Day 19: Paris

Our arrival in Paris on Wednesday night was a little more adventurous than we would have liked. We rented an apartment from HomeAway.com, and, as it turned out, the instructions for getting to and accessing the apartment left something to be desired. So, after dropping Thierry off at Gare de Lyon at around 7pm, we drove across Paris to the place where we were supposed to pick up our keys (in a lockbox, since we were after hours).

We found the address, the door, the mailbox, and the lockbox, but... no key! I started calling the numbers provided to me by USAParis.com, but naturally not a single person picked up. At some point, a little old French lady got agitated that we had left the mailbox open and came out to yell at us. She kept yelling so I had to roll up the car window on her, but she still wouldn't stop. So, Sharon got the camera out to document this hooligan and only then did she scurry off -- we could only catch a glimpse of her in retreat!




I then found a second set of (contradictory) instructions telling us to drive BACK across Paris to the actual apartment. Again, we found the address, the door, the code, etc., but we couldn't get through a second metal gate to get to our apartment. Finally, after about an hour (and me starting to think creatively about plan b), someone picked up from USAParis.com and told us to go to yet another mailbox, where finally we found the correct fob and key and... ta-da! ... into our apartment, finally. And about two hours after we started this adventure!

We ended up eating at a decent little bistro just down the street from our apartment at 55 rue Ste. Antoine.

Anyway, the next day we got the first photo of the kids on a Parisian bridge, Pont Marie, heading over towards Notre Dame:





Here's Notre Dame from the back, taken from a beautiful garden:





The line to get into Notre Dame was very long but moved quickly, and soon we were inside. I took a few non-flash photos...













We continued to walk the entire way to the Eiffel Tower, which from our apartment was nearly six kilometers (about 3.5 miles!). We were exhausted by the time we got there, but it was worth it despite the long lines (yes, could have booked in advance, but hey, we're spontaneous). We went all the way to the top and the views were unbelievable.





Getting ice cream before standing in line...









You can see the tower's shadow...




The view of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower:




























After the Eiffel Tower, we headed back towards the Quartier Latin for a great meal of fondue with the kids. They loved it.





After dinner, we walked back across Notre Dame towards our apartment and got a few more photos in.






















One of my favorite photos... here's the moon over Paris from the Seine River; what a nice way to cap off our first full day in Paris!

Day 18: Leaving Strasbourg

On Wednesday, we packed up our bags in Strasbourg with a plan to step into Germany (just to say we did), and say goodbye to Jean, Janine, and Philippe in Weitbruch. Looking out my hotel room, I had to photo this typical Frenchman looking out his window...



One more shot of Alsatian architecture:


Just for kicks, we drove a few miles over the border into German into the closest town we could find, which turned out to be Kork. A couple photos later, and back to France!





On our way back to Weitbruch, we stopped by the Council of Europe. While we couldn't go in, we took a few photos here. We are not so many years removed from a divisive and troubled history in Europe, one our grandparents still recall. Sharon is reading a book on our trip called "Sarah's Key", which is about the days in 1942 when the French police, under German control, took the Jews out of Paris. I am always amazed by how fine the line is between civil society and atrocity.





We stopped back in Weitbruch to say our goodbyes. Philippe loaded us up with homemade jams and jellies (and an oversized zucchini from the garden), and we spent more time with Jean discussing his well-received book recounting his journey through caring for Janine through nearly two decades of Alzheimer's... it's only available in French and German now but is called "La Plume de Silence". Jean explained the underpinning of the title -- Janine's decent into silence, and the fact that Jean could only write in the silent hours of the evening, hence the quill (plume) of silence. He has a lot of art that touches on the subject as well. It is clear that Jean's mission in life is Janine.

This clock in the living room is pretty cool -- according to my dad, it's about three hundred years old (and still keeps great time!).



Here is Thierry saying his goodbyes to Janine. One never knows, of course, when it may be the last.


Wyatt in the garden, collecting apples for the trip.


Us by the Weitbruch sign on the way out of town. Hopefully I'll be back before another 15 years pass!

Day 16-17: Strasbourg

On Monday, we got a bit of a late start to the journey to Strasbourg as Sharon wasn't feeling well and had to go to the doctor (she had lots of kind things to say about the French medical system!). That delay meant we boys were home for the delivery of four tons of gravel, which we all spent a few hours spreading over the driveway! Thierry promises it was a pure coincidence that the gravel was delivered just as his three boys were home...

Anyway, we arrived at our hotel in Strasbourg just before midnight (having gotten hopelessly lost in downtown Strasbourg). We've been at the Petite Regent, which has turned out to be fantastic. Strasbourg has some special meaning to me as it's the town where I spent the first few years of my life.

We started off today with a walk towards the ancient Cathedral de Strasbourg, which dates back prior to the year 1400 (!). Here's the view from our room, first:







Walking over the "Pont de Spitzmvhle" (loosely, "bridge of Spitz, windmill owner").



Talk about an old restaurant -- this one dates to 1572!


Here's the Chamber of Commerce, where my grandfather Lucien worked.


And the next-door beer bars that he frequented!


We stopped to have some croissants and coffee...


















This restaurant dates back centuries as well, right on the Cathedral square.


And here's the Cathedral in all its splendor:





















Mom and Dylan by a terrace cafe...


Proof that the bridge is our namesake!


We then went to Weitbruch, the small village on the outskirts of Strasbourg where my grandparents still live (and where I spent many early days in the garden). We visited my grandmother Janine, who has suffered from Alzheimer's for nearly two decades, and Jean-Luc (her husband, a published author, poet, priest, and veritable saint who cares for her 24 hours per day) and my uncle Philippe, who put together an incredible meal for us. We also saw Isabelle and her children Jonas and Zoe who have grown so quickly!


Here's the house, just as I remembered it. I has been 16 years since my last visit.











Enjoying the garden with Phillipe...















Phillipe prepared an incredible lunch!


Jean warms up to Wyatt! Despite the language barrier, teasing each other crossed generations.


The "cave" below the house was built in 1782 and continues to serve as a storage area for the garden's fruits.


All of us on the front steps...


For dinner, we went to get "tart flambé", possibly my favorite meal. Here, Thierry and Jean enjoy a laugh together.








What a whirlwind tour. Tomorrow, we will stop by Weitbruch to say goodbye to Janine, then head back west to drop off Thierry in Machault and finally into Paris for the last leg of our trip!