Paris to London and then South

Monday 2nd April, 2012

We caught the Eurostar train from Paris via the eurotunnel to London.

Leaving St-Nom La Bretèche

The closest station to my Uncle and Aunt's house.

Setting off on the Eurostar.

Still in France on our way to the cost.

They were so busy reading that when we came out the otherside the boys said the 30minutes had only felt like 5minutes.

Now in England.

London, St Pancras Station

Eurostar train.

Olympic Rings welcomed us to London.

We arrived at St. Pancras, London and caught a direct train crossing London to Gatwick Airport (9miles from my sister's house) where we picked up the hire car. We had already planned the hire car so we could drive north to visit more family. It was in Paris when we heard that there was going to be a petrol strike over Easter in England. That was not good news for us as we need at least one tank full to reach our destination up north and then another for the return journey. Luckily for us the tankers delivering the petrol decided to hold off negotiations and any strike until after Easter. So we luckily escaped the Madrid public transport strike and the British petrol strike too.

Passing the Shard expected to be open June 2012.
Southwark Towers a 24-storey office block built in 1976 was knocked down in 2009 to make room for the new iceberg like Skyscraper (clad completely in glass) of 72 habitable floors (95 storeys).

My sister's garden with their goslings who think that humans are their mother and want to follow everywhere.

Still following us.

Dinner at my sister's and Mummy was there since she had arrived back from Vienna.

Paris with Family

Saturday 31st March, 2012
We stayed with my Uncle and Aunt in St-Nom La Breteche. We met one of my cousins Tom in Paris and the family saw Paris by boat. Tom and Clara have Anna (nearly4) and Jeremy (1.5). It was lovely catching up with family and for the boys to get to know them all. One of my boys mentioned that the one thing they don't like about France is that they don't understand the language. But acutally they picked up a little French from playing with Anna who speaks very clearly.

Paris by boat

Harry, Billy, Charley, Anna, Tom, Robert and Jeremy.

Billy and Anna.



Billy and Anna.

Billy, Charley, Anna, Tom, Robert and Jeremy.

Gare d'Orsay - Now Museum of Orsay

Cathedral of Notre Dame as seen from the boat.

Cathedral of Notre Dame.
Building commenced in the 12th century and finished in the 14th.

Cathedral of Notre Dame.
Located on one of the two Islands of La Seine, île de la Cité

Robert, Anna and Billy.

Harry.

Another family photo.

Museum of Orsay.
Boat going the other way now.

View of the Eiffel Tower from the river.

We went under about 25 bridges if the boys counted correctly.

Charley, Harry, Anna and Billy.

The other Statue of Liberty.

The weather today was much colder than yesterday.

Anna with the boys.

Jeremy with the boys.

Fun at home

Anna and Billy painting.



Anna having fun knocking down Harry's towers.

Walk to the park

Billy, Charley and Anna.

My Uncle Robert and Aunt Sarah and Anna's grandparents.

The boys playing football.



Anna joining in.

Going home.

Anna teaching Billy some French.

Anna's dribbling the ball home.

Playing on the swing.

or in the tunnel.

Time for dinner.

Concert after dinner.

Sunday 1st April, 2012

Jeremy's a happy boy.

Anna's playing with the trains while Harry reads.

Lunch time.

Robert, Billy, Harry, Charley, Tom, Sarah and Clara.

Enjoying their Frence lunch.

Boys reading to Anna.

Afternoon walk through the woods near their house.



Billy making a sword.

Afternoon tea with pastries and Florentines from the local pâtisserie.

Sarah and Robert enjoying the afternoon sun in their spring garden.

Tom's family had gone home and the Menkens experienced a new delicious supper of Cheese Roulette with Sarah and Robert.

We immensely enjoyed our trip to Paris and we had extremely kind and fun hosts. They invited us back (hopefully they meant it) and we hope there aren't as many years between visits next time. We also hope to see them in Madrid.