My Body Clock is Wacked!

Good Morning!

Morning came for me today at 5am which is decidedly nicer than 4am! 

What to do with this extra time?  Bible Study first and then the dreaded balancing of the checkbook!  As I was entering the transactions I smiled as I remembered my recent trip.  The charge for Internet at the hotel, the meals that we ate and the splurge that I made at the Monet Museum gift shop in Giverny!  Good times...then what's this? 

There are little Visa charges for international bank fees...those didn't make me smile.

Bank fees seem to be a fact of life so I suggest that you do a little homework prior to your overseas trip, or for purchases you make from the US from foreign companies such as Skype or Jajah.  Find out what each of your cards would charge when purchasing internationally so that you can make an informed decision as to which one to use.  With just a little extra effort you might be able to avoid a nasty surprise and keep a little more of your hard earned money!

Back home, Adieu France!

 Well, we've made it back home...me here to Montgomery and Mom back to Chattanooga.  We must say adieu to France for now at least!

I woke up at 4am this morning and wasn't able to go back to sleep...that would have been 11am in France.  I called mom at 5am and she had been up for 2 hours already!  LOL  I guess we will be in bed by 7pm tonight!  What Fun!

The flight home was much nicer than the flight over on the Airbus Aircraft. There was a good bit of turbulence over the Atlantic, but never the less I did grab 40 winks.  At one point I remember thinking to myself, "I'm snoozing and my mouth is WIDE OPEN!  Nice..."  I'm sure the man in the window seat found that very attractive!  LOL

I have added some more of the many photos that we took on the trip.  I will continue to add new posts and information about the trip for the next little bit as updating the blog just wasn't possible during part of the trip!

Many of you iindicated that you loved the photos of Monet's Garden, so I will try to dedicate a blog just to that morning and try to upload all of the pictures there.

Have a wonderful day!

Guest Blogger...My Mom, Betty!

I've asked my mom to share with everyone her impressions of our vacation so far.  She has asked me to type for her, so in I let you know that in advance!  LOL

"I enjoyed our pre-cruise visit to Paris, especially the hop on hop off tour buses, but I've really loved the cruise down the River.  It's beautiful and relaxing yet I'm learning alot about the history of the region.  I'm looking forward to our visit tomorrow to the Landing Beaches of Normandy."

"I will be glad to get back home to be able to see my kids, grandkids and greatgrandkids and maybe even the new house that my bid was accepted on 2 days prior to our trip!"

"The people are nice and friendly on the cruise, the food is really good and I've enjoyed everything so far."

Well there ya' go folk...straight from my guest blogger...My Mom Betty!

My New Friend Zoe from Rouen!

Hello Everyone!  I made a new friend today at lunch...her name is Zoe and she's 3 years old.  (4 next month)

Zoe, her mom & dad and big sister sat next to us today at the bistro that we were having lunch in.  I always love to sit outside, (as any of my friends will tell you) and in Europe their sense of personal space is different than that of an American.  It's not bad, just a bit strange until you get used to it.

Zoe's family was there for a pre-birthday lunch for her sister who will turn 6 on Easterday this year.  Zoe was extra hungery waiting for her food and a bit fidgety.  Her mom apologized to us polietly and explained in English what was going on.  We already had our food, along with a basket of French Bagget.  We offered the girls some bread until their food came and guess what...I have a new friend!

By the end of lunch, Zoe was over on my side of the table, almost sitting in my lap trying to teach me  French!  As we were leaving she said to me in French, (translated by her mom),  "Good bye my new little friend!"  Too Cute!!

I will post again about Rouen and post pictures, but I wanted my new friend to have her own!

Claude Monet & Giverny

Hey Everyone!

Another beautiful day in France!  It is in the mid to upper 70's and the sky is blue yet again. 

I love Avalon Waterways, but because of the nature of the internet available, it's really only reliable for checking emails.  Not for working, or in most cased uploading pictures on my blog.  Today I'm in an internet cafe and have some beautiful pictures to share of Claude Monet's Gardens!

Leaving Paris- au revoir

Bonjour Dear Readers!

My internet was really spotty yesterday, so I wasn't able to update you so I'm going to start by telling you about yesterday...my last day in Paris. I must say that the weather here in France is abnormally warm for this time of the year!  It's in the upper 70's, clear blue skies, fluffy white clouds...just my kind of day!

We started out our day with a shore excursion...a 3.5 hour motorcoach tour around Paris..  It was nice to get a professional tour with a licesenced local guide with all of the knowledge and passion that Isabelle had for her city!  One of my favorite stops was the beautiful and peaceful Luxenburg Gardens!  There were tulips in bloom and the garden was refereshing!  The Parisian people come outside into he gardens and parks quit a bit as their apartments can be really small.

In the afternoon Mom and I took the optional excursion to the Palace of Versailles.  It was about a 30 - 40 minute drive from Paris.  We had a scheduled time with our group, so we didn't have to wait in the very long line.  Our guide was again very knowledgeable and made the trip so special!  The Palace was so opulant with all the Gold Leaf.  I will add pictures a bit later!

Once we came back to the ship, we rested for a little bit before heading out to dinner off the ship!  Now don't get me wrong, the food on the ship is ABSOLUTLY wonderful!  REALLY!  But Mom and I were invite to dinner by Avalon Waterway and were excited to go.  We took a cab over to a little area of Paris that Jean-Loup our cruise director recommended.  WHAT A TREAT!

Imagine a little plaza with a very intamate feel, not a touristy area, but locals...with at least 4 little cafes with outdoor bistro tables.  We had a wonderful meal, wonderful conversation, wonderful weather, wonderful shopping, wonderful walking and then a wonderful trip back to the ship!  LOL 

On the way back, we were just in time to see the Eiffle Tower's sparkling light show that lasts for 10 - 15 minutes every evening!  WOW!  Pretty stinking cool!

Some of you have emailed me and asked me about the ship, the food and the people.

The ship is very nice as expected.  Our beds are very comfortable, with a pillow menu and a fluffy comforter and soft blanket.  There is 172 sq ft in our stateroom...which is one of the largest river cruise stateooms in Europe.  The shower is large enough for me to be able to shave my legs without any problem!  (A major accomplishment on any cruise vessle)

Our stateroom is near the back of the ship...2 rooms from the back lounge with the coffee maker!  Machito, capachino and coffee available at the touch of the button! 

There is a very nice buffet breakfast with egg station, a lovely buffet lunch with also a "quick light lunch" available in the lounge.  The dinner is a sit-down affair with white table clothe and wonderful service.  It's about 6 courses, but don't worry!  Each course is smallish...(Not too little) but enough for a good taste and not to fill you up too much so that you can enjoy the rest of the meal.  I wish that you were all with me so you could enjoy it with me!

OK...this is pretty long so I'll go for now.  I will try to upload some pictures soon.

Bye

Beautiful Weather!

Tuesday- The Day We Board the Ship!

We are at the Pullman Hotel enjoying free Coffee, (yummy) along with complementary WiFi.  We are going on the optional Eiffle Tower Tour with a guide in a just a bit.  Mom is very excited about getting to go up to the 2nd level.

This morning as we were giving our bags to the Bellman, I told him, "Gracias"!  Way to mix up the languages!  LOL  I do things like that all the time.  Usually it's with German...I start off strong, but then find my self ending with a thank you in either Spanish or French!  Yikes.  It always works out well due mostly to the fact that I say it with a hugh smile on my face!  I get a look like, is she joking...is she touched in the head?

We've just met our first fellow passengers...Carolyn and Ralph!  They are from Oregon and will be taking the Eiffle Tower with us!

Bye for now!!

A Day Outside in Paris!

I asked for a Step-Daddy...do you see the reaction?



It was a beautiful day

  

Waking Up In Paris

Good morning!

I need massive quantities of coffee...Kent, where are you or Kelly with my daily steaming hot cup?  I will say that they have NO IDEA what Sweet n Low is.  I will be visiting a store or two so I can have my own private supply.

The jet lag isn't too bad.  We got to the hotel about 2pm local time, relaxed for a bit, ate at an outdoor cafe and then headed back to the room for an early night.  Kent is already on my about some pictures, so I will upload them tonight!

I will say the Marriott people are very nice, but there is something a little sad to waking up in Paris and not being able to tell immediately that you're in Paris!  The Marriott is just like every other Marriott in the world...to quote my dear friend Becky, "sad day!"  LOL

Well, waking up in Paris isn't all that bad...even in a Marriott!

We'll be checking in later!

Bonjour!

It's a good day!  We've made it to our hotel in Paris!  We are staying at a Marriott because we got a good deal.  The first thing I went for was coffee...yummy.  Next we sent out the news that we had arrived to our family and friends. 

The coach seats on the flight were really cramped!  There was barley any wiggle room ands in you certainly couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep much. The Premier Economy seats were significantly larger and much more comfortable.  Where we had 3 seats, an aisle, 5 seat an aisle and 3 seats, the Premier Economy cabin had 3 less seats in the row and had a lot more recline!  (Worth the money?  You have to decide for yourself)

We had a private car and driver to pick us up and that was the way to go!  There's nothing like getting off of an international flight in a foreign country and having someone waiting for you with your name on a sign!  I don't care who you are...its always nice to have someone expecting you.

We did get to see the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triumph on the way to the hotel, but we will go for our big sightseeing tomorrow! 

Now it's off to find a little sidewalk cafe...au revoir!

The Delta Lounge in Atlanta

Mom and I have a LONG layover in Atlanta, so we decided that it would be worthwhile to get a Delta Sky Club membership that is good for 30 Days.  The cost is $90 and I can bring up to 2 guests in with me. We get free wifi, snacks, coffee (yummy), wine & mixed drinks (yucky) and a semi-quiet place to wait for our flight. The one-day pass is $50 and each person must purchase one in order to enter, so this really was the better way to go.

Well, I must say that my mom looks really cute.  Eve Mosley has taken charge of her hair styling and her new cut is very flattering.  I'm not the only one who thinks that she's cute...a really nice looking man just came over and chatted with her.  I love it!

We haven't even left the county and it's started...I might get a step daddy yet!  LOL

On My Way!

Well...here it is...The time has come to depart on the first leg of our trip to Paris to meet the Avalon Waterways vessel that will take us on our wonderful 7 day adventure the the landing beaches of Normandy!