Finally, all great things come to an end....at the train station headed back to Paris for one more day.....or so we thought.....when one day turned into four......

Another open air court yard on Sunday and the entire perimeter of the square was lined with restaurants, which all had outdoor dining. These guys were playing in the center of the courtyard....yea I know...very touristy!

A fountain in one of the Bordeaux town square. There were a lot of walk ways, streets for pedestrians only, river walks, open park areas.....etc Bordeaux was a fabulous city and we would spend more time there on a our next trip to France.

At one of many wines stores in St Emillion Bordeaux.....what a tourist!

Me with an old fashion corking machine....which they still use to cork sample wine tasting bottles, but mass production is all automated. Most wineries in Bordeaux don't have their own bottling equipment, when it's time to bottle, there are mobile bottling trucks which pull up to the winery and bottle their wine for a small fee. Better than investing in equipment which is used for one day a year....especially since the majority of Bordeaux wineries are small format parcels.

Us in front of Petrus, and NO we did tour or taste....they don't entertain wine novices like us.

Shaun with his magnum....which we need to drink sometime this week, since we can't ship it.

This was Chateau La Grange and the reflecting pond behind us is actually built over the barrel cellar area to keep the cellar cool during the summer.

In front of a typical French Chateau. Nobody lives in this one currently.

Shaun and I in one of the storage rooms at a Chateau in Bordeaux.

The Regent hotel was directly across from this structure: The Opera House. On Sunday, there were two cafes which served outdoor tables which fill the front of the House. It was a great place to stay in Bordeaux.

Here is our first Chateau in Bordeaux. I'm standing next to the Wisteria...which was in full bloom all over France!

Ok, so I have posted just a tiny fraction of the pictures taken during our first 3 days in Paris. The next segment will be the 4 days we spent in Bordeaux, and then the 4 additional days we spent in Paris due to the Volcano eruption. At least we will have a story to tell, where were you when the Volcano erupted: "We were stuck in Paris for 4 Days....with a hotel worth of friends from around the world. " You want to meat Americans.....laundry-mat any foreign country during a natural disaster......details to follow. XOXOXOs still in Paris.....on a plane tomorrow, Rinda

Finally, Day Three in Paris ends as it should at a monument which was constructed as a temporary exhibit for the World's Fair 1889. It's funny how a temporary structure now symbolizes Paris like no other structure.

For whatever reason, there is a statue of George Washington in the middle of the Embassy district in Paris....Shaun didn't believe me when I first sighted our founding Father in the heart of Paris. Thus, here is empirical proof of an American Stamp in Paris.

So, on the way from the Arc De Triomphe, to the Eiffel Tower, we found it funny that we should run across the Bahrain Embassy, and couldn't resist documenting the flag as part of our walk-about on Day Three in Paris.

Arc De Triomphe, we didn't get any really great pictures due to the refurbishment working being done. It is still an awesome structure to think that is was built as a monument to the tomb on the unknown solider of WWI and yet, roughly 50 years later, Hitler and his troop would march through the center, over the top of the tomb. It is almost humbling to stand in the middle of the Arc, and visualize the Nazi troops marching and the bristling of the French at the sheer disrespect. You can not only feel, but sense the history here.

On our way down the Seine, with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Day three continues with more views or Notre Dame.

We start day three in Paris, a bit cold and over-cast, but on tour around the Seine river, thus we started on a boat tour and first stop: Notre Dame Cathedral. Notice the Cherry trees are blooming.

A picture of "Winged Victory" inside the Louvre. Would have liked to taken a picture with one of us in it, but the crowds even in this off season are simply crazy. But she is beautiful.

Shaun in the Louvre next to a Roman statue of Bacchus, The GOD of wine.

In the Louvre beside the three graces statue.

Day two in Paris begins down a narrow side street with a cup of.......you guessed it: Starbucks, and of course a souvenir signature cup.

Here we are at the entrance to the Louvre. The massive courtyard just simply can not be captured in pictures or words! We took pictures outside this first day, and went on a full day tour the following day. So this is still day one in Paris.

Ok, so after breakfast we headed to the Seine River for some sight-seeing. The building behind me is approximately 1/2 mile in length. This is the Louvre, the world's largest collection of art.

Ok, so our hotel was once a home....and our room was on the 5th floor, and this is the staircase to to top, where we first stayed. There is a VERY SMALL lift, big enough for me and our check-thru and so that is how we got the bags up there..but up and down for normal traffic, it's quaint!

Paris adventure begins. This is me and our favorite Coffee Barrista at the corner joint just two blocks from our hotel. For the record, Shaun had a hard time taking this photo, it was a bit touristy for him.

More Segway Birthday fun!

Here's Tracy and I

Here is the Birthday girl......what a fun day!

Tracy's 40th birthday and she wanted to do something different.....So we all went for a ride on a Segway on the Chattahoochee River walk. We had a great time.

Here I am inside the museum....with GI Joe...I love him! Good times.....stay tuned for Tracy's 40th tomorrow...it is going to be a hoot!

Here is Tracy and I in front of the Museum....good times!

After lunch we went to the Infantry Museum @ Ft Benning. Now you would think that I've had enough of Army and warfare, but this museum was well done! It documented the Army from the Revolutionary war through today, and it was very interactive and informative...we had a great time!

Here is my father and I by the pool.

Mom, Tracy and I outside by the pool. We went to the River Mill Center for lunch on the Chattahoochee River....it was fabulous....but then again, everything in America is!

Here is my sister and I.....she's is almost 40!

Well I made it to my sister's for her 40th. This is mom and I in the kitchen...where most families gather...that is why the ultimate house will have a fabulously large in inviting kitchen!

Shaun and I at the entrance to the Formula 1 race event in Bahrain. Summer is quickly approaching and you could feel the heat this weekend. We had a great time.

Glamor shot at the Formula 1 Race this weekend. They had seating areas like this set up in roughly a football field size area with all kinds of bands and entertainment.

Me at the Formula 1 race, and surprisingly on the outside of a police vehicle.

A front view of the chest.

I had a rosewood chest custom made for Shaun, it has both of his warfare insignias to the right and left of his name and then his name and rank. He wanted something like this....you'll have to see it in person to see all the detail and edge work.

Shaun's Birthday photo with his Jayhawk gear that Tracy and Steven sent him. I personally love the ribbon head cover.

Here I am with the beads that Janice sent for Mardi Gras......and yes...I earned them!

Here I am with James and Charles at our favorite (I think the only) cigar lounge in Bahrain. Bahrain is still very smoke friendly, so from a dinner stand-point, that can be challenging to find a non-cigarette eating area. From the other aspect, most places will allow you to light up a cigar. This particular lounge caters to cigar smokers. It is part of the Ritz Carlton, and I feel as though I'm in another world when I'm there. We have vowed to try and go there at least once a month, just to decompress and relax.

On Sunday there was a Wounded Warrior Charity Golf tournament. From Left to right....Jerry and Vince are both Captians and Heather (a Hell of a golfer) is a Commander. We had a great day of golf, with perfect weather. Believe it or not, I won the straightest drive....1' from the center cable down the 18th fairway. So I donated my winnings to the foundation. The deck above our head is the 19th hole (called: the links), which they just opened last month. It overlooks the 18th green and is a very nice place to chill and lie about your score with a cocktail.

There is a great Indian Food restaurant called: The Copper Chimney. All my Officers and I went out to dinner Saturday night. Shaun is not a big fan of Indian food, thus he is not pictured in this adventure. This is the bar area, with couches and chairs behind the camera man.

This is one of my Senior Chiefs. This was at the MLK softball tournament. I thought it was a great picture and a nice way to spend a 70 degree afternoon in the desert.

Here is Shaun receiving his Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal at an awards ceremony with the command in the background. This is his Commodore Vince Martinez. He and his wife are great people! Doesn't Shaun look handsome?!