December 5th, 2004: From London to Paris

(info is unaltered from my long lost journal with italicized comments below original text)

LONDON --> PARIS
Sun - 12/5/04

• Internet from hotel (checked email)
  Computer room had only a couple desktop PC's, both completely spyware-ridden and with pop-ups galore, but they did the job for checking email. No complaints.
  
• Shopped for souvenirs at Victoria Station
  Bought miniature double-decker bus for son; turned down leather/fur jacket purchase for myself.
  
• bfst at Victoria's Station - Garfunkel's, same waitress, not happy w/us (seated ourselves, order wrong)
  Lordy.
  
• Waterloo Station - Ivana Trump sighting
  Talk about a luggage brigade. Never had I seen so many oversize designer suitcases roll behind a single passenger in my life.
  
  
  Sign above ticketing area
  
  
• Starbucks in Waterloo - we searched & finally found it! They had to have one - there are Starbucks everywhere - at least we saw them on every corner in London. Hazelnut Latte Grande.
  
  
  Perfect way to start the day!
  
  
• Bought hat in station
• Eurostar boarded at 1:30 - we had a carload of kids on a field trip. (they all spoke French, so we assumed they were returning home to France.)
  
  
  Wearing new black hat
  
  
• Lunch from food car - ham & cheese & "flapjack" bar w/pecans & raisins
  
• Kids got off after 1st stop - quieter :)
  Thank goodness for that.
  
• Set off alarm in bathroom accidentally
  Oops. User error.
  
• Fog in Paris on arrival
  
• Went through Paris to Hotel Altona
  I remember walking along the streets feeling very afraid for my life, complete darkness with vagrants sitting on sidewalks along street. At least we found our hotel so we could drop off our luggage. Lugging it all over Paris wasn't all that fun.
  
• Took metro to Eiffel Tower, photos
  
  
  Eiffel Tower
  
  
  'Paris 2012' Olympics
  (possible future location)
  
  
  Standing under tower
  
  
• Dinner at pub - Quiche Lorraine/Cabernet (wht) - Smokers!! :P
  We experienced the true dining experience with diners "lighting up" and smoking up the pub after their final meal course. Mom & I put on a good coughing production - hard to breathe!
  
• Took metro back to room
• Saw glittery Eiffel tower
  
  
  Eiffel tower lights
  
  
• tried to call home
• Called from hotel desk - clerk spoke little English - talked w/people around
  At this point, I actually tested my high school French on the hotel clerk but didn't get much further than 'Bon soir' and 'Merci beaucoup'. Finally connected back home but had to talk at front desk without much privacy.
  
• Bad time :( SNORING & loud neighbors
  Where were those earplugs when I needed them most?
• @3 a.m. finally slept
  ... even after so much excitement. Such an amazing night in Paris!

Tomorrow - even better.

Beleaguered Labor Day

Usually holidays are meant to be enjoyable, fun, relaxing, etc. Well, Labor Day 2010 was almost all of the above, except for the stuffy head/nasal passages ordeal that tormented me throughout the weekend. But anyway, we managed to kick back a little at the homestead between running a few errands, spraying nasal decongestant up my nose every few hours (but only as directed so as not to become addicted to nasal spray, as warned by my ever-loving sister via Facebook), and listening to our fabulous Cellist Peep play during Mass at church.

Good times.

So back to working on that whole Long Lost Journal of My Trip to Europe blog entry, where my journal now has me headed to Paris from London. Wowee, people! You don't want to miss this one, let me tell you. Anyway, the text is ready to post, but not without actual photos of the events. digging... digging... oh yes! Found them. This is going to be amazing - stay tuned.

December 4th, 2004: Hangin' Out in London

Saturday - 2nd full day in London, England:
*Personal comments to the journal are italicized below original text.

• Got up early (1:40 am/then 8:00 am) - TOAST for bfst (we didn't know)
  What "we didn't know" was the hotel did NOT offer continental breakfast as we expected, not a very cool thing for 3 starving Americans.
  
  
• Went through Victoria station - ATM £100, some souvenirs & all day bus ticket
  
  On the bus still waking up
  
  
  My folks make such a sweet couple
  
  
• Westminster Abbey Cathedral (inside) souvenirs & shopped at store
  
  Westminster Abbey
  
  
  Standing in front of Westminster Cathedral
  
  
  
  
• Shopped at Westminster Abbey bookstore (souvenirs)
• Line too long at Wm Abbey (photos)
  
  Line Outside Cathedral (no thanks)
  
  
• Bus to Victoria Station - another bus to Old Bailey Road
  
  
  
• Lunch at Bailey's Cafe (Italian) - bought for all @£20 (xmas gift)
  Focaccia bread sandwich w/turkey
  
  Lunching at Bailey's Cafe Deli
  
  
• St. Paul's Cathedral - went into entrance (£7/no way), was able to see enough
  
  
  
• Walked around backside of courtyard - statue of John Wesley, brown pigeon, etc.)
  
  
  
• Walked down Oxford ("SOHO") - very crowded, lots of young people college types
• Saw Jesus preacher
• Almost hit by bus
  
  "Kentish Town" - possible family ties?
  
  
• Called & left message on voicemail at Picadilly Circus
• Finally found Buckingham Palace after 2 buses/walking
  
  
  
  Buckingham Palace
  
  
• Shopped at tea shoppe & bought gifts (chocolate, coffee)
  
  Taking a Diet Coke rest
  
  
• Phone call home (finally connected)
• Shin splints kicked in (me)
• Over bridge by Big Ben watched Eye of London (aka Ferris Wheel)
  
  The London Eye
  
  
• Allen took photos of Parliament at St. Thomas' Hospital
  
  Big Ben & Parliament from hospital parking lot
  
  
• Back on bus toward Victoria
• Stopped for dinner @8 pm at Shakespeare's Pub
• Caesar salad w/chicken & Pinot (yum!)
• Back to room
• Allen emailed hubs from hotel
• SLEEP (loud neighbors "square dancing above us")
  Never travel without earplugs.

Next up: off to PARIS!

Chugging Along

Right now I'm in the process of putting together a post on 'Day 2: London' but wanted to let bloggerville know that I still have a pulse in the meantime. Yep, STILL HERE. All kinds of events are keeping me from polishing up the London post, such as teaching Religious Education at the parish, running our cellist back & forth between music lessons and rehearsals, and just plain keeping up with the daily routine of cooking/cleaning/shopping/working out/homework/etc. - but not necessarily in that order.

And it's all good.