PARIS!!!

The city of lights...the city of love.  Oh how fitting that we were in Paris over Valentine's Day weekend.  I'm not sure that Jake will ever be able to top this Valentine's Day, but somehow I'm okay with that.  We met the Burks on Thursday night and we all headed out Monday.  We had an amazing weekend of lots and lots and lots of walking.

Our first morning there was exactly how I imagined it would be.  The sun was shining.  Perfect blue skies.  And as we sat on a bridge over the Seine River, paninis in hand, gazing at Notre Dame, we listened to an old man play that song from the movie Sabrina on an accordion (you know, the one she says they play just for the tourists).  Yes, I can say that I was in heaven at that moment. 

So without further ado, here is our trip to Paris in a nutshell.

In front of the Louvre

669 steps up, the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower

All of us on the Eiffel Tower

Mmm....Gellato

Drinking hot chocolate in front of the Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame

A Really Old Rock Formation

Stonehenge and Bath took over our weekend.  We took a day trip to see these little gems.  We couldn't very well come all the way back the the States without seeing Stonehenge, right?  Well, we decided to add the city of Bath onto the trip and make a day of it.

Jake's a little bit cold...can you tell?

It was just a little windy, I gave up trying to keep my hair from going all over. 

A look at Bath through the window of the bus.

One of the Roman Baths, unfortunately, we couldn't swim in them.

All the streets were lined with shops.

The amazing Mexican restaurant we had lunch at.

The Last Week...Or So

Last week, I decided to go to the Changing of the Guard.  Jake wasn't very interested in seeing it, but of course, it was on my list (which I am proud to say is slowly dwindling).  So while he was at school, I made my way to Buckingham Palace to see the event.  I got there about 15 min. early and quickly decided I probably should have been at least 45 min. early.  There were lots of tourists already there, and I'm pretty sure that none of them spoke English.  I am so glad that I went to see it.  It wasn't anything like I had expected.  Some of the guards made up a marching band of sorts and they played music for much of the half an hour program.  I had to laugh when they started playing Michael Jackson's "Thriller".  It was great.

Me, the Palace, and the millions of other tourists

That weekend, we went to the Tower of London.  I think Jake was just excited to have me stop talking about it.  I have been telling him for weeks that we needed to go there, so we finally made the trip.  It was incredible to read about everything that had happened there.  I wish I could have taken pictures of the crown jewels, but I guess they don't want people to take pictures of the inside of their vault.

The White Tower.  When we were there, this is where they kept a lot of the past King's armor.

Me with a knight

Yes, my friends, this is Jake putting a metal soldier in a headlock.

The Tower Bridge is right by the Tower of London