Convertibles....

We were at John's, our old university friend, place the other day in Kits....wonderful sitting out on the patio...ah summer... and he mentioned he and his partner just bought a Volkswagon Eos convertible.  They were taking delivery the next day so we didn't see it but we were quite intrigued since we didn't know anything about this car.   It's a great concept...permanent hard top with built-in sunroof and seating for four people.  We took a test drive  on Tuesday and were very impressed.  Certainly something to keep in mind if we buy a convertible again.

 Just touch a button and the top folds in.  And the front seats push forward easily and far so no big hassle getting into the back seat.  We found the Mustang terrible for that.

But I still don't think there is a more beautiful car than the 1957 Belair Convertible (Don sent me a bunch of great photos of old cars lately).

Richard brings dinner

Richard christened his new slow cooker with a mashed potato dish and chicken provençale which he brought over for dinner last night.  We were very impressed!  The cookbook was also impressive.  I was particularly impressed by all the "tips" they had for various things.

And I also scored a Granville Island Public Market shopping bag that he brought the food in.  I hadn't seen these at Granville Island and I'm always on the lookout for bags.

Merci beaucoup, Richard!

Bubbles, rubies, and diamonds....

I was thrilled to get this message from Elaine today.  They both deserve it since they've had such a rough year and I know Don got as much pleasure out of giving Elaine a new engagement ring as she had getting it.   Way to go, Guys!

From Elaine today:

"We did go to the Empress Hotel’s champagne event held last Thursday on the flag deck (the deck above the verandah). The weather was perfect (sunglasses were definitely needed) and the food accompanying each champagne was divine. We went by taxi with another couple and as we were leaving – we had reached the area of the shops – Marguerite realized she had left her shawl (which wasn’t needed) up on the flag deck. Her husband went back to retrieve it and Don, Marguerite and I went into a jewelry store. Within 20 seconds Don was buying me a new engagement ring (rubies and diamonds)! and Marguerite must never forget another article of clothing ever!"

Hubbard Glacier

We had lunch with Monique yesterday before she took the helijet back to Victoria after her Alaska cruise.  She had great weather which is not that usual and had a breath taking experience seeing the Hubbard Glacier since conditions were perfect for viewing and the ship could get very close.

Linda and Cec boarded the ship she just left and are off on the same cruise this week.  Hope they have good weather too but I know they've been many times before.

Our sunset walk

Just a beautiful sunset the other day.

A perfect B day for Jim

It started to cloud over so we went to an early matinee of the new Woody Allen movie, "To Rome with Love"...lots of fun.  Beautiful day in the end so went for our afternoon swim (water just fabulous) then out to Cloud 9 for dinner.  We had their 3 course menu...salad, duck breast, and mango cheesecake.  Jim's dinner was free since it was his birthday....great deal.

We were enjoying the entertainer, Clyde Harvey, so much we had special coffees...Irish for me and Spanish for Jim.

It was  such a beautiful night we went for a sunset swim and the light, clouds, ocean, trees, sky....were just amazing.  I hope I can remember enough to do a painting.  Being out on the ocean captured a certain angle I really loved.  Guess we'll have to go for many more sunset swims until I get the picture in my mind. 

Walking back we met Bill and Elaine,  these folks from Boston who lived in the penthouse (before Hollyburn kicked them out so a family member could live there).  They are really missing being in our building.  It was a special day for them since they just got their Permanent Residency for Canada.  Elaine is now teaching at UBC and they want to immigrate to Canada.  So we had a celebratory drink at our place.

And there were even some distant fireworks aka lightning put on specially for his birthday I guess.  A perfect ending.

 I don't think there could be a more perfect dessert for Jim than mango cheesecake (except perhaps ice cream....)

 Our favourite server who didn't sing Happy Birthday as a present to us....

"Piano entertainer, Clyde Harvey, has toured with Ike and Tina Turner, The Guess Who, and even Janis Joplin. Since 1978 he has been a popular performer in first class piano lounges in the US and Canada, and around the world. Some of Clyde's international engagements include Morocco, Korea, Japan and the Caribbean."

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Major Events of 1947

Aviator, Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier in the X-1.

Greek Civil War (1947-1949).

India and Pakistan independent from Britain.

Newfoundland and Labrador joins Canada.

Invention of transistor.

Marshall Plan for reconstruction in Europe.

Jackie Robinson is the first African-American to play in modern major league baseball.

Japan's post-war constitution comes into effect.

Some people claim that a UFO crashed at Roswell, New Mexico.



Tennessee Williams' play, "A Streetcar Named Desire", opens on Broadway.

Howdy Doody makes its TV debut.

Summertime....the fish are jumping and the livin' is easy....

It does feel so good to get sunshine in the bones and immersed in ocean water.

Taken from our balcony this morning...nice soft warm weather....not too hot yet.

Britain's just having a terrible time with weather and now it seems to be affecting the Olympics....as if there wasn't enough to worry about.  I hope the skies will clear and everything goes smoothly.   I will heave a sigh of relief when it's all over and will never quite understand why we have to have these events.

Back to Paradise....

A wonderful trip back to Vancouver and am now looking at our Palm trees and lovely garden and a sunset incroyable.   We went for our first swim in the ocean today and it was very warm and refreshing...just loved it and looking forward to many more.

Our new beach towels the Curlings gave us that have been used in our first ocean swim this year!

Words of wisdom from Auntie Acid

Don sent me this and Jim and I thought it was hilarious.

Another day...back to Vancouver tomorrow

 Enjoyed Fern's lovely garden on the Gorge then capuccinos from her new machine...delicious!


 Derek and Mary and us enjoying Guinness and good pub grub at the Penny Farthing.  Pulled pork highly recommended.  I broke the pattern and had the seafood sliders (oyster, salmon, shrimp) and the clam and cod chowder....also an excellent choice.

Return to old haunts

Elaine and I had lunch outside at the Hotel Grand Pacific and caught up on all the news of our servers.  We both had their wonderful calamari.  Apparently the kitchen was given strict orders to "make it absolutely right" as it was for "the ladies" as we are known there.  They delivered.

We're going to miss the Taste Victoria Festival but Don and Elaine are really looking forward to the Swine and Vine which they have attended from the beginning....suckling pig and other pork delicacies and many wines.

They are also taking advantage of "Seafood Sips"...another favourite of theirs.


Then Tim and Ann came over for drinks at our house and I was really thrilled to meet her and to learn we are actually neighbours so they walked over and then we walked to Uplands Golf Course to have dinner.  A beautiful evening for it.  Jim and Ann tried a new item on the menu...butter chicken...excellent!  It was a fun evening for everyone.

And on it goes....

Sunday,  Heather and I had an excellent lunch basking in the sun at Olive Olio's and I heard all about her cool trip to Peru.  She's now off on an Alaska cruise...first time cruising so will be interesting to hear about her take.

Heather

Then a really fun dinner at Chris and Susan's.  I gave them The French Dog (same person who did The French Cat) and they adored it.  They really are super books for people who have travelled in France and love dogs and/or cats.

 Jim and Chris.

 Beau enjoying the yard and the company.

Susan enjoying the sun...finally!

Halibut in parchment...yum.

A great B. day....

We began with great beer on Ian's deck overlooking the ocean then headed up to The Beach House (previously McMorran's)  We were very impressed with the renovation and the  food was excellent although we did have quite a wait since they were very busy and the kitchen seemed overwhelmed.  They have a few kinks to work out but it was really pleasant to sit in the sunshine and enjoy the view and chat.

Then Monique came round later with some goodies she couldn't eat since she's leaving on an Alaska cruise tomorrow,  Richard phoned, and we enjoyed talking to neighbours we haven't seen for a while.

A very good day.

 Binky and Ian.

 Binky enjoying basking in the sun on a favourite rock.

 View from the outdoor terrasse at the Beach House.

View inside the Beach House.  The photo really doesn't do justice to the wonderful renovation they've done.

Go go go....

We had Monique over for dinner last night and had a great feast of fresh crab...too busy eating and savouring to take photos...

Don and Elaine came over tonight bearing birthday gifts for Jim and me and it is Elaine's birthday Sunday so it was like Christmas opening the presents.

 Elaine holding this very cool card I found on Granville Island that make a bubbling and popping sound like champagne (Elaine loves bubbly) so of course a bottle of Veuve Cliquot had to accompany it and I also found a bottle of lobster oil that they serve  at the Stanley Park Fish House.  We enjoyed a super dinner at the Fish House together the last time Don and Elaine came to Vancouver.

 Jim with his double page booklamp (great idea!) beach towel, and Spicy Pita Crisps from FEY & HOBBS ( he has already gobbled down most of them...)

 My wonderful cat beach towel, French beach bag and individual tea cup and pot with a Van Gogh sunflower design....all perfect.

My first cup of tea...just love this design... Elaine does find the most amazing things!  Merci chers amis!

Great to be back in Victoria for a while....

Arrived yesterday and managed to get everything unpacked from the the car at least and getting settled in.  Trish and Don left the house sparkling so great to come home to.  We saw their new house today...just a block down on Burdick.  A house we've always admired.

Had a super lunch at the Yacht Club today with Patty and Terry.  A new chef apparently and we all really enjoyed our meals.

And we met our new neighbour, Beau....what a sweetheart!

From the people who brought us Ikea....

Very interesting idea for independent schools...from Sweden no less!   Sounds very much like the Year 2000 initiative that had some good ideas about it but just couldn't really be implemented.  Perhaps it needed the "free market".

http://www.economist.com/node/11535645?story_id=11535645

Bon Anniversaire, Monique!

Jim and I wish you all the very best on your birthday, Monique.

Monique on Pender Island....her very favourite local place.


Of course there is another place that is very dear to her heart and that is France.  We've had many good times with Monique and her family in France and thank you for introducing us to all the following things we enjoy so much!

Raclette

Moules-Frites

Bandol

Gambas of Bandol

Pastis

Bouillibaise

Hotel Splendid on the Renecros Beach in Bandol

This is not my photo as I couldn't seem to find a good one in my iPhoto library but of course the wonderful thing about the internet and keeping a blog is that I could do a Google Image search which not only brought up this photo but also two old photos of my own that were taken in 1976 on slides that I had converted to photos and that I scanned for a blog post at some point.  So,  quality not good but the memories remain the same. 

We knew Monique from Victoria but we met up with  her in Bandol that year at the Splendid and met her parents, Robert and Jacqueline, for the first time who both overwhelmed us with their charm and gentillesse.

You can see "The Snack" where we had gambas every day for lunch while we were there.  I forget the price but they were very cheap compared to the fortune we paid for the gambas we had with the Curlings that are pictured here. 

Jim, Robert, Monique, & Jacqueline having breakfast on the terrasse overlooking the Mediterranean.

Happy Canada Day!

So this is where Max turned up....modelling.