Thinking about France

France with Mom and Tom:  A Celebration of Mother’s Day, Birthdays, and Health!

Many of us have had our health challenges, especially in the last decade, and sometimes we forget that those challenges come along as we age.  I still not over turning 30, and next year, I will be twice that!  On one hand, thankfully, I do not look my age; on the other hand, my body often reminds me where we are on the timeline.  The most frightening challenge for me was a run-in with breast cancer.  I will forever thank the radiologist who read my mammogram 5 ½ years ago and who saw something going on.  I was very, very, very lucky.  Very.  This spring 2013, I passed my 5-year mark with flying colors. I also persevered through the colon thing thanks to my sister.  My oncologist graduated me from the cancer clinic saying I was too healthy for her to require me to visit even yearly.  Of course, weight is always going to be my challenge.

My parents, who are not that much older than me although they insist they are OLD, have also had their health challenges.  Mom has had some pain issues that were very debilitating and which were recently treated with some success.  She also had a severe sinus infection and probably bronchitis that lasted for months.  Tom has a wonky knee, among other things.  One of their dreams has been to travel back to France at least one more time while their health permits.  Once Mom’s pain issues receded, she thought maybe going this late spring/early summer was possible.  So—Celebration of Health!

Of course, I could not let Mom and Tom go alone!  I mean, they are OLD.  Our first move was to find accommodations in Paris, then decide how long we wanted to be in France and where we would go, other than Paris. 

I have travelled all of my life—my dad liked to drive, and Highway 66 was half a mile from our house.  We drove across much of America when I was growing up, usually to visit aunt, uncle, and cousins wherever the Navy stationed my uncle.  We visited Montreal and Quebec when I was 12.  I visited my growing up best friend in Washington State, and we went to Victoria on the ferry across Puget Sound.  I drove down the length of Baja with a boyfriend to Cabo San Lucas where we camped on the beach.  When my cousin started a business in Hawaii, I spent the summer there trying to help out, along with his sister (also my cousin, of course) and her new family.  Eventually, my aunt and uncle also moved to Hawaii and other visits ensued, once to accompany my grandmother on a trip. 

But it wasn’t until 2003 that I REALLY left the United States.  One of my sisters and her family and I live in San Diego.  We decided to take a trip to Paris over spring break.  That trip is another story in itself; however, once I got the bug to jump the big pond, it has been hard not to find a reason (and the money) to go at least once a year.  

For 2004, I tried to make it a tradition for my sisters and me to go to Paris for our 50^th birthdays.  My younger sister and I met Mom and Tom in France.  After we arrived in Paris, another story, too, we took the TGV out to meet Mom and Tom, who had been in France for about 2 weeks already.  They met our train, and we drove around for another week before ending up in Paris.  

In 2006, I went to Paris during spring break again, this time with my next-door neighbor.  

In 2007, my neighbor and I went to Egypt with the People to People organization.  We had to fly through Paris, of course!  

In 2008, we celebrated my youngest sister’s 50^th and my niece, her daughter’s graduation from high school by meeting up in Paris after Mom, Tom, and I had spent time driving around Provence.  

In 2009, I decided that I should visit some of the other countries in which I had an interest, so I joined a Rick Steves tour to Florence, of course, flying through Paris.  

I thought it was a shame to go through Paris and not stay, so I convinced my niece to meet me in Paris at the end of my Florence trip.  

In 2010, my nephew had been studying in Paris for his year abroad for his college degree, so my younger sister and I met up in Paris for spring break again—the visit of the aunts.  

                             We took "Flat Tracy", Trevor's mom, our sister, with us!

Later, I joined another Rick Steves tour, this time to Scotland, land of my maternal ancestors.  

Highland Coos

9th Hole, Old St. Andrews Golf Course

Edinburgh Castle

Scotland Sheep Dogs

2011 saw me visiting family in St. Louis and Albuquerque.  

In 2012, I visited my nephew in Australia.  He went to Australia after college, and I had always wanted to go to Australia, too.  

This year, 2013, it’s back to France for the 7^th time!

Usually, we have stayed in hotels in France.  We had a favorite in Paris and while in the countryside, stopped at the hotel chain Ibis.  That is, until my sister discovered the economics of renting an apartment in Paris.  She found an excellently located apartment at an unheard of price that is literally right next to Sacre Coeur in Montmartre.  And no, I am not going to tell about it!  The downside of the Montmartre apartment is that there are steps, steps, and more steps and inclines, so it was not an option to stay there with Mom and Tom.  After some disappointments at finding ideal apartments already booked, we found one in the 5^th Arrondissement that met our requirements.  We used the VRBO website (http://www.vrbo.com) to aid in our search.  The apartment is in an area with which I am not that familiar, so it will be an adventure to get to know another part of Paris.

Living Room

An advantage of booking an apartment for a week in Paris is that you will have your own kitchen facilities. This really helps to save in the cost of meals, although part of the ambiance of Paris is to sit at cafés and watch the world go by.  I am sure we will be doing some of that anyway!

Kitchen

Both apartments in which I have stayed have also had washing machines.  So as we head out to the countryside for the rest of our travel in France, we will not have to worry about packing a lot of clothes changes since we can wash clothes ahead of time and almost start off fresh.

I wish travelling outside the United States, or anywhere for that matter, were easier.  This year, I had to renew both my passpoint and driver’s license.  We have been watching the US dollar to Euro exchange rates and dealt with credit card issues.  The last time Mom, Tom, and I drove in France, we ran into the problem of trying to get gazole on a Sunday.  You can get gas at an unpersonned gas station but you have to have the right kind of credit card, one with a special chip rather than the magnetic strip on most American credit cards.  Thankfully, while putting a travel notice on my credit card, I noticed there was an option to convert the credit card to one with both the magnetic strip and the chip!  Hallelujah Brother! (A line I picked up from Cat Ballou.)  Now we are all equipped with this type of credit card, so hopefully no worries out on the road when needed gazole!

I have been packed for a couple of weeks, well, thrown things into a suitcase that I think I want to take but just recently put in more of a packed-mode.  I am ready!  But I have to finish up the Spring Semester. We leave in 10 days! A friend has been taunting me on Facebook by posting appropriately themed pictures!

In the week before we leave, our other reasons to celebrate occur:  Mother’s Day, my birthday, and Tom’s birthday!  And we will Celebrate in Paris!  Ooo la la!