Sunday, June 18
After a very late night at Disneyland Paris Pride, we slept in on Sunday and headed to Disneyland Park in the late morning. We rode Big Thunder Mountain a second time and then went on a few rides we hadn’t been on yet. We also watched the DLP version of Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
Jump ahead to:
Saturday, June 17
Remember those people who sneezed all over me at the Louvre? I blame them for the sore throat that woke me in the early hours of Saturday morning. I was so glad that we used our Premier Access Ultimate Pass on Friday because that took the pressure off the rest of the weekend, enabling me to sleep in both mornings. I was a bit anxious at first because in the very beginning, the flu, covid, and a cold can all feel similar. Thankfully, it was just a cold, and by the grace of God no one else got sick. For the most part, I was able to power through the weekend. Sometimes I even forgot I was sick!
Jump ahead to:
Continue reading “France | Day 6: Walt’s Restaurant & Disneyland Paris Pride 2023”
Friday, June 16
We love Disney Parks! So it makes sense that we enjoyed Disneyland Paris. We stayed onsite at the Newport Bay Club, with a three-night, four-day package, arriving Friday and checking out Monday. We purchased the Premier Pass for Friday, which allowed us to skip the lines for 16 of the parks’ most popular attractions.
We ate at three of their top-rated restaurants – Chez Remy, Walt’s Restaurant, and The Manhattan – had drinks and snacks at the Skyline Bar, and grabbed snacks at other various locations. We also ate breakfast in our rooms and brought water and snacks into the parks with us. Our dining experiences were all very good or better, with The Manhattan and the Skyline Bar being our favorite.
Continue reading “France | Day 5: From Paris to Disneyland”
Thursday, June 15
THE LOUVRE
Our last full day in Paris and I want to cry just thinking about it. Oh, it went by so quickly. Isn’t life and the concept of time just so weird? (Visit this blog often for more brilliant philosophical insights.)
I have rather been dreading this post. I feel like I should have something profound to say after visiting the Louvre, but I don’t. I have nothing.
I have been silenced by the voices of a thousand works of art.
OK, not entirely silenced. But don’t expect anything profound. The Louvre has to speak for itself.
Continue reading “France | Day 4, Paris: The Louvre, Noglu & Luxembourg Gardens”
Wednesday, June 14
THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES
Don’t believe anyone who says you can visit the Palace of Versailles in just a few hours. It’s a lie.
But first the sunrise from our balcony:
Continue reading “France | Day 3, Paris: The Palace of Versailles”
Tuesday, June 13
THE EIFFEL TOWER
When Doug visited Paris in 1989 with his brother, David, he was 20 years old and traveling on a limited budget. With the cost for a ticket to the top of the Eiffel Tower at 12Fr (way back when they were still using francs) they settled for a ticket to the lower platform. He saved 7Fr, but he regretted that decision for the next 34 years!
That regret became a sort of benchmark for our trip: Do you want to do ____________? If you don’t do it, will it be your Eiffel Tower? Don’t let it be your Eiffel Tower!!!
So, obviously, going to the top of the Eiffel Tower was a must. Imagine our dismay when we missed the ticket onsale! Thankfully, while timed-entry tickets are released online 60 days in advance, if they sell out for the day of your visit (or if you don’t know when you’ll be there, or want to wait for good weather) you can just show up and wait in line like the olden days. So that’s what we did.
We expected a wait. What we didn’t expect was a crash course in French culture.
Continue reading “France | Day 2, Paris: Eiffel Tower, Sacre-Coeur, Seine River Cruise”
Sunday, June 11 & Monday, June 12
Visiting France has always been a family dream (75% of us ARE French after all!). So when Doug and I realized that in 2023 we would celebrate our 30th anniversary, Jacquelyn’s 30th birthday, AND my 50th birthday, we decided this was the year!!!
I opted not to blog during the trip, which has its disadvantages (like will I remember anything correctly?), but also has its advantages: first and foremost, I was able to be more present in the moments because I wasn’t constantly in my head writing.
TRIP OVERVIEW
We spent 4 nights in Paris, 3 nights in Disneyland Paris, and 11 nights on a road trip around France. This series is a combination of personal record, information, photos, musings, and meditations. If you’re just here for info about traveling or eating gluten-free in France, look for section titles, bold type, and links, or do a word search to find what you’re looking for.
Continue reading “France | Day 1, Paris: Champs-Élysées, l’Arc de Triomphe, and Our Place on the Siene”
Lightning Bug 