Bon jour! Monday was a loooooong day; we had to be up by 5 a.m. to be picked up by the transportation service to take us to the train station on our way to Narbonne. It was a quick four hour trip since all us napped on the way there. Arrived safely and groggy and hungry (what else is new?)
After grocery shopping and lunch, we were picked up by a lovely woman (her name was Katerine) in a very comfortable and roomy van to drive us into Homps where we were to pick up our barge. Honestly, I don't know the diff between boats and barges so I won't even try to explain it to any of you and I don't have Wi-Fi power to look it up. Aaaanyway, on the ride there, Katie told us (under the dome of silence) that our boat would not be ready. She said the rental company was trying to fix it but weren't sure if they could by the time we were supposed to take it over and we may have to be transported to Trebes to pick up a different boat. The bad thing about that is Trebes is where were going to end our trip down the Canal Midi.
Katie suggested that, if they were going to change our plans and send us chasing another boat, we should bargain for a better vessel and free transport. While the turn of events was very disconcerting, the information she offered was incredibly valuable; it gave us time to think about our reactions and options.
And so it was that at Homps we were told our boat was not fixed. We were offered another boat to be picked up at Trebes. And guess what? (Sorry, you wouldn't have any idea.) We were given the Mystique, a beautiful 4 bedroom boat that we had considered renting but decided against it because it was too expensive! We, with our best poker faces, accepted their offer and innocently inquired as to how we would get there. The manager asked Katie to drive us to Trebes and the entire transport would be on the house! Yipeeeeee, not a bad deal at all.
At Trebes, Captain Kathy and co-captain Amelia were given instruction on how this beauty works. In the meantime, Karen and Linda decided they would go to the store for ice and bread by bicycle. Silly them, they woke up with Mal de butt. What were they thinking?
We ate at a small restaurant across from where we were moored. I need to mention that one of the offerings (which I had to try) was Mexicaine pizza. It was a large pie with fresh tomato, cheese, onion, oregano, sausage and chorizo. The only funny part to this story is that the chorizo, while delicious, was not Mexican at all! Is was Spanish; we truly are of one world.
Back at the boat, some night caps and re-caps later; we slept on our boat for the first time. All was well with the world.
"7 Broads Abroad" .....Tour de France 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Adieu Paree
(Sorry for the delay in posts. We are traveling down the canal and are finding it hard to get an Internet connection. I am posting what I can today and will try to catch up tonight. Also, I will update the pictures later...having some technical difficulties.)
C'est fini! BBB here writing about our last day in Paris. Last we spoke, we went out to dinner to celebrate Linda's birthday. For some reason, a third and fourth gear kicked in for all of us and we didn't go to bed until 4 a.m. Some of us were out dancing, others of us were at the apartment enjoying night caps and reminiscing our previous three fabulous days. It's up to you to guess who was where.
Needless to say, it was a slow Sunday morning. We awoke with a desire to watch news about back home about any memorial celebrations dealing with the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
Wait a sec..... ok I'm back. Had to stop for a while because we are moving the boat to another holding position. More on this another time...
Back to my story... we were able to watch a CNN special of the commemoration events. We were all moved and talked about the memories we each have of that fateful day. May God bless America.
After munching on a wonderful quiche that Kathy made for us, we were off on our last adventure. We caught two cabs and were whisked off to Montmartre, another historic (what isn't) part of Paris and the area where the original bohemians, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, hung out. Our taxi dropped Julianne, Susan and I at the bottom of the butte so we had to hoof it up some cobble-stoned streets. With some huffing and puffing we made it to the front of Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica at the top of the hill and met up the Karen, Amelia and Linda. What a gorgeous view!!! You can see Alaska from up there! (Can you tell a little exaggeration when you read it?) Ok, maybe you can't see Alaska but you can see pretty far.
We entered the massive structure that was actually built just a century ago (brand new by Parisian standards). Rick Steves' book mentions that France's catholics raised money to build the church as a kind of penitence. They were convinced they were being punished for the country's liberal sins. There was a Mass service being held while we were there with nuns singing and the priest praying for harmony throughout the world. A special prayer was offered for the victims of 9/11.
We walked around the little square, did some shopping, and even stood outside the small lounge where Edith Piaf first sang "La Vie en Rose". Karen and Amelia did more walking and the rest of us headed back to the apartment to pack and get ready for the third leg of the trip. We asked our cab driver to drive past the Moulin Rouge for pictures; we knew we wouldn't be able to see the famed Can Can dancers but at least we could say we saw the building.
We had pizza for dinner; finished off the rest of the open wine and all was good with the world.
C'est fini! BBB here writing about our last day in Paris. Last we spoke, we went out to dinner to celebrate Linda's birthday. For some reason, a third and fourth gear kicked in for all of us and we didn't go to bed until 4 a.m. Some of us were out dancing, others of us were at the apartment enjoying night caps and reminiscing our previous three fabulous days. It's up to you to guess who was where.
Needless to say, it was a slow Sunday morning. We awoke with a desire to watch news about back home about any memorial celebrations dealing with the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
Wait a sec..... ok I'm back. Had to stop for a while because we are moving the boat to another holding position. More on this another time...
Back to my story... we were able to watch a CNN special of the commemoration events. We were all moved and talked about the memories we each have of that fateful day. May God bless America.
After munching on a wonderful quiche that Kathy made for us, we were off on our last adventure. We caught two cabs and were whisked off to Montmartre, another historic (what isn't) part of Paris and the area where the original bohemians, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, hung out. Our taxi dropped Julianne, Susan and I at the bottom of the butte so we had to hoof it up some cobble-stoned streets. With some huffing and puffing we made it to the front of Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica at the top of the hill and met up the Karen, Amelia and Linda. What a gorgeous view!!! You can see Alaska from up there! (Can you tell a little exaggeration when you read it?) Ok, maybe you can't see Alaska but you can see pretty far.
We entered the massive structure that was actually built just a century ago (brand new by Parisian standards). Rick Steves' book mentions that France's catholics raised money to build the church as a kind of penitence. They were convinced they were being punished for the country's liberal sins. There was a Mass service being held while we were there with nuns singing and the priest praying for harmony throughout the world. A special prayer was offered for the victims of 9/11.
We walked around the little square, did some shopping, and even stood outside the small lounge where Edith Piaf first sang "La Vie en Rose". Karen and Amelia did more walking and the rest of us headed back to the apartment to pack and get ready for the third leg of the trip. We asked our cab driver to drive past the Moulin Rouge for pictures; we knew we wouldn't be able to see the famed Can Can dancers but at least we could say we saw the building.
We had pizza for dinner; finished off the rest of the open wine and all was good with the world.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Disneyland Part Deux
Bon soir! Yes it's me again, the BBB, writing a new piece about our past two days in Paris. On Saturday, the seven of us leisurely made our way to Notre Dame where we met our friends from Germany, Magda and Barbara. The line was long but was moving rather quickly; each of us was taking one picture after the other perhaps in hopes that the digital image would better describe the reality in front of us.
We were told that it took 200 years to make this cathedral; and, wow, was it worth every second! I was afraid to ask how much it cost; I don't think I can count that high anyway.
As we entered the famed and mammoth building, it was immediately apparent that this was not your average, run-of-the-mill, medieval church. First, we could hear angels singing (ok, maybe I exaggerate a little, it was music from a CD being piped in through some very modern speakers but it sounded like angels to me).
I am not too proud to admit that after a while, I was on sensory overload and a when I came upon the oldest statue of the Virgin Mary and her Baby Jesus, one or two tears escaped from my eyes. It was a magnificent piece. I tried to recover enough to enjoy the rest of the beautiful art that is housed there and there is much. We were told that THE Crown of Thorns resides at this church. We didn't get to see it because they only bring it out on special occasions; I guess Rome didn't get word we were headed this way... maybe next time.
In front of the church building there is a round marker that designates the center of all France. It is said that all distances are measured from here. Why?
I know I've said this before, so I won't say it again...
After much picture taking and blubbering we left Notre Dame and split up into smaller groups. Our group decided our next destination would be the Louvre. Note to self: when you are looking at a map and the place you want to reach looks like it's just a couple of blocks away, it isn't. We walked and stopped and walked and stopped and walked even more.
Needless to say, we were exhausted and hurting and thirsty but we got there. First impression? Huge. Second impression? Even bigger than we thought; the place goes on forever.
Do the French know how to make anything small? No matter, we got to see some beautiful Renaissance paintings and the Lady herself.
We caught a taxi for home (the apartment) and relaxed for a few hours in preparation for our night out in celebration of Linda's birthday. Bon anniversaire, notre amie! Grand dejeuner, grand vin and all is right with the world.
We were told that it took 200 years to make this cathedral; and, wow, was it worth every second! I was afraid to ask how much it cost; I don't think I can count that high anyway.
As we entered the famed and mammoth building, it was immediately apparent that this was not your average, run-of-the-mill, medieval church. First, we could hear angels singing (ok, maybe I exaggerate a little, it was music from a CD being piped in through some very modern speakers but it sounded like angels to me).
I am not too proud to admit that after a while, I was on sensory overload and a when I came upon the oldest statue of the Virgin Mary and her Baby Jesus, one or two tears escaped from my eyes. It was a magnificent piece. I tried to recover enough to enjoy the rest of the beautiful art that is housed there and there is much. We were told that THE Crown of Thorns resides at this church. We didn't get to see it because they only bring it out on special occasions; I guess Rome didn't get word we were headed this way... maybe next time.
In front of the church building there is a round marker that designates the center of all France. It is said that all distances are measured from here. Why?
I know I've said this before, so I won't say it again...
After much picture taking and blubbering we left Notre Dame and split up into smaller groups. Our group decided our next destination would be the Louvre. Note to self: when you are looking at a map and the place you want to reach looks like it's just a couple of blocks away, it isn't. We walked and stopped and walked and stopped and walked even more.
Needless to say, we were exhausted and hurting and thirsty but we got there. First impression? Huge. Second impression? Even bigger than we thought; the place goes on forever.
Do the French know how to make anything small? No matter, we got to see some beautiful Renaissance paintings and the Lady herself.
We caught a taxi for home (the apartment) and relaxed for a few hours in preparation for our night out in celebration of Linda's birthday. Bon anniversaire, notre amie! Grand dejeuner, grand vin and all is right with the world.
Location:Rue du Champ de Mars,Paris,France
Misc Pics.....too tired to write!
Linda with her Birthday Scarf!
Julienne and Susan just a hangin' !!
Karen and Amelia saying Bonjour in the morning!
Tish checking out the Versailles!
Gosh, I can't remember who took this picture, but apparently we were going out on the town for my birthday dinner!
Girls on the way to Versailles, via the C RER!
Guess where we are?
And moi with my sultry french look......darleeen!!
More later,
This post by Kathy
Friday, September 9, 2011
What if...
Guess who... time's up. It's me, BBB, coming to you from gay Pariee (ok, I"m getting carried away with myself... I'm in Paris, ok?) So, bon jour or soir (depending on what time of day you are reading this blog).
What if you were the king of a country and you THOUGHT you had all of the money in the world and you wanted a little place (or palace, for that matter) to call your own? Would you Google for the best price on a three-man tent? Would you buy a little cottage by a lake? Would you build a skyscraper in Manhattan? NO! You would build yourself a the most palatial, ostentatious, ego-boosting, eye-popping, leave-nothing-to-the-imagination home (from where you could rule) kind of place you always dreamed of!! Wouldn't you? Well, it was just that place we that we explored yesterday. Amelia, Julieanne, Linda, Susan and I visited Chateau Versailles.
If you have ever been here you will know what I am about to describe; those of you who have not been here will just have to take this humble scribe at her word...the place was FRICKIN' AWESOME!!!
First of all, who has that much money? Secondly, who HAS that much money? Thirdly, what kind of twisted, egocentric, god-disdaining person could ever pull this off? Well... King Louis XIV did; and he did it with panache (I hope that means "with arrogance"). This guy was a jewel; he basically took in tax money from about 18 million citizens of France and surrounded himself with the best of the best the world could offer at the time. He ruled over the country from 1643 to 1715 and he was beloved by his people. There may have been some grumblings from the nobility about how many stairs to climb while wearing those crazy get-ups, big wigs and makeup, but they were his loyal subjects none-the-less. It is printed that Louis XIV was a "polite and approachable king who was a good listener who could put anyone at ease when speaking to them". All this reporter can say is: Really...who in their right mind would ever say anything contrary about a king so powerful that every other king in Europe envied and emulated?
It is no wonder, after seeing what we saw today, that this king liked his surroundings big, gold, and very ornate. He ruled for so long that, by the time he died, head outlived a son and a grandson leaving the monarchy to his great-grandson, Louis XV. It was during the reign Louis XVI, his great-great-grandson, and his wife Marie-Antoinette that the "people" had enough of the excesses and created a revolution. The king and queen were beheaded in 1793 thus ending over a thousand years of monarchy rule.
But enough about the history and more about the chateau. In the past I have tried to describe to you the many beautiful places we have seen while in Europe. Many times we have discussed amongst ourselves that we feel like we are in the set of a movie or, more descriptively, at an outing in Disneyland. What we saw today was more like ... the French Quarter on steroids times a thousand! I know the pictures we have attached here are no match to what we have witnessed and I apologize for that. However, unless you see it for yourself, no one could ever come close to describing the magnificence of this palace.
There are more statues and hallways and chambers and rooms and paintings and marble than you can shake a stick at. So much to see and so little time to appreciate. Everything here is a true testament of the skill and creativity of man. The intricacate designs in the frescoes, the ceilings, the paintings and the furniture in each of the rooms we visited was, to say the least, inspiring.
Hungry and tired, we sought repast at a nearby Spanish Restaurant. We drank vin blanc and biers and, uh huh, all was right with the world.
Next, Frontierland?
Kiss left, Kiss right... BBB
What if you were the king of a country and you THOUGHT you had all of the money in the world and you wanted a little place (or palace, for that matter) to call your own? Would you Google for the best price on a three-man tent? Would you buy a little cottage by a lake? Would you build a skyscraper in Manhattan? NO! You would build yourself a the most palatial, ostentatious, ego-boosting, eye-popping, leave-nothing-to-the-imagination home (from where you could rule) kind of place you always dreamed of!! Wouldn't you? Well, it was just that place we that we explored yesterday. Amelia, Julieanne, Linda, Susan and I visited Chateau Versailles.
If you have ever been here you will know what I am about to describe; those of you who have not been here will just have to take this humble scribe at her word...the place was FRICKIN' AWESOME!!!
First of all, who has that much money? Secondly, who HAS that much money? Thirdly, what kind of twisted, egocentric, god-disdaining person could ever pull this off? Well... King Louis XIV did; and he did it with panache (I hope that means "with arrogance"). This guy was a jewel; he basically took in tax money from about 18 million citizens of France and surrounded himself with the best of the best the world could offer at the time. He ruled over the country from 1643 to 1715 and he was beloved by his people. There may have been some grumblings from the nobility about how many stairs to climb while wearing those crazy get-ups, big wigs and makeup, but they were his loyal subjects none-the-less. It is printed that Louis XIV was a "polite and approachable king who was a good listener who could put anyone at ease when speaking to them". All this reporter can say is: Really...who in their right mind would ever say anything contrary about a king so powerful that every other king in Europe envied and emulated?
It is no wonder, after seeing what we saw today, that this king liked his surroundings big, gold, and very ornate. He ruled for so long that, by the time he died, head outlived a son and a grandson leaving the monarchy to his great-grandson, Louis XV. It was during the reign Louis XVI, his great-great-grandson, and his wife Marie-Antoinette that the "people" had enough of the excesses and created a revolution. The king and queen were beheaded in 1793 thus ending over a thousand years of monarchy rule.
But enough about the history and more about the chateau. In the past I have tried to describe to you the many beautiful places we have seen while in Europe. Many times we have discussed amongst ourselves that we feel like we are in the set of a movie or, more descriptively, at an outing in Disneyland. What we saw today was more like ... the French Quarter on steroids times a thousand! I know the pictures we have attached here are no match to what we have witnessed and I apologize for that. However, unless you see it for yourself, no one could ever come close to describing the magnificence of this palace.
There are more statues and hallways and chambers and rooms and paintings and marble than you can shake a stick at. So much to see and so little time to appreciate. Everything here is a true testament of the skill and creativity of man. The intricacate designs in the frescoes, the ceilings, the paintings and the furniture in each of the rooms we visited was, to say the least, inspiring.
Hungry and tired, we sought repast at a nearby Spanish Restaurant. We drank vin blanc and biers and, uh huh, all was right with the world.
Next, Frontierland?
Kiss left, Kiss right... BBB
The City that Never Sleeps, Different Directions and Cemeteries, OH MY!
Sorry for not posting yesterday, but we all made it to Paris and had to have a reunion!
Today, let the games begin!!
They say that Vegas is the city that never sleeps, well Paris is pushing hard to take this title.
Our apartment in on the Rue du Champ de Mars, is a lovely street close to so many places that we want to see, the Eiffel Tower, Rue , the Seine....life is good. We have balconies off the living room and the bunk bed room, whereby Tish, Linda and I share 3 "TWIN" beds, that in itself, is a site.
The Parisians are friendly, despite the lore, and we love being here, but they love to pick up their trash at 3 am, the motor scooters with no mufflers run all night long and of course, because we all "get hot in the middle of the night", imagine that, the door to the balcony has to stay open!!
And then there are the "3 Snooring Tenors", for which I am one, finally, I could not take any more, therefore I used the new noise reduction head phones I got for my birthday, thank you all very much, so imagine Tish and Linda waking up to that picture:)
Finally the sun comes up and we all decide that we have different directions to take.
Tish, Linda, Amelia, Susan and Jules decide to go to the Versailles, therefore I will let the "Big Broad" send that blog.
Karen and I do a "walking" tour, we went to the 6th district and did the "Painters of Paris Tour". Actually it should be called the "Artist" tour, as we walked and strolled among the streets of Paris that the writers and artist lived and breathed.
Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Samuel Beckett, Charles Garnier (who designed the Opera House) all roamed these streets and restaurants. The famous eating places were popular in the 20th century, when the area was a mecca for talented people. They found the eclectic people of this area, much conducive to their free ranging thought process. I personally felt the presence of greatness in a couple of places we went. It was an honor to be there!
Parts of the area reminded us of Sunset and Vine, so Karen and I soon moved to areas less commercial and a little more in tune with what we were wanting to experience.
We found the Cimetiere du Montparnasse, a cemetery filled with amazing tombs. One particular I searched out the tomb of the Pigeon family, depicting a couple in bed (fully dressed). She died before him, and once you see this, you can only imagine that he must of cared and loved her very much.
One place Karen had on her list as a must see is Gertrude Stein's home, she apparently held some amazing cocktail parties with the likes of Hemingway, Picasso and Matisse and we both wished we could just once, have been invited.
Karen reading a Gertrude Stein book in front of her home, was only appropriate!!
We finally ended our walk at a sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875). It symbolizes the Four Corners of the World; four women from different continents are represented, along with horses and turtles.
My feet hurt like hell, but you can't imagine the smile on my face:)
Tonight our apartment is filled with stories of the day and with friends from Germany.
Tomorrow is another day!!
With a smile on my face,
Blogger of the night - Kathy
Today, let the games begin!!
They say that Vegas is the city that never sleeps, well Paris is pushing hard to take this title.
Our apartment in on the Rue du Champ de Mars, is a lovely street close to so many places that we want to see, the Eiffel Tower, Rue , the Seine....life is good. We have balconies off the living room and the bunk bed room, whereby Tish, Linda and I share 3 "TWIN" beds, that in itself, is a site.
The Parisians are friendly, despite the lore, and we love being here, but they love to pick up their trash at 3 am, the motor scooters with no mufflers run all night long and of course, because we all "get hot in the middle of the night", imagine that, the door to the balcony has to stay open!!
And then there are the "3 Snooring Tenors", for which I am one, finally, I could not take any more, therefore I used the new noise reduction head phones I got for my birthday, thank you all very much, so imagine Tish and Linda waking up to that picture:)
Finally the sun comes up and we all decide that we have different directions to take.
Tish, Linda, Amelia, Susan and Jules decide to go to the Versailles, therefore I will let the "Big Broad" send that blog.
Karen and I do a "walking" tour, we went to the 6th district and did the "Painters of Paris Tour". Actually it should be called the "Artist" tour, as we walked and strolled among the streets of Paris that the writers and artist lived and breathed.
Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Samuel Beckett, Charles Garnier (who designed the Opera House) all roamed these streets and restaurants. The famous eating places were popular in the 20th century, when the area was a mecca for talented people. They found the eclectic people of this area, much conducive to their free ranging thought process. I personally felt the presence of greatness in a couple of places we went. It was an honor to be there!
Parts of the area reminded us of Sunset and Vine, so Karen and I soon moved to areas less commercial and a little more in tune with what we were wanting to experience.
We found the Cimetiere du Montparnasse, a cemetery filled with amazing tombs. One particular I searched out the tomb of the Pigeon family, depicting a couple in bed (fully dressed). She died before him, and once you see this, you can only imagine that he must of cared and loved her very much.
One place Karen had on her list as a must see is Gertrude Stein's home, she apparently held some amazing cocktail parties with the likes of Hemingway, Picasso and Matisse and we both wished we could just once, have been invited.
Karen reading a Gertrude Stein book in front of her home, was only appropriate!!
We finally ended our walk at a sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875). It symbolizes the Four Corners of the World; four women from different continents are represented, along with horses and turtles.
My feet hurt like hell, but you can't imagine the smile on my face:)
Tonight our apartment is filled with stories of the day and with friends from Germany.
Tomorrow is another day!!
With a smile on my face,
Blogger of the night - Kathy
Location:Rue du Champ de Mars,Paris,France
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
2 Broads leaving for Abroad and upgrades!!
Susan and I are currently on our fabulous Air France flight, both of us are sated and more than comforted, as we GOT UPGRADED TO BUSINESS CLASS!!! What are the chances of that happening!
10 1/2 Hess and we shall be breathing the French air and seeing our Prague friends!!!
Kathy and Susan
10 1/2 Hess and we shall be breathing the French air and seeing our Prague friends!!!
Kathy and Susan
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