Europe Day 4 Paris The Louvre

Day 4 of Our Europe trip took us on the fast train to Paris from London.

Monday morning we took the 7:15 train so had to get up early to get from the hotel to the train station.
211.38 miles (340.18 kilometres)

2 hours and 15 minutes! These trains travel at 180 mph and go under the channel. 

Love the bright yellow color.

We enjoyed breakfast on the train.

View from our hotel room on the 3rd floor.

The room was really nice even though they were working in the hall and stairways to remodel. 

When we finally got checked in we got on line to check times of the places we wanted to visit.

 We knew the Effile tower could be seen either day.

It was good that we checked. Our plan was to go the the Louvre on Tuesday, it would have been closed.

What beautiful blue skies we had!

 I did some collages on Print shop to highlight our visit of the Louvre.

 

Wonderful Egyptian  wing

Too many paintings to show. I love the vibrant colors (especially the reds)  used in these paintings.
 Check out the tiger under the saddle.

Remnants of the orginal fortress are visible in the basement of the museum.
The much admiried Mona Lisa was behind glass and a center of attention.

 I finally worked my way to the front to get this picture.

To really see the Louvre you need 6 days, one for each of the wings of the museum.

Tomorrow we visit the Catacombs and the Eiffel tower.  Hope you will come back next week and visit.

Blessings, Debbie

Linking with  Blue Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, 

Rednesday and Vintage Thursday

Mom, Mother, Mama, Mommy 

whatever you call her I pray she is

  Marvelous

As I continue my Meandering throught the alphabet with blessings in my life 

I MUST  say the top on my list for M is for Mother.

My mother is the beautiful woman on the left.  I love her white hair and sweet smile.

This picture is one of my favorites over the last few years.  

It was taken at my neices wedding.  

The second lovely lady is my Mother in Law.  I am blessed two fold having a mother and mother in law who both love me and the Lord.

Make sure you visit the other posts on ABC Wednesday.  It's never too late to join in!

Blessings, Debbie

Day 3 London

We woke to cleared skies today! Amazing a day without rain in London.  Our last day in London before taking off for France and yet so much to see.

When thinking over the tour from yesterday, we knew we wanted to visit the Tower of London, Big Ben and take a ride on the London Eye.


In the early 1080s, William the Conqueror began to build a massive stone tower at the centre of his London fortress. Nothing like it had ever been seen before. 

Through the centuries that followed, successive monarchs added to the fortifications. This short history charts the different stages of its construction and explains its role as fortress, palace and prison.

 The grass area between the outer and inner walls were the mote in days gone by.

I was amazed by the doors and stairways throughtout the castle.  

For a viritual tour visit http://www.camelotintl.com/tower_site/tour/index.html

There is even a tour of all the crown jewels that we couldn't photograph for security reasons.

They were simply AMAZING!

There are some of the cages used to house the  menagerie of lions and other exotic animals the Kings kept on the grounds.

In one of the tower rooms there was a reenactment during the day 

to show what life would have been like.

In one section of the grounds there is a large museum that had rooms and rooms of armor, household items and the one I found most interesting, a sculpture of a dragon that was built out of the spoils of battle. Take a close look at the guns, helmets and armor.

At the end of the tour we ate lunch in the cafe they had on the grounds. Spent some time wandering the streets then went on our ride on the London Eye.

The London Eye can carry 800 passengers per revolution - equivalent to 11 London red double-decker buses.

Our ride was at the perfect time.  Sunset.  We watched the lights turn on across the river lighting up Big Ben and Westminister Abby.  

Hope you enjoyed your visit to the towers and your birds eye view of the Tower of Big Ben.  

Just missing the rosey red cheeks of the little children... 

Blessings, Debbie

Linking with Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday and Vintage Thursday.

 Christ is Risen 

from the dead

We are one with HIM again Come awake, come awake  Come and rise up from the grave.

The beauty of this church we visited in France in undeniable.  The town was  on the top of a hill in the distance and we are so thankful we drove there.  

It isn't on the normal list of places to see.  It is their place of worship.  

Although we are not Catholic we share the love for the same Risen Lord. 

Wherever you worship,  if in a cathedral or simple auditorium, 

I pray you feel the presence of the Risen Lord, King of Kings our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

 Debbie

Linking today with Pink Saturday and Spiritual Sunday