Paris and Disney land

So I must say we definitely saved the best for last. On friday we made a last minute decision to take a day trip to Paris. We really had no plans but thought if we could have lunch and see the Eiffel Tower we could deem this day a success. And success it was! The day started out a little rough as we wondered around the outskirts of the city trying to find parking. We settled on one garage which I must admit was in a sketchy part of town but we all decided that if we leave before dark we should be just fine.

We caught the metro and had lunch at a cute cafe (with "real" french onion soup) that over looks St. Paul's cathedral and then started meandering. We only had a few hours before we needed to leave but Blake in

So as we were looking for our car in the garage and we heard this girl screaming. We started to head cautiously in that direction and out of nowhere a motorcycle comes screeching right towards us. Sure enough there were two young kids on the back of it with terror in there eyes. They flew past us and off they sped. I kept thinking thank you God for keeping us safe! That could have been us. But I can't let that change my mind about my favorite city. We will just have to park in a safer area next time.sisted that we get a picture of him in front of the Eiffel Tower smoking a "fag". We stopped at a local market for the essentials, you know, champagne, plastic cups, a baguette and chocolates.

When we reached the tower we found a spot and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. We took pictures, ate, drank and acted like stupid Americans. It was great! On the way back to the car we stopped to get crepes at a road side stand. I could get really fat in France ;)

The next day we went to Disney Land Paris. . . so much fun. Blake and I hit the haunted house which we swear is a lot more scarer than the American version (a lot of dead brides). Reid had a ba

ll. I think his favorite ride was the Pirates of Caribbean ride. And to finish the day we had dinner with all the Disney characters. It is fun to be a kid!

Normandy

One of Andy's goals on this trip was to visit the Nomandy beaches where the D-day invasion occurred. I must admit that I was not to excited about this part of the trip but decided to go along. To be perfectly honest I knew very little about World War II but sensed the somber mood that surrounded the beaches when we arrived. It was over cast and misty as we walked up the beach and Andy tried toexplain what had taken place on the very ground we walked on.

We then found a small french owned museum which contained a lot of memorabilia from the attack. But it was not until we watched a video that interviewed American war vets that I truly understood the importance of this area.

Looking around I was a bit disappointed with the way the American and French government had commemorated the men and women who died here. Aside from the small museum and one memorial, the beaches were pretty bare. I kept thinking "this is it?" Then Andy asked if we were ready to go to the American War memorial.

As we drove up to the American War memorial I w

as so proud to be an American. Well done USA! Well DONE! Everything was pristine, from the architecture of the museum, to the grounds of the cemetery. The land was on a cliff that over looked the sea and everyone that visited was overwhelmed with the sense of peace and respect

the area demanded.

The museum was interactive and very modern and the cemetery grounds were breath taking. The whole experience touched me in a way that I will never forget. I am very thankful for all the sacrifices the men and women in the military make.

Our scary chateau

Imagine this. . after a long day of driving my husband informs me that for the next four nights we will be staying in a french chateau. I was pretty excited but at the same time wondered what it will be like? Would we be the only ones there? How big will it be?

After driving on winding roads out in the middle of nowhere we finally arrive. It was amazing and at the same time spooky. The chateau was huge and located on a property with several other large buildings (stables, maids houses, outdoor kitchens etc). The nearest town was at least 15 minutes away.

We entered the main hall and was greeted by the caretaker who was checking in 4 other guests. wheww! There are other people and I quickly concluded that if anything happened to us, andy and I could run faster than they could. Lets just say this; it was like walking on the set of a scary movie. Mannequins all over the house, cobwebs in the corners, the caretaker was an older balding man smoking a pipe, stray straggly cats EVERYWHERE and a room full of antique dolls that just stared at you! The caretaker i

nsisted that we pay him at check in and then showed us to our room where we found dozens of flies buzzing in the windows. He said that this is typical because the flies were attracted to the warm house. I kept looking for the dead body.

The next morning the chateau was much more charming. I woke up to a beautiful sunrise and the sound of the gardener working outside below our window. After a delicious breakfast of fresh croissants and hot chocolate Reid and I explored the grounds. (Andy went to pick up Blake from the airport). We found a few ponies, and a beautiful old building that could have been used as a ball room. It was surreal as each building contained hidden treasures. . silver candle sconces covered in cobwebs, and oversized stone fireplaces. I kept imagining what it would have been like to live in such a place. I asked the caretaker who used to live in the house and he gave me a book on the history of the manner. It turns out that it was owned by a french family and then during the war was taken over by the Germans and used as a Nazi boy's camp. They used to train children here to become nazi soldiers! I could hardly believe it!

The next night Blake and I decided to explore the chateau at night during a thunderstorm (i promise we are that stupid). Lets just say we got so freaked out by all the hidden halls

blocked off rooms and those darn mannequins that we quickly ran back to our wing of the house like scared school girls. After 2 nights in that beautiful yet terrifying house we decided to find a hotel closer to Paris. When we explained our situation to the caretaker he said that this often happens and that he would not refund our money. We thought for a moment about all the wasted money and then quickly decided that it was still time to leave.

That is truly a memory I will NEVER forget.

France day 4 and 5

Today we traveled to Lyon. This city is known for teaching chefs and is a great place to have a cheap yet outstanding French dinner. We ate well, shopped well, and then moved on the next morning.

France Trip Day 3

Today we traveled to Nice and Antibe. Unfortunately it rained most of the day so I am not sure if we experienced the exotic "French Riviera" that everyone loves, but we tried to make lemonade. We shopped, went to art museums, ate lunch in a cozy cafe and shopped some more. In Antibe the clouds parted for a bit and we were able to go to the beach and take pictures. That was fun and I think I am starting to catch the photography bug. We are heading up north tomorrow and I am satisfied with all that we have seen in southern France. . . for now :)

France Trip day 2

So I finally had a fresh croissant and now I know what everyone was talking about. The french really know their pastries and it was so good that I didn't care that it had a million calories in it. After breakfast Claude (the owner of the B&B) serenaded us on the guitar and sang "Hotel California". It was a perfect start to the day.

On the way to Monaco we stopped off at a hill top town called Eze. The town was actually built into the side of a mountain so the views were amazing. We ate crepes in a cave that was converted into a restaurant. We then toured a French perfume factory and learned how it is made. And of course, I shopped :)

That afternoon we headed over to Monaco. We started by heading over to an aquarium. As we crossed a bridge leading to the aquarium we noticed that the waves were so big that they actually crashed up and over the bridge. It was pretty amazing but we did not stick around to long. The aquarium was located in the basement of a huge palace and was built by Prince Albert of Monaco.

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring around the city, playing at parks, and of course we checked out the infamous Monte Carlo. We ended up eating at a restaurant called "Stars and Bars" which is an American chain. The restaurant is like a "Hard Rock Cafe" except dealing with sports AND this restaurant had a kids room. The adults sit in a special section and the kids can run back and forth from a supervised kids room. It was like being on a date. This is one concept I hope the States picks up on really soon.

Trip France Day 1

Excited and ready to go we arrived at Nice airport relatively painlessly (much to our surprise). Once there we waited along with 100 other people to get our rental car. I am not sure why but our car rental agency was the only one with a line. They did upgrade our car which was great and off we went! The B & B we stayed at was so charming. Decorated in a shabby French country decor that seemed effortless. We stayed in the house with another Aussie couple who were very friendly and had lots of helpful hints on where to go. I don't think I have ever met an unfriendly Aussie.

That night we decided to explore the hilltop town of Vence. Like most towns I have seen it has a wall that surrounds the historic section, small narrow streets and charming little shops. But this town, unlike the others, was so clean!!

We had dinner at a restaurant called Lavender and I ate chateaubriand for the first time. Yes, it was amazing. We finished off the meal with a (very strong) Irish Coffee and violet ice cream. It is incredible how you can taste an aroma. I am not really sure how to explain it other than "delicious". And of course Reid was an angel during dinner.

After putting Reid to bed Andy and I gazed at the stairs while laying out on lounge chairs, finished a bottle of wine and discussed "young" vs "old" earth theories. All in all a great first day.