Thursday, May 23, 2013

Catching up Part 3 - September 2012 (Paris!)

In September we had the pleasure of going on a weekend adventure to Paris with our friends Janna Wutke and Kevin Duban. We were nervous because it was our first time in France and we heard some dreadful things about how Parisians are rude to you if you don't speak French (which we don't!).

Fortunately we only had one rude waiter at a restaurant we ate at and the rest of the people we interacted with were very pleasant.

Here are some of the highlights of the trip:

Right away we walked from Gare du Nord to Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. It provides a spectacular view of Paris but also many peddlers and beggars (beware!).




The Eiffel Tower was my favorite part. It exceeded my expectations and was very romantic when the flashing lights came on after sunset.
The Gang at the top of the Eiffel Tower


We rode bicycles around the city to get places faster and it was the best decision we made! We only stayed one night so we toted our belongings in a backpack and toured the city on two wheels. It was very efficient and we saw a lot more in one day than we would have if we had walked. Our feet thanked us. :)



Nutella Crêpes and cappuccino at a café... mmmmm



The Jardin Tuileries was lovely. The old men who sit near the ponds and fountains to rent our sailboats for the children were so charming. It was a lovely day and the only thing I wish I would have heard was an accordion playing "La Vie en Rose" in the streets."
The whole time we were here I kept thinking of Sabrina saying "I found myself in Paris."



fin :)


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Catching up Part 2 - July & August 2012 (Olympics!)

Just in case you were not aware... Summer 2012 in the UK was HUGE. We are incredibly blessed to have experienced it first-hand. As you know, the Diamond Jubilee took place for Queen Elizabeth's 60th year reigning as Queen of the United Kingdom. In addition to that, London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics and we got to go to several events! You would think "Wow, how amazing! How could it get any better than that?" Well, I shall tell you. We actually got to see our dear friend Angela compete in the Sprint Kayaking races, see her qualify for finals, and become fifth in the whole world!

I have some photo documentation to prove we had an amazing time. :)

London Bridge helped the city get into the Olympic Spirit


Artistic Gymnastics! We saw the following teams compete to go to finals: Romania, Japan, and several Mixed Single groups.

A dream come true! All that was missing was my sister Rachel. We have many
childhood memories following the USA Gymnastics Team!

The Romanian Team - they ended up taking bronze in the team final

We got to see Susan Izbaşa from Romania. She ended up taking gold in singles vault!


There is always something going on during a meet!


 Sprint Kayaking at Eton-Dorney Lake:
Honorary Brits when it comes to cheering for Angela! GO TEAM GB!
  
Dorney Lake
Angela is the third girl in the boat

A roaring start!

Angela came in her full closing ceremony kit to speak at a church gathering in September (celebrity sighting!)

Bryant went to Judo with Callum (Angela's hubby). He had to do some research on the sport to learn what he was watching. Judo isn't something we know much about! :)

Front Row Seats!