MARI--We were so surprised that the day ended up beautiful and warm. It started out with thunderstorms and I was sure that the trip would be horrible and that April would have a difficult time driving back. Both drives were without incident. Air France had small seats, but we managed to get a little bit of rest on the way out. As you all know, I was flying high for a week before we left, so I was beside myself before leaving home in the morning. I had to leave April and Bruce alone and calm myself down.
Felt a bit sad leaving April at the airport. For at least 6 years we have been taking April and Brent to airports for their adventures. It's our turn now, and it felt awkward. Love the time alone with Bruce, but still miss both of them. The food, as Bruce mentioned, was really tasty: what a surprise. We were served both dinner and breakfast, but not enough water. I felt quite dehydrated after the flight. Very uncomfortable and not able to sleep.
BRUCE: Ended waiting an extra hour and a half at the DeGaulle airport for our shuttle because we finally realized they were going to the wrong terminal. Apparently our driver was very frustrated with repeated trips to the wrong terminal to find us, but his employer insisted that he had to find "this very important business person, Bruce". Our fellow travelers had fun teasing me about this.
BRUCE: Mari had a great running conversation with a gentleman from Sacramento, asking him repeatedly if he knew David Tennant. He kept asking "Who?" and Mari kept answering "The Doctor, of course!" There was a delightful couple from Manchester, England, celebrating their 55th anniversary.
Our hotel is very quaint and very nice with a terrific central location. We're on a side street named Amelie, within walking distance of almost everything we want to see. We enjoyed an (exkiting--that's for you Sarah) walk down the Champs de L'Elyssee seeing miles of beautiful gardens, landscaping, monuments, buildings, and the Seine River. It was very festive, with many people also out walking. Had a lovely dinner in a very popular eatery, about 1 block from the Arc D" Triomphe, nabbed an indoor table right by the window, so we could people watch. They do not rush you in Paris while you eat, so we spent hours people watching. The meal was good, too.
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| First day, just a short walk from our hotel. |
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| The River Seine (seine = snake) |
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| Mari's encounter with an angel |
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| Everything was tipped in gold |
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| Napoleon's tomb and the World Wars' Museum |
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| Good Old Winston Churchill |
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| A couple taking advantage of the romantic surroundings |
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| Typical Parisian side street |
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| Bruce in our first cafe in France |
MARI: I couldn't believe we arrived in Paris. The airport and the freeway in reminded me of any large city in the word. When we turned into the more historic area, it was amazing and exciting at the same time. We crossed the River Seine on our first walk using the Alexander III bridge --all decorated with beautiful sculptures decorated with what looks like gold leaf. We were amazed at the grandeur of the bridge and all the monuments around us. As we walked (without a map) we saw the Arc d'Triomphe and realized we were on the Champs d'LEysee. An thrilling moment. (I think I will run out of superlatives before the end of this blog and will have to use a thesarus.) We continued to walk, found a cash exchange and then a cafe which served simple meals with a view of people walking by. Bruce and I had a romantic meal watching passer-bys and a man selling roses who was pestering everyone and his brother to buy a rose. After criticizing his aggressive technique, I fell for his wiles and ended up buying a small rose for $8.00 (4 euro, quite a rip-off).... He did entertain me for 2 hours, so I guess it was worth the entertainment value. I don't think he sold a rose during the time we were watching.
BRUCE: Had a disturbing encounter with a man selling roses on our way home, but we certainly made him happier by purchasing one for $8.00. The only bummer is the exchange rate. It appears to be the U.S. dollar is only worth .57 in Paris. It's gone down 7 cents because the U.S. credit rating is not AAA any more.
Also learned of violence in London, that hopefully will not be a problem when we journey there. What a great day it was walking hand in hand with my child bride who was positively radiant in the Paris full moon light. (Mari is typing this, so you can imagine why this last line got in.)
Free wi-fi in the room--Yay! MARI: Double Yay!
Mari and I thought of Brent when he stayed here some years ago and how much both children would enjoy being here. Maybe next time.
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