Home of the Moutarde!

Dijon, France

Yes, Moutarde!  Spicy, brown, yellow; any flavor you can possibility think of, you’ll be able to find here.  Bring on the mustard tasting!  Hopefully those jars don’t weigh down your suitcases too much for the flights home…Haha.  I knew better than to try to do that since as usual my suitcases were ready to burst at the seams. 

We were finally in our last week!  I can’t believe it, but we made it.  It has been a crazy six months from the UK to Scandinavia to Finland, Spain, Portugal, France, and throw in a side trip to Italy.  We made it!  Thankful for some help with a lighter schedule towards the end, we pulled through. 

Going out with one last hurrah with a picnic in the park, it was time to call this journey quits and get ready to start another. 

Dijon was short lived with only two show days before making the four-hour drive that was only supposed to be three, back to Paris to catch our flights home.  

We weren’t in the clear yet though.  We were all pulled to the side and questioned about why we were in France, how we liked it, and then the questions became slightly unprofessional right before we were able to check our bags.  Thankfully we only had short walk to get where we needed to after for customs and security since we already walked for what felt like a mile just to get to the terminal.  Thinking the worst was behind us, sitting on the run way we get word that our terminal closed because of a bomb threat.   

Thankfully, an hour later we were able to take off and it was just an unattended bag.  If that isn’t a sign that it is more than time to go home, then I don’t know what is. 

I was so thankful to be heading home; about six weeks in the calm and quiet country!  

OOO LA LAA

Paris, France

I can’t believe I am here.  I mean I am really here!  Paris was one of the most beautiful and most dangerous cities I have ever been too.  Just gazing up at the Eiffel Tower was enough for me to question if this was real life or a dream.  But aside from the amazing sites, there were some pretty scary moments too.  If you ever find yourself wondering around this iconic city, be sure to steer clear of the metro stop Gard Du Noir and be prepared for the Air Raid Siren to sound at noon on any given Wednesday. 

Talk about life flashing right before your eyes…I really thought that was it. 

However, quickly reassured we were ok and that it was just a drill, things slowly got back to normal and with some luck we had fewer shows this week than predicted so we were able to enjoy more of the city. 

This was the last big city before we head home for this portion of tour so we were making the most of it.  I know I probably say this quite often, but I can’t get over how I never thought I would be in some of these places.  Never in my life did I think I would be this far away from home let alone standing in front of Notre Dame or at the Arch de Triumph or strolling along the main shopping strip of Champ de Elysees or watching the sunset in the gardens behind the Louvre in the Place de la Concord.  I am literally just in amazement and even though the Key Bridge has been modified and stripped of most of the Love Locks, everyone has found a way to attach one of their own.  If you look close you can find them hanging from the light poles that line the bridge.  It might not be directly on the bridge, but it is the thought that counts and the true meaning. 

And as much as I wanted to keep the keys that came along with the lock, in order for love to remain true and hopes of your wish coming true they have to be thrown into the river below. 

Believing in true love and fairy tales just seems to be the story of this city as we found ourselves at Disneyland Paris!  Sometimes you just have to release the little kid inside.

Well, this city has been absolutely amazing but we are nearing the end with only one more stop in France before returning home.   

Vineyard City

Bordeaux, France

                                

Well time was ticking away and we were almost done with the Western Europe part of tour.  After this week, we only had two more cities and home was getting closer and closer. 

The weather was warm, the sun was bright, and we were in the capital of wine country. 

With so much to do around, it kept us just busy enough.  For the first time since we arrived in France, it wasn’t gloomy and dismal and we weren’t surrounded by a whole bunch of nothing.  

We were right downtown and in close vicinity to literally everything except for fast food places minus the grocery store.  However, a few of the girls were able to find the cutest little restaurant with some of the best food I have ever had.  From Risotto balls to chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese to fried mac and cheese bites, it was delicious!

Aside from the food, the city itself had a lot to offer.  From walking along the shopping streets, to the Parliament buildings and numerous churches and chapels, to the river walks, and the parks, to the small carnival just around the corner; there was something for everyone. 

And even though the Mirror Pond wasn’t open when we were there, the sunsets took its place.  They were absolutely beautiful and could be seen from anywhere in the city.  But my hotel room view just the prettiest; above the buildings and away from the street noise.  It was calming and still in a bustling city. 

It was also just nice to get some fresh air and see some daylight no matter what time of day it was.  Especially after being in make-up rooms made of curtains with only one light and hiking up three floors (six flights) of stairs and squeezing our entire show onto a backstage that was only nine feet big compared to the normal 25 to 30 feet.  

It worked though!  To all of our surprise and we made the most of it passing the time watching Worlds, cheering and clapping and pulling for all the competitors; some we knew and others we didn’t, but that’s just how the skating world works sometimes.  If we aren’t skating and someone else is somewhere in the world, you can almost guarantee that we will know about it and it will be in viewing session one way or another. 

And after a tight and tiny week at the arena and soaking in some sun, we were on our to Paris, France!