April 27 - Zip Lining

Provence Aventure - Zip Lining and obstacle course in the trees

OK for the record, this was Melanie's idea.  Way back in December she had found a bunch of places in France, and worked on convincing everyone for the next 5 months that this would be FUN.
She was right, we had a blast, and have since gone back again, and will one more time when Christine's sister Alexandra and her family arrive.

There are more than just zip lines here, there are aerial tight-ropes, ladders, nets, logs to balance on, all manner of good stuff.  Think adult tree house on steroids.

There are 5 levels of course in order of difficulty - white (under age 7 only), yellow (up to age 9) , green ( 7 and up), blue (age 8 up), red (age 9 up), black ( age 14 and up).  The colours are very much like the European ski system, where black is HARD.  Well I assume it is, never tried it.  Red was more than enough for us.

FUN WOW aka the "Before" picture.

Taya on the training check-out course.

Sarah leading the way on Green

The vertical log balance rope, Green course dad looking confused by the tree.

Tony on the Green course, tight rope walking.

We went fishing and caught a Sarah on the green course

Melanie stepping off into the void on the Blue course, trust the safety system, be one with the safety system.

Rachel "I am never, repeat, never going zip lining in my life" Tribe rocking the yellow.

Sarah Leading the way for Melanie, and Christine on the Blue course.

You want me to go WHERE?

Melanie on the NET FROM HEdoublehockeysticks on the red course.

We expend lots of energy, and decide that the only solution is Pizza and whine, oops wine.  Tony fires up the wood oven in the back yard, and we cook up some build-your-own pizzas. A fine end to a fine day!

adfs

April 25 - Last Tango in Paris

Today - Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur and Shopping!

The Arc de Triomphe, as seen from the Champs Elysees.  Those are people standing on the top.

Spiral staircase inside the Arc de Triomphe.

View from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, towards La Defence.

View down the Champs Elysees.  The building at the far end is the Louvre.

Tour Eiffel

Detail of the relief work on the side of the Arc de Triomphe

Shopping!

Sacre Coeur in the rain.

NO, BAD GIRL, Put those down

This is what a 15,000€ dress looks like.

Be very careful where you park.

Farewell Tour Eiffel, and Paris, see you next time!!

April 24 - Versailles

Versailles, Louis XIV's House.  Nice diggs.  So apparently the French had a revolution.  Something about the aristocracy, bourgeois types having more than the common man, and exploiting the common man for their own ends....seems kind of inevitable when you look at this palace.  I think the same thing still happens, only in Canada we buy F-35 fighter jets.  Maybe they come in gold?

The front Courtyard to the palace.

Detail of the roof

This is the famous hall of mirrors.  The mirrors reflect the arched windows that look out into the gardens, 17 arches, 357 mirrors in total.  This is an incredible display of wealth as in the 1600s real silver provided the reflective surface of the mirror and making flat glass was only possible by a few artisans.

Detail on one of the lamp-holders

The Queen's bedroom.

A bust of Marie Antoinette

The hall of wars, depicting famous battles and their generals.

Wardrobe is the apartments of the Dauphin.

Understated no?

In the Gardens, a 6 level fountain, with some layers held up by lobsters, others by mythical creatures.

Symmetry?  What Symmetry!

Details of the Cherub / Fish boys holding a fountain.

The Dragon Fountain - full of angry Sushi.

The young Apollo mounted on a swan, shooting an arrow, and killing the Dragon.

Dragon that sits in the centre of the fountain.

The Neptune fountain (1680), featuring King Neptune and several dwellers of the under sea realm.

Side Fountain at the Neptune fountain.

Some of the may many sculptures at Versailles.

The Apollo baths, when the fountains are running, there is a waterfall in the grotto on the right.

The Floral Fountain.

The Enceladus Fountain.  Enceladus was one of the Titans, son of Uranus and Gaia.  He is shown after his defeat by Athenda, trapped in the rocks of Mt. Etna. He is cursing the gods and preparing to hurl a rock (in his right hand) at them.
When the giant hisses and thrusts out his fiery tongue, Mount Etna erupts. When he struggles, earthquakes shake the world.

The Apollo Fountain side view (1670)

Face on.

The view from the Apollo fountain back up to the place, nice understated back yard yes?

View over the Apollo fountain showing the grand canal in the back ground, and eventually the trianon in the far distance.

The Latona Fountain (1688).