Blogs from Paris, Île-de-France, France, Europe - page 350

So yesterday was pretty rainy, as it still is today. Andy and I both went window shopping yesterday as we need a few articles of warmer clothing. (Sorry Dad) We left Nick at the hostel this morning together with his snoring patterns (he needs to sleep off his partying from last night....which should probably be until 3 this afternoon....sorry Trish) He snored all night again, continuing to wake the two of us up, and even a pillow in the face didn't cease his guttoral sounds. I just showed Andy the Centre Pompidou (the modern art museum) and the fountains from the movie Sabrina. We should be meeting up with Sean Simmonds later today, once we locate his hotel. Unfortunately we didn't get to make it to Omaha Beach because we procrastinated buying train tickets and they ... read more

Yesterday we saw Place des Vogues, Sainte Chapelle and the Concergerie, the prison where Marie Antoinette was. They were really interesting, we wandered along the Seine and saw the Eiffel Tower. We watched the crowds line up to pay 14 euros to go up. We ate supper and walked along the Seine as the sun set and saw the buildings light up as they're prone to do in Paris. Today we did some more walking as we're prone to do. We saw the Paris Opera House (though not inside, except on a postcard) and the place Vendôme, which Sarah told me was the fashion centre of Paris. We saw all the big names there: Chanel, Dior, and Fred. Next, we went to the church of Madeleine, which is built to resemble a Greek temple, but looks ... read more

So we have pretty much covered all of our bases in Paris. We went to Versailles yesterday and spent the day in awe of Louis XIV and his expensive taste....the boys liked the gardens a lot, which seemed to stretch on for miles. We took it slow today being that it is Sunday and most things are closed, except for the museums, so we went to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. But I realized soon that art for the boys weakens their attention spans, so we raced through the Louvre as their appetites got the best of them. We had a picnic at the Jardins des Tuileries. The boys amused themselves while they threw bread at the pigeons that flocked the grounds. Tomorrow we are going to Caen, about ... read more

Hi So yesterday morning, at about 5 am, we left our hot hotel room with the broken shower in Milan and walked to the station, it was very beautiful, and unlike the hotel, less humid. We got a crossant with jam and hopped on our 8 hour train ride, which was very scenic, it went through the alps to Paris. Its very hot here, about 30 degrees. We walked, taking a long way, our lonely planet map was awful, to St Germain des Pres which was built in 1055, has Descartes tomb and a monument to the first bishop of New France. We then walked to Ile St Denis to try ice cream, from Bethillion, a famous and incredibly good ice cream shop. We ate it in the park behind Notre Dame and since the crowds ... read more

Cara and I went back to the Notre Dame to visit the archaelogical crypt underneath. The crypt fleshes out the history and growth of Paris since it was settled by the Parisii tribe 300 years before the birth of Christ. We spent the afternoon visting the Musée Rodin. I find smaller museums to be more interesting, less over-whelming and more manageable. In the evening, I've seen this French show called "Sans Aucun Doute." If someone is familiar with this show and would like to explain it to me, please add a comment below. Until nest time, check out the photos.... read more

Versaille is huge, ornate, and exhausting. Ultimately, it was meant to be a physical manisfestation of the wealth and power of Louis XVI, the sun king...but then came the French Revolution. Relaxing in the garden afterwards on bench, bike, or boat is a good offset to the experience. I set off the metal detectors entering security but much like at the airport, this really doesn't mean anything. ... read more