11 June - Home at last!

   After an unscheduled night in Salt Lake City, flight changes too numerous to count, and a few frayed nerves we are HOME!  John and I reflect that it is both a happy and melancholy occasion to have our trip end.  It is so good to be home and see the family and familiar surroundings.  I love my washer and dryer and I can't believe how gigantic my PC monitor looks!  I have become very used to the Acer netbook!  Our 1750 sq ft house seems huge!  It is sad that our trip, so anticipated, is behind us now but we cherish the memories.  I hope to start compiling my 11 GB of photos for an album tomorrow.  We are unpacked, some gifts given out, kisses and hugs shared, laundry done, and we are blessed and thankful we have a wonderful place to come home to.  Travel stretches your boundaries, educates your mind, changes your outlook, and changes you from within if you let it.  We are grateful for all our experiences that we will mull over for many years to come and thankful we were able to have this wonderful "trip of a lifetime" together. 

10 June - NY-MN-UT, but NOT HOME

   Okay I am not happy.  I am not home.  What a fiasco today!  Certainly things could be worse and I hope they are not tomorrow.  We went to the airport at the appointed time.  Our flight showed ON TIME until it showed "Canceled" - We saw the plane was taken out of service, perhaps it was the American Airlines plane that made an emergency landing?  Who knows.  As soon as I saw this I was on the phone to AA and they rebooked us going to Atlanta, Salt Lake, and then Fresno.  We rushed to a separate part of the airport (by bus).  As we were waiting for the bus we asked an employee how to get to that location, she offered to TAKE us there and help us out!  What sort of miracle was that?  Until that moment I swear there was NO ONE smiling at that airport!  She was such a sweet young woman.  It was quite a hassle to actually GET the boarding passes but we got them.  Now the flight is Minneapolis, Salt Lake, and then Fresno.  We finally got what was needed and then she walked us through security and to our gate.  I have never been treated so kindly.  I was thankful I purchased a cross necklace at the Dublin airport and I fished it out and gave it to her.  She seemed touched and appreciative.  After that flight things did not go as planned.  The transfer in Minneapolis was a snap.  She said she put us on as needing a wheelchair so we would make the flights, but we didn't need that.  We made the gate and time just fine.  It was after we were on the plane there was a problem.  It was unbearably hot on the plane as the ground power had gone so we sat.  Finally this was fixed and we headed to Salt Lake.  However, we were so late that our Fresno flight was gone.  I am too tired to be too upset.  Anyway we have a FREE hotel, taxi, and food so here we are.  We need to leave for the airport by 5:30am to hopefully catch a 7am flight to LAX and then on to Fresno arriving at 11:30am.  I HOPE!!!  I am sure something of more interest must have happened today, but if it did I cannot recall it at the moment!   

 

09 June - Back to the USA - Paris/Dublin/NYC

   We were up and ready to go at the appointed time of 10am.  Our luggage has grown!  If any of our Rick Steves travel buddies see this photo they will laugh.  We used great restraint in "shopping" until we finished the tour but we did have in mind several things we wanted from Southern France, so these things were planned.  Note the bright blue RS bag and how well it expands.  I believe they secretly call this the "Don't Tell Rick" bag. 

   Our shuttle was  due to arrive at 10:30am but when it was close to 11am we had the staff call for us.  Apparently, there was an accident on the freeway and the shuttle was stuck in traffic.  Thankfully the staff called us a taxi and we made it to CDG airport in no time at all.  We checked in and began our wait.  All our flights were on time so that was a blessing for us.  Incidentally, our Aer Lingus flight from Paris to Dublin did not even offer a drink free of charge.  A soda was E$3. water E$2.50.  We were glad we made a sandwich and had our water bottles filled.  Our layover in Dublin was just long enough to spend the last of the Euros we had and off we went.  To our surprise we were served a meal, snack, and beverage on this Aer Lingus flight!  We had the treat of having our own personal TV/Movie screen and a large array of things to watch.  We flew on a lovely 330 Airbus and wondered how this amazing and huge plane could just fall from the sky?  Maybe we should wonder how it stays up there at all?  What a tragic event that was for so many.  I feel we had an overdose of information on that loss since the only channel we could receive in English in Paris was CNN.  Anyway, we are back to the US safe and sound, thankful for that.  We are wondering how we will adjust to the time difference.  They told us here at the hotel that many flights were canceled out of LGA (LaGuardia) today due to storms and such across the country but weather is supposed to clear, so we hope it does. 

 

08 June - Vincennes and Paris

   Our last full day in France.  I remained in a bit of a funk unable to access email and feeling too isolated.   However, John walked to the Internet Cafe that was closed yesterday and it was open and our connections worked just fine there.  He checked our flight information and all things are fine for that.  This is a relief for me.  Later in the day we took the bus to the same Internet Cafe and posted the blog and replied to what emails we could.  I felt so much better then! 

   From there we went into Paris and awaited the lighting of the Eiffel Tower at 10pm.  Actually, it was still a bit light but it was magical we enjoyed that.  I asked a young man to take our photo and then we took a group photo of he and his friends for them.  They were a lovely group of Brazilians!  After that five minute event we walked to a nearby cafe and had a delicious shrimp and avocado salad, our last meal in Paris for now.  We saw the 11pm sparkle and then took the Metro back.  We took a taxi from the Metro back to the Royal Regency because it was too late to walk and now we are headed to bed.  A quiet day but successful too since we had news from home.  

 

07 June Vincennes

    Today we were to go to Giverny, Monet's home and gardens.  We woke up early and began to get ready but just lost energy for the plan.  We are tired, it looks like rain, and we decided we didn't want to spend a combination of four hours on Metro, train, bus, and/or taxi to get there.  I guess it proves we have traveled too long on this trip.  I am personally feeling isolated since I have not even been able to look at my email for five days now.  We decided a better way to spend the day would be lunch at the Australian Bar that has Wi-Fi and catch up on email, also confirming our flight home on the Internet since we can't even call from here without an unknown fee. 

   As to not make it a wasted day the first order of the day was to unpack everything and repack it ready for flying and travel home.  That took until approximately 1pm when we then headed out to have our lunch.  The Australian Bar is a fun place, if you can read the steps each one had a distance to a point in Australia.  The lunch was tasty, the people friendly, the service was good but the overall experience was unsatisfying as far as the Internet.  We were unable to connect to the Internet at the cafe and even though they tried to help us "this happens a lot" so we were unsuccessful.  From there we walked to the McDonald's that we were told had Wi-Fi also.  Here we were able to connect but we were still unable to actually post anything or check our flights.  From here we walked to the Internet Cafe and found it closed on Sunday.  By now it looked like a storm was imminent so we walked back to the apartment.  Overall, a time consuming and frustrating experience. 

   We first thought we might head back into Paris tonight and see the Eiffel Tower at night with the lights and all but good humor and the desire to do so has escaped us.

 

06 June - D-Day and Visit to St. Avold, Lorraine American Cemetery

   I can't say it was a lovely day in any way, but it was meaningful.  We are glad we went to the Lorraine American Cemetery.  When we woke the rain was here as predicted.  Sadly, we were not perceptive enough to bring our coats with us for the day. 

   Anyway, off we went via bus, Metro, TGV, and regular train for our arrival in St. Avold.  We called the cemetery and a lovely, professional, young woman name Valerie picked us up and take us to the cemetery.  The flowers we ordered were waiting for us in the office.  It is a lovely cemetery despite the rain, but it also a very sad experience.  Somewhat like going to Pearl Harbor or viewing a prison camp museum.  So many crosses or stars, row after row of those who gave the ultimate price for freedom for so many.  After bringing us to the main office Valerie drove us to the grave site of Robert Glos.  We placed the flowers on his grave, she placed a US flag and a French flag on the grave and said those were ours to keep when we left.  One thing she also did was rub sand in the name and dates on the cross so the text would show up.  She pointed out that even the sand is significant because it was sand from Omaha Beach.  Of course by  then I was shedding tears thinking of this young man of 21 who left the Napa Valley and never came home again.  Certainly, I believe these young men; husbands, brothers, uncles, cousins, etc. are in another place now, but it was a moving event to visit this cemetery and chapel especially after all the stories of WWII and other things we have learned on this trip.       

   I suspect many of you have viewed the happenings in Normandy at the various beaches.  Please keep in mind there are 25 (or 28) cemeteries across Europe holding those soldiers who remain "forever young."  Lorraine American Cemetery is the largest in Europe.  I won't say anymore about this visit but just post a few photographs.

   We decided to change our return trip to Paris since we would not walk around or have a picnic as planned due to the rain.  We would also forgo any plans in Paris due to rain and mood.  A moving day.     

 

05 June Paris-Vincennes

   Today was the day we were to go to Versailles but since John didn't really want to (and I have see it), it was up to him to make a plan for the day.  He did a great job!  He used the Rick Steves Paris 2009 travel guide and noted interest in the Bastille area.  There was a two mile walk through the area that seemed interesting, so that is what we did.  Of course we started with the bus and the Metro into Paris and getting off in the Bastille this time for the Marais Walk beginning in the characteristic quarter there, through that and the Jewish quarter, and ending in the artsy Beaubourg district. Our walk included:  Place de Bastille, Hotel de Sully, Places des Vosges, side trip to the  Picasso Museum (pictured Femme Bust, Bronze 1931), Rue des Francs Bourgeois, Rue Pavee, Camille Brassiere (for lunch), Jewish Quarter, Rue Ste. Croix de la Bretonnerie and a brief stop at the Pompidour Center.  It was a lovely walk and a lovely day.  We were not impressed with the art at the Pompidour Center.  It was listed as "Modern Art" but it was mostly things we either could not understand or seemed a bit grotesque or profane.  Many rooms came with warnings that the content of the room might be disturbing.  We did enjoy the few of the Paris skyline from the sixth floor.

   About lunch-My lunch was fish and ratatouille so it was delicious,  John continues to order things that he is not entirely sure of.   This time it brought him a pork sausage that had to be a sausage of "innards" (we asked the man sitting next to us).  We did realize it was pork, but knowing it was sausage would have made me wary.  John is the man though, as he ate it.  

   After this we took the Metro on to the Lafayette Galleries in hopes of a bit of shopping. However, the prices were so exorbitant we decided not to buy anything.  Time to head home and prepare for our trip the St. Avold tomorrow, D-Day.  There are many events going on all over France tomorrow, especially at the Normandy Beaches,