Frenchmen and Wine, Days 8-10

I loved that the wine was all just tossed in random baskets. Day 8

Day 9 the amazing piller by the Ritz.
Day 10, tres french! Adorable old frenchmen stolling by Napoleans Tomb while we had a picnic lunch

Photos of Day 4, 5, 6, 7

Summing up the first week,

Day 5 the street where we live

Day 6 Light dancing on the walls of Notre Dame

Day 7 My own frenchman, on the streets of Montmartre.

***Sorry, some trouble with Day 4 Pic of the day, it will be coming soon.

A Few of my Favorite Things

After two weeks in Paris I am officially Smitten. A hard lesson learned is that no one should have buttery warm crissonts, brioche and 2 bagettes everyday, its jut not healthy. Yet it's just so good.

Going to be posting my chosen photos of the day for our time in Paris. Below is Paris day 1 , our first glance of the tower, Paris day 2 the tower glowing at night, and Paris day 3 inside Sacre Coeur.

Wish You Were Here

We're having such a wonderful time theres hardly a second to spare to edit photos. I just put a few new ones on flickr. Click the side bar link and go have a look!

If Only She Had a Monkey

Just by Sacre Coeur we stumbled upon this performer. It made our day.

Technical Difficulty

Having some trouble with all of my pictures getting from the computer to the blog... coming soon, beautiful photos that match all the posts. In the mean time be sure to click the side bar link to my flickr page to see whats up there!

Montmartre

Took ourselves on a tour of our new neighborhood today. With a the stairs and hills we will be in such good shape! We had our first glimpse of the Eiffle Tower and listened to an amazing street performer. And for lunch? Baguettes, sliced pork tureen, brie de meux, sliced apple, white wine, cornichons, and for desert? Ice cream.

Welcome to Paris

Our first day in Paris was spent search for a bank, then searching for wifi, then going to bed very, very early. We were spent from the late night in London and the early morning on the train. But we have big plans for the rest of the month. We have a small Bachelor flat half a block from Sacre Coeur. I already know I'll never want to leave.

How Wicked

We spent the morning looking around town, we walked through the National Gallery and it was a bit over whelming so much to see. And think of how much more the Louvre will be.
I found a few artists I'd never heard of and loved; George Stubbs painted a life sized racing horse called Whistlejacket. It could have leaped off the canvas, from a meter away it could have been a full taxidermist horse. The other was, and I love this name, Hans Holbein the Younger who painted 'A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling' , just a girl hanging out with her pet squirrel. Love it!
Went to see the Buckingham Palace and was disappointed. There was no changing of the guards, the few that were there were dressed in faded navy, not the bright red you see in pictures and there were far too many people. Considering how beautiful all the other buildings were, it was just alright and a bit small, we didn't stay long. The evening held our first London musical! We went to see Wicked and it was splendid. Sort of a twist on the Wizard of Oz. The sets and costumes were full of colour, the music was so much fun and the whole show was fantastic. We splurged and sat front and centre, perfect view.
And tomorrow we head to Paris.

Best Meal Ever!

We ate at the best restaurant I have ever walked into. Cousin Peter is a good fellow to know. We were dining with all the important people of London, among them Margaret Thatcher's right hand man, whose name I can't remember. Peter knew the chef so we were spoiled! The moment we sat down were we brought 5 plates of AMAZING tasting dishes, parma ham, buffalo mozzarella with olives, tuna carpaccio with capers, zucchini frites, scallops in beautiful dishes like shells... and that was before we even saw the menu! By then I was full. We had a first course of pasta veal ragout and jumped to desert, as there is always room for desert.
When we dragged our over stuffed selves out we went walking the River Thames while everything was lit up and music was playing. Yes, I do like London.
Tomorrow we'll see it all by day light.

London

Granted I was quite ill for the first night in London, we spent the first morning and afternoon walking around Notting Hill and Portobello Road. We're lucky enough to be staying with a lovely cousin of Matts, Peter, he's an up and coming director who happens to live near the area. We did find the Travel Bookshop thay Hugh Grant worked at in the movie Notting Hill..."I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." Just a little cheese...
We also found some other lovely shops, full of beautiful and expensive dresses, jams, flowers, lovely non travel related bookshops and ended up having lunch in the Organic Kitchen. It was just what we needed, rustic, delicious food, just like home.
What a lovely day, and it's not quite done.

And They're Off

The ferry ride went well, we watch Quarantine on our computer until the battery died, right in the middle of the movie at a very frightening and tense part. C' est la vie as the french say. Matt's very excited, I'm pretty anxious for the flight to come and go smoothly, but under all my tenseness is a bundle of excitement.

Here we are, jet setters on the ferry to Vancouver... next stop, Manchester!