I cried in Paris

   My husband John and I have been planning a 2 week trip to France for quite awhile.We visited Paris, Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions. I still can't believe we actually pulled it off and have returned safely to home sweet home this week! Now that the jet lag is wearing off and my head is clearing from a head cold I picked up, I thought i'd tell you a few things I learned, enjoyed and observed.
~Paris is much bigger than I realized it would be! 14 million...that is a lot of baguettes my friends.
~I don't know what your experience has been... but the French were very friendly and helpful.
~ The Queen of England came to town for D-Day and our tour guide was quite "miffed" that the only flags they had on the main boulevard was for England. We learned later her motorcade traveled that route so I'm sure they had American flags out for President Obama on his route too! The French are very grateful to the Americans for rescuing them. Normandy is hallowed ground.  They have streets in Paris there named after our presidents!
~We went to church at Notre Dame Cathedral. Didn't understand a word but loved it. Wow is that place jaw dropping.
~The French countryside is simply lovely. Half of the population of France lives there. I did not see one Target or Walmart.
~ The cheese in France is really good. Really good. REALLY good.
~Everyone drives little black cars
~We tasted a lot of different kinds of wine, but again came home to California and said the best is right here where we live. It's not bad wine, it's just different!
~The Louvre Museum will simply boggle your mind. We could of gotten lost in there for months.
~No matter what we did, we still looked like Americans. haha
~the French don't eat broccoli.
~The Chateaus in the countryside are stunning. The French revolution thankfully didn't destroy everything.
~My French history is better now than before I left!
~It is a wildly romantic city...

I was not prepared for how impressive the Eiffel Tower was going to be. It is a sight to behold. I must of taken 100 photos of it alone. Not caring for heights, I saved John loads of $$ by not desiring to take the lift up there.  Everyone told us to take a night cruise or evening dinner cruise on the Seine River to enjoy Paris "lit up". So our last night in Paris we did just that. Champagne to toast as we set sail for 2 hours of dining and viewing! Many others couples snuggled near us. I wondered what their "story" might be!? One couple was celebrating their 2nd anniversary and they were older than us! We chatted about how a few months from now our son Grant  and his new bride would be enjoying their honeymoon there. xoxox It was a special magical evening as we visually drank in the sights of this lovely place. I could not wipe the smile off my face. At the top of every hour in the evening, the Eiffel Tower sparkles for 5 minutes. We were so excited to view this from the river boat. We passed by this famous structure and it was lit up golden and full of beauty. Soon it began to sparkle...then the music from Whitney Houston... "I'll Always Love You" came on. John held me close and I rested my head on his shoulder. I began to cry. The moment was just too special for me. My soul was bursting with thankfulness to be sharing it with my sweetheart of 34 years. I don't think I can capture all the emotion in that moment in words for you.  Ah, Paris you captured a bit of our hearts!