Gramma's Trip to Europe - Part 2

After returning from Israel, we enjoyed a day of recovery in Stuttgart. Then Marinda, Pat, Emily, Caroline and I took the train to Paris; it was awesome to avoid the traffic and view the picturesque French countryside.


Our first stop was at Notre Dame, just a short walk from the loft apartment where we stayed.


A sample of the exquisite artwork in the cathedral (this pieta is at the altar).


We climbed the cathedral and got a bird's eye view of the city as well as the cosmic gargoyles!


Caroline's favorite part of the visit; allowing a lady to put birdseed on her head so the pigeons would roost there...fun times!


Posing in front of the pyramid at the Louvre. We saw some wonderful things there including "Winged Victory" and the "Venus de Milo" and Mona Lisa among others.


In front of the Arc de Triomphe...it's a fabulous structure even with Napoleon's egotistical scuplture...I swear Donald Trump is Napoleon reincarnated.


You recognize this structure, right?!


The loft apartment where we stayed. It was in a building from the 1600's, and Picasso once lived right around the corner--where he painted Guernica.


Ben drove to Paris with James and we packed up to leave for Normandy. I'm carrying James' "snootcase" for him because he had just taken bad tumble while he pulled it through the sidestreets; you have to find parking in underground lots and we're on our way to the closest one.


Doesn't James look happy to be there? Guess the Opera House isn't high on his hipometer.


At Normandy we stayed at this 17th century manor house which was awesome...note the Zoolander-type models. The place was occupied by the Germans before D-day; they had a weapons cache in the pigeon house in the courtyard--one hit and it would have blown the whole place up. There's a chapel in the compound even older--the older house was destroyed during the 100 Years War.


Breakfast in Normandy...complete with fresh croissants and cheeses...wonderful!


Posing on the wall in the American Cemetery at Normandy with Omaha Beach in the background.


Pointe du Hoc...all of the craters are from the allied bombing prior to the beach landing, except for a few caused by the Rangers blowing up ammo dumps. This place was incredible and so inspiring. We also visited a number of museums and other sites along the Normandy beaches. One of the most touching displays to me was the one describing a group of nuns who sewed small bags from parachute silk they recovered from the paratroopers who had jumped in during the invasion. The nuns then filled the bags with soil from Normandy and sent the bags to the families of the American soldiers who were killed. More than 9000 of them are buried in the cemetery at Normandy.


Lunch at the "American Restaurant" at Utah Beach...the restaurant is owned and operated by the French, but is decorated in all things American .The walls are lined with vintage newspapers and all sorts of 1940's paraphernalia.


On the way home from Normandy, we stopped to see Monet's home and gardens, the inspiration for much of his work...James was not impressed!


We also stopped at this WWI American Cemetery at Belleau Wood...absolutely beautiful, even in the pouring rain. When we returned to Stuttgart, Dad took Emily to ballet class. We flew home the next morning with James in tow. He was a wonderful traveler and so cute marching through the airport pulling his "snootcase." We look forward to October when we can ALL be together!