Welcome to Paris A ..oh la la

Our first day in Paris started rather unromantically , after finding our accommodation it was off to do some domestic duties at the laverit (laundry). We were so puzzled how to make it all work..the soap,the washing the drying but thankfully a young girl took pity on us and explained...then we realised it was posted up on a big sign in English...how colonial of us.

The rest of the first day was finding out where all the essential services were located around the IBIS, the metro, supermarket.....and of course MacDonald's. The day was magically blue so we were determined to get out some summery clothes and enjoy the sun for the first time really since we left Oz. We found a lovely cafe nearby and enjoyed a cool beer and some hot  Parisian summer rays.

And finally we rested our weary body after our first day in Paris with a typical?French meal of bread, red wine and chesses...oh  la la,who is that lady

Our Normandy adventure at an end

The weather played its last trick on us as we sailed into Paris with patches of blue appearing overhead. In reflecting on the past week though we were disappointed in the weather it was compensated by the experience of some well deserved luxury, great French countryside and people, historic towns and magnificent staff....not to mention a few new special friends

New friends Steve,joyce, dennis and patricia...awesome

.....and the new experiences of "frog legs" and "escargot" ...sooo much food we afraid to say we are piling on the pounds.

Finally, as darkness fell (around 11pm) the Eiffel tower put on a spectacular welcome for us in all her sparkling glory, we we in the city of love again...now to look forward to re-introducing ourselves with a city we last saw 35 years go and having a few days with out kids....ah magnifique.

Lest We Forget- reflections on Normandy Beaches

It was an early start as a small group of Britts, Canadians and Aussies seperated from most of the American travellers and headed off ,under the usual overcast sky's, on our day tour of the Normandy D- day beaches with a Commonwealth flavour.
With a comfort stop along the way we again bumped into my namesake "pasterie"..oh its so hard to be famous.

A stop to Bayeux to visit the famous tapestry which depicted the Norman conquest of Enland in 1066... Interesting but only an appetiser.

Then to Normandy beaches of "Gold"  and "Juno" and the excellent Canadian museum at  really took us back to 6th June 1944.

It was the war cementaries at  Courseulles-sur-Mer and Ranville brought home the real impact and sacrifice of war...seen in the row after row of headstones of so many young men whose epitah told the story

God grant the cause for which they died shall not fail through me

What greater gift could a son give? His life for others in freedom to live

the ultimate dream ....and for them , reality........"peace , perfect peace"

The Magnificent Monet Gardens

Our first stop out of Paris was Vernon, some 150 miles away along the snaking Seine....a town established in the 9th century (wow how amazingly old are these places). During the morning we toured Monet's gardens and home in Giverny...a beautifully quaint town which was the home for the famous impressionist for over 40 years. Your would recognise many of his famous paintings done in and around his garden....the lilly pond and weeping willow painting being a major work you would recognise. We left early to miss the hoards of bus tours and visitors but the village quickly became besieged...for a while we did become garden lovers...it will pass. In the afternoon we again stretched our legs with a walk around the town of Vernon....an amazing Church and great coffee...we are loving the french culture if not battling with the language....Anita did remind me that ferme la bushe was "shut your mouth" in french? Whilst the age gap is difficult in breaking into the conversations we have met wonderful (and wealthy) people...and had a couple of conversations about Christianity as they as the inevitable question "what do you do"

Monet's Garden

Another beautiful flower in the garden

Bucket list #4 - Heart of Normandy river cruise

Well after ticking off bucket list 1-3 (Dubai, London and daughters wedding) we caught the Euro star under the channel tunnel to Paris with our son and daughter-in-law where we left them to fly back to Australia as we boarded the Viking Spirit on the Seine River for a sumptuous dinner...a sign of things to come.
The following day we had a whistle stop tour of Paris stopping at Notredame and the Eiffel Tower for some tourist experience. We will have an opportunity in a week to spend a full week in the city of love. In the afternoon we thought we would do a little exploring ourselves.....and though we found a lovely cafe for a coffee managed to get lost and some 7km later staggered back on board.....definitely experiencing Paris one step at a time.

anita balancing the Eiffel tower

anita after Notredame tour

Anita thought she composed a great pic

So after a welcomed hot shower we went off to cocktails and another 5 star meal ( yes..the belt is getting tighter) and gently disembarked for our tour properly..next stop the town of Verona and Gieneve - home of Monet the famous impressionist painter...whose incredible garden we will tour.

How time changes you

Doesn't seem 34 years since we last were here..living on the smell of an oil rag, on the ,the adventure of a life time. So what's changed?....well apart from the hair, the wrinkles and the hips....we are a little more spoilt....more expensive (though AUD is better rate), the hovercraft we hovercraft we went across the Channel in is gone, its now an easy two hours to Paris under the Channel..the weather still the same ,damp & cold but the sunshine decided to come out as we left....the traffic jams seemed longer...the tubes easier to navigate and the buzz from the jubilee(even met the queen..check out pic), the Olympics etc has certainly lifted patriotic spirits. Still in the end 34 years is not a long time for the structures that have stood for many hundreds of years.
We have brought a few older photo's to pose....see if you can pick the difference.

Paul at Horse Guards with 1977 overlay

Anita some 35 yrs after her last red bus experience

It was worth it for just this day

Well the day finally arrived when our princess was going to walk down the aisle with her prince...and though the skies were dull you couldn't take the smile off our faces, our gorgeous daughter was radiant and we didn't scrub up bad either.
The wedding was at 3pm so the morning was filled with the separate breakfasts for the girls and guys and the obligatory long preparation with some champas and strawberries thrown in and many photo's....FoB relaxed with a large mocha and the daily paper up in the historic town of Carlisle.
Then it was into the bridal car for the 20 min run up to Gretna Green , time to give my last fatherly advice and  making sure not to miss our time slot....it is a bit of a production line in this area. Then we were at Anvill Hall,photographer, instructions - "stand here,do this"- the wedding song "at last" being sung by Claires close aussie friend, Rebekah..magically echoing through the cathedral like ceilings, walking down the aisle...then suddenly I  dad to give her away..my baby..given to another man and a pom at that...so PROUD.

It was over in a flash, the banging of the the Anvil and that was it...camera's, flashes..confetti..and back to a family reception at the "County Hotel"... amazing, surreal..so far away from home and yet surround with family made this a day to remember. Just to finish it off it was off to the Aussie pub "the walk about"...and we had to pay to get in..the only real Aussies in Carlisle...a great finish see our daughter and hubby (Mr & Mrs Leckie) dancing to bruno Marrs "I think I want to marry you"...and so we fell into bed exhausted but full of the richness that family brings...thank you God for family.

Motoring on the M1 to a Gretna green wedding

We are on the road to scotland...for our babies wedding and yes...its raining and getting colder...but I have my new "trilby" to keep the head warm.
To make the journey more interesting (particularly at road stops) we had to proudly wear appropriate t-shirts...got lots of interesting looks.

A jubilee time in London

the intrepid travellers

Well we certainly picked a busy long weekend to hit London town... the queens jubilee Thames flotilla (biggest in 300 years) , huge concert outside Buckingham palace a royal procession and service at st Paul's cathedral...but we had an awesome time...the cold and sometime damp weather could not quench our spirits and we soldiered on in our touristy way.
Stayed at the awesome Raddison on Bloomsbury st (recommended and great rate) and with our eldest,Michelle as tour guide (she had previously lived in London for 8 mths) we hit the "tubes"...firstly to Nottinghill and the famous portabella road markets and the obligatory bargains (hats,t-shirts,shoes etc) do not know how we are going to be by the time we get home.Union jacks were everywhere with lots of national pride on display...great stuff.

some fine English professionals

queen Elizabeth's advice

amazing street graffiti

After some freshening up we headed out again to "Brick lane" famous for the Indian cuisine (which you haggle over the offers), melting pot of races and the amazing street graffiti....what a place full of character and life, you just have to watch your wallet.

anita,michelle and kaye enjoying the lights

Thankfully we had lots of walking to remove the unwanted poundage from our feasting lifestyle. On our way back to our hotel we made the obligatory stop at Piccadilly square to see the amazing billboard light show and so as it grew colder and wetter we trudged home , a fantastic first day in London some 34 years after our first visit.

London..where has all the sunshine gone

After a delayed 7 hour flight from the 40deg heat of dubai we touched down at a chilli heathrow....through customs quickly and to the central bus station for the 2 hour trip to milton keynes. And so it was soon that we were shivering outside waiting for our daughter and fiance' to arrive in "betty rose" thier combi.
After lots of hugs and laughter...they couldn't understand why we were cold, she has aclimatized.
After a recovery nap we headed to the "famous"? Milton Keynes concrete cows for the obligatory pic's.... then the longest shopping centre in Europe..ouch my feet hurt

alix,claire,rachael (bridesmaid),michelle and anita

typical english pub...jubilee flags out in force

Saturday awoke to forecast of worsening weather forecast for next week ( rain and max 11-15) so London will not only be amaing it will be challenging...just rug up I guess. Its Claires Hens and Alixs bucks party today, the girls are having a luch and after party..I managed to skip the paint balling (hips and all) and Andrew and I will catch them up late inthe evening.
Its off to London tomorrow for a fews days of jubilee celebrations...its a two day public holiday so there will be thousands of extra people there...hope to say hi to Liz...will let you know how we go.

More desert safari and the Cobra

There was so much more to show you re desert safari that had to do another post. It was so easy to take yourself back to the Arabian knights...."hannah" tatoo and all, they now call me the "cobra"...last about a week,before I walk my beautiful daughter down the aisle

Pauls cobra

Anita's more decorative tat

didn't hurt a bit...really

amazing arabian camp

Dubai desert safari...awesome

A special post for this amazing desert experience......picked up by our driver in a brand new 2012 landruiser for our 6 hour jaunt into the desert,ripping down some BIG dunes till sunset then an Arabian experie nce including camel riding, "hannah" tatoo, a great feastand obligatory belly dancer.

Would recommend to everyone ...the evenings are certainlymore magical than the desolate days

Magnificent dubai

Well we finally made it into Dubai...a city made from nothing and from the air coming in you would wonder how anything  could be made out of this dry desolation but its amazing what many billions of oil dollars can do. After breezing through customs we hit a the wall of 40deg heat but thankfully whisked away in a chauffeured driven vehicle to the Grand Hyatt...from whence we indulged ourselves with city tour including the joys of bartering (who knew how a Rolex was so cheap), sumptuous dinners, beautiful room,desert safari and lazing around the pool ...and the story continues. Anita's blog has a few more colourful details.