Sea Otter for Easter

Pamela knows I love sea otters and gave me this cute puppet for Easter. Otters seems to have more fun, all the time, than any other animal. If I come back around again, I hope it is as a sea or river otter.

We had a lovely day in Halifax yesterday. brunched at Heartwood Bakery and Cafe, spent the afternoon at the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival, had dinner the Alexander Keith’s Red Stag Tavern, and an evening at Neptune Theatre enjoying La Cage Aux Folles. It was a good day.

Mount Shasta Abbey & Black Bear

September 24, 2010

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Distillery Delights

August 25, 2010 Toronto, ON

With every visit to Toronto we beeline to one of our favourite areas in the city: the distillery district.

Is it still a beeline when we get stuck in rush hour?

This is better than last time. Last time most of the traffic lights downtown went on the fritz. However, we were thoroughly impressed with the locals who took it upon themselves to direct heavy traffic at every light-less intersection.

Back to the main attraction, as far as we're concerned: Soulpepper Theatre. We caught "What the Butler Saw", a zany farce by Joe Orton, and "Doc", an award winning drama by Sharon Pollock about a relationship between a daughter and father. The latter had a unique set. The designer divied up the stage into four "rooms" using sheets of clear plexiglas set perpendicular to the stagefront and with body shapes cut out that served as entrances and exits for each character. There was also a gauzy backfrop. Unusual overall. Moody and dense with shadow and refracted light.

We like a pre-play dinner at Mill Street Brewery by the huge copper vats (or whatever you call them when it's beer), but not under the skylight if it's pouring out, unless we are in need of a little misting. Then we take time to peruse the distillery district and wander through the cobblestone lanes by the forty-seven Victorian industrial buildings that have been revamped and repurposed.

Creative types and business types coexist, as do old and new: old material, new green technology. The village created and its galleries, boutiques, eateries, theatres, cafes are meant to be sauntered and savoured.

A massive metal sculpture outside the market and adjacent to the A Taste of Quebec cheese shop that we pretend doesn't exist, for the benefit of our wallets and waistlines:

More mega scultpure outside of Balzac Coffee. Balzac's is great coffee, but the espresso at the fine food market is perfect.

Great place to chill.

-P

Mabou and The Red Shoe

August 15, 2010 Mabou, Cape Breton, NS

The Highlands dip into the ocean on the Ceilidh Trail.

It was our first day without the Faires family. We were a bit sad and lonely, but consoled ourselves with some authentic Celtic music, Garrison Tall Ship Amber ale and a Pair of Shoes (Left shoe: bruschetta with goat cheese. Right shoe: hummus and pita) at the Red Shoe Pub. Members of The Rankin Family, a local multi-award winning musical family, own the pub and keep it lively with live music every day of the week.

A scene-stealing spoon player, two fiddlers (one left-handed), a pianist and (not pictured) several step dancers:

We made it back to the campground just in time for the sunset finale at the beach.

We had just one night in Mabou so set out first thing in the morning for a favourite hike along the bluffs of West Mabou Beach.

No bears or moose, just bunnies and blueberries.

Back on the beach we found a water-loving dog, ...

...a purply crab ...

... tide designs ...

... and these 'gems':

We highly recommend refueling with a great breakfast back in town at Shining Waters Bakery and, in the summer months, Tuesday Ceilidhs at the Community Hall across the street from the pub.

-P

Waypoint Halifax

August 10, 2010 Halifax, NS

I hoped we could explore the Canadian School of Lutherie with George Ryzsani, builder of Voyageur, a Six String Nation guitar built from 63 pieces of  Canadian wood "representing many different cultures, communities and characters from all across the country", "including a piece of decking from the Bluenosoe II, a piece of Wayne Gretzky's hockey stick and wood from Pier 21". One of goals for the Six String Nation project is "to tell the story of a country from the roots to the trunk rather than the other way around; and to encourage us to tell that story to ourselves and the world through music".

George ran luthier workshops at the Canadian School of Lutherie, a centre for studying guitar building that specializes in building hand-made, custom guitars. He has made guitars for James Taylor, Keith Richards, Sting, Peter Gabriel and more. However, George is on his last guitar building project for the centre and will retire from his line of guitars. I believe his last is the only with a built in vile of ashes--the ashes of a beloved friend and musician. The upright guitar on the far right:

George put me in touch with Jeremy. Jeremy et al were fine hosts, happy to explain their projects and processes, answer all of our questions, and allow Jay to try out their wares.

Project central:

The Faireses left feeling like they could finally tackle the guitar kit they have back home.

We left the school for waterfront Halifax and found a Buskers Festival we didn't expect. Normally, the waterfront makes for nice strolling grounds peppered with the occasional musician or painter, but festival goers crowded the wharfs.

We watched boats cruise by in the harbour and wandered the wharf for a bit.

We found some local music, but, tired of crowds, we broke away for a seat and a drink ...

at The Old Triangle, one of several great pubs in Halifax.

Jay had another chance to say goodbye to Carmel Mikol; she was just outside on the pub patio.

We had been working up to dinner since morning, when we decided we wanted good Indian food for supper. The private circle room was a perfect fit at Taj Mahal, open just two days following a six-month closure due to fire:

We feasted and waddled away.

Of course, we could spend a week or more in the city, but with just one night's stay we had time for just a few highlights.

We also highly recommend the maritime museum, Neptune Theatre, Paper Chase cafe, The Wooden Monkey restaurant, Opa! restaurant, Maxwell's Plum English pub, Pogue Fado pub, Split Crow pub, The Economy Shoe Shop cafe/bar and any live music you can find.

-P

The Knot

July 29, 2010 Lunenburg, NS

The Knot Pub is a local favourite for pints, eats and music. "The person sitting next to you could be a scallop fisherman, Christmas tree farmer, Norwegian sailor, world famous actor, musician, painter, scholar – you never know who you’re going to meet at The Knot!" That's true. And it might even be a ghost. The pub has a "resident ghost", but not to worry--they say she's friendly.

Local beer on tap (Lloyd likes Propeller Pub Ale, I like Alexander Keith's), local Indian Point Mussels, the most potent caesar salad you'll ever have and local peanut butter pie. That's our pick, every time, though Lloyd opts for  potato skins, which are also sinfully delicious.

A rare still moment for Coletyn:

Coletyn at his usual pace and big sis Shannon taking it easy.

Piles of mussel shells and well fed Faireses. We found we all had a different technique for excavating the mussel from its shell. There's the slurp method for mussels with great sauce (use the side the mussel's on to scoop sauce and spoon and slurp the mussel all at once), the pinch method (using a used shell to pick out mussels from shells), and then there's Jay's method. Pull 'em all out of their shells with your fingers and gather them into a pile then pop them in your mouth. There's not wrong way to eat them as far as we're concerned.

-P

Zingerman's Roadhouse

While visiting Ann Arbor, MI during Lloyd's consult visit with a client we went to Zingerman's Roadhouse. The restaurant is not to be missed. Unique menu and great service and atmosphere. -L

Rome: Day 1

April 24, 2010 I admittedly put off blogging when I've taken hundreds of photos for one destination. That, in part, explains the delay in posting. I'm grateful you're checking this out as that is the best incentive to keep posting! Thanks for following along.

We dropped off our luggage at Arco del Lauro B&B in Trastevere and traipsed just a few hundred feet to Piazza in Piscinula for lunch. Rome awaits. What to do? Take a 4-hour nap. Not planned, but thoroughly enjoyed.

We woke late afternoon and set out to catch just a few glimpses of Rome before dark. I'm sharing them with you.

Old marries new:

The area is apparently known as the Jewish Ghetto of Rome, but "ghetto" in Rome is... it just doesn't fit!

A sneak peek at the Coliseum:

Just one of many sweeping views in the capital of Italy:

Mmmm (need I say more?):

Tiber Island, the only island in the Tiber River, is linked to Rome by two bridges:

Fountain of Neptune in Piazza Navona:

Unfortunately the more famous fountain, The Fountain of Four Rivers by Bernini, was under construction.

People-watching rules in Piazza Navona.

We took a Rick Steve's Rome Top 10 guide recommendation and dined at Trattoria da Lucia, a dark little restaurant run by three generations of one family. We skipped the stingray soup with broccoli and went with the antipasto della casa, gnocchi (very sticky!) and a "mezzo litro" of red wine followed by a selection of local cheeses with honey.

All of that in just a couple/three hours. Rome is a walking town that offers more to see than we could see in months so we'll share highlights and leave the rest for next time.

-P

Florence, or "Firenze"

Hi all! We're so far behind. Please forgive the brief posts. Photos will say more than I will.

April 23, 2010

A miserable weather day, but it hardly matters when you're wandering the capital of Tuscany.

We docked in Livorno and instead of touring Pisa we took a 90-minute tour bus ride (with the exception of a grand house on a hillock and a couple vineyards the scenery is rather plain) into Florence for a half-guided, half-independent walking tour. We quickly abandoned our group and struck out on our own in search of a dry, authentic, off the beaten path Italian restaurant and some genuine minestrone.

We found the perfect place in a back alleyway: Ristorante Il Paiolo, where the chef and proprietor shelled fava beans together on the back table.

I think we had a Chianti--when in Florence... I did have the minestrone. I suspect it's more of a whatever's in the garden/kitchen soup in Italy as it varies greatly. I had minestrone a few times and it was usually a clearer broth with just a few vegetables like yellow squash and zucchini--quite plain, but satisfying.

The reward of a socked in day in Florence is the contrast between the umbrellas and the sculptures and buildings. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the second largest cathedral in the world. It can hold up to 3,000 people.

The octagonal Baptistry's bronze door, "Gates of Paradise" by Ghiberti:

Europeans love their gelato, even on a cold, blustery rain day.

Leather markets pop up under tarps in squares and alleyways:

We thought the wee green, three-wheeled "trucks" were cute. Check out the police uniforms:

One of the most famous sights in Florence: bridges and the Arno River lined by bright apartment buildings:

Perseus and Medusa outside Uffizi Gallery:

Fountain of Neptune:

More to come.

-P

Eze

April 22, 2010 Lloyd had to help the taxi driver navigate the narrow zigzag streets from Villefranche up to Eze Village. Fortunately, the taxi had electronic fold-in mirrors to instantly shave off a foot of width. A harrowing five minutes later we stood at the base of Eze's medieval stone steps.

Of the drive, George Sand said, in 1868, " ... it is a most breathtaking road landscape, the most accomplished, a state of the art achievement." Breathtaking indeed.

Perched over the Mediterranean, Eze spirals up from modern streets to castle ruins.

Hitchcock featured the landscape in "To Catch a Thief".

We weaved through the maze of alleys and found photo opps at every turn.

Cobblestone walkways, tiny courtyards, old glorious (to me) doors, ...

... carved gutters, creeping vines, contemporary sculptures, intricate lamps, wee windows, mysterious holes in stone walls, pay toilettes and souvenir shops crammed into cubby holes.

Ground floors used to be cellars for wine and olive oil or stables for goats, sheep and mules. Houses were built of limestone.

We climbed all the way to the top to the castle ruins and ...

... Jardin Exotique (exotic garden).

Despite the cool grey haze we had a wonderful panorma of Villefranche and Eze's terracotta tile roofs.

Descending, we took a side path to the cemetery which is stuffed full of family crypts worn by weather but modernized by new nameplates, plastic flowers, photographs and the deceased memorialized as recent as '07.

After so many steps we felt we earned our brunch at Creperie Le Cactus pour le petite dejeuner: une Crepe Gourmand et cafe expresso.

The crepe arrived smothered in nutella, sliced bananas and whipped cream. Decadent.

Back at the base of the village we were greeted by sunshine and the perfume of luxury soaps and bins of spice.

After Eze we caught the public bus for 1 euro to Nice. The bus, with its windowed sides, gave us a great view of the beautiful seaside and got us to Nice in about ten minutes.

-P