OooLaLa

The girls love their French barrets and Eiffel Towers! They wore their hats to school the rest of the week.
  

And Now.....For The Rest of the Story....

This picture was snapped just moments after Sam and Melaine delivered the BIG NEWS....WE ARE GOING TO BE GRANDPARENTS AGAIN! The Eiffel Tower was grand, Versaille, beautiful....but the big news of the trip was that MELAINE IS PREGNANT! Looks like we're just going to have to go back to France!


  

A PARTING SHOT

A picture taken at one of the ancient castles as we were leaving town!


  

The Arches

 
France has its ancient Arc de Triomphe built by Napoleon.... but....in its shadow stands THE GOLDEN ARCHES BUILT BY RAY KROCK.....A REAL TRIUMPH! 

French Food

 
Mel and Sam have prepared some delicious French Cousine during the trip. Their hospitality has been wonderful. 

Metromania

 
So as we prepare to leave we take one last trip on the Paris Metro which has served us so well these past days. 

The Catacombs

 
 
Alas....we got lost in the Metro system under Paris and ended up here with the others who suffered similiar fate! 

Medusa??? This One's For You, Elizabeth!

 
This is what you get for saying my wife looks like she has a tiara in the fountain picture! 

"Oh Lord My God...When I in Awsome Wonder....

 
consider all...the worlds thy hand has made....I see the stars....I hear the rolling thunder....thy power throughout...the universe displayed....THEN SINGS MY SOUL....MY SAVIOR LORD TO THEE....HOW GREAT THOU ART....HOW GREAT THOU ART!"

I've been doing a lot of "soul singing" this trip! As I walk and observe the "wonders" like this tree (yes, that's Pat and Val to the left of it's trunk!) I have been singing this song over and over. IT IS MY SOUL'S SENTIMENT! 

Friends on Our Journey

 
 
 
As we take "the paths less traveled" we have met some fellow members of the creation as we go. 

Salle...Just for You!

 
As I photograph around the countryside I think of different people in our lives who would love to be looking at the scene. This is for you, Salle, who I have shared some great "photographic moments" with. 

English Paths

 
One unique thing around England are the public footbaths through private pastures and property around the countryside. Here is val crossing one of the stiles that convey paths over fences from field to field maintained by each County's "Commisioners." This would allow you, Claudia, to exercise that new knee and have a way to "walk across England" as you'd like! 

Welcome to England

This leg of our adventure is in a whole different setting. Pat and I decided to take 4 days out of our Europeon adventure to visit our relative in England. Val Baty and her late husband visited America and our Aunt Fran some years ago and invited us to visit if we ever "got over this way." Well...here we are and it's lovely. Listening to the sheep and enjoying the views have provided a delightful experience.

Val Baty's Home

Our base of operation in Selattyn, England.

Canal Aquaduct

Sheep Everywhere

These sheep are seen looking through a railroad bridge. The picture was taken as I stood on an opperating canal aquaduct. Talk about rich history!

Irish Folk Musicians

At the end of the day we enjoyed listening to a "jam session" of Irish music by 10 musicians including two bagpipers.

1200 Castle

This castle provided an interesting glimpse into mediaeval life and some beautiful views of the English countryside

Knights at Night

A room in the castle where knights dressed in armour and nighties sat at the round....OK...maybe rectangle table and played UNO.

Slip Sliding Away

As we trod the path of the ancients my dear companion got mired in the mud in her mediaeval clogs. She went down a bit ungraciously... but quickly....well....not too quickly....got to her feet and we proceeded on.

Mediaeval Chester

This is the clock in the nearby city of Chester. Notice the tutor style building on the left. We saw a number of these up and down the streets some dated in the 1600's.
They also have been excavating a Roman Amphitheatre in the center of town built at the same time and for the same purposes as the Coliseum in Rome.

Roman Wall Built in 70 AD

AD....AD....I thought about that acronym a lot today as I walked the streets of Chester, England, a place the Roman Army conquered in 43 AD and built this wall around in 70 AD. After Death.....Today is Good Friday...the day commemorating His death...But Sunday's coming...the day of his resurection! We will be worshiping and celebrating that event in the church next to Val's home built in 1240 AD!

What...No Picture??

Sorry about that. To those who are keeping track of this part of our life adventure, I apologize. We left our camera in France but thanks to our gracious hostess here in Selattyn, Endgland I have been using her digital and will go through a 3 or 4 step process this evening to get some pictures up. A brief word picture is in order.
We arrived at the liverpool "John Lennon Airport." Outside the airport was a giant yellow submarine and a displayed retired French Concorde Jet. We have totally enjoyed our visit here to this little English village that absolutely defines the word QUAINT as you will see in the pictures. I get up in the early morning hours and go out taking pictures of sheep and vast green fields edged by rock or hedge fences. There are beautiful birds including about 6 pheasants I have seen. Last night Pat attended a Lady's Society Meeting with Val and we ended the evening listening to a group of 12 musicians playing Irish Folk music.
It's hard to get used to all these people driving left of center though! We visited a castle yesterday and we're going to Chester today where among other things they have a working mule drawn canal boat.
Pictures tonight.
Bill

Did I Mention the Food?

 
Here are the girls picking up fresh produce from the Farmer's Market a few blocks away from Sam and Mel's apartment. The market is open 3 days a week and attracts a lot of people from a VERY wide variety of nationalities. We have enjoyed a lot of meals of foods we have never had before; lamb, fish eggs, celery root, blood sausage, and so many cheeses you cant count them all. 

Would You Believe This Was Built in 1248 AD!

 
The Sainte-Chappel was built in 1238 and is hailed as one of the "greatest architectural masterpieces" of the western world. The 15 50' high stained glass windows portray over 1000 scenes from the Bible. It was built by King Louis IX to house the crown of thorns and fragments of Christ's cross. As I pondered the magificence of the building housing the relics, it provided a time to personally reflect on the presence of Christ in my own "temple." 

Watching the Phantom

 
Here are how things look back at Sam's, WATCHING the movie Phantom of the Opera in the evening. 

Afternoon at the Opera

 
Here is one of the halls at the Paris Opera House, site of the story of the famous book and play, phantom of the opera. 

King Louie and His Lovely Wife

 
At Versaille we just happened upon King Louise VXI and his wife Marie Antoinette the Queen in a sweet moment together. 

Neptune Arising from the Deep

 
This was the coolest fountain of them all to me. It is Neptune in the driver's seat of a chariot pulled by 4 horses coming up out of the water. And....notice the sky...it has been this beautiful every day. 

The Crew