Trip "Home"....but now we are tourists!

First stop was in Paris to visit with my brother Steve and Renee on their mission.  They have an apartment right on the Seine, just one block from Notre Dame.  Talk about a sweet location for a Senior Missionary apartment!  It's tiny though and we only stayed the first night and the last night of our trip.  They were fabulous hosts and it was great to see them in action on their mission.

Our first week we spent on the French Riviera.  We found this sweet apartment called "Regarde sur Monaco" and it's obvious why....look at that view of Monaco from the balcony.  We were there the week prior to the yacht show and by the time the show was starting there was over 60 yachts in the bay.  It was amazing.  We did go into Monaco for a day and had a full, all-out, yacht covet.  

We also love to go into Menton.  They have finished a new boardwalk with shops and restaurants.  Tom got a paper and a double chocolate magnum bar.  Doesn't get much better than that.  We spent our time walking the capes, swimming in the ocean, riding the bus to the various little villages along the water, enjoying the sun & sea.

Next stop:  Brussels.  "Home".  We got there and realized how much we missed it.  Missed is ALL.  The rain, the food, the people, the history and sights, our favorite walks, the drivers who get out of the passing lane, the smells, the bike friendly culture.  We stayed in Daniels apartment....it's been 3 years and he still hasn't rented it out.  We miss it.  Simple as that.

St. Catherine's square.  I know I have photos of all these places, yet I couldn't stop taking pictures!

St Gerry area and the Stock Exchange

Sad. Sad. Sad.  Lotus Verte will always hold a fav spot in our heart, but the cook is gone, and so is the soul.  Sad. Sad. Sad.

10th floor, end apartment.  Sigh.

Even going to the metro at Schuman.  It all seemed so picturesque.  

Had to go to Brugge.  Why?  For the chocolate wheels of course.  We had our best moules there as well.  Splurged on a restaurant that is right on the canal.  We had a canal corner table.  The moules were exquisite.  No kidding.  EXQUISITE.  

Casares' drove down from The Hague to have lunch with us.  What friends would do that?  They would!!  We were lucky to see lots of friends.  Tom saw a co-worker, Phil Chulick.  I had lunch with my tennis/biker friend Freya.  We visited with Tom's counselors, Mike and Mark.  So great to catch-up with our friends!

Leuven, Domus.  'Nuf' said.

Church was fun.  We honestly didn't think we would know very many people.  Guess we 'forgot' that Dad was Stake Pres for eight years so the locals were still there and still remembered him.  So good to visit with Leticia Binwag, Regina, Sinui, Emanuela De Mateis, and many more.  The Flemish ward was bursting at the seams, the French ward is dwindling.  

Just a regular night at the Grand Place.  Always a treat, always a jaw-dropper.  Did I say anything about missing this place?

Okay, just a photo try:  trying to get the reflection of the spires in the rain puddle...

After a week in Brussels, we did our one night stay at the Dreesen.  Got our bikes and rode North to Bonn, and the next day South to the end of the trail.  

Oh that Dreesen.  Olaf had written us a note "Welcome Home"....had a fruit basket, and the fridge was full of the rhubarb drink and no beer.  The breakfast was still great as ever.  Tom gazing at the barges and it looks like you can see the Petersburg on the top of the hill.

Back to Paris.  We stayed in an awesome hotel near the Madeliene called Hotel d'Arcade.  Got a great price.  We took one night to go to Versailles and go to the Temple.  We got lucky and they asked us to be the witness couple.  After having been back for a couple of weeks submerged in French, it was comfortable for us to do the session without headphones.

Versailles.  So many cool photos it was hard to decide what to 'cut'....this one made it.

Tulleries.  Paris is a great city.  Hard not to love it.  

We ate lunch in the Galleries with this great view.  Terrific salad bar!

We were there the first week-end of the month.  So all the museums were free on Sunday.  Additionally, on the Saturday night there was the Nuit Blanche.  Concerts and events happening everywhere and Free!  We went to an opera, a parade, saw some outdoor living art, enjoyed the vibes of the city of light.

Can't keep the lovers from leaving their locks on the bridge.  Didn't they have to take it all down b/c it was getting too heavy?  We hated to leave.  Our 3 weeks in Europe was so refreshing and so fun to walk down memory land and soak it all in again.  We hope this wasn't the last trip.  We hope it's a regular event, but you never know about life.  So glad we had this chance!

I was home one day from Europe, did laundry, and then Suzanne and I drove to Farmington so we could attend the wedding of Sheridan and JD.  They got married at the same venue that Jed and Nicole were married at in Durango Colorado!  Wow!

The happy couple with Mom

Penny!  We got to have her all to ourselves for 4 days while her family vacationed in Hawaii.  She is full of energy and 'sass' but we loved it all.  She slept like a champion.  Must be this mountain air.  Got her back to her family (via the Bluths) and we were invited by the Greens to go swim with them at the Zermatt Hotel in Midway.  We had a warm, sunny day to swim....and the next morning we woke up to a snowstorm!  What???

The sunset tonight (Oct 27th).  We love our dining room that lets us see this view anytime we like!