Paris!

PARIS!!!

day 1

On this day, the 22^nd, we were going decided to go to the modern art museum, the Pompidou. It was interesting… but not as interesting as he had hoped.

The Pompidou is the building that looks very exposed, with pipes, and escalators that you can see from outside. Here is Daniel and flat Santa standing outside of it.

It is a tall building with a wonderful view at the top.

And a view of us at the top. (A German couple stopped and insisted that they take a picture with both of us in it.)

This was one of the most interesting art works in the Pompidou. It was a small room, with a little door, like a cave. The ground and the walls were very uneven and the lines were all over the place.

Colors!

Daniel was very confused about this one.

And this was the best part… the children’s light gallery!

Then we ate a quick lunch of quice and choclate tarts! Yum!

 
You knew this was a good place because they had these pictures framed on the wall.

And then we decided to walk to Norte Dame. 

Looked around inside for a bit.

Then we met Daniel’s mom and sister at La Defence. Here is the giant arch outside.

Back at the house I tried to look like a fasionable French woman…hahaha

Later that night on the way to pick up Stef we drove by the Galeries Lafayette

Around Christmas time the stores in that area set up elaberate, crazy window displaies.

Then Koki and Jasmine had some bonding time.

We ended the day in the perfect way… in front of the Eiffel Tower!!!

Bruges

Quickly before bed here are some pictures from our second day in Belgium. We went to Bruges, and is was BEAUTIFUL!

Here we are standing in what we found out later was a round-about.

Crazy picture (Taken by David Gomez <-He wanted credit for his pictures)
Belgium beer with Belgium waffles, yes!!!

Here is the church..or castle, not sure, but it was beautiful. If you saw the movie "In Bruges" you should recognize this tower.

A palace...maybe?

All of the restaurants and shops around the square. Don't the look like little gingerbread houses?


Here in Belgium they take their beer very seriously, so when you order a beer, the glass matches your beer. But in this restaurant they took it to another level. The coke, and even the water glasses matched their bottles.


They also take french fries seriously. Here they are in the silver bowl the waiter served them from. Also, there is never any ketchup, everyone in Bruges ate them with mayo.


After Bruges we drove back to Amiens where Daniel's father works. Here is their tower, and best way to figure out where you're going.


Jasmine found wild dasies outside Daniel's dad's apartment. She made a daisy chain for Daniel during the drive back to Paris.


OK now everything is up to date. we are back in Paris, and today we did nothing but relax. It was wonderful! Tomorrow we are off to see all the big sights, the Arc, Notre Damn, and the Eiffel Tower!

Brussels

The next morning we left Holland, and drove through Amsterdam one more time to get ice cream!


In Amsterdam everyone, and I mean EVERYONE rides bikes. Here is a two or three story parking garage..for bikes!

Then it was off to Brussels!

Here is a picture of typical Dutch country side. There are little canals through all of the fields. Daniel and I were wondering if the farmers ever get sick of walking all the way around to get across, and just jump over the water. We decided that's what we would do if we ever become Dutch farmers.


On the way to Brussels the traffic was terrible! It took 1 1/2 hours to go 30 km! Jasmine is still not quite sure what that is in miles. Shes also still adjusting to people telling her it's 10 degrees outside so maybe she wont need a coat.

We stopped at McDonald's, which is surprisingly interesting here in Europe. In Holland they eat these amazing things called krokets, or croquettes... something like that. They are meat and this kind of creamy gravy, then covered in bread crumbs and fried! Yum! Well at McDonald's in Holland they have something called a McKroket, a croquette flattened in a patty on a bun with mayo. It was one of those things that was so full of fat, yet so so delicious.


So, after about an hour, or maybe more, of searching, and turning around, and asking about 10 people for directions, we FINALLY found the center square of Brussels.

Here is a church we found along the way.


And once in the square there was a beautiful light display with a giant Christmas tree!


During the light show this building was glowing all different colors!


Then Jasmine realized that all of her favorite beers, Stella, Hoegarden, Duvel, Leffe, were all over every bar! Just like bud light is in America. It was AMAZING.


After that we walked to the Manneken Pis, a little fountain of a small boy peeing. The legend is that there was a fire, and this little boy put it out, by peeing. Why do Europeans seem to really enjoy traditions and stories involving pee and poo?


Then we attempted for over an hour to find this old bar called the Lop Lop that Jasmine's dad used to go to when he was working in Brussels. The only thing is, it closed 4 years ago!

Then we walked down these streets filled with restaurants. A big thing in Belgium is Mussels. Outside of almost every place there were piles of mussels on ice in nicely arranged patterns. Here is one with the manneken pis in the middle.


After all of that walking we were very hungry, so we stopped for Belgium waffles...in Belgium!!! Here's Stef eating her chocolate waffle. Jasmine got one with cream, and ended up with about half of the cream on her face.

Amsterdam Day 2

On the second day in Amsterdam we took a boat tour! What better way to get a taste of the city. It was about an hour long. There were a lot of row houses some of which were tilted to the side or forward because of the unstable foundation.
Here is a picture of seven bridges all in a row!

There are so many people in Amsterdam that some of them actually live on the canal in their own little boat house.
Later that night we took a wrong turn and found this again...
Jasmine finally found some snow....
kind of... How it got there we have no idea.

We had a good dinner, typical dutch meatballs and gravy

We found an interesting sign in the bathrooms... Apparently this needs to be mentioned, you know since it is Holland.

After dinner Nicole, Ronnie, Jasmine and Stefanie went out to what we later found out was the best voted bar in the nation!!! It was amazing. Daniel didn't go because his back and leg were acting up. But of course Jasmine made sure to drink for two.

Random picture of Daniel because he wasn't in any picture this post...