Visiting in Canada

Some more photos of Aimy's adventures so far.

Too funny!

Baby Santa trying to grab the camera

Playing in the food drawer.

Ads: Our Favourite

Already learning to play the piano

I got the Cheerios!!

We Made It!

Well, it was over a week ago, but we arrived safely here on the We(s)t Coast without incident. Aimy was a champion traveler and I am very impressed with the way she handled the long trip. I won't go into too much detail about it, but despite only having 3 45-minute naps over a 20 hour period, she was well-behaved on both flights and adored by the flight crew and other passengers on the Amsterdam-Vancouver flight. She got a bit cranky more than once, but I think that was more due to her frustration at having to sit on my lap and not being able to play on the floor like she does at home, and from not being able to sleep the way she wanted to. Fortunately the other passengers were very understanding and often waved at her and smiled and tried to interact with her to distract her when she was getting upset. It made things a lot easier for me - I didn't have to worry about her disturbing the other passengers at all. But I have to admit that I am very glad Carlos and I are flying back home together because I wouldn't be able to do that alone again! I ended up going 22 hours without sleeping and I wasn't always at my best during that last leg of the trip. Hopefully going home will be much easier.

But I don't want to talk about going home now because we're enjoying ourselves so much here! Aimy has quickly adapted to her new environment and has Grandma and Grandpa wrapped around her little finger. She loves sliding around on her bum on the hardwood floor and trying to pull on the pretty lights on the Christmas tree. Uncle Greg and Aunty Sandra are thrilled to be spending time with her and she is enjoying their presence too.

Snuggling with Uncle Greg and Grandma

Centre of attention!

Reading with Aunty Sandra

All dressed up for Christmas

Santa hat twins!

Fascinated by the player piano

We haven't gotten out too much so far, especially since it took me longer to recover than Aimy did (she was back to her normal routine 3 days after we arrived... it took me 6). But we have been able to spend time with Great-Grandma and have seen Great-Aunts and Great-Uncles too.

With Great-Grandma and my Great-Uncle George

Walking with Uncle Greg

All cuddled up with Grandpa

Riding on Aunty Sandra's shoulders!

It feels good to be back, but strange at the same time. I hadn't realized how much I missed the landscape here until we were driving over the new Port Mann bridge from Surrey and I saw the snow-capped mountains... Beautiful British Columbia indeed.

Hanging around in the North

After visiting the cool castles, we spent a few days visiting friends in the north of France. Here are some photos of our adventures.

A little teddy bear!

Cute.

Having a good time

Out for a walk

Sitting (and eating) like a big girl at the restaurant!

The night we went out for dinner, Aimy was lucky enough to get fresh mashed potatos from the kitchen to have for dinner, and she did quite well with it. And she watched us eat and played quietly without a problem until we were done. What a champion!

We also went to Canada while we were in the north of France. We went to Vimy Ridge on a rainy, gray day, but still had a good time. We also visited the Wellington Quarry, a limestone quarry under the city of Arras used and modified by Commonwealth soldiers during World War I to participate in the Battle of Arras. Unfortunately I don't have any photos, but I hope you'll enjoy the ones I took at Vimy.

Maple trees brought from Canada! Feels
like home.

The monument

Aimy helping Carlos with the umbrella

In front of the monument

All smiles!

Craters left from bombardments. Note the electric fence in
front- there are still live mines and ammo in the ground here.

Castles Part 3: Chaumont-Sur-Loire

The last castle we visited was Chaumont-sur-Loire, another state-owned castle with magnificent grounds. When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was that everything was all decorated for fall.

Pumpkins and squash

The stables, with decorated path to the castle.

The castle itself seems to be something out of a fairy tale, and the decor in the rooms on the first floor was spectacular.

Beautiful!

The Ruggieri room - the astrologer of Catherine de Medicis

Sign on chimney could also represent
Diane de Poitiers - three full moons,
since Diana is the Roman goddess of
the moon.

Stained Glass in the Catherine de Medicis room

The council room. The wall painting was found during the
2006 restoration

Exquisite

Council room floor - 17th century tiles from Sicily.

The Grand Salon - 19th century decor, as it might have looked
when the Prince and Princess of Broglie lived here

Until the early 20th century, the castle was inhabited by the Prince and Princess of Broglie, who were known for their expensive receptions and distinguished guests (such as Don Carlos of Portugal [haha], Edward VII, Charles I of Romania, Sarah Bernhardt). They were responsible for the restoration of several rooms (notably the Ruggieri room, council room, the Catherine de Medicis and Diane de Poitiers rooms, and the guardroom) and the modernization of the castle. Unfortunately they made some bad investments and the French state expropriated the Princess in 1938. It has been in public hands ever since, with the latest restorations taking place in the 2000s.

The castle and the grounds were filled with art installations, with everything from bird nests to the projected life of a tree.

But my favourite part of the visit was something perhaps one in 10 visitors actually sees. When we arrived, we were 20 minutes late for the guided tour, but we had a brochure with information, so we wandered through the rooms at our own leisure. We caught up to the group at the staircase (pictured above, with the fall decor) and since Aimy was starting to get a bit agitated, we didn't feel comfortable waiting around with them. The guide indicated that if people were interested, they could continue up the stairs to an art exhibition at the top level, or they could continue on the tour. Seeing as everyone in the group continued on with the tour, we decided to go upstairs and see what this art exhibit was about.

At the top of the stairs we found a dark room, very different from the sumptuous decor we had seen previously. The walls were cracked, the fireplace was dirty, and the floors were creaky and dusty. In the window was a stained glass piece obviously by the artist to whom the exhibition was dedicated. Everything else seemed shabby and unkempt. Curious, we moved on to the next room, where things were even worse. Dark, dusty room, peeling walls, exposed and aged wooden beams in the ceiling, and a piece of art in the window... We weren't surprised to find ourselves alone there, and in fact another couple came up the stairs behind us, took one look at the room and promptly went downstairs again.

They didn't know what they would be missing.

We were still curious, so we went through the door to the next room and found ourselves in the hallway under the eaves, in the old servants quarters... and felt like we had been transported back in time. Everything was dusty and falling apart, but I felt as though we were getting a glimpse of what the castle was really like when people lived there. From room to room we saw layers and layers of wallpaper, dusty marble fireplaces  and late 19th century electrical wiring, exposed wooden frames... it really impressed upon me the amount of work it must take for anyone to restore a castle that has been modernized (with all the old beauties of the walls etc. covered over to make it look more modern and holes punched in the walls for cables and pipes without a care of how ugly it looked) and turn it back into a period building. And since we only saw 2 other people when we were there, it only lent to the feeling that we were intruding on the ghosts of the castle, as if we had broken in to an abandoned building and were illegally traipsing around, looking for treasure... (and I even ended up finding an unlocked door with a Do Not Enter sign on it and climbing up the stairs to arrive in more 'hidden' rooms.) It was quite the adventure.

One of the old servant's rooms filled with odds and ends.

5 layers down to the original wallpaper... with signs telling us
not to touch.

One of the rooms we discovered.

We made our way out of this part of the castle, not without feeling a fair bit of awe. When we got outside we realized two things: first, that there was a hot air balloon floating above the castle, making for some great pictures, and secondly, that Aimy had fallen asleep in the carrier. We went back to the car and put her down in the back seat, where she slept calmly for nearly an hour. In the end, it was a full and exciting day!

Sleeping like an angel.

Castles Part 2: Cheverny

Before I say anything about this castle, if I show you a picture of it, what does it remind you of?

Nothing jumps out at you? What if I show you this picture?

That's right. Carlos, Aimy and I visited Captain Haddock's home, Marlinspike Hall (Moulinsart in French). Cheverny castle was the inspiration for the captain's fictional home, though with the two outer wings removed. Cheverny is one of the most beautifully furnished private castles I have visited. It has belonged to the same family for 600 years, the Hurault family. It has been open to the public since 1922 and was used as a hiding place for many of France's national art treasures, such as the Mona Lisa, during World War II.

Dining room.

Ceiling in the hallway. Wow!

Birth chamber: for showing off your newborn.

Child's bedroom. Wooden horses from the Napoleon III era.

Actual dress worn by the Marquise de Vibraye at her wedding.

The library

Louis XV-era clock. It still works!

The grounds are also gorgeous, and despite a bit of a chill, we really enjoyed being outside. The exterior of the castle is interesting: the north side was constructed in a strict Louis XIII style, with cut stone corners and smaller blocks between them, while the south side is decorated with the busts of Roman emperors.

On a bench in the 'English' garden.

Standing in front of the north side of Cheverny

Cute and cozy baby!

View of both sides (and styles) of the castle

And before we left, I had to get my picture taken with Tintin and Captain Haddock. It just wouldn't have been right to do otherwise!

Next entry: Chaumont-sur-Loire