Thursday, December 9, 2010

PARIS / AFRICA 2010

July 22-23

Roger and I flew to Paris to meet up with Gemma. We arrived a day before Gemma, so we had a chance to take a nap, acclimate to the time difference, walk around Paris, and grab a light dinner.

ROGER'S READY TO GO!


SUNSET OUR FIRST NIGHT IN PARIS... OH LA LA!


July 24

We met Gemma at the airport, and spent the rest of the day introducing Gemma to Paris – we walked around the Latin Quarter and Notre Dame, then took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower. We had a wonderful dinner on the first tier of the Eiffel Tower, explored the Eiffel Tower, took a night boat ride on the Seine, walked around the Trocadero, then Metro’d back "home".

HMMM, WHERE IS THIS???

AT DINNER ON THE EIFFEL TOWER...

A VERY FANCY DINNER...

TRAIPSING AROUND THE EIFFEL TOWER...

BONJOUR!

GOOFING OFF...

WHAT A VIEW!

BONJOUR!
THE VIEW FROM THE SEINE CRUISE...

HAVING FUN...

QUITE A SHOT, WITH THE FULL MOON...

AFTER THE CRUISE...

THE EIFFEL TOWER, FROM THE TROCADERO...

YES, MY EYES ARE CLOSED...
THE VIEW FROM THE RIVER CRUISE...

ON THE METRO, HEADED HOME FOR THE NIGHT...


July 25-26

We spent July 25th traveling to Nairobi. We arrived in Nairobi in the evening, and caught a ride to Giraffe Manor. Roger and I had not told Gemma anything about Giraffe Manor, so she was very surprised when she learned that they have wild giraffe on the grounds and that, in the morning she could expect giraffe to stick their heads in her window so she could feed them!

True to their word, the giraffe showed up at first light, ready for breakfast! We spent a few hours feeding them and taking photos (and having our own breakfast), and eventually worked up the nerve to get a giraffe kiss – you put a pellet (of giraffe/horse food) in your mouth and the giraffe gently kisses you and takes it!


GIRAFFE MANOR:


DINNER AT GIRAFFE MANOR...

THE GIRAFFE ARRIVE AT FIRST LIGHT...


WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SCENE...

THE GIRAFFE ARE VERY POLITE...

THEY ALSO COME TO YOUR WINDOW FOR BREAKFAST...


AND STICK THEIR HEADS IN THE BREAKFAST ROOM!

WHAT A FUN WAY TO START THE DAY!

CATCH!

COFFEE, CROISSANTS AND GIRAFFE PELLETS



A GIRAFFE KISS...

AND ANOTHER...
AND ANOTHER!


A CLOSE UP...


GOOD MORNING!

AND THEY COME TO THE FRONT DOOR...

GIRAFFE EVERYWHERE!

DID SOMEONE SAY "BREAKFAST"?

THE WARTHOGS CLEAN UP AFTER THE GIRAFFE...
THIS ONE IS LATE...

GOODBYE TO GIRAFFE MANOR...

Giraffe Manor was wonderful!!! Being so close to an enormous giraffe and having the chance to feed them and watch them up close – and even pet a few of them – was amazing. If you ever pass through Nairobi – whether overnight or just a long layover – go to Giraffe Manor – go!!!

Late morning, we headed back to the airport for our flight to Kigali, Rwanda. We arrived in Kigali and learned that we had a 3 hour drive to Sabyinyo ("sah BEEN yo") Silverback Lodge, located high in the rainforest of the Virungas – the chain of 15,000 ft volcanoes where Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo meet – and the only place in the world where mountain gorillas (aka silverbacks) live.

We drove on a twisting, turning road and finally arrived at Sabinyo Silverback Lodge – but all we saw was a L-O-N-G, S-T-E-E-P set of stairs... We climbed, stopped for breath, climbed some more, stopped for breath, climbed some more and arrived at the lodge, gasping for breath. We headed to our hut, learned that Sabyinyo does not have heat, and quickly built a fire. We relaxed, had dinner, and got ready for our adventure!


NO WONDER WE WERE OUT OF BREATH!

ONE OF THE GUARDS AT THE LODGE...

THE MAIN LODGE...

OUR HUT...

HI GEMMA!

MORE PHOTOS OF OUR HUT...
POOR ROGER -- THE BEDS NEVER FIT HIM...

A NICE WARM FIRE...

WALKING TO OUR HUT, WITH THE VOLCANO IN THE DISTANCE...

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE VOLCANO, FROM THE LODGE...

ANOTHER VIEW FROM THE LODGE...



July 27

We had breakfast at 6:00 am (if you know Gemma, you know that this is shocking), then met our driver for the short drive to the gathering point at Parc National de Volcanoes for gorilla trekking. During the drive, our driver asked if we wanted a "easy, medium, or long" trek. Given how much we had been gasping for breath on the climb to the lodge, we opted for "medium".

During the short drive, I explained to Roger and Gemma what I had learned about gorilla trekking while planning the trip: there are only about 700 mountain gorillas in the world – spread between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC is not safe, so trekking is only done in Rwanda and Uganda. The number of trekkers in Rwanda is strictly limited to 8 trekkers per "group" (family of gorillas) per day. There are 7 groups of gorillas people are allowed to visit – so only 56 people per day are allowed to visit the gorillas in Rwanda.

To control the number of trekkers, you have to buy a gorilla trekking pass – with only 56 passes per day for the entire country, the passes sell out far in advance. In addition, the time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour – so that the gorillas are not disturbed by the trekkers, and to reduce the chance of the gorillas being exposed to human disease.

Anyhow, we arrived at the gorilla trekking center, where we waited with the other trekkers to learn what "group"(family) of gorillas we were assigned. We soon learned that we were very lucky – we were assigned the "Susa" Group. This was lucky because, one, it was the group Dianne Fossey lived with for so many years and, two, it is a very large group (about 30 gorillas), so we would have the chance to see a number of silverbacks (adult males), as well as babies, teenagers, moms, etc.
Our guide introduced us to the rest of our trekking group (the Fitches, a family of 5 from the UK), gave us information on the Susa group, then we hopped in our 4x4's and drove about 1 hour to the starting point for our trek.

After a one-hour "Rwandan massage" (bouncing around rocky roads in a 4x4), we parked on a steep hillside and our guide pointed UP the mountain and said "that’s where we’re going." Groan! We proceeded to hike up a very VERY steep hillside for about 1-1/2 hours, pausing occasionally in a feeble attempt to get some oxygen into our lungs. Finally, our guide announced that we had reached the Park (which was fairly obvious – it was where the farmland ended and the thick rainforest began).

We met a number of armed guards at the edge of the rainforest. Our guide explained that the guards stay with the gorillas during the day to protect them from poachers. Once the gorillas bed down at night, the guards leave and then return at first light. By that time, the gorillas have often moved, so the guards track the gorillas, figure out where they are, and then let the guides know so that the guides can lead the trekkers to them.

Our guide also gave us a brief safety lecture: never, ever, touch the gorillas (even if they approach you or touch you); do not get closer than 20 feet; do not make loud noises; do not run, even if a gorilla charges you; do not make eye contact; if a gorilla charges you, look away and cower (which shows the gorilla that he is boss); and, above all, do exactly what he (the guide – not the gorilla) says. Our guide reminded us that mountain gorillas only eat plants – so they do not view us as food – and said that, IF we followed his rules we would not be in danger.

With our list of rules in mind, we, the Fitches, our guide and the armed guards plunged into the rainforest. Initially, we were on a small path but after a short time the guards and our guide had to use their machetes to clear a path through the massive growth.

After only about 30 minutes, our guide announced that we had arrived. We stopped, and could hear munching, but we could not see anything. The guide parted some thick leaves and there – only a few feet away – was a gorilla snacking on a plant!

We moved through the dense brush a bit more and found about 12 gorillas in a clearing. We watched the group – moms, kids, teenagers, and a huge silverback (sitting in the back, watching everything, with his arms crossed across his chest, looking quite serious). Eventually, we started looking around us and realized there were gorillas everywhere – in the tree to our left, in the bushes behind us, snoozing off to the right... everywhere!

There is no way to describe the experience – we just stood there, in awe of these amazing creatures, so huge and powerful, yet so gentle. They were not bothered by us one bit – the kids kept playing, the hungry ones kept munching, the sleepy ones kept napping and the huge silverback kept an eye on everyone and everything.

The hour flew by and we had to say our goodbyes. We fought our way back out of the rainforest, made quick work of the hike downhill to the 4x4, then got back in our 4x4's for another hour-long Rwandan massage.

We went back to the lodge, had a late lunch, and relaxed. That evening, we watched a video concerning the history and plight of the mountain gorillas, and we read in the lodge’s library about the history and culture of Rwanda.


AT THE GATHERING AREA, GETTING READY FOR THE HIKE...


OUR FAMILY OR THE FIRST DAY -- THE SUSA GROUP...


AFTER THE DRIVE, GETTING READY TO HIKE...

WE'RE JUST ENTERING THE RAINFOREST...


THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE TERRAIN...


ONE OF THE FIRST GORILLAS WE SAW -- DOESN'T HE LOOK SERIOUS?


I LOVE THE FOOT...


THIS GIVES YOU A GOOD IDEA OF THE GORILLAS LOUNGING AROUND

ANOTHER SERIOUS GORILLA!


LOOK BEHIND YOU GEMMA!!!

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE TERRAIN...

DO YOU SEE THE BIG SERIOUS GORILLA IN THE BACKGROUND?

GORILLAS EVERYWHERE!

YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO STAY 20 FEET AWAY FROM THE GORILLAS -- BUT THE GORILLAS DON'T KNOW THAT!

AWWWWWW!


GORILLAS EVERYWHERE...

THE FITCHES...

SHOWING THE KIDS THE PHOTOS...

July 28

This morning was a repeat of the day before – early wake up call, early breakfast, down to the 4x4, a quick drive to the park and then wait to see what group we got this time. This time, our only request of our guide was for an easier hike. If our first hike was considered "medium" we did not want to try "hard"!

This time, we got assigned to the "Kwitonda" Group, along with a family of 4 from the UK. Once again, we were quite lucky – the Kwitonda family is a large group with lots of kids, teenagers and moms – and 3 silverbacks!

We hopped in our 4x4's and, this time, had only a 30 minute drive to the starting point. We were thrilled to see a fairly flat pathway leading towards the rainforest. We hiked about 1 hour to the edge of the park/rainforest, where we once again met the armed guards, got a safety lecture, and then plunged into the rainforest.

While the path was much flatter this day, the trekking was extremely thick and overgrown. Thank goodness for the guide and guards with machetes, who cleared "paths" (less dense areas) for us to fight our way through!

We hiked for another hour or so, then our guide told us we had arrived! We looked around and said, "arrived WHERE???" but, once again, the guide cleared some thick branches and leaves and voila! – a mountain gorilla!

One of the great things about gorilla trekking two days was that we got to see different gorilla families and we got to experience different terrain. The rainforest the second day was far more dense than the first day – you would hear munching, peer through the branches, and realize there was a gorilla, only a few feet away!

We quickly came a across a huge silverback, sitting with his massive back to us, munching on some leaves. The guide tried to get us into position in front of him, but he slowly moved off, keeping his back to us the whole time. We were probably within 10 feet of him and I have to say – he was H-U-G-E!!! Our guide told us that a silverback weighs 400-450 pounds. All I can tell you is that he was massive!

We worked our way through the brush, stopping and watching moms, teenagers and babies as they went about their mid-morning snack and play time. Eventually, we found another, even larger silverback, who was also sitting with his back to us. Our guide told us this was the Big Kahuna – the #1 Silverback – this was his family. The guide motioned for us to move around the silverback (to get in front of him). I let Roger go first, to get in a good position to take photos. As Roger was moving past the silverback (about 6-8 feet away), the silverback charged Roger! The guide tried to leap between them, and the silverback stopped inches away from Roger.

Thank goodness, Roger did not run or scream – he did exactly what he was supposed to do (he looked away and cowered)! Later, the guide said that the silverback probably charged because Roger was the largest person in the group – so he wanted to establish his dominance – and that Roger was walking by some particularly tasty food, and the silverback probably wanted Roger to know it was HIS food.

It all happened very fast, but we have to give huge credit to the guard for stepping between Roger and a charging 450 pound silverback!

As we recovered from the excitement, the silverback made his way through the rainforest, munching on leaves and branches along the way. We continued to press through the rainforest, with our guides and guards using their machetes to clear the way.

Eventually, we came across the group’s third silverback – lying on his stomach, with his chin resting on his hand, looking like he was pondering the world’s problems. We stood only a few feet away, in complete awe of this massive animal, and watched as he (apparently) decided to stop pondering the world’s problems and take a nap.

This was one of my favorite moments. Looking in the big guy’s eyes, you could see intelligence, and you could see that he has a soul. Looking at his hands, and seeing the families interact, you could feel a connection with them. It is hard to describe, but it was very moving.

We continued on through the rainforest, stumbling across moms, babies, teenagers, and "blackbacks" (not full grown males), until the guide told us our hour was up. We reluctantly said goodbye to Kwitonda, and headed back to our 4x4's.

We again had a late lunch, relaxed, read and hung out in the lodge’s library, had a nice dinner, and an early night.

What we found really interesting is how important the gorillas (and protecting the gorillas) are. New gorilla-trekking lodges were being built, a new road to the park was being put in, and the people were very, very supportive of the tourism. It seemed that everyone we dealt with recognized that, by protecting the gorillas and promoting responsible tourism, the country and the gorillas can flourish.


THE KWITONDA GROUP:

THE GATHERING AREA FOR GORILLA TREKKING

WAITING TO TREK...

GETTING READY TO PLUNGE INTO THE RAINFOREST

THIS IS WHAT YOU HIKE THROUGH!

HI GEMMA!

ROGER, TAKING A BREAK...

THIS IS THE "PATH"...

ITS EASY TO SEE WHY THEY CALL THEM SILVERBACKS...

A SERIOUS EXPRESSION...

I LOVE HER HANDS...

A VERY PENSIVE LOOK...

ANOTHER PENSIVE LOOK...

AND THEN A NAP!

THE BIG GUY IS RIGHT BEHIND US, NAPPING...

AND A LITTLE GUY!

AWWWWWWWW!!!

ANOTHER THOUGHTFUL LOOK...

THE LANDSCAPE...

A GORILLA FAR UP IN THE TREE...

AND A CLOSE UP...

THE FOLIAGE MAKES FOR A CUT PHOTO -- BUT TOUGH HIKING!

NEAR THE END OF THE HIKE THE PATH GETS EASIER...

IT'S EASY GOING HERE!

ROG AND GEMMA, ON THE ROCK WALL THAT SURROUNDS THE PARK...

NEARLY THE END, ROGER STRIKES A POSE...

THE GUARDS, WHO KEEP THE GORILLAS SAFE FROM POACHERS:

OUR GUIDE ON DAY 2, FIDEL:

THE GUARDS WHO RESCUED ROGER FROM THE GORILLA:

July 29

The next morning, we took some photos and said goodbye to Sabyinyo Silverback lodge. Our driver took as back to Kigali, where we went to the Genocide Museum. We spent nearly 2 hours in the museum, learning about the background of the genocide (memorialized in the movie Hotel Rwanda) in which 800,000 to 1 million people were killed in 100 days. We also learned what the country has done to move on and recover, and what great strides they have made in only 15 years. The time flew by and our driver had to come find us to get us to the airport for our flight!

On the drive to the airport, our driver told us that, during the genocide, he took shelter in a local church, but the "genocidaires" locked people in the church, threw grenades inside and set the church on fire. We had learned in the museum that this happened all over the countryside – people thought they would be safe in churches and instead it made them easy, mass targets. Our driver showed us his shrapnel scars and prosthetic leg and explained that he had no family left – he was the only one in his family who survived the genocide.

The flip side of these horrible stories is that the country is doing remarkably well now. Rwanda is now considered a model for developing countries, and has been labeled "Africa's biggest success story". The average income has tripled in the past 10 years, and growth and development were evident everywhere we turned – construction of new roads; laying of water, sewer and fiber optic cables; and building was going on everywhere.

Nearly everyone we spoke to credited their President, Paul Kagame, with leading the country out of its darkest days, promoting reconciliation and economic development, and establishing security.
Probably the thing we noticed most was that the people were very friendly and open – even when discussing politics and the genocide. People talked openly about their experiences during the genocide, with no shame, and everyone we met was extremely proud of the progress the country has made since the genocide.

Anyhow, our driver took us to the airport and we said goodbye to Rwanda. After a delayed flight, a missed flight and a missing driver, we arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and made our way to the Holiday Inn, where we caught a few hours sleep, then headed back to the airport for our flight to the safari camp in Southern Tanzania.


WE SAW THIS KID ON THE DRIVE BACK TO THE AIRPORT...

A CLOSE UP...

OUR GUIDE TOLD US TO SHOW THE PHOTO TO ANYONE WHOSE PHOTO WE TOOK...

PRACTICALLY EVERY KID WE DROVE BY WAVED...

THE LANDSCAPE...

THE STREET SCENES...

MORE STREET SCENES...

MORE LANDSCAPE SCENES...


July 30 - August 5

We hopped on a fairly large bush plane – about 15 passengers – and had an easy 35 minute flight to the Selous (suh-LOO) Reserve in Southern Tanzania. I was incredibly excited – the person who helped me plan the trip said that the parks in Southern Tanzania are her absolute favorite – even better than northern Tanzania (which we loved) and Botswana (which we loved even more).

Long story short, Roger and I were disappointed with Southern Tanzania. It was dry and dusty, the camps were not as luxurious as we had experienced on our other trips, the two camps were quite similar (normally you want different experiences, that’s why you go to two camps) and – most importantly – there were FAR fewer animals, and the animals seemed skittish and tended to stay far away from you. Suffice it to say we lots of animal butts.

Mind you, we still had a GREAT time, we stayed in wonderful places, we met super people, and we saw lots of elephant, giraffe, lion, etc. It’s just that Roger and I had such an amazing experience on our prior two safaris, and the company I use to help me book safaris strongly recommended Southern Tanzania – they said it was even better than Northern Tanzania and Botswana. So, my hopes were sky high and the reality was disappointing – by far, a lesser safari experience that we had experienced before. At one point, we drove 1-1/2 hours without seeing a single animal!!! On our prior safaris, we tripped over animals walking out of our tent/hut!

I had been told such wonderful things about Southern Tanzania that I could not help myself – I had to ask our guides and camp managers if there was something unusual going on – perhaps they were having a tough year, or maybe the animals had moved on recently, or maybe it was a bad time of year to visit – something like that? No, they said – what makes Southern Tanzania different is that "the animals don’t just fall out of the trees like they do in northern Tanzania - you have to work to find them here." Roger’s reply (to me privately) was perfect – "I came halfway around the world and paid a ton of money – I want the @#$%&%* animals falling out of the trees and into my lap!"

Well, that’s enough complaining. The truth is that my hopes were high – Roger and LOVED our first safari and our second safari, with my parents, was soooo incredible. And, the trip started off soooo well – Paris was perfect, Giraffe Manor was incredible, and Rwanda was amazing. I really thought SoTan was going to be the highlight – instead, it was a huge disappointment (to Roger and me). It was particularly hard for me – I planned the trip and made all the decision, so I felt like it was my fault when it was not perfect.

Oh, I said enough complaining – OK – I’m done. We had a really unique experience and we had a great time together. That’s what matters.

Here's some photos from Selous, and then from the second camp in So. Tanzania, the Jongomero Camp in the Ruaha Reserve.

ON THE PLANE TO SELOUS:

THAT'S A SMALL PLANE...

ARRIVING AT SELOUS...

THE CAMP IS RIGHT ON A LAKE...

WELCOME TO SELOUS!

LUNCH AT SELOUS SAFARI CAMP...

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE LUNCH TABLE...

A TIRED LIONESS...

WILDEBEEST -- WATCHING US...

A HYENA WITH HIS KILL.

ANOTHER WATER SAFARI...

MAMA AND BAY HIPPO:

SHE'S HERDING HIM TO THE SAFETY OF THE WATER...

LOTS OF BIRDS ON THE LAKE...

DO NOT MAKE HIM MAD!

IT LOOKS LIKE A YAWN BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A WARNING...

MAMA AND BABY BABOON

THERE WERE CROCS EVERYWHERE...

BACK FROM THE WATER SAFARI WITH OUR GUIDE BANTU...

SUNSET ON THE LAKE...

ANOTHER SUNSET...

ROGER, RELAXING BY THE POOL...

A LUNCHTIME VISITOR...

WILD DOGS ARE A RARE SIGHT:

THE GIRAFFE KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON YOU...

MORE BIRDS...

A KUDU AND AN IMPALA, ON THE RUN...

A BAOBAB AT SUNSET...

DOESN'T THIS LOOK LIKE AN AD FOR THE CAMP?

STOPPING FOR SUNDOWNERS...



THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTOS...

AND THIS ONE...

HAVING A REFRESHMENT AT SUNSET...

ONE MORE SUNSET PHOTO!

A COOL PHOTO OF ELEPHANTS...

WHAT? HUH?

CHECK OUT THE SCARS -- THIS GUY HAS HAD A HARD LIFE!

A FISH EAGLE, SNACKING ON A LIZARD...

OUR MASAAI GUARD:

RUSH HOUR AT THE AIR STRIP. WAITING FOR THE PLANE TO RUAHA...


THE FLIGHT INTO RUAHA / JONGOMERO:


ANYONE WHO FALLS ASLEEP GETS A PHOTO TAKEN!


AFTER ARRIVAL AT RUAHA, THE PLANE TAKES OFF...


OUR GUIDE, EMIEL, LECTURING ON THE USES FOR ELEPHANT POOP (THAT'S WHAT HE IS HOLDING!):


ROG, GEMMA AND EMIEL IN A BAOBAB TREE:

ROGER, SLEEPING DURING A GAME DRIVE:

GEMMA HASSLING ROGER WITH A TANZANIAN FLY SWATTER (GIRAFFE TAIL):


CAN YOU SEE THE LIONS BEHIND THEM?

ELEPHANT RUSH HOUR:

WOW, ROGER IS TALL...

THE DRY RIVER BED

EMIEL TOLD US ABOUT FLORA AND FAUNA AS WELL AS THE ANIMALS

ARE WE HAVING FUN?

THE LAST GAME DRIVE, WITH EMIEL, ALEX AND LOUISE:

THE LAST MORNING IN AFRICA...

WAITING FOR OUR RIDE TO THE AIR STRIP:

TAKING A BREAK FROM THE GAME DRIVE:

SUNSET IN THE RUAHA:

WATCH OUT FOR HIPPOS...

LUNCH TIME AT THE CAMP, OVERLOOKING THE DRY RIVER BED:
YOU TALKING TO ME?

A KUDU, BLENDING INTO HIS SURROUNDUNGS

ONE OF TWO BEAUTIFUL SISTERS WE FOUND...

A CLOSE UP SISTER #1:
SISTER #2, WATCHING FOR DINNER...

THE ELEPHANTS DIG IN THE DRY RIVER BED UNTIL THE GET TO WATER...

THE BABIES ARE HELPING OUT...

EMIEL ON A SMALL TERMITE MOUND

CHECKING HER PHOTOS...

RANGER LOUISE!

THE MOTLEY CREW:

WE STARTLED THIS GUY...

THE GIRAFFE KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON YOU...
ZEBRA GOING FOR A RUN...

AREN'T THEY BEAUTIFUL?






August 5-9


We left Tanzania and flew to Paris, where we had a 1-1/2 day 'pit stop' before heading home.


We toured town on the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus, went to the Musee Dorsay (the old railroad station that has been converted into a museum), went to the Pompidieu (the modern art museum), and had dinner on Sacre Coeur. We did quite a bit in about 30 hours!


BACK IN PARIS -- OH LA LA!


ON THE HOP-ON, HOP-OFF BUS:

ROGER AND GEMMA HAD A TERRIBLE TIME:

WOO HOO!

YOURS TRULY...

L'ARC DE TRIUMPH:

THE ENTRANCE TO LE LOUVRE:

THE SIGHTS OF PARIS...

ROGER (WEARING GEMMA'S SUNGLASSES):

NOTRE DAME:

THE STREETS OF THE LATIN QUARTER...

A QUIET MORNING IN PARIS...

GEMMA AT JARDIN TUILERIES:

OUTSIDE LE LOUVRE:

LOOKING FROM LE LOUVRE TOWARDS JARDIN TUILERIES AND THE EIFFEL TOWER:

ANOTHER SHOT OUTSIDE LE LOUVRE:

THE VIEW FROM THE POMPIDIEU:

MORE OF THE VIEW FROM THE POMPIDEIU:

VIEW OF SACRE COEUR FROM THE POMPIDIEU:

LEAVING THE POMPIDIEU...

IN THE "TUBE" THAT SURROUNDS THE TOP FLOOR OF THE POMPIDIEU -- GREAT VIEWS OF PARIS:

ARRIVING AT SACRE COEUR:

SACRE COEUR...

There were so many other things we wanted to do – explore Le Louvre, go to the famous Paris flea market, take trips out to Versailles, Giverny, Mt. St. Michel, Normandy, etc., etc! But, it was time to go home, so we said goodbye to Paris and promised to come back as soon as we can.

Gemma had a separate flight back to the US from Roger and me, but we were able to see her off at her gate before running down the concourse to our gate – and our business class flight home (my treat for Roger).

As we relaxed and drank our champagne, Roger and I asked each other, "Where do yo uwant to go next?"


ROGER, ENJOYING BUSINESS CLASS:

So, stay tuned for our next adventure!
Roger and Laurie