Jul 2014 – Aug 2014

Saturday morning, time to head to Gare de Lyon.

Overpack much?

A couple years ago, I was on a train in France and my bear bud was a jerk.  He stuck me in the back seat mesh.

This time PoOn thoughtfully booked me a seat.  My very own bought and paid for seat!

I was feeling pretty good about it all until Eric came and sat on me.

THAT, wasn’t really a great feeling.  Being sat on, that is.

But they made it up to me by bribing me with cookies.  Then I got to sit on Eric’s lap.  I’m not happy about being sat on but I’ll overlook it for getting my own proper seat this time.

Well I made it to Paris.  Two missed flights, one missed shuttle and a missed hotel later.  Some time around 5:00am, my bear bud rolled me into a bag for our morning flight.  By the time we actually got to our hotel though it was more like 3:00pm.   I thought we were going to a nice hotel but instead we arrived at a tiny hotel that required hauling our suitcases one at a time up a tiny elevator fit for one and then into a the tiny room.  Whatever, I’m not carrying the luggage.

Time to see Paris!  Nicholas has a thing against taking the metro.  So we started by taking the metro.

First stop, Tour Eiffel.

I wanted to see if this was the type of monument I wanted built in my honour.  One look at the lineup and I decided my time was too valuable for lineups.  So I made my bud walk us to the Arc de Triomphe.

Ah better.  I could use an arc engraved with my name and all my victories.  From there, we walked past some future house ideas –

– and to the Louvre – because I must have blown up the Louvre in some game.

Before ending at the Notre Dame.  I wanted to see the hunchback.  We didn’t find him.

And that’s how you do a walking tour of Paris in 4 hours hours.  Good ideas for monuments for me.  Good ideas, mind is churning.  Nicholas I hope you took notes!

To make up for the inconvenience of missing our flights and landing us in a completely different country than we were supposed to be at, Iceland Air graciously arranged dinner for us at a Thai restaurant.  I didn’t care for it but my bear bud and Pokin were hungry and they went.

They gave us a voucher.  It looked like this.

And our “thai” food looked like this.

Nick poked at it and we decided we’d be better off going for a walk instead.  At least we found a lighthouse.

This “GIANT” 10 footer of a lighthouse probably wasn’t the best representative of Viking engineering prowess.  But it’s what we’ve got.  Wait do I even care about lighthouses?  Or Vikings?

So we’ve missed our flight and we’re stuck in Iceland overnight.  At least Iceland Air arranged for us to stay in a hotel.

And then we drove up to this.

Thankfully this is the back side.  I was a little worried about how this trip is going.

Nicholas, why are we even here?  We should be gaming.

Oh right, you dismantled our computer.

See this was payback.  Let’s just turn around while we’re ahead.

So my bear bud tells me we’re in Keflavík, Iceland. I thought we were supposed to be in London.

It seems like we missed our flight. And the one after that. So we’re stuck here in Iceland. For the rest of the day.  And night.

Well nothing better to do than kick back in this tiny town and enjoy an Icelandic specialty drink, “Erlu”.  I don’t know.  It looks like coke to me.

And an American hamburger in an American diner.

Well since we’re stuck here all day let’s see what else is in this town.  Looks like they have a big anchor.

Locals tell us to visit the troll cave down this way.

Oh there’s the troll.

These appear to be pacifiers hanging on a tree.  Is this an offering to the troll?  Or is this some kind of “kids-I’ve-eaten” count?

I’m speechless.  That was somewhat disturbing.

I think it’s time to walk back to our hotel and try to forget what I just saw here.

Except we’re not.  Nick tells me we’re going on an epic trip.  Then I woke up on the plane to hear about some sort of mechanical failure of the engine.

I decided that sort of inconvenience was something I wanted no part of.  So I got back in the bag and passed out.

Next thing I know we’re sitting at an airport in Iceland watching bags go around and around and around on the conveyer belt.  I thought we were going to London.

It’s been an hour.  I’ve given names to the luggage –I’ve seen them go around so much.  There’s one!  Hello luggage buddy.  That’s purple tag.  Next comes green checkers.

And there’s my bear bud.

He looks about as thrilled as I feel.

Every day should be like this.

Gaming day with my bud and I.

Sadly there’s been a dearth of gaming.  My bud tricked me in this picture.  He told me there would be gaming.   I sat down.  We took this picture.  Then he took apart our gaming desk!

What is happening, cruel world?  Why is everything in boxes?!?!?!

Pokin threatens to give me baths all the time.  Usually I take them at face value = I see them as empty threats.

Then this one time, she sounded like she meant it.

Just in case, I thought I’d better hide.

She found me.

She meant it.  #%*(&@#!!

A shower it was.  Doh.

I thought maybe if I pretended to like it she would give up.

No such luck.

I’m going under!  Be calm, self.  Be calm.

Survived that.  Ok brace yourself.  Here comes the wipe down.

Ok lady, enough already.

Let me just do it myself.

OK!!! I am clean enough!!!

At least on the bright side, now that I’m clean and very wet I can do one of my favourite things.

Lie in ambush to give Nicholas very wet hugs in the face.

Oh yeah.

Finally it was time for fireworks!  I waited a long time for this!  Explosions!  Lights!

These aren’t lasers, but it’s the closest thing I’ve got on paw right now.

We need chairs to enjoy this right.

Jane and Bob thought maybe I’d share a chair with Nicholas but I wasn’t having any of that so I just took his chair.  Besides, he’s got no time to sit if he’s lighting fireworks for me.

One guy even threw fireworks at Nicholas by accident.  Good thing my bear bud hones his reflexes all day long gaming with yours truly.

This is awesome.  Fireworks should be legal every day.

To pass time until night time fireworks, we went to a rodeo.  I had never been to a rodeo before.  Turns out rodeos are some sort of cowboy bonanza.  With lots of cowboys, cowboy hats, cows, bulls, and horses.  I could like it.  Maybe.

Everybody rode horses, so I wanted to ride a horse.

So I did.

Now I want my own horse!  Till then I’ll just train CuddlePup.

I also wanted carnival snacks so Jane bought me a giant elephant ear.  It was sugary and messy and Nick ate it instead.  Something about threatening me with baths if I tried to eat it.  I grudgingly left the elephant ear alone.  There WILL be payback.

Then it was showtime. Which didn’t start with cowboys.  Instead it kicked off with the Metal Mulisha, a moto stunt team.  I dug it.  They get almost as much air as I do.

But given that these guys don’t have wings like I do  I’d say they are kind of INSANE.  Death wish?

Then the cowboys came out.

This guy is even more insane.  He was riding a bucking horse when the horse fell over and sat on him.  So what does he do?  He volunteers do it again.

And then another wipeout!  I can’t believe these cowboys PAY for the privilege.

Well better them than me.  I wouldn’t appreciate being bucked or sat on.

Fun times overall.  I’m glad I went to a rodeo.  And even though it looks a little like the France flag I made sure I had a splash of red, white and blue.

But enough of that.  Let’s get on with the fireworks!!!!