Same old story ...

Some pre-Christmas problems with the car had us seriously thinking about upgrading to something newer and more reliable. After looking around the Net a little bit, we started thinking seriously about the Honda CR-V. It's about the right size - still easy to get around on the small roads, but large enough to cart around visitors and luggage. We made the mistake of getting pretty attached to this dream. When we finally got around to going to the dealership yesterday we got the usual ex-pat story that we didn't have a long enough local history to qualify for the lease that we wanted. Since it didn't really make sense to purchase the car outright, we've now settled for the fact that we'll probably be driving the Scenic for another couple of years.

Oh, well, you take the bad with the good, I guess.

We've been scanning the Scotland guide books looking for somewhere to go in the coming months. We've come up with the idea of 'Both Sides of Scotland'. We'll start with a trip down to the Borders. The highlights will be the old abbeys and churches, Rosslyn Chapel, various Sir Walter Scott attractions and some sea-bird sanctuaries on the east coast.

We'll follow this up with a fairly extensive trip up north. We'll drive to Ullapool and then take the ferry to the Isles of Lewis and Harris, where the white sand beaches on the Atlantic coast are supposed to be amazing. We'll then travel back to the mainland and run straight north to Durness to enjoy the least populated area of Europe. The cliffs and moors are going to be the highlight. We'll then travel along the north coast all the way to John O' Groats, and then down the northeast coast, stopping at various castles and points of interest. We're hoping that we can find enough places that allow dogs that we can bring Casey with us.

Even though it is still early days of planning, I'm pretty excited about getting back out and exploring Scotland.

Monet, Monet...

... seems to be the theme of this trip to Paris for us. Having whetted our appetites at the Monet Exposition the day before we headed to the Museum de l'Orangerie to see the famous water lillies exhibit there. There are two oval purpose-built rooms in the museum for displaying the huge canvases. They were really beautiful. We are at odds as to which room was our favourite. The rest of the museum was also a delight. The straight-forward layout was a welcome change from the Louvre from the day before. There was a good mix of Impressionists - Renoir, Matisse, Sisley and Cezanne. There were some new names for us as well that we particularly enjoyed, like Derain and Soutine. Most of the exhibit came from the personal collection of Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume who had commissioned many of the pieces. The museum had tiny dioramas of one of Guillaume's flats in Paris and they showed where many of the paintings were originally hung. It would be our dream to have rooms with that much quality original art.

Next we struck out on foot across town to the church of Ste-Eustache. An amazing example of gothic architecture inside with voluminous arches. The sheer size of the church was impressive enough, but there were also incredible carvings, stain glass and painted walls. We have to agree with the guidebook that it is one of the most beautiful Parisien churches. It definitely put to shame the next stop on our tour, Ste-Sulpice. Although it has an impressive front facade, it is clearly in need of significant restoration and a good scrub.

We finished our across Paris walking tour by going through the Jardins du Luxembourg. While they are very pretty, even in this off-season, we were booted out by the gendarme within minutes of arrival, so couldn't quite take them all in. It is definitely on our list for the next trip.

Overall the day was great. We did lots of walking interspersed with stops in cafes for coffees and croque monsieurs. We were well tired by the time we got back to the hotel so we put our feet up for a while and then headed out for dinner. We have to mention again our favourite brasserie, Suffren, and their amazing roast chicken. No visit would be complete without it. It was a fantastic way to end the day.

We did have time for an in-room movie after dinner. Knight and Day has been slogged by many a critic, but we got our fair share of laughs from it. By no means should it be winning any Oscars, but we found it quite enjoyable in a silly, action-movie sort of way.

Finally, the PDC World Championship of Darts is now officially over for another year. In what must have been quite a match to watch, Adrian Lewis narrowly beat Gary Anderson to take the title. He even became the first person to throw a 9-darter in the finals, to boot. Not that I would have postponed or changed anything about this trip, but it would have been nice to see some of the final matches. We still have it on our to-do list to go see a finals match at some point.

A Day at the Museum(s)

Unlike the free-form day of January 1 (with no pictures taken - a first for us in Paris I think), January 2nd not only had a plan, but several back-ups as well. We were going to see the Louvre. We've tried on various occasions in the past but always ran into some obstacle or the other. Now we were resolved to get it done. Even though it was a free admission Sunday, we felt confident we would be able to negotiate the crowds and finally get in.

We were up early and had breakfasted by 8am. A quick ride on the metro was followed by a brisk walk through the Tuilleries to the Louvre entrance. The queue was enormous and the building wasn't even open yet. Luckily we were directed by some staff to 'go to the Lions'. Most other tourists had a hard time understanding and ignored the advice, choosing instead to join the two hour queue at the pyramid entrance. We went across the park to the 'Porte des Lions' where there were only about 20 people in line. 5 minutes after the Louvre opened we were in and had checked our coats. Our advice: never try to enter the Louvre through the pyramid entrance. At some point during the day we took a wrong turn and ended up going down a one-way emergency exit. We were a little worried as we stood outside, thinking with the museum getting busier we would have to wait a few hours to get in at any entrance now. Certainly the queue at the main entrance was longer than at the start of the day. But again, 5 minutes later we were back in the museum, courtesy of the Carousel entrance. Anyone who takes more time than that to get in on a free admission Sunday has clearly not done their homework.

How to describe the museum itself? Being somewhat experienced museum-goers, we were surprised to be surprised by a few things. It is big. I know you can see that from the outside, but you really can't make the mental jump from the size of the building on the outside to how vast and enormous the multitudinous halls are. Second, it is busy. Not busy to the point where it turns you off, but be prepared for people, some of whom think it is a good idea to stop 6 abreast in the doorway of each room to read their map one more time. Thirdly, it is a maze. Keep your map handy, you'll need it. Most confusing are rooms where you think the room is merely split by a panel and that going either side of the panel will bring you to the same spot, but in actuality you end up in two completely new rooms. Lastly, a question: how many steps are in the Louvre? Answer, too many! It seems like you are always going up or down. It's like a really crazy split-level home. Our legs were jellified by the end.

What about the exhibits themselves? Fiona and I always leave a museum asking the question, if you could steal any one piece, which would it be? Our favorites were mostly sculpture, although definitely not the Venus de Milo, which we placed in the over-rated category. I loved 'Nymph and Scorpion' and Fiona liked the remnant pieces of a statue of Jupiter that used to stand in Versailles. We both also really like the painting 'The Consecration of Napoleon I', although would have nowhere near the wall space needed to hang it at home. Generally we were disappointed with the French painting and sculpture, especially versus the Dutch and Flemish masters and the much more sophisticated Greek and Italian sculpture. As always, we both enjoyed the Egyptian antiquities, and were both awed by the size and grandeur of the Persian statues. As for the star attraction, the Mona Lisa, be prepared for how small it is. It is definitely hard to work your way through the crowd to get a good enough look to appreciate the genius.

We had lunch inside the museum, arriving just before the crowds and enjoying some great pastries. After lunch we polished off the remaining halls and left thinking that we had taken in the best of the museum. There really is no way to see it all.

Post-Louvre was a slow walk back through the Tuilleries to the Champs-Elysees for a pizza dinner and a bottle of wine to warm us up. We needed it because straight after that we went back to the Monet Exhibit and deposited ourselves in line. At this point it was only projected to be an hour wait, but the night was clear and cold. In the end it turned out to be only 35-40 minutes, although the exhibit would have justified a wait of at least twice that. We didn't like everything, but his good stuff really is the best. The way he works with water is just amazing. For Fiona as a budding artist it was quite neat to see that Monet would do the exact same scene 2, 3 or 4 different ways, playing with the amount of detail, or with light from different angles. It may help tame her inner perfectionist which says that each painting she does must be completely perfect when done. We're glad we saw the exhibition and are probably going in search of some more Monet tomorrow. Unfortunately there were no pictures allowed at the exhibit so we can't show our favorites, but attached are plenty of uploads from the Louvre.

What's French for napping?

Morning came on quite quickly on January 1, as it probably did for everyone. We took it easy getting up as we didn't have anything planned. We thought it best to include a day whose major activity would be napping.

That's not to say that we did nothing. We stepped out into the cold Parisien morning (yes, it was before noon) and hopped the Metro to the Invalides station. Coming back above ground provided quite the site, with the golden dome over Napoleon's tomb on one side and the Grand Palais on the other, with barely any people to spoil the view. It was deserted. We thought this was a good sign and made for the temporary Monet exhibit at the Grand Palais. Apparently no one was out and about because they were all in line ... it was at least a three hour wait. We decided against that and ducked into another temporary exhibit showcasing 125 years of the jeweler Bvlgari. The pieces were ostentatious and showy. Liz Taylor had apparently loaned the exhibition a good chunk of her personal collection and you could see that subtle and under-stated were not in her vocabulary. That's not to say the pieces were garish, there were a great many really cool ones. The other thing that struck us was the size. Necklaces and bracelets were tiny, almost like they were made for children instead of adults.

We went back to the hotel and had a good long nap before heading back out to scout the Christmas markets at the Champs-Elysees and the Eiffel Tower. There was nothing overly special about either, it was the same sort of thing you would see in a Christmas market just about anywhere. There was a much larger preponderance of roasted chestnuts, though, which is a taste and smell that neither Fiona nor I enjoy.

We had a quick, non-descript dinner at one of the local brasseries and sacked out for the night - after checking the darts results, of course. Phil Taylor has been defeated! And van Barneveldt also soundly beaten. Looks like there will be a new champion this year. I think I'm starting to pull for Adrian 'Jackpot' Lewis, but it is hard to see anyone beating the Flying Scotsman, Gary Anderson, who has been destroying everyone in his run-up to the final. It would be nice to see the man who beat the Power at least advance to the final - the Welshman Mark Webster, because you just have to like a guy that plays world class darts yet still keeps his day job, doing plumbing 2-3 days per week.

New Year's in Paris

We decided to spice up the holidays this year with a quick weekend in Paris for New Year's Eve. We set it up to make it as easy as possible - early afternoon flight, our regular hotel in an area of Paris we know well and dinner reservations at our favorite restaurant.

As we packed up on Thursday evening we quickly came to realize that we had misplaced Casey's pet passport - her official documentation of vaccinations that the kennel needs to see on check-in. We turned the whole house upside down looking for it, but found only frustration and stress. So despite specifically choosing an afternoon flight in order to avoid an early wake up call, we were up at 7am to rush down to the vet and get a replacement document. With that in hand we drove to the kennel outside of town, bouncing up and down on the rutted country roads. Of course it goes without saying that when we checked her in, nobody at the kennel asked to see the precious document we had lost so much sleep over.

We now spent even more time and energy worrying that this ordeal was an omen of things to come and that the rest of the trip would be a trial as well. But it turned out to be the exact opposite. The trip was perhaps the easiest, most convenient piece of travel we have undertaken in the last couple of years. The bus to the terminal was waiting for us at the long-term parking lot. There was nobody in line at the bag drop. The same with security, which was efficient and easy. Boarding was quick and even a little bit early. We had somehow ended up in the emergency exit row, without booking it specifically or paying any extra. The flight itself left slightly early and arrived ahead of schedule. The bag was one of the first on the carousel. And to top it off we ended up with a taxi driver who not only knew the obscure little side street our hotel was on, but he took the most direct and efficient route, shaving about 20 minutes and 30 euros off what previous taxis had done. If only it could be like that every time.

We stashed our bags in the hotel and made a dash for the Monoprix down the street. We usually pick up a load of water, bread, fruit and cheese so that we can be a little more self sufficient for breakfast and avoid the 20 euro per person surcharge. The Monoprix was insane. I have never been in a busier grocery store. I guess with most things being closed on the 1st, people were stocking up. That and last minute items for whatever house parties they were attending. It was kind of cool to see so many couple with bundles of food (or trays of oysters, apparently that's the New Year's tradition here) heading off in all directions, obviously in the party mood.

Still a little drained by the stress of the previous evening we had a good nap in the hotel room, which really helped set us up for the evening. We had reservations at Le Pere Claude, our favorite Parisien restaurant. We were given a small table for two and a fabulous waiter. He would change between French, English, Italian or Spanish depending on what table he was serving. He was extremely helpful in picking out a fabulous wine, which he then gave us the credit for choosing. Their New Year's Eve menu was a slight variation of their regular fare, but with an excess of truffles. Fiona started with a lobster and smoked salmon salad (with truffles), and they were kind enough to exchange the salmon for crawfish after she told them about her allergy. I had the Oueffs Cocotte, which I had had in the past, a lightly poached egg floating in a creamy truffle soup. To make it special they had slipped in a small piece of foie gras. Decadent to the extreme. Fiona's main was scallops and lobster served over truffle tortellinis. I think you're probably seeing the theme now. I had the odd combination of a perfect piece of roast chicken served with a half grilled lobster, with Pere Claude's famous mashed potatoes and a truffle sauce. Dessert was Fiona's favorite creme chocolat ancien (a rich, smooth mousse/pudding) and clafoutis for me (an apple cake that reminded me of my mother's). I had asked for a Drambuie at the end, but they weren't really serving any harder spirits other than cognac or armagnac. The waiter did see fit to pour me something from a little one-eared jug behind the register, on the house. Wow. It must have been some type of home brewed herb liquer - either that or floor varnish. It was incredibly strong.

Sufficiently fortified we grabbed our camera equipment and bundled ourselves up against a surprisingly penetrative cold. We walked down to the Champs de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower and waited for the lightshow and fireworks. We had our place staked out by quarter to eleven, and Fiona got some great shots of the Tower, lit up against a very foggy back drop that would shroud the top from view every now and again. As it got busier and busier (mostly with tourists, like the drunken Australian group behind us) you could feel the tension start to build. The expected light show on the Tower itself had failed to materialize, but people were still a buzz with anticipation.

And then it was 12:05. Nothing had happened. No countdown, no announcement, no bells and definitely no fireworks - except those brought by some of the more prepared people in the crowd. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but it was definitely more than what we got. Oh well, I got to kiss my wife in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower as we rung in the new year. As one of the Australians said behind us, "I don't care where you are or how cool it is there, I'm at the freaking Eiffel Tower, man!"

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2011 brings nothing but good things for you. I hope that you all get your own personal Eiffel Tower moment, being with the ones you love most and appreciating that which you have around you.