One of the things I’ve wanted to do for some time is travel overseas. A variety of health issues, Covid, and other factors kept getting in the way, and I began to wonder if this would ever come about.
With my wife Reneé and I preparing to observe our 40th anniversary on Oct. 25, last summer I began to think of ways to celebrate this occasion. Paris seemed like a nice, romantic place to visit. And when I looked at a map of France, I realized how relatively close London is to the French capital. I thought it might make sense to see both cities on one trip.
Well, we just got back from this journey—fortunately before the violent protests broke out across France—and I am truly grateful we had the opportunity to take this trip. It was a marvelous chance to see some of the most iconic sites in the world and enjoy some wonderful food as well.
I’d read much about the cities, as well as seen them in countless television shows and movies. To be there in person, to view the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Crown Jewels, Rosetta Stone, and a rare copy of the Magna Carta, within a matter of days, was special.
The architecture of the old buildings in both cities was stunning, and they are in remarkable condition considering their age. We got to visit four world-class museums: the National Gallery and British Museum in London, and the Louvre and d’Orsay in Paris. As a big art fan, to see the works of artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, was awesome.
On our walk along the Thames River we approached Big Ben, with the morning sunlight reflecting off the gold leaf gilding. Then there was busy Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, Arc de Triomphe, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and Buckingham and Kensington Palaces. We witnessed the majestic beauty of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Westminster Abbey, Sainte-Chapelle, and Palais Garnier.
Of course, one of the most memorable sites of the trip was the Eiffel Tower. We got to see it close up during the day and lit up with sparkling lights at night as we rode by on a cruise along the Seine River. We enjoyed some of the most famous parks and gardens in the world, including St. Jame’s and Hyde in London and Jardin de Tuileries and Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.
At the Churchill War Rooms Museum, we were reminded of what the city of London and its leaders and people experienced during the second world war. And at the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker St., we viewed recreations of the Victorian-era apartments where the fictional Sherlock lived and worked.
And we got to see some of the English and French countryside on the Eurostar train ride between the cities.
Before we left, I was a bit nervous about how I would manage on the trip with my prosthetic leg. But other than dealing with lots of stairs it turned out to be mostly a non-issue, thanks in large part to the cane I brought along to help navigate the many slopes and cobblestone streets. We averaged about six and a half miles of walking per day. That would have been nearly unimaginable to me when I had to have my left foot amputated in 2023.
Aside from seeing all the attractions, we also explored many vibrant neighborhoods in both cities and met lots of nice people along the way. This includes the good souls who gave up their seats on the Underground and Metro and made sure I didn’t topple down some steep stairs. This turned out to be a recurring theme throughout our trip: people assisting us when they saw that I needed help.
I’ve been relatively able bodied much of my life—and still like to think I am—so I’m not accustomed to gestures like people offering their seats on subways and buses. It was a bit humbling, but not in a bad way. I was acknowledging my limitations and grateful for the offers of help. I began referring to my “magic cane”, which would bring not only offers of help but special treatment at places such as museums.
It’s interesting because before we left on the trip, several people warned us about pickpockets and smartphone thieves. Well, I did lose my wallet and my phone. The wallet dropped out of my pocket as I was climbing up some stairs, and a kindly person rushed over to return it to me. And I accidentally left my phone in an Uber car when we got to Heathrow airport in London to return home, and when Reneé got in touch with him by calling my phone the driver nicely offered to return to the airport as soon as he could to drop it off.
Shortly before that trip to the airport, there was another unexpected incident. During much of our time in London, we had been joking about the possibility of encountering royals, while acknowledging how unlikely it was. We’d heard that Catherine, Princess of Wales, rode on the Underground while we were in town, but we missed her. On another day, Prince William played cricket in front of Buckingham Palace, but not on the day we were there.
But on this final day of our trip, we were strolling through Kensington Gardens when we heard a helicopter flying overhead and then saw it land nearby. After waiting a while, we saw some cars drive up to the helicopter, and out of one of them stepped the King and Queen of the United Kingdon. They were catching the royal helicopter to attend an event. And we just happened to be there.
It was a regal conclusion to our visit to these magnificent, unforgettable cities.
Be sure to grab a copy of my book, Life Lessons today! https://bobviolino.com
If you haven’t subscribed, you’re missing out on post updates! To sign up, type your email in the box below then click on the green subscribe button. When you receive a confirmation message from WordPress, click on the “confirm now” button to complete the process.
Leave a Reply