They always seem to build train stations in bad neighborhoods. My first impression of Paris, when we got off of the train was a very trashy part of town. Trash everywhere, dog poop everywhere, public toilet had people poop on floor. Disgusting. Happily we got a nice hotel room, and a palatial (by European standards) Bathroom! The girls had their own room. Our 2nd day, was a much better impression of Paris, beautiful city, train station was just in a bad part of town, like the bus station in S.F. Rode the Paris subways, and tour buses. We got to see the Arch de Triumph, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower from a bus first.
The children fed the birds in front of Notre Dame, and they were almost completely tame. Both pigeons and little sparrow sized birds, eating from hands. That was the kids favorite part of Paris feeding birds.
There were beggar gals from India there, that would ask you if you spoke English, and then handed you a card that said their mother was dying of Leukemia everywhere.
We also saw the Louve Museum that day, at least part of it. awesome art, want to see more. We saw the Mona Lisa as well. We went back to the Louve again one more day and Viewed French painters like Jordan, Objects de Arte, and Sculptures. Lots of photos. 
Some French lady laughed her head off at us? Could it have been the way we were dressed? I must say that there isn't much in the way of fashion in Paris the clothes in the bay area are much more fun, and less drab. The French don't smile as much as the English But I watched them go by in the subways and they don't smile at each other much either, so not so bad. One day we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower today, wow! Got there early, the lines got long, and the waffles were so crowded, I could have gotten pregnant. You can see all of Paris from the Eiffel Tower, what a view, got major vertigo!!!!
On our last night in Paris, we had a tour guide that showed us the sparkling Eiffel tower, that was soooo beautiful. Doug got Video, I will have to show when he gets it up on the web. We went to Frankfurt, Germany to fly back, the Germans are much more friendly people then the Parisians (the country French are suppose to be much friendlier). But again the train station was in a very bad part of town. Flew back exhausted.
Spent one of our days in London with Mark Walis, at the tower one day, got a behind the scene look at some of rooms. Mark is running a reenactment show at the tower nowaday, and he sic'd his actors on me. Probably knowing I was the ham from hell. 
We had a lot of fun. The crown jewels were incredible, imagine wearing a fortune on your head, we saw gold tureens, that would probably need 4 men to lift, and giant, egg sized diamonds. He is a fount of information on English history, very fun. 
We also spend a day with Martin Harris (Scrooge), saw his town where he grew up at Graves End. He knew all the history of the town, including the places where Dickens hung out, got married in, and lived in. 
He also took us to many wonderful sites including beautiful churches, fun pubs, and the back way in to see Leeds castle, unfortunately the woman who runs the tours was peeved, but couldn't really do anything because the public paths are the public paths. 
The weather the whole time was pretty hot and muggy, with lots of clouds, and some sprinkles. Alot like Florida. 
Saw the Palace from outside the gates, and got to travel in a ferry down the Thames. We later took the Eurostar to Paris. Very fast train, could hardly watch the scenery go by, it was sooo fast.
