We enjoyed our time away so much. Our stay in London was exactly what we had hoped for. It was leisurely and unrushed since we didn't need to make time for any of the main tourist attractions. It was strictly about savoring being there, and we did fully. We visited a horse track, saw a play and mixed it up with the locals as we took part in one of their favorite pastimes, watching a football (soccer) match. That was a highlight for both of us. Our seats were fantastic and being a spectator there was unlike so many other sporting events. The electricity the crowd omits is like nothing else. Everyone is so into the cheering (or the singing, as the case may be) and it makes for such a magnetic atmosphere. The day before we went together, Jeff made it to another match (and some pubs) while I spent a day making my way through Portobello Market and other shopping areas before heading to my first ever pregnancy massage. It was wonderful. I haven't been able to comfortably lay on my front for some time now, so being able to do that on a special table with a hole just big enough for my stomach was nice in itself. Then the rub down began and ahhhh. One of the things we highly recommend doing is strolling through the food halls at Harrod's department store. There is room after room devoted to some of the finest foods you've ever seen. We thoroughly enjoyed the spread we brought back to our hotel room and stuffed ourselves silly, as we did the last time we visited. We had a ton of fun and it was a such a pleasant time in London.
Paris was much more on the go since we had limited time there. We were prepared for it though, so it made it more manageable. We knew we couldn't possibly see everything the city had to offer, and constantly keeping this in mind also made everything easier to handle. We paced ourselves nicely while still seeing so much of what's there. Our hotel was not only beautiful with amazing views, but it was in a perfect location just next to the Arc de Triomphe and off the Champs-Elysées . We visited two of the most famous museums in Paris, Musée du Louvre and Musée d'Orsay , and also got out to take a peek at the Notre Dame . Of course no trip to Paris would be complete without seeing the Eiffel Tower and we were able to see it both nights (Monday, November 24th and Tuesday, November 25th) of our stay. The first night we traveled to the top and it was spectacular, although it was bitter cold up there as the wind smacked us upside our heads, and several times. Regardless, it was well worth it. The second night, we had dinner at a beautiful restaurant, Cafe de l'Homme , nestled into a table providing us with priceless views of the Eiffel Tower set up by our hotel's concierge. The only downfall of our vacation was that Jeff and I both came down with colds, and although mine left me dragging some by the end, nothing was going to stop us from having an unforgettable and fabulous time. We completely did and feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience this one last trip for just the two us us before our anxiously awaited arrival gets here in a few months.
London highlights:
The first night of our trip (Thursday, November 20th), we had decided to venture out of London a bit to see a new horse track, the first track built in England in over 100 years. It was quite the adventure. After about a 30 minute ride on the underground (aka the tube, London's metro system), then another 30 minutes by train, we managed to find a bus to take us the rest of the way. Finally we arrive and are told that there used to be a shuttle from the bus to get there, but they had just quit running it because it wasn't being used enough. Nice. Not to worry too much because we could see the lights, so how far of a walk could it really be? It's a miracle we weren't killed after having to cross the equivalent of 494 in the dark. One obstacle down and we come to realize that we still have at least a mile of a walk ahead of us, in the mud on the side of the highway to get to the place! And in dress clothes nonetheless since it was clearly stated not to wear jeans (only to get there and half the place is in jeans). Plus, it was cold; it was absolute misery! It made for many chuckles when it was all said and done, but we were not happy campers in the midst of it all. At least we were together and that was all that mattered, right? That's what we kept having to tell ourselves to stay sane.
The dreaded walk begins...the smile won't last.
On the Friday night of our stay (Friday, November 21st) we went to the Apollo Theatre to see Rain Man. It was really good. The main highlight was that it starred Hollywood pretty boy and local Minnesota resident, Josh Hartnett. We purchased our tickets and were warned that he may not be playing the night we planned on attending. We were bummed at that chance and hoped all day that he'd change his mind. He did and there he was, 11 rows up from our seats.
In the hallway of the theatre, we found this and had to take a quick snap (a shout out to the maiden name).
Soccer match: Tottenham vs. Blackburn
Paris highlights:
Our hotel, Hotel Splendid Etoile , and some shots from our room's balcony
Arc de Triomphe
Champs-Elysées
Musée du Louvre
Musée d'Orsay
We couldn't resist picking up a gift here (one of several from the trip atually) for the little one. It's a children's book about the museum and some of its works of art. After we bought it, we talked about how special it will be to write in it for our child, to read it to him or her and to share all these memories from the trip as the babe just got to ride along with us on the tummy train. The thought choked us both up and it was a sweet moment I hope to always remember.
Eiffel Tower
From the top
We didn't know this ahead of time, but the lights on the Eiffel Tower twinkle every hour.
Check out the view from our restaurant table while we dined our last night in Paris.
From the restaurant's terrace, we tried to snap a self portrait with the Eiffel Tower in the background. This was the best we could do.
For dessert, our waiter recommended a photo-worthy brioche with caramel.
Notre Dame
Thanks to a great recommendation, we had to get our hands on some Berthillon ice cream, which is said to be the best ice cream in Paris. We chose chocolate and its fudge-like consistency left us wondering how we could have opted for only two scoops. The two cups on either side contain pure chocolate to be poured in to make our own hot chocolate with the steaming milk and sugar cubes behind them.
Until the next time, and we do hope there is a next time (even though we know it won't be anytime soon), we'll miss you London and Paris!
