We'll always have Paris
We did it!! I always find myself in a bit of a funk after I return from a trip. I feel a bit dazed and confused. We got home about 6:30PM Friday night. Travis was waiting for me with three beautiful roses. 
I really missed him and am glad to be reunited. I went to bed at 8:30 and woke up at 3:38 AM so I got caught up on some television shows that had been taped. Last night, I went to bed at 9:30 and this morning woke at 5:50AM which was a bit more reasonable. I thought I had a meeting this morning so I got all ready and then realized that I don't, so now I have the chance to catch up a bit. But, I am getting ahead of myself. You are probably wondering about the actual trip. Well, here it goes...
We started the trip with a bit of a panic. Our itinerary said that our plane left at 12:50, but that morning I looked at the actual ticket and it said 11:40! I got on the phone and called all the girls. We had to leave right then! We made it but a bit frazzled.
We arrived in Paris the next morning at 9:30ish. We were exhausted but exhilarated that we were actually there! We decided to take the RER (train) to the stop closest to our hotel. That was all find but we had to lug all our luggage about 6 blocks through crowded Paris streets to our little hotel - Hotel Claude Bernard by the Sorbonne. We had two small rooms - one on the 4th floor and one on the 6th. No elevator. :)
Just to highlight our days:
Thursday: Travel day
Friday: Arrival in Paris, Notre Dame, Luxembourg Gardens, Met up with Michelle and had Jana's surprise birthday dinner. Delicious Nutella and Carmel glace'.
Saturday: Flea Market, Les Invalides & the Musee de Armee, Alexander III bridge, Celebration of Mary presentation at the Notre Dame, boat ride on the Seine River
Sunday: Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages, Pantheon, walked tons, La' Orangerie, Place de Concorde, Tuilleries, pictures at the Eiffel Tower
Monday: Moved to Michelle's apartment, Sacre Couer and Montmartre, Moulin Rouge, shopping at Galleries Lafeyette and Printemps, Opera, Fauchon chocolates, Champs Elysees and famed Laduree chocolates
Tuesday: May 1st holiday (France's Labor Day), Giverny & Monet's gardens/home, Eiffel Tower at night
Wednesday: St. Eustache church, wandered around Michelle's neighborhood by myself, famed ribbon store, walked to the Musee de Orsay (closed early), Inno (French Target), Book Club discussion of "The Devil in the White City", Raclette diner at the apartment
Thursday: "On our own" day, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, La Conciergerie, St. Chapelle, Pont Neuf bridge, Notre Dame and St. Michel square, Rodin Museum, dinner at Bistro le P'tit Troquet for real French cuisine (escargot!)
Friday: Travel day
We saw so much and packed in a lot each day. I am pretty sure we all still like each other :). I really gained an even deeper appreciation for my friends, especially Michelle. I am grateful that she let us come for a visit and invade her turf. I am going to certainly miss her while she is gone.
I really missed him and am glad to be reunited. I went to bed at 8:30 and woke up at 3:38 AM so I got caught up on some television shows that had been taped. Last night, I went to bed at 9:30 and this morning woke at 5:50AM which was a bit more reasonable. I thought I had a meeting this morning so I got all ready and then realized that I don't, so now I have the chance to catch up a bit. But, I am getting ahead of myself. You are probably wondering about the actual trip. Well, here it goes...We started the trip with a bit of a panic. Our itinerary said that our plane left at 12:50, but that morning I looked at the actual ticket and it said 11:40! I got on the phone and called all the girls. We had to leave right then! We made it but a bit frazzled.
We arrived in Paris the next morning at 9:30ish. We were exhausted but exhilarated that we were actually there! We decided to take the RER (train) to the stop closest to our hotel. That was all find but we had to lug all our luggage about 6 blocks through crowded Paris streets to our little hotel - Hotel Claude Bernard by the Sorbonne. We had two small rooms - one on the 4th floor and one on the 6th. No elevator. :)
Just to highlight our days:
Thursday: Travel day
Friday: Arrival in Paris, Notre Dame, Luxembourg Gardens, Met up with Michelle and had Jana's surprise birthday dinner. Delicious Nutella and Carmel glace'.
Saturday: Flea Market, Les Invalides & the Musee de Armee, Alexander III bridge, Celebration of Mary presentation at the Notre Dame, boat ride on the Seine River
Sunday: Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages, Pantheon, walked tons, La' Orangerie, Place de Concorde, Tuilleries, pictures at the Eiffel Tower
Monday: Moved to Michelle's apartment, Sacre Couer and Montmartre, Moulin Rouge, shopping at Galleries Lafeyette and Printemps, Opera, Fauchon chocolates, Champs Elysees and famed Laduree chocolates
Tuesday: May 1st holiday (France's Labor Day), Giverny & Monet's gardens/home, Eiffel Tower at night
Wednesday: St. Eustache church, wandered around Michelle's neighborhood by myself, famed ribbon store, walked to the Musee de Orsay (closed early), Inno (French Target), Book Club discussion of "The Devil in the White City", Raclette diner at the apartment
Thursday: "On our own" day, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, La Conciergerie, St. Chapelle, Pont Neuf bridge, Notre Dame and St. Michel square, Rodin Museum, dinner at Bistro le P'tit Troquet for real French cuisine (escargot!)
Friday: Travel day
We saw so much and packed in a lot each day. I am pretty sure we all still like each other :). I really gained an even deeper appreciation for my friends, especially Michelle. I am grateful that she let us come for a visit and invade her turf. I am going to certainly miss her while she is gone.
Vive Paris!!
posted by collette at 9:25 AM
4 Comments:
I was up from 4am to 7am this morning then went back to bed until noon. I'm a mess.
Reading your list of daily outings is crazy because I can't even remember some of them right now! Also, that Giverny day looks minimal, but was so involved and crazy that it doesn't seem right that that's all we got to do. It's a good thing all our efforts were totally worth it.
Vive Paris!
I thought we all liked each other too until I read that Jill was keeping track of who keeps the toilet seat up and who is a picky eater... very disconcerting!
Hard to believe we did so much in just a week! It's time to cook dinner- that makes me want to go back right now!!
Ooh, your picture of Notre Dame is so cool! I've never taken one from that vantage point. It's hard to believe you were here just a few days ago... so glad you all came and that we got to make the dream come true of having book club in Paris! I still can hardly believe it.
Great pictures!
I don't know how, but I somehow got back on a normal sleeping schedule right away. But, it has taken me about a week to recover. I just barely today (one week + later) finished going through all of my papers and mail.
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