Sidd Gets Some Culture - Ontario Style

It's been almost a year since we had the pleasure of Sidd's company on one of our travels.  The last time the Hounds from Hell were left to the gentle mercies of their Uncle Pervy Sidd was off gallivanting around the United States of America with another colleague from work.  At that point we had the pleasure of Juan's company for a jaunt through Germany and Austria.  He attended the opera, several impressive exhibitions and even had caffe and strudel mit schlagsahne at the Zwinger in Dresden.

Juan has an afternoon coffee with a rather taciturn but seemingly contented Matrone aus Dresden in the
square in front of the Zwinger.  Her strudel was - you should excuse the expression - smothered in schlag.

However now it's Sidd's turn to join us for a bit of culture - Ontario style as we head down to Stratford.  Sidd has travelled on trains in Europe but this will be his first adventure on Via Rail - going to have to see how it compares.

Sidd was a bit overwhelmed by everything that's on offer this season but decided that for
his first go at Ontario Culture he'd try Shakespeare, Brecht, Gershwin and Farqhaur.

And though he's been to the theatre in London, Salzburg and several other places he's never seen anything by that Shakespeare guy.  And apparently this Stratford Shakespeare Festival has been going on for a while and has a reputation for doing the guy's stuff up pretty good.  And Sidd's heard there's a chance he'll be able to try some fancy stepping and learn a number from Crazy For You at one of the extra events.  Plus he'll get to meet Spo and Harper's Other Daddy and have some good food and wine.  Now if that ain't culture I don't know what is.

August 17 - 1959: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, the much acclaimed and highly influential best selling jazz recording of all time, is released.

New Travels with Sidd

Well Sidd is on the road again – and where Sidd goes so go we!  I realize that I’ve been away from the blogging scene for some time now and a few people have even suggested that I have been missed.  Well okay two people showed a mild interest in to why I have not been clogging the net with my thoughts, feelings and, particularly, information on the Hounds from Hell.   So as we begin another adventure with Sidd I thought I’d pick up my pen – well actually open the laptop – as I sit here in Trudeau Airport and in some way chronicle of trip.

In the next 26 days Sidd, and Laurent and I as his faithful porters, will be using bus, plane, ship and train to celebrate 35 years together.  No not 35 years with Sidd – 35 years with Laurent.  

It all started back in August – no not the 35 years with Laurent that started in November 1978 – when I received an e-mail offering a wonderful deal on an 11 day cruise from Rome to Seville.  I mean it was one of those opportunities you just couldn’t pass up – no not the 35 years with Laurent, well okay that but I’m talking about the cruise here.    And that was the kernel of the trip – 11 days on the Azamara Quest; but of course since it started in Rome and I hadn’t been back in two years it only made sense to arrive a few days early – get over jet lag, stop of in a few familiar places, see a few exhibitions and, more importantly, see as many of our dear friends as we can.  And it turns out the last direct flight from Montreal to Rome was scheduled for today.  So the trip was extended to 17 days.

Sidd, ignoring the bad weather on the Greyhound trip from Ottawa to Dorval.

The cruise ends in Seville – and though we had spent time in Madrid and Barcelona, Andalusia has been sadly missing from our travel diaries.  And while we're in that area it would be criminal to miss Granada and the Alhambra.  Make that 23 days!

Sidd and food - something new - well he's never eaten at Dorval Airport.

Getting back to Canada was the next goal and if you’re travelling on airline passes the most frequently flights are out of London.  How to get to London from Granada – well the Man in Seat61 suggested train – and I’m a sucker for trains.  Particularly when its an overnight hotel train where you have a dining car and a comfortable cabin – which would get us to Paris.  These days with the Eurostar it’s only a hop skip and a jump to London and a short visit with friends before heading back to the New World.  Ergo 26 days – god and the Air Canada flight loads willing.

So here we are waiting for the Air Transat plane to board after a bus ride from Ottawa – that’s two modes off the list.   Though I can’t promise that I’ll be recording our every move or Sidd’s every adventure I cover as much as I can – just to prove that I can still clog up the net with blogging.

October 26 - 1861:  The Pony Express officially ceases operations.

Monumental Sidd - Sidd and the Several Dwarfs

Sidd is currently off on a Mediterranean Cruise with our friend Josée and our colleague Jean-Louis - being a security conscious type - thought he'd best be equipped just in case:

Given what has been happening on cruise ships lately Jean-Louis felt that Sidd
should be pre-equiped just in case they don't have one his size on board.

Meanwhile as Sidd heads out on his cruise I started going through more pictures of our friend on his jaunt with us to Munich, Salzburg, Füssen and Frankfurt.   One of the common features - well other than food, Sidd seems inordinately fond of food - was the number of monuments that our Sidd wanted to be posed beside.  So starting with a special garden in Salzburg we give you:  Monumental Sidd.

Salzburg - May 22, 2013

My friend David suggested that since Sidd was going to Salzburg for the music festival we should arrange a special performance of Zemlinksy's Der Zwerg (The Dwarf) for his delectation.  We suggested it to him but he rather huffily reminded us that he was a gnome not a dwarf.  After the distinction had been so clearly, and emphatically,  made I was a bit reticent to suggest a visit to the Zwergerlgarten (Dwarf Garden) at Scholss Mirabell.  However Sidd was agreeable and was even willing to have his photo taken with a few of the strange creatures that inhabit the tower-like patch of grass that has been their home since 1928.

On our visit in 2008 I posted photos of all the dwarfs that live in the Zwergerlgarten and a bit of their history.  You might want to take a look and in the meantime here are Sidd and Several Dwarfs.

Though her expression is no perhaps the most welcoming Sidd remembered
that the pomegranates she was offering were a sign of hospitality.

This poor Turkish Lad may have lost his arm in the Siege of Vienna
- or perhaps it was just the elements or a drunken loat after a night
of beer and sausage.

Many of the dwarfs in the garden are wearing clothes that suggest the commedia dell'arte
- perhaps they were members of the Archbishop's theatre company?

This lady - one of only two in the garden - was offering a jug of water (or
maybe wine) and some fruit to go with it.  As we all know Sidd loves his
wine and food so it was a given that he'd hop up to see what she had to offer.

This little woodcutter has always struck me as the saddest in the group.
  The difficulty of his existence is etched in the stone - despite assurances
Sidd was afraid to go near him.

In the early 1800s Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, in a fit of superstitious concern for his wife and unborn child, had the little creatures (there were 28 of them)  “with their goiters and hunchbacks" removed from the Garden.  They were to be destroyed but were only auctioned off - nine remained in the city's possession.   At the moment 15 of them are back in their rightful place - perhaps one day the remaining 13 will be reunited with their fellows.

02 June - 1896: Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his newest invention, the radio.

Sidd in Spargel

Since our friend Lara introduced him to us Sidd has been on two trips with Laurent and I and two with me to England.  Unlike a few of our friends we haven't been able to take him to exotic places like Tripoli or the North Pole but we have shown him a few bits of the world.  We've also sponsored one of his relatives - you may remember Jööhann his cousin from Sweden who now has a job at Foreign Affairs - to come to Canada.

Sidd thought the smell of pizza as the Flight Attendant
came down the aisle with the trolley very appetizing.
He thought it tasted pretty good too.

As always where there is Sidd there is food, drink, sights and a camera.  I was going to get a photo of him in,  what seems to be his accustomed seat, Business class on the flight from Ottawa to London but he waved the camera aside.  Been there!  Done that!  Move on!

He wasn't too thrilled with the wait in Heathrow - and that silly episode with the shoelace put a bit of a kink in things - well actually took the kink out and had me landing flat on my face.  However he did experience the service on Lufthansa from London to Munich and seemed to enjoy his pizza and trying to make eye contact with the friendly fight attendants.  Once we had checked in at the Eden Hotel Wolff and we had unpacked, much like us, he decided that a nap would be in order.  After all it had been a bit of a journey: 17 hours to be exact from door to door.

But needless to say he woke up in time for diner.  And of course it's May in Bavaria and there's a saying in Germany that a day in May without asparagus is like a ... well May day without asparagus!  Well okay it really isn't a saying but it probably should be!  May is spargal season in Germany - and Austria too - and the markets are filled with plump white stocks of asparagus and they are on the menu of every restaurant in town.   At this time of year spargel season is hard to miss!  And neither Sidd nor Laurent and I missed.  Last night it was dinner at the hotel - asparagus, boiled potatoes, hollandaise sauce perch for me and a schnitzel for Laurent.  Sidd had a bite of each and pronounced them good - as was the local Riesling that washed it all down.  And the rhubarb compote (another seasonal treat) with sour cream gelato that finished the meal was found more than satisfactory.

Spargal, schnitzel, boiled potatoes and hollandaise sauce!
Many a gnome has made a meal of less.

You have to admit those are some spargal spears!

But there's always room for rhubarb compote, sour cream
gelato - and the mint leaf makes it healthy.

And there's small chance that after all that flying time even
this cafe-latte would keep Sidd awake.

At that point Sidd was all set for a good night's sleep and an early morning wake-up call.  We may have seen Munich before but to Sidd it was all new and exciting.  He had places to go and things to see.

More Travels with Sidd can be found by right clicking the link.

May 15 -  1858: Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.

Travels with Sidd - Family!!!!!

On Midsummer's Eve proved an interesting time for our Sidd to  be in Sweden.  Everywhere he turned he seemed to run into someone from his "dimension" for want of a better word.

He really enjoyed wandering around the streets of Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm,  the narrow cobblestone lanes such as  Mårten Trotzigs gränd (above) seemed to have been built just for his particular group. Its hard with Sidd to assign anything as crass as ethnicity (heaven knows we love doing that in Canada) though apparently within his genus there are several groups. Sidd, of course is a gnome - sub-genus travellus - closely related to the elf and fairy family and within Europe to the leprechauns of Ireland and the Vättar in Sweden.

In fact as we strolled down Stora Nygat Sidd ran into a whole family of these distant Swedish cousins. They are underground dwellers whose task is to protect the earth and the environment. Given what's going on these days back home he asked one of them to join him on the trip back to Canada - so Jööhann joined him in my commodious satchel for the balance of our trip.

Sidd was a little more apprehensive when he came upon a shop filled with trolls - there's a bit of a history between gnomes and trolls, not necessarily a good one.  He was even more nervous when he found himself seated beside a rather large - in fact the granddaddy of all - trolls. He tried to chat him up and compliment him on the great hat but apparently there's was a language barrier.  Either that or what Sidd had been told by his mother was true - trolls are a bit slow and dim-witted.  So after a brief hello he left it at that and we continued on our way.

Though not of the gnomish variety Sidd was interested in some of story book friends he saw in the trendy shop windows along Birger Jarlsgatan. He was just as happy when he realized that he was protected from the jaws of this bejewelled croc that tried to entice him in. But he really was puzzled how Goosey Goosey Gander and his mate seemed so nonchalant about being in the same room with that toothy reptile?

And he was equally glad that he couldn't hear that yapping over dressed little chihuahua through the window. But he was wondering why Puss in Boots looked like a Chicago pimp on a Saturday night - or more specifically why anyone would invite him (or the chihuahua) into their living room .... to stay?

Even given how much he's travelled Sidd had never quite seen anything like this! He honestly wondered what the poor Princess had done to deserve such a punishment -I mean the normal thing is to lock them in a tower, feed them a bad apple or put them to sleep for a hundred years but being turned into a light fixture!!! And where was the rest of her? And how the hell do you break that spell? That must have been some pissed off fairy!

By day's end Sidd was more than happy to come back to the hotel and chat up the very nice receptionist at the hotel. Guess he figured he'd have more success with a pretty lady who didn't have some strange curse on her and wasn't just hanging around shop windows!

Marco, please note that Sidd is not the sort of gnome who kisses and tell

Sidd explains the rules of the house to Jööhann who'll be staying here until he travels to Sidd's place in mid-July.  He also suggested that he avoid the Hounds from Hell once they get home - they're sweet but eat everything!  Including gnomes and Vätars.

24 June - 637: The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dalriada. It is claimed to be largest battle in the history of Ireland.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Travels with Sidd - This, Those and That - Part I

Well Sidd will be packing his bag for the last time tonight in Copenhagen and then heading back to the North American side of the Atlantic. At the moment he - and we - are riding through the Swedish countryside en route to the Danish capital. He was saying that it reminded him a bit of the Muskokas as did the trip in through the Archipelago - all islands, water and forests.

Even though he hasn't been updating on here a great deal he has been a busy boy - at times too busy what with touring Helsinki, St Petersberg, Tallinn and Stockholm plus all those activities on the boat. But its been a great two weeks of incredible sights, sounds and - are I remind you of prime importance to our Sidd - food!

So here's a few of the things he's been up:

June 12: Watching the Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace in Copenhagen and strolling around town.













June 14: During the day at sea Sidd had a massage at the spa and a fine dinner that evening. He decided afterwards to take in the show at the ship's cabaret. The Bailey's on the rocks went down a treat and Eric de Gray, a boy from Morrisberg of all places, put on a damned good show.





June 15: Aside from those - ahem ahem cough - Christmas decorations Sidd walked around Helskini. Sadly he got Cathy's message about the pastries at Fazer's too late to do anything but drool through the window at the marzipan strawberry confections. And the seal at the fountain near the port market wasn't really that talkative - apparently a very Finnish trait.







To be continued .....

June 22 - 1906: The flag of Sweden is adopted.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I Mean Come On Now ...

.... how could you imagine that anything as garish as this would qualify as a Christmas ornament?

19 June - 1978: Garfield, holder of the Guinness World Record for the world's most widely syndicated comic strip, makes its debut

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Travels with Sidd - Not Really Ornaments

Honestly the charming items in these photos aren't really Christmas ornaments - they are local handicrafts. I mean we all know that two posts ago I made a vow that no more Christmas ornaments would enter our house and I have had every intention of holding true to that vow. But honestly it was all Sidd's fault.

I can't claim to be an authority on the link between elves and gnomes but I do know that Finland claims to be the home of Santa Claus so for all I know some of Sidd's relatives work in the old guy's shop way above the 60th parallel. Whatever the link may be Sidd seemed very much at home in Helsinki today. As we wandered through the Kauppatori Market Square - conveniently located just after we got off the boat - there were wonderful stalls with all manner of wares - fruit, flowers, vegetables, fish and local handicrafts. Strangely for him Sidd didn't spend much time admiring the displays of tasty dishes available at the small tent restaurants but he was drawn - twice - to one craft display. An elderly lady was busily cutting willow branches on the diagonal making thin almost scale like ovals. She then fashioned them into pine cones and balls that could, if you stretched your imagination, be hung on a tree come Christmastide.

Sidd settled himself amongst them and wouldn't move until I bought one or two or three! But not for our tree you have to understand, the four or five I bought are for friends. Well okay the one that Sidd bought and proffered as a gift will be on the tree - I mean after all when a gnome gives you a handicraft from the land of Santa Claus can you really refuse?

15 June - 1219: Danish victory at the Battle of Lyndanisse (modern-day Tallinn) establishes the Danish Duchy of Estonia. According to legend, this battle also marks the first use of the Dannebrog, the world's first national flag still in use, as the national flag of Denmark.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Travels with Sidd - Food Glorious Food

Befitting an international traveller our Sidd has fairly catholic taste in food - he's pretty much happy to look at anything you put in front of him and so far on this trip he's had some tasty treats to consider.



On the flight coming over he really thought that given the amount of bitching he'd heard from people that the meal in Business Class wasn't all that bad. The garlic mashed potatoes were a real treat and the tenderloin was pretty good for beef at 35,000 feet.




And of course you can't expect a fella to go to the Netherlands and not have a pint - or two - of Heineken. That and a few Dutch croquettes are balm to the weary soul of the jet lagged tourist.




And what could be more traditional of Amsterdam than a pancake hot off the griddle topped with all sorts of goodies. Though Sidd had to admit that that tomato, cheese and mushroom one sort of reminded him of a few of the pizzas that Lara has cooked up (well okay not exactly cooked but lets not go there) back home in Richmond.




de belhamel, a wonderful restaurant a block from the apartment - thanks to Kevin for the recommendation - preferred that gnomes not have their pictures taken in the dining room but were more than happy to allow a quick shot of Sidd as he contemplated a glass of prosecco in their lovely Art Nouveau bar. But he was told that the half lobster and shrimp and scollop starters followed by the new Asparagus Flemish style and Rack of Dutch Lamb mains were excellent. A funky, fun and it would appear fashionable place to have a Friday night dinner.







The rain on Saturday forced Sidd - and us - into a tapas bar called, would you believe, Paella. It was a chance to practice our Spanish - not sure how big that goes over given the history of the Netherlands - and tuck into ham croquettes, meat balls, garlic shrimp, calamari and a few glasses of a light Spanish white. Just the thing for a rainy slightly chilly day.




When you see a group of Chinese people lining up for a Mandarin style restaurant it must be good. And New King was extremely crowded and extremely good on Saturday night. One nice little touch that was much appreciated - we had order several types of dumplings, a mixed pork and duck platter and broccoli and were about to order a chicken dish when the young, and Sidd noticed very pretty, waitress suggested that the plates were rather large and maybe we were ordering too much. She was right but I know of so many places where they would have simply let us go ahead - more money for them! Kevin had suggested that anything involving duck was going to be a treat and he was right. The crispy duck rolls were magnificent - tender slices of flavourful duck in a light crisp batter and a tasty orange tinged sauce. And we wonder why Sidd is smiling.




After lunch with our MJ on Sunday we headed over to a cheese shop that Sidd had notice before. You'll notice how big his eyes got when surrounded by a plethora of well-aged cheese goodness. We tried a bit on his behalf and just had buy some to nibble on once we get back to Canada.




After all that food Sidd was prepared to work it off by tackling those stairs down with his bags in hand. We however had to have some help - thanks MJ and Rene.

11 June - 1184 BC: Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes.

Travels With Sidd - Amsterdam I

Well the idea was that I would start blogging about the trip when I arrived here in Amsterdam and that if I got lazy Sidd would encourage me.

Let's just say that by the time that we arrived in Amsterdam the old body clock was way out of whack and the overriding compulsion was sleep and nourishment. It had been a bit of a long - though no unpleasant - haul. A good flight from Ottawa to Frankfurt - I'm not crazy about the pod concept in business class but the food was excellent and the flight attendants extremely good. We left Ottawa about 90 minutes late which raised some concerns about catching our train to Amsterdam; but damn it you have to love German efficiency: we landed at 1035 and made the 1143 ICE with 5 minutes to spare.

The apartment we're staying at wasn't that far from the train station but we took a cab anyway and frankly I think Sidd is glad we did.  He was feeling the time change and when he was confronted with the staircase - one of two - that led to our accommodation he - and we - needed all our strength.

I assured him that once he got to the top he'd enjoy the view and that after this he'd be carried up and down.  And I didn't mention the second set - that were even steeper.  Like I said before Sidd's a trooper!



June 9 - 1667: The Raid on the Medway by the Dutch fleet begins. It lasts for five days and results in a decisive victory by the Dutch over the English in the Second Anglo-Dutch War.

Travels with Sidd - Libya

I just received a message from Sidd who paused in his packing to read the blog today. He was a little miffed that I suggest that his travels were purely of a sybaritic nature. He assured me that he fully immerses himself in the cultures that he visits.

As proof he sent along this holiday snap of a late afternoon plunge into life in Tripoli. Even in a danger zone Sidd was able to find a suitable hot tub!




You're a trooper Sidd!

05 June - 1977: The Apple II, one of the first personal computers, goes on sale.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone