Paris- City of Lights and Rude French People

Due to time constraints, I find that I have an amazing ability to get into a city, see a few very specific things and get out of the city in 3 days. I did this with New York two Octobers ago, where we flew in saw Equus, the Statue of Liberty, ate at Angelo's, saw the Lion King and got back to Vegas. My Paris trip was very similar. This time I didn't have to plan it, instead I went with International Friends on a three day Paris tour by coach.

Sara decided to join me on this trip just last week, (I had the plans to do it since Feb) and boy am I glad that she did. We had to be at Embankment Station at 6:20am, we got to see the sun rise over St. Paul's before boarding the bus for a two hour ride to Dover, an hour and a half ferry across the English Channel to Calais, and then a three hour ride to Paris. If you thought New York or LA was bad as far as traffic goes- it's the same in Paris! it took us an hour just to get through the traffic to our hotel in the Bercy area of Paris. After we dropped off our bags and freshened up the bus took us around to all the big sites before dropping us off at the Eiffel Tower for a boat cruise.


We cruised along the Seine, and then rode the Elevator to the very top of the Effile Tower. You can appreciate why Paris is called the city of lights when standing at the very top of this large metal contraption 1000 feet in the air.












The next day we hiked to the top of the hill that Sacre Coeur stands upon, and get a morning view of the city we had seen the night before. I honestly don't know which one is better. We walked around the artist area behind the church where I bought a Moulin Rouge Mug and a painting, then walked down to the Moulin Rouge.

Our next stop was Notre Dame. I was tempted to yell out for sanctuary but I restrained myself... I wonder how many times a day the people that work there hear it. Notre Dame is a beautiful church, it almost makes me want to be Catholic... almost. The sun was out by then, and Sara and I got a bit of a tan as we walked around the giant stone church. After that it was off to the Palace of Versailles, built by King Louis the XIV - also known as the Sun king, who I'm pretty sure was compensating for something.

The palace is unbelievably beautiful and I could get lost in the gardens for days. I expect I would be angry as well if I were starving and the King and Queen were living in that Heaven on earth.  The Hall of Mirrors (a simply corridor between rooms) is so magnificent it took my breath away (pictured above).

I'm still not sure why, but it seems that French people really don't like Americans. We got dirty looks when speaking English, and even dirtier looks when I attempted French. I'm aware that my French isn't all that great but at least in American and Mexico when you struggle with the language people do their best to help you along with a smile instead of scowl at you.

We had dinner at a nice French restaurant that night, then a crepe for desert before back to the hotel room for a restful night sleep before we tackled the Louvre the next morning.

As far as museums go, you could hate ever one you've ever been in, and still love the Louvre. Home to Da Vinci's Virgin on the Rocks, and the Mona Lisa, Michangelo's Dying slave, The Venus de Milo and Winged Victory. The Louvre is filled with nothing but amazing works of masterpiece. After seeing the required pieces Sara and I ventured outside to enjoy the warmest day I've felt since I left Redlands, and walk amongst the glass pyrimids, the "Argos" plated Rose line, and the beauty that is the outside of the Louvre on a sunny day.



After the Louvre it was time for a return bus trip to London, back across the channel and back to speaking English. Paris was beautiful, but London is home. (for now at least- 18 more days before home becomes Lake Havasu)

Vinopolis and the Most Beautiful Day

First things first I have two main things to say: 1. If the weather stays this amazing for the next 30 days, I will never want to leave. 2. We all know that I am not that much of a drinker... but what I'm about to write about, I enjoyed very, very much.














After getting up and going to the gym for a 5k, Sara and I decided to have a late start at of our sight seeing and book a 10 pound wine-tasting experience at a wonderful place called Vinopolis. We learned the different stages to tasting wine, what you look for through the glass, what you smell for, how you are supposed to let the wine run over you tongue and then inhale over it in order to taste the combinations of flavors. We were then set free to pick and chose any 5 wines we would like. I found that my previous dislike for wine is more of a dislike for cheep wine (which is perfectly acceptable) and that good wine is actually quite pleasant. We were then treated to Gin martini's which were amazing. We finished up the day with a rum tasting, which makes me understand why Jack Sparrow was so distraught when his rum was gone.

Afterwards we walked back across the London Bridge (This is the second "London Bridge" I've walked across, the other one being in Lake Havasu) and took the Tube home. While this may seem like an uneventful day, it was one of the best day's I've had here. I enjoy the rain, but when you haven't seen the sun, or felt it touch your face in nearly two months, it is a sight that can make even the most boring day, one to remember.

3 Places at Once and a Little Bit of Dancing as Well

If you've ever seen the movie A Walk to Remember, then you know the trick to being in two places at once. You simply straddle the line between states, or countries. Well On April 6th I was technically in three places at once. The Prime Meridian of the world lies in Greenwich. By placing a foot on either side of the line, you are in the Eastern Hemisphere, the Western Hemisphere, and the Northern Hemisphere (Not quite as cool if you think about the fact that you are always in two hemispheres, but still, three hemispheres at once!).Could you imagine being at the Prime Meridian and the Equator... It would be like the Four Corners (U.S.) but the Four Corners of the World.  I thought about a flat map, that cut off at the prime meridian, but like some video games, when you went off one side, you would appear on the other. If it was Me, I would have hopped back and forth from the two sides of the screen. After straddling hemispheres we spent some time at the National Maritime Museum, checking out relics of ships and paintings and an entire exhibit on Nelson.

We were also able to experience a rather fun Easter Monday Celebration, where a group of men in bells and ribbons danced with sticks and handkerchief and then lifted a "virgin" in a chair as an offering to the Anglo-Saxon Goddess Eastre (where we get the name Easter). Libby got to be one of the offerings to the Goddess and was lifted in the air by ten or so men three times. When they brought her back to the earth they all took turns kissing her on the cheek, and getting in line three times to do it over and over again.
Libby being offered to the Goddess Eastre
 Eastre Dancing

We were also able to find a new market (our new favorite hobby) that got us all quality gifts and a few cute things for ourselves. Overall, a beautiful day, no matter which hemispheres we were in.