The party is over :(

Bonjour tous mes amis! Today was our last day in Paris and we spent it the best way I could possibly think of...shopping and taking it easy.  We even stumbled along some street dancers! Tomorrow we make the long journey back to the states.  I have had the time of my life and I am so grateful to my wonderful grandparents for such a special treat.  We will miss Europe, but will cherish the memories we made here forever!  I have had a blast blogging and sharing my journey with you--hope you have enjoyed it and thanks so much for following! This isn't the end...you never know where I will show up next!  Until next time and signing off, Travelista.

Authentique!

Bonsoir mes amis! Tonight we dined at an authentic French bistro! I have to say that it was our favorite night to date in Paris. The meal was excellent and bonus: we had the perfect view of the Eiffel Tower right from our bistro! Tomorrow is our last day in Paris so I better get some rest. Rêves doux, Travelista

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Good afternoon! Today we spent the day at Versailles visiting the palace and gardens.  Forcast: perfect! Our guide, Waffa, met us again and she gave us a very in depth history of the compound. Highlight of the palace was definitely the Hall of Mirrors. The hall was built during Louis XIV's reign and its purpose was to connect the King and Queen's apartments.  It is always something that has impressed me in my art books, but it is even more remarkable in real life. Word is life is like a mirror...we get the best results when we smile at it. Looks like our results are top notch because Mimi and I managed to laugh (at Gdaddy's made up French) the entire day! xoxo, Travelista

Can can, can you do the can can?

Welcome to the Moulin Rouge! Tonight we enjoyed the famous cabaret located close to Montmartre in the red-light district. The trio was dazzled by the spectacular and really enjoyed the show!  The main feature of course was the Can-can routine! Rumor had it that the show was quite riskee.  Not for us...this trio is taking a walk on the wild side (even Gdaddy!).  Yours truly, Travelista

The Secret Garden

Bonjour! Travelista and the rest of her trio here and today was gorgeous!  Forcast: cool with plenty of sunshine.  We began our day walking along the Champs Elysees and then decided to trek all the way to the Eiffel Tower...so magical! After our nice stroll we went to Musee d'Orsay right on the Left Bank.  The museum used to be an old railway station and has an impressive collection of impressionist works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, and many others. I even found Monet's Lady with an Umbrella, which my great-grandfather painted for me when I was little.  

We realized it was already past 3:00 and we had not stopped for a bite to eat.  The bistro we had picked was closed so we opted for our hotel.  To our delight, we discovered our own secret garden to dine in!  We did not even feel like we were in the middle of a big city.  Just like the movie says, "if you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden."  Maybe all we have to do is stop and take time to smell the roses, and that way enjoy the little things in life! Au revoir, Travelista  

Bienvenue a Paris!

Travelista welcomes you to Paris! We took the Eurostar here and unfortunately I had the case of the "too many travels" and came down with a little flu bug (reason for the lack of posts). The only site I saw yesterday was my hotel bed. However, today was a new day and I felt much better. Forcast: rainy. We met our guide, Wafaa, who took us to the Louvre. Highlights: portion of the medieval Louvre, Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Nike of Samothrace, the Reclinging Odalisque, and Napolean III's apartment.  

After the Louvre, we made our way to Montmartre.  Montmartre is 130m high and overlooks all of Paris.  The village is known for housing the original studios of Dali, Monet, Picasso, and van Gogh.  We had a little bite to eat and took a stroll around before heading back to our hotel.  

Dinner was definitely most memorable.  Tonight we dined at the famous, Lasserre. Best part of the evening were the crepes! I think I could live on crepes alone! The atmosphere was delightful and despite the rain, they still managed to open the retractable roof for a moment.   

This city is absolutely beautiful, but I must admit I regret not knowing French because we are struggling a bit with the language. Our usual trick is to hand the cab driver the hotel's card and hope we don't get taken advantage of...or else it is not a pretty sight when Gdaddy starts to yell.  

Looking forward to sunshine and feeling all better! Bonsoir, Travelista

Farewell London

We celebrated our last night in lovely London at Marcus Wareing's restaurant at The Berkeley.  Dinner was very unique and interesting to say the least...one thing is certain, Gdaddy licked his plate and then some (our's too)! In honor of the birthday girl we toasted with pink champagne! It is often said that all good things come to an end, but hold back your tears because this travelista bunch is continuing the party tomorrow in Paris! Farewell London...Paris here we come, Travelista 

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mimi and the Queen! Good afternoon and today you are really in for a surprise! We left our hotel this morning to make our way to the Grosvenor House for the Art and Antiques Fair, but on our way we saw the Trooping of the Colour.  Our Blue Badge, Dianne, told us that there would be no way to see it because of the mob scene, but right outside our hotel in Hyde Park we saw part of it.  We did not see her majesty in the flesh in her gold carriage, but we saw 3 regiments which was very neat!  For you historians, Trooping of the Colour refers to a military ceremony performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and the British Army. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments for centuries and it was first performed during the reign of Charles II. Since 1805 the ceremony has been carried out on the British Sovereign's birthday (today!). Take a peek at my video! 

We then carried on with the day's plan to attend the Grosvenor House. Rumor has it that Mariah and Nick just checked into the Dorchester, which is located next to GH, so we walked the lobby to see if we could catch a glimpse...sadly to no avail. 

Even with all our delays, Gdaddy was again mixed up on the time so we walked to the American Embassy down the block to check it out.

Finally we went to the Art and Antiques Fair and it was incredible.  I especially enjoyed stopping by Mallet because they had an exhibition I had seen in NYC and I was able to educate my crew on the pieces.  Moreover, the gentleman manning the Mallet front attended the exact Sotheby's Masters program I will be starting in the Fall! What a small world! 

After Grosvenor we walked to Bond street to do some shopping and more antiquing. A few highlights include: Dorothy Draper pieces at Partridge, walking into a gorgeous home under construction, the architecture of Asprey's, Burlington Arcade, and Lock&Co...yes we went back to the hat store (my fav place!).  Mimi and Gdaddy both bought gorgeous hats and I got a fascinator!  

Tonight is our last night here and we are eating in the fancy shmancy restaurant in our hotel for Mimi's Birthday!  Make a wish Mimster...don't worry, age is only a number and it looks like yours is unlisted! Best wishes, Travelista

Nobody puts baby in a corner...

At 7:30PM the English go to theater and when in London we do as the locals do...and this one's about to get dirty. Tonight we saw Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theater and it was a ton of fun!  The dancing was fab and the actors were full of energy.  However I am not going to lie...I think my trip to London beats Kellerman's any day... but watch your back Baby because this travelista would dance dirty with Johnny Castle any day! Sweet dreams, Travelista