Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Wickre Travelogue (August 21st)




We leave our hotel and eat some breakfast at a cafe nearby. Our hotel is also near Napoleon's Tomb so we go there and the French Military museum next to it. We then metro to the Arch de Triumph and strolled down the Champs Elysees - stopped and had sandwich and some wine at sidewalk café - sun is out and only partly cloudy.. so far warmest day of trip (which was not all that warm)... then off walking again. Go into the Paris Nike store (little did I know this is the day it is announced Phil Knight will give 100 million dollars to the UofO Athletic department).Pass the US Embasy but a French Policeman yells at us when my wife tries to take a picture of me with Old Glory in the background. Security I guess! Found chocolate shop our daughter was looking for and then metro to the Musee d Orsay, to view impressionist paintings. I saw Whistler's Mother and Monet paintings. Very crowded. We then walked back to hotel because we couldn't get a taxi (long forced march) and then off to cruise on the Seine and Moulin Rouge show. Seine cruise showed the lights of Paris. Moulin Rouge show packed like sardines but show colorful and 1 1/2 hours long, a vaudeville-like show. They even did the "Can Can" The bus dropped us at our hotel at 2:00 a.m.