London, United Kingdom: a Taste of London

I am naming today “a taste of London” because we barely brushed the surface of everything there is to see in London. We arrived very early (6:30 or so) at the train station to check in for the Eurostar. Unlike taking the train around France and arriving 15 min before your train departs, we needed to arrive 1 hr before the Eurostar departed. Once we arrived we could see why! The line to check in was very very long! We first needed to scan our ticket (once the line finally arrived at the kiosk) and then we went through security to leave Paris and then security to enter the U.K.  All of this took about 40 minutes so we were glad we heeded the instructions to arrive early. Our train ride took around 2 hrs to go to London and we all took a little cat nap. Once we arrived in London we went straight to Westminster Abbey. We had hoped to tour ourselves inside, but the line to go through security and enter was soooooo unbelievably long! We knew we had a lot to see and only a limited amount of time so we opted to just take a few pictures and move on. Big Ben and part of Parliament are completely shrouded in scaffolding as they do restoration work to the structures. We took the Tube (subway) over to St James Park, near Buckingham Palace. We walked alongside the park and were surprised to see the Palace guards, horses and band preparing for something. We didn’t realize it was for the changing of the guard! The changing of the guard happens at 11 am and we were able to find a spot along a rail to watch the pomp and circumstance happen.  Unfortunately for Caitlin she didn’t feel well and I left with Laurie to find a bathroom. Thankfully there was one in the park! We were dismayed to see that it cost 20 pence (which we did not have) but we explained to the attendant that Caitlin wasn’t well and she let her go in for free. We were so grateful. With Caitlin feeling better, we met up with everyone else and went walking to find our next destination, Harrods. Danny was navigating and accidentally navigated us to the bus station instead of the train station but then successfully brought us to Harrods. We walked into Harrods on the ground floor and wandered through the many food halls ooing and ahhing. We didn’t stay long or check out the other floors because we were getting pretty hungry. Around the corner from Harrods is Tattersalls Tavern. We think they have good Fish and Chips and everyone ordered it and ate their fill. Laurie said she has enjoyed all the food thus far but this may have been her favorite. The food is served with “plain peas” or “mushy peas”. We all chose plain but Danny and Laurie were the only ones who ate them. After lunch we went in search of Tower Bridge. I explained to everyone that this is not THE London Bridge although this is THE bridge associated with London. It is iconic. We took pictures in front of the bridge while Danny took a seat in the shade and watched us. He has figured out that pictures of everyone take awhile and he is so patient to wait. After looking at Tower Bridge and talking about the Tower of London and it’s history and importance, we went looking for a snack at Covent Garden. It was here that we found gelato and sorbet from Venchi and cookies from Ben’s cookies. We took the time to eat our snack and went in search of a Starbucks for a free bathroom, stopping along the way to shop for some souvenirs. After our bathroom stop we searched for a nice photo spot to take pictures of the London Eye. We found that on the  Waterloo Bridge and I reminded Debbie that we had stood on that bridge with meme and Brittany several years ago to take pictures. We did not have time to ride the London Eye so we had to be content to just look. Our time was quickly shortening before we had to return to the train station so we did not have time to go inside of Westminster Abbey. We decided to go back to the train station a few minutes early so we could find a sandwich to take on the train. With our meal in tow we boarded the train and reflected on our lightening fast tour of London giving everyone just a taste of what London has to see. There is so much more and maybe one day they will return to spend more time there. We were blessed with beautiful weather today in London and hopefully tomorrow we can tolerate the rain that we are expecting in Paris. Until tomorrow...

Paris, France: A day in Montmartre

Our first full day in Paris was predicted to be a very rainy day but overnight the forecast changed to a lot less rain and we decided to spend the day exploring Montmartre. Montmartre is the home of the highest point in the city, Sacre Coeur, as well as local artists and lots of graffiti. The streets are very steep and winding. We rode the metro up to Anvers station. I prefer Anvers to Abessess because Abessess has tons of stairs just to get out of the metro. With Anvers we walk up one street to the base of Sacre Coeur. Another advantage of the Anvers stop is the crepe store that’s at the end where Danny likes to stop every time and get a crepe. I love the carousel located at the end of the street as well. We began our climb up the many many stairs to beautiful Sacre Coeur, the Roman Catholic Church at the top of the hill. As  we climbed we stopped to take in the view  as well as listen to a beautiful harpist.  The girls also took pictures with a mime. I need to check old pictures and see if Brittany and Maddie also took pictures with the same Mime. We had to go through security and show inside our bags before entering the church. I have never had to do that before. There is also a sign saying “no photos” but there were so many people taking pictures inside that we just joined in. No one was asking people to stop? There was a service starting when we left and we were able to hear the beautiful organ playing. After leaving the church we shopped at a couple of places on our way to Place de Tertre where the artists ring the square. We walked all the way around until we found an artist whose artwork we Individually liked. We made a few purchases and then walked to Koff for lunch. It was good! The girls and Laurie ate quesadillas, I had a grilled chicken sandwich, debbie ate a hamburger and Danny ate what he thought was a traditional goat cheese on toast sandwich. He was super surprised to see iceberg lettuce for his salad! We all agreed it was a good lunch and gave us a moment to rest our feet! After lunch we continued to hunt for street art and walked uphill to La Maison Rose, the “pink house” so frequently visited by tourists for photographs.  We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Montmartre for street art, eating gelato at Amarino and popping into a couple of stores. We arrived back to the apartment around 5 for a little rest. We ate supper at Bistro Victoires which we all agreed was delicious and the prices couldn’t be beat! Our jet lag is improving and I believe we are all ready to tackle a day trip to London tomorrow. Until tomorrow!!!

Paris, France: Arrival Day

Danny and I left LP super early in the morning to travel down to Baton Rouge. We picked up Caitlin and Laurie and met Debbie, Emily and Baleigh at the airport. We needed to arrive two hours before our international flight. About a half hour before we were scheduled to board there was an announcement that weather (rain) had prevented the incoming plane from landing and it had to go to Gulfport, MS to refuel and come back. We had a 2 hour layover in Atlanta before our international flight and felt pretty confident that we would make it IF we were able to get on the flight to Atlanta when they were predicting. Thankfully the plane arrived as predicted and they got us to Atlanta about 45 min before our plane was scheduled to take off. Our flight to Paris was actually a little delayed at the gate which at least gave us an opportunity to go to the bathroom before boarding. Our flight to Paris went well. We are renting an apartment through Paris Perfect and also hired a car to drive us there. Our driver was Victor. Victor called the apartment rental company for us to tell them we were on our way. Our apartment would not be ready until 2 pm and it was about 12:30 when we arrived at our apartment. Victor thought we could eat in the area and waste some time before then. We found a cafe on the corner of the street and the apartment was about 4 doors down. We had a nice leisurely lunch at Harper’s. Debbie and I ate a crispy chicken sandwich that quite possibly was the best chicken sandwich I have ever eaten! We finished lunch at precisely 2 pm and then met with our greeter to see the apartment. After settling in a bit we walked and explored the neighborhood. We found the ATM and a local grocery along with exploring rue Montorgueil, a local street filled with places to eat and snack. We ate supper at Capitol Grill  near by and fought the jet lag the best we could. By 9 pm everyone had pretty much crashed. Tomorrow we are praying for little to no rain so we can go to Montmartre. Until tomorrow...

Paris, France: Our Last Day

This morning we caught the train to Paris! We arrived around lunch time and took a taxi to the hotel. Our room was ready and after leaving our bags we left to find a place for lunch. We ate close by at Au Verre Siffleur. It was delicious! Danny had lamb and I had a nice cut of beef with a peppery cream sauce. After lunch we went back to the hotel to nibble on some of the sweets we have picked up along the way, drink a little espresso and enjoy our balcony. We walked to Montparnasse Tower and went up to the observation deck to see over the city. It is 56 floors up and a great view! We then walked over to Luxembourg Gardens. I have always wanted to watch the little sailboats on the water and today didn't disappoint. From there we found my favorite macaron shop, Pierre Herme. I had to stand in line today but it was worth it! Danny found the crepe stand in front of the St Germain church. We have always wanted to try their crepes and today's crepe sucre (sugar crepe) was delicious!! We then went to stand in line for Relais de l'Entrecote. We got there about 6:45 which is perfect timing for the opening at 7. As usual, it was delicious!!! We took the metro back to our hotel and are all packed up to go home tomorrow. It has been a wonderful and memorable trip!!

Bordeaux, France: After the Wedding

This morning Danny and I slept in a bit after such a late night and had a light breakfast. We were to go back to the winery for "brunch" but their brunch is timed for 12 which we would call lunch. Anna told us that she was told that many wouldn't be at the brunch until 1 or later so we timed our arrival for 1 to allow Anna a few extra minutes of sleep because she didn't get home until 5 a.m. There were a lot of problems securing a taxi. Brunch was delicious with more champagne, chicken, beef, and egg dishes and delicious strawberry and apple tarts. We enjoyed this time visiting with our family members before we all scattered to go back to our homes. We are excited that our cousin, Martin, will come to visit us next year if all goes well. He wants to be a farmer and fortunately we know a lot of people with farms that would like a young, interested worker for awhile in the summer. After brunch we toured the winery before driving back to Bordeaux. Danny dropped us off near the hotel and then took the rental car back to the airport. When he returned we walked some more to see the last Porte we hadn't seen. We met Renee and Anna for dinner but skipped dessert in lieu of Amorino, my favorite gelato stop. We are back in the hotel and preparing to go to Paris on the train on the morning. Until tomorrow....

Bordeaux, France: A Wedding Day

We woke up to a partly cloudy morning. It's a perfect day for the wedding of Laurène to Benjamin! Danny and I ate breakfast and then he left to take a taxi to the airport to pick up the rental car. Anna didn't sleep well so she and Renee were having a slower morning. I went for a walk to see some churches and another Porte (Portal). I walked for about an hour and a half until Danny told me he was back at the hotel. I went back to the hotel and together we walked more in the city taking in the architecture. We went back to the hotel to get dressed for the wedding and to pick up Anna and Renee. We stopped at Paul on the way to the car and grabbed a picnic lunch which we ate in the car. The wedding was located about a half hour from Bordeaux at a little stone church in La Brede. The name of the church was Eglise St. Jean d'Etampes. We arrived around 3 and waited outside with the other guests and our family members. We were still outside when Benjamin and his brother, Valentin, drove up in a vintage Porsche! When Cathy arrived, we all went into the church to await the bride who was driven to the church by her uncle, Christophe. The mothers were escorted into the church and then Laurène was escorted in by her grandfather, Ton Ton Michel. Laurène was beautiful in a custom made gown with a lace bodice, her hair twisted up with little white flowers. Benjamin also looked very handsome. Their son Lucas was attended by Benjamin's sister and behaved very well during the ceremony. We didn't hear a peep out of him! The ceremony was performed in French of course and although we didn't understand the words, we did understand the elements of the ceremony and the tender and emotional moments between Laurène and Benjamin. They are such a precious couple. They asked Danny to sing during the ceremony and he sang Michael W. Smith's Agnus Dei but he sang it in French! Our family said his accent was perfect and he was told by several people and family members, including Laurène and Benjamin, how much they enjoyed his song. After the ceremony, we waited outside the church and threw rose petals at the couple as they exited. They visited with all of their family and friends before getting in the Porsche to leave for the winery where the reception would be held. There was some trouble getting the car to start, but with a little help they were on their way. When we arrived at the winery, the couple were having pictures taken while we began with a cocktail and aperitifs event. There was water with fruit in it and Champagne. Waiters walked around with trays of small bites as we waited for all of the wedding pictures to be completed. The dinner was next and began at 8:30. We were served our first course sometime after 9 but we weren't super hungry because of all of the little bites we had been given. Throughout the meal we were entertained with slideshows first of Benjamin and then later of Laurène. After dessert, which was served around 1 a.m. I think, we watched a compilation of short videos that we had all contributed to. These were of us toasting the couple with wine that we had also gifted to them in lieu of a guest book. By 1:30, it was time for the reception. We watched Laurène dance with her grandfather and then he danced with Cathy. When everyone started dancing, Danny, Renee and I decided that we would like to head back to the hotel. We left Anna to stay at the reception and she was able to get a very late cab back to the hotel. She arrived back about 5 a.m. but I'm pretty sure we were asleep by 3 a.m. It was such a wonderful and perfect wedding day! We were all so happy that we made the trip to be a part of it!

Bordeaux, France: Arrival Day

We were up early for a 7:04 train to Bordeaux. We were surprised upon arriving at the train station to find the front of the station completely roped off and military men with oozie rifles keeping people away. This meant that we had to walk around the entire, very large train station and enter from the back. So I guess we got a good start with our exercise for today. I certainly sweated enough! We found a patisserie open for breakfast and purchased a Quiche Lorraine and a Pain au Chocolat for breakfast on the train. The train ride was long but we enjoyed views of little towns and fields of lavender and sunflowers along the way. The Bordeaux train station is a mess right now as construction is happening everywhere. Our train was one hour delayed and when we finally found the taxi line there were no taxis to be found! We ended up taking an uber which worked out just fine. It was 4:00 before we were settled in the hotel and we left to go and find some lunch. The lunch we ate was terrible at least for me. I didn't eat it and instead I ate Amorino ice cream while we were wandering. We went to Eglise Notre Dame Bordeaux and it was beautiful. We stayed long enough for me to try and take a few pictures but it was very dark in the church. We also located the place that Danny will park the car tomorrow when he goes to the airport and rents it. We wandered all over the city and found some of the old city gates. These are HUGE arched openings that are found around the old city. We also toured the Cathedral Saint-Andre also known as the Cathedral Bordeaux. It was intriguing to us that the main entrance is on the side of the church and that the front of the church is just a plain door. It was also very beautiful inside. I've seen so many beautiful Cathedrals and churches that the details all begin to run together, but that doesn't stop me from seeing as many as I can during my travels. We went back to the hotel to change for dinner and met Cathy, Bernard, Guillome and Ton Ton Michel for supper. Renee and Anna also came in from Paris and joined us. We had a delightful supper at Chez Jean nearby and caught up on all of the wedding details. Tomorrow is the wedding day of Laurene and Benjamin. We cannot wait! Until tomorrow....