St-Andrew’s Day

Tags

Berlin, Christmas, Noel, Scotland, St Andrew, winter

The 30 November was my father’s birthday and he would have been 90 this year. He died 5 years ago suddenly in July. His middle name was André though he did not like that name and never used it.

For the Scots it is their Patron Saint Day, and their Official National Day. They have been celebrating for 1000 years with various events like in Glasgow a spectacular torchlight procession through the city’s West End. Towards the north, the Oban Winter Festival is another annual community affair that celebrates Scottish culture on Saint Andrew’s feast day, with a whisky festival, haggis tastings, and performers singing traditional Gaelic and Scots tunes.

This weekend we had mild weather again and Friday was the Vendredi Fou or Black Friday, a phenomenon I still don’t understand but lots of Xmas lights and trees have gone up. Fellow blogger Dr Spo mentioned that one neighbour goes overboard with the lighting decoration each year.

I wonder if it looks like the Imperial Palace in Berlin all up in lights for the Christmas Holiday. This photo of 1905 gives an idea of what it looked like then. This year it is subdued to say the least, the opening of the new museum scheduled for 7 December has been pushed back to the Spring because of the Pandemic and lockdown in Berlin.

For our house I got a simple wreath until after the Birthday of Mr Will when we are authorized to decorate, then we surpass Macy’s. We will have photos on Instagram and on this blog. A lot of people have done early Holiday Season shopping, today I was looking for some lights to put on the wreath (see below) I found them but there was nothing else on the shelves, it sort of looked like panic buying.

Here in Charlottetown at Government House the Official Residence of the Lieutenant Governor of PEI at Fanningbank Estate (1834) the Christmas lights have been turned on. It is all very green given the very mild weather. Usually at this time of the year there would be quite a few official receptions and dinners but this year due to the pandemic everything was cancelled. The Lieutenant Governor follows carefully all the directives issued by the Provincial Chief Medical Officer.

As we enter December, our social calendar is rather quiet compared to previous years, it is to be expected. But we have to make an effort and be positive, the news of new vaccines in the New Year bodes well.

End of November

Tags

Christmas, covid, online, PEI, shopping, Weather, Xmas cards

Today it was 16C and warm here in PEI beautiful sunshine and frankly another record breaking day more like May than November. The weather person tells us that this Winter is going to be apparently wet rainy and icy but not much snow, I prefer wet to snow. We are back into a something like a lockdown but not really. The major thing is, we cannot leave the Island and frankly I would not want to, I really think it is not safe.

Today was Black Friday, I had to do some grocery shopping and buy some fish for dinner. I was looking for either Cod or Halibut filet, got Halibut which is my favourite in terms of flavour. Will made a gratin of Halibut in a cheese sauce, it was some good.

The traffic was murder and lots of little old ladies driving around at 5 MPH, it felt like I was living in a huge metropolitan area. Got it all done within 90 minutes and back home I went. Despite the traffic most people actually stayed home and shopped online, we do most of our shopping online now too.

I really have to get going on Xmas cards and I was going to do them this week but I got sidetracked with other things. Yesterday I gave a short talk on the Official Residence of the Lieutenant Governor and the architectural history of this 1834 building built in the Greek revival style or Georgian style. The Lieutenant Governor who is a Patron of our Club came to hear the talk.

This weekend will be quiet the Xmas Market has been cancelled on Richmond Street, which is unfortunate for the merchants but Public Health comes first. We also decided that we may have a very quiet Christmas Eve and Christmas day, we thought of asking a few friends over but everyone is nervous and if things don’t improve despite the fact we have only 1 case on the Island and a mild one at that, according to our Chief Medical Officer, we will re-assess.

Another spectacular restoration

Tags

Chapelle royale, France, Restoration, Versailles

The restoration of the Chapelle Royale of the Palace of Versailles (2018-2021) is coming to an end. Originally built in 1710 by Louis XIV it had never seen a complete restoration and after 1789 the palace was largely closed, furniture sold off and it became a white elephant. Other Kings like Louis Philippe tried to find a use for it and make some changes to interiors. After 1870 the Republican government wanted to use the palace for a parliament but that was short lived. The vast building was aging and had been built for a purpose by the original occupant the Sun King. For the last 100 years the palace was open as a neglected museum to a long ago age and it was used by the French Government for State visits and receptions. However in the last 50 years a vast and complex program of rehabilitation of the building and its gardens and fountains has been underway. Some of it paid for by the French State and some by private and public donations.

The Chapelle Royale is starting to emerge from its protective envelop.

Here are before and after pictures. The entire exterior has been cleaned, stone work repaired, the slate roof replaced and the lead roof ornaments including the cross have been recovered with their original gold leaf. Hundreds of specialists worked on this project.

Truly a splendid result to see. Work continues on other parts of the palace. Including recreating rooms with original furniture and recreating fabrics for upholstery and curtains. The organ of the Chapelle Royale was also completely rebuilt to give it its original sonority of 1710 which was very different from what modern organs produce.

Photo du jour

Tags

Calvinist, Church, Germany, Lutheran, Potsdam, Prussia

This photo was probably taken around 1900 in Potsdam in the State of Brandenburg. Potsdam was the Royal Capital of Prussia, it is about 30 km outside Berlin an easy suburban train ride from the city centre.

The Garnison (Garrison) Church of Potsdam a Protestant church in the historic centre of Potsdam. Built by order of King Frederick William I of Prussia according to plans by Philipp Gerlach from 1730 to 1735, it was considered as a major work of Prussian Baroque architecture.

The church burnt down in 1945, shortly before the end of the Second World War, after a bomb attack. In 1968, at the time of the division of Germany, the GDR leadership had the church blown up for ideological reasons. This makes the former Garrison Church one of the 60 or so church buildings destroyed under the East German Communist regime.

In 2018, the re-building started and visitors marvel at the spectacular foundation work: 38 bored piles are turned at a depth of 38 metres to lay the foundations for the new 90-metre-high building.

The first freely elected town councillors met in the Garrison Church from 1809. Calvinists and Lutherans formed the first union here in 1817. As a place of remembrance of German history and as a forum for peace and reconciliation. A highlight will be at 57-metre-high viewing platform with a wide view over Potsdam. The historic carillon 0f 35 bells in the 90-metre-high tower dome will also sound again.

In 1966 the ruins of the church before it was demolished.

Getting colder

Tags

Alberta, bubble, burst, Canada, covid, life, Maritimes, PEI

The Winter wind has started and is blowing on average at about 70K on a good day, plenty of fresh air, the humidity is also fairly high at 70% or more which makes for bone chilling.

Well the Atlantic bubble which had been working for us for 5 months has burst, with surging cases of Covid 19 in Nova Scotia in the region of Halifax and in New Brunswick in the region of Moncton and St-John our bridge to the mainland has been closed since early this morning. The wind also played its part gusting upwards of 90Km. Long lines of trucks bringing essential goods are stopped at the foot of the bridge on the New Brunswick side until the wind dies down tonight. It would be far too dangerous to try to cross the 12Km over the Strait to the Island. So it looks like life is going to be a lot quieter now here on Charlottetown. Many people work from home so less people in town.

We still have only 2 mild cases of Covid 19 on the Island and both are at home. To keep our situation under control we need to shut off the Island and now must also wear face masks in all buildings, shops, malls etc inside. So far everyone obeys the rule which is remarkable.

Our worst case is the Province of Alberta who has more per capita cases of Covid every single day than any other provinces including Quebec and Ontario despite having only fraction of their population. The Premier of Alberta is Jason Kenney, a Trump wanna-be, his reasoning businesses and oil companies come well before peoples lives.

Despite the announcement of 3 possible vaccines in the works against Covid 19, the reality is that in Canada we are not likely to see any of it before March 2021. The reason being that in the last 40 years all our research and medical producing facilities have moved abroad. This was allowed in a series of mergers with foreign companies and a Federal Government and politicians asleep at the switch, an unfortunate situation but it is what it is.

Some Canadians are leaving for southern climes and the Foreign Minister warned them that because of the Pandemic it would far better to stay home. There will be no special flights to bring people back if they leave the country and find themselves stranded abroad. Still enough fools think it does not apply to them.

One terrible lesson from this pandemic and one I have come to understand; Governments have clearly made a decision to put efforts in saving businesses instead of people. The other lesson is that if you are over 55 your government sees you as an expensive burden, this explains why so little has been done to help save elderly in assisted care homes, why so many have been left to die. We see it all over Canada with the notable exception of PEI where no one got sick or died. Since such centres are private and run by companies for profit, it has been know for the last 40 years that they are often understaffed and provide only the most basic of services. Staff is on minimum wage and poorly trained, despite this situation and major scandals politicians look the other way.

On the other hand the news of the transition to the President Elect Joe Biden having now officially started and his presentation of his new Cabinet is very encouraging. A return to professionalism and a clean broom of the nonsense of the last 4 years. The news also of a possible vaccine to solve this crisis is encouraging, we can only hope that 2021 which will dawn in just 5 weeks will bring a new beginning.

Oh well as I write this I am having a glass of Champagne, can’t be all that bad.

We are 34 days away

Tags

Chocolates., Christmas, cuisine, ethnic food, Food, life, PEI, shortbread

Last night I noticed that the City of Charlottetown lit-up the evergreen trees on Water, Queen and Great George street. The Xmas market is this weekend it is outdoor on Richmond Street. I went grocery shopping early today and also went to the Farmer’s Market which has moved back indoors, it is well organized, entrance is controlled at one door and everyone has a face mask. The number of people in the market is also controlled and exit is another separate door. Since yesterday face masks are mandatory in all indoor places in PEI. Everyone wears one and no complaints, so happy to see that here. Post Canada has told people to mail all their gifts early this year to avoid delays. Some people have started to also shop early and stock up. So I thought I would do the same.

Good quality Tom Smith Christmas Crackers for our table

This weekend is the beginning of Xmas shopping and after lunch I went out again around 2:30pm to get a few other things for our Christmas. Crackers for our table on 25 December, those special chocolates the ones shaped like bottles and filled with alcohol, so happy to find those in a shop. Usually they come from Scandinavia but now it is available from Laura Secord Chocolate. Laura Secord is famous in the war of 1812 when President James Madison and his lovely wife Dolly decided to attach Canada. Laura singlehandedly defeated the entire US Army with her cow near Niagara Falls. The cow then kicked a gas lamp over and this started a fire that burnt down the White House, pretty amazing history. Poor James and Dolly they became homeless and ended up in subsidized housing at Cabrini Green.

Mr Will has found a recipe for Scottish Shortbreads on YouTube from our Canadian Chef site, Glen and Friends, you need white rice flour for this recipe to give you the right texture. OK this is PEI where people put lobster in their pork and beans, no one has ever heard of rice flour, could not find it anywhere, not available. The other item he wants is Marmite which Glen and Friends suggest you use in stews etc. Again cannot find it, some store managers have never heard of it. Try explaining Marmite is an Australian thing, that is met with incredulity.

Here is the link to the recipe for shortbreads: https://youtu.be/4BM5gj44v_Y

In the last 5 years many ethnic grocery stores have popped-up in Charlottetown to serve the ever growing Asian, African, Indian and Caribbean population. So I went down Longworth avenue to the Asian Market and bingo there was a big box of white rice flour. They also have all manner of other food items and dry goods commonly seen in Asian or African cuisine, so now I know where to go when Mr Will has a fancy for some exotic ingredient. BTW on our Anniversary this Monday I will reminist of all the shopping I have done for that special ingredient for Mr Will when he prepares one of his signature dishes. Hey! you marry a great Chef expect that you will be sent out to shop, there are lots of funny stories, like the one of the flying scallops.

On the weather front November has been weird, some days feel like a nice Spring day, lots of warm sunshine, other days its -4C and snowy and then the next day its +11C, this is late November and we do not know how to dress.

43 Years

Tags

Anniversary, Family, life, relationship

With November another Anniversary for us. It has been 43 years since we met and have been together all these decades. A whirlwind as the photos attest. Of course there are more photos but this would be a movie and I do not want to bore you dear readers. This year we will have a quiet celebration at home with a glass of bubbly. Probably for our 45th in 2022 we will have to do a big party, like hire Frank Sinatra to sing with Benny Goodman’s orchestra, I hope they’re available.

Cape Sounion, Aegean sea, Greece for the sunset.

One of my favourite photo of Will in the Garden of the Drottningholm Palace, near Stockholm. Syd the gnome travelled with us.

In Charlottetown for a Xmas Charity Event, 2018

1996 with our first Dachshunds, Reesie and Bundnie, who came from Chicago and Egypt.

On Mount Nebo in Jordan where Moses saw the Promise Land, Palestine in the background.

Today is 19 November

Tags

Canada, Christmas, Covid 19, Holiday, life, Music, PEI, politicians, USA

I had to go to an early appointment today and then to the pharmacy. Everyone as mandated by the Provincial Government of PEI is wearing their face mask, no fuss, no must. Happy to see that degree of cooperation.

While waiting to speak with the pharmacist I heard that music, you know it is mandatory to play that music at this time of the year to apparently get us in the mood. Bing Crosby and Burl Ives, yes Christmas music from the 1940 and 1950’s, it is nice of course if for no other reason that it is historical and belongs to a long ago age when things in retrospect appear more genteel.

The music expresses a more relaxed happier time none of the stress of post-modern living and other concerns like identity politics, erase culture, PC speak in our unraveling ultra consumer society, split in two by extreme partisan views in Canada like in the USA.

Was the world ever like that? Not really, other times, other worries. The media is already painting as they do each year the Holiday Season as extremely stressful and full of danger including of course this year the pandemic concerns and people behaving like spoiled kids who can’t control themselves and be mature. Horror of horrors there will be NO Santa this year in shopping malls, the world is coming to an end. The solution, Virtual Santa and you can schedule a visit via Zoom. I honestly have to say I cannot remember as a child going to sit on Old Santa’s knee, maybe once at Eaton’s in Montreal when I was 4 or 5 years old. Santa for us was more a mythical person, you did not see him, he simply came in the night when you were sleeping.

In the last 5 years or so of living here, one point of discussion that comes back daily is mental health, if you listen to the media you would be forgiven if you believed every one on the Island suffered from some kind of mental health problem. It is a non stop discussion, not enough support. There is a real split between the Capital and the countryside, yes there is more services in Charlottetown and less so out in rural areas which represent 98% of the Island, however being a small Island the further away from a medical centre is about 45 minutes. We have 2 psychologists for 150K population, we have social workers and counselling services but it seems that it is insufficient.

A troubling statistic, PEI has 50% more drunk drivers than the entire National Canadian average, given that you have to drive everywhere on the Island, since there is no public transport, the police cannot explain the spike in the last 9 months of the pandemic. We also consume a lot of drugs on the Island more so than anywhere else in Canada by a country mile. Which leads to a lot of serious accidents. A darker side of PEI not mentioned in the tourism brochures.

Finally one statistic that truly shocked me yesterday, listening to the PBS NewsHour, I have been listening to it for at least 40 years, love the presentation and the reporting. It was mentioned that 250,000 Americans had died of Covid 19, an extremely sad statistic, another 11 million are sick, it did not need to happen, it could have been prevented but politicians clearly dropped the ball on this one. In comparison the events in NYC at the World Trade Centre in September 11, 2001 seem despite the horror of that day, pale. I cannot understand how this can be and how some State Governors, Republican Senators and the out-going President wash their hands of it all, call it criminal stupidity.

In Canada 11,000 Canadians have died so far and 300k are sick and this in the most populous Provinces like Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and now Manitoba. Here conservative politicians are far more concerned with businesses than average citizens. As someone pointed out, you cannot have a business with dead customers, unless of course you are in the Funeral business.

new rules

Tags

Canada, covid19, Health, life, mask, Nunavut, PANDEMIC, PEI

Yesterday the Premier of PEI announced at the recommendation of the Chief Medical Officer that everyone in PEI would have to wear a face mask in any indoor situation as of Thursday. We do not have any Covid 19 cases but the Medical authorities and the Government are worried that people have become complacent and are not really following simple guidelines like washing your hands, keeping 6 feet apart and wearing a face mask. Community spread is always a fear and Nunavut the far Northern Territory some 2200 Km north of us had no Covid 19 case in 2020 so far but in a matter of 72 hours suddenly they have 60 cases. The population of Nunavut which is a gigantic territory larger than all of Europe has a very small population of 38,000 people. If it can happen there it certainly can happen in PEI which is very small island with a population of 150k. Also yesterday one case of community spread happened in Darmouth, Nova Scotia. So the risk is there.

I have several masks and I always have one with me and so does Will and we wear them. I just feel more comfortable going inside a mall or shop wearing a mask. It is such a small thing. Yes it fogs up my glasses and I don’t like that but so what, health comes first.

The other problem is trying to make people understand that maybe they do not fell sick or have no symptoms but that does not mean they are not carrying the virus, many just don’t seem to understand that. I suspect they do understand but just can’t be bothered.

We have been lucky on PEI during this pandemic let’s keep it that way.

End of Season

Tags

Charlottetown, Friends, life, lobster, PEI, Seafood, Water Prince

Well one of our favourite restaurants in town closed last night. Usually it stays open until mid-december but this year with the lack of tourists and the pandemic, the owner Shane C. decided to close a month early. He will be back in mid-April. Hopefully 2021 will be a better year tourism wise on PEI. Another quiet year like 2020 will spell bankruptcy for many in that sector.

We always make a point of going on the last night to close the restaurant with a dinner amongst friends. This year we went twice before closing, once on Tuesday night and again on Thursday night. The Water Price Corner Shop is an institution. Regis Philbin who died recently loved the place, in fact he is one of the many celebrities who love this place and drop in during the Summer, a small restaurant with that Maritime souvenir decor with a solid quality seafood and Lobster, no pretensions.

Thank you to the staff, Maureen, Fiona, Theresa, Doug, Coady and Shane for many good meals and looking forward to seeing you again in April 2021.

We had a great dinner of Oysters on the half-shelf, beautiful fishcakes, grilled Halibut, boiled 1 pounder Lobster and Lobster roll. All excellent, great service and fun people.