The Food in France

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…..we’re on a culinary adventure

Before venturing out on this trip I lost 12 pounds. I’ve been walking anywhere from 10 000 to 16 000 steps every day. Both these things are good because the food here is amazing. There are cafés everywhere and boulangeries and patisseries on every street.

Right below our apartment there are at least five outdoor restaurants and across the street there are five more.

The market is about a ten minute walk from our place and it takes us through a lovely treed boulevard.

We’ve quickly learned that a lot of shops and/or vendors here don’t open on Monday and Tuesday, especially smaller places. Larger main stream stores are open all the time. Here are just a few delights from the market.

Doors of Paris

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to be Dan for hosting Thursday Doors https://nofacilities.com/2022/04/14/entering-silk-city/

Paris is a city rich in history and interesting architecture. Not only are the doors on some of the iconic churches and museums interesting but everyday homes and businesses have beautiful and sometimes unusual entry ways.

Priority Admission at the Louvre

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…..walking with a cane has it’s advantages

When we travelled throughout Italy in 2016 with our 9 month old granddaughter we found that museums, galleries and restaurants bent over backwards to accommodate us. Six years later in France we’re finding the same thing except now it’s walking with a cane take gets us priority admission.

Back in April Kevin needed an emergency hip replacement and even though his recovery was remarkably fast he occasionally has balance issues. As a result and playing it safe he brought his cane with him on this trip to France.

On the day we went to the Louvre Kevin brought the cane, knowing that there would be a lot of walking. We preordered the tickets, thinking that would get us into museum without having to line up. We booked for the last time slot of the day and ended up in a line with hundreds of people in front of us. Our son was visibly upset. I asked him him if there was priority admission for people with mobility issues. He asked us to stay in line while he investigated.

Upon his return he told us to follow him and we walked directly to the entrance where security waved us through. This is something that all travellers with babies and mobility issues should know. Once inside I can’t say that the Louvre was easy to navigate, as there are lots of stairs but fortunately my husband was able to go up and down without too much difficulty. Had we investigated a bit more we would probably have found more elevators.

Sunday Trees From Paris

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…..April 10, 2022

From the Rue de Furstemberg. Described by Henry Miller as jolly in the summer and more malevolent than in winter ……”the black tree-trunks glinting in the rain and the candelabrum presiding in a sinister way Ike an evil dwarf”.

Everything is Already Green in Paris

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…..the first thing I noticed when we arrived in Paris was how green the trees were already

New Flower (April 7, 2022) – A Paris Flower Stand

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….walking around our neighbourhood in the Left Bank of Paris

The Griswold’s Live in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…and I don’t think they’re finished decorating

While visiting this quaint town on the Niagara River we discovered this home during the day on one of our walks. The decorations were pretty amazing and we saw a work table and power tools on the driveway indicating that the homeowner was still busy setting up lights and decorations.

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Later that afternoon, after the sun had gone down we were driving back to our hotel when we came up to the same house but now the lights were on. What a spectacular sight. I’m not sure that my photos do it justice.

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A Week of Firsts: New House, New City, New Gap, New School and a Visit to the Hospital

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Mama Cormier

Gaelan and her family left on September 3rd to drive from Sparrow Lake, ON to Moncton, New Brunswick where their first home awaited them. The trip itself was pretty uneventful but they enjoyed the scenery and eating in parking lots. On day three arrived safe and sound. The moving van arrived the next day but they had Winnie’s bed and a mattress delivered earlier in the week.

1422912d-1e80-4e30-924d-e882ab668db9 — On the last leg of the their trip. Winnie and Lucy are exhausted.

After checking out the new house the family took a 20 drive to the ocean where Winnie was in fine form.

777a5a3f-fc68-4aed-948d-a10ce3a764b2 — Immersing herself in the culture of the east coast

On their first day in the new home Winnie lost another tooth.

376e5e14-4619-4335-83c7-4c8065187e5d — She can’t wait for the tooth fairy to visit

On Wednesday Winnie started her first day of school in a new school in grade one.

After a wonderful first day of meeting new kids Winnie came home and promptly fell off a bed and bit through her upper lip. Another first was the trip to the hospital where luckily it was determined that she wouldn’t need stitches, just a steri-strip.

Winnie returned to school on Thursday and had quite the story to tell her new classmates. A special thanks to Winnie’s parents for the wonderful photographs.