After all these years our first blog!

Here we are almost at the end of 2017 and beginning our first blog by special request.  Over the years of running Acrylic Dreams so many of our guests have asked us to write a book about all of our stories at Acrylic Dreams and we have always been too busy to sit down and write.  This is the beginning...
What a year it has been!  Our 30th season of hosting guests from all over the globe. As far as we know we are the longest owner/operators of a B&B in Stratford.  Wow!
Our amazing guests keep returning year after year and we feel blessed and grateful.  They understand how we have tried to create a welcoming sanctuary for theatre, travel and spa afficionados.
Weren't the productions at the Stratford Festival outstanding in 2017? What were your favourites?  Ours were Timon of Athens, Tartuffe, The Madwoman of Chaillot and of course, Guys&Dolls.

​
We made our pilgrimmage to France for a month right after the end of the season and ad to make a pit stop for a coffee at Chez Francis the cafe in The Madwoman of Chaillot shortly after arriving.

It was probably the most expensive coffee that we had out in France but well worth it and with a view of the Eiffel Tower we thought of Seana McKenna and Scott Wentworth and the rest of the brilliant cast of The Madwoman of Chaillot.  The third time we saw the production was the final performance which may well be the last performance in the Tom Patterson theatre before it is torn down and a new theatre erected.  We walked back from that matinee in the late afternoon fall sunshine with tears in our eyes unable to speak.
Fitting to begin our annual "pilgrimmage" to Paris with a coffee at Chez Francis.
Later that week we went out to lunch at one of our favourite little restaurants aaround the Luxembourg gardens, La Cuisine de Philippe where we had our grand marnier souffle fix for dessert.
​

Ain't life grand..?  And as some of you regulars know sometimes Jack creates souffles for breakfast at Acrylic Dreams.
This year we were fortunate that friends let us use their house in Andernos-les-Bains on the coast in the Arcachon Bassin about an hour's drive from Bordeaux. We had a week there by the sea enjoying long daily bike rides through forests, by the sea and through small villages.

They harvest oysters in Andernos-les-Bains which are one of our favourite foods and we indulged our passion frecuently.

Returning to Paris for the final week in our month in France it was wonderful to re-visit le Fondation Louis Vuitton designed by Frank Gehry in le Bois du Boulogne where they had a MOMA exhibition from New York.

We like to use the washrooms at the Ritz hotel.  Always gathering decorating ideas.  Check out the taps in the washroom.

And no we can not afford to stay or dine at the Ritz but we do love going in and looking at their boutique shop windows and seeing how the other half lives.  Sigh.  We always rent an apartment when we stay in Paris and for the second year in a row we rented a marvelous little studio in the 9th and when we stepped out onto the street and looked to the right Sacre Coeur glowed above us.

The studio is on the courtyard level on the right. So close to the happening rue des Martyrs and to one of our favourite small museums, the Gustave Moreau and not far from the film Amelie's neighbouhood.  Such gracious owners who live behind the majestic doors.  
Tried to cram in as much as we could during our 4th and final week in Paris before returning back to Stratford and Acrylic Dreams.

Sadly it was time to leave.

Puccini was waiting and guarding Acrylic Dreams in our absence and he welcomed us with his dreamy eyes and lots of cuddles.

---

While in France we received a lot of room reservation requests from our regulars for the 2018 season which have continued steadily since returning.  There is so much excitement about the 2018 Stratford Festival season which begins on Tuesday April 17th.
There are Spring & Fall savings for advance ticket sales and we advise you to get yours early as the buzz is 2018 is going to be a hot very popular year in Stratford.  Many of our regular clients book their favourite rooms with us at Acrylic Dreams before purchasing their theatre tickets to avoid disappointment.  
We look forward to hearing from you soon and hope that there is room at the inn.  Book today.