Edinburgh Scotland

This is where it all began.

Dan and Chrystal invited me to join them along with our good friend Chris on a trip to Scotland / North England for one full, fantastic week. Chrystal was already in Scotland for work. I flew in the night before and we had some girls only time. The guys caught up with us the next morning after their all nighter flight arrived. This is a picture of Day 1.



The streets of Edinburgh have a nineteenth century feel to them.




View from Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle with some parking renovations going on...

View from below

The locals I'm told do not walk through the middle of the heart. This iconic piece of sidewalk is said to offer bad luck in love if you step in the middle...always walk around.

Ferrari in Scotland.

No, this was not our rental...but that would be fun!

We drove through the countryside southbound through the afternoon, napping off and on until we got to Northumberland England where we checked into a posh vacation home, which even had a private sauna in Chris' bathroom. (We made him share.) I had a luxury sunken tub in my bathroom and Dan and Chrystal had a decked out master suite too. The whole property was exceptional with everything you could think of, thanks to Dan and Chrystal!

Louvre Musee, Walking Tours and More

Venus De Milo

Winged Victory of Samothrace
(A favorite of mine. I saw the Nike Goddess on tour in Greece years ago and this was just as impressive.)

The Lacemaker by Vermeer

Sorry, this is a terrible picture. Vermeer is on my top five list.

Reminded me of my own sisters, Jane Austin and other girly expressions.

Yep. Mona Lisa. Been there, done that.

This is my Parisian scarf with Paris icon's printed in greys. I bought it while I was out on one of my late night walks. As soon as I got it and put it on I felt silly realizing I looked even more like a tourist, but wore it around anyway.

Here we have Notre Dame, saved by Victor Hugo's famous novel.

I stood there listening to our guide tell the story and thought of my brother Seth that loves to write. What a powerful means for influencing history!

The Artist's Bridge where lovers initial their locks, clip them tot the fence and then toss the keys overboard symbolizing their everlasting commitment.

Our guide was hilarious...offering suggestions to the guys on how to save costs by only dating girls with the same initials, keeping a copy of the key so they can retrieve the lock for reuse and other antedotes.

St Christopher's Inn

I stayed in a multi-bunk hostel. It wasn't my first time and not too bad. I met people from all over the world; China, Brazil, Australia, Scotland, Germany and more. I'd do it again if it meant I got to travel.

Sacre' Coeur Basillica at night.

Hotel d' Invalides

...kind of like the local VA during Napoleon's reign...

Arnaud, our guide.

If anyone is going to be traveling in Europe I highly recommend NewEuropeTours.eu They offer free walking tours, working for tips only. I got a ton of info, saw highlights of Paris and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

This is Michael casting out Satan from heaven.

Foggy day standing outside the Louvre Gardens.

Entrance to the Louvre

One evening I walked to the Eiffle Tower and took the elevator up as far as it would go. I found myself in a solitary mood in the late evening looking out out on a clear lit cityscape and taking in the breeze.

Montmarte Paris

Back in February I had a chance to visit Paris for a few days on my way home from the trip to Scotland / England. While the trip to England was with Dan, Chrystal and Chris I was by myself in Paris for about three days.

Montmarte is the old romantic artist district set on a hillside a few miles out from the city center and the Eiffel tower. As you can imagine it's really something all lit up at night and then the views overlooking the city are well worth the hike. Violinists were playing live music, sketchers were set up curbside as I wandered the tiny streets behind the Sacred Heart. Aromas escaped every corner restaurant. I grabbed a crepe for dinner and just walked, stopping to look for a good magnet for my collection.

Later in the trip I went back up to Sacred Heart Basilica (Sacre' Coeur) and took a walking tour where I got to see Picasso and Van Gogh's different homes and hear of their painful woes depicting the artists life, which was fascinating and impressionable.