Back from Paris! Pics and Vids

[Miss Z]

Salut!

I had the most fantastic time in Paris, and of course, as promised, I have plenty of photos for you all! I took far more than this, but I selected the best shots, as otherwise this thread would be a couple of pages long purely with my own posts ;) Please excuse the fact that some of the pics are a little blurry, many of them were taken 'on the go', as we crammed in so many sights into four days. My friend Katherine (who is featuring in some of the pics) is a brilliant photographer, and perhaps if all goes well with the mending of her computer, she can post some of her wonderful photography, but I'm afraid you'll have to make do with mine for now! :p

OK, I'll start with the Champs Elysées
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS048.jpg

Approaching the Arc de Triomphe

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS054.jpg

The structure of this thing was amazing, and absolutely colossal

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS055.jpg

The view towards the industrial side of Paris from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS061.jpg

And here are two videos I took of the ceremony to honour the unknown soldier who is buried beneath the Arc. The first video is part of the French National Anthem.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/th_PARIS068.jpg (http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/?action=view&current=PARIS068.flv)

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/th_PARIS065.jpg (http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/?action=view&current=PARIS065.flv)

[moosmom]

Oh Zara,

Welcome Home!! I missed you! Thank you so much for sharing such breathtaking pictures. So tell us more about your trip. Did you see the Eiffel Tower? Did you have fun?? How was the food? Details, girl, DETAILS!!!! ;)

(((HUGS)))

Donna

[Miss Z]

Next, the Louvre

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS081.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS078.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS073.jpg

This is a sculpture of the Roman Goddess Diana (Artemis in Ancient Greek) in the Louvre. Photos were restricted in most of the museums we visited so that's why I don't have too many pictures of them. And yep, I've seen the Mona Lisa ;)

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS077.jpg

The Pompidou Centre. Didn't get time to go inside this place unfortunately, but it still looks pretty wacky from the outside

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS110.jpg

Les Invalides

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS111.jpg

Napoleon himself is buried in a vast tomb beneath this dome in Les Invalides

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS115.jpg

Lots more to come...

[Miss Z]

La Grande Arche. It tipped it down later on that day, as you can see from the dark clouds

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS105.jpg

The beautiful Notre Dame, inside and out

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS012.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS015.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS018.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS029.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS024.jpg

And the view from the top

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS017.jpg

Yep, still a lot to come....

[moosmom]

Keep 'em coming kiddo. I am fascinated!!

[Miss Z]

Musée d'Orsay, which used to be a train station but is now an art gallery
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS042.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS040.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS038.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS037.jpg

Another art museum, the Musée d'Orangerie

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS098.jpg

And also the Picasso Museum

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS107.jpg

[Daisy and Delilah]

Gorgeous pictures Zara!! What a wonderful trip it looks like you had. I'm with Donna....tell us all about the trip. My daughter just returned from a fabulous cruise. They flew to Rome to get on a ship there. They visited many places and countries. I can't wait to hear about your trip details :)
WELCOME BACK!!!!!

[Miss Z]

We passed the lovely Academie Nationale de Musique

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS093.jpg

A couple of views over the Seine

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS044.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS011.jpg

I took a random photo of a couple of ponies and donkeys in the Place de la Concorde

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS096.jpg

These following pictures are a little blurry, they were taken on La Bateau Mouches, a boat trip along the Seine at night. It turned out that there was a Stag Party of Dutch men on the same boat as us, and the whole boat erupted into yells every time we went under a bridge! Katherine has some fantastic videos of this which I'm sure would make you laugh :p

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS125.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS127.jpg

This picture was an accident, invented by Katherine. Take pictures of lamposts and move sharply just as the lens clicks. The lights look like they're dripping.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS124.jpg

Still more...

[Miss Z]

The obelisk

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS050.jpg

I took pics of quite a few statues, this was one of the 'good ones' (LOL)

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS009.jpg

Les Jardins du Luxembourg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS120.jpg

The Sacré Coeur, and that's myself, Victoria and Kathrine sat on the steps left to right
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS083.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS085.jpg

Montmatre was a great place, a little too many artists trying to draw us perhaps, but lovely all the same. Funnily enough, we all ended up feeding bits of ice-cream cone to the pigeons and sparrows for most of the time http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/tongue.gif

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS087.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS089.jpg

Still some more left....

[Miss Z]

OK, now some pics of us girls!

(One of the few that I featured in)

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS122.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS034.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS003.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS007.jpg

LMAO, a boy bought this hat and everyone just had to have their pic taken wearing it, including me :D

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS133.jpg

And my higlight of the trip coming next.....

[Miss Z]

La Tour Eiffel!!!!

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS059.jpg

We went up the Eiffel Tower by night, it was just so amazing. I couldn't get the best of pics from the top as it was dark and very windy (so windy that little kids were sliding across the floor if they stood still!) but I loved every minute of it.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS100.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS103.jpg

A final pic of the Gare du Nord, on the way home

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/Miss_Z_rat_luver/PARIS132.jpg

And that is all of my best pics, so I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed taking them!

[Miss Z]

OK, now to TALK about the trip. It was absolutely brilliant, I couldn't really fault anything. It was hard on our feet due to all the walking we had to do, and the Metro made London Underground seem as safe as a playground (LOL, believe me, when you've nearly got trapped in the metro doors TWICE, you can say that) but it was all worth it.

Of course, we spoke quite a lot of French. Generally, Katherine, Victoria and I understood most of what we heard, although whilst sat admiring the French architecture, a man came up and asked us, in French, what we thought meant, "Can I take a picture of you?" We all looked at each other for a split second. I was about to say "Non!", but Katherine then said, "...er....nous sommes anglaises?":p The man looked at us slightly confused, but then with more gesturing towards the camera, we realised he wanted US to take a picture of HIM! Oops! :o

Sometimes am very glad I'm vegetarian. Snails and frogs legs were served up, and yes, the non-veggies had to try them. It was interesting watching all the grimaces as the snails went in :D Of course, I had to cringe as Katherine and Victoria chewed and swallowed with clenched fists and screwed up eyes!

I will tell some more, but it really is time for lunch now so I'll be back later. ;)

[Zippy]

Welcome Back.We missed You!!!That is great that you had a great time is Paris.
Great Pics.I love the one of Artimis. :D

[sandragonfly]

ah now I see, that was where hunchback lived! ;) :p

hey, welcome back already. :) lovely sights! amazing you took a lot of pictures in such a short time.

it's funny you girls didn't read the man at first, I love when that little funny crisis happens. happens to me many times because I don't speak english.

anyway, looks you girls had a great time! oh yeah, where were the boys? and did you girls behaved in the hotel?? ;) ;) yeah yeah, after lunch.. :o :D

thanks for sharing so fast, sincerely enjoyed them.

[Laura's Babies]

You have just taken us to Paris and it was a wonderful trip we all had. (That is as close as I will ever get to it. ) Your pictures were very interesting and I enjoyed every one of them. THANKS!

[lvpets2002]

:eek: Oh WoW how so Breathtaken.. Great Picts.. Thanks

[Karen]

Thanks for sharing all the pictures - and of course, when a Pet Talker goes to Paris, they find the birds to feed! ;)

[elizabethann]

Darn, I can't see some of the pictures. But the ones I can see are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I'm glad you had such a fantastic time!! The pictures are wonderful, thanks for sharing them. Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

[Alysser]

I missed you! WELCOME back!! :D :D Great pictures, I love every one you took even though some are blurry. What a fantastic trip! It's so beautiful in Paris, I would love to go someday but for now I'll just enjoy the pictures. I had to laugh at the story of you and the french guy. :p

[Killearn Kitties]

You photos are lovely. It's really exciting to actually visit a place that in some ways is so familiar because you see so many pictures of it, isn't it? When you get there though, there is always something that doesn't look the way you expected. I laughed at your description of the Arc de Triomphe being so collossal! It is that kind of thing that a photograph can't prepare you for. :D

I'm glad you had a great trip.

[cyber-sibes]

*Squeals* How exciting! So many magnificent buildings all in one place! looks like you had a wonderful time, thanks for sharing it with us!

[Chilli]

Oh what I would give to go to such a beautiful place!
Your pictures described your adventure wonderfully! And it appears that you had a splendid time. =D
Thank you SO much for sharing this with us!!

[chocolatepuppy]

Great pictures! It looks beautiful there.Thanks for sharing. :D

[Barbara]

Paris, j'arrive dans trois semaines :D :D :D

Great pics!

[Miss Z]

Thanks everyone for the lovely replies. It really was a great trip. :D It was great to see the lights on the Eiffel Tower twinkle at night and for the strobe light from the top sweep all over Paris. That I will never forget.


oh yeah, where were the boys? and did you girls behaved in the hotel?? ;) ;) yeah yeah, after lunch.. :o :D

LOL, you don't wanna see the boys. ;) I have one group pic in front of Notre Dame and that's it, so not too exciting really. I think we girls behaved, I mean, we made a lot of noise on the first night and we weren't asleep until gone midnight on most nights (:o) but later we learned that the boys were up until 2am playing practical jokes on each other, so we girls aren't that bad! ;)

Ha ha, I just realised this. You can just hear me whisper "wick-ed!" at the end of the first video, and during the second Katherine pipes up, "I'm usin' well loads of mem-ry!" LMAO, please excuse us!:p

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Just saw your pics! Wow, great shots Zara!!
He he, Paris is only a 3 hours drive from here :D (am I making anyone jalous now ;) )

[Miss Z]

Paris is only a 3 hours drive from here :D (am I making anyone jalous now ;) )

Ha ha, YES! I had to travel a car journey, 3 trains, 2 London Underground tubes, the Eurostar, and then a Metro to get to the hotel, which took a total of 10 hours! :p It was worth it though.

[Iilo]

Musee D'Orsay!!! <3
And we took La Bateau Mouches as well.

AHHHH! I kept going, "I've been there! I've been there!"

Thank you.

[Aquamarine]

Aww those pics are great! Looks like you all had a blast! Thanks for sharing :p :D