Lauren and Susie outside a Paris cafe'

Outside Notre Dame














Outside Notre Dame














Our first guide, Mario, shows us the Pompedieu Centre 

Bri and Mom riding the Tube.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage














An example of the architecture at Oxford University
Stratford Upon Avon - birthplace of Shakespeare. 

Lauren and Susie entertain the crowds along the Thames.

Sean, looking cool.





















The group in front of Houses of Parliament.
Big Ben Clock Tower. 

Windsor Castle, with moat garden in foreground.


Waterfall at the moat garden.






















A royal guard at Windsor. 

Diane - our EF guide
Two classics of London

A bobby stands guard outside Buckingham Palace.





















The Drill Sargent at the changing of the gaurds 

A view of St. Paul's from the rose garden
We were lucky to see the Tower Bridge raise up for a passing boat.
The Tower of London
Jake - our guide for the day. 

Fish and Chips at Chelsea Football Club's Stamford Bridge .
20 kids in Europe for 8 days? What was I thinking?
Skye's ready to ring somebody
And she's not alone. 

Bri passing the time on the Ferry ride.
The Cliffs of Dover
Canterbury Cathedral 

"The Midgets" on the bus to Calais.



On the way to Calais
Sean, you're not really French.
Three words: duty free chocolate 

Day 7

This was a great day.

We began with a tour of St. Paul's Cathedral - the 3rd largest cathedral in Europe. The dome designed by Christopher Wren was impressive - especially for those of us who climbed the over 600 steps to the very peak.

After the church, we split into two groups. Some went to the Tate Modern to see art by Picasso, Degas, Matisse, Rodin and Pollack. The rest went to the Brittish Museum, to see the massive archeological collection there, which includes the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, a copy of the Magna Carta, and the world's most famous collection of ancient Egyptian Artifacts.

After that, we met back up near Knightsbridge Station for some shopping at Harrod's - the immense department store owened by the Al Fayad family, of Princess Diana fame.

After shopping, we had a curry for dinner then split up again. Some went back to the hotel, some went to the Hard Rock Cafe to see John Lennon's round glasses and Jimi Hendrix's guitar, and some went to Picadilly Circus to see Les Miserables.

Tomorrow we come home - we depart the hotel at noon to catch a 4 p.m. flight. We'll be in Chicago around dinner time (local) and will depart there around 9 p.m. to arrive in Grand Rapids by 11:08 p.m. eastern time.

See you Wednesday night!

Day 6

Today we left the city centre to get a taste of the English countryside. We began with a visit to Oxford - home of the famous university. Our guide Steven showed us many remarkable buildings designed by important Brittish architects such as Wren and Gibbs.

Next, we drove to Stratford where we saw Shakespeare's birthplace and the cottage where he met his wife. The thatched roofs and victorian gardens were beautiful.

We drove back into the city for a shepard's pie dinner in Trafalgar Square, followed by some shopping time at Covent Garden.

A full day for sure.

Day five

Today we began with a guided bus tour of London led by our very knowledgable guide Jakob.

He took us to great little spots that had fantastic views of the houses of Parliament, the London Eye and the Tower Bridge. We were even lucky enough to see the bridge raise for a passing boat.

From there, we went to Buckingham Palace - just in time to see the changing of the guard. We left that palace for another one 15 miles away in Windsor - we knew the queen was there because the royal standard was flying from the highest tower. There we saw fantastic paintings, Queen Mary's doll house, and had time for some shopping in the quaint little shops that surround the castle.

After Windsor, we returned to London for dinner - an asian meal at Wagamama's. Then some of us went on a ride in the London eye, while others strolled the south bank of the Thames. Some of our group even earned a few pence performing a street dance for the Londoners.

Finally, we went back to the hotel, where all the locals are ecstatic about England's win in the World Cup.

Day four

On day four, we left Paris and took a bus to the coast. There we boarded a ferry to dover - there was a spectacular view of the famous white cliffs. Once in England, we went to Canterbury to see the famed cathedral there - the seat of the Church of England (episcopalian in the states).

From there we drove to London to check in at the very nice Ibis Earls Court. We enjoyed a fish and chips dinner and tried to catch up on some sleep.

Day three

On day three, we kicked things off with a few hours at the Louvre. We saw the Mona Lisa, the Venus De Milo, and many other stunning pieces.

From the museum, we walked to the Opera District to see the Paris Opera House - home of the Phantom of the Opera. There was great shopping in the area, so we spent some time checking out all the little shops and cafes.

After dinner, we went to Montmarte district to see Sacre Coure and the quaint artistic village that surrounds it. It was a charming evening.

Day Two

On day two, we woke up early to catch the train to central Paris. There we met our licenced guid Leif who took us on a detailed tour of all the great sites of Paris. We stopped for a long while at Notre Dame and this time went inside to see the stunning stained glass. We drove from there to see the Eifel Tower and many other famous monuments and buildings.

After lunch near the Louvre, we walked down the Seine to the Musee d'Orsay to see paintings by all the Impressionist masters. We saw Monets, Manets, Van Goghs, Degas and many more. That was followed by dinner at Flams (Alsacian "Pizza"). After dinner, we wwent back to the Eifel Tower for a trip to the top - 900 feet above Paris. Once we were back on the ground, we boarded a boat for an evening cruise down the Seine.

Day One

On day one, we arrived and met a temporary guide named Mario - a parisian who helped us find the hotel and get acclimated to Paris life. He took us to Notre Dame, directed us to some outstanding ice cream and led us to the Champs d'Elyse to see the Arc de Triomphe and the ridiculously priced stores.

Then we walked down Rue de Wagram for dinner at Chez Clement. We met the other group and got to know our tour leader, Diane. After dinner, we went back to the hotel to get some much needed rest.

No photos - sorry!

Well, I've tried many times to get photos on the blog, and it's just not going to work until I'm back in the states. I've taken tons of great shots, and will place them in an online photo bucket where you will all have access to them. I wish that I could get them up now, but the laptop I have is simply not compatible. Live and learn.

In London!

We're in London! All is well. I don't have time for a real post now, and couldn't do any in Paris because of computer problems. Check back to see photos and more info. For now, know that all are well and we're having a blast.

We are here

We have arrived! We are tired from a long flight, but got to see the Arch de Triomphe and Notre Dame already. We had dinner in a small cafe and are now heading to bed. I will try to post photos tomorrow.

Social Etiquette

Here's a link that might help you not get beat up by those crazy French people.

Social Etiquette, British Etiquette, Etiquette, Travel Tips [Advice for travel around the world]

Final flight info

Flight info:

6/20/06 depart 4:20 PM Grand Rapids to Chicago O’Hare (arrive 4:19 PM) United #381
6/20/06 depart 5:57PM Chicago O’Hare to Paris De Gaulle (arrive 9:20 AM 6/21/06) United #942

6/28/06 depart 3:40 PM London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare (arrive 6:18 PM) United #959
6/28/06 depart 9:20 PM Chicago O’Hare to Grand Rapids (arrive 11:08 PM) United #772

Jill and I will be at the airport by 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday June 20. You must get yourself to the Grand Rapids airport. Meet us by the Starbucks by 2:30 p.m.

Click the link for directions to the airport.