Well, from Luxembourg to Paris, back to Luxembourg and onto Ireland and Scotland-- All in one month!!!
These trips were fabulous. Anna and I spent 5 nights in Paris with my parents during their visit (James joined us for a weekend of fun). It was great to be able to share all the amazing things that I love about the city with my parents. Before going I was a little nervous about how having our wonderful little toddler along would affect the touristy fun, but I needn't have worried too much, Anna Joy is an amazing traveler. We simply went out for a morning of fun and returned to the awesome apartment for a nap (yes, everyone napped). Highlights of the trip were the Musee L'Orangerie with Monet's wrap around waterlilies, seeing the beautiful gardens of Paris, eating the amazing 'glace' (ice-cream), going to Giverny where Monet lived, and topping it off with a fancy French meal. We returned home to Luxembourg, exhausted but happy.
Though I was sad to say good-bye to my parents 2 short days later, we moved quickly onto a massive laundry pile and packing for our 10 day trip to Ireland and Scotland a few days later. Another amazing trip was in store for us here. The most important part of this trip was the fact that James enjoyed the golf and shot great scores (see our picasa photo site for tons of photos and you can make his day by emailing him requesting a hole by hole description of each of the 4 courses he played).
OK, now that that PSA is out of the way--- What a great trip! James stood up admirably to the challenge of driving on the left side of the road, even in a massively oversized SUV in Ireland and then a sleek Mercedes in Scotland. The scenery was amazing, so lush and the gorse (thorny bushes) all over the countryside was flowering a beautiful yellow. James and I began talking about a return trip to Ireland before we had even left the Isles. Highlights: Cliffs of Moher in Ireland and the West coast was truly a breath-takingly raw beauty; staying at the Westin in Turnberry Scotland and being pampered beyond anything we had previously experienced (and may ever experience again at those prices); and all the castles and ruins of castles along the countryside were just plain cool. Anna's favorite parts were probably the pool at the Westin, seeing 'ba-ba's' (sheep) as we drove around, and seeing the airplanes.
The only bummer about the trip was the abysmal exchange rate for dollar to pounds (also for dollar to Euro, but we live with that every day!). We feel blessed to have seen and done as much as we did! I think Anna was happy to get back home and be done with car rides that lasted several hours :)
