August 13, 2011 Med - Mickey's Marauding Mates

[mikki.young]

Very glad I came down the day befor to the airport - horrific journey and likely to be as much trouble tomorrow. All trains from london to Gatwick cancelled, later they had 30 minute journey taking 3 hours and lots of trains not stopping at Gatwick. I got a train to wimbledon and took a cab - roads were also awful as so many other people doing the same. hope it is sorted by saturday but may not be. Seems a water main burst and caused a landslide. Well I am safely at the Gatwick Hilton now and using the free internet in their executive lounge. A civilised end to the day with a 3 hour happy hour of free drinks too!

 

[Kels Sem]

Safe trip Mikki, Glad to hear you got there eventually, I hope the rest of your trip runs smoother

 

[jd99]

I called for clarification for the different offerings for the iPhone users through AT&T, and this is what I found out:

AT&T World Traveler
99 cents per minute in France, Italy, and Spain
$5.99 per month, can be prorated. You can have a start and a stop date added by calling in.

Texting
You may receive incoming texts up to your current domestic plan's allowances, with standard incoming overage rates. Outgoing text messaging is 50 cents per text message OR an international plan for a $10 charge for 50 messages. If you exceed, each incoming text message is billed at .20 each, and outgoing is .40 each.

Data exchanges
Two options - connecting to wifi hotspots *is* free, even at Luke's friends house. If you do not want to look for a wifi hotspot, or are concerned about connection or security issues, you may also add on one of the new international data plans; 50MB for $24.99, 125MB for $49.99 or 275MB for $99.99.



iPhones receive data constantly, and international rates apply to this transfer. To end transfers internationally, be sure to go to your settings and turn OFF both data Roaming and Fetch New Data settings. If you turn on your wifi, you can still see the hotspots and go in and manually download.


I hope that this helps. When I travel in Mexico, I usually get the data plan since connectivity and security has been such an issue for me in the past. I've done a bit of research on wifi hotspots at the ports we are going to and watching the correspondence from the EU folks and thinking I may forgo the data package this time around. I have noticed that not all wifi hotspots are free. I figure I can always add it by dialing 916.846.4685 while outside of the country to reach AT&T international services and add it.

I hope that this helps the iPhone users. For more information, please see the following link:

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/affordable-world-packages.jsp

thank you! I also stopped into the Apple store today to talk to a guy about the difference between verizon iphone and at&t iphone. Just glad I have at&t as there seems to be an issue with network for verizon.

 

[Anal Annie]

Hi peeps...15th straight day of 93 degrees or higher...the weeds just LOVE this hot dry weather lemme tell ya!! I hope to finish the bulk of our packing by Wed. or Thurs. so I can clean house & work outside a little bit before we leave. I hate to leave things in a mess but at this point the packing is my priority I think.

DS and I had dentist appts. today + I've been trying to do a little more towards the packing. Have I mentioned how I HATE to iron?! My Mom always had an ironing day after her laundry day & I don't do that - we just iron it as we need it - EXCEPT when we go on vacation & I iron everything I pack before I pack it. For this trip that's a LOT of ironing!

 

[jd99]

i love travel. Love it. My favorite thing to do. However....the part just before we leave. The last minute craziness. The last minute packing. All of it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. I will feel so much better when we are on the plane to Athens. Then I can breathe and START enjoying our vacation.

 

[DoeWDW]

i love travel. Love it. My favorite thing to do. However....the part just before we leave. The last minute craziness. The last minute packing. All of it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. I will feel so much better when we are on the plane to athens. Then i can breathe and start enjoying our vacation.

amen, jeff!!!

 

[Anal Annie]

DH is having yet another extra super crappy day. His company was switching to a new end of month statement system today so he got up at 3:00 am to watch it process (remotely from home). By 5:00 he could tell there were issues so he showered & went in. Sooo after a long day making the rounds between their locations he was on his way home around 5:00 when some storms blew thru Norhern Virginia & something "blew up with sparks" at their Springfield, VA location. So he had to turn around & head over there during rush hour in a storm. This is AAALLL the way, completely around on the other side of the Beltway. He called me again at 6:45 and he still wasn't there yet 'cuz traffic was so bad. He was calling to tell me that their Leesburg, VA store also got hit & he was hoping he wouldn't have to go there too. It's really just him & 1 other guy for their IT Dept. & the other guy is on vacation this week!! Poor guy...I told him to get some coffee. I don't even know if he stopped to eat today & who knows when his day will end. I didn't get up to pack him a sandwich at 5:00. He is SOOO ready to get out of town!!

I think he is nervous about the idea of not bringing his laptop & only bringing his IPad on this trip but it sure would be nice not to have to lug it around. He's never gone away on a vaca WITHOUT his laptop. He says the IPad can do MOST things that he can do on the laptop but not everything. Anybody have any thoughts on that one??

 

[Anal Annie]

Well folks. I have SCREWED UP. WHY I didn't go ahead & purchase those stooopid Eiffel Tower tickets the other day when I made up this schedule for the day? I don't know either. Well, so now there are none available for pre-purchase at any time on either of the 2 days we're in the city. The first available date was Aug. 16th. DOH!!! I know we can go & wait in line for them but it will eat up valuable time - Rick Steve's says it's usually a 1-2 hour long line. He says to estimate 20 minutes for every 100 yards of line + another 30 minutes for the security check. I am so mad at myself right now. Now I don't know how to work that day. Go there EARLY or go really late or stick to our mid-day plan & drop the Musee d'Orsay?! This was a simple task & I blew it.

 

[criscoloo]

Well folks. I have SCREWED UP. WHY I didn't go ahead & purchase those stooopid Eiffel Tower tickets the other day when I made up this schedule for the day? I don't know either. Well, so now there are none available for pre-purchase at any time on either of the 2 days we're in the city. The first available date was Aug. 16th. DOH!!! I know we can go & wait in line for them but it will eat up valuable time - Rick Steve's says it's usually a 1-2 hour long line. He says to estimate 20 minutes for every 100 yards of line + another 30 minutes for the security check. I am so mad at myself right now. Now I don't know how to work that day. Go there EARLY or go really late or stick to our mid-day plan & drop the Musee d'Orsay?! This was a simple task & I blew it.

I'm in the same "boat" as you (no pun intended), Annie, with respect to the Eiffel Tower. Who would've thought that you had to buy tickets so early in advance? The rest of the world, I guess.

I just came across some Paris restaurant recommendations from the dining captain on the Disney Wonder last year who is Parisian. He highly suggested "Le Train Bleu". From the looks of it online, it looks like a really neat place to see and experience.

 

[Kels Sem]

i love travel. Love it. My favorite thing to do. However....the part just before we leave. The last minute craziness. The last minute packing. All of it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. I will feel so much better when we are on the plane to Athens. Then I can breathe and START enjoying our vacation.

I love travelling as well. I just love going to the airport & getting on that plane!

 

[mikki.young]

Well folks. I have SCREWED UP. WHY I didn't go ahead & purchase those stooopid Eiffel Tower tickets the other day when I made up this schedule for the day? I don't know either. Well, so now there are none available for pre-purchase at any time on either of the 2 days we're in the city. The first available date was Aug. 16th. DOH!!! I know we can go & wait in line for them but it will eat up valuable time - Rick Steve's says it's usually a 1-2 hour long line. He says to estimate 20 minutes for every 100 yards of line + another 30 minutes for the security check. I am so mad at myself right now. Now I don't know how to work that day. Go there EARLY or go really late or stick to our mid-day plan & drop the Musee d'Orsay?! This was a simple task & I blew it.

Given how far ahead they are selling tickets now I bet they still wouldn't have been available even if you had booked the moment you worked out the times you wanted. Things are never simple in France. I would be tempted to go there early as the lines are bound to get longer duing the day. You will also then know how much time is lost and replan accordingly with some different options depending on when you get out of the tower.

Still long delays on the trains today so very glad I am already here.

 

[Kels Sem]

Oh LeeAnn I've done silly things like not booking things when i should have. it's so annoying.

My DH also works in IT though he works for a big organisation. He's working flat out as well at the moment as he also has a transfer of data - go-live date or something.
When we leave the country on vacation I ban him from bringing his laptop & phone. If he has them anywhere near him he just won't be able to resist. We're still undecided about bringing the iPad. We don't have 3G on ours and then kids will only fight over who's going to play games on it. I want to leave it at home although not sure if DH can go completely technology free

 

[janetfk]

How frustrating, LeeAnn! Urgh.
Perhaps there is some agent that could get them for you? Otherwise I'd try turning up really early and see if you can get a good spot in the queue!

and THANK YOU for the Mickey Heads! They are just awesome. The kid was bouncing around with excitement on seeing HIS name on a Mickey

 

[janetfk]

And today the German air traffic controllers announce that they are thinking of striking.

I hope they decide not to, or at least get it over with before next week!

 

[Kels Sem]

And today the German air traffic controllers announce that they are thinking of striking.

I hope they decide not to, or at least get it over with before next week!

Oh No. Lets hope they change their minds!

 

[DoeWDW]

I love how many of us are in IT. I've got 2 projects going on as well as all my normal "stuff" so I'm stressing out about leaving my project teams and being "disconnected" too.

Update on Casey the dachshund: He is doing well, walking on his own and getting stronger daily. He is still on strict crate rest for another few weeks but at this point I doubt he will need a cart with wheels. I think he'll be able to get around even if his one back leg is a bit weak. Of course I am hoping he continues to improve and gets full use of that leg. But either way he is happy and healthy which is all that matters to him and to me.

Time to head out to my crazy IT job now and make some money to pay for this cruise.

 

[ukwizard]

Might be along shot, but there is a restaurant in the tower, and when we went up last year if you booked a meal you also got tickets (rather obviously I guess) to go up the tower to eat there.

The queues at the bottom have never been good I'm afraid when I've been there and the gypsies peddling the little statues are enough to try the patience of a saint. Maybe if you can't go up the tower, you could go up in Notre Dame instead.

As for your other post about the laptop, on our last cruise I thought ill just use the iPad to prove a point, but packed a macbook air just in case something happened that NEEDED a laptop. Well, nothing happened but I still couldn't help getting it out to answer some emails as it was just easier, so Ive just given up and resigned myself to always taking the laptop, and the iPad as well!

At least the laptops have got lighter and smaller now!

Well folks. I have SCREWED UP. WHY I didn't go ahead & purchase those stooopid Eiffel Tower tickets the other day when I made up this schedule for the day? I don't know either. Well, so now there are none available for pre-purchase at any time on either of the 2 days we're in the city. The first available date was Aug. 16th. DOH!!! I know we can go & wait in line for them but it will eat up valuable time - Rick Steve's says it's usually a 1-2 hour long line. He says to estimate 20 minutes for every 100 yards of line + another 30 minutes for the security check. I am so mad at myself right now. Now I don't know how to work that day. Go there EARLY or go really late or stick to our mid-day plan & drop the Musee d'Orsay?! This was a simple task & I blew it.

 

[SailingSeas]

Update on Casey the dachshund: He is doing well, walking on his own and getting stronger daily. He is still on strict crate rest for another few weeks but at this point I doubt he will need a cart with wheels. I think he'll be able to get around even if his one back leg is a bit weak. Of course I am hoping he continues to improve and gets full use of that leg. But either way he is happy and healthy which is all that matters to him and to me.

You made my morning hun. My border couldn't use a cart due to the way our apartment is laid out, so I used a hind-end harness. Dang i was strong. Then we applied for her to work at the hospitals, and at our interview was this tiny little terrier buzzing around on this cart, happy as a clam. She was so adorable, and so happy and so perky, she made me laugh like crazy. My dog wanted to play with her so bad. It was hilarious all over. Anyways, I am so wicked WICKED wicked happy for Casey, and thank you for the update.

LeeAnn, what does he need the laptop for, and what does the iPad cover? If it's just emails and transfers and light work and a crisis would only happen in 5% of situations, then leave the laptop at home. Be European and say 'yeah, if i'ts this big, it needs me in the office and I'm on vacation with my family this week. See you next." I think we Americans sometimes forget that companies still go on while we are spending time with those who matter most to us.

 

[Anal Annie]

FIRST, once again I love all the chit chat going on while I am sleeping!!

I'm in the same "boat" as you (no pun intended), Annie, with respect to the Eiffel Tower. Who would've thought that you had to buy tickets so early in advance? The rest of the world, I guess.

Hey Chris!! Lookie what I found on the Eiffel Tower website!! http://www.eiffel-tower.com/preparing-your-visit/booking-a-guided-tour and http://www.cultival.fr/fr/visites/les-coulisses-de-la-tour-eiffel. I emailed them last night before I went to bed and got a very nice email back during the night from someone named Guillaume. I told them we would be there on the 10th & 11th and ask if there were any openings & if so what times would be available and he said they have openings on the 10th at 10:00 and 17:00 so I think we're going to book it for the 17:00 (5:00) time. It only gets us up to the 2nd floor and it will cost us 22,90 euro more than just buying tix to the summit but it might be kinda neat. Any which way I slice it, not being able to pre-buy lift tix messes up my touring plan for the day. Guillaume said that we can buy tix to the summit from a machine on the 2nd floor if we decide we want to continue to the top at the end of this tour. I have emailed him back to ask how much the additional cost is if we decide to go all the way up & if the machines take credit cards. He also said we can book this by email directly with him and pre-pay by credit card which makes me happy.

I love travelling as well. I just love going to the airport & getting on that plane!

I always feel like if don't FLY somewhere and it's a driving vacation that it's just not the same.

Given how far ahead they are selling tickets now I bet they still wouldn't have been available even if you had booked the moment you worked out the times you wanted. Things are never simple in France. I would be tempted to go there early as the lines are bound to get longer duing the day. You will also then know how much time is lost and replan accordingly with some different options depending on when you get out of the tower.

Still long delays on the trains today so very glad I am already here.

I guess I was hoping since both Rick Steve's guide and the Eiffel Tower website said you could pre-buy tix all the way up until the day before that there would be openings. I would've expected Rick Steve's guide to SAY buy them a month in advance or something if he expected them to be sold out.

Glad you allowed extra time for your trip and I hope you are underway with minimal delays!!

And today the German air traffic controllers announce that they are thinking of striking.

I hope they decide not to, or at least get it over with before next week!

Oh NO!! I hope they resolve their issues quickly!! I haven't checked on the Air France website for any disputes...should I?! Do I even want to know if there's anything happening?!

I love how many of us are in IT. I've got 2 projects going on as well as all my normal "stuff" so I'm stressing out about leaving my project teams and being "disconnected" too.

Update on Casey the dachshund: He is doing well, walking on his own and getting stronger daily. He is still on strict crate rest for another few weeks but at this point I doubt he will need a cart with wheels. I think he'll be able to get around even if his one back leg is a bit weak. Of course I am hoping he continues to improve and gets full use of that leg. But either way he is happy and healthy which is all that matters to him and to me.

Time to head out to my crazy IT job now and make some money to pay for this cruise.

That is WONDERFUL news about Casey! So glad he's doing better!DH did end up going from Springfield to Leesburg last nite & he finally rolled in home shortly after 11:30. He tried to go straight to bed but his Facilities Mgmt. guy kept texting him until almost 12:15 so he had a 21 hour day. OH, and he discovered once he got to Leesburg that he'd left his laptop in the Springfield location so now he has to figure out how to get that back. I had a hard time getting him up this morning.

Might be along shot, but there is a restaurant in the tower, and when we went up last year if you booked a meal you also got tickets (rather obviously I guess) to go up the tower to eat there.

The queues at the bottom have never been good I'm afraid when I've been there and the gypsies peddling the little statues are enough to try the patience of a saint. Maybe if you can't go up the tower, you could go up in Notre Dame instead.

As for your other post about the laptop, on our last cruise I thought ill just use the iPad to prove a point, but packed a macbook air just in case something happened that NEEDED a laptop. Well, nothing happened but I still couldn't help getting it out to answer some emails as it was just easier, so Ive just given up and resigned myself to always taking the laptop, and the iPad as well!

At least the laptops have got lighter and smaller now!

I have considered dining at the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant for lunch. The prices start at 18,0 euro for lunch but they do not take reservations for lunch, only for dinner. Lunch is first come, first served so I don't know what that wait might be like either - that is my primary issue with that plan. And it looks like it could be a little dressier than what we might be prepared to dress for for at that time of day. Dinner starts at more like 60 or 65 euro so that's definitely NOT in our budget!!

I hope DH decides what to do about his laptop soon because of our weight restrictions - his is older and heavier I think - and I know the last time we got a bag for it the first one we got was too small & we had to return it & get a larger bag.

LeeAnn, what does he need the laptop for, and what does the iPad cover? If it's just emails and transfers and light work and a crisis would only happen in 5% of situations, then leave the laptop at home. Be European and say 'yeah, if i'ts this big, it needs me in the office and I'm on vacation with my family this week. See you next." I think we Americans sometimes forget that companies still go on while we are spending time with those who matter most to us.

Oh I don't know. I don't have an IPad or an IPod or a Smartphone. I am in the dark when it comes to technology. I use a desktop so I'm screwed for this trip. DH and DS both have IPads...I know DS's doesn't have the 3G 'cuz we just got that for him for his birthday - not sure about DH's as his is from work. I told him with the time difference work isn't likely to get ahold of him when they need him anyway.

 

[criscoloo]

FIRST, once again I love all the chit chat going on while I am sleeping!!


Hey Chris!! Lookie what I found on the Eiffel Tower website!! http://www.eiffel-tower.com/preparing-your-visit/booking-a-guided-tour and http://www.cultival.fr/fr/visites/les-coulisses-de-la-tour-eiffel. I emailed them last night before I went to bed and got a very nice email back during the night from someone named Guillaume. I told them we would be there on the 10th & 11th and ask if there were any openings & if so what times would be available and he said they have openings on the 10th at 10:00 and 17:00 so I think we're going to book it for the 17:00 (5:00) time. It only gets us up to the 2nd floor and it will cost us 22,90 euro more than just buying tix to the summit but it might be kinda neat. Any which way I slice it, not being able to pre-buy lift tix messes up my touring plan for the day. Guillaume said that we can buy tix to the summit from a machine on the 2nd floor if we decide we want to continue to the top at the end of this tour. I have emailed him back to ask how much the additional cost is if we decide to go all the way up & if the machines take credit cards. He also said we can book this by email directly with him and pre-pay by credit card which makes me happy.



I always feel like if don't FLY somewhere and it's a driving vacation that it's just not the same.



I guess I was hoping since both Rick Steve's guide and the Eiffel Tower website said you could pre-buy tix all the way up until the day before that there would be openings. I would've expected Rick Steve's guide to SAY buy them a month in advance or something if he expected them to be sold out.

Glad you allowed extra time for your trip and I hope you are underway with minimal delays!!



Oh NO!! I hope they resolve their issues quickly!! I haven't checked on the Air France website for any disputes...should I?! Do I even want to know if there's anything happening?!



That is WONDERFUL news about Casey! So glad he's doing better!DH did end up going from Springfield to Leesburg last nite & he finally rolled in home shortly after 11:30. He tried to go straight to bed but his Facilities Mgmt. guy kept texting him until almost 12:15 so he had a 21 hour day. OH, and he discovered once he got to Leesburg that he'd left his laptop in the Springfield location so now he has to figure out how to get that back. I had a hard time getting him up this morning.



I have considered dining at the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant for lunch. The prices start at 18,0 euro for lunch but they do not take reservations for lunch, only for dinner. Lunch is first come, first served so I don't know what that wait might be like either - that is my primary issue with that plan. And it looks like it could be a little dressier than what we might be prepared to dress for for at that time of day. Dinner starts at more like 60 or 65 euro so that's definitely NOT in our budget!!

I hope DH decides what to do about his laptop soon because of our weight restrictions - his is older and heavier I think - and I know the last time we got a bag for it the first one we got was too small & we had to return it & get a larger bag.



Oh I don't know. I don't have an IPad or an IPod or a Smartphone. I am in the dark when it comes to technology. I use a desktop so I'm screwed for this trip. DH and DS both have IPads...I know DS's doesn't have the 3G 'cuz we just got that for him for his birthday - not sure about DH's as his is from work. I told him with the time difference work isn't likely to get ahold of him when they need him anyway.

Annie,

I just logged on to tell you that the Eiffel Tower website still has tix available to the 2nd level. Not sure if the availability matches your schedule though. You might want to check the times; otherwise, the tour operator sounds like a great solution.