Iowa v Iowa State

Went to our cousins in England to watch the Iowa vs Iowa State.  We hooked the computer up to the TV and watched the unfortunate debacle.

In positive news we had a fantastic meal that our cousin made us.  We knew a lot about her but didn't know she was such a fantastic cook.  It was just like home!

What I miss most about home

I miss you the reader the most obviously, but other than that I miss the $1 bill more than anything.

Not because it was weakening against the Euro for most of our time here (thankfully for us it is currently rebounding and is at $1.34 per Euro at time of writing). 

Not because it is the world's reserve currency and a bastion of safety.

Not for the ideals it represents of life, liberty, and freedom.

                           

Nope, I miss it most of all for the fact whenever I buy anything in cash here I get a pocket full of change as the smallest bill is the 5 Euro.

Eifel Tower

Not much to say about the Eiffel tower, but we did take some photos at various times during the day.

Paris - Random

As you are most likely a frequent visitor to this blog :) you know that we like to post some of the random things we see on our adventures.

If you have ever been to Paris then you have most likely seen the hoards of salesman with mini eiffel towers on humongous key rings or other assorted knick knacks on blankets.  They always have one eye out for the cops as well.  At the Eiffel Tower we saw the cops try to take down one ring of sellers however they got across the street which we assume was no longer in jurisdiction and just taunted the police.  Look for a fine piece of street junk as one your gifts this Christmas.

At Sacre Coeur we saw the purse sellsers get busted with all the Louis Vitton and Coach bags being comfiscated. 

Billy Ray here played a mean Saxophone, probably the best European mullet so far.

Herbie takes Paris.

A poor mans Kimbo Slice, and that is saying something.



When I first saw this sign I thought they were paying homage to our former President.

Table for 50 please.

1) The wife and I on a stroll through paris.

2) Oh Eddie, you shouldn't have

3) The lady on the right is just jealous

The Asian Elvis

Going tailgating!

When we entered this place I thought we would see photos of Larry the Legend, the 500, an empty football stadium, maybe even a Bobby Knight chair.  Unfortunately, this place had the term Indiana and Indian (as in Native American) very confused.  The entire place was done in Native American photos and signs.

The Louvre

We couldn't go to Paris and forget to visit The Louvre so set aside half a day to take it in. A big thank you to Grandma who watched our daughter while we took in the exhibits that day.  It wouldn't have been nearly as nice with all of the stairs that you have to navigate.
Despite the original negative press surrounding I. M. Pei's pyramids, I thought it added a nice look to the Louvre and the surroundings.  If you ever get to the Louvre make sure that you don' t go in the main entrance which is pictured.  The fastest way is through the Carousel de Louvre shopping center just off of the Louvre.

An ostentatious stature of Louis XIV who we learned a lot about while visiting Paris.  Look for a follow up post on his Palace in Versailles.

Underneath the entrance to the Louvre

One of the highlights was the statue of Silvius Evandrus Ruth, the first triple crown winner and three time MVP of the Florentian League.  Unable to choose between all the teams he played for he chose to enter the hall of fame uniformless.

Winged Victory of Samothrace was an inspiring peace and originates from the 2nd century BC.

The crown jewels of France.

Mona Lisa from a far

Mona Lisa a little closer

Almost there

And here she is

A head on a platter

We were amazed at the sheer size of some of the paintings, including the crowning of Napoleon.

Venus de Milo

Gummy de Milo

What do you think of this one Beavis?

There is so much to see at The Louvre that we chose to see the main highlights, of which some were included above.  After that we chose to explore the Egyptian wing which we have included a few highlights below.

Locked Up Abroad

If you have ever seen the show Locked Up Abroad you know that a foreign prison is not a place you ever want to visit.  I recently had some items smuggled into the country and thankfully none of the mules ended up in prison.

I'm not sure how the BBQ Sauce got here but hopefully it wasnt' like this.  I don't ask questions though.

The good news is that the sauce made it here safe and sound.  A big thanks to the BBQ "mules" who brought it here.  We now have the enjoyment of Al & Irene's, Cookies, and Sweet Baby Rays.

The World Is Mine!



* Disclaimer for any lawyers who are related and may be reading while having a mini-meltdown (you know who you are), it is not illegal to bring BBQ sauce into the country

Paris - The Food

One of the many great things about Paris was the food.  Many of the items were new to us and the majority we really enjoyed.  Feel free to play guess who ate what as you proceed.  You can't go to Paris without having Escargot (not sure if that is true or if I just made it up) so we started with an appetizer of it.

Next on menu was a plate of roasted duck in an orange sauce.





And the meal was capped off by some profiterolls

Another meal started with a carrot salad ( this one will be a tough guess)

And included free water which is always a plus over here

A steak and potatoes were next

Along with chicken with cream sauce and rice

And some chocolate ice cream for dessert!

The birthday dinner included a filet of fish (very french sounding) at Cafe Charlot in the Marais District

With a chicken salad

A quick lunch brought paninis and some tremendous dessert.

Underneath the rasberry powder was a chocolate lava cake

As we were in Paris for 7 days we made time for an American burger which was delicious.

Even the Coca-Cola is fashionable in Paris, the Karl Lagerfeld and Daft Punk editions

Mmmm.... Roasted Pig

And duck

Not sure what type of sausage this was but it was fantastic

And some slow roasted beef.

The menu for this dish was translated incorrectly, I thought I was getting duck breast with garlic apples (not sure what that would have been like) but ended up getting duck breast with garlic potatoes which were great. 

And of course we had to get a crepe.