Are you ready for a virtual trip to Paris?

I've got 2 trips for you. One to Disneyland Paris (our photos from our weekend away last weekend) and one to the city of Paris itself (hubby and I went for a long weekend in August 2003).

Disneyland Paris first. We didn't take many here - we didn't want to worry about bashing the camera on Rock 'n Roller Coaster . We took hubby's camera and he likes to take photos with his people in so you'll get a *me* overdose I'm afraid.

We stayed in the Disneyland Hotel at the entrance to the Park.



As you can tell - it was really, really cold!!! So we wrapped up warm - here I am about to go into Disney Studios


Once inside:

I got my own back and snapped one of hubby

He's in the middle of telling me how cold he is

Oooh fun! Is that you, in the first pictures? I like that hat - how cute!

The next day was my birthday - I asked for snow and like hubby said "All I had to do is ask and he will arrange it for me....."



I GOT SNOW

We were having dinner in the Blue Lagoon Restaurant - which is in the Pirates of the Carribean Ride. We tried to get some photos as we queued in the ride that day to show you - we were lucky the ride broke down briefly whilst we were queuing in just the right spot!


We took these from the ride on the way round


This turned out to be our table - it was perfect - I think hubby arranged this too:


Here we are in the restaurant - if I look a little pink blame the Champagne that hubby ordered (I was well and truly spoilt)

When we came out of the restaurant the park had been closed for about 20 minutes. There was just us, some employees and couple of people who'd finished their meals too. Perfect for some nice photos. Although we did have to do a bit of balancing cameras on rubbish bins to get them . Still some pretty ones I think:

Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

Next - Main Street USA


This was the day that hubby handed over slavery to Lily to me. Yes that little furbaby was my birthday present and I took over lifelong responsibility to tend to her every need that day: here she is


and as we were walking down Main Street, guess what we saw?


Just like every self-respecting female - she has her own shop

The only photo left for this leg of our trip is this one - it's Disney Village. Between our the park/our hotel and the other hotels is Disney Village - it's a bit like Pleasure Island (from Disney in Florida) in that it has shops, restaurants, cinema, bars etc.


Did you enjoy the trip? Ready to go to Paris?

Originally Posted by pinkdaisy226

Oooh fun! Is that you, in the first pictures? I like that hat - how cute!

Click to expand...

Yep - that's me. First job when we got there? Buy hat, scarf and gloves - it was FREEZZIINNGG

Yay let's go to Paris! I haven't been in... 10 years?

wow -- looks like you had a great time! I love Disney. Any Disney theme park really. I've only been to Florida and California though so its neat to see pics from the one in Paris.

More pictures please!!!

Wow! Looks like you two had a great time! The perfect trip wrapped up with the purrfect gift!!

Ok then - we off to the city of Paris. These were from our trip in August 2003 - there are a couple of major sights that we didn't visit on that occasion, but I have photos elsewhere, I'll try to include those at the end (if I can find them )

My daughter had just received her exam results (that day!) and we had delivered her to the railway station with her big brother as they were all off to a weekend pop music festival. As soon as we got them to the station - we got in the car and drove straight to the airport. 50 minutes flight later - we were in Paris.

We stayed near the Opera on Boulevard Haussman and had two and a half days there. We walked - BOY did we walk. We calculated our routes and walked 30 MILES in the two and a half days!!! I almost walked hubby's legs off . So you'll see me wearing trainers (sneakers) everywhere. Better get your walking shoes on guys!!!

The first morning we walked up to Montmartre and the Sacre Coeur from our hotel.



Then we walked around the corner. See those buildings just under the trees on the left? That's where we're going. Into the artists' district in Montmartre.


Yep - hubby took some of these - so you get me in them again!!



Hubby doesn't get away scott-free - here he is - posing next to the wine shop


A lovely quiet residential road in Montmartre


Les Moulins de la Galettes - where Renoir painted the pictures of dances. If you're not familiar with the painting follow this link: http://www.theartgallery.com.au/ArtE...ir/moulins.jpg

The dances were held through that archway - but we can't go in their anymore . However - just for a bit of excitement - see all those people in the shot? Well - we're actually watching a film being made - we've walked around the costume and make-up bits around the corner and this is the scene being filmed right now. How's that eh? You've watched a film being made!

Then we walk down through the cemetery at Montmartre. You have to imagine this one though - out of respect we didn't take photos. But the most amazing and touching tomb was that of Alexander Dumas; but there were so many Francois Truffaut, Emile Zola....there were so many more including Berlioz and Degas, Offenbach and Nijinsky. Also there, Ampere (the scientist as in Amps - electricity), Delibes (composer).

Then after a short stop for a cup of coffee, it's off further down the hill to the Moulin Rouge:

and further downhill still to Les Folies Bergere

Sadly in evidence on this beautiful building is the French graffitti problem - honestly it's everywhere.

This is actually right behind our hotel. We stopped at a shop opposite here, bought French bread, cheese, ham and a drink and walked off to the River where we had a picnic tea.

I'll do this in two parts because we have quite a few here.

Firstly, near the Opera is a place called Harry's Bar. Here Gershwin composed and American in Paris on the Piano in the basement and the Bloody Mary was invented - it's a great little bar. This was also the place where the term Bar Fly was coined. Here's their website http://www.harrysbar.fr/.

On the way back to the hotel we photographed the Opera at night:

Don't worry - I'll take you inside it during the day just before we leave.

The next day we head south of the river. First off as we were crossing the river, I spot the Supreme Court on Ile de la Cite - ok I'm a lawyer on holiday indulge me

Although, for those of you that might have seen it the 1960s tv series Maigret was apparently filmed here.

Ok - boring bit over - don't worry the family get used to me snapping courthouses everywhere I go - we were walking down the street and spotted a nice little patisserie - ah now that's more like it I hear you say



Then, we're off to the Jardins de Luxembourg where the French Senate building sits:

The childrens' boating lake near the Senate:

and the Senate Building:

In part 2 we're off for a bit of culture!

This is absolutely wonderful, Beth! You must have had the greatest time! Thank you so much for our personal tour of Paris!

After a stop for a drink and pastries we're off to Rodin's House. Here's a link to the Museum's website - it's a wonderful place http://www.paris.org/Musees/Rodin/. I first saw Rodin's sculptures in real life in the sculpture garden on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1994 and was bowled over by The Kiss. Link for the Met: http://www.metmuseum.org/home.asp. Although this was a wonderful introduction to Rodin I only saw the marble version - you'll see why I say this later.

Inside the house we saw: The Thinker


An early version of the Bergers of Calais:



and....The Kiss. Here it is in marble - although they are nude it has been given the OK by a moderator


It's beautiful and very tender - but the terracotta (original) is, in my opinion, more beautiful.




Notice that in the terracotta their lips have not met and the man's hand is not touching the woman. Whereas both lips and hands touch in the marble. This is why the terracotta is more beautiful for me - the sculpture is about the love of a man for his brother's wife and the passion is meant to be unfulfilled hence the lack of physical contact in the original terracotta. For me it's more poignant that way.

I think it's simply beautiful.

Having torn outselves away from The Kiss, we walk out into the August sunshine and find a Thinker in the garden with La Tour Eiffel in the background:


Can you see him just above the roses there?

I have re-thought this and thought I ought to subdivide day 2 a bit further LOL! I was snap-happy. See you in a bit, we're off to the Musee D'Orsay.

brilliant pics beth, i bet looking at them is making everyone wanna go ey

This is a beautiful museum. It was an old railway station that has been renovated and turned into a museum. Without the works of art in side, it would be simply stunning itself - here's the link to the museum's website http://www.musee-orsay.fr/ORSAY/orsa...x?OpenDocument - amongst others it has the most beautiful paintings of ballerinas by Degas.

Here is the museum - didn't they do a fantastic job?

If you can tear yourself away from all the fantastic paintings inside - there is the most fantastic view of Paris to be had upstairs - through the clock!!!



Clearer on my original version - but then the photo is 14 mgb in size - and just above the Roman Numeral 5 is the Sacre Coeur on top of the hill.

If you look to the side and just across the River Seine you can see Le Louvre


Sorry - couldn't take photos of the paintings - you'll just have to visit to see them!

Then we take off for hubby's favourite bridge in Paris. Pont Alexandre III - it's absolutely beautiful and has to be seen - our photos just don't do it justice:


Close ups of some of the lamps and sculptures that line the bridge

with hubby!!!!

His grin - is because some guy had been whizzing around the bridge on rollerblades, generally causing a nuisance and nearly crashing into people - anyway the guy had just crashing into the stonework at high speed - hubby has a very sick sense of humour

Then, before we hit the Champs Elysses for a glass of wine and off to the hotel we have one last photo from today for you. You all know where this is right?

Oui, c'est la tour Eiffel. But - see that little gold thing just under the trees - well that's the memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales - just in case there are any royalists out there. Just to the right of shot, where you can see cars and people under the trees is the underpass where the fateful events occurred. This is Place D'Alma.

Ok - exhausted - enjoy your glass of wine at Place D'Alma, then rest up for a brief tour tomorrow morning.

Mgnificient, Beth! Our trip just gets better and better!

Well, today we fly home at lunchtime (hence the jeans) I won't bore you with the morbid reasons why women who wear trousers have a better survival chance if there's an emergency on the plane - but I'm so scared of flying I make sure I have as much in my favour as I can .

Anyway - when I showed you the Opera at night, I said we'd get chance to see inside and today we do. They've just finished renovating it, so we're not allowed to take flash photos in the auditorium (it fades the precious paintings and drapery) but we can take photos in the other areas.


The Grand Staircase - dressed for the Opera as you can see

At the top of the stairs is the beautiful upper foyer:

Some of the detail in the beautiful Salons upstairs:



And finally at the Opera, a little surprise under the staircase:


On the way back to the hotel to collect our suitcase, we look up the sidestreet at the corner of the hotel and find a view of the place where we started off on Friday morning:

Hope you all enjoyed the trip - it was lovely reliving the weekends that hubby and I spent in Paris

Montmarte!! Oh I am so jelous - beautiful pictures Beth!

Wow, great pictures! Man, my trip to Paris was lousy - granted I was 13 or so and didn't appreciate it... all I remember is the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and some park. So thanks for the fabulous tour - looks like you guys had a great time!