The adventures of Mad Mal and Hobbes (and Calvin too!!)

Night Lights

2012-01-27T08:28:00.001-05:00

Fit Dogs

2012-01-25T07:12:00.003-05:00

I've been pretty bummed lately because my oldest dog, Hobbes, is starting to show his age. As I mentioned in a previous post, because of arthritis, Hobbes can no longer go with us on our daily walks. His world now consists of the house and the grassy patch at the top of the street, which is only a few hundred feet from our house. And as much as I would love to take him on our regular walks, he just can't do it anymore without limping.

I found out about this place called Fit Dogs which has a heated indoor salt-water pool for dogs. Its supposed to be really good for dogs with Hobbes' condition as well as a great way for him to get the exercise he was sorely lacking due to his shortened walks. The salt water is great for his joints, and the swimming is also good for him because he is able to exercise his bad leg in the water without putting any stress or weight on it. As well, 5 minutes of swimming is the equivalent of about 15 minutes of walking on land.
I was a little worried we would have a problem getting Hobbes into the pool because Fit Dogs makes all the dogs use a ramp to get into and out of the pool, but we brought Calvin along for help, and just like we thought, he had no problems doing what he was supposed to. Hobbes quickly realized that was the only way in and followed Calvin's lead.

It cost $50 for the initial visit, which consists of an orientation and supervised swim with an instructor to show us what to do. After that its $23 plus $10 for an additional dog, for a 15 minute private swim with you and your dog(s). There are change rooms, a shower and dryer area for the dogs and they also provide all the water toys and flotation devices you need for a fun and safe time in the pool with your "besties".
To find out more about Fit Dogs, click here.
And finally, I think I can safely say this place was a success for the most important reason of all; Hobbes, who seemed to like it. How could he not? It combines two of his favorite things in the world, swimming and fetching the ball and it gives me comfort in the fact that I can do something proactive to help him with his arthritis and get him a little exercise at the same time.
Thanks Fit Dogs, we will definitely be back!

Queen Street West

2012-01-24T06:59:00.002-05:00

In Case You Missed It...

2012-01-22T09:04:00.001-05:00

... The Adventures of MadMal and Hobbes (and Calvin Too...) turned 5 on Friday.
That's 5 years worth of random thoughts, rants, raves and all the pictures to go along with it.
This blog has changed a lot since I first started posting my thoughts and pictures for the world to see. Its been a great outlet for me to express myself, vent and display my skills as an amateur photographer. Its been and continues to be a work in progress but I have a lot of fun doing it and hope to keep on doing it as long as it continues to be so.
And a big thanks goes out to you, my regular readers, for sticking around and following this blog. Its because of your positive feedback and comments that I'm still here!

Cheers,

MadMal

Winter in the City

2012-01-22T08:33:00.001-05:00

Some shots of the crazy winter we have had so far in the city. Not a lot of snow, just enough to make everyone forget how to drive, freezing cold and then mild.

Forecast for tomorrow? Temperatures above zero and torrential rain ... WTF?

Thinking of You

2012-01-18T06:52:00.000-05:00

Thinking about my mom, it would have been her 71st birthday today.

Happy birthday mom.

Miss you lots.

It Sucks Getting Old

2012-01-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

My oldest dog, Hobbes, has been limping a lot lately. So much so, that I took him to see the vet. Turns out my little buddy has arthritis in the elbow of one of his front legs. Not much we can do about it except to shorten his daily walks, and stop playing fetch. Hobbes has been slowing down over the last year or so. He still likes to carry his ball when we go out for walks, but chooses to watch Calvin play more and more instead of joining in. He has a hard time getting up the stairs to the front door, and takes forever to get into the car. I bought a dog-ramp for the front steps. He refuses to use it or go near it. Calvin has no problem with or using it. Sometimes I help him out by picking him up, he hates that. He is a very proud and independent dog and likes to do things by himself.
The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure I'm having a harder time with this then he is.
Man, it sucks getting old.

Riding The Rails

2012-01-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

Ready for My Close Up

2012-01-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

Racing News: Mayor of Hinchtown Lands a Sweet Gig

2012-01-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

Looks like a great day for Canadian drivers in the INDYCAR series. Last year's Rookie of the year and Toronto's own, James Hinchcliffe sealed the deal with Andretti Autosports to drive the #27 Go Daddy.com car for the 2012 INDYCAR season.
You can read all about it in USA Today, here.
The #27 Go Daddy.com car was formerly driven by Danica Patrick who moves to NASCAR this season and her seat was originally supposed to go to Dan Wheldon, who was killed in the season finale in Las Vegas, last October.
Eerily similar to 1999, when Canadian driver Greg Moore who was driving for Players Racing at the time, was killed in the final race of the season at the California Speedway in Fontana, California. Moore was supposed to move to Penske Racing the next year, but instead the seat went to a little known Brazilian driver at the time by the name of Helio Castroneves and we all know how that story went.
I don't think Hinchcliffe will have any problems surpassing Patricks accomplishments in the car, and with a competitive car like this, a championship suddenly becomes a definite possibility for the 2012 season.

Congratulations also goes out to Alex Tagliani, who landed a full season ride with Bryan Herta Racing.
All that's left is for the thrill from West Hill, Paul Tracy, to find that full time ride for this farewell season.

Crazy Clouds...

2012-01-08T08:48:00.001-05:00

...or alien invasion?

To The Park...

2012-01-08T08:45:00.002-05:00

...and step on it.

It's A Beautiful Day

2012-01-06T11:54:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe it's the first week in January and still no real snow, or any real sign of winter in Toronto.

And quite frankly, I'm OK with that.

Ridiculously Simply Banana Bread

2012-01-05T13:50:00.000-05:00

For the last few weeks, I've had this craving for some homemade banana bread just like my mom used to make, only problem was, I didn't know how to make banana bread.
Then to my surprise, while surfing my list of blogs the other day, I stumbled upon this recipe for banana bread on my friend Claire's website, called Ridiculously Simply Banana Bread which was a tried and true long time family recipe. With a name like that and the track record to back it up, how could I go wrong?
Well for starters, did you know how hard it is to find ripe bananas anywhere? Most stores only sell fresh bananas. Apparently, what you are supposed to do is wait for the bananas you buy and never eat to go bad and then use those. And if I was someone who baked and knew enough about this sort of thing, maybe I would done just that. Unfortunately, I'm not and didn't have the patience to wait for this to happen, so I searched until I found some suitably ripe bananas that I could use.

As for the recipe, it really was pretty simple and straight forward. I followed Claire's instructions to the letter and had two Ridiculously Simply Banana Bread loafs ready to put in the oven in under 30 minutes, from start to finish. One with walnuts for the wife and one with walnuts and chocolate chips for me.

Not too bad for my first attempt at banana bread if I do say so myself.

The results of the taste test are in and the verdict is ... it tastes pretty damned good! Two thumbs up for this recipe!
For those of you who might be interested, you can find Claire's recipe for Ridiculously Simply Banana Bread on her website by clicking right here.

Green Day's American Idiot

2012-01-04T07:01:00.001-05:00

I went to see Green Day's American Idiot last night at the Toronto Centre for the Preforming Arts.
Being a huge Green Day fan I was a little hesitant about how their music would translate onto the stage that is Broadway, but as it turns out I had no need to be worried.
I will admit that I kind of squirmed in my seat a little with the opening number American Idiot, but then quickly forgot about the fact it wasn't Billy Joe belting out the words and got into the story of the show which is built around Green Day's successful rock opera album, American Idiot.
A couple of things I really loved about this show was the stage set up, which was an industrial type backdrop with TV monitors scattered randomly all over the wall, very simple, with no major set pieces, just what appeared to be an empty stage that magically kept changing to accommodated the story. One minute it was just a wall, the next it was a window with someone hanging out of it and then it was gone, transforming into a door somewhere else. Very cool.
And the other really cool thing was one of the main characters in the show loses a leg and when he shows up without it, you would swear he actually lost it. I don't know how they did it, it left my wife and I scratching our heads trying to figure it out.

It's only here for a limited engagement, if you have the chance to see it, I would highly recommend you do so. From start to finish, this show rocked, it's broadway with a modern twist. I loved it, and you will too.
pictures courtesy of Google images

New Year's Day

2012-01-02T06:52:00.001-05:00

My family usually gets together on new years day for a late lunch to celebrate the day. This year was no exception, with my brother hosting it at his new place in Chinatown. I was very interested to see how this would all play out, because if you know my brother, then you know he doesn't cook. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. There was plenty of food thanks to Aunty Verna and Chinatown down the street and even more booze but as you can see from the photos, not everyone was in the mood for drinking.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:33:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year! All the very best to you and yours in 2012!!

So much for a group shot...

A Dogs Life

2011-12-29T08:49:00.002-05:00

Busted.
Being a dog can be such hard work...

Christmas Dinner

2011-12-29T08:38:00.004-05:00

Forget turkey, we're having Mikey for dinner, as in Mickey Mouse.

Walking The Dogs

2011-12-29T08:33:00.001-05:00

It was like a switch had been turned on; one day it was nice and mild and the next day it was winter in Toronto. Welcome to life in Canada. The only ones that didn't seem to mind were the dogs.

Wave Walker

2011-12-29T08:26:00.001-05:00

I took these shots on Christmas eve morning while out walking the dogs, of a guy enjoying the unseasonably warm weather down at the beach.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T06:59:00.003-05:00

The best of all gifts around the Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

To all my loyal readers out there, I wish you nothing but joy and happiness this holiday season. Thanks for your continued support, I look forward to sharing more of my adventures in the new year.
All the best in 2012,
The Adventures of MadMal and Hobbes (and Calvin too!!).

Talking Dog

2011-12-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas Market

2011-12-21T12:44:00.001-05:00

Dave

2011-12-20T11:29:00.000-05:00

Giant Candy Cane

2011-12-19T08:13:00.002-05:00

Tunnel Vision

2011-12-18T17:31:00.000-05:00

Birthday Boy

2011-12-17T13:25:00.002-05:00

Look who's 5 today.

Hello From Germany

2011-12-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law posted some shots of my nephews on Facebook. I thought I would post a couple of them here as well.

Man, are they growing up fast!

Waiting For Santa

2011-12-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

Morning Sun

2011-12-13T08:19:00.002-05:00

The Island Airport

2011-12-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

Even though I grew up in this city, I have never been over to the island airport, or as it is more formally known, Billy Bishop Airport. So today when my wife returned home from a business trip on Porter Air, which happens to fly out of the island airport, I took the opportunity to take the short ferry ride over and meet her at the gate. I'm note quite sure what I was expecting, but the place is your typical modern airport right in the heart of downtown Toronto. I was impressed and the wife was also impressed with Porter Air and it's service.

I want to fly out of there the next time I go somewhere.

Fly-by

2011-12-11T12:44:00.001-05:00

Reflection

2011-12-10T06:53:00.001-05:00

On The Rocks

2011-12-09T07:04:00.001-05:00

Mars Attacks

2011-12-08T06:55:00.001-05:00

Leaving On A Jet Plane

2011-12-07T13:23:00.001-05:00

I dropped the wife off at Billy Bishop Airport this morning. Not only was she was flying out of the island airport for the first time on business, but she was also flying Porter Air for the first time as well, totally jealous.

Christmas In The City

2011-12-06T18:15:00.001-05:00

Go Fly A Kite

2011-12-05T09:24:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a typical December day in Canada, cold, wet, windy and all around miserable. The perfect day to curl up on the couch and stay indoors.
Or was it?
Check out these crazy guys I saw Kite-surfing down at the lake yesterday.

Now that's what I call hardcore.

Lazy Sunday

2011-12-04T12:35:00.001-05:00

I See You

2011-12-04T11:49:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the laser eye surgery I had last week at LASAIK MD, I feel like I have been looking at the world through a new set of eyes. It almost feels like I have x-ray vision at times.
I don't think that its the freedom that comes from not having to wear glasses anymore, but rather its the fact that I can now see out of all parts of my eye clearly instead of just the square frame my glasses used to provide.
My peripheral vision is 100 %. Every direction I look in, is clear. It is, for lack of a better word, amazing.

I am so glad that I had this procedure done because it has allowed me to see the world in a different light for the first time in years. I find I am "seeing" the beauty in everyday things a lot more these days and I even find myself stopping and taking pictures of things that I normally would not have before.
It has inspired me to be more aware of my surroundings and to appreciate the simple beauty in everyday life.
I am going to try to take a picture everyday and post it here.
We'll see how it goes....

The View From Below

2011-12-03T11:31:00.002-05:00

A lot of people think that the Gardiner Expressway is an eyesore and that it should be torn down.

I disagree, in fact, I kind of like it.

Not only is it one of the best ways for a person visiting Toronto for the first time to see the city, especially at night when it is all lit up, but even for underneath it, I find it has a certain beauty to it.

What do you think?

Can You Hear it?

2011-12-02T09:03:00.002-05:00

I don't hear voices in my head...

...I hear dogs.
**For those of you wondering, this picture was taken before my laser eye surgery**

Sunset

2011-12-02T09:02:00.002-05:00

A Note to Cyclists

2011-12-02T07:49:00.000-05:00

The biggest obstacle a cyclists faces out on the road is themselves.

We live in Canada where almost half of the year there is snow and ice on the ground, so it makes sense that there will always be more cars on the road at any given time then cyclists.

And as far as I'm concerned, bike lanes on major roads in Toronto are not the answer.

What is then?

Simple.

Common sense.

Cyclists and cars have to learn to share the road and it all starts with the cyclist. They have to obey the rules of the road. That means not blowing through stop signs, riding the wrong way on one way streets, weaving through traffic, ignoring cars making left hand turns or any other such stupidity that happens countless times each day. Do that and I guarantee you, people in cars will be much more receptive to sharing the road with you.

I know drivers aren't much better, but here's the thing, they are driving cars which have four wheels, is made of steel, and weighs almost a ton. When it collides with a cyclist guess who wins? The car. EVERY TIME.

The problem as I see it, is how we interact together on the road.

Cyclists have to be extra careful out on the roads, that unfortunately is just the reality of the situation. Just by sheer volume alone, the odds are already stacked against you when you cycle on city streets. By disobeying the rules of the road, you put yourself at a higher risk of being injured while out there.

If you are out on the road, take the lane, you have every right to be there, but its up to you, the cyclist, to be wary of the hazards that surround you. If you act like a car, by making yourself visible, making eye contact with other drivers on the road, and following the rules of the road, you stand a better chance of making it to your destination in one piece.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be bike lanes out there, just not on major roadways in this city. There are better alternatives, such as lanes on side roads with lighter traffic or in green spaces (like hydro field corridors or like they have through the Don Valley).

And I'm not saying there aren't drivers out there that are complete idiots, because there are tons of those as well.

What I am saying is this, its up to you as a cyclist to set the tone out there.

Show a little respect, and most drivers will return the favour in kind. Ride like and idiot and drivers will react like idiots and its usually the cyclist who will suffer the consequences. In the end, it won't matter who was right or wrong, the results will always be the same, the car will win.

So as a driver who also happens to be an avid cyclist, I simply ask you to please, take your time out there, obey the rules of the road, and it will go a long way to ensuring you arrive at your destination safely.

December Already?!

2011-12-01T08:26:00.002-05:00

A beautiful sunrise for the first day of December.

Bring Out The Laser!

2011-11-27T08:40:00.004-05:00

It only took 10 minutes to change my life forever.

That's how long the procedure at LASIK MD took to correct my vision permanently with a laser so that I would never have to wear eye glasses ever again.

For those of you who don't wear glasses, this may not seem like such a big deal, but for those of you who do, believe me when I say this, this procedure will change your life!

After years of thinking about it and another couple of years of researching it, I finally decided that laser eye surgery had gotten to the point where it was worth the risk. I decided to take the plunge and got it done this past Friday.

The actual procedure lasted no more then 10 minutes and it was no more difficult than going to the dentist to have a cavity filled. The hardest part for me was having my eye taped open and the suction cup inserted so that the laser could do its work. There was never any pain, I never felt a thing, it was more the discomfort of having your eye forced open for the laser. The actual laser part lasted less then 2 minutes per eye and when I got up off the table I could see pretty good already, it was just very foggy.

Right after that they give you these Terminator type of wrap around sunglasses that you have to wear for the next two days 24/7, to prevent you from rubbing your eyes in your sleep or from wind and dust while outside. Try walking around at night with dark sunglasses on, see how many people look at you funny.

And the only other problem that I had was about 2 hours after the procedure, when I was home in the comfort of my own bed, the anesthetic wore off and my eyes began to burn. The pain was equivalent to the burning sensation you get when you cut onions, not too bad but very uncomfortable. That lasted for about 2 hours or so until I was able to fall asleep and when I woke up the burning was gone.

For the first 24 hours you cant watch TV or work on the computer or read or really do much of anything. So you try to sleep and follow the crazy eye drop routine that they give you, which requires you to take a series of eye drops numerous times a day for the next 7 days in order to help your eyes heal. I thought I would have a tough time with this, but I actually was able to nap and hang out on the couch with the wife and the day went by pretty quick.

The next day you have to go back to the clinic for your 24 hour check up and after that you are pretty much ready to resume your normal life again. You can drive, watch TV, go back to work and work on the computer again.

After 3 days you can start light exercising (treadmill, StairMaster, stationary bike), and outdoor activities (jogging, roller blading and light cycling).

After 7 days you can pretty much do whatever you like, just with eye protection.

After 1 month swimming, water slides, scuba diving and sports like basketball, soccer and baseball can lose the eye protection.

After 3 months add water skiing, wind surfing kayaking and surfing to the list of things you can do without eye protection.

I'm not sure about a lot of that stuff, but for me its the freedom to wake up in the morning and not have to reach over to the night stand to put on my glasses so I can see what time it is for the first time since I was maybe 10 years old. The freedom to not have to wear glasses for everything I do. And to finally be able to buy a pair of really cool sunglasses for the first time in my life.

I can't believe I waited this long.

10 minutes, that's it. That's all the time you will need to change your life forever. Check it out for yourself, I guarantee you won't regret it.

In Remembrance

2011-11-11T06:27:00.004-05:00

After travelling to the shores of Dieppe to pay my respect,and walking on the sand at Juno Beach in Normandy,I am even more humbled by the sacrifices of those brave men and women so many years ago.

And to those who came after and those who continue to serve today, protecting our freedom, I say thank you.

Lest we forget.

Falling Leaves, Falling Leaves

2011-11-10T07:41:00.006-05:00

Fall, a time of change.

The days grow shorter and the nights become longer.

The weather begins to get colder and the the leaves begin to change into brilliant colours and then die and all fall directly onto my property.

Round one, 12 bags.

Round two, another 12 bags.

Four hours spent raking and bagging, only to wake up the the next morning to this.

Like I never even raked.

This is the only time of year that I wish for an early snow.

The Rick Hansen Relay

2011-11-05T14:30:00.000-04:00

The Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay rolled through my part of town today and I went to check it out. And wouldn't you know it, local boy and crowd favorite, Paul Tracy, just happened to be running that leg of the relay. What a coincidence! OK, maybe not, he may of been the reason I was there in the first place.

The relay hand off was supposed to take place at a local McDonalds near where I live. So as I'm standing there with various news crews, waiting for them to arrive, the relay motorcade blows by us and we all realize that we are at the wrong McDonalds. Everyone piles into their cars and take off after the motorcade. Since they had a police escort and we didn't, they were able to get ahead of us at the red light and just as they had passed through the intersection, the longest funeral procession I have ever seen, comes along going the opposite direction.

So unfortunately I was unable to get Paul's arrival, but I did get him blowing by me in the motorcade.

And I did manage to get a shot or two of the Relay Medal hand-off.

Bills Game

2011-10-31T06:58:00.000-04:00

My buddy Tony and I went to the Buffalo Bills game yesterday at the Rogers Centre. It was a pretty good game, if you were a Buffalo fan. The Bills beat the Redskins 23-0. The roof was closed at the Rogers Centre, which was as full as I ever saw it with an estimated crowd of over 51,000 people partying it up under the dome. I think it was safe to say a good time was had by all. Here are some pictures from the game.

Four beers here is the equivalent of a 24 in the real world.

Our seats.

Here comes the Bills.

The national anthem.

Even the green men were there.

Rainy Day

2011-10-29T09:42:00.000-04:00

Another grey day in the city...

Hip It Up

2011-10-29T09:35:00.001-04:00

I've been playing around with my iPhones camera and a camera app called Hipstamatic.

Check it out, this app can make any picture I take, look 10x's cooler.

Regular lens.

Hipstamatic lens.

Regular lens.

Hipstamatic lens.

Dog Tails

2011-10-29T09:32:00.000-04:00

I have two border collies.

One comes from a working dog stock breed and the other comes from a show dog breed.

Their two personalities couldn't be any more different.

One is incredibly loyal, but very independent.

The other is loyal as well, but in a more "needy" kind of way.

Here are some shots of my youngest dog, Calvin, sleeping.

Notice how he likes to sleep, right under your feet, always making sure he is touching you.

Happy Birthday

2011-10-21T07:29:00.000-04:00

Look who turns 13 today!

Putting Eukanuba Super Dogs to shame since 1998,

Hobbes, the wonder dog!

Yeah Mon!

2011-10-18T14:12:00.002-04:00

The name says it all ...

Abandon Ship

2011-10-18T11:33:00.003-04:00

Amusing ourselves on a rainy day at sea ...

Cruise Ship Math

2011-10-18T11:21:00.001-04:00

Turns out each boat carries about 2200 passengers and a crew of about 900.

2200 x 5 = 11000 tourists walking around the streets of the Bahamas -- WOW!

Surprise!

2011-10-18T06:55:00.011-04:00

My wife and I took a three day cruise to the Bahamas last weekend out of Miami. Originally we had wanted to go to Las Vegas for the last INDYCAR race of the season, but because of scheduling problems we were not able to do it. So it was left up to me to decide on where we went. I called my friend Jen who is a travel agent and we kicked around a few ideas before we decided on this three day cruise.
My wife and I have never been on a cruise ship before and have been thinking about trying it out. A three day cruise is perfect way to see if we would enjoy this experience without too much risk. Better to be stuck on something you don't like for three days then a week or more.
Another cool part about this whole experience was that my wife left all the planning up to me. She wanted to be surprised. So thanks to my friend Jen at Uniglobe Travel in London, Ontario, we got to work and came up with this trip. (If you are thinking of going on a trip I would HIGHLY recommend her. Send me an e-mail and I will get you her details).
My wife didn't know where we were going until we arrived at the check-in counter at the airport on Friday morning. And it wasn't until we landed in Miami that my wife found out our final destination was going to be on the cruise ship Carnival Imagination.
We landed at 2pm and were on the ship shortly after 3pm. The ship set sail pretty much soon after that at about 4:30 and we were on our way.
Our room.
The view from our room.
Checking out the ship.
Leaving Miami behind.
Relaxin' by the pool.
Sun set on deck.
This crazy towel art comes with our turn down service. We loved coming into our room each night, to see what kind of creature our steward would create for us.
Posing on the Lido deck.

The Bahamas

2011-10-18T06:54:00.000-04:00

When we awoke Saturday morning, our ship was already docked in the Bahamas. We got up early to catch the sunrise from the ship.
After that we headed ashore to check out what the Bahamas had to offer.
And then later that morning it was off to our catamaran snorkeling tour off a reef 45 minutes from where our ship was docked.
After that it was back to the ship to change and then it was back ashore to check out the famed Atlantis Hotel. Unfortunately we arrived just when everything was closing up for the evening. We took a quick walk around, then it was back to the ship for a late dinner.
More towel magic.
Senior Frogs on shore.
Walking along the wharf we got to check out some of the other ships moored in port, and we watched one of the other big ships leave port. This entire process took less then 15 minutes.

Sailing The High Seas

2011-10-18T06:53:00.009-04:00

Sunday was a day at sea. We had hoped to spend it lying around the pool, but the weather didn't cooperate. But we didn't let that stop us, we still had a blast. We went to see the shows, we used the hot tub in the rain, and shopped in the duty free store on board, where I bought, (surprise--NOT), another watch. A great time was had by all.
Leaving the Bahamas.
Enjoying the weather.
More towel art.
Monday was pretty much a travel day. After an early breakfast at the buffet, we were docked and off the ship by 9:30am and at the airport by 10:30am. Home and on the couch in Toronto by 7:30pm.
Nice....

Biking Update

2011-10-12T13:34:00.011-04:00

I managed to get out on my road bike yesterday to enjoy what may have been the last nice day of the Indian summer that we had been experiencing. As I'm typing this, its raining outside and starting to feel like fall instead of summer. I'm not sure how many more days are left for the road bike before it gets put away for the winter. I thought today would be a good day to review my biking season.
Total distance biked this year was 1402 kms
Although I didn't bike as far or as much as I did in past years, due to adding the gym to my regular workout routine, I found my rides were longer and further when I did get out on the bike. I found new routes this year which made the riding a lot more enjoyable.
Joining the cycling club was cool too but I don't think it was for me. My schedule just didn't allow me to get out there enough to keep up with the regulars and that made it not as much fun. To ride with a crew like that you need to do it every couple of weeks or so, not three or four times in a season.I like biking because it reminds me of when I was a kid. My bike was my first real taste of freedom, allowing me to explore new places outside the neighbourhood I grew up in. As I got older it became a mode of transportation before I was old enough to drive. These days I use it as a form of exercise and I still get a rush every time I go out for a ride.
Biking can also be very humbling. You are never as good as you think you are, unless you're Lance Armstrong, which we all know I'm not. But that's also one of the reasons I like it so much. You can always do better and when you start to get to full of yourself, along comes some old guy who blows your doors off with out even breaking a sweat.
Its challenging and requires focus to achieve your goals, and there is always room for improvement.
I took the wife out along my route in the Don Valley earlier this year on her mountain bikeand then the next day on her road bike.I think she finally gets it.

Mountain Biking in the Valley

2011-10-12T13:29:00.001-04:00

Road bike season may be coming to an end, but there is still plenty of mountain biking left to do before the snow falls.
Biking in the Don Valley with Tony.The older we get the easier it is to psyche yourself out. After numerous attempts, Tony makes it across the stream. I walked it across.

Front Porch Fun

2011-10-12T12:31:00.010-04:00

My front porch has been in need of painting for awhile now. After procrastinating all summer, it finally took the coming of winter for me to get off my ass and get in gear.
But first, I had to get my porch repaired before I could paint it. Some of the wood had rotted and needed to be replaced. To do this, I called in my regular handyman, Mr. Fixit, to get the hard part done. What was supposed to be a half day repair, turned into a two and a half day job spread out over a week and a half. Gotta love old houses.
When all the wood work was done it was finally time to get down to work. With the help of my wife, and mother nature, we managed to get the painting done this past weekend in 20 plus degree weather. Calvin even helped out, with his face.
As I sit here typing this I'm looking out at the rain that has begun to fall and know that I got this job done just in the nick of time, Fall has arrived.
Ain't procrastination grand?

Boat in a Bag

2011-09-17T08:45:00.004-04:00

The other day my wife bought an inflatable kayak. It is literally a boat in a bag.Nothing to assemble, just unfold and pump it up. From start to finish it takes less than 10 minutes including pumping time, which was less then 5 minutes. Out on the lake, it was more stable then a traditional kayak, because of its flatter bottom, and it seemed to steer a bit straighter than a traditional white water kayak, which is exactly what you want in a big lake like Lake Ontario. Because it is inflatable, it is much lighter then a traditional boat, which for the wife was important. She was able to carry the boat, paddle and everything else she needed all by herself and all in one trip from the car to the water and back again.And once all the fun was done, it can be deflated and put back into its bag and into the trunk of the car in less time then it took to put it together. I think my wife would give boat in a bag, two thumbs up!

Cottage Life

2011-09-08T13:02:00.011-04:00

It didn't look like it was going to happen, but we managed to make it up to the cottage for the last weekend of summer. Unfortunately, I think we may of been too late. It was cold and dreary for the most part, but we made the best of it. We went to town, played games, watched movies, ate junk food and to our amazement, the sun finally came out for a little bit on our last full day there.

Here for your enjoyment, scenes from the cottage...

Enjoying the boat ride over to the island.

Arriving at the cottage.

Getting ready for the gun show.

Dinner on fire.

Posing dogs.

Swimming dogs.

Calvin.

Hobbes, who will be 14 yrs old in October, still likes to think he is two at the cottage, shows Calvin the proper way to fetch a stick.

Shaking dogs.

You looking at me, punk?

Surfer gurl and her dog.

Surfer gurl.

And down goes surfer gurl.

Enjoying the warmth of the cottage.

Sun set.

Cirque Du Soleil's Totem

2011-08-27T08:22:00.003-04:00

For our anniversary, I got my wife tickets to Cirque Du Soleil's, Totem, and on Friday night we went to see the show. I'm not a big fan of the Cirque, I think their clowns are kinda creepy, but because it was something my wife really wanted to do, I sucked it up and took her.

We had dinner at the Goof in the Beach, an old hang out of ours, which we hadn't been to in awhile.

If you are looking for a quick diner style bite, with a Canadian Chinese food twist, the Goof is the place to go.

And then it was off to the show.

Totem is the story of evolution through the eyes of Cirque Du Soleil.

So there was a lot of incredible acrobatics, and some clowns, but thankfully not the creepy kind.

Definitely not as good as "O" in Vegas, but as a travelling road show, it was still really good.

If you are looking for something a little bit different to do in the city, check it out.

Cirque Du Soleil's, Totem runs until October down in the portlands.

Apple Saves The Day

2011-08-26T07:58:00.007-04:00

The other day at work I threw my iPhone into my lunch bag as I was headed out the door for home. When I got home 20 minutes later and reached into my bag to get my cell phone I found it floating in a puddle of Redbull. Apparently the fork that I put in there for my lunch had pierced the can of Redbull that I had been carrying around in my bag for the last few weeks. Needless to say, my 8 month old iPhone 4 was no longer working.

I tried everything I could think of to dry it out and get it to work, including the rice trick.

NOTHING worked.

It was now just a brick.

Because I am on a 3 year term with my cell phone provider, I needed to get another smart phone.

I went to my cell phone carrier to see if they could help me out. NOT.

I checked to see if I could buy a used one online. How much?! NOT.

Brand new? Forget about it.

Then I went to the Apple website to see if they had any refurbished phones for sale. They did, so I called the number and the Apple guy asked me how old my phone was. I told him and he said to go to the nearest Apple store and maybe they would be able to fix it because it was still under warranty. And if they couldn't fixed it, I could get another iPhone 4 at a reduced cost.

I called and made an appointment for the next day.

Now here's where it gets good.

I went in for my appointment and explained to the Apple genius what had happened. He laughed, then tried a few things to see if he could get my phone to work. It didn't.

Then to my surprise, he said that Apple was going to replace my phone this one time only, free of charge. And just like that I was walking out the door with a brand new iPhone 4!

How's that for a company standing behind its product.

This is my second time dealing with Apple customer service, and both times I walked away with A+ service and care.

Awesome job Apple, OUTSTANDING customer service!

Bubbles on the Beach

2011-08-26T07:39:00.005-04:00

I was out for a ride yesterday and on my homeward leg along the beach I came across this amazing sight. Ominous clouds rolling in off the lake, like in one of those monster movies.

While I was admiring this incredible view I was also treated to a bubble show. Just another day down by the lake...

Let's Go To The Ex!

2011-08-24T08:14:00.010-04:00

A sure sign that summer is coming to an end in Toronto is when the National Exhibition rolls into town. The dog days of summer are long gone, and Labour day weekend looms on the horizon, which is the unofficial end to summer in the city.

It's been such a great summer though, its hard to feel sad about it, so we decided to embrace it, and we went down to check out the sights and sounds of the EX.

The midway during the day.

Mardi Gras parade.

Super Dog show.

The art of rock balancing on display.

Part of the excitement when you get on one of these rides is the potential for disaster. Even though these rides are checked every day and are supposed to be safe, there have been accidents. You roll the dice every time you get on one of these rides, and that is all part of the fun.

The midway at night.

The famed Himalayan ride.

Do you want to go faster?!

You bet your ass we do!

Racing School

2011-08-18T08:39:00.018-04:00

Last Saturday Tony and I attended our second open wheel driving class at Bridgestone Racing Academy.

This time it was in the 2008 Formula Van Diemen race car,

which included a 90 minute in class session,

followed by a 10 minute warm up session followed by a 20 minute session behind a pace car at speed, break and then one final 20 minute session behind the pace car at speed.

Tony getting buckled in.

Out of everyone out there, Tony was by far the fastest.

Here is a shot of Tony out on track.

Dinner At N.OIR

2011-08-08T10:18:00.006-04:00

It was our 11th wedding anniversary last Friday. To celebrate we went to dinner at this place called NOIR, where your entire dinner is eaten in the dark, as in pitch black.

When you arrive, you place your order at the bar. You can choose your appetizer, entree and dessert or you can let the house decide for you and be surprised. The wife choose calamari, fillet minion and sherbet for dessert. I choose the surprise option.

After our selections were made we were lead to the door of the dinning room where we were met by our waiter, who was blind. He explained to us how it would all work, like the set up of the table and how to get his attention, and then he led us to our table.

This is what it looked like.

It was an interesting experience. Eating in the dark is supposed to allow your other senses to take over, which is supposed to help bring out the flavour of your food. While this may be true, it would certainly of helped if the food was actually worth eating.

The wife enjoyed her meal, I on the other hand found my food to be just average. Eating portobella mushroom salad when you can see it is tough. In the dark was almost impossible. I had to use my hands to find where the food was on my plate, which got to be quite messy, which really didn't make me happy. My main, which I think was chicken, was dry and I think it came with potatoes and green beans, nothing really worth writing about. Dessert was chocolate mouse cake and it was pretty good, but at this point I was done eating with my hands and was tired of the dark. At no point was I told what it was I had eaten, so I had to go on what I had read on the menu. Maybe if I had actually known what I was eating, like my wife did, it would of turned out better, but I doubt it.

An interesting experiment, but definitely something that I would not do again.

Got Me!

2011-08-08T07:57:00.004-04:00

I got an interesting surprise in the mail the other day. A speeding ticket from the Dutch authorities, from when we were in Europe earlier this year. Apparently I was caught on photo radar doing 120kms in a 100km zone. The fine is 107 Euros and another ticket to frame and place next to the one I got in Arizona a few years back. Glad they didn't catch me when I was doing this....

Another Saturday Ride with the Beaches Cycling Club

2011-08-08T07:21:00.009-04:00

I made it out for only my 3rd group ride of the season this past Saturday.

It was a pretty big turn out and I was able to hold my own all the way to the zoo.

It was at this point that the group split up, with the majority going on to Stouffville, and a smaller group which turned for home. I opted to head back with this group, but they were fast and I couldn't keep up.Another rider, Corinne, who was a much better rider then me, stayed with me and let me draft off her on the way back. We caught up to the group again and hung with them for a few kilometres, only to be dropped again for the final time as we climbed up Scarborough Golf Club road. Corinne stayed with me and we rode the rest of the way home together. Even though it was just the two of us we still managed to set a blistering pace home and we finished the route in record time. You can check out my intervals, here.

Notice kilometers 32 to 37, that was when we were drafting off the fast group on the ride home.

And then look at the final kilometers, 43 to 46, unbelievably fast for me.

Its weird, I know my riding has improved a lot this year, but these guys go out every week. So even though my level of fitness has improved, theirs has as well, and as long as I only ride with them once every few weeks, I pretty sure I'm not going to reach their level of fitness any time soon.

It doesn't matter though, because there will always be someone in the group, like Corinne, who will offer you their draft, to help pull you along to the finish line. It can be tough and it will make you hurt, but in the end its all about having fun and enjoying yourself, and that's why I enjoy club riding.

pictures courtesy of Dan, BCC

Rock the Park 2011

2011-07-25T13:19:00.026-04:00

Getting ready to head down to Harris Park in London, Ontario last Thursday with the usual crew for Rock the Park 8. Normally we would all gather in Jim and Jen's backyard, but this year it was way too hot to sit outside. No records broken, but my car's thermometer told me it was 36.5 degrees in the shade and with the humidity it felt well over 40.

Day 1. The view from our seats in the VIP section.

Man, was it hot.

Jimmy shows off his gift from Alice Cooper.

Enjoying the first day down in the park.

Steppen Wolf takes us on a magic carpet ride.

The heat was out of control and we were doing whatever we could to stay cool.

Thursday nights headliners, Poison.

Brett Micheals asked the photographers to get on stage and get a shot of the crowd from his vantage point. That's my buddy Jimmy in the orange stripped shirt right in front of the drums.

Totally heavy metal, totally amazing. What a great start to the weekend.

Friday afternoon, fueling up before heading down to the park for day 2.

Day 2 was not as hot as the first day, but it was still pretty damned hot. Just ask Dave...

Blue Oyster Cult.

Rock legends, Cheap Trick.

Enjoying the show.

Awesome.

Friday nights headliner, Meatloaf.

Interesting show. I've never been yelled at by a performer before, but then again, I've never been to a show where the back-up singer was better then the lead singer either.

Saturday, day 3. gearing up for one last day under the sun.

Robbie pops by to say hi.

Day 3, was in the general admission area.

Our Lady Peace from the cheap seats.

After 3 days of blazing hot sun, the sky finally opened up with thunder and lightning and torrential rains. It was a reilf from all that heat and it didn't last long. Dave showed his appreciation.

It cleared up for a few minutes,

then started again only this time it was even more intensense. There was even some concern that organizers would cancel the final act.

But in the end the rain stopped in time for the final act of the weekend to go on, the Stone Temple Pilots.

Wet but finally cool.

Stone Temple Pilots close out the weekend.

Another great weekend down in the park. See you next year!

Check Me Out On Twitter

2011-07-21T08:52:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't been blogging up a storm lately, but I am Twittering almost daily. You can follow me on Twitter on the right side of this blog or click right here.

Honda Indy Toronto

2011-07-15T08:00:00.017-04:00

As usual the Honda Indy Toronto did not disappoint. It was a blast. And as an added bonus it was a great way to spend my birthday. Here in no particular order, are the rest of my shots from race weekend. Enjoy.

In the paddock.

James Hinchcliffe.

Mike Conway.

Race winner, Dario Franchitti.

Will Power.

Some pit action.

INDYCAR rookie James Hinchciffe, who hails from Oakville, Ontario, was given the rock star treatment.

The story goes that when James Hinchcliffe was a kid, he met his childhood idol, the late race car driver Greg Moore here at the then Molson Indy. The story goes on to say that Hinchcliffe was so impressed with the fact that Moore took the time to talk to him when he was a fan, that now when he meets fans of his own, he goes that extra mile, because he remembers what its like to be on the outside looking in. Pretty cool guy.

Danica Patrick.

Mike Conway.

Sebastien Bourdais waves to his wife and daughter in the stands beside me.

Finally getting my shot with my mythical white whale, Dario Franchitti.

Dario doing the pre-show on Versus.

Enjoying the show.

Lined up for the national anthems.

The view from our seats.

Danica Patrick got knocked into the wall in the early stages of the race by Takuma Sato and ended up going several laps down. This is a shot of her driving past Sato's pit and flashing the thumbs up sign in appreciation for him putting her into the wall.

Paul Tracy didn't have a great day either.

Helio had a terrible day with problem after problem.

EJ Viso exiting the pits

It was the ultimate guys weekend out in the sun, with fast cars, scantily clad women, and lots of beer.

What more could a guy ask for?

Honda Indy Toronto: Friday

2011-07-14T06:16:00.018-04:00

Part of the reason I don't blog as often anymore is that it has become so labour intensive. And by that I mean it takes me forever to add multiple pictures to a post. I'm not sure if its because my camera's have higher mega pixels or that the temp plate to this program just sucks. I'm finding I no longer have the patience to sit here and wait while these stupid pictures upload. It really is

becoming a pain in the ass. I was going to upload all three days worth of shots from the race, but at the rate its going, it would take me forever. So for now, you get Friday's practice.

I went down to the Honda Indy Toronto on Friday to check out the INDYCAR practice session for their race on Sunday. Admission was free and attendance was definitely up from previous years. The track set up was a little different this year, with all the vendors set up along Lakeshore blvd. The area by the bridge in the infield area had a beer tent and winners circle and foot traffic was directed to either the paddock entrance or towards the vendors along Lakeshore. The convention centre was used as the garage for the NASCAR cars and their trailers. By grouping everything together instead of having it all spread out, gave the impression that there was a lot going on, but this was due to the carefully crafted set up. Most of the grandstands were full, but again they were single rows, not the multiple rows of yesteryear. All the grandstands were open to everyone, which gave me the opportunity to try out my new cameras.

Enjoying the view from my seat.Trying out some of the features on my camera.Me and Paul Tracy. I had the zoom on and didn't realize it when I took this shot.Me and race grand marshal, Dan Aykroyd.Me and this year's Indy 500 winner, Dan Wheldon. Dan did not have a full time ride this year with INDYCAR, so he works as an analyst for the race on Versus. His one and only race was the Indy 500. For me one of the hardest pictures to get over the years has been a picture with Dario Franchitti. This year after years of trying, I finally got a picture with my mythical white whale. Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon discuss strategy. Helio Castroneves models his new yellow Penske fire suit. James Hinchcliffe (the mayor of Hinchville) debriefs with his engineer.Paul Tracy.Will Power. Justin Wilson discusses his set up.Helio and Tony Kaanan discuss morning practice.

Biking Update

2011-07-02T07:51:00.009-04:00

Things have been pretty busy for me these last few months. I haven't been out on the bike nearly as much as I had hoped, partly because I have mixed up my work out routine a little by adding some cardio and strength training with Jock Yoga, two or three times a week.

I finally managed to get my second club ride in last weekend, and it was a lot of fun. This time the group was much larger, which was great because I was able to work on my group riding skills. I'm happy to report that this time on our 53km Zoo Loop,

(Click on the route map, here) I managed to stay with the main pack and didn't get dropped once.

Unfortunately with my work schedule, I only get one weekend off a month and in the summer, that weekend gets fills up very quickly with things to do other then biking. I am hoping to make it to a few more rides before the end of the summer, but already I can tell you, it's not looking to promising.

On the plus side, I've been biking lots on my own, and I'm going a lot further. I found some cool new paved routes in the Don Valley, which I have been riding and exploring, (click on the route map, here). I've been mountain biking in the Don Valley for about 25 years, but I've never ridden on any of the paved trails, and there appear to be a lot of them. So look for some posts about that in the future.

And one final thought before I go.

I got a flat the other day while out on a ride in the Don Valley, miles from anywhere. Thanks to my club rides, I now carry an emergency kit. I was back up and moving in under 10 minutes. If I hadn't been carrying that, it would of been a long walk home.

And that's one to grow on...

Sophie's Great Adventure

2011-06-14T12:51:00.016-04:00

On our first stop on our European adventure, we spent a couple of days with my brother, his wife and their two kids, Santiago and Raphael. When Santi heard that this was only our first stop and that we were going to be seeing many more places while we were in Europe, he decided that he wanted to come along too, but his mom convinced him that he was too young and would miss his family too much.

So my wife came up with the idea of taking one of their toys, a giraffe named Sophie, with us. The idea being that we would take pictures of Sophie at all the famous sites we saw for my nephew and then send him the pictures when we got home.

We had so much fun with this little toy along our journey, that when we got home, I decided to turn the pictures my wife took into a book for them called "Sophie's Great Adventure".

Here are some of the pictures we took of Sophie on our trip.

Sophie in Salzburg, Austria.

Venice, Italy.

The Coliseum, Rome, Italy.

Trevi fountain, Rome, Italy.

The Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy.

Vatican City.

Pisa, Italy.

Monaco.

Nice, France.

Paris, France.

Dieppe, France.

Antwerp, Belgium.

Amsterdam, Holland.

Frankfurt, Germany.

Toronto, Canada.

We hope to make this into a website or Facebook page where people can post their own shots of Sophie. We also decided to keep Sophie and buy my nephew a new one to send along with the book we made of her European travels. The original Sophie will now be coming along with us on all of our future travels and we will post her travel pictures online.

Goodyear Blimp Crashes

2011-06-14T12:25:00.004-04:00

When we were in Antwerp, Belgium recently, the Goodyear blimp, "Spirit of Safety" was flying overhead. I thought it was pretty cool to see floating above the city. I snapped a couple of pictures.

On Sunday, the blimp crashed.

Check it out:

The Goodyear blimp "Spirit of Safety" erupted into flames and crashed on Sunday, claiming the life of pilot Michael Nerandzic. According to reports, the vessel began emitting fuel fumes as it came in to land at the Reichelsheim aerodome outside of Friedberg, Germany. Nerandzic ordered his three passengers, all journalists, to jump from the blimp from a height of around six feet. With the weight of the passengers gone, the dirigible shot approximately 150 feet into the air before bursting into flames and crashing back down.

Wow, what a weird accident...

story courtesy of autoblog.com

All ready for Summer

2011-06-14T12:13:00.003-04:00

After a trip to the groomers last week, the boys are all ready for summer.

We decided to give Calvin a special "cottage cut", which is just a basic shave down to help him keep cool and a little cleaner this summer.

We will see how it goes....

We Remember

2011-06-06T12:12:00.007-04:00

Today marks the 67th anniversary of D-Day.

Check it out:

The Normandy landings, also known as Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, duringWorld War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 (D-Day),

beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time (GMT+2). In planning, D-Daywas the term used for the day of actual landing, which was dependent on final approval.

The assault was conducted in two phases: an airborne assault landing of 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 6:30 AM. There were also decoy operations mounted under the codenames Operation Glimmer and Operation Taxable to distract the German forces from the real landing areas.^[4]

The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with over 160,000^[5] troops landing on 6 June 1944. 195,700^[6] Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000^[5] ships were involved. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and material from the United Kingdom by troop-laden aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. The landings took place along a 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

We were in Normandy recently and the magnitude of what the Allied Forces did there that day can still be felt. I was amazed and humbled by those that paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that I enjoy today.

Thank you.

info courtesy of wikipedia.org

Riding a bike in Amsterdam

2011-05-26T07:16:00.003-04:00

They make it look so easy...

Euro Trip Day 13: Amsterdam, Holland, Frankfurt, Germany, Toronto, Canada

2011-05-26T06:18:00.005-04:00

Day 13 was pretty much spent travelling. Got up at 5:30 am in Amsterdam, and on the autobahn by 6:00 am for the 429 km run to Frankfurt airport in Germany. I had one final chance to drive like a bat out of hell on the Autobahn,

not surprisingly, we were there by 9:00 am.Our plane took off from Germany at 3:45pm for the 6100 km flight home,and we arrived in Toronto 8 hours later at approximately 6:00pm local time.In 13 days we had travelled 5289 kms, visited 6 countries and 2 states. It cost us about 980 euros for accommodations along the way, in some really nice places and some not so nice, but never less then a 2 star with its own bathroom and never once did we see a bug of any kind.

Another 500 euros in gas, and about 200 euros in highway tolls, mostly in France.

In total, about $2000-2200 a person, not including spending money.

The car gave us freedom to go where we wanted to, when we wanted to. Yes this is the little monster I've been talking about...;-)

And finding a hotel in the town we ended up in, helped us stick to that plan. It also helped that we had a mapped out our general route before we left so that we could get the most out of our days abroad. We had hoped to rely on a fold-out map that we bought from MEC and some google maps that I had printed up before we left, but we quickly found out that these would not be enough. (We had to buy a very comprehensive European map book at a gas station in Austria before we could continue our journey on day 3)

I would highly recommend if you go, that you take a detailed map of Europe with the highways clearly marked, as well as detailed maps of the cities you plan to travel to. Navigating city street was tough, endless one way streets and poor street signs didn't help either. A smart phone would of helped us out immensely but it was way too expensive to be of any use to us abroad. The language barrier was an issue in most countries, but for the most part we managed to muddle our way through and communicate with people for just about everything we needed. Most people could speak a little English, and although they appreciated it when we tried to speak their language, they almost always answered back in English or found someone who could.

5289 kms in 13 days may seem like a lot to most people, but for us it really wasn't. We love travelling and seeing what the world has to offer, and especially love doing it by car. Could we of done it, if we had to stick to Canadian speed limits? Probably not. But that's part of what made this trip so special for me, I was able to drive as fast as my little car would go on the autobahn and not worry about getting a speeding ticket. I'm pretty proud to say that there are quite a few Audi and BMW owners out there that were surprised that a diesel Renault Picasso can go as fast as it did.

Definitely a trip of a lifetime for both me and my wife.

NOTE: Did you notice the giraffe in the last couple of shots and wonder what is up with that?

Stay tuned, I will explain in a future post.....

Euro Trip Day 12: Amsterdam, Holland

2011-05-25T17:58:00.012-04:00

After we got squared away in our new hotel, in a room on the third floor up the steepest three flights of stairs you will ever see,

we set out to enjoy the sights of Amsterdam.

We checked out the open air market,

went for a cruise through the canals,

rented some bikes and explored the city,

had dinner along the canal

and then a leisurely walk through the streets back to the hotel.

Amsterdam was by far my favorite city on our trip. The vibe was very laid back and friendly, people biking everywhere and coffee shops on every corner. Definitely my kind of town.

Euro Trip Day 11: Antwerp, Belgium and Amsterdam, Holland

2011-05-25T13:31:00.010-04:00

Day 11 found us on the second last leg of our journey. We needed to get from Amiens, France, our overnight stop, to Amsterdam, Holland, with a stop in Antwerp, Belgium. 262 kms to Antwerp and then another 159 kms to Amsterdam. Finding a hotel for this leg of the trip had been a bit of a nightmare and we didn't find one until 3:30am in the morning. So when we started out the next day at noon it was a little bit later then we had hoped. But as soon as we left France, our speed picked up considerably and we were in Antwerp by 2:00pm.

We spent the afternoon touring the old city and the diamond district. To say this was my wife's favorite city would be an understatement. The scooter traffic had changed to bike traffic and everyone seemed to understand and speak english. As soon as my wife saw the woman riding bikes in high heels, she knew this was the city for her.

We left Antwerp in the middle of rush hour and arrived in Amsterdam sometime after 8:00pm that night. Again, finding a hotel was a bit of a problem. We managed to find a room for 85 euros

a night, the smallest room of our trip by far.

And the surprising thing was that this same room was going for 179 euros the very next night.

Needless to say we found another room to stay in, for our second night in Amsterdam.

After we had settled in, we took a walk through town,

and were surprised to find out that Amsterdam was not a 24x7 kind of city. This city actually does sleep! We had to search for a place to eat as not a lot of places serve food after

11:00pm. And then it was off to explore the red light district,

and check out a coffee bar.

Euro Trip Day 10: Dieppe and Nornandy, France

2011-05-25T09:47:00.008-04:00

This turned out to be a very long day. We had intended to stay in Paris for one more day, but decided at the last minute to scrap our plans and head to Dieppe, France instead, a distance of about 200 kms. I had wanted to check out the World War 2 D-Day invasion sights and had figured that Dieppe would be where the Canadian memorial would be.

Turns out I was only half right.

The Dieppe Raid, also known as The Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation

Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Alliedattack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied commanders had

been forced to call a retreat. Over 6,000 infantrymen, predominantly Canadian, were supported by large Royal Navy and Royal Air Force contingents. The objective was to seize and hold a major port for a short period, both to prove it was possible and to gather intelligence from prisoners and captured materials while assessing the German

responses. The Allies also wanted to destroy coastal defences, port structures and all strategic buildings

The D-Day invasion actually occured on June 6, 1944 and Canada was involved, but not in

Dieppe, France. The actual D-Day beaches, like Juno beach and Omaha beach, turned out to be a 2 hour drive down the coast in the opposite direction that we were travelling.

And even though I had got my information wrong, my wife took pity on me and decided we

should make the 4 hour detour to go see the sights and to pay our respects. Unfortunately because we started so late in the day we were only able to see half of them before it got too dark.

It was enough for us to realize just how much of a sacrifice those soldiers made on that beach so many years ago.

Info courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Euro Trip Day 9: Paris, France

2011-05-25T07:47:00.013-04:00

Paris is everything you imagine it to be. Big, busy, and very cosmopolitan.

Traffic is the same horrible mess that it was in Rome, but without the attitude. I found driving to be not as intense, but you still had to avoid the scooters from hell coming at you from all sides. Once the car was parked, getting around Paris on the subway was simple and surprisingly quick. We used it numerous times without any issues. We enjoyed the usual tourist attractions, took in the art at the Louvre,

made a stop at the Eiffel Tower,

took a cruise along the Seine river,

walked around the Arc De Triomphe,

and along the famed Champs-Elysees.

We even had a really good dinner along the Champs-Elysees with some notoriously bad Parisian service.

Which was promptly forgotten when we caught an amazing burlesque show called Lido.

Paris did not disappoint.

Except for maybe the Eiffel Tower which was supposed to be lit up at night, but due to energy conservation, we got the night that the lights were turned off.

Euro Trip Day 8: Monaco and Nice, France

2011-05-24T17:40:00.007-04:00

We woke up on day 8 in the principality of Monaco. What an amazing city Monaco turned out to be, a playground for the rich and famous,

and home of the famous Monaco Grand Prix. The race is set to run May 29th, the week after our visit. but that's OK because I got to check out the track first hand and up close.

And then it was down the road to Nice, France. Unfortunately, this was the first bit of cold weather that we encountered on our journey. We had hoped for a day on the famed beach, but it was too cold, we settled instead for a walk around the market and lunch on the patio.

And then shortly after that at around 2:00 pm the 932 km trek to Paris began. We pulled into Paris at about midnight that night after driving non-stop to get there. This was our first planned full day of driving that we needed to do to get from point A to point B. Too much ground to cover and not enough time for any stops. It wasn't fun but necessary because of the speed limit on highways in France, which really slowed us down. There is also photo radar everywhere, which seriously puts a damper on the speeding. We saw one or two flashes along the way and await the inevitable speeding ticket in the mail. And to top it off, it cost us over 100 Euros in tolls to drive across France. The most expensive place to drive in Europe by far.