J’aime Paris!

I have been pretty non-existent in the blogging world lately.  Well, let me tell you what I have been up to lately!

I am a project manager for an international travel company and so oftentimes I get to go on some of the trips I manage.  Last week, I got to visit France for the first time!  It is beautiful there!  So much to see and do!  Wow!  I would like to share some of the things I saw and did here with you through some of the pictures I took.  One of my favorite hobbies is photography so of course, I was in heaven in this beautiful country.  If you especially like any of the pictures you see in this blog, they are all for sale and can be purchased in a canvas print from my online gallery.  I am currently experimenting and having a lot of fun editing using HDR (high dynamic range) so as you can see, all of the photos are edited this way.  Hope you like!

Rouen, France
This is a beautiful town, famous because it is the place where Joan of Arc was executed in 1431.  After spending about 6 hours in Charles de Gaulle Airport waiting for the entire group to arrive (there were about 50), this was our first stop.  We walked all around the town, looking at beautiful cathedrals and stopping for lunch.

Le Mont Saint Michel
Yes, this place is real.  The first time I saw a picture of it, I couldn’t believe my eyes either.  Our group walked in and up the narrow streets all the way to the top, affording beautiful panoramic views.  We stopped in the middle to have lunch at a little cafe known for their fluffy omelets.  There are little shops most of the way up the road to the top.  It was a sort of dreary day but that didn’t matter because as you can see, the clouds made for GREAT picture-taking!

The American Cemetery, Normandy
This was a very special day because it was July 4, our Independence Day.  What a beautiful way to spend such a special day, honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  I looked out over a sea of crosses and had a moment trying to visualize all the thousands of young men when they were alive.
After we visited the cemetery and the beach, we made our way to a little town called Honfleur.  This is where we had dinner.  It rained cats and dogs while we were there but then about an hour before we left, a beautiful rainbow came out and welcomed us.  So beautiful.

The Palace of Versailles
This morning, we checked out of our hotel in Le Havre and drove a few hours to visit the BEAUTIFUL palace of Versailles.  We toured the inside of the palace, but my favorite part was the beautiful gardens outside!  WOW!  So many flowers and so HUGE!  I walked for over an hour and still didn’t see it all before I had to head back to meet with our group.  It was so beautiful there and one of my favorite parts of our tour.

Paris!
The last few days were spent exploring the beautiful city of Paris.  I visited the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa, climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, affording BEAUTIFUL views of Paris, saw the Eglise du Dome Church in Paris, visited the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur, and walked inside Notre Dame Cathedral.  What a great trip!  I hope you enjoy my pictures as much as I enjoyed taking and editing them! 

It was a great trip!  If I could give any advice to anyone visiting France, it would be these 2 things:
1. Learn as much French as you can before you go!
2. Learn the Metro!  This system will get you all over town!