France, Spain, England!!

We did it!! I still find it hard to believe that we made our trip to Europe...just like we had planned for many, many weeks. It was awesome... Really, it was...

Memorable moments:

In Paris:

• Keaton's detour from Philadelphia through Dublin, Ireland!
• We ALL finally arrived at Paris Charles DeGaulle airport - Jaron there to escort us to his home...
  
• Wonderful feast at Jaron's - prepared by Gregan
• Notre Dame
• Eiffel Tower - 700 stairs to the 2nd level - then an elevator to the top - beautiful view of the city!
• The Louvre museum - spent only 2 hours there! But we DID see the smooth monkey! (Mona Lisa)
• Jaron treated us to ice-cream that became a trend on our trip - had ice-cream in EVERY city we visited - sometimes twice in a day! (Actually it was gelato - closer to sherbet)
  
• Genuine French meal at Jaron's favorite French restaurant
• Singed my hair - melted my curling iron
  
• Basilique du Sacre' Coeur (Sacred Heart) - 300 stairs to the tower (but many more than that to get to the staircase!) :)
• Pizza and pasta and souvenirs
• Sainte Chappele
• Sidewalk cafes
• Church in Paris - Sister Elizabeth Smart gave talk in Sacrament Meeting - Date was July 25; sang "Come, Come Ye Saints" and "Faith in Every Footstep" in Paris (and in French)
• Easy Jet to Spain - almost missed flight (THANKS, RUDY)

In Barcelona:

• Packed so smart for 4 days in Spain - left it all in the other suitcase in Paris!
• Ornery, crazy taxi driver!
• Great 2-bedroom apartment!
  
• Seafood in my "egg tortilla" meal - not even a tortilla!
  
• Sagrada Familia - designed by Gaudi' - buried in crypt inside
• Beach - "optional" swimming apparel ;)
  
• Spaghetti with Marinara sauce = seafood!!
• Ice cream!!
• Colom' (Columbus) statue - he LEFT from Spain :)
• Parc Guelle by Gaudi' - camera "battery exhausted" at 11:00 a.m. that day!!
• Picasso museum
• Train trip to Girona - sent to wrong platform, almost missed train! (THANKS, GREGAN!!)
  

In Girona:

• "20 minute" walk from train station - straight uphill and winding streets - 5 star hotel! Red faced and dripping with sweat - "Clampetts are here!"
  
• Bidet and complimentary food bar
  
• Complimentary breakfast = $134 US :)
• University of Girona - museum - muchos Cristos
  
• Outdoor restaurant - pizzas; yummy bacon, lettuce, cheese sandwich (no seafood surprise!)
  
• Ice cream! (gelato)
  
• Wonderful pouring rain in the evening
• Beautiful gardens, pathways, and OLD buildings
• Quest for Gregan's steak dinner in Spain - 3 courses - rain; dessert indoors
  
• Lost count of stairs - some were Spiche stairs; some were NOT
• Necklaces and a curio cabinet "Spiche"
• Bullfighting arena - never found (end of an era for bull fighting in Spain...)
• Boys retrieved luggage
• Chocolate and pastries
  
• Catalan - not Spanish
• Girona airport = card games and food
• Ryan Air baggage limit - not weighed!
  

In Oxford:

• London Stansted Holiday Inn - string in showers for handicapped guests - alarm! Tressa laughing...
  
• National Express bus to Oxford - 3 1/2 hours
• Kryn's bag taken by another passenger - 2 long days
• Oxford charming!
• "Ducks in Oxford make Salem ducks seem like Ghandi"
• Dragon House and quidditch practice field
• Midsummer's Night Dream - Jaron wished to trade seats with Kryn (actress sat on Kryn's lap twice and he was obliged to kiss her on the cheek)
• Graduation day - dinner at Wolfson
• Lost graduation event tickets - taxi ride to Wolfson
• Lots of pomp and ceremony! Latin, bowing, and donning of caps
• Pictures and more pictures - Moju (Tanzania) and Giannina (Peru)
• Punting!
• Brits chanting "In, In, In" as Gregan straddled the punt (his toes) and the dock (his arms) - only got the front of his shorts wet
• Captain Jaron, wench Tressa, mate Keaton on one punt
  
• Kryn: "I did really good!" as we were flattened by trees and lost his pole to the river :)
• English chips
• Pitt River Museum - T Rex, family of foxes, shrunken heads, so much musical instruments!
  
• Sunday afternoon in the world of C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tokein - the chapel, the halls, the cloister, Addison's walk, deer, and the words of Lewis
  

Getting home:

• National Express bus from Oxford to London
• Pricey taxi ride to Comfort Hotel
• Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear beds
• No boarding passes
• Two shuttles to airport - 3 different terminals
• Keats no money-no card and delayed in London 2 more hours
• American Airlines emergency landing at JFK - LATE evening to Dallas - hotel for Keats - finally home a day later
• Ava's huge grin and hug when I unexpectedly showed up at her soccer game - her telling me last night to not ever go away again because she missed me more than anything! :)
  

Came home with only 2 regrets:

• We did NOT go to the top of the tower in Oxford - which was the most important on Gregan's "things to do in Oxford" list. I hadn't remembered that. It WAS at the END of 10 days of many, many stairs and steps...
• I didn't get a picture of "Mind the Gap" painted on the train station floor by the track (Barbara Thompson story)

Not bad, huh?!?! :)