Monday, March 24, 2008
Photos
Monday, March 10, 2008
We're Home
We are home and everyone is safe. We arrived to 58cm accumulated snow on hte ground. YUCK!!!
We did not have internet since tuesday last week in Spain so we could not update. Tonight we will put up some pics and stories.
RKM.
We did not have internet since tuesday last week in Spain so we could not update. Tonight we will put up some pics and stories.
RKM.
Monday, March 03, 2008
The adventures of the baby spoons!
WOW.... Who would have thought that baby items could add such excitement to our trip! We have now had 2 (yup that is right TWO) experiences with missing baby spoons!
The second night that we were here there was a pre race dinner for the Team D people hosted at one of the restaurants in the Hotel. When we came down for dinner, we brought Mary a spoon, a bib and a sippy cup. Well, after dinner, we had left the restaurant and realized that we had left all three items there. So Ryan went back down to the restaurant to ask for them. It turns out that in their rush to clean up (they basically threw us out of the restaurant after our reservation) they threw out ALL 3 items!!!! I could not believe it. We have not had the best service here... actually the hotel has had pretty bad service!
We were okay with it all since we had already seeked out where we could buy some baby food, although I have yet to see a bib for sale or a sippy cup for Mary but I bought a GREAT set of cutlery for Mary to replace the spoon, and it is one that I had not seen in Canada yet so that was a bonus!
Well, this now brings us to the whole debaucle tonight. We recieved the best service tongiht and it was the first time since we have been here that we have had anything near good service!
Tonight was the Finishers dinner for Team D. Our last night to spend as a team, before everyone parts ways tomorrow for home or other hotels or cities. We arrive at this beautiful old farm house that was built as a fort in the 16th century. As we walk in, the pul Ryan, Mary and I aside and send us up to the groups private room, via elevator. Then we all get seated and I am told that they will serve me anda few others special dishes due to my allergies. I did not realize that this meant all the dishes... Dinner started off with great tapas. There was roasted veggies, bacon wrapped figs, artichokes, fish and a whole whack of other things. I was served this great dish of roasted vegetables and was told that there was another dish that I could eat from which was yummy.. Well then another dish of pasta arrived at the table and I ask if there is any shellfish in the dish. One server had said no... so I served myself some of it. All of a sudden the head server comes over and says to me that the dish has seafood in it and that I should not be eating it. I pull out my Spanish/English dictionay to see if it has Muscles or Clams in it and neither of those words were in there (at least not that I could find them) He says there is... so I stop eating it and he is freaking. I know that the worst that can happen is that I am going to be sick to my stomach but I will survive. He is getting worried and upset and then the two Staff from Team D get involved and they are worried as well.
Then Mary breaks a wine glass (the second one in two days!) Ryan started to clean this up and the head server again, is worried that Ryan is going to cut himself. Well in all of the cleanup... Mary's 2nd spoon goes missing! So we ask if they can look for the spoon in the back... The servers go and look and come back to say there is no spoon! Oh dear,,,, We have now lost a second spoon. Neither of us are too happy about it but we know we can get more so that is life. Ryan starts telling one of his team mates, Erik, about the spoon sagas and says we should go into the kitchen and try to look for it. We say no that is okay.... We were in the midst of going to ask a tour operator to translate for us and,
Well the next thing we know... Erik is in the kitchen asking for the spoon and ALL of their clean cutlery ends up on the floor! I mean all over the floor! There is forks and spoons under the fridge, by the stairs, by the door to the room, EVERYWHERE!
The service staff is now all really upset, and the manager has now gotten involved. I have now at this point asked that we intercept the translator from talking to the staff as they are upset, because it turns out that in a haste, Erik has actually dumped the cutlery!
Just as i am about to stop the translator, a waiter comes from downstairs with the infamous spoon!
We now have everything worked out with the wait staff, manager and the Team D staff but WOW did it ever get to be a fiasco! Who would have thought that a BABY SPOON could do this....
We have a photo of Ryan with the Manager and the spoon, it will be framed possibly with the spoon so that we can remember it for ever.....
When we are settled in the new apartment I will post the picture... tonight half of our stuff is packed up as we are moving homes tomorrow....
We love and miss everyone but are having a blast!
The second night that we were here there was a pre race dinner for the Team D people hosted at one of the restaurants in the Hotel. When we came down for dinner, we brought Mary a spoon, a bib and a sippy cup. Well, after dinner, we had left the restaurant and realized that we had left all three items there. So Ryan went back down to the restaurant to ask for them. It turns out that in their rush to clean up (they basically threw us out of the restaurant after our reservation) they threw out ALL 3 items!!!! I could not believe it. We have not had the best service here... actually the hotel has had pretty bad service!
We were okay with it all since we had already seeked out where we could buy some baby food, although I have yet to see a bib for sale or a sippy cup for Mary but I bought a GREAT set of cutlery for Mary to replace the spoon, and it is one that I had not seen in Canada yet so that was a bonus!
Well, this now brings us to the whole debaucle tonight. We recieved the best service tongiht and it was the first time since we have been here that we have had anything near good service!
Tonight was the Finishers dinner for Team D. Our last night to spend as a team, before everyone parts ways tomorrow for home or other hotels or cities. We arrive at this beautiful old farm house that was built as a fort in the 16th century. As we walk in, the pul Ryan, Mary and I aside and send us up to the groups private room, via elevator. Then we all get seated and I am told that they will serve me anda few others special dishes due to my allergies. I did not realize that this meant all the dishes... Dinner started off with great tapas. There was roasted veggies, bacon wrapped figs, artichokes, fish and a whole whack of other things. I was served this great dish of roasted vegetables and was told that there was another dish that I could eat from which was yummy.. Well then another dish of pasta arrived at the table and I ask if there is any shellfish in the dish. One server had said no... so I served myself some of it. All of a sudden the head server comes over and says to me that the dish has seafood in it and that I should not be eating it. I pull out my Spanish/English dictionay to see if it has Muscles or Clams in it and neither of those words were in there (at least not that I could find them) He says there is... so I stop eating it and he is freaking. I know that the worst that can happen is that I am going to be sick to my stomach but I will survive. He is getting worried and upset and then the two Staff from Team D get involved and they are worried as well.
Then Mary breaks a wine glass (the second one in two days!) Ryan started to clean this up and the head server again, is worried that Ryan is going to cut himself. Well in all of the cleanup... Mary's 2nd spoon goes missing! So we ask if they can look for the spoon in the back... The servers go and look and come back to say there is no spoon! Oh dear,,,, We have now lost a second spoon. Neither of us are too happy about it but we know we can get more so that is life. Ryan starts telling one of his team mates, Erik, about the spoon sagas and says we should go into the kitchen and try to look for it. We say no that is okay.... We were in the midst of going to ask a tour operator to translate for us and,
Well the next thing we know... Erik is in the kitchen asking for the spoon and ALL of their clean cutlery ends up on the floor! I mean all over the floor! There is forks and spoons under the fridge, by the stairs, by the door to the room, EVERYWHERE!
The service staff is now all really upset, and the manager has now gotten involved. I have now at this point asked that we intercept the translator from talking to the staff as they are upset, because it turns out that in a haste, Erik has actually dumped the cutlery!
Just as i am about to stop the translator, a waiter comes from downstairs with the infamous spoon!
We now have everything worked out with the wait staff, manager and the Team D staff but WOW did it ever get to be a fiasco! Who would have thought that a BABY SPOON could do this....
We have a photo of Ryan with the Manager and the spoon, it will be framed possibly with the spoon so that we can remember it for ever.....
When we are settled in the new apartment I will post the picture... tonight half of our stuff is packed up as we are moving homes tomorrow....
We love and miss everyone but are having a blast!
The Race
Hey Y'all,
I finished! Pretty cool huh! Ken (my reporter) and I did a little more than 42km since we were shooting the whole thing going back and forth to catch up to some runners and go back for some others. It was challenging having a camera on my head and trying to keep runners in frame while I myself was running backwards in front of them. All in all I would say we ran about 45-46km by the end of the shoot. We finished in 5:11:30 and we have a nice medal to show off. Although I am a bit sore today in my thighs, I am very happy. I can tell you that my wife is great! Not only was she there when I crossed the finish line but she also shot some footage with the other camera I brought to spain.
When I signed up to do this I thought it would be a very fun thing to do and it was. I just don't know if I will shoot another full marathon with the camera attached to my head.
I personally want to thank Kate and Mary for being there cheering me on through the finish. Also I want to thank everyone who supported us to get here. You are wonderful.
3 marathons (iceland, Toronto and Barcelona) done and only 97 to go to be a part of the century club! Hmmmm... who's next?
Ryan.
Oh and while it's -20 degrees at home it was +20 here yesterday. A 40 degree difference is not fun to run in. Also I have a farmers tan and my neck is a bit sunburned.
Ryan.
I finished! Pretty cool huh! Ken (my reporter) and I did a little more than 42km since we were shooting the whole thing going back and forth to catch up to some runners and go back for some others. It was challenging having a camera on my head and trying to keep runners in frame while I myself was running backwards in front of them. All in all I would say we ran about 45-46km by the end of the shoot. We finished in 5:11:30 and we have a nice medal to show off. Although I am a bit sore today in my thighs, I am very happy. I can tell you that my wife is great! Not only was she there when I crossed the finish line but she also shot some footage with the other camera I brought to spain.
When I signed up to do this I thought it would be a very fun thing to do and it was. I just don't know if I will shoot another full marathon with the camera attached to my head.
I personally want to thank Kate and Mary for being there cheering me on through the finish. Also I want to thank everyone who supported us to get here. You are wonderful.
3 marathons (iceland, Toronto and Barcelona) done and only 97 to go to be a part of the century club! Hmmmm... who's next?
Ryan.
Oh and while it's -20 degrees at home it was +20 here yesterday. A 40 degree difference is not fun to run in. Also I have a farmers tan and my neck is a bit sunburned.
Ryan.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
The Race has Begun
So it is 10:15 am here and just after 4 at home... Ryan and the rest of Team D have already passed the 10 K mark and Mary and I have just come back to the Hotel to rest and relax a little before heading to the finish line.
It is beautiful here in Barcelona. I am really loving it, although I will be much happier when Ryan is done working. MAry and I have really been having a good time walking around the neighbourhood around our hotel. It has been really neat!
I will fill you in on our adventures later. Right now Mary is demanding my attention! I just wanted to do a quick update to say that the race has started!
All our Love,
RKM
It is beautiful here in Barcelona. I am really loving it, although I will be much happier when Ryan is done working. MAry and I have really been having a good time walking around the neighbourhood around our hotel. It has been really neat!
I will fill you in on our adventures later. Right now Mary is demanding my attention! I just wanted to do a quick update to say that the race has started!
All our Love,
RKM
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Day 2 Barcelona
Hey Y'all,
We woke up this morning at about 9:30 (3:30am in Ottawa) strangely refreshed and possibly on Spain time already. Feeling good, looking great going to check out the town.
We had a nice European style breakfast (buffet with cured meats, smoked salmon and other neat stuffs) and went on our way out on the town. We wandered around until we found the supermarket where we bought some yoghurt, some cookies and some batteries.
Then it was back to the hotel where Ken and I finished editing todays story for the news back in Ottawa. Katie and Mary went on a little journey of there own down to the fresh fruit market and had their own fun. They bought some strawberries and some apples and then came back to the hotel. I am sure Kate will put up her own blog entry and tell about the trip and people pinching Mary's cheeks and stuff.
Ken and I finished our editing and it was already about 6:15 pm. Kate and Mary had another journey waiting for us to finish and when it was all done we all went to the team pre-race dinner. Ken spoke at the dinner and did a fantastic job and then it was off to the fountains again. I think it is very cool that just outside our hotel front door is the Catalunyan National Art Museum with crazy water fountains...I think I wrote about them last night but tonight I have pictures and video. (That is if I can getthem to load on the darn site).
After the dancing fountains it was back to the hotel where we are now, to play with May-boo and hopefully go to sleep sometime soon so I can be ready to run tomorrow.
We are having a great time even if I am working.
RKM
I have tried to post some pictures and it hasn't worked yet. I will try after the run tomorrow.
We woke up this morning at about 9:30 (3:30am in Ottawa) strangely refreshed and possibly on Spain time already. Feeling good, looking great going to check out the town.
We had a nice European style breakfast (buffet with cured meats, smoked salmon and other neat stuffs) and went on our way out on the town. We wandered around until we found the supermarket where we bought some yoghurt, some cookies and some batteries.
Then it was back to the hotel where Ken and I finished editing todays story for the news back in Ottawa. Katie and Mary went on a little journey of there own down to the fresh fruit market and had their own fun. They bought some strawberries and some apples and then came back to the hotel. I am sure Kate will put up her own blog entry and tell about the trip and people pinching Mary's cheeks and stuff.
Ken and I finished our editing and it was already about 6:15 pm. Kate and Mary had another journey waiting for us to finish and when it was all done we all went to the team pre-race dinner. Ken spoke at the dinner and did a fantastic job and then it was off to the fountains again. I think it is very cool that just outside our hotel front door is the Catalunyan National Art Museum with crazy water fountains...I think I wrote about them last night but tonight I have pictures and video. (That is if I can getthem to load on the darn site).
After the dancing fountains it was back to the hotel where we are now, to play with May-boo and hopefully go to sleep sometime soon so I can be ready to run tomorrow.
We are having a great time even if I am working.
RKM
I have tried to post some pictures and it hasn't worked yet. I will try after the run tomorrow.
