I am in the midst of cleaning my house up after the holidays and decided I needed a break. I took my old computer out of the closet and decided to transfer some files to the new one. My first choice of files...my trip to Europe. I started flipping through some of the books I purchased over there the other night and decided that I should blog my trip. I don't think I did it before. If I did...ignore the next few posts.

For those of you who didn't know me before I moved to Nunavut and Alberta I lived and worked in PEI. 2005 wasn't the best year for me personally. One thing that did go well though was that I finished all the courses for my Master of Education. I wanted to treat myself for all the hard work and sacrifices I had made in the two years prior, and wanted to do something for myself before moving up North...so I went to Europe for two weeks. Paris, London and Amsterdam.

Here's some memories and pictures from my trip.

First stop on my European vacation...Paris.

After a long flight and a missed connection in London I arrived in Paris. I took the subway to where I thought my hotel should be and went in search of my bed for the night. After several wrong turns and a few stopped strangers I found the little street I was to be on and eventually managed to check in. I was very tired and after a meal at a nearby restaurant fell asleep.

The next morning I had a chocolate croissant for breakfast with fresh squeezed oj. It was wonderful. I then took the subway to downtown and started to wander around. I fell in love instantly. Paris really is an incredible place.

The Eiffel Tour and I played a game all that morning. I would spot it occasionally from between buildings. It was as though we were playing hide 'n seek. One of the first stops of the day was at the Louvre.



I loved these bright pink trees. They had Paris written all over them. They were just down the street from the Louvre.


The streets of Paris are tiny and lined with historical buildings. I never did get to see any 'modern' buildings.



Walking up to the Louvre. The Museum was incredible and you really could spend a few days there. I had an afternoon.




Inside the Museum. Just some of the many wonderful pieces of Art.


A typical European bike. This type of bike and this type of scene will forever be on my mind.


One of the many cobbled streets that I would cross.


Eiffel Tower. I really wish I knew during this trip how to use my camera, the photos would have come out with a bit more colour to them.


Me at the Eiffel Tower.


Yes, it is Dior. I never made it into any of the high end stores. I doubt if they would have let me in the door dressed the way I was. But I did see a number of them at night. Speaking of night. I spent a lot of time wandering around Paris at night and never felt unsafe. Sure, I probably was never out past 11pm, but still. Safe.


The doorway was incredible. It was in a quiet little neighbourhood and from what I could tell...was simple an incredible entrance. Imagine the work that went into this.

The next day I am off on a bus trip to Mont St Michel. Here's some text from their website:Le Mont-Saint-Michel (English: St Michael's Mount) is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometer off the country's north coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The (Abby) Mount consecrated to St Michel in 708 was one of the first place of cult for the Archangel Michel with the Gargan’s Mount. The abbey presents a big panorama of the medieval architecture from the XI to the XVI century.

This isn't my pic...but isn't this amazing? Mont St Michel



Fields on one side of the Abby.


I went on some kind of door knob kick during this trip. These hinges were equally impressive.


Almost our entire tour group standing in one of the many fireplaces.


Part of the narrow street leading up to the Abby. Well worth the walk.


Nortre Dame Cathedral in Paris. I took the audio tour. Well worth the price of admission. Construction began in 1163. Isn't that amazing?!


Moulin Rouge. Never made it inside to see the show. But thanks to Nicole Kidman everyone has likely seen the movie. One of the few musical movies that I like.


Cemetery. All the tombs are above ground. Very much a tourist attraction now. Some amazing architectural design can be seen here. Some of these tombs likely took more work than some modern homes.


One of the many open air markets that can be found around this wonderful city. I bought a scarf for myself here. It is a woven scarf and had a strip of fur on each edge. I still have and wear the scarf. In fact, just the week before Christmas this year I pulled out the rest of the fur (it has a habit of shedding) and now it looks as good as new.


Teeny, tiny elevator at my hotel. The backpack in the photo is a small backpack...not a full size one.


Terrible pictures. Wonderful man who made crepes. I enjoyed many a fresh crepe for supper while in Paris. Croissants for breakfast and crepes for supper...yep, healthy eating is alive and well in Paris.


Champagne in Paris. Seemed like the perfect way to enjoy myself. You could buy a coke of a glass of champagne or cotton candy or a corn dog at this wonderful indoor fair. I can't remember the name of it...I do remember spending at least an hour in line to get in.


And that ends the Paris portion of the trip. Next weekend...Amsterdam.