ooh la la -- may in paris, versailles, england and merced

ok, so there is a story about this picture, but you'll have to read it at the end of this posting....

by now i am home, but the memories of this past week-end linger. this first trip to europe was wonderful! i can't even begin to share, and certainly my pictures do not do justice.

but, of course, trips are about experiences, and the pictures bring those memories back, no matter the focus (or lack-there-of).

when in paris...eat at a cafe for hours...stay up until the sun goes down at 10pm, and then walk down the seine to the eiffel tower.

watch the sun set, and walk around the neighborhoods ... all 20 of them, but not at the same time.

you can't possibly go anywhere in paris without seeing a fountain or a church. this catholic country celebrates its religious holidays. i was here during the pentecost week-end -- and the french take monday off to celebrate! sundays are days not to work, so other than tourist shops, most of paris is closed except, of course, for the cafes. but no shopping; spend time in the parks, the fountains...or take a trip to the louvre...you could spend your entire life in the louvre; like the ever-ready-battery (i went through 8, taking 1879 pictures) the artwork just keeps going and going.

so take a picture or hundreds on the trip. experience notre-dame (more about that later), and take pictures with people in them because you'll never get the 'perfect picture' without people! public transportation is wonderful, and walking is not to be beat!

and, of course, art is everywhere.

so then take a trip to the 'gold capital'; the estate of versailles. louis the 13th and 14th loved grand; maybe the 17th century was the time; i'm not sure. but what i do know is that the stone steps that you take from place to place are 'impressed' by the people who have traveled the paths before you.

did i mention the gold? or the vastness? the fountains are turned on for special occasions ... i guess i wasn't enough of an occasion, but that's ok. use your imagination, and listen for the music that are in the gardens.

a couple from new york brought a picnic lunch to celebrate a birthday in the gardens. marie-antoinette would have been so upset to know that they were actually eating cake in her gardens....

unless you've been there, you just can't imagine that the gardens go beyond where the eyes can see.

but i thought of our prayer team while i was there, because walking is a spiritual experience, i really believe! actually, one strolls in europe; no one seems to be in a rush, unless, of course, you are on the tube or the underground or the metro or the train ... then it is just like any other city ... MOVE! but here in versailles, take your time.

then go to celebrate notre-dame to celebrate pentecost in french; i told shinya, who drove me home from the fresno airport, that the experience of mass was like being a peasant during the middle ages, when only the 'rich and learned' got seats, and the 'other of us' stood to listen on the edge -- but when the bells rang, the bread and the wine turned into christ -- and they knew! the music, the languages, the choirs, the experience made pentecost a truly holy experience for me.


so, at night, people still gather ... i wonder if we can experience that in merced...

so i found something red in paris to wear on pentecost, on this wonderfully beautiful sunny and warm day. just to let you know, i had only a half-day of rain in london, but flew home to rain...what's up with that, not that i'm complaining to remember my baptism....

so after a life-changing worship, why not take the nearly 500 (omygod!) steps up to see what paris looks like from god's point of view...and this is what i saw.

what an experience...

so what does one do after worship? stroll the 'mall' that leads to arc de triomphe. this is a special week-end, and the walk is covered with flowers, plants and trees; a beautiful display that was put together overnight -- so hard to believe -- and on monday, the community is invited to come and take something home ... trees, flowering plants, greens, vegies. what an experience.






so, i didn't walk up either of the 'must sees', but simply to stand in their presence is an experience! just don't try to walk across this round-about.

sunday in paris; popular wedding days. so why not take pictures in your wedding dress around pieces of art. don't mind the crowds; they love happy times....

this is the oldest cafe in paris. it resides on the second floor -- or what we would call the second floor. it is actually on the first floor, because the ground floor is actually counted as it's own floor. just a piece of trivia for you...

the train trip back on the euro-star riding the chunnel was a nice way to go. so relaxing, and i had a section to myself -- so i put my aching feet up; grand! tea time, again; and they bring the food to you on the train!

time is drawing to a close -- o no! so take a trip to the places i haven't been yet ... head to the national gallery for the latest art piece; this piece has actually been shared this week-end in trafalgar square; everyone gathers there.

the picture that you saw at the top of this post, was actually placed here, originally, but, somehow, it moved to the top. if that is the worst experience i had on my trip -- i.e. my pictures moving around -- then i feel fortunate. i had very little trouble on my travels. thank you for your prayers, your care and support, and the gift of god that allowed this opportunity for me....

so, what does one do on the last night in london? well, go to a pub -- but not just any pub -- dine with sherlock holmes! walk the streets again to soak up the beautiful weather; stroll the thames, and then take in a show. i could have gone to one of at least two dozen shows -- including mouse trap, the london legend that has been playing there for 58 years! -- but i chose to go to see billy elliot, a wonderfully energy-filled 3 hour show, filled with wonderfully talented children! the story takes place during the coal-miners strikes of england, and traces the experience of a young boy who is encouraged to make more of his life than living in a dying mining town. he ends up going to the national ballet school. heartwarming, and a wonderfully moving conclusion to a wonderfully moving trip. i think john wesley would have been someone who encouraged billy to listen to that still quiet voice of god.

we all need to be listening to that quiet and sometimes not quiet voice of god. as jesus would say, go and do likewise. so plan a trip...experience the world -- wesley's parish -- and be kind to one another. make a difference; this will make all the difference in the world....merci; cheers! thanks for sharing in this blog. i hope you've enjoyed it. i certainly have....