We began at the Marché des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market in Paris, France. It was established in the early 1600’s and is located at 39 Rue de Bretagne in the Marais (3rd) arrondissement.

The name in English translates as “Market of the Red Children” and refers to the children clothed in red (the color of charity) who were cared for in a nearby orphanage.

 The market offers an incredible selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, cooked foods, bread and flowers, all behind the small iron gate.

From the Marche de L’enfante Rouge we passed the
Hôtel de Ville,
as we did frequently since it was near our hotel. It is the building housing the city’s local administration. Standing on the place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, it has been the location of the municipality of Paris since 1357. It serves multiple functions, housing the local administration, the Mayor of Paris, and also serves as a venue for large receptions.

Crossing this beautiful bridge (pont d Arcole over the River Seine), we stopped for pics then continued to our next destination.

The view was gorgeous

   and the sun was so warm and bright

 how about those shoes!?! They aren’t pretty but logging that many miles, comfort was the only way to go. And, I wasn’t alone wearing them. To my surprise, even in this fashion capital of the world, we saw many non-tourists opting for similar foot apparel.

Crossing this intersection we were heading to the tower on the right.  Do you recognize it?

It is Notre Dame Cathedral built eight centuries ago!

Notre-Dame de Paris  “French for “Our Lady of Paris”, is a historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. source

 Notre Dame has endured destruction and subsequent restoration in many periods. However, much of the facade and interior still are true to the original designs. In the 16th century, both the Huguenots and the French king vandalized and changed a lot of the cathedral’s contents.

  Many of the features on the cathedral’s exterior were removed because they were considered to be idolatrous, and tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed in the name of modernization. The cathedral was converted into a storage warehouse for food, during the French Revolution, and the heads of many of Notre Dame’s statues were removed.

 As you can see, there were a lot of people here.

Appointed bishop of Paris in 1160, Maurice de Sully decided to give the capital a cathedral worthy of France’s largest city. He wanted to build it in the Gothic style. King Louis VII, encouraged the project. Construction began in 1163, and Notre-Dame would be completed some 100 years later, in 1272. During this time, many craftsmen’s guilds (tailors, sculptors, carpenters, joiners, masons, and glassblowers) worked relentlessly under the supervision of seasoned architects. source

Leaving Notre Dame, it was off to

SAINTE CHAPPELL

Hard to imagine what beauty we would see behind the doors as we waited in line on this Paris street.  

Sainte Chapelle, a royal medieval Gothic chapel, is a chapel on top of a chapel.  

This photo is the lower, ground level chapel just as we walked in.

Begun some time after 1239 and consecrated on 26 April 1248, the Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture. It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns—one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom.

Although damaged during the French Revolution, and restored in the 19th century, it is one of the most extensive in-situ 13th-century stained glass anywhere in the world.

 Sainte-Chapelle stands squarely upon this lower chapel.

 Low vaulted ceilings rest on fine columns with crocketed capitals, linked by anchor braces made of wood or stone. The walls are decorated with trefoiled arcades and twelve medallions representing the Apostles.

French fleurs de lys on an azure background and towers of Castile alternate on the columns. The towers are an homage to Blanche of Castile, Saint Louis’ mother.  

 The vaulted ceiling is painted to resemble star-filled heavens, and the floor contains tombstones covering the sepulchres of treasurers and reverends of the Sainte-Chapelle. During the period of the monarchy, the lower chapel was reserved for palace staff. source

Then… walking up a narrow,winding staircase to the upper, royal chapel, I was unprepared to see this…

 truly breathtaking

We entered the upper chapel from the stairs located at the bottom left of this photo. I was so taken by the glorious sight, I paused just inside the room giving me opportunity to hear the almost involuntarily gasps and aahs of each person that came behind me. 

 The Sainte-Chapelle was a palace chapel, directly connected to the king’s palace and used by the king and his court.

 The upper chapel is resplendent in its Gothic architecture – light, color, and space blend to inspire a sense of harmony between art and religious faith. Architects, sculptors and painters evidently took the greatest care with the interior of the upper chapel, as this was the part of the building reserved for the king, his close friends and family, as well as for displaying the religious relics. source

The rose window was replaced in 1490-1495 in a style known as Flamboyant (because it looks like flames). Originally, the window probably contained scenes from the Apocalypse.

The back of Sainte Chapelle where we exited, is attached to Palais de Justice, a Paris governmental building.

looking to the top left is part of Sainte Chapelle.

Leaving Sainte Chapelle we walked to a wine tasting The cost was covered by our Paris Pass and it was fun, interesting and informative.

 Hitting the pavement once again

We took the Metro to the Trocadéro, an area of Paris, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.

It was still daylight when we arrived so we found a bench where we sat, rested, took in the sights and John enjoyed a Parisian Crêpe beneath the Eiffel Tower.  How iconic is that! 🙂

After this long and exciting day, we headed for the Metro to make our way to our hotel

Imagine our surprise as we surfaced from the metro nearest our hotel to find bustling crowds and a festive nightlife. 

busy street with  Hôtel de Ville in the background

Autumn in Paris is about falling leaves … and Nuit Blanche, a free all-night event with many museums open and with free admission. It means, “sleepless night in Paris.”

 Every first Saturday in October, beginning at sunset, Paris takes to the streets to celebrate contemporary art. Installations, light displays and music.

and thus ended our very long day in Paris!

 

Our last day of London and it was as perfect as all the others. High of 65 F and low of 49 F.

This photo was taken in the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel. We stepped inside for a peek and I was drawn to these steps.  Regal with just a hint of suspense, don’t you think?

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We had been doing a great job learning and getting around using the transit system in London, but this day it got confusing and we walked further than we needed. For the first time (the only time, really, during the entire trip) our feet and hips were sore and we felt tired.

But, as in these wise words, we resolved to 

(public domain photo)

Top Photo of me with a Beefeater

The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right, a point the Yeomen Warders acknowledge.


In 2011, there were 37 Yeomen Warders and one Chief Warder. All warders are retired from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms and must be former senior non-commissioned officers or petty officers with at least 22 years of service. They must also hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal. source

TOWER OF LONDON

We took the circle line to The Tower of London

Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952), although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. 

 The moat around the tower

 We walked to the Tower Bridge

THE CROWN JEWELS

The Crown Jewels at the Tower of London are a unique working collection of royal regalia and are still regularly used by The Queen in important national ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament.

Photos were not allowed  but I was able to gather some via the internet.  Truly dazzling!
The closest I came to a Royal Crown was in a gift shop that featured a wall camera. If I stood in just the right spot with my head in the right positions, I had a crown upon my head.

 The Tower of London reflected in the glass of a modern building

Another old with the new shot with the Shard standing in the background.

COURTAULD GALLERY

We hurried to get in a visit to the Courtauld Gallery in Somerset 
The Courtauld Gallery is located at the Strand entrance of Somerset House, in the heart of London with an extensive collection of paintings, mainly French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.

From the Courtauld Gallery we took the underground to Westminster Abbey where we followed a self-guided audio tour. This Gothic style Abbey church was founded in the 10th century and rebuilt in 1517.  It is a traditional place of coronations and burial site of British monarchs

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Westminster Abbey is steeped in more than a thousand years of history. Benedictine monks first came to this site in the middle of the tenth century, establishing a tradition of daily worship which continues to this day.


The Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the final resting place of seventeen monarchs. The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245, is one of the most important Gothic buildings in the country, with the medieval shrine of an Anglo-Saxon saint still at its heart.


A treasure house of paintings, stained glass, pavements, textiles and other artefacts, Westminster Abbey is also the place where some of the most significant people in the nation’s history are buried or commemorated. Taken as a whole the tombs and memorials comprise the most significant single collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the United Kingdom. source 

 internet photos of Westminster Abbey interior including the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (in the top right photo)
The present building dates mainly from the reign of King Henry III. In 1245 he pulled down the eastern part of the 11th century Abbey, which had been founded by King Edward the Confessor and dedicated in 1065. Earlier in Henry’s reign, on 16 May 1220, he had laid the foundation stone for a new Lady Chapel at the east end of the Confessor’s church, but as the Abbey’s own financial resources were not sufficient to continue the rebuilding of the whole church at this time no other work was carried out. source

walking the corridor of the Westminster cloister

sunbeams shining into the cloister

Cloister Courtyard

a stop at The Abbey Shop

enjoying a rest in the afternoon sunshine just outside the Abbey

PARLIAMENT BUILDING

walking toward the Parliament Building

quite impressive

and, just for fun…

Beauty can be found in places we visit and it can be found in friendship.

This is Scotney Castle located in Kent, England

The morning of the decided day, John and I walked to King’s Cross station to board a train to Tunbridge Wells Station.  

photo source

Royal Tunbridge Wells is a large town in western Kent, England, about 40 miles south-east of central London by road, 34.5 miles by rail.

This dear lady was waiting right where we stepped out of the station!
I have come to love Lindsey’s adorable grandchildren through her posts and am always inspired by the beautiful knitted, sewn and quilted creations she has made. But it is her kind, friendly manner that most warms my heart.

We walked to her car and after introductions, her husband, Ray, got into the wrong right side of the car and we began driving on the wrong left side of the road to our destination. 😉

 Walking the lovely grounds on such a perfect autumn day was made even more special with this dear couple.

At the top of the garden stands a house which was built to replace the Old Castle between 1835 and 1843. This is known as Scotney New Castle, or simply Scotney Castle, and was designed by Anthony Salvin. It is an early, example of Tudor Revival architectural style in 19th century Britain. Following the death of the resident, Elizabeth Hussey, in 2006, this house was opened to the public for the first time on June 6, 2007

 Scotney Castle is an English country house with formal gardens south-east of Lamberhurst in the valley of the River Bewl in Kent, England. It belongs to the National Trust.

 Stopping often for photos as everywhere held beautiful views.

 Shared an anniversary kiss at their suggestion

We marveled at the sights

We toured the house.

 The gardens, which are an example of the Picturesque style, are open to the public. The central feature is the ruins of a medieval, moated manor house, Scotney Old Castle, which is on an island on a small lake. The lake is surrounded by sloping, wooded gardens with rhododendrons, azaleas, kalmia and spectacular autumn colour.

 view from Scotney Castle toward the house at the top of the hill

I didn’t think to get photos of our lovely lunch together at the courtyard cafe where we enjoyed soup, sandwiches and where I had a wonderful scone with clotted cream and jam.  But the best part was the heartfelt conversation sharing the joys of family and faith.

As if their sweet company wasn’t enough, this kind couple gave us delightful gifts.
Lindsey knitted me a beautiful washcloth tied onto her delicious berry jam, a pottery bowl made by her talented husband, a tin of Welch tea along with a recipe booklet filled with Welch teatime recipes and a sweet hand carved lovespoon, a traditional Welsh craft that dates back to the seventeenth century. It was a perfect gift to remember our anniversary as well as our time together.

Blogging friends are very real friends, indeed.
Thank you, Lindsey and Ray, for sharing your time and yourselves!
We enjoyed every moment with you both!

 After finishing our time at St. Paul’s and crossing the Millennium Bridge, I took this shot looking back across the Themes at the dome of the cathedral. The Themes flows from west to east (left to right) and is affected by the North Sea’s tides, so the river level does rise and fall twice a day.

 Even from the bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe catches your eye.

Built in 1997, the Globe is a realistic replica.

The original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by the playing company, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, to which Shakespeare belonged, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. The fire was caused by an accident with a cannon during a production of Henry VIII. The theatre was rebuilt by June 1614, but was officially closed by pressure of Puritan opinion in 1642 and demolished in 1644.

Another gorgeous door with a plaque informing that Christopher Wren lived here during the building of St. Paul’s Cathedral as well as in 1502, Catherine of Aragon who became the first wife of Henry VIII, took shelter on her first landing in London.

Throughout London we enjoyed the talent of musicians. Many times in the underground stations or sidewalks. This young man, dressed so dapper, made music using a bow and saw.  

The Musical Saw is generally played seated with the handle squeezed between the legs, and the far end held with one hand. Some sawcerors play standing, either with the handle between the knees and the blade sticking out in front of them, or with the handle under the chin (like a violin). The saw is usually played with the serrated edge, or “teeth”, facing the body, though some players face them away. Some saw players file down the teeth for added comfort. To sound a note, a sawceror first bends the blade into an S-curve. The parts of the blade that are curved are damped from vibration, and do not sound. At the center of the S-curve a section of the blade remains relatively flat. This section, the “sweet spot”, can vibrate across the width of the blade, producing a distinct pitch: the wider the section of blade, the lower the sound. Sound is usually created by drawing a bow across the back edge of the saw at the sweet spot, or sometimes by striking the sweet spot with a mallet. The sawist controls the pitch by adjusting the S-curve, making the sweet spot travel up the blade (toward a thinner width) for a higher pitch, or toward the handle for a lower pitch. Harmonics can be created by playing at varying distances on either side of the sweet spot. Sawcerors can add vibrato by shaking one of their legs or by wobbling the hand that holds the tip of the blade. Once a sound is produced, it will sustain for quite a while, and can be carried through several notes of a phrase.

Walking on toward Southwark Bridge (London Bridge is two bridges past this one).

Daybag on his back, map tucked under his arm, souvenir bag in his hand and
 trying to use GPS with sketchy WIFI, this tourist still makes my heart skip. 

 unexpected grove of birch trees called out photo-opp

This amazing yellow door called to me before we got off the bridge.

Just look at this beautiful building! It’s The Anchor and is a pub in the London Borough of Southwark, on the South Bank of the Thames. Built in 1615, a tavern establishment has been at the pub’s location for over 800 years.

See the faint, pointy building in the background?  It is called The Shard and I will share more about it in a future post.  Amazing to see the old and the modern (including the store fronts) nestled together.  

Michelin’s travel guide states that Anchor Bankside was rebuilt in 1676 after the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed it. The establishment was also rebuilt again in the 19th century.The Anchor has been described as “Bankside’s oldest surviving tavern” source

Turn the corner and it looks as though we’ve entered Charles Dickens era as we passed by the Clink Prison Museum.

The Clink was a notorious prison in Southwark, England which functioned from the 12th century until 1780. The manor and prison were owned by the Bishop of Winchester and situated next to his residence at Winchester Palace. The Clink was possibly the oldest men’s prison and probably the oldest women’s prison in England.

The origins of the name “The Clink” are uncertain, but is possibly derived from the sound of striking metal as the prison’s doors were bolted, or the rattling of the chains the prisoners wore. source

For centuries to be thrown into the Clink has meant to be jailed. The Clink was a real and fearsome English prison. Because it was independent from London law and owned by the Bishop of Winchester, it could make up its own rules. It was a huge source of money for the Church because the only way to escape harsh punishments that included flogging, boiling in oil, starvation, breaking on the rack and wheel and prisoners being forced to stand in freezing water until their feet rotted was to repeatedly pay enormous bribes. source

 This wall with the medieval rose window is all that remains of Winchester Palace. It was once an 80-acre estate with gardens, fountains, tennis courts, working farm and fish-stocked lake. Bishops from 1106 to 1626 live here as wealthy, worldly rulers. (Rick Steves)

 Borough Market

 notice the variety of mushrooms!

 Best Fish & Chips John ever had!

and my chicken wrap was d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s!

Oh, what an adventure it was! All during our planning I thought, “I can’t believe we are doing this.” Now, I think, “I can’t believe were were there!”  Our heads and hearts are full of exciting memories and experiences. Each photo transports us to the very moment and the thrill returns.

Before leaving the Philadelphia airport, we made sure to head to terminal A to see my niece, Eva’s beautiful glass bouquet display.

 Our overnight flight arrived in London Heathrow just as dawn was breaking. The light peeking over the thick clouds as we began our decent was beautiful. The cloudy sky soon turned a beautiful blue filled with white, fluffy clouds.

After landing, going through security, customs and baggage claim, we made our way to the Piccadilly Line to take the underground (also known as the Tube) train to Kings Cross Station. Just a short walk and we arrived at our hotel to drop off bags. The friendly and helpful staff had our room ready early.  It was small, clean, okay WiFi and a window that opened to the back of the building where the wonderful smell of cooking bacon and sausage woke us each morning as they prepared a complimentary breakfast.  We love Alhambra hotel, their very nice staff and the convenient location to transit.

Straight way to pick up the London Pass we purchased before we left, then a walk to the National Portrait Gallery.

 Around the corner from the National Portrait Gallery is The National Gallery where we viewed amazing works by Cézanne, Seurat, Monet, van Dyck, Rubens, van Gogh, Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, Botticelli to name just a few.

Inside The National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.

Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. From the 14th to the late 17th century, much of the area occupied by Trafalgar Square was the courtyard of the Great Mews stabling, which served Whitehall Palace.



In the early 18th century, the mews area was cleared. In 1812 the architect John Nash set about developing‘a new street from Charing Cross to Portland Place forming an open square in the Kings Mews opposite Charing Cross’. He wanted the space to be a cultural space, open to the public. In 1830, it was officially named Trafalgar Square. source

 The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square

 late afternoon clouds began to gather while at Trafalgar Square

Such a vibrant and exciting open area
(I really liked the Anti-Theft Cross-Body Bag.  It was comfortable to wear, kept everything safe and I wore it from the time I left the hotel until I returned so you will see it in every photo)

After all the walking we had done, a 2 1/2 hour Original Bus Tour provided a lovely overview and interesting drive all through London highlighting the gorgeous buildings and places.

 This is how it looked when we began the bus tour

After the bus tour it was a tube ride back to King’s Cross station and a short walk to our hotel for much needed sleep. We had been up for more than 33 hours with only a brief nap on the airplane.
London time was 5 hours ahead of our local time but we did not experience jet lag. Just too excited, I guess.

🙂