LAUGH A LITTLE

I'm seriously thinking that the world must be a bit off kilter this past week. Really? Snow again? I thought it was spring....That new red convertible is not going to see much action  at this rate. I find the universe is like that...I buy a convertible and it starts to snow. Kind of like having my plane cancelled due to a strike in Germany, arriving to the storm of the winter in Boston, or encountering your ex while dressed in a hospital gown.

You just gotta laugh at it and not take it too seriously. So today I thought I would post a few pictures that I find kind of odd and funny....to brighten up your day as well as mine seeing as I won't be doing any yard work because of the snow.

Seriously...this was in San Francisco



It really wasn't windy. This is how he was.





On your way to Port Carling....





Las Vegas...no harm intended.



FERRARI

Alright....I know, you are saying what is a Ferrari formula 1 car doing here when we are currently in the midst of NHL hockey playoffs? Well although I do like hockey (and am hoping that the Boston Bruins will win once again), formula 1 car racing has already started for the year and that's something that tops the hockey for me. 

I don't know when the obsession started, but I can't go without entering a Ferrari Store when I see one. I also collect the cars...signed racing car memorabilia, and the rec room currently has an authentic leather Ferrari chair. It has got to be the red colour I think...or maybe because I think I must have been a race car driver in a past life. Either way, if you are switching the channels on TV and I happen to notice  a race..., you might as well leave it there because I will have to watch every lap until the finish. Fast, red cars....is there anything better?

GOWAN, MOONLIGHT DESIRES

Was that really Gowan I was watching jumping off a stool, teetering on his piano, and moving so fast across the

stage that even my camera had  a hard time capturing him? You bet it was.

Gowan performed four Canadian tour dates in between his Styx performances. I have had the opportunity to see Gowan for the last 25 years, by himself, with a band, and performing with Styx where he has been for the past ten years. He has just re-released "Gowan Great Dirty World" with the addition of a few new songs. He gets better with age. His voice is clear, precise, and melodic; never out of tune. His acrobatic performances across the stage add drama and a theatrical stage presence that mirrors his music perfectly. It's no wonder he was chosen to be included in the Styx band.

The show was riveting to say the least. With an all star cast which included Todd Sucherman (Styx), Peter Nunn (Honeymoon Suite), Terrence Gowan (his brother), Danny Ricardo (Toronto fame), and back up singer, Taylor Mills (Brian Wilson), who is married to Todd Sucherman, time stood still. Not  only was I listening to their music but it had a sense of taking me back to the past, reliving my younger years and reminding me where I was when I first heard the songs. The show was ultimately "amazing" and one of the best I have been to in the past few years.

Larry Gowan was very personable and friendly as were the other members in his band. I enjoyed the night immensely as well as the conversations had. Yes Todd Sucherman IS one of the best drummers (sorry - the best). With Peter Nunn playing piano in the background, as I drank a glass of wine and spoke to Danny....I think.... does it get any better?

SHERWOOD INN, MUSKOKA

Not more than about two hours away from here in Port Carling tucked in amongst huge pines on Lake Joseph is Sherwood Inn. Port Carling is just starting to wake up from winter, so you won't find a lot of restaurants open yet. In fact, most shops don't open until May. But that didn't matter to me because I was going to snowshoe and ski on Lake Joseph, hit the hot tub, go to the spa, and relax overlooking the beautiful lake with a glass of wine and the fireplace going.

NOT....For the middle of March, it was the hottest weather ever for this time of year and the lake was not safe to go on. If I did, you would have found me at the bottom. It won't be long before you can swim in the lake instead of skiing on it. Sherwood Inn has a main lodge or Inn but it also has lodges and rooms across the property with a fitness centre, tennis courts, spa, restaurant, lounge, hot tub and many activities for all seasons. I have seen weddings taking place here, both in the winter and summer. It feels like a home away from home. Staff are very friendly and helpful and I always find it so peaceful just sitting outside in the muskoka chairs with a fire burning. So I did relax, enjoy some wonderful food, and have that glass of wine and for a bit forget about everything else.

EIFFEL TOWER

You aren't in Paris if you don't see the Eiffel Tower. That is what Paris is to me. I got home from my trip and realized that I had taken more pictures of the Eiffel Tower than anything else in Paris. Now that's fine for me but not so good when you are trying to show your family and have to keep pressing the "next" button because they're just not feeling the thrill of seeing so many pictures of the Eiffel Tower as you did.

There's the tower at night all lit up and then there is the tower during the day. I don't know what I expected the first time I saw it up close, but just the structure and the way it is built out of wrought iron amazed me. I have waited until now to actually get to see it that when I did, it was quite surreal. The tower stands 324 metres (1,063 ft) and is the tallest tower in Paris.  Quite a beautiful sight if you ever get the chance to see it.

THANKS TO ALL

It's so good to see the snow starting to melt. With hopefully our last big storm of the winter out of the way, I will soon be able to put my snowblower away too. I really think that machine has it out for me...we just do not get along. I swear it just fights back.

So it has been back to the grind the past couple of weeks. Was I not just on holiday? It seems so long ago. Time to plan again. I have to thank all the people we met on our trip who made it such an enjoyable time. From the couple in Paris who owned a bagel shop, our server each morning as we had our cappuccinos and chocolate croissants, the staff at Devillas Hotel in Paris (who treated us royally), our travelling companion on the train who we later met again in the streets of Venice of all places, Fabrizio and his companions in St. Mark's Square (yes next time we are in Venice we will email and meet you guys for espresso), the "nuns" who gave us laughs for the evening, the staff at Ca Pisani  Hotel in Venice (you were the best and we will be back), our guide for the ball, Elena, for getting us home in one piece, Bob, our friendly boat driver, the San Francisco couple and his mother, the couple from Netherlands, and Lilly, Allison, Rose and my cousin Lucy who the next time I get a call from that starts, "do you know what I am thinking?....." really has much more meaning in those words than you know.

MURANO

Off the coast of Venice you'll find the island of Murano where their biggest export is Murano glass. There are no patterns for this art. It is done free hand and is another tradition passed down amongst families. We watch a demonstration of the glass blowing technique as the artisan takes glass and with high heat molds it into vases, glasses, and miniature horses.  I of course bring a few pieces back with me. I am always intrigued with the colours and the uniqueness of every piece as not two are the same with each piece having its own irregularities.

HOME AGAIN

Back home again, safe and sound after having my flights cancelled due to a strike in Frankfurt and eventually making it home in one piece with three flights that had me running through the airports to catch them on time. Rested? Yes. Although I loved Paris, it's fashion, it's food and the sights, I left a piece of my heart in Venice...with the people we met, the laughs we shared, the food we ate, and the life experiences too hard to put in words of a festival that is an authentic recreation of the closest thing that I will ever get to being in the 18th century. I would definitely recommend that someday in your life you get the chance to go during carnival time in Venice, and I am sure you will feel welcomed by the Venetians.

We barely get over the jet lag and my cousin has already said she misses being in Venice. Will there be another trip. Of course there will...and for sure another carnival.




Sunrise over Venice on our last day



TORCELLO

Another of Venice's islands is Torcello. Only 16 people live on this island - not counting the cats and chickens we saw. There a lot of homes that are for sale here. Yet, as we make our way to one of its churches, you come across an inn, a few restaurants, and many homes. We didn't see any of the 16 inhabitants that they say live there. Because of its beauty and location, many couples come here to get married. Also located here is Cipriani Inn and restaurant.

If you have been reading my blogs through Venice, you will recall that the Cipriani family are the ones who have Harry's Bar and where the Bellini and carpaccio were invented. This inn/restaurant was their second location. Their third of course is the well known Harry's Bar in Manhattan, New York.

This island is quiet, serene, and beautiful. It's a little windy today and a bit cool for this time of year, but this is a nice island to go visit to slow down and relax and forget about our frantic and busy lives.

BURANO

Burano is one of the islands belonging to Venice. For me it is the prettiest. One of the rules there is that if you want to paint your house, you have to go through the municipality and they will tell you what colour you can paint the outside of your home or if the colour that you have chosen is okay. It is one of the brightest and most colourful islands. This is where lace making exists.

We are led by our guide to Olga, one of the oldest lace makers on the island. The island is quaint with small shops along the main road, but the majority of shops sell lace and embroidered products. As I look at what they have, I realize that my mother has done a lot of the same work and that I have many of the pieces she has given me still to this day. They say that this art is passed down on the island to female family members, but don't wait for me to do any lace making...that talent missed the boat with me.