I'm ba-a-a-a-a-a-ck!!! (long)

Phew! What a ride!

Well, we're back from our honeymoon in Europe. If being an "Ugly American" means gawking at everything and snapping photos of what must be the most mundane everyday thing to Europeans, then I'm guilty as charged.

Me being a Realtor, I HAD to stop into local "estate agent" shops (they have display windows like clothiers do here), take tons of photos of homes and such (slate roofs are 'de riguer' in England -- even legislated in some places; while tile is on nearly every French home.)

A taxi driver in Wales remarked that unlike many others in the area, he lived in a fairly new home; built only 112 years ago!

Saw the Queen "crib" at Buckingham Palace, and the Inspection of the Guard at the horse stables nearby, (a much kept secret and a far better show than the Changing of the Guard).

Rode the Hover Ferry from the beautfiul white cliffs of Dover (big huge castle on top; yep, got the photo!) across the English Channel to Calais, France.

Rode the national trains lots. Gee, that was fun as I hadn't been on a real train since I was 7 years old. Got loks of brooding-looking photos of travels on various countryside platforms.

Everywhere in Europe are cafes called cyber or internet cafes. You can get a beer, wine or soft drink (don't even ask for ice! "Is not cold enough, Madam?") along with cruisng time. We actually made some reservations as we went along and revamped others.

The wedding was beautiful -- even if I do say so myself.

We have the photos back already, but I haven't scanned them in yet.

Still have 15 rolls of guest-taken film to develop and another 10 or so of our trip to England, Scotland, Wales and France.

Boy, I could get into this 'bride' stuff. For the first time in my life, I felt like "Queen for a Day".

Our first dance as husband and wife was to Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" and my dance with my 80-year old Dad was to Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World"

A good time was had by all (and I have the evidence to prove it. I told my hubby that if he wants the plum assignements he can always threaten to blackmail his boss with "I caught him kissing my wife!" But he retorted, "but everyone would ask, 'then why is he still alive?'")

We had a bagpiper instead of regular organ or piano music. He was a great Scottish "Pipe Major" from Scotland who had several times in the past played for Queen Elizabeth, but now lives in the States.

It was chilly most days, but quite nice. I couldn't handle Brit food, though and by the 3rd day was insisting on eating at recognizable American establishments (don't worry, they're plentiful).

French food was another story and what ever weight I lost trying to muddle through Brit food the week before, I gained back happily downing fresh bread and butter, escargot, wine, sauces and such.

Once I had declared that I would only sleep in lodgings with "western-style" bathrooms, en suite, things were A-Okay. (Sorry, just cannot abide having to dash downstairs or down the hall to squeeze into a 2-foot square portable shower -- No! this is NOT an exaggeration!)

Consequently, we stayed in neighborhood B&B's walking distance from "Victoria Station" in London. (I got very good at blending in with the locals and riding the "Tube" everywhere), a real 700 year old castle in North Wales, A houseboat in Scotland, then resorted to a 4-star hotel for the remaining week in Paris.

The French presidential election happened to be going on and it turned out our hotel "au de la Republique" was facing the square where Prez Jacques Chirac gave his victory speech. So we hung out the window of our suite watching the gratis open-air rock concert and waving so one or the other of us could pick us out on the nearby television set in the room (yep! USA country bumpkins!)

Went to Disneyland Paris (Mickey speaks sexy French and you can get wine with you fries! By the way, we HAD to ask, what do the French call "French Fries? Answer: "Frites")

And, just for you stalwart, dyed-in-the-wool Jim Morrison and The Who fans, we found his grave and my hubby (wow! there's that word!) got his pic taken beside the tombstone.

In London, I got my all time wish and saw the London cast production of..... drum role please.... "Les Miserables". Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

It was all I dreamed and heard and I greedily bought up a tee-shirt, coffee mug, program, CD set, etc. to commemorate. Yippee!!

My hubby, who thought he wasn't really into that sort of thing, actually gaffawed and applauded throughout the show and volunteered to gret tickets to "The Full Monty for the next night! Cool!

Okay, This has nothing whatsoever to do with credit, EXCEPT that it all came about because of the lessons I put into practice since finding this forum (also, in no small part because of hubby's already sterling credit practices).

Gee, it's good to be back home again.