Next stop

You think Bill Clinton was a Fleetwood Mac fan? Well, the British have a palace named for Lindsey Buckingham!

So we went over there and explored the grounds and adjoining park a bit.















Coming up next... British birds! (Okay, it's just photos of some birds there in the park, but they had a neat variety.)

London

Okay, on with our trip. The next stop was London. We took Marc's mom to the London Eye, a first for me and Marc, too. Basically, it's a huge ferris wheel. It takes you up about 400 feet, providing great views of the city (limited primarily by the thickness of the day's air).


The line for the Eye


One of the compartments in which passengers ride


The Millenium Bridge (I think)


Marc and his mom enjoy the view


Parliament


Looking up the Thames


I don't remember what this is


That appears to be St. Paul's in the middle of the photo. I blogged about it during the trip.


One of the other compartments with Parliament behind it






As the ride nears the end, an announcement comes on that a photo will be taken, in case anyone wants to mug for the camera (which you can see here outside the compartment). After the ride, there's an opportunity to buy the photos for an exorbitant price.


After the London Eye, we hopped onto one of London's double-decker buses to head to our next stop. A bit on that next time.

Trying to find the will to post more photos

It's time to get this show back on the road. The problem is that it's a bit miserable here. Our central air conditioning isn't working. The company that installed and maintains it was out yesterday, but it couldn't be fixed then. It had frozen up and had to defrost.

So they'll be back tomorrow to get it working again. In the meantime, it's hot and humid.

Yes, I know. Most people in this world live without central air. Fine, call me spoiled, but it's not an easy adjustment!

So now I'm going to go sulk (and have something cold to drink). When I can find the will to Photoshop more trip photos (to reduce each one's resolution) and post them, I will. Promise!

Her name was Chanel

I had planned to continue posting trip photos, but this is more important. This is about Chanel.

She was 16 years old.

She was a straight-A student.

I never met her, but I understand that she was a lovely girl. She also was lovely, in terms of her looks. This I know from photos I've seen of her face in the past several days.

Her mother is one of our employees.

This afternoon, I went with a colleague to a wake for Chanel.

Eleven days ago, Chanel left her home to go to the local Applebee's and apply for a job. She never made it there. About a week ago, her body was found in a trash bag. She had been strangled.

I'm not a very religious man, but I said a prayer as I stood in front of her open casket today. I asked God for peace for her soul, and I asked God for justice for those who are responsible for this unspeakable murder.

A final note to the New York Post reporter who stopped me and my colleague as we left: I know that rag you work for isn't even worth lining birdcages, but is asking "how does this make you feel?" really the best question you can come up with? (Needless to say, we weren't inclined to chat.)

The Paris I Love

The title of this post is actually the title of a book that my cousin gave me when I first visited Paris in 1981. That aside, it fits. Paris is a gorgeous city. It's also fun, charming and comfortable.

I already posted a couple of these photos in an early post about this trip. So if a couple look familiar, that's why. Now, they're just taking their place in the proper order of the shots, as I took them...




Young people gather on the little islands and along the banks of the Seine in the evening.


Look at that. No landmarks or special structures. Just neighborhood buildings, and it's beautiful!


More people hanging out along the Seine. A few years back, Marc and I took a stroll with our cousins along one bank. It's lovely and relaxing.


Sunset in Paris


Hotel de Ville (City Hall)


Hotel de Ville and fountains


Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe

To those who commented on the prior posts, thank you! It's always nice to know the photos are appreciated.

Paris (part I)

Our chariot, ready to take us to Paris.


We traveled in the first class section (which was part of our rail passes).


Inside. It was very comfy!


Even at 200 miles an hour, there was plenty to see. The French countryside is gorgeous!






Marc's mom loved the view. She was writing in her journal, but she took lots of time out to just soak up the view.

After arriving in Paris, we headed for the Eiffel Tower. We went all the way to the top, but you can't really get photos from there (it has dirty little windows, and there's no clear view). So here are some views from the observation deck...








Enjoying the view.




Looking up from the second level observation deck.




I like this photo because of the shadow of the Tower.






Here, you can see the Seine in the foreground and Montmartre in the distance (Sacré Coeur is the most obvious feature).

After the Eiffel Tower, we took a boat tour on the Seine...


The bridge of the boat with name of the boat company.


This is a really interesting place to shop.






The Assemblée Nationale of France (their Congress, if I'm not mistaken).


A tour boat that lets you get on and off at various locations.


Adornment on one of the bridges over the Seine.


A boat similar to ours, heading the opposite direction.

Okay, I guess that's enough for today! More soon!