My European Vacation - Day Four - The Aquarium

There are advantages and disadvantages to doing a lot of preplanning. There are also a lot of advantages and disadvantages of taking a non adventuresome teenager on vacation.

We had decided last night that we would have a kind of quiet day today. I would spend the morning geocaching while she stayed at the hotel - hopefully to rest up and be ready for when I arrived back at one PM.

I started the day off with the bike ride to Centre Ville. Then I took a walk to the first geocache. It was almost a KM away and while I could have taken the bike, I did not want to be looking at a GPS and ride the bike, so I walked. On my way I noticed that there was NO LINE to get into Notre Dame, so I dipped in for a quick peek. Such a beautiful cathedral. Just gorgeous with those beautiful Rose Windows which I believe are the subject of a quilting book!!!

Anyway - then I started to walk along the Seine - got a picture of Dora (the geocaching travel bug) with Notre Dame in the background. Past a bridge with the locks on it. Arrived at the Jardin de Plants where the cache was hidden. Quick work to arrive at the location, but NOT quick work to locate the cache. It is located in a stone wall and I am trying to discreetly check the stones and not get my hand bitten off by something foreign. There were joggers and other visitors, so I quietly poked away with my stick. NOTHING. I can't believe it - how can there be nothing - I have searched in EVERY hole. I take a walk around the entire circular path and yes - end up in the same spot. How about I expand my search - and HEY - what is this loose stone. Why there is the cache right behind it!!!!!!    Thank God - I would have been so mad if I did not find it and there are FEW caches big enough to put a travel bug in. Dora went into this one and I left - hopped on a bike and off to the start of the next cache.

The next on was a multicache (6 parts in total). I managed to find the first 5 parts and solved the 6th, but ran out of time. So I grabbed a bike and headed back to the hotel to find that M had done NOTHING, but go to McDonald's for breakfast which she ate in the room and was on the internet the entire time!!!!!!   When I said we were ready - she needed a shower - NO WAY - I drug her out of the room and we were off. What is it with teenagers - I WILL NOT be taking her on another vacation. I want to have fun on my vacation and she is a bit of a drag!!!!!

Well as you know - Marian had told me the location of a second quilt store and it was within walking distance of our hotel. So we set off to locate it, which we did with no problem. Alas - all the fabric in the store is from AMERICA!!!!!   Well I knew that, but I was hoping to find something from France. There was a SMALL container of blues and reds and whites and I selected a fat quarter of red and white. I have to tell you - there were pretty ugly!!!!!   OK - so I like brights and oranges - what can I say. At least I bought something from France. Now I was hoping at least that there would be patterns from France - NOTHING. They had few patterns and they were all familiar to me - well most of them. Can't be buying that - but hey - what is this in the corner????   Well - it is some cute kits from JAPAN!!!!!   So I picked up two small kits. If Marian wants one - she will have to stop here to get one!!!!

Got a picture in front of the store and then we stopped at a cafe for lunch.

Our original plan was to wander around the area of our hotel but during lunch we decided to go to the Aquarium which is close to the Eiffel Tower. I know - when in Paris - do what the teenagers wants!!!!!   I mean how many people can say they have been in Paris for 4 days and NOT hit a cathedral or a museum!!!!   Only a teenager!!!   We decided to hop on the Metro which was right in front of the cafe we had lunch and after a quick consult of the map - I saw that we didn't even have to change Metro lines. We bought our tickets and soon were at the Aquarium. I mean - really - if anyone is looking for an easy European city to get around - Paris is EASY!!!!!

The aquarium wasn't cheap, but hey - if it is going to make the kid happy - then I'll do it. We get in and I start to adjust my camera for the dim lighting only to realize that I had NO CARD in the damn thing!!!!!!   I had left it at the hotel in the computer from loading the pictures into my blog. And I wasn't using the screen so I didn't see the message. CRAP CRAP CRAP!!!!!!   If I had even known - I had my other camera with me. Well it isn't a big deal - I can go back to Notre Dame, but Dora - I didn't get the picture of Dora. Well - I screwed up all the other pictures of her so why not this one!!!!!

I let M take lots of pictures since she had a good camera and I was now with just my little one. It didn't too long to go through the aquarium, but it made her happy so I was happy. Then we sat on the edge of the huge fountain outside Trocadero and watched that for over an hour. It is weird since about every 10 minutes a new feature was turned on. After an hour - everything was turned off and the big water cannons were turned on. It was weird, but it was a nice spot to sit and rest. I could have nodded off to sleep at this point.

Not very hungry these days - but we did stop for an ice cream. Then M decides that she needs to get back to the hotel because her face is bothering her. She is taking some medication that is affecting her face badly. While we were finishing the ice cream on a park bench two guys walked by and then they got stopped by the police and asked to show ID. Something about walking out of a restaurant - I didn't really pay attention, but added some excitement to the day!!!!

Back on the Metro and back to the hotel. It was funny because when we walked out of the station this time - we sure felt a LOT more confident than the first day we walked out with our luggage and no idea where we were or where we were going.

And now we are safely ensconced in the hotel room. M is fast asleep and I am reading my book.

I am NOT loading pictures tonight because I will likely forget my card in the computer and well - I don't have much to load any way!!!!!   I am such a DOLT!!!!!!!

And I heard through the grapevine that the weather at our next destination SUCKS - two weeks of torrential rain and more rain to come. Hmmmmm  well good thing we have NO definite plans from here and will make changes as we need to. I am all for staying in the nice weather here - no rain - warm and today was humid, but then when you are lugging a DEAD camera - and a small bag - it is hot!!!!!

Yes - I am tired as well and not from all the walking. I can't sleep well at night. We need the windows open to keep cool, but the noise from the street is bugging me. Well finally I got up and put in ear plugs and I slept through the rest of the night. Tonight - windows wide open and ear plugs in!!!!!!   M sleeps through it all with SEVERAL blankets on. I guess I am just too old for that!!!!

That's it for me!!!!

Have a great day!!!!!


Ciao!!! (bonjour!)