Aug 4, 2006 - I would walk 500 miles (today in Paris!)

First stop this morning is a walk from our Hotel down to the Louvre. We wander around the courtyard that have the different wings around the outside and the glass pyramids in the middle. While Steve stays above ground, Jen goes inside just to see the inverted glass pyramid that is in one of the foyers (readers of The Da Vince Code will know what I'm referring to). I find it pretty quickly and take a few snaps (between other people posing next to it) - I then walk up an exit closest to where I am and find myself above ground but about 200...

Aug 3, 2006 - Paris/London/Nigeria/Zambia

I am sitting at the Luton airport in London, England. Flew the Sovereign here from Paris yesterday afternoon. This evening we are departing Luton to Nigeria for a fuel stop and then on to Lusaka, Zambia. Yesterday was rainy and cool in Paris and also here in London. Sure will be happy when I am back in the USA. Always problems with flying. The flight attendent is sick so Captain Beli will serve the passengers while I fly. Good weather expected in Zambia but some thunderstorm activity in Nigeria. Flying for the first time, over Africa, at...

Aug 1, 2006 - France in One Day!

Immediate observations upon landing at CDG airport in Paris, staying in nearby Roissy: disdaining the overpriced hotel resto - especially after eastern europe - I head into the twee reno village of Roissy-en-France to find a late evening meal. Passing a young child playing with a soccer ball, followed by his dad. The kid walks along the top of a stone fence, the way I always do, and he's singing to himself, the way kids will: a children's song, an American pop tune, a nonsense tune? No: the Marseillaise. Not kidding. These folks take their...

Aug 1, 2006 - Paris

Today we hooked up with Jefe Bombalina; he is next to me probably making up all sorts of lies in his tripjournal. It is hard to type here. Dark, late, strange keyboard layout so this will be short. Manu Chao on the stereo which is the only good thing about this room. Got off the train and found Jeff. He tan. We took the subway down to the Eiffel tower and stood in line for over an hour. We went up to the top and took our cheesey photos, then descended and had a crazy expensive dinner replete with sassy waiter. Oh, I forgot the part about...

Jul 29, 2006 - Flight to Paris

We decided to fly to Paris instead of training the rest of the way. It saves us 2 days of hard day night train travel from Marrakech but sadly means we will miss Gibraltar which I wouldn't have minding seeing. It also gives us more time in France though and saves us the headache of getting out of morocco. I hate to say it but I have honestly had enough of this country. I just haven't overly enjoyed it, which I hate to say. The country itself is absolutely beautiful but at this point I feel like, seen it done it, got the postcard haha So...

Jul 26, 2006 - Nice. Part Deux

Nice was a hell of a lot better the second time atound. Plus we got to take that beautiful train ride along the coast again. We arrived at Villa Saint Exupery, one of Europe's famous hostels, looking like crap. But that didn't stop everyone from treating us wonderful. As soon as I stepped into the dorm room, Sara and I locked eyes, dropped jaws amd exclaimed, "What the f***". It was Sara from Brugge. The gorgeous 25 yr old from Toronto. We watched France beat Portugal together. It's so great seeing people that you meet in different cities...

Jul 24, 2006 - The Road to Biarritz

Monday went quite quickly, Guus and I went into Venlo Centrum and had a look around, we both had a couple of things to buy. I bought some cool Pink boardies, a jumper and a black singlet. I'll get a pic of the boardies up soon, they're classic.. On the way home we stopped and got supplies for the trip to Biarritz, mainly lots of Red Bull and a few packets of chips. Once home we also made some sandwiches as driving over night not much will be open. After dinner we packed up and left. Guus, Roy and I packed into the car with a list of tents,...

Jul 24, 2006 - Paris, France

After conquering mainland Europe, we decided to return to Paris to meet up with my roommate Jeff and his girlfriend Kristin before heading off to the UK. We started (appropriately) with a visit to the Arc Du Triomphe. We didn't make it all the way there last time because it looked really far from the Louvre and we had already walked that entire museum. It's way bigger than you would have guessed after seeing the arches in Rome. It's got engravings in honor of French soldiers who died in pretty much every war you can think of that France was...

Jul 21, 2006 - Paris, a cidade luz!!!

Diretamente de Roma, chegamos a Paris depois de uma noite inteira de viagem. Dormimos na cabine com duas coreanas e um chinês, que roncava muito; Saulo teve até que balançar a cama dele algumas vezes...rs. Paris é muito linda, alegre, bonita, cheia de luz e cultura! O primeiro evento foi visitar o Museu do Louvre, onde fizemos um tour guiado para focarmos as principais obras: começamos pela parte egípicia, esculturas italianas, francesas, Vênus de Milo e finalmente a Monalisa. Bem que a Lú tinha falado, é um quadro pequeno e ficam milhares...

Jul 18, 2006 - Sightseeing,Paris

Ken and Benny stayed home, while Daniel,Belinda and Pamela went to Sainte Chapelle today to see a chapel entirely made of stained glass, dating from the 13th century. Afterwards we went around Notre Dame to see the gargoyles and look for some lunch. It was very hot and sunny and there was two playgrounds halfway around under the trees so that is as far as we went. We went to go to the Museum of the Middle Ages, but it was closed. So we decided to go to the Musee D'Orsay, the museum of the impressionists, which Ken had expressed no interest...

Jul 16, 2006 - Au Revoir, Paris!

Well, so my trip ended where it began, in the most magical of cities! Paris is always renewing and re-creating itself, but, with such little time, I didn't get to see the new, controversial Musee' du Quai Branly which I had hoped, let alone even get to watch sunset in my old favorite, the Jardin du Luxembourg. But there was the beach! In this vein of 'something new', I recommend at this time if you visit the 'Paris Plage.' In this recent innovation, for a month or so in the summer, a pile of sand has been spread over 3 km of the Right Bank...

Jul 14, 2006 - Paris

First class to Paris. We were spoiled. Absolutely spoiled. Free food. Free beer. Comfy seats and a cabin to ourselves. The best part... we were on our way to Paris. We were actually spoiled the entire trip in Paris. As soon as we arrived, Benidicte greeted us with open arms. Who is Benidicte you ask. She works for Medtronic France, the makers of Bryan's insulin pump. After contacting her about supplies, she responded to Bryan, offering us a place to stay for as long as we liked. We were unmeasurabely fortunate to have the oppurtunity....