Journey to Paris and first night there...

We had a 4:30 am wake up call to get on the bus and then ferry to cross the English Channel and go to Paris....

As we got to the ferry station after a bus ride through the English countryside (passing small towns, including the one where Charles Dickens lived), we stopped at the ferry station and saw these beautiful cliffs

After a ferry ride across the English Channel, we boarded a bus to get to Paris.

On the way we stopped at a Canadian WWI memorial that was huge and really beautiful...

We've made a few friends on this European journey, here are a couple of them; a father/daughter team from Canada, Derrick and Kayla. We've had a lot of fun hangin' with them on this trip....

I love their little flags!

sitting on the memorial with the beautiful French countryside in the background

The location for the memorial was actually built on part of a war zone, there were barriers up all around because there could still be bombs buried that have not exploded yet! All the bumps in the ground are from where soldiers dug tunnels underground.

So we finally arrived in PARIS!

Here is the first one of MANY pics of this amazing structure (it's now Jonathan's favorite thing...)

We got settled in our hotel then for dinner went to a charming little cafe where we enjoyed a typical four course French dinner...

We sat at a table with 4 other people (our new friends Derrick and Kayla and another sweet Russian-Canadian couple) and just had such a great time. We laughed a lot and got to know eachother. We had a menu to choose our appetizer and main course and then there was a cheese course and dessert. For our appetizer our choices were escargot, quiche lorraine, and some jellied fish pate thing....and guess what....

I

chose

SNAILS!!!!!!!!!!

I am very nervous in this picture

The waiter had to teach me how to eat them...there was a special tool and everything...

And you know what else???

They

were

DELICIOUS!!!!

I ate all of them. And could've eaten more....and see that garilicky buttery herby stuff in the little crater things where the shells sit??? You sop that up with bread. Nummy nummy!

And to my incredible, complete, HUGE suprise.....

Mr. no mushrooms, no blue cheese, no anything weird Jonathan tried one too!! I was so proud!

It was one of our favorite nights so far on the trip.

this lady came around and sang and played the accordian, she was great!

After dinner we went on a small night tour of Paris, it was absolutely beautiful!

and of course...

What a way to end a night! Up next, all the beautiful sights that Paris has to offer, and there are ALOT!