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Paris Olympics + more Europe

julio - agosto 2024
  • Kadi Kaljuste
  • Brad Ciccarelli
Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Slovenia and an organized tour of the Balkans Leer más
  • Kadi Kaljuste
  • Brad Ciccarelli
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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe

    Paris Olympics, here we come!

    24 de julio de 2024, Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    At Pearson waiting to board our flight to Paris. We’ll land around 10:30 am tomorrow Paris time. So excited!

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    Welcome!
    2Fontaine St. MichelPolice presence and fencing3View of the Seine and Notre DameThe Great Canadian Pub2Cafe dinnerThe squareThe Pantheon

    Paris!

    25 de julio de 2024, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    After a fabulous Air Transat flight with no delays and no hiccups, we landed in Paris this morning around 10:30 a.m. Immigration was a breeze, and we were in a taxi in no time and checked into our hotel in the Latin Quarter. Good fortune continued to follow us and our room was ready even though check-in wasn’t until 3 p.m.. Bonus! We had time to get settled in and then headed out exploring despite our jet lag.

    We’ve been to Paris many times before so there aren’t really any sites that we feel compelled to visit. We enjoy roaming the streets, admiring the architecture and people watching. We meandered up to the Seine. You couldn’t miss the fencing and police presence in the area in anticipation of tomorrow evening’s opening ceremonies.

    We’d read about a place called The Great Canadian Pub which is a sports bar and a place to watch Canadian athletes compete and decided to head there for a snack. While we did meet people from Montreal, as well as from Toronto (they were from Riverdale and had lived on the same street as us!). It seemed to be run by South Americans with a very international clientele. We’ll probably head back there over the next couple of days and see if it becomes more Canadian as the games officially start.

    One of the strategies we have for dealing with jet lag on day one is to have a short nap before dinner. So, in keeping with that strategy, we went back to the hotel and had a nap before heading out for something to eat and exploring the Pantheon area. We settled into a quintessential Parisian café and ate croque monsieur while we watched the pedestrian parade in the square. A perfect end to our first day.    Leer más

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    Automne for lunch
    Happy to eat my veggiesDuck, bien sûrThe T-shirts were a hit1In our seatsNote the torch bearer on the right2That's not dirt on my lens, it's a tightrope walker in the skyAnd snipers on the roofs

    Lavish lunch and Opening Ceremonies

    26 de julio de 2024, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    There are many road closures in Paris right now as you can imagine. And many of the bridges across the Seine were closed in anticipation of the opening ceremonies this evening. We had made a reservation months ago at a Michelin star restaurant, Automne, for lunch. We had planned to walk. The Olympic transportation app estimated our walk there to be about one hour, but we were wise and allowed an hour and a half. Thank goodness we did! It took us 85 minutes. There were so many detours that we got our steps in before we had our lavish lunch. Délicieux!

    We decided we would definitely take the Metro back to our hotel given all the bridges were closed as of 1 p.m. so the only way back to the left bank and our hotel would be going under the Seine. Easy peasy. We got changed into our Canada T-shirts and packed umbrellas and waterproof jackets because the forecast was to have some rain.

    We arrived at our gate and realized that our tickets were on the Pont de Change! Epic. We were there a couple of hours early, as recommended, and hung out in the open area of the bridge behind the stands of seats. Our Canada T-shirts were media magnets. We wound up being interviewed by a Middle Eastern sports channel, TIME Magazine, and a Polish sports channel. 🤣

    It was around 6:30 when it started to sprinkle; by the time the ceremonies started it was raining steadily. I don’t know how we would’ve managed without jackets and umbrellas because it really did come down for almost the whole ceremony. But worth every raindrop.

    Our seats were exceptional. There were large screens everywhere for us to watch the other activities that were going on at other areas of the Seine as well as at the Eiffel Tower. We thought it was an ambitious, exceptionally well thought out and exciting opening ceremony. We were in awe.    Leer más

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    Yes. It rained again today. That's me under my umbrella ella ella
    The team uniforms from LululemonSnack company Mondalez was there along with Air Canada, Canadian Tire and BellSkateboarder Cordano Russelltrampoline competitor Sophiane MéthotShe signed the mural of herselfBruni SurinA great atmosphere at Canada House

    Canada House

    27 de julio de 2024, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We had no event tickets for today so we had bought tickets to Canada House, a pavilion type space that is put on by the Canadian Olympic Committee, particularly for athletes and families of athletes. It’s also open to Canadians attending the Olympics…for a fee.

    It’s a space where sponsors host spaces, CBC does some broadcasting, and you can watch events in which Canadians compete on large screens and cheer them on with other Canadians.

    We were fortunate that while we were there today, we met two Canadian athletes, skateboarder Cordano Russell and trampoline competitor Sophiane Méthot. We also met Bruni Surin, the Canadian Olympic team’s Chef de Mission.

    And this evening, we joined other Canadians at Canada House to watch Summer MacIntosh win a silver medal in the 400 metre freestyle, Canada’s first medal. 🏅    Leer más

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    The volleyball facility
    Court sideItaly wonA sea of people heading to the Stade de France for rugby 7s1Outside the stadiumIrish team supportersFancy Canadian team supporters1The stadium is jaw-dropping1We had terrific midfield seats

    Women’s Volleyball and Rugby 7s

    28 de julio de 2024, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Our plan to go to these Olympics was dependent on sheer luck. I had entered a lottery to hopefully be selected for a ticket purchase window, and I was - back in May of 2023. We bought based on what was available at that particular time. Not all tickets were available for each purchase window. We were most interested in the opening ceremonies. Once we secured those tickets, we chose other events that fit the first days of the Olympics, archery being the most important given Brad practises archery at home.

    The further challenge when you’re buying tickets a year out is you have absolutely no idea which countries’ teams you’re going to be seeing. But that wasn’t really important to us because we wanted the Olympic experience and had our fingers crossed that we would see at least one event with Canadians competing.

    Our first event was volleyball this morning and the game was Italy versus the Dominican Republic. The facility was like a giant airplane hanger where a volleyball court and stands had been constructed. It was quite mind blowing. It was a close, exciting game. Italy won.

    We had a bit of time before our next event – women’s rugby 7s. We were delighted to learn that we were going to see two Canadian matches, the first with them playing against Fiji and then later New Zealand. (If you’re unfamiliar with rugby 7s, it’s an exciting action-packed game that only lasts 14 minutes. Google it.🤣)

    We were excited that we were going to Stade de France, the national stadium which has a capacity of 80,000 people. We’ve never been in such a facility and we were quite looking forward to the experience. We were amazed! It was a sea of people but so festive. Our seats were mid field and we had a guy sitting behind us who’d played rugby 7s in university so he was able to answer whatever questions came up over the course of the games. The keyword being games. This “session” started at 3 p.m. and ended at 10 and included 12 matches. And there was going to be no leaving early for us because Canada was playing in the 12th game of the session.

    We absolutely loved it. Even though Canada only won one of its games, it was an entertaining and exciting experience. It was especially heartwarming to watch the two French matches and witness the crowd’s support for their team. Their cheers were so loud it was deafening. And France won both its matches.❤️    Leer más

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    Lucked out with the shady side
    Brad in his elementIncredible field built in the middle of the cityBig screens show the standingsEnthusiasm and flag wavingFrench team shootingNew targets for each setKorea and France vied for goldMedal ceremony

    Archery and bistro

    29 de julio de 2024, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    As many of my family and friends know, my husband Brad took up archery as a hobby when he retired. Hence, going to an archery event here at the Paris Olympics was top of the list. Today, we went to the men’s team quarter finals, semi finals and medals competitions.

    The event took place at Les Invalides, which was built in the 17th century for invalid soldiers, as its name implies, and served as a military hospital and retirement home for war veterans. It’s a sprawling property and its lawns were transformed into an archery field with stands for spectators.

    It was a hot day and the spectator stands were uncovered with the sun beating down on us. As luck would have it, it started to get shady from our seats down and there was a pleasant breeze so we were fine. The spectators on the other side of the field didn’t fare so well. They wound up in full sun throughout the competition.

    It was an exciting event because France was contending as was the top-seeded Korean team. When there’s a French team in contention, there’s an excitement that’s electric. Today was no different.

    The Korean team ended up with gold, France with silver and Turkey with bronze. It was a thrill to be there for an actual medal ceremony and witness firsthand what we’ve seen hundreds of times on television.

    Earlier in the day, we’d asked a local couple walking near our hotel to recommend a non touristy restaurant at which we could have some French classics for dinner. We’d made a reservation and headed there for dinner to enjoy escargots and steak frites (and perhaps a glass of wine or two 😉). Perfect way to end another memorable day    Leer más

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    City hall fan zone
    Leisurely lunchDominican Republic versus UzbekistanBeach volleyball133Au revoir, Paris!

    Football and beach volleyball

    30 de julio de 2024, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    It was our final day in Paris today and we had two events scheduled – football and beach volleyball. Football was out at a stadium with a capacity of about 48,000 people. It didn’t start until 3 PM so we had time to go for a meandering walk, exploring the City Hall area and its fan zone as well as having a relaxed café lunch.

    As the day progressed, the temperature rose, reaching 35° by the time we were at the football match. Fortunately, our seats at the match were under an awning so we didn’t have the sun beating down on us. Nonetheless, we were definitely sweating and drinking as many fluids as we possibly could. It was a match between the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan and ended up in a tie. We then headed over to the Eiffel Tower which is where the beach volleyball matches are being held. What an incredible venue! We had intentionally booked these tickets given it was our final night and we’d be at the Eiffel Tower once the lights would be turned on.

    We watched three matches. The first was men, US versus Netherlands; the second was women, Brazil versus Spain; and the last was another women’s match with Netherlands versus Japan. Beach volleyball is an incredibly fun event to attend because of the energetic behaviour of the fans. Never a dull moment.

    We were particularly thrilled to watch the Brazilian women who are seeded number one in the world and we could well see why. Fortunately, the temperature started to drop and by the time the matches were done it had dropped to a cool 28°. 😭

    We then took one final walk around the Eiffel Tower.

    Merci, Paris. ❤️    Leer más

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    2Our hotel room
    1Patio drinks before dinnerThomas at the square named after his fatherSt. Stephen's CathedralThe oldest restaurant in Vienna

    Hello, Vienna and Geraldine + Thomas

    31 de julio de 2024, Austria ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We left Paris early this morning and took a flight to Vienna. We’ve been to Vienna before, but this visit has a very specific objective: a reunion with our dear friends, Geraldine and Thomas. Thomas is Viennese and Geraldine is South African so they spend northern hemisphere summers in Vienna.

    We met them in 2020 on a 54-day cruise around South America which ended up diverted due to Covid. As a result, we spent an additional eight days on board and became close friends.

    We maintained our friendship through FaceTime sessions. Then, last year, we spent 180 days with them on an around the world cruise. This was our first time seeing them since last year.

    We’re staying at a quirky boutique hotel in the centre of Vienna which has been a family-run business since 1908. We were upgraded to a suite which was sweet.

    Thomas and Geraldine came to our hotel to meet us early evening and Geraldine and I couldn’t help getting a bit teary-eyed seeing each other again.🥰 We went for drinks on the patio of a cafe where the cool kids go and then Thomas showed us around, including taking us to the square named after his father who was Vienna’s mayor for ten years. We ended the evening with dinner at Vienna’s oldest restaurant.

    🎼 Reunited and it feels so good…🎶    Leer más

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    The palace
    Carriage museumSisi was obsessed with corsettingPalace grounds1On the Riesenrad Ferris wheelThe viewThe beer gardenThis woman and her brother own the beer garden. Thomas played with her as a child.The pork here is a signature dish

    A palace, the Prater and pork

    1 de agosto de 2024, Austria ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Brad and I had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and met Geraldine and Thomas mid morning. The plan was to walk over to the subway and head to Schönbrunn Palace, the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers and a UNESCO World Heritage site. We would have lunch there and then take public transit to the Prater, a large public park and amusement area which was the site of the 1873 Vienna World's Fair.

    Schönbrunn Palace is a huge property complete with gardens, reminiscent of Versailles. We chose to visit The Imperial Carriage Museum and learned all about a fascinating woman, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi. Learn more about her here:
    https://www.austria.info/en/culture/sisi-empres…
    The parallels of Sisi’s life with that of Princess Diana struck us as rather eerie.

    It got hotter as the day progressed and by the time we finished touring the carriage museum it was around 30 degrees. Thankfully, Thomas had made reservations at a garden restaurant on the palace grounds which was shady and cool.

    From there, we grabbed a bus and a subway to the Prater. We decided to ride the iconic Riesenrad, a 64.75-metre tall Ferris wheel, to enjoy views of Vienna. Classic.

    We strolled through the grounds, making our way to a legendary beer garden on the site, Schweizerhaus. It’s been owned and run by the same family for more than 100 years. When our friend Thomas was a boy, he would play with one of the current-day owners and run around the Prater going on the various rides. We were fortunate that she was there this evening and came to say hello to us. The specialties here are beer, of course, as well as roast pork with crackling. 😋

    We were happy to have a walk back to the subway in order to work off our dinner.    Leer más

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  • Paris Olympics + more Europe
    The Library
    2The library ceilingThe crypt of the Habsburg emperorsOrnateScull decorationsEmpress Sisi's tomb1HundertwasserhausThomas's father's photo is on the wall of fame at the Sacher Hotel1Dining at the Sacher

    A library, a crypt, and wiener schnitzel

    2 de agosto de 2024, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We met Geraldine and Thomas mid morning and visited the state hall of the Austrian national library, one of the most beautiful historic libraries in the world. It was built in the early 1700s in the Baroque style. We’ve never seen anything quite like it before. Breathtaking.

    Thomas stopped us in front of a building and explained that it was Vienna‘s most famous dance school. He was to have had lessons there as a boy, but refused. As a result, he never learned to do a Viennese waltz. We chuckled and I commiserated with Geraldine because Brad is not a dancer either. So Geraldine and I decided to waltz in front of the school right then and there. Brad videoed our performance 🤣 (A tourist family from Peru witnessed our dance and said it made their day.)

    From there, we went on to visit the Kapuzinergruft, the crypt of the Habsburg emperors. Established in 1618, there are now 150 people in the crypt. The early coffins are particularly ornate and macabre. If you’re ever in Vienna, don’t miss it.

    We then hopped on the subway and headed to The Hundertwasserhaus, a residential building designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Read more about it here: https://www.visitingvienna.com/sights/hundertwa…

    We had a casual patio luncheon in the same neighbourhood and then hopped back on the subway to return to the hotel to have a rest and get gussied up for dinner at the famed Sacher Hotel.

    The Sacher Hotel is across from the opera house and is a favourite for after opera dining. For our friend Thomas, it’s a place he went to often with his father when he was a child. Its restaurant is famous for wiener schnitzel and Sacher torte. The dining room oozes old world luxury. A fitting end to our time here.    Leer más

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