Tour de France

When we popped into France last Fall to see my parents, we literally popped in. It was after a long week in England with Phil's work and the amount of effort it took to get there drained us. There had been a fire in the chunnel, our desired route of transportation, so it took us from 6 in the morning to 11 at night with various trains, buses, ferries etc. to get across the water. We were exhausted and spent a total of about 4 hours in Paris, and a rushed trip to Cherbourg where my parents are on their mission.

Needless to say, we got just a taste...enough of a taste to leave us craving for more! We were lucky enough to have plenty of frequent flyer miles and great in-laws to watch the boys so that we could take another trip this week. It was fantastic! We got a much better taste this time of the culture of France and loved it. Here are my top ten highlights of our trip!

10 - The Art - We got to enjoy Musee du Louvre and Musee d'Orsay. Beautiful museums. It was a bit difficult to tackle the Louvre after flying all night! I think we walked around in a daze, but thanks to Rick Steves' guide book (highly recommended!), we were able to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and other famous pieces. The ceilings alone were inspiring! We LOVED the impressionists of Orsay. Nice to see landscape scenes, as well as clothed people! We couldn't leave France without a picture of Phil with the Thinker. The Rodin Museum was in a beautiful area, especially the gardens. I feel a bit more cultured after our trip!9 - Chateau de Versailles - The history behind this place is amazing! I've been reading a book about Marie Antoinette in preparation for our trip and it was fun to see the actual places I'm reading about. The gardens of Versailles were my favorite.
8 - La Tour Eiffel - I just love this area. The Eiffel tower is huge and amazing to look upon. One night after a long, exhausting day, we just spent several hours around the Eiffel Tower catching different glimpses, watching people take pictures and just relaxing. I was trying to get the perfect shot - see which you like best! Oh by the way, eating fresh chocolate, banana crepes WITH whipped cream really adds to the venue!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
7 - The French Countryside - The 3 hour train ride, as well as touring the area where my parents live gave us plenty of opportunity to see the beautiful country of France. Lush, green and quaint with sheep and wild flowers a plenty. Loved it!
6 - Sainte-Chapelle - Imagine sitting in 13th century church, gazing up at the stained-glass windows surrounding you, listening to a Quintet play music by Vivaldi and Pachelbel. Yep! It was the perfect way to spend our last night in Paris together and an end to our trip!
5 - Cap de la Hague - A beautiful lighthouse on the coast near Cherbourg where my parents live. It was a beautiful evening and listening to the waves come in is heavenly! What a scenic place to live!
4 - Mont Saint Michel - An amazing abbey built on a rocky tidal island over a thousand years ago, Mont Saint Michel is something the French are very proud of. And they should be! We enjoyed taking a tour and were very impressed at the time and energy of many who would never see the finished product. Truly magnifique!
3 - The people of France - One of the dear sisters in my parent's branch had us over for dinner. It was just lovely to meet the people that they have been working with over the past year. I cried several times as I was touched by seeing the gospel affect the lives of these few in France. What a wonderful opportunity to feel the spirit even though I couldn't understand a word they said!!
2 - Mom and Dad! Aren't they cute!?
That's escargot my dad's got there (in it's freshest form - no he didn't really eat it!) After church on Sunday, we were at a member's home. As I went into the bedroom of her disabled son and watched him lead my mom and dad in singing I am a Child of God, in French, the tears started coming when they got to the "parents kind and dear" part. I'm grateful for the chance to see them at work again. They are such great examples to me and have been great servants of the Lord, and are wherever in this world they happen to be.
1- Phil - It's not very often that we get to spend THAT much time together, and I must say it was just about perfect. Thanks Phil!!