In honour of The International Day of Peace

I share these photos today in honour of The International Day of Peace. They were taken in Paris, France on September 9, 2011. The Wall of Peace is far more beautiful than these humble pictures can represent. Created by artist Clara Halter and installed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte the monument offers up one simple, beautiful word -Peace- in 32 languages.  We happened upon it on the Champs de Mars near the École Militaire when visiting the Eiffel Tower. Installed in 2,000 as part of Millenium celebrations this monument was supposed to be dismantled after three months and yet it still stands.

 

Urban Oasis

Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Spain.

If you are in the area of the Picasso Museum this parc is an easy walk. It’s not far from the Arc de Triomf which is another lovely, picteresque area.

Marching up to Montmartre

Saturday we headed to Place de Tertre and the Sacré-Coeur Basilica to check out what has been called Paris’ last village. So many words to describe our visit: fun, crowded, entertaining, exhausting, colourful, vibrant, delicious and all around wonderful!

I have more pictures to share but shall quit while I’m ahead. The WiFi is good here (in Barcelona already) and I have been working on getting these pics up for a few days.

Free Hugs and B-boys; a day at the Eiffel Tower

Friday we decided to take the advice of travel guru Rick Steeves and take the Trocadéro Métro stop (line #6 or #9) rather than the closest stop. I could sense some hesitation from Dave but I was sure of the decision and off we went. Turned out to be a fabulous idea. Upon rounding the corner of the Trocadéro building the first sight of the tower is breathtaking. The esplanade is a great place to sit and relax. You can’t beat the view and if you’re lucky you’ll be offered a free hug by someone from a group like this.

A young man approached us with a sign that said “Free Hugs”. My immediate response was “oui, merci”. Judging by the look on Dave’s face he didn’t know what to make of the whole thing. The guy gave us both a hug, said thanks & good day and was off to offer a little friendliness to someone else.

Personally I think our world would benefit from more human interaction, even fleeting moments of connection, and I think it takes a different sort of bravery to approach strangers with an offer of a hug. We are all on guard from pick-pockets etc.., that in our desire to be safe we don’t know where the balance is between common sense and an openess to living in the moment.

A free hug is a fabulous way to start a trip to the Eiffel Tower and while I don’t know this young man’s story I won’t forget him. He doesn’t know my story either and that might be the whole point….

Even if you don’t get a free hug you’ll get a photo op! Here are a few pics from our visit. It was a warm day, and bit sticky, day with sunny periods and clouds. I think the photos turned out alright!

We caught the warm up of a b-boy group about to busk with the Eiffel Tower as their backdrop. Seriously, how cool is that? Things were just getting started when they had a speaker malfunction:( I was really enjoying the blend of familar music and dance style with the French language pitch too. Alas, it was not meant to be. We decided to head off to Notre Dame and it was only on the train we realized the tower lights were turned on. I blame on the miles of walking!

Tonight we will catch the light show!

On the upside we did catch a fire busking show at Notre Dame which was amazing! It was very dark, we were close enough to see them and the church was lit up to the side providing just enough light.

Photos of Reykjavik

Just lost my last post because I hit the wrong button! Here are some shots taken in Reykjavik, Iceland until I have time to rewrite.

My happy place; Parc Güell

I have been longing to return to Parc Güell in Barcelona from the very moment I left 12 years ago.  I’m very excited about returning and showing Dave the parc. Pardon the cliche but it really is my happy place!

The video below does a lovely job of showing the parc in all it’s Modernisme glory but the thought of seeing the parc in 30 minutes is a bit chuckle-worthy. While I agree that one could see the parc in 30 minutes I have to scratch my head and wonder why anyone would bother to try.

Take time to lounge on the comfy serpentine bench that borders the upper terrace. We’re talking “stop and smell the roses” only it’s more like “stop and admire the mosaics!” You’ll be glad you did.

This open air building with the columns is a fabulous place to catch a live musical performance. Many performers have CDs available. Be sure to buy one to both share and relive some memories of your trip when you return home.

There is no way I could spend only 30 minutes here in this parc no matter how many tourists  are milling about.  There is a real peacefulness about this place, a connection to nature itself in a wild and colorful way, that makes even thinking of a rushed visit a sacrilege!

The video below has some wonderful footage of the parc.  Pay close attention at 3:30 when you see the public escalators in the middle of the street en route to the parc. I still remember the first time I saw the escaltors and what a welcome relief they were!

I suggest taking the train and walking up (and I’m talking UP) to the parc unless you have a health concern.  Life’s short and the walk/climb is an adventure in itself.  Take a water bottle for sure!

If you’d like more information on the parc click here.

Visiting the Eiffel Tower

My answer to dear husband regarding the Eiffel Tower.

‘Nuff said I think!

Check out the convenient online ticket reservation system.

Costs* for adults:

€13,40 when taking the lift to the top

€4,70 will get you to the 2nd floor via the stairs

€8,20 is the charge for using the lift to the 2nd floor

*Paris Museum Pass does not cover the Eiffel Tower. Other rates for children and seniors available here.

New (to me) Travel App; Fotopedia Paris

Loving the new-to-me Fotopedia Paris* app! I’ve had the Fotopedia Heritage app for a year now. The folks at Fotopedia know what they are doing! Both apps are well organized, full of great photos, easily searchable and free with useful features.

My trip, my plans, my map. Pretty cool eh?

What I love about the Paris app is the ability to tag photos by tapping the My Trip button (a stick figure walking). The end result is a series of photos, a virtual trip itinerary if you will, that will serve as excellent reminder of what I hope to see during our visit.

Going one step further you can even see all the points in your trip on a map. This is an excellent way to see the sights in relation to each other and to plan accordingly. Very handy if you only have a few days to explore.

You’ll find amazing photos of the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, sure.  But what I love about this app is the ability to discover hidden gems like Place du Tertre in Montmartre not far from the Sacre Coeur Basilica. Places we might have otherwise missed.  No worries here! The app’s built in map includes all the metro stops & streets. Really, what more could one ask for?

Well, curious minds could ask for more information about the photos and the folks at Fotopedia obviously know this. There is clever built-in information button. A quick tap is your gateway to a Wikipedia summary (with link to full article) as well as a built in link to the Fotopedia site if you want to look for related photos. This feature is icing on the cake for a free app with 1,000 wonderfully taken photos!

Entertaining and educational there’s no reason not to download this app. It’s available for the iPhone and the iPad.

*Paris is the only first city to have its own dedicated app. Your city might be next. If you’d like your photos considered visit Fotopedia and find out more.

French cuisine at home: beef with carrots

photo from the Food Network Canada website

I have a confession to make.

Although I have been to Paris twice before I have not eaten much French food.

Rich sauces built around a lot of milk, cream or cheese do not work well with me, no matter how delicious.

On this trip I will finally visit one of the many fromageries because Dave loves cheese. Adding insult to injury, I don’t really care for wine either. I don’t hate it but I haven’t been enamored of those that I have tried.

Some say it is an acquired taste and perhaps they’re right. I say it’s a lot of effort and money to acquire such a taste; money better spent on buying art or yarn. A French chef would surely run from me, screaming in fear, I am such a scary barbarian!

The last time I was in Paris I enjoyed many fabulous meals. My absolute favourite was at a Mexican restaurant in the 10th with the nicest tri-lingual waitress. I hope they are still in business so I can eat there next month. I had a lovely haddock dish at a small Parisian restaurant owned by the chef. (Regrettably, I can’t remember exactly where.)   If only I could show you how huge this fish was – it hung over the sides of the plate! How did we live without the convenience of a smart phone with a high quality camera built in?

I stopped in many (and I mean many) boulangeries and patisseries to try the specialty of the house, of course. (I’m not a complete barbarian.)

These days I am actively pursuing more knowledge about French cuisine. The process, presentation and variety of recipes intrigue me. One of my earliest discoveries was Laura Calder’s Beef with Carrots.

This recipe is easy to follow* and a real crowd pleaser. Unlike many beef stews this recipe is not built around tomato sauce. For something so simple it really has great depth of flavour and easily feeds a crowd. We have a larger than average family so a recipe like this is a real godsend. Serve with a loaf of fresh French bread and your favourite dessert and you’ll have the enjoyment of fine dining at home for the right price.

With beef it’d be a glass of red, n’est-ce pas?

*Full disclosure: I did not add any dry wine to the recipe and it was still delicious.

St Pancras Station (via //// BEN ROWE photography ///////)

Not only am I testing out the WordPress Reblog feature, I am sharing a blog post with some fabulous pics of St. Pancras Station in London.

Having tickets on the Eurostar I knew St. Pancras is home to the Eurostar but I had no idea it also boasts Europe’s longest champagne bar.

The things you can learn with a few clicks of a mouse! Thanks Ben Rowe!

St Pancras Station, London. Home to high speed national train connections, the Eurostar and now Europe's longest champagne bar, the station will serve as a major transport hub during the London 2012 Olympics. Time Out London guide edition 18 … Read More

via //// BEN ROWE photography ///////