France - Post 2

To those of you who care about our trip to France...I've posted a few more pictures and shared a few more stories and events of our great vacation. To those of you who don't care, feel free to skim or entirely skip! I won't be offended. :)

Paris
Ahhhh - Paris! The most romantic city in the world (that I've been to anyway). Seriously, there's something about walking around the streets of Paris that makes you want to reach out for your loved one's hand and give it a little extra squeeze! In Paris, there seems to be more of an attitude of embracing, and celebrating love than there is anywhere else I've been. It was a perfect place to start our vacation - enveloped in a love that seems so much stronger now than it did 6 years ago while we were planning our wedding...



It was in Paris that I found my true love, however: rich, smooth, incredibly satisfying, chocolate mousse. After our first one I exclaimed, "Oh... we're going to have to have one of these every day." Thankfully, Brian wasn't jealous...in fact, he seemed pleased with our enriched relationship. :)




The Louvre. Interesting and beautiful...it kind of made me wish I appreciated art more.








The City of Langeais

"Marie! Hurry up! The baguettes!
There goes the baker with his tray like always.
The same old bread and rolls to sell."

Beauty and the Beast! What a great Disney movie...and the one that definitely stuck the most songs in my head while we were in France! (Le poisson, le poisson, he he he, ho ho ho! What a sweet little succulent crab!) Anyway - back to baguettes - could there be anything more satisfying than sitting in the streets of France eating a baguette and cheese for breakfast?! This was a frequent lunch for us...the cheapest, easiest to find, and most filling.













This city is BEAUTIFUL! Castle after castle, river after river, mountain after mountain. We rented bikes for the day and rode 30 miles on small village roads. We visited the castles, saw the landscape, and breathed in the fresh air. It was unforgettable! (Especially the part when it started down pouring on us - dripping sweat into our eyes...by the time we got back to the bike rental place, we were SOAKING! Plus, I was in jeans and a sweater...so it made me feel that much more water-logged. :)












The Drive Around France
From the time we picked up our car in Paris and returned it 10 days later to the same building, we had logged 1600 miles. Driving was maybe one of my favorite things - we took back roads the whole time (mainly to avoid the toll-roads) and saw some of the most beautiful scenery God has created. We had hours and hours to talk, listen to music, and enjoy the companionship that sitting in the car forces upon two people. :)

Now, obviously, we didn't just drive the whole time we were there. We stayed in beautiful bed and breakfasts.....









...visited many of Brian's old mission stomping grounds (this was one of the apartments he lived in...it was a little weird to be taking a picture of someone else's house while their windows were wide open...so, we tried to hide behind a tree)...








...stopped to play in the wildflowers a time or two....













...and to have our breath taken away by the beauty of the ocean












Switzerland

To finish off our vacation, we drove into Switzerland and went hiking in the Alps. Many of the trails were closed due to the snow...but we decided to try and go for it anyway. Perhaps not the smartest idea...






The snow was deeper than my knees in some places...and you can see the dark clouds looming in the distance. We were a little frightened we'd be caught in a snowstorm - but everything ended up being great.










The landscape was picturesque...
the breathtaking mountains in the background, the wildflowers in the foreground....and, of course, a handsome hubby in the middle. :)










We had so much fun, and made memories that will last forever - I can't wait to return! I suppose I should stop letting McKenzie have all those pennies she finds around the house...