Jill's Journey Journals

Paris-Part 2

This is a continuation of Paris-Part 1, my story from last week, so if you have not read that one, you may want to stop reading this one, scroll down, read the first part, and then continue reading this one.

We were excited to begin our tourist activities in Paris. There was a little patisserie down the street from our apartment. We went there to get breakfast pastries every morning. In addition, we would each get a baguette. We would gnaw on this baguette all day rather than stop for lunch. We thought this was a really good plan until about the third day of eating baguettes all day. We also found out that the birds at Notre-Dame like baguettes. They’re a little aggressive about it.

We decided that we would use the metro to get around in Paris. Now, using the metro is pretty much the same in all cities around the world. If you know how to use a metro system in the US, you should not have any problems using the metro in a foreign country. The problem we had was that no one in our group had ever used a metro system. Anywhere. The best place to learn how to use a metro system for the first time is NOT in a foreign country. But after a few times of ending up on the wrong train, we finally figured it out. Or I should say the kids and I figured it out. Mom and Aunt Carol just trusted us. We could have taken them anywhere.

I read in my handy travel book that there was one day that offered free admission each month at the Louvre, and that day happened to be one of the days we were in Paris, so we decided to take advantage of the free admission. So did everyone else in Paris. It was exceptionally crowded-you could barely move. I was able to see the Mona Lisa, though, which was the primary reason I wanted to go to the Louvre. The painting was a lot smaller than I expected. And it’s roped off so you can’t get very close to it. Since I am under five foot in height, I kind of jumped around, trying to see it until there was an opening in the crowd. I scurried up to the rope, looked at the painting for a few minutes, and then pushed my way back out of the sea of people behind me. We stayed a couple of hours and then left.

Of course, we went to the Eiffel Tower. How can you go to Paris and not go to the Eiffel Tower? We waited in line forever, gnawing on our baguettes. The Eiffel Tower was impressive, and I was enjoying it very much. Then I noticed that my son, Ryan, was no longer with me. I looked around and could not see him anywhere. Part of my panic was the thought that he could have been taken by someone, but the other part of the panic was the thought that he may be crawling up the outside of the building like Spiderman. Now before you think that statement is a gross over-exaggeration, let me tell you a little about my son. Throughout his childhood, he has had four sets of stitches, a broken wrist that required surgery and a broken foot. We had to call poison control twice in one day. He fell out of a tree. My neighbor would call me to tell me that Ryan was up on our roof. He and his friends would chase and shoot each other with pellet guns. Until about the age of four/five years, he wanted to have a tail and he wanted to be able to fly, so he routinely jumped off high surfaces in hopes that he would soar through the air. He did not. So the Spiderman concern was not completely irrational. After about twenty minutes of panic looking for him, I found him, gave him a proper reprimand, and we finished our tour of the Eiffel Tower.

One day we went to Versailles. We took the train from Paris to Versailles. What a beautiful day! We saw gorgeous gardens and enjoyed touring the palace. We sat outside at a café and had lunch. We had ice cream. The kids rented bikes and rode around the grounds. It was a favorite day for everyone. The only hiccup was Aunt Carol throwing up in my souvenir bag on the way back. Well, it’s not a vacation until someone throws up. So we got that out of the way.

One night, my husband wanted a steak. We found a restaurant near our apartment. Our apartment was at the foot of Sacre Coeur. There is a plaza area with restaurants nearby. Our waiter was very helpful and friendly. In fact, he was a little too friendly. At one point, he came up and kissed me on the cheek. THAT has never happened to me in a restaurant before. I don’t know why he did it. He was saying something, but it was in French, so I have no idea what he was saying. But now, when I am in a group situation and the group leader says we have to say something that no one knows about us (I hate it when they do that), I can say I was kissed by a French waiter.

Later that night, my daughters, ages 18 and 16, and my daughter’s friend, age 18, wanted to go the festivities that were taking place in the plaza. They wanted to go by themselves, without adult supervision. Yikes. They finally convinced us to let them go for a little while. It stays light until pretty late in Paris in the summer. It started to get dark and I started to get worried. Now, Liam Neeson may have a particular set of skills, but so do I. My particular set of skills is called “mother’s intuition.” And my bells were ringing. My mom (the queen of “mother’s intuition”) and I set out to find the girls. We found them. They were walking away from the crowd with three boys who had invited the girls to go somewhere with them. The girls, and the boys, were not happy when I insisted that the girls come with us. I think that following my intuition allowed us to avoid a possibly very bad situation. And I didn’t have to call Liam Neeson. I’m sure he’s a very busy man.

Coming up next time: The conclusion of our Paris/London trip

More tips:

In 2008, there was a free day at the Louvre once a month. Currently, the free admission is on the first Friday of every month after 6:00 pm, except during July and August. Going during free admission will save you some money, but it might be worth paying admission to avoid the huge crowds.
If you have never used a metro system before, the best time to learn is probably not in a foreign country.
Souvenir bags from Versailles make pretty decent puke bags.
I highly recommend visiting Versailles and Loire Valley. They are well worth the trips to get there. Interesting fact about Loire Valley: The grave of Leonardo da Vinci can be found in the Amboise castle, in the Chapel of Saint Hubert.
The RER C line (yellow) will take you from Paris to Versailles for just €3.65 ($4) per person each way. Metro tickets are interchangeable with RER tickets, so you can use the same ticket from a Metro station to get on board an RER C train. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to get to Versailles from Paris.
To get to Loire Valley by train, you will need to take the Trains de Grande Vitesse (TGV) trains. You can book train tickets on www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
I believe moms have a God-given ability to protect their children. Follow your intuition every time.
Following your mom’s intuition will give Liam Neeson a break from fighting bad guys.
Hold on to your baguettes when visiting Notre-Dame. It is scheduled to reopen on December 8, 2024.
Watch out. French waiters will kiss you.

Paris-Part 1

It was 2008. We decided to go to Paris. How hard could that be? I could plan this. I had planned plenty of other vacations. In the US…. Where everyone speaks English….and everyone uses US currency… But all I needed was my travel books and the internet, right?

Our little travel group included me, my husband, my three children-ages 18, 16, and 14, my mom, and my aunt. Since my oldest daughter would be graduating high school, and this was sort of her idea, we let her invite a friend as well. What could go wrong?

We flew to New York, where we would catch our flight to London. I had booked tickets for the Chunnel to get to Paris. We boarded our flight and took off. So far, so good. Then the pilot made an announcement. They were dumping fuel into the Atlantic, turning around, and making an emergency landing back at JFK airport. Apparently, a bird had hit the windshield of the plane and the windshield had cracked. Okey dokey. We were on track for another interesting family vacation. We landed back at JFK, got off the plane, waited hours for repair or for a new plane, and headed to London once again. When we landed in London, we discovered that, due to the delay, we had missed our train to Paris. We asked them to honor our tickets for the next train, since the delay was not our fault. They would not. We also discovered that my aunt’s luggage had not made it to London. We filled out the paperwork for the lost luggage and moved on. (That last statement may make it seem that there were no emotional reactions to the lost luggage issue. That could not be further from the truth).

$800 dollars later….We had new tickets and boarded the train. I have to say. I was not all that impressed with the Chunnel. It was basically a train ride. Maybe I expected more because, by this time, we had paid $200 for each ticket, which felt like a lot. Sure, you go under water, but you can’t really tell you are under water. You’re in a tunnel. It’s not like you can see marine life floating past your window as you drive through. And since the train is moving at 100-186 mph, if it were not in a tunnel, all you would see would be a massacre of sea animals, so thank goodness for the tunnel.

Anyway, we made it to Paris. It had been a long trip. I desperately needed to brush my teeth. We finally made our way out of the train station to find a taxi. Fun fact. If you walk up to the taxi guy at the airport in Paris and say, “excuse me, I need a taxi,” that is considered rude. You are supposed to say “bon jour” first. Maybe they should consider posting a sign saying that, because I was ready to rip that guy’s head off before I figured it out.

We made it to our rented apartment. The lady that owned the apartment was very nice, even though we had arrived hours later than she was expecting. We settled into our apartment, took showers, and tried to recover from the trip. My aunt was determined to find her luggage. Somehow, she had acquired a phone number that she thought was the number for lost luggage. She called the number and reached the Paris fire department. I may be wrong, but I really don’t think the Paris fire department is who you want to talk to about missing luggage. Whoever answered the phone did not speak English. Aunt Carol kept repeating the same thing, each time a little louder, in English. She called this same number multiple times over the next couple of days. The fireman’s English did not improve, even when Aunt Carol repeated it several times, very loudly. Needless to say, she did not get any help locating her luggage.

Luckily, Aunt Carol had an overnight bag with her that had an extra outfit, medications, etc. We had a washer and dryer in the apartment, so we could make do. She did want some extra underwear, though, and there were no washcloths in the apartment, so our first outing was to find washcloths and underwear. No luck on the washcloths. The only underwear we could find were thongs. Aunt Carol said, and I quote, “I am a 71 year old woman. I do not wear thongs.” I don’t disagree. I’ve never understood the thong. Well, we could do laundry every day for the rest of the trip so that Aunt Carol could have clean underwear. We bought some food, went back to the apartment and went to bed so we could start fresh in the morning. I had a notebook with plenty of plans to keep us busy for the rest of the trip.

The next morning I woke up and heard my mom and my aunt on the front balcony. They had claimed the two complimentary robes in the apartment and were sitting on the balcony with their coffee and their matching robes. They were waving and saying good morning to people walking by. I don’t know if that is a thing in Paris, but it was that week. Yes. It happened every morning. They started recognizing the same people, and the people started waving back. My mom and aunt had brought US Midwest and Southern hospitality to Paris.

Coming up next time- Part 2 of the Paris trip.

My Top Tips for Paris So Far:

Birds can crack a plane windshield. I was not aware of that. And now you are aware of that too. Sorry if that adds stress and anxiety to your plane trip. There are a lot of birds in the sky.
It takes a long time to repair a windshield on a plane, or for another plane to become available.
To book tickets on the Chunnel, go to www.eurostarails.com. It’s probably a pretty fun trip, if you haven’t had to pay double for your tickets.
Apparently, the train station in London does not honor your tickets if you miss your train. Even if a bird cracked the windshield of your plane.
Regular underwear and washcloths are difficult to find in Paris.
Speaking louder in English does not make a non-English speaker understand you better, no matter how many times you call back and do the same thing.
The Paris fire department does not help you find your lost luggage.
Be sure to say “bon jour” before asking for a taxi. It will save you some frustration, and it may save the taxi guy’s head.

First hike to Mt. Leconte OR- The Time I Almost Killed My Husband

I gave him a year. A YEAR. I warned him. I told him to do some walking and get in shape before the hike. Did he take me seriously? No. No, he did not.

I wanted to hike Mt. Leconte in the Smoky Mountains, and I wanted to stay in the lodge on top of the mountain that can only be reached by hiking the mountain. It took me two years to get a reservation at the lodge. The reservation was for the following year, and now my husband had one year to get in shape for the hike. The hike is 2763 feet in elevation in about five miles, so you can’t really expect to go from your recliner to the top of the mountain without some significant suffering.

The image I had in my mind was of my family standing on the top of Mt. Leconte, celebrating making it to the top- fists pumping, big smiles, sun shining, with the beautiful view of the mountains in the background. That was NOT my experience.

It was a beautiful day, and we started out on the trail. We made it to Alum Cave without incident. My husband was getting tired, but he was still with us. We rested a while at Alum Cave, which is about halfway to the lodge, then we set out to finish the hike.

My husband started getting very tired. He was falling behind, going slower and slower. It was getting very late. He was having trouble just putting one foot in front of the other. If I’m honest, I was feeling a little aggravated. I TOLD him to prepare. The image I had of this hike was not going to happen!

Finally, I sent my daughter, my son, and my son’s fiancée ahead to let the staff know at Mt. Leconte Lodge that we were coming, while I stayed with my husband. He started complaining about his shoulder hurting. Great. Isn’t that a symptom of a heart attack? I was thinking helicopter rescue, hospitals, oxygen masks, hospital emergency room….. I really did not think we were going to make it to the lodge. Also, since we had no cell service, how was I going to call anyone to get a helicopter?

We kept plugging along, honestly having no choice but to keep moving. My husband had little color in his face, and he seemed like he was having some trouble breathing. We rounded a curve and I suddenly had cell service. I called my kids, who were now at the lodge, and told them to ask an employee at the lodge if they had someone who could help a struggling hiker. They were told there was not anyone who could help, but they would save his dinner for him. ???? Well, that was helpful.

My son quickly put his hiking boots back on and started back down the mountain to help us. He looked a little wild eyed when he arrived. Due to the pain in my husband’s shoulder, I was carrying both of our overnight packs. I had put both backpacks against a log so that I could get some water for my husband who had stopped a little further down the trail. When my already slightly frantic son approached the log in the dark, he thought the packs were a bear. At least he now had some extra adrenaline on board!

It had taken my son 12 minutes to get to where we were and it took us over an hour to get my husband to the lodge. It was now totally dark and cold, so there would be no beautiful views, no sitting on the porch and relaxing in the big rockers, no exploring the grounds at the lodge. Not exactly like the image I had in my mind. But my husband had made it up the mountain. The next morning, we hiked back down the mountain without incident. Phew! Heart attack avoided! And maybe next time he would listen to me about being prepared for the hike.

On the ride home, my husband slept in the back seat for the entire eight hour drive. I considered checking his breathing to make sure he was still alive. The next day, he could not smell or taste anything. He got tested and was positive for COVID. OK, so maybe he had another excuse for struggling on the mountain. But I was still right.

My Top Tips for Mt. Leconte:

The Alum Cave Trail to Mt. Leconte is a great hike. The views are beautiful, and the trail is very well maintained. I highly recommend it. You can hike up and back down in one day, so staying at the lodge is not a requirement. We have made it an annual event. My adult children and I hike. My husband stays at the campground.
If your husband does not prepare for a hike, even if he has been given a year, don’t take him on the hike.
There are six trails that lead to the top of Mt. Leconte. We have only hiked the Alum Cave Trail every year, but we plan to start hiking the other trails next year. Alum Cave Trail is the shortest, but it is the steepest. The other trails are Rainbow Falls Trail, Boulevard Trail, Trillium Gap Trail, Bullhead Trail, Brushy Mountain Trail.
Sometimes when your husband says he is not feeling well, he is really not feeling well, even if you were right.
If you want to score a night at Mt. Leconte Lodge, visit their webpage, lecontelodge.com, and follow the directions. Be sure to submit your email request during the submission period. The reservation requests are for the following year.
Rescue for a struggling hiker is not a service provided by Mt. Leconte Lodge. But they will save your dinner for you.
Sometimes, in the dark, a shape is a bear. Sometimes, it’s a couple of backpacks. Either way, it’s an adrenaline rush.

Welcome to Jill’s Journey Journals

I LOVE everything about travel. I love reading about travel, I love planning travel, and I love traveling. Hearing the experiences of others gives me great ideas. When I’m reading about others’ experiences, the trips seem so well planned, the pictures are beautiful, everyone is having a great time, and things seem to have gone so smoothly. These trips sound wonderful….but trips like these are not my travel experience.

Even as a little girl, taking vacations with my family was always…let’s just say….interesting. We tried tent camping. It stormed every time. Not occasionally, not sometimes, EVERY TIME. Wind, rain, thunder, lightning, scared kids and wet sleeping bags. That was my childhood camping experience. So my parents decided to try cabins. Our first, and only, cabin experience involved my mom frantically cleaning the very buggy, dirty cabin for several hours and then my dad deciding that we were getting a hotel. Also included in our family travels was the puking in the back seat-both my dog and I were prone to car sickness. But mixed in with those not so pleasant experiences were good memories, such as canoeing with my dad, the smell of the camp breakfast Mom was cooking, the sound of cicadas at night, a trip to Disneyworld, taking walks in the woods.

I believe my early experiences are why I still love to travel. I learned to adjust when the trips didn’t go quite as planned and I learned to have fun in spite of some difficulties along the way. I believe that the difficulties, unexpected events, and surprises are what make a trip become an adventure. Now, when I travel, when things go south, my statement is “We’re having an adventure!” My kids (now adults) will also say this, although not so enthusiastically.

I am going to share my stories about the trips we have taken. I will share stories and information about the amazing times, but also about those situations that have gone awry, turning our trips into adventures. There is usually some stress, often laughing, and sometimes crying that goes along with the adventure. I will share some special moments, some funny stories, and even some stressful situations that we have experienced through the years. I might even be able to give some tips along the way, because let’s face it, no matter how good the trips look on Facebook and on others’ blogs, most trips never go quite as planned. At least not my trips.