Lookout Paris

May 19, Sleep was good and the room was very comfy, in room bar was crazy, so we walked and got a beer. Next morning we out early for some breakfast and to start our day of sight seeing. The breakfast we had was good, the best omelet I have ever had. It was a small rest and the food and service were very good. We left and got a tour bus to see the City. The double deck bus was nice and we had headphones and listened to the tape as the bus maneuvered through the city. We left one line and got on other tour lines and toured many parts of the city. We saw most of what Paris had to offer form a moving vehicle and then we started afoot. We ran into a Bread Festival near Notre Dame and got to taste some of the local fare. After a long day we went to the hotel to rest and get some sleep I thought. Short lived, we decided to go over to the Eiffel Tower again and this time we took the tour and went to the top of the tower and what can I say? I don't know how to explain how Grand and Beautiful it was, let me just say, It Was. The tower was very crowded and we spent as much time as we could on the top. Could be very romantic, if about two thousand people weren't around. It was great none the less. Very late night.

Peace and Love, Cris & Bob

Arriving in Paris

May 18, The flight from Heathrow to Paris was good. Although I was pissed about the luggage the people on the ground and in the air were very nice. We got to Paris and found our luggage easily, one bag was open (zipper) one of the fine luggage carriers wanted to check out our undies. Oh Well. Immigration was easy and got to the outside of the terminal for the shuttle that I knew would soon be arriving. I called the shuttle comp. and they said it would arrive in ten minutes. Ten minutes turned into twenty and the thirty and the phone calls were many. Since I had already paid for this one, I was pretty committed. Finally a shuttle arrived and we were able to squeeze in with four golfers from the Czech Republic. Nice conversations, but we all could have used some Binaca. The ride to our hotel took well over an hour and the golfers were dropped off first. Onward and with not so much reckless abandon our driver got us to The Paris Hilton. Paris Hilton is not only and American ho-bag but also a very nice hotel one and a half blocks from the Eiffel Tower. We were looking forward to a quiet night and some dinner in Paris. The day had been long and finally my blood pressure was back down to normal. We got some dinner and had a nice stroll around the area ( re-conn ) so we could plan the next day.

Peace and Love, Cris and Bob

Onward to Paris

May 18, got set to go and had a nice breakfast in the hotel and finished packing the rest of our stuff. The hotel staff had reserved a car for us to arrive at 9am and guess what, it didn't show. I was concerned, and they admitted that they wrote down the wrong date. They got us another car with many apologies and we got on the road. The car got us to FCO in time but dropped us at the wrong terminal. We finally got to British Airways to fly to Paris through Heathrow. When I had booked the flight I had purchased tickets with two luggage pieces each. At the counter the %#$^$%#@$^% that waited on us asked if I had anything in print, no was the answer, so they charged me 76 Euros for two additional bags. I was ready to hurt someone, but Cris kept her head cool and we got through. Imagine that. So we got the plane, flew to Heathrow and got off that plane and had a two hour layover. We were in terminal Five and it is brand new and very nice. They were well organized and people traffic patterns flowed smoothly. After a time and a couple of pints we got on the plane to Paris, I knew there wouldn't be any trouble in Gay Pari because I had already booked transport from the Airport to the Paris Hilton.

Peace & Love, Bob & Cris

Roma

May 17. Rome is an interesting city and the historical aspects are tremendous. We took in the Vatican, Coliseum, many churches and chapels, fountains and all the rest that comes with it. The city itself is small and travel is easy. Trains, buses, planes, bicycles, and the good ole tennis shoe. We had an awesome time using most of the modes of transit. We took in the culture from the aspect of Americans. It seems that different peoples views are not all the same. We talked to others about some things and were surprised that they saw it not quite the same way we did. Alas, the world has various types of folks. The total of our stay in Rome was about some more tours and a very long day to Naples and Pompeii. The bus was comfy, but the trip was long and the fourteen hours before we got back to the hotel were grueling. Pompeii was very interesting in the way it was preserved with the ashes from the volcano( Mt. Vesuvius ) The guide was good and we were with some nice people. Worth the time and the cost of the tour, about $300.00 for the two of us. We got back to the hotel and had to rest before our next venture. We hashed over taking the train to FCO airport, but we chickened and reserved a cab.

Peace and Love, Cris & Bob

Pizza and the Vatican

May 16th 2008, The location of our hotel was far from all the tourist traps, but with the use of public transportation it was very easy to make many visits to the Vatican, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain and all the rest that Roma has to offer. The places to visit were many, and varied in the content of the history and the cultural aspects. To list all the places would be boring to you, but it is fair to say that all the people that made the history of Italy did not waste the effort on us. We took in as much of the history as was possible and did enjoy it quite a bit. The people that dealt with the tourists were for the most part very pleasant and the tour guides were always at their best. Some of the tours were better than the rest, it seemed that is the way. With the train station right at the Vatican, it was quite easy to there frequently. One afternoon we got on the right route train to get to the hotel, the train was an express and it passed or stop by about twenty(20) miles. The result was a bit inconvenient , but we got to see a lot of the original aqueduct that furnished water to the great Roman Empire. Got on a return trip train and got to the hotel. Quite exciting and worth the extra train ride. After the train ride, we would take a bus that dropped us close to the hotel. We also got to see a lot of car and scooter collisions. Most low speed so not too many critical accidents. Drivers there seemed to take a lot of chances. Lots of Love,
Cris & Bob

When In Rome?? May 15, 2008

The flight to Rome was fine, we landed at FCO terminal A, unbeknown to us our luggage went to terminal B. Took some time and a whole lot of foot work to find it. We had already started to file reports when Cris located our lost piece in another terminal. Customs was a breeze, and then into Rome. Another cabby approached and wanted 85 Euros, the cab we got charged us 57. It was quite a ride to our hotel. Roma Cassia north of the city. This hotel was also nice, down a narrow street with apartments all around. Got to the hotel, checked in and got situated. Went for a walk to find an ATM to get some more Euros, and to get the lay of the land. Found a Pizza shop, market, and a warehouse store. Now I a pro at getting veggies and such, using their one scale and tagging it. Water was a commodity that is in demand in Rome as well as the rest of Europe. In the hotel a 16oz bottle is 3Euros and at the store across the street the were 18 centavos. 100 centavos equal one Euro. Guess where we bought our water. Our first night in Rome we ate dinner at the hotel. Dinner was very good, pasta first and then the main course. No drinks this night, a bottle of San Pelligrino (10 Euros) . Too much food to have dessert. Retired to get some rest for the Vatican the next day. Rome will take another post.
Peace and Love to All Cris & Bob

Bye, Bye, Spain

May 13, 2008 We stayed in Spain for a couple of days and then on to Rome. Our visit was a good opportunity to see how the locals live. The hotel was in a residential/commercial area with a very large mall close by. We enjoyed some food at the mall and walked through a large part of the area. Tried to buy some fruits and veggies in the local market, and had much difficulty. The upstairs checkouts had no scales, and then after waiting in line for-ever I found out that you weigh your own stuff ii at the one scale located in the produce dept. By the time we gained this knowledge I was quite angry. No purchase this day. Purchased a power adapter for the computer and the rest of the equipment that works on standard US power. The only casualty was my beard trimmer. Chop chop. The rain was abundant for the time we were there. Hotel was very contemporary, with glass walls for the bathroom, marble walls, granite night stands and solid wooden floors. Very nice, Vinnci Maritimo in Barcelona. Relaxed and enjoyed, then grabbed a taxi for the airport. The airport was a surprise, not too much security and we were ready to go with some time to spare. Gin(Jim) Rummy and coffee at the cafe. On to Rome and new experiences.
Peace and Love to All, Cris & Bob