The Paris Trip....
Oh goodness, I'm just going to put the entire travel log here and expand on it when I get time...
Day 1: Flight on British Airways. All luggage passed the weight test (Shocking, since the only thing left in the house was the kitchen sink!) Watched Made of Honor and Kung Fu Panda. Darrin watched Ironman... At least I got my requisite 'chick flick' in, but that doesn't let Darrin off the hook. :o)
Day 2: Still flying. . . Layover at Heathrow. All family members and luggage arrived at CDG in one piece, if only a little sore from sitting so long... The 'puddle-jumper' flight's engine didn't sound so good, so we were very happy to be back on the ground. Took a van to Hotel de la Paix in Montparnasse. The taxi driver cut off someone on a motorcycle, who raced up and whacked (broke) the taxi driver's side view mirror. Made it to the hotel in one piece... a little rattled, but discovering that DC doesn't have the monopoly on road rage. Can't say enough good things about our hotel! Though the hotel breakfast is a little pricey, the rooms are adequate for travelers who are just looking for bed and shower necessities. The staff is wonderful - and they're not snobby about speaking English. (My rusty French got better as the week went on -- I'm sure the Parisians are grateful...)
We freshened up and walked about Paris. Mom, Dad and Darrin hadn't been there before, so this was a nice orientation. Walked through the Luxembourg gardens. Walked through St. Sulpice, where an exhibit actually walks through the Da Vinci Code description of the Rose Line. Dinner was at the Great Canadian - standard pub stuff, but it was close by. We barely made the boat at Pont Neuf for a ride up and down the Seine. Sunset on the boat. Took the long way home... Really, nearly 30 blocks out of the way.
Day 3: Normandy Trip. Can't rave enough about Paris-Trip.com for the ease of booking, and quality of the tour guides. Nicholas started our Tour at Caen Peace Memorial Museum. Saw artifacts like a copy of Einstein's letter to Roosevelt about the Germans' nuclear abilities and Roosevelt's return letter. Typhoon aircraft. Helmets, 1st aid kit, bullets, comfort items of American, British and German forces. Wedding gown made from a parachute. Movie of WWII events, centering on D-Day. Stopped at panoramic view of Normandy beaches. Lunch at Arromanches (Hotel Normandie). Mom had her first (?!) Croque Monsieur... y'know, with ham and cheese and all melted inside and outside...
We went to the American Cemetery... Where we saw flowers from the SAR laid at the main sculpture. Over 9300 graves marked with crosses and Stars of David. Went to Omaha Beach - MUCH wider than I expected. Hadn't thought much about the tactical side of D-Day, but since obstructions prevented landing at high tide, the beach area was significantly increased. Went to Pont du Hoc - where rangers climbed the rock cliffs to take out the big guns that could reach the beach. Still huge craters from the bombs.
Day 4: City Tour, Le Bourget, Moulin Rouge. After a petit dejuner of mini baguettes, croissants and pain au chocolate, we were picked up for our "City Tour". The van only made three stops (Notre Dame, Trocadero - to view the Eiffel Tower- and Sacre Coeur), but we saw many sites. the Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon's recycled cannons, the Louvre, Sorbonne, Obelisk, Place de la Concorde, Opera, etc.
After the tour, we headed out to lunch. Nothing exciting there, but we had some thoughts up our sleeve. Dad (who is a docent at the DC Air and Space Museum) wouldn't stop asking about getting to Le Bourget - the field where Charles Lindbergh landed from his Atlantic Crossing. (For more explanation, ask Dad.) It also happens to be where the French Air and Space museum is housed! After seeing where this place was -- and finding out that it's a Military airfield, I'd told Dad that we couldn't go. After lunch, we took a walk to the Train Station (Since that sounded like a good idea). I had to bite my tongue, lip and feign interest in a subway map when Dad said "I guess I can't go to Le Bourget" -- Darrin was off buying tickets. Quite a surprise for Dad, and apparently an interesting time. Not a good area of town to be lost in... Mom and I went shopping, but found crepes and a pseudo-diet-coke instead.
Moulin Rouge -- Much smaller venue than I expected. A very colorful, slightly odd show. Was a bit upset with the quality of the performances - sloppy moves, particularly on the ensemble numbers. Guess that isn't the point.
Day 5: Transfer to Concorde Lafayette. Trice packed his passport, which made checking in exciting. Met Cousin Russ and his wife Laura! (I had to go halfway around the world to meet my cousin!) Found the post office, had lunch (quiche) at Le Touring on Rue de la Grande Armee. Walking back, we got caught mid-crosswalk and had an excellent view of 8 lanes of Paris traffic with no lane markings and no accidents. Reception where we met our host families -- 3-4 guests to a French host. Darrin and I were with Jacques' daughters Catherine and Laure. Wow was that a fantastic time! Dinner was melon, quiche, salad, and homemade chocolate mousse with raspberries and blackberries! Laure drove us back to the hotel after dinner and coffee.
Day 1: Flight on British Airways. All luggage passed the weight test (Shocking, since the only thing left in the house was the kitchen sink!) Watched Made of Honor and Kung Fu Panda. Darrin watched Ironman... At least I got my requisite 'chick flick' in, but that doesn't let Darrin off the hook. :o)
Day 2: Still flying. . . Layover at Heathrow. All family members and luggage arrived at CDG in one piece, if only a little sore from sitting so long... The 'puddle-jumper' flight's engine didn't sound so good, so we were very happy to be back on the ground. Took a van to Hotel de la Paix in Montparnasse. The taxi driver cut off someone on a motorcycle, who raced up and whacked (broke) the taxi driver's side view mirror. Made it to the hotel in one piece... a little rattled, but discovering that DC doesn't have the monopoly on road rage. Can't say enough good things about our hotel! Though the hotel breakfast is a little pricey, the rooms are adequate for travelers who are just looking for bed and shower necessities. The staff is wonderful - and they're not snobby about speaking English. (My rusty French got better as the week went on -- I'm sure the Parisians are grateful...)
We freshened up and walked about Paris. Mom, Dad and Darrin hadn't been there before, so this was a nice orientation. Walked through the Luxembourg gardens. Walked through St. Sulpice, where an exhibit actually walks through the Da Vinci Code description of the Rose Line. Dinner was at the Great Canadian - standard pub stuff, but it was close by. We barely made the boat at Pont Neuf for a ride up and down the Seine. Sunset on the boat. Took the long way home... Really, nearly 30 blocks out of the way.
Day 3: Normandy Trip. Can't rave enough about Paris-Trip.com for the ease of booking, and quality of the tour guides. Nicholas started our Tour at Caen Peace Memorial Museum. Saw artifacts like a copy of Einstein's letter to Roosevelt about the Germans' nuclear abilities and Roosevelt's return letter. Typhoon aircraft. Helmets, 1st aid kit, bullets, comfort items of American, British and German forces. Wedding gown made from a parachute. Movie of WWII events, centering on D-Day. Stopped at panoramic view of Normandy beaches. Lunch at Arromanches (Hotel Normandie). Mom had her first (?!) Croque Monsieur... y'know, with ham and cheese and all melted inside and outside...
We went to the American Cemetery... Where we saw flowers from the SAR laid at the main sculpture. Over 9300 graves marked with crosses and Stars of David. Went to Omaha Beach - MUCH wider than I expected. Hadn't thought much about the tactical side of D-Day, but since obstructions prevented landing at high tide, the beach area was significantly increased. Went to Pont du Hoc - where rangers climbed the rock cliffs to take out the big guns that could reach the beach. Still huge craters from the bombs.
Day 4: City Tour, Le Bourget, Moulin Rouge. After a petit dejuner of mini baguettes, croissants and pain au chocolate, we were picked up for our "City Tour". The van only made three stops (Notre Dame, Trocadero - to view the Eiffel Tower- and Sacre Coeur), but we saw many sites. the Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon's recycled cannons, the Louvre, Sorbonne, Obelisk, Place de la Concorde, Opera, etc.
After the tour, we headed out to lunch. Nothing exciting there, but we had some thoughts up our sleeve. Dad (who is a docent at the DC Air and Space Museum) wouldn't stop asking about getting to Le Bourget - the field where Charles Lindbergh landed from his Atlantic Crossing. (For more explanation, ask Dad.) It also happens to be where the French Air and Space museum is housed! After seeing where this place was -- and finding out that it's a Military airfield, I'd told Dad that we couldn't go. After lunch, we took a walk to the Train Station (Since that sounded like a good idea). I had to bite my tongue, lip and feign interest in a subway map when Dad said "I guess I can't go to Le Bourget" -- Darrin was off buying tickets. Quite a surprise for Dad, and apparently an interesting time. Not a good area of town to be lost in... Mom and I went shopping, but found crepes and a pseudo-diet-coke instead.
Moulin Rouge -- Much smaller venue than I expected. A very colorful, slightly odd show. Was a bit upset with the quality of the performances - sloppy moves, particularly on the ensemble numbers. Guess that isn't the point.
Day 5: Transfer to Concorde Lafayette. Trice packed his passport, which made checking in exciting. Met Cousin Russ and his wife Laura! (I had to go halfway around the world to meet my cousin!) Found the post office, had lunch (quiche) at Le Touring on Rue de la Grande Armee. Walking back, we got caught mid-crosswalk and had an excellent view of 8 lanes of Paris traffic with no lane markings and no accidents. Reception where we met our host families -- 3-4 guests to a French host. Darrin and I were with Jacques' daughters Catherine and Laure. Wow was that a fantastic time! Dinner was melon, quiche, salad, and homemade chocolate mousse with raspberries and blackberries! Laure drove us back to the hotel after dinner and coffee.
posted by Holly Lynne at 9:56 PM
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