Commemorative t-shirt??

For just $12.78 (taxes included) we can have a t-shirt that looks like this:

We have enough refund and tip money leftover to pay for one of these for each of us! And you'll still get your $30 buffer back! If we're all in, it's a go!

Home again!

Waiting for the boarding call in Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris.

Boarding, from the tarmack, in Paris! (This picture is illegal, but I spirited it out of the country at great risk!)  I've never boarded or deplaned on the tarmack before, but on this trip both happened. But on this trip anything could have happened, and some of it did.

We're in Canada now, and heading for security and our gate in Pearson Int'l. 

Erika's about done with plane rides. How quickly these young ones get jaded!

Taylor however, continues to love it!

Back in Winnipeg, waiting for luggage.

Looks like we made it!

When Nathaniel saw this Space Invader piece on a street corner below Sacre Coeur, our luck started to turn. So it's only fitting to end this blogging with a tribute to the patron saint of Scotland, England, & France 2012 - St. Space Invader!

Indeed, our last blog is yet to come. Wait for the soon to be unveiled Thunder Bay 2012! t-shirts that will be designed as a lasting memento of a truly amazing, and ridiculous, 13 days in March and April 2012!

Chambord, Chartres, and back to Paris

On a radiant Spring morning we arrive at the chateau in Chambord only to find that it isn't open on Mondays. To be fair, we're at the point where we're feeling that we've "been there and done that."

Still we walk around the grounds and frolic in the sun. We still have enough energy to make ze foonay jokes.

After lunch in the great out of doors (most of us bought panini (sandwiches - which the French make differently, and very well) and ate outside at one of the many streetside cafes) we drove to Chartres, a small city on the French plains known for its magnificent cathedral that, in height and grandeur, rivals Notre Dame. 

After a quick (30 minute) photostop, we head off once again for Paris.

We pull in to Au Grande Turenne (The Big Pot - only in French can this sound elegant!) almost an hour late (6 pm) but they still cram us in and serve us a fine meal consisting of a quiche and salad first course, a pork, rice, and green bean entree, and an apple pie for dessert. 

The eaters in the lowest room.

The silly one that is Graham ... the silly. Oh Graham. What ever shall we do with you? 

The entree. The food on this trip has been an almost unqualified success. Really! It has been fantastic!

We're heading for home tomorrow. I think we're ready!

The Extension! Down to the Loire River Valley

The town of Amboise was once the seat of the royalty of France. Henry II lived in both of the castles we visited today. The one above is in the main townsite, and illustrates the transition between castle as a defensible military fortress, and castle as palace and residence.  

But before we embark on our visits, we must eat the fine French foods! (say this with a corny accent)

This palace was called the Lady's castle because Henry II had it built for his queen and for his mistress, who both inhabited it. It is primarily a residence, although it is surrounded by a moat on three sides, which connects to the Loire River. The castle is built in the middle of the river, so it is still strategically (and beautifully) located. During WWII the Cher River (a tributary of the Loire) marked the border between Nazi occupied France (to the North) and Vichy France (to the South). 

Here we are just lookin' at the cool sights!

This group pic is taken in front of the castle that is in town, which is being preserved, but was more than half dismantled after the French Revolution. The revolutionaries saw no need to preserve any vestige of the monarchy, so pillaged the castle for building materials for houses.

Out on the castle grounds, chillin' in the wind. 

The castle chapel. Note the gothic vault.

Sitting and listening to more information than we could ever hold in our already overstuffed brains. Sheesh!

Warmin' up beside a real, large size, castle fireplace fire. This is the first castle fireplace we've seen actually being used. 

A view of the Loire River, from the Amboise Castle.

We had supper in a restaurant that is in a troglodyte cave. This is an example of the places that many around here chose to live in (and some still do have houses that are in the limestone cliffs around here) during the middle ages (and likely before). You'll have to get pictures from the kids because I forgot my camera for the meal.

We're all tired, but happy to be winding down from the hectic pace of Paris. The French countryside is relaxing and, believe it or not, a 10 pm bedcheck time gets no complaints around here. At 10 most of them are in bed trying to stay awake, and failing. Tomorrow we're off to see another chateau, and a cathedral, and then we head back to Paris to a hotel, so we can make our 11 am flight on Tuesday.

Notre Dame, The Louvre, Exploring, Sacre Coeur

We begin at Notre Dame Cathedral at around 10 am.

Four boys contemplate greater things within the quiet of the cathedral. Shhhh!
(Anyway, Callum thinks this might all  be fake!)

.

After Notre Dame it's off to The Louvre for a morning and part of an afternoon to see over 400,000 artifacts. Most of us manage to see more than the 10 that we hoped to.

Winged Victory appears preparing to land on Cody's head! Jeremy  has to decide whether to help his friend, or do the Jeremy thing and just wander off on his own.

Thar she blows! If you look close you can seen Darcy right up at the front having a good look!

Down in the foundations of the medieval castle that became The Louvre.

Kyle and Ang take a few pictures of Hamurabi's Code.

A few pretty excited travellers!

Jonathan decides the pick the cheater's nose!

Exiting The Louvre through Ai Wei Wei's glass pyramid.

After supper we climb the many many many stairs up to the Sacre Coeur Cathedral, past the many many many hawkers and sellers. If you make eye contact with them, you're likely to find yourself giving them 10 Euros for a string bracelet, or a cheap Eiffel Tower knick knack. Some of us made eye contact, and found ourselves spending money we hadn't expected we would.

Here we queue up for our last subway ride. We may not be the most confident riders, but we're way better at than we first started. We know when to crowd on and when to crowd off. Some of us ride the subway like hockey players.

Paris, Versailles, the Seine

By 7:30 we're at breakfast, and by 8 we're on the bus headed for the heart of Paris. Once there we meet our local tour guide for the day, Brian Haldeman, who grew up in Ethiopia, speaks Parisian French, as well as a perfectly "Canadian" English.

Daniel explains to the bus driver the plan for the day.

This first tour of Paris ends up at a photo op with a view of ...

... the Eiffel Tower, which was first mostly hated by Parisians, but  by now  has become such a notable landmark that it's become synonymous with the city itself.

And here we are. And there it is!

Next we head to Versailles, the palace, built by King Louis XIV, the sun king, about 20 kms outside of Paris, on 500 hectares of land. Before we begin our tours both inside and outside the palace, we grab a little lunch.

Taking photos of Dad's taking photos, is my new thing.

The grounds and gardens of Versailles.

The boys chillin' after their tour of the inside of the palace.

Daniel was a very knowledgeable and interesting guide. Here  he describes one of the rooms that  honoured the king and prepared the visitor for his visit. In this room the visitor is presented with a statue of the king with an Adonis-like body, in order to intimidate. King Louis was not, however, Adonis-like in anyway. He needed to make them believe that he was powerful. The palace is filled with imagery designed to create the illusions of power and wealth. Generally it appears that wealth was not an issue, but military might was less sure.

The hall of mirrors was a marvel; the trendiest, richest, most opulent reception and celebration hall of the time in all of Europe.

We were impressed too.

After Versailles and two hours of free time in downtown Paris, we head to a Crepery for supper. (That's a crepe, with chicken and whitesauce inside it.)

Waiting for supper!

After supper we take the subway over to the Eiffel tower and the Seine River for a boat ride up the river. 

As the boat ride ends, we see the tower lit up and sparkling with flickering lights! The city of lights indeed!

Tomorrow we'll tour Notre Dame Cathedral in the morning, and then have time in the afternoon to tour the Louvre, and the many other sites along the river! It was a great, long, day!

Subways can be interesting for many reasons! This guy pushed his way on just before the buzzer and played (busked) for most of the ride. He earned a reasonable bit for 15 minutes of work.