Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sunday Poetry

Crazy People.
They have too much sugar.
Sometimes they like to run around.
They dress normal, but they usually always wave their hands in the air 
and say blaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
They all have parents.

By:  Grady Salas Hecht
Age:  7-1/2 years old

Halloween: The Many Faces of Bolt







I've been so sick since I returned from Paris.  I missed my sweet boy's Halloween parade at school and it broke my heart when he cried out that it wasn't the same when I wasn't there.  Ouch.  I did rest up over the weekend and took him out for a few hours through Valley Ford and Bodega Bay.  People are so nice to my kid.  Everyone was happy to see him, loaded him up with candy and praise for his home-styled costume.

He floated from businesses, to friends' homes and on to the grand finale at the fire station (where he received a Payday bar and a $2 bill).  I was exhausted by the end of all of this and handed him off to his father when we got home.  From there, he went to Tomales to trick-or-treat around the neighborhood with a gang of kids from his school.  It was loud, fun & the Halloween adrenaline was pumping.

Bolt got around this Halloween.  He was very proud of his candy haul and filled two big pyrex bowls with the sugary loot.  He was most pleased with the $2 bill and quickly set out to find the perfect hiding spot for it.

Now, we wait for the Candy Fairie to arrive in a couple of days...

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Paris: Day Six (A.M. version)

 ::  We spent the morning in the Marais
::  Dined at this adorable cafe in the Marais
 ::  The french omelette eluded me once again, so I had scrambled eggs & a glass of bubbly
 ::  The signage in Paris is so unique & beautiful
 ::  Warm chestnuts from a street vendor on the Seine River Bridge
::  Self-portrait.  We tried to get the Eiffel Tower in...we did not succeed!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Paris: Day Five (Bordeaux)

We toured Bordeaux and the streets were alive with hundreds of people.  Quite a contrast to yesterday's weather and the day was brisk, cool & clear blue skies - good for a lot of walking through the streets.  

The theme has been walk a little while, stop at a cafe, drink warm liquids, eat a little something and then start all over again with that same routine.  

We laughed a lot and really had a nice time in Bordeaux.  David paid the additional $4 per ticket and we rode in first class on our way home on the train.  What a luxury.  We celebrated by eating really bad food...to counteract all the good stuff we had been eating!  Why don't Californians (or Americans) have this high speed train thing figured out?  It was so easy and hassle-free.  So much better than flying.  No security, no lines, no checking your baggage.  Bring wine or food on (which we did), play cards or read a book.  Charge your computer and/or phone and surf the web.  It was such a nice contrast to the normal hoops you have to jump when traveling.

We took a taxi home from the train station and were home in time to call Grady.  We've missed him so much.  Tomorrow is our last full day in the city and I have a small list of things I want to do before we leave.  I feel ambitious, but don't want to overdo it.  Hopefully, I will get more than a few hours sleep tonight.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Paris: Day Four (Bordeaux)

::  We took a wonderful 3 hour train ride to Bordeaux
 ::  David & Manuella made the reservations 
 ::  Hotel Majestic was located on a quiet street in the heart of Bordeaux
 ::  We ate a lovely lunch at Karl
::  I'm learning to save room for coffee & something sweet at the end of every meal.  Bordeaux is known for their world-famous canelles (pictured above with my cafe au lait).
 ::  We purchased a few bottles of Bordeaux to drink later
 ::  We oohed and ahhed over the rainbow of colors to choose from in the macaron department
 ::  We decided to go bowling.  Why?  Because nothing else was open on this rainy, Sunday afternoon.  What a silly & fun thing to do when in Bordeaux, right?
::  French onion soup.  The most delicious I have ever tasted.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Paris: Day Three

Today was a bit rough.  Steve was sick and bedridden for the entire day and night.  I finally woke up and got out of bed at 1 pm Paris time.  The day was passing me by.  I finally got out of the apartment to meet David at Galerie 88 for a small lunch and, of course, tea.  
When I was here in 2002, my favorite memory was tasting tea for the first time and falling in love with it.  Such ceremony here and lovely tea service (as well as coffee service at the end of every meal, too).  I was introduced on that trip to the wonderful and oh so very fragrant shop of Mariage Freres.  It is an experience to walk into their storefront, peruse the finest in tea ware, admire the men in crisp white linen suits weighing out the loose teas and packaging everything up in such beautiful ceremony.  I even went so far as to look into carrying their teas at Gourmet au Bay, but the red tape was too much to cut through and we abandoned that idea.  Today I stocked up on tea and sucre and hoped to return for tea service here later in the week.
We strolled through the Marais and David pointed out landmarks and facts.  He is the consummate host and tour guide and I am forever indebted to him for his kindness and willingness to show us around and help us get from Point A to Point B with minimal fuss.
As David and I said our goodbyes for the afternoon, I started to make my way through the the square in front of the Hotel Deville.  All of a sudden the sky cracked opened, lightning and thunder shuddered through the city and I was completely and utterly soaked.  I ran as fast as I could towards the apartment and realized what a crazy woman I must have looked like.  Not one inch of me was dry when I finally arrived and trudged up three flights of stairs.  I had to laugh at myself.  Why didn't I duck into a cafe? or a store?

I spent the rest of the evening eating leftover cheese and wine from the night before and reading My Life in France by Julia Child.  Steve is sleeping the evening away.  Such a shame, but I hope the rest he's getting helps him get better for our adventure to Bordeaux tomorrow.  We shall see.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Paris: Day Two

 :: Insane street candy vendors
 ::  Basquiat Exhibit in Paris
 ::  Love Locks on the bridge over the Seine ~ Lovers inscribe, lock & throw keys into the Seine River.  So very romantic.
 :: Landmarks in every direction
 ::  Lunch near the Louvre
 :: The most beautiful chairs at the Grand Palais Gardens
 ::  My dream bike
 ::  The best hot chocolat in the world & a Mont Blanc pastry (a meringue base filed with whipped cream and sweet chestnut puree) at Angelina.  To. Die. For.
 ::  Shakespeare & Co. filled to the brim with book treasures
 ::  I sat here and perused books for over an hour
:: Dinner at Cafe Louis Philippe
 :: Steak w/ Herbed Butter, Potatoes & Steamed Zucchini & Tomatoes
 ::  Bottle of 2007 Burgundy because, hey, we're in France!
::  The ending to a beautiful day in the City of Lights

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