Sitting on the Eurostar!

We are sitting on the Eurostar getting ready to head back to France for one last night in Paris! We will soon be back in the Good Ole USA!

Photos of Day 4 & 5

In a previous post I talked about the Volcanoes that were to one side of the valley, if you look at the top left and center of the photo you can see two of them. Kind of in the center the white stone wall is pock marked with cave openings.

I also mentioned the snow capped mountain peaks to the opposite side of the valley and here they are. Also in the lower right of the photo you can see one of many steeples that are visible in the valley as well as plots of land separated by hedge rows.

Now to the reason that we took this trip in the first place! Anne-lise and Nehemie exchanging their rings. Nehemie goes first.

Now it's Anne-lise's turn.

Then of course they get to kiss!

Too many cameras, no one knows where to look!

The happy couple!

Most of Anne-lise's family is present for this photo, one of her brothers is not here.

The Blemmings our gracious hosts while we were in Clermont-Ferrand.

The happy couple are not yet parents, this is their niece!

Candles that decorated the tables at the reception. The say something in French but don't ask me what.

They arrive, now the party can get started! We stayed at the reception until 2:00 a.m. and it was still going strong when we left. They literally celebrate all night long after a wedding.

This Is What My Wonderful Daughter Thinks About My Blogging Abbilities!

OK, a few notes about your last couple of posts on the blog. First, I told you patte was liver! If you want pork you have to order either porc (pronounced por) or jambon. Second I think Mommy should write more posts because honestly, her penmanship is better than Daddy's. Trust me, I'm almost an expert in English grammar. Thirdly and finally, just a note for Daddy, the earth hasn't been here for 35,000 years, creationist believe it is only about 6000 years old. Anyway, those are just some things I thought of while reading your blog. I love reading it too It is really fun to see what you are up to and I also hope you make it to the Eiffel Tower at least once. Right about now you guys should be at the wedding. Have fun and enjoy the great food and stuff. I love you!

Taylor
P.S. I'm glad you got to eat a real French supper with your host family. I love all the different courses.

So there you have my daughter thinks I can't write but I will write to defy her and she can just laugh all she wants.

I Love you too Taylor,

- G 

Ireland is Beautiful & Wet!

Well our Internet connection was never very good while we were in Ireland so I wasn't really able to update the blog. Now that we are in England I hope to make time to get caught up. I will try to get some photos from the wedding and then from Ireland up soon hopefully later today before you Americans get out of bed! I will explain my post title soon, I don't have my glasses at the moment so I am having trouble writing this post.

- G

The Reason We Came To France!

Day 5 is the day that brought us on our European Adventure. Anne-lise and Nehemie's wedding day. The day started out leisurely, we got up had breakfast and great conversation with our hosts (who are wonderful). Then we went into Clerrmont-Ferrand to see about getting an earlier train to Lyon for Monday, the tickets that I purchased were not allowing any time for hiccups or mistakes so I wanted to see if we could get an earlier train. We were fortunate that I had purchased tickets that could be used on any train that day so we are fine we can go to whichever train that is going to Lyon on that day and go. After learning this bit of good news we took a ride up to a look out point and surveyed the valley where we are staying. It is really quite beautiful here with the rolling hills, small villages with church steeples and tower ruins dot the landscape. Plots of land are all marked by hedgerows and volcanoes lie in the distance to one side while snow capped mountain peaks are seen in the distance on the opposite side, it is very picturesque to say the least. After this we took lunch on the veranda while sipping red and white wine from crystal goblets, while nibbling on bread and cheeses. Well not really we did take lunch but it wasn't on a veranda though we did have the wine and cheese with bread and it was in crystal goblets but we were in the dining room not on a veranda. It does sound more romanic the other way but it has been a wonderful experience none the less. After lunch we dressed for the wedding and went out. We couldn't wait to see her, I knew she would be beautiful in her gown and I was not disappointed. It took her a while to spot us in the audience but at one point during the ceremony she spotted us and gave us each a little wave. She was smiling so big throughout the entire ceremony I didn't think she would have any smiles left for her pictures but of course she did. We left for the wedding at 2:00 p.m. and arrived home at 2:00 a.m. and we didn't stay for the entire reception it was still going strong when we left. It was so much fun seeing Anne-lise and getting to meet Nehemie. Who we are told by many that he is a very Godly young man. We are so proud of Anne-lise and couldn't be happier for her, Kelly cried and I am about to as I type this post. I was able to meet many of Anne-lise's family, her mother and all three brothers as well as many of her aunts, uncles and cousins. All of whom were very friendly and each tried to speak with me in English. Some were better than others but all tried. We so wish we spoke French so that we could have had more conversations but we enjoyed getting to meet and talk to them anyway. This to me was the best day of the trip so far, I am so glad that God provided us with the opportunity to take this trip. Pictures of the day will come in the next post so keep looking if you don't already see the photos.

- G

Photos of Day 2 and 3

Chateau Versailles from the road, we got here late so we decided to just look at it from the outside rather than to pay the 20 Euros each to see only part of the interior.

A view from the back of the Chateau it is quite large. Behind me is the massive gardens which includes a large canal and many mazes of gardens.

The Eiffel Tower is having some renovations done and it isn't quite the best photo opportunity at this time. If you get far enough away you don't notice it so much.

In this photo you can see a couple of buses, these are the type of buses that we spent  a lot of time on on day 2 when we were trying to get back from Notre Dame.

A view of Notre Dame from the river, it is truly a beautiful piece of architecture!

Say Cheese!

Walking around Paris I love this city. Hey who is that handsome guy?

Wow what a beautiful view! I love this woman, doesn't she add to the beauty of Paris!

Say Cheese! So Cheesy!

What happened to that beautiful lady?

My favorite part of the trip so far was going to see the Arch de Triumph! I had wanted to see this for a long time. We paid 15 Euro each to go inside but K didn't really want to after we started up the steps she really didn't want to go. After we finally reached the top she was very happy with our decision. The view from the top is amazing.

A trip through a tunnel under the round a bout that circles the Arch de Triumph.

More will come later,

- G

Thoughts and Impressions Day 4 by G

OK I will have to apologize for the lack of posts by K but I just can't seem to get her to write them. She seems to be worried that she won't do good enough and that people will judge her on her penmanship. I will work on her and try to get some more posts out of her. I have to be honest it is difficult even for me to make the time to get out the posts that I have done and I want to do them, so it isn't just that she doesn't want to but time on the internet is limited or has been lately anyway. I think we will have a good connection through Sunday after that I think it will be difficult again for a few days. So I will try to get as many posts out as possible this weekend.

Day 4 was another day of traveling, we woke today and had to pack up all of out stuff and leave the room so that they could get in and clean. We went to buy some postage stamps to find out that we may not have put enough stamps on the last 4 post cards we mailed. So sorry to each of my kids if you don't receive a post card from us any time soon we tried. We will try to get more out this weekend. Then off to breakfast an egg and chicken sandwich for K and a ham and swiss sandwich for G. Yes that is a traditional breakfast item in France. I still prefer my donuts but will be OK with a sandwich. We could see that the Eiffel Tower was open today but we didn't have time to go up so we hope to be able to up on the 27th, if time allows. After Breakfast back to the hotel to catch a taxi to the train station. We had a good taxi driver very friendly and he spoke very good English. Arrived at the station with an hour to spare. We finished our breakfast in the station, I used my down time to write the last two posts that I made and Kelly read her book I think. Found our train with no trouble got on and had great seats and made it to Clermont-Ferrand without any problems. Were picked up shortly by our hosts and driven to their home in the Volcano area of France and to their home. Don't worry the Volcano's have been dormant for 35,000 years I think we will be OK. The Blemmings are a wonderful christian family who have been very kind and generous to us we couldn't ask for better hosts. Had a 5 course dinner that started with Kir (white wine mixed with black current) and cheeses, olives, vegetable chips and cream cheese rolls. Next some kind of Salmon and cheese dish with Shrimp and greens with white wine. Then Chicken, rice and gravy with red wine. Next a plate of cheeses with bread and red wine. Finally a desert plate with 3 fine deserts and water. All topped of with tea and coffee. I don't see how the French can eat so much and stay so thin. After some wonderful conversation we all went off to bed, well not me obviously I am still working on this post. If I can be quiet enough I will try to get another one out before I go to sleep.

Until tomorrow,

- G