And we are off

We are sitting in the Eugene airport and ready to go. I have been waiting to post about Paris because there is so much that I want to do that I can't say for sure what we are going to do.

If you break Paris up into 'areas' then you have about 14 sections of varying places (museums, parks, markets, etc.). Here are some of the areas and what I would most want to see.

• Invalides and Eiffel Tower - We are staying a block from the Eiffel Tower so I thought I would start here. The most suggested activity is of course is a picnic with a baquette, champagne, and fruit. I think we will also visit musée Rodin to see The Thinker.
• Chaillot Quarter - Palais de Chaillot
• Champs-Elysees - Petit Palais
• Montmartre - The Montmartre Vineyard is the last surviving in Paris.
• Tuileries Quarter - The Louvre and the Palais Royal and gardens.
• St. Germain des pres - musée d Orsay
• Luxembourg - Fontaine de Médicis
• Latin Quarter - dancing and bookstore Shakespeare & Co
• Jardin des Plantes Quarter - Rue Mouffard (market)
• Ile de la cite - Notre Dame
  
• Marais - musée Picasso
  
• Beaubourg and Les Halles - Fontaine des Innocents, St. Eustache, and Tour St. Jacques

That is all for now. We are about to board to go to Portland. Then to Frankfurt... EEEECK!

Oh what will we do in Venice?

I am setting aside my fear of water where I cannot see or touch and going to Venice. I am prepared to get lost. Tiny streets and confusion sounds like a fun challenge. As for things to do, my first goal is to find a Venetian mask or maybe some glass and maybe a gondola ride...

Other things to do will include:

• Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)
• Saint Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)
• St. Mary of the Friars (Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari)
• San Rocco (Scuola of St. Rocco)
• St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco)
• Palazzo Grassi
• Burano
• Academy Gallery (Gallerie dell'Accademia)
• Ca' d'O
• mmm... pizza, pizza...

Days to take off: 2

Getting close!

Ok... some sites to see in destination numero uno: Dresden.



1) Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)
2) Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault)
3) Zwinger
3a) Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery)
3b) Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon
4) Kreuzkirche (Church of the Cross)
5) Albertinum
6) Schloss Pillnitz (via Steamboat)
7) Schloss Moritzburg

We're down to less than two weeks!!!

Days to take off: 9

Wohin fahren Sie?

Here is the basic plan.

We leave Eugene for Dresden on June 14. On June 20, we leave Dresden for Venice. On June 24, we head back to Germany to Jülich. On June 27, we leave Germany and take a train to Paris. On July 1, we head back to Eugene.

Dresden, Venice, Jülich, and Paris. It will be a decent amount of of time in just a few places so we can soak it all in.

preparing

suitcase: check
backpack: check
all ticketed and booked: check
plan: not quite hee, hee

SOOO EXCITED!

Days to take off: 24