Editor’s Note: Ah, the innocence of youth! In the days before your ATM card worked overseas… before you could use the internet for research… when there were still travel agents… when we used film cameras… and when everything was fun and new!
This trip was a very long drive of about 2500 miles. We took Rick Steves’ 21 day itinerary and cut out about a week, and then lengthened the route by flying into Frankfurt instead of Paris to take advantage of frequent flier tickets. Very aggressive, as we found out, but we were young and ambitious!
Once I get all the slides scanned, the photo integration with the diary will make it much more entertaining! Enjoy.
This trip was a very long drive of about 2500 miles. We took Rick Steves’ 21 day itinerary and cut out about a week, and then lengthened the route by flying into Frankfurt instead of Paris to take advantage of frequent flier tickets. Very aggressive, as we found out, but we were young and ambitious!
Once I get all the slides scanned, the photo integration with the diary will make it much more entertaining! Enjoy.
Day 1
Well, we made it. It was a long first day, as usual made longer by a few events.
First, I was stung by a wasp or bee the night before we left. By the time I was getting ready to leave Nextel (3:30), my arm had swollen considerably and showed no signs of stopping. So it was off to the “Immedicenter” at the advice of my colleagues, for a big shot in the butt of penicillin, a tetanus booster and some other stuff – what a way to start!
Got to the airport and checked in 2 hours early as requested, and had to wait an extra hour before boarding. Then we were delayed an additional 1 – 1 ½ hours by a malfunctioning door sensor. Finally took off at 10:30.
(Ed Note: Funny that I didn’t mention that we flew First Class, on the upper deck of a 747, with great service and great sleeping conditions!)
Since the trip was to France, we of course took a plane to Frankfurt!?!?! This was because I could not get free tickets to Paris, and it unfortunately necessitated a 6 hour drive through half of France to reach our final destination.
The drive itself was non-eventful, pretty much through farmland the whole way. Tolls – about $50! And we used about $60 worth of gas at $5 per gallon. Our car is a spiffy looking, but noisy at high speeds, Volkswagen Toledo.
Arrived in Paris and had little trouble finding the hotel, due to advance route planning and Jill’s navigating. Got off track a few times, but never “lost”.
Got a nice parking spot right across from the hotel – incroyable – and checked into the Hotel Jacob on Rue Danube.
The hotel itself is nice, but not much, with a B&B price of $170 per night. We have a small room, because I requested the courtyard rather than the street.
We relaxed a while, then walked down to the Seine, over the Pont Des Arts and Pont Neuf, and back up into St. Germain for an orientation.
Had dinner at the Restaurant Des Beaux Arts, which had been recommended by someone on Prodigy. It was a bistro – packed in elbow to elbow - and quite honestly, the food was not that good.
We ordered a la carte salads, followed by Coq au Vin (Jill) and Boeuf Bourgignon (Dave). Mine was better than Jill’s. After a glass or 2 of wine we relaxed a little, but it was too crowded, especially when the girl at my right elbow began smoking! I ordered in French; pas de probleme.
Walked up and down Boulevard St. Germain and stopped in a café for a Grand Marnier and a beer. Watched the world go by.
Then back to the hotel for a conversation in French (ok, 4 sentences) with the desk clerk about breakfast. Watched a little TV, including silent footage of the Liberation of Paris in 1944, which was 50 years ago last week.
Day 2 >>>
First, I was stung by a wasp or bee the night before we left. By the time I was getting ready to leave Nextel (3:30), my arm had swollen considerably and showed no signs of stopping. So it was off to the “Immedicenter” at the advice of my colleagues, for a big shot in the butt of penicillin, a tetanus booster and some other stuff – what a way to start!
Got to the airport and checked in 2 hours early as requested, and had to wait an extra hour before boarding. Then we were delayed an additional 1 – 1 ½ hours by a malfunctioning door sensor. Finally took off at 10:30.
(Ed Note: Funny that I didn’t mention that we flew First Class, on the upper deck of a 747, with great service and great sleeping conditions!)
Since the trip was to France, we of course took a plane to Frankfurt!?!?! This was because I could not get free tickets to Paris, and it unfortunately necessitated a 6 hour drive through half of France to reach our final destination.
The drive itself was non-eventful, pretty much through farmland the whole way. Tolls – about $50! And we used about $60 worth of gas at $5 per gallon. Our car is a spiffy looking, but noisy at high speeds, Volkswagen Toledo.
Arrived in Paris and had little trouble finding the hotel, due to advance route planning and Jill’s navigating. Got off track a few times, but never “lost”.
Got a nice parking spot right across from the hotel – incroyable – and checked into the Hotel Jacob on Rue Danube.
The hotel itself is nice, but not much, with a B&B price of $170 per night. We have a small room, because I requested the courtyard rather than the street.
We relaxed a while, then walked down to the Seine, over the Pont Des Arts and Pont Neuf, and back up into St. Germain for an orientation.
Had dinner at the Restaurant Des Beaux Arts, which had been recommended by someone on Prodigy. It was a bistro – packed in elbow to elbow - and quite honestly, the food was not that good.
We ordered a la carte salads, followed by Coq au Vin (Jill) and Boeuf Bourgignon (Dave). Mine was better than Jill’s. After a glass or 2 of wine we relaxed a little, but it was too crowded, especially when the girl at my right elbow began smoking! I ordered in French; pas de probleme.
Walked up and down Boulevard St. Germain and stopped in a café for a Grand Marnier and a beer. Watched the world go by.
Then back to the hotel for a conversation in French (ok, 4 sentences) with the desk clerk about breakfast. Watched a little TV, including silent footage of the Liberation of Paris in 1944, which was 50 years ago last week.
Day 2 >>>
