Will Spring Ever come??

We are a hearty breed, us 'true white north folks', but there comes a point when even 'we' are tired of the cold and white stuff.

We persevere through frigid temperatures, brave the cold and go to extreme lengths to try to enjoy 'summer fare'...

One of the ways to fill the time until outdoor activities can be enjoyed, is to practice and enhance my culinary skills.

First up....grilled salmon and asparagus with roast potatoes.

Followed by a seafood cioppino, chocked full of salmon, scallops, shrimp, halibut and tomatoes!

Finally, a chicken caesar with homemade dressing!

Easter saw a visit from our son M, who brought a lovely bubbly to celebrate his father's retirement.

As M is quite the wine connoisseur, a trip to Prince Edward county, our local wine region, was in order.  We took the the Glenora Ferry across the Bay of Quinte, which acted as an ice breaker, given that the water was still frozen!

 Our first stop was lunch at Agrarian Bistro in Bloomfield.

Homemade corned beef and Barley Days Brewery ale hit the spot.  After lunch, a trip down the stairs at Agrarian, led us to their quaint cheese shop that had all sorts of goodies!

M and his lovely wife, L, tweet about food, 

wine and events in 'the county':

https://twitter.com/countytidings 

We were introduced to a relatively new winery,

Domaine Darius, owned and run by Dave and Joni Gillingham, where we were treated to a taste of 'almost ready' port right from the barrel!  Delicious!  I can hardly wait until it is bottled!

A great finale to the weekend......Montreal bagel, cream cheese and Smoked salmon.

Now, all we need a is a little prolonged sunshine and its warmth to remove the chill of winter!

Art at the Musee d'Orsay

To delve a little deeper into my Paris trip, The Musee d'Orsay is a wonderful place to lose yourself for the day.

Just around the corner from the museum is the restaurant, Le Telegraph, which boasts 'art nouveau' stained glass.

We had a lovely meal which started with smoked salmon

 Off to the museum to see the wonderful works of art!

Manet's 'dejeunier sur l'herbe

'

Monet's 'The magpie'

double panel Monet 'luncheon on the grass

One of my favourite artists: Alfred Sisley

Even Whistler's Mother was there!

More masters....

Manet's 'Berthe Morisot'

Manet's 'Women with fans'

Degas' 'Dancers in Blue'

Berthe Morisot's 'Le Berceau'

Finally, an ode to 'food'

Monet's 'The lunch'

A Renoir classic

Dance at le Moulin de la Galette

Van Gogh's 'self portrait'

Given that the museum was originally a train station, it has a fabulous huge clock that is open to visitation

Ironically, you can see the Louvre from d'Orsay's balcony!

 If ever you are in Paris, the Musee D'Orsay is a perfect day's outing!

The City of Love

Travel back in time with me again, to visit the 

City of Love, Paris.

When I was in my early 20's, I lived in Paris for a year,

 working as an 'au pair' (nanny).

Although it had not been my first time there, I fell in love with it and relished any opportunity to visit again, as I did in 2009.

No visit to Paris is complete without a trip to the Eiffel Tower!

The ride up to the top was a perfect opportunity to snap the inner workings of the magnificent structure!

Although it was a foggy day, the views were still spectacular!

Paris is known for its museums, but the Musee D'orsay is different, as its origins were as a train station built in 1898.

The most well known, or course, is the Louvre, 

with its blend of old and new!

Items on display included the Mona Lisa and the King's jeweled crown

Art even exists on the streets

Joan of Arc

Another Paris landmark, Notre Dame

Luxemburg garden, which was built in 1630 by Marie de Medici, (widow of King Henry IV of France) features a picturesque fountain in her honour

as well as a 'lake' that hosts many toy boats

I enjoyed many wonderful meals 

guess what this is??

Not all meals were at restaurants.   One day we made a traditional Caprese salad and Toulouse cassoulet

While in France it is absolutely necessary to eat pastries

 and creme brulee

I can hardly wait to go back!