Jaime in Paris - Day 1

Eric had some business in Paris on Tuesday. We figured that since his ticket was paid for, we would just get a ticket for me and make a mini vacation out of it.

We stayed in a hotel right off the Champs-Elysees - we were surrounded by good food and good shopping. We were just down the street from this: 

The Arc de Triomphe.

A lovely view as I was crossing the Pont do la Concorde Bridge.

The Musee d'Orsay. I absolutely loved it here! It was a beautiful art museum. My favorites were paintings by Matisse and Henri Edmond Cross that looked like mosaics. My very favorite was a paining by Georges Lemmen called Beach at Heist (Sunset on the beach). Unfortunately no pictures were allowed to be taken inside.

It was such a nice day. This picture reminded my of a park near where we live in Colorado (there was some serious frisbee playing going on). It was sunny all day Tuesday - I actually think my face got a little sunburnt.

View from a bridge.

Tour Eiffel

Every hour at night, the Eiffel Tower looks like it has twinkle lights all over it, but it is difficult to capture that in a picture since not all the lights twinkle at once.

"The City of Love"

 It was wonderful. I ate more delicious bread than I should probably eat in two weeks. I had my first experience with macaroons - yumm-o! We ate lots of crepes and pizza from restaurants on side streets (which in my opinion is the way to eat cheap and delicious in any city).

Stay tuned for Jaime in Paris - Day 2.

Seeing the Sights

This weekend was nice - we did everything. We took off walking on Saturday afternoon with the end target being a German restaurant called Zeitgeist, and we took lots of stops at typical London sights along the way.

Our first stop was at Trafalgar Square. Eric loved that there was a pirate ship in a bottle that was probably 20 feet long. There was also some kind of feminist benefit show (?) going on, so we didn't stay long.

As we left Trafalgar Square and headed towards St. James' Park, the sun came out. This was the first time, since we have been in London, that Eric had taken a walk in a sunny park. We took our time in the sun. We stopped at Inn the Park (a really tasty restaurant) and got some ginger beer and a crispy apple cinnamon muffin. we strolled along in the sunshine until we got to Buckingham Palace.

Eric and I decided that we would not want the job of a palace guard. They just stood there with their hat strap pressing between their lip and chin, and every few minutes, they got to - very rigidly - walk about 20m, switch the hand their gun was in, then stand back in the exact same position for another 15 minutes or so.

The sunshine didn't last all day.

We walked by Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey; took pictures; and went to the German restaurant, or pub, rather. The St. Pauli vs. Nuremberg game was playing on a German TV channel. We had some delicious schnitzel and went on our way.

Eric is so good at taking pictures, even if it is with his phone.

To get home, we caught a ferry at the London Eye. As we walked under a bridge towards the London eye, it was like we were walking into a carnival. That was the most touristy part of London I had ever seen - there were even bumper cars. The river was nice, we got off at London Bridge, then the second best part of the weekend (besides walking in the sunny park with Eric) happened - I got Burnt Sugar honeycomb candy...for free.

At about 5 o'clock, when Borough Market was closing up, we stopped by the Burnt Sugar stand and asked if we could get some honeycomb candy (even though it was mostly already packed up). After I quickly put some in my bag, and I tried to pay, the guy said, "Na, don't worry about it."

When we got home, I made Eric some Spezi (a German drink consisting of Diet Coke and Orange Fanta), then Eric and I spent the rest of the night bumming around watching The West Wing. Best. Day. (in London) Ever.

Somerset: Glastonbury and Wells

Now for the rest of last weekend:

Bob and Wendy's home. Soo lovely.

Somerset fields.

Lambs on the road.

How adorable is this lamb? It liked Eric.

Glastonbury Tor - it has been a holy site for a long time, and is the site of past churches.

That is a compass pointing which way and how far different towns are.

Jaime and Eric by the Tor.

We went to the Glastonbury Abbey which is traditionally the earliest Christian sanctuary in Britain. Legend says Joseph of Arimathea brought Jesus to this site and built an old wattle and daub church. Then this large stone church was built it it's location around 600AD and burnt down in 1184. Hundreds of years of cilivilation lived on and around it until it was escavated later and presereved as historical ruins you can explore today.

Glastonbury Abbey ruins.

The Abbey from the high altar - Both of these sections were part of the Abbey. If this same photo were taken in 1183, you'd see pews and a roof and windows, etc. etc.

Jaime and Bob in front of the high altar in King Edgar's Chapel.

Supposedly the burial place of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.

This is the Wells Cathedral. It was huge, absolutely beautiful, and I couldn't believe the amazing detail that must have gone into the planning and creating the architecture.

Wells Cathedral built around 705 A.D.

Vicars' Close - the only completely medieval street in England - has a bridge that connects to the Cathedral.

The outside clock opposite Vicars’ Hall, placed there just over seventy years after is connected with the inside mechanism (below).

The original works were made about 1390 and the clock face is the oldest surviving original of its kind anywhere.When the clock strikes every quarter, jousting knights rush round above the clock.

Beautiful end to a beautiful weekend.

Spitalfield Market

I can't believe it is already Friday! I have been keeping pretty bust this week and it has been great. I went to Spitalfield market, which is fairly close to my house. I absolutely loved the shops there - much like Anthropologie. Yeah, except yesterday was "antique show day," and I mostly just saw people selling junk and it smelled like old people. But aside from the antique show part, it was awesome.

This Monday marked the end of Eric's Vegetarian February, so we went to Nando's. Super tasty chicken with super tasting sides and the best part - FREE REFILLS! Just a warning for those who are planning on visiting England, there is no such thing as free refills on sodas. Needless to say, when I saw "Bottomless Diet Coke" on the menu, I hit that up.

Eric gave me this article to read from Backpacker magazine. It was all about "Fatpacking" - basically how hiking is the exact right balance of exertion to exercise that will help you burn optimal calories. It has inspired me to walk faster, longer, and harder than I have been, to quit taking the tube or the bus so often.

It's good that the weeks are going by quickly, it means that I'll be back in Boulder soon where I can take real hikes. But next week, we're going to Paris then Edinburgh, Scotland. So for now, I'm really glad I'm here.

Bath

This past weekend was the best, and most relaxing weekend we have had in England thus far. I have some family friends that live near Bath in Somerset. We had a weekend full of adventures and Eric took about 100 pictures, so I will let the pictures do the talking.

Bath Abbey

Abbey from the back.

The city right before the torrential downpour.

Me and Wendy at the Royal Crescent.

Roam Baths c. 70 AD

The main bath

The water comes from a natural hot spring under ground.

Julius Caesar and Friends.

Overflow water from the baths. This is the original Roman stonework.

Look what this weather does to my hair!

Hot! The water was pretty warm, too.

A real Roman was there. That sign means "Hello!"

Steaming.

The River Avon and the Weir.

Pulteney Bridge - One of the only bridges in the world with shops on both sides.

Back of the Abbey - taken near the Weir.

Bob, Wendy, and Jaime on the River Avon. Bob is trying to hide.