usvi-on-line
OT Trip Report London Part 3 and Paris Part 2
OT Trip Report London Part 3 and Paris Part 2
London Part 2 here:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... hp?t=17391
Regret time lag and out of order, but here goes more for those who may still be interested.
Tues July 6: Spent first 2/3 of the day at the British Museum, and could’ve spent much more time at this incredible museum.
Founded in 1753, this museums remarkable collection spans over 2 million yrs of human history, many of which were collected during the days of the far reaching British Empire, including iconic objects such as the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Sculptures, and Egyptian mummies.
You can experience world history through the museum’s awesome and very well done exhibits that do a great job documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.
Some objects in the collection, most notably the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, are the objects of intense controversy and calls for return to their countries of origin. Greece has been trying to get those back for over a hundred years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Marbles
The building itself and different halls are also beautiful. And admission is free.
Highlights included walking the wing devoted to European history that went from 800BC to 1900, showing how society developed over that time through agriculture and trade, including the history of Britain under Roman occupation.
Two other “themed” halls were cool too – one on the development of clocks and watches, and the other on the use of money.
The objects, the displays and descriptions and timelines are exceedingly well done. Fascinating stuff. The fact that the hall containing the Americas exhibits is pretty small in comparison to other halls such as Ancient Greece and Rome and Ancient Egypt sort puts our history into perspective when considered alongside the history of the world.
Seeing this museum makes me want to get back to the Smithsonian in D.C. to see how it compares, because right now I’m thinking the British Museum is hands down the best I’ve ever seen.
Photos cannot do it justice, and desire to photograph was muted by trying to take in what we were seeing, plus tough shooting thru glass. Serious SLR equipment and a tripod would help much too. Ideal would be most of a day to tour, then back for a half day for photography.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LB ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2wu ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BE ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2w4 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_9 ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLSn ... 1.jpg"></a>
Rosetta Stone
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/N6 ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2w2 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3N ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2wy ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rZ ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLTG ... 8.JPG"></a>
Later in the day we go off for Afternoon Tea at the very high end Goring Hotel. This was a special request and an indulgence for my daughter.
The Bolinger champagne, the scones, the finger sandwiches, and the strawberries and cream were excellent.
It also included a “seafood cocktail” that was a favorite of the Queen Mum that was a pleasant enough lobster and crawfish mix after you got through a pretty gross cold jelly like chicken consommé layer on top.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vw ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2vj ... 1.JPG"></a>
I’ve heard and read about the famous seasonal strawberries and cream during Wimbledon, which was going on at the time. The BBC gives it pretty exhaustive live coverage, including even earlier round obscure mixed doubles on the outer courts.
That night daughter and I head out to do a pub crawl to take in the semi final World Cup game between Netherlands and Uruguay. Man, that was a lot of fun watching the game with true soccer fans who were clearly into enjoying the wonderful draft beer and the beautiful game.
The contrast between the patrons of the afternoon tea at The Goring and the after work crowd at the pubs was interesting. There was one slow mo reply showing a high kick that caught someone in the face and a collective groan went up that sounded like ouch, been there.
Like I said, had a brain fart and wrote out of sequence, leaving London Part 4 and Paris Part 1 here:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... hp?t=17445
On to Paris Part 2: Thurs July 8 sidewalk café breakfast, croissants, omelets, OJ.
Coffee way too small for my wife. Seems no matter how you order it either “au lait” (with milk) or “American style”, its just a strong espresso in a smallish cup.
But, you can sit there a long time, and service is geared that way. Good for when you want to take a break and do some people watching, not so much if you don’t want to linger too long. You don’t see too many Europeans rushing around with a to go cup.
It reminds us that it is not such a bad idea to take the time to sit and enjoy once in awhile. That said, I do get marching orders for the next day to find a Starbucks for a larger to go coffee prior to our scheduled day tour.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ok ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TEC8y ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sr ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD29l ... 1.JPG"></a>
The girls want to sample shopping today, so take the Metro to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Combined they are sort of like the huge flagship Macys in NYC that spans a city block with many floors, except with a French flair, so is maybe more like a Nordstroms merchandise wise, including this crazy center court.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Bf ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLOJ ... 5.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XJ ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD4OS ... 1.jpg"></a>
Example of signage, often using pictograms you’ve never seen before...
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/P7 ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD291 ... 1.JPG"></a>
They include some higher end designers, but not the uber-luxury stuff that is at the other well known department store on the other side of the city known as Le Bon Marche.
While the girls shopped, I mostly walked around the nearby Paris Opera house that is one of the more beautiful buildings in Paris. There is also an Apple store across the street.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Z9 ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD29p ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YD ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD29r ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yf ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD290 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZT ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLNT ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mh ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD292 ... 1.JPG"></a>
Take a city bus down to the Arc de Triumph, then walk down the Champs de Elysees, which is sort of like the Paris version of NYC 5th Ave or Michigan Ave in Chicago.
We stop in several stores, several of which are the fancy versions of the big international stores like Benneton, Nike, Roxy, etc. We share some very expensive ice teas and a giant banana split at one of many uber pricey sidewalk cafés along this boulevard. The split is made with the famous Parisian ice cream made by Berthillion. It is great, high quality stuff - we also enjoy it at again their primary store on the Ile Saint-Louis later in the week.
At this café, we notice that we experience some different treatment from the waiter here as compared to others being served around us.
A set up at the small round café tables usually includes a round paper place mat that covers the table. The French speaking clients get them, we don’t. We are semi-ignored for awhile. He automatically brings the check with the ice cream and only one spoon, not asking if we want anything else, essentially communicating that he wants us to move along. He’s lucky the service charge is included in the bill (as is customary in France).
Also along this boulevard is a cheaper store that is sort of like the Paris upscale version of Wal Mart. We are still melting from the heat (another day over 90F) so I find COLD 1.5L bottles of water for the equivalent of about 30 cents each. This helps mitigate the rip off prices at the café somewhat. Cold water is hard to come by. For some reason, its very rare to get ice in your drinks or water in Paris.
Continue onward to the L’Orangerie Museum which a small, modern looking museum featuring a few Rodin sculptures outside, 2 whole rooms devoted to large panels of Monet’s Water Lilies, and other remarkable galleries of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings featuring some great works by Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, and Matissee.
This museum didn’t mind photos, as long as you didn’t use flash. Obviously, these grabbed shots do not do this art justice – could be a lot better shot with a SLR with a faster lens on a tripod or even using a monopod.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CP ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD294 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/14 ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD296 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/x7 ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLLY ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9u ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLLd ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QD ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLLb ... 1.JPG"></a>
Dinner that night is at the well reviewed Café Constant.
http://www.cafeconstant.com/1en.aspx
Good house wine, crab/avocado/potato app, mushroom/artichoke salad, sea bass, roast chicken, and profiteroles and little chocolate mousses for desert. All wonderfully presented and delicious. Pleasant service. Sorry - didn’t want to be a goober tourist and take photos of the food.
Regarding the food in France: yup –plenty of unusual things, and can be challenging if you’re not into a lot of meats or things like duck.
The 3 course meals consist of Entrees (which are our appetizers or salads), “Plats” (which are our entrees), and Desert, all in smaller portions than Americans may be accustomed to.
However, maybe that’s why the French are not as fat as us. And believe me, that was quite striking to me when I got home. No offense to anybody reading this (or to 80% of my own family), but America is pretty fat. Its also true that French women are pretty thin and do smoke more than us. Also interesting that the braless look is alive and well in Paris, which is strikingly different from the bullet proof things that pass as lingerie here.
What was I talking about? Oh yeah the food. If the some full course meal offerings were a challenge for us, you can and we did get by on a disproportionate amount of melt in your mouth croissants, baguettes, cheese, baguettes with cheese, pain au chocolats, biscuits, pastries, and the like available at the wonderful little boulangeries (bakeries) all over the place. Just picture the best bread you’ve ever had and that’s what all of the baguettes and other breads in Paris taste like.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Dq ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TEC8J ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pQ ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD3Bb ... 1.JPG"></a>
And, oh my, the street crepes. Some restaurants or cafes will have a side window where they have a stand set up with round a hot plate that they’ll pour the batter onto and cook it to perfection in a minute or two using a little wooden tool to spead the batter and flip it and put a variety of spreads on it like Nutella or even a splash of Grand Marnier on it. They fold it up and hand it to you in a piece of wax paper you nice and hot and quite yummy.
Next up: the day trip to Versailles with our “low talker” tour guide we dub Monsieur Mumble.
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... hp?t=17391
Regret time lag and out of order, but here goes more for those who may still be interested.
Tues July 6: Spent first 2/3 of the day at the British Museum, and could’ve spent much more time at this incredible museum.
Founded in 1753, this museums remarkable collection spans over 2 million yrs of human history, many of which were collected during the days of the far reaching British Empire, including iconic objects such as the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Sculptures, and Egyptian mummies.
You can experience world history through the museum’s awesome and very well done exhibits that do a great job documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.
Some objects in the collection, most notably the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, are the objects of intense controversy and calls for return to their countries of origin. Greece has been trying to get those back for over a hundred years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Marbles
The building itself and different halls are also beautiful. And admission is free.
Highlights included walking the wing devoted to European history that went from 800BC to 1900, showing how society developed over that time through agriculture and trade, including the history of Britain under Roman occupation.
Two other “themed” halls were cool too – one on the development of clocks and watches, and the other on the use of money.
The objects, the displays and descriptions and timelines are exceedingly well done. Fascinating stuff. The fact that the hall containing the Americas exhibits is pretty small in comparison to other halls such as Ancient Greece and Rome and Ancient Egypt sort puts our history into perspective when considered alongside the history of the world.
Seeing this museum makes me want to get back to the Smithsonian in D.C. to see how it compares, because right now I’m thinking the British Museum is hands down the best I’ve ever seen.
Photos cannot do it justice, and desire to photograph was muted by trying to take in what we were seeing, plus tough shooting thru glass. Serious SLR equipment and a tripod would help much too. Ideal would be most of a day to tour, then back for a half day for photography.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LB ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2wu ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BE ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2w4 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_9 ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLSn ... 1.jpg"></a>
Rosetta Stone
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/N6 ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2w2 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3N ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2wy ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rZ ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLTG ... 8.JPG"></a>
Later in the day we go off for Afternoon Tea at the very high end Goring Hotel. This was a special request and an indulgence for my daughter.
The Bolinger champagne, the scones, the finger sandwiches, and the strawberries and cream were excellent.
It also included a “seafood cocktail” that was a favorite of the Queen Mum that was a pleasant enough lobster and crawfish mix after you got through a pretty gross cold jelly like chicken consommé layer on top.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vw ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD2vj ... 1.JPG"></a>
I’ve heard and read about the famous seasonal strawberries and cream during Wimbledon, which was going on at the time. The BBC gives it pretty exhaustive live coverage, including even earlier round obscure mixed doubles on the outer courts.
That night daughter and I head out to do a pub crawl to take in the semi final World Cup game between Netherlands and Uruguay. Man, that was a lot of fun watching the game with true soccer fans who were clearly into enjoying the wonderful draft beer and the beautiful game.
The contrast between the patrons of the afternoon tea at The Goring and the after work crowd at the pubs was interesting. There was one slow mo reply showing a high kick that caught someone in the face and a collective groan went up that sounded like ouch, been there.
Like I said, had a brain fart and wrote out of sequence, leaving London Part 4 and Paris Part 1 here:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... hp?t=17445
On to Paris Part 2: Thurs July 8 sidewalk café breakfast, croissants, omelets, OJ.
Coffee way too small for my wife. Seems no matter how you order it either “au lait” (with milk) or “American style”, its just a strong espresso in a smallish cup.
But, you can sit there a long time, and service is geared that way. Good for when you want to take a break and do some people watching, not so much if you don’t want to linger too long. You don’t see too many Europeans rushing around with a to go cup.
It reminds us that it is not such a bad idea to take the time to sit and enjoy once in awhile. That said, I do get marching orders for the next day to find a Starbucks for a larger to go coffee prior to our scheduled day tour.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ok ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TEC8y ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sr ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD29l ... 1.JPG"></a>
The girls want to sample shopping today, so take the Metro to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Combined they are sort of like the huge flagship Macys in NYC that spans a city block with many floors, except with a French flair, so is maybe more like a Nordstroms merchandise wise, including this crazy center court.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Bf ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLOJ ... 5.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XJ ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD4OS ... 1.jpg"></a>
Example of signage, often using pictograms you’ve never seen before...
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/P7 ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD291 ... 1.JPG"></a>
They include some higher end designers, but not the uber-luxury stuff that is at the other well known department store on the other side of the city known as Le Bon Marche.
While the girls shopped, I mostly walked around the nearby Paris Opera house that is one of the more beautiful buildings in Paris. There is also an Apple store across the street.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Z9 ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD29p ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YD ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD29r ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yf ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD290 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZT ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLNT ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mh ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD292 ... 1.JPG"></a>
Take a city bus down to the Arc de Triumph, then walk down the Champs de Elysees, which is sort of like the Paris version of NYC 5th Ave or Michigan Ave in Chicago.
We stop in several stores, several of which are the fancy versions of the big international stores like Benneton, Nike, Roxy, etc. We share some very expensive ice teas and a giant banana split at one of many uber pricey sidewalk cafés along this boulevard. The split is made with the famous Parisian ice cream made by Berthillion. It is great, high quality stuff - we also enjoy it at again their primary store on the Ile Saint-Louis later in the week.
At this café, we notice that we experience some different treatment from the waiter here as compared to others being served around us.
A set up at the small round café tables usually includes a round paper place mat that covers the table. The French speaking clients get them, we don’t. We are semi-ignored for awhile. He automatically brings the check with the ice cream and only one spoon, not asking if we want anything else, essentially communicating that he wants us to move along. He’s lucky the service charge is included in the bill (as is customary in France).
Also along this boulevard is a cheaper store that is sort of like the Paris upscale version of Wal Mart. We are still melting from the heat (another day over 90F) so I find COLD 1.5L bottles of water for the equivalent of about 30 cents each. This helps mitigate the rip off prices at the café somewhat. Cold water is hard to come by. For some reason, its very rare to get ice in your drinks or water in Paris.
Continue onward to the L’Orangerie Museum which a small, modern looking museum featuring a few Rodin sculptures outside, 2 whole rooms devoted to large panels of Monet’s Water Lilies, and other remarkable galleries of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings featuring some great works by Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, and Matissee.
This museum didn’t mind photos, as long as you didn’t use flash. Obviously, these grabbed shots do not do this art justice – could be a lot better shot with a SLR with a faster lens on a tripod or even using a monopod.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CP ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD294 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/14 ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD296 ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/x7 ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLLY ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9u ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLLd ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QD ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TGLLb ... 1.JPG"></a>
Dinner that night is at the well reviewed Café Constant.
http://www.cafeconstant.com/1en.aspx
Good house wine, crab/avocado/potato app, mushroom/artichoke salad, sea bass, roast chicken, and profiteroles and little chocolate mousses for desert. All wonderfully presented and delicious. Pleasant service. Sorry - didn’t want to be a goober tourist and take photos of the food.
Regarding the food in France: yup –plenty of unusual things, and can be challenging if you’re not into a lot of meats or things like duck.
The 3 course meals consist of Entrees (which are our appetizers or salads), “Plats” (which are our entrees), and Desert, all in smaller portions than Americans may be accustomed to.
However, maybe that’s why the French are not as fat as us. And believe me, that was quite striking to me when I got home. No offense to anybody reading this (or to 80% of my own family), but America is pretty fat. Its also true that French women are pretty thin and do smoke more than us. Also interesting that the braless look is alive and well in Paris, which is strikingly different from the bullet proof things that pass as lingerie here.
What was I talking about? Oh yeah the food. If the some full course meal offerings were a challenge for us, you can and we did get by on a disproportionate amount of melt in your mouth croissants, baguettes, cheese, baguettes with cheese, pain au chocolats, biscuits, pastries, and the like available at the wonderful little boulangeries (bakeries) all over the place. Just picture the best bread you’ve ever had and that’s what all of the baguettes and other breads in Paris taste like.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Dq ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TEC8J ... 1.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pQ ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/TD3Bb ... 1.JPG"></a>
And, oh my, the street crepes. Some restaurants or cafes will have a side window where they have a stand set up with round a hot plate that they’ll pour the batter onto and cook it to perfection in a minute or two using a little wooden tool to spead the batter and flip it and put a variety of spreads on it like Nutella or even a splash of Grand Marnier on it. They fold it up and hand it to you in a piece of wax paper you nice and hot and quite yummy.
Next up: the day trip to Versailles with our “low talker” tour guide we dub Monsieur Mumble.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Wonderful! Running backwards for part one.
Trip report 2009
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
Trip report 2008
So good, so good, so good!
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
Trip report 2008
So good, so good, so good!
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
I have been looking forward to see this report, and it was again so interesting to read about your stay
in London and Paris and with wonderful photoes. It must have taken a lot of time to arrange the trip, it seems as if you really get the best out of your vacation. It also must be great for you and your wife to have this experience together with your daughter.
Linne
in London and Paris and with wonderful photoes. It must have taken a lot of time to arrange the trip, it seems as if you really get the best out of your vacation. It also must be great for you and your wife to have this experience together with your daughter.
Linne
Thanks Linne. It took time to gain some traction with the planning, especially on the Paris part. It wasnt easy, but beats watching TV.
My daughter really enjoyed it because she had just finished AP (Advanced Placement) Euro History in school so it was cool to actually see some of the stuff she had read about. She even pitched the possiblity of doing the daytrip up to Normandy (all that WWII history) but we couldnt fit that in too. She enjoyed the urban adventures and was even helping me navigate the Paris Metro.
And life is too short not to live "someday" now.
My daughter really enjoyed it because she had just finished AP (Advanced Placement) Euro History in school so it was cool to actually see some of the stuff she had read about. She even pitched the possiblity of doing the daytrip up to Normandy (all that WWII history) but we couldnt fit that in too. She enjoyed the urban adventures and was even helping me navigate the Paris Metro.
And life is too short not to live "someday" now.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Thanks so much for sharing your adventures traving to London and Paris! Loved the pics too. Made me think back to my own trip a few years back. The good times in London and even the part of arriving via the Eurostar in Paris and hating it! Well...until the next morning when I fell in love with that city 
jmq- you can be proud of your daughter, and she deserved the trip to Europe.
I know it's more interesting to see things you have studied. The main reason to our visit in USVI was that
the year before I had written a big script about Denmark's sale of the islands and in connection with that I read a lot of books about the time, when they were Danish. And then I wanted to see what I have read and written about!
Linne
I know it's more interesting to see things you have studied. The main reason to our visit in USVI was that
the year before I had written a big script about Denmark's sale of the islands and in connection with that I read a lot of books about the time, when they were Danish. And then I wanted to see what I have read and written about!
Linne
