Tracy's Thinks: Paris - Day 1 a.k.a. Awake 39 Hours Straight

Greetings, you bloggy fans, you! I know I have been remiss in my blogging...really, really remiss. Sorry. :-/
I hope that you will accept an apology in the form of many, many pictures of and random thoughts related to my recent trip to France and England.

Without further ado....

Paris, day 1...a.k.a. Awake 39 hours straight

We breezed through security at DFW - shocker! - to board a fun 9-ish hour flight to Paris, the city of light. Not one person in our little group slept more than 20-30 minutes, so I am calling it as no sleep. Overnight flights are rather disorienting, but we were too excited to be in Paris to worry about that. Upon arrival at Charles de Gaulle, finding our contact to get us on the bus, losing half the group on the elevators, and finally, finally making it to the hotel (where we could not yet check in) and finding that our tour guide was stuck on the train over from England, we decided to stow our bags and head out for a walk and some lunch. Ye olde Francais was a bit rusty, but I managed to order and obtain an interesting lukewarm chicken and cheese sandwich (having forgotten the absolute yumminess that is the ham, cheese, and butter sammy - with which I became well re-acquainted later in the trip). We strolled around the Tour d'Eiffel area, along the Seine, and thoroughly enjoyed (read: kept moving so we would stay awake) a few hours in Paris. We did some shopping, lots of walking, and, BONUS, got caught in the rain, which led to much laughter and running from awning to awning to avoid the torrential downpour that had overtaken the city, while trying to keep 6 people (4 of whom were minors) together in a thoroughly unfamiliar place.

Long story short, we eventually made it back to the hotel, met up with the completely apologetic tour guide, checked into rooms, and regrouped for a short 15 minute walk to dinner (they allllllllways say its just a short 15 minute walk in Europe....always....and rarely is that the case). Dinner was divine, with some sort of mini cheese ravioli with buttery pesto sauce starter, plus delicious Beef Bourginon, awesome bread (of course), followed by a seriously yummy little cake-y dessert with a gooey center and amazing ice cream.

We then walked another short 15 minute walk to do a boat cruise along the Seine. I wish I could say that I remember the cruise in vivid detail....sadly, I do not remember much. I did get a few beautiful pictures, however....