Paris in November

Diamond Holidays were offering a value weekend break in Paris which we couldn't resist.  Bad timing but one has to do it!!!
We left home on Friday morning to catch the train to London - PJ had downloaded the tickets - so it was non stop to St Pancras where we met up with fellow coach passengers and our Rep - Alex.  He was a young Frenchman, living up north so he had already been travelling for several hours.

When we arrived at Gare de Nord, Alex led us round to the coach so that we could arrive at the Hotel safely - Paris rush hour traffic is not for the faint hearted.
The Hotel is in La Defense area and was very clean and modern, the room a modern cube!!!
We decided we would have our meal in the Hotel and it was a delight - best meal the whole weekend (apart from the one that Rover 1 cooked for us!)
Next day we caught the Metro and RER to see Rover 1 and M, stopping for a quick shop at C&A - of course!!!.  We each chose a coat for the winter, mine has a removable fur lining.  We managed to see some of the 'Dressed for Christmas' windows at Printemps but we still had to travel over to meet up with Rover 1 and time was running out.  We stopped off at the Charolais Bar and eventually wandered back to the apartment.  We decided to have a meal out at a bar which would give us less distance to go to Gare de Lyon and our return journey back to the Hotel.  Le Bistrologue had a covered area outside for dining.  We all had something different, I had a salad with Mazzarella & Walnut - yum! yum!
The next day we were up early as I wanted to visit Le Marche - I need books!!  We managed to get the Metro the Square, lost our way a bit (as one does) and then we were there .......

I wandered along the lines of stalls and found some booklets on Versailles so I bought three of them, two for some of the other members of the group.  I eventually found a couple of books that could be useful for my cardmaking  - when I approached the guy to pay him, he cheekily said "Oh! no! not you again!"  I guess he didn't like my haggling!!!!  We wandered back to the Charolais to wait for the terrible two, it was very busy and there was much laughter and singing!!  We stayed to see the start of the last F1 race and wandered back to the apartment.  Rover 1 cooked lunch and then we all moved out onto the balcony, watching the emptiness of the market being cleared and cleaned.  It was most peculiar to think that we were sitting out on the Balcony until quite late and it was mid November, the Tour d'Effel sparkling on the hour!
We packed our cases ready for the off next day and collapsed into bed.
Another sun shiney day  - our last in Paris - so we were going to spend the morning wandering around La Defense to look at all the changes since our last visit.  We wandered up the esplanade towards the Grand Arch.
Absolutely amazing!
When we last came here there were hoardings along each side of the esplanade, now there were tower blocks of all shapes, and the largest shopping area I have seen in ages.





There will be a Christmas market open soon so at the moment it is just a collection of huts but......
..... from the top of the steps we could see over them straight across to the Arc de Triomphe.

After we left the Grand Arch we decided to have a cup of coffee so wandered into the shopping centre and found a Costa ...... we must have walked for hours looking at all the shops (and C&A!).  We eventually came outside and, as we still had time to spare and the office workers were coming out of their offices for lunch, we decided to sit and watch..........  the view was interesting ..... men in suits ...... women in suits ..... folk in casuals walking their dogs...... From C&A across the Grand Arch to the offices on the other side ........... and the 'art work' of course........

I could have sat in the sunshine for a while longer, it was so peaceful and it is good to watch the world going by .....
All too soon we had to turn round and return to the hotel .......

We had Croque Monsieur for lunch in the reception restaurant and all the others joined us as we waited for the coach.  We returned to Gare du Nord through Montmartre, which was a bonus for us, seeing all the old places where we stayed before.
Alex managed to get our group onto Eurostar before all the other passengers and before we knew it, there we were ...... in among the rush hour of London.  We managed to get our train back to Brum and, one bus later, we were walking in the frost!  Yes!  FROST!  I could not believe it!  And where was my fur lining, my beautiful fur lining?  Packed away in my case!!!
We managed to shiver our way home and collapse into bed!!!

Scotland for a Wedding

(seen on the right of the doorway)

Mar Lodge is quite isolated but lies deep in the Cairngorms in Scotland.  The Lodge is large, very large, very, very large!!  The wing on the right of the photo was hired for the Wedding party, we had our own kitchen and lounge/dining room downstairs and all the bedrooms above.  It was furnished in the style one would expect from such a great house.
On the day of the wedding, after a few 'incidents', we all gathered in a side room  and waited for the bride to arrive.


 Katherine's wedding gown was beautiful, her embroidery picked up the colours of her bridesmaid dress.



The bride's mother made the 'rope' for the tying of the knot.  this tradition was explained to us by the Registrar.




 After the Ceremony there were the 'usual' photographs.......

....the Bride and Groom .....

...... The family photographs ......

...... the family and friends group photos .....

.... we went back into the hall for the Speeches and managed to get a photo of three of the children who came.  These children were just sooo welbehaved although, in fairness, Molly was in charge!

The cake was cut and presents admired, cards read, toasts drunk and then we had the Wedding Meal.

The dining room was delightfully laid out - the décor gives an idea of the history of the lodge, but the meal was wonderfully different and catered for individual tastes.

We had the smaller ballroom to ourselves for the reception .... lots of fairy lights, highland music, dancing and swirling kilts!

 The Groom's family is sitting this one out as the happy couple go by ...

.... then the family joined in ......

.......... great fun by all ......

In the Tower.... photo heavy!!

Once inside we decided to follow the crowd down towards the Medieval Castle, climbing stairs to enter.

This was the way to go but first we would stay at the top of the stairs and take in the view......

The Bloody Tower

The view opposite was the infamous Bloody Tower - will have to come back another day and see inside.

Traitors Gate - inside the Tower 

I have never seen this side of the Traitors Gate, only the view when travelling along the river.

King Edward I's bedchamber

Inside the Medieval Castle, the other side of the windows above Traitors Gate, the rooms were furnished but we only visited this one.  

The private Chapel was behind this door, such a beautiful archway - all the walls were decorated like this.

! ! ! ! !

Once outside I spotted this ........


.......when I pointed it out to PJ, he felt honour bound to join the queue!!!!

The White Tower - with queue

We wandered along and round to the large square where the pride of place was the White Tower.  

Monkeys on the wall

As we walked around to the back, following the queue to view the Crown Jewels, these monkeys made us laugh!  There were several animals about the place, constructed of chicken wire yet most lifelike.

Very Wet!!!

The rain was still pouring down, the queues were very long.

PJ reckoned this one to view the Crown Jewels was about an hour and a half long!!

Queen's House

In the rain!!

This view was a most unexpected surprise!!!   

It is Tower Green itself with the Queen's house in the centre.

It felt like being in the grounds of a stately home, not the middle of London and so close to Tower Bridge!

Beefeater and PJ

I took lots of photographs, PJ just got wetter .... but we found a Beefeater in his winter uniform with a l a r g e  umbrella.
PJ asked him a few questions and I asked permission to post his photo on this Blog!
What a gent!
So friendly and informative.

Poppies from the outside

As we were both so wet we decided to make our way back to the Tube, leaving by the side exit and walking along the river bank.

We came back alongside the drawbridge and spotted the poppies again.

...... meanwhile back at home ....


.......there is a discussion raging about whether the display should stay for longer  .....

...... those poppies represent soldiers who could not stay for longer .......

Change of Venue - from Liverpool to London

We had intended to follow Bittern on a Steam Train trip to Liverpool but British Rail cancelled the trip (someone doesn't like steam trains!!!) so we spent the day hanging out the sheets!!!  We sat in the sunshine talking and decided that as we weren't going to Liverpool we would go to London to see the Poppy Installation at the Tower of London.  Coaches were booked and tube trains sorted and at the ungodly hour of 05.30 hrs we were up and ready to go .....  The rain started to slowly fall as we left Tower Hill station, but this did not deter us, we joined the moving lines of people as they moved towards the Tower.  By the time we reached the main road the crowd of people were crushing, there were two police to manage both the crowd and the traffic, which they did magnificently and good humouredly.
We reached the edges of the moat and managed to get down the steps to see the poppies ....


 .... to the left ....

.... and to the right .....

The crowds moved slowly down the hill and separated into those who wanted to view the poppies and those who wanted to enter the tower.  That's when PJ decided to tell me he had bought tickets for the Tower also!!

We crossed the drawbridge and viewed where we had come from ....

...... and then turned round to find the poppies flowing over the bridge!

The poppies are ceramic, larger than I thought and we had chance to see them close up.



The poppies, supported by quite thick wires,  were built up and over from the moat below.

Entering the Tower of London, I wished that I had read up about the history before this visit ..... such a lot to see ......