Saturday, October 29, 2011
Home Safe October 29
After a 11+ hour flight to Salt Lake City, and a few more to San Diego, we all made it home safe and sound. Our flights were pretty uneventful, the only drama was the 1 hour layover in which we had to go through passport control, collect our boxes/backpacks form the airline, customs, return our belongings to the airlines and then go through TSA again. With less than 20 inutes to spare we raced form one side of the SLC airport to the other and arrived at our gate with moments to spare. After we decided we had a minute for a bathroom break we ran and did that, showed our boarding passes, boarded the plane and belted in as the plane took off. Phew! I was pretty certain we would miss that flight so we all breathed a sigh of relief as we took off.
Our sweethearts rode together to the airport pick us up and met us with flowers in hand. (thanks whoever had that idea!) We regaled them with a few stories on the ride home and said Arevoir and A bientot for the final time as we quickly departed for our own homes (and our own comfy beds).
What a great trip, with lots of awesome memories made, and even stronger bonds of friendship forged.
Thanks JoBeth, Deiann and Lauri for saying YES!!!!
Hey..... where shall we go next???????
Our sweethearts rode together to the airport pick us up and met us with flowers in hand. (thanks whoever had that idea!) We regaled them with a few stories on the ride home and said Arevoir and A bientot for the final time as we quickly departed for our own homes (and our own comfy beds).
What a great trip, with lots of awesome memories made, and even stronger bonds of friendship forged.
Thanks JoBeth, Deiann and Lauri for saying YES!!!!
Hey..... where shall we go next???????
Leaving Paris Friday, October 28
We were unable to check in online due to a miscommunication between Delta and Air France. After a frustrating few hours on the phone (and a waste of what was supposed to be a relaxing last evening in Paris we decided to give up and just check in at the airport Friday morning. We had a few concerns due to the fact that Air France was scheduled to go on strike the day after we were leaving. We weren't certain that our filght was still scheduled.
We enjoyed our last dinner in our room in Paris, eating an eclectic mix of things we created from what was left in the fridge. It was finally the relaxing evening we had been looking for, which was nice because there was still packing to do.
We decided that we were willing to splurge on a ride to the airport rather than fight the bus/metro/RER to Charles de Gaulle. We had the resort call a shuttle for us and the trip was trouble free. We had breakfast after we breezed through the French version of TSA, which left plenty of time for last minute shopping for those with Euros left to spend. For some they were a nuisance to be rid of before we arrived home, for me they represent the promise of my next trip.... Eastern Europe here I come!!!!
We enjoyed our last dinner in our room in Paris, eating an eclectic mix of things we created from what was left in the fridge. It was finally the relaxing evening we had been looking for, which was nice because there was still packing to do.
We decided that we were willing to splurge on a ride to the airport rather than fight the bus/metro/RER to Charles de Gaulle. We had the resort call a shuttle for us and the trip was trouble free. We had breakfast after we breezed through the French version of TSA, which left plenty of time for last minute shopping for those with Euros left to spend. For some they were a nuisance to be rid of before we arrived home, for me they represent the promise of my next trip.... Eastern Europe here I come!!!!
Thursday, October 27
For our final day in Paris everyone had different errands in mind and I needed another day with less activity. Lauri and Deiann headed out to spend the day shopping and JoBeth went off in search of another Harley store (are you sensing a theme?). She also wanted to visit the Chateau that was in our neighborhood.
I rested for a few extra hours and then took the metro to meet Lauri and Deiann. They were running a few minutes late and I was a few minutes early so I decided to take a peek in a shoe/boot store nearby. Viola! (as the French would say) there were my new boots in the store. They are cute and brown and sort of riding boot ish. Oh, and less than half the price of the pair in Italy. I did love those boots in Italy, however I loved
the price of these more.The ladies arrived just in time to give me the two thumbs up, I made my purchase and we were off to the covered passageways of Paris.
The covered passageways are sort of like the original indoor shopping mall. It is a small alleyway with shops on either side and they are covered with an arched ceiling to keep out the weather. Most of the shops are eclectic and very specific ie: rare stamp and old postcards, used and rare books, and lots of miniature (dollhouse type) or collectibles. We lunched at a sidewalk cafe and endured our final meal surrounded by French people smoking.
After lunch we went in search of a Monoprix (our favorite grocery store) and goodies to take home for our families. It never fails that I discover something new and delicious when I travel (even this time when I barely ate anything I discovered a yummy cookie that you frequently receive when you order a coffee of tea).
During our search for the Monoprix we ended up back near the Louve and Tulleries. There were rows of trees that were changing totheir fall colors. Another week and they will be brilliant. Even now they made for some beautiful photos. There were also two young couples playing Boules so that provided an opportunity for me to watch and photograph them at play.
Monoprix was a success and Deiann and I headed home loaded down with grocery goodies, my huge boot box, and an oversize cardboard box to take it all home in. We searched for a suitcase but never found one for a reasonable price.
So, I had been keeping track of all the funny things I had seen people lugging home on the metro.... everything from arm loads of baggettes to molding for their homes... but I never thought I would be the one to make the biggest spectacle of myself. Deiann very generously carried my Monoprix purchases which left me with the boots, the box and the other goodies I had purchased knowing I would have a way to get them home (now that I had boots that needed more than my backpack to get home).The cardboard box is long, the boot box is tall and the other stuff is heavy so all in all it was just plain awkward and hard to handle.
Now, picture me on the metro at rush hour.... have you ever been on a metro at rush hour? Lots of distracted people, no place to sit or get out of the way.... and me, in the middle of it with this awkward collection of things. As people distractedly stumbled over my box (low lying and a trip hazard), I received many confused/annoyed stares. Then I had to lug the box onto the bus.... at rush hour. We stepped put of the metro and there was bus 118. We hurried toward it as it began to pull away. A woman ahead of us ran toward it and the bus stopped for her, which got us within distance of shouting to the driver "Mouseir, Mouseir, Sil vous Plait" as he began to pull away. He stopped for us and we stumbled aboard. Of course with hands full, I had no free hand to get out a bus ticket. I put the box down on the floor and the bus lurched forward as I flew into the woman next to me. The bus stopped again to let more latecomers on and I just about had my balance again when the bus took off again and I bounced off the first woman and landed on another woman next to her. I was very apologetic as I shoved my box into the back of her legs to get out of the way of the latest arrivals onto the bus. Finally feeling well balanced I chanced letting go of the safety bar to get out a bus ticket. By this time I was yards away for the validating machine so I had to pass my ticket over several people's heads to give it to Deiann to validate (you don't want to get caught without a valid ticket...it's a minimum 75 euro fine). She had to hold it in her teeth until she could turn and insert it into the machine. By this time there were more people on the bus an through ticket filled teeth she had to ask the people in front of the machine to allow her access. As she returned the ticket to me the bus lurched and the woman I had rammed into earlier ended up in my arms which threw me into the lady who was already highly annoyed with me. Lady One and I just giggled over the absurdity of it all;) Meanwhile, every bus stop added 10-15 more people to the already packed bus. They shoved on the bus wondering why I was taking up so much real estate on the packed bus. As our stop approached I began to wonder how we were going to get off the at all, let alone with "the box". Deiann made her way past me and picked up one end of the box as I grabbed the other. As the bus slowed down I began to loudly call "Pardon! Pardon! Excus em moi!" A few people did their best to get out of our way but most just stared.The bus stopped and I continued to call out, afraid we wouldn't be able to get off. The bus doors didn't open and I began to become really concerned... all we needed was to miss our stop and have to walk from a further buststop. AT that point eDeiann whispered to me "we're not at the bus stop yet" (apparently we were just stopped in traffic).
Uh, no wonder the bus doors didn't open (hey,I WAS riding backwards and couldn't see EXACTLY where we were). We arrived at our stop and peoplke poured off the bus just to get out of our way!! As we stumbled off the bus I broke into hysterical laughter and Deiann giggled as she told me she felt like we had just moved a couch!
Needless to say I decided not to trust the airlines with my cute new, comedy filled boots so I packed their box with other shoes and put the box in the big cardboard contraption with my Monoprix goodies. The boots will be on my feet on the plane.
I rested for a few extra hours and then took the metro to meet Lauri and Deiann. They were running a few minutes late and I was a few minutes early so I decided to take a peek in a shoe/boot store nearby. Viola! (as the French would say) there were my new boots in the store. They are cute and brown and sort of riding boot ish. Oh, and less than half the price of the pair in Italy. I did love those boots in Italy, however I loved
the price of these more.The ladies arrived just in time to give me the two thumbs up, I made my purchase and we were off to the covered passageways of Paris.
The covered passageways are sort of like the original indoor shopping mall. It is a small alleyway with shops on either side and they are covered with an arched ceiling to keep out the weather. Most of the shops are eclectic and very specific ie: rare stamp and old postcards, used and rare books, and lots of miniature (dollhouse type) or collectibles. We lunched at a sidewalk cafe and endured our final meal surrounded by French people smoking.
After lunch we went in search of a Monoprix (our favorite grocery store) and goodies to take home for our families. It never fails that I discover something new and delicious when I travel (even this time when I barely ate anything I discovered a yummy cookie that you frequently receive when you order a coffee of tea).
During our search for the Monoprix we ended up back near the Louve and Tulleries. There were rows of trees that were changing totheir fall colors. Another week and they will be brilliant. Even now they made for some beautiful photos. There were also two young couples playing Boules so that provided an opportunity for me to watch and photograph them at play.
Monoprix was a success and Deiann and I headed home loaded down with grocery goodies, my huge boot box, and an oversize cardboard box to take it all home in. We searched for a suitcase but never found one for a reasonable price.
So, I had been keeping track of all the funny things I had seen people lugging home on the metro.... everything from arm loads of baggettes to molding for their homes... but I never thought I would be the one to make the biggest spectacle of myself. Deiann very generously carried my Monoprix purchases which left me with the boots, the box and the other goodies I had purchased knowing I would have a way to get them home (now that I had boots that needed more than my backpack to get home).The cardboard box is long, the boot box is tall and the other stuff is heavy so all in all it was just plain awkward and hard to handle.
Now, picture me on the metro at rush hour.... have you ever been on a metro at rush hour? Lots of distracted people, no place to sit or get out of the way.... and me, in the middle of it with this awkward collection of things. As people distractedly stumbled over my box (low lying and a trip hazard), I received many confused/annoyed stares. Then I had to lug the box onto the bus.... at rush hour. We stepped put of the metro and there was bus 118. We hurried toward it as it began to pull away. A woman ahead of us ran toward it and the bus stopped for her, which got us within distance of shouting to the driver "Mouseir, Mouseir, Sil vous Plait" as he began to pull away. He stopped for us and we stumbled aboard. Of course with hands full, I had no free hand to get out a bus ticket. I put the box down on the floor and the bus lurched forward as I flew into the woman next to me. The bus stopped again to let more latecomers on and I just about had my balance again when the bus took off again and I bounced off the first woman and landed on another woman next to her. I was very apologetic as I shoved my box into the back of her legs to get out of the way of the latest arrivals onto the bus. Finally feeling well balanced I chanced letting go of the safety bar to get out a bus ticket. By this time I was yards away for the validating machine so I had to pass my ticket over several people's heads to give it to Deiann to validate (you don't want to get caught without a valid ticket...it's a minimum 75 euro fine). She had to hold it in her teeth until she could turn and insert it into the machine. By this time there were more people on the bus an through ticket filled teeth she had to ask the people in front of the machine to allow her access. As she returned the ticket to me the bus lurched and the woman I had rammed into earlier ended up in my arms which threw me into the lady who was already highly annoyed with me. Lady One and I just giggled over the absurdity of it all;) Meanwhile, every bus stop added 10-15 more people to the already packed bus. They shoved on the bus wondering why I was taking up so much real estate on the packed bus. As our stop approached I began to wonder how we were going to get off the at all, let alone with "the box". Deiann made her way past me and picked up one end of the box as I grabbed the other. As the bus slowed down I began to loudly call "Pardon! Pardon! Excus em moi!" A few people did their best to get out of our way but most just stared.The bus stopped and I continued to call out, afraid we wouldn't be able to get off. The bus doors didn't open and I began to become really concerned... all we needed was to miss our stop and have to walk from a further buststop. AT that point eDeiann whispered to me "we're not at the bus stop yet" (apparently we were just stopped in traffic).
Uh, no wonder the bus doors didn't open (hey,I WAS riding backwards and couldn't see EXACTLY where we were). We arrived at our stop and peoplke poured off the bus just to get out of our way!! As we stumbled off the bus I broke into hysterical laughter and Deiann giggled as she told me she felt like we had just moved a couch!
Needless to say I decided not to trust the airlines with my cute new, comedy filled boots so I packed their box with other shoes and put the box in the big cardboard contraption with my Monoprix goodies. The boots will be on my feet on the plane.
UNCLE October 26
Today I cried UNCLE. I just needed to rest and not wake up while it was still dark outside in order to roam the streets of Paris. The rest of my group went to Versailles today and since I have seen a lot of great castles and palaces I decided it would be a great day to sleep in and rest a little.
We had purchased tickets for the Eiffel Tower a few days earlier so I arrranged to meet my friends at the tower a few hours before our appointed time of 8pm so that we could take pictures in the daylight and at night.
We had planned to purchase our tickets for the tower while we were still at home, however we realized weather might be an issue so we decided to wait until our arrival in Paris.The plan was to check the weather and then choose a day that looked promising to be clear at the top. Imagine our surprise when all of the daytime slots (through 8pm) were full through atleast the day we were to leave! It is the end of October,
who would have expected so many tourists to still be filling Paris? It is possible to go and wait in line and be there at an earlier time, however the wait in line can be 3 hours long.
It turns out that our ticket time was perfect for evening photos of the Paris skyline, and the city looked beautiful all lit up. It was windy and chilly on certain sides of the tower when we were up there, especially when we ventured out onto the top most platform that is open (fenced in) to the air.
After enjoying the view of this famous monument during the daylight, we went to dinner at an atmospheric brasserie. Deiann ended up choosing a meal that turned out to be Trout Almondine, and when faced with the fish with it's head and tail intact she decided to entertain us (and our French waiter) with a talking fish. We laughed and our waiter laughed as he watched from a distance. He finally took pity on Deiann, came over and grabbed her knife and fork and ceremoniously deboned (and beheaded and detailed) her fish for her. You could tell it wasn't his firt time asssistiing someone. He even smiled for the paparazzi (Lauri) as he worked.
After dinner it was back to the Eiffel Tower and straight past the line and onto the tower itself. A sort of sideways elevator (it only looks sideways from outside) took us to the midlevel where we got off and ran to the side to look out. It was fun looking out at the glittering nightime skyline and picking out all of the places we had already visited. After enjoying the 2nd level we jumped in line (even with a reservation you can only avoid the line for so long) and rode the smaller, straight up elevator. This elevator only held about 10 people vs the first elevator that held about 30 people. After reaching the next level you could stand and enjoy the view looking out through windows, or you could climb a short set of stairs and be out in the howling wind and chilly night air. I had to go all the way to the top but I didn't stay long. I choose to enjoy the view from the heated indoor view.
JoBeth was the most reluctant to leave at the end of the evening. The Eiffel Tower seemed to represent everything she had ever dreamed about Paris.The rest of us were happy to have seen it, and glad to have another "Paris Top 10" checked off our list.
We had purchased tickets for the Eiffel Tower a few days earlier so I arrranged to meet my friends at the tower a few hours before our appointed time of 8pm so that we could take pictures in the daylight and at night.
We had planned to purchase our tickets for the tower while we were still at home, however we realized weather might be an issue so we decided to wait until our arrival in Paris.The plan was to check the weather and then choose a day that looked promising to be clear at the top. Imagine our surprise when all of the daytime slots (through 8pm) were full through atleast the day we were to leave! It is the end of October,
who would have expected so many tourists to still be filling Paris? It is possible to go and wait in line and be there at an earlier time, however the wait in line can be 3 hours long.
It turns out that our ticket time was perfect for evening photos of the Paris skyline, and the city looked beautiful all lit up. It was windy and chilly on certain sides of the tower when we were up there, especially when we ventured out onto the top most platform that is open (fenced in) to the air.
After enjoying the view of this famous monument during the daylight, we went to dinner at an atmospheric brasserie. Deiann ended up choosing a meal that turned out to be Trout Almondine, and when faced with the fish with it's head and tail intact she decided to entertain us (and our French waiter) with a talking fish. We laughed and our waiter laughed as he watched from a distance. He finally took pity on Deiann, came over and grabbed her knife and fork and ceremoniously deboned (and beheaded and detailed) her fish for her. You could tell it wasn't his firt time asssistiing someone. He even smiled for the paparazzi (Lauri) as he worked.
After dinner it was back to the Eiffel Tower and straight past the line and onto the tower itself. A sort of sideways elevator (it only looks sideways from outside) took us to the midlevel where we got off and ran to the side to look out. It was fun looking out at the glittering nightime skyline and picking out all of the places we had already visited. After enjoying the 2nd level we jumped in line (even with a reservation you can only avoid the line for so long) and rode the smaller, straight up elevator. This elevator only held about 10 people vs the first elevator that held about 30 people. After reaching the next level you could stand and enjoy the view looking out through windows, or you could climb a short set of stairs and be out in the howling wind and chilly night air. I had to go all the way to the top but I didn't stay long. I choose to enjoy the view from the heated indoor view.
JoBeth was the most reluctant to leave at the end of the evening. The Eiffel Tower seemed to represent everything she had ever dreamed about Paris.The rest of us were happy to have seen it, and glad to have another "Paris Top 10" checked off our list.
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