Tout Est Bien Qui Finit Bien

We have been home for a week now and as in past blogs, I planned one last entry after our return. Kim and I were very jet lagged upon getting home and were not surprised when we both became ill, this has happened before. Out of caution, we decided to test for Covid and … oops a positive test for both. So we wrapped the trip with days of isolation which with jet lag was not that hard to do. We did check while away when Kim developed a cold but that came up negative. So an interesting way to end a trip.

Enough on that. We spent the last few days before returning enjoying our neighborhood and had great meals at Le Grand Colbert and Aux Crus de Bourgogne both of which we recommend. I did get a chance to fold in one more new place, Tour Maine-Montparnasse. For years it was the tallest building in France and when completed its appearance was so criticized that a ban on buildings over 7 stories in the city center resulted. It also has an observatory deck with fantastic views of Paris enhanced by, according to some, the fact the tower itself is not visible. Rough!

We were very sad to leave, the sign of a great trip.  We have many other travel ideas in our back pocket but we can see more trips like this in the future no matter where else we go.

Pictures from the final days are below. This trip was planned with the help of Deb Siegle who was very patient with us as we planned and debated. Much appreciated Deb! For the apartment, Deb used HVN  which has a nice selection of rentals available around the world. We had another apartment arranged with HVN and when they received some bad feedback on it they proactively offered us another, larger apartment at no additional cost. Very nice!

Ok, after 3 years I get to declare another blog wrapped!

Porte Saint-Denis Porte Saint-Denis
Flocking friends Flocking friends at Porte Saint-Denis.
Palais Garnier Palais Garnier, home of the Paris Opera.
Palais-Royal Nocturnal wanderings around the Palais-Royal.
Paris view Paris view from Tour Maine-Montparnasse.
The Louvre The Louvre from Tour Maine-Montparnasse.
The Louvre A wider view of The Louvre with Jardin des Tuileries to the left.
Hôtel des Invalides Hôtel des Invalides with the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile to the upper left.
Le Jardin du Luxembourg Le Jardin du Luxembourg from Tour Maine-Montparnasse.
Cimetière du Montparnasse Cimetière du Montparnasse from Tour Maine-Montparnasse.
Tour Maine-Montparnasse Tour Maine-Montparnasse. Yeah… I get the criticism.
Grand Bassin Rond Afternoon relaxation at the Grand Bassin Rond. The Musée d’Orsay is visible to the upper right.
Flying home Flying home past a favorite place.
Coast of Iceland Coast of Iceland
Volcanic crater in Iceland. Volcanic crater in Iceland.

An American (Park) in Paris

Kim and I have enjoyed visiting Disneyland Paris on past trips, kind of like a dream. You know the place but it is different. On our last trip to France, we visited Parc Astrix with Syd and had a lot of fun. 15 years have passed, we decided it was time for a Disney visit.

There are some unique things at this park, there is a dragon under the castle, an Alice in Wonderland maze, and instead of Tomorrowland, there is Discoveryland which is themed on European thinkers and includes a Nautilus submarine walk thru. The Pirates of the Caribbean and Phantom Manor, this park’s version of The Haunted Mansion, are two of my favorite versions of these rides. In all our visits we have found the parks to be small enough to do what we want in a day-to-day and a half, easier now that this Disney location has Disney Premier Access letting us “hot-foot it into the fast lane” as the website puts it.

Changes in how Disney handles additions were evident, light theming is the new mantra. One of the new rides, Avengers Assemble: Flight Force was like being on Space Mountain except instead of stars and planets it was Ironman and Captain Marvel being projected. The Ironman animatronic at the start was nice but the rest of the ride was routine. In Discoveryland, Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune is now Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain. Originally the rollercoaster was themed around Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon and many of those elements still exist but with Star Wars music and pictures being projected. A light touch change with a mix of themes. These are just two examples, there were more. All in all, we did have a good time, it was worth the visit, especially after such a long time. But I would like readers to be aware of what to expect if they visit.

Kim meeting the locals.
Kim meeting the locals.
I ain't 'fraid of no ghost
I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost
La Tanière du Dragon
La Tanière du Dragon.
Pirates' Beach
Pirates’ Beach
The Molly Brown and Phantom Manor.
The Molly Brown and Phantom Manor.
Alice's Curious Labyrinth
Alice’s Curious Labyrinth
Les Mystères du Nautilus
Les Mystères du Nautilus
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
Inside Parc Walt Disney Studios
Inside Parc Walt Disney Studios
visiting with Loki & Thor
visiting with Loki & Thor
Ironman Animatronic
Ironman Animatronic in Avengers Assemble: Flight Force.
Ratatouille
Ratatouille
Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel
Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel
More ghostly visitors
More ghostly visitors
The obligatory Disney Castle selfie.
The obligatory Disney Castle selfie.