Scotland

Last post everyone.

I'm off to Paisley tomorrow (Saturday) to spend the night at Celia and Iain's before flying out early Sunday morning for home. Una is staying a few more days...she's coming back Thursday, just in time to wave me goodbye as I'm leaving Friday for a weeks golf trip in Florida.

Today was another great day...weather was warm enough to just need a sweater or light jacket. As you might see from the pics, we took an open air bus tour of the city which was very enjoyable. We lunched then at the Rose and Crown on Rose St where Alan and I enjoyed many a pint when we worked together 40 years ago. Next we went shopping and as you can see I splurged on a new outfit. No point in having a new purse without a new skirt! I've wanted a kilt for quite some time and just decided on the spur of the moment to go for it.

Loaded with parcels we took the bus back to Dalkeith only to have the bus break down on us and we had to wait another 10 minutes for the next one. Once back we drove to Lasswade and visited Una's dad then back to Mag's and Di's to enjoy steak pies which Una's dad had made for us.

It's been a great trip and I'm sorry that it is now virtually over. We have both enjoyed being able to share our experiences with so many people and reading all the comments along the way.

Cheerio from Edinburgh.

Scotland

Thursday October 12th

We left Paris.... reluctantly..... yesterday morning. It really is a lovely city and we could easily have stayed longer...however...time to move along so we took a cab to Port Maillot and caught a bus for the 1 hour trip to Beauvais Airport. Once there we had a breakfast/lunch followed by a pint at the Irish bar, Kitty O'Shea's, before boarding the Ryanair flight for Glasgow. The flight was smooth and quick and we were in Glasgow by just after 3:00pm where we were met by Celia and Iain. Ryanair are a great way to fly for short flights...very basic but efficient and luggage retrieval at Prestwick was a breeze...we had our bags within 5 minutes.

Back in Paisley we stopped off at Laura's house which is where we were staying before going to Celia's. Big Stefan showed up with his new friend Ann Marie, and Rachel was there with a friend and the nephews Philip & Andrew....anyway...you get the picture...lots of people...typical Ben Lui happening...controlled chaos....Scotland Ukraine on the tele....(full volume...)...Celia managed to dish up a great pot of soup and shepherds pie...beer ...wine...dogs barking...chatter....all in all a good night.

This morning we drove...thanks Celia for the car...to Edinburgh. We parked in the castle parking lot and walked Princes St. We enjoyed lunch in the Dome on George St. which is the old National Commercial Bank Head Office where Una worked over 40 years ago. Quite the experience. The building is absolutely gorgeous...well up there with all of the wonderful buildings we have visited in Europe over the past month and very nostalgic. The general layout of the building is unchanged and the flooring and the wonderful domed ceiling are marvelous. We ate in the bar rather than the actual restaurant..something to do with not wanting to pay 18 pounds for a hamburger.....

Late afternoon we drove to Lasswade and went to Una's dad's. He was in good form and we enjoyed a very nice visit before heading down to Mag's and Di's for a very nice supper. As you might see from the pics, the weather continues to be glorious, as it has been for the past close to 5 weeks.

I'm hopeful I can get a guest to contribute something tonight.......perhaps Suitcase might reveal herself .......

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Suitcase speaking here...............I am much smaller than I thought I was....I must have lost weight. I was full of empty promises as it turned out and there were no presents for Mags and Diane!!! I was however full of Brian's dirty nick nacks which were banished immediately to the washer, after a debate which might have resulted in them being incinerated. Una has gone to bed after trying hard to finish the wine but she failed. It has been great fun going over all the highlights of the trip and I am looking forward to seeing many photographs of myself. I am led to believe that Brian is going to be deserting Una and taking me home on my own. I am scared. I am afraid I might be mistreated. Jennifer please come and get me.

Suitcase

Paris

We arrived in Paris right on time at 10:00pm and quickly found a cab to take us to our hotel. We were there in 20 minutes. It's nice, small but clean and certainly a step up from the place we stayed last time we were here.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I was up early and went across the road to where an outdoor market had set up. I was able to buy 2 pair of underpants for 4 euros which solved the only real problem I had!

So, freshly dressed we sat and had coffee and croissants at a cafe downstairs from where you can see the Eiffel Tower. We then walked 15 minutes to the Seine and took a boat on an hour's cruise up to Notre Dame and back. We thought that it was a hop on hop off boat but turned not to be so we ended up back at the Eiffel Tower. The line ups to go to the top were long so we bought tickets for the red open top tour bus and went up to Notre Dame where we visited. Back on the bus we next went to the Champs Elysees where we had lunch on a patio. Back on the bus we headed for the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa but unfortunately it was closed being Tuesday. Off we went walking again this time to the Latin Quarter when we spied The Great Canadian Pub. Needless to say we went in and met some Canadians including the owner Mark and the pilot from Tuesday's Montreal/Paris Air Transat flight. The pub is very nice with all kinds of back home memorabilia...lots of hockey stuff. Apparently they get all the games and were packed to the doors for Saturday night's Toronto/Montreal game. I asked Mark how he got the TV feed ..he said he would tell me but would then have to kill me. Apparently it's very technical, involving a satellite package back home then over the internet.

We then walked back to our hotel...a one and a half hour trip but very enjoyable. Paris is such a lovely city and so walkable.

We then went out for supper to a nearby Bistro/bar called Cafe Antoine. No tourists here...very authentic...It's been in existence since 1911 and nothing (and I mean nothing) has changed since that date outside of the prices. Una had Pate de foie gras while I had Beef Bourguignon...(I should have had something I could spell). Pricey but very enjoyable. Back to the hotel where we finished off the earlier purchased bottle of Vin rouge.

While we were in the Canadian pub we got instructions on getting to Beauvais Airport from where we fly out this afternoon to Glasgow. Apparently the bus leaves from an Irish Bar (well done Ryanair....great planning...) in nearby Port Maillot.

So that finishes up the Europe part of our trip which started off a month ago to the day in Richmond Hill.

It's been a wonderful trip and we are so glad that you were able to share in our experiences through our almost daily blog.

It's off to Scotland now and I'm looking forward to watching the Scotland/Ukraine soccer game tonight with Iain.

Au Revoir Paris.....we will be back for sure.

Nice

It's 8:20pm and we are on the TGV about an hour and a half south of Paris. The train is very smooth and very fast although now that it is dark there is nothing to see so I thought I would just jot today's blog down and cut and paste it when we get to our hotel which apparently has wireless access.

We left the hotel this morning about 9:30. A glorious day weather wise... warm...not a cloud in the sky and no humidity. We bought coffees and croissants and sat on the promenade Boulevard des Anglais taking in the sights and admiring the ocean which was like glass. We then got on one of these open top tour buses and spent the next hour and a half being driven around admiring gorgeous scenery, following which we had lunch right on the beach in a very nice restaurant. The food was just outstanding and the view unparalleled...Sparkling water, bright sunshine, boats, sun bathers, and all the while the planes from Nice airport taking off over the water...they seemed to just miraculously appear out of the water.... before making a lazy turn south over the Bay of Angels which is where Nice is situated.

The meal was one of the best we have eaten since we have been in Europe and that's saying something. Una had baked Camembert cheese with warm honey sprinkled with pine nuts served with a salad while I had Mussels in a curry sauce which was to die for. I emptied the bread basket just dipping it in the delicious sauce. We shared a bottle of local Rose wine. The lunch wasn't even that expensive....40 euros..about $60. When you consider that included a bottle of wine and 2 outstanding entrees and factor in the location...on the beach in Nice...I think it was a bargain. Following lunch I went for a swim in the sea right in front of the restaurant, (the restaurant had changing facilities and lovely towels to rent) while Una sat and enjoyed the remainder of the wine. The swim was really great...the water was warm and clean and I could have stayed in longer but we reluctantly had to leave and catch our train.

We've been to many places and said it more than once, but Nice is certainly a place we would come back to.

The early part of the train journey was interesting as we travelled the Cote D'Azure past Cannes and other smaller towns but then grew more industrial, less attractive, however it got dark about 7:30. We had bought baguettes and a bottle of wine so we haven't even ventured up to the restaurant car.

Bon Nuit from somewhere south of Paris.


Hello everyone its me Una, just to let you know how much we look forward to and enjoy all your comments on the blog and to let the newcomers, Nike Shoes and Tilly Pants (whoever you are) know how much of a laugh you have given us. Gees, this train is fairly speeding along, it feels as though its ready to take off any minute, I'll have to sign off for now..........love to you all ......Unax

Nice

Bon jour from Nice and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back in Canada! Looks like the weather is going to be good for you although I see it will be cooling down as the week goes on.

Yesterday we took the train up the coast half an hour and spent the day in Monaco/Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo is everything you imagine. The setting is stunning with the high cliffs and the ocean. The weather again was perfect, warm and sunny and the sea was like glass. The harbour is full of magnificent, expensive boats and yachts some as big as ferries.

We took a bus up the hill to where the Palace is and took a tour which was excellent. A bit of shopping and then we took the 6:30 train back to Nice. We had planned to head the other way on the coast today and visit Cannes, but apparently it's very similar to Nice so we are just going to spend the day here.

While we were in the train station yesterday we made reservations on the TGV for Paris later this afternoon. The train doesn't leave 'till 4:30 so we have most of the day to enjoy here and looking out the window at 8:30 am it looks to be another gorgeous day shaping up.


As you might see from today's pics, I bought man purse a gift in Monte Carlo. He's been ever so good and I couldn't resist. I think red suits him. I hope this gift proves more reliable than the last one I bought. I purchased a very nice Rolex time piece from a black gentleman on a street in Pisa. He insisted I make the purchase and even gave me a discount from his original asking price. The watch kept perfect time up until we drove out of the parking lot at the leaning Tower of Pisa and then inexplicably stopped and refuses to re-start. Not only that but I seem to have mislaid the vendor's business card and will not be able to take advantage of his guarantee.

Nice

Thursday was a lovely day. Weather again was spectacular. We spent some time in Certaldo Alto with Celia & Iain, then drove to Empoli about 30 kilometers up the road but not a lot to see there although I was able to post from there and we did again enjoy a very nice gelato. On the way back we stopped at a winery and had a tour of the wine making process, then had a bit of a tasting and bought a few bottles but only for immediate consumption as transporting is a problem and shipping economically out of the question.We got back supper time and met up with Peter & Penny who had enjoyed a nice day touring nearby Monterigionni.

Back at the Villa we ate in as we had to use up what was in the fridge. Peter & Penny took charge and prepared a nice Pasta dish with ham and tomatoes plus a salad then we finished off with a homemade (Peter) custard and cookies plus a few wines to help the digestion. We ate in as by the time the meal was ready it had cooled down a bit.

Friday was back to Florence as we still had to see David. Iain stayed home as did Penny who wanted a day by the pool. The plan was to take the train but when we got to the station we discovered the next train wasn't for another two hours so we drove. Another adventure, with traffic coming from all angles it seemed and those pesky Vespas buzzing by at breakneck speed. Safely parked, we walked to the Academia and lined up in blazing sunshine for an hour to see Michelangelo's David. The statue is truly amazing...huge...very lifelike...and with breathtaking detail. While in line we met and chatted with a nice young couple from Vancouver, clearly identifiable from the maple leaf on their back-pack, and they, like us, happy for chat about home. While Peter & I stood in line, the girls sat and had a beer.....and rejoined the line just as we were were ready to enter. After we left the Academia we bought some paintings from a street artist. They looked beautiful...hopefully we will feel the same about them once we get them home.

After, we strolled and then managed to find a Gelaterio which sold more expensive ice cream than we had enjoyed the other day...these ones the equivalent of $18 Canadian a dish....they were exquisite.....almost so good to look at you didn't want to eat them. A wonderful variety of flavours with fresh fruit and biscuits. We finished the day with a long walk to Piazzale Michelangelo. It's a bit of a climb but the views from the top are well worth it and I got (I hope) some great pics. None of us were looking forward to the walk back to the parking so we were pretty pleased with the women who somehow or other managed to snag a lift back for free on the last open top tour bus of the day. Peter & I sat upstairs sucking back on a couple of beers while the girls stayed downstairs during the 15 minute trip back to the main terminus where we had parked the car.

Once back we met up with Penny & Iain at Cere Una Volte and enjoyed our last meal in Tuscany...another wonderful dinner with (for me) roast suckling pig after starters of anchovies wrapped in sage leaves. Una had a dish of wild mushrooms and bacon and garlic.....yummy..

Back at the Villa we headed straight for bed (well Peter & I had a nightcap) as we had an early start the next day.

We had already arranged to meet our landlord at 6:30 this morning ( Saturday) to read the gas and hydro meters and get our (remaining) deposit back. He showed up promptly at 6:30 and by 7:00am we were headed north to Pisa to drop Iain & Celia off for their 10:00am Ryanair flight to Prestwick. We dropped off our rental car at Pisa airport at the same time which was a very efficient operation, taking probably less than 2 minutes.

Peter & Penny, Una & I then visited the leaning tower and the Cathedral before heading north via Genoa for France.

The scenery was spectacular along the way although we did run into a bit of rain...short lived however, and by 3:00 we had arrived in Mentone, in France and just next door to Monte Carlo. We enjoyed a lovely lobster salad for lunch as we sat on the promenade watching the topless sunbathers on the mediterranean beach. ( A hardy lot I might add...lovely and warm in the sun but a wee bit breezy out of it).

After lunch we drove maybe another 30 kilometers to Nice and after enduring horrendous traffic, eventually found our hotel. We checked in then enjoyed a parting drink with Peter & Penny before they headed further into France on their way back home.

The hotel is lovely. It has all the amenities and a lovely, almost hidden, sunken garden with a pool. We walked for a bit, finding the train station as we wanted to book our reservation for the TGV to Paris on Monday, however the ticket office was closed so we will have to go back in the morning. A quick snack on a patio with a 1/2 litre of house red and then back to the hotel where Una is sound asleep as I bang this out in the room using the Hotel's wireless internet.

We are sad to leave Tuscany where we had such a lovely time in such good company. I don't think there is any question whatever but that we will be back to visit this lovely place.

Many thanks to Iain & Celia, Peter & Penny, for joining us and contributing towards making this a memorable week. An additional thanks to P&P for letting us hitch a lift with them to Nice....a very pleasant journey.

Bonne nuit a tous from France

PS Great news tonight...Scotland 1: France 0 in a European cup qualifier...Scotland unbelievably now top of their group. Remind me to wear a Scottish shirt tomorrow.

Today's pics (a few more than usual thanks to a good connection), From Pisa and Mentone. The detailed one is a panel from the bronze door of the Pisa Cathedral dating from the 12 century, the other self explanatory...from Pisa, Una trying to stop the tower from falling and a few others including pics from Mentone.

Tuscany

Thursday Oct 5th

Tuesday we drove in to Florence. It's just over 30 kilometres but the trip took a while because the road was blocked at one point, We assume an accident but were unable to see because of all the bends in the road. A tricky 3 point turn later (thank heavens we had a small car...trucks and larger vehicles would have simply been stuck there) and round more back roads, we found our way and parked right downtown near the train station.

Iain had stayed home...he had been feeling under the weather and his mother in Glasgow was ill and not expected to last the day. As it happened she did die mid afternoon. Our sympathies go out to Iain & Celia and the family. They are not planning to go home early. His Mum had been ill for a long time and all the arrangements were pre-done. The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday October 10th. They will be home by lunch time Saturday.

Florence was wonderful. We visited the Cathedral and the Uffizi Gallery, walked the Ponte Vecchio and enjoyed a nice patio lunch in perfect weather. Back home at the Villa, we ate in. I grilled T-Bone steaks (over a wood fire in the barbecue no less), which were excellent and we had salad and baked potatoes and managed to finish off the 10 litre box of wine!

Wednesday, Peter & Penny went off to Sienna while Celia and Iain came with us, this time by train, back to Florence. We spent our time just taking in the sights, doing a bit of shopping...no need to get excited Canada... modest gifts I can assure you....and enjoyed wonderful Gelato (ice cream) on a very posh patio. I have never in my life paid $13.00 for an ice cream but it was worth it. Along the way I bought myself a lovely Italian leather man purse and an apron with some pictures of Italian food printed on it. Needless to say I took a bit of a ribbing ( and more to come I'll hazard to guess) but I can handle it....I'm entirely comfortable with my feminine side although I find it a bit disconcerting, this new found inability to pass a shoe shop....

We had parked the car in the nearby village of Certaldo where we had caught the train. We planned to be back just before dark, catching the 6:10 train from Florence however it was cancelled and we had to sit for an hour over some wine for the next train at 7:10. By the time we got to Certaldo it was dark and I'm not sure where we missed the turn but we went on a 10 kilometer adventure up a mountain and down a mountain on single track most times unpaved roads before finding civilization and meeting up with Peter & Penny at the other restaurant in town, The Grotto Pizzeria. We enjoyed a lovely meal. Una had a seafood pasta, I had a pasta as well with a wild mushroom sauce, Iain had sea bass, served whole and he did an expert job in disposing of it. 4 bottles of wine and to top it all off Peter & I each had a Sambuca for no reason other than the fact that the town of Sambuca is just down the road. Back at the Villa we had a nightcap from the fresh supply of wine Peter & Penny had bought on their way back from Sienna before heading for bed around midnight where I slept soundly until 8 this morning.

The forecast for today, Thursday, is for showers in the afternoon, so we have decided to have a relax day, maybe visit a couple of wineries and take in a few of the local towns. Tomorrow we are planning to go back to Florence as we have still to see Michelangelo's David for which I expect the line-ups to be a couple of hours. The weather this morning is same old, same old....blue skies and warm...

2 days left in Tuscany then Saturday morning we head north, dropping the car off in Pisa then hitching a lift with Peter and Penny to Nice, our next stop. Along the way Peter plans to drop in to Monte Carlo to show us the harbour.

Today's pics include the Ponte Vecchio, enjoying a gelato with Celia & Iain in Florence, the Cathedral in Florence and a picture of the group minus Iain the photographer in San Gimingano.

More later...Ciao...

Florence

Tuesday October 3rd.

Today we are heading to Florence. I suspect we will need 2 days but we will see how we get on. Perhaps if we can, we will book an appointment to see Michelangelo's David because the lineups are reportedly long.
Yesterday was another successful day. The visit to San Gimaningo was very enjoyable, magnificent views and we enjoyed an excellent lunch. On the way home we stopped and picked up some groceries then went out for supper again to C'ere Una Volte where we enjoyed another first class meal. Back home we sat outside and lit a fire in the stone fireplace/barbecue. When I was posting the blog yesterday, I wasn't able to upload as many pics as I wanted because the connection was slow and timed out on me which resulted in having to start all over again. I'm not lugging the laptop today...I'll save my commentary and pics on a memory stick and if I find an internet cafe I'll use their computer.

Ciao

Villa

Saturday September 30th

We found the Villa after a short drive and arrived here at 11:00. The owner Paolo was there but we were not able to check in as they were still cleaning. The Villa is in a magnificent location, on a hill and surrounded by olive groves and vineyards as far as the eye can see. To pass the time we went in to a nearby town, Montesportoli, and did a bit of preliminary grocery shopping, Essentials like wine and bread and beer and snacky stuff and then we sat and had lunch at a very nice little patio. Una was trying to find a place to get her bangs trimmed and the young waitress at the restaurant, which was owned by her mother, volunteered to take her there so off we went to the hairdresser where Una got tidied up.

We then headed back to the Villa and met with Paolo who explained what needed explaining, took our 500 euro deposit and off he went. By this time we are talking to Peter and Penny by cell phone. They had met up with Celia & Iain in Pisa earlier and were now attempting to locate the Villa, not an easy task as Peter had downloaded information on the wrong Villa we discovered later. Anyway it all worked out and they showed up just after 5:00. The Villa is even better than I imagined. Beautifully decorated and furnished, entirely authentic throughout but with all the amenities. Fridge, gas stove, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave. 2 full bathrooms with showers, a lovely big kitchen with a farmhouse table seating 6. A lovely sitting area upstairs with a 40 inch plasma TV with satellite, DVD player and stereo. Outside a huge in-ground swimming pool, a nice seating area with a big table shaded by a canvas gazebo and a stone built barbecue. We are delighted with the place and spent last night sitting out grazing on bread and cheese, and a whole smorgasbord of nibbles we had bought, including sun dried tomatoes, and olives soaked in orange juice. All washed down with several bottles of local wine. A very enjoyable evening with all kinds of conversations and reminisces. Outside the pool is lit up and there are lights surrounding the property. It cooled a bit to the point a sweater and long pants was needed but none the less still a very nice night.

Sunday October 1st

Another gorgeous day. We breakfasted outside, on coffee and toast, cereal and bananas and then, leaving Una and Penny behind, we headed off on a shopping expedition to replenish the exhausted wine supply and get some groceries in. We headed to Montespertoli where we had shopped yesterday only to find it closed being Sunday. A young couple directed us to a small store which was open but it had limited selection. It did however have some lovely ham and fresh bread and a bit of a bargain in local wine...we picked up a 10 litre box for 17 euros...about $25. Not sure how long it will last but I doubt it will see Monday night...

Back in our local village we discovered a very nice restaurant with gorgeous views over the surrounding countryside and so we booked a table for 7 o'clock tonight. It's been a lazy day, just what we needed. Una got some laundry done and I'm sure suitcase will appreciate having a respite from it's owner's soiled smelly clothes.

Tomorrow we are heading for some sightseeing at nearby San Giminagno and if I can find an internet cafe I will post this to the blog with some pics of the Villa. I may even try and get a guest journalist to contribute something for a change of pace for those that might be tiring of my pedestrian literary style.

OK, Peter here, tapping away on my own laptop. Must underline what Brian said about this villa - it's fantastic. We have views onto vineyards and olive groves laid out on sloping hills with castellated churches and houses on the hilltops. Today we have the sound of nature broken only by the sound of the church bells chiming and the occasional gunshot as some local bags dinner. Tonight we eat at the local restaurant in Lucardo where we have reserved a table for 6 overlooking a magnificent Tuscan valley. Didn't check out the menu this morning as I had left my glasses in the villa, but Iain says it's pretty comprehensive with rabbit and pheasant. More on the meal at Brian's next posting.

Iain taking over now and I have just calculated that given the price of the local plonk, it may just be cheaper to leave the girls here for the winter and pick them up next spring. It seems the ideal place to hibernate and given the price of the wine it should be quite easy to achieve! Concur with the previous comments about the villa. It is truly excellent with amazing views and gives the feeling of being real Italian.

Briefly, before we leave this Monday morning for our excursion to San Giminagno, the meal last night was wonderful, wonderful. Peter had Osso Buco, Celia and I some kind of lovely stew...Una and Penny had ravioli filled with ricotta and covered with a walnut sauce...everything was absolutely the best and very reasonable....the house wine (a chianti obviously) was 7 euros a bottle! The restaurant was called C'era Una Volta...which translates to Once upon a time. Of course we had to get a plate because the name is written on the bottom and as we left we toured the spotless kitchen and chatted with the cooks. We offered to buy a plate and were presented with one for free. This place is so good we have booked again for tonight...our barbecue night will have to wait...

Ciao...