Okay – so I realize I rarely blog anymore – so many networks – so little time….but let’s see – I can update on a few things!
Phase one of the kitchen reno is done! The wall is down – the soffet is up and the cat doesn’t know what is going on. Phase two will begin in the next month or so (the good stuff – cabinets, counters, etc.) We purchased all of our appliances – they’re coming soon! So hopefully by the end of July the new kitchen will be complete!
My friend Shannon was married on May 2nd and I was one of her bridesmaids – it was a lovely day and the wedding went off without a hitch – except for the fact that my dear husband was so sick with the flu that he couldn’t attend. He did come for the ceremony – but he felt so awful that he had to go home immediately after. My parents were there too though, and we danced and drank and had a good time.
Speaking of weddings – our first anniversary is this weekend! What an amazing year it has been. Our wedding combined with a lot of traveling – it was the best! Looking back at all the places we got to visit this past year – I have to often pinch myself. The French Riviera, Florence and Tuscany, Venice, Rome, Cuba, Mexico, and Arizona too! All of that in one year! Thank god for generous wedding gifts and Aeroplan points!
To top of the year, we are headed to New York City in a few weeks to celebrate our amazing first year of marriage! Love you so much my beautiful husband! Here’s to us! xo
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Oh right.....my blog!
A good friend of mine said that she missed reading my blog, and thought "oh right! my blog!". As mentioned before, it's hard to keep up with all the new networking programs that are out there! But here I am!
My life lately has been full of big events. Some happy - some sad - some painful.
Let's start with the good stuff, shall we? I'm not sure if i posted about this already (and don't have time to look right now) but on March 11, my dear daddy turned 70 years old and we had a big party for him with just his family. It was a wonderful day - I sang him a song that I wrote for him - all of his family were here - and he looks great and nobody can believe he's 70 - he's a real looker if you ask me! and I'm sure everyone who knows my dad would agree! It was also my brother Rich's b-day this past friday - hope you had a great one bro- i tried to arrange a lunch for you - but you never got back to me - you mangey varmant! ;)
The other good stuff involves my dear friend Shannon, who got married this weekend! I was her bridesmaid (and she was one of mine), and it was a wonderful wedding full of happy times, lots of laughs, some tears (of joy) and i'm pretty sure it was the best day of her life! as it should be. She is now with her hubby (Toby) in Greece on their honeymoon, probably lying on a beach on an island eating feta cheese. that bitch. ha! i kid. i wish them all the happiness in the world.
My life in general is pretty wonderful and I never take one day for granted. Especially because another dear friend of mine just lost her father due to complications stemming from a surgery he went through. While recovering from surgery, he suffered a massive stroke; upon recovery from the stroke he caught pneumonia; the pneumonia led to heart failure. He was just too weak to fight. I went to the funeral on Monday and shed more tears (not of joy this time). Life is really crazy sometimes.
On top of all these things - about 3 weeks ago I strained all the muscles in my neck. I literally could not move my head for about 3 days, and was off work for a couple of days too. I now have movement back, but have been going to physiotherapy for treatments. My muscles and joints are really out of whack. I'm a lot more conscious of my posture now (never thought it was that bad) but I guess over the years things have built up and sitting at a computer for work doesn't help it much either. I will be undergoing an ergonomic assessment next week and I hope that gives me some relief. I'm sick of it hurting.
Let's throw in a sick husband over the past week - I seriously thought he had caught the H1N1 virus (aka swine flu). Too sick to even come to the wedding - was bed-ridden for 5 days - fever of 103 - and FINALLY (after my nagging maybe?) he went to a clinic but they told him it wasn't swine - just a really bad flu and they sent him home. I luckily (knock on wood) did not catch it from him and he is now on the mend and back to work.
Next week our sub-contractor comes to start on our kitchen reno - this is just phase one - but we've had to prepare for that by emptying all our cupboards and finding other spaces for things to go - not an easy task when I have a neck issue and Rich is still pretty weak. but we got thru it.
This weekend we are off to see our mothers to celebrate mother's day with them. looking forward to that and to spending time with my mommy!
That's all for now. I have lots of pictures posted on Facebook if you care to take a gander. Oh, and Sam - thanks for the reminder that I have a blog! hahah....it feels good to write on here again. Later Peeps!
My life lately has been full of big events. Some happy - some sad - some painful.
Let's start with the good stuff, shall we? I'm not sure if i posted about this already (and don't have time to look right now) but on March 11, my dear daddy turned 70 years old and we had a big party for him with just his family. It was a wonderful day - I sang him a song that I wrote for him - all of his family were here - and he looks great and nobody can believe he's 70 - he's a real looker if you ask me! and I'm sure everyone who knows my dad would agree! It was also my brother Rich's b-day this past friday - hope you had a great one bro- i tried to arrange a lunch for you - but you never got back to me - you mangey varmant! ;)
The other good stuff involves my dear friend Shannon, who got married this weekend! I was her bridesmaid (and she was one of mine), and it was a wonderful wedding full of happy times, lots of laughs, some tears (of joy) and i'm pretty sure it was the best day of her life! as it should be. She is now with her hubby (Toby) in Greece on their honeymoon, probably lying on a beach on an island eating feta cheese. that bitch. ha! i kid. i wish them all the happiness in the world.
My life in general is pretty wonderful and I never take one day for granted. Especially because another dear friend of mine just lost her father due to complications stemming from a surgery he went through. While recovering from surgery, he suffered a massive stroke; upon recovery from the stroke he caught pneumonia; the pneumonia led to heart failure. He was just too weak to fight. I went to the funeral on Monday and shed more tears (not of joy this time). Life is really crazy sometimes.
On top of all these things - about 3 weeks ago I strained all the muscles in my neck. I literally could not move my head for about 3 days, and was off work for a couple of days too. I now have movement back, but have been going to physiotherapy for treatments. My muscles and joints are really out of whack. I'm a lot more conscious of my posture now (never thought it was that bad) but I guess over the years things have built up and sitting at a computer for work doesn't help it much either. I will be undergoing an ergonomic assessment next week and I hope that gives me some relief. I'm sick of it hurting.
Let's throw in a sick husband over the past week - I seriously thought he had caught the H1N1 virus (aka swine flu). Too sick to even come to the wedding - was bed-ridden for 5 days - fever of 103 - and FINALLY (after my nagging maybe?) he went to a clinic but they told him it wasn't swine - just a really bad flu and they sent him home. I luckily (knock on wood) did not catch it from him and he is now on the mend and back to work.
Next week our sub-contractor comes to start on our kitchen reno - this is just phase one - but we've had to prepare for that by emptying all our cupboards and finding other spaces for things to go - not an easy task when I have a neck issue and Rich is still pretty weak. but we got thru it.
This weekend we are off to see our mothers to celebrate mother's day with them. looking forward to that and to spending time with my mommy!
That's all for now. I have lots of pictures posted on Facebook if you care to take a gander. Oh, and Sam - thanks for the reminder that I have a blog! hahah....it feels good to write on here again. Later Peeps!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Getting Closer
Our kitchen reno is starting to feel like it's really going to happen now! It's getting very exciting (and a little scary) - who knew things can add up so quickly! Darn us for having expensive taste. But....we have the floor plan - we have our materials picked out - we have our wall coming down - we have our estimate - now....we just need the money. Ha. (hello line of credit!)
It probably won't get underway until sometime this summer, but our guy (Bob the Builder) promises we're next in line and we have full trust and faith in him that he'll do an amazing job. In fact - we're going to have him do a new bathroom downstairs for us too. But that will come later. And that will be my favourite room...luxury soaker tub - glass stand up shower with bench seat - my own vanity - maybe even a sauna! (gasp!) can't wait.
For now though, we are focused on the kitchen. I've taken some "before" shots and once it's all finished you can bet I'll post them with the "after".
It probably won't get underway until sometime this summer, but our guy (Bob the Builder) promises we're next in line and we have full trust and faith in him that he'll do an amazing job. In fact - we're going to have him do a new bathroom downstairs for us too. But that will come later. And that will be my favourite room...luxury soaker tub - glass stand up shower with bench seat - my own vanity - maybe even a sauna! (gasp!) can't wait.
For now though, we are focused on the kitchen. I've taken some "before" shots and once it's all finished you can bet I'll post them with the "after".
Saturday, April 04, 2009
so many walls - so little time
oh my - with facebook being such a huge network for info sharing - i find myself forgetting about my blog site. hence the huge gap in posting! life has been great - house renos are coming along - our new wall unit is built - the new tv has been purchased - the new king bed is absolutely lovely - and our kitchen reno is mapped out and we await the quote! we had two wonderful weeks away - one in Mazatlan, Mexico with the mudda - and one in Sun City, Arizona with the fadda. (my in-laws) amazing time - gorgeous weather - golf was the best i've ever seen and scrumptious food and great company - a fab time. next trip - NYC in July. can't wait! here's a couple of pics from the goings on in my world.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Mexico, Phoenix, and Me!
Just a quick note to say Adios
Heading to Mexico to eat Burritos
Walks on the beach – fun in the sun
A few margaritas before the day’s done
Then off to Phoenix before we come home
Some golf, some shopping, some desserts to roam
And hopefully we’ll come back to the Spring!!
Oh, wouldn’t’ that be a wonderful thing?
Catch ya on the Flip Side Peeps
(P.S. – Happy Birthday to Me). Whoo Hoo!
Heading to Mexico to eat Burritos
Walks on the beach – fun in the sun
A few margaritas before the day’s done
Then off to Phoenix before we come home
Some golf, some shopping, some desserts to roam
And hopefully we’ll come back to the Spring!!
Oh, wouldn’t’ that be a wonderful thing?
Catch ya on the Flip Side Peeps
(P.S. – Happy Birthday to Me). Whoo Hoo!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Family Day Weekend!
Gosh – it’s been awhile. This past weekend was a great one. My parents had been away in Florida for about 3 or 4 weeks, and I hadn’t seen them since Boxing Day actually – so Rich and I decided we would go spend the weekend with them at my brother’s cottage. Since Saturday was Valentine’s Day, we started our morning with breakfast out, on our way up to the cottage. It was a nice bright sunny day.
We arrived at the cottage and saw my parents and we relaxed and talked and got caught up on their trip. They were driving so basically started in Deston, Florida (up on the panhandle) and made their way all the way south to the Keys! Lots of great video footage and pictures along the way and they had a really good time. I miss them a lot when I don’t see them for awhile.
The afternoon was a lazy one of reading and playing guitar and indulging in the big hot-tub on the deck! My brother and his wife came by too, and we all went out for a Valentine’s Dinner together at a restaurant not too far from the cottage. The wait was long, but the laughs were abundant, and the bottle of free wine (for our wait) helped too! I had a really great time and haven’t laughed like that in awhile. My brother is so funny, and my dad had us in stitches at one point talking about monkeys flying around in their kitchen…(long story….)
On the Sunday, it was my mom’s birthday! So we had breakfast together, and then relaxed some more before Rich and I headed home. My parents joined us for lunch though, before we departed, and off we went back to our home. Monday was “Family Day” – a new stat holiday – and so we enjoyed our day off just lounging around the house – watching a few movies – and enjoying our time together.
It felt really good to be with my family. I wished that my other brother and his family could have joined us on the Saturday, but they weren’t able to. They ended up visiting my parents on the Monday instead. So – we really did make the most of our Family Day weekend!
OH – and on another note - Today is also a Very Special Day! It’s my beautiful husband’s birthday! Thank you Robin & Bernadette for bringing Rich into the world!! It might be his birthday – but he is the BEST gift you could have given to me! Love you honey….hope you have a terrific day!! (does this mean I have to pay for dinner tonight?) ;) xo
We arrived at the cottage and saw my parents and we relaxed and talked and got caught up on their trip. They were driving so basically started in Deston, Florida (up on the panhandle) and made their way all the way south to the Keys! Lots of great video footage and pictures along the way and they had a really good time. I miss them a lot when I don’t see them for awhile.
The afternoon was a lazy one of reading and playing guitar and indulging in the big hot-tub on the deck! My brother and his wife came by too, and we all went out for a Valentine’s Dinner together at a restaurant not too far from the cottage. The wait was long, but the laughs were abundant, and the bottle of free wine (for our wait) helped too! I had a really great time and haven’t laughed like that in awhile. My brother is so funny, and my dad had us in stitches at one point talking about monkeys flying around in their kitchen…(long story….)
On the Sunday, it was my mom’s birthday! So we had breakfast together, and then relaxed some more before Rich and I headed home. My parents joined us for lunch though, before we departed, and off we went back to our home. Monday was “Family Day” – a new stat holiday – and so we enjoyed our day off just lounging around the house – watching a few movies – and enjoying our time together.
It felt really good to be with my family. I wished that my other brother and his family could have joined us on the Saturday, but they weren’t able to. They ended up visiting my parents on the Monday instead. So – we really did make the most of our Family Day weekend!
OH – and on another note - Today is also a Very Special Day! It’s my beautiful husband’s birthday! Thank you Robin & Bernadette for bringing Rich into the world!! It might be his birthday – but he is the BEST gift you could have given to me! Love you honey….hope you have a terrific day!! (does this mean I have to pay for dinner tonight?) ;) xo
Saturday, January 24, 2009
My Booty!
So now that it's a new year and i'm back from vacation and back to "normal" life ... i got back on track with my workouts and eating plan and am feeling much better! I always find it harder in the winter months to workout when I get home from work (or before work in the early morning) simply because of the darkness and my self-diagnosed S.A.D.
But I've been doing it and it's working...slowly but surely. I've lost about 15 lbs since my wedding and now my grand total (of what I know to be my highest weight) is 35 lbs! I am proud of myself but don't want to lose focus on my end goal just because things are starting to fit better now. I still have a ways to go.
One of my favourite workouts is my Turbo Jam DVD! Its a mix of cardio and kick-boxing and strengthening moves -- low impact but high intensity. I love it! But I also get bored easily so my friend gave me an extra workout dvd she had called Booty Camp Workout. Basically an army-like workout program focusing on muscle toning and strength -- think push ups, sit ups, lunges, dips, squats, etc. It's Great!
But OH My Booty!! it hurts! it's amazing how just switching up your routine every now and then recharges your body and gets to those underlying muscles you forgot you had! So now I use the turbo jam for cardio and the booty camp for muscle toning and it's a great combination.
I also just finished a two-day juice cleanse. 4 oz of juice (a special blend of juices and vitamins) mixed with 4 oz of H20 and you drink that 4 times a day. For 2 days. It was TOUGH!! It made me really realize what true hunger signals are. But I did it 100% without cheating and my body felt really good afterwards. It gave my body and liver a break for a couple of days. An added bonus was i also dropped 5 lbs in two days (probably mostly water -- but its stayed off so far). I wasn't doing for weight loss though - I was doing it to detox -- so now I am fresh and ready to start 2009 with a clean slate and a clean plate! (As soon as my booty stops hurting....lol..)
But I've been doing it and it's working...slowly but surely. I've lost about 15 lbs since my wedding and now my grand total (of what I know to be my highest weight) is 35 lbs! I am proud of myself but don't want to lose focus on my end goal just because things are starting to fit better now. I still have a ways to go.
One of my favourite workouts is my Turbo Jam DVD! Its a mix of cardio and kick-boxing and strengthening moves -- low impact but high intensity. I love it! But I also get bored easily so my friend gave me an extra workout dvd she had called Booty Camp Workout. Basically an army-like workout program focusing on muscle toning and strength -- think push ups, sit ups, lunges, dips, squats, etc. It's Great!
But OH My Booty!! it hurts! it's amazing how just switching up your routine every now and then recharges your body and gets to those underlying muscles you forgot you had! So now I use the turbo jam for cardio and the booty camp for muscle toning and it's a great combination.
I also just finished a two-day juice cleanse. 4 oz of juice (a special blend of juices and vitamins) mixed with 4 oz of H20 and you drink that 4 times a day. For 2 days. It was TOUGH!! It made me really realize what true hunger signals are. But I did it 100% without cheating and my body felt really good afterwards. It gave my body and liver a break for a couple of days. An added bonus was i also dropped 5 lbs in two days (probably mostly water -- but its stayed off so far). I wasn't doing for weight loss though - I was doing it to detox -- so now I am fresh and ready to start 2009 with a clean slate and a clean plate! (As soon as my booty stops hurting....lol..)
Friday, January 09, 2009
Ahhh..what a great week!
Cuba was wonderful! The hotel was great - beautiful beach - ocean view room with balcony - nothing but sun sun sun for 7 straight days. Granted - the food was a tad bland - but they try and it's Cuba and it's all inclusive and we made out just fine!
The hotel had lots to do - besides the gorgeous stretch of white sand beach - over 26 kms stretching from our hotel to the northeast....there was also a great pool, hobie cats, kayaks, pedal boats, basketball courts, soccer field, ping pong and pool tables.
There were at least 5 different bars throughout the hotel - a buffet restaurant - 2 a la cartes - a beach grill and another grill closer to the pool - 24 hour food and drinks. we did a lot of early morning walks along the beach and it was so peaceful.
While we love cuba and had a great vacation - we want to explore some other islands. this was my 6th trip to cuba and rich's 2nd. Next island getaway will hopefully be Barbados. May have to wait for 2010 for that one though!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thanks 2008 - You Were Great!
Well - another festive season has come and gone full of visits with family and hustle and bustle of Christmas, and food and drinks and presents (and cold and wind and shovelling snow and rain storms and fog too!) It was a great time!
And last night I had a lovely dinner with my bestie Shan and we relaxed and talked and laughed and ate and drank....it was terrific! 2008 has been the most monumental year of my life! I married my one true love and shared so many fun times with family and friends, and have been gifted with a new little niece too! I have to say 2008 was definitely my year!
But the way it's looking, 2009 is going to give it some tough competition! We got our new sofa and a gorgeous ottoman to go with it (on which I saved $300!!) and bookshelves are being built as we speak. We should be getting a new TV in January and the "Den" (as we now call it) will finally be finished! It's going to be a great space and we can't wait to use it. Our new kitchen will get started after that! And I get to stand beside my best friend while she marries her one true love as well! I'm so excited and happy for her!
We've booked a trip to Mexico and to Phoenix! We are going back to New York City for our first anniversary and of course we have to fit in our annual camping trip to at Killbear Prov. Park - and then off to Calgary for Christmas '09 to spend with Robin & Claire and Claire's family!
To top it off, in a couple of days the hubby and I are hopping on a plane and heading for the sunny south! Cuba here we come! We got a great deal on an all-inclusive beachfront resort in Varadero and we can't wait to get there!! Lookout Beach - Here I Come!!
I hope all of you had a very happy holiday and I wish all the best to you and your family in 2009. I will post more when I'm back! Ola!!
And last night I had a lovely dinner with my bestie Shan and we relaxed and talked and laughed and ate and drank....it was terrific! 2008 has been the most monumental year of my life! I married my one true love and shared so many fun times with family and friends, and have been gifted with a new little niece too! I have to say 2008 was definitely my year!
But the way it's looking, 2009 is going to give it some tough competition! We got our new sofa and a gorgeous ottoman to go with it (on which I saved $300!!) and bookshelves are being built as we speak. We should be getting a new TV in January and the "Den" (as we now call it) will finally be finished! It's going to be a great space and we can't wait to use it. Our new kitchen will get started after that! And I get to stand beside my best friend while she marries her one true love as well! I'm so excited and happy for her!
We've booked a trip to Mexico and to Phoenix! We are going back to New York City for our first anniversary and of course we have to fit in our annual camping trip to at Killbear Prov. Park - and then off to Calgary for Christmas '09 to spend with Robin & Claire and Claire's family!
To top it off, in a couple of days the hubby and I are hopping on a plane and heading for the sunny south! Cuba here we come! We got a great deal on an all-inclusive beachfront resort in Varadero and we can't wait to get there!! Lookout Beach - Here I Come!!
I hope all of you had a very happy holiday and I wish all the best to you and your family in 2009. I will post more when I'm back! Ola!!
Monday, December 15, 2008
It Happened...It really happened!
So guess what!? We finally received some great customer service!! I had little expectations when we bought our new sofa (remember the wrong address for delivery...??) - but 'lo and behold...they called when they said they would!! They delivered it when they said they would!! They set it up and took away the mess, just like they said they would!! And we even received a phone call about setting up an appt. to have the suede treated with a special protection!! I can't believe it finally happened! We had good service!! Needless to say, we will be taking our business back to them!
On another note.....I've come to realize that there are some people in this world who really don't appreciate anything that is important. They're constant complainers - have a sour look on their faces day in and day out - are impatient, spoiled, arrogant, lazy and think the world should revolve around them. To them I say.......Get A Life! You make it very hard for others around you to have a good day when you're constantly being a big old poopy pants! Give it a rest already and let the sunshine in for a change. (I'm not speaking about any of my relatives or friends by the way...so those of you reading this...you're all safe!) ;)
On another note.....I've come to realize that there are some people in this world who really don't appreciate anything that is important. They're constant complainers - have a sour look on their faces day in and day out - are impatient, spoiled, arrogant, lazy and think the world should revolve around them. To them I say.......Get A Life! You make it very hard for others around you to have a good day when you're constantly being a big old poopy pants! Give it a rest already and let the sunshine in for a change. (I'm not speaking about any of my relatives or friends by the way...so those of you reading this...you're all safe!) ;)
Saturday, December 06, 2008
It Doesn't End...
okay - i admit - last time i wrote about poor customer service i was a little heated. but now i feel i am totally justified. i have still yet to receive a call back from the tour operator from whom we booked our trip. that's right - it's two weeks later and nobody has attempted to contact me.
We managed to change our hotel - and it was only today that i finally got confirmation that it was done and at the right place. but OMG - it took me chasing down anyone who would answer their phone in the call centre (not even the proper call center!) to finally give me the confirmation i needed. (long story short - we switched hotels for our trip to cuba and the new invoice had the wrong hotel name - not a 'little' thing in my book) so i only wanted confirmation that the hotel we wanted was in fact the one we're staying at -- and supposedly it is! so that's good news.
And yesterday, Rich took the day off work for Rogers to come and hook up the new cable phone line that they're doing now - and guess what - no-one showed! nice eh? they "were very sorry for the mix up" and they sent someone out today, who upon arrival at our house told us he had to go because he didn't have the proper equipment and he'd be back in an hour. no problem - we love waiting around twiddling our thumbs on a saturday. what could be better? it just doesn't seem to end.
Today we bought a new sectional sofa for the room we're re-doing downstairs. We really like it and were happy with our purchase. it's being delivered on sunday. but not to us. After getting home and looking at the invoice - they wrote our address down wrong. aiy aiy aiy...(we corrected it) but c'mon people....how hard is it to provide good (i'm not even expecting great anymore) but just "good" service? is it really so hard? apparently it seems that way.
I'm waiting for the next trip to Mcdonalds. With my luck these days, they won't even bother to ask me if i want fries with that.
We managed to change our hotel - and it was only today that i finally got confirmation that it was done and at the right place. but OMG - it took me chasing down anyone who would answer their phone in the call centre (not even the proper call center!) to finally give me the confirmation i needed. (long story short - we switched hotels for our trip to cuba and the new invoice had the wrong hotel name - not a 'little' thing in my book) so i only wanted confirmation that the hotel we wanted was in fact the one we're staying at -- and supposedly it is! so that's good news.
And yesterday, Rich took the day off work for Rogers to come and hook up the new cable phone line that they're doing now - and guess what - no-one showed! nice eh? they "were very sorry for the mix up" and they sent someone out today, who upon arrival at our house told us he had to go because he didn't have the proper equipment and he'd be back in an hour. no problem - we love waiting around twiddling our thumbs on a saturday. what could be better? it just doesn't seem to end.
Today we bought a new sectional sofa for the room we're re-doing downstairs. We really like it and were happy with our purchase. it's being delivered on sunday. but not to us. After getting home and looking at the invoice - they wrote our address down wrong. aiy aiy aiy...(we corrected it) but c'mon people....how hard is it to provide good (i'm not even expecting great anymore) but just "good" service? is it really so hard? apparently it seems that way.
I'm waiting for the next trip to Mcdonalds. With my luck these days, they won't even bother to ask me if i want fries with that.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
FRUSTRATED!!
Does anyone in the customer service industry ever help you out anymore? I would have to go with NO! It's Press 1 for this - press 2 for that - then you finally arrive at the place which you hope is the right one and "all the customer service representatives are busy at the moment" - and with my current experience - I'm not even allowed to hold. Instead, I am asked to leave a message and "they will get back to me as soon as possible"!
Well - it's been 4 days!! They need to re-think their soon-as-possible position! Grrrrrrrrrrr.
We booked a trip to Cuba for January - we want to change our hotel - so I emailed the "modifications" people and, granted, they did write back - 4 days later! And with an open-ended question instead of just giving me the information I'd asked for in the first place.
ME: Hello...blah blah blah...can you please tell me how much it is to change to XX hotel including any service change fees, taxes, etc.
THEM: we have two types of rooms - Canal View and Ocean View - which one?
Why for the love of god could they not write back saying "ocean view will cost you XX dollars and canal view will cost you XX dollars - which one would you prefer?"
Because that would be too easy that's why!!! So now I have to wait another 4 days for them to answer my next question....which of course was "how much is canal view and how much is ocean view?"
Normally a few days turn around time wouldn't bother me. But because we're changing our hotel, we have to pay a service "change" fee, and the closer the "change" date is to your departure date - the more expensive that fee is. So already I'm 4 days more expensive than I have to be. Which I realize now is all part of their devious plan to get more money out of us. (cue scary music.....) Thank goodness our trip wasn't next week or we'd be S.O.L.
Also the other day, a customer service rep from the photo company we ordered a wedding print from practically ripped my head off for calling them, when (unbeknownst to me) our print had already been mailed and why was I bothering them? Alrighty then......
Oh, and don't let me forget about last week when my husband had to call the wireless router customer service people (i'm sure that's not their technical name) because his laptop wouldn't connect to the internet. Know what they told him? "We can only help you for one year...after that you're on your own. Your one year expired yesterday. Sorry and good luck."
Customer Service Sucks These Days!!
Well - it's been 4 days!! They need to re-think their soon-as-possible position! Grrrrrrrrrrr.
We booked a trip to Cuba for January - we want to change our hotel - so I emailed the "modifications" people and, granted, they did write back - 4 days later! And with an open-ended question instead of just giving me the information I'd asked for in the first place.
ME: Hello...blah blah blah...can you please tell me how much it is to change to XX hotel including any service change fees, taxes, etc.
THEM: we have two types of rooms - Canal View and Ocean View - which one?
Why for the love of god could they not write back saying "ocean view will cost you XX dollars and canal view will cost you XX dollars - which one would you prefer?"
Because that would be too easy that's why!!! So now I have to wait another 4 days for them to answer my next question....which of course was "how much is canal view and how much is ocean view?"
Normally a few days turn around time wouldn't bother me. But because we're changing our hotel, we have to pay a service "change" fee, and the closer the "change" date is to your departure date - the more expensive that fee is. So already I'm 4 days more expensive than I have to be. Which I realize now is all part of their devious plan to get more money out of us. (cue scary music.....) Thank goodness our trip wasn't next week or we'd be S.O.L.
Also the other day, a customer service rep from the photo company we ordered a wedding print from practically ripped my head off for calling them, when (unbeknownst to me) our print had already been mailed and why was I bothering them? Alrighty then......
Oh, and don't let me forget about last week when my husband had to call the wireless router customer service people (i'm sure that's not their technical name) because his laptop wouldn't connect to the internet. Know what they told him? "We can only help you for one year...after that you're on your own. Your one year expired yesterday. Sorry and good luck."
Customer Service Sucks These Days!!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Visit with the In-Laws & Girls Day Out!
This weekend was a nice one. Rich’s dad and step-mom are in visiting from Calgary, and they’ve been staying at Rich’s sister’s place to spend time with their new granddaughter! On Friday night they came to our place to cook us dinner and spend the night. And a wonderful dinner it was! Claire made a delicious salad with slivered almonds and baked pears (it was SO good!) and the main course was coconut curry chicken with rice and green beans. (She made me a separate batch with coconut curry Tofu!) It was really really good, and spending time with them was even better. We relaxed after dinner with a bottle of wine we brought home from Florence (which they were very happy about!) and talked a great deal. We will see them again tomorrow night for dinner and then they head back to Calgary on Thursday.
And yesterday was also a very special day. After breakfast, I drove to pick up my nieces - Kendra (who’s 8) and Harper (who’s 5), for a special girls day out! Upon pulling up to their house, I could see them waiting in the window waving at me and jumping up and down as I got out of the car. I didn’t realize they were so excited to spend the day with me – but they sure were! I chatted with my brother and sister-in-law for a bit, got the list of ‘emergency contact numbers’ – (oh ye of little faith) and off we went for our fun afternoon!
I have to admit – this is the first time I’ve had both of my nieces with me, without anyone else. It was just the three of us. I was a little nervous – they are excellent kids, but they have a lot of energy and I guess my worst fear was if one of them got out of my sight or took off on me or something like that. It made me a little nervous driving with them in the car too – they are precious cargo don’t you know!
But that fear went away as soon as we arrived at the mall and hopped out of the car and they each grabbed one of my hands and said that they wanted to hold onto me all afternoon! So that eased my mind. Of course…it was only a matter of minutes before I heard “can you hold my coat Auntie Leece?” I knew my hands would be full, so I wanted to get a large bag to hold the coats – and what better way to get a bag than to shop for stuff!
I told them they could go to whatever stores they wanted – they could each pick a clothing item, a jewellery item and a make-up item. So “Claires” and “Ardenes” were our first stop. Let’s just say that Auntie Leece bought them each a little more than the initial deal. Headbands, bracelets, rings, P.J.s, t-shirts, dresses; they pretty much got whatever they wanted! But they are such good girls and they continuously thanked me. I feel extremely lucky to have such wonderful nieces.
We started to get a little tired – (okay – I started to get tired), so after a couple hours of shopping, off we went for lunch. I thought we’d go to a nice sit-down restaurant, relax, have some girl talk, but they both wanted McDonald’s – so McDonald’s it was! Harper got her chicken nugget happy meal, and Kendra was lovin’ her quarter pounder and I settled for a garden salad (pretty much my only choice there) but it was fun and we still had a nice relaxing lunch. After that it was back to a couple more stores – a stop for some Kernels popcorn, and after 4 hours of shopping - we made our way home!
I think what I loved most about this day was how happy it made the girls. And I really believe that it wasn’t because of the “stuff” I bought them – but that they enjoyed being with me. They would kiss my hands while we walked – they would tell me they loved me – they would say thank you each time I bought them something and they really seemed to appreciate it all. After dropping them off and heading home, I had a sense of fulfillment and realized just how important this day was for me, as well as for them. I feel extremely lucky to be their Auntie!
And yesterday was also a very special day. After breakfast, I drove to pick up my nieces - Kendra (who’s 8) and Harper (who’s 5), for a special girls day out! Upon pulling up to their house, I could see them waiting in the window waving at me and jumping up and down as I got out of the car. I didn’t realize they were so excited to spend the day with me – but they sure were! I chatted with my brother and sister-in-law for a bit, got the list of ‘emergency contact numbers’ – (oh ye of little faith) and off we went for our fun afternoon!
I have to admit – this is the first time I’ve had both of my nieces with me, without anyone else. It was just the three of us. I was a little nervous – they are excellent kids, but they have a lot of energy and I guess my worst fear was if one of them got out of my sight or took off on me or something like that. It made me a little nervous driving with them in the car too – they are precious cargo don’t you know!
But that fear went away as soon as we arrived at the mall and hopped out of the car and they each grabbed one of my hands and said that they wanted to hold onto me all afternoon! So that eased my mind. Of course…it was only a matter of minutes before I heard “can you hold my coat Auntie Leece?” I knew my hands would be full, so I wanted to get a large bag to hold the coats – and what better way to get a bag than to shop for stuff!
I told them they could go to whatever stores they wanted – they could each pick a clothing item, a jewellery item and a make-up item. So “Claires” and “Ardenes” were our first stop. Let’s just say that Auntie Leece bought them each a little more than the initial deal. Headbands, bracelets, rings, P.J.s, t-shirts, dresses; they pretty much got whatever they wanted! But they are such good girls and they continuously thanked me. I feel extremely lucky to have such wonderful nieces.
We started to get a little tired – (okay – I started to get tired), so after a couple hours of shopping, off we went for lunch. I thought we’d go to a nice sit-down restaurant, relax, have some girl talk, but they both wanted McDonald’s – so McDonald’s it was! Harper got her chicken nugget happy meal, and Kendra was lovin’ her quarter pounder and I settled for a garden salad (pretty much my only choice there) but it was fun and we still had a nice relaxing lunch. After that it was back to a couple more stores – a stop for some Kernels popcorn, and after 4 hours of shopping - we made our way home!
I think what I loved most about this day was how happy it made the girls. And I really believe that it wasn’t because of the “stuff” I bought them – but that they enjoyed being with me. They would kiss my hands while we walked – they would tell me they loved me – they would say thank you each time I bought them something and they really seemed to appreciate it all. After dropping them off and heading home, I had a sense of fulfillment and realized just how important this day was for me, as well as for them. I feel extremely lucky to be their Auntie!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Let the Reno's Begin!
Over the past few months, Rich and I have been discussing whether to relocate to a newer house, or to renovate ours. Our house is older and doesn't have the amenities that we (yes, "we") are looking for. We kind of feel like it's not our "dream house", and we want a dream house!
The thing is though, we LOVE our area and we don't really want to leave. I can walk to the beach and there are great hiking and biking trails surrounding us. Also - it's walking distance to the train station which Rich and I use to commute to work on a daily basis. We are steps to restaurants, shopping malls, doctors, dentists, etc. - it's just a perfect spot for us! And.....it's a nice house.....it's just "older" inside.
So we've made the decision to stay and renovate! Our first project is a built-in wall unit. The room we are doing this in currently has our tv sitting on two little side tables and besides a couch and an ottoman - there's really nothing else in there. It's a great room with great potential. So we met with a designer/builder the other night and he's drawing up the plans for us as we speak for the unit. Between Rich and I we have hundreds of books (mostly Rich's) so the majority of the unit will be bookshelves, but of course we've left a big cut-out in the middle for the new 50" Plasma tv we'll be getting! (okay...maybe 47" inch....but who's counting?).
The same fellow who's building this for us also does kitchen reno's, so we'll be discussing pricing with him on new cabinet doors, granite counter tops, knocking a wall down, putting in an island - it'll be gorgeous if we can do all that we want to. And let's not forget new stainless steel appliances! We'll finish off with a second bathroom downstairs - complete with soaker tub; two-person stand-up glass shower (wink wink); ceramic tile; pot lights....and we've even been talking about a sauna if we can pull it off!
Little by little we will get our house just the way we want it, and we know without a doubt - this WILL be our dream home! Now...all we have to do is win the lottery and we're good to go!
The thing is though, we LOVE our area and we don't really want to leave. I can walk to the beach and there are great hiking and biking trails surrounding us. Also - it's walking distance to the train station which Rich and I use to commute to work on a daily basis. We are steps to restaurants, shopping malls, doctors, dentists, etc. - it's just a perfect spot for us! And.....it's a nice house.....it's just "older" inside.
So we've made the decision to stay and renovate! Our first project is a built-in wall unit. The room we are doing this in currently has our tv sitting on two little side tables and besides a couch and an ottoman - there's really nothing else in there. It's a great room with great potential. So we met with a designer/builder the other night and he's drawing up the plans for us as we speak for the unit. Between Rich and I we have hundreds of books (mostly Rich's) so the majority of the unit will be bookshelves, but of course we've left a big cut-out in the middle for the new 50" Plasma tv we'll be getting! (okay...maybe 47" inch....but who's counting?).
The same fellow who's building this for us also does kitchen reno's, so we'll be discussing pricing with him on new cabinet doors, granite counter tops, knocking a wall down, putting in an island - it'll be gorgeous if we can do all that we want to. And let's not forget new stainless steel appliances! We'll finish off with a second bathroom downstairs - complete with soaker tub; two-person stand-up glass shower (wink wink); ceramic tile; pot lights....and we've even been talking about a sauna if we can pull it off!
Little by little we will get our house just the way we want it, and we know without a doubt - this WILL be our dream home! Now...all we have to do is win the lottery and we're good to go!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Are we getting (gasp!) OLD?
Tonight is Halloween and Rich and I are cozied up in the house, just finished a nice dinner and a glass of wine and the kids are coming to the door for their treats (which Rich loves handing out!) I am very relaxed and content right now.
However, there is a part of me that wonders if we should be out gallavanting at a halloween party - dressed up - drinking booze - hanging' with friends....but you know....I don't think so. If that's where we should be - we would be there!
We know enuf people that we can find a halloween party somewhere if we wanted to. And even though i joked to rich on our way home from work tonight that we were "getting old" I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here right now. With my wonderful husband in our beautiful home. oh ya...and with our loving cat too. (okay....maybe we are getting just a *bit* old). :)
However, there is a part of me that wonders if we should be out gallavanting at a halloween party - dressed up - drinking booze - hanging' with friends....but you know....I don't think so. If that's where we should be - we would be there!
We know enuf people that we can find a halloween party somewhere if we wanted to. And even though i joked to rich on our way home from work tonight that we were "getting old" I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here right now. With my wonderful husband in our beautiful home. oh ya...and with our loving cat too. (okay....maybe we are getting just a *bit* old). :)
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Italy Part III – Roma! (Rome) (Lots to tell!)
The train from Florence to Rome took about 2 hours and had beautiful views during the ride. When we arrived in Rome, our hotel was conveniently located about 5 minutes from the train station, so it was a piece of cake getting there. We dumped our bags and off we went to explore the City. We had 5 nights in Rome before heading home. Our hotel was in walking distance to all of the major sites around the City (well, walking distance for us – we love to walk and probably did about 15-20 km a day if not more).
Our first walk landed us on the famous “Spanish Steps”. Cascading steps that trail down from the Spanish Embassy in Rome and where many tourists sit and sun themselves and drink cappuccinos and talk and just people-watch really. Very cool. From there we headed to the Trevi Fountain. Gorgeous – except SO many tourists that it almost took away from the beauty of the fountain. But I looked past that and was happy to be standing in front of one of the most famous fountains of the world. We went back another time to the fountain at night and it was all lit up – beautiful!
Our hotel in Rome had a small fridge in it, which was great because we went to the supermarket and bought wine and cheese and fruit and salami (for Rich) and crackers and fresh bread, and had a “bed picnic” in our room for dinner our first night because we were out all day and so tired and just wanted to relax. It was great! We also were able to eat breakfasts in our room each morning which saved us money and time.
Day two we went to the Coliseum and Forum of Ancient Rome. I think this had the most impact on me of the whole trip. To be standing in this place that was built in the first century - 82 A.D. – was just amazing to me. The walls have partially crumbled and what’s left is really only the stone foundation or skeleton of what was once covered completely in white marble, but the grandeur and power of what it once was, was still very obvious and you could “feel” what it must have been like for the prisoners and slaves (the gladiators) who were about to have the fight of their lives. In my pictures you can see where the prisoners were kept before the fights and how they were “elevated” through secret passages that lifted them up to the “floor” of the coliseum, where only then, would they see which beast or other gladiator they were about to fight. I believe the fights took place from 100-300 A.D. If you’ve seen the movie “Gladiator” with Russell Crowe – this is what I’m talking about!
Before retiring back to our hotel for the evening, we stopped by the Pantheon. The Pantheon is one of the great spiritual buildings of the world. It was built as a Roman temple between 118 and 126 A.D and later consecrated as a Catholic Church. Through huge bronze doors, you enter into one big circular room. The interior is cylinder-shaped, above which rises the hemispherical dome. The only natural light enters through an oculus in the ceiling at the center of the dome and through the bronze doors to the portico. As the sun moves, striking patterns of light illuminate the walls and floors of granite and yellow marble. The first King of United Italy, Vittorio Emanuelle II, as well as his son, Umberto, are both entombed here. A choir was singing when we were here and the acoustics were amazing. Loved the Pantheon!
Day three was Vatican City! Home of the Pope. We started in the Vatican Museums, which is home to the Sistine Chapel. We were one of the first ones there (we went really early!) so we were able to take it all in before all the crazy tourists started to fill up the room. The ceiling, painted by Michelangelo, was too grand for words. We were not allowed to take pictures of the ceiling, but we did get one of the wall behind the altar which is just as amazing. I am so grateful to have seen this work of art. Spectacular. After leaving the museum, we made our way to St. Peter’s Basilica, which is the largest in the world, and this is where the Pope gives a public mass on Wednesday mornings. The open area in front of the Basilica is quite something. Makes you feel very small, yet welcomes you with open “arms”.
Day four we spent taking it a bit easier as our feet were sore from all the walking and standing at the museum. We walked through the gardens surrounding the Villa Borghese, which is the largest public park in Rome. It was once a vineyard in the 16th century that was transformed into a Park with an artificial lake. It was very beautiful, peaceful and calming walking through here. We also went back to the Spanish Steps and stopped to buy some wine to bring home, and also some olive oil, which is the best I’ve ever had. It was a nice relaxing day.
Our last day in Rome, we decided to take a day trip (about ½ hour train ride) to a city called Ostia Antica or “Ancient Ostia”. It lies in the meadows between the Tiber River and the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was founded, near the 4th century BC, as a military colony to guard the river mouth against seaborne invasions. Later, during the centuries when pretty much all imports reached the Capital via the Tiber, Ostia gained prominence as the domestic landing for cargo boats. By the 2nd century AD, it had become a flourishing commercial center inhabited by more than 100,000 people, whose apartment buildings, taverns, and grocery shops are still intact. We went for a walking tour around this ancient city and it was just wonderful to see the ancient ruins of the city and the theatre and the shops. Our pictures have captured some of this as well.
The other part of the city of Ostia, is the seaside, Ostia Lido, which is on the Mediterranean Sea and the “beach”, which of course I had to see. Rich and I took a short train ride to Lido, made our way to the sandy beach and rented a couple of beach chairs to relax in the sun before heading home the next day. A perfect way to end a truly wonderful vacation.
This trip to Italy taught me so much and I feel more knowledgeable having spent time in different cities and learning about historical events that have happened over the years. There is so much more I want to learn, and this was a good place for me to start. It’s peaked my interest to learn more about the history of the world! That’s why I love travelling so much. I always feel smarter when I come home!
Here are our Rome pictures. Thanks for sharing in this journey with me!
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.8cb57eia&x=0&y=t268uf&localeid=en_US
Our first walk landed us on the famous “Spanish Steps”. Cascading steps that trail down from the Spanish Embassy in Rome and where many tourists sit and sun themselves and drink cappuccinos and talk and just people-watch really. Very cool. From there we headed to the Trevi Fountain. Gorgeous – except SO many tourists that it almost took away from the beauty of the fountain. But I looked past that and was happy to be standing in front of one of the most famous fountains of the world. We went back another time to the fountain at night and it was all lit up – beautiful!
Our hotel in Rome had a small fridge in it, which was great because we went to the supermarket and bought wine and cheese and fruit and salami (for Rich) and crackers and fresh bread, and had a “bed picnic” in our room for dinner our first night because we were out all day and so tired and just wanted to relax. It was great! We also were able to eat breakfasts in our room each morning which saved us money and time.
Day two we went to the Coliseum and Forum of Ancient Rome. I think this had the most impact on me of the whole trip. To be standing in this place that was built in the first century - 82 A.D. – was just amazing to me. The walls have partially crumbled and what’s left is really only the stone foundation or skeleton of what was once covered completely in white marble, but the grandeur and power of what it once was, was still very obvious and you could “feel” what it must have been like for the prisoners and slaves (the gladiators) who were about to have the fight of their lives. In my pictures you can see where the prisoners were kept before the fights and how they were “elevated” through secret passages that lifted them up to the “floor” of the coliseum, where only then, would they see which beast or other gladiator they were about to fight. I believe the fights took place from 100-300 A.D. If you’ve seen the movie “Gladiator” with Russell Crowe – this is what I’m talking about!
Before retiring back to our hotel for the evening, we stopped by the Pantheon. The Pantheon is one of the great spiritual buildings of the world. It was built as a Roman temple between 118 and 126 A.D and later consecrated as a Catholic Church. Through huge bronze doors, you enter into one big circular room. The interior is cylinder-shaped, above which rises the hemispherical dome. The only natural light enters through an oculus in the ceiling at the center of the dome and through the bronze doors to the portico. As the sun moves, striking patterns of light illuminate the walls and floors of granite and yellow marble. The first King of United Italy, Vittorio Emanuelle II, as well as his son, Umberto, are both entombed here. A choir was singing when we were here and the acoustics were amazing. Loved the Pantheon!
Day three was Vatican City! Home of the Pope. We started in the Vatican Museums, which is home to the Sistine Chapel. We were one of the first ones there (we went really early!) so we were able to take it all in before all the crazy tourists started to fill up the room. The ceiling, painted by Michelangelo, was too grand for words. We were not allowed to take pictures of the ceiling, but we did get one of the wall behind the altar which is just as amazing. I am so grateful to have seen this work of art. Spectacular. After leaving the museum, we made our way to St. Peter’s Basilica, which is the largest in the world, and this is where the Pope gives a public mass on Wednesday mornings. The open area in front of the Basilica is quite something. Makes you feel very small, yet welcomes you with open “arms”.
Day four we spent taking it a bit easier as our feet were sore from all the walking and standing at the museum. We walked through the gardens surrounding the Villa Borghese, which is the largest public park in Rome. It was once a vineyard in the 16th century that was transformed into a Park with an artificial lake. It was very beautiful, peaceful and calming walking through here. We also went back to the Spanish Steps and stopped to buy some wine to bring home, and also some olive oil, which is the best I’ve ever had. It was a nice relaxing day.
Our last day in Rome, we decided to take a day trip (about ½ hour train ride) to a city called Ostia Antica or “Ancient Ostia”. It lies in the meadows between the Tiber River and the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was founded, near the 4th century BC, as a military colony to guard the river mouth against seaborne invasions. Later, during the centuries when pretty much all imports reached the Capital via the Tiber, Ostia gained prominence as the domestic landing for cargo boats. By the 2nd century AD, it had become a flourishing commercial center inhabited by more than 100,000 people, whose apartment buildings, taverns, and grocery shops are still intact. We went for a walking tour around this ancient city and it was just wonderful to see the ancient ruins of the city and the theatre and the shops. Our pictures have captured some of this as well.
The other part of the city of Ostia, is the seaside, Ostia Lido, which is on the Mediterranean Sea and the “beach”, which of course I had to see. Rich and I took a short train ride to Lido, made our way to the sandy beach and rented a couple of beach chairs to relax in the sun before heading home the next day. A perfect way to end a truly wonderful vacation.
This trip to Italy taught me so much and I feel more knowledgeable having spent time in different cities and learning about historical events that have happened over the years. There is so much more I want to learn, and this was a good place for me to start. It’s peaked my interest to learn more about the history of the world! That’s why I love travelling so much. I always feel smarter when I come home!
Here are our Rome pictures. Thanks for sharing in this journey with me!
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.8cb57eia&x=0&y=t268uf&localeid=en_US
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Italy Part II – Firenze (Florence!)
After catching a train (high-speed, “via” type train) in Venice, we arrived in Florence about 2 hours later. This time we knew how to get to our hotel, so off we went by foot (it was only about a 5to 10 minute walk from the train station) and got settled in at Hotel Enza. It was a nice hotel with free internet and a great location.
We had a full week in Florence (7 nights) and lots that we wanted to see and do. When first arriving here after coming from Venice, I was a little overwhelmed because there were SO many tourists and traffic and noise and cars and tour buses…I wanted to run back to Venice! I think I actually said to Rich “get me out of here….I hate Florence”. He looked at my puzzled and said that he’d never heard (or imagined) that anyone could say that. Who hates Florence? Well, I didn’t actually hate it, I just had a bit of a meltdown at the Piazza Pitti, and then I was okay after that. I just had to adjust. And adjust I did!
The first thing we did was take a walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo which was elevated and overlooked the Arno River and the city of Florence. Here I could also get a feel for the Tuscan countryside (Florence is in the region of Tuscany). It was gorgeous!! We walked around the city, over the Ponte Vecchio (famous bridge) and then settled in for lunch. I think it was here that I fell in love with Italian food. The tomatoes, the basil, the olive oil, the mozzarella…so fresh and so flavourful. I was in heaven. Being a vegetarian, I mostly ate pastas and pizzas, but we literally walked from 9am to at least 7pm each day, so luckily I didn’t pack on any pounds and was able to enjoy myself!
Florence had so much to see…the statue of David in the Accademia museum was awe inspiring. To be 5 feet away from Michelangelo’s masterpiece carved in stone so many years ago. It was much bigger than I had imagined and one of my favourite things to see. We also did a guided hike called “A Morning in Tuscany”, followed by “A Taste of Tuscany”, in which we met with a guide (a young Australian girl) and I think 3 other women, and we did a walking tour up in the hills and countryside of Tuscany.
On this walk, we visited an old quarry where Michelangelo used to come with his step-father when he was young, and also where Leonardo Da Vinci would test out his flying machines. We stopped at a beautiful villa and had lunch in a hill-top restaurant overlooking the beautiful Tuscan landscape. The wine and food was abundant and it was one of my favourite days in Florence.
We found a great Market in Florence close to our hotel and we would go there for our breakfasts (fritatta paninis and cappuccinos) before heading out for the day. The market was full of fresh fruits and vegetables and of course beef, pork and cheeses. It was amazing!!
We climbed up the Duomo (a huge Domed church) that had very tight, dark, winding staircases to get to the top. It was very eerie and a little scary being in there climbing up, but once we got to the top, the views were amazing!
While in Florence, we did two day trips – one to Sienna (beautiful!), and another to Pisa to see the leaning tower! Loved both cities and visiting them made the time in Florence even more fulfilling.
I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of stuff!! So I’ll come back and update this post later on once I find my notes (I kept notes of the things we did because we did so much and I knew I would forget!) But here are the links to our pictures from Florence, Sienna and Pisa!
Florence:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.9ngk12ya&x=0&y=-9i8pbx&localeid=en_US
Sienna:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.br1ta1wy&x=0&y=uqzng9&localeid=en_US
Pisa:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.7bxc5z02&x=0&y=ugl2z0&localeid=en_US
More to come on Rome when I get some more time! Stay tuned....
We had a full week in Florence (7 nights) and lots that we wanted to see and do. When first arriving here after coming from Venice, I was a little overwhelmed because there were SO many tourists and traffic and noise and cars and tour buses…I wanted to run back to Venice! I think I actually said to Rich “get me out of here….I hate Florence”. He looked at my puzzled and said that he’d never heard (or imagined) that anyone could say that. Who hates Florence? Well, I didn’t actually hate it, I just had a bit of a meltdown at the Piazza Pitti, and then I was okay after that. I just had to adjust. And adjust I did!
The first thing we did was take a walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo which was elevated and overlooked the Arno River and the city of Florence. Here I could also get a feel for the Tuscan countryside (Florence is in the region of Tuscany). It was gorgeous!! We walked around the city, over the Ponte Vecchio (famous bridge) and then settled in for lunch. I think it was here that I fell in love with Italian food. The tomatoes, the basil, the olive oil, the mozzarella…so fresh and so flavourful. I was in heaven. Being a vegetarian, I mostly ate pastas and pizzas, but we literally walked from 9am to at least 7pm each day, so luckily I didn’t pack on any pounds and was able to enjoy myself!
Florence had so much to see…the statue of David in the Accademia museum was awe inspiring. To be 5 feet away from Michelangelo’s masterpiece carved in stone so many years ago. It was much bigger than I had imagined and one of my favourite things to see. We also did a guided hike called “A Morning in Tuscany”, followed by “A Taste of Tuscany”, in which we met with a guide (a young Australian girl) and I think 3 other women, and we did a walking tour up in the hills and countryside of Tuscany.
On this walk, we visited an old quarry where Michelangelo used to come with his step-father when he was young, and also where Leonardo Da Vinci would test out his flying machines. We stopped at a beautiful villa and had lunch in a hill-top restaurant overlooking the beautiful Tuscan landscape. The wine and food was abundant and it was one of my favourite days in Florence.
We found a great Market in Florence close to our hotel and we would go there for our breakfasts (fritatta paninis and cappuccinos) before heading out for the day. The market was full of fresh fruits and vegetables and of course beef, pork and cheeses. It was amazing!!
We climbed up the Duomo (a huge Domed church) that had very tight, dark, winding staircases to get to the top. It was very eerie and a little scary being in there climbing up, but once we got to the top, the views were amazing!
While in Florence, we did two day trips – one to Sienna (beautiful!), and another to Pisa to see the leaning tower! Loved both cities and visiting them made the time in Florence even more fulfilling.
I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of stuff!! So I’ll come back and update this post later on once I find my notes (I kept notes of the things we did because we did so much and I knew I would forget!) But here are the links to our pictures from Florence, Sienna and Pisa!
Florence:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.9ngk12ya&x=0&y=-9i8pbx&localeid=en_US
Sienna:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.br1ta1wy&x=0&y=uqzng9&localeid=en_US
Pisa:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.7bxc5z02&x=0&y=ugl2z0&localeid=en_US
More to come on Rome when I get some more time! Stay tuned....
Italy Part 1 – Venezia (Venice)
There is SO much to tell about our trip to Italy, that I can’t do it in one post, so I’ll start with our first stop – Venice! We stayed in Venice for the first 3 nights of our holiday. On our arrival at the airport, we made our way to the “taxi stop” to get to our hotel. However, they are not ordinary taxis in Venice. It’s a city built on water – canals and bridges criss-cross every few feet and the streets are narrow and cobblestone, and well….there are no cars to be found! So – we boarded the Water Taxi and headed for our port.
Once we arrived at our port, we still had to walk to find our hotel – which normally would not be a problem, except that we had no map, it was POURING rain, and we had our 30kg packs on our backs! But…we were in Venice! So we were happy, and we sloshed our way through the rain and the maze-like streets until we arrived at our hotel about an hour later. We later realized (once we had a map of the city) that the walk was only about 15 minutes from the port!
Our hotel was in a great location, close to the popular “Rialto Bridge”, and our room overlooked one of the canals so we could open our windows to see the gondolas and boats below. It was wonderful. I’ve heard that “Venice can be stinky” but it wasn’t when we were there. The water is kind of murky/green colour in the canals, but we never saw any garbage or smelled anything bad.
I loved Venice! It is so different than anywhere I have been before. I think because I love the water, I just liked being surrounded by it. We walked all over the city, and our first day out we almost walked right into Yoko Ono! She was coming out of a restaurant with some people and swept right past us. We also went to a couple of little islands off of Venice – Murano (where the famous Murano glass is from, and we watched them making it in the factory there), and also Lido, which was a quaint pretty island that I liked a lot – we stopped by the beach there too, which is on the Adriatic Sea.
We also went to see the Peggy Guggenheim (sp?) collection at her museum, and I also chased all the pigeons away in Piazza San Marco (the famous “square” you see in movies quite often where it’s full of pigeons and people). And one afternoon, Rich and I just stayed on a water taxi for an hour or more and did a tour of the grand canal – it was a great way to see a lot of sights. Great stay, great hotel, great food, great first leg of our trip!
Here is the link to our Venice photos on Kodak Gallery:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.7ypd769e&x=0&y=p6h630&localeid=en_US
I will post on Florence – our next stop – as soon as I can! Ciao.
Once we arrived at our port, we still had to walk to find our hotel – which normally would not be a problem, except that we had no map, it was POURING rain, and we had our 30kg packs on our backs! But…we were in Venice! So we were happy, and we sloshed our way through the rain and the maze-like streets until we arrived at our hotel about an hour later. We later realized (once we had a map of the city) that the walk was only about 15 minutes from the port!
Our hotel was in a great location, close to the popular “Rialto Bridge”, and our room overlooked one of the canals so we could open our windows to see the gondolas and boats below. It was wonderful. I’ve heard that “Venice can be stinky” but it wasn’t when we were there. The water is kind of murky/green colour in the canals, but we never saw any garbage or smelled anything bad.
I loved Venice! It is so different than anywhere I have been before. I think because I love the water, I just liked being surrounded by it. We walked all over the city, and our first day out we almost walked right into Yoko Ono! She was coming out of a restaurant with some people and swept right past us. We also went to a couple of little islands off of Venice – Murano (where the famous Murano glass is from, and we watched them making it in the factory there), and also Lido, which was a quaint pretty island that I liked a lot – we stopped by the beach there too, which is on the Adriatic Sea.
We also went to see the Peggy Guggenheim (sp?) collection at her museum, and I also chased all the pigeons away in Piazza San Marco (the famous “square” you see in movies quite often where it’s full of pigeons and people). And one afternoon, Rich and I just stayed on a water taxi for an hour or more and did a tour of the grand canal – it was a great way to see a lot of sights. Great stay, great hotel, great food, great first leg of our trip!
Here is the link to our Venice photos on Kodak Gallery:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jzztdya.7ypd769e&x=0&y=p6h630&localeid=en_US
I will post on Florence – our next stop – as soon as I can! Ciao.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Back from Italy!!
Lots and Lots to tell.....still trying to get caught up and recover from jet lag but will post soon with some pictures!! Great trip and saw sooooooo much! Stay tuned!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Viva Italia!
Well….as a fiery redhead said to me the other day…..I’m going to get spoiled by travelling every three months – and she is right! Tonight, at 6pm, my husband and I take off in a plane to Italy for 2 fun-filled weeks! (17 days to be exact!)
We fly into Venice and have 3 days there, where I am promised a romantic gondola ride and our hotel has a canal view! From Venice we take a train to Florence, where we are staying for a full week. Here we will bask in the Tuscan sun and do day trips to Pisa (leaning tower that is) and lots of other places that Rich wants to go. (He’s planning our itinerary – I just happily follow along since this is my first time there). I’ve been told that Florence is the most beautiful place! And then we finish off with 5 nights in Rome before coming home.
In Rome, we will be going to Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel (to see the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo), the Trevi Fountain, St. Peter’s Square, museums and galleries, churches and maybe even a Roman Bath!
I am also looking forward to the vineyard tours and wine tastings, and of course the delicious Italian cuisine! I will have to make sure to do lots of walking (which won’t be hard) to work off all the yummy pasta and pizza and gnocchi I’m going to have! I will post some pictures once we’re back! Ciao for Now!
We fly into Venice and have 3 days there, where I am promised a romantic gondola ride and our hotel has a canal view! From Venice we take a train to Florence, where we are staying for a full week. Here we will bask in the Tuscan sun and do day trips to Pisa (leaning tower that is) and lots of other places that Rich wants to go. (He’s planning our itinerary – I just happily follow along since this is my first time there). I’ve been told that Florence is the most beautiful place! And then we finish off with 5 nights in Rome before coming home.
In Rome, we will be going to Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel (to see the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo), the Trevi Fountain, St. Peter’s Square, museums and galleries, churches and maybe even a Roman Bath!
I am also looking forward to the vineyard tours and wine tastings, and of course the delicious Italian cuisine! I will have to make sure to do lots of walking (which won’t be hard) to work off all the yummy pasta and pizza and gnocchi I’m going to have! I will post some pictures once we’re back! Ciao for Now!
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