The Visit of Mom Mickle

27 April to 9 May, 2000

When we visited the States in February, we mentioned to my parents that the price of tickets from the US to Europe was extremely low and often less that the cost of a ticket within the US. We were asked to watch the prices and to tell them if a really good fare became available, in which case Mom would consider visiting. We arrived home and immediately began to watch. It only took about two weeks to find it--a Detroit to Paris flight for less that 400 dollars.

With the hurdle of an expensive ticket removed, the 'gentle' prodding of family, and the support of Dad Mickle [Thanks, Dad!], Mom took the decision to come and visit us and Paris.

For this visit, she chose the period of 27 April to 9 May. This is a wonderful time to visit, for several reasons. First, that put her here for Alex's birthday on the 28th. Second, 1 May and 8 May are both French National Holidays and fall on Mondays this year, giving two long weekends. Lastly, it is spring in Paris and it has always been said that spring is the best time to be here. Good planning all around.

So the trip was planned and the waiting began. The children (and us adults) were excited and did not think that May would arrive. But it has and Mom is here! Follow her adventures below.  We tried to keep up to date with her visit, but fell behind after the first few big days.  The rest of the pictures have finally arrived.  Enjoy.  We did!

Day 1: Mom Arrives

It has been said that "if you've got time to spare, go by air!". This trip was no different. Mom was scheduled to leave Detroit at 9:55 in the evening and to arrive in Paris at 10:55 in the morning. Because of late arriving planes and mechanical problems in Detroit, it was more like 11:45 leaving Detroit and arriving in Paris at 1:15 in the afternoon.

Lori, Brian, and Perrier waited in the airport while the kids were in school. This was our first trip with Perri and a huge success. He simply sat in his soft quilted carrier and watched the world go by.

The wait was essentially the same for us. We sat in a cafe and drank coffee, chatted, and read magazines until Mom arrived.

At long last, the wait was over--Mom's plane landed. This was at 1:15. It was another hour before she had her bags and cleared customs. We then had a quick drive home in the rain to pick up the kids from school. Much excitement all around as each child got into the car. A tour of the house, unpacking, dinner, and straight to bed for all of us.

Day 2: Alex's Birthday

Friday dawned overcast and rainy. Yep, it's spring. While Brian was at work, Mom and Lori spent the day preparing for Alex's birthday.

The day started by taking the kids to school. This was then followed by a walk through the local open-air market. It was time to pick up Alex from school for lunch. A quick lunch at McDonalds before returning him to school and then it's time to wrap gifts and make a cake. Finish in time to pick up the kids from school and it's time for a birthday dinner.

Since it was his birthday, Alex got to pick the menu. It was a simple one: snails, snails, and more snails. Lori accommodated his wishes with escargot in garlic butter for the first two courses with a snail cake for dessert. (We adults had escargot to start, followed by pork fillets--two full courses of escargot is a bit much!) The excitement of opening gifts ended a full and enjoyable day.

Day 3: Paris

The day dawned not so early and fogging--both outside and inside. The excitement of the first two days was already catching up with us and we were all moving slowly. We didn't have any particular plans but were waiting for the weather to tell us where to go--inside or outside, east or west. When the fog burned off, a beautiful day arrived. Bright blue skies, warm temperatures, and puffy white clouds. One of the big goals for Alex and Mom was to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Better a bright and sunny day than a cloudy and overcast one. So off to Paris.

The slow pace of the morning continued through the entire day. Our plan was to enter the city on the east side, travel along the river viewing the sites and then parking near the tower. What we didn't realize was that the entry we selected was in the middle of a large Chinese market that does a booming business on Saturday mornings. Everyone else in Paris knew this, however, and they were all there. When we finally got through the traffic, we found ourselves dicing through buses to get near the waterfront. Eventually, the buses parted and the views of Notre Dame, the river bridges, and the Eiffel Tower were beautiful.

We found parking and walked to the Trocodero, which overlooks both the river and the Tower. It is here where the picture above was taken. After lunch in a street-side cafe, we walked down to find the entrance to the tower. What we found were long lines--too long for us to stand and wait. We ended the day satisfied with just being here.

The day dawned bright and sunny with all indications of being a warm and beautiful day. The visit to the tower the day earlier had wetted our appetite to see more of the city and we made a quick decision to go back. Our goal was to get to the tower and in line before the elevators were opened at 9:30. We made it! The lines were there, but nowhere near as long as the afternoon before. So we stood, waited, bought our tickets, rode the elevators, and had a great time. The day was bright but a bit hazy, limiting some of what we could see. But we could see plenty and it was impressive.

After the tower, we walked to the Arc de Triomphe, had lunch on the Champs Elysees, rode the Ferris wheel in the Place de la Concorde, admired the flowers in the Garden des Tuileries, went shopping across from the Louvre, and took the Metro back to the car and returned home for dinner. Not too bad for one day.

For more details and all the pictures of Paris, click here.

No, we didn't make it to the seventh day. We got to Day 5 and had to take a break. The eight or more kilometers of walking yesterday caught up today. It was a day of rest, relaxation, playing with the dog, and laundry.

While the children were at school and Brian was at work, Mom and Lori headed off to the countryside west of Paris to see two very different but equally spectacular sights--Monet's Garden and the Cathedral at Chartres.  Monet loved the play of light and tried to capture in his art.  He particularly enjoyed the play of light on flowers and water.  To make it easier to paint these subjects, he developed and large and varied garden around his home in Giverny.  Although he is gone, the garden is still there and beautiful.  Since it was springtime, everything was in full color and wonderful.

The Cathedral at Chartres is one of the oldest gothic cathedrals in France and is an example of "new thinking" in design--and is an hour due west of our house, an hour due south of Giverny.  The first Cathedral was built here in the 11 century while the current cathedral was completed in 1220.  The Gothic architecture is justly famous and impressive.  The cathedral has been the goal of pilgrims through the centuries, continuing to today.  The relic it houses and that has attracted so many pilgrims is the veil of the virgin Mary.  It has been proven to be cloth that originated in Palestine at the time of Jesus.  It has has also miraculously survived the fire that destroyed the original cathedral in 1194.  After this miracle Chartres attracted the financial support necessary to build the monument we see today.

Mom and Lori found that these two sites are a bit much for one day, barely making it home in time to pick the kids up from school.  The rush added some spice to the day and made for some good stories afterwards.

Take a look at the pictures.

Day 7: Disneyland Paris