Shankev's European Trip (pic HEAVY...bear with me...)

[KHo]

It is hard to even know where to start…Shannon and I started planning this trip many months ago and now that it is over and done with, it is hard to sum it all up in one “story” and with a limited number of pictures…the entire trip was more than a bit overwhelming.

I took over 1200 pictures in a span of the eight days we were in Europe – two days in Paris, two days in London and then back to Paris for four more days. You will see some sights duplicated because we either walked or took open top bus tours upon arrival in each city to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings. We then returned to some of the historical sites at a later date for a more in depth look and / or tour. You will also read some historical tidbits / facts…while I would love to claim the knowledge to be my own; I selfishly copied the information from the internet…

We departed Houston mid-afternoon on Friday and would be landing at Charles De Galle in Paris the following morning. We were both excited and filled with anticipation for what the next week held in store for us…




Rather than stay in a hotel and pay twice as much, we found a nice website that catered to lofts / apartments that were sublet by owners. We settled for a one bedroom loft located on the eastern shore of the Seine River near the Louvre. We had a great view of Montematre Cathedral and were conveniently located to many restaurants, cafes, museums and shopping districts.


These dudes frequented us every morning in hopes of a few crumbs from a croissant or baguette.


Upon arrival, we set out on foot – 1) to keep us awake and get used to the new time zone and 2) to get familiar with our surroundings. Shops that held things similar to these were not hard to find…resisting going into each one was a lot harder to do…


This is a view of the d’Orsay museum and a parliament building a few blocks from our apartment.




The bridge crossing the Seine River leading to the Grand Palais is quite impressive. Several of the statues lining the streets are adorned in gold.






This was the perfect time of year to make this journey. The spring time temperatures had everything in bloom and the low humidity made for pleasant evenings that came late…

[KHo]

On our second day in Paris, we took an open top bus tour that covered more of the city. This was time and money well spent.


The Place de la Concorde is one of the major public squares in Paris. In terms of area, its 86,400 square meters make it the largest square in the French capital. This is one of the fountains that are situated on either end of the square.


One of the many pictures taken at / of the Louvre.


Our first weekend in Europe coincided with Pentecost; therefore, many Parisians / French had and extended weekend making some of the sites CROWDED. Here is a view of the Arc de Triomphe…


Another view atop the Grand Palais


A few of the many pictures taken of the Eiffel Tower.




This is a typical Parisian street leading to / away from one of hundreds of squares or circles in the city.


We never made it to the “The Thinker”…but I did get a photo or two of “him”…all of which were at a not so appropriate angle.


On our third day, Monday, we made our way to the SNCF train station in order to board a Eurostar train from Paris to London. These trains make the trek across the English Channel in ~2 hours at a speed of ~180 mph.

[KHo]

A few views from the train station in London. First of our “ride” and the second is a neat view of some lines coming into this station.




The open top bus tour was again a good investment. We actually bought tickets for this and several attractions before even departing the train station. This is Piccadilly Circus - a famous road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster. A “circus”, from the Latin word meaning "circle", is a circular open space at a street junction…or so they say.


These ladies adorned a building at a corner of the “circus”…




Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London – pictured here. Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world.


One of our highlights of London was The London Eye. The London Eye is a giant 443 feet tall ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames. It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom.

[KHo]

Saint Paul’s Cathedral…




Can you guess where this was taken?


And this was just a neat image - in my opinion of course. I would be lying if I tried to tell you exactly where and what it is of…


Kensington Gardens was quite remarkable. The pollen in this garden had our allergies going at full throttle.




And then there is Harrods. This is a department store on steroids…if you want it – and are willing to pay for it – you can find it at Harrods. We left with a bag of “biscuits” for the kiddos and that was about it. We did however get a kick out of touring all the floors and taking in the sites, sounds and even tastes. They have quite the gourmet food floor.

[KHo]

We didn’t plan on seeing the pop and circumstance of Buckingham Palace due to the enormous crowds, but we did catch a glimpse of the final procession on our way. Once again, the gardens were fabulous and had that same specific pollen that got our eyes itching and sneezes going!






These signs became our friend…quickly. The subway or “tube” in London is very efficient. I can’t see why anyone would own a car if they lived within the reaches of the tube.


Other typical modes of London transportation – the beloved taxi and double-decker bus.


We took a great, well-guided tour at the Tower of London. It is a castle and scheduled monument in central London on the north bank of the River Thames. It is separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It is the oldest building used by the British government.

[mnsmokepole]

Nice pictures, Paris is a wonderful city.

[KHo]

One of the most impressive stops for us before departing London was St. Paul’s Cathedral. The cathedral is one of London's most famous and most recognizable sights. At 365 feet high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1962, and its dome is also among the highest in the world.






And then it was time to return to Paris. We caught the last train leaving London which put is back at our apartment just before midnight on Tuesday. We made our way to the Eiffel Tower (one photo during daylight and another from a boat cruise at night later in our trip). While the Tower is an impressive site to see, the street vendors and gypsies that flock there made us more than a bit uncomfortable. We did not take the tour up the tour, but took an abbreviated walk around the grounds.




Les Invalides is a complex of buildings in the heart of Paris. It contains several museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France. The buildings house – among others - the Musée de l'Armée as well as the burial site for some of France's war heroes…


…notably Napoleon Bonaparte.






(more Napoleon’s tomb pics to follow)

[KHo]

Napoleon’s tomb…quite a place…










The Musée du Louvre, or the Louvre Museum or Great Louvre or simply the Louvre — is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited museum in the world, and a historic monument. It is a central landmark of Paris and is located on the Right Bank of the Seine River – a mere five minute walk from our apartment. Nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 19th century are exhibited over an area of 652,300 square feet! It is H U G E!






What most people come to see…the beloved Mona Lisa.


(more Louvre pics to follow)

[KHo]

The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the Place de l'Étoile. It is located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. The triumphal arch honors those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. On the inside and the top of the arc there are all of the names of generals and wars fought. Underneath is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I.




Friday morning found us trekking across downtown Paris in order to meet our tour for Versailles. The tour was booked through the Austin, Texas-owned Fat Tire Bike Tours (highly recommended!). This was probably one of, if not the, highlight of the entire trip…we would be taking a train to Versailles – some 12 miles away from Paris – and then biking and picnicking on the ~2,000 acres of Versailles.


Versailles, a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial center. Versailles is historically known for numerous treaties such as Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended the American Revolutionary War and the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. The château is obscenely elaborate and the grounds are absolutely breathtaking.




Shannon’s bike loaded down with groceries that we picked up in the world’s most fantastic outdoor market for our picnic on the grounds later in the day.


This is the site of the bike tour’s picnic…approximately one mile away from the château at the end of the reflecting pool.


(more Versailles pics to follow)

[KHo]

Versailles continued…






Here, as in other museums, I was amazed at the size of some of the paintings – floor to ceiling and often taking up an entire wall.


The famous Hall of Mirrors.








The French loved to adorn everything in gold…

[KHo]

Started in ~1160 and completed in ~1345, Notre Dame de Paris, is also known as Notre Dame Cathedral. It is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra (official chair), of the Archbishop of Paris.

Notre Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave. After the construction began and the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher, stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. In response, the cathedral's architects built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern.

The cathedral suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution in the 1790s, when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. During the 19th century, an extensive restoration project was completed, returning the cathedral to its previous state.




I was forced to limit indoor photos as Notre Dame – along with many cathedrals – did not allow flash photography…

[KHo]

Our final full day in Paris took us to Montematre…my second favorite destination during our stay in France. Montmartre is a hill which is in the north of Paris. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur (pictured below) on its summit.








Many artists had studios or worked around the community of Montmartre such as Salvador Dalí, Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh. As such, local artists gather on the weekends and you can have an original sketch or painting done…Shannon and I did just that.


And so draws close our European trip of 2010. It was GREAT – filled with history, architecture, great food, laughs and most importantly, spent with the one I love. Until next time…

[TexaswBOWhunter]

Dude, awesome photo's!!! Thanks for sharing.... You guys will never forget that trip!!!

[Bill M]

Kevin that looks like quite a trip. Great photos! Thanks for taking us along.

[Casey]

Very nice, Kevin and Shannon. Trip of a lifetime for sure. Hope to follow in your footsteps one day.