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A Quick Trip to Paris and Normandy |
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May 28 - May 31, 2003 |
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One of the benefits of living in a country where there is no separation of church and state is all the Catholic holidays! This one was for Ascension Day. Apparently that's the day when Belgians ascend to the beaches and mountains.
We chose to head to France. First stop was Paris. We decided to stay near the Charles de Gaulle Airport so that we wouldn't have to drive into the city. From our hotel room we could see one of the runways, and got to watch the Concorde taxi past us. This would be one of the Concorde's last flights, as they are being taken out of commission. One of the fun things was watching the "plane geeks" who all stood as close to the runway as possible just to watch the planes go by. They bring their ladders so that they can get a better look. I don't even want to think about the security risks! |
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The main reason we went to Paris was to spend some time with our friends, Linda Williams and Mike Armstrong. Laura has worked with the two of them in various political capacities for years, and now they were vacationing in Paris. So, we decided to meet on Thursday morning at Luxembourg Gardens, near the Latin Quarter in Paris. It was an unbelievably HOT and sunny day. Below is a photo of Kevin and the kids in front of the Palace that now houses the French Senate and the pond where people can float remote-control boats. Ellen got to ride the merry go round in the park where they have an actual brass ring. She is holding a stick that she had to aim for the center of the brass ring, and then the ring came off on the stick. It was great fun! One of the interesting quirks about the park is that you have to pay to use the playground. It is a nice facility, but for a socialistic nation, it is a little ironic. |
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After we had lunch with Linda and Mike at an outdoor cafe in the park, we headed for a boat ride on the Seine. This was something Kevin had always wanted to do. I must say that it was rather anti-climactic. Hard to see much because the darn leafy trees were in the way. There was a nice narrative, and it was fun to see Paris from a different angle. |
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It was absolutely fantastic to spend time with Linda and Mike. We really appreciate them spending the day with us. Because of the heat, we were exhausted by early evening and headed for our hotel.
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Click to see: |
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- the next day in Normandy |
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- our home page |
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