Reset search
Europe 2025
  • Barb and Alan
May – Jul 2025

Europe 2025

Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France and Belgium Read more
FollowInsightsCalendarShareShareBucket list
Newest first
  • Barb and AlanEurope 2025Barb and Alan
    1Our Room's TerraceMonet's Water LilliesMonetView from Top of Arc de Triomphe2Stairs up the Arc de TriompheArc de Triomphe1

    Paris - Days 1-3

    June 26 in France ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Arc de Triomphe - Climbed 284 steps to the top to look out over all of Paris. Gorgeous view!!

    Eiffel Tower - Found a quiet bench in the shade to admire this amazingly huge tower 😳

    Musee d l’orangerie - We had tickets for when it opened and we were able to see Monet’s Water Lillies without anyone else around us ❤️❤️

    Tuileries Garden - Enjoyed the shade, sitting by the fountain, and a wonderful lunch. When ordering lunch, Alan said he just didn’t want to end up with raw meat. Well…he ordered what he thought was an angus steak, but it was razor thin slices of raw steak with arugula and a basil pesto dressing. 😂 I wish I had a picture of his face when he saw it! He actually LOVED it!!

    Hotel de la Marine - Wonderful visit of this opulent place. 🙂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanEurope 2025Barb and Alan
    Rodin's "The Thinker"
    Rodin MuseumVincent Van Gogh Painting in the Rodin Museum2Rodin MuseumRodin MuseumRodin MuseumMusée de l'Armée InvalidesArmor made for Henry IIINapoleon's TombNapoleon's TombCité de l'architecture et du patrimoineCité de l'architecture et du patrimoineCité de l'architecture et du patrimoine

    Paris - Day 4

    June 29 in France ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    Amazing day!

    Our visit to the Rodin Museum in the morning was outstanding! We were in awe of the sculptures as well as the grounds of the museum. Plus, we were so surprised to see a couple of Van Gogh paintings. 🙂

    We then went to the Army Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb. We literally could have spent an entire day there. It was massive! We decided to focus on the medieval section and then headed to the Tomb. It’s hard to describe the grandeur of Napoleon’s Tomb…crazy over the top!

    We finished our day at the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine which houses wonderful to-scale casts of ancient architecture in France.

    In our short time here so far we have noticed the huge effort to preserve and display the history and art. It is hugely valued and such a gift to generations of people. “Wow” seems to be a word I am saying over and over.🙂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanEurope 2025Barb and Alan
    1
    23

    Notre Dame and the Seine

    June 30 in France ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    Highlights of today:

    Notre Dame!
    Shakespeare and Company
    Seine River Cruise
    Olympic Cauldron in the Sky
    Eiffel Tower Twinkling

    It was 95 degrees today 🥵 so we went to Notre Dame and Shakespeare and Company before 9:00 am. We hid from the heat with a long lunch at an air conditioned Italian restaurant and then did not go outside again until our late night cruise.

    Paris lit up at night along the river is stunning, and seeing the Olympic Cauldron up in the sky on one side of the Seine and the twinkling Eiffel Tower lit up on the other was magical.

    Tomorrow it’s supposed to be even hotter😳 before it cools a bit. SO thankful our hotel room has air conditioning because it seems to not be a common thing.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanEurope 2025Barb and Alan
    Sainte-ChappelleSainte-ChappellSainte-ChappellTHE GREAT SPHINX OF TANISVénus de Milo by Alexandros of AntiochThe Winged Victory of SamothraceMona LisaLiberty Leading the People by Eugene DelacroixMichaelangelo's "Captive-Rebellious Slave"Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss by Antonio CanovaLouvre Couture in Napoleon's Apartments - Dior

    Sainte Chapelle and the Louvre

    July 2 in France ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Overwhelmed by the history and beauty we were shown today! The stained glass at Sainte-Chappell was jaw dropping! Commissioned by King Louis XIV in the 13th century with 1113 stained glass panels 😳.

    We also toured through the Conciergerie that was a royal medieval palace that became a revolutionary court and Marie-Antoinette's prison.

    We ended our day with a wonderful tour guide who showed us some amazing pieces in the Louvre. We are SO glad we had a him! He was funny, engaging and he made everything come to life with the stories behind the pieces. We only scratched the tiniest piece of what is there…can’t even wrap my brain around it all.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanEurope 2025Barb and Alan
    1Vincent Van Gogh - Starry Night
    Vincent Van GoghPierre Auguste Renoir - City Dance Country DanceBal du moulin de la Galette Painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir1MonetEdgar Degas - RepasseusesPaul Cézanne - Sainte-Victoire MountainMusee d'OrsayBerthe Morisot - The Cradle1Claude Monet Essai de figure en plein-air : Femme à l'ombrelle tournée vers la gauche 1886

    Musée d'Orsay

    July 3 in France ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Morisot…oh my goodness!!!

    Our guide, Blerta, spent an amazing few hours with us! She first gave us the history of Musée d'Orsay, then she shared the background of the academic vs the impressionistic art movements and told the stories of the artists and their pieces.

    Besides the masterpieces we were fortunate to see, my favorite part of today were the groups of tiny little preschool kids being excited to see the art with their teachers. 💕🙂

    Paris has over 100 museums 😲. We are so fortunate to have seen what we could in our time here. ❤️

    Tomorrow, we take the train to Lille to experience the first stage of the Tour de France.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanEurope 2025Barb and Alan
    1Eddie gifts 🙂1

    Lille and the Tour de France

    July 4 in France ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    What an ending to our trip!!

    Alan kept saying he had goosebumps all over today as we got to watch the wild spectacle that is the Tour de France. It is HUGE and to think they set it up and take it down for 21 days in 21 different areas. 😳🙂 I believe it was a dream come true for Alan and a perfect explanation point to our trip.

    44 days, 4 countries (5, if we count the Brussels Airport), 6 planes, 5 trains, and 22 different accommodations. It’s time to head home. 🙂💕    Read more

    Trip end
    July 8, 2025
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice