing on the trip, but I expected that. I like the art at the D’Orsay much more. The huge museums stress me out.



After a short spell at the Louvre, we strolled through the Jardin des Tuileries, which was stunning. We stopped for the most expensive Coke (as in Cola) ever, at 7 euros each! No wonder they drink so much wine. Fortified, we promenaded up the Champs-Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe. What a spectacle. By then our feet were tired, so we took the Metro home for some sex, shower and sleep. Later we ventured out into our neighbourhood to find a restaurant. We found a small Mediterranean place nearby and had another great bottle of wine with a lamb and couscous dish that was fabulous. After dinner, we went back to the Eiffel tower to see it at night. What a spectacular sight! This is the second thing that really surpassed my expectations. The tower is very beautiful at night (we found out later that every night, for about twenty minutes, all of the lights start twinkling and it is a very gaudy sight. I’m so glad we missed that). There were still crazy lines to go up the tower (we had resolved to wait in no lines), so instead I tried to talk our way into the fancy restaurant for a nightcap. No dice. You don’t go up unless you’re buying the 100 euro entree. Instead, we went back to our favourite local café for some more wine and chatted with Americans. It was a full and splendid day.



This is getting long, so I’ll save the rest for another post. By the way, sorry for so much detail, but I’m recording this for my own sake more than yours.

To find out what Cakes thought of all this, check out Mommy Blogs Toronto.

Eager Delight

When I left off, we were on our way to Chipping Campden, Cotswolds.

Chipping Campden is a charming little town, full of centuries old, honey-coloured stone buildings with thatch roofs. The town is surrounded by lush, grassy hills, with lambs cavorting practically in folks’ backyards (I resolved never to eat lamb again, but I broke down in Paris).





We strolled around the town, but there is not much to do there, so we had tea and were ready to go. Unfortunately, the bus we’d planned to take didn’t show up (not an uncommon occurrence I learned). We had tickets for a 7:00 play in Stratford, and by the time we got back, we just had time for a quickie and a fast shower, and no time for dinner. We were tired and hungry by then and (briefly!) considered skipping the play (it was three hours) but I’m SO glad we didn’t.

The play was breathtaking. It was Chekhov's The Seagull, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. I’ve never seen or read anything by Chekhov, so I had no idea what to expect, but it blew me away. I’m no expert but the acting was some of the best I’ve ever seen. McHotty agreed, it was completely riveting and powerful.

After the show we were starving and headed for the pub. If it weren’t for the RSC, Stratford would be one lame ass town. We couldn’t find anyone serving food at 10 pm. Even the facking Pizza Hut was closed. Right about the time we were wondering where the hell the actors eat, we happened upon a bustling Indian place called the Thesbian’s Restaurant. The food was fantastic, and we loved the beer, an Indian brand called Cobra (beer goes so well with curry, doesn’t it!)

The next morning we were up very early to take our trains (yes, plural) to Bath. I was nervous about this part of the trip. We had to make two connections and the trains in England have a reputation for being late and unreliable. Well, either that’s not true or we were lucky, because we actually arrived in Bath early.

Bath is stunning. If I had it to do over I’d have given us more time there. The entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Like Chipping Campden, all of the buildings are made with the same stone (it starts white and mellows to a lovely honey colour). I ran out of batteries here so unfortunately I got few pics of Bath. But I did manage a couple at the Jane Austen museum. I was in heaven there. As I sat in the Regency tearoom, eating my Mr. Darcy tea, I was like a schoolgirl. McHotty was initially not too enthused about the whole tea thing, but he loved it. I never knew scones were so yummy. I’d only ever had them in Canada and I thought they were dry and gross. The museum itself isn’t the greatest-I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know. But the shop is wonderful, especially the books. I bought a beautifully illustrated companion to Pride and Prejudice for Cakes (speaking of which, did I mention I also bought her a pop-up book from the Globe Theatre) as well as a couple of books about Austen for me. I could have gone on, but I exercised some restraint.






Next we visited the Roman Baths, which were pretty spectacular. The water was so warm, I wanted to jump right in. We took a double-decker bus tour around the city and admired the architecture and gardens (Bath wins awards for its gardens). Of course, we finished the day with a pint and some people watching. What a fab place.

Coming next: Paris!

Final English Pub tally: 25

So Tired

* Update: Pics being added to posts below.

Sorry for disappearing on you. The rest of the trip was wonderful and I'll tell you all about it in a day or two when I know my own name.

Yesterday, McH and I boarded our plane at 6 PM (Paris time) to return home and commented how fantastic our vacation luck was this time. Usually it's very bad. For instance, we got food poisoning on our honeymoon. This trip was perfection. Until we tried to go home.

We started heading towards the runway then we stopped and the captain came on. Bad sign. Engine trouble. After sitting on the plane for an hour, they took us back to the terminal. This is Charles de Gaulle terminal 3, which is practically a barn (there is nothing there - one cafe, that's it). They had given us vouchers for a sandwich but we discovered the cafe folks would give us beer for them. We got a table with this fun couple who had just backpacked around Thailand, Amsterdam, Greece, London and Paris for three months. We made the best of a bad situation and seven hours later, we were back on the plane.

Six more hours later (still no sleep, despite beer buzz and free wine they plied us with in apology) we arrive for our stop in Montreal at 2 AM (9 AM Paris time) to learn we're not allowed to continue on to Toronto. Fuck. Me. So they decide to send us to a hotel. This was such a joke. It started out somewhat organized. There was a queue, until somebody spotted the first shuttle. Then, free for all. My Amazing Race viewing paid off. "Stay with me!" I shout to McH. I dash out a side door and sprint for the shuttle. We make the first one. Upon arrival at the hotel I sprint to the desk for check-in. Finally, by 4:30 Montreal time (11:30 AM Paris time) we hit the sheets. We had to be back at the airport by 11:00 today and finally made it home to Toronto at 3:30. I don't know what the fuck day it is anymore.

The good news is Cakes is wonderful. She squealed in delight when she saw us. She had a super time with her grandparents. I'll write more when I can see straight.

To Blog Or Not To Blog

No question.

We're in Stratford and I have half an hour before I meet McH to catch a bus for Chipping Campden, a small village in the Cotswolds. We're going to have lunch there, and walk arm and arm through the country, like Jane and Cassandra would have done.

Stratford is charming, though rather touristy. Our timing is perfect though, there aren't many tourists here yet. Last night we took a twilight river tour on a barge and we were the only ones. This morning I was all about the Bard. I visited Anne Hathaway's house--it was lovely. I learned where the expression, "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" comes from. Back then, they bathed once a year. Father would go first, and all the scum and lice would float to the top. Then mother, then the children (many) with the baby going last. The water would be so filthy by then, you could barely see the babe. Cakes, you have it good.





I also visited Shakespeare's birthplace and the museum. It was a little under-whelming. Last night we visited his grave, at Holy Trinity church.

We had another killer meal last night. We found a lovely restuarant with fresh fish--I had a platter with seabass, dorade, and trout. We had a wonderful Portuguese wine (Quinta Da Muta 2006) with it. We're finding the house wines are cheap and fabulous here.

Our bus ride from London to Stratford was very scenic. There was a traffic jam on the main highway, so we took a meandering route that was lovely. The fields are so lushly green, and there are whole fields filled with yellow flowers (rapeseed or canola).





Tonight we see a Royal Shakespeare Company play (The Seagull--they're doing Lear this summer but not right now). Spamalot was a blast. The musical numbers were fab and all my favourite bits were there--the killer bunny, the black knight, the french guards.

That reminds me--just before we left, Cakes said her first sentence (in front of her grandparents too). It was--wait for it--"I fart". Now, I just need to train her to say, "I fart in your general direction."

Pub tally: 23

Feeling Like a Million Pounds

We have a little downtime before the show starts, so I'll give another quick update--this might be my last chance for a couple days, since we're off to the country.

We had another great day. We started out walking in The City. Then, we went back to the Operating Theatre (I'm fascinated with this place) and went inside this time. It was pretty freaky, especially the obstetrics exhibit. I took some pics of the scary tools, as well as a two-foot long tapeworm.





Next, we strolled along the Thames to the Tate Modern, stopping for a pint on the way. The Tate is a very cool building, and the Turbine Hall is something to see. Unfotunately they were dismantling the exhibit of giant slides (you used to be able to slide down them). We saw some more great art--I was really taken with the sculpture of Louise Bourgeois as well as a short film by Steve McQueen called Drumroll(1998). He attached three cameras to an oil drum and rolled it through the streets of Manhattan. Very cool.



Next, we walked to Trafalgar Square where we lounged and people-watched for a while. I love it there.

We're eating like kings. Last night we had an excellent meal at a gastro pub in Hamstead. Christine made us a huge bacon and eggs breakfast this morning, and tonight we had superb dim sum in Chinatown.



In about ten minutes, McH will be back and we have just enough time for a pre-show cocktail. It's great, we're walking so much I don't need to mind the calories. (I'm really picking up the language here. I no longer watch my weight, I mind it. I'm not wearing sneakers, but trainers. Fries are chips, and chips are crisps. I don't go for a beer, but rather a pint (the odd time just a half). Speaking of which...

Pub tally: 21