In May I turned seventy, a milestone birthday, and I wanted to do something special to celebrate. Paris was always on my bucket list. My brother David, and his wife Patricia, invited me on their vacation to London and Paris, October 16th-26th, 2024. This is a tale of two fabulous cities where lasting memories were made.

       We arrived in London October 17th, and had lunch at Alfred Tennyson`s restaurant. We had an itinerary for each day consisting of guided tours of famous landmarks. I highly recommend these as they are both informative and interesting especially for first time travelers. 

       Walking is the best way to see the attractions in each city. We walked a total of 146,767 steps, or about 63 miles in ten days. In London we explored the War Memorial, Hyde Park, St. Paul`s Cathedral, and rode a red double decker bus which provided excellent photo opportunities. I photographed The Eye, Big Ben, The Tower Bridge, and The Shard, from my seat on the top deck. 

      Westminster Abbey was my favorite London landmark. We had an intensely informative three-hour tour of it, and Buckingham Palace. Also, in London we went to Trafalgar Square, Chinatown, and took a boat ride down the Thames 

River. We did guided tours of the Tower of London, and saw the Crown Jewels… which is truly a must see!

      We also used the London Tube as a mode of transportation, which took us near Harrod`s, the British Luxury Department Store. In the Louie Vuitton store at Harrod`s was a fabulous replica of the Eiffel Tower, and only cost $65,000 (haha!) I also loved the Eurostar train experience. We traveled from London to Paris in two hours sixteen minutes, with the train reaching speeds of 186 m.p.h.

      My number one goal in Paris was to go to the third level, 906 feet up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. This is the highest observation deck accessible to the public in the European Union. All of Paris is visible from the summit. Even more breathtaking was the Seine River night cruise, which was the highlight of my Paris trip. The Eiffel Tower is illuminated with 20,000 low power bulbs on all four sides and can be seen from 35-50 miles away. Also spectacular are the bridges, Notre Dame, Orsay Museum, as all are aglow and reflected in the water of the Seine River.

      My watershed magical moment occurred at 9:00 p.m., October 23rd when I videoed the Eiffel Tower with its special effect lighting that lasts for five minutes on the hour, but will last with me forever.

      We all enjoyed the Orsay Museum in Paris. It`s an old railroad station converted into an incredible art museum, featuring Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, and many more. Versailles Palace and Gardens was my second favorite tour in Paris. The hall of mirrors and Marie Antoinette's bedroom will leave you breathless. The Gardens consist of 200,000 trees, fifty fountains, and 2,000 acres!

     

     Needless to say, it was an AMAZING trip that I will forever remember and be grateful for!!