Colleen Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Okay, girl, when are you going to provide the Europhiles here some details about your trip? You've had ~ what? ~ a day or two to recover; get busy! I hope both you and your son had a grand time.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Seriously, it could not have gone smoother. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to get my photos, comments, and portions of my travel journal out on the Internet for my family to look over. Any suggestions on that? I'm going to duck while I say this, but I very much preferred Paris over Rome. :leaving: Perhaps it's because my high school level French skills kicked in and made it ever so much easier to communicate there than in Rome, or it might be because the public transportation in Paris was so much easier to navigate, or possibly it's because as a whole I appreciated the fact that Paris was cleaner and it's landmarks seemed to be more valued by it's citizens. Rome was great too, but I admit to being distressed by the amount of graffiti, trash, and just plain grime. The absolute highlight of our trip turned out to be our day-trip out of Paris to the coast to visit Mount St. Michel. It was amazing. I (almost ;)) don't have words to describe how glad I am we went there. The architecture was incredible, and as with everywhere else we went on the trip, my ds gladly matched his pace with mine, so the stair-climbing went fine with my bum ankle. Whereas the palaces and museums we toured in other places were decorated from stem to stern, Mt. St. Michel's beauty rested solely on it's architecture and natural surroundings. Even the basement/underpinnings of the old abbey, which were never really intended to be seen, were built with a simple beauty that was awsome (in the real sense of the word-full of awe!). From my bed in our Paris hotel, I could see the Eiffel sparkling at night. Both Paris and Rome felt safer to walk in at night than our little dinky hometown. From my list, here are the things that were *more* impressive in person than what we anticipated beforehand: Colosseum St. Chapelle stained glass Venus de Milo and Winged Victory at the Louvre Mt. St. Michel The twinkly lights on the Eiffel Tower The many bridges that cross the Seine, each different and beautiful French Patisserie A little underwhelming: Sistine Chapel (darker than I thought) Trevi Fountain (smaller than I thought) Italian desserts (except for the biscotti gelato!) The Tiber We climbed to the top of the Notre Dame Tower, and took our picture with the gargoyles. We roamed Ostia Antica for hours, and watched a Dutch teenager perform the modern dance, "Soulja Boy" for his entire high school class in the ancient outdoor theatre there (!) We sat in the sunshine in Paris at Berthillon eating a raspberry sorbet such as I never even dreamed existed. We got turned around and roamed happily miles out of our way thru tiny Roman streets, then slept like babies afterwards. My ds explored every possible way of inserting a metro ticket before having it actually work for him, and finally figured out how to be assertive enough to exit the metro before missing his stop. Now my ds understands the real meaning of the word "turbulence". :eek: Ds met and coped with a variety of situations that just don't come up in our situation, and is more confident in his abilities to cope with anything that comes along, and has a newfound appreciation for both our location in the world, and our rural lifestyle. If he chooses that lifestyle now, it's not because he hasn't seen anything else. While I was gone, I discovered that: My dd (13) really can run our household without me if she has to, and can cook and launder with the best of them. My ds (15) really is as self-sufficient as I thought, and while glad to see us return, didn't pine away for us while we were gone. :glare: My dd (10 1/2) is still my baby, and greeted me back with joy, but was also just fine while I was away. My ds (16 1/2) has learned to lean on other things for his joy, finding his satisfaction in continuing with hard work even while distractions come from every side. Just keep swimming is his new motto. In short (after going really long here :tongue_smilie:) the trip accomplished everything I hoped. Dh has proclaimed it worth every dime, and while he literally worried himself sick while I was gone (TOTALLY out of character for him), he's been incredibly supportive about the whole thing (*somewhat* out of character for him.) Thanks for your advice, and the confidence-boosts you gave me along the way. It was sooo worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 It's almost embarassing to admit how often I thought of you while you were over there, Julie. In part because I know what a big deal this was for you ~ and then, too, just because I was plain ol' jealous. Gotta live vicariously and all that.;) I'm still trying to figure out the best way to get my photos, comments, and portions of my travel journal out on the Internet for my family to look over. Any suggestions on that? Maybe just start a blog if you don't have one? Mine is on blogspot; it's easy enough for techno-phobes like me to navigate. I'm going to duck while I say this, but I very much preferred Paris over Rome. Oh, you're not alone in that. I'd venture to say I know a lot more people who prefer Paris than those who do Rome. I just happen not to be a Francophile; the language alone is like nails on a chalkboard to me. But there are many places in France I'd love to get to with my boys. it might be because the public transportation in Paris was so much easier to navigate, or possibly it's because as a whole I appreciated the fact that Paris was cleaner and it's landmarks seemed to be more valued by it's citizens. Rome was great too, but I admit to being distressed by the amount of graffiti, trash, and just plain grime. Rome has some serious issues in that department, no question. I was disappointed, too, by the trash, etc. It's much, much worse now than it was when I was there "way back when". Both Paris and Rome felt safer to walk in at night than our little dinky hometown. Interesting, isn't it? Walking in Europe at night is one of my very favorite things about being there. From my list, here are the things that were *more* impressive in person than what we anticipated beforehand:Colosseum St. Chapelle stained glass Venus de Milo and Winged Victory at the Louvre Mt. St. Michel The twinkly lights on the Eiffel Tower The many bridges that cross the Seine, each different and beautiful French Patisserie Oh, man. Did you have to mention that last one?:tongue_smilie: A little underwhelming:Sistine Chapel (darker than I thought) Trevi Fountain (smaller than I thought) Italian desserts (except for the biscotti gelato!) The Tiber I hear you. The Trevi fountain certainly isn't the best fountain in Rome, and the Tiber is irrelevant. In short (after going really long here :tongue_smilie:) the trip accomplished everything I hoped...It was sooo worth it! Oh, I'm so glad. Truly. So when are you going back over?:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 It's almost embarassing to admit how often I thought of you while you were over there, Julie. In part because I know what a big deal this was for you ~ and then, too, just because I was plain ol' jealous. Gotta live vicariously and all that.;) Well, Colleen, you'd probably be amazed at how often you come up in my thoughts too. Maybe just start a blog if you don't have one? Mine is on blogspot; it's easy enough for techno-phobes like me to navigate. Hmm...I should check it out. I think I'd feel obligated to "blog" as a more continuous activity though, and I'm pretty sure I don't have anything very interesting to say on a regular basis! Oh, you're not alone in that. I'd venture to say I know a lot more people who prefer Paris than those who do Rome. I just happen not to be a Francophile; the language alone is like nails on a chalkboard to me. But there are many places in France I'd love to get to with my boys. Rome has some serious issues in that department, no question. I was disappointed, too, by the trash, etc. It's much, much worse now than it was when I was there "way back when". I'm glad it wasn't just a misplaced perception on my part. Interesting, isn't it? Walking in Europe at night is one of my very favorite things about being there. It was wonderful! Maybe it was the time-change difference, but along with walking many miles, we just weren't very hungry while we were in Europe. We mostly ate one meal in the middle of the day or late afternoon, and then had something sweet in the evening. It's a great diet plan, and I wish I felt that way at home. Oh, man. Did you have to mention that last one?:tongue_smilie: Well, since I spend so much time creating desserts for the restaurant in town, I considered indulging in french pastries a part of my professional development, lol! (hmm...maybe this trip could be deductible?). My son and I would pick out 4 little desserts, and bring them back to the hotel in their pink bakery box, and then have a sample of each. Any more than a bite or two of each was just TOO MUCH! I hear you. The Trevi fountain certainly isn't the best fountain in Rome, and the Tiber is irrelevant. I thought it was a bit interesting that the Parisians have focused so much on making their river so lovely, and the Romans have pretty much turned their river into a dumping ground to be looked past. It was a stark contrast. Oh, I'm so glad. Truly. So when are you going back over?:D I don't (at this time) have any desire to go back. It felt like a challenging hill to climb, something to be experienced and conquered, maybe, but now it feels like I've "done that" and don't need to do it again. Well, until my next ds graduates. He's determined to investigate his Dutch heritage with a trip to Holland, though I can't see it really happening. He's more of a homebody than I am, which is saying a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Julie, That sounds like a fabulous trip! I also prefer Paris to Rome and I absolutely adore Mont St. Michel. I am so glad everything worked out so well, both on your trip and at home while you were gone. Brigitte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I didn't know you had left - or i'da been bugging you too!! I'm glad you had a great time, i too preferred Paris to Rome for the same reasons - and that was almost 20 years ago. But the experience has carried me far and I know i can do anything after that trip! I do differ - i'm trying to get back some how, but you have inspired me to plan a similar trip for my DD. I'll be looking forward to seeing pictures. Maybe if you don't want to do a total BLOG you could do a Photobucket account with the pictures and password it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Maybe just start a blog if you don't have one? Mine is on blogspot; it's easy enough for techno-phobes like me to navigate. Ok, so now I have a blog. That really *was* easy! Now to get things posted in a timely way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 What a fabulous trip! It sounds absolutely lovely. You and your ds will treasure the memories for the rest of your lives. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I'm so glad you went. It sounds wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 That was completely fun to read about!!!! I remember reading about when you were first thinking about going!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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