Paris Je T'Aime!!!!

I ADORE FRANCE!!!  I always say I am the biggest Francophile you will meet!  I took 10 years of French!  My biggest regret in my life is I never studied abroad!  I want to be fluent in French more than anything!  One movie that spoke to me was  Paris Je T'Aime!  To hear French for two hours is fantastic!  The movie is divided by the districts of Paris!  My favorite is the 14th!  I feel like I talk French like this woman, but I had a similar experience!  I have been to France 15 times, and I cannot remember which trip but  I had a moment!  I was sitting on the steps of Sacre Coeur looking out on the city.  In that moment I fell in love with Paris, and the city fell in love with me!

I feel like a brat when I say I've been to France 15 times, but my first trip was in 1998 and I paid for it! I got a job at AMC and saved every paycheck!  I got the bug, and had to find a way back!  The BEST part of being a teacher is taking students to Europe!  I have gone to Paris 3 times with BTW students!  Here are a few pics of me in Paris with students!

This is infront of Notre Dame de Paris!  The legend says if you touch it with your foot you'll come back to Paris - so of course we went!

On my 3rd trip they wanted to complete a jumping picture!  I LOVE this shot!

Day 1 in Paris with Ms. Manduando

This is so Parisian to me!

I've been so many times - I've started getting artsy!

Boat tour of Paris

On my 2nd trip we had a free day on the Champs Elysee!

On my 2nd trip - a stereotype French waiter! 

On my first trip to France with students - we took them to Versailles.  We were the first one in the palace and I got this pic of the Hall of Mirrors!  I am so proud!  The last time I was here the room was so crowded the crowd decided when I moved!

I Stand With Paris!

A few weeks ago sadly Notre Dame de Paris caught on fire and burned for 6 hours till it finally went out!  It caught the attention of the world, and we all sat in horror and shock while it burned.  I truly believe most felt helpless.  Dan Rather captured the world's emotion with this statement:

"Why has the burning of Notre Dame moved so many? Because we believe in beauty, majesty, faith, art, history, and the human expressions thereof. We recognize in this cathedral our common humanity. A scar now emerges in our connections to our past, our future, and each other."

I feel so lucky! I have been to Paris 14 times, and I hope I go back another 14 times.  Here are some of my favorite pics of Notre Dame!

I am home from France!

I got home today!  This trip was magical, and the best way to start the summer!  Here is a small collection of the pictures I took!  I took 100's - so it was hard to pick!  Hope you are having a GREAT summer!

This is my beautiful  Mom!  She took me to France, and there are no words to describe my gratitude!

I always feel so grown up traveling to Europe.  I had a 6 hour layover in Zurich, and found a Starbucks!  They are everywhere!

The first Two weeks we were in Sancerre.  An ancient, Roman city!  This was the view from our apartment!

This was our street our Apartment was on in Sancerre!  I took this from a tower - 195 steps to  the top!

The last week we were suppose to go to Nice, but the trains went on strike.  So we had to spend it in Paris!  We were not sad!  This was my 12th time to Paris, and seeing the Notre Dame de Paris never gets old!

Paris Metro

Le Cafe Buci - this was right around the corner from our hotel.  We went everyday - We fell in love!  The coolest part was the waiters got to know us!

At Le Cafe Buci on our last  day!

One of the most memorable moments was having my outstanding Mom treat me to lunch on the top of the Eiffel Tower!  I have never done that!  We got our own private elevator to the restaurant!  It was magical!

We spent a whole day at my favorite museum - Musee D'Orsay - we turned the corner and there was Monet!  WOW! Here is the crowd looking at the masterpieces!

I love this scene!

Visit Italy

 

I was called to make a post about Italy.  I wanted to highlight this mesmerizing country!  I have had the great honor of visiting four times!  And I would go back!  I have never spent a long time there.  All of my trips have been tours.

 

This country is worth a visit!  If nothing else the food! The food is so good!  It will make you look at Italian Restaurants differently!  They cannot compare to the real thing!  Here are pics of two meals I had in Italy.  The first is a photo of gnocchi in Florence.  It is a potato pasta and so delicious!  The second is bruschetta in Rome.  This was the BEST bruschetta I have ever had! 

 

 

 

Italy is a fashion capital of the world!  So ladies you can do some GREAT shopping!  Here is a store window I took a photo of on the Isle of Capris.

 

 

The best part of going to Italy is the ruins!  You go to these places that are thousands of years old.  You can feel the history!  When you walk around the Roman Coliseum you can't but help to feel where you are!  I kept touching the walls - so I knew I was there!  Another spot you need to go is Pompeii.  This is an ancient Roman city that is intact!  In 79 C.E. it was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius (a volcano) It was covered by 100 feet of volcanic ash.  I cannot imagine what that must of been like, but you get to walk around this ancient city, and see what it looked like!

 

I was trying to be artsy!  I am very proud of this photo!

 

Pompeii with the volcano in the background!

 

Isle of Capris.  So beautiful!  Jay Z and Beyoncé vacation here!

 

On the streets of Florence

 

On the streets of Florence

 

You can see famous artwork - The David, The Birth of Venus, and the Sistine Chapel.

 

I took this photo looking up!

 

One of the best movies about Italy is Roman Holiday.  Watch it - you'll want to go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Paris in the Springtime

I finally can upload pictures from my Paris trip in March.  I had the BEST time.  The way I'm describing it is MAGICAL.  I really can't believe I went to Paris again!  This was my 11th time, but I seriously thought I would never go back after getting sick.

I will be honest there were some concerns about going.  Could I do it?  Could I keep up?  You walk everywhere!  Those were just some of the thoughts going through my head!  I'm happy to report I could do it!  And I kept up with everyone!  One of the things that I was most proud of was walking all the way to the top of Notre Dame de Paris.  There are no elevators - it was just a winding staircase that went on forever.  But when I got to the top it was such a great feeling!  A feeling of true accomplishment!

I have to tell you why I got the amazing opportunity to go.  It is not a good reason.  When I was in the hospital I was so sick!  I almost died twice in the hospital.  My mom says she was desperate.  I cannot imagine what my family was going through!  So in a moment of desperation she said to me in the hospital that if I survive this she will take me to Paris!  Well that promise became a reality!  Just so you can get an idea of how sick I was here is a picture of me when I was at my worst!

Summer of 2011 - I was unable to stand, walk, or move my body!

 

That picture always freaks me out!  But I want you guys to see the stark difference of then and now!  I took over 800 pictures, but here are some of my favorite that I took!

My favorite picture taken - moment of triumph!

 

This is what I ate for dessert every time!  Sorbet!  I'm eating very healthy for my MS!

 

This was the view from the street where we stayed!  It was perfect!  That is Notre Dame in the background!  I can't believe I walked to the top!

 

When we arrived it was snowing!  I've never seen Paris in the snow!  We were walking down the street, and turned the corner and this is what we saw!  I had to stop and take a photo of people ice skating in Paris!

 

This is so Paris - had to take a photo!

 

This stopped us in our track!  They were selling this!  And apparently this is very chic in Paris - American University sweatshirts!

 

The history teacher in me never leaves!  One morning we went to the French Revolution Prison Museum!  This was actually a blade they used during the revolution!

 

Saint-Chapelle.  All the french kings worshipped here!

 

Musee D'Orsay.  The impressionist museum in an old train station.

 

In this beautiful restaurant in the Musee D'Orsay with our waiter!

 

 

Me and my Mom.  I love this woman!

 

The second week we went to Nice, and this was the apartment we stayed in!  I looked at my Mom and said I don't have to go anywhere - the apartment was enough!  I loved it!

 

This was the sign above the door of my favorite restaurant in Nice!

 

I had scallops for almost every meal in Nice - they were so good!

 

I'm most proud of this photo! 

 

Best sorbet - lemon sorbet served in a frozen hollowed out lemon!

 

The Mediterranean - spent a lot of time at the beach

 

Cutest little girl making a crepe in Nice!

 

At the top of Notre Dame!