Well it's been a couple months, but this trip to London and Paris with my daughters was the tops. I will remember it for a long time, and I hope they will too. Too many pictures to post, but here is one from one of the girl's cameras that I found and like. At Notre Dame.

Paris Tre Bien

Other than I cannot fathom the language, Paris has been even better than last time. The girls are gaining confidence, planning routes on the metro, buying little juice drinks on their own, not hovering 1 foot away like the first day! I gave them a Death by Museum tour today and yesterday; Louvre, Or'Say, and a few others. But we're relaxing some too, walking along the Rue Cler and shopping for cheese and bread for our lunch snacks. The large european cities really are totally different from America, and that's what I wanted them to experience.

They also got to meet some of my Wetplate Photographer friends from all over the world. They all can speak some English, which is great and a reflection on our schooling, where few of us can get anything done in any other language. They're enjoying how friendly everyone is.

Here is a group of us from England, Scotland, Poland, Russia, and America with our finds. (I have a dozen more in an undisclosed location).

We went to the Tower of London in the early morning, before the crowds. It's really nice to get there when no one else is there, nor are the lines and throngs what will be there each day by noon. Saw the crown jewels in a jiffy. The girls weren't sure about going, but I'm hearing now it was a favorite. The Beefeater tours are great.

Then off to Liverpool Station to Brick Lane and Spittlefields antique market. Met some good

folks selling good antiques. No plastic! I talked to a guy selling his grandmothers old nick nacks....his family had been running pubs in the area for 300 years. Invited us to a music event that night. http://spitalfieldslife.com/

A grand day out

But today was fantastic. Starting with a nice, free breakfast at out little hotel near Kings Cross station in London, we took the tube to Westminister Abby. The girls loved it all, but our feet are sore (as expected). Walked all over the West End, Covent Garden, even a little of Soho. Ate Thai near Piccadilly, and we've got to rest some more. Great Hamelys (?) toy store on Regent's street, it is 5 stories and has been in business 250 years! Fantastic day.

Arrival perfect (Flight wasn't)

Whew, that American Airlines flight was the worst I've ever been on in all my years of flying. In LA for the long "hop" to England, we arrived at the gate a couple hours early. The seats slowly filled, the plane was already at the end of the tunnel, all was good. Then 40 min before the flight they announced a pilot had called in sick, and they needed another. That's the only word we got for about 2 hours. Finally they announced that we were going to have to fly to NY to get another crew to go over the Atlantic - but here's the kicker; we had to use another aircraft because this one was too full of fuel to land in NY (!?). Another 2 hours went by while they "cleaned a very dirty aircraft" and transferred luggage to it. Then another hour..... People were getting very angry but no word....the 3-4 AA people all went away and left one person there. Who never passed the word until I went up and told her to get with it. 300 passangers...just....left....to wonder, or ask individually what was up. We left about 7 hours after I arrived in LA. Then when we got to NY, it took 2.5 hours to get the fuel! And then, finally, the pilot announced "a minor cockpit problem, we have called maintenance...." Oh, and all the time transferring fuel and getting the food onboard? They only gave us a croisont about 8 hours into the flight. And didn't give me an immigration card for the groggy, bleary passport work after almost 24 hours of flying. The worse....

Grande Tour - Redoux (with the girls)

Well, last years Europe trip was so fantastic, so relaxing, so friendly, I decided to go again and take my two daughters, Amelia and Hope. Off we go today, landing after noon tomorrow. I hope to post a few pics here each day....time will tell again.
Garrett