Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Name Up In Lights? Not quite, but close.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, might remember this shot, taken in April of 2008, when we visited London...



Yep, Monet's name - B I G   P R I N T. I remember how thrilled the three of us were when we spotted it, right where we were to meet my sister after she finished work.

I never did get Monet to stand underneath 'Rue Monet' in Giverny in France when we visited that month (damn! Must go back to do that!), but I did get to take her photo in her namesake's garden.  A special memory for (at least) me.

Monet standing on 'The' bridge, made famous by Claude Monet, in his Japanese  Themed Garden
So last week, when visiting Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, I suggested Monet stand next to the 'Monet & Co' store sign.  How could we not?  With a bit of cropping, here's the photo...


No, we didn't buy any jewellery or a handbag. Before time, I'm pretty much guessing that we will, for name's sake. ;P

(Gee this girl get's around, these three photos in this post are taken in London, Paris and Dubai! Lol!)

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Some Flowers For Her Birthday

Today is my mother's birthday.  I won't spill her age, she probably wouldn't be impressed with me if I did.  You wouldn't know that my mother reads this blog.  She only does when my dad thinks she might like to read something in particular.  You wouldn't know my dad reads this either, he *never* comments.

Anyway, in honour of my mother's birthday, I'm going to give her (and you) some flowers all the way from Claude Monet's Garden in rural France.  


I think my mother should go there, as I know how much she'd enjoy it...


...Monet and I would be happy to chaperon her.

My mother would spend hours ohhing and ahhing over the blooms...


...and if my dad went with her, he'd spend the hours trying to get the perfect photo of the most wonderful garden of my favourite artist.


Happy Birthday Mum.  Enjoy your day.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

A French Parcel from the USA...

I love getting surprises in the mail.  Not surprises as an unexpected bill (hate those!), but parcels or cards or letters.  

Imagine my surprise when I collected from the post office a parcel, especially for me, from the lovely Katherine over at Kitten's Lost Her Mittens.  It just happened that I posted a comment on her blog and ended up being the lucky recipient of a prize she was giving away.  It arrived on Monday.


It is a gorgeous French (oh to be french!) Marie Claire magazine full of ideas on making, sewing and decorating for little kids.  Katherine was also kind enough to include a pack of (much appreciated) 10 Claude Monet postcards from his Waterlilies collection.  

My Monet recognised the Claude Monet paintings straight away saying they were paintings from her garden! (So she says!)  I guess she can say that, after all, I did make her stand on the famous Japanese bridge that goes over the waterlily pond!  



It really made my day, so thank you Katherine.  I felt very lucky.

Speaking of parcels, Auntie Kimbofo, there should be something heading your way in the next week or two!  (I just bought it on the net and is getting delivered straight to your place.)

When was the last time you got a nice surprise in the mail?

Saturday, May 17, 2008

A Visit to Monet's Garden

We all know it was a dream come true for me, I couldn't believe that I was on my way to Giverny when on that tour bus.  

It was worth dreaming about...


Simply gorgeous and I was very happy to share it with my own Monet...


To stand in Claude Monet's home and wander his 'French Garden'...


and his 'Japanese Garden', where he sat and painted...


I wish to return one day so I can linger a little longer along Rue Claude Monet...


and explore the village Claude Monet called home for the last half of his life...


I need to smell the flowers again with my own Monet.

Friday, May 16, 2008

I Love Paris Anytime...

There is something about Paris that captures your heart and I'm not quite sure what it is. This was the second time that Lyndon and I had visited this city and I loved it the second time as much as the first.  

Even though their underground train system is so dirty (especially as compared to London's Tube), above ground it is gorgeous.  Narrow streets with tiny shop fronts.  Lovely aligned architecture.  Stunning landscapes.  The art.  The food.  The landmarks.  

Our two day, two night stay in the French capital, was like a big welcome after Disneyland.  We stayed in the Montmartre area of Paris, not far from the two main train stations and just down the street from Sacre Cour...

...where Monet and I got to ride on the oldest Merry-Go-Round in Paris...


Can you see how happy our Monet was??

We were fortunate enough to be able to check in extra early into our hotel with the paper-thin walls (hey, what did we expect for A$300 for 2 nights including breakfast?).  This enabled us to go and 'pound the pavement' and I swear we would have walked about eight kilometres that Friday.  But we were happy to do so.  We got to soak up the atmosphere of Paris and soak up the sunshine in the clear blue skies.  We felt good in our bones.  

It helped that Monet napped for 'ages' in her stroller (terrible aren't I?) but she was exhausted. 
At least she got to see the Eiffel Tower, otherwise known as 'the tallest tower' in Monet's books.  There is something magical seeing the Tower in the flesh.

But some of that magic is sucked away by the annoying men selling little el-cheapo replica Eiffel Towers, who walk around with them slung on big rings.  I swear, we got asked at least two dozen times if we wanted to buy one, as we sat down admiring the Tower.  Urgh.  Very annoying.  On principle, I didn't buy one (I did have plans on buying one but these creepy men are just too much in your face!)

Somehow (oh trust me here, somehow!) we made our way back to our hotel via the streets.  It took ages to walk (again) but we enjoyed seeing mainly Parisians getting on with their busy lives in the city streets.  

We spent the following morning navigating our way via the 'metro' train system down to the Louvre for a wander around.  Not in the Louvre though - way too busy.  


We sat at a little cafe on a busy street and enjoyed an expensive coke, an expensive water, an expensive coffee and a (very) expensive toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich, before Monet and I headed off on our afternoon tour of Claude Monet's Garden in Giverny...

Stay tuned...

Monday, May 12, 2008

I Thank You...

Can you believe we're back?

We had the most brilliant, fabulous, life-time memories, fun-filled holiday that seemed to go soooo slow, which made it even better.  We saw and experienced some wonderful things and places so there are many posts to come!! 

I figure I have some people to thank, during our holiday so here I go...(sorry if I miss anyone!)

The friendly staff on the Cathay Pacific flights (five flights all up) for making our daughter's day with the bags with things-to-do goodies.  This was made even more special for Monet for the fact that Cathay Pacific must have associations with Disney because she ended up with Dumbo the Elephant bags, a Winnie-The-Pooh backpack and a Mickey Mouse over the shoulder number.  Lucky her.

For the friendly (I'm not lying here!) people on London's Tube trains, who smiled at Monet and I (apparently a rarity on London transport for people to crack a smile) and the ones who offered to give up their seats for us when it was busy, I thank you.

For the woman who sat and stared at a standing,crying Monet on London's Tube train on Wednesday evening, at peak hour, who did not offer us your seat.  Thanks for that.  Not.

For the staff at Kensington's Premier Inn where we stayed, I thank you.  The hotel was brilliant, clean, in a great position and (we thought) reasonably priced for inner London.  We'll happily stay there again down the track.

To Bob-Kat, my blogger friend, now an even closer blogger friend, for meeting me, I thank you. 

To Minnie Mouse at Disneyland, I thank you.  Minnie certainly 'made' some little girl's holiday.

To the lady in line at Cityrama in Paris, who came from the Hunter Valley (in NSW), I thank you.  You were a lovely lady who seemed rather thrilled to meet a Monet on a visit to Claude Monet's garden.
  
To the funny waiter at the pub in Stuttgart who greeted and served us, I thank you.  Even though we spoke no German, (bar a "Danke" here and there), you understood our Aussie drawl.

To David, even though we didn't end up meeting, I thank you.  (I still feel a little bad!)

To the very kind German Train Manager on the ICE train from Stuttgart to Munich, I (really, really, really) do thank you.  (I'm leaving this for an upcoming post, so more will be revealed on that!)

To the lovely lady who was the hotel Manager of the Merrabel Hotel in Munich, I sincerely thank you.  She got us out of a (very) sticky situation but she reflected the way all the German people treated us on this leg of our tour.  (Again, this will be part of a post related to the one above!)

To the friendly woman at the information booth at the Munich Train Station, I thank you.  Even though she spoke no english, she managed to understand what I was asking and really put our minds at ease at changing trains at Verona to get to Venice.  

To the guy in the pizza booth near our hotel (via a million lanes) who sold delicious pizza and el-cheapo priced beer, we thank you.

To our friend Jason, thank you.  We were lucky enough for him to take Lyndon and I to a fancy nancy French Restaurant in London.  So fancy it has a Michelin Star.  And when the bill arrived, Jason had to pick Lyndon and I off the floor.  But it was soooo worth it, it deserves a post of its own too!

To my sister Kimbofo and her partner T, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  We thank you for everything, I don't need to list the reasons why - you know.  Monet is still talking about your shoebox in the sky.  And playing with the snow globe from Uncle T.  

To my friend Leesa who turned the hot water back on for us, thank you.  The hot shower yesterday morning was brilliant.

To our family and friends for the text messages and those of you who left me messages here and on my Facebook page, thank you.

And finally I really do have to thank Lyndon.  Thank you.  Thank you for every morning in London going and buying and making breakfast for us.  And for being the one who would order the food and beers at every place we went to.  You did brilliantly.

We can't believe we're back.  (And spare a thought to Lyndon, who today has flown down to Brissy on business for three days!)

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Here I Am...

...again.  This time in the wonderful city of Paris...


Life has been good so far for us.  Even though we left a little over a week ago, it seriously feels like we've been away for ages!  

We have spent the previous two days in Euro Disneyland which was enjoyable, but I did get a little 'over' strollers and families.  Terrible, I know, but I can only handle a few days where there are masses of families about and whinging children.  (Mine, obviously never whinges.)
  

But Disneyland was great.  (Monet and Lyndon in the teacup ride, above!)  Monet had a fantastic time and that was what it was all about.  She met sooooo many characters and happily posed with many.  But the biggest smile and hug was reserved for the final character she met.  Minnie Mouse.  Monet even did the 'Minnie Mouse' dance in front of her which had Lyndon and I laughing!

But more about Disneyland upon our return.  We are in Paris after all.  And Monet and I are off to Giverny tomorrow to Claude Monet's Garden.  I'm looking forward to that...

London was wonderful.  Our hotel was brilliant, in a great possie for us at the right price.  I even got to meet up with Bob-Kat for a couple of pints not far from Trafalgar Square which was brilliant!  (Hi Bob-Kat!  Her link is on my right-hand side there - go and say Hello!)  It was also nice to spend time with Kimbofo, which is one of the main reasons why we're on this side of the world.  

So to all friends and family, we are well, happy and have many more adventures to follow.  Stay tuned.