Paris

Of course, a visit to Paris is a must. There is a family hotel in Montmartre, at prices I can afford, where I normally stay. Over the years I have come to know Madame quite well and enjoy our conversations at the desk when leaving or picking up the key. She is a wise lady and very kind.
I discovered parts of this area I had not seen before, more residential than touristy. Paris is full of surprises. I visited Musee Marmottan this time and saw over 100 0f Monet's paintings. I explored the Saint Michel area more thoroughly and saw the school where I stayed on my first trip to Paris as a 14 year old pupil on a school trip from Scotland. I wandered the Luxembourg Gardens and along the river Seine to the Eiffel Tower. There were musicians, human statues and just Paris everywhere.
I was fascinated by the cheese shops, the variety. The market on the Boulevard Barbes Rouchechouard was incredible, the colours of the products were like in a painting.
I was reluctant to say goodbye to Paris. Selfishly I was hoping for a dull, overcast, chilly day to make the parting easier. No joy there. The sun was shining, sky blue as blue, with a few white, fluffy clouds. I said my farewell with a promise to return.
Singapore airport had a few interesting decorations. I thought it so appropriate they were of Paris.
Hope you enjoy the pictures.
With work starting this week, I will have a break from writing my blog. Thank you all again for coming with me. I look forward to seeing my NZ family and friends in person.

Bye and God bless.

Dijon

I have come to spend a few days in one of my favourite places in France, Dijon. I have renewed old acquaintances and made new ones. These few days here have been great. I have been staying with a French family whose generosity and kindness to me have been humbling. They have made my stay memorable and have included me in all their activities. I thank them all for their welcome and hope I can one day return their hospitality.
I have visited le Castel, one of the Lycee which hosted our girls in 2009, during our school trip around France.
I have been to a bistrot with friends and been entertained by talented musicians after our meal. We arrived early, so there are shots before and after the audience arrived.
 I have visited a few museums and accidentally sat in on a funeral in the Abbey. I thought it was a regular mass until I saw the coffin. I hope you bikers out there will enjoy someone's modern art version of cycling.
I visited a 12th century church this morning and had to take more photos. It is beautiful. The views are amazing from there and yes, I did climb all the way up.
Saturday I visited Besancon with the family. One place I wanted to see was the Citadel and the view from up there is breathtaking.
Yesterday I went with the family to a castle in a nearby village. The Doctor Who fans will appreciate my shot of the Headless Monks. These statues have been there since medieval times, so who copied who?

This will probably be my last blog from France. My Paris adventures can wait till I return to New Zealand. Thank you again to all those who have come with me during this time. I hope I have whetted some appetites for travel, and to France especially.

German Christmas Market in Hyde Park

Visiting London again after 30 years gave me a chance to meet up with a dear friend. After a hearty lunch of braised beef at the National Gallery, opposite Trafalgar Square, we decided to brave the weather outside and walk in Green Park. When we reached Hyde Park we were surprised and delighted to find a real, authentic German Christmas Market, complete with Gluhwein (mulled wine) and Wurste (Sausages) of all description. Most of the shopkeepers were German too and I appreciated another opportunity to practise my German. There were the usual things for sale in Germany and it was lovely to see it all again. Although it was early January, there was still that magical atmosphere.

Then I visited some NZ friends for tea. Getting around London was so easy on the Tube. I would never attempt to travel such distances in Auckland without a car.
Next blog will be from France. I'll be in Dijon for 2 weeks, then to Tours for a night, then to Paris for 2 nights, then home. This has been an amazing adventure. Thank you, all of you, who have come with me, even on parts of it.

London and Doctor Who Experience

I was impressed by the Doctor Who Experience. We were taken as a group through a series of rooms. The first was an introduction to the show by a video of Matt Smith as the Doctor, asking us to help him get out of the Pandorica. Suddenly the Tardis appeared and we all entered through the front door to admire the inside. The children were encouraged to move certain controls, making the floor move and the whole room shake, accompanied by lots of noises. It really felt like we were inside his time machine. We were quickly captured by the daleks and taken onto one of their spaceships. Out the windows we could see the earth, other planets and many dalek ships. With the Doctor's help, we escaped into a dark tunnel where we were told not to blink! We didn't. The next room showed us the Time Vortex. We had to wear glasses to protect our eyes against radiation (radiation glasses). They didn't stop the cybermen, weeping angels or daleks from reaching out for us as they were pulled away into the vortex. They were so close we felt we could touch them. Scary for the children. We were allowed to take pictures of the exhibit afterwards. It was great. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Israel

After a day at sea, we arrived at Haifa in Israel. We opted to go on the tours offered by the cruise ship as we wanted to visit Jerusalem with a guide. The 2 hour bus trip took us along excellent roads past beautiful beaches and many new towns. I was not prepared for the shock of arriving in Jerusalem. Being close to Christmas, the place was packed. The Jewish people were celebrating Hanukkah and the Mosques were full of people at prayer, as it was Friday. We visited the Wailing Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and walked the Via Dolorosa. I am still trying to assess my emotions of being in this place where so many historical events from the Bible took place. The old city reminded me of the bazaars in Istanbul. Unfortunately it was impossible to buy any of their wonderfully cheap items, as we were being pushed along by the crowds from the mosque. I later found out that only 10 days before, 3 of the passengers from a previous cruise had stopped to shop and were separated from their guide. As a result they were left behind and had to fly to Athens to catch up with the ship.