A whirlwind week!

Okay so I've got about half an hour. Got back late last night from Paris and I spent last night doing laundry and this morning getting my life together for my next two weeks of travel. Gah! It's fantastic but stressful. I've seen so much and I have such wonderful new experiences, but I've really got to be on my game! I tried to write a post last week in Paris, but our tour guide burst into the lobby and starting yelling at me to hurry in rapidfire french, so the post didn't quite make it. Sidebar: french is hard! Though I did have several successful shop interactions!! Two where I don't think they realized I couldn't speak french!! Arianne successfully taught me about three phrases, which I used, and then nodded or said "oui" to the rest.

Okay, to summarize:

Last Monday:
Early flight to Paris from Edinburgh (oh, Ryanair).
Lunch in Paris with teh templetons
Musee de Cluny
Walking (around the louvre, GORGEOUS!)
Epic hot chocolate (complete with MOUNTAINS of whipped cream) at Procope with Joanna
A shower at our lovely lovely hotel so wonderfully long and hot that I think I ceased to exist for a little while

Tuesday:
A morning stroll along the Seine
Breakfast (which was kind of sad, as I watched and smelled delicious gluten-ful pastries get devoured)
Saint Chappelle (where, because of Betsy, we got a private tour!)
Notre Dame, both the gargoyle-ful tower and the roman-ruin-filled crypt
Lunch along the river
Musee d'Orsay- impressionism! Faves: Renoir, Degas, Rodin
Another walk along the Seine: passing the Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais, Jardin de Tuilleries, and Louvre
Dinner and Scarf Shopping at Mont Martre
Sacre Couer (surprisingly modern!)

Wednesday:
Versailles and the scary french tour guide- the hall of mirrors!
Lunch and some shopping- french boutiquey clothing and chocolate!
The Museum of the National Legion (that was actually an accident, we meant to find Orangiere...which is spelled wrong)
Musee National Rodin- GREAT!
First successful french ordering of coffee!
Caught the train to Tour
Meeting Odile- how to describe her? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down, you might as well ask.
yummy odile food! including gluten free vegetables in creamy sauce...mmm

Thursday:
A walk through Tour and a decision to try to start learning to enjoy the scent, if not the taste, of french boulangeries
Drive to Amboise
Chateau d'Amboise- sun and a picnic!
Clos Luce- the house of Leonardo da Vinci!!! Inventions everywhere. Fantastic.
Rogandin sighting!! Now, you ask, what is a Rogandin? Let me tell you: A massively giant river rat. As in, approximately twice the size of the ducks that it was chasing. Yeah. I've got pictures to prove it.
Drawing Betsy in Odile's Garden
Dinner in Old Tours and some really priceless Odile moments
Ice Cream, Jam, and Pear dessert. Amazing.

Friday:
A lazy start
Chateau de Chenonceau (scene of strife between Henry II's wife and mistress)
French Flea Market! Including one awesome awesome purchase that Odile made possible with her incredible haggling skills. Can't say what it is because it's a surprise birthday gift. I will say it's from 1920.
The Cathedral of Tour
Dinner and some much needed chillaxing

Saturday:
An almost-left-behind-in-France moment (not so fun) followed by a pleasant train ride to Paris and a sendoff from the Templetons
Exploring the Louvre- made it all the way through the Italian, Greek, and Ancient Roman art. Speechless.
Flight back to Glasgow- long but pretty smooth altogether

And now:
To berlin!!

I'll be back in Glasgow April 9th to 12th, so that's when I'll put up all the pictures, I think. For now, I'll leave it to imagination and my fantastic descriptions.

Further on and further up! (that's a chronicles of narnia quote)

Pooh quote: "Brush the honey off your nose, spruse yourself up so as to look Ready for Anything."

Much love,
Erin