Diner in Lyon
Tonight we found a small establishment in the old town tucked tight into the corner of three intersecting alleys. We started with pre-dinner drinks at a bar just across the alley from our restaurant. Perfect spot for people watching.
Dinner begins with the morning shopping at the local market. Smart chefs, professional and amateur gather at the market and inspired by the daily fresh produce start planning the evening meal.
My repast began with a wonderful salad. Consisting of a round of Camembert cheese, carefully warmed, four spears of baguette, a medley of salad leaves with a Balsamic reduction, and four slices of the sweetest tomatoes to cross my lips in a long long time. The tomatoes, clearly grown in a field kissed by abundant sunlight where rich in flavour and a total delight.
Yet the crowning touch was a tiny jar of fig jam. First the baguette is smoothed in the semi melted cheese then a small dollop of fig jam is added. Bite off the offering and wait for your taste buds to take you to heaven. So simple yet so rich and complex.
The first course was followed by a traditional Lyon dish. Sausage and legumes. Again simplicity is the key. Four medallions of round pork sausage lightly spiced floating on a bed of legumes in a soft Dijon sweetened mustard sauce. Just a hint of sauce; a tease. Vegetarians could drop the sausage. We chose a fine red Cotes du Rhone wine to compliment our meal.
Finally a creme caramel to finish.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
On to Lyon
It was evening when we arrived in Lyon after taking a train from Charles de Gaulle. A few false starts but we managed to find our modest Ibis hotel. Not too far from the train station.
Out first day we spent wandering aboutthe city of bridges. The old town between the Rhone and the La Saone river is charming. Lots of small covered alleys link various streets and avenues.
Lyon is know as the city of bridges, I've no idea how many but it seemed like we wandered over all of them. There appears to be a genetic marker in my wifes family that prevents them from taking any modern form of conveyance. No trams, no bus, and certainly no taxi.
The temperature was soaring all the time we were in Lyon so I was constantly walking around in sweat soaked shirts. Hot, hot hot.
In the old village, Villeaux Lyon there are four main fetures; the funnucular, the St. Jean Cathedral, at the bottom of the hill and Notre Dame de Lyon at the top, and the old Roman theatres. All are worth the visit.
Henry the V was married in the Saint Jean cathedral. It's a beautiful building. Cool and dark after the bright sun and hot and humid temperature outside. The most impressive feature of the church is a midevil clock that chimes, strikes the hour and by the use of clever gearing sends various figures into motion every hour.
As we'd arrived at the bottom of the hour we retired to a pub across the square for a glass of wine and a pint of beer to wait for the clock to strike at 2 PM. True to form we arrived back inside the church five minutes late and missed the show.
The funnucular ride to the top of the hill was crammed with elementary kids on a school outing.
Just as we entered the darkest part of the tunnel the engineer cut the lights and stopped the car, all the kids screamed, some in delight and a few is dispair. But magically the lights and piower came back on and we were off to the top.
The Roman theaters no longer have the canvas tops that provided relief from the mid day sun, so now all the performances happen at night. Ancient engineering with modern technology makes for an impressive show.
Late in the afternoon we did not have enough time to tour the museum but we hung out in the court yard soaking up the cool shade. These small spaces are clearly popular with the locals as well.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Hannah and Gordin's Perfect Vacation
DATELINE VANCOUVER:
Eight hours out of Victoria and we've already made Vancouver. Modern travel is so convenient. If I was paddling across Georgia |Strait there's no way I could have made it this far in such a short time.
We're now en route to Frankfurt. We had no plans to visit the Teutonic City this morning but the cancellation of our 14 minute 10 AM flight to Vancouver has compounded. Utilizing a mathematical formula devised by mortgage actuaries we will now arrive in Paris on a Thursday in a week yet to be determined.
Not all is lost we just had word from Lufthansa, who came to our rescue after Air Canada failed us, and the word is that the lightning strike has not rendered the aircraft completely un-airworthy and that as soon as they can find a crew willing to fly it we'll be off.
Ya ve vill be fluggin even un half hour earlier den skcedulaled. Dunka. They even threw in a $20 meal voucher which we've drank away at the bar. Air Canada was also very generous and provided us with a $7 coffee voucher good at either Victoria or Vancouver. I used it at Starbucks where the cashier was not sure if it was for $7 each or together. I ensured her it was worth a total of $14. "But sir I can't give you change, she said. That's ok just throw in a chocolate chip cookie and we're even. So she rang up the cookie and it came to an even $100. I turned to the gentleman who was patiently waiting next to me and pointing at the total on the screen said,
"You pay a little more for the cookies but they're worth it." He was still laughing as I picked up my coffee and the double skinny no fat for Hannah. Traveling is a connection of one joyous event followed by another.
So come along with Hannah and I on our tour through France via Germany. I'll promise photos, racy pictures from French beaches and timely updates from exotic places, such as the departure lounge at Vancouver International.
Eight hours out of Victoria and we've already made Vancouver. Modern travel is so convenient. If I was paddling across Georgia |Strait there's no way I could have made it this far in such a short time.
We're now en route to Frankfurt. We had no plans to visit the Teutonic City this morning but the cancellation of our 14 minute 10 AM flight to Vancouver has compounded. Utilizing a mathematical formula devised by mortgage actuaries we will now arrive in Paris on a Thursday in a week yet to be determined.
Not all is lost we just had word from Lufthansa, who came to our rescue after Air Canada failed us, and the word is that the lightning strike has not rendered the aircraft completely un-airworthy and that as soon as they can find a crew willing to fly it we'll be off.
Ya ve vill be fluggin even un half hour earlier den skcedulaled. Dunka. They even threw in a $20 meal voucher which we've drank away at the bar. Air Canada was also very generous and provided us with a $7 coffee voucher good at either Victoria or Vancouver. I used it at Starbucks where the cashier was not sure if it was for $7 each or together. I ensured her it was worth a total of $14. "But sir I can't give you change, she said. That's ok just throw in a chocolate chip cookie and we're even. So she rang up the cookie and it came to an even $100. I turned to the gentleman who was patiently waiting next to me and pointing at the total on the screen said,
"You pay a little more for the cookies but they're worth it." He was still laughing as I picked up my coffee and the double skinny no fat for Hannah. Traveling is a connection of one joyous event followed by another.
So come along with Hannah and I on our tour through France via Germany. I'll promise photos, racy pictures from French beaches and timely updates from exotic places, such as the departure lounge at Vancouver International.
Friday, June 17, 2011
BMW F650GS
There's a new toy in the garage. Where I thought I would be sleeping for the rest of my married life. However, there may be something to the old saying, "women like bad men." After the wife got over the shock, I guess she just didn't believe me when I said I was going to buy a motorcycle, things have be running really smooth on the home front.
Excuse me, my breaks over. I've just got to vaccum, wash the floors, dust, do the laundry, make dinner, then iron, mow the lawn......This is from the top of Mount Tolmie looking southwest over Victoria toward the Olympic Penninsula.
The last shot is looking Northeast back toward Vancouver where the mighty Bruins recently vanquished the Canucks.
Click any picture for a nice blow up. Check out that speedo. That's just nuts.Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Took a Little Trip Awhile Ago
Easter Sunday I chased a gang of kayakers out of Pedder Bay. They were claiming to be the South Island Sea Kayaker's Association (SISKA) but I think they may have really been the Diablo's or maybe members of Madame Cheng's pirate horde.
After a month of conducting intensive hull repairs to the Romany Surf and the HV Explorer, intensive in the sense that the hulls are covered in scratches a few gel-cracks and one cel-goat hole, I had one of the boats ready for sea trials. Fibreglass boats are great. Just bash them about all winter long then gel-coat the damage in the spring. Of course this only pertains to "heavy" British boats, all others would have been holed through after the abuse I throw at kayaks.
Over the winter I'd developed a leak in my skegg box of the Romany after a particularly hard landing on a rock. I brought the boat in dried in out by sticking my wife's hair drier in the aft hold. Next I covered the hatch with a special hatch cover that I have drilled out and put a bicycle tube valve in. I pumped up the pressure up and soaped all the deck pad eyes and the skegg box. Once I'd determined the box was the leaking I did a gel-coat repair. Repeated the process and found I still had a small leak and went at it once more. With the left over gel-coat I filled the worst of the scratches and demelled out the spider cracks and filled them. Then it was wet sanding, wet sanding, and finally polishing and waxing.
Pedder Bay is the tiny little inlet on the middle right of the photo. I loaded the kayak with enough gear for an over night out on the East Sooke Entrance where my in-laws live. The gear was just in case I found my self out-lawed. My finial destination was on the extreme left of the picture just where the shore curves around the spit of land (Whiffin Spit) 12.5 Nautical miles from the put in.
I caught the pirate gang just past Rocky Point as they were about to land on a beach. I slipped in behind some rocks and raised them on the radio. With my best authoritative voice nearly correct radio protocols put the fear into them as they were about to land on a restrictive Department of Defence beach. But I couldn't keep up the ruse, besides I need to land as well. I'd averaged just over 4 knots and covered the distance from the put into to the bay in just under an hour. At least half an hour faster then the gang. After lunch I continued west while they turned back. I completed the trip in four hours riding a favourable current the entire way.
At the Fish Trap Shack beach on the East Sooke Trail I surprised and Otter. He had just fished a spider crab off the bottom when I slid quietly right up behind him. He spy hopped half his length out of the water and his big brown eyes fixed me with the most reproachful stare before he splashed back into the deep.
Further west I came up on a seal sleeping right out in the middle of a crossing. I quietly came up from down wind and could see him bobbing in the waves with his eyes shut. He was only a paddle length away and didn't wake until he caught a whiff of me as I moved up wind. Kayakers do carry a distinctive odour.
Work on the HV Explorer will be complete by weeks end.
After a month of conducting intensive hull repairs to the Romany Surf and the HV Explorer, intensive in the sense that the hulls are covered in scratches a few gel-cracks and one cel-goat hole, I had one of the boats ready for sea trials. Fibreglass boats are great. Just bash them about all winter long then gel-coat the damage in the spring. Of course this only pertains to "heavy" British boats, all others would have been holed through after the abuse I throw at kayaks.
Over the winter I'd developed a leak in my skegg box of the Romany after a particularly hard landing on a rock. I brought the boat in dried in out by sticking my wife's hair drier in the aft hold. Next I covered the hatch with a special hatch cover that I have drilled out and put a bicycle tube valve in. I pumped up the pressure up and soaped all the deck pad eyes and the skegg box. Once I'd determined the box was the leaking I did a gel-coat repair. Repeated the process and found I still had a small leak and went at it once more. With the left over gel-coat I filled the worst of the scratches and demelled out the spider cracks and filled them. Then it was wet sanding, wet sanding, and finally polishing and waxing.
I caught the pirate gang just past Rocky Point as they were about to land on a beach. I slipped in behind some rocks and raised them on the radio. With my best authoritative voice nearly correct radio protocols put the fear into them as they were about to land on a restrictive Department of Defence beach. But I couldn't keep up the ruse, besides I need to land as well. I'd averaged just over 4 knots and covered the distance from the put into to the bay in just under an hour. At least half an hour faster then the gang. After lunch I continued west while they turned back. I completed the trip in four hours riding a favourable current the entire way.
At the Fish Trap Shack beach on the East Sooke Trail I surprised and Otter. He had just fished a spider crab off the bottom when I slid quietly right up behind him. He spy hopped half his length out of the water and his big brown eyes fixed me with the most reproachful stare before he splashed back into the deep.
Further west I came up on a seal sleeping right out in the middle of a crossing. I quietly came up from down wind and could see him bobbing in the waves with his eyes shut. He was only a paddle length away and didn't wake until he caught a whiff of me as I moved up wind. Kayakers do carry a distinctive odour.
Work on the HV Explorer will be complete by weeks end.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
23 Years Later
I enjoy a reputation here in Victoria as a bit of a maverick. Some would even say that I'm reckless, that I have no respect and when it comes to gel-coat they are absolutely correct.
My kayaks are British built by Nigel Dennis and I abuse them. They accumulate lots of scratches and frequent gel-coat cracks. Come spring I undertake repairs. This spring has been has required a little more work then normal, so much so that I turned to an old passion to fill in the time while the boats dried.
After an absence of 23 years I returned to motorcycling. Yesterday I rented a 650 Suzuki V-Strom and rode all over my home town and turf. Mostly I rode the country roads around Victoria. Mind, pulling out of the rental shop I was a tad nervous. Over reved the engine and squared the first dozen corners. But I did not stall.
After a while I even got the bike to lean over as I swept through the turns. Well not to far. I carefully picked my way through town and finially as I broke out of the burbs I was awash in the sensations of travelling in an environment and not just through it.
No the wind did not sweep through my hair, I have too little for that, besides I keep my head wrapped up in a good helmet. I bought the helmet last years and precipitated a major marriage spat. However, yesterday the wind on my face brought me sensations I'd long forgotten. The smell of fresh mowed lawns, the slightly acid smell of burning leaves and cedar logs burning in the fireplace of that cabin by the road. Family responsibilities have kept me from this for far too long.
I rode the bike out along East Sooke Road, turned around and rode back considerably quicker. Stopping at an overlook with a great view of Becher Bay the wind carried the smell of the sea up to the road. I drank deep and filled my lungs with the clean fresh smell of the sea.
From here I swung up over Kangaroo Road, down onto the Sooke Highway then up over Humpback Road over to the main island highway. I skipped the highway and headed up to Prospect Lake Road and made my way up to the town of Sidney. No two lane highways just lots of back country byways. It was a great four hours. Nex tmonth I'm going to repeat the trip but on a lighter BMW. Eventually I'll find a nice mid size bike to squeeze into the garage next to the kayaks.
My kayaks are British built by Nigel Dennis and I abuse them. They accumulate lots of scratches and frequent gel-coat cracks. Come spring I undertake repairs. This spring has been has required a little more work then normal, so much so that I turned to an old passion to fill in the time while the boats dried.
After an absence of 23 years I returned to motorcycling. Yesterday I rented a 650 Suzuki V-Strom and rode all over my home town and turf. Mostly I rode the country roads around Victoria. Mind, pulling out of the rental shop I was a tad nervous. Over reved the engine and squared the first dozen corners. But I did not stall.
After a while I even got the bike to lean over as I swept through the turns. Well not to far. I carefully picked my way through town and finially as I broke out of the burbs I was awash in the sensations of travelling in an environment and not just through it.
No the wind did not sweep through my hair, I have too little for that, besides I keep my head wrapped up in a good helmet. I bought the helmet last years and precipitated a major marriage spat. However, yesterday the wind on my face brought me sensations I'd long forgotten. The smell of fresh mowed lawns, the slightly acid smell of burning leaves and cedar logs burning in the fireplace of that cabin by the road. Family responsibilities have kept me from this for far too long.
I rode the bike out along East Sooke Road, turned around and rode back considerably quicker. Stopping at an overlook with a great view of Becher Bay the wind carried the smell of the sea up to the road. I drank deep and filled my lungs with the clean fresh smell of the sea.
From here I swung up over Kangaroo Road, down onto the Sooke Highway then up over Humpback Road over to the main island highway. I skipped the highway and headed up to Prospect Lake Road and made my way up to the town of Sidney. No two lane highways just lots of back country byways. It was a great four hours. Nex tmonth I'm going to repeat the trip but on a lighter BMW. Eventually I'll find a nice mid size bike to squeeze into the garage next to the kayaks.
Winslow Homer
As we drove along the Marble Head shore the rain was pelting down; hard enough to keep us in the rental car. What is it about east coast rain storms? Here in Victoria, even though we are in the rain shadow of the Olympic peninsula we get rain. But, nothing like the rain that hammers Boston.
During my first trip to Boston my wife and I almost drown in a cloud burst that lasted all of 5 minutes. On the second visit a flash flood swept the streets of down town Boston. The water was well above our ankles, brown; polluted with the worst you can imagine. We were wearing sandals.
A day later in the Museum of Fine Art I found this painting. It could have been painted the day before up in Marble Head. Homer masterfully captured the power and dynamic nature of the sea. Standing back and admiring his work brought forth such a longing to get back onto the water. Weeks later I've still to return to the sea. Soon.
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