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We took the public bus into town today to do some shopping. That almost always puts Trista and Chloe into a good mood. It worked pretty well until Trista’s feet started hurting because of her new boots.

First the public bus is just around the corner from our hotel. Nice. But things didn’t start out so well. We had some trouble figuring out our coins for the bus and since the driver does not give change it had to be exact. The driver got impatient and was rude to us. Maybe she is fed up with tourists.

But we got off the bus on Prince’s street and spent most of the day going in and out of shops. All the shops are on one side of the street and on the other is a park. The castle is up above and can be seen from the whole town. When I first heard the name of the street I thought it was Princess street. However, the street is named after King George III sons. We ate at a KFC in Prince’s Mall. It was okay but KFC in Europe has no mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, corn, etc. It is chicken and fries. Weird.

We all bought some things either for ourselves or gifts for others. Then we took the bus back to our hotel when the shops were closing. We ate in the hotel bar. It was expensive but not as bad as some places.

We got a late start today. We used the rental car and I asked at the desk about using reverse. The clerk was able to come out and help me. How embarrassing! It just involved pulling up on a lever as you shift into reverse. Very simple if you know what to look for.

We spent a great part of the day looking for a place to park anywhere within walking distance of town. The city was so very busy. Much of the street is marked “Loading Only”. We finally found a spot to park but I am not sure it was actually public parking. It was only one hour parking with no “meter feeding” allowed.

Trista had spotted a Subway restaurant on one of our drives through this part of town and wanted to eat there. I think it was the missing home thing. She has been gone a long time. So we walked quite a ways to get there only to find it was only take away. We ended up walking back and eating in the car.

After walking around town for a while and seeing how the buses worked it was time to return the rental car. We got VERY lost. I thought I had been doing the wrong side of the road driving quite well but then I drove around cars waiting in the left lane and I ran a red light. We were almost hit by a small van. The signs were so different and the people drove so crazy. (In fairness, they probably thought I drove crazy too). I knew it was time to give up for now. I was glad to find my way to the airport, return the car and take a taxi back to the hotel.

We just ate in our room.

We ate at a cafe on our street. It advertised, on a board outside, an American breakfast of eggs and ham. That sounded good but were were really disappointed. The eggs were sunny side up and barely that. The ham was cold. The waiter and a Frenchman who appeared to be a regular made fun of us. Not a great start to the day!

But then we rode to Versailles on a double decker train. We had great views of the area. The walk was relatively short to the palace. It was all worth it! The palace and gardens were beautiful. The gardens went on for what I think were miles. We walked out as far as we could on that level but the view of the gardens went on forever.
The palace had an audio tour which was very helpful. One disappointment was the hall of mirrors. Chloe had especially been looking forward to seeing it but it was under construction and the mirrors were not all in place. After the self directed tour we had a guide to show us into the King’s private quarters. She spoke with an strong French accent so I had to pay attention. The palace, built by Louis XIV, was constructed around a chateau belonging to Louis XIII. It was transformed by additions in the French classical style.

After touring the palace we visited the town of Versailles. It a large city with just under 100,000 people. We found a shopping area and everyone found things to purchase. When we were returning to our hotel we were stopped from getting on our last connection on the Metro. Armed soldiers told us we could not get on but would not tell us why. They told people they would have to find alternate ways to get to their destinations. We would have to walk a LONG way. After procrastinating for quite a while we noticed people getting on the metro and after checking with the the soldiers we were allowed to get on. Yeah!

Friday we left Paris for Edinburgh, Scotland. We learned that we could save much money by traveling on Ryanair. However they do not fly out of the main airport, de Gaulle, in Paris. We traveled by Metro to Porte Maillot. There we caught a bus to Beavais Airport, which was about one a half hours away. It was very hard to travel with all our luggage on the Metro. Trista had the heaviest suitcase but she also took my backpack for much of the time.

The bus trip was uneventful. At the airport we ate a snack that was very overpriced. I had a moment of anxiety when I was checking in and was told I could not take a backpack and a purse as carry ons. However, they let me leave the backpack open and set my purse sort of in it. Makes no sense. As soon as I had checked in I just took the purse back off.

The plane was a boeing. There were three seats on each side of a narrow aisle. We had to pay for any snacks or drinks. We had the smallest Pepsi I had ever seen, 150ml I believe.

We had flown into Glasgow but were actually staying in Edinburgh. Upon arrival we picked up our Hertz rental car. We had reserved it from Paris on the internet. I believe Hertz cheated me. They did not give us the price I had been quoted but I could not make them change it and they were the only rental agency available to us. THEN the biggest shock of all; the steering wheel was on the wrong side of the car! The car was a manual six speed. Also, it was hard to remember to drive on the left side of the road. I made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on a two lane road. It was very dark and we drove on curvy roads through many small communities. I also could not figure out how to get the car into reverse. A few times we had to push the car in the wind and rain! We did eventually arrive safely at the hotel. We ate at the hotel restaurant and it was very overpriced.

We have had a busy three days. We are seeing many cities in a very short amount of time. The weather has been nicer here than in London. Overall, though, I like England better than here. The people are friendlier and it is definitely easier to get around. But Monday was a good day. We were gone from the hotel about 12 hours and busy the whole time.

We ate breakfast in the hotel. We had a croissant and a baguette each. Also jelly and/or butter. That was accompanied by a bowl of fruit cocktail. And of course tea for me and hot chocolate for the girls. The tea was a very good breakfast tea and the girls said the hot chocolate was the best they have had since home.

We went to the Louvre. The Louvre is a former royal palace built by Francis I. There are so many galleries and because we wanted to see so much we probably rushed through. We really needed several days for the museum. But, not really understanding what we were getting into we bought passes and signed up for an English language tour. We had to pay extra for the guided tour but it was worth it. The tour wasn’t until 2:00 so we decided to go out of the museum and come back.

We visited an open air market that had dozens of stalls. We did not have time to look at everything but I bought some scarfs for a very reasonable price. It has been windy and the scarfs will be a big help.

Then we returned for the tour. We got mixed up on returning and entered at a different entrance! We almost missed the tour but rushed in at the last moment. The tour was really good but exhausting. So many stairs!! After the tour we ate in the museum and then looked around more. It was exciting to see so many famous pieces like the Venus de Milo. When we saw the Mona Lisa we were surprised. It is really quite small; just 21 x 31 inches. They were not allowing any pictures to be taken of it although we were allowed to take pictures everywhere else. I can only guess that is to protect it from the light of the flashes. Trista tried to take a picture and was caught by the guards. They tried to take her camera but she dropped it into her purse and they let her go after a lecture in front of everyone.

Shortly before closing time they announced that due to a security concern we should go immediately to the nearest exit and follow the instructions of the staff. We wondered if something was going on or was this normal for closing and hurrying people along. It must have been normal because when we reached the ground floor the gift shops were open and they let us stay and spend our money.

When we left we went in search of the address we had for an internet cafe to make reservations for our plane and hotel in Scotland. We made several changes on the Metro and walked many blocks only to find no cafe. We were exhausted! We ended up just eating at a hamburger joint which was not very good. My burger was VERY rare. We waste so much time because the street signs here don’t make any sense. We are lost a lot.

We were able to take the RER back to a connecting point with the Metro and got back to our hotel about 9:30 or so. I hated to do it but called my husband to see if he could make any reservations for us. He said he would give it a try. Yeah!

Tuesday found us all tired and a little down after our big day. We ate breakfast at the hotel. The price is included with the hotel and it is quite good. Then we just rested for a while. We learned my husband could not make the reservations after all.
Finally we asked at the desk for an internet connection location (an English speaking clerk today). It was right around the corner after all our searching the day before. We spent a couple hours there but in the end found great flights on Ryanair. We will have to take a bus to another place (about 1.5 hours drive) but we got two of our flights for only $.01. Yes, just one penny plus taxes and fees. Unbelievable. Now I know why Europeans travel around so much.

We tried to go to the Picasso Museum but it is closed on Tuesdays. That was not mentioned in the tourist information. We then went to the Musee Carnavalert. It was a museum all about the history of Paris. It was good and explained many things. However, it was dim in many places and we could not take pictures in several places .

We had to change rooms at the hotel this evening. They figured out there were three of us in our party. We had not tried to hide this and had always been together when we asked questions or directions at the desk. We also ate breakfast together at the hotel where I had to sign a paper which required me to list how many people were eating. Apparently three people cannot stay in a room with two beds. We have had enough room but did not mind the change. They moved us to the fifth floor but still in the front of the hotel and we now have a peek-a-boo view of the Eiffel Tower from our room. Nice.

At dinner the menu was all in French and Chloe just took her chances. She ordered “potage du jour”. Found out later it was “soup of the day”. She got a bowl of orange mush. Sweet potato or squash soup! She ate more than I would have.

Today we visited Notre Dame Cathedral. It is located on the Ile de la Cite, which is an island in the Seine. We waited for today to come because we could have an English speaking tour guide. Our guide was an older woman who seemed to know everything about the cathedral and the whole area. I would have liked to spend a day or two with her. We began outside. We learned the cathedral was built between 1163 and 1250 in Gothic Style and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is especially noted for its flying buttresses and sculptured facade. She also took us all through the inside. There was so much to learn and see even though it is not a huge place. The tour took several hours.

We ate at a restaurant right across the street. It was busy and very expensive. As we attempted to pay our waiter we learned they did not take cards of any kind. We had to scrounge through our purses to find enough cash. I was a little worried for a bit there.

Our tour guide had also told us of a nearby chapel called Sainte-Chapelle. It was guarded by soldiers. It cost money, of course. Everything does to help with upkeep. We entered on the ground level and it was not very exciting. It contained a gift shop. We then climbed some very simple and uninspiring stairs. It was very much worth the money and the climb to the second floor. It was beautiful. The side walls were all very large stained glass windows. They depicted the Bible from creation until redemption with Christ. Wonderful!! This upper chapel had been used by the King and his family and close friends. The Crown of Thorns were kept here until the French Revolution when most of the building was torn down. The windows were also all taken out and stored in preparation of the Germans taking Paris in World War II.

This day was worth all the cold and wind.

I awoke early to the noise of the street. We could hear the shops being set up in the street. There were many people on the street very early. When we went out we found that most places were closed for Sunday. Seems so strange for us because everything is open at home. (Just like finding things in England and here closing so early, by five or six in the afternoon).

We went to the Eiffel Tower. It is within walking distance of our hotel. It was wonderful. We had to wait in line over an hour. The line was moving most of the time so it didn’t seem so long. I loved being up there looking around. We had been told to try the chicken curry served there but could not find it. However we did find find a post office up in the Eiffel Tower. It was fun sending some post cards from there. And, of course, there was a gift shop. Around the tower we saw military people carrying what appeared to be automatic weapons. We wondered if something had happened or if something was expected to happen but no one else even seemed curious.

We also visited the ecole militaire (the military academy of France). It is on the same grounds as the Eiffel Tower. This is the military academy attended by Napoleon. Out in front people were enjoying the day by walking along in family groups or playing soccer with friends.

We ate dinner at a small French restaurant. Chloe and I had frog legs which we had not had before. They were served with a butter sauce. We both liked them and would eat them again. Trista was not hungry yet and decided to wait until a little later. That was a mistake as everything had closed in just a short while and she ended up getting nothing.

We took the train and underground to the station to catch the Erurostar train to Paris. It was very stressful because we had our luggage (hard! and we had only half, or less, than what we are taking home) and our tickets had not arrived. The tickets were guaranteed to arrive and here we were not even sure if we could get on a train.

Finally arriving at the Waterloo station we went to the “immediate travel” office. A clerk in the office felt sorry for us and talked to a manager who sold us tickets at a reduced rate. Not as good as receiving our tickets but better than having to pay full price again. We went through to the waiting lounge until boarding the train. Trista and Chloe had seats together at a four person table while I was seated behind them with another woman. She was from Paris and when learning I was visiting Paris for the first time said the city was lovely and I would love it. After a while no one had joined the girls and I moved to their table. The trip only took just over two hours.

Upon arriving we learned quickly how hard it is to be in a country where we do not speak the language. We could not find the area to buy underground tickets and could not find anyone who could figure out what we were talking about. We finally found out where to buy underground (Metro) tickets. (On the bottom floor) We bought a five day pass which saved us money over daily tickets or, I am sure, trip tickets.Trista found our way to the correct train and connections and brought us to our street, Rue De Cler. It is a very nice street with lots of street markets and shops and restaurants. The street is very pretty and just what you would think of as a “Paris” street.

Checking into our hotel we found that it is good for the price. My cousins had traveled to Paris a couple years ago and the economy hotel they stayed in had much to be desired so we were quite happy. We were on the third floor and the elevator was so small it barely held one person with their luggage. We had two twin beds and a clean bathroom on the front of the hotel so we could look out onto the street.

Since it was early evening we found a place to eat on our street. Of course we chose Trista and my favorite, Italian. We ate at Caffe Vergnano. Trista and I found the food to be very good. Chloe was not as happy but Italian is not her favorite either.

After a long day we are very excited to be in Paris!

The girls didn’t want to get going this morning. Busy days and late evenings are catching up with them. Chloe and I took the train into Redhill and let Trista sleep a little bit longer. We stopped in the library to look around and bought an extra suitcase for the trip home. When we got back to the flat we left for Windsor.

We met a woman at the train station from the US. She is living in England now with her British husband. She had a baby with her and said she had a son in school. She told us that the schools were not good but mostly because the children misbehave so much. She could not wait to to move back to the states and said it would be before the baby went to school for sure. Interesting. We have seen many very young people smoking and asking for money in the streets of Redhill.

The train ride was nice and not too long. Windsor is about 20 miles west of London on the Thames river. Then it was a walk UPHILL (of course) to the castle. The queen still lives and entertains at Windsor. Windsor castle has been a royal residence for about 1000 years and it is the largest of the castles.

We got audio guides to use throughout our tour. They are used many places and they are quite good. They work very well and tell much interesting information. It was exciting to think we were walking up stairs or sitting in chairs the royals (and guests) had just used. The original artwork still displayed was wonderful. The beds are short but very luxurious. Lots of deep colors. The castle is so big it is no wonder they charge and let visitors come. It must be so expensive to maintain. We were there for many hours; they were closing so we had to leave.

Walking back through town we browsed in some shops. I must explain what happened next. I had been carrying a large manilla envelope under my arm most of the day looking for a place to mail it. I finally found a post box large enough to accept it. As we were in one of the shops I found a book about London written in Spanish that would be a perfect gift for a young friend who is studying Spanish. I stuck it under my arm so I could look in another bin. I bought a few gifts in the shop and we went on down the hill toward the train station. In a little while I realized I had that Spanish book still stuck under my arm where I was used to the feel of the manilla envelope. I could not believe it and was horrified. I wanted to return the book immediately but the shops were now closed! Trista and Chloe thought it was funny because I was so upset and I am sure will tease me about it forever!

Since everything closes so early we returned to the flat. We have a big day tomorrow.

I am starting to feel there are not enough days left. We leave Saturday for France! We did alot today. I am getting tired. It seems as if everything is up stairs!

We visited the Tower of London. We had a person take us around on a tour. He was a soldier called a “beefeater”. They have been called this for centuries because people were poor but the solders were thought to have more money and could afford to eat beef. After the tour we were free to look around on our own outside. Ravens are always kept on the grounds because they are considered good luck. Not for me! A bird pooped on my face! Luckily I had a wipe. We saw the crown jewels and the chapel among many interesting things. The tower is still considered a royal residence.

We then went to the London Eye. It was worth the long lines. It consists of several large glass cubicles on a large wheel like a ferris wheel. You can stand inside the glass capsule or there is a bench. It went over 400 feet up in the air and we could see all of London. It was wonderful.

We took the underground to Leicester Square for theater tickets again. It was very crowded. They were having the London premier for a film at the movie theater. Apparently it is a common theater for this. We were able to get tickets for the play “Chicago”. I had seen the movie before and while the play was different it was still good. My niece had not seen the movie and thought it was very good since she had nothing to compare it to. I love the theater in London. There are so many choices that are so easy to get to.

We went to Canterbury today. It was a few train changes. Once there, we bought tour tickets for the tour bus. It was a hop on and off wherever tour. We also bought tickets for Canterbury Tales (which was good!). We also visited the Canterbury Cathedral. I love these places. I know you can worship God anywhere but I think cathedrals are so cool.

Canterbury is divided into “Quarters”. We visited the northern quarter. It included “downtown”. I liked the shops and watching the people (there were lots of people). We also found the “crooked red door”. The whole area was “tipping” from ground movement. People used to come to see the buildings. The city came in and fixed them. One business owner did not want them to fix it. But, the city insisted it would only get worse. So they let the owner keep the door frame and door at the angle it had been. So, you can see how the whole street had been. The door is painted red and people come just to see the “crooked red door”. It looked funny.

Trista had been to Canterbury in warmer weather and recommends the walking tour. She was able to see many things and learn a lot about the city and history. We needed more time but had only planned one day and with darkness coming everything closed early.

We had planned to go to Canterbury today but the girls slept in so we will go tomorrow. We are going back to London. I could go to London every day, there is so much to see. First we stopped in Redhill for Trista to do a few errands.

We went to the British Museum. It is HUGE! Trista had been before so she sat in the lobby with a book. Chloe and I had a really good time. We spent several hours and did not see it all. We were just worn out. It was not just on Britain. There were exhibits on Greece, Rome, Egypt and more. The whole thing was really good. The museum was really busy but so big there were always things you could see.

We then took the underground (I love it!) to Camden to the “Market” The market is an area of open air shops with a variety of vendors. We saw many things of interest but they were closing. Everything closes early in England. However we were able to look around a little and we will go back another day.