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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Long Time No Hear

There was a big ship...

There were gladiators....



A breezy afternoon...


Any guesses?




Yes, it's definitely been a while. Did you miss me ? Did you notice ?
We are back. We were away from late June thru to the end of July.

We did a cruise, then 12 days in Paris, then 10 days in Israel, where my SIL had arranged 2nd Bar mitzvahs (near the Western Wall) for 3 of her sons. (She has 6 kids, ranging from 7 to 18.)

The cruise was wonderful. It was our 1st cruise and we were very impressed. It's just like being in a luxury hotel, that magically moves. You barely feel any movement at all - it's very smooth. The ports were -- Messina, Athens, Kusadasi Turkey, and Heraklion Crete. All pretty interesting.
The best was Turkey - we'll have to go back there.
Food and service were excellent, and we were upgraded to a room with a balcony, which was very pleasant. About 40% of the passengers were Italian, and 40% American, with the rest a mixture of many other nationalities.

It's a huge ship, and you never feel crowded or cramped; there's lots of space, plenty of deck chairs, and places to walk. 16 bars, 3 pools, etc.

Then came Paris, which we enjoyed very much. The apartment we rented was very convenient, and in a nice location, right near the Eiffel Tower, in the 16th arrondissement (district).On Bastille day we watched the parade on the Champs d'Elysees, and then gorgeous fireworks at night on the Eiffel tower. Truly stunning.

There were huge crowds but everything was very orderly and polite.
Here's a shot of the parade.


We did a lot of walking, enjoying yummy pastries, and seeing all the sights in a leisurely fashion.

Here's a shot from a yarn store there -- the famous La Drogerie (near Les Halles shopping complex). Finished knitted items from their own exclusive patterns, and yarn galore.





Israel was wonderful as well. There is lots to see, but it’s very hot.

We visited lots of DH’s relatives and unfortunately also attended a funeral as DH’s cousin (who had ALS) passed away while we were there.

I hope you’re all having a great summer!



I will update you on my knitting activity soon !


P.S. Please leave a comment so I'll know if anyone's reading this ! That will spur me on to update more often :-) .



8 comments:

  1. I'm reading it! Sounds like a great trip. A bit more exotic than my trip to PEI and Maine. I always make a visit to a yarn shop part of my travels now. Sorry to hear about your husband's cousin. We have a friend who thought he might have ALS...thankfully not but they're still searching for a diagnosis.

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  2. My daughter is heading to Los Angeles in October for work...it's a course. As you can imagine going to Los Angeles for someone who lives in Toronto is a big deal. It's her first trip getting on a plan without her mommy and daddy. At least there is one more co-worker going with her. I'm sure they will have a wonderful time.

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  3. I'm reading! I wondered where you'd been!

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  4. I'm reading. Was wondering how you were doing. Sounds like you had a fabulous trip! I'd love to see more of the cruise photos (you did the sort of trip I want to do around the classical sights).

    Do you remember the address for that yarn shop in Paris? I'd love to find it next time I'm over there.

    Pam

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  5. Pam,
    It's on rue du Jour, adjacent to the shopping complex called Les Halles. You use Les Halles Metro station.

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  6. Hey! Where are the grandbaby photos? Quit lagging, woman!

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  7. those are beautiful colors!!! :)

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  8. I'm reading it JEALOUSLY! I'm in the middle of "My Life in France" and have been longing to travel more. Plus I'm always amazed by your latest project!

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