Lulu Always Impresses With Her 12 Hour Tour of Paris - They Will Always Have Paris

Lulu and her class cruising the Seine. This was hour 8 of 12 hours in Paris.

Taking a rest at the Louvre after hour 3.

Lulu just loves her 3 weeks in Europe teaching graduate students from all over the USA. Her course is the first to fill out every year. It is a rather intense multi-media course - lots of projects - field trips - and hours in the computer lab. One of the favorite side trips is a one day gala event in Paris. 

Simple we woke at 4 AM - the train left St Pancras Station at 6 AM. Due to the time change we arrived in Paris at 9 AM. Two tightly packed rush hour subways and we were at the Louvre from 10 to 12. 

While the students were looking at Venus - Mona Lisa - Winged Victory - - Lulu had a quick meeting with her old professor buddy from St Johns University - Dr Marilynn Kay. Marilyn retired and left New York City. She now has a place in Paris and continues to write teenager books. While they talked Harry escaped to buy some champagne for a later surprise party.

After the Louvre - another tight subway ride took them near the Eiffel Tower. They stopped at a baguette shop for some fine picnic food. They took their goodies to the lawn at the base of the tower. At 2 PM - Lulu handed out the tickets to go up the Tower. I stayed down the bottom to watch the bags. 

Next was another subway ride to the Notre Dame Cathedral - where the group would catch the cruise on the Seine. After that cruise it was a walk back from the river into a local area. We have a great little hokey restaurant that offers a full course dinner with drinks - and a little showtime. 

On the cruise - Lulu pops the cork of the champagne - and we all have a toast using the champagne glasses Lulu carried in her backpack all day. Although all the students are over 22 - the drinking age in Paris and London is 18. As they say - London and Paris are the fountains of knowledge and all the students want to do is drink. 

By 9PM - just 12 hours later - many of the students were on their train through the tunnel to London. Most of them chose to spend the weekend and return to London Sunday night. 

As big Ben strikes midnight - the Eurostar changes from a gilded carriage back into a pumpkin - as their heads hit the pillows at the FSU Study Centre next to the British Museum.

For us - duty free weekend in France begins. Lulu and I got a LaMeridian Hotel near the Champs Elysees - next morning it was off to Normandy and Omaha Beach where the Americans landed on D-Day. That is another story. I am sending this post from the free wifi in our Caen Ibis Hotel. I just got tired again writing this. 

Paris subways at rush hours are not for the weak of heart - or the weak of nose.

 Dr Marilyn Kay and Dr Lulu enjoy a wonderful hour of conversation at a Paris Cafe

It is noon - and time for a lunch picnic before they head up the Eiffel Tower.

 We have been in London and Paris for 2 weeks now and not have seen one drop of rain. Nothing but blue skies.

The river cruise begins and ends at the Notre Dame Cathedral  in the background.

The tour guide said this building was the model for our White House.

Those clouds were not doctored - it was 5 PM.

The tour boat cruised past the Tower twice.

This is Lulu's sixth July class that she took to Paris. I get to go and carry her bags. Her classes remind me more and more of the times we used to take groups from Pennsylvania to Disneyworld and Cape Canaveral. In those trips the kids were 12 and we drove the bus. 

Lulu loves teaching her students at the FSU Study Centre in London. The students  get to see so much in their 12 hours in Paris.

The cruise goes under about 20 bridges on their trip. This bridge was perfect for a panorama shot.

I love this little car/boat on a bigger boat. The car shifts like a 4WD - lever forward it drives the wheels - lever back it drive two propellers. They only made about 1500 of these cars in the 1960s.

Some people live in these river boats - other house restaurants. We did see one young man adding water to the river. 

It was ahead of its time - this 1960 Citroen 2CV had front wheel drive and a two cylinder engine. It got 50 MPG. 

During hours 10 and 11 - we had a wonderful dinner and even better entertainment.

A little dancing - a little singing - a little chocolate mousse.