Everyday life in France

Although my travels are very nice and more fun to photograph, people tend to like my day to day activity blog posts more...so here is what I have been up to...

This is where most days begin and end...the metro, we have a love/hate relationship.  I love that it is the fastest way to get anywhere in Paris and always on time.  I hate that it's not a car.

Sometimes I get to hang out with new friends and their cute kids.  This is Logan, isn't he a cutie?  We went to the playground at the Champs de Mars (aka the Eiffel Tower) because that is the closest to her house....my life is surreal sometimes!  Below is Adalyn (Logan's sister) and Gabriel, a friend.  

Another of Gabe...

This is Thomas, he is Logan and Adalyn's little brother

Nap time

Lydia (mom) and Gabe.  I give her major props because she gets around Paris being pregnant with a little one and a stroller...my hero!

Shannon with her kids

Here are my latest favorite Frenchisms...

I don't know if you can tell what this is, but it is at the train station in Paris.  If you want to power your phone or other electronic, you have to pedal your power...pretty ingenious I think.

So fun to run into these cute former students at church, I miss teaching and especially having such great students!
(Mariella Roberts and Lauren Bonan)

In case you ever move to Europe you should know that your dryer has a drawer that you need to dump water out of every load...where do I live?  :)

Anyone else find the French Snap, Crackle and Pop a little frightening?

Slovenia and Venice Birthday Trip - Part Two

My actual birth day was spent in Venice.  I have been there once before but always wanted to go back with my true love and ride in a gondola and roam the tiny canals.  So, that is what we did.  We had the chance to stay in the area where the people live and it was nice to get away from the millions of tourists that were there.  

From our gondola

Inside St. Marks, we weren't technically permitted to take pictures but after I saw the 85th person take a shot, I thought I would take the risk

Remember the movie "Only You" with Marissa Tomei...they stayed here, we would have liked to stay here...maybe after we reach our first million!

If you don't eat gelato every day when visiting Italy you have to pay a serious fine before leaving...so we did our part.

It was a lovely weekend and I am thankful to my husband for taking me there, I feel truly spoiled!

Slovenia and Venice Birthday Trip - Part One

Several months ago Jeremy asked me where I would like to go for my birthday weekend.  Of course I said Italy and we looked for a cheap flight to any part of the country.   We booked flights to Bologna and realized that it was only 4 hours from my old roommate and good friend Urska and her husband Uros in Slovenia.  So, we rented a car and took the long way from Italy to the Slovenian border.  Unfortunately we got a ticket for a few hundred Euros after arriving in the country!  Rude....but thank heaven it was worth it.  I couldn't believe how beautiful Slovenia was, I mean really, really beautiful.  It was so green with large hills and a little church on top of each hill.  We drove past village after village and arrived at Urska's house in time to celebrate with her family for Uros' birthday.  They prepared traditional Slovene food and we felt like very honored guests!

Our delicious European breakfast

This is where Urska lives...like a fairytale!

The view from her window..note the church

Her cute garden

After church (which Urska and Uros basically run) we went to downtown Ljubljana and then drove to Lake Bled.

Ljubljana main square

Roommates reunited

Urska and Uros

There was a canal through the town and a million little restaurants lining it, I loved it..and it was so clean!

This is where Urska gets her milk...it is put in this vending machine daily from farmers.....so old school/new school

Preparing another delicious meal

We also went to a beautiful trail along a stream, it crossed back and forth over the water and was just gorgeous.

Cute husband

We came across this little lizard

After we walked the trail and my hair doubled in size because of the humidity, they took us to see Lake Bled, it was breathtaking!!!

A topless hotel...so European...

I mean, does it get any prettier?

You can take either row boats or these little ferry boats to the island in the middle of the lake.  The island has a church on it, a restaurant and a couple stores, we hope to go there next time we visit.  Oh, in case you aren't convinced that Slovenia is a hidden gem...there is also a castle that overlooks the entire lake.

The island