ATG in Gay Paree (that would be Paris) - with a day trip to DLP! [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

A-T-G

05-10-2010, 02:55 PM

Who the heck am I? A relative newbie - longtime lurker and Lurkyloo stalker (she's making me do this TR, I swear).
Where are we going? On a fabulous 5th anniversary trip to Paris! With a day jaunt to DLP! Score!
When are we going? We're back already (frown)! The trip was April 28th-May 4th.

Let's get crackin'!

Day one of our adventure (Forgive me for not starting out with DLP). Arrive, bedraggled and frazzled into Charles De Gaulle airport at crazy O'clock in the morning. Stumble down to baggage claim and then off to find the trains into Paris. At CDG, for those of you who've not yet been, there are fun shuttles to the different terminals with the trains for Paris being in terminal 2. We were, of course, in terminal 1 (no photos of this. Did I mention the crazy o'clock?).

We found the place to purchase tickets and snagged our Navigo passes. These would give us unlimited rides on the Metro, the bus, or the RER inside Paris for the week. The cost for this bounty? Around 17 euro. The one catch was that the Navigo wouldn't get us from the airport to Paris, for that, we'd need a separate RER ticket. This sounds much more complicated than it actually was! The only tough part was finding the destination nearest our hotel La Manufacture (http://www.hotel-la-manufacture.com/uk/navigation.htm) (beware, the website blares the "Pink Panther" theme. Le sigh.

We managed to get lost - We hopped off the train at Gare Austerlitz - which they said was the closest stop to our hotel. And it was...for the train. So, DH and I are lugging our suitcases up and down flights of stairs (no photos, was busy lugging) until a kindly Metro employee asked us if we needed assistance. We showed her our Hotel name and address. She scratched her head, having heard of neither. Gulp! After phone calls to friends, and one internet search later, we were on the Metro (yay, Navigo!) to Place d'Italie

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So, THIS is our stop?! It's not the one 15 minutes away? Silly ATG!

Unpacking finished, nap taken (it was crazy o'clock when we arrived!), it was time for lunch!

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Time for yummy French food! Or, as the French call it - food.

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This is cheese, wrapped in crispy goodness, topped with some kind of fruity sauce, and placed on a sprinkling of lettuce. Also known as, I'm doomed!

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My main plate - braised beef with the butteriest mashed potatoes known to man - topped with herbed garlicky goodness. Did I mention the doom?

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DH's plate of pork with potato gratin and green beens. My potatoes kicked the crap out if his potatoes!

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Buttery potatoes AND a glass of booze = happiest ATG Evah! Keep her fed and watered and you have a friend for life.

Waddling out the door, we headed out to have some kind of adventure before the sun went down. Can't waste our very first day! Quickly, to the Metro!

disney_princess_85

05-10-2010, 03:12 PM

Ooh, great so far! Can't wait for more! :)

A-T-G

05-10-2010, 03:17 PM

Our hotel recommended the Bateaux-Mouches for our day one adventure:

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We thought this was a capital idea! Sit on a boat as it cruises down the Seine, snapping pictures and taking in the sights as we slowly digest the feast we had imbibed. Brilliant! The clerk at the hotel said the bus would be the best way to get there, you get to see more of the city, and it's included in the Navigo pass. She said the stop was on the way to our restaurant. Easy! HA! We walked up and down the street looking for the 83 bus stop with no luck. Finally, ready to pass out from walking and digesting, I begged DH to take the Metro. We staggered down the stairs of the nearest entrance (Les Goeblins) and took the 7 Metro. We got off near the Petite Palais - not too far from the Place Concorde.

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Turning right we walked down this little alley way until we found the boats. We already had tickets, thanks to our hotel! So we skipped the line and hopped right on board.

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It was wicked hot that afternoon - turned out to be the sunniest, hottest day of our stay! I'm wearing black (genius!) and brought along my crocheted hat to keep me warm (in my neck of the woods, it get freezing out on the water), needless to say, I nearly passed out from the heat. I think I drank a billion bottles of water (I had a water bottle which didn't last, DH had to buy extra water to keep me going)!

Onto the sights!

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Looking at these, I took a lot of pics of bridges and the stuff on said bridges. Huh. Must have been the heat...

We also took about a bajillion pics of the Eiffel Tower as we passed it. Seriously, it would make you weep.

Here's our first attempt at a picture of the two of us with the tower as a background:
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This will not be our last attempt...

After that, it was nap time, again. We followed that with a frantic search for a decent place to eat that was open at 10:30p - oops. DH found a sandwich shop and just pointed to random things to be placed on our sandwich. There is no picture, as we wolfed it down before I could think to grab the camera.

lurkyloo

05-10-2010, 03:52 PM

Hooray! You're doing a trippie! I love how your dress coordinates with the subway tunnel in that first pic.... OK, I haven't read the rest yet—I was so excited to comment.

Back to the top...
:surfweb:

A-T-G

05-10-2010, 05:29 PM

Thanks Lurkyloo & Disney Princess! My first evah comments on my first evah trippie!

A-T-G

05-10-2010, 05:37 PM

Oops...

I KNEW I had a few more from that dang Bateaux cruise...

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The Louvre! Notice how I framed it with a Bateaux? Channeling the Roots!

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The statue of Le Vert Galant on the Pont Neuf

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Don't know if you can see it but, there's a kitty painted on that building. I lurve kittehs.
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There is a car hanging from this boat. They've got all the bases covered - water? Gotta boat. Road? Gotta car. All set!

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..and we're back to bridges! Tomorrow I get a massive headache from staring at incredible art! Oh boy!

Cyrano

05-10-2010, 05:50 PM

Great report and photos :) Keep it coming :thumbsup2

stargatebarbie

05-11-2010, 03:32 AM

great report ,ive done that boat and those bridges :thumbsup2 keep it going loving the pics:lovestruc

MinnieMe67

05-11-2010, 12:10 PM

I too am a loyal Lurkyloo trip report follower... let me just say, your first trippie is really great! Love the pictures and comments! :yay: Right now I can only dream of Paris (and Japan), but who knows... someday!

Debbie :goodvibes

A-T-G

05-11-2010, 01:14 PM

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Day 2! We woke up fairly early and headed downstairs for our pastry breakfast - why did I never snag a photo of said breakfast? Likely because I was cramming it quickly into my pie-hole.

We decided today was the day to tackle the Louvre! So we put on our comfiest shoes and walked a whole half block to the Metro. We hopped on the 7 towards La Courneuve and stopped at the Palais Royale, Musee du Louvre. It was ridiculously easy to enter the museum!

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The swanky Metro signs in front of the museum!

First up, the oldest part of the museum!

A-T-G

05-11-2010, 01:50 PM

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The Sully wing was our first stop! It houses the Medieval Louvre - the remnants of the fortress that the Louvre later grew up around. It was GORGEOUS!

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Here, you see a bit of turret.

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The museum was having an exhibit in this space. An artist had quotes (in French) written in neon on the walls - a way to blend the old with the new. I grabbed the flyer but, haha! I managed to misplace it.

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The Sully exhibit also holds the Egyptian exhibits on multiple floors.

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I was really looking forward to this part of the museum, as I read a lot of stuff about ancient Egypt - and then discuss it with my dad! We're such history nerds. It was just so completely overwhelming! I couldn't really process this part of the museum so we ditched it and headed out for lunch in the Richelieu wing. My "Rough Guide to Paris" said the cafe in that wing was the best spot to eat in the museum, and the book has NEVER steered me wrong.

Next up: FOOOOOOOOD!

A-T-G

05-11-2010, 02:08 PM

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Pretty, pretty building!

When we arrived at the cafe, there was a sign on it that is was closed for another 30 minutes. DH and I stood there, stunned for about a minute, until I finally turned to ask him where else he'd like to try. As we stood there discussing our options, a very handsome waiter stopped in front of us and asked us a question. I have no idea what he said, as it was in French. I apologized and told him I didn't really speak French (I said this in the most horrid CD French imaginable). His response? "English?" we nod. "Excellent!", says the waiter. "Would you like to come in?", he asks. I look at him, puzzled, "I thought you were closed...". "No, come in, come in.", he waves us to a table outside. It's GORGEOUS! On the second floor, overlooking the pyramid. It's covered with big umbrellas to keep us in shade. Heavenly. He gives us the menu and explains that since the kitchen isn't open yet, he can get us pastry or cold sandwiches. I love him! DH and I are perusing the menu when the waiter returns with our drinks.
"I can also do this.", he says, pointing to a hot menu item.
"We'll take two", is my reply.
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Melty cheesy goodness! The Croque Monsieur!

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Time to walk off that lunch!

The Richelieu wing holds some beautiful renaissance tapestries AND Napoleon III's old apartments (that would be Napoleon I's nephew, for non History nerds).

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I'm going to do my dining room exactly like this one, you know, just for entertaining a few close friends...

After this was the Denton wing and then? SHOPPING!!

A-T-G

05-12-2010, 01:06 AM

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Hey, there's priceless art all around us! Let's snap a picture...of us...

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Behind my GIANT head, is a tiny, very famous picture!

We hit the "Masters" wing to oogle the Mona Lisa and some other stuff until my legs said "Stop it! We hate you!" and my brain stopped working. It did! It just couldn't process the stuff I was seeing. I could just stare at things and drool. Not good.

We left, and decided to walk in the sunshine - until I could find a place that would serve me coffee while I sat down. Enter, Cafe Verlet on the Rue St. Honore.

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A.K.A the prettiest iced coffee I've ever seen! I literally said "Aww!" when I saw it!

We continued up the street, and window shopped all the way up it.

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We went into Goyard to pet the pretty trunks.

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Goyard opened a year before LV. They have purty stuff.

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We stopped here for tasty treats! We'd be back here again...

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Nappy's column.

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One last stop and then it was back to the hotel!

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Some shopping was done.

Once we got back to the hotel, I took a nap (Ha! I crashed so hard, I didn't move for HOURS!). DH finally woke me up to tell me it was after 9Pm but, I apparently ignored him and continued sleeping. He, starving, finally gave up waiting and went back to the sandwich place to grab us a late dinner. He says I ate some of it but, I don't remember. I was really, really tired!

Next up, we go WAAAAAY into the air, and I finally meet a rude person in France!

Becx N Gav

05-12-2010, 05:20 AM

zinderella

05-12-2010, 07:11 AM

I'm really enjoying your report - very well written with lovely pictures!
Can't wait for the next instalments.......:cool1:

Jayney73

05-12-2010, 09:48 AM

Really enjoying your trip report..your photos are fab!! Cant wait to see your adventures in DLP!!

burly

05-12-2010, 10:17 AM

I think i will join in on this one. You are very witty!:lmao:
Enjoying the pictures also.:thumbsup2

Disneygrl36

05-12-2010, 10:22 AM

Enjoying your pictures of Paris.....a place I dream of going some day. It just looks like every direction you turn in has something beautiful to photograph. How many pics did you take in total?

I love the pic of you guys in front of the Mona Lisa. :teeth:

A-T-G

05-12-2010, 02:25 PM

I'm enjoying your report so far - we've only ever been to DLRP in Paris :laughing: I've seen a few other places in France though ;)

It's interesting to see how much time you spent doing stuff too - I can imagine an all day museum trip would be a lot to take in for most people, I found that in Rome building after building and I just wanted to sit down :rotfl:

You seem to be coping ok with the jet lag - when we come back from WDW (or anywhere in the states!) it takes us a week or so to feel 'normal' again.

I'm sorry you met a rude French person - I hope that was the one and only time!

Looking forward to more :surfweb:

Thanks! I'm glad it looks like I'm dealing well with the Jet Lag - it's all an act! I was exhausted for most of it.

I was also really worried that it looked like I sat down the entire trip! It felt like we'd get someplace and I'd have find a seat (those Metro steps were a killer!) or, we'd wander for a bit, and I'd call for a coffee break! You can't imagine my giddy glee when DH said he needed a break as his feet were numb (that was later in the trip).

And, sorry, I wasn't clear. I didn't meet a rude FRENCH person (not a single one on the trip!), I met a rude person in FRANCE. It was a scream!

A-T-G

05-12-2010, 02:29 PM

Enjoying your pictures of Paris.....a place I dream of going some day...How many pics did you take in total?

I love the pic of you guys in front of the Mona Lisa. :teeth:

I hope you get there, Disneygrl! It's a fantastic place! I took over a thousand photos - but, not all of them turned out that great. DH took about 500 but, he didn't like all of them. Still, it's a LOT of pics to wade through.

A-T-G

05-12-2010, 02:31 PM

I think i will join in on this one. You are very witty!:lmao:
Enjoying the pictures also.:thumbsup2
:lovestruc Thanks! You've made my entire day!

lurkyloo

05-12-2010, 04:23 PM

[

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Some shopping was done.

Yes, but where's the picture of what you GOT at Hermés? :rolleyes1

A-T-G

05-12-2010, 08:20 PM

Yes, but where's the picture of what you GOT at Hermés? :rolleyes1

Ask and ye shall receive!

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OOOH, whadja get?!

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Teeny box!

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The heck is that?!

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The packaging is seriously awesome! But, what the heck are they?!

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That's right folks! I went ALL the way to Paris for STICKY NOTES!! Swanky!

Oh...you want to know that's in the in BIG bag?! OKAY!

A-T-G

05-12-2010, 08:24 PM

The big box!

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For purse enthusiasts this is an Evelyne in Epsom in Bougainvilla & the purchase was DH's idea! I swear!!

lurkyloo

05-12-2010, 08:56 PM

Drool! I love those colors! And now that I know they sell sticky notes, why maybe I *can* afford souvenirs at Hermés after all (wait.... they prolly cost, like, $75 each, right? :teeth:)

Disneygrl36

05-12-2010, 09:00 PM

WOW the packaging & the sticky notes are beautiful!!!!

A-T-G

05-12-2010, 09:33 PM

...And now that I know they sell sticky notes, why maybe I *can* afford souvenirs at Hermés after all (wait.... they prolly cost, like, $75 each, right? :teeth:)

HAHA! Right?! They are stupidly expensive but, I HAD to get them! They were like $19.00 bucks. I get the tax back, tho! I filled out a form and everything! :rotfl:

lurkyloo

05-13-2010, 12:54 AM

OK, now Patrick wants to know if you're going to put Muppet Jibbitz in the holes on your new bag.... :rolleyes:

A-T-G

05-13-2010, 01:48 AM

OK, now Patrick wants to know if you're going to put Muppet Jibbitz in the holes on your new bag.... :rolleyes:

That idea is so frickin' brilliant! I bow down! :worship:

Becx N Gav

05-13-2010, 04:03 AM

Thanks! I'm glad it looks like I'm dealing well with the Jet Lag - it's all an act! I was exhausted for most of it.

I was also really worried that it looked like I sat down the entire trip! It felt like we'd get someplace and I'd have find a seat (those Metro steps were a killer!) or, we'd wander for a bit, and I'd call for a coffee break! You can't imagine my giddy glee when DH said he needed a break as his feet were numb (that was later in the trip).

And, sorry, I wasn't clear. I didn't meet a rude FRENCH person (not a single one on the trip!), I met a rude person in FRANCE. It was a scream!

Ok, it was probably a Brit then :rolleyes: ;)

I'm glad it was a fun experience :laughing:

That idea is so frickin' brilliant! I bow down! :worship:

DO IT :thumbsup2

poppyolivia

05-13-2010, 09:37 AM

your report is great, what a wicked sense of humour you have..loving the red glasses,very cool!!!! xxxxxx

A-T-G

05-14-2010, 03:29 PM

your report is great, what a wicked sense of humour you have..loving the red glasses,very cool!!!! xxxxxx

AW! Thanks, poppyolivia! I figure, if I gotta rock the glasses, rock them HARD! :cool2:

A-T-G

05-14-2010, 03:57 PM

We woke up and just managed to squeak into breakfast at our hotel. This would be the 'meal' that sustained us for most of the day, so it's lucky that we made it!

We took the Metro to the RER and caught a train to the Musee D'Orsay. DH and I had heard glorious things about this museum and we couldn't WAIT to see it! Thankfully, the RER stops right under the museum (makes sense, it used to be a train station!), and the station has *gasp*, an ELEVATOR! :banana: Oh, blissful joy at riding an elevator and NOT taking the stairs! Happiness is an air-conditioned elevator (sorry, Mr. Schulz).

The museum was literally around the corner!

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I'm not the only one that takes sitting seriously! This museum thinks good seating is PRICELESS!

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I gotta' get in there and find a seat!

Of course, once inside the museum you discover that you're not allowed to take photos. Lame. So, DH and I checked our cameras in order to prevent us (me) from attempting to sneak a pic (Desole, Monsieur security guard! je suis un stoopid American who is obsessed with picture taking! Please don't throw me out! I'll be good *click*. That was nothing!)

This museum completely lives up to the hype! If you haven't been yet, and you are in Paris - why are you reading this? GO!! I mean it! GO!! DH said it was his favorite museum EVAH. I'm not willing to go there as I have a HUGE soft spot for the Met (:love:). DH thought it kicked the crap outta the Louvre but, I defended that beauty! I said to DH 'you don't get the Orsay w/o the Louvre! The guys that have work in here were rebelling against the patronized art you see at the Louvre. These guys painted because they had to paint. They weren't trying to please a Medici or a Pope, they just put their stuff out there'. I know, I totally sounded like some kind of arty art fan! I'm patting myself on the back right now! Even DH raised and eyebrow but, he agreed with me, so the I allowed it.

We had to take a break after the first floor or as DH put it "Masterpiece, masterpiece, famous, famous, Immortal, Masterpiece, Immortal, Famous, Masterpiece". You guys? It was! It was like everywhere you looked was something you'd seen pictures of in magazines, or art books, or history books, or documentaries...it was mind-blowing. I had to sit down!

We tried the GORGEOUS cafe on the second floor (after I had a meltdown when I found out all the frickin' elevators were out of service!). I shoulda snuck a pic, as it was beautiful! I probably could have snapped one with my phone but, by that time, I was a.) Mentally unstable and b.) Outta the picture mode. The food, however? Blurgh (is there a vomiting smiley?)! Oh, I'm sure it was perfectly prepared, it just didn't hit my flavor profiles. Example? Well, I ordered a cold radish soup with shrimp. They bring me this pretty little cup with a lovely pink soup that REEKS. It smells like rotting seafood and the bottom of the cup is cloudy and gray. Huh? Realization dawns: The shrimp is RAW! Like slimy, stinky, RAW!! Oh, it was gaggy. DH was like 'what's that smell?' and I told him it was my lunch. 'Ew!' was all he could add. I swapped it for the lunch special which was pate and toast but, the pate was not creamy and fruity. It was really mealy and dry. bleh. I gave up and switched to dessert! A lovely orange scented pound cake and caramel tea. Heaven.

Once we finished with the second floor (amazing furniture! I want it!), we headed out for sandwiches at a little bar and then back to the train for our next stop:

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A-T-G

05-14-2010, 08:10 PM

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Finishing up at the museum, we took the RER toward the Eiffel Tower. The tower was about a block away from the RER station - not hard to miss! The other way to find the tower? Follow the crowd!

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Another attempt to take a picture of us with the tower. This was our most successful pic.

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How long is this line going to be? I'm going to get lots of chances to snap pics, aren't I?

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So, we made it to the first part of the tower. We had to get in line for the elevator ride to the top. Here's the thing - there are FOUR elevators dumping people onto the platform but, only ONE elevator to take the crowds to the very top of the tower. This means that the line is crazy long and more than a little insane! The line gets structured before the elevator but, it's a free-for-all until that point. Normally this would make my lose my MIND - instead, I decided to take a breath and realize that we're all going to the same place and few people cutting in front aren't going to delay me by much. Just take some pics and enjoy the view.

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You can see the shadow of the tower in this picture! Cool!

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There's just the one elevator, let's make sure the thousands of people here can find it.

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So the only thing making this go, is a freaky wheel? I'm encouraged...

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Don't look at this too hard, it'll make you dizzy.

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We've been waiting for awhile now, snapping pics and giggling at each other. The line's getting a little weird as it's going around the corner. I snapped one more picture and things got - interesting...

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This fella behind us is getting really frustrated with the line, which we've been in for over an hour. I can hear him complaining really loudly about DH and I taking pictures and 'letting' people cut in front of us (we weren't letting them! It's just a confusing line, and I didn't want to be a meanie.) - His wife is trying to tell him to shut it, it's not a big deal - blah, blah, blah. The guy won't leave it alone. He's pretty loud about it. He's not speaking English but, I understand him perfectly - so I thought he was speaking Spanish! After listening to him complain for a bit, I finally turned to him and in really formal Spanish told him that I was on vacation, and when you're on vaca, you take PICTURES! I said if it was a problem, dude could just cut in front of me. Of course, he immediately back down! It's not a big deal, he says but, I won't let him off that easily! I say to him that I think it IS a big deal, since he's complaining about it so, cut in front. He finally does much to the mortification of his wife. She's really apologetic (sweet of her). I wave her forward. She whisper chews him out - you know where she's leaning in and whispering but, really harshly. The guy's like "they were taking pictures!!" and she's like "They're on vacation, like us! Let it go!" so I take it further by 'whispering' to DH "Huh, I thought the FRENCH were supposed to be the RUDE ones" and he waves his hand dismissively and says 'va bene' - which is when I realized he was Italian, not Spanish (oops). DH leans in and says to me 'so much for his romantic trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower'! :laughing:

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Here's the pic I took of us right after 'the incident'!

Almost at the top of the tower!

A-T-G

05-14-2010, 08:54 PM

On our way to the top of the tower!

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We made it to the top! And it's frickin' cold!

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Sipping bubbly at the top of the tower!
As soon as we got off the elevator, we snapped a few pics and discovered a tasty champagne bar! Sweet! I made sure to pick up a glass of bubbly for myself - how could I not? DH laughed at me the second I did it - he was like 'cold drink in the icy cold at the top of the tower? Sucka!' He was kinda right but, I drank it anyway!

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Smooch at the top! Aww, we're so cute! It's sickening!

We took a wander around the entire top of the tower and hopped the elevator to the 'main' platform. We shouldn't have left it for so late, since we couldn't see anything! I finally gave up and decided to bail.
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I can't help it, it's so beautiful!

After snapping a billion pics of the tower at night (one of which came out!) we called it night. We braved the hordes below the tower back to the Metro station. I'm not going to lie, it was crazy down there! Loads of people trying to sell you cheap scarves, or keychains, or anything really! And they were really crazy aggressive! We just plowed through chanting "no, no, no" as we walked. The RER was close but, we opted for the Metro - there was a direct train to our hotel!! Hurray! It was quite a hike and DH was a little worried, as it was dark and there were crazy crowds of 'salesman' trying to hawk 'wares' to us.

Thankfully, we made it! And BONUS! There were Metro musicians jamming on the car.

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This guy had the best face! Never smiled! He was like, 'yeah, yeah I'm playing music for money on the Metro'.

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This guy was awesome! He laughed and sang and put on quite a show. Not going to lie, he made our night!

By the time we got back to the hotel, I was dead tired. DH said I was practically asleep in the elevator. It was nearly midnight when we got in and we were worried - are we going to be eating McDonald's in Paris? Is that what we've come to?! Instead, it was back to the sandwich shop! We really should have taken pictures of that sammich place!

Day 4? DISNEYLAND!!

jacs1234

05-14-2010, 09:59 PM

I am soooooooooooo lovin' your trip report. I just can't wait for more.

burly

05-14-2010, 11:35 PM

Love love love the Tower of Italian Terror story!
Very sweet pics of the two of you. You guys are just so cute!
Thanks for the update.....popcorn::

tashybea

05-15-2010, 05:26 AM

Loving your trip report, your photos are awesome :thumbsup2

Can't wait to read what you guys thought about disneyland.

A-T-G

05-15-2010, 12:47 PM

Love love love the Tower of Italian Terror story!
Very sweet pics of the two of you. You guys are just so cute!
Thanks for the update.....popcorn::

Why did I not think of that name for the story? :worship: I'm so using that from now on!! And thanks for the lovely compliment! I'll tell DH - he'll be very flattered.

jacs1234

05-16-2010, 01:32 AM

Well?!?!?!?!?!?!................................I' m waiting. :listen:

A-T-G

05-17-2010, 01:22 PM

Well?!?!?!?!?!?!................................I' m waiting. :listen:

Coming up!

A-T-G

05-17-2010, 01:49 PM

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This is not sweat, it's DEW - 'cause it's so early!

We woke up, wolfed down breakfast, and headed off for our adventure in Disneyland! As we were leaving, the staff gave me a little bundle of flowers to celebrate May Day (May 1st). It's BIG holiday in Paris - lots of stuff is closed on that day - the State museums, shops, etc. My guide book said the city was pretty much shut down. What a perfect excuse to get out of town and go to Disneyland! First up was a Metro trip to the RER to catch a train to DLP! Thank goodness our hotel gave us flowers, it kept the flower vendors that were at every corner (and Metro) from hammering at us! Whew!

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It's like we're on a movie set and we haven't even left Paris!

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My flowers were right at home in the park!

It struck us as odd that there were no real signs for the park - the notice on the Train signage was a sticker - A STICKER?! We also thought that Disney was missing out on an opportunity, as you couldn't buy tickets for the park at the train station. You know if you were in the states, you'd be able to buy one as soon as you selected the train stop near the DLP station! A window would pop up all perky "Did you want tickets to Disneyland!" and when you said 'no' it's prompt you again "Are you SURE?" and as you finished the transaction you'd get one more "Were you planning on visiting Disneyland? Buy your tickets here!"

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Some kid's heart is likely broken but, Pooh's heart is happy to taste FREEDOM!!

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Sure, we'll take pictures of you zany Americans. Can you smile bigger? More teeth? PERFECT!

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It was strange not to see the gates to enter right away, to realize they were UNDER the hotel! Crazy!

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Lines? What lines?

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Almost through the gates and into the promise land! I'm a little giddy!

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All this and we're not even INSIDE yet!

First Stop: Lunch!

A-T-G

05-17-2010, 02:50 PM

We stopped in City Hall as soon as we hit the street - I needed a pass for some of the lines. We rented a chair for the day (curse you back, for giving out on my right before the trip to Paris!) - interesting trivia: Just having a chair doesn't give you an automatic entry into the disabled access for the rides. You need to get a pass for the rides in City Hall.
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Here's Walt Disney's Legion of Honor Metal, hanging in City Hall!

Our next stop was to get some grub! I was starving! We spotted "Walt's" right away and ran in to see about the wait. HA! There wasn't one! REALLY?!?! On a National Holiday?!?! I LOVE DLP!! We were given a table immediately, right next to a window over looking Main Street. I took a billion menu pics that I won't bore you with. Actually, the bulk of my pictures are of menus and prices (a mission for a pal).

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creamy lobster bisque, I love you!

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My lunch: Waffle cut fries, with juicy steak, and tasty sauce

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DH's lunc - veggie pasta! He said it was like eating butter and not in a bad way!

From our window we could see the little train as it made it's way up and down the street. It was great! Unlike the US parks, no one was lining the street to wait, they'd just stop as it made its way up and down, no fuss, no muss.

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Our view is pretty sweet!
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The swanky interior and food really reminded us of Club 33 in Disneyland! It was that good!
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An old-timey light bulb inside the swanky elevator. We took the strangest pictures!

Now, bellies full, it's off to the Phantom Manor!
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Frontierland was a breeze find but, a challenge to get into. DH and I are spoiled by DL! Every few feet you find a wheel chair access but, not at DLP. You sometimes have to go out of your way and backtrack. Poor DH pushing me around! He was exhausted! Luckily, the crowds were so much thinner, he didn't have to dodge as many people!

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Did you shoot this thru vaseline? What's with the soft focus?

At last we were at the Haunted...er...Phantom Manor! The line for this attraction was very, very long. Thankfully, we could cut the line (Merci, City Hall).

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We were really looking forward this ride! Unfortunately, we managed to catch all kinds of technical difficulties on this ride! It was like every few feet, the cars all stopped and we had to wait for the 'spooks' to subside. It just made everything really disjointed. The ride itself was interesting enough, with some neat similarities to the DL ride, followed by some CRAZY differences! This mansion was themed to be more horror movie like and scary. I can tell you, safely, that I would have been terrified as a child! Going underground in the cemetery was extra-creepie!

Next stop: ADVENTURE!

A-T-G

05-17-2010, 03:20 PM

We finished up Frontierland with a few quick snaps:

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The weather really frustrated us, as it 'blew out' most of our pictures, making everything look like I was shooting it in the 1930's for Greta Garbo or something! Yesh. I do not have the mad photoshop skillz to fiddle with pictures, I either snap a good one, or it's junk. DH likes to fiddle!

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The Mark Twain! Nice to see a 'familiar face'.

Heading off next to Adventureland!

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Adventureland in DLP reminds me of Morocco at Epcot!

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Now, I'm reminded of Animal Kingdom! Did the Safari vehicles come from here?

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More restaurants than you could possibly eat at!
As we wandered, we discussed what, if any rides we wanted to attempt. Oddly enough, neither of us wanted to ride a bunch of rides! We were pretty exhausted from our trip and looked at this day as a 'rest' day. So, we just wandered around, snapping random restaurant menus and buying snacks. We people watched, and enjoyed all the space to walk in!

At least, that was the plan! We found ONE other ride that we HAD to try!

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Temple of DOOM: The Ride!
DH loathes rollercoasters. Especially ones that turn upside down but, the siren song of Indy coaxed him onto this one! Thanks George & Steven for hitting all the nerd buttons on my DH!

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I was not prepared for the turn and hurt my neck. Fun! Still, the ride was really great and really short!

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Where's the Chicken of the Sea Sammiches?

Up next, FANTASYLAND!

A-T-G

05-17-2010, 04:18 PM

We couldn't believe that we'd spent so long in the park and hadn't taken a single pic of the castle! We had to remedy that, immediately!

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Tinkerbell has some hardcore pixie dust in Paris. That pixie will cut you!

It's a really lovely castle! As we approached it, I told DH that I remembered there was supposed to be a Dragon in this castle but, that I'd heard it was closed. DH almost instantly pointed to a sign that said 'Dragon' with an arrow. We raced to it! A DRAGON! Oh boy!

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The dragon awakes!

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Sorry these are so dark! I really had a bad picture day during our park stay! We were mesmerized by the Dragon and stayed there for quite some time.

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There's a beanstalk! Cool!

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This was the prettiest hat shop I've EVER seen! It almost made me want to buy a set of Mickey ears!...almost

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the fountain near Sleeping Beauties restaurant.

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The teacups! Shady and dry! With a crazy long line!

Fantasyland at DLP felt HUGE! This was the almost the highest concentration of people we'd seen so far but, the land felt so spacious that we never felt pressed. Again, we saw almost as many restaurants as there were attractions. I joked to DH that I was going to fill my card with menu prices and that we'd never get to all the eateries (which was TRUE!).

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A snack shack built like a Disney short? I LOVE DLP!

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I want to buy this exact figure and take it home! Get on the ball, DL

I'm going to confess to you, gentle readers, that I was very tempted to ride this ride - I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I haven't recovered from the "improvements" of the DL and don't know if I could handle a second heart break.

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This is either the Pizza place or the gelato place, I can't remember...and there were a ton of restaurants!

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Last shot of the castle from Fantasyland! This is where we realized you could go up on another level and walk around! Dang it, how did we miss that?!

Coming up: Tomorrowland!

A-T-G

05-17-2010, 05:49 PM

By this point of the day, I was pretty beat. Tomorrowland felt really claustrophobic to me and we didn't stay long. Instead, we look a little wander into some shops looking for schwag and opted to find a place to eat before calling it a day. I didn't want to stay until park closing for fear of crowded trains.

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DH took pity on my exhausted state, and left me in a shady spot while he ran off to take pictures. He said that when he got back, he found me asleep in my chair. I cannot confirm or deny that.

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Oooh, it's a claw!

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Buzz Lightyear stands triumphant over his vanquished foes! He is KING of Plush Mountain!

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It's the Great Space Mountain, get onboard! On the Great Space Mountain, we'll explore!
-------------

After our jaunt to Tomorrowland, we visited the arcades. Not the video game kind! The REAL kind!
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There were two of them and they were great! You could easily access lots of shops and they had little take-away windows for food and drinks. We stopped for Hot Cocoa!

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Surprise! I'm all you'll find for cute Ratatouille Schwag. Desole.

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Stitch feels like the odd man out in this display.

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Lady Liberty can rock a poster, yo!

The two Arcades were themed. My favorite was the Liberty Arcade! It just looked so good! Lots of star and flickering lights (Of course, those didn't come out!). The second one had the good food and was themed for Da Vinci (HA! None of those pics were any good, either!)

My favorite part was that the walls were covered with Posters from World's Fairs! I thought that was a great touch and I tried to snap as many of them as possible.

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There was a fair in LA in '96? How did I miss that?!

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By now, we're hungry again. DH and I decided to try to eat in the Blue Lagoon restaurant. We made our way back to Adventureland to see if we could grab a table. Our luck continued! We were seated almost immediately!

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It was crazy dark in there! My photos are terrible (sorry!). The place wasn't themed like the Blue Bayou. Instead, it was more tropical and felt like a fun pirate hang out. DH ordered and ate Ostrich Flambe (he's my hero). I had a fruity, tropical rice dish (like Jambalaya - but, with coconut). The pics of said food were not very good, so I've opted not to try to post them.

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Funny, all my pictures are of darkness!

You couldn't see much of the ride from where we were sitting, so no pics of that either (I am such a failure!). The service was a little pokey so, we just sat back and enjoyed ourselves. By the time we finished eating, the park was closed (so much for my idea of leaving early!). We were escorted out of the restaurant and out of Adventureland (I've never had that happen before at a Disney park in the US. Has anyone else?).

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Once on main street, they let us make our own way out of the park.

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Bye-Bye Blurry DLP!

We stopped to look at more stuff to buy for friends and were not thrilled with the stuff we found. I was hoping to score a great pin for one of my fellow Pin buff guys. I finally did find a cool pin AND a neato Lanyard for him! I was really looking for some great branded DLP park merchandise but, didn't see anything really stellar. The DLP logo was really 80's-tastic! So, we skipped most of it. Unfortunately, this trip to Paris was not a great schwag buying trip (well, for anyone other than me! :rotfl:). Still, I managed to find a few trinkets that I hope they'll like (they did, after all, score me some cool stuff from their trip to Tokyo Disney!).

After the shopping, we turned in the chair and wandered back to the RER heading back to Paris. It was a long day but, a really fun day! Disneyland Paris was a great 'rest' day from our busy running around Paris.
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Merlin wishes he could magically transport us to a second day in the Parks. He's cool like that.

Up Next? Our visit to Versailles to see Louie's place!

lurkyloo

05-17-2010, 06:26 PM

Whohoooo! Bless you for taking all those menu pix for me—they are going to be super-helpful for the PassPorter. And I have my eye on some more from this installment too!

Also, you are the second Disney fan I know who's been disappointed by the merchandise selection at DLRP. I wonder what gives? Also, yay for walking right into two of the most fun restaurants. It was like that in Tokyo too—we didn't even need our reservations!

Anyway, hooray for pictures of DLP! :banana:

A-T-G

05-17-2010, 06:46 PM

disney_princess_85

05-18-2010, 06:36 AM

tennisfan

05-18-2010, 08:06 AM

Just read through all this. Amazing photos of Paris & DLRP. I look forward to the rest:goodvibes

A-T-G

05-18-2010, 12:40 PM

Yay for DLP! I'm glad you enjoyed it, particularly your meal at Walt's as it's my favourite. :love:

I'm quite surprised at your comments about the merchandise, as I've always found there to be more variety at DLP than WDW. There are lots of little shops that are somewhat hidden away at DLP and they tend to sell products that are exclusive to that particular shop, or products that relate to the land the shop is in. Everything seems more generic at WDW. I think the clothing range at DLP is great too, especially in the Disney Village stores.

DH and I feel like the merch at Disney parks in general is getting more and more generic. Because we were so unfamiliar with the park, we really couldn't figure out where all the good shopping was. I may be wrong but, I always thought at Disneyland that the shops were listed on the map as well and the food and attractions. At DLP, all I could find were listings of food and attractions. I thought the shops we did wander in were gorgeous but, we didn't see anything in the fields that we're interested in to wow us. I will grant you that the clothing looked pretty amazing (I almost picked up an exclusive cotton scarf) and I loved that the exclusive stuff was clearly marked! But, I was skeered that the clothing would be slim European sizes and not fit my chubby American body, so we skipped it and focused on Pins n' stuff. I was heartbroken that the shop attached to Walt's didn't have stellar stuff in it. I was really hoping to find something unique in ceramic for my house. Still, fun to browse!

mommy2ash

05-18-2010, 01:08 PM

thanks for posting i have really enjoyed reading your tr.

A-T-G

05-18-2010, 04:13 PM

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Our final full day was spent in Versailles! I've always, always wanted to go to Versailles and to see the palace there.

The next massive update will be full of that stuff - so, if you were just tuning in for the DLRP stuff - you may want to tune out for this stuff!

It'll be up in a day or so...please come back for oodles of pretty, shiny things!

mommy2ash

05-18-2010, 04:42 PM

oooh i cant wait for the next part

IsobelJackmummy

05-19-2010, 04:34 AM

I'm enjoying this trip report SO much! Thank you for sharing.

Looking forward to more........

disney_princess_85

05-19-2010, 04:41 AM

Because we were so unfamiliar with the park, we really couldn't figure out where all the good shopping was. I may be wrong but, I always thought at Disneyland that the shops were listed on the map as well and the food and attractions. At DLP, all I could find were listings of food and attractions.

That's a good point. They should really bring more attention to them!

I will grant you that the clothing looked pretty amazing (I almost picked up an exclusive cotton scarf) and I loved that the exclusive stuff was clearly marked! But, I was skeered that the clothing would be slim European sizes and not fit my chubby American body, so we skipped it and focused on Pins n' stuff.

Yeah, the range of sizes isn't fantastic. Their 'large' is probably equivalent to a US 10, which obviously excludes a lot of people.

Mum to Belle

05-19-2010, 06:25 AM

Great photos - thanks for sharing!! :goodvibes

We loved Walt's restaurant too :lovestruc and as you say, more places than you can possibly eat in!! :cloud9:

p.s. If you have more food/menu photos - please, please, please post them on the restaurant threads - we love 'em!!

Disneygrl36

05-26-2010, 01:00 PM

Loved your Eiffel Tower pics......good for you for standing up to the rude person. :thumbsup2

DLP looks amazing. Did you go into the Disneyland Hotel? It looks gorgeous. That castle is so cool too & the dragon in the basement. WOW. Thanks for taking the time to take all those pics & share them here.

Can't wait to hear about Versailles.

ExpatDisneyLover

05-27-2010, 07:21 AM

Great TR - how come I didn't see this before?? popcorn:: Super photos too! So there is more??:woohoo:

zinderella

05-27-2010, 09:50 AM

Thanks for your great trip report, I have really enjoyed it and am putting Paris on my to do list!

A-T-G

05-27-2010, 02:29 PM

Sorry gang! I got distracted by housework and chores! I'll get my Day 5 stuff up later today!

A-T-G

05-28-2010, 02:46 AM

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On our 5th Day, DH and I decided, at last, to venture forth to Versailles. I'd always wanted to go to Versailles! Of course, the day we get there, the weather decides to stop co-operating with us - it rained on and off all day. Blurgh. Luckily, I was prepared! I had packed umbrellas for DH and myself and a poncho for me (to tuck our bags and cameras under). We took the RER, hoping off at Versailles-Rive Gauche. We snagged our Versailles passport ticket from the tourist office (2bis avenue de Paris), which spared us the lines at the Chateau. This tickets gives you access to Chateau & grounds & includes an audio guide. We skipped the Marie Antoinette domains - mostly as my back was killing me BEFORE we started at Versailles and I knew there was NO WAY I'd make it to Petite Trianon (Gives me something to look forward to on the next trip, eh?)

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Tickets in hand, we made our way thru the freshly gilded gates (I believe these are new gates...the originals having been destroyed in the revolution (correct me if I am wrong). We opted to hobble on the cobblestones as the well worn path was very crowded. There is a massive restoration going on at the Chateau - a chance to bring the ol' gal back up to snuff. It's very exciting!

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I don't think it's fancy enough. Slap some more gold up there!

The security line was a breeze and my water bottle was not even blinked at (even tho it stated no food or beverages could be brought in). I thought we'd wait forever to pick up our audio guides but, we shuffled through very quickly. A curt: "language" was barked out by the attendant (I can only imagine the thousands of people that pass through that station! I'm only shocked she didn't just chuck them at us and leave us to figure it out on our own), quickly programed, and handed to us (It took less than a minute. She was awesome!). We began our tour in the Chapel Royal:

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There were two floors we got to peer into. On the second floor is where you'd have seen the Royal family. Everyone else got to stand around down here.

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Here are hundred year old doors.

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Here they are after you throw many thousands of dollars at them!

Now, we come to the part that I messed up on. Normally I would have jotted down every room we entered, so I wouldn't forget them. Instead, I had one hand pressing the audio thingie to my ear and the other one holding stuff (my camera, my water bottle, my bag, etc) and just never got to jot. Suffice it to say, we go thru a series of swankier and swankier rooms - most of them waiting areas for courtiers waiting to see, or talk to the King. The rooms had neat names. All of them we gorgeous and meant to extol the glory and triumph of France, the King, and the Monarchy.

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I snapped a close up of the material on the walls. It's now my screen saver! NERD!

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The room after it had this beautiful fireplace - The kind you could stick an entire tree in. I felt like I could stand in it! All the pictures of this room came out really dark (dang it!) so, the only thing I have from it is the mantel piece.
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This is apparently a really famous bust of Louis XIV as a young, hunky King. He's the R-Patz of his day. Sooooo dreamy! I'll bet his skin glitters like a diamond in the sun, too. Probably because he'd be wearing actual diamonds...

I'm uploading MORE pics from Versailles, so stay tuned!

Up next: MORE rooms coated in a fine layer of GOLD!

disney_princess_85

05-28-2010, 03:34 AM

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What an awesome photo! :thumbsup2

This is apparently a really famous bust of Louis XIV as a young, hunky King. He's the R-Patz of his day. Sooooo dreamy! I'll bet his skin glitters like a diamond in the sun, too. Probably because he'd be wearing actual diamonds...

:rotfl:

Disneygrl36

05-28-2010, 09:27 AM

The stormy skies add drama to your photo.:thumbsup2
Your quip about Louis/R Pats OMG.:lmao:

A-T-G

05-28-2010, 04:59 PM

And we're walking...we're walking...we're walking...

Rooms of ever increasing luxury flew right by. Occasionally, we'd peep out a window to catch the view. Clouds would roll in, dump some rain (causing everyone to rush inside), and depart again (leaving everyone cautiously heading back out). I told DH I hoped we'd time our wandering of the grounds to a sunny interlude.

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A fancy window latch. I really wanted to open this.

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Oh, NOW the sun comes out!

More pretty stuff (why didn't I keep writing?! Stoopid thirst for knowledge!)...I'll just make some stuff up!

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The was where the counting house, where the king counts all his money.

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Here's a corner from the room where the King eats his bread and honey.

This next photo, I remember, is from Louis XVI 's throne room. Of course, the throne is gone and the room was covered in scaffolding (renovations!) so, the only pic I know for sure comes from this room - is the ceiling painting!
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Move that chandelier a little to the right, and we'd say that horse was well hung!

We were just about at the room I'd been longing to see since I was 14 (yes, even then I was History Nerd): The Hall of Mirrors!
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No flash photography! I'm watching you!

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This might be blurry from me jumping up and down with joy...

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I don't know, I think I could have smiled more...

DH and I kept doing this tour backwards. We'd walk through a room to it's logical end and then discover that we were missing numbers on our audio tour. Inevitably, we'd trek back and notice the open doorway with signs pointing to the actual next stop in the tour. Le sigh. We did that again in the Hall of Mirrors, nearly skipping the King's apartments. I snapped this picture before backtracking:
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You are doing this wrong. I sneer at your stupidity. Go back and do it again, correctly this time.

Up Next: Royal Bedrooms and pretty gardens.

ExpatDisneyLover

05-29-2010, 01:55 AM

I don't think they used enough gold IMO!:rotfl2:

burly

05-30-2010, 01:09 AM

:thumbsup2I am truly enjoying this trip report. i am not quite as nerdy as you are, but my thirst for knowledge is large. ;)

Kim

A-T-G

06-02-2010, 04:23 AM

:thumbsup2I am truly enjoying this trip report. i am not quite as nerdy as you are, but my thirst for knowledge is large. ;)

Kim

Few people are as epically nerdy as I am. True story.

A-T-G

06-02-2010, 04:49 AM

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At last, we righted ourselves and made our way (correctly, I assure you) to the King's apartments. You can't help but notice the GIANT bed dominating the room with a gilt fence in front of it. Why the fence? To keep all the girls at bay! No, it kinda was! I toldja, Louie's popular with the ladies! Actually, it was so the Courtiers could watch the King get up, and get dressed. All part of the show! The fence was where the viewers stood with the King and his 'handlers' (tee-hee) inside.

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Louie likes to watch!

There were fireplaces on either end and a beautiful view of the grounds. Unfortunately, they kept the drapes closed to preserve the lovely hangings, which made shooting the space a real challenge!

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OMG! I'm standing in the KING'S room! And it's so dark and romantical. I wunder if he *hearts* me? Surely he doesn't invite ALL the girls here...wait...why are there so many GIRLS here?! That JERK! *sniffle*

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With my freeze-ray I will stop...

I stood in that darkened room until DH begged to continue on. Le sigh.

We wandered toward the Queen's apartments and found this very small room that the King's guards would have been in. In that room and several others we would find benches lining the walls with signs on them basically saying "Don't sit on us" and taunting our tired legs. The French can be so cruel...

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Look at all this comfy softness. It could be yours! Come closer...closer...closer...now go find an actual place to sit! Oh, I'm HISTORIC(al)!!! HAHAHAHA!

Arriving now in the Queen's chambers - we find them as Marie Antoinette (and a restoration project or two) left them. I was kinda overwhelmed by this room - you'll see why in a sec - and my eyes, looking for relief were swept up to the ceiling. Ah, the relaxing warmth of GOLD everywhere to give yourself time to process...

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THIS is the relaxing part?!!

I can't really convey how too, too (much) this room was! I could only photograph it in smaller bits and then close my eyes! The pattern (everywhere!) was beautiful - I wouldn't mind a drape set or comforter in the pattern but, it was on EVERYTHING! The walls, the bed, the chairs! It crawled into my eyes and wouldn't leave!

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The little open door is where the Queen escaped the mob that attacked Versailles during the revolution. The GIANT wardrobe next to it? Her jewelry box - proving, once again, that I am a RANK amateur when it comes to accessories.

Up next: The REST of Versailles. Seriously - I've drawn this out enough!( I gotta edit)

Beka

06-03-2010, 02:02 PM

Just finished page 1! I went to Paris in '97 & still remember bits & pieces (college was after, so I'm glad I remember anything!)

There was a fabulous little store outside the Louvre that sold little prints & stationary. If I could ever find it again, I'd go broke.

All I could order there was a ham sandwich, and they ALWAYS had butter on them!

I :lovestruc Paris!

A-T-G

06-10-2010, 02:00 AM

A-T-G

06-10-2010, 02:56 AM

Where were we?

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At last, a chair I'm allowed to sit on!

Ah yes! We'd just finished the King and Queen's apartments! We walked out the wrong door (again) and ended up at the end of the tour - in a room dedicated to Napoleon. Turning a corner, we found ourselves in the museum that was set up after the Restoration to celebrate 'Tout Les Glories De France' (which I'm sure I've just butchered!)

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In the Grand hall you could find paintings depicting every pivotal battle in French history - all in the name of announcing to the world that France was a force to be reckoned with. In another room we found portraits hung salon style (one on top of the other) of many of France's heros. The king ordered the portraits of the leaders of the Revolution hung in that room as well, saying that they were heros to many. Pretty impressive. We kept wandering, hoping to find our way back to parts of the tour we must have missed (our audio thingies had jumped from the 100's to the 300's!).

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Yikes! Louie really let himself go! Now he looks like the disgusting villain in the 2nd Austin Powers film!!

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Finally, we found the Dauphin's apartments! We explored those for a bit. The decor is very different. It's supposed to me more 'informal'! These were the rooms for Louis the XIV's son - who never became king. He died before his father and his son inherited.

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I was a little obsessed with this carpet - as it was original to the room.

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This was a working globe of the known world - at that time.

We thought is was time to head out for some fresh air!

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Initially, we planned on taking a nice long stroll through the beautiful grounds. Once we got outside, we realized this plan was foolish. We were both pretty exhausted from walking all over the palace (nice job, Scoobies, on getting lost every few feet) and the weather was still pretty dicey. We decided to wing it and see how long we could tough it out.

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Oh, I didn't see you there. Whuz up ladies? I'm just loungin' here, with my towel and extravagant facial hair.

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Hurray! The sun peeped out!

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Right after this picture, the rains came back! They brought along their good friends Thunder & Lightning. We decided it was time to go! Back to the RER and our lovely Parisian hotel!

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A-T-G

06-10-2010, 03:38 AM

Last up on our Paris trip? Buying stuff for folks!

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First stop? Laduree (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laduree)! They make lovely pastries and serve a tasty tea! You can also buy chocolate and macarons from them. They first opened a shop on the Rue Royale in 1862. I filled my face with a very creamy omelet and went for true decadence with not one but, TWO desserts (in all fairness, I was sharing with DH)!

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Thankfully DH wasn't crazy about either dessert! More for me!! When I finished gorging, I snagged boxes of macarons for our kitty-minders back home, some of the floral tea I'd been drinking (for my Mom and me!), and a box of the excellent chocolates for my fellow choco-holic!

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The ceiling makes me think of chocolate! I never want to leave!

Realizing I'd eaten more than my daily allotment of sugar and carbs, I insisted we continue walking! We stopped at the Place de la Concorde so I could see the Obelisk.

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DH had been itching to take a stroll down the Champs-Elysees and I thought now would be an excellent chance to make him happy and walk off my dessert!

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We just window shopped, for the most part. DH did take a wander into the Disney Store he found - since they're such rare birds here in the states. He found a really cool Toy Story 3 Alien crane game but, didn't purchase it. He kicked himself for it when he got back and couldn't find one! Thankfully, they've just started creeping into the stores (whew!).

Our destination was a restaurant we'd read about called ' Les Saveurs de Flora' It was recommended as a very romantic restaurant! So we thought we'd spend some moola and check it out. We walked right past Le Fouquet's!

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This restaurant is like the Paris edition of The Ivy (in Los Angeles). All the famous celebs like to see and be seen here.

As we crossed the street we stopped to snap a few pics of the Arc de Triomphe.
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DH noticed something that made him laugh as we neared the restaurant - Another Hermes store!!

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This would be me, lamenting the store being closed "No! You can't be closed!! You can't be!!!"
The windows were AWESOME! They had these cool shadow puppets in them. DH snapped a few of them for me. He's a sweetie!

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Dinner was a delight! The service, food, and wine were all better than I could have hoped for. We hopped on the Metro for our last ride and fell happily asleep. The next morning we caught a shuttle (arranged by the hotel) to the airport and home.

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Thanks for following my very first TR! I hope to have and then share many more adventures!

Beka

06-11-2010, 08:16 AM

A-T-G

06-11-2010, 08:17 PM

A) Musee D'Orsay is the best museum. I loved every second I was there. I want to own a Degas. And you can't truly appreciate a Van Gogh without seeing it in person. He almost sculpted with the paint, and there's a TON more colors than can be captured on film. Love. Love. Love. :love:

2) I always thought ppl were silly to travel overseas to go to Disneyland. Not anymore! OMG, that park is beautiful! I think it's beaten WDW in looks, hands down!

ETA:

C) Versailles! I remember (& loved) the feathers on MA's bed! The only other things I remember were that we couldn't go in the hall or mirrors, that checkered floor, and at one point we were being led through the palace (led? more like herded) and there was a German tour group behind us. The tour guide was being really snarky & pushy & I'd had enough. In my 17 year old wisdom, I turned around and said "We can only go as fast as the group in front of us goes! Get over it!" Then muttered some expletives under my breath. Classy.

My DH has decided that the Orsay is, hands down, his favorite museum! It was incredible to stand there and gawk at the beautiful Degas pictures - I'd seen them in books but, the don't do the work justice! So delicate and rich! You're right about the colors in the Van Gogh as well!

We ALMOST skipped DLRP but, had offered to snap pics for lurkyloo and just couldn't ditch! Sooooo glad we didn't! A really nice park with wonderful staff - at least everyone we met!

Thanks for telling me your Versailles story. It almost makes me feel better about the 'Tower of Italian Terror' story I posted earlier in the TR - I say almost as I jawed off to a complete stranger and I'm twice the age you were in your story! :rotfl:

ExpatDisneyLover

06-12-2010, 01:58 AM

Really enjoyed your trippie! Great effects on those photos too-love the Paris vibe. Looking forward to the next adventure-:)

burly

06-18-2010, 01:49 AM

Just finished up and would like to say thank you for sharing your trip report, wit, and charm. :thanks:

lurkyloo

06-18-2010, 12:11 PM

janiebubble

06-18-2010, 01:53 PM

Ask and ye shall receive!

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OOOH, whadja get?!

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Teeny box!

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The heck is that?!

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The packaging is seriously awesome! But, what the heck are they?!

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That's right folks! I went ALL the way to Paris for STICKY NOTES!! Swanky!

Oh...you want to know that's in the in BIG bag?! OKAY!

I think it says something that the very first time I feel the need to comment on someone's trip report on the DIS is to exclaim that they are the best sticky notes I have ever seen - I have a stationery fetish and have been unable to comment on lurky's amazing japanese finds due to the overwhelming kawaiiness of them all but those sticky notes ARE TO DIE FOR

(Oh the bag is kinda nice too ;) )

A-T-G

06-19-2010, 09:32 PM

How did I miss the Grand Finale?! :eek: Fabulous pictures! My fave is the one of you peering longingly into the windows of Hermes. When you're in Vegas, you have to do an Hermes tour—there are three!

Thanks again for taking all those pix (and for the delicious Laduree chocolates—eating them made me feel SO sophisticated!) :cutie:

HAHA! I think that sad pic is one of my favorites too! I can't believe DH spotted it. I rushed over and was like "NOOOOOO!" He just started clicking (and laughing). We found ONE more IN THE AIRPORT! He spotted that one, too. He's got "H" radar!

...there are THREE in Vegas?! OMG! And I go there EVERY year...how did I not know this?

A-T-G

06-19-2010, 09:34 PM

(Oh the bag is kinda nice too ;) )

:rotfl2:

I love you!

(and my swanky sticky notes!) Thanks for cracking me up - and commenting on my very first TR!

TinkerbellTris

06-23-2010, 12:30 AM

Wow ATG!!!!
Your trip report is one of the best i've read on dis. I love it. Thank you so much for leaving a reply on my thread about help with my first ever trip to Paris. You left a link for me to get to your trip report, and I just wanted to say thank you. I have enjoyed it so much. You have given me some great ideas on places to see on our Paris trip. I appreciate your information, and your pics are beautiful, what a great recap of all the beautiful sights of Paris. Thank you for sharing.

janiebubble

06-23-2010, 03:04 PM

:rotfl2:

I love you!

(and my swanky sticky notes!) Thanks for cracking me up - and commenting on my very first TR!

mutual admiration society ... shockingly (whilst you may see from my signature I've been to disneyland paris quite a bit) I've not been to Paris since 1997 ... and reading your trip report has made me want to go back ... so thank you :)

A-T-G

06-23-2010, 07:19 PM

A-T-G

06-23-2010, 07:20 PM

mutual admiration society ... shockingly (whilst you may see from my signature I've been to disneyland paris quite a bit) I've not been to Paris since 1997 ... and reading your trip report has made me want to go back ... so thank you :)

Glad I could be of service. I hope you DO go back and that I get to read an AWESOME TR from you!

Dimplenose

06-24-2010, 09:30 AM

A-T-G

06-24-2010, 09:16 PM

I loved your report and photos. Where did you have lunch on your first day it looks really nice?

(I took photos at Musee d'Orsay - didn't know I shouldn't. Hopefully it's a new rule since my visit in 2008!!)

It was a place called 'Bistro de Coin' near our hotel. The staff recommended it and gave me a little coupon for a free drink! The food was excellent!

I was surprised that you could take photos all over the Louvre but, couldn't snap a one at the Musee d'Orsay! I checked my camera because I KNOW I would have been tempted! Heck, the D23 Expo had that archive display that said 'No photos' and I was a JERK and snapped away (with my phone) until I got busted near the Mary Poppins costume (I pled ignorance). If it's not a new rule, nuthin' you can do about it now!

A-T-G

06-24-2010, 09:18 PM

Really enjoyed your trippie! Great effects on those photos too-love the Paris vibe. Looking forward to the next adventure-:)

The effects are from my iPhone AP! It's a camera ap called 'Hipstamatic'. It has lenses, film stock, and flashes, that you can switch up with a swipe of your finger! I am obsessed with it!

beansf

06-25-2010, 06:01 PM

It looks like you had a lovely trip. I enjoyed reading your report. "Le sigh" -- I loved that.

Also, my kitty cat (<--) wanted to say "Meow". He thinks you must be pretty cool. :goodvibes

Dimplenose

06-26-2010, 03:06 AM

I found the guide map I had at Musee d'Orsay in 2008 and that just states no flash photography - phwew, I'm glad I wasn't breaking the rules when I went!!

A-T-G

06-29-2010, 12:13 AM

It looks like you had a lovely trip. I enjoyed reading your report. "Le sigh" -- I loved that.

Also, my kitty cat (<--) wanted to say "Meow". He thinks you must be pretty cool. :goodvibes

Feel free to use "Le Sigh"! & pet the kitteh. I luv kittehs!

A-T-G

06-29-2010, 12:15 AM

I found the guide map I had at Musee d'Orsay in 2008 and that just states no flash photography - phwew, I'm glad I wasn't breaking the rules when I went!!

Whew! Glad to hear you weren't a rule breaker! I wonder when/why they changed the rules?

ExpatDisneyLover

06-29-2010, 01:37 AM

The effects are from my iPhone AP! It's a camera ap called 'Hipstamatic'. It has lenses, film stock, and flashes, that you can switch up with a swipe of your finger! I am obsessed with it!

An i phone ap? I had no idea!

CustardTart

07-04-2010, 04:35 AM

Ooooh, what a fah-bu-lous trip report with formidable fotos!!! You and your DH are such sweeties too - thank you for sharing...

PS: Love the iPhone app pic effects! Ms Tart wanders off to check it out... xxx

JMcDisney

07-10-2010, 03:28 PM

What a fabulous trip! I loved all of the photos - really beautiful stuff! It looks like you guys had a terrrific time! Thanks so much for sharing!

raftislander

08-07-2010, 11:23 PM

Great Trip report ATG! Will definitely hit that little chocolate shop when we go next spring! I too have been admiring your cool photo effects. Drat, I am a Verizon user and have iPhone envy. Looks like you had typical spring weather, hot to rainy and everything in between. Question, were RER to Versaille and DLP on your pass or extra?

A-T-G

08-09-2010, 01:08 AM

The weather was very co-operative for our trip. We just got hammered at Versailles. As for the RER, The Navigo we chose allowed you to pick zones for it's use. We chose all of Paris and could ride the RER, Metro, Bus, and the commuter water bus anywhere inside Paris proper. For our day trips to Versailles and DLRP, we had to buy separate RER tickets.

So, we would hop on the Metro to our chosen RER station (that ride was free), buy our tickets there and back (saves time on the return) and then use our Navigo to take us from the RER station back to our hotel on the Metro.

It is, however, possible to chose a zone that would include DLRP in it if you were planning on staying in Paris and taking multiple trips out there. Same for Versailles. You can find the zones listed on the transportation maps found in many guide books (my guide book was the 'Rough Guide' to Paris).

Hope that helps!

Aburns8

09-10-2010, 07:58 AM

Great trip report! I always wanted to know some about DLP. I went to Paris in high school, I missed the Musee D'Orsay and I barely went through the Louvre. I definitely need to back one day!

A-T-G

09-10-2010, 06:55 PM

You do! It's amazing there. Go! As soon as you can!

Orbitron

01-23-2011, 10:50 AM

fairycat

02-01-2011, 02:58 PM

I loved your TR!!! You are making me so tempted to cut the English part of our journey down a smidge to spend more Paris time. Thank you for the very fun read and fantastic pictures!

m-tinkerbelle

02-06-2011, 02:32 PM

oh I enjoyed this TR SO MUCH!
It's great that you decided not to skip DLRP! It's different to MK and DL but still so beautiful.
Your pics are so good! I had lots of fun reading your report :)

Someone commented on the flash photography inside the museums. I'm sure the Louvre doesn't allow to take them either but you can see people taking flash pictures of the Mona Lisa and almost anything in the museum, even if it's not allowed.
The only museum employee I saw complaining and doing something against it was at the Rome section, a tour group with chinese tourists were taking flash pictures of statues and she had a few words with the tour guide. :sad2:

If we go back to Paris soon I'll make sure we go to the Musee d'Orsay, I've been wanting to go since the first time we went to Paris but I wanted to visit the Louvre first, which we did in our last trip. Your comments on the museum made me want to go so badly! ;D I know it's famous and a "must-do" but we never had enough time to go.

Awesome report, really!

A-T-G

04-10-2011, 05:22 AM

Great report about your trip to Disneyland Paris. It is very interesting to see Disneyland Paris through the eyes of a visitor from the USA! I have been to Disneyland Paris many times and did also some trips to Disneyland in Anaheim.

Here are some comments:

- For the real parade everyone is lining up the street, but not for the Disney All Stars Express!

Ah, that explains the difference! It was a cute little bit of street-mosphere.

- There are not many wheel chair accesses in the park. You will not find a lot of people in wheel chairs and nobody in this little electric vehicles, you always see in Anaheim.

I DID NOT miss those dang electric carts! And we figured no one was really using the ramps. Once we got used to the backtracking, it worked out fine (curse my back for giving out on me!)

- It is so funny that all the American visitors are so enthusiastic about the dragon in the castle. I for myself think that he is pretty boring!

We had to see it, I know one of guys who worked on it. It is required.

- It is sad that you missed the opportunity to ride Small World. The ride in Paris is much better than the one in Anaheim. It is much more colorful, has more figures and you can't see the ceiling or the floor, like you can in Anaheim. They don't have the new figures they added over there, but some different scenes that are well worth seeing.

Thanks for that info! Next time, I will make time for that ride. I just wasn't really in a ride mood that day. It was very painful getting in and out of the wheelchair (that darn back!).

- Bella Notte is a pizza place!

That's the one! I snapped a pic of a gelato place or ice cream (?) for a friend and got the pics mixed up!