Arrived in England

Arrived in London via Eurostar. Nothing exciting except that we changed seat so if the Chunnel had blown up our luggage would have been tagged to the wrong people. Arrived at the Tavistock and had a room near the garbage and machinery but they changed it when we complained. When down to Victoria station and went to Westminster cathedral and Westminster Abbey outside too late to go in to the abbey. We had fish and chip dinner at Albert Pub on Victoria and came back to the hotel. We have a separate router and washroom which is good as the shower sprays the whole room. Good bye for mow.

Vimy Ridge - the Canadian Memorial

Up early so we could make the train for Arras. The websites said if you didn't rent a car a taxi was about €25 and they were right, including a tip. We are experienced travelers when talking about trains in Europe so we had mo trouble. We went to the visits center and bought postcards and pins and signed up for the tour of the tunnels and trenches. Very interesting guide from Ottawa university. After the tour we walked four kilometers to the Memorial which is on a height of land. It is very pristine and beautiful and we had it almost to ourselves, but it is very emotional and sad to see the thousands of names of the dead. I. Found a Leonard and a Warriner (my grandparents names) probably not related but same name. Our taxi came back when we had the guide call him and we bought our return ticket and had a sandwich in the bar at the station. When we arrived back in Paris we decided to go downtown (near the river) for dinner. Didn't have dinner but found great area to explore and found the Center Pompidou - really ugly from up above but very colorful. Looks like a parking garage full of blue cars from Montparnasse tower. We had a beer at what I think was a strip joint but we were sitting outside. There was a jazz club opposite it.
Decided to go home and eat in the neighborhood. Found a really nice restaurant down the street hiding behind a hotel and food market. The man offered us the house specialty and we said ok. Big mistake another CroqueMonseiur! If I see more ham and cheese I will croak! It is all Parisian restaurants serve. We are getting packed to go to London tomorrow so au revoir.

Supposedly easy day in Paris

We slept in this morning until 10 am, of course that was after I had gone out at 8 for fresh baked croissants. We finally left around eleven and explored the area around Hotel de Ville. I bought a watch and found Jacques Tower. Took lots of pics. we also found the smellier washroom in Paris. Drifted over to Notre dame to meet a student guide that would take us on a walking tour of the left bank. Ate a banana crepe. But it wasn't as good as others have been, square and dry. The tour was interesting but the guide was a little immature. It was. Hard keeping up with a 20 year old. Went to Luxembourg Gardens - ok but not gorgeous.
Headed home to do laundry and eat grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and do the laundry.
Peggy says the other customer was doing laundry for his girlfriend and him, but maybe he was a crossdresser. He helped us open the washer when it got stuck, so he was a nice guy. We are off to Vimy tomorrow. Good night. Wish I could add pictures.

Higher and higher - to the top of Paris

We began the day by sleeping in. Then up and off we went. We found a laundry down the street so tomorrow is laundry day. Today is the day we go high.
First we headed for Montparnasse Tower. Fifty-six floors by elevator and three more by stairs. The stairs even showed how many metres you were rising. You had to go up or you couldn't see 360 degrees. Lots of pictures and ate lunch up on the observation deck. Later we came down and found an open market at the foot of it. Had fun exploring it and decided to head toward the Eiffel Tower to find a beer.
After a rest we walked down to les Invalides and walked in the gardens. I didn't care to see where Napoleon was buried so we didn't pay to go in.
Checked out the weird public toilet that washes itself between uses. The seat gets wet. But at Least it is free and clean.
Walked down the length of the Champs de Mars one of the few parks where you can walk on the grass. Kids and families having fun. Had quiche for supper at a nice restaurant where they charge .50 to use the washroom and no paper towels!
Met a couple from Port Hope going to the Eiffel tower as well. We got in line early and got up before our appointment. Took lots of pics and waited for it to light up and flash then came down and took a few more pics and headed to the hotel - tired but happy. Willpost pics on Facebook.

Versailles and Sacre Couer

This was the day we picked for Versailles and the weather has been beautiful. We found the right train station and figured out how to use the machine for the ticket. Didn't have enough change so it was credit card time. When we arrived at Versailles Rive Gauche the ticket lineup was huge. I found another ticket office around the corner - shorter line.
Versailles gives a person overload. There is too much of everything. I said I would only want a few hours and I was right. All those rooms and paintings and furniture and gold are too much.
After Versatile we grabbed a very late lunch at the best price place in town - McDonald's! Headed back into the city to check out a quilt shop near Notre Dame but it was still closed. We experienced the weirdest washroom in the country. Four black attendants yelling at the top of their lungs to each other while directing people to stalls.
Next we decided to try Sacre Coeur and the quilt shop near it. Of course I got us lost and it is not in the best neighborhood but we finally found the quilt shop and we bought some fabric. We took the funicular up to Sacre Coeur which saves about half the steps -just half. No photos allowed inside but we took lots outside. We stayed for Mass and then went souvenir hunting - which was more of the same as we did that all day too.
We stopped for dinner at La Chappe - spaghetti and beer. More tomorrow pictures on facebook

Second day in Paris

Beautiful day in Paris. We chose to go to the Louvre first thing in the morning. Huge lineup until I remembered there was another entrance. The guide said it might be just as busy but there was no lineup at all. We were even in the proper wing for the Mona Lisa. I recognized a Carvaggio. Surprised myself! Got lost trying to leave the Louvre but finally made it out.
Walked down by the river and explored the book stalls along the Seine. Next we had lunch and headed for Notre Dame. Took pictures of the rose windows and the flying buttresses outside. Off we went again to find a quilt shop. It was closed. Another hike -this time uphill to find the Pantheon. I deserved a beer for that climb! After checking out Foucault's pendulum (the pendulum doesn't sway the earth moves)we finally had that beer. We asked about wifi but the waiter didn't understand until I pointed to my iPod. In France it is called wee fee - not wifi.
After that we stopped for supper and more beer , took the subway home, bought more beer and headed the wrong way up the street. Turned around and found the hotel.
Along with the beer we got coffee for morning. I will go out for fresh buns in the morning.
Off to Versailles tomorrow.

First Day in Paris

First day in Paris - got lost already. Got unlost and found the hotel. The problem was the stairs up, stairs down, stairs everywhere in the Metro. Had short nap and then went out. We took a long walk up the Champs Elysee - a very long walk, right to the Arc de Triumphe. Had a delicious cinnamon sugar crepe from a street vendor and headed back to the hotel. Found a grocery store to stock up on wine, bread and other necessities. Got lost again but not for long, found the most delicious bakery and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow the Louvre, Notre Dame and a quilt shop. I bought a pair of earrings on the Champs Elysee. Lost one of my Irish ones
Goodnight will write tomorrow. Having difficulty blogging.