Well, my arrival in Paris was less smooth than one may have hoped for! On Tuesday I got up quite early to go to Maricelas and finish building - yes building - Nunos bag for all the stuff that he needed me to bring to Paris with me. It’s a franken-bag - honestly it looks absolutely rediculous made of various shopping bags, and a LOT of tape! It also coincidentally weights nearly 30lb, and I carried it plus my backpack first through the streets of barcelona and then through the streets of Paris. 

I had opted not to take the metro when I arrived in Paris because I was not sure if I could manage with all the stairs and the crowded tunnels with all the baggage and I thought “wow, how lucky is that! There is a bus that goes just one metro stop away from Juliens house!” So I got on the bus. We were sitting and waiting a long time in the airport stop and so I asked the driver how long it would take to get to Nation ( a very misleading sign made it appear as though it was almost a direct route, no other stops) and he said that he had to wait there for 10 minutes and then it would be 20 minutes to Nation. Great! (I thought) 2 hours later, I got off the bus. We apparently stopped everywhere! Hahah, it was an intersting tour of the city and luckily I didn’t think I had to be anywhere in a hurry. So I got off the bus and started walking with my 50lbs of luggage. I walked to Rue du Voltaire - which I had written down was his address. I got to the end of the street and the numbers stopped. Oh dear. So I called his roomate. It’s not RUE its BLVD. Great, okay, currently I am near to around 2km from there. But I keep walking, trying to get a taxi but all the ones passing are full. FINALLY I find a taxi stand, I walk to the front of the qeue and am putting my stuff in the back seat of this guys cab, tell him I want to go and he says “but thats just around the corner” i say “yes, but i just cant carry these things any further” and he tells me very rudely that hes been waiting there for 45 minutes and it is not worth his time for 5 euros and blablabla so I hold back a slew of insults that I want to yell at him and just continue walking. I have never been so sore after a 1.5 hour flight haha, it really shows that I have to get back to the gym! 

So, once I arrived, it got SO much better. Juliens apartment is so nice, especialy for what I expected (very small) but its got very nice wood floors, lots of light, very quiet and basically I wish it was mine haha. And once Julien got home from work we went around the corner to a little restaurant called Monseur where I had an excellent chicken with apple glaze and mashed potato dinner, finished  with some kind of chocolate cake that we would call lava cake but they have a special name for... Mon-something? It was sooooo good and they had a cat in the restaurant!!!!!!! She was very sweet and she came and sat with me for about 20 minutes, and then someone got a big juicy steak and she moved on. It was the perfect way to end my crazy day - oh and also another thing I saw when I was walking was a little music shop where they sold sheet music and maybe had lessons and a man playing piano and a woman singing opera! How unique is that?! 

And yesterday - my first day - as you may suspect I just started wandering around ... and got lost haha! I was doing fine til I got to a massive traffic circle at Bastille and then I took the wrong road and it all went to hell from there. However it was a nice walk and I saw some very quiet neighbourhoods of Paris. Actually all of Paris is very quiet, there isn’t much going on at all because it’s very cold, (I can see my breath even) people here work much more than they do in Spain and also I don’t know... it’s just not tourist season I guess. But I froze yesterday morning, I wasn’t prepared for that, thankfully today is warmer. 

So yes, I was wandering around getting quite lost, in search of crepes and the latin quarter. After some time I gave up, got on the metro. I made quite an embarrassing mistake trying to work the ticket machine - here I am pushing on the screen and not understanding why it’s not working, and then I realize that there is a little rolly ball that you have to move and a button to accept the selection. I think people were looking at me and groaning on the inside as I struggled with it haha. Eventually I made it to the platform where I saw a guy who I thought was very religous, not wearing shoes and what looked like some kind of robe... or something. Once we were on the train I realized it was neither of these things, he was just a crazy man wearing a toque, a bedsheet and without shoes. He went up and down the train yelling something (I’m sure rude) and when no one gave him what he wanted he lit up a cigarette - IN the train! Well, a couple older men got up and cornered him near a door and made him get off at the next stop. Crazy bastard. 

I was surprised yesterday how little I recognized. I know it’s been 7 years but I thought I might remember more, and what I do remember is not really how I remembered it. It’s interesting. Today I plan to go with Juliens very nice roomate to some of the museums in the city and tomorrow... NUNO COMES! Hooray, it’s going to be a fun time with all of us. Oh - ps - yesterday for dinner I at AMAZING crepes with cider. So good.  Thats all I have time to tell you today, more to come soon. I have no internet connection at the house so I found a perfect little cafe where the waiter is very nice to me and speaks english so I plan to have breakfast here each morning :) Sorry I can’t skype but love to all, and see you soon!

Re-entry

Well it's been about 2 weeks back in Canada now. Things aren't a whole lot different from when I left. Just trying to get back into the swing of things, find a job, make some money and figure out a direction or a way to get back to Spain. I miss it a lot and coming home is certainly not easy. It's been an amazing couple of years and I've learned  a lot being away.

I'm thankful for all the support and encouragement from my friends and family and I'm sure that I couldn't have done it without you.

Now that I'm home I'm going to try to keep up with some of the European lifestyle - waste less, live more simply, eat healthier, drive less and try my best not to forget the Spanish!

Anyhow, love to all and to my Spanish family who I miss dearly. Merry Christmas <3

Reunion

Well! I'm still here, today is my last official day in Paris and I'm taking it easy. It's been a fairly hectic 6 days because Julien is Mister Party Planner Extroardinaire lol which means that we have had plans almost every night since I got here. It's been a lot of fun though. On Thursday he had colleagues over from work and we ate fresh bread, tons of different cheese, special meat (like we have in spain) and wine. Friday he had his girlfriend Roxanne and a friend Aurelie over for Raclette - which is like the french version of fondue! So yes - moooooooore cheese! And then yesterday I met up with Nuno in the center, we had crepes and wandered around, did some sight seeing, I did a bit of shopping and got a nice new dress and pair of shoes for interviews and then we went to a bar nearby where Julien had invited a bunch of friends, former schoolmates and roomates. It was a verrrrrry busy bar so we were lucky to get a bunch of seats and it was quite fun, although the drinks are double the cost of Barcelona!

Today it has been raining, I've been pretty lucky with the weather even though it is freezing cold and so I don't want to walk around tooooooo much. We're going to a restauarnt nearby and Julien has a lunch thing today, so I'm just catching up on a few new episodes, did a bit of cleaning, enjoying some wonderful chocolate and then tonight will be my goodbye dinner with both of the boys. Quite sad.

Well, anyhow that's the quick update. There are a few photos of this trip to put up when I get back but not tooooo many as I really don't want to take off my mittens to get the camera out ;)

Oooh lala le France

Well, my arrival in Paris was less smooth than one may have hoped for! On Tuesday I got up quite early to go to Maricelas and finish building - yes building - Nunos bag for all the stuff that he needed me to bring to Paris with me. It’s a franken-bag - honestly it looks absolutely rediculous made of various shopping bags, and a LOT of tape! It also coincidentally weights nearly 30lb, and I carried it plus my backpack first through the streets of barcelona and then through the streets of Paris. 

I had opted not to take the metro when I arrived in Paris because I was not sure if I could manage with all the stairs and the crowded tunnels with all the baggage and I thought “wow, how lucky is that! There is a bus that goes just one metro stop away from Juliens house!” So I got on the bus. We were sitting and waiting a long time in the airport stop and so I asked the driver how long it would take to get to Nation ( a very misleading sign made it appear as though it was almost a direct route, no other stops) and he said that he had to wait there for 10 minutes and then it would be 20 minutes to Nation. Great! (I thought) 2 hours later, I got off the bus. We apparently stopped everywhere! Hahah, it was an intersting tour of the city and luckily I didn’t think I had to be anywhere in a hurry. So I got off the bus and started walking with my 50lbs of luggage. I walked to Rue du Voltaire - which I had written down was his address. I got to the end of the street and the numbers stopped. Oh dear. So I called his roomate. It’s not RUE its BLVD. Great, okay, currently I am near to around 2km from there. But I keep walking, trying to get a taxi but all the ones passing are full. FINALLY I find a taxi stand, I walk to the front of the qeue and am putting my stuff in the back seat of this guys cab, tell him I want to go and he says “but thats just around the corner” i say “yes, but i just cant carry these things any further” and he tells me very rudely that hes been waiting there for 45 minutes and it is not worth his time for 5 euros and blablabla so I hold back a slew of insults that I want to yell at him and just continue walking. I have never been so sore after a 1.5 hour flight haha, it really shows that I have to get back to the gym! 

So, once I arrived, it got SO much better. Juliens apartment is so nice, especialy for what I expected (very small) but its got very nice wood floors, lots of light, very quiet and basically I wish it was mine haha. And once Julien got home from work we went around the corner to a little restaurant called Monseur where I had an excellent chicken with apple glaze and mashed potato dinner, finished  with some kind of chocolate cake that we would call lava cake but they have a special name for... Mon-something? It was sooooo good and they had a cat in the restaurant!!!!!!! She was very sweet and she came and sat with me for about 20 minutes, and then someone got a big juicy steak and she moved on. It was the perfect way to end my crazy day - oh and also another thing I saw when I was walking was a little music shop where they sold sheet music and maybe had lessons and a man playing piano and a woman singing opera! How unique is that?! 

And yesterday - my first day - as you may suspect I just started wandering around ... and got lost haha! I was doing fine til I got to a massive traffic circle at Bastille and then I took the wrong road and it all went to hell from there. However it was a nice walk and I saw some very quiet neighbourhoods of Paris. Actually all of Paris is very quiet, there isn’t much going on at all because it’s very cold, (I can see my breath even) people here work much more than they do in Spain and also I don’t know... it’s just not tourist season I guess. But I froze yesterday morning, I wasn’t prepared for that, thankfully today is warmer. 

So yes, I was wandering around getting quite lost, in search of crepes and the latin quarter. After some time I gave up, got on the metro. I made quite an embarrassing mistake trying to work the ticket machine - here I am pushing on the screen and not understanding why it’s not working, and then I realize that there is a little rolly ball that you have to move and a button to accept the selection. I think people were looking at me and groaning on the inside as I struggled with it haha. Eventually I made it to the platform where I saw a guy who I thought was very religous, not wearing shoes and what looked like some kind of robe... or something. Once we were on the train I realized it was neither of these things, he was just a crazy man wearing a toque, a bedsheet and without shoes. He went up and down the train yelling something (I’m sure rude) and when no one gave him what he wanted he lit up a cigarette - IN the train! Well, a couple older men got up and cornered him near a door and made him get off at the next stop. Crazy bastard. 

I was surprised yesterday how little I recognized. I know it’s been 7 years but I thought I might remember more, and what I do remember is not really how I remembered it. It’s interesting. Today I plan to go with Juliens very nice roomate to some of the museums in the city and tomorrow... NUNO COMES! Hooray, it’s going to be a fun time with all of us. Oh - ps - yesterday for dinner I at AMAZING crepes with cider. So good.  Thats all I have time to tell you today, more to come soon. I have no internet connection at the house so I found a perfect little cafe where the waiter is very nice to me and speaks english so I plan to have breakfast here each morning :) Sorry I can’t skype but love to all, and see you soon!

Take it Easy

Because that's what I've been doing all day. My back was really sore - probably from hauling everything I still own up to the 4th floor of my building without an elevator - and now that I have my own mattress back I'm letting a little bit of sleep therapy sort that all out!

I finished my final days at work this week and also had a meeting with my thesis advisor, which went - well - not too horribly, but it was more just to give back his books and a few supplies I don't really want to haul back across the ocean with me.

I'm thinking more and more about what I will bring back - what I don't need, what I don't want - what I need to get before I leave. There are a few essential items I need to buy before I leave this city and I figure that it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up a couple dress shirts and what not for going back to work. I can probably let go of some of my 3 Euro t-shirts which have holes, stains etc. and spend a bit of upfront money so I don't go to interviews looking like a student!

People keep asking what I'll do when I get back. Honestly? I don't really know. I've tried so hard not to think about it. It's probably going to involve getting a job, applying for some more schooling (required to be a licensed architect), looking for a place to live and just trying to make it all come together somehow. It wasn't part of the plan really so I'm just winging it and hoping for the best. So now you know. You have no idea and neither do I!

Christmas is coming. There are some ugly/tacky/wonderful christmas sweaters in a store here which I absolutely love! I think they are hilarious and great. I'm considering getting one to wear for the entire month of December. I do love Christmas. This year we're going all out on the decorations and the baking! Maybe I'll even think of some decorations/crafts to do at the school with moms students :) That's always fun!

Alright, well that's enough for today. More to come before Paris next week!

Stephanies Trip - The Photo Story

Well, as always, click on the picture to enlarge!

 This is the London Eye, from the tourbus on one of our very very rainy afternoons there, when I was working I was actually staying in a hotel very close to this and it is lit up all blue at night which is quite nice but apparently it's really expensive to ride and it goes VERY slow (45min to go around) so I'm not sorry we didn't ride it!

 We're jumping all over the place here, but this is in Inverness, walking along the river path through a park on the way to the family history center where we thought we could maybe dig up some documents! Turns out we didn't have enough information for them to tell us anything, but the colours were great and it was a really nice walk.

 Steph on our walk.

 This is the town of Inverness, you can see the 2 churches on the right which are just infront of one of the oldest streets in the town - the favorite local restaurant is Hootenannies - yes, people apparently DO use this word!

 Maricela had her birthday/Halloween party while we were in Barcelona and so we spent the night with her and her roomates and some friends before we left to Girona.

 Me and Steph taking a little self portrait as we walked along the old Roman Walls of Girona.

 Annnnd jumping back to London - Nimas sister took us to a really nice market and so we wandered around and had some lunch with her on this afternoon.

 FFWD to Cadaques! Steph enjoying some coffee in the sun, it felt like it could've been summer again that day! People were actually suntanning on the beach.

 The town of Cadaques walking around the little bay - it reminds me so much of Greece! It was very quiet on this day and luckily not too much wind.

 Me, with our very sweet host Mireya who offered to drive us all around - we managed to take the wrong exit a few times but always got to where we needed to go! Despite steph being really sick, we had a really nice day.

 Cap de Creus, looking South towards Spain.

 Cap de Creus looking North towards France, those mountains in the distance are the pyrenees of France.

 A nice umbrella installation in London - I wonder if it actually protects you from the rain?

 Tower Bridge in London - I love this bridge it's so beautiful and cool looking! London Bridge (after the song) is very boring and looks just like any old bridge.

 Edinburgh castle, luckily our first day tehre was sunny so we managed to get some photos! The castle is a good landmark too and we were staying just a few mins walk away.

 We had lunch a few times in this little pie shoppe called Auld Jocks - pie as in meat pies! They were cheap and delicous!

 Me on the cruise ship as we were Nessy spotting at Lochness, the colours were very nice but a storm rolled through as we got to Urquhart castle. It was about 30 mins on the water and then we had 2 hours in 2 different places - the castle and also the Monster exhibit which gave a lot of history about various scientific teams trying to research the myth!

Last but not least - Steph at Urquhart castle, standing in the ruins that are left and looking over the scottish countryside!

Well, she left very early this morning and we had a crazy, busy, fun and interesting trip going here there and everywhere. We had 2 quick days in Barcelona for me to show her a couple of things, and I have over 800 pictures from it all so hopefully my selection captures just a snippit of it :)

One month today til I'm back in Canada! See you soon!

Cadaques

Well, we have been a few days now in the Girona countryside and have seen/done a few things but mostly just taken it pretty easy. Steph has some kind of cold which is keeping her pretty down, and so we took yesterday off and did really nothing at all except a little walk to the nearest village and back. The day before that, we walked to a small town called Bescano (7km from the house) and caught the next bus to Girona. It was a nice day (luckily because it poured rain all day yesterday, part of our reasoning for staying in) and so we walked all around the town - around the old roman walls of the city which you can actually walk on top of still, through the small narrow streets of the old jewish quarter, had a not very good lunch but got over it and carried on just looking in small shops and what not. It was a nice day and we came back to the house to make dinner around 7.

The 2 people who own the bnb we are staying at are soooo nice, they are a family actually and they've been married and living here for 30 years - he is Irish and she is Spanish so it's quite interesting from the beginning. However, they've taken us in and treat us like their own kids (we are about the same age) and are so great to us. Today, Mireya took us driving (more than an hour) to Cadaques, because I had mentioned it was somewhere that we wanted to go when I inquired about coming. The bus connections from here aren't good, and she thought she would like to go anyway, so she took us with her and gave us a great tour! She is a true conversationalist so we never seem to run out of things to talk about, and the weather was absolutely perfect for it today - it almost felt like summer again. The photos turned out quite nice and so I'm excited to post those once we get back to Barcelona tomorrow.

In the morning we have to pack up and go back to BCN where I need to figure out my living situation and spend the last couple of days giving Steph a proper tour of BCN - there is so much she hasn't seen there yet!

Anyhow, that's where we're at for now :) Love to all!