Amsterdam to Paris

Monday morning in Paris. We just woke up - at 9:15! I guess we needed those 11 hours of sleep. Yesterday was another very full day. We left Amsterdam about 8 am and arrived in Paris about 2. We made a few quick stops along the way. For most of the drive we could have been driving at home. Highway, cows, fields, trees. We did see 3 old windmills and some beautiful Dutch farms. In Holland there were 5 lanes of traffic and each one had it's own speed limit. The average speed limit is 100 - in France it's 130 (Dave had no problem going that fast.) It rained on and off the whole way and our one (yes one) windshield wiper did a fine job.

Paris is huge, old, full of beautiful buildings and crazy drivers. Flo was outstanding yesterday. We couldn't survive here without her. This iPad is also a must have. Thanks again to the person(s) who gave us this wonderful gift!!!

Our hotel is very near the Eiffel Tower. We had to drive on several traffic circles to get
here. The craziest one is at the Arc de Triomphe. There are about 7 lanes of traffic circling
the arc with no rhyme or reason to it. There are 12 streets that come off the circle. We
needed the 5th one - which we got to. Dave loves the challenge of driving here. I hold on and hope we get to where we're going in one place.

Our hotel is in an old building and it has everything we need. So far no sharing of bathrooms!
Parking is a real problem here. To make a long story short, we found a parking garage a few
blocks from the hotel where the car will stay until we leave. We walked to the Eiffel Tower
which is very beautiful. The lines to get tickets were far too long so we passed on going up
the tower. Instead we took a 2 hour bus ride through Paris. After about 10 minutes we found 2 radios that worked - for the audio tour. We saw a lot but I was a bit disappointed. Often the
guide (prerecorded) was talking about things we'd either passed or hadn't come to yet. We were on the upper level of the bus (open) and it was cold. Some people left so we were able to get
under a protected area at the front of the bus - which were the best seats. The tour was done
around 8ish. We walked back to the hotel - which we found just fine. Getting lost is always a concern.

We had supper in an outdoor cafe - they're everywhere here - next door to our hotel. We sat
outside on a cobblestone street having supper and drinking wine. Yes, we're really in Paris!
Next we wandered down the street and got a crepe with chocolate and bananas. I realized the
pancakes we make at home are much more likes crepes than traditional Dutch pancakes.

We got back to the room by 10. It's now Monday morning. Dave's heading out the door to the
little bakery at the corner to buy some bread. Today we take public transit to see some sites. That will be a education in itself!

One thing I learned today: there aren't any "borders" between Holland, Belgium, and France.
It's like driving from one state to the next. How nice. Many Canada and the US could learn
something from this.
One new thing I experienced today: driving in Paris.
Most powerful moment of the day: seeing sites I saw 37 years ago. Who knew I'd ever see them again.
One pleasurable experience: eating French pastries. Wish you could try them Laura!
Hugs and kisses to the grandkids.