AUTUMN GLORY

For your Fall viewing pleasure -----

 All of the wonderful colors of harvest time ---

 Wrapped up in one glorious punch bowl ----

Blank from Limoges, France; Hand Painted by Pickard Studio, Chicago. 

Thanks to my Great-Grandmother DeLong for her foresight in purchasing this punch bowl many, many years ago; and for choosing me to be the caretaker of it during my generation!

I'm joining the following:
The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Monday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday
Our Home Away from Home  for Tuesdays At Our Home
Knick of Time for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesdays
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

STRASBOURG AND PARIS, FRANCE

(This is the last post about my recent trip to Europe. If interested, you may scroll down to the previous five posts to read more about the trip.)

We traveled from Cologne, Germany to Strasbourg, France by bus enjoying the countryside. The Gothic cathedral in the Strasbourg square was beautiful.




The pipe organ and stained glass windows were unbelievable.

They say Strasbourg is Germany & France all rolled into one fascinating city.

We took the train from Strasbourg to Paris. I had hoped to view some of the French countryside; but the train was traveling so fast it was impossible to see much.

Here we are in Paris with all of our luggage, but the bus that was to meet us was stuck in Paris' evening traffic. We ended up hiking to our reserved restaurant where the bus finally caught up with us after dinner.

Some Paris street scenes!

Every turn in the street is beautiful and enchanting.

Mr. Eiffel's masterpiece!

The Versailles Palace.

Notre Dame Cathedral

The famous Louvre Museum

Paris has so much more to offer than just the highlights above. It is just a magical city. We were only there three days at the end of a long and tiring trip. Since I had been to Paris before, I elected on the last day to ditch the formal tour with the rest and stay close to our hotel. It was such an enjoyable day spent walking and exploring the neighborhood. I watched the locals go about their everyday activities -- buying groceries, doing their laundry, getting caught in a down-pour of rain, etc. I missed so many great photo opportunities, however; as I had given my camera to my son to take on the regular tour.

A trip to Paris for me would be incomplete without a trip to Laduree to buy their famous macarons to bring home. I managed to get home with 23 of the 24 I had bought - just had to sample one!

Some closing thoughts---

Emotional Moment #1: As we landed at the Berlin airport, I thought about my great-grandparents who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany 130 years ago to help bring the sugar-beet industry to the U.S. They never went back to Germany; and Mike and I were the first in our line of descendants to step on German soil. As we traveled around this beautiful country, I wondered what it would be like to leave your 'motherland' and never return.

Emotional Moment #2: Dachau -- I was 7 years old when this concentration camp was liberated. I remember a lot about WWII - three uncles who went off to war (all returned, but one was never the same); my Dad was a farmer so had a deferment. I remember the rationing of sugar, gasoline, etc. and walking the two miles to town so gas could be used for farming. Also, remember taking my pennies to school to donate to the Red Cross and helping my Grandmother in the Victory garden; then the celebration in town when the war ended. BUT, our sacrifices were nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, compared to those who experienced a concentration camp.

Emotional Moment #3: Pinching myself to realize that I was back in Paris. As I made my way around Paris, my heart would skip a beat every time I caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower - it truly is magnificent.

Emotional Moment #4: This didn't happen until I arrived home and realized that my bible was not in my suitcase. You know the type of bible -- read from cover to cover with hand-written notes and underlined verses. I must have left it on the nightstand in my Paris hotel room. I can't believe I did that as I'm organized and a very good packer. Hopefully, someone found it, will cherish it, read it, and develop a relationship with God because of it. Maybe that was the whole purpose of my trip.

LA TOUR EIFFEL

My husband, Bob, is retired from a 44-year career as a civil engineer. Consequently, when we travel, engineering marvels are always at the top of our "must see" list.

There are many engineering feats I have not witnessed such as the pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China.

But, I have seen the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge, and viewed the Royal Gorge Bridge of Colorado from a tram 1100 feet above the river.

I've been claustrophobic at the top of the St. Louis Arch, and have ridden 13 miles across the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island in Canada.

I've been in the bowels and seen the inner workings of the Tower Bridge in London, and traveled 180 miles an hour under the water of the English Channel through a tunnel.

BUT, in my opinion, the absolute best, best, best engineering marvel is the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

It combines the structure and strength of engineering and the beauty and form of art.

I know that there are professional photos that capture that beauty better than our amateur pictures, but these are ours and remind me that I was actually there!

A view from the top!!!!

Ooooooo, I so want to go back and see it again!!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I'm going to be 'missing in action' for a few days, as my sister-in-law and I are going on a little road trip!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

LUNCH ON THE CHAMPS ELYSEES

Thanks to everyone who commented and offered congratulations on our 50th wedding anniversary. Now, I thought you might enjoy a glimpse of our celebratory trip.

We had spent many days in both London and Paris going in and out, up and down lots of important buildings, churches, palaces, monuments, and engineering marvels. It was our last day in Paris, and we had just finished Notre-Dame Cathedral. Bob asked, "What now?" On a whim, I suggested, "Let's go to Laduree on the Champs Elysees for lunch in a taxi. No more buses or subways!"

I had read about Laduree Patissier for years. It was established in 1862 and is the birthplace of the French macaroon. I had even seen in decorating magazines where people proudly displayed their various Laduree boxes.

Laduree Patissier is in a beautiful building. It is a miniature Versailles - all marble and gilt with gorgeous painted ceilings.

We were seated at a great table by the window; so at one point, someone was actually taking a picture from the outside of me eating my lunch. If they only had known that we were two hicks from the sticks gone traveling! We ordered the cheapest thing on the menu -- chicken and egg club sandwiches and a bottle of water. Everything was served so elegantly -- even the potatoes with our sandwich were stacked architecturally; and the ambiance was unbelievable. The bill was not too bad: $64 U.S. dollars.

Next was a trip up the curving staircase to the prettiest restaurant restroom I have ever been into. Then we went into the Laduree bakery. Pictures were not allowed inside, we discovered; but Bob was able to sneak this one. (Bad, bad tourists!)

First, I picked my box; I thought it was the prettiest one there. Then, I selected my assortment of 18 macaroons. They were the most delicious looking colors and flavors including several kinds of chocolate, lime, pistachio, different berries, caramel, and peanut butter. The bill: $55.20.



We are very frugal people, and rarely spend money extravagantly. But, oh, we enjoyed those macaroons. On our flight from Paris to Boston, we each had a macaroon while our fellow passengers were eating their peanuts.

To conclude our trip, we had planned a road trip up the U.S. coast. So, we ate macaroons from my pretty box in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Sometimes a person just needs to splurge and spend that money, because I now have a pretty Laduree box full of special memories.


Thanks for stopping by,

Sally