Monday, June 8, 2009

Sitting still in Paris is not an option

Mom sneaking in a cat nap on the shuttle to the airport in Rome
Waiting for the bus to Nogent at the RER in the suburbs
I cannot stand any longer. This spot by the trash can looks like a perfect resting place.

The fam on Mami and Papi Grissault's balcony in Nogent



Norbert and I are always trading off as photographers

EuroDisney: Exactly like all the other Disneys but with foie gras.

Hugo has just spotted the 4 person Surrey bike rentals and will proceed to be obsessed with them for about 5 minutes.

Mom in our Renault rental

The fountains were not on the day we were at Versailles but this one was great without the water spouts

Can you guess which feet are mine?

The moutons of Versailles

When I post the pictures my mom took at Versailles you will see one where my sister nearly pushed me into this canal. Gotta love sisters.

Le chateau

I could have spent days exploring the grounds of Versailles. Admission to the gardens is free and I'm definitely going back when I am over here again.
You can see on the left the roof where the renovation has been completed and on the right were they are still refurbishing the gilding. Wasn't this kind of excessive spending the reason they had a revolution? Time for another?

The chapel inside

Louis XIV looking suave like the cover of a romance novel

Hall of mirrors
Mom and Gigi ready to head home after seeing lots of old expensive stuff

Skating by the river in Nogent

Watch out! Dachshund crossing

Skated to the market and met a friendly cheese monger who lived in Orlando for a year and spoke English well. Always a nice find.

The butcher did not speak English but did have some lovely pig parts for sale

Just some of the wide variety of deliciousness at the market that day.

You can get a coiff like the Hoff in Nogent, France. It's not just the Germans that love them some Hoff.

Sacre Coeur on the top of Montmartre from the top of the Pompidou


Eiffel Tower from the Pompidou
The escalators in the gerbil tubes of the Pomidou Museum

The ladies out on the town in Paris at a new restaurant grand opening

Sampling the goods
Champagne with the owners' daughter Molly. She's only 11 so we drank her share.

On the lookout for quads but it was blades as far as the eye could see.

Of the 2 or 3 thousand people skating, I saw about 8 pairs of quads. They need some converts before roller derby is going to take off in Paris.

This group made the night super fun. I think they were from Denmark or some other random European country that no one goes to, but there were about 20 of them and that contraption he is pushing is a huge stereo blaring obnoxious pop music. I knew it would be a good skate when the first song of the night was Poker Face. Not sure how many of you are familiar with Paris geography, but we started at Montparnasse and skated down the hills through St. Germain and across the river and ALL THE WAY UP Montmartre! I thought I might die 3/4 of the way up, but I made it and the skate down the back side was so worth the trek up. I have never skated so fast in my life. For some folks it was more like a controlled slide down and I saw at least 6 people totally eat it going down the hills. That was only about half way through the skate and we ended up skating all over the city for a couple hours. Overall, an extremely fun night.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Quick photo update from France

Dinner at Norbert's parents house Norbert, Gigi and Hugo in Nogent
They live about 20 minutes from EuroDisney. We stopped by one evening to see how Hugo would like it and he freaked out in Rainforest Café and was not a huge fan of the characters. Not ideal for 2 year olds.

Topiaries at Versailles

We had to kick off our shoes and walk around in the cool clover and grass by Marie Antionette's Hamlet.

Versailles

Proof I was at the Versailles Chateau

Looking like a complete tourist wearing my audiotour in the hall of mirrors after our picnic in the gardens.

Giant fromage at the market in Nogent

Trying not to completely eat it skating down the cobblestone hilly sidewalks in Nogent.

The Eiffel Tower from the top of the Pompidou

Stuffing our faces at the new restaurant opening of L'Orangerie

Attempting to capture the hordes of skaters on Friday night at Paris Roller. Seriously at least 2 thousand skaters. Paris is in serious need of a roller derby league!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Travel Update

Internet access in Rome was spotty at best. The city was amazing. We saw nearly everything we hoped to see and were obnoxious non Italian speaking tourists the whole time we were there. We did our best and said grazi as much as possible. Two American women and one pretty ex-patriot got along just fine with English, French and our limited Italian. The food was delicious and I finally got to experience the porquito Morgan has been talking about for months. Yum! The wine and prosecco were not too shabby either. I do have to admit I enjoyed my time at the Irish pub the Abbey Theatre more than the Roman bars though! Jen, To, and Teresa all say hi to Giles and Morgan too! Thank you guys for all the tips for getting around Rome and what to see.
I am in Paris now, well technically Nogent, at my sister Gigi's house. We are headed to Normandy on Saturday and then down to Lot to Norbert's parents' house. In the meantime, we are eating as much delicious French food as we can handle and soaking up the gorgeous weather. Oh! And on Friday I will be rollerskating through the streets of Paris with a couple thousand people! Pictures surely will follow. The Parisians on their rollerblades need to watch out for ScaryAnna Roughington!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Roma!

Mom looking fresh and rested after many hours of travel.
Waiting for the train wishing Mom had not pcked so much luggage.

Our first sighting of an old dead guy on a horse
Obelisk in front of the presidential palace

On the way to Trevi
Lovely warm sunny day our first day in Rome


Fontana di Trevi

Nice parasol

Looked like the logo for the Messenger for all you Boro folks out there
Obelisk in Piazza Colonna
Obelisk in front of the Palazzo Chigi

Hot Roman priest calendar. Dont worry ladies I got one for the office.

Mama and the bouganvillas

The Pantheon
View of the obelisk in front of the Pantheon

Pantheon occulous
Mom and Gigi in the Pantheon



Obelisk in Piazza Navona. Either its the only thing I took pictures of or Romans are fans of obelisks.

Dome in Saint Agnes
Sightseeing break for cocktails and beers at the Abbey pub

Loving the Abbey. Teresa says Hi! to Giles and Morgan btw.

Fontana di Jesus Puking
A shot of the French Embassy for Norbert

Fiume Tevere

Another stop for drinks. Walking makes you very thirsty for wine!


Smokey or Guido followed us to Rome
So did Martini!


Monumento a Vittorio Emmanuele II aka wedding cake


Colosseo at dusk

Funny name for a club
Fresh fish
Decided to have pizza instead
Mom's yummy pizza
Mom cooling her tired feet in the bidè

Wings at the Colosseo

Looking down into the Colosseo

Proof I was there
Palatine Hill from the Colosseo


Near the Roman Forum
Sitting on old stuff
Roman Forum

Piles of old stuff

Scary knight guy on the Vittorio Emanuele monument
Stairs up to the Moses church You can make it to the top, I believe in you!
Totally worth the stairs. Moses with horns by Michelangelo
Creepy Pope tomb in the Moses church
Dead guy on a horse in Campidoglio

Could not tell if this Italian on the roof was going to hit on us or pee on us