A Bird's Eye View of London and Paris March 2012 TR NEW! The END 1/12 p35

[Lovemy3babes]

Thanks Kelli - I wish it was sooner, although I am not ready! I'm trying to find some denim shorts - All the fall stuff is out now. I'm hoping to get to the outlets this weekend and get some deals.

I've got some lists organized and a loose plan of days. We're going to try to "take it easy" this trip - we'll see how it goes! I think it will depend on crowds.
I'll share my daily plans later - I really should get this thing moving so I can finish before October!!! Hopefully we can meet up somewhere!

I would love that!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

How fun to go to Alaska!! Girl, you travel as much as I want to!!! I can't wait to hear all the details!!!!! And your Oct trip is coming up quick!!! We are at 83 days today... are you exactly 30 ahead of me? I forget,....it's probably right there in your ticker!

Yeah, it's now become an addiction - I want to go so many places! I'm willing to sacrifice for the travel budget!!
Yes, we are at 7 weeks today from our October arrival!! WOO HOO!

yep!! it was!! LOL~

Those little bags (top left) are cute. I can see Brooklynn being happy with one of those.

Aren't they? Part of me wishes I'd bought more stuff, but I have way too many bags as it is! Of course, they don't all last forever, right?

YEAH! I think we're going on an Alaskan cruise next year, too. So excited!

You should come on ours!!! Disney - 8/19 - 16/2013 out of Vancouver!!! Have you read eandesmom's TR from her Alaska Cruise last summer? You should - it's great! I have to go check the DIS podcast for this week - Pete had just done a NCL cruise and was going to compare it to the Disney one.

I would love that!

We will sure try! I think the girls would get a kick out of meeting another DIS kid!

I'm really trying to get this thing going - but this last week was crazy! I'm having some people over tonight, so I may get a quick update in if I can finish my chores quick!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Continuing on with our day in Paris, we left off where the girls had just eaten McDonalds for dinner and we were off to find Notre Dame...

Once the kids were sufficiently full of their American fast food, we figured out we needed to take a Metro train to get to Notre Dame Cathedral. Did that, and once we were back on the street, we ducked into a store’s entry to read the map (it was still raining lightly). A sales clerk came over to chastise me (in French) for blocking the doorway or dripping in their store or something. I just asked where Notre Dame was and she stuck out her arm and pointed to her left. This was my only real encounter with that stereotypical French rudeness, but I just thanked her (in French!) and walked on. Turns out that you can SEE Notre Dame from the corner we were standing on!! Granted, it’s just a part of the side view, but I might not have recognized it unless someone said it’s right there! It was only about 2 or 3 blocks away!

Walking down the street...
Yet another cool building...

It was about 5:15 now, and I was pretty sure the cathedral closed at 6:45, so we hurried down the street! As we approached, I could hear music from the church. Isn’t that nice?
I think we took this before entering, but not sure...

Yes, I'm torturing you with these up close shots first. You may not even believe this is Notre Dame! HA!

As we entered, we saw signs for “silence” all over the place. We walked in on a Lenten Wednesday Mass!!! Oh man, I completely forgot it was a Wednesday during Lent!!! So we weren’t allowed in the middle part of the church or near the altar. We just walked around the outer sections and took some non-flash pictures while we listened to mass. It was beautiful!! Even though the pictures aren’t great, I was so happy we got in there!

I apologize these are so blurry!

Some of these may be duplicate since I have pictures from three different cameras! And there were so many stained glass windows!!

Isn't this a pretty altar?

Beautiful art too...

This place was really big!

It was getting dark out, so the stained glass pictures didn’t turn out as good as they might have if it were lighter outside.
We took some pictures from the outside too – there’s a big plaza type area across from the front entrance. And it stopped raining!!!

cont. in next post.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

continued from previous post...

Next year is 850 years for Notre Dame apparently.

Outside

We walked down the street and stopped in some kitschy cheap tourist shops and bought a beret for my friend Jana (the one who had the brain surgery). Then we stopped in a patisserie and bought some treats, and of course, a baguette!! (Marie! The baguettes!) I just wish we could have stumbled into a wine or cheese shop as well!!

I wouldn't mind staying here!

I think this was on a wall outside the shops

We found another McDonald’s – this time just to use the restroom before we got back on the train to head back to DLP. The Metro was PACKED with people – mostly commuters – they must keep weird business hours here – it was getting pretty late. Our kids were about the only children on the train (both the Metro and then the RER to DLP). We got back to DLP around 8 p.m. The girls and I had some fun being “French” and posing in our striped shirts, scarves and the beret with the baguette!

My macaroons! YUMMY!

Eiffel Towers galore!

The $&#^$* hot tub was closed AGAIN, so DH took the girls down to the pool for a while. I stayed behind and soaked in a hot bath in the room instead. I was sore from all the walking and carrying a bag and camera around all day!

I had been feeling kind of bad about not seeing everything on my list for Paris, but I realized that it was probably unrealistic to think I could do it all in one day. Things aren’t as close as one would like, so there’s travel time to factor in, plus it was rainy and cold, so we weren’t all that motivated to rush all over the city. We did get to see the major things, and we get to go back tomorrow night and see the city all lit up! It is called the City of Lights for a reason!

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

You should come on ours!!! Disney - 8/19 - 16/2013 out of Vancouver!!! Have you read eandesmom's TR from her Alaska Cruise last summer? You should - it's great! I have to go check the DIS podcast for this week - Pete had just done a NCL cruise and was going to compare it to the Disney one.

I need to check out that podcast! We have family in Seattle, so the trip would be a bonus to getting to see my brother!

Love this update! Notre Dame is truly stunning. Europe is full of beautiful churches. I like the pictures of you and the girls!

 

[MEK]

Wow - I would love to see the Cathedral of Notre Dame. It looks amazing and I bet the sound was fantastic.

Rude French lady getting made of you for just trying to ask for directions.

Those pictures of you and the girls posing are adorable. What a great idea.

Boo to the broken hot tub. Sounds like the pool at the treehouse villa.

 

[petals]

I've heard about the rudeness in France. I've also heard that if you attempt to speak french to them first then they'll speak english to you..Strange much! Love all the pics

 

[scottny]

great update and pics. We never went into Notre Dame as a friend of ours came from London so we walked by on our way to dinner. Definitely on my the list for next time.

I honestly don;t recall anyone being rude to us except for at Disney. They just did not care. In Paris itself everyone but 2 ladies who worked in a cafe spoke English to us.

Can't wait to see the pics from when you go back at night.

 

[crzyred]

I LOVE the pictures of you and the girls!!

The only thing I can think of as I look through these pictures is, I WANNA GO!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Love the stripe shirts! That's great!! The ND is beautiful!! You really get a sense of how large it is when you look at the priest...that place is massive!!!! All the stained glass windows were pretty amazing

 

[eandesmom]

I absolutely love the striped shirt pictures! How fun are those!

Ah, Notre Dame. I love that place. You are REALLY making me want to go to Paris! Not that I see it in my future but a girl can dream. Bummer about the rude sales clerk, I can honestly say both times I've been to Paris I never had that experience but it does happen.

Then again it could happen in New York.

What a wonderful afternoon and evening, I'm definitely getting the Europe bug reading your TR.

 

[Pluto_fan]

Great update, Sheree! I love the pictures of you and the girls with the berets and baguette.

 

[jenseib]

More fabulous pictures. What afabulous experience for all of you.
I love the photoshoot. That is so funny!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

The church is stunning. So, so pretty.

You girls and your photo shoot! Hilarious.

 

[A Small World]

Did you notice the hidden Mickeys on the outside of Notre dame?

No - have another look at the pictures and see if you can spot them


Did you happen to go round the back of Notre Dame? The back of it is so beautiful and different - the front is very square and angular - the back is totally opposite

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Gosh, I'm getting behind on my own TR! I better get back to work here!

I need to check out that podcast! We have family in Seattle, so the trip would be a bonus to getting to see my brother!

Love this update! Notre Dame is truly stunning. Europe is full of beautiful churches. I like the pictures of you and the girls!

Yes you should!
Book early too! Did I tell you we're going on 8/19/13? I think you should come on our cruise.

Thanks - we did see our share of churches. We had so much fun acting silly! We did a lot of that this trip!

Wow - I would love to see the Cathedral of Notre Dame. It looks amazing and I bet the sound was fantastic.

Rude French lady getting made of you for just trying to ask for directions.

Those pictures of you and the girls posing are adorable. What a great idea.

Boo to the broken hot tub. Sounds like the pool at the treehouse villa.

Oh, Mary Ellen - you would LOVE it! So beautiful!
Yeah, I wasn't going to let her bug me, but jeez, try to be a little helpful. I tried to speak your darn language!
I decided it was a sign that I wasn't meant to go in that hot tub. Probably full of gross germs anyway. I know you understand the pain though with your treehouse pool! That would bother me more - not having the pool when it was hot out!

I've heard about the rudeness in France. I've also heard that if you attempt to speak french to them first then they'll speak english to you..Strange much! Love all the pics

It is a bit odd. The CMs at DLP spoke as much English as anything else. Sometimes I would try the French, and sometimes I just said English please?
Thanks - I've got a zillion pictures!

great update and pics. We never went into Notre Dame as a friend of ours came from London so we walked by on our way to dinner. Definitely on my the list for next time.

I honestly don;t recall anyone being rude to us except for at Disney. They just did not care. In Paris itself everyone but 2 ladies who worked in a cafe spoke English to us.

Can't wait to see the pics from when you go back at night.

You should definitely go into Notre Dame next time. So much to see, we felt rushed because of the service and didn't want to be disruptive. of course, I'd go back to Paris anytime! I just need someone to pay for it!!
I thought the Disney CMs were less, how shall I put it, less "Magical" than at WDW. They didn't seem to all have that "I love working here" attitude and it showed.

I LOVE the pictures of you and the girls!!

The only thing I can think of as I look through these pictures is, I WANNA GO!!

Thanks - that's my goal you know - to increase tourism for Paris! HA!

Love the stripe shirts! That's great!! The ND is beautiful!! You really get a sense of how large it is when you look at the priest...that place is massive!!!! All the stained glass windows were pretty amazing

Thanks! It was fun.
ND was just amazing - I thought it was gorgeous and had so much beautiful art and architecture! I just wish my pictures turned out a little better - settings and lighting are still like a foreign language to me!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I absolutely love the striped shirt pictures! How fun are those!

Ah, Notre Dame. I love that place. You are REALLY making me want to go to Paris! Not that I see it in my future but a girl can dream. Bummer about the rude sales clerk, I can honestly say both times I've been to Paris I never had that experience but it does happen.

Then again it could happen in New York.

What a wonderful afternoon and evening, I'm definitely getting the Europe bug reading your TR.

Thanks - we were all about being French that night! It was fun.
Yes, you need to go to Paris - lots of cute cafes, yummy food, beautiful buildings!! I think I'd rather go back to Paris than to NY (I've been there once but didn't see a lot of the touristy things).
Europe is a bit contagious...

Great update, Sheree! I love the pictures of you and the girls with the berets and baguette.

Thanks! That was a yummy baguette too!

More fabulous pictures. What afabulous experience for all of you.
I love the photoshoot. That is so funny!

I didn't realize we took so many shots! Bunch of goofballs!
The whole trip was one amazing experience after another. It's a chart topper!

The church is stunning. So, so pretty.

You girls and your photo shoot! Hilarious.

I agree -it's even prettier in person!
We are a wacky bunch sometimes!

Did you notice the hidden Mickeys on the outside of Notre dame?

No - have another look at the pictures and see if you can spot them


Did you happen to go round the back of Notre Dame? The back of it is so beautiful and different - the front is very square and angular - the back is totally opposite

That's too funny! I don't think we noticed when we were there!
Dang - no we didn't go around the back side! I'll have to look at pictures of it though. How cool that it is designed that way.
I think I needed you to be my tour guide!

 

[A Small World]

This shows what the back of it is like

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DSC00733_Notre_Dame_Paris_from_east.jpg

I think it looks really beautiful from that angle

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Absolutely loving your trip report .... it is so interesting to experience Paris and London , and indeed Disneyland Paris through the eyes of a non-European. It sounds like you had an absolutely wonderful time and enjoyed every moment .... shame the weather was disappointing though ... it does that a lot over here.
Looking forward to more .. your photos are fantastic !

 

[Mndisneygirl]

This shows what the back of it is like

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DSC00733_Notre_Dame_Paris_from_east.jpg

I think it looks really beautiful from that angle

Thanks! We did catch a glimpse of it from the river, but of course, it was raining so you couldn't see hardly anything.

Absolutely loving your trip report .... it is so interesting to experience Paris and London , and indeed Disneyland Paris through the eyes of a non-European. It sounds like you had an absolutely wonderful time and enjoyed every moment .... shame the weather was disappointing though ... it does that a lot over here.
Looking forward to more .. your photos are fantastic !

Thank you and We did really love it and just today I was in Bath and Body Works and saw their new line of Paris scents and thought about how fun our trip was!!
I'm hoping to get another update up tonight or tomorrow. I have lots more photos - some even have sunshine in them!!!