USO Last Paris Trip

And voila this is it... No more trip to Paris with the USO! I was glad that my friend Shaunna from Captivus was able to accompany me on that one! It was so much fun to be with a fellow photographer.
This time we went on the South part of Paris. We went to the Eiffel Tower and to the wall of Peace to just make sure we knew where it was going to be!! And to the Montparnasse Cemetery.

We walked most of the time but at the end of our little escapade our feet were screaming for us to just chill. So we took the subway. This is one of the thing that I love about the subway in Paris.

You can be surprise by accordeon player, or singer... and just relax by sitting down while listening to some "traditional" french tune!

We decided after Montparnasse to go to the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was the first time that I took the time to cruise around the Garden. And since it was the end of the summer, we had the change of colors in the trees and still flowers in the garden. It was so pretty!

And then we went back to the Peace Wall to do a project call HUG ME you can find more information about it here

USO Paris July

This visit to Paris was going to be one of my latest visit with the USO tour. So... I did something that I have always wanted to do.

Just cruise.


I enjoyed just checking out Shop windows. Street Vendors, etc...

This one was kind of cool. A Tableware shop diplaying a new Plate design (of Paris monuments) and showing it like you were looking at it from above, but it was in a window (wonder if they used super glue?)

Laduree Store. It is a place where you can go and eat some sweets. The "Macarons" are one of their creation that they are well known for. But apparently it must be pretty good! Look at the line!












Walking around Paris, you can find lots of street performance like this guy. I thought it was kinda cool the way that he stand all day long on the column and be!







This was taken on the "Champs Elysees" not too far from the American Embassy. Did you know that you can't take picture of the Embassy? I was surprised and disapointed, It is such a pretty building, and to be in Paris and seeing the Stars Flowing next to a very old building. Make me want to shoot it. However, I was stopped by a Police officer (yes French) who made sure that I didn't have ANY pictures of the building! Bummer!!! What a party pooper!!













I also went, and that was the place I have been looking to go visit for a while. On the outskirt of Paris, in St. Denis. To go visit the Basilica of Saint Denis (funny because the French call it the "Cathedrale Royale de Saint Denis")
This is the place where most of the French Kings are buried. Nearly every King from the 10th to the 18th Centuries are there.(All but 3 kings are now buried here) Also most Queen were crowned there (King were in Reims)

The last King of France: Louis the XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette, his 2 daughters and his sister are buried here since 1806 (Time of Napoleon's exile and the "restored Bourbons" reigns.) The heart of the Dauphin de France (son of Louis XVI) is also there.

USO Chateau Haut Koenigsbourg France

I did a lot of Travel in May of this year, France, Italy, Belgium, France again… It was fun but very every weekend travelling can be a case of being tired for a while for me. I guess I am not 17 or 18 anymore!! LOL

We went to the “Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg : visite de château en Alsace, tourisme en Alsace” in Alsace with the USO. My husband followed with some friends that were visiting from the States. We were lucky to have a beautiful spring day and no rain while visiting. (Gotta love that)

Me and my husband make fun of this place because the German renovated this castle in between 1900 to 1908 (when that region of “France” was German) so the German government pay for the renovation and then first world war happen, and as we know, German lost, France took back that part lost in 1870 and now it is listed in the “French National Monument” (like they had anything to do on the construction/renovation of that castle) But hey I am French I should be proud of all the cool Monument that we take over those surrounding country that don’t deserve it!! Yeah!!! (sight!!)



Anyway, here are some more pictures from the castle. Oh, BTW, if you ever want to go visit. The best time is fall, as you can see in my previous post: Anne's Blog: Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg. Alsace, France The colors are just amazing. I want to try to go there when there is snow on the ground so see if it is as beautiful, but not sure the drive there will be safe enough as it is located on top of a very small mountain/cliff top. And the road doesn’t seem like it is even cleared up in winter! We shall see!

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USO Brugges

I traveled last May to Bruges with the USO. I had been chosen to be the guide because of my previous visit (about 25 years ago or more) Needless to say that I didn’t know nothing about Bruges, because the last time that I was there, I was a teenager who didn’t really care about the history of the town I was visiting.

So the only thing that I remembered was the Chocolate (YUMMY chocolate, Belgium chocolate, delicious chocolate…. Chocolate… chocolate!!!!) The Waffles (with NUTELLA) and the French Fries (that are actually traditionally from Belgium (so it should actually be called Belgium Fries.) ;-)

Anyway… We left late or early and arrive in Bruges around 9:30. We met our tour guide (the one that we signed up for to have a little 2 hours tour of the town) and I ended up following an older guy, who spoke English with a HUGE French/Flemish accent and who thought that the only way to tour this beautiful city was to follow him in a Marathon like speed! I was trying to not loose anyone, so I was behind everyone, and making sure that all my group were staying together and following the “Road Runner”

After about 50mn trying to get everybody to follow and arrive by the time that he was finished with his “speech” I got sick of it and for the first time in my entire career of USO Guide, I “lost” it! I asked him if we were running a marathon and told him that even though we only had 2 hours people would probably enjoy it more if we weren’t running in between buildings that had some history attached to it! He apologized and started running again. I turned to my group and mention that maybe we should just give him the speed we were wanted to follow and not give him the free run. So the front runner ended up slowing down and by the same occasion the tour guide as well. I will say that I was so mad that I took revenge on him and didn’t even tell the group to tip him. I thought that for what he gave us, he shouldn’t be encouraged by getting some nice tip from my group. So he wasn’t a very happy camper when we left him (Don’t mess with me dude!!)

Anyway, after a nice meal at a little restaurant that serve some “Moules Frites” (Mussels and Fries) Which is another thing that I remembered about Belgium, we went to cruise around and of course I took tones and tones of pictures (Is that a surprise)
At 3:30 we had a tour by boat which was so fun and even though it was also a little too fast, we enjoyed it a lot. (well I did at least)

Bruges is a small town full of history and beautiful building. I think it is another one of my favorite city/place in Europe. So far I will even put it on my top 5 list. Probably on the 3rd or 4th place. I think I will keep a list one day about why I love those town so much. But for right now… more pictures, just to make sure that you take some time to visit it. I send a few of my friends there and they all agree with me, it is worse the trip and is beautiful. So?? What are you waiting for??

Madonna by Michelangelo

Paris May 8th 2010

This past weekend was the 8th of May and I had a Paris Express tour with the USO to escort. For the French the 8th of May is a holiday and commemorate the end of World War II. So as we normally do in our guided bus ride in Paris, The Champs Elysees were OFF limits because of preparation for the Parade and passing of our “dear” president Mr. Sarkozy.It was PACKED with Security, Police people all over! I think it was the first time I saw so many policemen/women in Paris. I once went to the 14th of July parade and they had security, but not Police. The CRS were out and military people. So… It was something new… Maybe this is the changes that happen under Sarko. ;-) Paris France - Google Maps
Anywhooo

I was really wanted to go and visit the temporary exhibition on Holy Russia Holy Russia exhibition at the Musée du Louvre and it had been a LONG time that I didn’t visit any museum in Paris, so I thought… why not. We did the Louvre Museum for a bit, so we cruised by the exhibition on Holly Russia (sorry I know, cruising isn’t appropriate for such gorgeous art effect. BUT, the gallery was PACKED and we couldn’t even see any of the information’s panels, we could admire the object/books/icons from 2 yard away, but so many people in between that I got sick of waiting for my turn to read everything and translate for Morgane. So I bought the book on the exhibition instead! LOL! After coming out of the gallery, I asked Morgane if she had ever seen the “Mona Lisa” she told me she saw it on pictures. So we headed toward her.

Now for those of you who are fortunate enough to have gone to the Louvre, you might help me here: “HOW on Earth can you even find your way around?” I had the map, I followed the map, and I totally got lost (not that I have to complain since you discover painting/statues or something else that will just amaze you) BUT my feet hurt, I was already walking for the past 2 hours and then got lost in the galleries! WTH?? LOL. AND I had a daughter who was saying EVERY other minutes how tired she was… Oh I would want to see how she handled being left in the Louvre with my mother. AH!! That would be hilarious!

There was also another temporary exhibition on the teaching of Tao Exhibition “Tao, Another Way of Being” : Galeries nationales, Grand Palais, (en) in Paris [Rmn] that I was wanted to see, but after 2 ½ hours in the Louvre and STARVING, we decided to skip it. (I really wanted to go see it, but with Morgane, I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Beside it is still going to be open until the beginning of July and I will go back twice in Paris in between and hopefully I will have time to go visit it)

We found a little Pizzeria (morgane didn’t like the other choice: “Sushi”) and rested our feet for a short hour. Then, I told her we could go to the “Galleries Lafayette”, she asked what it was and I said, well, I think it is some kind of Mall with tones of different stores. (I will turn 40 soon enough and I (frenchie) don’t even know exactly what is inside the “Galleries Lafayette”. Does it seem WEIRD to you??) Well, when I stepped in the “mall” I understood why I never went there! LOL! OMG!! Are you kidding me?? Who can afford ANYTHING in the Galleries?? I saw the CUTEST rings from a French designer. Over 70000 EURO!! Yes you read it right, 70 THOUSAND! WTH, really if you can afford a ring that cost that much, then I hope that you are giving back to your community or world organization that need help!

Anyway, needless to say that I felt under dress and like I didn’t belong. LOL they do have GORGEOUS thing there though. LOL!! However even if you can or cannot afford to shop in this store, go check it out. The building is just amazing, it has a Art deco décor with stained glass ceiling. (see the picture) AND you can take your McDonald to the Top floor and eat your Hamburger admiring a view of Paris that you can’t see anywhere else. LOL

As usual here are some of my pics, hope you enjoy them.

Photo slideshow made with Smilebox

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