December 8th, 2004: Paris to London

Time to say goodbye to Paris and head back to London where an extremely welcome surprise awaited. (Original journal in regular text, comments italicized below.)

PARIS -> LONDON

Wednes - 12/8/04

• Woke @7:30 a.m.
• Bfst - (me & Allen) downstairs hotel, croissant/bread/coffee
• Left suitcases at hotel until metro to train
  No hauling luggage around Paris for us.
  
• WOW! Metro to Musee d'Orsay - Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Manet - Impressionists (favorite)
  I've always been a big fan of the Impressionist art movement, so this museum tour was a treat.
  
  
  Standing in front of Musee entry
  
  
  The central aisle
  
  
  Pierre August Renoir
  Portrait de femme, dit de
  Mme Georges Hartmann
  
  
• Viewed artwork & shopped (books, notepads)
  When I asked museum clerk if she spoke English, I'll never forget that arrogant reply, "A leetle beet." Note to self: when in France, be ready to speak French.
  
  
  In front of Thomas Couture,
  Romans of the Decadence
  
  
  School kids on field trip
  
  
  Artist duplicating Renoir's
  Dancing at the Moulin de la Galette
  
  
• Ate at bistro (ham/cheese/Coke Light), @1:45 - late
  "Avec fromage" - yes, I actually asked for cheese on my baguette in French! Go me.
  
• Briskly walked to Metro station & took metro to hotel where we picked up our bags.
  Read "speed walked to station".
  
• Walked thru Paris to Gare Du Nord to catch Eurostar
• With headache setting in (dehydration & lack of caffeine/food too late for lunch), bought an espresso at the coffee shoppe and drank it at shoppe while watching people catching trains
• Shopped at station -> water/newspaper & Godiva chocolates
  The box of chocolates was for hub's office - box lid had a nice picture of the Eiffel Tower.
  
• Hopped on Eurostar & read the "International Herald Tribune" newspaper while Mom & Allen slept.
• No dinner... went thru metro & took bus thru London after arriving
  Tried to dispose of my water bottle, but there were no garbage cans to be found due to security restrictions. Asked a station employee to throw it away for me.
  
• Took Victoria line to Stansted Express, then Express to Stansted Airport
• Bushel & Sack shuttle picked us up - Mom & Allen went back w/driver to main office/restaurant for dinner @8:45 (really 9:45 before resetting clocks at London station!)
• I stayed back at the room for a shower, light snack and IBUPROFEN for headache
  The late/missed meals and lack of H2O had finally taken toll on me.
  
• When we had arrived at hotel, I couldn't believe it - my own room!!!
  And the hotel people actually left packets of "digestives" (e.g. "graham crackers") that I scarfed down nicely. Alleluia to my own room w/crackers!
  
• Mom & Allen had a double bedroom, and a shared bathroom connected them w/my 2 twin bedroom. It was a good time to shower up and get ready for waking up early again to catch flight to Italy on Ryanair (4:00 am to be exact.) So, off to sleep at 9:30 pm, hoping M&A don't wake me up when they return from dinner.
• Heard them arrive @10:00+ pm, and my headache had not gone away... not as bad as I started falling asleep
  No period at the end of that sentence, almost as if I fell asleep while writing. So tired.
  

What a whirlwind. Next up: Italy awaits.

December 7th, 2004: Last Full Day in Paris

That's right, it's our last full day in Paris and holy cow does the adventure get better. (Original journal in regular text, comments italicized below.)

PARIS

Tues - 12/7/04

• Woke @7:30 a.m. - got ready & then saw fire engines (3) outside w/police - looked like call was made but didn't see fire
  
  
  Firetrucks in street
  (pink "cloud" is camera light
  reflecting off window)
  
  
• Had Coke Light for bfst - mom sleeping & snoring as I write @8:45, so may miss bfst dwnstrs
  Apparently we're a snoring bunch.
  
• Wish M/M/R could be here, miss them very much
  Time away from Peeps is catching up with me.
  
• Bfst w/M & A (she woke up & joined us!) - croissant & coffee
• ATM (€100)
• Walked through Paris to bus stop (nice little shops)
• Open bus tour - more view of Paris
• B & M Notre Dame (inside & saw mass)/shopping - Allen w/Italian friend for lunch
  
  
  Standing in front of Notre
  Dame Cathedral
  
  
  Saint Jeanne D'Arc
  
  
  Stained glass window
  
  
• B & M at at cafe - corner by ND (baguette & cafe/pop)
  Mom and I had a nice lunch together beside the Cathedral.
  
  
  Gals in front of Notre Dame
  
  
• Shopped by ND - souvenirs
  Bought Paris hoodies & hats for kids.
• Open bus to Eiffel Tower, waited in line 60 min
• Went to top! took photos <- WOW!!
  
  
  On Eiffel Tower observation deck
  
  
  Top of Eiffel Tower from
  observation deck
  
  
  Sienne River from Eiffel Tower
  
  
  Paris from top of Eiffel Tower
  
  
• Shopped at shoppes for souvenirs
• Open bus to metro -> walked to Hard Rock Cafe, video of "Time Warp", guitar of Joe Satriani, shopping at store, souvenirs
  
  
  Doin' the Time Warp in HRC
  
  
  Joe Satriani guitar (photo for hubs)
  
  
• Margarita & nachos (8 pm! yikes)
  
  
  c'est delicieux!
  
  
• Metro to hotel
• Shower, repacked for last night in Paris

Over and out for the night, but tomorrow we head back to London for more exciting adventures.

December 6th, 2004: Paris

First full day in Paris, and wow - crazy breathtaking!

(original journal in regular text, personal comments italicized below)

PARIS

Mon - 12/6/04

• Woke @8:30 a.m. - got ready for hotel continental bfast
• Bfst w/Allen downstairs - Mom not ready (ok), croissant & cafe/bread w jelly
  Dear mom is just not a morning person and would rather stay back and get all glammed up for our big day in Paris. Can't say that I blame her - but adrenaline was in high gear for me.
  
• took metro to stop for tour (open bus)
• rode @3+ hours touring Eiffel tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, etc.
  
  Academie Nationale de Musique
  
  
  Arc du Triomphe du Caroussel
  
  
  Louvre
  
  
  Arc de Triomphe
  
  
• Lunch by Louvre, "Le nemours" restoirante (Ham swch & double espresso)
• Louvre - saw Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, etc.
  
  
  Mona Lisa
  
  
  Standing in front of Venus de Milo
  
  
  Winged Victory of Samothrace
  
  
  Touring the Louvre
  
  
• drink in Louvre (Coke Light)
  French equivalent of "Diet Coke" only way more expensive.
  
• Shopped at gift shop - gifts Vickie/kids/books
  
• Took tour bus back through route & saw lights - Tower & Arc, etc.
  
  
  Notre Dame de Paris
  
  
  Champs-Élysées at night
  
  
  la Ville Lumière ("City of Lights")
  
  
  Eiffel Tower
  
  
• Supposed to meet A's friend, instead stopped & took bus to cafe near hotel
• ate in Turkish Donner kabob (veggie) cafe, got Coke to take home ("cheeboogie Coke guys")
  Felt just like SNL episode when ordering our meal. The Turkish cafe guys were an absolute hoot.
• Stopped at nearby shoppe for dessert (baclava & others)
• Owner from Muldova, Tunisia, & Algeria
• Allen called friend & canceled
  I was completely spent and not willing to take another metro ride downtown. Exhaustion set in... time for a rest back at the hotel.
• Washed hair & watched CNN
  One less thing to worry about in the morning - saved at least 1/2 hr.
• heard that US Consulate in Saudi bombed
  Very odd listening to news spoken in French. Talk about culture shock.

Tomorrow: Last full day in Paris and a monumental surprise.

December 5th, 2004: From London to Paris

(info is unaltered from my long lost journal with italicized comments below original text)

LONDON --> PARIS
Sun - 12/5/04

• Internet from hotel (checked email)
  Computer room had only a couple desktop PC's, both completely spyware-ridden and with pop-ups galore, but they did the job for checking email. No complaints.
  
• Shopped for souvenirs at Victoria Station
  Bought miniature double-decker bus for son; turned down leather/fur jacket purchase for myself.
  
• bfst at Victoria's Station - Garfunkel's, same waitress, not happy w/us (seated ourselves, order wrong)
  Lordy.
  
• Waterloo Station - Ivana Trump sighting
  Talk about a luggage brigade. Never had I seen so many oversize designer suitcases roll behind a single passenger in my life.
  
  
  Sign above ticketing area
  
  
• Starbucks in Waterloo - we searched & finally found it! They had to have one - there are Starbucks everywhere - at least we saw them on every corner in London. Hazelnut Latte Grande.
  
  
  Perfect way to start the day!
  
  
• Bought hat in station
• Eurostar boarded at 1:30 - we had a carload of kids on a field trip. (they all spoke French, so we assumed they were returning home to France.)
  
  
  Wearing new black hat
  
  
• Lunch from food car - ham & cheese & "flapjack" bar w/pecans & raisins
  
• Kids got off after 1st stop - quieter :)
  Thank goodness for that.
  
• Set off alarm in bathroom accidentally
  Oops. User error.
  
• Fog in Paris on arrival
  
• Went through Paris to Hotel Altona
  I remember walking along the streets feeling very afraid for my life, complete darkness with vagrants sitting on sidewalks along street. At least we found our hotel so we could drop off our luggage. Lugging it all over Paris wasn't all that fun.
  
• Took metro to Eiffel Tower, photos
  
  
  Eiffel Tower
  
  
  'Paris 2012' Olympics
  (possible future location)
  
  
  Standing under tower
  
  
• Dinner at pub - Quiche Lorraine/Cabernet (wht) - Smokers!! :P
  We experienced the true dining experience with diners "lighting up" and smoking up the pub after their final meal course. Mom & I put on a good coughing production - hard to breathe!
  
• Took metro back to room
• Saw glittery Eiffel tower
  
  
  Eiffel tower lights
  
  
• tried to call home
• Called from hotel desk - clerk spoke little English - talked w/people around
  At this point, I actually tested my high school French on the hotel clerk but didn't get much further than 'Bon soir' and 'Merci beaucoup'. Finally connected back home but had to talk at front desk without much privacy.
  
• Bad time :( SNORING & loud neighbors
  Where were those earplugs when I needed them most?
• @3 a.m. finally slept
  ... even after so much excitement. Such an amazing night in Paris!

Tomorrow - even better.