Road Trip!

Chateau Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley

From Normandy, we decided to drive across the country to our final destination - Nice.  Here are a few of our detours...

Mont St. Michel

Our 16th anniversary fell on one of our driving days.  And our song came on.  In English.  In the middle of France.  It was our Anniversary Miracle. 

Castle across from our hotel

Yep.  We made it.  And it was fabulous 

Rocky beach of Nice

Beach across from our hotel in St. Maxime

Normandy

The town of Arronmanches where we stayed- D-Day's Gold Beach

One of the most moving places in the world - the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.  Over 9000 men are buried here.

Walking along Omaha Beach

A crater (one of many) left from WWII bombing

A field where a key battle was fought which was re-enacted in the Band of Brothers series

These coastal towns along the D-day beaches were amazingly picturesque.

My husband who has watched all the WWII movies out there, and read all the books, was in absolute heaven to be actually viewing the areas where D-day happened.  We hiked along the beaches, peered over the cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc, toured the cathedral of St. Mere Eglise, and climbed into the German bunkers dotting this beautiful countryside.  So weird that this peaceful countryside was war torn 65 years ago.  And so wonderful that we got to be the good guys who saved the day. Our two days in this area was a somber reality of war and a moving experience of heroism and patriotism. 

I can't believe I'm here!

I don't remember what sparked it, but I had a poster of the Eiffel Tower in my room all growing up.  I took high school French.  I saved a dollar from my allowance and put it in my "Paris fund."  At a young age I decided that I was going to go to Paris.  I won't ever admit to this, but is it a coincident that I married a guy that speaks French?  So this trip was an absolute Dream Come True!  Here I am, eating lunch at the park beneath the Eiffel Tower.  And going to the very top at night.  Every time I would see it from a different part of the city, it would give me chills.  I am in Paris!  Paris, people, I AM IN PARIS!!!

Hello. I love you.

Hello Seine River.  I love your bridges and the way you run through this city that is the most amazing city ever.  EVER. 

Hello stained glass of St. Chapelle.  I was blown away. 

Hello Moulin Rouge which I know because of one of my favorite movies.

Hello Arc de Triomphe.  You were surprisingly massive with the most crazy traffic round-about I have ever seen!

Hello Louve with your pictures that are bigger than my house.

Hello teeny cars that would not even have enough room to lug my suitcase around.

Hello mounds and mounds of the most delicious ice cream.

Hello pastry stores that are on every corner and I love them more than a love for a food is even possible...

Hello bread.  Oh hello wonderful bread made in France that tastes so much better than it does here.  What is your secret?

Hello sugar.  David hasn't had you for a while.

Hello crepes that were the yummiest, most delicious crepes I have ever tasted and it makes me cry thinking that I will not have that taste in my mouth again for a very long time and even one day is too long.

We had six glorious days in Paris.  There were a million more things I could have said hello to.  Notre Dame, the amazing train system, our cutest, tiny apartment we rented, the church on the corner of the street of our cute apartment, L'Opera, the markets, the "merci" on the trash cans, the scarfs, the beautiful, skinny, french women wearing the scarfs, the shopping, the gardens, the buildings, the history, the, the, the...  There was so much.  Thank goodness for pictures so I can remember every detail of our six glorious days in Paris.  Until we meet again Paris!