wordless wednesday: surge

Sunday Sunshine

Sunday Sunshine, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

The only way to tackle jetlag is to get out and about in the sunshine so we headed off to Cypress for some cross country skiing at Hollyburn.
I sincerely hope that we avoid the 3am awakenings tonight.

relax - nothing is under control

So we're home once more.
Back at home base.
Back to normality.
School ... work ... domestic matters.
Venice, Amsterdam, Scotland ... so long ago?
Back to life, back to reality.
Plotting anew once the credit cards are paid off.

friday forte: so long and thanks for all the fish

The holiday is almost over. Today we played a giant game of chess on the top of the science museum. We had lunch at the library, dining out on its rooftop deck in the sunshine. Afterwards, we walked through old Amsterdam to the Van Gogh museum where we said hello again to the irises and meet a new sunset picture. Now were eating pizza, bags packed, just round the corner from our Plantage hotel. Tomorrow Schiphol, airplane, home. School for the Wee Guy. Back to work for mr ebb. Back to the keyboard for me. We'll be back.

spt10apr14: still managing some daily pussy

Today's itinerary = Amsterdam, by canal.
Still on holiday and still managing to snatch some daily pussy while out and about. Like this fine specimen captured above - another fuzzball for my growing collection.

Amsterdon't again

Yes - we're back, and this time it's the whole family. We're spending a few days in Amsterdam before heading back to Canada.
Yesterday we left Venice, coped with a delayed flight, made our way into Amsterdam without resorting to the hotel shuttle and found somewhere decent to eat a meal.
Wee Guy and I are back in the same hotel that we stayed in almost three years ago but this time mr ebb is with us. We're exploring Amsterdam as a family this time.
Today we explored Artis Zoo, experiencing the vulture feeding session, a bigger baby elephant, getting through minor melt-downs, and a whole tankful of lionfish. It was fun.
Then I successfully navigated us into the rest of Amsterdam, Red Light District and all (colourful silicon novelties and underwear-clad gals) before finding my way back to the same cafe Wee guy and I ate in on our last night back in September 2011.
Tomorrow?

next leg?

this part of the holiday is almost over. as i write this, our bags are packed and the apartment is set to as it was when we arrived. checked in and transfer tickets to hand. sad to leave but excited for the next adventure. planning our return.

full steam ahead for a new day

This little chap, running full steam into a new day's adventure, has wanted to visit Venice ever since he learned about it. The idea of an entire city built around a maze of canals, with foundations rising out of the seabed, fascinated him.
Our last trip back to the UK then onwards though London, Paris, Madrid, Mojaca and returning home via Amsterdam just fed his wanderlust with Venice at its epicentre.
He seems pleased to be here at last.
We've burnt a lot of shoe leather since arriving.
Today we experienced the crushes on the vaporetto routes through the Grand Canal, past the amazing palaces and tantalising views into the smaller waterways of Dorsoduro.
I think he's pleased to be experiencing the city at first hand.
Unfortunately, his anxiety levels are maxed out. No - it's not pleasant.
Venice is a bewildering maze of a city to navigate around. Getting slightly lost is a normal part of the day's adventuring.
When he's anxious about life he lashes out. He doesn't trust us. He whines. He acts up. He shouts at us, wherever we are.
Yes - we're the parents with the whining ungrateful kid who is acting like a spoiled brat and doesn't deserve the trip of a lifetime to Venice. We're also the parents who in absolute exasperation have pointed out to him that if he can do a better job of navigating his way home, to go right ahead. We've also sent him to sit outside the cafe when his whines have increased to patron-upsetting decibel levels, and have just plain ignored him. And yes - we've also told him to shut up.
All in public.
Worst parents ever.
I think we're all still having the holiday of a lifetime.
All three of us.