Today, November 11, 2018, marks the one hundredth anniversary of Armistice Day, the end of World War One. It is a day for remembering those who have died fighting for freedom and those who continue to serve in order to protect our freedom. There are no more survivors of “the war to end all wars”, so the stories must be told to new generations, and the memories kept alive as a testament to the price paid for the freedom we have now.

We stopped briefly at the small, medieval town of Honfleur as we travelled northward along the coast of Normandy. This is a stunningly beautiful and picturesque place! Its location, on an estuary of the Seine River as it meets the English Channel, has made it an important harbour, for various reasons, over many centuries.

Our first visit to see the Palace of Versailles was thwarted by a strike, as described in the previous blog (Week 42). Upon entering the courtyard on the morning of the strike, it was made clear to us that the estate was only partially opened to the public. Large sections of the museum and residence would remain closed for the day, however, should we choose to return any other day this week, everything would be opened at that time for our viewing pleasure. We learned that Tuesdays are strike days in France! We decided to go back to Paris and planned to return to Versailles on a day we could have full access to this World Heritage site. As soon as we came out of the train station in Paris, we walked right into a street protest.

There is so much to do and see in France, it’s a bit of a challenge to prioritize where to go and how much time to spend at each destination. It becomes even more complex to consider the range of interests each traveller brings to the itinerary planning table. My husband, daughter and I were first time visitors to France so, of course, each of us had lists of things to see or do which were as varied as they as they were extensive.

I was pleasantly surprised by our visit to the Blarney Castle, near Cork, Ireland. There is so much more to see and do than just kiss the Blarney Stone! Even though I am not an avid gardener, the grounds are a delight to stroll through. There was an entire garden dedicated to growing toxic, poisonous, even deadly herbs and plants, such as Wolfsbane, Ricin, Mandrake and Opium. Warning signs, with skulls and crossbones, are scattered throughout the Poison Garden, yet some of the plants are so dangerous that they are cultivated underneath metal domed cages.

Ireland is a stunningly beautiful island, full of contrasting landscapes: ancient ruins intermingle with fully cosmopolitan venues in Dublin; lush coastal vistas give way to miles of craggy, desolate rock formations; well-tended farmland turns into the wild and harsh grazing territories of various wildlife.

Our recent trip to Ireland allowed us a chance to explore a few of the many castles of Ireland. Malahide Castle and Gardens, in north County Dublin, is said to be one of the oldest, and most haunted castles. While most castles, whether they are in a state of ruins or fully refurbished, are said to have one, possibly two or three ghosts roaming around, Malahide has at least five! I guess it stands to reason there would be so many since Malahide has served as both a fortress and a private home for over 800 years, until as recently as 1976. As we toured through the elegant drawing rooms, Gothic-styled turrets, spiral staircases and banquet halls, I experienced a ‘presence’ several times.

This week our son, daughter-in-law, and her parents organized a dinner for all of us – a chance to get together before we leave on our trip to Europe. As we were getting ready to go to their house for dinner, my husband and I had the following conversation:

A flock of birds can be described in a number of different, sometimes interesting ways. For instance, the main subjects in this painting belong to a large family of birds called Corvids, including magpies, crows, ravens, jays, and nutcrackers, among others.

The reference photo used for creating this picture was taken by my nephew as we floated down Calgary’s Bow River one beautiful Sunday afternoon. I have personally always loved this bridge, but its appearance spanning the Bow River was not welcomed by some residents of Calgary. Even prior to the final decision to build it, there was resistance. City council members voted for it to go ahead mere days before the economic crash of 2008, so initial complaints were about the funding costs of such infrastructure.