Paris - Day 1

Our first day in Paris and all is going well. The day could not have started out better - the flight from Aberdeen was short and comfortable, and when we landed the cold, windy rain of Aberdeen had been replaced by brilliant sunshine and 22 C. Our bags were waiting when we got to the luggage carousel and the taxi ride into town was fairly pleasant. It was all a setup, I guess, as while we were taking our first look at the Eiffel Tower, I got crapped on by a pigeon. But if that's the worst that happens this trip, it will have been a good one.

Traffic is truly something to behold here. It seems as if they've all decided to not really apply any rules. They consider any paved space to be fair game and weave in and out lanes like crazy people. The roundabouts are insane ...

Our hotel is quite nice and situated just a couple of blocks from the Eiffel Tower. It didn't take long to settle in. The free wi-fi means blog updates and pictures daily.

We went straight down to the Tower to have a look. It is a pretty impressive structure, with beautiful iron work on the lower levels. The line ups to get up to the top were quite long (measured in hours, I believe) so I was relieved from having to confront my fear of heights.

We strolled some side streets and stopped in a neighborhood brasserie for a late lunch/early dinner. The food was great, the atmosphere just what you'd want from a Parisien brasserie and the desert crepes ensured that we will be returning there someday soon.

We walked a little further, up past the Tower and through the theatres on the other side of the Seine. It offered up some great vantage points for scenic shots, plus it was a great place for people watching. You have to have a strong stomach, though, because the public displays of affection are pretty overt and open.

We took a late evening cruise on the Seine, seeing a lot of the city highlights and helping us plan the next few days. Notre Dame was especially impressive in the setting sun. It was eye-opening just how large the Louvre is - I'm not sure we're going to go through it this trip, it would take a little too much time to do it justice and we have so many other things we want to do.

Action at the Oval

We're just watching some more T20 cricket tonight - England vs West Indies for a trip to the semi-finals. I say "we" as I've got Fiona watching now as well. Unfortunately for her the Irish took a pretty good whipping today from Pakistan and are out.

One of these days we'll have to get down to England to catch a game...

Three and out ...

Three quick thoughts for the day ....

1. Terminator Salvation.

We went to the movies last night and saw the latest addition to the Terminator series. We weren't expecting too much, and were pleasantly surprised. Some will argue that the first Terminator was better than the second (I don't know if I agree), but this was definitely better than the horrible mess of a third movie and would definitely challenge the first two for best of the series. Good action, great effects and well-acted - especially Sam Worthington. I would argue that he should have top billing over Christian Bale, whose extremely gravelly voice is starting to wear a little thin. As an added bonus on the evening, we went to a new movie theatre - down by the harbour. A little more crowded than our other theatre, but it was pretty cool to walk out of the movie and straight onto the beach for a little wind down. The sun was slowly setting (10:30 pm!), the sea was calm and big boats were slowly making their way out to sea. A nice climb down from a few hours of killer robots ...

2. Flight of the Conchords

Where have we been hiding for the past few years that we are just now catching onto the brilliance of this show? We watched a few episodes yesterday, including the one where Jemaine is disowned by his New Zealand buddies for dating an Austrailian girl, and are now downloading the rest. It's some of the wittiest comedy I've seen in quite sometime. Kind of like 30 Rock but with music ...

3. 20-20 Cricket World Championship

If you're thinking about getting into cricket, I'd advise starting by watching this most entertaining form of the game. I just spent an hour watching Pakistan demolish New Zealand, and caught the South Africa-West Indies highlights. It's actually a really cool game to watch once you get used to the terminology and scoring. I had a little fun with the guys at work rubbing in the surprising mid-week result where Holland defeated England. Once this tournament is complete, full bore test cricket will start with the Ashes - a traditional matchup between England and Australia. I'm looking forward to it.

The Dreaded Lergy

I came home today to find Fiona completely prostrated by some sort of flu, or as they call it here, the "lergy" ...

Lergy

Also known as the dreaded lergy, this can manifest itself as any illness. Normally associated with skiving off something, whether it be work, school or going to the zoo with friends. A: Should we invite Frank?  B: No, he has the lergy.  It came on so quickly.  She was a little worn down yesterday, but she seemed fine this morning.  She's hardly functional now.  I've started the chicken soup and tea, but I think a good night's sleep will do more than I can. I guess one good thing is that when it comes on this quickly and hits this hard, it usually burns itself out in a day or two.  That's important because we surely don't want to be wandering around Paris next week struggling with the flu.  It kind of makes me wonder if I should just run upstairs and give her a big kiss - not only because I like to, but so that I can get it in time to get over it. For all those wondering, my completely non-medical diagnosis is that no, it isn't swine flu, and I've watched enough 'House' to know I'm right.

Weekend News

We didn't have a whole lot planned for this weekend and were looking for some things to do.  Fiona found an advert for "The Taste of Grampian" - a food fair held in nearby Inverurie.  It was billed as farmer's market/gourmet food tasting/craft fair.  These types of things are usually right up our alley, but this one turned out to be somewhat disappointing.  We expected a greater attendance from local restaurants with tasting plates of their dishes.  Instead it wasn't much more than what we could get at our local market.  We met a few friends, though, and marvelled at the flower stand, so it wasn't a complete waste.

We took the long way home and found some picturesque scenery.  We have a hard time getting over the landscape and greenery here.  There are so many flowers and trees that even when the weather is overcast it never gets really gloomy.

Speaking of which, it has just gotten gloomy here... courtesy of Casey and her flatulence.  Times like this we think of not going to get her when she "visits" our downstairs neighbours.  She just seems to love it there - she jumps our small fence and runs in their house to play.  She gets lots of attention from Andrea and Cesare, so I can see why she goes.

Post #100 - thank you

We've made it to 100 posts!  I guess we'll use this occasion to thank everybody who tunes in to see what we're up to.  We've had a good time sharing our adventures ... and hope to continue finding interesting stuff to post.

I also have to say thanks to everyone for their kind birthday wishes, cards and emails.  I had a really good birthday, even though I had to work.  Fiona made me breakfast in bed and broke out her famous lasagna for dinner.  She even hand-made me some Bosche Bollen - a Dutch chocolate covered cream puff.  Fantastic as always.  She's also enrolled me in some golf lessons, so I hope to be decreasing my handicap soon.  I've also increased my list of books to read, including a biography of Stalin - a natural follow through from the Mao biography I'm almost finished.  She's doing her best to spoil me.

Work has been amazingly busy the last couple of weeks, so I was in the office today.  Especially unfortunate considering the beautiful weather we've been having.  20+ degrees and sunny every day.  

We did manage to give the dog a haircut today - doing it ourselves for the first time.  We think we did OK.  It should hold her over for a few months.

Out and About

We've been enjoying a long weekend here in the UK, getting things done around the house and trying to enjoy the natural beauty of Scotland that is getting better and better the further we get into spring.

We've been getting out into Hazelhead Park more often these days.  We've discovered the gardens and enjoy going back frequently to see what has come into bloom this week.  Recently it has been the azaleas and rhododendrons.  We've also been walking around our neighborhood, through the West End of Aberdeen.  The houses are quite spectacular with gardens to match.  We catch ourselves looking at houses for sale and daydreaming about our own little patch.  Price tags over and above 500,000 GBP manage to snap us out of it.  I think if the centre's contract gets extended at the end of the year, we may look a little more seriously.

Sunday night we managed to squeeze in a night at the movies.  We paid an extra 75p to attend an 18 and over only show - another novel way of separating ourselves from the riff-raff.  We saw Angels & Demons and quite enjoyed it.  Fiona had read the book, but quite some time ago, and I hadn't read it at all.  I think it can be enjoyed either way.  With the exception of some parts, it was well acted and the story moved along at a good pace.  I think the controversy over alleged anti-Catholicism will die out quickly, as, in my opinion, it does not present Catholics or Catholicism in a negative light.

We hopped in the car this morning for what we thought would be a quick hike around some Dee-side sights.  We headed out for Burn o' Vat.  The hike was supposed to be split into two parts - a quick kilometer or so out the Burn o' Vat and then three or four kilometers between Loch Kinord and Loch Davan.  The Burn o'Vat went well and was really cool - the end point being a small waterfall emptying into a large, scoured out gorge.  Accented by the greenery and crystal clear water, it was quite a sight.  The waterfall hides a small cave that liquor smugglers and other people used to hide.  The second part of the hike did not go well.  We got a little turned around and ended up on a much longer hike, about 8 or 9 kilometers.  We went through our meager rations quite quickly.  We settled into a groove and got around the lake in good time - at least until we realised we were one sweater lighter than when we started.  We hiked back a little, but no luck.  So we've donated a Canadian sweater to the Scottish highlands.

The hike did have some small highlights to offer, including an 8th century carved Pictish cross and our first experience with the (slightly creepy) calls of the cuckoo.  That bird is well named....

The Whirlwind Tour

It has been a while since our last post, sorry.

We decided to fly back to Edmonton to help my mother celebrate the occasion of her ??th birthday.   We had hoped to have a nice long vacation but demands at work meant we had to be back sooner.  We were hoping to see all our friends we miss in Canada, but unfortunately it wasn't possible this trip.

I guess the above paragraph is a sort of lame attempt at providing excuses to all those friends that we didn't get to see.

We flew in on the 1st, a little disappointed to see how brown the Canadian landscape.  The grit and gravel still on the newly snow-less roads was completely different from the full-on spring greenery we left in Aberdeen.  It was all quickly left behind when we got to my parents' place. 

The place had changed a little - new floors, a wall torn out to create an open plan, and, gasp, the dishwasher that we as kids had begged for all our youth.  The city itself hadn't changed much, besides getting a little more expensive.  

We quickly got deep into the Canadiana - with some Molson Canadian beer and the Stanley Cup playoffs.  

Our week was filled - shopping, visiting, a couple of movies, walks, long breakfasts and afternoons on the patio.  We were blessed with some nice weather, including 20 plus degrees on some afternoons. 

The party for my Mom's birthday was great.  The weather cleared enough for us to sit outside and enjoy a BBQ.  As it was a fairly significant occasion I wore my kilt, which led to a barrage of the standard kilt questions - none of which were answered!

My sister and niece also flew in for the weekend and the party/Mother's day.  It was great to see them again, especially as Adele continues to grow like a weed.  

We got back to Aberdeen a little tired due to the jet lag, but a little refreshed as well.

International Market Day

After a good sleep-in we started our last day with Hanneke and Jul with a trip to the International Market.  We think that it only comes by twice a year, so it was a happy coincidence that it came through town when we had visitors in town and time on our hands.  As a final bonus, the day started out as probably the nicest day we've seen in our six months here.

We ambled through at a relaxed pace, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells.  First stop, the French cheese stand where we picked up some great smoked Brie.  Next up, the German stand where they had such a good deal on salami that I picked up more than I needed (and is probably healthy).  After that we stopped by the Belgian stand where they had a fine choice of biscuits - chocolate covered and plain.  We stopped at the Dutch stand for some poffertjes; enjoyed on a sunshiney park bench.  Fiona and Hanneke bought nice pashmina scarves from a French lady while I was buying some cranberry cheese.  The Spanish stand had a great deal on strawberries, so they came along too.  Jul and I finished it up with a bratwurst.  All-in-all a good market experience.

We wandered a little further into Aberdeen and came upon the monthly farmer's market, allowing us to pick up some last minute extras.  The afternoon was spent relaxing, as much as you can while playing Raving Rabbids on the Wii.  

Fiona went all out for dinner - putting her two signature dishes on the table.  Her BBQ Bourbon ribs were followed up with her now famous apple-rhubarb crumble.  Fantastic!

We dropped Hanneke and Jul off this morning at Aberdeen airport with a depressing mist covering the city and doing a good job of expressing our mood.  I guess we can't complain too much, we'll be seeing them again in less than a week - when we go to Canada!

Puffins

It was a slightly foggier start to our day yesterday, but it didn't rain and the sun did eventually come out.  The plan was to do some more birding - this time along the Ythan Estuary, a long, open tidal estuary just a few minutes north of the city.  We had expectations of ducks and terns, as well as several smaller song birds and possibly some sea mammals.  The trip had started poorly, as we were cut off by a large lorry and forced to take a detour.  But even this turned out OK as it led us straight to a new species for everyone - the yellowhammer (much less intimidating than its name suggests!).

We soon came upon a large group of Eider ducks - about a dozen males all assembled around a single female.  Their "oooo...ooo" calls were quite humourous.  The ducks had also caught the attention of some seals.  It appeared to be a couple of immature seals, not because of their size or coat, but because of their attitude - flipping around and splashing each other.  Our resident nature photographer Fiona set up camp and ended up getting some good shots.  The rest of us wandered further into the dunes towards the area where the terns were nesting.  We couldn't get too close as the area was roped off (good), but we think we saw several uncommon tern species.  Regardless of the wildlife, the views were spectacular.  After lunch we went around to the other side of the estuary and got a better view of it all, including a large seal colony sunning themselves on the beach.

Lunch is well worth mentioning on its own.  We went to the Cock and Bull based on the recommendation of our friend Jim in Houston.  It was a little out of the way but well worth it.  Jul and I had the fish and chips.  It showed up as an artistic tower, which made me think it might be style over substance, but they were some of the best fish and chips I've had here.  Even the mushy peas were good.  Fiona scored best, though, with her chicken and leek pie.  Mad props to Jimmy Law!

We met up with Jul's local birding contact who gave us some hints on where we might find some puffins.  We ended up taking some back roads and 4x4'ing over roads that looked like driveways.  The little Honda was taxed.  But the results were spectacular.  We ended up at the Mains of Slains, where the sea was crashing against the rocks and the wind was whipping around.  An outcropping in the ocean had several puffins on it, standing outside their burrows and flying out to sea.  We even saw a fox scrambling across the rocks - possibly looking for a puffin that was not as alert as it should be.

We put some steak on the BBQ at home and had a nice dinner.  The cards afterwards, however, was a slightly different matter.  In an all-encompassing slaughter of epic proportions, the hosts were repaid for their kindness with a 400+ point whooping at back-alley bridge by the visitors (who had never played the game).  

A day on the Dee

We're once again privileged to have visitors in the house.  We picked up Hanneke and Jul from the airport on Tuesday night.  After a full day of travel from Spain they were quite tired and spent most of Wednesday recovering as I was at work.  Even for a recovery day they were quite productive - checking out the Aberdeen beach (kite surfers were at work there!) and Victoria Park.  

Thursday we decided, on the advice of a local birding expert, to go to the Lin of Dee in search of some indigenous species.  Hanneke and Jul are tireless and expert birders and had a wish list of species they wanted to see - including several thrushes, some finches and the elusive dipper.  The Lin of Dee (a beautiful valley near the source of the Dee in the Cairngorms) was flagged as a good place to see several of those.

The river was beautifully clear and I always expected to see the trout swimming, although I never did.  In fact, I almost went swimming myself, seriously misjudging the slipperiness of the streamside rocks.  As always, the nature didn't disappoint and we saw several of the species we were looking for.  The dipper, however, was nowhere to be seen.

We did lunch at this wonderful little cafe in Braemar - a small town that hosts the annual Highland Games in September.  We had a great lunch of potato-leek soup and sandwiches, with a strawberry and cream scone for dessert.  It was nice because we could sit on the patio with Casey.  The waitstaff loved her.

We found the dipper (finally) sitting on a rock in the middle of the river in Braemar.  We had decided to take one last look - I think we had identified it as our last, best chance to see one.  A local spotted us looking intently at river and asked what we were looking at.  When we said we had spotted a dipper, he casually said that it was no big deal - they nest under the bridge.

We decided to make one last stop before heading home and dropped in on our homegirl Lizzie and her small country shack at Balmoral.  The Queen's estate is actually magnificent and well worth the admission and effort.  The grounds are gorgeous, and while you don't get a lot of access to the inside of the castle (it is actually a royal home for a few months of the year) you can still spend a few pleasant hours imagining what it would be like to adopted into the Royal Family.

After spotting a few other species on the grounds of Balmoral, we headed home, making a reservation at our favorite Italian place on the fly.  We had a nice dinner, although the pasta pretty much ensured that no cards or dominos would be played - two nights in a row without gaming is unusual for a gathering in our family.

We're off to the Ythan Estuary to find some terns (and possibly puffins) and then to the Strathisla whiskey distillery.  We are determined to play some type of card game today - so we're trying to take it easy ...