Wednesday, June 20, 2012
I'm Back!
Made it to Atlanta with no problems! I have now gone through security 5 times today and am waiting on my flight to Pensacola to meet Meg at the beach! Just wanted to let you all know I am on American soil safe and sound! See you guys soon!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Day 42 - Last Day in Paris
Today, Kendall and I decided to sleep in as late as we wanted which ended up being until lunch time. We got ready and headed to a little mexican dive I found on the internet. We were both in need of a comfort of home and this place hit the spot with a fantastic quesadilla and salsa. We had a little trouble finding it but batting my eyelashes at a nice frenchman in a local shop did the trick to finding it! This dive was called Beans and Rice; I do love a good dive where ever I go.
Kendall and I then did some shopping in the Les Halles area where I found two really cute pairs of orange shorts for football season in the fall. We headed back to the hotel to check in for our flight home and take a nap before dinner. We wanted a good French meal before we headed out tomorrow morning and we got just that. We went to a little hole in the wall called Les Papilles and had a four course meal with Anoop and Drew. I can't thank Anoop enough for finding this place and making our last meal the best we have had in Europe thus far. Here was the menu:
Wine:
Pea soup:
Pork Tenderloin (the best I have ever had, sorry Dad!):
Brie and Apple Marmalade:
A fruit version of Creme Brulee:
It was a more than perfect last supper, haha!
What was my overall opinion of Paris? I am so glad you asked. I LOVED IT! I had told Meghan that I was a little nervous about Paris because it was such a big town and I would probably be getting pretty homesick by then. I was completely wrong. Paris made me want to stay longer! There were several things I did not get to do while we were here; there is no way to see all of Paris in 6 days. So, I will be very ready to start planning to come back. The culture, buildings, art, food and shopping is simply unmatched. It is so easy to get around in Paris because the metro system has stops everywhere and so many different lines which made our stay much more enjoyable! However, next time I am in Paris, I am pretty sure it will be towards the end of July...
We wake up early tomorrow to take the Chunnel back to London and fly out of Heathrow. I will be traveling for a total of 20 hours tomorrow which I am not looking forward to... It is a bittersweet feeling; I am sad to be leaving but so excited about coming home for the activities I have planned for the rest of the summer and to see my family. Like I said in the last post, they will have to come with me on the next adventure. So what are the final stats of Europe? 42 days, 12 stops, 8 countries, 6 languages, 2000 pictures, and 1 trip I will never forget.
At the beginning of this trip I asked myself a very important question: How's your thirst for adventure, Captain? At the end of the trip my answer is still the same: I have never been more thirsty. The bucket list keeps growing and I plan to keep knocking them off one by one.
Day 41 - Basilica and Picnic
Well, as the trip nears the end, we decided to take an easy day. We met up at 11am to head to a basilica that has some great areas to do some shopping around it. This place was beautiful on the exterior but I would have no clue what it looked like on the inside because females had to cover their legs. We all know I will be in shorts whenever possible. So here was my favorite view of the morning:
While all the boys went to look inside, Kendall and I decided to people watch from the front steps. People watching is so much more entertaining in foreign countries. As if Asians did not stick out enough already... just add lime green jackets...
This guy kind of sucked at playing but he sure was happy to be out there giving it his all:
After touring the basilica, we took some time to walk around the local shops. A lot of us got art work to take home for family and friends before heading back to the hotel. Since it was the last time to grab a kebab (I will have to give a full explanation of the European kebab later) a group of us went to this shop around the corner from our hotel for the farewell kebab! It was superb! We then headed to do some shopping around our hotel. I went in to a few stores before calling it a day and heading to do some laundry. I was out of undies and it was putting me in a tight spot!
Our last activity as a group will probably be my favorite. We all grabbed some food and Anoop got us all bottles of wine to have a picnic on the lawns of the Eiffel Tower. We took some time to just reflect on the trip, tell stories and have a few good last laughs before we all head home. We miraculously had no casualties, no arrests, and all made it out alive in one piece. I would call that a successful trip considering 15 college kids were let loose in Europe. It was most certainly a perfect ending to a perfect trip.
Tomorrow is our last day in Paris. I will be very sad to see it go because I have loved every minute here. Paris is one of those places that will continue to stay on my bucket list for years to come. Next time though, I will have to bring my family. I think this trip has sparked a flame in all of us to do some traveling in the years to come.Well, at least I hope it did!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Day 40 - Museum, Museum, and climbing the Eiffel Tower
We got to sleep in this morning which was great considering we stayed out late at the Eiffel Tower. We met Anoop at noon and headed to a small market to grab lunch. We then headed to the Invalides Museum which is a war museum. We stopped by a cathedral on the way and I love everything about them. I have not worn out of cathedrals like I have with museums. This is the Eglise du Dome Church:
This is where Napoleon's tomb lies. For being such a puny little fellow, he sure is in a big casket:
Next was the Invalides Museum. This museum wasn't really my thing but I did enjoy seeing this beautiful building:
The top row of windows on this building are very unique:
The last museum of the day was the Rodin Museum. Again, not my kind of museum but the gardens around the building were beautiful and full of the most colorful roses I have ever seen.
The last stop of the day was my favorite. We climbed the Eiffel Tower! So, do you know how many steps there are to the second tier?
Yes, you saw that correctly. Once you make it to the second level, you have to take a lift to the top. That ride is a little creepy. Here is a view from the top:
And of course, a panoramic view:
It was an awesome day to climb to the top. I am glad we did it today rather than yesterday!
After a long climb, we decided to head to the Moose which is an American bar to catch the first half of the matches. We happen to get our hands on some buffalo wings and fries too! I think 12 wings will hold me over until I can get some American food in a few days!
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I have been blessed with so many father figures in my life and the world's greatest dad! I miss you all and will see you in about a week!
This is where Napoleon's tomb lies. For being such a puny little fellow, he sure is in a big casket:
Next was the Invalides Museum. This museum wasn't really my thing but I did enjoy seeing this beautiful building:
The top row of windows on this building are very unique:
The last museum of the day was the Rodin Museum. Again, not my kind of museum but the gardens around the building were beautiful and full of the most colorful roses I have ever seen.
The last stop of the day was my favorite. We climbed the Eiffel Tower! So, do you know how many steps there are to the second tier?
Yes, you saw that correctly. Once you make it to the second level, you have to take a lift to the top. That ride is a little creepy. Here is a view from the top:
And of course, a panoramic view:
It was an awesome day to climb to the top. I am glad we did it today rather than yesterday!
After a long climb, we decided to head to the Moose which is an American bar to catch the first half of the matches. We happen to get our hands on some buffalo wings and fries too! I think 12 wings will hold me over until I can get some American food in a few days!
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I have been blessed with so many father figures in my life and the world's greatest dad! I miss you all and will see you in about a week!
Day 39 - The Louvre and Eiffel Tower
This morning we woke up early to head to the Louvre. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more museums.... think again... The Louvre was awesome and although the French hate the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre, I loved it.
When we got there, it was packed to say the least. Kendall and I knew we wouldn't have much time to see everything we wanted to so we grabbed a map and made a plan to execute. Our first stop was Winged Victory. This sculpture by the Greeks is stunning.
Next on the path was the Mona Lisa. I will be honest, I expected the painting itself to be much larger. Thankfully, we got close enough to take a good picture; it took shoving a few Asians out of the way...
After the Mona Lisa, we hunted down Venus de Milo. Another one of those things that pictures in textbooks just don't do it justice. Kendall and I both stared at it with mouth open for a few minutes.
Next up was the Code of Hammurabi. Honesty strikes me again, there was a lot of hype over this one. I don't think I know enough about this piece to truly appreciate it. However, we stood and stared.
Next to last on our list was the Horses of Marlee. We had an extreme amount of trouble finding these darn horses. We literally walked around the area they were supposed to be in for twenty minutes and then we realized we were in the right spot the whole time... we just forgot to look up...
Last on the list was Napoleon II's apartments. Whoa, are these rooms extravagant! Not my style but I give it to him for trying...
I will take one with some orange accents rather than all the gold...
I hate that we did not have more time inside the Louvre. I would have liked to see much more. I guess there is always next time!
We went to the Arc de Triumph next. Yes dad, we walked down Champs Elysees; too bad we are a little over a month too early. Take a look at this monster:
We climbed to the top and go some great views of Paris. Too bad it was not a pretty day. It was pretty gloomy and rainy. This view of the Eiffel Tower was my favorite:
The last event of the night has been one of my favorite things we have done on this trip. A group of us decided to go to the Eiffel Tower to see the lights. So we grabbed some wine and champagne and headed to the lawns. This part of Europe exceeded my expectations. It was gorgeous.
I will try to get the video of the light show up here soon. We had the best time just hanging out in the grass. It was the perfect ending to a long day.
When we got there, it was packed to say the least. Kendall and I knew we wouldn't have much time to see everything we wanted to so we grabbed a map and made a plan to execute. Our first stop was Winged Victory. This sculpture by the Greeks is stunning.
Next on the path was the Mona Lisa. I will be honest, I expected the painting itself to be much larger. Thankfully, we got close enough to take a good picture; it took shoving a few Asians out of the way...
After the Mona Lisa, we hunted down Venus de Milo. Another one of those things that pictures in textbooks just don't do it justice. Kendall and I both stared at it with mouth open for a few minutes.
Next up was the Code of Hammurabi. Honesty strikes me again, there was a lot of hype over this one. I don't think I know enough about this piece to truly appreciate it. However, we stood and stared.
Next to last on our list was the Horses of Marlee. We had an extreme amount of trouble finding these darn horses. We literally walked around the area they were supposed to be in for twenty minutes and then we realized we were in the right spot the whole time... we just forgot to look up...
Last on the list was Napoleon II's apartments. Whoa, are these rooms extravagant! Not my style but I give it to him for trying...
I will take one with some orange accents rather than all the gold...
I hate that we did not have more time inside the Louvre. I would have liked to see much more. I guess there is always next time!
We went to the Arc de Triumph next. Yes dad, we walked down Champs Elysees; too bad we are a little over a month too early. Take a look at this monster:
We climbed to the top and go some great views of Paris. Too bad it was not a pretty day. It was pretty gloomy and rainy. This view of the Eiffel Tower was my favorite:
The last event of the night has been one of my favorite things we have done on this trip. A group of us decided to go to the Eiffel Tower to see the lights. So we grabbed some wine and champagne and headed to the lawns. This part of Europe exceeded my expectations. It was gorgeous.
I will try to get the video of the light show up here soon. We had the best time just hanging out in the grass. It was the perfect ending to a long day.
Happy Father's Day!
A big Happy Father's Day from across the pond to the world's greatest dad! Ten reasons why you are the greatest:
10. You set high standards for Alana, Madison and I; standards that we will always live by.
9. You always make sure any children, whether they are your own or not, have everything they need.
8. You were always the dad at every field trip, school function, sporting event and practice. The world's greatest coach award goes to you as well.
7. You always apologize even when something isn't your fault.
6. You always put your family's needs above your own. I hope that we can provide like you have for our family.
5. You made sure to constantly be the best parent you could be and it shows in how great of a parent Alana is.
4. You are always there to help anyone through hard times however you could and would drop anything to do it.
3. You taught Alana, Madison, and I to be good, honest people and how to love unconditionally.
2. You are my best friend.
1. You love your children more than you could possibly love anyone else.
I love you dad. Thanks for simply being you.
10. You set high standards for Alana, Madison and I; standards that we will always live by.
9. You always make sure any children, whether they are your own or not, have everything they need.
8. You were always the dad at every field trip, school function, sporting event and practice. The world's greatest coach award goes to you as well.
7. You always apologize even when something isn't your fault.
6. You always put your family's needs above your own. I hope that we can provide like you have for our family.
5. You made sure to constantly be the best parent you could be and it shows in how great of a parent Alana is.
4. You are always there to help anyone through hard times however you could and would drop anything to do it.
3. You taught Alana, Madison, and I to be good, honest people and how to love unconditionally.
2. You are my best friend.
1. You love your children more than you could possibly love anyone else.
I love you dad. Thanks for simply being you.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
End of Day 37 & Day 38
Hello from Paris! Here is a quick recap on the past two days:
Day 37 - Train, train and more train until we got to Paris. Mad dash to hotel and then out on the town! We walked to Notre Dam before splitting ways to eat dinner. A group of us went to the Latin corner across the street from Notre Dam to eat. IT WAS AMAZING! We got a three course meal for 16 Euro: french onion soup, steak and apple pie. Some people got escargot and creme brulee but I am not into snails and pudding with a crust. Then we headed back towards the hotel and stumbled across the National Academy of Music. You may not know this but, at night Paris is gorgeous. Almost all the old buildings are beautifully lit up including the Eiffel Tower. We haven't ventured to see it since it has been raining but we will soon! Here are some pictures from last night:
Notre Dam:
Just look at those doors....
My French onion soup:
National Academy of Music:
Up close:
Paris at night:
This morning we woke up for a bike tour of Paris. We headed to the Eiffel Tower to meet our tour guide. His name was Costigan, "Costi" for short. And I thought my nick name was bad... I honestly had no clue how large the Eiffel Tower actually is. I mean you hear how tall it is but actually standing under it is a whole different story! It is super hard to get a clean shot of the entire thing close enough to see the details but here are a few:
Once we met up with Costi, we headed to the Fat Tire Bike Tours shop to grab our bikes. Yes Dad, I got you a Fat Tire Bike Tours t-shirt and sticker. Happy early Father's Day! Every bike had a name and mine's was "scarface". I even have proof:
We got sweet red shredders (even though I hate the color red):
I will have to say that I may never ride another beach cruiser again. Once you go Specialized, you never go back. (Unless Lance Armstrong gives me a Trek... just saying...) This tour wasn't as long as some of the other tours we have done but we got to see some really great buildings and Costi was great at making it very entertaining for all of us. A pour family of four had to join us on the bike tour and I was certain they would regret it but we all made them feel like part of the group. Here are some of the sights from today's bike tour:
Costi and is very colorful hat:
Louis XIV's Military school that he built to appease the people who were mad because he was the 17th Century Hugh Hefner. Napoleon actually went to military school here:
Louis XIV was also the longest ruler of France (ruling from age 4 until his death at 76). He built this church during his tenure and had the dome lowered so you could see his calf muscles better. Apparently he was proud of them...
One of the statues on the Ponte Alexandre Bridge:
The gardens outside the Louvre where we had lunch:
The Louvre:
A miniature Arc du Triumph:
Last but not least, a group picture in front of the Eiffel Tower:
After the bike tour we headed to Centre Pompidou. Take a look at this building:
All of the building equipment is on the outside of this building. It is a very weird building and I can appreciate this on an architecture/construction level but I would never build this myself. I guess since it is a museum of modern art, they were looking for an edge? It was pretty cool to walk around inside. I have very little taste for modern art but I did come across one of my favorites: Kandinsky.
I came across a few metal sculptures I liked as well:
Today was super fun and I am excited about tomorrow even though I have no clue what we are doing. I have been just letting myself be surprised each morning pretty much and just reporting for duty when I am told. I am really ready to see the Louvre so maybe I will get lucky!
The food has been really good however, nothing beats Mrs. Seaman's crepes. I am not sure what she puts in her's but the ones over here are pretty bland. I won't be trying to venture into crepe land anymore while in Paris... My french is quite rusty after 6 years; and by rusty I mean non existent. Sorry Mrs. Seaman!
Only a few more days left until I come home! I am ready to see everyone! I hope you guys haven't changed too much on me since I left! No worries, I will be making the rounds to see everyone (you know who you are). Love you all!
Day 37 - Train, train and more train until we got to Paris. Mad dash to hotel and then out on the town! We walked to Notre Dam before splitting ways to eat dinner. A group of us went to the Latin corner across the street from Notre Dam to eat. IT WAS AMAZING! We got a three course meal for 16 Euro: french onion soup, steak and apple pie. Some people got escargot and creme brulee but I am not into snails and pudding with a crust. Then we headed back towards the hotel and stumbled across the National Academy of Music. You may not know this but, at night Paris is gorgeous. Almost all the old buildings are beautifully lit up including the Eiffel Tower. We haven't ventured to see it since it has been raining but we will soon! Here are some pictures from last night:
Notre Dam:
Just look at those doors....
My French onion soup:
National Academy of Music:
Up close:
Paris at night:
This morning we woke up for a bike tour of Paris. We headed to the Eiffel Tower to meet our tour guide. His name was Costigan, "Costi" for short. And I thought my nick name was bad... I honestly had no clue how large the Eiffel Tower actually is. I mean you hear how tall it is but actually standing under it is a whole different story! It is super hard to get a clean shot of the entire thing close enough to see the details but here are a few:
Once we met up with Costi, we headed to the Fat Tire Bike Tours shop to grab our bikes. Yes Dad, I got you a Fat Tire Bike Tours t-shirt and sticker. Happy early Father's Day! Every bike had a name and mine's was "scarface". I even have proof:
We got sweet red shredders (even though I hate the color red):
I will have to say that I may never ride another beach cruiser again. Once you go Specialized, you never go back. (Unless Lance Armstrong gives me a Trek... just saying...) This tour wasn't as long as some of the other tours we have done but we got to see some really great buildings and Costi was great at making it very entertaining for all of us. A pour family of four had to join us on the bike tour and I was certain they would regret it but we all made them feel like part of the group. Here are some of the sights from today's bike tour:
Costi and is very colorful hat:
Louis XIV's Military school that he built to appease the people who were mad because he was the 17th Century Hugh Hefner. Napoleon actually went to military school here:
Louis XIV was also the longest ruler of France (ruling from age 4 until his death at 76). He built this church during his tenure and had the dome lowered so you could see his calf muscles better. Apparently he was proud of them...
One of the statues on the Ponte Alexandre Bridge:
The gardens outside the Louvre where we had lunch:
The Louvre:
A miniature Arc du Triumph:
Last but not least, a group picture in front of the Eiffel Tower:
After the bike tour we headed to Centre Pompidou. Take a look at this building:
All of the building equipment is on the outside of this building. It is a very weird building and I can appreciate this on an architecture/construction level but I would never build this myself. I guess since it is a museum of modern art, they were looking for an edge? It was pretty cool to walk around inside. I have very little taste for modern art but I did come across one of my favorites: Kandinsky.
I came across a few metal sculptures I liked as well:
Today was super fun and I am excited about tomorrow even though I have no clue what we are doing. I have been just letting myself be surprised each morning pretty much and just reporting for duty when I am told. I am really ready to see the Louvre so maybe I will get lucky!
The food has been really good however, nothing beats Mrs. Seaman's crepes. I am not sure what she puts in her's but the ones over here are pretty bland. I won't be trying to venture into crepe land anymore while in Paris... My french is quite rusty after 6 years; and by rusty I mean non existent. Sorry Mrs. Seaman!
Only a few more days left until I come home! I am ready to see everyone! I hope you guys haven't changed too much on me since I left! No worries, I will be making the rounds to see everyone (you know who you are). Love you all!
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