I went to visit Georgina in Canada in May, which involved a flight from Paris to Calgary and then on to Kelowna. I thought I would take the opportunity to spend a few days in Paris before the trip and invited my siblings to join. My brother Chris agreed to join but sister Sara wasn’t keen. We spent a pleasant couple of days doing a great deal of walking around all the major sites : Sacre Coeur, Montmartre, Musee d’Orsay, Place de la Concord, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and more. We stayed in a cheap hotel near the Gare du Nord which was very convenient. I was pleased to see the impressionists in the Musee d’Orsay again – on my previous two trips to Paris I failed to book far enough in advance and couldn’t get in.
Gare Du Nord, Paris with flying bear statue…Chris at a deserted Sacre CoeurReconstruction of Notre Dame almost complete.Huge interior of the Musee d’OrsayClock cafe inside the museum.Inside the museum there was a special exhibition of posters through the ages.We found a small bar/bistro near our hotel that served Pelforth Brune nd tasty snacks.Art on display next to the Pompidou Centre (undergoing renovation).Notre DameShakespeare and Company English bookshop. Tea stop on a floating cafe on the Seine.Lovely weatherWeather suddenly changed and we had a biblical storm with torrential rain and hail.Chips !Nice breakfast in a Cafe opposite the Gare du Nord before heading for the airport.
The flight to Canada was long (12 hours) but passed smoothly and George met me in Kelowna. She is working as a Yoga teacher and didn’t have any leave to spare so for most of the day I was left to amuse myself, which was absolutely fine. I worked out a run route from her apartment, along by Okanagan lake and back through Canyon Park. I also found a great coffee shop nearby that did lovely pastries, so it was just like home from home for me. I also rented a bike for two weeks that allowed me to get around and explore a bit more.
Georgina’s apartment has a small balcony with room for a couple of chairs, but it doesn’t see much sun. However, the building does have a very large roof terrace equipped with comfortable chairs and a barbeque, which we were able to make good use of, and there was no-one else there !
Room not found ? Georgina’s apartment number.Morning run alongside Okanagan Lake.Morning “drip” coffee and delightful pastry at Coop-a-Cino.I rented a bike for two weeks and explored along the edges of the lake and into downtown Kelowna.Roof terrace in Georgina’s apartment block.Great place to sit out in the sun.Lots of lovely food. Quite tricky to find sensible sized and healthy options.Big bear.Georgina’s work. I did a Hot Yoga class which was good exercise but very sweaty !Even had a go at golf on a local driving range.A favourite lunch time stop in Kelowna.Did a few barbies using the gas BBQ on the roof terrace. I cooked these !Food…More food…And there’s more…I think this scone was at the Jammery and it was yummy.That’s no way to eat a banana George !Like the food portion, the cars (they call them trucks) are massive. Look at the size of that thing !
