The trip is over, so sad. We are home in Mn. Looking forward to springtime and free time this year. Thanks for following us on our blog.

Giverny, France

Today we walked in the footsteps of Claude Monet. He lived here in 1883 till his death in 1926. We took the train into Normandy, to the town of Vernon. There we hopped on a shuttle bus to Giverny. We have Paris trains, trams and metro figured out. Twice we have been on the Metro, to have a fellow passenger singing and playing the guitar. He sings Stand by Me. What a hoot!

Orsay Museum

I could only take a few shots because pictures wasn't allowed in the gallery.

Paris bridge.

In the foreground you see the padlocks placed on the bridge by couples professing their love for one another. The keys are then thrown into the river. Now look at all the locks on the bridge in the background, they appear golden.

Paris

Just taken along the river walk.

Gardens

It was raining out so we didn't get to tour the gardens, but here are a few shots I was able to take. Even today the gardens produce 20 tons of vegetables and 50 tons of fruit. Really wish we could have taken in the grounds.

Hall of mirrors at Versailles

The room is 250 feet long with 17 arched mirrors matching 17 windows looking out on the royal gardens. In another age altogether, this was the room where's the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending W W I. This first picture wasn't suppose to be in this post. It is the Queen's staircase.

Versailles

Versailles was the residence of the French King and the cultural heartbeat of Europe for about 100 years until the French Revolution of 1789. Louis XV spent half a year's income of Europe's richest country turning his dad's hunting lodge into a palace. It took Louis XV and Louis XVI much of the eighteenth century to gild it.

Arc de Triomphe

Versailles,

Arriving at the Royal Gate at Versailles, it is in the center of the courtyard. It's nearly 260 feet long and decorated with 100,000 gol leaves. (And I thought the Biltmore was magnificent) 

Little French Sweetie!

More pictures of Vienne.

Pastry shop

Here we are buying allumettes. We really have become hooked on the French pastries.

Trompe l'Oeil paintings on buildings thru out Lyon.

Tour of Lyon

ABC (another bloody church)

More pictures from the Eiffel Tower .

Paris, France

This morning we left the river cruise behind in Chalon sur Saone. We hopped the train to Paris and arrived 4 hours later at 12:30. We figured the Metro out and got to our hotel, dropped off the bags and took off sightseeing. We started at the Eiffel tour,then onto Arc De Triomphe. We then went window shopping on Champs Élysées . Stopped at a pizzeria and are calling it a day.

Meat market

Market in Vienne.