Family Fun in France!

Hello Everyone!
(Sorry in advance for how long this blog is, feel free to skim!)

This was definitely a spring break to remember! It started off a little rocky, but in the end we had a great time! Our flight from Nice to Paris was scheduled to take off at 6:30am. We had to be at check in by 5:45am but since buses and trains did not run early enough to get us to the airport in time and a taxi would be too expensive, we decided to take the last train the night before and sleep in the airport. We arrived at the train station in time to catch the last train to the airport at 11:00pm, but after sitting on the train for about fifteen minutes we were confused as to why it was not leaving the station. Eventually the conductor came on the loudspeaker and made an announcement, but since it was in French the only part we could understand was that they were having mechanical difficulties. We did not understand that we had to evacuate the train and the two of us along with one other English speaking man remained on the train thinking we would be leaving soon. We understood why everyone had gotten off and were standing on the platform when all of a sudden the lights went off and we were left sitting in complete darkness. (We thought all of the French had decided to take a quick smoking break while they were fixing the train!) Because all of the electricity had been shut off we could not open the doors to get out and because it was so late at night and dark no one could see us inside the train! After screaming for about five minutes one of the train operators finally saw us and eventually figured out that we could crawl out the conductor’s door in the back of the train that opened automatically.

We waited for a new train that arrived at midnight and thought the hard part was over until we got off at the train stop closest to the airport and realized we had no idea which direction to walk in and because it was now after midnight there were no people around to ask. The airport is about a twenty minute walk away so we looked at the signs around us and picked the best direction and started walking. We eventually saw a lady on a moped and flagged her down and she told us we were walking the wrong way so we turned around and began walking in the other direction. Normally we would have no problem walking but it was absolutely pouring rain, we were dragging all of our luggage and we were exhausted! We walked for a while and eventually saw a man on a bike who told us once again that we were walking the wrong way and that the way we were initially walking was correct. Long story short we eventually made it to the airport soaking wet after walking for over an hour. We were the only ones in the airport except for a homeless man doing his wash who was very angry with Jen for some reason! (She didn’t like him talking to himself and he didn’t like her telling him to be quiet!) We didn’t get any sleep because we were paranoid about him and our luggage being gone if we did fall asleep. Around 5:30 we discovered we were at the wrong terminal so we took the first shuttle to the other terminal only to discover that our flight was delayed SIX HOURS!! We could not believe it! We had waited two months to see our parents and sister and now we had to wait another six hours! Jen immediately started crying while Em yelled at the check-in lady in English who only proceeded to yell back at her in French. We caused quite the scene as you could imagine! We eventually made it to a chilly but dry Paris from a soaking wet Antibes and we could not have been more excited to see Mom, Dad, and Jul!

They were waiting for us when we landed and after lots of hugs and kisses we took a taxi from the airport to the house we would be staying at. The house was very cute, nice and warm, cozy, quaint, and definitely not built for tall people! The ceilings were very short (so short that we could not stand up straight in the shower!) and we were told that we would be in big trouble if we broke the railing on the spiral staircase leading to the second floor! (It was over a hundred years old and they wanted to keep it for another hundred years!) We loved the house though; it was perfect for family dinners and relaxing nights of reading and tea and cookies after long days of walking and touring. After unpacking and settling in we walked to Sacre Coure and visited the church and walked around the town. We stopped for Panini’s for dinner at a small outdoor café on the way back to our house. The second day, Friday, we took the metro to Notre Dame and toured the church, walked around the streets and shops of the island Ile St. Louis, and went to the Latin Quarter where we tried gyros for lunch. (Jul did not tell us until we were done that we were eating lamb and not chicken like the menu and waiter said!) We stopped by the Deportation Museum but it was closed and Saint Michelle but the line was too long so we got crepes and walked to the Louvre and then to the Arc de Triomphe where we climbed the 184 steps for the incredible view of the Champs-Élysées and the rest of the city. By that point we were exhausted so we took the metro back to our house and grabbed a quick dinner along the way.

On our third day in Paris, Saturday, Mom and Dad visited Versailles where they walked the gardens and the palace and saw the art work and the hall of mirrors. Jul and us decided to sleep in then took the metro to some outdoor markets and then came back to the town where our house was and had lunch and went shopping. We relaxed until Mom and Dad came back and then we all went out for a nice dinner! Sunday was our last day in Paris and we first went to the Musee D'orsay and then had a nice lunch at a nearby café. Afterwards Mom, Jul and us walked around the little shops and got crepes while Dad went in a few museums and then we met at the Eiffel Tower. We walked up the first half of the stairs (710 steps!) and then rode the elevator the rest of the way up. The view was amazing from the top and we could see all of the places we had visited earlier in the week! We were sad to leave Paris as our taxi arrived bright and early the next morning to take us to the train station where we rode the TGV, the fasted train in the world but excited to explore Antibes! We loved just getting to see and catch up with Mom, Dad and Jul and explore Paris with them!

From the train station in Antibes we walked to our apartment located in the old town. The house was very nice with large, bright rooms and a huge balcony overlooking the streets where we ate some of our meals! We unpacked a little bit and then walked around the town, stopping at the food store for some food for dinner. We also showed them our apartment and they got to meet Grandma next door and talk to her for a little bit! On Tuesday we had class in the morning from 8:30-11:30 so Mom, Dad, and Jul spent the morning walking around the town and shopping and once we returned from class we had a quick lunch then took the bus to Cannes. There we walked around the shops in the town, walked along the beach and got some ice cream. It was a little windy but sunny and nice weather! We then took the bus back to Antibes and we took Mom to Carrefour to show her around and to get some groceries and then came back to the house and made dinner. On Wednesday we had class again in the morning, but Mom, Dad, and Jul took the bus to school and met us after our class was over. We showed them around the school and then introduced them to our CEA advisor Kristin. Afterwards we took the bus back to Antibes and then took the train to Monte Carlo, Monaco where we had lunch at an outdoor café overlooking the harbor and then walked around the town stopping at the Monte Carlo museum, the palace, the church where Grace Kelly was married and buried, the gardens and a few stores and we also got some gelati. Once back in Antibes we stopped for Chinese for dinner before heading back to our apartment. Once again we had perfect weather and a beautiful day!

On Thursday Dad stayed in Antibes in the morning and went to a few museums while we took Mom and Jul on the bus to Nice. We visited the market in the morning, walked along the promenade, climbed the mountain to see the view, walked around the old town and did a little bit of shopping. We then took the bus back and met Dad and then went to our apartment to give Grandma the gift mom and had brought her and then made a nice dinner at the house and relaxed for the rest of the night. On Friday we had planned to go to Ventimiligia, Italy for the markets but decided instead to sleep in since we were tired and then spent the day at the beach and walking around Antibes, shopping and then packing. At night we went out for a delicious dinner at a restaurant right down the street from our house. The restaurants don’t open until 7pm so we were very hungry but Dad picked a great restaurant, he and Jul had fish and Mom and us had chicken- it was delicious!! The cook was very nice and made the meals special for us and then we had strawberry cake for dessert. It was a perfect ending to such a great visit! We then came back to the house and packed because Mom, Dad, and Jul had a very early flight the next morning, they had to leave for the airport at 5:30am.

We were so sad to see them leave! We had an amazing time getting to see so many places with them and being able to spend time together! You don’t realize how much you have missed someone until you don’t see them for so long! We were so fortunate that they were able to come over and visit and for the opportunity to travel to Paris and see all of the sights. We have been blessed with a great family and we wouldn’t change them for the world! We cannot wait to come home and see everyone else; we wish you all could have come! We spent most of this weekend catching up on work and looking for flights and hotels to fill up the weekends we have left in France. We are excited to see travel to more places and see more things, but we are getting ready to come home and see all of you soon! Thanks for an incredible ten days Mom, Dad, and Jul! We love you so much and miss you already! Talk to you guys soon!

Love, Jen and Em

***1: Mom outside of a bakery near Sacre Coure. 2: All of our in front of Sacre Coure. 3: Us in front of Notre Dame. 4: Our feet on the center part of Paris where everything is measure from. 5: Mom and Jen eating their gyro's! 6: Walking along the Seine river in Paris! 7: Jen and Mom standing in front of the pyramid in front of the Louvre Museum. 8: All of us on top of the Arc d'Triumph with the Eiffel Tower in the background! 9: Standing in front of the Arc d'Truimph on the Champs-Élysées! 10: All of us on top of the Eiffel Tower - it was very windy! 11: Sitting in front of flowers in Cannes. 12: Along the beach in Cannes. 13: Monte Carlo, Monaco with a view of the harbor! 14: Dad in front of a smart car in Monaco! 15: Mom and Dad in front of flowers in the garden's in Monaco. 16 and 17: In front of the Eiffel Tower! 18: Climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower! 19: Mom and Em enjoying some gelato in Cannes! 20: Overlooking the beach in Nice! 21: Mom and Jen drinking from a fountain - we were very thirsty and you can drink from fountains that are spread our all over the town! (Most people use water bottles!) 22: Jul and Mom in front of a lemon tree in Nice. 23: Mom and Dad at the beach in Antibes. 24: Eating lunch on our balcony at our apartment in Antibes! 25: Out to dinner on our last night in Anbites at Carono's! 26: Dad with his fish at dinner!