London & ParisMay 2010

10 Days of Sights, Sounds and Song*

*AKA: How to narrow 1000+ photos down to 87

(Volume up slightly please, there are sounds)

The volcano cooperated and we both arrived at London’s Heathrow airport, on separate flights, within 5 minutes of each other…whoo hoo…only it was raining so we were off to the British Museum…it was cloudy and overcast for most of our trip…

We explored one of the world’s top museums until our dogs started to bark (feet)…

We met new friends…

After much needed, jet lag induced rest, weset out to explore the city…thankfully it was no longerraining on our parade….

First up, a leisurely stroll to the Tower of London Bridge…

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London is a castle in central London, on the north bank of the River Thames. The tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat.

From the Tower of London we spied the 30 St Mary Axe building also known as the Gherkin. Designed by Sir Norman Foster.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from the Tower of London

After the Tower of London (where we saw the Crown Jewels) it was on to the London Eye, the world’s largest observation wheel…the views were spectacular.

Next up were the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey…

We saw lots of theatre, the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral…

Stopping to rest only when the dogs were really barking (our feet) we pressed on to traditional English gardens, English Pub’s and many more, lesser known but equally interesting street scenes…

Can this be the real Wisteria Lane?

I’ve always enjoyed throwing back a few beers with my pancakes…hey, I’m from Wisconsin…

On the train to Paris going 300 kph (185 mph)…

We started on the Paris subway and managed to get off on the Champs Elysees, perhaps the most famous street in all of France where the Arc de Triomphe is located in the world’s biggest traffic circle…we arrived at sunset…

From the top of the Eiffel Tower…

And from the area of Paris known as La Défense which is a major business district in Paris. The district is at the westernmost extremity of Paris' 10 km long Historical Axix, which starts at the Louvre in Central Paris and continues along the Champs-Elysees, well beyond the Are de Triomphe before culminating at La Défense. Around its 360 ft. high Grande Arche and esplanade, the district holds many of the Paris urban area's tallest high-rises. La Défense is Europe's largest purpose-built business district.

La Defense’s 360 foot tall Grande Arche and esplanade…

Modern Paris at La Defense…

From there we moved on to another of the world’s best museums…the Louvre

From there it was on to Notre Dame Cathedral…

Ornate doors at Notre Dame…

We wandered down some beautiful Parisian streets before arriving at the Paris Opera…

…a grand landmark designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style, it is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time.

Along the way we saw public art…

More arches…

Haute couture…

Espresso everywhere…

Grand Avenues…

Unique taxis not native to this part of the world…with isinglass curtains you can roll right down in case there’s a change in the weather…

We came across landmarks with great springtime beauty but were never able to figure out what exactly they were.

Then it was on to Sacre Couer Basilica…a popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. From here it was on to the Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market.

We had a bugger of a time finding this remotely located place but once there we discovered the Paul Bert is one of the major attractions of the Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market. With thousands of stalls covering scores of blocks, the flea market is an inexhaustible source of wonder for casual visitors, and is often regarded as the leading market in terms of new decorative trends and fashions. They had everything you could imagine and more…

We did a lot of window shopping…

We lost track of time…and pushed on to the Moulin Rouge.

And finally to the destination we had seen every day but saved for last to explore…

The views were breathtaking…

Kitsch was everywhere…but the beauty won out.

Thanks for taking a look…

Click the link below or copy and paste it into your browser address bar for a short video of one of our rides on the Paris Metro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcr_AxuG5nc

All photos taken by me on my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 pocket camera $189.00.