Back home after my city days sans Pater, continuing my unfinished Five Things fromyesterday’s post. Must finish marking (the last) papers (I’ll ever mark!) before Monday’s exam and Pater and I have a yoga class to get to, so I’ll point at some photos and run. Please excuse.
2. I love urban walking, such a contrast from the dirt roads of my quiet, small island.
3. and I enjoy urban sitting as well. I’m quite happy sitting on my own with a coffee (and perhaps a buttery treat–what was on that plate? I’ll never tell . . .). Thierry’s sidewalk tables are perfect for people-watching and/or making plans for an upcoming sister trip to Paris.
4.there was also urban running. On my little island, routes are very limited and I run round and round the four-kilometre circumference road. In the city, I decide to visit my daughter, seven kilometres away, and off I go, neighbourhood after neighbourhood to distract me from whatever my feet are saying. I wear my hard-earned Vancouver marathon shirt.
Hmmm, I’m realizing that my days in the city were even busier than I thought; I have only one more number, but so much more I wanted to share. Let me sum up quickly before Number 5:
1. Baby-snuggling (I only pictured one, but I had great visits with all my Vancouver grandkids.
2. Urban walking (which also included a four-kilometre walk to dinner at another daughter’s; my son-in-law sent me home with a load of his wonderful homemade wheat berry bread
See what I did there, snuck in an extra number
3. Urban sitting, by myself but also for a drink with my sister to plan our upcoming Paris trip
4. Urban running (which also included an early morning run with my sister, worth getting up for, more Paris planning and just sister chat in general
And Number 5??
Well, I was in the city for four days, on my own, and I’ve been on a retail fast for three and a half months, and it’s Spring! What do you think I might have done?
Hint: those Levi 501s might be faded, but they’re new. And they’re not all that came home wrapped in tissue.
So yeah, Number 5 from my week in the city might be Shopping. . .
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More later, but meanwhile, papers to mark, yoga to Shavasana, and some marvellous sunshine to garden in. Hope you’re having a splendid weekend so far!
And tell me, what are your favourite things to do on a solo city break? (note that mine here are daytime activities: I’ve been battling insomnia, never slept past 6, crashed by 9:30p.m.!!)
It seems that I spend about a quarter of my retired time on a solo urban break. I like to look online to find free music concerts or art gallery openings. I always carry a book. Right now, I am reading Bruised Hibiscus by Elizabeth Nuñez. There is a lovely restaurant at San Pablo (an oasis) in Oaxaca where I will go later to have Lebanese food (yes, really) and a glass of wine. The best Lebanese food that I have ever eaten comes from the Port-Royal Market in Paris! That man may also sell at Maubert. I took the food home when I lived in Paris but you could also just eat it in one of the parks. You keep the same hours as I do. I wake at 6:00 here and switch to
BBC World Service Radio at 9:30.
I always have a book with me as well — it astounds me constantly that others leave their entertainment up to chance (or expect me, their random seatmate, to supply it!).
I'm going to have to search out that Lebanese food when I'm in Paris.
I want to know what was on that plate.
K, might have been this: thierrychocolates.com/category/viennoise/
If you ever get to Vancouver, I'll treat you! Thierry's has the best selection of pastries.
One of the Sun Run bands is playing outside my window, making it difficult to concentrate so soon I'll go out and have a poke around.
Thierry Chocolaterie? Mmm. What a lovely place to hang out and people watch. I think experiencing the contrasts of city life and bucolic(?) island life would be veery satisfying. I'm glad you're enjoying your transitions in every sense.
We weren't in the city on the weekend, but if we had been, one of those Sun Run bands would have been set up very close to our place. Such an event! And yes, I really like Thierry for being just off the noisiest, bustliest streets, but still with enough people-watching — and with very yummy treats!
Except for the wear-and-tear of the commute, the city/island contrast is ideal.
Now that we are down on the Peninsula, I miss my city walks so much! Every morning a little adventure.
I know, right? I love the energy in the city.
I miss city walking.
It's a different rhythm, isn't it? I love my walks on the island but I really like urban anonymity . . .