BORDEAUX - November 2010

Kim was asked to be on the jury for a PhD thesis for a colleague in Bordeaux, being only 3 hours away by train, it was a perfect excuse for a weekend of wine tasting. Although it was chilly and raining (being November), we also had the luck that it was oyster season (yummy).

The restaurants are plentiful, and there were too many that looked inviting to try them all in just one weekend. We really enjoyed our dinner at the unique Bar Boucherie. As the name suggests, the concept is like at the butcher. You go to the counter, pick your cut of meat (we chose a steak from Limosine), and tell the butcher how much you would like (cost is by weight) and how (rare, of course). It is then cooked over a wood grill, and served with a choice of sides (we went for the scalloped potatoes and green beans).

Another highlight was the wine bar we found. Wine is help-yourself, and dispensed from machines that will give you a small, medium or full glass of wine. The cost depends on the size of the taste and vintage of the wine. Rather than dealing with money, the machines take cards which you pre-load with money (and any leftover is given back). It was a great way to taste many wines without having to commit to an entire glass/bottle.

Modern Art Museum

The modern museum was a good choice for a rainy morning, followed by wine and oysters at the market on the river. Kim also passed a rainy afternoon at the hair salon and decided to surprise Dave with a new haircut (bangs before botox!).

https://picasaweb.google.com/117578804116130779535/Bordeaux

2010-10-Paris Autoshow

No words needed, just lots of pictures of cool cars: http://picasaweb.google.com/daspence76/201010ParisAutoshow#

Restaurant Review - La Table des Gourmets

Our friends recommended a book called Paris Bar et Resto Insolites (Unusual Paris Bars and Restaurants) to us. Last night was our first try at one of the places in the book: La Table des Gourmets. With my friend Scott Cressman in town, we met up with Mack and Petra and a friend of theirs for dinner.


Just a couple of minutes from metro Châtelet in the heart of Paris, you'll find this restaurant which is actually housed in a 12th century chapel. Yes, you get to eat in a building that is 900 years old. Back in the day, the chapel was at street level, but several centuries, floods and new construction later, the old street level is one level down from today's street level; not at all rare in Paris, but easy to forget. Makes me wonder how many other treasures there are, either known or unknown, in this city.


Don't let the outside, or even the entrance area, of the restaurant fool you. If I didn't know what lay beneath, I certainly wouldn't go venturing in. Fortunately, for passers by, they do have a picture of the dining area downstairs. Needless to say the ambiance is great. How could it not be? The food was decent, especially given the price of €18 for appetizer, main and dessert. It was slammed all night so reservations are a must.
http://www.latabledesgourmets.fr

Next up? Eating in the dark, or in a garage full of classic cars, or a bar where the prices change based on supply and demand, or..........? Who know, but stay tuned.

Dordogne - Sept 2010

The Dordogne valley is where you go for castles, fois gras, and prehistoric caves. The weather is still summery even at the end of September, so a perfect place for a week-end getaway with Andree and Erik. We stayed in a little cottage in the country, away from everyone, but only a short drive to the sites.

Dordogne Valley from Domme

View from Beynac

We visited Domme and took a stroll through its cave full of stalagmites and stalactites. Visited castles Castelnaud and Beynac, across the river from each other and strongholds during the hundred years war between the English and the French. 

Rocamadour

Rocamadour

A must see is the reproduction of the prehistoric caves at Lasceuax. And finally there was Rocamadour, a town built into the cliff with a beautiful cathedral.

Warm evenings were enjoyed at restaurants, where we gorged ourselves on fois gras, canard, and delicious red wine.

https://picasaweb.google.com/daspence76/Dordogne

NORWAY - August 2010

Bryggen

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway, and is as far north as Yellowknife. Nestled in between the ocean and rolling mountains, it is a lot like Vancouver.  The rocky shoreline, fjords, mountains, and brightly coloured and remote houses make for stunning scenery. We stayed with Marc Basso, an old friend of Dave’s from 8^th grade that he had not seen since, but thanks to facebook, had recently rekindled their friendship. First stop was a visit to Bryggen, a row of wooden houses in the harbor that is a UNESCO world heritage site. 

Almost at the Top

Bergen from the Top

Next was a short hike up the mountains for a spectacular view and a West Coast style picnic (sandwiches and beer), and a trip down the Ulriken gondola. Then there was a trip to the fish market for some fresh trout salmon for dinner, and a sample of other Norwegian specialties including elk salami and shark.

A trip to see the fjords is a must in Norway, so we booked a ferry from Bergen that heads up the Sognefjorden (the longest at a whopping 200km) to Flåm. The fjord is surrounded by very steep mountains with waterfalls. In Flåm we stopped at a local brew pub that had a Viking feel, complete with fireplace and sheep skins. We then took the Flåmsbana railway up the mountains for more spectacular views and waterfalls in an old train.

Entering Sognefjorden

Waterfall seen from the Train from Flam

At Myrdal, most tourists take the train back to Bergen, however, we were planning on staying at a hostel in Oremberger, highly recommended by our hosts for some relaxation and a good traditional Norwegian dinner. 

A town so small you need to tell the train driver that you wish to get off there.  A town so small, there is no platform, just jump off the train.  A town so small, that a rocky hike down a very rugged path leads you there. A town so small, that the hostel IS THE TOWN. And here I was worried we would have a problem finding it. Waiting for us at the bottom of the trail was our host Jan, who greeted us with a warm “You must be the crazy Canadians”. Indeed we were. 

After a small hike where our only companions were some grazing sheep, and a hearty dinner with beer, we had a peaceful sleep listening to the rush of the water from the river nearby.

The next day we were off to Voss (namesake for really expensive bottled water) for lunch and back to Bergen by train. Back in Bergen we went sea kayaking (a first for both of us). Luckily Mark is an expert and a great instructor. Unlucky for us (okay mostly Kim), the wind decided to pick up, and we were paddling into it all the way back. 

https://picasaweb.google.com/daspence76/Norway

Bretagne

Or Brittany for the english folks. We were lucky to be invited for a weekend to Kerroch by the Nicolet Family. It is a lovely small coastal village with bike and running paths going all along the ocean, and sand beaches to relax on in the afternoon. Kim went swimming with the kids (it was a brisk 17C), and Dave stayed firmly on the beach.

Kerroch Marina and Beach

Biking

The main evening activities include eating and drinking (this is France after all), and heading into the nearby town where there is a Celtic Festival. Bring along the kids and drink and dance until the wee hours of the evening! It was  a lot of fun and hopefully we get invited next year!

dancing

dancing

http://picasaweb.google.com/daspence76/Bretagne#

Croatia Part 3 - Back to the mainland

After spectacular and relaxing Island life, it was time to head back to the mainland: First destination Split. Facing the harbour is the old part of Slit known as Diocletian's Palace. Mostly made of roman ruins, it is a warren of narrow walking streets, but even though the name implies it, there is no palace. There are lovely tall roman columns and of course, a Catholic cathedral with 13th centry wooden carved doors.

Split

Old Fishing Dude 

Santa on Vacation in Trogir

We then headed north to Trogir - Croatia's Venice. It is a beautiful little city, occupying an island, and is completely surrounded by midieval walls. Trogir is also home to "Coatia's most beautiful Cathedral". It is in a square with the town hall. We stopped for a beer at one of the cafes in the square to enjoy the beautiful church and watch the swallows fly at sunset. Harbour side is lined with cafes and bars - our friendly waiter spoke french and wanted to practice with us. Being Friday night, everyone was out for some fun.

The next day it was Promesten for a swim and a fabulous view from a church on top of a hill, and then off to Krka National Park. The Krka waterfalls are like those at the more famous Plitvice Lakes. The river is in a deep limestone canyon, binging calcium carbonate with it. The moss and algae in the river retain the calcium carbonate and become encrusted with it. This creates the barriers that become the beautiful waterfalls at Krka. Krka is also the site of the second hydro electric damn built by Tesla (the first was Niagara Falls).

Krka National Park

For our last day, we explored the small villages of Vodice and Murter. Murter is tiny, and not in the guide books, but we found the most amazing white sand beach. Lastly we went to Zadar, another old Roman/midieval town. The transport of people in small wooden boats in the harbour is an 850-year old tradition. There is now a pedestrian bridge, but we saw one old guy still rowing away.

Then it was back to Zagreb for our flight back to Paris. Next time we visit Croatia, I think we will rent a sailboat!

http://picasaweb.google.com/daspence76/CroatiaIII#

Croatia II - Island Hopping

Mussel Fisherman - Ston

After Dubrovnik, we had decided to island hop our way up the coast. Next stop, Pelješac Peninsula and the towns of Ston and Trstenik. Ston and Mali Ston (pop 740) were important salt producing towns, which lead to the production of the 5.5km wall, the longest in Europe. Clam and oyster beds are abundant, turning out some of the best seafood in Croatia. 

Trstenik marked our first not-in-the-guidebook charming little town stop for a picnic lunch and a swim. Then it was off to catch a ferry to the island of Korčula, with its rich vineyards and olive groves. We stayed just outside Korčula town, the birth place of Marco Polo, in a room with a beautiful view of the sea. Korčula town is a grid of marble streets in the shape of a fish bone, designed to allow for the refreshing breeze from the west in the hot summer, and protect form the cold winter wind from the east. We explored Korčula island for a day. We  lost trying to find the Neolithic cave in Vela Luka, and found the narrowest road going through an olive forest. We stopped for lunch in the sleepy town of Brna and spent the afternoon on the sandy beach in Lombarda.

View from our room Korčula town

After some windy mountain road driving and another ferry, we arrived on Hvar Island: Coratia’s most luxurious place and sunniest spot in the country. First stop was Jelsa, surrounded by pine forests and fields of lavender.  Jelsa old town is small (no one bothers with street names!), picturesque and calm, with cafes along the harbour and lovely swimming just a short walk from the inner harbour. 

Fisherman 

Streets of Jelsa

Then it was off for two days in the hustle and bustle of  Hvar town. Hvar town is all about trendy restaurants and swanky bars. If you remember from one of our earlier posts,  all the Austrains who dance on the tables during après ski, apparently the bars along the harbour in Hvar town are equally as rambunctious, only all the girls are in bikinis. Although it was ripe with people who care about seeing and being seen, it remains charming, with its  labyrinth of streets with artisanal shops (full of original shoes, jewellery and clothes). 

Hvar Town

Hvar Town

A must do from Hvar town, is to grab one of the many boats leaving in the morning that go out to the Pakleni Islands. We headed out to Palmizana Island for the day, being ferried by our fearless Croatian boat captain and his wife. Palmizana has sand beaches with perfect aquamarine water. The restaurants and bar along the bay were amazing: we sipped beer in an olive tree house, and had langoustine for lunch.   

Lunch on Palmizana Island

Maybe next Year we can rent one of these sail boats and tour around the Islands more!

More Pics here: http://picasaweb.google.com/daspence76/201006CroatiaII#

Croatia - Part One - Zagreb and Dubrovnik

There was only one rule that we made when we decided to move to Europe: With all the countries available at our door step for travelling, we were only going to visit a country once. After our trip to Croatia, we may break this rule. We have fallen in love with this beautiful country. With gorgeous landscapes of mountains, oceans, beaches, vineyards, gelato, and seafood, what is there not to love! Croatians are very proud, very friendly and outgoing. They are always helpful and smiling: if Canada was a Mediterranean country, it would be Croatia. Most speak excellent English, and many speak several languages very well. We encountered one restaurant host whom we heard effortlessly speak English, French, German, Italian, and Croatian (obviously). 

We started our trip to in the capital, Zagreb, catching up with an old Vancouver neighbours from Burley Drive the Mikulics. Starting at the main square, Trg Josipa Jelačića we did a short walking tour to the large outdoor Dolac fruit and vegetable market where they weigh items with old fashioned weights. Then  a beautiful gothic cathedral beside the remnants of a medieval town, followed by Stone Gate, an outdoor church with a road that runs through it. Then off to Markov Trg with the parliament buildings and a church with the wildest tiles on the roof. After all that walking it was time for lunch on a pedestrian street.  After a hearty dinner of fire roasted lamb and a good sleep, we picked up our car and began the journey south to Dubrovnik. 

A new highway is under construction which made the trip pretty fast (which was met with the occasional but inevitable, “Dave slow down” once in a while). It is quite the project, and will eventually go all the way to Greece. The scenery was beautiful.

We arrived in Dubrovnik late afternoon and immediately set out to find a place to stay. A room (or sobe) in Croatia in June (the off season) is easy to come by, relatively inexpensive (30-50 euro per night for a double), and can be booked from any local tourist office.  Because it was the off season, we didn’t book rooms in advance and enjoyed the freedom of not worrying about making it to the next destination.

Drubrovnik old town is situated on a peninsula and is surrounded by a old fort wall. Although in tha past, the shelling of beautiful Dubrovnik old town is still fresh in the mind of many Croatian people: two out of three roofs were damaged by shells, 314 direct hits onto the marble streets, 111 hits onto the fort wall itself, and nine historic buildings were gutted by fires. Restoration work is still ongoing, and is being done in the traditional way using local materials and craftsman as much as possible.  The results are nothing short of miraculous. 

A walk around the city walls, built in the 13 and 14th century to guard against invasion by the Turks, is a must. The views over the town and sea are spectacular. It was also from the wall that we noticed a little restaurant, far off the tourist main streets, with a nice garden terrace under the shade of vines. The restaurant was aptly named Madam PiPi, in honour of its unforgettable (and delightfully scandalous) fountain in front.  Evenings in old town are magical. There are beautiful sunsets and an abundance of night life. We enjoyed cocktails at Buža, a must-have-drink place just outside the wall, and dined at Luongo’s at the harbour.  The tripod Kim got for her birthday was out in full force, capturing the cityscape and night life. And no night in a Croatian town is complete without the mandatory gelato.

More pics:  http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76/201006Croatia#

Dubai

Well folks, it has definitely been a while since we posted some new travel and Paris blogs, and we are in the process of catching up. First up, Dubai.

In May I had a trip to Dubai for work. We were setting up a partner to sell and support our software in Dubai, so it was a work trip for me, unfortunately Kim didn't come. I only had a day and a half on my own to check out the town, and what a town indeed. I'm still trying to figure out this place!

To put it bluntly, it's a city that shouldn't really exist. When you look out from the top of the Burj Khalifa, it's just pure desert, like Vegas I guess. The city has grown tremendously quickly in the past 30 years, basically from nothing, but the economic crisis has certainly had its toll: virtually every building under construction is stalled and on hold. It will be interesting to see how they cope with the new economy post crisis. They had such big plans, including a new massive airport (in addition to the already new massive airport they just built). Now all these building are just sitting there, partly completed, being bombarded by wind, sand and salt air. As my colleague in Dubai said: it's like buying a Ferrari, opening up the hood and just leaving it in the desert, then coming back in a few years and expecting it to start. It will take untold millions just to get these buildings ready to complete the construction.

During my day to myself, I jumped on an open air bus tour that went from downtown, out to the old Dubai. There I found a tiny little Indian restaurant and had a huge plate of Indian food and a drink for about 2 euros. A far cry from the western prices of 8-10 euros for a beer in the bars in the centre of town. I also had to opportunity to go up the worlds tallest building, the stunning Burj Khalifa. When you look down at the city below you feel like you are in an architects office looking at a model of a future development. It's really quite surreal being up there.

Burj Khalifa. 625m high and if you look closely at the top you can see it's shadow that extends hundreds of metres in the sky. Amazing!

The Address Hotel. Sat at the outdoor bar and watched the fountain show. Was like being at an all inclusive resort

View from the top of the Burj

Fountain and music show

Old Dubai - definitely different than the new glitzy Dubai

If you go to Dubai, make sure you get a chance to see both new and old Dubai. The open air bus is a good way to get around. If you like shopping Dubai is the place for you. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see the massive aquarium in the Dubai mall, but maybe next time. I have also heard the desert expeditions are great; they take you 4x4ing on the dunes, bbq dinner and belly dancers.

More pictures here, enjoy: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76/201005Dubai#

Stay tuned for more, as Kim and I have lots of writing and catching up to do. Next up: our fantastic trip to Croatia.