Paris observations

Spouse & I enjoyed our trip to Paris very much.  In addition to seeing/visiting so many beautiful places, I also did quite a bit of people-watching.  Below are my observations about Parisians:

1. They all wear scarves.  Every single one of them.  We tried to find a Parisian NOT wearing a scarf but couldn't do it.  Parisians love scarves.  That is a fact.
2. They wear uber-fashionable coats.  While riding the subway and walking the streets I noticed that no one was wearing a 'basic' coat.  Everyone's coat was stylish, detailed, almost unique.  I didn't see a single person wearing a coat that looked like it came from a chain retail store.
3. They have embraced the skinny-leg pant.  Everyone under the age of 60 was wearing skinny-leg jeans or pants.  Straight and gay; man and woman.
4. Men shave once every 10-14 days.  While some men had full-on beards and a few were clean-shaven, the vast majority of Parisian men had scruffy facial hair that appeared to be several days' worth of growth. 
5. They like good leather shoes.  As much as Parisians walk, I was surprised at how few people I saw wearing sneakers/athletic shoes.  The majority of men and women were wearing nice-looking leather shoes, even with jeans.  Many of these had an exaggerated pointy toe which I liked.
6. They're not mean to Americans.  We were treated nicely by everyone we can into contact with in Paris.  At one point early in the trip I thought the waitress might not like us because she wouldn't bring us our check.  After finishing our meal we waited and waited for her to drop off our check.  But I later learned that was because we hadn't asked for the check.
7. Parisian men look like metrosexuals, at least to Americans.  Several times I saw good-looking, well-groomed, stylishly-dressed men and perceived them to be gay, only to then witness their girlfriend/wife sit on their lap, lean over and kiss them, or hold their hand.
8. They are weight/height appropriate.  We did not see many overweight people at all.  99% of the Parisians we saw appeared to be healthy, perhaps due to all the walking and/or the smaller size of the meals.

Disclaimer:  These are my observations and are not based on any scientific data or studies.

Paris places visited

Since it was my 1st time in Paris, I wanted to see as much of the city as I possibly could.  The best way (in my opinion) of doing this is to utilize the Hop-on/Hop-off bus.

There are a few of them in Paris, but we were told L'Open was the best, and coincidentally that is the one Spouse's travel agent booked for us.  They have 4 different routes and we had time to go on 3 of the 4.  You are given earbuds so you can plug into the commentary (available in several languages) as the bus drives by and/or stops at landmarks and places of note.  I found the commentary to be quite interesting and informative.  Spouse & I always sat on the upper level as close to the front as possible for the best views.  I would certainly recommend L'Open Hop-on/Hop-off bus to others who want to see a lot of places in a short amount of time.

Places we visited:

• Arc de Triomphe
  
• Louvre
• Champs Elysees
• Notre Dame
• Eiffel Tower
• Pompidou Centre
• Jardin du Luxembourg
• Pont Neuf
• Place de Vosges
• Sainte-Chapelle
• Paris Flea Market
• Montparnasse Tower

Descriptions of many of these places can be found HERE.  We did not "tour" all of these places, as we only had 3 days in Paris.  Many we visited on the bus or on foot.  

When not using the tour bus, we used the metro/subway.  It was very convenient, inexpensive, and ran frequently.  You take the metro nearly everywhere.

Back in the USA

As Linda Ronstadt sings in the video above, I'm back in the USA.  Our plane arrived at 3pm ET yesterday, and Spouse's brother picked us up at the airport shortly thereafter.  We visited with his mom for a little while, then drove home to DE, arriving shortly after 7pm.

Paris was fabulous!  Rather than trying to share photos, stories, places visited, and observations all in 1 post, I'm going to split up those into a couple posts over the next several days.  Between the time difference, the way travel always make you feel tired, and the fact that I spent the entire day today in continuing education classes, I'm tired and am going to bed early.  In just a few minutes, as a matter of fact.  More to come!

Leavin' on a jet plane

Today is the day!

This morning we're driving from DE to Spouse's mom's house in northern VA.  Spouse's brother will pick us up there and drive us to the airport this afternoon.  We're planning to be inside the terminal 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure time since this is an international flight.  Our flight leaves at 5:20pm and we arrive in Paris at 6:55am the next morning.

The logistics of travel make me nervous; getting to the airport with sufficient time, allowing for traffic jams, security, checking in, etc.  I have no fear of flying and really couldn't care less if I'm served a 'snack' or not, or if I have an empty seat next to me or not.  The flying part doesn't bother me.  The logistics are what make me nervous.

My brain tells me there's nothing accomplished by worrying about things over which I have no control, so I will do my best to allow extra ground travel time and arrive early.  Those are the things I can control.

Bon voyage!!

Packing

Instead of staying home and getting ready for our trip, last night we joined several friends for dinner and then I drove Big Ella in the Christmas Parade.  Fun!!!

We leave for Paris tomorrow and as of this writing, I have yet to pack a stitch of clothes.  In fact, I don't even know what I'm bringing, which is not like me.

The reason for this is because I'm very unsure what to bring.  I've been watching the weather and have a good idea of what the temps will be like, but we will be outdoors a lot (walking, riding the hop on/hop off bus, etc) so I know I will need warmer clothes than I would wear if I were at home.

Then there's the whole suitcase situation.  We got new luggage so we both have new airline-compliant carry-ons to stuff, plus you're allowed 1 additional 'personal item' (ie: purse, briefcase, etc.) but when you're packing winter clothes, you can fill up a carry-on bag very quickly.  Packing for a summer trip is so much easier because the clothes take up just 1/2 the space.

I know better than to think I will be able to bring a different outfit for each day, or that I will have day outfit and an evening outfit each day.  I think I will try to pack a few mix-n-match clothing items so that everything coordinates with everything, colorwise.  I think layers will be important, so I can put on or take off a sweater if I'm too cool or too warm.  I will be lucky to fit 1 evening outfit, which I'll wear Sat night for my birthday dinner. 

We've also purchased those 'travel size' toiletry items in the past, since the regular size items aren't permitted in carry-ons.  If we don't find them for this trip, we may just buy regular size items once we get to Paris, and just throw them away when packing to come home.

The house-sitter/dog-sitter is confirmed, the credit card company has been notified of our travel, and our tablets are charged and loaded with e-books and movies, so all of that is done.  Now I've just got to decide what to pack and cross my fingers that I can get it all in my carry-on and 'personal item'.

Birthday plans

As I mentioned in Monday's post, my birthday is coming up in 2 weeks on Dec 7.  This will be my 50th birthday, a milestone birthday indeed.

My husband told me a few weeks ago that my 50th birthday present was going to be a trip to Paris!  

I'm so excited!!

I've always wanted to go to Paris.  The idea of drinking coffee and nibbling on croissants in an open-air cafe, walking the cobblestone streets, perusing the famous Paris Flea Market, the many museums, the Seine, the Eiffel Tower - all of it just sounds so lovely and romantic.  So Spouse contacted the travel agent who helped him plan my 40th birthday trip to Las Vegas and she helped him put together this trip.

We'll be flying out of Dulles International Airport (not far from where our family lives) on a non-stop to Paris on the evening of Thurs Dec 5.  We arrive early in the morning on Fri Dec 6.  We're staying at the Hotel Concorde Montparnasse which has American-style bathrooms, views of the Eiffel Tower, and is very close to the subway.  

We also have 2 day passes for the Hop On/Hop Off Tour Bus which should give us an

excellent overview of the city and help us decide where we want to spend more time.

On my actual birthday, Sat Dec 7, we are going on a Seine river cruise and also having dinner at one of the Eiffel Tower restaurants.

Sun Dec 8 is our last full day.  I know there are loads of amazing museums but to be perfectly honest, a little of that goes a long way for me.  So while we may spend a few hours doing that, I want to have lots of time to see Paris.  Of course we've looked at some websites, but if you've been to Paris, I'd love to know your favorite places, or places you think would be of interest to me, someone who has never been there before.  We leave in the morning on Mon Dec 9 and because of the time difference arrive back at Dulles in the early afternoon, giving us plenty of time to drive back to DE.

I've already ordered and received my laminated, foldable Paris map, downloaded a translator app on my iPhone, and set up a special plan with my carrier to be able to use my iPhone in Paris.

Spouse has decided his "color story" for the trip is going to be black, grey, and beige.  LOL!!  I have no idea what clothes I'll be taking but I DO know that I will be wearing comfortable walking shoes.  And I'm bringing scarves, because it just seems like one should be wearing a scarf in Paris.

This is going to be AMAZING!!!