Well, Centre Pompidou was an epic failure for us. Mich and I have both realized that we don’t really like modern art! One installation was a set of Christmas lights strung on the wall. I think I prefer great art from the Renaissance or earlier. At least the building itself looked cool from the outside.

After Notre Dame we walked to Sainte Chapelle to see the extraordinary chapel. We got stuck in a line for a while to get through the Palais du Justice security checkpoint but it was completely worth it! The stained glass in Sainte Chapelle is phenomenal and unlike anything I had ever seen before. Mind boggling when you remember that this was completed in 1248! I wonder if Louis IX really did buy Jesus’ Crown of Thorns? He paid three times as much for the supposed Crown of Thorns than it cost to create the remarkable Sainte Chapelle built to house it!

After Versailles we headed into downtown Paris and went to Notre Dame. What a beautiful cathedral! It is amazing to go to a church originally built in 1163. Absolutely unlike anything we have in the United States. It was very inspiring to walk through the cathedral and see all the ornate stained glass and various small chapels surrounding the nave. We wanted to go up to the top since our Paris Museum Pass covered it but the lines were just way too long.

We started off our Paris adventures by heading out to Chateau Versailles. Louis XIV through XVI sure did have a taste for luxury! It was amazing to walk through the decadent castle and explore the sprawling grounds surrounding it. No wonder the French revolted against the Monarchy once they realized how ridiculous of a lifestyle the Kings and Queens had.

We rolled in to Paris yesterday evening via the Eurostar train through the Chunnel from England. Woke up early and headed out to Versailles this morning. Quite a castle and gardens the three Louis kings built out there! We also explored Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle, and the Conciergerie before heading to the Eiffel Tower to eat dinner on the grounds around it. Long day but nothing beats eating a nice picnic dinner with the wife in front of the Eiffel Tower!

We explored a lot of London today! Followed one of the Rick Steves audio tours through the City of London and saw some of the main sites like St. Paul’s, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Then we headed over to see the famous sites like Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the London Eye. Great day with awesome weather and no rain! Just a lot of walking and some sore feet.

Saw an original Apple II at the British Science Museum today. Very cool!

We are at the airport and about to board our red eye flight to London Gatwick. It is funny to see the British flight attendants dressed up in their bright red “skirt suits.” Can’t imagine American flight attendants wearing that!