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 9:30
ish. 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 4
th floor and one on the 6
th. 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 N
utella 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.