Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?

Bonjour our friends!

Our day actually began with a trip to a nearby Internet café in order to print, sign and fax back our paper work for our new corporation for our Togo’s sandwich shop. Things have been moving forward while we’ve been gone, thank goodness, and thanks to today’s technology, being out of the country has not been a problem.

The Lourve was the next stop. The crowds were huge, but thanks to our Museum Pass, we were able to avoid the ticket lines and walk right in. The place is absolutely amazing. I think a person could spend a week there and still not see everything. We made sure to see the “gotta sees” like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo as well as the sculptures, Italian paintings, Egyptian art, Asia/Africa/Americas, and a few others. The Mona Lisa had a huge crowd in front of it. The painting is behind glass and the area is roped off so people won't get too close. I think we have a better photo on the other camera, but it's difficult to focus on given the size, distance, and reflections in the glass. But this photo is the real thing. We also took in Napoleon III’s apartments, absolutely spectacular. When we came out of the Louvre, the rainy skies had parted and we had some beautiful blue sky, so we took some more photos of the area.

We then took the Metro over to Sainte Chapelle. It is cathedral from medieval times with incredible stained glass work. A section of the chapel was under renovation, but there was still a lot of glass to marvel at. The cathedral is surrounded by the Palace of Justice which was built in 1776. We wandered around a bit and ended up in an area where groups of people were waiting for court. There were police mixed in among them. It was quite an interesting atmosphere. We decided we were probably beyond the tourist area, so made a hasty retreat.

Given the chilly, but nice weather, we decided a walk was in order. We walked to the Royal Opera house and on to Galleries Lafayette, a department store spanning several blocks and many stories. It’s so large it has a complete gourmet grocery store on one floor. I think it rivals Harrods in London in size. The stores were very crowded in every department. We’re not so sure the economy is as bad here as it is in the US. We continued the shopping theme and walked to an area that had a shopping mall that had three stories…ALL underground. It just seemed to go and go and go.

Our feet finally screamed, ENOUGH! So we headed to the Metro. The Metro station directly off of the mall is mammoth and is a major connection for many of the lines. The signage is not the best in the French Metro, unlike London’s Tube. There were many times we have had to hunt for the sign we needed. Today, we missed a tunnel somewhere while looking for our line and ended up a long way from our train platform. Not to worry, even though the Metro App (see yesterday’s blog) was of no use at this point, Rich still figured out which lines to take from where we were. We ended up probably walking farther underground to get back to our hotel then we would have if we would have walked directly there above ground. Still, it was an adventure.

It was crepes for dinner AND dessert tonight. Delicious! The French have two types of crepes. One is a buckwheat or salty crepe that is used with cheese, ham, and other ingredients for lunch and dinner. Then there is the crepe that Americans are more familiar with, the crepe sucre, or sweet crepe. We had ours spread with Nutella, magnifique!

Tomorrow is our last full day in Paris. Nikita and Katrin, his “boss” from this last summer selling books, we’ll be joining us for part of the day. We’ve made a good dent in what we wanted to see, so not sure what all we’ll do, but whatever it is, it will be great!

Thanks for reading. Au revoir!
Rich & Will

There's an App for that!

Greetings from Paris everyone!

What a crazy weather day. You would think we were in Southern Oregon! We had wind, rain, sun and cold. After a crazy rain and wind storm this afternoon (during our nap) the skies became completely clear for the first time since we arrived and the temperatures plummeted. It was worth it to see the full moon rising over Notre Dame tonight!

So getting around any big city can be a challenge. Taxi’s are expensive and buses – well, we’ve found them to not be too user friendly. You never know what stop you’re at as they aren’t labeled anywhere. On the other hand, there’s the subway system. The Tube/Underground in London and the Metro in Paris have been a life saver. And YES, there’s an App for that! Before leaving home, Rich downloaded two Apps to his iPhone that have been indispensable. The Apps are simply named Underground and Metro. They have a built in map of their respective subway system, but more importantly, the App will create the best route from one station to another without needing access to the Internet (important for keeping data roaming charges down). All we need is a map that shows the subway stations. In the App, we pick the station where we are starting as well as our destination station, and VOILA! The App creates a route including station names and transfers. It’s been awesome and has made traveling around these metropolitan cities very easy.

So, what did we do today, you ask? We started our day at the Rodin museum. It was an indoor/outdoor museum with many of his sculptures located in the gardens around the old Hotel Biron that houses his other works. The works of Rodin our fascinating and the collection was just the right size for a morning visit. The very first statue on the tour is the famous The Thinker. It sits high on a pedestal with the top of the Eiffel Tower showing behind him.

Next, we walked next door to view the Military museum where Napoleon’s tomb is housed. The building is another gorgeous structure with a huge golden dome. From there, we walked to the Alexander Bridge which has four huge columns, two at each end with statues and gorgeous ornamentation.

While we were at the bridge six police vans and policeman went flying by us. Since sirens are pretty common every day, we didn’t think too much of it. But as we walked further, we could hear what sounded like gun shots, cheering, and loud voices on a PA system. Will noticed it first and realized it sounded like some kind of demonstration. Just down the river from us was one of the government buildings and a hospital. Being the “ambulance chaser” he is at heart, Will set out at a fast pace toward the commotion. Sure enough, when we arrived, we found a full-fledged protest in progress. Most of the protesters were in hospital scrubs and one of the signs had the French word for hospital on it. From what we could tell it was some sort of strike or protest by the hospital workers. What was different was the tone of activism that permeated the area. The police had created a line across the street with their bodies, riot shields, and vehicles. They didn’t let us linger very long before they asked to leave. Just another action packed vacation day for Rich and Will.

We got back on track, walked by the Grand and Petite Palaces, now art museums, but built for the World’s Fair just as the Eiffel Tower was. A stroll up the Champs Elysees led us to lunch and watching people go by on the Champs Elysees.

A quick Metro ride got us to Saint Chappell, a gorgeous cathedral close to Notre Dame, but the line was quite long, so we headed to Notre Dame. We were soon inside the gorgeous cathedral gawking at the amazing architecture and beautiful statues. We discovered that there would be a concert of Gregorian Chants tonight. Now, we’re not huge Gregorian Chant fans, but the thought of hearing a concert in Notre Dame was intriguing. So, we bought tickets with plans to return later this evening.

After a nap during the wild rain storm (timing is everything), we headed to dinner in Little Athens. We ate at a French restaurant and ordered Boeuf Bourguignon, our first. We’re not sure it was up to Julia Child’s standard, but it was still yummy. We have been surprised at the popularity of frites or french fries in France. We had assumed that they were pretty American. We have been served frites with almost every dinner, especially the French meals. This is in addition to the obligatory baguette.

We returned to Notre Dame for the concert. Gregorian Chants are completely acapella, so all that is heard are the singers’ voices. Notre Dame amplifies the voices naturally and the sound travels throughout the cathedral. There are no bad seats, despite the massiveness of the space. The voices tonight were outstanding and very pure. They demonstrated the acoustics by walking throughout the cathedral for several of the numbers. It was beautiful. We could hear them clearly no matter where they were singing. It was quite an experience.

Another gelato after the concert, photos of the full moon over Notre Dame, and we’re ready for bed. Just two more days, and way too much to do and see. Thanks for keeping up with us and for all the positive feedback on the blog.

Bonsoir!
Rich & Will

Chocolat, Chocolat, Chocolat!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Today was our first day in Paris all on our own. Rich successfully ordered breakfast all in French, even though the waiter spoke very good English…still, it was fun.

So, let’s talk about food since we’re on the subject. The French really know how to eat, and you know what they say, “When in Paris…” (or something like that…LOL). You have to love a country where you can have chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner! We started the day with hot chocolate, had a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) mid morning, a crepe au chocolat for lunch and finished dinner off with chocolate ice cream with, of course, chocolate sauce. And their chocolate…Mon Dieu!! We’re not too sure we’ll be home any time soon.

After breakfast we took the Metro up to the Tracadero, a huge building that houses several museums and overlooks the Eiffel Tower. We walked down to the tower, taking plenty of photos on the way, only to find very long lines. We figured we would spend several hours just in line. We were just about to give up when Rich had the idea to pull out the trusty Rick Steve’s travel guide. He recommends the line for the stairs as it is usually much shorter. After tracking lines and figuring out which was which, we discovered he was right! It was only about 15 minutes and we were on our way up the Eiffel Tower. Now, remember that exercise course in London? They have it in Paris as well. There are 360 steps to the first level (and a short break for that pain au chocolat and café au lait), then another 360 steps to the second level for breathtaking views of Paris. Well, no trip to Paris if you don’t go all the way to the top, 1,063 feet above the city. WOW! What a view. Fortunately, although you have to pay for the elevator on the way for the first two levels, going down is free. We spared our feet rode the lift back to terra firma.

After a lunch of crepe au chocolat, we hiked back of the hill and toured the Cité de L’Architecture, or Architecture Museum. It has amazing pieces of art from medieval cathedrals, chateaus, and hotels that were destroyed during the revolution. They have reconstructed entire ceilings, doorways, and murals in the museum. It was quite amazing. What was even more amazing is that Rick Steve’s does not mention it in his list of museums. If you enjoy architecture as we do, it’s a must see.

One more Metro romp took us back to the Arc de Triomphe. This time we pulled out our gym membership card, cleverly disguised as a Paris Museum Pass, and climbed to the 284 steps up to the top of the arch for another 360 degree view of Paris. Arriving back on the ground, we discovered a ceremony going on around the eternal flame. There were dignitaries, military, veterans and school children all assembled to honor those fallen in battle. The group singing at the end (the French national anthem?) was moving.
Remember that fondue pot stuck at the back of your cupboard? Well, the French still use theirs. We had a delicious dinner of two fondues, beef and beer cheese, followed by chocolate sundaes and café au lait. Magnifique!

Bonsoir et au revoir!
Rich & Will

Palm Sunday in Paris

Sunday, March 28 2010

We started our day in the café at our hotel. A breakfast of an omelette (a French staple), café au lait, and croissant was a great way to start the day. Nikita joined us after breakfast, his last day with us until Thursday.

This morning we walked out of our hotel to the sound of a church choir. Across the street from our hotel is a beautiful church. Out of curiosity, we walked around to the front of the church and there was a mass of people with palms and branches. The choir was singing and the church officials were dressed in their regalia, holding tall candles and banners. We then realized it was Palm Sunday! We watched as the church doors opened and the processional began into the church. We went around and entered the side and watched the processional. It was very busy place as people were still coming in while the service began. It was fun hearing the choir and organ in a cathedral-like church. The acoustics were amazing.


From one extreme to another, we left the church and took the Metro to Pigalle – “pig alley.” The area is known for its adult “entertainment.” In the middle of it all is Moulin Rouge, home of burlesque, the French cancan and the Las Vegas style dancing-girls show. Toulouse-Lautrec was known to hang out here and sketch the dancers. We’ve heard the show is really not worth the over-priced admission, so we settled for a photo out front.





It was hiking time again. Above Pigalle is Montmarte and Basilica Sacré-Coeur. Montmarte was the home of the original Bohemians. Painters flocked to the area and even today there are artists selling their works throughout the square. Sacré-Coeur overlooks the city and has gorgeous views…well most of the time. It had started raining pretty heavily and the clouds hung very low over the city. Because of the holiday, crowds were huge around the Basilica. We joined the throngs entering Sacré-Coeur and again were awed by the architecture.

The rain was still coming down when we came out of the Basilica, so after wandering through Place du Tertre (the square with shops, cafes, and artisans) we found a café with an awning and settled in for a cup of hot chocolate while we waited for the rain to pass. The rain finally subsided and we worked our way back down the hill. (Did I mention that we were climbing then descending several huge flights of stairs – again!)




At the bottom of the hill we jumped on the Metro and headed for Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise, final resting place for famous folks such as Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Rossini, Gertrude Stein, Frederic Chopin and around 70,000 other dearly departed. The tombs ranged from ancient and run down to new and shiny. Each tomb typically was the size of a grave but most had several family members stacked inside, an efficient use of real estate.

After a delicious lunch at another café, we walked to Notre Dame again. The crowds were huge here as well with a line that stretched clear across the square. We wouldn’t be able to go in as Nikita had a train to catch. So, we walked back to the hotel where he had left his things and we bid him au revoir and then crashed for a nap.

After a refreshing nap, we headed back to Notre Dame for the evening lights. Once again we were treated to a Palm Sunday event and arrived for the ringing of the bells and the recessional from the evening service. It was quite a treat. We then proceeded to circle the cathedral and took in the beautiful architecture lit for the evening. Need we say, Rich took just a “few” photos?


Our walk led us down the Seine on the left bank where we found a café for dinner. We were “treated” to our first stereo typical rude Frenchman. He was the maitre d' and waiter. Although he spoke English to some, he would not speak English to us. During the course of our dinner we watched him kick out one group that was lingering too long (very un-European), ignore others as they tried to talk to him, and refuse to seat a couple (we’re not sure why). We just kept smiling and saying merci, as well as focusing on a younger, happier waiter and all turned out well for us. We had been advised at home at Barnes & Noble when picking out travel books, to expect the behavior then enjoy it as part of the experience. I must say we did. And, fortunately, this guy was the exception, not the rule. Almost all of the service staff in the restaurants we have eaten in speak some English and have been delightful.

After dinner, we continued to walk and discovered Little Athens. An area of narrow streets/alleys lined with shops and restaurants. It was a very colorful and lively area. We discovered an Italian gelato shop that made cones with gelato shaped like a rose in as many flavors as we wanted. It was delicious!

We ended the day at the sister hotel using their Internet as ours is still down. (Thus this late posting.) We finished up about 12:30 AM and clicked post just as the battery died on the lap top! Timing IS everything!

Au revoir from Paris,
Rich & Will

Our First Day in Paris!

Bonjour our friends!

We started our day very early in London taking a “black cab” to the train station to catch the Eurostar to Paris. It was a bit stressful not knowing the routine of train stations and truly feeling like a foreigner. But all went well. We had a great window seat on the train and once we exited the Chunnel, enjoyed the watching the French countryside going by. Every little town or group of homes had their own beautiful church with a tall steeple somewhere in the middle of the town. We’ve noticed in Europe that the churches and cathedrals are much more a part of the community than in America. People eat their lunch on the grounds, jog or stroll through them, or just sit and meditate. It’s very refreshing to see.

We arrived safely in Paris about 11:00 AM and were greeted at the gate by Nikita, one of our Estonian boys from this last summer, and his new girlfriend Claire. What a treat to be met in a foreign country by a friendly face. We were so glad to see Nikita as we have stayed in close touch with him. He is going to law school in Rouen, France, about an hour train ride from Paris. This was our first time to meet Claire. She was delightful. We spent the afternoon walking around Paris and visiting with them and had lunch in the Marais. We walked by Notre Dame (one block from our hotel!), passed by the Pompidou museum, walked through the grounds of the Musee du Louvre, and through many of the city streets. It was absolutely amazing. What a wonderful city.

Claire had to leave about 4:00, so Nikita took her to the train station then reconnected with us for the evening. We hiked to the Pantheon then to the Luxumbourg Gardens and Palace. Then we went to the Arc de Triomphe, had a wonderful dinner on the Champs-Elysees, then walked to the Eifel Tour, which was all lit for the evening, absolutely FABULOUS! It surpassed all our expectations. To see it for the first time at night was spectacular.

Our hotel is perfect. As I said, it is one block from Notre Dame and the Seine River and located on St. Germain, a busy boulevard full of shops and cafes. We can’t wait to see out on the sidewalk at the café below our room with our café au lait and hot croissant chocolat!

The few words of French Rich knows have already been exhausted, but it does the trick for paying respect the Parisians by attempting their language. The only faux pas today was sitting down at an outside “café” near the Louvre with coffee we had ordered “take away.” Non, non! You pay more to sit at the tables (only one of 20 was being used). So we walked a few feet, grabbed some park chairs and watched the people coming and going from the Louvre. Ahhh…very nice.

It’s off to bed. Daylight savings time starts here in a couple hours, so we’re losing an hour. Can’t wait to explore more of this wonderful city. Nikita will be joining us for most of the day, then heading back to Rouen in the afternoon.

Au Revoir!
Will & Rich

Last Day in London

Greetings from London everyone,

Well, it was bound to happen, the last day in London has come to close. It was another jolly in day in England!

We actually slept in this morning which was much needed. This vacationing thing is hard work! I know, I know...you feel so sorry for us. Once we were able to get out the door we headed to the last big thing on our list that was a must see, St. Paul's Cathedral. WOW! What an incredible structure. When we got there, the clouds even parted so we could get some good photos! Photography is not allowed inside the cathedral, unfortunately. However, I think my iPhone accidentally clicked a couple times.

St. Paul's Cathedral is where Prince Charles and Princess Dianna were married (Westminster Abbey was two small. St. Paul's 2500 seats were filled for the event). We chatted a bit with the ticket seller. She was not at all impressed that the wedding had taken place there, in fact, her response was, "Just look how that turned out." She then went on to tell us that there have been only two royal weddings in St. Paul's. We thought she said the other was Mary I of England who is known as Bloody Mary, but haven't been able to verify that. Her point of the story, if you're royal, DON'T get married in St. Paul's. She was quite funny with her dry British sense of humor and made a delightful start to the tour.

One of the surprises for us at Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, and the other chapels we visited, is that the British entomb people right in the church. There are life size stones in the floor the size of a grave that serve as the tomb stone. These are scattered throughout the church (not in the nave - sanctuary area). St. Paul's actually has a crypt in the basement. The Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon is there, as well as Lord Nelson and many other well known British military figures.

The unique thing about St. Paul's, is that instead of a spire, it has a dome, like many government buildings. After viewing the cathedral floor and the crypt, we hiked up 257 steps to the Whisper Gallery that rings the top of the base of the dome inside the cathedral. The view down below is amazing. It's called the Whisper Gallery because you can sit one side and whisper something and the person clear on the other side of the dome can hear you. No telling secrets up there! Next, we climbed 119 more steps to the Stone Gallery which rings the base of the dome on the outside of the cathedral with spectacular city views through the stone columns...and wind that almost blows you overboard! But wait, there's more...we climbed 152 MORE stairs - iron spiral staircase, to the Golden Gallery at the TOP of the dome - 279 feet above the cathedral floor! The views were fabulous and took the little breath we had completely away. So that's a total of - don't forget the steps up from the crypt, 558 steps! Fortunately, we only had to come down 528 of them back to the cathedral. Whew! No one told us that we were signing up for an exercise program!

Our next stop for the day was Covent Gardens. It's an open air arts and crafts market that grew out of a fruit market in ancient times. We picked up a few items, including a one-of-a-kind hand-painted silk tie for Rich. After Covent Gardens we hiked through the city discovering another open-air market of fruits, vegetables, meats, pastries and other goodies. We also came across another gorgeous chapel in which we got to hear the organist practicing.

Next we hiked to Trafalgar Square, a very impressive plaza in front of the National Gallery. Took tons of pictures, even though the light was getting low. The statues and fountains were beautiful. We could see Big Ben and one tower of the Parliament building from Trafalgar.

Since we had not done enough walking, we hoofed it over to the Piccadilly Circus area to do some shopping and have dinner. We know it's not very British of us, but we ate at the world's busiest T.G.I. Friday's. It was newly remodeled, reopened, and packed!


Needing to walk off a few more pounds after dinner, we walked up into the SOHO area and then strolled along Regent Street, one of the main shopping thoroughfares of London (not that we could afford anything in any of the stores). It was fun just watching the people, the buses and black cabs, and gawking at the beautiful buildings.

So, one thing we did not get use to in London was this whole "keep to the left" thing. We did ride in a taxi on the WRONG side of the road. It was a wild ride! If we had been left to our devices, we probably would not have survived our visit. Since childhood, we have been taught to look left before crossing the street. But NO, not in London. You have to look right because the traffic is coming from the other direction. Fortunately, the British knew we were coming and very kindly painted "Look Right" at every crosswalk for us. If it wasn't for that, we would not be heading to Paris tomorrow. Even in the Tube stations, the signs say keep left, not right. When you meet a Brit on the street, they automatically go to their left instead of right. The problem? I went to my right and ran into more people...trust me, this is not a good way to build good foreign relations.

Well, we've rambled quite a bit tonight. Have to get packing. We head to the train station at 6:30 in the morning. If Paris is half as great as London, we're in for a real treat.

Thank you to all of you who have given us such positive feedback on the our blog. It's fun to know that you are enjoying our trip with us.

The last Cheerio! See you in Paris!

Will and Rich

Windsor Castle

Hey everyone!

Well, we aren't quite as energetic as we were at the beginning of the week. LOL But we still had a great day. We took the train out to Windsor and toured Windsor Castle, the home of Queen Elizabeth II, when she's not at Buckingham Palace. Windsor is a quaint little town at the base of the castle. It has a lot of shops and restaurants for the tourists, but it still has the feel of the English countryside.

Windsor Castle is absolutely amazing. It has the typical castle fortress walls, high towers, battlements, etc. Because the Queen was not in residence, we were able to tour more of the castle than normal. We got to see where the royal banquets are held, where knights are knighted, and where guests are received. The fire of 1992 destroyed a large section of the castle, but it was amazing what was saved. Most all of the art work and furniture was removed before being damaged. The rooms that were burned have been restored to original historical brilliance, and look even better than before they burned. The art work, weapon collections and other museum pieces are incredible. Every room has multiple paintings of royal family members and other notables.

Also on the grounds of Windsor Castle is St. George's Chapel, which is actually a huge beautiful church with incredible architecture. Like Westminster Abbey, there are many royals and others buried there, including King George VI and the Queen Mother Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth's parents.

We had lunch at a British pub in Windsor and headed back to London in the afternoon. This evening, we saw Oliver at the Royal Theater. It was a fantastic production. It seemed appropriate that we saw Oliver for the first time in London.

That's it for the day. Tomorrow is our last day in London. There's till lots to see and, of course, we must do our shopping!

Cheerio!

Rich & Will

A Night at the Theater

Greetings everyone!


It's hard to believe that the week is already half over. Only two more days in London, but still a lot to see.


London is known for its theater, almost as much or more so than Broadway. We were surprised to see the large number of theaters scattered throughout the city. We had already planned on taking in a show, but didn't realize how many there were to choose from. First thing this morning we headed to the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square, not far from Picadilly Circus. We were pleasantly surprised at the selection of shows and the prices. We ended up getting tickets for Billy Elliot tonight and for Oliver tomorrow night. The Billy Elliot show was fantastic! The young man who played Billy was a phenomenal dancer. It was a great evening in a beautiful old London theater called the Victoria Palace.


After picking up the tickets this morning, we noticed we were across the street from the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. We chose to tour the Portrait Gallery and enjoyed seeing original paintings dating back to the 1600's from England's past up through photographic portraits of current British celebrities and royalty.




Back to the Tower of London we went next. Since we were not allowed to explore the night before at the Ceremony of the Keys, we wanted to go back and get a good look around. The Tower of London is actually many towers that made up a fortress and home for many of the early monarchs. It was also a prison and the site of several beheadings, including Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of Henry VIII's wives. Today, the site is mostly a museum and tourist attraction; however, the royal crown jewels are still secured there. The modern day vault is huge with two massive doors. Visitors are allowed to tour through the vault and see crowns of past and present monarchs as well as other coronation regalia. It was quite breathtaking. We spent several hours exploring the Tower grounds and buildings.


Next to the Tower of London, is Tower Bridge, often mistakenly called London Bridge. We were able to climb to the top of one of the towers, also quite breathtaking - literally, and view the Thames River and the entire city from the top.


After a wonderful Italian dinner and the Billy Elliot show, we walked over to Buckingham Palace to view it all lit up. Very beautiful, even in the rain.



We hope you are all doing well. If you enjoy reading our blog, please feel free to leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.



Cheerio!

Will and Rich

A very FULL day!

What a great day! The morning was bright and beautiful, but it did cloud up around noon, and there were a few sprinkles tonight.

We started the morning at the Parliament Building and Big Ben. We came up out of the Underground and there was Big Ben right above us, so majestic. There's nothing like seeing it in person. We walked across the Thames on the the Westminster Bridge and got great shots of the Parliament Building. Unfortunately, it was closed except for viewing the political debates in the afternoon.

Next, we walked across the street to Westminster Abbey. We had no idea how many famous people are entombed there. Most of the kings and queens of England as well as other royalty, friends of royalty, poets, musicians, etc. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Handel, Charles Dickens are all there. It is a magnificent piece of architecture and truly awe inspiring. the admission fee included an audio tour that really made it very interesting.

We then hustled over to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. The area in front of the palace was packed with viewers. Unfortunately, the changing of the guard was cancelled. We still got to see the guards in the palace yard and saw some royal carriages enter the palace with guests. A horse mounted contingent of guards also rode by the palace, so it was still worth the walk.

Next we hiked up to Hyde Park corner to see Wellington Arch and memorial. Then we walked down Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus. Piccadilly is lined with shops, restaurants, government buildings, and clubs. Piccadilly Circus is a like a mini Times Square.

At Piccadilly Circus, we jumped on the Underground and took it to Harrod's, London's HUGE department store. Six stories of just about anything you could want. We had a fabulous ice cream sundae and chocolate cake in their Chocolate Bar - YUMMY! Buildings in London number their floors differently. So when we walked into Harrod's we were on the Ground Floor. The basement is the Lower Ground. The floor above the ground floor is the 1st floor, not the 2nd like in the US. So of course, the 3rd floor is actually the 2nd and so on. Harrod's is so large, there's an entire department just for women's scarves! Our daughter's would love it!

Getting around on the Underground is quite easy. We chuckle every time we hear the announcement to "Mind the gap!" In England, they use the word "mind" for "watch out for." The gap is the space between the platform and the train, thus, "Mind the gap." It's even painted on the edge of the platform.

Tonight we experienced one of the highlights of our trip. We went to the Tower of London for the Ceremony of the Keys. The ceremony has been conduced for over 700 years without fail. It's basically the locking up of the Tower of London. A Beefeater with lantern and a ring of keys is confronted by guards from Her Majesty's guard, then together they lock up the Tower. The weather was chilly and misty, which made the whole experience more British feeling. We actually got the chills during the ceremony. It was very moving to be walking the cobblestone walkways thinking about the famous people who had walked the very same paths as prisoners of the Tower, Sir Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn, Thomas More to name a few. No photography was allowed, so no photos to share.

We then took the Underground back to Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey for some gorgeous nighttime views and photos.

A jaunt back to Paddington Station on the Underground, a Burger King ice cream sundae, and we're back in our room. It's 12:30 AM here...I think we've adjusted just fine to the time difference. LOL

Cheerio for now!

Will and Rich

We made it!

We're in jolly ol' England! The flight went very smoothly. We left Seattle on time and arrived in London about 20 minutes early. Due to the strike, British Airways had "reduced service." Their reduced service was better than the service we have received on ANY American Airline, so we had no idea what we were missing. The flight was 9 hours with an additional 7 hours on the clock. Sleeping did not got well. We slept fitfully for about 3 hours, so really feeling it now. At the left is the coast of Ireland and the Irish Sea.

Flying in over London was incredible. The Thames was beautiful and the use of green space in London is amazing. There are parks and green areas throughout the city. At the right is a photo of Hyde Park which we ended up exploring today. Our hotel is just above the park.

After we unpacked, we an authentic British lunch of fish & chips at a neighborhood fish shop. VERY fresh. We then explored Hyde Park. The park is huge, reminding us some of Central Park in New York. There were beautiful swans in all the ponds. Located in the park is Kensington Palace. The palace has been closed for renovations, but reopens in a couple days. We're anxious to go back and explore. Check out all the photos on Facebook.

The Brits love their dogs. We saw more breeds of dogs in the park than we ever see at home. The variety was amazing.

After wearing our feet and legs out. we stopped at coffee stand in the park, got a latte and headed back to the hotel. It started drizzling, but made it back for a nice nap. Now we're off to find dinner.

This is going to be a fantastic week! There is so much to see and do here.

Cheerio for now!

Rich & Will

5 days to go!

Monday and Tuesday are done, moving toward Wednesday...it'll be Sunday before we know it. The flight is still scheduled despite the strike, with limited service...but hey, it will still get us there.

One week to go and a strike is looming...

Hey everyone!

The time is quickly approaching! We're on the one week countdown. We leave from Medford next Sunday for London. & Paris. The bad news - British Airways cabin crews have a strike scheduled for next weekend! So far, our flight is still scheduled, but the cabin crew may be replacements from other departments. This could mean no food service on a nine-hour flight. At least we would get there. Currently, there's a 50/50 chance of the strike being averted, so keep you fingers crossed.

We've started packing, I got my new camera and camera bag, and the weather is looking much better in both cities. Hopefully, all will work out.

Stay tuned for more!

Will and Rich