Paris 2014 - Day 2 , Catacombs and Notre Dame

The first night in Europe is always in question. I did not sleep well the night before I left, I only slept a few hours on the overnight flight but last night I slept from 10pm to about 7:30am, with periodic wakes and prompt returns to sleep. I awoke refreshed and ready to tackle the city. After a quick breakfast we stopped at our local bar for coffee and croissant - so delicious.
We walked up to the large area, in front of the station, where about 7 roads all converge, and into the piece of land, and building, in the centre. This was the entrance to the Catacombs and we had been warned to get there by 9:30 even though it opened at 10am. We were there at 9am and there were 4 in line ahead of us.

Aimee and Greg waiting in line. Only 200 people are let in at a time and the line
snaked around the corner by the time it opened.

It was 130 steps down into the catacombs and we had bought the audio tour as there English tour was only available 2 days a week, not today. So basically, the story is, that there are many miles of quarries below Paris. This is one of the reasons why there are no high rises in the Central area as in the early days the houses and streets would suddenly disappear because the early mining shafts would collapse. The cemeteries were also getting too full and a decision was made to move the bodies into the old quarries. At first each cemetery was emptied and the bodies dumped into the old quarries. Then it was decided that this was disrespectful and an effort was made to re-organze the "dump". So the catacombs were formed. I was awed. There are estimated to be the bones of 6 million people, rich and poor, all together.
The initial section describes the formation of the land under Paris, large seas in the ancient past and the quarrying of that material by the Romans and then the Parisians to build Paris. The walk is down about 130 circular stairs and then along narrow, stone, dim, often damp, corridors.

The entrance to the bone filled section of the tour.

The actual cemetery section is quite amazing. The skulls and shin bones are stacked in patterns and periodically there are plaques noting the cemeteries that had originally housed the bodies and relevant sayings, quotes and poems.

The corridors lined with skulls and bones seem to go on and on. The total walk is a couple of kilometres. The audio guide told stories of carvings made by the quarry workers, the discovery of wells and creation of reinforcements in the quarries, other public displays of, for example, skeletal deformities, a concert held in the tombs, famous visitors etc but what stayed with me was the devotion of key leaders to creating a magnificent memorial to the Parisians interred there and to the place that death holds in our intellect.
It was more than 80 winding stairs back to the surface and it was cooler outside than it had been underground.
We had a coffee and "flan" before returning home to regroup, have lunch and set out again. We took the bus to Ile-de-la-cite and walked to Notre Dame.

I always take a picture of the Rose Window, I cant help myself but unfortunately, don't do it justice.

This time I took some pictures of the other things I love in Notre Dame:
The lesser stain glassed windows,

Sculptures,

Joan of Arc

Beautiful painted ceilings and walls in some of the side rooms,

and the centre of the building.

We then walked around the back of Notre Dame, exploring the ponts , gardens and views of the exterior.

When George and I were here a couple of years ago there was just a scattering of locks, proclaiming eternal
love, on this bridge. Now there are literally tons and there is a move afoot to have them removed.

Cunard et pont

A chance view of mounted guards on the other side of the river

After the winter we've had it is so nice to see trees in blossom and plants in flower.

We came back "home" on a very crowded bus (we have to figure out when rush hour is in this city), stopped by our local bar for a drink and then came home to make our first supper in the apartment. Now I have to e-mail our land lady as we can't figure out how to use the dishwasher (yes, we have a dishwasher! Great apartment).
Tomorrow I think Aimee and I are going to the Louvre.

Paris 2014 - Day 1, Arrival

I left my car at Chris and Jason's and Jason drove me to the airport. The flight went well, luckily the 46 high school students, seated all around me, had flown in from Winnipeg that morning and were so exhausted they all slept.
I met up with Aimee and Greg within 30 minutes of landing at the airport. Whew! That had been my largest concern. We had a bit of a delay as the train (RER B) into Paris wasn't running regularly but once we got on it was a smooth, 45 min ride to our stop in the 14th arrondissement. First stop was to a café just outside the train station to get a café au lait, aah, I felt like I was in Paris.

Aimee and I had coffees and Greg had a beer. I love the skinny
packages of sugar.

We found our building, put in the code we had been sent and then buzzed the concierge from the lobby, but no response. Luckily Aimee had paid Bell for 1 month of phone in Europe so we called our landlady, who called the concierge, who let us in. The apartment is larger than expected, high ceilings, big windows, a real kitchen, we are very happy with it (you never know when you book on the internet, quite what to expect). There is not, however, a coffee maker so we went to a little bar on the corner for coffee and a snack. I think we will become regulars as it is a sweet little place and has a very friendly bartender who speaks good English. After he delivered our drinks to us he left us in the bar and went out, bringing back bread and eggs for the meals we had ordered - so trusting.

Next off to a grocery store, there's one just around the corner, to stock up with the essentials. The essentials included olive oil, balsamic vinegar, 12 Stella Artois, 4 bottles of red wine, garlic, Perrier .... you get the picture. After this we will probably just shop for each day.

Aimee, taking a picture, outside the door to our building.

Our building

After putting all our purchases away, we sat and discussed agendas and looked at guide books before Aimee and I ventured out again to explore the neighbourhood a bit more. We found the entrance to the Catacombs (just up the street, in front of the train station) and we are planning to go tomorrow morning. We stopped in at the train station and bought books of 10 tickets for the Metro and the buses. We found a boulangerie and had a couple of croissants. We found a pedestrian market street where I will take a lot of French food pictures to post on the blog and where I think we will do a lot of supper shopping. Last but not least we found a camera shop where I bought a charger for my camera battery which had died and I couldn't find the charger at home (the squirrel strikes again), a very successful explore.

Swans and Zentangling

Well the birds are definitely sure its spring - the swans are back. Flocks flying overhead, their warbling sounds all night and hundreds (not yet thousands) on the open water in Long Point Bay and in the fields around.

In the foreground, a variety of ducks, the white in the middle ground, swans!

I spent the weekend at a lovely Country Inn overlooking Lake Huron, near Goderich: Brentwood on the Beach.

The Inn itself has lots of cosy sitting areas with comfy chairs, couches and fireplaces. The rooms have ensuite bathrooms (many with big spa tubs) and fireplaces. There is a pool, hot tub and sauna and a dining room looking over the lake. Of more interest to those of us that were there for the "Spring Fibre Fling", there was plenty of room to spread out and engage in our chosen activities.

Sitting on the beach, anxiously waiting for summer.

Our work area

with adjoining sitting area with lots of room to chat by the fire.

We were were a mixed group of hookers, quilters, knitters, felters with fibre being the "common thread". Usually we get together in our own little "sects" but there is a great benefit to "cross pollination" and  it was interesting as a hooker to be exposed to the quilters, their language, techniques, colour sense and creativity. One of the organizers, searching for an activity that would interest all of us, bought with her books and supplies for "Zentangling". This is an advanced form of doodling with many resources on line as well as the books to encourage covering the page with different doodles. Some of us got hooked. Some zentangled in our minds when we couldn't sleep.

A few of the books on Zentangling

One participant created this beautiful, large Zentangle that she may hook.

It was a very productive weekend ..........

Pam started working on the background of her autumn tree, in reverse hooking, as well
as knitting and teaching some knitting.

It helps to knit when the yarn is gorgeous.

Needle felting and Zentangle

Hand quilting

Machine quilting.

I worked some more on my Scottish Rug,

Finished the 3rd mat in my "owl study"

and learnt how to Croknit which is a combination of crochet and knitting.
It was an excellent weekend with good food (provided by Brentwood and snacks provided by us), good conversation, lovely surroundings and an excess of creativity.
Finally the obligatory kitten picture:

Sleeping between the pillows

Long Point - avian signs of spring and "hooking"

Last week we got our last blast of winter and the world was all white again, for a day.

In spite of the accumulation of snow and the gusty winds, the birds believe it is spring. I have seen swans flying overhead for the last 3 weeks, there are lots of birds at the feeders; the usual sparrows, chickadees, junkos and the cardinal has returned after a long absence.

Most people take a sighting of a robin as the sign of spring but George considered the red winged blackbirds to be his indicator. He loved to see them perched on the reeds in the marshes beside the causeway. He hated that they would land en masse and empty the bird feeders. They were the primary reason for his rationing of the bird food. Well, they're back!

Rasta was quite disturbed by the storm...........

....... as you can see.

This weekend "the hookers" came to stay. Just 3 of us this time. The "original 3", as we started hooking together over 20 years ago at a class in Paris and used to get together every week to hook. Our group has expanded and now we try and get together, for a weekend, 4 or 5 times a year, at a rug hooking course, the annual show or at each others homes. We were very productive this weekend, all working on the rugs that are going to be taken to Scotland in May and displayed in October at a gallery, for Scottish Homecoming.

Pam had finished hooking hers and spent the weekend finishing the edge and back bindings

Heather worked on the cliff face and with trepidation now faces the sky.

I worked on the stone wall and have the most left to do.

Rasta was extremely helpful, the whole weekend, especially to Heather:

"Let me help you with that, I can hold the burlap while you draw on it."

"Yep, all this wool seems to be in order."

" and this wool too."

"Well Pam, all these loops feel perfect"

"This hoop is just my size, but I believe it's missing some burlap"

Perfect!

Sorry, too many cat pictures. I will end with the lovely sunset that we had on Saturday night. Which is another sign of spring as it no longer sets over the lake, but rather, behind the dune.

Long Point - longing for spring.

Life has revolved, primarily, around digging and visiting for the last week. Dad has managed to reside at 3 different hospitals in 10 days (Nicola wanted to know if he got frequent flyer rewards with the medical transportation services) and this has meant visiting him in Hamilton, Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. The other visiting has been for the purpose of socializing and eating and I have gone to a couple of excellent dinner parties in the last week.

I posted a picture of this floor mat in the blog about the Kindred Spirits retreat and here
it is in Jennifer's beautiful renovated kitchen.

So now to the shovelling. I posted a photo of my huge sand/snow drift that happened while I was taking care of Fiona in February. It has been added to numerous times since then and I have gradually been chipping away at it. I spend about an hour almost everyday on this endeavour and consider it my daily exercise.

Just like the growth rings of a tree, I can see the history of this winter in the levels in
the drift. White softish snow from a snow storm, dark layers of sand from when it was
windy and ice from those 'melt then freeze' days.

I actuall broke through to the hot tub today so now will have to chip away at it much more carefully. Today was actually quite mild and there are some early signs of spring.

Some wet sandy areas on the beach and the ice mountains have shrunk.

Winter trees reflected in a puddle on the road.

I bring spring home and put it in a vase.

And as for Rasta; he had his 3rd vet appointment and is now 4.5lbs and doesn't have to go back until its time for him to be neutered (wont that be fun!). He's oblivious to the seasons.

He sleeps

... and sleeps.