Mumsy and Guvna take on Europe: A 2016 Europe Trip Report! updated 5/29/2017

[annegirl]

As we were walking along we saw this little girl sitting on the ground drawing the flowers.

I loved this because I knew it was exactly what Madeline would have been doing.

I had to get a Jennifer Rain picture for Maddy.
(If you have forgotten, Madeline gave me this Shopkin to take with me on the trip so I took pictures of it all over to send to her.)

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[annegirl]

We had such a lovely time walking through the gardens.

They were absolutely beautiful.

As we were leaving I took a picture of this painting of Monet in front of his house.

We stopped at a cafe on the way back to our car to get some lunch.

It was a cute little cafe and even had a cafe cat.

We had Quiche and Macarons. Very good.

Then we got back in our car and drove toward Versailles where we would be dropping off the car.

I tried to avoid the tolls and yet we kept hitting them along the way.

Most of the time it was just a euro or two and then suddenly we hit one that was 5 euros.

My mom and I got a good laugh imagining what the cars around us thought when they heard me exclaim, louder than I meant to, "5.20! Son of a!". Don't worry- I said it to a machine. Not a person.

It was kind of culture shock going from a few days in the beautiful, relaxing, quiet French countryside to the crowded, loud, craziness of a city.

Versailles was kind of scary to drive in as there were cars everywhere.

Then we saw the Enterprise that I needed to return the car to and it was right on a busy road with absolutely no parking.

I didn't know what to do.

So I just pulled over as close to the curb as I could and mom ran to the door to ask where we should go. No one answered.

I put on the hazards and we tried to call them. No answer.

We were kind of freaking out.

But finally we saw a guy arrive and go in. My mom went in to talk to him. He told us to leave the car where it was. So we unloaded our things into the little store.

He went out and moved the car up ONTO the sidewalk.

He called us a taxi to take us to our hotel in Paris.

Originally we were planning on taking a train into the city from Versailles but once there we decided we didn't want to wander down the streets with all of our luggage and that the taxi fare would be worth it to take us right to the front door of our hotel.

It was pricey but in the end we both felt it was so worth it. (About 25.00 each)



As we drove into Paris it did not look at all like I expected it to.

There was graffiti everywhere and it was so dirty.

That surprised me but it didn't make me any less excited to be there.

I took some shots out of the taxi window as we made our way to our hotel.

It was pretty exciting when we saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time!
The driver took us right up to the front door of our hotel, The Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel.
The doorman took our things and we went in to check in.
Originally we had planned on getting a small apartment but that didn't work out.
So then I saw this hotel. It looked fancy, had good reviews and was only a couple of blocks away from the Eiffel Tower. I was able to get it on a deal where we had a twin room with a view of the Eiffel Tower for only a little over $100 each per night.
That was so worth it!
We were anxious to see what our view would look like... if it really would have a good view or not.
It did.

When we walked into our room we immediately knew we had made the right decision. It was amazing.
The tower was RIGHT THERE!
So exciting.

We settled into our room and then I had to pull out my zoom lens and get some shots of the tower!

Looking the other direction...

We were pretty tired and didn't really feel like going out.
Our original plan was to go to the Museum d'Orsay but we just really wanted to settle in and get oriented first. Unfortunately we never made it there but maybe someday!
Instead we ordered some room service. And this was so much fun.
They brought it on a really cool rolling table/ warming tray.

So we sat down in front of the window and ate our delicious dinner while looking at the Eiffel Tower.

We ordered Poulet club sandwiches with fries and salad.
It was so nice and so delicious.

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[annegirl]

We had some of the clotted cream fudge I bought at Westminster Abbey for dessert.

The tower started sparkling at about 8. Then it did it every hour.

It was so cool.

Sorry the video is sideways...

This view never got old.
We were so glad we picked this hotel!

My purchases of the day:
Some small paintings to frame.

A bigger print of one of my favorite Monet paintings to frame for my library.
I got the drawing book for my Madeline Monet.

Amazing Day!

Up next: Our first day in Paris.
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[missangelalexis]

Beautiful photos, the gardens are stunning!

I bet it was weird to go from country to the city! But WOW you sure did pick a good hotel!! What a fantastic view!

 

[annegirl]

Beautiful photos, the gardens are stunning!

I bet it was weird to go from country to the city! But WOW you sure did pick a good hotel!! What a fantastic view!

Yes. I learned on this trip how much more I enjoy the smaller cities and the countryside! The big cities are amazing though.
I know! I am so glad we booked the Pullman Eiffel. It was the best.

 

[annegirl]

On Friday, April 22nd we had to pinch ourselves as we woke up to our view of the Eiffel tower!

We ate some zone bars and got ready knowing that we needed to leave as soon as we could.

We wanted to get to Notre-Dame Cathedral right at opening. We planned on using the Batobus to get around Paris and they wouldn't be going that early and it was a bit more of a walk than we wanted that morning so we got a taxi in front of our hotel.



When we got to the Cathedral we stood outside for a few minutes just basking in its beauty.

I took some pictures of course.

When we went inside there was an early morning service going on that we were able to listen to as we walked around. It was amazing.

It was dark and candle-lit and we were two of only about ten people there not in the service.

It was beyond anything I imagined it would be.

We both had an instant spiritual feeling and we both loved this cathedral so much.

When I saw this painting of Mary holding Jesus it brought tears to my eyes. I think that was the most intense feeling I have ever gotten from seeing a piece of art. I'm not even sure why it was. I think it was partly the feeling I already had being in this church, the quiet and reverence we were feeling, and the fact that I was away from my kids... it was the way they painted her holding her chest as she gazed at her baby. It really captures the love as you gaze at your baby.
"The Nativity of the Virgin" by the brothers Le Nain (1640)

The stained glass was spectacular.

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[annegirl]

As we left the Cathedral (reluctantly) we walked all around the entire Cathedral so we could see it from every angle.

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[annegirl]

This was one of my very favorite places of our entire trip and definitely one of the top of Paris.

I am so glad we went when we did as I am not sure we would have had the exact same experience if the Cathedral had been crowded. Here is a little video I took at the cathedral. Sorry, again it is sideways.

Up next: a bookstore I have wanted to go to for as long as I can remember. ​

 

[annegirl]

After leaving Notre Dame Cathedral we walked across the river to go to the bookshop I have wanted to visit for as long as I can remember.

We stopped at a couple of shops along the way but didn't buy anything.

Then we stopped in this little park to look around and just take in all the beauty!

Those buildings had the shops on the ground floor.

Looking back over toward Notre Dame...

Then we made it over to Shakespeare and Company.
It was so surreal and exciting to see it in person!
It wasn't open yet so we took a few pictures...

Then we went to the cafe just next door for some breakfast.

We ordered some crepes and juice/ hot chocolate.
While we ate it was fun to just watch people going by.
There were at least two brides and grooms that came by to take pictures right outside by the bookshop. We really enjoyed our time.
Then the book shop was open!

We walked in and began to browse. I was so happy.
There were books everywhere, filling every corner.
It was so cool to see the stacks of books and the quotes on the walls.
We spent a lot of time browsing every shelf and stack and upstairs where writers can write with a wonderful view.
You aren't supposed to take pictures in the shop but since it said that was for the privacy of other customers I stole a shot upstairs where there wasn't anybody else of this typewriter by the window.
Beautiful view.

We each bought some books.
I loved that we were able to get each book that we bought stamped with their special stamp.
Our books came in these bags...

I bought four books. I planned on buying a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame but I couldn't find one. I ended up getting Mrs. Dalloway, Surprised by Joy, Farmer Giles of Ham, and Dear Peter, miniature letters of Beatrix Potter.

I also bought a tote bag and a postcard showing the shop and one of the quotes painted inside.

After we left the shop we walked down to the bank of the Seine to buy our Batobus tickets and catch a ride to the Louvre.
While we waited for the batobus we got to look at our beloved Cathedral as this stop was right next to it. Of course I had to take a few more pictures of it.

The Batobus is in the picture above.
It was a really fun way to get around the city but also very slow. So I wouldn't recommend it if you are in a hurry but for us, it was a great way to travel and be able to see the city along the river.

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[annegirl]

We rode the Batobus to the Louvre stop and then just had a short walk to the museum.

I have wanted to go to the Louvre for a very long time but I have to admit that Dan Brown's book The Davinci Code really sparked the interest!

It was very cool to see that glass pyramid in person for the first time.

There is an entrance from the metro that is less crowded but we decided to just go for the main entrance.

However, we did buy our tickets in advance so we were able to bypass most of the line and get right into the shorter line. In the picture below you can see a ton of people on the right and hardly anyone on the left. The left was the advanced ticket line.

This place is gigantic, very crowded, and kind of confusing.
The night before we went online and decided on the pieces we wanted to see.
You could spend days here if you wanted to see everything and we just had a few hours.
We knew it would be impossible to see it all so we wanted to have that list of the things that were the most important to both of us and then we would see other things along the way as well.
I wrote down which wings they were in.. but it was still hard to find a few of them.

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[annegirl]

The floor in this wing was exactly as Dan Brown described.
It really does give the illusion of not being flat.

We, of course, wanted to see the Mona Lisa.
I had heard over and over how people were so underwhelmed by her because she was small and it is so crowded around her.
So my expectations were low.
And then we saw her. She was bigger than I expected and she was so much more beautiful in person than in pictures and prints. I was so surprised, as was my mom.
It is such a lovely piece of art.
I always wondered why it was so famous but after seeing her I totally get it.

When you turn around from seeing Mona Lisa the wall behind you is this one huge painting.

On our way out we walked past the inverted glass pyramid.

Time for some treats and a little wandering.
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[annegirl]

After leaving the Louvre we walked through the Tuileries Garden on our way to Angelina's.

I spy a tower!

I had heard that Angelina Paris had the best hot chocolate in the city so we wanted to try it.
Angelina Paris, founded 1903

It was a very pretty cafe and very crowded!

The hot chocolate came a little jug that we could pour and then add cream to.
We also each ordered a Mont Blanc, the signature pastry of Angelina.
It was a meringue and cookie type texture covered in cream and then covered in the chocolate.

I heard that the hot chocolate tasted like a melted chocolate bar.. and it really did.

The Mont Blanc was delicious but very, very sweet.
Neither one of us could finish it completely but we are so glad we tried it.

After our sweet stop, we walked back to the Batobus and rode it back to the Eiffel Tower stop.

We had a date with the tower soon but wanted to take our things back to the room and freshen up and rest for a little while.
So we walked right on by the tower.

There is our hotel!

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[annegirl]

After resting for a little while we walked back over to the Eiffel Tower for our appointment.

Having tickets beforehand meant, again, a shorter line.

We arrived a bit early so we walked around taking pictures for a little while and avoiding the many, many guys trying to sell the plastic Eiffel towers. These guys were everywhere!

Soon it was time to go in and ride the elevator up to the first platform.
They pack as many people as they can into the elevators.
It was so crowded and I had to hold on to my mom to make sure we didn't lose each other!
We got off at level one and took some pictures before going higher.

Zooming in on our hotel...

Ours is that backward, upside down L shape right there and our room was right there on the left.

Then we went into the elevator to go up higher.
We bought tickets to go all the way up.
It was really cool to watch outside as we were going up.
It felt SO much higher than it looks.

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[annegirl]

We walked back through the gardens toward our hotel.

We wanted to find a place to get dinner and we ended up stopping at this little spot close to our hotel.

It was a nice place with really friendly people.

My mom got an omelette jambon fromage with fries and a Coke.
She said it was good.

I ordered something that had been on my must try list:
A Croque Madame sandwich
It came with fries.
This was so delicious.

After eating we went back to our room and washed some laundry in our sink and hung it to dry in our room. We just hung out the rest of the evening, watched a Doctor Who episode and the lights on the tower.

Souvenirs from the Eiffel Tower:
I got a keychain that had a few of the attractions on it to use as a Christmas ornament, a little Eiffel Tower statue, and a bag of gummy Eiffel Towers for the girls.

It was an amazing day!

Up next: Day 2 in Paris and Versailles
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[annegirl]

On Saturday, April 23rd we had an appointment for a tour at the Palace of Versailles.

We woke up and had Zone bars, got ready, and walked about 5 minutes to the nearby RER station.

We bought our tickets to Versailles and caught the train just minutes later.

The train ride was about 40 minutes but pleasant. It was a nice double decker train.

When we got off the train we walked about a mile to the Palace.
It was huge and so awe-inspiring outside.

I pre-ordered our tickets to the Palace of Versailles and I also booked us the King's Apartment tour.
This tour made it so we didn't have to wait in lines. It is a really small private group and you get to go the private King's rooms that you don't get to go into on a regular visit.
Then at the end you see the rest of the Palace that everyone else sees with a regular ticket.
It was very cold outside and the lines were already long.
We asked a guard where to go for our tour and got to go right in to the palace into a nice, cozy warm room to wait for out tour to start.
Our tour was about fifteen people.
Our tour guide took us to each room telling us the story of those that lived here and the things that went on in these rooms.

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[annegirl]

Everything was amazingly beautiful.

Check out this desk!

That is the toilet...

This library had me all heart eyed and drooling. ​

 

[annegirl]

We got to go into the private Opera House which was breathtaking!​

After this we were able to go out into the main parts of the Palace.

It was weird to go back into the crowds after having so much space to ourselves.

We were so glad we did the private tour. It was SO worth it.

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[annegirl]

The place was so crowded you kind of just went along with the flow through the rooms and tried to get as good of a view as you could.

It was hard to get a really good picture of the Hall of Mirrors but we held back a bit trying to get in between groups.

When we were done touring we went into the gift shop and then into the Laduree shop to get some of their famous macarons.

We stopped in the cafe and then grabbed a table in one of the little dining rooms to have our lunch.

We each had a jambon sandwich, chips, and a drink.

We split some of the macarons to try them out.

They were very yummy.

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[annegirl]

After having our lunch we went outside to explore the massive grounds.

You could spend an entire day just exploring it.

They had bikes and golf carts you could rent to ride around and we decided to skip on that... but later wished we hadn't! It was pretty cold and we were tired and this was a LONG walk!

After going down the hill and seeing the fountains we walked toward Marie Antoinette's hamlet.

I spotted this guy and had to take a picture of him. I wasn't sure what he was but I think a muskrat?

After I took pictures I noticed everyone else that was around going over to see what I was looking at. He got his picture taken a lot that day.

It is pretty crazy to think of Marie Antoinette "playing" peasant but the hamlet was pretty amazing.

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[annegirl]

After seeing the hamlet we walked back up to the palace and then back down to the train station.

We took the 40 minute train back to our stop near our hotel.

After freshening up at out hotel room we went back down to the river to catch the Batobus. We ended up riding it around its whole route back to one stop before where we got on which ended up taking a really long time.

We got off at the Pont Alexandre 3rd bridge to walk to the Champs Elysees.

The bridge was so beautiful.

It was a few blocks to Champs Elysees and along the way we saw many beautiful buildings.
We also saw this statue of Winston Churchill.

It was very cool to walk down the Champs Elysees.
We didn't stop at a lot of places along the way as it is mostly very expensive shops.
We just enjoyed seeing them.
It was freezing cold and I had neglected to bring my coat so we were just trying to stay warm as we walked along. There were a lot of people out asking for money and I felt pretty bad for them being in the cold.

We walked down to the Arc de Triomphe.

It was very cool to see it and the roundabout surrounding it. We watched the cars for a few minutes and I was very glad I wasn't driving there.
After seeing it we decided to walk back down the road and look for somewhere to get dinner.

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