Good old Chuck Lindbergh

We started out at the Air and Space museum where we saw the Spirit of St.Louis, Apollo 11, and the Wright Bros plane. The museum was very special. We had lunch and then we went to the Hirshhorn museum where Johnny got into a lively debate with an art docent named Stephanie about how he feels about modern art. The exchange was priceless. We made our way to the national archive to see the constitution and the bill of rights...it was ok, felt a little like Chevy Chase in Vacation at the Grand Canyon.

DC day 1

The Capitol building is already preparing for Obama's big day. Our tour guide was a 60 year-old lady on a power trip with a voice that reminded me of nails on a chalkboard. If she wasn't leading us I might have enjoyed myself more. We had a pretty darn good lunch at Good Stuff Eatery owned by Top Chef contestant Spike...the guy who wore the fedora style hat all the time. Anyway, after a wedge salad and a burger we made our way to 1600 Pennsylvania AVE, or so we thought. We had really walked the opposite direction towards 1600 Pennsylvania AVE SE and we were steadily approaching Virginia! We ended up skipping that, having dinner in Chinatown, and seeing the Jefferson Monument at night (a scary walk, but cool). All in all it was a good day!

A brief intermission in Detroit

Detroit...yeah, I'm pretty sure this is one of the most impressive sights. Its a long tunnel with glass sides and lights here at Detroit Metro. Next stop-Ronald Reagan!

Balloon Dog at Versailles

Today, we braved the metro and after some initial confusion, we made it from Paris to Versailles. After we suffered through the hour long ticket line, we walked up to the entrance and there it was, a huge Jeff Koons piece! I recognized it immediately, and to my very pleasant surprise, his most famous works were on exhibit throughout the entire chateau (including Michael Jackson and Bubbles! If you haven't seen this, Google it!). It was surreal to see modern art mixed in amongst the overwhelming opulence of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette's digs. After Versailles, we came back to the city,took a recommendation from Rick Steves, and hit Rue Cler. The pedestrian street is full of produce stands, cafes, wine, and cheese shops. We had an amazing meal and picked up some fresh bread and cheese for back at the George V. It was a perfect last day in France!

I met Mona!

I had a very busy day! Between Mona and Venus de Milo, I was able to see my favorite Delacroix painting of all time! The Louvre was a tad overwhelming, but it inspired me to make the most of my day. I hit the musee d'Orsay next to check out the famous impressionists collection. I got to see tons of Van Gogh, including his bedroom for the second time, along with Degas statues of dancers and Monet's waterlilies. The museum is set in an old converted railway station which is beautiful, but in my opinion not optimal for a "logical" tour of the collection. After that we walked to the Latin Quarter to check out the Pantheon (where Voltaire is buried) and the Sorbonne. We had lunch on Rue Mouffetard, one of the oldest street markets in Paris, before taking the subway back to our hotel. My feet don't like me very much, but I was able to get a lot covered today. I'm thinking of checking out the view from the top of the Eiffel tower tonight. Should I be cheap and take the stairs? or spring for the lift? If you know me, you know the answer to that...

Money ain't a thing

Apparently if you are with Janet Jackson you are canonized as a Saint in France...

Flying Buttresses

Notre-Dame (Our Lady) is a breathtaking gothic masterpiece. The stained glass windows, some dating back to the 13th century, are like nothing I have ever seen. We moved to the George V today, the crown jewel of the Four Seasons in Europe, and I am very pleased with the large antique chandelier over my bed! I think it might be fashion week here, or perhaps they are gearing up for fashion week, but Nina Garcia was spotted, and there are models everywhere!