I'm baaaaaaack!!!! We got home from EUROPE (!!!) last Thursday after a few shenanigans pulled by the Air Force when we tried to get home on Tuesday. That just resulted in a bonus amazing day in Germany after a supremely amazing almost three weeks traveling through France, Germany and Austria. An amazingness that is currently reflected in the harsh reality of our credit card bill. Man, we had a really good time. Yikes.
On Sunday, August 14, we got on a flight from Charleston to Dover that was then connecting on to Germany. However, they were picking up cargo in Dover, and we weren't confident that there was going to be room for passengers as well. Lucky for us, the pilot was one of Colby's friends from Washington who had also moved to Charleston, so he worked extra hard to release seats for us. Much to our surprise, we found ourselves heading across the ocean at two o'clock in the morning. Once we got over the shock, we blew up our air mattress and slept for the next five hours, woke up to eat our box lunches, and I barely had time to get involved in my book before we were landing at Spangdahlem AFB. Our pals from Ramstein were kind enough to come pick us up, and while we waited I took advantage of the free wifi to start making hotel inquiries and booking some tours in Paris.
We spent that evening and the next day in Ramstein hanging out with our friends and making arrangements for the next couple of weeks of our trip. On Wednesday, August 17th, we loaded up in our tiny little Citroen C1 and made the five hour drive to Paris.
We checked into the charming Hotel Londres Eiffel, then set out with Rick Steves to get to know our neighborhood. We squealed with excitement when we saw the Eiffel Tower soaring above all of the nearby buildings just a few blocks away. We walked a couple of streets over and strolled down bustling Rue Cler, finally settling on Cafe du Marche for an early dinner and some spectacular people watching. 
We were already beginning to teeter dangerously close to the precipice of falling completely in love with Paris, and that night we took a tour that sealed the deal. We met at the South leg of the Eiffel Tower at 7:00 pm, and about half an hour later I was flying down the street on my shiny red cruiser. I hadn't ridden a bike since a pretty bad experience on a different vacation about five years ago, so my expectations were fair to middling. But I'd heard from multiple sources that the best way to see Paris is by bicycle, and dammit, I am nothing if not determined to squeeze every possible amount of fun out of any destination and to do it in the best way possible.
And much to my surprise, after a rocky first few moments, I remembered the joy of feeling the wind in your hair and how to pump your legs extra hard to get those few moments of easy cruising. It truly was perfect. We biked around to many of the main sites--Notre Dame, the Louvre, and of course stopping to get some of the justifiably famous Berthillon ice cream--then just as the sun began to set, we boarded a boat cruise on the Seine and drifted down the river with a perpetually full glass of red wine, all of the beautiful monuments lit up against an inky black sky and the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the distance.
After the cruise, we made another pass by the Eiffel Tower, getting there just in time for the 11 o'clock twinkles, then it was back to the bike shop to return our cruisers. If you happen to find yourself in Paris, I cannot recommend the Fat Tire tours highly enough. We did two of them (more on that later) and could not have been more impressed by our experiences and our guides. Once our bikes were locked up for the night, we made the leisurely walk back to our room, already completely mad about Paris and looking forward to our next three days in the City of Lights.
....sigh. I LOVE Paris and haven't been there in entirely too long. Welcome home - looking forward to your recaps! :)
Posted by: Abby | September 06, 2011 at 03:15 PM
Oh wow, touring Paris on bikes is SUCH a good idea. Both times I've been, my feet hurt for days afterwards. So glad you had a good time!
Posted by: Kay Bee | September 06, 2011 at 03:25 PM
YAY!!!! You made it to Europe!!!
Also, I love that Colby is as big as your car :-)
Posted by: A Super Girl | September 06, 2011 at 03:27 PM
YAY! I can't wait to read all about your adventures around Europe! I want to hop on a plane right now!
Posted by: erin - heart in ireland | September 06, 2011 at 03:37 PM
Man, we sure did have a completely different past 3 weeks didn't we? I'm so jealous of your trip! It looks absolutely amazing!
Posted by: Miriam | September 06, 2011 at 03:52 PM
Oh, man! To hop whilst married to a pilot ... that makes life SO much easier. I'm so glad you made it, and it looks like you had a wonderful start to your trip!
Posted by: Lynn | September 06, 2011 at 03:54 PM
That sounds like an amazing vacation - so glad it all worked out!!
Posted by: Kristina | September 06, 2011 at 03:55 PM
Lovely pics! I can't wait to see more. Looks like you had a wonderful time!
Posted by: thoughtsappear | September 06, 2011 at 05:13 PM
Oh wow - Paris is the #1 city on my "to visit" list and you have pretty much cemented its spot for me - sounds wonderful! Glad you guys are home safe..can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!
Posted by: Julie | September 06, 2011 at 06:32 PM
I love the idea of the bike tour - thanks for the heads up on that! Great photos - as usual - glad you enjoyed it so much!
Posted by: Anne | September 06, 2011 at 07:20 PM
Colby 'squealed'? :) lol. Sounds like you had a trip of a lifetime!!! I love looking at all the pics and will hopefully heed your advice someday and bike Paris! :)
Posted by: Stephanie | September 06, 2011 at 11:49 PM
I would love to bike Paris with The Old Warrior -- do they have tires fat enough for me?
Posted by: The Incubator | September 07, 2011 at 12:16 AM
I did a hot air balloon "tour" of Paris, and it's one of my favorite memories.
Posted by: Elle Sees | September 07, 2011 at 02:44 AM
Welcome back! I love the photos, especially you at the Eiffel Tower and you & Colby at the Louvre. So cool!
Posted by: Kate P | September 07, 2011 at 04:49 AM
Ooh, I am loving these pics! The Eiffel Tower ones are amazing and the one in front of the Louvre is almost too cute to be real!
Posted by: Jen | September 07, 2011 at 05:09 AM
Looks like Photo-Shop has been busy!
Posted by: Nun | September 07, 2011 at 02:56 PM
I must admit, it makes it a LOT easier!
Posted by: Angela Noelle | September 07, 2011 at 03:03 PM
Haha! That might have just been the "royal" we ;)
Posted by: Angela Noelle | September 07, 2011 at 03:03 PM
That sounds incredible!
Posted by: Angela Noelle | September 07, 2011 at 03:03 PM
They're actually all completely unedited--Colby is just an awesome photographer ;) But I'll take that as a compliment!
Posted by: Angela Noelle | September 07, 2011 at 03:04 PM
Yeah, our feet were still pretty abused, but I'm sure it would have been much worse if it weren't for the bikes!
Posted by: Angela Noelle | September 07, 2011 at 03:10 PM
Oh what wonderful pictures... the Eiffel Tower must have been magical all lit up at night like that. Love the shot of you reading in the street, it captures Paris perfectly! :)
Posted by: Emily Jane | September 07, 2011 at 03:54 PM
So excited to read that you made it to Europe. Looks like your trip got started with a bang! Can't wait to read more about it.
Welcome back, girly girl.
Posted by: Molly | September 07, 2011 at 04:29 PM
I lived in Germany several years and miss it. Sounds like you had a great time. Love the pictures.
Posted by: The Good Greatsby | September 07, 2011 at 04:32 PM
Loved your photos! Sounds like a completely amazing and epic trip! I loved the time I spent in Germany and Austria! So I am pleased that you do too!!
Posted by: Deidre | September 08, 2011 at 07:44 AM
Welcome back!!!! Missed you around here. :) Sounds like so much fun...I've never really cared to go to Germany before but now you got me convinced that I should go someday!
Posted by: steph anne | September 08, 2011 at 08:16 AM
Oops, I meant to say Europe! I shouldn't be commenting when I'm really tired.
Posted by: steph anne | September 08, 2011 at 08:17 AM
yay for your trip!! so glad you got to do the big trip and seriously, the pictures. kill me already. love it all.
Posted by: katelin | September 09, 2011 at 12:35 AM
Love the pictures!!! :)
Posted by: Melissa | September 25, 2011 at 06:41 AM