London

We took advantage of screening the new Harry Potter movie five days before it was released in the U.S.

Guard doesn't even blink while guarding royal property

Royal Guard on horseback

Policeman prepares to stop traffic for the changing of the guard

Visiting Windsor Castle, the Queen's weekend getaway shack

Guards marching through Windsor Castle

Piccadilly Circus, London's counterpart to Time's Square

A lion poses with three very unusual statues at Trafalgar's Square

Double decker buses were everywhere in downtown London

The London Eye, the world's largest rotating observation deck

Big Ben says it's half past time for ice cream

Westminster Abbey

Coneheads attempting a coup at Buckingham Palace

The Combs visit the oldest Boy Scout shop in the world

We saw the stage play Les Miserables at the Queen's Theater

No visit to London is complete without a visit to the original Hard Rock Cafe

We took a trip to the Hard Rock's collections vault where John got to play Jimi Hendrix's flying V guitar

The Combs moved quite smartly through London using "the tube"

All aboard the London Eye

A great view from the London Eye

Laura and her boyfriend "Big Ben"

Tower of London, a past site for public executions as well as currently guarding the crown jewels

King John Michael IV seen on his throne shortly before his beheading

A Beefeater provides a dramatic tour through the Tower of London

One piece of a huge historic armor collection in the Tower

Beefeater

Tower Bridge which is just outside of the Tower of London

During a stop in Oxford, we visited this room which was used in the Harry Potter films as the hospital

Library in Oxford

Thatched roofs are still found throughout the English countryside

Shakespeare's birthplace at Stratford-on-Avon

Warwick Castle has more of a Disney World type flavor

Anne is ready to do battle

Two men in battle on Warwick's grounds

Peacock Gardens at Warwick Castle

TVG getting ready to take us to Paris via the Chunnel

TVG and station

Paris

The Arc de Triomphe celebrating DeGaulle's military victories

Notre Dame

National monuments are well guarded in Paris

One of the many stained glass windows in Notre Dame

Gargoyles at Notre Dame are actually rain gutter spouts

At the entrance of the Louvre

Art is everywhere at the Louvre, even on the ceiling!

Venus de Milo

The Combs' kids in front of the famous Louvre pyramid

Policeman on horseback

Smart cars are commonly found on Paris roadways

The Combs find the best way to maneuver through Paris is via the Metro

Freedom of speech has gone a little too far in Paris

Street artist at Montmatre

Some of the artists are only to happy to do portraits of tourists no matter how sour their expressions

Upon our arrival at the church, Sacre Coeur, we met a very festive street performer

Sacre Coeur

Hard Rock Cafe in Paris, France

One of the best displays at the Hard Rock is Eric Clapton's guitar

Shoppers posing in front of the Arc de Triomphe

Our evening cruise along the Seine River

Eiffel Tower as viewed from our cruise ship

John Michael tries a snail at a French restaurant

John meets French Alaska Railroad railfan Cyril Ospital

Daughter Anne loves the movie Moulin Rouge, so we paid a visit to the actual one

View from the top of the Eiffel tower

Another view from the top of the tower

Laura, John and the Arc de Triomphe from the top of the tower

An 86 degree day at the Eiffel Tower

Beautiful naked women with golden tans were everywhere in Paris

Italian pizza time in the hotel room

 

And for those of you who have a high speed connection, how about a 1.8 MB video of the changing of the royal guard...