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We arrived at our apartment in Croix de Chavaus, Montreal. Paris. A easy ride on the metro to the centre of Paris or about 4 Klm walking, which many evening we walked back to the small Boheme apartment, a kitchen bathroom, bedroom and studio lounge and dine. Damè
Feeling quite happy with ourselves with the choice in area and accommodation, we started to tick of the list of attractions we wanted to see, the Effie Tower, Louvres, Palace of Versailles the Grand Palaces of Paris, the walks along the Seine River and the countless bridges along its banks and Notre Damè. Not all the fountains were working, I think due to the time of the year still spring, but never the less Paris didn't disappoint in grandeur, and in beauty.
We visited Jim Morrison's grave in the Père Lachaise cemetery and sat a while in this amazing beautiful cemetery. Strolling the Montmartre district and people watching, drinking caffe at few of the many hundreds of Cafes and Restaurants that Paris has to offer. But if your looking to chat our to understand anything about culture, what to say what to drink were to go or even a smile, Paris just isn't
that place. Rude and unfriendly which I knew. I thought maybe would have changed though out the years but no, they hate the English. Well from chatting to other tourists other nationalities too, they hate anyone who isn't French. Well their it is, probably shouldn't have said it but their you have it which is very sad. Paris would have been so much lovelier if people, just say goodday or how's it going mate. Haha but it must be so hard work being so miserable all the time. The city of love I don't know why? We did however meet a couple of nice people and who were helpful and tried quite hard to be nice. After ten days in Paris and feeling we had seen the most of Paris we drove to Normandy I had always wanted to visit as my father was in the British navy and convoyed naval ships, protecting the coast the troops had landed on. And submarine attacks.
Normandy was beautiful and visiting the beaches and the war cemetery's was a somber experience, unbelievable war cemetery's. The German cemetery over 20.000 boys and men buried. The cemetery was planted with hundreds of oak trees
Paris, France
Cafe de Flores and was very peaceful.
The American cemetery 12,000 young souls. This was a more grander and more military place, equally has lovely but quite different also patriotic I think the word is.A War memorial with recounts of soldiers stories.
After a day of all this history and sadness,we visited the British cemetery and I really was not prepared for. The cemetery was lovely with Poppies growing wild and Irises, it was very relaxed and yet formal. Military and yet peaceful, but it was when you read the stones,as in the other cemetery's were you had the name of the solider and rank and company. An added message from their loved ones, some you just couldn't read so personal. To their Sons and Fathers, Husbands messages of profound sadness and pride and honour and love it totally devastated me, I was a real mess.
We stayed in a small town Bayeux which was very charming but unfriendly the charming French I don't think so. But we enjoyed our time lovely country side perfect summer days and walks through the countryside.before heading back to Paris for our flight to Barcelona, Spain.
Arriving in Barcelona was amazing, everybody smiling
Paris, France
The Palace of Versallies from the moment we picked our car up from the airport. We were treated so differently even in broken Spanish, and English we made each other understood.Barcelona is amazing and loud and the Spanish people are just lovely. The weather is hot and we have lost our winter layers and found our sandals we are sitting in the sun lots and trying to get some colour back into our skin. Glen is fining it quite a experience driving on the right hand side of the road, and with me reminding him occasionally right right RIGHT!!!! without shouting and trying to remain calm is quite difficult but we are rising to the challenge. Honestly you can take the Aussie boy out of Australia but not the Aussie out of the boy. This springs to mind on occasions when glen is met with something he is not meant too be doing, but he raises to the challenge all the time. We have visited Sanguine de Family the most amazing church in Barcelona which was designed by Gaudy. It is without a doubt the most amazing place just beautiful, although it is still being built even now after 130 years and with at
least and another ten to go. We went into one of the towers, and to look at the amazing details that the building has. A truly must see church, as is all of Goudy buildings in Barcelona. Walking the streets of Barcelona is just entertaining and magical from the buildings and colours to its people.
As we travel north to the Pyrenees mountains nothing had prepared us for such beauty spectacular mountain and vistas. Col-bat blue sky's and green mountains with snow still on peaks. Breath taking views. Small Spanish villages atop of hills, terracotta tiled roofs and churches with bell towers repeat Klm from Klm all very Spanish. Staying in the small villages was equally as lovely wakeing in morning around 9 am for coffee and breads ie croissant, Danishes doughnuts. Then lunch at 2am then dinner 9am we have a coffee and muesli and hearty lunch and tapas for dinner lots of traditional food and very rustic in one village we stayed Castlijon we had free tapas with every small beer so we visited each of the three bars in town. We were told that we were the first Australians to visit their town everybody celebrated yehhhh.
While we were in the Pyrenees we went to Andorra, which is a small country of its own. Everything is tax free, so we stocked up on Gin for the rest of of 15 day journeythrough Spain. When we drove through customs and we went through nothing to declare. They just waved the old Australian couple through. Mm mm they didn't realize that the quantity of booze we had bought, we waved and smiled,We continue our journey through Basque Country and across to the Green Coast, Cantabria Coast towards Portugal but that's another blog hope you enjoy the photos. My love to you all and hope your all well and happy.
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