1572

My final day in Paris was mostly spent on the Left Bank wandering the Latin Quarter and revisiting the Luxembourg Gardens. So pretty on such a sunny day. Now to go upstairs to pack as I’m off to Dubrovnik tomorrow. I’ve had a wonderful week in Paris and will post further piccies once I get home in December.

Read Full Post »

Here is the second of the pic spam of Paris –

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

On the one sunny day so far in Paris.
Vaux le Vicomte –

The church at Auvers painted by Van Gogh –

The lilypond at Giverny –

Monet’s House at Giverny –

Flowers of Giverny –





Palais Royale –

Musee de Carnavalet, the Marais –

Hotel Sens, the Marais –

Read Full Post »

1571

Here is the second of the pic spam of Paris –

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

On the one sunny day so far in Paris.
Vaux le Vicomte –

The church at Auvers painted by Van Gogh –

The lilypond at Giverny –

Monet’s House at Giverny –

Flowers of Giverny –





Palais Royale –

Musee de Carnavalet, the Marais –

Hotel Sens, the Marais –

Read Full Post »

My trip to the country

Thought I was on the ball with my trip out to Melun to go to Vaux le Vicomte but I did not figure on trackwork and ended up in a bus visiting villages south of Paris I never expected to see. Well I got there eventually and it was a little more rushed than I wanted it to be.

Vaux le Vicomte is less monumental than Versailles but I can see why Louis got suspicious of Fouquet after viewing it.Off to Giverny tomorrow.

Read Full Post »

My trip to the country

Thought I was on the ball with my trip out to Melun to go to Vaux le Vicomte but I did not figure on trackwork and ended up in a bus visiting villages south of Paris I never expected to see. Well I got there eventually and it was a little more rushed than I wanted it to be.

Vaux le Vicomte is less monumental than Versailles but I can see why Louis got suspicious of Fouquet after viewing it.Off to Giverny tomorrow.

Read Full Post »

Major Holiday Pic Spam

A few pics from Hanover and some from Paris –

Hanover Pics – only Elke might know these –

Paris Pics all fairly easy except for one that I forgot to mention one musee in my previous post, but everyone knows the statue surely –

Read Full Post »

Major Holiday Pic Spam

A few pics from Hanover and some from Paris –

Hanover Pics – only Elke might know these –

Paris Pics all fairly easy except for one that I forgot to mention one musee in my previous post, but everyone knows the statue surely –

Read Full Post »

Paris Update

After a wonderful few days in Germany with esteven viewing the beauties of Hanover – lovely gardens and interesting churches and huge town hall (very impressive and grand) and the lovely surrounding countryside with an interesting side trip to a former border crossing between the old East & West Germany(rather chilling really). Everyone should visit but it is best if you can find a local to show you the highlights. I had a very thorough and quite excellent guide.*g* with especial interest in M&C – super added value.

So yesterday arrived in Paris and spent the day wandering on the Ile de la Cite and Ile St Louis and along Rue St Honore, Les Halles and the local area in the 8th Arrondissement thanks to some extra time given to me by taking the night train to Paris instead of my intended flights. Very nice hotel with friendly staff and a good location. I visited the Conciergerie, Ste Chappelle and Notre Dame on Ile de la Cite but had one look at the queues for the Notre Dame Towers and gave it up and went to wander the Ile St Louis and taste the delicious ice cream.

Today I went all military, marine & monumental. First I walked to the Arc de Triomphe – they were having a commemorative ceremony there at the time and then climbed to the top (huffing & puffing all the way and getting extremely dizzy). Great views and then to the Musee de Marine for all things French nautical (will be able to make a comparison to the English when I get to Greenwich & Portsmouth). Then on down to the Eiffel Tower but decided against the ascent with truly horrible queues. Onto Les Invalides and Napoleon’s tomb – impressive but seemed very pompous. I know it wasn’t his idea but all the same should it have been converted into the private burial place of the Bonaparte dynasty? I’m sure though that he would approve but Stephen M. would be so annoyed he might have harboured some incendiary ideas. *g*

Off then to the Pantheon, also terribly monumental and I guess the equivalent of Westminister Abbey and finally to the Medieval History Museum, way too late in the day for me to take it all in. My eyes started to glaze over. Such concentrated touristing tires me out. Returned to my hotel after buying some truly naughty cakes in a patisserie. Off to Vaux le Vicomte tomorrow.

Read Full Post »

Paris Update

After a wonderful few days in Germany with viewing the beauties of Hanover – lovely gardens and interesting churches and huge town hall (very impressive and grand) and the lovely surrounding countryside with an interesting side trip to a former border crossing between the old East & West Germany(rather chilling really). Everyone should visit but it is best if you can find a local to show you the highlights. I had a very thorough and quite excellent guide.*g* with especial interest in M&C – super added value.

So yesterday arrived in Paris and spent the day wandering on the Ile de la Cite and Ile St Louis and along Rue St Honore, Les Halles and the local area in the 8th Arrondissement thanks to some extra time given to me by taking the night train to Paris instead of my intended flights. Very nice hotel with friendly staff and a good location. I visited the Conciergerie, Ste Chappelle and Notre Dame on Ile de la Cite but had one look at the queues for the Notre Dame Towers and gave it up and went to wander the Ile St Louis and taste the delicious ice cream.

Today I went all military, marine & monumental. First I walked to the Arc de Triomphe – they were having a commemorative ceremony there at the time and then climbed to the top (huffing & puffing all the way and getting extremely dizzy). Great views and then to the Musee de Marine for all things French nautical (will be able to make a comparison to the English when I get to Greenwich & Portsmouth). Then on down to the Eiffel Tower but decided against the ascent with truly horrible queues. Onto Les Invalides and Napoleon’s tomb – impressive but seemed very pompous. I know it wasn’t his idea but all the same should it have been converted into the private burial place of the Bonaparte dynasty? I’m sure though that he would approve but Stephen M. would be so annoyed he might have harboured some incendiary ideas. *g*

Off then to the Pantheon, also terribly monumental and I guess the equivalent of Westminister Abbey and finally to the Medieval History Museum, way too late in the day for me to take it all in. My eyes started to glaze over. Such concentrated touristing tires me out. Returned to my hotel after buying some truly naughty cakes in a patisserie. Off to Vaux le Vicomte tomorrow.

Read Full Post »

I left Quito a few days ago and am now at esteven‘s place after a brief overnight in Nice. esteven showed me around Hanover yesterday and I saw some beautiful parks and magnificent buildings. Here are a few of my pictures from the Galapagos and an obligatory photo of llama and alpaca from just below Cotopaxi volcano. See behind the cut –

Read Full Post »