France, Trip Coming to an End

I am writing this from the airport waiting to get on the “Monster 380”  heading for Los Angeles. 

Up at 5 a.m. and finished packing, got our luggage to the lobby, ate a leisurely breakfast and the taxi to Charles De Galle  was only 12 minutes late.  Light traffic to the airport and fast friendly check in.  Fun to watch people trying to cut lines, carry too much on the plane etc.  The same all over the world. 

Although we are not yet home, I must say that 98% of the French people treated us with great friendliness and respect.  We had a great time.  The food is expensive but so well thought out and delicious.  Couldn’t have asked for more.  What a City.

Paris:  A city full of cathedrals with no parishioners other than tourists .  A city of people who love their language and monuments.  The older are white the young are every color, creed and religion.  The young DRINK wine by the bottle not glass.  The Metro is the best underground system we have ever used.  Very busy but very inexpensive.  Best museums we have ever seen.  Exceptional trip. 

Home at last.  Good flight. 

 

France, Day 7, Saturday, October 4, 2014

Now this was a day that we actually expected when we planned our packing for France in the Fall.  Cool and clear in the morning and rain in the evening.  No longer did we wish for our t-shirts and shorts that we had left at home. 

		Musee D Orse VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We left after breakfast jumped on the Metro and headed off to the Musee D Orse, a museum full of impressionist art.  Libby was in her glory;  Renoir, Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Rodin etc.  The museum was a huge old train station and though busy, it was large enough that you could take time to enjoy.  We were not allowed to take photos of the painting but it was an outstanding place to visit.

It was about lunch time and we stopped at a restaurant and had a wonderful Italian lunch.  The picture says it all as we sat outside to watch Paris flow by.

We had a quiet sleepy afternoon with a nap and off again on the metro for mass at Notre Dame at 6:30 pm.

The downtown area of Paris was a zoo!  Literally 1000’s of people eating in the parks, squares and everywhere;  One thing we did notice is NO ONE eats in the underground.  Not allowed ever. 

Great Day

 

France, Days 5, 6 Thursday, Friday October 2014

		Notre Dame/Seine Cruise VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We were so busy the last couple of days that we had no time to post a blog of any kind.  Thursday, Day 5, was a morning visit to Notre Dame Cathedral and the surrounding area’s.  In the evening ate at one of the famous restaurants in all of Paris, Pharamond and then a Seine boat tour from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m..

On Friday, Day 6, Friday we left the room at 5:30 a.m. for the Metro underground and  the day on a looooog bus tour to the Normandie beaches and arrive back at the hotel 10 p.m…16+ hours.  Exhausting. 

 

		Normandie Beaches VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

France…Day 4, Wednesday

Today was the Louvre Museum.   Early breakfast, bus to the the Louvre and it was huge. 

Extremely well organized including airport like security. A beautiful building(s) that seem to have just enough antiquities that does not overwhelm the building which is a beauty to behold itself.
Our guide was adequate in her English but was very nervous. We scratched the highlights in two buildings. There is just so much to see that you are overwhelmed. There is a crush of people in the museum but not nearly as bad as the Versailles Palace.
The Tulleries Gardens, adjacent to the museum gives some insight on how the French live. It was lunch time and the office workers located around the park were eating their lunches, some even stripped down to sun bathing, others napping in surrounding we pay $1000’s to visit. Life is hard.
The Metro…underground…pops up inside the museum and in the Tulleries Gardens. Very inexpensive way to come and go. Oh yes about the underground. Clean, organized, fast and reasonably priced.

We took a long walk this evening and picked up some food to each in our room.  It was good.  Good day.