Israel 2026-07

Israel 19,

July 20, 2026,

Hi Everyone,

I got to bed at 1:30 after watching the World Cup disappointing Final game. But as the saying goes, ‘you win some, you lose some.’ This one ‘we’ lost. I was up bright and early at 9:30 just in time for breakfast which is served from 6:30 to 10:00. I met my Australian friends, M & W, from last night so we had cappuccinos and cinnamon buns together. We arranged to meet at noon to go down to the beach for a swim. W is a good swimmer and a swimming instructor so we swam out to the breakwater together. That is the 1st time in 3 years that I have ever seen a swimmer go out that far. She told me that in Australia she would never go out that far from shore due to the danger of being eaten by a shark. Why tempt fate. They left for Haifa later in the afternoon. They are on a 3 month world tour, ending up in Vietnam which leaves me drooling with envy. Next year!?

After my usual, I took a beach cold water shower and had the 6:00 soup and wine provided by the hotel. This evening, I decided to visit the beach side, 5* hotels. I have photographed them from the beach many times but have never ventured inside them. I took the initial picture from the outside from several angles. I then went inside to photograph the lobby. The final photo was taken of the main restaurant.

All of the hotels are beautiful and worth staying in if 5* hotels is your ‘thing’ and of course if you are willing to spend the money. I usually avoid 5* hotels when I am travelling, trying to stay in B&Bs or 2-3* hotels. I will stay in a 5* if a medical conference is being held there as we always get a group rate. The hotels did not disappoint me with their overall decor. The lobby’s and the restaurants were all tastefully decorated. The food prices, except for the Kapinski, were on par with the local nice restaurants. The prices of the hotels ranged from $500 to $1000 to $2000 per night. A pasta meal or a big Israeli salad could be had for $30. A fish meal was double that except for the Kapinski where the prices are much higher. Kapinski is really top tier, followed by the Hilton and the Sheraton. The Carlton, Renaissance, Herod, and Crown Plaza are just 1 step down but still nice. There are other nice hotels here but I concentrated on the ones on the beach. Next time I am here, I will have an Israeli salad in each one for comparison.

I am sitting in one of my favourite beach side restaurants that I have frequented in the past. The sea is black and I can hear the waves lapping the shore. There is soft rock music in the background, not loud enough to disturb. I am on my 2nd Tuboug beer to go with a falafel. It is 25C with a cool breeze. There is no better way to spend an evening in TLV. I walked on the board walk for 2.5 hours to do my photos. There must have been 1000s of people out, strolling, running, skateboarding, bicycling, and scootering. TLV has to be one of the nicest places to be in the summer. There are very few cities in the world of this size which have a beach-waterfront so easily accessible.

Love.

Brian

2024 10 Spain

Spain 22,

Nov. 3, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I took the last day to explore my neighbourhood. I am staying in the 5ieme in a 3* hotel called Hotel Claude Bernard on rue de Ecoles. This is a very central area on the ‘Left bank’ right in the middle of the student area. I am a few blocks away from the Sorbonne which I visited and photographed from the outside. I never realized how big it is. This is the area that I used to come to a lot as a student in Reims when I wanted to visit Paris. The area has not changed much except for the price of the hotels.

I walked through the 5ieme and the 6ieme taking pictures as I walked. Sunday, everything is closed in Paris. There are virtually no cars in Paris as there has been a major political effort by the mayor to restrict cars altogether. She has been successful. I did not see any traffic jams. There is very little traffic and very little place to park. In some areas you can not drive at all unless you live there or are delivering merchandise. People have adapted by taking public transport, walking or using a bicycle.

I had lunch at a Parisien bistro which is unusual for me when travelling as I usually have a good breakfast, skip lunch, have a cap in the afternoon and eat dinner around 7:30. Today, I decided to do ‘lunch a la Francaise’. I had an onion soup, bread and a ‘verre de vin rouge’. Wonderful to be so Parisian. The waiter addressed me in English. I continued speaking in French. Afterwards, I asked him why he had spoken to me in English. ‘Do I have an English face?’ He replied that I did. Is that a compliment or an insult? I guess that I will never know.

I am staying at a CDG Airport Ibis. All Ibis hotels resemble each other and this one is no different. Clean, modern, a bit sparse in decor and very convenient. I have 100m to walk to Terminal 3 where I will take off. The hotel provides an ‘all you can eat’ buffet. I usually try to stay away from these meals as they tend to have much volume and mediocre quality. The salad was very good, the cheese was excellent, the desert was very good, the wine was good enough table wine and the meat was ….. oh well you can’t have everything you want for the price.

My adventure terminates tomorrow when I return to Montreal. There are 3 parts to a trip: 1, the planning, 2, the trip, 3, the memories. The best part are the memories as they go on forever. The 2nd best is the planning. The 3rd and worst part is the trip itself. You must get over it as quickly and as safely as possibly to enter the memories part.

Love,

Brian

2024 10 Spain

Spain 20.

Nov. 1, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I arrived in Paris last evening and took the metro to my hotel in the 5ieme arrondissement. I could not be better situated in Paris. My hotel is near Boul Mich and Boul St Germain. My 3* brings a new definition to the words ‘tiny Parisian hotel a la Francais’. My room is 160 square feet, with a bathroom and shower that even I have difficulty entering. Nevertheless it is spotless. I even have a window that opens onto a stone wall. I ate breakfast in the basement of the hotel, delicious. I am very happy!

Today, I explored Paris using an internet guide, Paris Inconnu and Paris Insolite. This leads me to ‘quartiers’ in Paris that I had never visited. I walked along tiny streets taking many photos. I left the 5ieme heading north and crossed the Seine to arrive on Isle St. Louis. I saw the back of the Notre Dame Cathedral that is under construction after the fire. Many years ago I stayed in a hotel on the banks of the Seine overlooking the back of the cathedral. 53 years ago, 21 franks for the room, 5 stories, walk up, very romantic.

After Isle St. Louis I once again crossed the Seine and continued north to a quartier called Le Marais. It is still the Jewish area and there are many Jewish type stores including a bagel boulangerie. I spoke with a Franco-American couple and invited them for a cappuccino. The 1,2,3 and 4 arrondissements are now car free zones. You can only drive there if you live there or are delivering merchandise. You can now walk in the middle of the street with no problem. The merchandise in the stores is amazing. There is a very strong ‘pouvoir d’achat’ here. The styles of the clothes resembles nothing that we have in Montreal.

I then walked towards Montmartre. Eventually I got tired and took the metro. I walked around for a while and then stopped or a ‘petit rose’ in a ‘troquet’. I drank the wine outside in spite of the rather cool temperatures. I am a real Parisian.

I am having supper in a small restaurant near my hotel, while writing my blog. I will see Remi for coffee tomorrow afternoon.

Love,

Brian

If you have been to Paris, I am sure that you have similar photos as the ones that I am presenting. If you have not been to Paris, save up your money and take a trip to Paris. It is easily the most beautiful city in the world.

Brian

2024 10 Spain

Spain 19,

Oct 31, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

There are hard and busy days travelling and there are easy days travelling. Today was an easy day. I packed my bags, took a few pictures of Reims and eventually took a TGV to Paris. It was a 45 minute train ride, on a train that was not crowded at all. Genevieve drove me to the station as Patrick had a condo meeting. Some owners want to insulate the building which seems like a monumental task.

I arrived in Paris, Gare de l’Est and took a metro to my hotel in the 5ieme, near Boul Miche and Boul St Germaine. I could not be better situated in Paris, right in the middle of the Quartier Latin, with easy access to anywhere in Paris. The hotel is classified as 3* but could be reclassified as the rooms are tiny, tiny and the elevator is typically Parisienne, slow and only capable of taking 1 person with baggage. Nevertheless my situation in Paris could not be better.

This evening I am eating dinner at a Parisienne bistro across the street from my hotel. The couple next to me are 100% bo-bo. They are well dressed, speak politely, with beautiful accents and very handsome. 1st they ordered wine by the glass, not by the bottle. They each tasted a glass of white wine which they sent back because it was not good enough. They graciously accepted the 2nd glass each. He then ordered a steak which he sent back because it was medium well done and not rare. She only took a small entree. She then asked me politely my opinion of the desert that I ordered. I am anxiously waiting for her comment on the desert. They should only know that I am writing about them.

Tomorrow I will research Paris Inconnu which is a site that recommends lesser known areas of Paris for people who have visited the well known Paris sites. I have 2.5 days to explore Paris.

Love,

Brian