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The trip was over. We watched movies all the way home on United and Josh actually slept a little. Then it took ages to gather up his PSP, power adaptors, gum, magazines, and all the other necessities he couldn't travel without.
Josh was excited to see his family, tell about Paris, and hand out PRESENTS.
We saw, and did, more each day than was humanly possible, but those little legs of his, bounding up and down the stairs, and that mind that never stopped working, made it a fabulous trip.
This was something we will never forget and I know, neither will he. As Josh said, "This is Paris and I have to see everything but who knows when I'll see this again." How very true.
Continue reading "Grandchild - End of Trip to Paris" »
Another warm day...and, of course, I only brought jeans which are darn hot for walking around. Today, Josh wanted to see the Pompidou Museum of Modern Art. It was about a mile walk from our hotel...relatively easy. The architecture is so interesting...with tubular escalators on the outside of the building...and lots of entertainment going on by street performers. View image
Josh said, "This is the coolest thing in Paris."
But it was even more interesting for Josh, and us, on the inside. There was a new exhibit called The Big Bang which would capture anybody's attention. The exhibition was built around modern and contemporary art works and combined fine arts, photography, cinema, video, architecture, design and literature.
Destruction, Construction/Deconstruction, Anarchism, Sex, War, Subversion, Melancholy and Re-enchantment were the themes. And when you look at some of the photos below, you will definitely understand why a teen-age boy would be intrigued.
Continue reading "Grandchild in Paris, Days 4 & 5" »
Our Paris Hotel, Hotel Moderne, was situated beautifully. Near the metro (subway), The Sorbonne, Notre Dame. There was a big buffet breakfast which included: ham, cheese, croissants, french baquettes (Josh's favorite), yoghurt, juice, coffee. They also had a computer with free internet so Josh was able to Instant Message back and forth to his parents and friends in the U.S. Everyone got a big kick out of that. View image Another important part of each morning, was racing to the Internet to checkout White Sox scores. This was Labor Day Weekend, 2005, and both Josh and ex-Marine are BIG White Sox fans!
Some internet sites I used to help with this trip were Paris Info, and France Guide. Lots of information.
Today, we were heading out to Fontainebleau. I wanted Josh to see a real chateau, and have a chance to get out to the countryside by train. And, since he is interested in Napoleon...thought it would be interesting.
It took several metro connections to get to the Gare de Lyon....RER train to Fontainebleau/Avon...then Bus A to the Chateau.
Continue reading "Grandchild in Paris, Day 3" »
We were there, Josh got a stamp in his passport, and our little 14-year old EverReady Bunny was off and running. The big priorities were: going to McDonald's for Chicken McNuggets; hitting an ATM for Euros, and walking over to Notre Dame Cathedral. (Our hotel was situated within walking distance from Notre Dame.) View image
Josh's first bit of culture shock - young people kissing and "making out" in broad daylight on every street corner! In his words..."how rude". Second, you have to pay to use a toilet...."it's so cruel". Third, people don't curb their dogs and you have to watch out for "poop" on sidewalks. Fourth, "why are all the people smoking?"
A fast nap and his major focus in Paris - The Eiffel Tower. The wait wasn't too long...elevator to the top...wonderful views and walked down from the 2nd level. Rather, I walked down...he ran down. It's very hot in Paris and crowded. Dinner at Polidor, on the Left Bank but Josh didn't enjoy his meal that much...probably would have preferred McDonald's again. Kids....
After being on the go all day - metro's, stairs, walking...Josh didn't even have the energy to use his Ps2! Lights out!!
Continue reading "Grandchild in Paris, Days 1 and 2" »
Why not! I have always hoped that my grandchildren would develop a love of travel and exploration. It is exciting to see (and hear) the impact of these places through their eyes while teaching history and language in a fun atmosphere. If you ask, "Where in the World would you like to go?"...the answer will usually be: Disney World, Cooperstown, Six Flags, etc. Persist with the questions, and I heard: Tokyo, Paris, Rome (like "Lizzy McGuire") and Australia.
With this in mind, we decided to take 14-year old, Josh, to Paris, over Labor Day weekend....cramming in what he wanted to see in 4 days. It's only an 8-hour flight from Chicago, you can drink the water, one of the most beautiful cities in the world with so much to see, and it wouldn't cost more more than the two of us since he'd sleep in our room.
His dad bought a Paris guide book for him to work up an itinerary of his interests.
We took care of the essential details:
Air - United, non-stop and used miles to get a free ticket for Josh;
Hotel- Hotel Moderne on the Left Bank, thought the "Student Quarter" would be more interesting to a teenager.
Continue reading "Paris - Take Your Grandchild (or Child)?" »
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