Rick and Marie's Travels: April 30-June 4, 2023

Our First Post Pandemic Trip

In 2019 we took care of a friend's dogs while he participated in a round the world sailing race (until the pandemic ended it). We had no idea it would be nearly five years before we felt comfortable making another trip to Europe (or anywhere).

But the good news is that we're visiting our European friends again. This trip is ambitious; we'll be doing way more moving around than we normally do.

Here's a sample of out itinerary:

arrive Paris and visit with Thomas and family
fly to Porto, Portugal where we will visit with Paula and take the train to see Suzanne in Coimbra
fly to Zurich to see Carmen and Sam, and hopefully Alex
Train to Lauterbrunnen
Train to Grenoble to see Martin & Isa, Philippe & Michele and Marie (Martin's sister)
Drive through the Dordogne region
Visit Gabriel and his family in Nantes
Spend the night on Mont St. Michel
Tour Normandy Beach WWII Memorial & Bayuex Tapestry
Return to Paris

As I said this is an ambitious 5 weeks. We're traveling by train, plane, and automobile because we're catching up from our "do nothing" pandemic years!

This post covers April 30th to May 2nd. (Remember, you can click on a picture to enlarge it.)

We started with a Coast Guard escort for the

Bainbridge ferry.

Riding escalator to S Gate.

It's a long ride up and up.

The cockpit, obviously!

I took this picture from my seat. Gives you a good idea how close we were from the "nerve center".

A napkin. Gotta love the Icelandic humor.

Sunset from our flight somewhere over

Canada's northern territories.

Just chillin' on the flight.

Really? Icelandair just gave us

amazing chocolate!

So Here We Go!

We landed at Charles de Gualle and Thomas picked us up and we spent a lovely time with Delphine (18) while Adele (16) and his wife Claire were visiting her mother in the hospital.

Thomas and Marie and I took a walk along the Seine River and then enjoyed Claire's quiche for dinner. We were back at our hotel by 8:30PM and in bed by 9PM, 27 hours since starting this trip.

We slept well and began our day (May 2nd) around 8AM with a plentiful petit dejeuner (i.e. breakfast) at Hotel Boissierre.

Thomas and family picked us up at noon for our outing to Invalides and lunch at the Petit Palais garden restaurant. Delphine, who is learning, drove and we were impressed with her skill at negotiating downtown Parisian traffic!

Today was low key and we were pleased about that. Even so, somehow we managed to walk 6.5 miles. Tomorrow (Wednesday, May 3rd) We will try and find a phone store that can help us secure a SIM card that actually works with my phone so we can make calls in Europe (we were not successful with our attempt today). We'll also just wander around before joining Thomas, Claire, Delphine, and Adele for dinner at their house.

The aroma of baking bread from the
corner boulangerie at 3:30AM is lovely.

View directly across from our room.

Love the ironwork!

Invalides is massive and well worth
a visit.

The Hôtel des Invalides (English: "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides, is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose.

The complex also includes the former hospital chapel, now national cathedral of the French military, and the adjacent former Royal Chapel known as the Dôme des Invalides, the tallest church building in Paris at a height of 107 meters.The latter has been converted into a shrine of some of France's leading military figures, most notably the tomb of Napoleon. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides)

And we have our tickets.

The church-and-chapel complex of Invalides was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1676.

The high altar from Invalides entrance.

The columns framing the high altar were inspired by Bernini's in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The dome is 351 feet high and impressive!

Delphine, Adele and Marie above Napoleon's tomb.

Kind of obvious who reposes here.

Walking from Invalides to the Petit Palais.

Marie, Adele, Claire, and Thomas.

Delphine, Adele, Claire, Marie, and

me at Invalides entrance.

Petit Palace entrance.

The Petit Palais opened in 1900 and houses the Museum of Fine Arts. In the center of the palace is a garden and restaurant where we had lunch. The garden in the center of the palace in the heart of Paris is quiet and... well, palatial.

This splendor can be enjoyed for free.

Claire, Adele, Delphine, Thomas, & Marie in the

garden restaurant. Lunch break!