Wednesday we went into Paris getting off the metro near Arc de Triomphe. Getting up close to this giant is well worth it. The kids were excited when they saw movement on the very top, so away we went, through a tunnel under the traffic circle, and then climbing a winding staircase with 234 steps. At the top we enjoyed looking over all of Paris in every direction. Tim was impressed by how straight the streets are, and by how many of the major monuments line u...

Tuesday we stopped at the bakery near our campground. It's a tiny hole in the wall filled with the most amazing baking! ( o.k Laurie maybe not as good as your baking lol) Darius chose a tuna baguette, Belia and I had quiche, and the rest had stromboli. We sat on the grass near the train station to eat, and then caught our train. We got off our train at Auber, and started exploring Paris near the Opera House. The first thing that we noticed was the high end sh...

Today we stayed in our flat packing and preparing for our trip to France. Tim knew the subway system was going to be even more complex in Paris than in London, so he studied the maps and subway system. After lunch we made our way through the streets of White Chapel, bags-in-tow, to the tube. Our next stop was the Eurostar. Checking in was the same procedure as going on a plane - security and customs. The train ride was comfortable and quick. 2 hours and 40...

London was cool and cloudy on Sunday. It was Brennin's 15th birthday. We visited the National Gallery, looking for paintings by Monet, Turner, Van Gough and Rembrandt. To make sure the kids didn't get overloaded we looked for certain artists, and left once we found them. We liked this gallery much more than Tate Modern. Many of the paintings were lifelike. Mariah found a painting where the water appeared perfectly real. The building itself was beautiful, and...

June.7 Yesterday we had a short train ride to Tower Hill. Our first stop was Tower Bridge. The construction of this bridge is incredible. Tim noticed that in places the metal is layered like plywood for strength. We took an elevator to the bridge walkway. Nice views and information posted about some of the world's most renowned bridges, as well as a children's book about London were on display. Originally the drawbridge was powered by steam. The engine roo...