Campanile - Melun Dammarie Les Île-de-France

Spent a bunch of time just walking around the parks and the area around the Louvre. Tried to buy some items to add to my collection, but ran into credit card problems. About a week ago my card was compromised, but they ensured me I would be able to continue to use it until the new one arrived. I even called them to authorize a charge, but the French visa people weren't allowing it to go through. Oh well, I guess I'll keep that money for something else.

... that we happened upon another EF tour guide in the airport waiting for her group. So, finally we had a contact. So, she got in touch with the right people, and eventually EF agreed to re-inburse us if we paid for Taxi's. We say ok...we just want to get out of the airport. So, we go out to find Taxis. However, the French like to strike, and it just so happened that the Taxi drivers were on strike! OF COURSE!!! So we finally convince some to ...

... Alexander Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, which I saw at the Bastille Opera five years ago with my grandma! I toured the Fragonard Museum with a Russian group and learned all about perfumes. Fragonard is a perfume company that only sells its products in France, distinguishing it from other brands and giving it a superiority complex. I didn't like their perfumes much, but it was very interesting to learn about the different processes, flasks, etc; for instance, animal fat ...

... last forever. We walked down the middle of it for as long as we could stand. But it was utter chaos, and the kids were in a line behind me each holding on to the other and then on to me so they wouldn't be swallowed by the buzzing crowd. The vendors shouting from both sides trying to get you to buy their goods added to the pandemonium. That was one open air market I never want to experience again. We finally made it to Pere Lachaise. We entered up the steps, not quite knowing what to ...

... drawl/commentary, so if we haaad waited another 30 minutes for this I think I would have shot someone just as did Wild Bill Hiccock.. if only he knew what they did to immortalize him in this Park I swear he would roll in his stirrups!! I managed to get myself on a rollercoaster so i was very proud of myself.. though SpaceMountain was just tooo big a challenge thiiis time! Anyway fun was had by all.. Having seen Mum off to her new apartment also in a great ...

Sion: Journée Versailles: We got an early start today, and once we had our nutrional picnic lunches (sandwich fromage beurre, chips, pomme, gateaux sec), we were off to spend a day in the life of royalty. The ooo's and ahhhh's were audible as we approached the palace, as were the beeps from a multitude of cameras as we made our way from room to room. We found a spot on the steps overlooking the gardens ...

... in and could understand the menu, but we finally came across an Italian place to eat.....it was perfect. After dinner and some wine, Pistol and i decided to take a walk to the Eiffel Tower. Why not see it at night-time. But on the way there, we came across one of the best things about Paris...the Automatic Bike Rental Machines with lines of bikes ready to go.... We ran back to the hotel for ...

... I had a lovely trip; the train ride was very scenic and I had some great company. I was traveling first class on a TGV train, which is France's high speed train: this was my first trip on a high speed train of any sort, and I highly enjoyed it. Towards the end of the ride into Paris I started talking to the lady sitting next to me. She was a middle aged woman, also a solo traveler, from Besancon. By this time I had already traveled to Besancon ...

Terveisiä La Gravesta! Täällä ollaan taas kahdeksan kuukauden tauon jälkeen ja oikeastaan tuntuu, ettei oltais poissa oltukaan paitsi laskutuntuman perusteella...mutta ensin vähän kuulumisia lähdöstä ja matkustamisesta. Perinteisin menoin läksiäisiämme vietettiin edellisenä lauantaina ja pikku hiljaa alkoi konkretisoitumaan, että ihan heti ei nähdäkään taas monia ihmisiä. Viimeiset päivät meni ahkerasti caseja hoidellessa, sisaruksia ja perhettä moikkailemassa ja viimeisiä aterioita ...

... about Paris was the small cafe where we had croissants and coffee for breakfast, having cocktails on the Champs Elysees and watching the the locals. The woman in Paris amaze me, they dress with a incredible understated syle and carry themselves with a confidence that borders on arrogance that only the French seem to have. No wonder they are such good lovers Anyway hope to here from you all soon... Next stop maybe Rome. Love Jeanette and Brendon