London and Paris trip in 1999!
On our first trip together overseas, we agreed that some of the time would be spent in Paris, and the rest in an English speaking city. As I had been interested in riding on the TGV (Train Grande Vitesse, which basically means very fast train) through the Chunnel (The tunnel drilled through the chalk bed underneath the English channel), we decided to fly into London, take the TGV the next day to Paris, spend 3 days and take the TGV back to London for 2 more days there!
It was WAY too busy of a schedule. In the future, we'll limit ourselves to a less hectic schedule on vacation, as our primary goal is to relax and enjoy the time away together.
'Mind the gap!' The British accent We stayed at the
Forum both the Man they make 'em small here!
voice on the Tube says this
first night in London and when
at most stops...
we returned after our stay in Paris.
A small Chapel around the corner Our stop on the
Tube for
The view of London from the bridge
from the Forum.
the Forum
before we take the TGV to Paris!
The TGV station at the end of the A couple 'candid' shots.
Actually, she caught me off guard <G>...
bridge. Long walk with the
We met a sweet woman who commutes on the TGV twice a week
luggage.
to work for Euro-Disney! Long commute!
TGV we took. Very cool and sleek. 186 miles per hour rocket!
Our tiny elevator at the hotel
in Paris.
That's me holding the camera Not a
very good photo, but our A
closer view of the Arc.
above my head to show just view
of the Arc de Triomphe was
how small the elevator really is! flawless!
Our first bar in Paris. The
The infamous Turkish toilet, or A
painting in the
Louvre.
bar-tender was very nice and
the more familiar term:
explain a lot to us!
'The Starting Blocks'
Me and the Mona Lisa. Cindy with Winged Victory. Venus de Milo.
The glass pyramid at the center
Notre-Dame in Paris. We've never The
Rose windows in Notre Dame
of the Louvre.
seen her not under restoration... were
amazing!
The Altar was incredibly ornate! The
entry doors to
Notre Dame A good view
of the flying
were massive. That's a 6 ft man buttresses
on the back
standing on the left! of the church.
A view from the bridge looking This
bookstore caught my eye, The love of
my life on the RER
down the Seine river.
It was used the the television
on our way to the Eiffel Tower.
series 'Highlander.' The collection
of books was incredible. They also have
a separate ancient book store to the left. It's awesome!
Trocadéro as seen from the Eiffel
Checking out the structure, rivets and mechanisms of the
Eiffel
Tower!
Tower 2nd level.
The Eiffel Tower at night.
Cindy showing off where she is! We took this and
not 1 second later
the fountain and lights shut down
for the night!
Hanging around with my girl.
Drive up fueling. Not a station so Our server at the
James Joyce Pub
much as sidewalk fueling!
in Paris. She sang for us and had
the voice of an angel!
A couple we met in the Pub, the The front of
the Pub. Hint, if you Van Gogh painting in the
Musée
Sharkeys, from Ireland!
have a hankerin' for beer in Paris,
d'Orsay
have the wine instead, MUCH
less expensive! Russ wanted beer
in Paris and wine in London.
Bad move $$$.
Caillebotte -
The Floor Scrapers Looking out the clock for the
The Musée d'Orsay, the gallery was
This was amazingly realistic and Musée d'Orsay
once a train station that was
hands down my favorite.
converted to an art museum, causing
much controversy at the time...
Back on the
EuroStar TGV to 186 mph countryside! Medoc wine: Good stuff, and
London, I was
trying to get a
we kept the tiny glasses <G>...
good shot of the
entrance to the Chunnel!
Our zany server in London! He
It's not really that long to
gave us lots of great tourist ideas! Tipperary <G>....
The London Bridge from the
London Tower from the bus.
double-decked tour bus.
Big Ben is quite Big <G>... The tower of London from the Bus.
Cindy with Sean Connery.
...with Mel Gibson...
...with Pierce Brosnan
We visited Madame Tussauds wax museum and it was worth the time!
The most life-like we saw was Lady Dianna. A zany moment with my love...
Hyde Park from our room. I'm ready to sleep!