Howie & "T"

Off to France.....

We decided to stop off to get something to eat before our long ride into France. We stopped at a convenience store and the girls decided they wanted Burger King food. This place was not like most convenience stores I have ever seen before. They had buffets of all types of foods, desserts, fruits and mixed smootie drinks. YUMMMM!

They probably wanted to eat here because they get these really cool crowns. Karah is such a good big sister. Look at the way Alyssa looks up to and admires her big sis! I love this picture of the two of them. Karah is always looking out for her sis.

Karah has always wanted to be a princess..... well now she has her own little crown!

They love window shopping together as they decide which toy they would like in their kid's meal

DON"T EAT THAT FRENCH FRY ON THE GROUND LYSS!!! It took a long time to get the food and Lyssi looks tempted .....

Finally I have my food! French fries are one of the few things that Lyss can eat. It has been a struggle finding food for this little girl that she is not allergic to.

CHEEZIN" it for Grandma "T"

We drove for quite a while into France to Strasbourg. April and Shawn had already been here but they loved it so much they wanted to show me around this town. By the time we arrived in the city it was quite late. We had a tough time finding the hotel where we had reservations. There was no parking anywhere in sight so we decided to drop Shawn off to get us registered.

April took control of the wheel and we began driving around the block. Little did we know that she had turned down a road which you were NOT suppose to drive on. We did not see the sign. OOOPS! It was not until we reached the end of the road that we realized there was no way out!!! People from the shops and restaurants and bars were waving and laughing at us. They obviously knew we were tourist at that point. The streets were so narrow that there was no way of turning around. I was laughing so hard I could not even breathe. I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard! Anyway.... we had to slowly back up all the way down the street to where we had entered, past all of the people laughing and pointing at us. It would have been a great effect if we had that cool beeping sound that garbage trucks make while they are backing up. We could have really been a spectacle then! Many people who were walking down the sidewalk stopped to get a look at these fools from UTAH. I just thought we'd better make the best of the situation so I began waving as though we were in some 4th of July parade or something. I wish I would have had some salt water taffy to throw to the spectators. I am sure we made their night! April cracks me up!!!

The hotel we stayed in was pretty scary. In fact this whole town had me a bit nerved up. I am sure it was because we had arrived so late, we did not know if we were even in a safe part of town. The streets were filled with partiers, there was graffiti on the walls the streets twisted and turned and led you to who knows where!! You could easily get lost here. I did not feel safe and was freaked out to say the least)

They also did not have parking for the hotel so after Shawn checked us in we had April stay there with the kids and Shawn and I went about a mile away to park the car. At this point I was not at all impressed with France!

Up to this point we had stayed in some pretty awesome hotels. The thing that has impressed me so much with hotels in Europe have been the cleanliness of them, the comfortable beds, pillows and the bathrooms. The showers are totally awesome with more water power than I have ever experienced. Also inside the bathrooms they have these racks the heat up so that you can have a toasty warm towel to wrap up in.

Well this one was a work of art!!! Gross, gross, gross and more gross! The bathroom reminded me of the type you have in a fifth wheel trailer or something. The shower wand was attached to the bathroom sink and there was just a little curtain to pull around you. It just had such a dirty feel to this whole room.

Boo was checking for bed bugs. We figured since their logo out front was a bug they must be hiding in this room somewhere!

No bugs found so it was safe for Shawn to lay down and relax. He has been an incredible tour guide this whole trip. He has done all the driving and booking of tours and hotel rooms. Thanks Shawn!

Lyssi is pointing out the gross floors to us.

Hold me Grandma "T"..... I think I saw a cockroach!

Karah was doing some repair work to the floors because the nails were sticking up and it hurt to walk on them. If a hammer is not available always resort to a trusty lotion bottle :)

This place was pretty dirty. You can see the trash stuffed into the cracks in the floor. A cap to a beer bottle, tags, and who knows what else is in there. There is also a home for some little critters between the floor board at the top of the picture. YUCK!

Well we were all trashed because of the long trip so off to bed we went. We had a BIG day of touring planned for tomorrow.

Nighty night......Don't let the bed bugs bite!

When I woke up in the morning I was pleasantly surprised! As I looked out the window I saw a different site than what we had experienced the night before. This town looks TOTALLY different when the sun is shining.

While the kids were still sleeping I stood out on the balcony and enjoyed the view. It was actually a very pretty little city. Not as dirty and scary as I had thought just a few hours earilier. The street on the left side of the picture is the one Ape drove down last night. Notice the red DO NOT ENTER sign posted at the intersection!

I watched as they set up the fruit stand for the morning as well as tables for the outdoor shop down the road. People were sweeping up garbage and getting it all clean and nice for the new day.

The streets were peaceful and quiet

I think I am going to love this place after all.

As for the hotel...... Randy Holman would need to come over to France and do his "magic" on this hotel to turn this hotel around and make me ever want to come back to this "HOLE" He would be disgusted. I think he would even invest in some electrical outlets for his customers.......

Serious..... NO LIE..... This was the only outlet in the whole room or bathroom! Who in the "CRAP" puts an outlet up on the ceiling?????

Are they NUTS or WHAT???

Pretty classy place we have goin' on here! At least they were kind enough to stategically place the tv nearby. The tv has two great functions. 1st..... wonderful entertainment and 2nd.... a handy dandy mirror! Just carfully wipe off all of the dust and then if you squint just right and the sun comes in the window at just the right angle....you may be lucky enough to see your reflection on the screen.

All ready to go touring for the day!

My grandkids are so stinkin' cute!!!

Where is that jungle gym when you need it. Lyss is having fun crawling in and out of her stroller as we all get ready to go. Help..... I think I am stuck :(