Monday, July 19, 2010

Almost eleven...that's five pm in France...

I can't seem to get back into the swing of non-vacation life.  Is jet lag supposed to last a week??  Hindering my return to day-to-day life is the arrival of our newest family member, Lily-poo.  She's a shy, rescued 10-week old kitten who's needed lots of love as she adjusts to our lively home.  Wait until you see her.  She's a real beauty!  (Pics to come...)

Also, my friend and next door neighbor went into premature labor at 34 weeks, and gave birth by c-section to sweet baby boy.  I'm helping her out, watching her two older girls and anything else I can do, while baby and mama are gaining their strength.

But the real problem is my head and heart are still in France. *sigh*  Here are a couple pics of the Eiffel Tower, taken the night before our flight home.  It was the Sunday of the World Cup Finals between Spain and The Netherlands. (Bravo l'España!!)  


These pics were shot at about 9:30 at night.  It doesn't begin to get dark in France in the summertime until well after 10 pm.  



Each of the four anchor towers house an elevator to this first level, as well as staircases for those brave enough to climb, or too reluctant to stand in the long lines for the lifts.  Other elevators can be taken from this first level to the second observation deck, and a single elevator from there takes you to the very top.  In the early years, the top of the tower was the location of Mr. Gustave Eiffel's personal office.  Today it is a restaurant.

We didn't go up, and the growing crowds of World Cup enthusiasts awaiting the match on the giant screens erected on the lawns around the Tower shortened our stay.



Cody, me, and Sidney, beneath the Eiffel Tower

I've only made it to a couple blogs, but I'm looking forward to visiting yours SOON!!!  Have a fab day!

21 comments:

Unknown said...

Fabulous pictures Nicole!!!

Yay to the neighbors and their new addition to the family!! Premature and healthy, I'm glad to know that everyone is great!!!

Good luck getting back into the swing of everyday life!

Amber at The Musings of ALMYBNENR said...

Ahhh fantastic pictures! And not dark till after 10pm in the summer! I'm in the wrong country!

Kristi said...

Great photos! Looks like you and the family had a great time!

Welcome back!

Lola Sharp said...

Lily-poo is an adorable name. I look forward to pictures.
I'm terribly allergic to cats, but love them. It's so unfair.

But I love (LOVE) my Bichon, and she's ALWAYs on my lap, and only 8 pounds...so she's kinda like a cat. If she could purr, she totally would.

Happy Monday...and give yourself some time to settle back into a rhythm.

Love,
Lola

Wendy Ramer, Author said...

You know I feel your pain, girl. Just last night (no kidding) I had one of my Spain dreams. I don't know if you ever have these, but I'm in Seville walking home at night, except everything looks different. In each dream I have, the scenery is different. It never looks like the real Seville.

I've chosen to interpret it to represent my longing to know more about the city I only spent 2 yearas in. I left too early.

Shelley Sly said...

Welcome back, Nicole!! I love the pictures, and can't wait to see little Lily-Poo! I bet France was amazing... I hope to go someday. Missed you! :)

Terry Stonecrop said...

Great pix! Good to have you back.

It's not just jet lag, it's post vacation slump. I suffer from it too. Take your time, you've got a lot going on.

Aubrie said...

Congrats on your new kitten! That's so great you rescued her! I always watch Animal Planet and wish I could rescue someone.

That's a big time difference, I bet it will take a awhile to adjust. I had trouble after we came back from Hawaii.

Anonymous said...

Great pictures. I didn't know that it got dark so late there. Welcome back.

Lenny Lee said...

yep i think youre home but you forgot to pack your heart when you left out of france. cant wait to see that kitten. im real happy you got a rescue kitten cause there so many animals that need it. cool name! youre pretty nice to help out your neighbor like that. bet shes real happy for you being there. that picture of the tower is neat.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

9:30 at night - wow!
Sorry you're missing France so much.

Jemi Fraser said...

Take your time! You're a busy lady & there's lots of time :) No one's going anywhere.

Great pics - gorgeous family :)

Vicki Rocho said...

I'm wondering how the heck I would ever get my kids to bed if it didn't get dark until after 10! Ack.

Lovely pics and congrats on your new fur baby (the neighbor's bundle too)

Dawn Simon said...

Awesome pics! Your family is adorable!

Exciting about the new kitten and the neighbor's baby. :) You are busy!

Ellen Brickley said...

Fabulous pictures, Nicole :D I have a photo of the queue to get into the Eiffel Tower, taken from Level One. Unfortunately I don't have it scanned so I can't upload it to prove the sheer massiveness of the queues!

Jai Joshi said...

Yes, jet lag does last a week. Savour it.

You clearly loved France and miss it. I know how you feel. It's hard to let go of that vacationy satisfaction.

Jai

TrulyBillEve said...

What a wonderfully beautiful picture! Can't wait to meet Lily-poo (best name ever, btw), and I know your heart is still in France, but we are so glad you're home!

Anonymous said...

I did not know that France doesn't get dark in the summer until after 10PM. That just blows my mind. :O

Lovely pictures.

Theresa Milstein said...

I love the pictures. You were there right after me, but for much, much longer.

My son took lots of pictures of the guards. And I couldn't believe how aggressive the trinket sellers were from just three years ago. Were they bad for you too?

WritingNut said...

These are gorgeous pictures!

I know how you feel, I always feel like that after vacation too - it's so hard to get back into the swings of things.

Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré said...

Bonjour. Or as we say in Georgia, howdy neighbor! Welcome home. What a lovely family you have! Savor your reentry, you'll be back to 'normal' soon enough. Love the pics, thank you so much for sharing. I loved "A Good Year", did you get to relax like that while you were there?

~that rebel, Olivia