Christmas Markets in Prague :D

I don't remember seeing Christmas markets anywhere in Montreal. Are there any?  I might be wrong, but I think that Christmas Markets are something typical to the European countries. They were everywhere... Lyon, Paris, Prague, Piestany, Bratislava! Well, I'm not complaining since they were so pretty ;)

In Prague, there were 5 or 6 of them! But the most beautiful one was the one located on the square next to the 'Astronomical Clock'. Once again I was so amazed by the beautiful Christmas decorations, the sparkling lights of different colors, the big Christmas tree... Everything surrounded by old and nice monuments! Aaaah... so lovely!!

The photos above were taken before sunset... I was so astonished by that place that I wanted to go back at night time, which I did. When I went back... WOW!!!  I was a kid again :P I was smiling by myself and couldn't take my eyes off the lights! I felt like I was a little princess from a Disney movie! That feeling was sooooo great! HAHAHAHA...

LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!! :D Wanna go back to childhood?!? Go to Prague during Christmas time!!! You won't be disappointed!

My experience in Prague

Prague has been a really popular travel destination the last few years. I heard people talking about it, saying good things, and commenting the beauty of the city. That built a curiosity in me and created the urge to visit that place... Thus, when I was planning my holiday trip, I decided that I would go to Prague. However, I did not want to do any research on it. I wanted to go there without any expectations, without any plans, without a map... Just FREESTYLE! That's right, baby! :P

I am usually not a loner... I don't like doing things when I'm unaccompanied, especially not eating out and travelling. But in Prague I spent most of my time with me, myself, and I. I wandered around, got lost so many times, explored the city, and had fun taking pictures. And guess what? Travelling alone is not THAT bad. I actually really enjoyed my time letting myself do what I had to and wanted to do without anyone rushing or dragging me. It allowed me to focus on MYSELF... and that was great! ;)

If I had one word to describe Prague, it would be the word MAGNIFICENT. The city is impressively beautiful! It is itself an outdoor museum! It is just... WOW! There are numerous historical monuments which the architecture is incredibly gorgeous. I like the feel of walking in small streets made out of stones with old houses and buildings. That makes the city very charming.

My favorite landmark of Prague was the famous Charles Bridge and its statues. It crosses the Vltava river and it is an alley that links the Old Town and the Prague Castle. It is a very busy passageway with little kiosks of all kinds, artists selling their pieces of arts or playing musical instruments to people/tourists who are crossing the bridge.

Prague is the most beautiful city I have been so far... There are so many other countries and cities I would like to visit, but I would definitely go back to Prague a second time without hesitation ;) I loved it so much that I actually had to buy myself a souvenir :D

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One of my favorite shots

La gastronomie de Lyon :P~~

AAaaah... Manger est un des meilleurs plaisirs de la vie! **En tout cas, pour moi, ce l'est!** A Lyon, la ville gastronomique, le plaisir est continuel et interminable! Les restaurants, les patisseries, les cafes sont partout, partout, partout... Vous pouvez alors imaginez le sourire permanent suspendu a mes levres lorsque je traverse les rues dont lesquelles la bouffe et les odeurs me font saliver!

J'ai travaillé dans la restauration toute ma vie, mais cette fin de semaine-la m'a permis d'apprendre des trucs dont je ne savais pas et d'expérimenter les services autrement. D'abord, un bon restaurant n'a pas plus de 5 ou 6 choix pour chaque section, c'est-à-dire entrées, repas principaux et dessserts. Les chefs planifient leurs menus en conséquence des produits frais du marché et des aliments saisonniers, donc leurs cartes changent à peu près à chaque semaine. J'aime bien l'idée de pouvoir commander des aliments frais et que le menu d'un restaurant soit modifié constamment. De cette façon, on est "sûr" de bien manger et de varier les goûts.

Aussi, les chefs veulent assurer les clients que leur nourriture est fait sur place et non fait à l'avance, donc certaines choses sont amenées à la table pour la préparation. Par exemple, un bon chef d'un restaurant de qualité préparera le tartar de boeuf devant ses clients.

De plus, certaines soupes sont également amenées à la table, c'est-à-dire que la serveuse se rend à la table avec la casserole et verse la soupe dans un bol devant le client. COOL NON?! ;)

Je dois avouer que la nourriture à Lyon est vraiment bonne. Ceux qui me connaissent bien savent très bien que je suis une "picky eater". En fait, ça en prend beaucoup avant que je dise que ce soit bon. Par contre, je n'ai pas été déçue une seule fois des repas que j'ai eu durant mon séjour. Vous êtes étonnés hein?! Bien, moi aussi!! :P

J'ai mange comme une vraie de vraie reine... Et comme ma meilleure amie le dirait: "Tu as mangé comme une PORK!" :P J'ai gâté mes papilles gustatives et j'y retournerai bien juste pour manger de la bonne bouffe hahaha... :D

Merci à un ami de longue date qui vit maintenant à Lyon! Il m'a fait découvrir cette ville magnifique de lumière et sa gastronomie! Nhiem, merci pour tout!! ;)

GOODBYE 2012... HELLO 2013

Hi everyone!

I know, I know... I reeeaaallllyyy have to catch up with my blog writing. I actually still have things to write about Lyon hahaha... :P I am now back to the UK from my amazing vacations, so I will try my best to write as much as I can! I promise!

But before continuing I would like to wish my loved ones, family and friends, a very happy New Year! May 2013 bring everyone of you all the happiness, joy, and love you deserve! I hope this year will be another one filled with smiles, laughters, warmth, surprises, and (last but not least) good health!

2012 was actually a very hard year for me... There were ups and downs, good and bad moments, happiness and sadness, memories and nightmares... But those are important challenges of life that make someone stronger, RIGHT?! So please guys DO NOT worry about me! I am fine! Everything will get better this year... ** NOW, send me some positive vibes!!!**

Let 2013 be a new beginning for... EVERYTHING!

Love you and miss you all!

Annie
xox

The future is holding surprises and beautiful things for me... I know!

Have hope, have faith...

Fetes des Lumieres in Lyon!

Message to Montrealers: Please DO NOT tell people from France that we have a Light Festival in Montreal because they are going to laugh at us!! Our tinee-tiny festival in a corner of the Place-des-Arts is a real joke... Until you see the one in Lyon! OK, OK, no offense Montreal people! :P

The 'Fete des Illuminations' was initially a night that inhabitants of Lyon light candles up and put them by their windows. It was a traditional event taken place on December 8th since the mid 19th century to thank Virgin Mary for saving/helping people of Lyon during hard times diseases epidemics. However, the tradition has changed a little bit the past decades... since technology has expanded and gone crazy! Now called 'Fetes des Lumieres', it happens around the 8th of December every year and lasts for 4 days. The entire city is lit up with traditional lights/candles or projections of animations on facades of important buildings, such as the City Hall, the Opera House, the Cathedral, the Basilica, etc.

My experience of the Light Festival in Lyon was EXCEPTIONAL. I was so amazed by the lights, so impressed by the decorations that I went back to childhood... At that moment, I was just a child feeling really, really free... I didn't think of anything and simply enjoyed what I was seeing. I had so much fun walking around the city, watching the projections. I took pictures, but they didn't do justice to the actual experience.

If you think that Times Square in New York is crazy crowded, then you should see Lyon. The festival is a very big 4-day annual event... 4 million people were there this year! CRAAAZZYYY!!! If you ever get the chance, you should ALL go to the 'Fete des Lumieres'... You will not regret it!

LOVED IT!!!

Vers Lyon!

Je suis allée à Lyon la fin de semaine dernière pour assister à la Fête des Lumières. C'était vraiment toute une expérience... Tout, tout, tout... incluant mon vol vers Lyon!

D'abord, j'ai pris le premier train à 5h15am pour me rendre à l'aéroport. Je suis arrivée là, j'ai fait tout le tralala **passer le contrôle de securité, attendre pour le numéro de porte, acheter des trucs a grignoter...**  Après une longue attente, l'embarquement des passagers a commencé. Ça a pris vraiment beaucoup de temps pour que tous les passagers soient montés à bord. Mon avion était supposé de décoler à 7h45, mais a finalement pris presqu'une heure de retard à cause de l'embouteillage d'avions :S

Puisque j'étais fatiguée, je me suis dit que j'allais dormir durant le vol d'une durée d'une heure et quart. Évidemment, j'ai dormi tout le long jusqu'à ce que, à demi consciente, j'ai entendu qu'on est arrivée à Lyon et qu'on devait nous préparer pour l'atterrisage. Quelques minutes plus tard, je me suis réveillée en sursaut en entendant le message du pilote que l'aéroport a fermé à cause d'une chute de neige sur Lyon. On a dû faire un détour de 40 minutes pour s'arrêter à l'aéroport de Marseille où on a attendu pendant 45 minutes.

Mon coeur battait fort! Je n'étais même pas arrivée à ma destination et j'avais déjà peur pour mon vol de retour en Angleterre :S J'espérais que la neige ne soit pas un trop gros problème... Enfin, l'avion attéri à Lyon! Ouf! J'ai regardé par la fenêtre et... Devinez quoi! La CHUTE de neige dont les français parlaient était une mince couche de 2cm! 2 CENTIMETRES!! WHAAAT?!?! Vraiment?! Ils ont retardé mon arrivée de 4 heures pour 2 cm de neige!! On pouvait encore voir le gazon vert sur le terrain... SANS JOKE! OOOH MYY GOOOD!! J'étais tellement fâchée!

Voilà mon expérience de vol vers Lyon! AARRrgg!! :P

Birthday weekend!

Did I party for my birthday?!? Well, I think you all know the answer :P As you all know, I don't drink... BUT I LOVE EATING!!! (**Even though I eat like a mouse, I am ALWAYS hungry!! hehehe...) And that's what I did! I just spoiled myself by eating all my favorite food, all in one weekend hahaha...

Even though I am not with you guys, I am lucky enough to meet nice people and be friends with them. Thus I was not alone, alone! YEY!

On Friday, I had a relaxing birthday dinner with Martina, Victor, and Richard at a Greek restaurant (MMmmm... Greek food!! One of my favorites!!!!). I ordered a Cod spread served with pita bread, which was delicious, and a plate of lamb . I usually don't like lamb that much, but that plate was really good! I had friends with me and food was good...  That made my day! ;)

AND on Saturday, I got a visit from a special friend, Brittany, who I met at the University of Ottawa during our B.Ed. studies. We haven't seen each other since the last time she came to Montreal before leaving for Zimbabwe a year and a half ago! Imagine the talking?!?!? Yeah, that's right! :P

This is what we did to fill in our schedule of a rainy day:

First, we met up in Brighton at 9:30am, then went to Starbucks for a hot chocolate (I had to since there's no Starbucks in Worthing!!!) I got my first peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks since I got here... OH MAN, it tasted soooo goood :P We started talking, talking, and talking, and next thing you know, it was already 1:00pm :O We did realize that we were talking for so long!!

Then, we went for sushi (MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE!!) since I was craving for it (and also because there's no sushi restaurants in Worthing!!! :S) It was just a take-out place, but it was pretty decent. It was better than nothing :P And again, we talked, talked, and talked... until 4:30pm!

Afterwards, we went for tea and desserts at Cream Tea. Brittany ordered a chocolate-orange cake for me and it was AH-MAZING!!!!! It was sooooo goood!! Mmmm.. **Drooling!! :P We sat there until the shop closed around 7:00pm.

Then, we walked down a market street and found a Thai restaurant (another of my favorite!!) called Krua Anne,  The food was DE-LI-CIOUS! I've never had such good Ta Ma Houng (payaya salad) and Pla Rad Prik (Deep-fried fish with thai chili sauce) at a restaurant. Mmmm.. **Drooling again :P

Finally, we took the train, went back to my place, talked some more, and went to bed at midnight :O

AAaaahh it was good to catch up with a friend who I haven't seen for so long and to talk to someone who can actually understand me when I talk about Canada :P I felt like home for a bit more than 24 hours... AND IT FELT GOOD!!! :D

What a good weekend!!! Now time to go back to the gym!! Pouahhahaha...

PS: Martina, Victor, Richard, and Brittany: I had very good times with you all. I am very blessed to always have good people with me. Thank you for making my birthday special... I am lucky to have you guys as friends!! ;) xo

PPS: Oh yeah, as a birthday present, from ME to ME, I booked myself a plane ticket to go to Lyon, France for the annual "Festival des Lumières" this coming weekend!!!  YEY! Happy Birthday to me :D

I'll keep you posted!!