Category: Travel (Page 2 of 2)

The Quebec City Honeymoon

October 23, 2021 / Conal

We went to Quebec City for our honeymoon 14 years ago. It was my first and only trip to the capital of La belle province; my wife’s second visit, and her best, I assume.

We chose Quebec City for many reasons. Chief among them was the price was right. A close second was the culture, the 400-year history since the city’s founding, and the artistic expression on full display.

The Art Institute

October 16, 2021 / Conal

I thought I’d never see my artist wife again.

While I was walking out of the Art Institute of Chicago, this particular hallway struck me as fairly plain for an art museum.

Tucked into the quiet lower level, it had calm, white walls flanking a diagonally laid hardwood floor. To its left, an open-air courtyard nestled up against it, visible only through the windows. Straight ahead was a staircase to the main level. And, to the right, was a wall with a work of art on it. Which piece? I don’t remember. I was concerned mostly with what was behind me.

As I glanced back, worry, apprehension, and fear rushed toward me.

The Golden Paint

August 7, 2021 / Conal

Before the pandemic struck, I was planning a yet-to-be-taken family vacation to Boston.

I planned to fly us to southwestern Ontario to visit family before driving to Boston. On the return trip, we would stop at Cooperstown in upstate New York, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (American).

This trip would have been an incredible once-in-a-lifetime chance for my son and I to visit the hallowed halls that enshrine the best players, managers, umpires, and pioneers of the sport we both love.

The Van Gogh Visit

July 17, 2021 / Conal

We need to establish one thing: I’m married to an artist but I’m not an art connoisseur; not by any stretch of the wildest imagination.

I’m not even sure I appreciate art in the way many people do.

And, I know I don’t appreciate it in the same way my wife does.

She could spend hours, days, weeks analyzing works of art for the masterful, technical skill involved in composing the piece. Meanwhile, I’ll take a look, make a glib quip or self-evident observation, and move on to the next.

The Family Video

June 19, 2021 / Conal

First post. But where do I start our story?

The beginning might seem the logical place. There’s definitely many amusing moments, but I’ll save those stories of the first time we met for another day.

Instead, today, I simply want to give you a sense of who we are as a family. Who I’m married to.