Happy New Year 2013!

Here is the countdown to the new year from the Magic Kingdom, so everyone who will miss it can catch it.  The fireworks are all around us all directions.  Enjoy! 

Reimagined Test Track at Epcot

We were fortunate today to get in on Cast Previews for the new Test Track attraction in Epcot. It is an amazing transformation and a fitting addition to FutureWorld!

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Chip got to meet Belle today in the new Fantasyland Forest at the Magic Kingdom.

Good Year blimp

I used to watch the blimp take off and land from my office in Torrance years ago. Now it's come to visit me here in Florida!

The 2nd Thanksgiving

Cousin Audrey's Sunday Thanksgiving Dinner hosts 14.

When Y'all need to rent a truck in the south

A happy Thanksgiving Dinner

Cousins Amber and Audrey and Chip's parents Chet and Marie pose with Chip as we all sit down to dinner. We are thankful we are able to share Thanksgiving with our family near and far...

Homemade Apple Pie

The first time I baked a pie from scratch. It sure smells good but we will have to wait until tomorrow to cut into it and taste it!

Osborne Lights

We took cousins Amber and Audrey to see the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Digging under the pool deck

To find a broken pipe and repair the leak that has caused us to lose an Inch of water a day in the pool.

Gaston in front of his Tavern

Both live and in person and in Bronze on the fountain!

Gaston's Tavern in new Fantasyland

I got into the new Fantasyland Forest today and tried something new for lunch. Le Fou's Brew and the Roasted Pork Shank! It's as big and meaty as the turkey legs they sell in the parks but tastier!

Florida Wildlife

I went out to water plants on the front porch this morning and saw this little guy in one of the bushes next tovthe house. He appears to be a Rosy Boa.

Howard Jones Live

At Epcot's Eat To The Beat Concert Series during The Food & Wine Festival.

Back in France for a day

At Epcot, of course!

Hoop De Doo Revue

We finally got to Hoop De Doo tonight. We are staying at Boardwalk Resort this weekend and tomorrow is MouseAdventure in the Magic Kingdom AND Party For the Senses at Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

Summer to Winter overnight.

We were still having summer temperatures late last week until Hurricane Sandy passed by. Now we are having record lows. We finally turned off the A/C last week and now have to light a fire for warmth!

Frankfurt Airport Hilton

This hotel is built to look like an ultra-modern cruise ship complete with gangways and portholes along the bottom. And it's no where near water but sandwiched between 2 freeways.

Time to leave and return home

The Goble family were wonderful hosts answer bid them goodbye...

Statue of Spirit of Germania on the Rhine river

Castle Jugendburg Stahleck

This castle in Bacharach has been converted into a youth hostel. My favorite feature was the dragon rain gutterspouts.

A boat ride on the Rhine

Chip looks great in his new German Hunter's Fedora as we embark on our journey on the Rhine River.

Siegfried's Mechanisches Musikkabinett Museum

Our first stop today was a museum in Rüdesheimer of old mechanical musical instruments dating from 1780 to 1930.

ErlebnisPark in Steinau

The afternoon was spent in the local family fun park which was a blast. Here we are posing with "Erli" the donkey. Can you guess what us three "pirates" on the right are singing?

Bruder Grimm Haus

Today we visited the house where the brothers Grimm grew up in Steinau an der Strasse. Here is Chip and the Goble family who we are staying with.

The best wurst frankfurter we've ever had...

Remind you of a Disney movie?

Frankfurt DomPlätz

The old village center of Frankfurt

High above the city of Frankfurt

Here we are after our climb to the top of the Cathedral tower. That is the Main River in the background.

In Frankfurt

Our first stop today was the Cathedral in Frankfurt.

Our first meal in Geemany

Pork Schnitzel, of course!

Leaving Paris

We are about to board the ICE bullet train for Frankfurt yesterday.

Our last photo in Paris

The sun is trying to poke thru the clouds giving this nice final view of a ornate Paris rooftop.

Le Grand Coupola au Printemps

The view to the south

One final rainy morning in Paris. This is the view from our hotel lounge where we are having breakfast.

The. View of Montmartrè

Looking out the window to our north is Montmartrè and Sacré Coèur

Viewing from the Eiffel Tower

Even the pay telescopes are beautiful brass and steel contraptions.  Terry brought binoculars and a camera, and I was rapid-firing with a camera in each hand (kickin' it John-Woo-style like the gangster movies), so we didn't need telescopes, but I appreciate somebody taking the time to add beauty to the small details like this.  It's a functional work of art.

View from the other side of the Eiffel tower

There is a beautiful and massive courtyard with spraying fountains on the other side, and beyond that you can see the high-rise section that I would call downtown.  We didn't go there; who needs to see that when you have this?

View from Eiffel Tower's East side

You can see that Paris stretches on forever, a city of real stone buildings.  There is one big black skyscraper you can see here.  After that one was built, I head Parisians said, No, that doesn't belong here.  They did build many high-rises on the other side of the tower, all of them together and far off from the old city.

The Shadow of the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower

Even the structure is decorated, as well as functional even in the highest wind you can't feel the tower sway at all.

The Eiffel Tower

An engineering wonder often copied in other cities.

Eiffel Tower

We are now in a long line to buy tickets for the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, the top access is temporarily closed so we may only get up to the middle level.

A day with sunshine!

We are about to head out to see the Eiffel Tower today. At least we get one nice day in Paris without rain!

The steps of Montmartré...

Lead up to the Cathedral of Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart). We ended our day up here at the top of the city.

The Gargoyles of Notré Dame

I have wanted to get this picture for a very long time...

The Cathedral of Notré Dame

After the Louvré, we walked over to Notré Dame.

The Louvré

We started today at the Louvré. It's a very cold rainy day...

The view from our hotel

Eiffel Tower on left and Paris Opera on right

Castle Flambé

The finale of Disney Dreams has lots of fire - Disneyland Paris is burning!

Today at Disneyland Paris

Louis IV statue

We got to visit Versailles Palace today after checking in to our hotel. The weather was too rainy to walk thru the gardens but the palace is magnificent.