Paris! June 30, 2011

We slept in a bit...but couldn't miss breakfast again.....Jerry and I almost did because I can't get my alarm on my iPad to work..... Another glitch in plans. Anyhow,real French croissants this a.m...


It was cute...after the croissant and coffee, Mia and Jerry were still sitting there waiting for the eggs etc....I had to explain what a continental breakfast was.
The Louvre is too much of a crazy circus for me ..never mind the lines. So we decide to go to the Musee D'Orsay. It is about a 30 minute walk from our hotel along the Siene to the museum. They have a Manet exhibit and I decide to focus on the quality versus quantity of the art so we limit ourselves to Manet.



He is considered the father of modern painting and was much more a creative leader than Monet, Gauguin etc. The girls have not much experience in art museums living where we do...so all in all, the did pretty well.
Afterwards, we ate at a small cafe where they were supposed to have great "pomme frites"- French fries. Anyhow, I think all the fries..indeed all the food ....is fantastic in Paris.
And after this it all goes downhill....or at least flat for VERY long time. Anyhow, it was one of those days where you decide to head for something to see...it is further than you think..but you keep walking. Then, there's another site to see which looks only a little bit further.....anyhow, we walked about 10 miles today. We had some grumpy girls for a while....If only they would drink coffee they could deal with the walking of traveling! Through it all, we went through the Tuilleries, the Place de Concord, where they had the executions during the French Revolution, but it looks much more inviting now...



And the ENTIRE length of the Champs d'Ellesyee to the Arc d' Triomphe....



The highlight of the day was when we.... Or me desperate to energize my kids....come upon a fancy historic " tea house" about halfway up the Champs d'Elysee called Laduree.


It was like a mini Versailles that serves the most adorable pastries, cookies and cream puffs!



Then we took the Metro back to the hotel..again managing for it to be rush hour and it was very cramped. We got off the metro early and decided to walk the treat of the way and got detoured in a street market. Grace found some neat French scarves. Finally, home /hotel. It was like an Outward Bound day. After a nap that recharged everyone, we had a nice dinner in our hotel's restaurant and we are excited about going to Frankfurt on the 7 a.m. train.
Our hotel on the Rive Gauche....


Paris has made quite an impression. Grace is planning to study French and be an au pair in Paris next year. At dinner, Mia said, " I want to bring all my friends to Paris, scr€w Greece." I don't think Makayla has quite forgiven me for making her walk so much today. :)
-Mom, Coach and Tour Guide

Location:All over Paris

To Paris- Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Everyone got a good night's sleep. The sun is up early this far north and the birds go crazy at about 6 a.m. in the park across the street- we have our windows open and it is very pleasant to doze and remember you are in London on the start of a great adventure.
We get the times mixed up for breakfast (start keeping track of of all the plans that go awry) and we don't get eggs, bacon etc.....just cereal, coffee and toast. But breakfast is in a beautiful little room in the hotel looking out on the park......





We make our way to St. Pancras Station (of Harry Potter fame) to catch the Eurostar to Paris.


It is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel and we stop and buy food and drink for a picnic on the train.


It is about a 2.5 hour trip to Paris.....we go underwater through the English Channel. But, unlike Disneyland, we won't be viewing fishes through the window....
The girls play cards on the Eurostar to Paris.....




Yummy picnic lunch on board while viewing northern France out the window...







We get to Paris and we have a cute little hotel on the left bank. The girls have a view of Notre Dame out their window on the top floor of the hotel (the downside was that they had to carry their luggage up 5 flights of stairs).



We visit Notre Dame cathedral....site of Victor Hugo's ( or Disney's) great story. There is a mass going on inside with incense burning....Mia says it smells like Christmas. This is the girls' first cathedral and they are sufficiently impressed.
We take a break and get cafe au lait and pain au chocolate. The girls love it! My French is stilted but it's coming back!




We take the Batobus....a hop on and off ferry on the Seine...never done that before. It is a beautiful way to get around Paris.


We go to the Eiffel Tour....too long a line but we walk around in the Invalides Garden and get some good photos.



Again, partly becasue the sun is up late and there is lots to do, we don't stop to eat dinner until around 10:00 p.m. We try a restaurant recommended on line near our hotel. It is classic French....just a few things on the menu but everything prepared with quality and perfection. They offer a taste of a soup for an appetizer....all the girls fall in love with it. We want to order it for dinner and they seem shocked....like it was only a teasing taste...not to order. But they acododate us with two bowls and the girls' all share.




After a very nice 2 hour dinner...Grace announces Paris is her favorite place and she wants to live here. After a very long day, we get to bed around midnight..

-Mom, Coach and Tour Guid

Location:St. Pancreas Station, London to Rive Gauche, Paris, France

London- Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Everyone is exited about the trip at the airport..


But after a 10 hour flight, you lose a bit of the excitement....... There was such a lack of excitement that we took no photos. We flew Virgin Atlantic and they have a personal seat back entertainment system. You can chose to watch about 100 movies......current ones! Our topic of conversation after the flight was, "what movies did you watch?"

It was a 90 minute wait to get through UK immigration. Very few Americans. It is interesting to pass the time and guess what countries everyone is from and their stories. I couldn't help thinking a flash mob performance would be a perfect antidote to the frustration and boredom. But we'd likely all be arrested......

Last time in London we took a taxi to the hotel from Heathrow. This time we elected to take the "tube" - London's subway. It took a while (30 min. to walk to the station and buy your ticket then about a 50 minute ride) but it was a great experience. You start out above ground and see the green English countryside - so different than socal. Then as you approach London, the train becomes fuller and fuller with all types of folks...you literally are slowly being pressed upon with British culture. It was a bit wild but actually turned out to be a great way to adjust to that fact that you we're now going to be in London!
Here is Makayla looking a bit tired on the tube.....



We walked to our hotel from the tube station...it is darling in a little green square/park on a half-moon street.
Then we found a nearby street with pubs and outdoor cares. They don't let kids into pubs after 5 p.m, so our dream of fish and chips (and a pint for Jerry and I) did not come to pass. Nonetheless, we had a nice meal at an Italian restaurant sitting on the sidewalk and watching the locals pass.


And Jerry got his British beer:




After very long day of 24 hours of traveling, we crash for the night.

-Mom, Coach and Tour Guide Mary

Location:Cartwright Gardens,Camden Town,United Kingdom

Girls rock!

We watched a couple of games already on television. This is a historic year for support of women's soccer...it's never been so big and popular. We are excited to be part of this!

Location:Lax

Driving to Airport!

If you travel, you know that in the week before you leave, your " to do" list keeps getting longer and the days get shorter. But somehow, we manage to leave home and make our flight. If we are lucky, we have friends that help us and if we aren't so lucky, we learn that maybe somethings on our "to do" list were't so necessary after all. All your really need to leave is a passport and credit cards...... (my mother once left her passport and credit cards sitting in the driveway on the way to the airport. Somehow she even managed to get by.








-Mom, Coach and Tour guide Mary

Location:Cochran Ave,Riverside,United States