Hail to the Queen

Going from Paris to London was a trip in itself. We booked the high speed Chunnel train and was impressed with its high end accomondations, and its extreme speed. The only downside was the ordeal in checking in. All throughout Europe, getting on and off trains couldn't have been easier. Checking in for the Chunnel train was more like flying in the U.S. - long lines, serious security, and required a two hour prearrival. Once on the train we settled in and enjoyed the French countryside blowing by at over 150 mph. I had wandered what the entrance of the Chunnel would look like, would it be an impressive entrance or just a typical concrete hole? Somehow I was watching at the right time and caught a glimpse of the entrance - a concrete hole with a basic sign.

Going under the English Channel only took about fifteen minutes and then suddenly there were English words again. It had been almost five weeks since we have seen English, and it was nice to feel like we were getting closer to home. Arriving in London, we jumped over to their Underground system and made our way to our hotel. I almost forgot to mention that today is St. Patrick's Day. I know that the best place to be is Ireland, but second best has to be London. We were immediately handed "free" Guinness draft flyers, good at any Pub, which are everywhere. After checking in, we headed for a classic Pub lunch - meat, potatoes, and a pint of Guinness.

Later that day, we headed to the Tower of London for their twilight tour featuring all the history of executions and murders commited over the centuries in this historic building. The tour was led by one of their guards - the Beefeaters and was very amusing to the boys. Sally wasn't so enthusiatic about the multiple beheadings, but enjoyed the unique history of this place. After the tour, we headed to Piccadilly Square to get the full effect of the St. Patrick festivities and find dinner. The streets were full of revelers and all the typical restaurants were packed. After five attempts to get in a restaurant, we became somewhat frustrated, but luck was on our side when we spotted a Thai restaurant - not the place you normally go on St. Patatrick's Day. The place was empty and the food was great. We ended the night with more street watching and then headed home. I finished the night with two more free pints of Guinness at the corner pub, bringing my daily intake to about 9 pints...can you say bloated.

Since London has so much to see, the next day we decided to do a classic double decker bus tour throughout the City. The weather was clear and cool and everyone enjoyed seeing the sights. We jumped off to have lunch at the original Hard Rock cafe and ended up staying over two hours. The day ended by heading to Oxford Circus to check out the shopping district. The boys' highlight was playing in Hamley's Toy Store. At 250 years old it is the oldest toy store in the world. I would have thought that after seeing the sights of the world, a toy store would be a little boring, but kids are kids and who doesn't like toys. The next day we are off to our last stop of this incredible journey, Ireland. Can our good luck hold out?

The City of Lights

There are a lot of adjectives you can use to describe Paris. The “City of Lights” is probably the most fitting to set it apart from all the other great cities of the world. Yes, there are other cities that are historical, beautiful, romantic, vibrant, and even confusing, and cold. But it is how Paris transforms itself at night that truly makes this a magical City. No where else have I ever seen people converge on any given night just to see a large metal structure be illuminated. I am speaking, of course, about the Eiffel Tower and the nightly ritual that attracts visitors and locals alike to welcome in each evening. There are couples sharing a bottle of wine, families walking around the plaza and gardens, hordes of tourists taking pictures from every angle, and regular Parisians that go just a bit out of their way on the commute home from work to catch a glimpse of this most iconic structure as it transforms from a dull rust color to a glowing golden beacon for this City. I wasn’t working here, so I only fit into the first three categories.

Arriving in Paris was just like the several other large Cities we had been previously visited. A large rail station packed with people from every walk of life and demographic background; there for any countless number of reasons; usually trying to get past you to go somewhere else. Paris begins to set itself apart as you exit the Metro and gaze over the Seine River with Notre Dame to your right and the Louvre Museum to your left. By waiting to book our accommodations, we had once again lucked out and were able to find a hotel right on the Seine in between these two and at greatly reduced prices. The first day was going to be the walking tour, and we definitely made the rounds. We went to Notre Dame and toured both the inside of the Cathedral and around the perimeter of this magnificent building. The power of the Church and Man’s dedication to his religion never ceases to impress me. We then headed down the river and towards the Louvre. After a lot of discussion, we had decided not to go in because the place can be so overwhelming, and it deserves to be appreciated at a slower pace. We instead walked through the main courtyard, past I.M. Pei’s glass entry pyramids, and out onto the formal gardens that stretch down the Champs Elysees towards the Arc de Triumph. After a well- deserved break for lunch, we walked across the river and directly under the Eiffel Tower. We had hoped to go to the top, but about two thousand other people had the same idea, and we just couldn’t bring ourselves to stand in such a long line. Instead we just meandered underneath it, and then walked down the formal gardens that stretch out towards the south that provide some of the best views.

That night we went to the Latin Quarter in search of a classic fondue dinner. The Latin Quarter is packed with tourist shops, bars, and restaurant offering every kind of cuisine. We found a nice little place on the main walk and feasted on both beef and cheese fondue. The boys had first hoped for fondue dessert but as we were looking for restaurants, we came across a vendor who was making fresh crepes filled with a variety of treats, and they quickly changed their minds. If you look on “Where are the Reeve boys”, you can see them in Crepe Heaven completely enjoying their Nutella and banana treats. They quickly slipped into a food coma and so we dropped them off back at the hotel while Sally and I went out for a nightcap. Strolling hand in hand through the quaint neighborhoods filled with countless cafes will make anyone a romantic and having time to just talk between ourselves is always a treat.

The next day was going to be a bit more of culture but on more of a grand scale. We took the train system out to Versailles to tour the grand palace and massive grounds of King Louis XIV. Even though we got here within an hour of it opening, the place was already packed, and we found ourselves wanting to quickly move through the palace and get out to the grounds for some breathing room. We enjoyed the Palace and its dozens of ornately decorated rooms, but after awhile it all starts to looks the same. Heading out to the grounds, we came across a new offering – Golf Cart Rentals. Check out the pic on “Planes, Trains,…” Yes, you now can rent golf carts and roam around the grounds of Versailles. It comes complete with audio guide and classical music, which turned up all the way up completely embarrassed Mat.

“Dad, everybody is looking at us..”, he said with all the anguish a fifteen year old can express.

I replied in my most regal voice, “Yes son, those are the little people, and we shouldn’t acknowledge them or they begin to feel bad that they have to actually walk around the grounds...”

It was actually very fun, and I did my best not to bring attention to us. Yeah, fat chance.. I found a vendor who sold wine by the bottle, and we were off for an hour of classical history class like I have never had before. I managed to get the golf cart back on time and without damage, and we all enjoyed seeing a lot more of this palatial estate then we would have ever seen just walking. That evening we ventured back down to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset and the nightly illumination of this icon. Check out pic on “Sunset of the Day. Mat and Charlie opted out of a formal dinner so we fetched them their new favorite – chicken gyros and let them enjoy a meal in the hotel. Sally and I slipped out to the neighborhood and found a quiet little place to enjoy our last meal in this wonderful city. Paris still has a bit of a “snobby” perception, but the times Sally and I have been here, we have thoroughly enjoyed the City and everyone we have met. The next day we were off early to catch the high speed train through the Chunnel and into London. Looking forward to being in English speaking countries again. Hail to the Queen!