Paul & Lauren’s Travels

On our way through the con try side, we discovered a farm which the owners have a section on their properity for camping.  It was beautiful and quiet with the exception of the cows.  After we woke up in the morning we decided to have our breakfast of Baguette and cheese by the pond.  The farm dog was friendly until he smelt the cheese.  He went wild for the stuff.  He tried to snach the cheese and Paul had to fend off the dog from me with my cane.  It was a bit touch and go but we made it (with out getting bitten).  He decided that a another pair of campers was more interesting.  But the view was lovely.

After a good hit of fresh sea air and some quality seafood we have now headed inland in pursuit of the Loire Valley.  Each day we pass through endless scenic countryside where farmers are growing wheat, rape seed, corn and raising dairy cattle. The country roads regulary pass through gorgeous little towns, each with their own style and sense of history. Vendors on the roadside are selling cheese, wine, cider and preserves and everywhere you can buy gorgeous baguettes and every other kind of goodie one could imagine. This is not the kind of place you want to be without a camera.

At last we are on the open road and out of the cities! So where do you go when you can go anywhere at all? To the seaside of course! We took a hard left out of Paris (not mentioning an hour of wrong turns) and headed for Normandy and the English Channel. We bought a small tent and an inflatable matress on route as we were not originally planning to go camping, but it seemed like the most economical option. Our first stop was at Dieppe. We watched the sunset over the channel at we hobbled over the stoney beach to get a feel for some salt water and sea breeze; talk about magical! The next day we came across a nearby town Quiberville where fishermen were unloading their catch of fresh mussels, clams and stingray; naturally we headed to the nearest restaurant for a lunch of fresh mussels which was amazing!

Another must see sight of Paris.  The current theme here is that the iconic sights are even more spectacular that what we expected.   You can’t top that!  Or we could…
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Tour Eiffel was beautiful at night.  We found area of garden which seemed to be a scared secret, as we were the only couple there.  We had a view of the tour all to ourselves, and we snickered at the rest of the tourists who were missing out.

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So many things were a highlight here.  We were looking forward to seeing this gallery.  Of particular note was the collection of Art Nouveau Decorative arts and architecture.  The workmanship and beauty of this collection was a wonder to behold.
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The Louvre was overwhelmingly magnificent.  As the museum is extremely large,  I was wheeled around by Paul through the buildings and exhibitions.  I soaked up all of the art.  The climax of my Louvre experience was seeing the Mona Lisa.  We waited for a while, then Paul wheeled me up to the barrier.  One of the staff members working there opened the barrier and gestured that Paul and I could come forward.  Paul wheeled me past the thick ring of people, through to the inner sanctum.   Time stood still, as it was just Lisa and I, captivated by her glance my eyes were watery with joy.
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It was rather more spectacular seeing the real thing.  The detail in the masonry was magnificent , the line-up to go inside priceless.

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I now have my own camera so Paul and I can both take photos.  I have my camera just in time for our first day in  Paris (Wednesday the 23rd).  After our check in to the hotel we head for the metro, onto Notre Dame.

A highlight for Paul was finding the store “The Different Scent”.  This boutique store was a mecca for all things shaving, from cut throats to safety razors this shop had it all.  I was pleased to see Paul enjoying himself so much.  I don’t want to steal his thunder, so for a further account of this experience you will have to check out Paul Swanson’s blog.