DAY 11-WINDSOR, THEN LONDON: Covent Garden

Just a little out of order, but here is the Durham group at Covent Garden. Behind us isa crowd watching one of the street performers. This is probably the last photo, though you can send me some and I will put them up.





Since I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan, this was a must photo for me/.





We had to get off the Tube at Baker Street station and take the bus out to our hotel at Wembley. So here are some of the guys, trying to figure out if the game was afoot yet.





This is a pretty good shot of Cara's group. They are the 8th grade+ girls from Rockville, Maryland. (& 2 teachers & older folks.)

DAY 11-WINDSOR, THEN LONDON

London, of course, has its bridges that go between buildings. I thought this one was unique and interesting, and I called it a "twisted sigh". We saw it on our walk from the bus to Covent Garden.





London has some interesting little statues scattered around. We missed the one of Charlie Chaplin, but the guys enjoyed posing with this dancer.





Our bus from Windsor had to drop us off at Piccadilly Circus, and we had a little walking tour (& 1.5 hours) to get to dinner. Along the way, we took the obligatory photo with a phone box. The man in the funny hat is Jeffery, our illustrious Tour Director.




Robert looks a little hesitant, but he was a good sport, as was this Queen's household guard.




No photo blog is complete without the photo of me with a queen's guard. So here it is.

AH, LONDON!- DAY 11: Bus tour & Windsor

One of the kids in the group was not too sure of the guard, so she did not get too close...





Cara was not too sure how close to get, so she leaned into the experience. This guard is at the extreme bottom end of the lower ward at Windsor Castle.





This is a shot of the :Lower Ward,. taken from the Middle ward. Our folks are too far away to show up.





The day we were there was a Sunday, so the Queen of England was at home at Windsor Castle. This is her standard. It also meant we could not visit St. Georges Chapel.





Before we went into the castle, we had lunch and a wander. This is not the best photo, but this is the crookedest house (and perhaps the oldest as well,) in Windsor. Robert is checking it out.

AH, LONDON!- DAY 11: Bus tour & Windsor

Our bus tour of London included getting out several times. Here Lopez & Robert are in front of Buckingham Palace, just after watching the changing of the guard.




We got to see the guard marching to the change. Tourists usually do not get this close.




On our visit to St Paul's Cathedral (Sir Christopher Wrenn) the gang sat down for a minute before taking a look inside. It was Sunday, so we could not tour it, drat!

LAST DAY IN PARIS: ON TO LONDON

I do not know where these 2 came from, but I think they were trying to steal that sign.




They let us on the EuroStar first, since we were a group, but there was still a bit of a rush to get a good seat!




To be fair, there were several McDonald's eaters in the train station. Here is Eijaz & his Big Mac.




Title this one: "American in Paris"!




On our bus tour that last morning in Paris, we stopped at the Invalides for a bathroom break. Unfortunately, Not enough time to visit the tomb of Napoleon, which is under this dome.

DAY 10-PARIS TO LONDON: Paris

Lopez got all the drummers together for a memory photo in front of the Eiffel Tower.

DAY 10-PARIS TO LONDON: Paris

Our guys like strong, silent, Parisian women.

DAY 10-PARIS TO LONDON: Paris

Perquimans group in front o0f the Tower.

DAY 10-PARIS TO LONDON: Paris

Here is Lopez' group in front of the Tower.

DAY 10-PARIS TO LONDON: Paris

Our bus stopped at the Troccadero for a photo op. The Eiffel Tower is across the river. This is the best place for a group shot. Here is our bunch.

DAY 10-PARIS TO LONDON: Paris

Before we left Paris, we took a bus sightseeing tour. In front of the Ritz Hotel, there are these planters, made to look like cars, that have a tree in each one.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

On our pre-dinner walking tour, we went to Trafalgar Square. This is the new sculpture on the changing display. It changes several times a year. Not sure what it means. Lord Nelson's column is behind it.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

On top of the tower were graffeti covered signs, Gosh, guess I must have been here before!

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

We made it to the top, albeit after dark. Here is Robert at the top of the tower with the lights of Paris, and a full moon behind him.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

Just before going up, we looked way up the Eiffel Tower. This was after we had eaten dinner, and taken the Seine River cruise.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

Jeffery, our tour director, was being very happy, because Spain won their football match in the World Cup tournament.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Versailles

Here is a bunch of the rest of us, in the gate shade, waiting for the bus.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Versailles

Here is much of Cara's group waiting in the shade for the late bus. It was still hot!

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Versailles

We decided to get a quick lunch, so we sat almost on the curb. If we had known the bus was going to be late again, we could have had a proper sit down lunch.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Versailles

Here is Robert in front of the upper gate,. showing the newly refurbished "gold" color. Look behind him and you can just see the new gold on the buildings.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Versailles

Here we are in the parking lot of Versailles, by the lower gate, with the actual palace in the background.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

After the Louvre, we were to meet the guide & the bus for Versailles near this interestingly designed Metro Station. The guide was on time, the bus was late.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

This is the 3 graces plus Justine also not on the to 4 or 5. Others would be the Moaning Lisa, and Hamurabi's Code Stela, but I did not get pics of them.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

This one is not on the big 4 or 5 to see, but I thought I looked good in front of Persian sculpture.

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

Another is the Winged Victory of Samos'

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

When at the Louvre for a short time, you go see 3 or 4 things. Here is 1, the Venus de Milo.I guess in the old days, you had to pay extra for arms! (Maybe there is a museum somewhere that has the Arms de Milo!)

DAY 9- PARIS AND VERSAILLES:Paris

In the Louvre, it was interesting to stand where Tom Hanks had stood in the De Vinci Code. Under the pyramid!

DAY 8- LOIRE VALLEY TO PARIS: Paris

We had a good hour or so on Montmartre, buying tourist stuff, watching the tourists, eating interesting food, and Justine had her portrait drawn. It looked lovely. We took the funicular train up the hill, but walked down. Here they are, waiting for slow old me.

DAY 8- LOIRE VALLEY TO PARIS: Paris

It was night, so the photo is not good, but it looks prettier close up. This is Sacre Clour on top of Montmartre

DAY 8- LOIRE VALLEY TO PARIS: Paris

Here is our group at Notre Dame. We left there for Montmartre.

DAY 8- LOIRE VALLEY TO PARIS: Paris

After dinner on our first night in Paris, we did a bit of a walking tour. Here is the Paris City Hall (Hotel de Ville), with a large portrait of De Gaulle, made up of many smaller pictures.

DAY 8- LOIRE VALLEY TO PARIS: Paris

Someone in the part of Paris where our hotel is, thought blue smurf snails would look good on this bridge.

DAY 8- LOIRE VALLEY TO PARIS: Chartres

Our meeting spot in Chartres after lunch, was by this statue. Some of us got there early.