THE CLAN ASSAULTS PARIS

May 10-12, 2005

The day dawned gray and drizzly.  After breakfast everyone loaded up and off they went by car to Paris.  I got to stay home and read and relax.  I went for a bike ride through the Fontainebleau forest.

When the gang arrived in Paris Don took them to the Ibis at the Bercy Village near the Merle apartment.  It was full, so the helpful staff there called a nearby Ibis and made arrangements for two rooms there, then introduced P&J and S&R to BUS 24, which they took over to their hotel.  They were able to leave their luggage and then venture out on the Parisian public transportation system, learning about the buses, the Metro and the RER.  Don, in the meanwhile, parked the car at the Merle’s apartment and he and Cheryl also took the metro to the Orsay. 

The visit to the Orsay was successful.  Everyone got to see the paintings they were interested in and then they had some lunch in the museum café.  From there Don and Cheryl retrieved the car and returned to Acheres, P&J went back to their hotel room for a rest, and S&R strolled through the Tuillerie gardens, along the Champs Elysee  and on to the Arc de Triomphe.  Originally they planned to take a mouche bateau down the Seine to see the lighted buildings at night, but they were too tired after such a busy day.  They caught their bus 24 and finally got back to the hotel around 10pm.

The next day P&J went to Notre Dame.  While they were there they were able to hear the Alabama University Choral group singing in a competition.  Dad set his duffel bag down to take a photo, ran over to be in the shot, and poof!  When he returned his duffel bag had disappeared.  I bet whoever picked it up was a bit disappointed to find that their loot included only Pauline’s handwritten notes on her French lesson, tucked inside her French-English dictionary, Jerry’s used toothbrush, and 3 yellow coffee mugs they had purchased for the Acheres house.

P&J returned to Acheres that afternoon and S&R stayed on in Paris for another day of touring the sights.  They visited the Louvre, Sacre Coeur and Monmartre, the Eiffel Tower,