LONDON-PARIS!!!!! All of it in a summary :)

We will post pictures when we have better internet, we are in KFC in Paris right now haha.

This is written by my Mom and I of the past few days :)


December 5, 2009
Dad and I arrived at Heathrow Airport in London about 6 pm and met Scott at the central bus station. We then took the underground to where we thought our hotel was, and then again when we found out where it really was! Our hotel had 2 bedrooms and a kitchen/living area. Scott and I went to a little grocery store and made little microwave pizzas at the hotel.

December 6, 2009
We left the hotel about 8 am and as we started walking through Hyde Park it started pouring rain! We followed some horse guards (watch for loose chippings) through Wellington Arch and ended up at Buckingham Palace. We then walked over toward Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. We ate a muffin and tea/coffee then went to the Sung Eucharist service at Westminster Abbey, where we sat in the actual choir throughout the service. After Westminster we walked over to the National Gallery and saw amazing art! We walked across the Jubilee Bridge and saw the London Eye, Thames River Parliament, and Christmas outdoor shops. We ate at the Silver Cross pub (Scott – fish and chips, Dad and Susan – meat pie) then went by underground to Paddington Station and back to our hotel.

December 7, 2009
We woke up about 7 and left the hotel. We went from Paddington Station (Paddington Bear!) and went to Kings Cross Station where Platform 9 ¾’s is located. After pushing the Harry Potter cart we ate breakfast at the Eurostar station St. Pancras and then went on the train to Paris. We got on, not realizing that we were beginning one of the best train rides ever! We were upgraded to first class, and we got really amazing service. We were first offered drinks, then our lunch menu came - fresh baby greens, rosemary rolls, rhubarb custard with honey butter, sausage or salmon quiche, coffee, wine and tea and chocolates! This for a 2 ½ hour trip! We got to Paris and immediately went to buy our tickets for the metro and found out mastercard had canceled dad’s account. We got the tickets anyway and headed for our hotel in the Bastille. After getting our room we went on the metro again to the Eiffel Tower. We spent 2 hours in line and about an hour at the top most level. It was amazing! It started to rain right after the 8 pm light show and we decided to leave.. We went by metro to St. Michels and saw Notre Dame and ate the most wonderful crepes in the world. We walked around the streets of St. Michel and then around notre Dame. We then came back to the hotel and Scott and Susan watched some Death Note anime!

December 8, 2009
We got a late start and left the hotel about 9 am. We had breakfast at a little pasterie shop in St. Michel then went to the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore. After browsing the bookstore we went into Notre Dame where a service (with a choir) was being held. We walked around the church admiring the amazing stained glass windows and architecture. Then we headed by metro to Versaille – or so we thought. We actually ended up at the end of the wrong line and had to figure out the right place to go when no one around us spoke English. Scott actually figured out all that we needed to do, and we arrived at Versailles palace. We saw the chapel, the hall of mirrors, Loius XIV bedroom, Marie Antoinettes bedroom/salon. We walked through the vast gardens and eventually, after many miles of walking, ended up at Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet hideaway. We took a little tram back to the main palace because we were all too tired to walk anymore. We ate at a little sandwich shop and then got on the train back to Paris. It started raining as soon as we got off on the Champs le Elysse which was completely decked out for Christmas with little shops and tons of lights on all the trees and stores. We walked all the way to the Arch de Triumphe,, were a veteran’s service seemed to be taking place. We took a bunch of pictures and then came back to the Bastille, where we ate fresh crepes as we walked back to the hotel.

December 9, 2009
Today we woke up really late and left about 9:30 from the Bastille Station. We went to the Louvre, but there was a huge line, so we decided we’d eat breakfast at McDonalds first. The McDonalds was right next to the Louvre and we ordered a breakfast special which had a sort of egg mcMuffin, 3 croissant like pastries, yogurt, orange juice and hot chocolate or coffee. The line was much shorter, so we went in the pyramid entrance. The museum workers were on strike, and had blocked off the ticket booths, so we got in for free! We saw pieces from the Parthenon, Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, Jacque Louis David, and lots of others! We bought some postcards and had a drink at Starbucks to fill them out. We decided to go see the Oblelisk, and I told Scott I wanted to go to the Jardin De tullieries, and we happened to be right by the enterance. It was the coolest park! Lots of chairs, and thousands of trees! We happened to walk by a little museum so we just got in line and it was amazing! It was the Orangerie Museum and We saw the original Water Lilies by Monet, Picassos, Renoir, Derain, Cezanne and others! After the museum, we did go to the Obelisk and then we walked down the Champs Elyssee again and got roasted chestnuts! My feet hurt and I was really tired, so we got on the underground and went back to the Bastille by metro. Scott went to a grocery store and I fell asleep!

December 10, 2009
We woke up and packed everything up, then went by metro to Montmarte, which is a huge chapel located on a hill overlooking all of paris. We toured the amazing chapel and walked around the little village where many famous artists lived. We went to the eiffel tower, and then headed to Scott's teacher's place to pick up his guitar and suitcase. We got there early and are sitting in a KFC waiting! We get on the overnight train tonight for Venice, Italy.


Song of the Day

il est ne le divine enfant- we heard it on the way up the hill to Montmarte