A quick hello from Paris!

My feet are a bit tired/sore from all the walking and standing we've done, but it's been worth it. Our travels in Europe have gone fairly smoothly although the language barrier in France can be a bit embarrassing for us at times! Visiting family/friends and exploring interesting places has kept us busy, but we thought it would be nice to take a break and show you a little more of the places we've been:

Climbing among castle ruins along the Scotland shore. My feet got wet walking on boggy ground to get to it, but it was a beautiful day and we wouldn't have minded spending hours soaking in the scene and imagining what the place looked like in its prime.

On our way to the Faerie Pools (not sure I spelled it quite right) with Patrick's brother to gaze into clear natural water basins and observe the waterfalls.

At Talisker Bay, just prior to strolling along the beach streaked with black sand.

Our first full day in Paris was spent at Versailles- it's huge, but we managed to see a lot of the castle and most of the grounds.

Visiting the farm area behind the Chateau, where Marie Antoinette would get away for "simple" living. This area and the gardens were the highlight of our visit to Versailles.

Our second day we spent primarily at the Louvre, but we forgot our camera's memory card! We definitely remembered it for our visit to the Eiffel Tower later that night.

A view from the top- remember to click on the photo for a better glimpse!

We decided to go all out and bought glasses of champagne at the top to toast our 1-year (and a couple days) anniversary. It was overpriced by store standards but we're glad we did it since it enhanced an already wonderful evening!

We'll be returning to the States in a couple days, so until then, au revoir!

Our Honeymoon/1-year Anniversary Trip: London

An update from our "official" honeymoon!  We landed in London in the early afternoon last Saturday after a very uneventful flight.  After Custom's we navigated the Tube to meet up with Sally at her house.  Here are some highlights of our time in London...

 Waiting for the boat to Greenwich. You'll notice the Big Ben clock tower and Parliament building in the background.

Outside the Naval College in Greenwich.

Sally and I at the Queen's House with the Royal Observatory in the background.

Standing over the Prime Meridian.

 At the top of St. Paul's Cathedral.  We climbed 500+ steps to get there!

At a Swiss fondue restaurant for lunch.

Trafalgar Square with Admiral Nelson's Column in the background.

 Standing in front of the gates at Buckingham Palace.

In front of the statue of Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace.

more Spring in my steps!

Last Monday when I dropped off Patrick at work, we noticed the mountains were a lot more visible than they were on our Saturday walk. So I grabbed the camera and headed out for some mild exercise and a better picture. I snapped a few more along the way:

This pony lives a couple blocks from our house. One day when I was jogging I heard him run along the fence after me. After taking this photo, he approached me & I pet him a bit. But not too much since I didn't want my hand to smell all horsey for the rest of my walk, you know? :)

Patrick mentioned in the comments section of the last blog that he found out a lot of these trees we're seeing are almond trees. When I passed under this one, I noticed some of last year's harvest still attached, so I thought I'd show you.

The range is too long to capture entirely in the photo, but here is the most dynamic section of it.

Slightly closer glance, through the barbed wire fence (the walking path dips below the field level for a bit.)

At the university the power cord is mucking up this photo, but you can see the mountains a little better.

I love the splash of color these rows of trees add to the courtyard! Back right: too bad I didn't know there was a hotdog vendor, otherwise I'd totally have brought some lunch money.

Zoomed in for your viewing pleasure. By the way, there are so many trees in bloom that last week the air started to smell like honey. I'm not joking- it is absolutely sweet (in all contexts of the word).

I'm not sure if the farmer had just been to the gate or what, but tons of cows were grouped around the field entrance. They lined the fence for quite a ways and acted as if I was the most intriguing thing on this earth.

Once the path dipped below ground level again, I felt like a gladiator. These guys just stare as if they know something bad is gonna happen to you. Other than that slight ominous feeling, I though they were pretty funny. A herd of them followed me for awhile as if they all wanted to come on back home to be my pets.

This photo I wanted of the bird, not the cows. It's called an egret, and we see them in the nearby fields quite often. Click to zoom in.

Not as interesting of a photo, but these trees border some of the roads around here. They give the land a lot more of a Mediterranean vibe.

I know it's probably not very springy by most of you all yet, but I'm sure it won't be long. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying our photos!