Famous Louvre Entrance

Mom and I entering the famous Louvre on a rainy, dark Monday in Paris!! The best part of all was being less than 5 feet from the Mona Lisa!!! I can't wait to tell you more when I get home!

Paris Time

Sorry I haven't written much, but that is because we are having such a great time and enjoying every minute of our european adventure. Paris is even more beautiful than I've heard or read about!!!! We started our time off in Paris with a bang, except the weather was rainy and no taxis to be found....fortunately we had arranged for the tour guide we hired to meet us at the hotel and bused it over to the Louvre!! We saw all of the famous works and I was five feet away from the Mona Lisa....very awesome. After that we proceeded to see as much of Paris as we could see in a two hour span. Then, we crashed into bed as we have been every moment along the way. Then, yesterday we went to the Eiffel Tower and saw everything Paris has to offer from a bird's eye view...what a great experience!!! Then, off to the D'Orsay museum to see Impressionist art!!! Today, we went to the Pompidou Centre for a brief, but informative lesson on modern art. Then, the rest of the day was spent visiting places with beautiful views of this magical city and running around non-stop. Tomorrow is sadly the last day of the trip. Hope you have enjoyed my updates....!!!

Greenwich

Me at the Pier in Greenwich after a 1 hour boat ride on City Cruises out of Westminster dock. It was well worth it. Enjoy the photo!!

Paris...The City of Lights

Today, we arrived in Paris via train from Waterloo Station in London. The trip took three hours but we had very comfortable seats and decent food. Then, we were taken around the city and saw all of the awesome sights this metropolis has to offer. First, this place is definitely not as friendly as London as it is hard to get used to the language (my mom thought she was ordering shrimp with ketchup but when they brought it to her the shrimp still had its eyes and she shrieked....very funny!) Now, back to London.

We finished off with a visit on the London Eye, which gave us a bird's eye view of the London skyline. The cool part was that after 5 days in London, I actually knew what buildings I was looking at. Then, we went to Greenwich and I had one wheel in the Eastern Hemisphere and one in the Western Hemisphere. It was cool! But it was a huge hill my mom and cousin had to push me up to see this awesome place. The last thing I did was hang out with my cousin Noah and friend Joyce, both of whom are studying over here....we had a great time visiting the bars late at night (haha).

Signing off.

One more day in London

Hey all,
Europe is amazing! I am loving every second of it. Yesterday was St. Paul's Cathedral which was absolutely beautiful. Also, we saw the tower of london, which was cool. The weather isn't too bad--a little cold and gray but not awful. Lord of the rings the musical is a must see if you get the chance. My guess is it will be in america soon. Lots more to tell later, but have to go now. Talk to ya later.

I hope you like the video!! Being at the Arsenal football game was amazing...they scored 7 goals!!!

Buckingham Palace

Mom and I with Buckingham Palace in the background. We attended the Changing of the Guard ceremony from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24! It was extremely cold, but well worth it. I hope you get to experience it one day.

Day 2 in London

Greetings from Marble Arch in London!!!

The Arsenal football game was an absolute blast as the stadium is extremely new and plush. I came dresses in full Arsenal gear and braved the cold (it was near 32 degrees F) to watch a 7-0 victory by the Gunners of Arsenal. Many Arsenal fans, but also a lot of haters. It's hilarious how crazy these fans are. By the time we got back and prepared for bed it was past midnight London time and we all dropped like flies into bed (travelling all night is very exhausting). We awakened this morning at 9:45 a.m. and rushed like madmen over to Buckingham Palace to view the changing of the guard ceremony at 11:30 a.m. The british police allowed us to go see the ceremony from five feet away the main gate. It was great to see and hear some Beatle music played during the guard ceremony. From there, we saw the stage coaches from the changing of the guard at the Crowne Plaza hotel. Westminster Abbey was next and it was delightful to see such an old place still living as a working church. It was cool walking over people's tombs and I got chills walking around such an old place. Before coming to Westminster, we actually saw new scotland yard, the churchill museum and war rooms. The last two big things were the National Gallery where we saw outstanding art from many different periods...the Monet pieces, Degas, Rembrandt and others were absolutely AWESOME!!!! Final touch to the day was a visit to Parliament...got to go and see some debating in the house of commons and the house of lords...it was a jam-packed second day and tomorrow is my birthday. Can't wait to tell you more exciting news!!!

Greetings from over the pond

Hey Everyone!
I arrived safely in London at 9 a.m. local time...4 a.m. Cincy time....and am a bit lacking in the sleep department. Very difficult sleeping on the plane, but managed to get a few hours. Arrived at the hotel at about 11:30 a.m. after a long cab ride. It is in the mid-50s with plenty of sunshine and great panoramic views of the city. Our hotel is near the Hyde Park area and is quite lovely (to borrow a favorite word of the Brits). Tonight, I am going to watch Arsenal soccer at Emirates Stadium against Slavia Prague at 7:45. My cousin Noah from S.F. is here studying abroad and is joining us for the match. I must be going now. Tomorrow promises to be awesome with a visit to Westminster Abbey, the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, an afternoon stroll and a visit to Parliament to check out some debates. Love and miss everyone!!