Paris FINALLY!

Ok so here is the much anticipated Paris blog! Took me ALL day to add the pictures so hope you enjoy them all!

On May 25th, at 1:15 am we (me and 2 girlfriends, Mary and Kellie) got on a bus and headed for France, we arrived shortly before 8 and had our 1st stop. It was breakfast for those who wanted. We took food so we decided to walk a bit and there was a garden across the street so wandered through it a bit, and also bought a few souveniers. Most of the pics below without captions of fountains, stautues, and grassy areas are of this garden.
Then we loaded back on the bus, and began our "City Tour" which we were very disappointed to discover was done ALL ON THE BUS! So most of the most famous sites of Paris, we didn't get to get out and check out. We had to take pictures on the bus, mostly still moving! We had 2 5 minute picture breaks, and we did stop at the Notre Dame, that was about it until lunch. Then they stopped at a perfume museum which we didn't do. We also had a 30 minute 'shopping break' where we did a bit more shopping!
Then we headed to the river, and did a boat tour that went by the Louve, and Norte Dame again, it was nice until it started raining on us! From there we had LESS than an hour to go and do the Eiffel Tower, which was enough time to walk over there and get some pictures, but no where near enough time to try to go up! Another major disappointment!
From there we were taken to a restaurant where we were supposedly fed a 'typical French dinner'. Let's just say we were all begging for McDonalds after the meal. It was the biggest rip-off ever! Then we loaded back up on the bus around 7pm and headed back to Germany! It was a great experience, and I am glad that I can now say I have been to Paris, but the tour was not worth it! Hopefully I can convince Mike we should go back next spring before we leave here! Sorry I don't have better descriptions of the pictures, our tour guide was German and he mumbled a lot, so we didn't really hear a lot of what he was saying, but the sights were breathtaking anway!

Spider like artwork on the garden

The bridge I kept trying to get pics of all day!

The Notre Dame
River by Notre Dame
Mary and Kellie with the Notre Dame
The Notre Dame side view
The Notre Dame towers

That's in front of the Notre Dame, facing the other way
doorway to Notre Dame
statue by the Notre Dame
Mary trying to get a pic of the whole front, virtually impossible
so incredible, I loved the castles over the head

windows inside
a picture from inside
statue, my pics are blurry because we weren't supposed to use flash
another interior shot

altar area

huge windows
organ pipes
the details inside were amazing
many windows
no clue, just interesting

huge chandelier, took 3 chains to suspend it, would only light it for special occasions
rose trellis in the garden by the Notre Dame
That is the oldest tree in Paris, been there since at least 1600
just some ruins

possibly the Louve

This bldg had something to do with Napolean

This bldg, the top is made of real gold
trying to get a better shot
really hard from a moving bus!
Napolean bldg again, there is a horse track out front, with people actually riding
with the Eiffel Tower behind it

just a guard shack I think
I just liked the top story of that bldg


Eiffel Tower

Kellie and Mary
again

ME

Changing of the guard outside the French President's house
It was kinda cool
no Buckingham Palace though
These guys were at all the streets around the Pres. House

Arc de Triomphe
we didn't even slow down!
tryin to get all 3 of us
This flame is on top of the tunnel were Princess Di passed away, but the flame is not for her

trying to get a better shot of the tunnel
1st up close shot of the tower
just a pic of the base
wish we could have gone up! :(

all the bridges have SOMETHING on them

This one was my favorite

Backside of Notre Dame from the River

This bridge, they said close your eyes and make a wish it will come true in the next year, also a great bridge to kiss the one you love underneath!

Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Picture from the bus

Glass pyramid from Da Vinci Code
if you look close there is a smaller darker one to the right of the big one, and the grassy part in front, is where the upside down one is, we didn't get to get out to look :(

Glass pyramid

Notre Dame

garden by the Notre Dame
this had something to do with Napolean
bridge by the Notre Dame
again

Me in front of a bldg that the top is made of real gold, of course it got cut off
Mary in front of that bldg
Mary and I

A boat tour around the city
On the boat tour
Us 3 girls
Me, Kellie, and Mary