My European vacation - day one

travel days are very tiring. We got on our flight to Paris at 7:30 PM. M in her brilliance and desire to sleep on theplane decided to NOT sleep the night before. I think she is going to be in big trouble, but let's see how that goes. Marian was our taxi service to the airport and Sparky ad Sammy came with her. Of course when we got out to get our bags out of the bag of the van, they decided they wanted to come on vacation too and both of them ended up out of the van. Fortunately we were quickly able to herh them back inot the car. Silly girls - then they were very sad that they couldn't come with us, but I am sure they will have fun at their sleep over with Kaylee!!!

We had to wait in line for over 1/2 hour to drop off our luggage, but then we were whisked through security and had a bite to eat and loads of time to board the plane. We had decided to pay a little extra so we culd have extra leg room on the flight. So we were near the back of the plane by the exit door - each of us on opposite sides of teh plane. However when we arrived - the view from the window - well there was no window right at this spot. Darn! Since I had a couple sitting next to me and there was currently no one sitting next to M - I decided to sit with her. then this GIANT of a man sat down with M, and I was stuck in the middle!!!! At least there was plenty of leg room! Once the flight got started, I found a row with NO ONE in it and took over that spot. Had a great, albeit short sleep on the plane and soon we were having our snack before landing.

Was fun to fly over Ireland and England and see how varied the farm lands are from Canada. Very higgledy piggledy compared to our grid system.

We get off the plane, go through customs and arrive at the luggage carousel. Oooops - there goes my suitcase and we missed it so had to wait for the next go around.

GOt our lugage and then off to catch the train to Paris. We easily found the train and made it to Gare du Norde where we switched from the train to the Metro. Two stops later and we arrive at our Metro Stop - REpulique. Asked at the information girl in the Metro where our street was and we were on the streets of Paris!!!!! After looking about for a minute or two - there was the street and there was the hotel!!!! I mean we had NO problems getting here at all. Almost too easy!

The hotel lobby is so small that we had to wait outside while a layd with her husband and stroller were asking some information. Well it isn't quite that small, but was just easier to wait outside!!!! Yes we were at the right hotel, but our room was NOT ready. WE knew that since we were arriving at 11:00 AM. We rejigged our luggage and left it in the lobby (not what I wanted, but that is what everyone else did). Then we were off. We had our guide book and were going exploring!

We walked down to the Seine - it is about 1 Km from the hotel. Disney has transformed some of the Quais beside the Seine into a BEACH. Who would have known!!!! Sand castles, places to relax and lots of sand!!!!! In the square in front of Hotel de ville, you can play beach volleyball!!!! Only Disney would do that!

We found a small cafe (OK - so it is hard to choose which one!!!) so we could have breakfast. What did we have - well baggette, croissants, pain du chocolate (little rolls with chocolate in them), real orange juice and hot chocolate). Yikes - my arteries are hardening as I think about that. All that BREAD - we had better do a lot of walking to get rid of those calories!!!

We went to Ile de France and looked at the HUGE line to get into Notre Dame and decided it would be better to come here first thing in the morning to avoid that long line. We stopped at some of the tourist shops - holy cow - there is so much of the same!!!!! On our walk down Rue du Temple to get to the Seine - we noticed tons of jewlery shops but all selling to wholesale only. And a button shop also selling only to wholesale - DRAT.

Well time to get back to our hotel as we are both tired and need a nap. Poor M (in her sleep deprived state is listless and practically dead!!!) The hotel is Hotel Bruxelles Paris and the room is cute!!!! WE actually have a triple - so one double bed and a single. Guess who got the double bed? But no worry it was a bed.

We also got access to the internet - 5 E a day and only ONE computer. Ooops - my iPad got connected first so she was ticked about that, but hey we have managed!!!!

The keyboard to the iPad works like a charm and much easier to write a blog from the keyboard than the keyboard on the Ipad. No pictures though - those will have to be added in later. Sorry.

Anyway - then M decided to have a REAL nap and I was sitting here with nothing to do. I got myself prepared and went geocaching!!!!! I found the first one no problem except that there were lots of people around and it was garbage day in Paris so had to wait for the garbage men to finish the street and then I went and found it no problem. There was supposed to be a lot of travel bugs in this cache and I had my eye on a couple, but there were both gone when I arrived. Ha - there is someone just ahead of us it seems. I left one - a coin that Carol had unearthed and then I went in search of another one, but I didn't find it. It is intimidating when the security people from Hotel de Ville are just across the street - I guess they won't go away so I just have to search for it!!!!

Made it back to the hotel - I mean really it is so easy to get around here. Haven't got lost ONCE. I seem to have this keen sense of direction (no I did not use the GPS) and very easy to find our way back to the hotel and down to the river.

I had left the key with M (asleep in the room) and after banging on the door - I had to get the hotel staff to let me in!!! It took a while to get her moving, but finally we went out for dinner. THere are mre cafes in our neighbourhood and after going around the corner - we find a McDonald's, A KFC and a Buffalo Grill. We chose the Buffalo Grill - yes M hasn't developed a keen sense of experimentation at food but she had better learn - I am NOT eating at chains for the rest of the vacation.

Then the ppor kid was practically comatose by this point so back to the hotel.

The weather was werid all day - sunny, then cloudy and NOT too warm. We were glad we had pants on, although I am sure you would have been fine with shorts. And sweaters. Of course M thinks she needs to buy a COAT and the one she saw was only 289 E!!!!!

It is so fun to poke your head out the windows here - no screens and everything looks so quaint!!!!

M crawled into bed and added blanket to her bed. She just woke up and my goodness - she had sweat pants, two blankets and the coverlet of the bed. I was sweating just looking at her. It is NOT that cold and I see she has the window open again. Actually we have TWO windows in our hotel.

My knees are KILLING me - both of them!!! I can see it is going to be an Advil kind of vacation and LOTS and LOTS of stretching. Drat!!!!

But today instead of walking we are going to rent bikes. My goodnesss - the bikes are EVERYWHERE. They are CHEAP and basically to be used to get from A to B, not for touring. So we are going to ride to the river and catch the On/OFF bus and have a tour of the city.

Anyway - let;s hope we can get M a little more awake today and a little more adventurous with the food and life will be just fine!!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!


Ciao! or should I say BONJOUR!!!!!!!