Paris , Day 2

We were excited to be here once again for les Soldes, but as our friends warned us, the pickings were slim.  It seems when the sales start here in Paris, everyone runs out to fight for their previously identified items on the first day.  Oh well, not much luck there.  So after a delicious 2 hour French lunch at a sidewalk cafe, we headed to the Opera Garnier.  Although we come to Paris every year, we have never been inside.

It was very beautiful, and we could just imagine what it was like watching an opera with everyone all decked out.

 

Much to our disappointment, our favorite restaurant was closed for the summer and in the mood for bistro food we chose Bistrot Melac.  (I know it seems that a lot of what we write is about food, after all, we are in France.  Luckily, we've been walking everywhere and have a 4 floor hike up to the apartment where we are staying.) When we walked in were were handed an extensive menu of wines we had never heard of, with very reasonable prices.  Good food, GREAT cheese and since they were short staffed the owner Jacques Melac asked us to assist behind the bar.  Just kidding, but he is a jovial character with a wonderful moustache and we had a great time!

Paris at Night

Some things never get old. Just when you think you've seen it all, Paris at night continues to surprise. (Not everyone leaves in the summer.) We met our friend Yves for a drink in St. Germain, followed by a stroll around the city. After a visit to Paris Plage, the new "beach" on the Seine, we crossed the Pont des Arts. 11:00 PM and there's hardly room to walk. Everyone has come out for a picnic, including wine and dancing. Today is Tuesday and from what I'm told, it's like this every night. We need to start this in Miami.

On the Bus

We're getting smarter. Although we still can't manage to travel without huge bags that contain enough to sustain us for a year abroad, a big man comes in handy when we have to move the stuff from one place to another. Instead of that dreaded 80 euro cab ride to Paris from CDG Airport, we decided to take the bus. Wow...less than 10 euros per person and it dropped us off one station from where we are staying. A quick nap and we have more to spend on dinner!

Paris et Provence

We're off again on a new adventure. It's been a while since we've posted. Since the Canada trip, I've been to Iceland (without Raf) and perhaps one day I'll share the girls tales.
For now, we are beginning our search for that house in the south...of France of course. On this trip we hope to find a town or area we'd like to call our second home.

Moraine Lake and Lake Louise

After leaving Banff we spent a few nights relaxing at the Chateau Lake Louise. We stopped for a picnic lunch at Moraine Lake, which truly does have turquoise water.
Once again the views were stunning.
Up the road to Lake Louise. The weather was a bit chilly and the rain coming in from the glacier kept us from going out on the lake so we finally did high tea and enjoyed the view from indoors.

Calgary Zoo

We saw some of the most amazing animals at the Calgary Zoo!

Banff

Hi everyone. I know, I'm really behind on posting. Here are some pics of Banff. Will write soon. Stay tuned for Lake Louise, Canmore and Calgary!
Look forward to hearing your comments.

Icefields Parkway

Left Jasper today and took the most amazing drive on the Icefields Pkwy. The first stop was Athabasca Falls. These falls are right off the highway but quite impressive as you can see from the first picture. Stop two, Lower Sunwapta Falls and too many tourists to get any good shots. Last stop on the drive was Stanley Falls. This was by far the most fun and we had the entire trail to ourselves. In fact, we almost missed it because there are no signs or markings that lead to the trail. This trail feels remote even though its not too far from the highway. The path passes a series of 8 waterfalls. We saw this little guy, a pine marten I think, in the tree on the way up. Check out those claws.
The rest of the drive, well lets just say they call it the Icefields Parkway for a reason.
Great dinner at Saltlik and a walk around the town. Night.

Ice and Sky

Our third day in Jasper and we were off to visit our first glacier up close. We followed the trail along the ridge to Angel Glacier, which got its name because it looks like an angel spreading its wings. You can also see a picture of the melt pool and yes, where we were walking was once part of this massive glacier that is feeling the effects of warming. Next, rode the gondola up Whistler’s mountain before a steep hike up to what seemed the top of the world, Whistler’s summit. Breathtaking views and strong winds and a few marmots to keep us company. This stone structure is always there to point us in the right direction. We've seen it on almost every hike. It is a traveler's symbol and will be the symbol for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Had a relaxing day next at the hot springs.
Couldn’t resist taking a pic of Raf with Jasper the bear.

Jasper Day Two

July 1 – Canada Day
Since we will not be home for the 4th of July we decided to celebrate Canada Day with the locals. We started the day in the park for pancake breakfast $2 for pancakes, sausage, coffee and OJ. You could bring your own plates; many locals did, or buy a completely biodegradable set for $1. (The utensils were made from potato, felt like plastic, and everything went right into the compost pile.)
Left the festivities in town for a quick hike to Lake Edith. This is a quiet lake that is partly residential (beautiful log homes along part of the lake). We had the trail to ourselves except for a man we stumbled upon, playing his guitar and singing. Lovely.
Tired of pubs, we opted for a bit more upscale and lucked out with Papa George’s. It was about time to go local…bison, venison, and elk. Tried them all and they were each yummy. Beautifully prepared.
Watched a bit of the fireworks at 11:15, through the drops of rain and hit the sack.

Jasper Day One

For our first hike we chose the Maligne Lakeside Loop. On the way there, we stopped at Medicine Lake. It seems we were lucky to see this lake because it disappears completely in the winter. (Aboriginal peoples called the lake Medicine because of its seemingly magical powers, and the United Nations created the Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site partly because of this unique drainage system.) On to Maligne Lake which is the largest in the Rockies. Although you can rent canoes, motorboats or take a guided cruise on the lake, we decided to do as many hikes as possible during our stay here so on our feet it was. (Those hiking boots really were a wise investment as we were to find out in the next week.) Along the lake are picnic tables tucked away among the pine and spruce trees. The trail then veers away from the lake and after a few minutes it was difficult to concentrate on anything other than the billions of mosquitoes swarming around us. This went on for about 40 minutes (we were moving pretty quickly) before the trail took us back to the beautiful lake. It seemed endless while we were in there, swatting away and wondering if this was indicative of what to expect on future hikes. Lol
We stopped on the way back for another short hike along Maligne Canyon. There are a series of bridges, which cross this incredible limestone canyon. At on point the narrow gorge drops about 160 feet where the water rushes through with great force.