Day 3 & 4 - More Paris and Lyon

Bon Jour from Grenoble, the foot of the French Alps!

It's been such a busy two days that we are just finding time to update you on are latest adventures.

Day 3 - More Paris

We all finally caught up on much needed sleep to kill the jet lag we had been feeling.  We had the morning at leaisure.  Some found the energy and desire to go for a run in the morning light rain.  Other's took advantage of a few extra minutes of sleep.  After a delicious European breakfast of eggs, cheese, bread, meat and fruit we boarded the bus at 11 am for the short ride to the Louve museum.  The place is a mad house, people from all over the world gather there to take in the famous artwork as well as the modern glass pyramids.  Both were incredible. 

It was a good day for the Louve as it was raining off and on.  We had about 2.5 hours to work our way through the maize of sculptures, paintings, Napoleon III apartment, Egypitan antiques, and numerous artifacts of historical importance.  Some saw paintings by Monet, Renoir, and Cezanne.  The Code of Hammurabi, the Winged Victor of Samothrace, the Wedding Feast at Cana were some of the other must sees. 

But you can't go to the Louve and not stop to see the Mona Lisa.  It in a huge room with the Wedding Feast of Cana, taking up one complete wall.  The Mona Lisa has a wall all to itself.  One has to fight throng of people to get close. You cannot be shy and the use of elbows is a must.  Don't forget to actually look at the painting once you get close.  Taking pictures distracted us all.  Upon successful front row viewing you have to seriuouly elbow you way back out.  If you are claustrophic or faint of heart, the best viewing is from a distance.   For those of you who've never see her up close, we took a picture for you.

(Photographer a little exited and the crowd a little pushy)

At 3 pm those who wanted to see the Cathedral de Notre Dame met to hike 15 minutes across the city and Seine River.  Those who chose this outing were treated to incredible stain glass windows, detailed wood work and multiple side chapels were you could light a candle and say a prayer for just about anything and anyone.  They even had a priest available for confession in at least eight different languages. 

Before walking the  15 minutes back across the city, some found a place to get sweet crepes and other treats.  During the walk back one individual learned the hard way of keeping their eyes on the paths for treats left behind by dogs and their owners too distracted by the sites to clean up.  The team was very helpful in reminding eachother so it is unlikely to happen again!

One creative group passed on seeing Notre Dame to brave the Metro and take a subway ride to see Moulin Rouge. (Trivia: The Moulin Rouge is best known as the spiritual birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance).  After two train transfers and some walking they found their way to this famous district in Paris.  We are working on getting a photo and will post as soon as we can.  The uneventful trip out was a bit troublesome on the way back.  Having encountered difficulties of one teammembers ticket not working to activate the turnstile and running short on time, their leader made the executive decision to do like the locals and hop he turnstyle as the had paid for the ticket.  All returned safely and on time to our 5 pm meeting spot.

Before dinner we had 30 minutes for a shoping spree to a famous Galerie mall.   With only 30 minutes the ladies had to have their plans made for what they wanted to purchase.  The vast majority of purchasers went to the Longchamp shop to see what treasures they could find on this famous Parisian designer handbags.  There were a number of smiling faces as we boarded the bus.  They happily showed us their handbags and how much they saved ($30-50 USD) on their purchase.  Everyone agreed that the Galleria was a zoo.  Not everyone could handle the crowds and chose to just enjoy the experience of their teammates.

Then it was a mad dash back to the hotel to change for a 6:30 pm dinner reservation and the evening river boat cruise.  We headed back to the Bistro Romain for another delicious dinner consisting of a Caprese salad, french steak, and pomme de frites with creme brulee for dessert.   Next it was a brisk walk back to the bus so we could make the 9:20 pm "romantic" river boat cruise.

We joined about 200 other tourist for a romantic ride up the Seine river where we were treated to a guided tour and different views of the famous sites along the river.  The highlight of the cruise was the travel through the famous bridge where tradition has you close your eyes and make a wish as you travel underneath.  It is said to be the most romantic bridge in Paris. Could one ask for a more romantic place than being in Paris and on a Romantic Cruise with 200 people you don't know?

Day 4 - Off to Lyon

Monday began with another fantastic breakfast in the Hotel. We had a much earlier morning and needed to have the bus loaded and ready to go for 9 am and the 475 km drive. Everyone enjoyed the eggs, meat and fruit, handed in their room keys and headed to our bus to begin our trip to the next stop - Lyon, France. The day began a bit slower then planned as we waited in traffic in the round-a-bout by our hotel for over an hour! And we thought driving in the US could be trying!

After this interesting start, our busdriver (who remained calm as ever throughout the traffic jam), safely drove us another three hours to our first stop of the day - a local restaurant for lunch! We didn't have much time as Lyon was still another 2 hours to go. Everyone had 45 minutes or so to stretch their legs and grab some lunch. Many opted for some expresso to keep them awake for the rest of the drive and a favorite of the group was the Magnum ice cream treats! These are making their way to the states so keep your eyes open as they are delicious!

A quick lunch and we were back on the bus - heading south to Lyon. We arrived there with just enough time for a 30 minute bus tour with a local guide, Stephan. He was able to tell us about the two rivers in Lyon - the Soane and the Rhone. We also caught a glimpse of the Basillica and their huge hospital in the city centre. Their is a project to transform the old hospital into a hotel for visitors but many of the locals are against this! After the brief tour we were given some free time to explore the city. Some of the team chose to shop, others walked along the famous rivers and some were even able to climb to a high point in Lyon where the views were breathtaking - the height was great enough to see the entire city and out across the surrounding farmland.

After Lyon we were driven to a local restaurant for dinner. The group was tired from our long day on the bus and excited to sample the local fare. The restaurant we went to was La Taverne de maitre Kanter in Lyon.We began with a caesar salad that was a bit different then we are used to at home. It included lettuce, proscuitto, turkey, bacon, shaved parmesean, egg and a creamy dressing - everyone loved it! Our second course was a bit more interesting. We had a traditional French sausage with a creamy dijon sauce along with more pomme de frites. We finished the meal with a creme caramel!

The rest of the day was spent with a transfer to the mountain city of Grenoble in France. We drove just about 1.5 hours where the landscape changed from farmlands and white cows to lush mountains. Our hotel is right in the center of the small city and the group said our good nights around 9:30 pm and headed to bed with smiles on their faces.