It's official...our flights to Paris France are booked for April 12th!!! I can hardly believe it!! We will be in France for 3 weeks!
Yes, I want to see the Eiffel Tower. Yes I would love to take in the Louvre. See some sights...but...
What I look forward to most is seeing the joy in my husbands eyes as he hugs his children close to his heart till they can hardly breath lol!! We planned this trip at a time that his children had time off from school. They will join us for their holiday at Chris' parents home in Versailles, just outside of Paris.
It's been 2 years since Chris saw his daughter Mahault almost 16..and his son Thomas 14. Although he is often chatting with them online or on the phone..it's not the same as being able to goof around with them or just be at their side when needed. ..It's a long story to know why they are there and not here but I won't go into it. Suffice it to say, he misses his children.
I have already told Chris that I don't want him to worry about entertaining me...I want him to do as much as possible with his kids...Sure we will do things together..of that I am certain. I do however want him to spend lots of alone time with them...without me...He needs to bond with them, as they need him all to themselves. I have him every other day of our lives together.
I will be more then blessed spending time with his parents whom I adore! Any vacation for me is also not being home lol. We also plan to travel to Vernon where Chris' sister Frederique and husband Bernard have a resturant called Les Fleurs . You really have to click on that direct link, the photos of Bernards cuisine will make your mouth water!! He is an award winning chef.
We hope the kids will be with us atleast 2 weeks. It may be less. Depending on the timing..when they won't be with us, we plan to go visit Chris' grandmother in Galan France. In the Hautes-Pyrenees mountains, near the border of Spain. I found a family tourist site that have a few pics of Galan. Very close to Lourdes, Toulouse and Tarbes, where Chris was born btw...Galan is a small village that is probably close to a 1000 years old..she still lives in the house that Chris's mother was raised in. The house is probably close to 300 yrs old. His grandmother is not getting any younger at 86 yrs of age...she will be thrilled to see her grandson and hopefully meet his new wife lol. I look forward to spending time with her.
From there we hope to drive towards the South of France, Côte d'Azur in the french Riviera if all goes well...Chris was fortunate to grow up spending his summers there as a boy. Only because they had an uncle who lived there and welcomed them each year, as much for their pleasure as for his.
One thing is for sure...I will have the best tour guide anyone could hope for! How better to visit a place then through the eyes of someone who knows it so well!!
Mostly though, I really can't wait to see parts of my husbands world. Where he grew up, the everyday views he saw as a boy. The people who love him. The places where defining moments in his life happened.
My other point of interest is vested in my own family history. All my ancestors came from there on both my parents sides. It is a place I have wanted to touch, see and experience since I was a little girl. I know our time there will be short lived...but I know we will be back. For now, this first time to actually be going there is thrilling to me.
Tell me...is there a place you have always wanted to see in your lifetime? If so, where is it and have you been able to fulfill it yet? Oh and WHY is this place so special to you?
Yes, I want to see the Eiffel Tower. Yes I would love to take in the Louvre. See some sights...but...
What I look forward to most is seeing the joy in my husbands eyes as he hugs his children close to his heart till they can hardly breath lol!! We planned this trip at a time that his children had time off from school. They will join us for their holiday at Chris' parents home in Versailles, just outside of Paris.
It's been 2 years since Chris saw his daughter Mahault almost 16..and his son Thomas 14. Although he is often chatting with them online or on the phone..it's not the same as being able to goof around with them or just be at their side when needed. ..It's a long story to know why they are there and not here but I won't go into it. Suffice it to say, he misses his children.
I have already told Chris that I don't want him to worry about entertaining me...I want him to do as much as possible with his kids...Sure we will do things together..of that I am certain. I do however want him to spend lots of alone time with them...without me...He needs to bond with them, as they need him all to themselves. I have him every other day of our lives together.
I will be more then blessed spending time with his parents whom I adore! Any vacation for me is also not being home lol. We also plan to travel to Vernon where Chris' sister Frederique and husband Bernard have a resturant called Les Fleurs . You really have to click on that direct link, the photos of Bernards cuisine will make your mouth water!! He is an award winning chef.
We hope the kids will be with us atleast 2 weeks. It may be less. Depending on the timing..when they won't be with us, we plan to go visit Chris' grandmother in Galan France. In the Hautes-Pyrenees mountains, near the border of Spain. I found a family tourist site that have a few pics of Galan. Very close to Lourdes, Toulouse and Tarbes, where Chris was born btw...Galan is a small village that is probably close to a 1000 years old..she still lives in the house that Chris's mother was raised in. The house is probably close to 300 yrs old. His grandmother is not getting any younger at 86 yrs of age...she will be thrilled to see her grandson and hopefully meet his new wife lol. I look forward to spending time with her.
From there we hope to drive towards the South of France, Côte d'Azur in the french Riviera if all goes well...Chris was fortunate to grow up spending his summers there as a boy. Only because they had an uncle who lived there and welcomed them each year, as much for their pleasure as for his.
One thing is for sure...I will have the best tour guide anyone could hope for! How better to visit a place then through the eyes of someone who knows it so well!!
Mostly though, I really can't wait to see parts of my husbands world. Where he grew up, the everyday views he saw as a boy. The people who love him. The places where defining moments in his life happened.
My other point of interest is vested in my own family history. All my ancestors came from there on both my parents sides. It is a place I have wanted to touch, see and experience since I was a little girl. I know our time there will be short lived...but I know we will be back. For now, this first time to actually be going there is thrilling to me.
Tell me...is there a place you have always wanted to see in your lifetime? If so, where is it and have you been able to fulfill it yet? Oh and WHY is this place so special to you?
12 comments:
What a glorious trip you are going to have....It sounds so wonderful...And that you will be with family and as yiu said someone who knows the area so well....! I was in the South Of France for almost three weeks, many many years ago..I LOVED IT!
And I was lucky to see a lot of the countryside and the towns because I was with people who either lived there for much of the year or were permament residents!
Be sure to take Lots & Lots of pictures!
Wow! This is wonderful news! Will you be able to blog while you are on your trip? I can imagine you will find plenty to occupy yourself while Chris bonds with his kids. We were fortunate enough o visit parts of EUrope, and Japan while my kids were living there( courtest of the US military). There is nothing like a personal tour guide!
How fabulous!! The planning and anticipating are so exciting! You'll never regret it!
I love Paris in the springtime ... I love Paris in the fall .. etc,etc.
Paris is one special place. When I was a student in Birmingham my then husband and I spent many wonderful days, footloose and fancy free, wandering the streets of Paris. Great days ... fond memories.
For international flights the airline allows 2 suitcases/boxes per person at 75 pounds each.
Between you and Chris that's 300 pounds.....
you can take me!
I'm so excited for you both.
*hugs*
How funny! I just happened to read your blog and you're off to Paris - when we are! *heehee* We're off to Europe for 3 weeks, leaving here on April 17th, visiting my sister, Kimbofo in London then over to mainland Europe for 2 weeks! You never know, I just might bump into you at some stage!! SPending 3 nights in Paris but during the 2 full days we are there we're going to go to Euro Disneyland and hopefully Monet's Garden in Giverny. I have been wanting to visit Monet's Garden for about 20 years so this is a life long goal of mine that hopefully I will achieve in under 4 months time!
Have a wonderful trip away. Great to read your blog again.
(You might remember me - my daughter and you have the same 1st name!)
Oh Moon I'm so happy for you. To be in Paris with someone you love - doesn't get much better than that. And it's great that you will share your husbands joy at seeing his children. Everybody has their own Paris and I'm sure it will weave its magic for you. If you wander on the left bank near le Pont Royale - give it my love.
Moon, this will be a wonderful trip for you! Versailles is great, and there is a bakery on the main street near the train station that has the BEST eclairs I've ever eaten (pistachio). YOu will LOVE Paris! Take lots of pics, please and enjoy! Stay safe on the flights.
I wanna go, I wanna go ! Take me, take me !! I know you will have fun. I would like to see France. I want to see England tho too. Castles, museums, etc. I wanna post card too!!
How exciting for you! I am looking forward to hearing about your trip and seeing photos.
My family is from France too (waaay back - not sure when the French-Canadian side of my family arrived in Canada) so France is definitely a place I would like to visit in my lifetime too.
France sounds wonderful. One of my good friends has a lot of family there, and she has given me the bug to go there someday, after I've learned enough French that I don't embarrass myself. :)
I have sort of an odd list of places that I want to go, in no particular order. I want to see Norway and Sweden, and the Netherlands, because that's where a lot of my family is from -- and I'd love to see the fjords in Norway, because I like dramatic geography. I want to go to Peru, somewhere around Macchu Pichu, because it looks so beautiful; and to Chile, because Pablo Neruda is my favorite poet. I want to see Edinburgh, because I've heard it's a wonderful city, and traipse across the rugged parts of Scotland. I'm not too big on cities in general, but I do like places with a lot of character. Basically, any place with a remarkable geography or a particularly interesting history. (So pretty much everywhere.)
I hope the New Year has been treating you well. :) I've been sick with a nasty cold for the past week, but I'm pretty much recovered now. My sister-in-law is coming to town for the weekend (while my brother goes to a conference on the other side of the country), so I'll need all my energy for a girls' weekend!
I am very happy for you ,wish you could swing by Ireland, but I understand why you can't this trip. Maybe next trip you can fit Ireland in would love to finally see you in person. I really haven't thought of a place I would like to visit. Maybe England and do the whole beatle thing. LOL
Hugs
Cindy
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