Canterbury Tales

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from my trip and thought I would start with Canterbury. This is where our home-base was while we were traveling and as I mentioned in a previous post, where we were so fortunate to stay with our friends D+L. They were so kind and accommodating to us - they gave us a comfy place to hang our hats, fed us delicious food, introduced us to Yorkshire Tea, took us to the most interesting places and they were just so much fun to be around. (On our first night, they even gave us thoughtful little presents!) I hope that we're able to repay them some day as they really did make our trip extra extra-special.

Thanks so much for everything D+L+K+B! ♥

As for Canterbury itself, it's a charming town in the district of Kent in South East England. It's rich in history dating back to prehistoric times when it was first inhabited. The city lies on Great Stour River and is filled with many beautiful medieval structures and buildings (pictured below) and lovely storefronts like the Hospice Shop (one of my favorites). There were also places with funny names like the Bishop's Finger which always caused a few groans each time we passed it.

My cup of tea

I wasn't always a tea drinker. In fact, there was a time I used to drink nothing but home brewed coffee with milk and sugar. (This was when I was a broke University student living at home and when those big plastic portable cups were all the rage). Then, a new kid came to town - I'll call him Tim...Tim Horton's - and I was all over him like a dirty shirt. For a couple of years I was all about Timmy's "extra large triple triple" and couldn't start the day without a visit to the drive-through to order one. I'd even visit throughout the day to feed this mild addiction. (Rumour had it that there was MSG in each cup.) From there, I found myself being seduced by the next big thing - the competitor who boasted trendy, sophisticated drinks with frothy foams, sugary syrups and fancy names like latte, frappuccino and misto. To boot, I had stopped consuming dairy and found that my new suitor offered lactose-free alternatives like soy. I was hooked. Soon, it was Starbucks and nothing else would do.

I'm not exactly sure when I began scaling back on my decadent coffee beverages...perhaps it had to do more with the fact that to feed this addiction I required deep pockets or the subtle hint of tightness around my waistline and the appearance of ill-fitting pants (these drinks come with a price, you see). Whatever the case, I found myself growing curious about liquid gold and began to develop a deep appreciation for the leaf and all of its varieties. I started off innocently with English Breakfast but soon found myself courted by the exotic black teas and lusting over the flavored pu’erhs. Most recently, I have fallen head over heels with organic Hojicha creme from David's Tea.

Of course, to keep my relationship with tea alive, I make sure not to discriminate and always keep an open mind to new blends and flavours. I've flirted with maté (I love its potency), spent time with oolong and rooibos (both lovely especially when enhanced with flavours) and experienced the smoky varieties of imported European teas (a wonderful surprise!). I'm always trying something new but I definitely have my favorites!

I'll drink several cups of tea a day. My routine (since returning from our recent travels) has been: a cup of Yorkshire tea with breakfast, two cups of caramel tea during the day and a special blend after dinner and perhaps again before bed (preferably Hojicha with soy milk and sugar).

I'm supplementing my tasting by also feeding my brain with books about the history of tea, the harvesting and processing, the traditions all over the world and how tea culture is making an impact these days. I especially love reading blogs about people's passion over the brew, tips about steeping and pairing with food (especially biscuits and sweets!) and reviews of different varieties. A recent comment posted by a Monsieur de la Cour has even inspired me to go on a tea tasting tour around the city. I think this would be fun!

So, whatever your cup of tea is - enjoy! I'll leave you now with this video on Tea Making Tips (circa 1941). Take care and talk soon. xo

This time last week...

I was...

...looking at beautiful Parisian buildings,

...in awe over the number of skulls and bones housed in the catacombs,

...scouring the Marché aux Puces for vintage treasures,

...admiring curiosities and antiquities (and even purchasing a few),

...pinching myself.

Go back to sleep

I've been awake for almost two hours now, despite feeling like I'm extremely hung over (which I'm not) and fatigued. My body is aching and I'm feeling nauseous but I know it's just the jet-lag kicking in. I was fine yesterday but feel gross right now. In five hours, I'll be facilitating a workshop. (Help me.)

I think I hear H tossing in her bed too. I'll get up and check on her. Maybe we can have a really early breakfast and take our time getting ready for the day. I'll review my presentation materials and then cross my fingers that the day goes well. (Sigh)

This is what I meant about getting back to reality. I'm really not good at it even on the best of days. I wish I could magically snap my fingers and be back on a plane, going on another adventure with my family.

[Wonder what D+H are up to right now in Canterbury and if the weather is cooperating...]

Back to reality...sigh

We flew home yesterday and spent the day settling back into life again. H was really excited to get back to school today to see her friends while I was happy to have the day to unpack, do laundry and hang out with J. I felt a bit nauseous from jet-lag but otherwise okay. I always have a hard time getting back to "reality" after going on holidays.

I took several pictures (okay, so maybe it was over 1000) on the trip and will be posting some once I've sorted through them properly. In addition to my DSLR, I took a little point-and-shoot, several toy cameras and an old Polaroid. I got some great shots with the Polaroid and am glad I brought this cumbersome friend with me on our travels.

More posts later. Hope you're all well and keeping warm. (Did I mention how cold it was on our trip? Brrr.) Talk soon. xo

Tapas

Last night, D+L treated us to a lovely dining experience at Cafe Maresque for tapas. We sampled many tasty dishes including Seafood and Saffron Paella, Crispy Fried Calamari With Saffron Aioli, Grilled Haloumi Brochette and Hummus Roast Almonds With Smoked Paprika...just to name some of our choices (we had 14 in all). It was a great atmosphere and was surprisingly busy considering the crazy weather outside.

We've been so spoiled with all of the wonderful meals we've had during our trip - both homemade and at various restaurants and cafes. On top of this, we've been enjoying the different candies, chocolates and tea available here.

[I'm devoting about 10 lbs. of our luggage to transporting some of our favorites so we can continue to enjoy them when we get home and of course, to share with our friends and family.]

Stranded

We were "stranded" in London the other night due to extreme weather conditions (translation: heavy snowfall). It was just awful...we were stuck eating delicious homemade curry (three varieties, no less), surrounded by the nicest people and forced to sleep on a comfy bed in a cozy flat in London. (Can you imagine?) In all seriousness, we were unable to make our way back to Canterbury which has been our homebase since we arrived but it was a welcome diversion. J's friends, A+H, had us over for an intimate gathering with some of the English language teachers that J had worked with in Japan (before we met). It was great to finally meet these people I had heard so much about and seen so many photos of. They were all as wonderful as I'd imagined and really cool. I think the coolest of them all was little Flo who was a bundle of energy and so entertaining.

The following morning, the three of us made it over to the Tate Modern which I was happy to see but to be honest not as impressed with as the National Portrait Gallery. After seeing all of the beautiful paintings and drawings and imagining how many hours of work each portrait must have taken, I just could not appreciate Marcel Duchamp's or Jeff Koons' dadaist interpretations of art. When I saw Koons' installation of vacuum cleaners in a glass case, I found it a little offensive, although I realize one of the contentions of modern art is that the word "artist" should not be just confined to those who have specialized training or expertise and the notion that anyone can be an artist.

In any case, my highlight of the Tate was the amazing gift shop they had. Seriously folks, housed in the shop were many lovely items from the hundreds of book titles available to the racks of gorgeous postcards to the coolest children's art-related items. It was vast and wonderful - like a really special bookstore which you could spend hours in.

And sadly, today was our last day in London. We had grandiose ideas of what we'd be able to do but the unpredictable and inclement weather dictated our schedule. We had plans of visiting the British Museum but found out that many of the trains were running on limited schedules. In fact, people working in London were advised to leave downtown by 7:00 pm to avoid being stranded due to the limited trains. I didn't mind because we had a really amazing day anyway. We visited Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station (and took cheesy pictures), had a delicious lunch at the Inspiralled Lounge (which rivals our all-time favorite meal at Hermitage - it was that good) and of course, traversing the maze that is known as Camden Market.

And tonight? We're chilling out in Canterbury with our lovely friends, drinking tea and anticipating UK's version of Big Brother (there's something addictive and mesmerizing with its banality). Oh yeah, and we need to pack our things for Paris which we hope to be able to get to seamlessly and smoothly, depending on what happens with the weather tonight and how the trains will be affected. Fingers crossed! Then, it's three days in Paris and back to Canterbury on Monday night to pack and spend our last night in the UK before leaving for Toronto on Tuesday morning. (Sigh)

Take friends and keep warm. Talk soon. xo

(Did I mention it's freezing here?)

Happy New Year!

I hope 2010 is off to a good start for you all...

Quick note from the road. We're here in the UK now and having an amazing time. We're staying in Canterbury with our friends, D+L, who have been the most wonderful hosts and tour guides. They're so accommodating and kind. I hope we get the chance to repay them, someday.

Canterbury, itself, is a charming medieval town with beautiful buildings and streets. It feels like being in a fairytale. We also visited a seaside town called Whitstable which was equally as charming with its little shops lining the streets and cute little homes sprinkled throughout.

We've also been to London twice - the first time was to celebrate New Year's Eve and the second was today to shop at Portobello Market. For NYE, we were on a bridge over the Thames when the clocks struck midnight. Downtown London was just crazy and busy.

And Portobello Market? What can I say? It was just amaaazing. It was jam-packed with people, full of energy, antique shops and stalls with all kinds of goodies to buy. I could have spent the whole day there (and we almost did). Thanks to J+H+D for being so patient with me. One of the treasures I picked up today was a vintage wooden photo album full of cabinet photos.

I have so much to tell but will leave that for later. Just wanted to touch base and let you know that I'm here now and having a really lovely time. Hope you're well. Talk soon. xo

Celebration time

We'll be heading off to the airport soon and boarding the plane for the UK. I still can't believe we'll be in England when we get up in the morning (or rather, when we get off the plane). It seems like ages ago when J booked the tickets as an end-of-school celebration.

While I have two classes yet to finish, I feel that this trip is still very much a celebration. Aside from getting what I consider my "dream job", thus far and accomplishing the goal I set out for myself when I first entertained the idea of enrolling into my studies, I think even without that, there's so much to be grateful and happy about in my life. I get to spend every day with my two favorite people (my best friend + special little person), I have my health, I have a wonderful family, extended family (including my in-laws) and friends...and I still believe in daydreams and adventures.

I'm looking forward to ringing in the New Year with J+H and our friends in the UK on the streets of London and even more excited to see what this year will bring. Until then, I hope that you're taking time to celebrate the special things in your life. Take care and talk soon. xo

P.S. Wheeeehoooo! We're going to London AND Paris!!!! I can't wait!

How to say thank you

One of my favorite things about Christmas is watching H's eyes light up over Santa's visit but I especially love seeing her spend time with her grandparents. She loves them so much and it's always so heartbreaking to see how sad she gets when they leave.

She told me tonight that she doesn't know how to say thank you to them for all of the nice things they do for her and for us. She's such a conscientious and sensitive soul with a kind heart. I tear up just thinking about it. ♥

Brown paper packages

When we got home from visiting with one of J's best friends today, we were greeted by two bulky packages - one from Japan and the other from NYC. (Joy!) I love to receive anything in the post, let alone packages wrapped in parcel paper! There were so many sweet surprises in each...literally! A tin of Jacques Torres' delicious hot chocolate, two packages of Kaki No Tane Choco and TEN glorious, magnificent, soon-to-be-empty boxes of my all-time favorite treat - Meiji chocolate covered almonds! (Somebody pinch me!)

[I should also mention that there were some awesome CDs, a really interesting book and two very beautiful cards included, as well!]

We're so lucky to have such special and thoughtful people in our lives. In fact, this is how I felt during the holidays this year when both J's family and mine came together to celebrate Christmas in Kingston.

My parents and sister flew in to spend the holidays with us and we all drove down to celebrate with J's family including his parents, sisters, brother-in-laws and his adorable niece. This is the first time we've celebrated with both families and J's family were so warm and welcoming, not to mention, the most amazing hosts. On Christmas morning, we all sat around the tree opening our Secret Santa gifts, emptying our stockings and watching lil' B celebrate her first Christmas. There was so much food (including munchies and goodies!) and the wine was flowing throughout the visit. There were also about a hundred pictures taken and some good laughs shared, as well.

So, this is how our holidays have been, thus far. Hope you've been having a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. And for those who can't be with us during this time of year, we're thinking of you and remembering you in our hearts.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you peace, love and happiness today...and always. xo

[Wonder if this is what Santa looks like in London. Guess I'll find out soon. Teehee.]

Sunday snaps

We got up early to sit among the 400 (or so) viewers who were at the IMAX this morning to watch Avatar. I won't give away any spoilers but I thought it was definitely worth seeing. I especially love that the film took twelve years to make it to the screen for the technology to catch up with James Cameron's vision.

It's really quite a simple plot but an amazing ride with incredible special effects. Did I leave feeling inspired and moved beyond words? To be honest - not really. I found that I couldn't entirely connect with the characters, though, I did tear up a few times. I really wanted to connect to this movie but I just couldn't. The one thing that did blow me away was the fact that I was sitting there in the theatre with my daughter and in awe that I was alive to share the experience with her and the technology required to create such a film. It kind of blew my mind and that brought me to tears.

We were starving after the show and headed to Hosu on Queen for some delicious Japanese food. Of course, it was also an opportunity to debrief about how we felt about the movie and provide our feedback (but mostly, it really was to eat).



We then headed over to my friend G's "Christmas-tree-with-real-candles-mulled-wine-too-many-cookies Open House". If you take a look at the pictures, you can even see the candles being lit on the tree which is a German tradition. (Of course, in my family, it would be known as a fire hazard as there is no way we children would have been trusted with such a thing!) There were all kinds of homemade cookies, snacks and savoury finger foods not to mention, the most delicious mulled wine (too bad it's a work day tomorrow).

Saturday snaps

Here's a peek at what I've been up to today...just in case you were wondering.
Eating tofu bacon with pancakes for breakfast and listening to old school eighties music.
Visiting the Drake General Store...and taking pictures of strangers.
Eating fries with H at Poutine's while people watching on Queen West.
Going for a walk...and noticing bursts of color.
Looking for inspiration at City of Craft...and buying Christmas gifts.
Admiring vintage toy boxes.

Hope you're having a lovely Saturday - wherever you are and whatever you're doing. Talk soon. xo

No shave and a haircut

My husband cut off his shaggy mop today. He looks so cute (not that he wasn't already handsome but just sayin'). ♥

Snow+rain=bleh

It snowed last night and then, it rained off and on during the day. It was so miserable and wet out.

I'm glad the day's over and I'm at home - all cozy and warm. G'night, all. Sleep tight. xo

Brotherly Love

J & I had a nice little date night on Saturday evening which included dinner at Commensal and watching the movie Brothers. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. The cast is amazing and so is the film. Watch it but make sure you give yourself time to process it and debrief, afterwards.

[I ♥ Jake Gyllenhaal...especially with facial hair]

Hello Cupcakes

It's been a while since we've been to Fresh so it was nice to get reacquainted again. I had the Simple on Soba with grilled tempeh and J+H had their favorite, Magic Tofu Wraps. For dessert, we had two very delicious chocolate cupcakes - one had mint icing and the other was creme-filled (and both were vegan). We washed it down with a nice cup of Hojicha tea...ahhh. ♥

This weekend, I'm taking a course in Constructivist Counselling during the day and watching movies at night. :)

Hope you have a nice weekend. Talk soon. xo

(Can you believe it's already December?!)

Pimpin' and primpin'

Stuck a feather in his hat and called it Pimparoni.

(Looks courtesy of JCPenney. Seriously.)

Oh, snap!

Sometimes I feel like this

Get your schrank on

Why, I've got my Schrank on right now. Ahhh, this "Living Loungerie" is the life! Time to indulge in life's fondest pleasure!

[Translation: Bedtime. I've decided to get up an hour earlier tomorrow to read over material for the exam. I'm just not absorbing anything! G'night! xo]

I should be studying

I'm sure I've used this photo before but it really captures how I'm feeling right now. I'm supposed to be studying but I just feel like daydreaming.

I have a three-hour exam tomorrow (right after work) on the different legislation surrounding employment including exciting things like Diversity and Human Rights, Employment Standards and legislation surrounding Employment Equity and Health & Safety. We need to keep our codes and acts straight, like knowing when they came down the pipes, as well as remembering all of the nitty gritty details that make up each and when to apply them to the different case studies we'll be presented.

(Sigh)

I promise to write more soon. I feel like I've been neglecting you, my Dear Blog and I have so many wonderful things to share. Talk soon. xo

Revisiting Bergen ♥

Our lovely friend, HM, is visiting us from Norway right now. It's so nice to see her again and spend time with her. We're finally able to return just a teeny bit of the wonderful hospitality she bestowed on us while we were visiting her a few summers ago.

On Sunday, we introduced her to breakfast at Sadie's and went on a little road trip to Niagara Falls for a tour of the city and an intimate dinner at Canyon Creek overlooking the falls. Today, J took her on a walking tour to some of the special highlights of Toronto such as Kensington Market, the OCAD building, the redesigned AGO and lunch at the beautiful Kalendar Restaurant and Bistro. I'm not sure where they'll end up during the day tomorrow but in the evening, we're looking forward to taking her to one of our favorite restaurants, The Real Jerk. (I can already taste the plantain, jerk shrimp, dumplings and Ting!)

Having HM here has me reminiscing about the amazing and special trip we had in Bergen that included exchanging our vows (which were unofficially officiated by HM), hiking Ulriken, moments shared with her & little J and not to mention, all of the amazing places HM took us to such as Hardanger where we got engaged. ♥

Here are some pictures from our trip that I posted in the past but wanted to share with you again.

Coffee is an evil suitor

I should've known better to fall for the sweet seduction of the late day latte. Oh, you're an evil suitor for keeping me up so late! I won't fall prey to your wooing and courting again!

Not the actor Andy Garcia

I'm obsessing about handlettering and calligraphy these days. I could spend hours looking at beautiful script (and I do). It's almost an illness, really. I've always loved nice penmanship and all of its permutations. This is just an extension of my affection.

Speaking of which, I am loving this piece by Andy R. Garcia - art director, graphic designer and illustrator extraordinaire.

Almost beach weather!

Hello friends! Hope this finds you well and happy. Just wanted to touch base and say "hello". I had a really wonderful time last week - both at work and at home - but I'll fill you in on those details in my next post. I just stopped by to wish you a good day and a lovely start to the week.

It's going to be 19 degrees and sunny today here in Toronto. I can't wait to get out and enjoy it!

Take care and talk soon. xo

origami+tea=pure genius

I love this concept of origami tea bags created by Russian designer Natalia Ponomareva. It's so lovely and clever. It's also the perfect marriage of two of my passions (tea+paper).

(Info and image courtesy of popsop)