Tag Archives: food

Last day, travel highlights and reflections. July 25 2026

As I sit in the Westjet Salon lounge at gate C83 at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, I am reflecting on some trip highlights. 

For me the most significant was my travel companions. A lovely hand-picked collection of friends and family who joined together with me. We offered each other support and kindness. Mostly I will remember the laughter. What fun we had!!!  

The two hotels we stayed in were comfortable and quaint. Centrally located and easily found. We shared spaces and enjoyed the walk ups. 

Mostly due to dietary restrictions I ate from grocery store purchases. We pooled our money in a kitty and purchased cheese, olives, fruit and wine.  It worked well. We shared cabs and walked many kilometres in the heat and bright sun seeking shade when we could. 

Few days in Paris getting familiar with the city sights and boat tours, hop on bus, evening river cruise, the sight of the sparkling Eiffel Tower. Market shopping with careful search for least expensive rose, white wine or sparkling French type Prosecco. Comte cheese and baby tomatoes. 

The Toulousers road trip, singing, driving, eating and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. 

Our lovely hard working tour guide (CEO) Francoise was so helpful and always available to find washrooms and assistance with busses and little tourist trains, finding information centres and delicious food. 

The Taste of Toulouse food tour was extraordinary and delicious. Easy to understand with lots of samples to share- wine, cheese, olives, bread, charcuterie. Lovely introduction to local cuisine. 

The special access for Westjet gold status members to the airport lounge is really nice. It’s a perk that only I got to enjoy in our group today. Quiet, spacious and lovely. Breakfast was offered initially with gluten free baguettes 

For now I am signing off until my next travel adventure 

Bon soir. 

flight to Paris and Glasgow May 15-16 2025

Dear blog followers. 

Today is Thursday 15 May 2025.  I am on route to my next travel adventure.  It is a slightly grey overcast morning as I arrive at YYJ Victoria BC Canada airport departures section.  Two hours ahead of my first leg of Westjet flight to Calgary and connecting on to beautiful Paris, France.  

I prepared for security by being early for my flight, taking off some neck chains, my hair clip and took off jacket and shoes.  Funny they asked me to remove my silk scarf from Xamam purchase in Chania Greece.  I wanted to be easy to manoeuvre around today, travelling with only a backpack for carry on.  

I am flying alone this time from here, meeting up with a friend who lives in Paris.  She and I will travel on to Glasgow Scotland for 4 nights and then back to Paris. 

“I love Paris in the springtime …”. As the song says … Actually any time of year is good for Paris, the city of lights and bridges, gardens, museums, parks, wine, cheese, chocolate covered orange peels, olives.  Green boxes along the riverbank. The Eiffel Tower. The Louvre. Musee d’Orsay. Cruising down the Seine River. Montmartre.  Norte Dame Cathedral. Champs élysées.  Charming cobblestone streets.  Little window balconies and flower boxes. The Arc de Triomphe. Sacre-Coeur basilica.  Galleries Lafayette. Gluten-free celiac friendly patisseries. (Little Nonna for gf Italian pizza!) May also try Cococo for gf sushi and bento box. Manicaretti, la Sajerie, kapunka, cafe Mareva, Taska, su Misura, Grom gelato …. Chambelland and La Manufacture Sans Gluten, Copains, Noglu, Maisonneuve Plume.   

Gluten-free Glasgow???  Wild Flours Bakery. The Crumbleologist. Bread Meats Bread West End. Some to search and try!  

Top 10 Tips for Maintaining Control of your Weight

TOP  10  TIPS  FOR  MAINTAINING AND STAYING IN CONTROL OF YOUR WEIGHT

  1. Weigh your self every morning, naked and before you eat or drink.  You will keep track of your progress and slippage and therefore take corrective action before it gets out of control.  This is not an aid to “guilt”, but rather immediate information for you and confidence building.  With a goal that the scale never goes up.  Slow steady progress and plateaus are the goal.
  2. Supplementation is key for successful and healthy weight loss.  Liquid calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, antioxidants are just a few that help your body keep up with activities of the day.  If you can’t feel the difference, then try another brand.  I use Univera products because I can feel the difference they make.  Additionally, I take a multivitamin, Omega, and a high quality low carb greens.  As a reminder, take vitamins and supplements when you brush your teeth (keep them near your toothbrush in bathroom so you don’t forget).  Don’t forget to take them with you when traveling.  Check out and compare: www.PamelaMacDonald.myunivera.com .
  3. Drink at least 8 glasses of water each and every day.  Try drinking one before you eat and one after.  It helps you feel full and will aid digestion.  Water also helps flush out toxins.
  4. Eat at least 4 smaller meals every day.  Start with the largest meal of the day at breakfast and get smaller as the day progresses.  Most meals consist of a lean protein and lots of veggies.
  5. Before you go to bed, between 8 pm and 10 pm, eat a very easy to digest protein food.  Such as a shake or drink made from lean low carb (no sugar) low fat protein powder such as whey isolate or soy protein.
  6. Eat veggies.  LOTS of them.  Above ground veggies such as green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, zucchini, celery … all good choices.   (corn and beans not on the list).  Make veggies your friends!
  7. Get a little kitchen scale.  Purchase and prepare your veggies every week in advance.  Weigh out two times 8 oz (by weight) veggies for each day of the week.  Use them in soups, stir fries, salads and in omelets.  Eat them for snacks.  When you eat this many veggies you will be full enough.
  8. Find a veggie you love (for me it is cucumber) and always have some with you.  When you are driving, commuting, working late.  When you travel search out a store and buy cucumber or fennel or ???  to eat as you go.  Top with black pepper and pink sea salt for a change.
  9. Release your urge and habit to eat foods high in carbs (such as sugar and flour, potatoes, pasta and rice).  READ INGREDIENTS.  If you want to salt your food, use pink sea salt if you can find it.  Use spices that you love and stay away from spices with sugar and extra ingredients that you don’t want or need.
  10. When you “treat”, get right back on the program.  It will become a lifestyle habit and you will feel more energy and be pleased with the results.  Let go of any guilt …. Love your sweet self exactly as you are.  Daily viewing in all your nakedness will help you stay in love and on the program. ***********BONUS:*****  One pound of butter is a great visual.  When next in the grocery store, take a look at the butter section and see how many pounds you have released of that fat.  One glass bottle of Perrier is 3 pounds, when full.  I walked around the grocery store holding 4 of them in my hands when I released 12 pounds.  Eventually as I released 75 pounds, I put Perrier bottles (refilled with tap water) on a tray and I was unable to lift the tray!!!  I was dragging that excess fat around with me for years.   Feel the freedom to be yourself!