Return to Paris

“And so, does the destination matter? Or is it the path we take? I declare that no accomplishment has substance nearly as great as the road used to achieve it. We are not creatures of destinations. It is the journey that shapes us. Our callused feet, our backs strong from carrying the weight of our travels, our eyes open with the fresh delight of experiences lived.”
From The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

After an absence of barely two months I returned to the city of lights.  This time with a completely different purpose.  Instead of a three day holiday with a friend,  I was leading a group of twenty teens and adults from Minnesota on a ten day educational tour.  With them were my immediate family,  none of whom I'd seen in eight months.

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How to choose a picture to represent my day in Monet's Garden?

Way too difficult of a task

So instead of trying to find one that captured the gardens essence  I decided to pick the one I knew my mom would love the most - a purple iris. After the tough year she's had I know seeing these in Monet's Garden was a memorable and monumental experience. 

I'm also extremely excited that it looks purple not blue (I know only shutterbugs will understand why)

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I had a good time on this trip playing with my camera

This shot only picked up green - sweet right?

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Garnier Opera House

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The crew in front of the Eiffel Tower

Amy and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”
From Alexander and the Terrible,  Horrible,  No Good, Very Bad Day By Judith Viorst

Today I had a day worthy of Alexander. In his honor I write this post. 

I went to sleep last night after 1 am and this morning I had to get up by 7 and as I pulled my sock on it got a hole in the heel and when I went to pull out my entrance and metro tickets I couldn't find them and I could tell it was going to be a terrible,  horrible,  no good, very bad day. 

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Notre Dame Cathedral 

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Versailles Palace outside Paris

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Family picture at Mont Saint Michel

So good to see them again!

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American Cemetery for D-Day at Omaha Beach

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Chocolate for my Fudge

An international mix

Baker's Sweet Chocolate squares (from America)

Milk Chocolate Chips (from England)

Dark Chocolate Drops (from Belgium via France)

Barcelona = Sun, Tapas, and Cava = Amazing

'"If we walk far enough," says Dorothy, "we shall sometime come to someplace."'

From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Caitlin and I had decided we were going to fly on the cheap for this trip. And that meant no checked luggage. We both had no difficulty packing light at home but now that we'd completed the first leg of our journey Caitlin found herself having a little trouble; all her belongings refused to fit. Unlike all American airlines, a lot of cheap (I'm not going to dignify them by saying inexpensive, they are cheap) European airlines only allow one piece of hand luggage - no personal item. It was with this that Caitlin struggled. She shifted, squeezed, pushed, and pressed but her belongings wouldn't compress into her suitcase. After a hour and a half she admitted defeat and put some of her stuff in my bag. This would become a tread and growing issues with each flight.

Springtime in Paris

'"And remember, also," added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, "that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.”
From The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

After months of planning Caitlin and I were finally going on our crazy two week vacation. First stop: Paris.

With neither of us able to use our phones (without selling our first born to pay the bill) we had arranged to meet outside her baggage claim. Easier said than done. Apparently Charles de Gaulle Airport is known for causing maze-like confusion in travelers - a fact which we were unaware of until I tried to find my way from my gate to hers. I had to ask two different people where to go. I'd like to say that we did a classic airport meeting, complete with slow motion running, but in reality I didn't see her until I was almost upon her.

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Enjoying a little sun by the Arc de Triophe

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Caitlin & I discovered this wonderful pastry shop where they serve the most amazing cream puff pastry

It is a must visit if you are in Paris

Check out their website by clicking HERE

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Caitlin at Notre Dame

Yes, it rained again today

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Cold and rain didn't stop Caitlin and me from exploring Paris on our first day there

It did, however, do a number on our hair