Day 75

Friday, June 19, 2015

Paris, France

We have enjoyed smooth travels while in England. Even the weather has been delightful which is VERY unusually for England. Much of the credit for our travel plans belongs to my outstanding AAA travel agent, Rhonda Bartnikowski. If Rhonda had a dollar for every time Mary or I said, God Bless Rhonda, she would be a very rich woman.

In Paris, we encountered our first minor bump in the road. Because our time in Paris was so short, Rhonda had booked us an all day tour of the city complete with a river cruise on the Seine and a ride up to the first level of the Eiffel Tower. When we reached Paris, the tour company called to say the Eiffel Tower would not be possible. We were very disappointed.

However, our tour guide, Pablo, did his very best to make up for the glick. Mary and I rode in a van as he drove us to all the well known places in the city. As he showed us around, he gave a rich history of his native city. We spent 45 minutes in Notre Dame Cathedral early in the morning before the large crowds arrived. (first picture) We were taken to the Basilica of the Scared Heart where we also spent 45 minutes and enjoyed a magnificent view of the city. (second picture) Our cruise on the Siene gave us a view of the the city built on the river which include a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower (fourth picture) and the replica of the Statue of Liberty. (fifth picture) We also enjoyed very fine French cuisine because our cruise included a delicious lunch. God bless Rhonda!

After our tour, we headed straight for the Museum of the Louvre where we saw the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa. What a joy to look her in the eye. Is is easy to see why there is so such fasination with this painting by Leonardo de Vinci. When you see her, it is as if she is looking right into your soul. (third picture) We walked through one small section of the Lourve. It is gigantic. It cannot be done in a day or a week or even a month. Nor should one attempt to see Paris in a day. I guess Mary and I will just have to find a way to go back. 🙂

We ended our day by having a lovely dinner at our little cafe up the street from our hotel. The waiter remembered us and greeted us with a strong hand shake. Our day in Paris is one day I will always remember and cherish.

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie