42 Photos of the Eifell Tower

Keri and I arrived in Paris at about mid-day on Tuesday. After getting settled in at the hotel we headed out to see the city. After my first visit to Paris two years ago I had been looking to see some things that I missed last time. One of those happened to be the Statue of Liberty. France, who built the Statue of Liberty, has two of their original models on display around the city. We went to the Jardin Du Luxemborg to see the smaller of the two, which is located in this beautiful park with the old palace and was busy with both locals and tourists. After doing our patriotic duty we headed over to the Cathedrale Notre Dame. Notre Dame, the Gothic style cathedral, sits right on the edge of the Seine River and has some amazing stained glass windows visible from inside. We then decided to take the long walk from the cathedral to the Arc De Triomphe. Along the way we went past the Pont Neuf, the pyramid of the Louvre, and along the Champs Elysees until we arrived, exhausted at the Arc. Although long, the walk along the Camps Elysees is amazing. It really gives you a sense of the Paris architecture and atmosphere. All of the parks and cafes are filled with people enjoying the beautiful summer weather.

After a nice rest at the hotel it was time to head out for the night. We enjoyed dinner at an Irish pub along the river and went for the tourist heavy night cruise. The cruise took us along the Seine showing a very different side of the city from the water. The buildings along the way were all lit up and their lights reflected off of the water creating a magical atmosphere.


As the boat wound its way around the city we finally made it to the jewel of the city, the Eiffel Tower. Some 20,000 lights allow the tower to twinkle every hour and it is a sight to be seen.

By the time we arrived at the Eiffel Tower the next day it seemed as if everyone shared our desire to go to the top. Unfortunately, the top level was temporarily closed so we choose the smaller line which were the stairs. Some 700+ stairs later and we made our way to the second level. From here you get a unique view over the city as it sprawls out across the landscape. When we arrived back at the bottom we took our share of tourist photos before moving on. We walked by the larger Statue of Liberty which sits near the Grenelle Bridge and then by the famous Crazy Horse Paris. Our last stop of the day was at Sacre Coeur basilica on Montmartre. The church has a nice view over the city and a unique white domed exterior. The last night in Paris was spent at the Moulin Rouge. We went to see their show Feerie which was great, and unlike anything I had ever seen before. It contained all of the feathers, flair, and topless dancers you could imagine.

It was a long day of travel as we made our way back to LA. We caught the Eurostar train from Paris to London going under the English Channel! Due to the airlines mistake we missed our connection in Philadelphia but they put us up there for the night and we finally arrived home the next day. Overall the trip was absolutely fantastic. We saw so many different places and experienced many new cultures. I think we all checked some things off the life to-do list and probably added more to it.

Le Cote D’Azur!!!

Viva La France!! I have been dreaming of visiting the French Riviera in the South of France for years and couldn’t contain my excitement as we traveled along the ocean to our hotel in Nice. The sticky heat, the bright lights, the palm trees, I was in HEAVEN! We chose to stay in Nice because it was central between Cannes and Monaco, both places we wanted to see. We arrived late that night and decided to check out the Nice night life. Our hotel was about a 10 minute walk from the beach so we conveniently strolled down through Old Town Nice with a quick 11pm stop for 2 slices of sidewalk pizza for 3 Euro. This came in handy when the first bar playing live Beetles music charged 9 Euro for a Red Bull vodka! At least they had sugar free… The next bar was directly across from the beach and we quickly made friends with an awesome mid 30’s Welsh couple. They immediately offered us tastes of their death defying Sambuca (black licorice clear alcohol served with coffee beans) followed by the local beer, long island’s, another round of Sambuca (thank you for taking that Shawn!) and the night continued on from there.

If I had a billion dollars, I would move to Monaco

The next day we struggled out of bed for a long relaxing day under beach umbrellas in Cannes. (It was going to be our French version of Sunday Funday) Unfortunately after going to about 10 places, we realized we needed a reservation for these notorious beach chairs. HEARTBROKEN, I decided I could make it through living if we made reservations for the next day. From there we hopped back on the train and took it about 45 mins (past Nice) to the principality of Monaco. Monaco-Ville, as they call it, is the second smallest country in the world (Vatican City being smaller) and is also the world’s smallest monarchy! With this said, it is amazing to see the distinct beauty and exorbitant wealth this principality is comprised of. Monte Carlo is also home to the Monaco Grand Prix which happens every year and attracts the rich and famous along with their multi-million dollar yachts, Ferraris, Bentleys, and Lamgorghini’s! We walked through the beautiful park above the Casino down to the beach and spent some time basking in the beautiful French sun.

After all this walking and sun worshipping we headed back to our hotel in Nice. We had plans to return to Monte Carlo that evening to experience the energy of the affluent municipality by night. We got dolled up and Shawn put on his fancy shoes so we would be admitted to le grand Casino de Monte-Carlo. It was exciting just walking around outside the Casino and seeing all the high end cars driving by and revving their engines. Since it was 20 Euro just to get in and minimum bets were 1 million euros (jk!) we headed to the free entrance casino which shockingly had 6 euro wine AND free munchies. The bar we sat at was very contemporary and swanky and we really enjoyed feeling like one of the regular visitors or locals amidst this posh casino in this glamorous bar. Later we walked back along the hill away from the Casino and found another bar similar to this one overlooking the harbor and the enormous yachts. The twinkling lights were so entrancing and the ocean breeze and warm air felt like heaven all over again. Had to slam the wine as our train was 10 minutes away! Ahh! One day we’ll be back and we’ll be riding in limos not running in heels up to the train!

Vous ete ici

The next day we awoke early as we wanted to explore the medieval town of Eze Village which we had seen on the Samantha Brown show, Passport to Europe. This village is situated on the hillside above Eze Sur Mer and has the most incredible and breathtaking views of Le Cote D’azur. It took about 20 minutes to bus up the hill before we arrived at the base of the small town. Since it was early the air was crisp and fresh and we made our way through the medieval streets of Eze. We headed towards Château Eza, the romantic 5 star luxury boutique hotel, where we stopped for chocolat chaud’s (hot chocolates) and admired the gorgeous view. From there we made our way back down through the small streets stopping at a few of the local artisan’s stores along with the village church before trying to find the famous Fragonard, “Le grand parfumeur de Grasse.” We opted to go to a smaller perfumery where we picked up some green and white soaps which read “Eze – Grasse” on them for Mom’s bathroom, as she really wished she was able to see Eze Village when she was in France in 2007. Eze Village is known as the hidden gem in Le Cote D’Azur and after seeing it first hand I couldn’t agree more. The village was SO picturesque and just oozed with romance, luxury, and charm. I wouldn’t miss it on your next trip to France!

After this we made our way back over to Cannes for our beach chair reservation. We had a few drinks and enjoyed the sunshine along with the French. Various of them were topless, some were over tanned, wrinkly, and saggy, and some were absolutely gorgeous, (what you would hope for when visiting the South of France!). Later that evening we picked a Teppanyaki restaurant for dinner called “Le Samurai” and decided to treat ourselves to a tasty dinner overlooking the ocean. This restaurant was unique because you walked on top of a fish tank when you entered the front door! We loved the atmosphere and enjoyed eating something different than we had been for the past few weeks.

Although we were leaving my dream destination spot early the next morning I was excited to see what Paris had to offer.

København

The last port of call was Copenhagen, Denmark. This was an overnight stop which allowed us two days to explore the city and the countryside. One of Copenhagen's biggest attractions is the Little Mermaid statue. The statue is remarkably small but sits perched on a rock near the harbour. As it sits out in the open we heard several stories about vandalism to the statue including beheading and painting. It was really beautiful day out so we continued our walk into the city, past the Gefion Fountain, Resistance Museum, and into Amalienborg. This is the palace where the royal family lives and we spent some time walking around the area. Our walk took us farther into the city center and we ended up in Nyhavn Harbour. Being good tourists, we hoped on the must do canal cruise for an hour long guide tour. The boat went through some amazing areas of the city showing both residential and business districts on the waters edge. Copenhagen has along naval history and had to defend this harbor from attack for many years. The edge of the river is dominated by new buildings like the Opera House, Theatre, and the Library, better known as the black diamond.

We headed over to the Christianhavn district for lunch along the canal. The place we were eating at looked very familiar and then we remembered it had been recommended on the travel channels Passport to Europe. We had been told on the canal tour that you could climb the tower at the Church of Our Savior...and did I mention that the stairs are on the outside. The spire of the church was built in 1752 so it was quite a trek up the 250 years old stairs, but once at the top, the view over the city was fantastic. We could even see our ship in the distance. I wont mention any names..okay i will...Mom, dad and Keri had a death grip on the railing the whole time, but I'm pretty sure they had a good time, even though they look even happier being on the ground again afterwards. We continued to walk the city for the rest of the afternoon stopping at the National Museum, city hall square, and along the walking street filled with shops and restaurants. We had a couple of drinks at a great outdoor cafe and enjoyed the local beers.

We returned to the ship for dinner and to relax for a bit before heading out again that night. The biggest attraction in the city is by far Tivoli Gardens. It is the second oldest amusement park in the world and was opened in 1843. The whole park is lit up at night and it is beautiful. The park was alive with people and the story goes that Walt Disney visited the park and got some of his inspiration for Disneyland here. The park is filled with restaurants, theaters, classic rides and even some modern roller coasters. When it was built, Tivoli gardens was situated on the outside of the city, but now it lies directly in the middle. After the park Keri and I went out for the night and met some great local people. We spoke to a local at the bar for a while and she answered all our questions about Danish culture. We hoped to a couple of other bars and having a great time until we eventually retired back to the ship.

Day 2 in Copenhagen was spent out of the city. The original plan was to rent some bikes and go exploring, however that was a wash when the bike place was all booked up. We instead rented a car and headed north to Kronborg Castle. The castle was about 45 mins north but we took the scenic route along the ocean which was just amazing. The seaside towns were filled with people enjoying the sunshine...they don't get a very long summer in Denmark. Kronborg castle and the town of Elsinore were made famous by Shakespeare Hamlet. The castle was built in 1585 and sits on the edge of the ocean overlooking the small 4km gap between Denmark and Sweden. The castle is surrounded by several moats and was quite an imposing structure. We toured the rooms and even went underground into the depths of the castle which was cold and creepy. The castle's ground were beautiful and there were even more people here soaking up the sun and getting in some fishing. After the castle we headed back down the coast and had lunch at a little cafe. The ship had an early departure so we had enough time to drop the car off and make it back.

Copenhagen is a beautiful city situated right along the water. The Danish people were probably the nicest of any of the countries and they genuinly look like they enjoy life and living there. The next day and a half of the cruise was spent reminiscing about the ports and enjoying the amazing food and amenities that ship offered. When the ship finally docked it was hard to believe two weeks had come and gone. Mom and Dad had 2 more days in London while Keri and I headed to France for 6 days.

ESTONIA?? WHERE??

Just a hop, skip, and a jump across the Gulf of Finland we landed in the quaint and magical town of TALLINN, Estonia. A small country, and an even smaller city, Tallinn is one of the oldest cities on the Baltic Sea and has remained remarkably unchanged for the past 600 years. The morning was crisp and fresh as we started along the walking tour we were advised to take of Old Town. The cobblestone streets were quiet as it was early in the morning and one of the first sights we happened upon was a group of people standing outside a “Sauna Bus” in their towels (apparently quite an attraction in these parts). We walked along the back of Old Town up to Toompea Castle where there were great views of the city and the Gulf of Finland. The Castle dates back to the 13th Century and is fronted by the town’s Parliament house, which is PINK! We wandered into a small park next to the Castle where Shawn spotted a red and yellow post normally used in the reality show “Amazing Race.” Just a few minutes later in barrels a panting camera man running in front of two of the teams! They frantically looked around the park for the clue (which was the post) and as I caught eyes with the girl from the yellow team I pointed toward the other side of the park where the clue was waiting. Ha! Imagine that? Of all places in the world you happen to see the Amazing Race being filmed in TALLINN!

After this rush of excitement we walked down to the main square of town first passing through a restaurant called “Olde Hanse” which is most famous for it’s dedication to bringing alive the detail of the middle ages. The locals were all dressed in medieval costumes and were making a variety of crafts, clothing, and food outside the restaurant which is lit only by candles. We then found ourselves paying 3 Euro each to climb up to the top of the Town Hall tower. Not only did each of the stone steps start getting taller and taller as we climbed higher but there was a rope to help pull you up along the side as it was so steep. At the top we could view the beautiful city through the narrow openings in the stone and could even see out to our ship in the port. After that we made our way through the atmospheric Old Town which was an enthralling hodgepodge of medieval streets and spires filled with old-world shops and cafes built into the rock walls. One of the most famous streets being St. Catherine’s passage was where we stopped to enjoy a glass of wine and an Italian meal. It was so peaceful sitting in this quiet street enjoying the charm of the city.

We were feeling nice and toasty as the sun was shining bright and we dared to do another knee shaking climb along the city wall! This wall used to protect the city in its early days from intruders by sea, and there were plenty of old cannon holes which reminded us just how high up we were. After this point we meandered back along the edge of Old Town taking in the clean air towards our port. Right before we made it back to the ship there was a large wishing log looking out over the sea that we were advised to sit on and make a wish. This log was pulled up from the sea or from Africa or something along those lines, but whatever it meant, it felt so magical to sit in silence with the ocean breeze on our faces as we each made our wish feeling the warmth of Tallinn’s charm running through our bodies.

Tallinn was spectacular!! Put it on your To-Do list for sure!

Racing through St. Petersburg

The day in St Petersburg was the most discussed day of the whole trip in the months leading up to it. There are alot of attractions to see in the city and we were on a mission to make sure we didn't miss anything, while squeezing it all into a set time limit. Our tour guide, Yelena, wasn't even sure if we had time for bathroom stops! The day started with a driving tour of the city. We past a couple of historic buildings and even stopped by a Russian Orthodox mass on the way to our first big stop, St Issac's Cathedral. St. Issac's is the largest church in the city and was the largest in Russia when it was built. In front of the cathedral and overlooking the Neva river, is the symbol of St Petersburg, the Bronze Horseman. It portrays Peter the Great and sits atop what is called the Thunder Stone. It is said the be the largest stone ever moved by man and took 400 men 9 months to move the stone from Finland to where it rests now. The next stop was the Rostral Columns, which were used as beacons in the past and are still lit from time to time on special occasions. The 4 ships on the columns represent the 4 great rivers in Russia.

Our interaction with the locals came at our stop at the eternal flame. A group of guys, that were probably still up from the night before, and despite not speaking English, were able to entertain us with a musical rendition of the Bee Gees. After the entertainment it was off to the Church of our Savior on Spilt Blood. On the exterior it resembles St Basil's in Moscow but the interior is entirely made of mosaic. Alexander II was mortally wounded on this spot and the church was built in his honor. Actually after listening to our guide Yelena, assassination was a common theme among Russian royalty, and was very often caused by members of the same family eager to seize power. After the city part of the tour we headed about 45 minutes out of the city to the Catherine Palace. It was the winter residence of the Kings and Queens and it's most known for the Amber Room, a room completely made out of the gem amber. During World War 2 the German army occupied the palace and upon leaving left it in shambles and looted most of the art and sculpture, including every panel in the Amber Room. No one is sure what happened to the room, and to this day the Amber Room remains one of the most sought after treasures in history.









After another 45 minute drive we arrived at the Peterhof Palace. This palace lies on the ocean and was the summer residence for the royals. The biggest attraction at the Peterhof is the massive gardens and fountains on display. Yelena told us that no pumps are used for the fountains and that they are all come from the mountains behind the city. Considering some of the fountains spray 20 feet in the air it is quite remarkable, and almost unbelievable. Some of our group were adamant that she was lying, so further investigation is indeed required! After walking around the grounds for some time we boarded the hydrofoil boat back to the city. The last stop of the day was at the Hermitage Museum. It is the second largest museum, behind the Louvre in Paris, and we took about an hour to speed around the whole place. It was one of the best museum tours I have ever done, as Yelena just picked out the highlights and had great information about each artist and painting. The museum has 3 millions items including paintings by Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet, and Picasso. We learned that all of the pieces in the museum were acquired by purchase, rather than brought back as spoils from wars over the years, as is common in other countries national museums.

It was a long and sometimes frantic day in St. Petersburg, but overall it was unbelievable and unforgettable. Russians are a proud people and we learned alot about their culture and history from our guide. The city is beautiful and unique and every monument and church is highlighted by a great story. Tomorrow we dock in Tallinn, Estonia.

Россия

The boat stopped in St. Petersburg, Russia for 2 days. On the first day we had organized a day trip to Moscow. It was a long day of travel, with 4 hours of buses and 2 hour long flights, but it was so worth it! I don't think any of us knew what to expect as we drove into the city and there was such a mix of new and old. You can already see how the fall of Communism has brought all kinds of new business and infrastructure. There are huge blocks of old run down apartments next to brand new ones, and massive shopping centers with all types of westernized stores. The first stop of the day was outside of the Kremlin. Red Square is just as big as you think it is going to be. At one end of square is St. Basil's Cathedral which is just amazing. The colors and the shape of the building is just so unique and is unlike any of the other churches you are used to seeing. At the other end is the national museum with its bright red exterior that is similar to the Kremlin walls that run around the whole area. Lenin's tomb is also in Red Square where you can go see his body, but unfortunately we didn't have time to go see it. There is also a huge shopping area next to the square called GUM which was very beautiful. Also, it is a Russian tradition to go and take wedding photos in Red Square so being a Saturday, tourists were almost outnumbered by brides and grooms.

During the communist time in Russia the government wanted to prove to the people that they were using their money for important things, so they spent loads of money to deck out many of the underground metro stations. Our group went for a ride on the metro to see some of these stations which were very interesting, with their marble and statues everywhere. One of the most unusual and amazing things we saw all day was on the way back to the Kremlin for the interior tour. There is a massive statue dedicated to Peter the Great where he is standing on a large ship and it is so different from anything I had ever seen before. The museum tour inside the Kremlin was nice, but a little long as our guide wanted to explain every single exhibit. However there was one room with a bunch of old carriages and sleds that the kings used to use which was great. We were able to walk around inside the Kremlin and also managed to get in trouble for taking a picture on the grass. The Kremlin has a bunch of churches that we could tour and there are gold domes and round roofs everywhere.

We got to have a look over the whole city when the tour took us to a lookout by Moscow University. The university is housed in a very large building and is an imposing figure on the Moscow skyline. We were taken to a local restaurant for a traditional dinner featuring caviar on pancakes, beef stroganof, and shots of vodka. It was a long trip back to the ship and we didn't return until after midnight, but surprisingly enough it was still light outside. It was a very long day, but one that none of us will ever forget. For the older generation, going to Russia was once considered impossible and now it is open to visitors. Its architecture is so unique and is a nice change from the traditional western European ways. The people in the city were very nice, although they have a very tough exterior. They certainly have come along way in the past 20 years and the city and country will only continue to grow.