Personal: May Update of My 2022 Goals

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This is actually my April and May update, since I was in France at the end of April, and pre-writing an updated listed slipped my mind. Here is where things stand in terms of my 2022 goals.

  1. Write with my fountain pen. No. Unfortunately, my fountain pen broke, and I haven’t yet gone to the pen store to get it replaced/fixed.
  2. Complete house projects. Yes. In the powder room, everything is done except for the delayed delivery of the toilet roll holder. In the kitchen, our sink and faucet have arrived, so I’m sorting out counter top options. My beau installed a new pendant over the island, which I love. The refresh in another bathroom is nearly complete, too. I’m waiting on the delayed delivery of two hooks. In that room, we painted, installed new trim, installed new lights, updated some electrical, and upgraded the accessories. We also hired a team to clean our windows inside and out, and what an amazing difference this has made! Outside, we planted our first veggie garden. Grow, little veggies, grow!
  3. Stay active. Sort of. We walked a lot in France, and I seem to be walking a decent amount every day at work. Beyond walking, nothing else is happening in the “stay active” department.
  4. Host people. Yes. While we didn’t have a May music night, we’ve had people drop-in regularly for a coffee, meal, or a chat. We love having people fill our home with laughter and stories.
  5. Travel. Yes! Hooray! A week in France in April did me good! C’est si bon!
  6. Read more. Sort of. I have paused on audio books, but I’ll get back into them shortly. I’m reading The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, and countless academic pieces for work.
  7. Tame garbage. Reduce waste. Sort of. I’m still making slight improvements, but nothing worth writing about. I find this to be a challenge. The packaging that everything comes in is hard to get around.
  8. Floss regularly. Yes. Daily. My dental hygienist didn’t give me as much praise as I was hoping she would, but I continue to floss daily. Easy peasy.
  9. Walk regularly. Yes. See number 3.
  10. Stop procrastinating. Yes. Especially with work. I am taking on a new role at work soon, and my workload has already increased. I feel like I’ve been forced to decrease my procrasinating.
  11. Have fun! Yes! April and May were both great months overall. I saw friends and family regularly, and I had great catch-up phone calls with faraway friends. At work, it’s been great to see colleagues in person. The sunshine and warmth has also increased my positive attitude!

Previous updates: January, February, March.

Travel: How to Spend Two Days in Nice

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We arrived in Nice late at night after a relaxing and scenic TGV train ride from Paris. We knew we wanted our time in the south to be more relaxed than our time sightseeing in Paris, so we spent a good amount of time at the beach. While the Mediterranean was still too cold for me, the beach was perfect. It felt so good to put on sunscreen, let me tell you!

Here’s how we spent our time in Nice and the surrounding area.

Day 1: The Beach & Old Town

Our day was long and relaxed. It was just a perfect day in the sun. We spent most of it laying around on the beach, but we also walked around old town, ate a late leisurely lunch, and toured the flower and food market.

Day 2: Cannes, Monaco, & Ventimiglia

We rented a convertible Mini Cooper for the day, which was a smart decision! We picked it up at the airport, so we could conveniently return it at the airport for our departure the next day. We drove to Cannes first where we hung out at the beach and window shopped along the main street with all the luxury stores. I also did a bit of shopping on my own while the boys stayed at the beach. We had an afternoon gelato before jumping into the car and driving to Monaco. We loved our short time in Monaco. We ogled at all the luxury vehicles, walked around to see the stunning yachts, and had a few minutes of fun at the Monte Carlo Casino.

From Monaco, we decided to take a quick trip to Italy for dinner. We stopped at a seaside restaurant across the border in Ventimiglia, and I ate the most delicious pasta alla vongole (pasta with clams) that reminded me of the amazing meal I had in Rimini years ago.

Travel: Where We Stayed in Nice

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I was pleasantly surprised by the availability of affordable apartment rentals in Nice (we stayed at the end of April). As in Paris, I was looking for a bright, spacious apartment located in Vieux Nice for three people. I settled on this place, and it was perfect for us.

a fully functional kitchen with the fridge and dishwasher under the counter
apartment in vieux Nice, images via Booking.com

Old Nice is primarily pedestrian-only and charming. I loved walking to the market for fresh fruit every morning and grabbing coffee and croissants to enjoy for breakfast in the apartment. The apartment had everything we needed including a fully-stocked modern kitchen and bathroom. It is a 4th-floor walk-up, meaning we got our share of steps in every day! The apartment is air-conditioned although we preferred open windows in April. I would easily stay in this apartment again on a future trip to Nice, but I would also consider staying in a smaller neighbouring seaside town to experience something new.

Other hotel and apartment considerations are the luxurious Negresco and the Hyatt Regency Nice as well as this loft, this spacious apartment, this bright apartment, this large apartment, and this modern apartment.

Travel: How to Spend Three Days in Paris

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Our trip to France this year was a week in length, and we wanted to visit two areas: Paris and Nice. We spent three nights in each city, and our days were full from morning to night. In Paris, we wanted to see the main monuments, many of which I had not seen in many years.

Here’s how we spent our time in Paris.

Day 1: Arc de Triomphe & Eiffel Towel

Our plane landed in the morning, and it was so convenient to have the airport shuttle waiting for us on arrival. After dropping off our luggage and freshening up, we were ready to start walking. We walked on the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe. We walked up and enjoyed the views in all directions. The Arc de Triomphe is one of my favourite monuments to visit in Paris. From there, we walked to the Eiffel Tower and, naturally, climbed more stairs.

Day 2: Palais de Versailles

On our second day, we were up and at ’em early to catch a train to Versailles. We spent the full day at the Palace of Versailles, and it was great. The palace is incredible. It’s so opulent, and there’s design inspiration in every corner. While we bought tickets in advance, the palace was so busy, and each room was quite crowded (but maybe not even as crowded as it is in peak travel seasons). On a future visit, I would try to get a private tour, which would take us into less-frequented rooms. I downloaded the audio app to learn about the history in each room.

We splurged on a lovely lunch at Angelina, right within Versailles, which was fun. I opted for the quiche lorraine and lemon tarte, and both were excellent.

While every bit of the palace took my breath away, my favourite part of our visit was wandering around the gardens and renting a row boat.

Day 3: Jardin de Tuileries, Louvre, & Les Halles

We started our third full day with an early morning walk along the Champs ElysĂ©es, via Place de la Concorde, and the Jardin de Tuileries (another fave destination!). We bought our tickets to the Louvre in advance with an entry time of 9:30am, and by the time we left after 1pm, the museum was very busy. We were glad we started out early. Similar to Versailles, if I visited the Louvre on a future trip, I would opt for a private tour, so we could see the famous and not-so-famous sculptures and paintings more efficiently. The museum is massive, and while the map and signs are helpful, it can still be an overwhelming experience. The visit was lovely, and I swooned not only over the art, but the building’s beauty. A feast for the senses!

After a leisurely lunch at nearby Café de Paris, I left the boys to wander around Saint Germain des Prés (6th arr.). We met up later with another friend at Les Halles and enjoyed a delicious meal at Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond., where we sipped on wine from St. Emilion and enjoyed deviled eggs, escargot, and duck confit. So very French! It was one of our favourite meals.

escargot at Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond

Day 4: Notre Dame

We spent our last half-day walking to the Notre Dame and exploring the area around it, including a visit to the well-known English bookstore Shakespeare and Company. The bookstore was a big hit with my travel companions!

breakfast of champions

I’ve been to Paris dozens of times, but each time brings something different. It’s such a magical city to get lost in! I’m always happy to offer recommendations, so if you have any questions, please ask!

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