Nana, Denny, and Gaye Paree
Ok, I'm back. Yes, it's been awhile, I'm aware. Nana and Denny came into town last (not this last, but last last) Tuesday, and met me in Canterbury on Wednesday. We had a great time at the children's literature museum, taking a boat tour of the town (Canterbury is soooo olddddd!), checking out the Cathedral, and having a wonderful dinner. THEN I pulled a class-A Tiffany and got us lost. Ahem. I felt so bad and so frustrated that I actually cried! But thank goodness for taxis and patient Nanas.
Then, the next day, it was off to Paris! We did not ride the Chunnel, but we took a train to Dover and then a ferry to Calais. What an amazing ferry ride! My ferry ride to the Isle of Wight was basically half an hour of lined-up chairs, crying kids, and nothing to do. But THIS. No, THIS was amazing. It was like being in a great big floating airport for an hour and a half. Nice restaurants, bars, awesome gift shops, lavish lounge areas, and a wonderful view of the ocean as we sailed along. I think everyone had a blast.
However, we ended up pulling up to Calais a leeeetle late. Which caused all something-teen of us to miss the last train to Paris. So we stayed at the "hotel" across the street from the train station: The Bansai. Ha. It was some sort of hybrid between a dorm and an RV. The beds were not as nice as those at the youth hostel I'd stayed in the weekend before, the hallway reaked of _________(<-fill in the blank), and the "shower" was a nozel that lifted out of the sink so you could bathe yourself whilst basically standing in the toilet. It was a scream. Nana and Denny were quite the troopers, however. Probably better than I was. We all got eaten alive by mosquitos while we "slept," and my face was amusingly distorted the next morning from all the swelling. Ha. Also, my poor roommate lost her wallet at the restaurant we ate at that evening (which was actually quite good), and so she and I had to troop down there at 11:45--after it closed--and try to explain to the non-English speaking owners that we had "perdue quelque-chose" (lost something). No luck. No wallet to be found. Leann was a very big girl, however, and immediately began her plans to simply return to England first thing in the morning to cancel all her cards and let her parents know what had happened. Bless her heart. One good thing, other than dinner and a place--however makeshift--to lay our heads that night, came of the Aventure Du Bonsai. And that was when Roxanne, in her attempt (as she flipped through her translation book) to request her room en francais, ordered "twin boys" in her hotel room, instead of twin beds. Ha! How classic! Later that night, we found a cute American boy from Florida who proceeded, after hearing the story, to knock on Roxanne's door and announce to her that "his brother was on his way." Too funny.
Then, wayyyyy too early the next morning, we were off to the Paris. Well, kinda. Our decision to go ahead and change our train tickets instead of just buying new ones cost Nana, Denny, and myself another missed train. Joy. Lots of trekking up and down cement staircases to different platforms, confused attempts at dialogue with conductor-type-people, and aggravating the very classically French-looking ticket lady behind the counter when we, again, requested to reschedule our departure times. (She had short, curly dissheveled hair with pursed lips, tired but alert eyes, and a very large and pointy French nose. I wanted a picture of her.)
And so, finally, we arrived in Paris somewhere around 12:30. I was quickly fading from Pixie (new nickname, a la Dr. Frost) to Grade-A Please Go Take a Nap Gremlin, so Nan and Denny fed me and sent me off to my hotel room to sleep and recuperate. Yes, I know. How, you say, does one NAP in Paris, in good conscience? But I'm afraid I would have only spread the negative energy I was harboring, rather than actually enjoy myself. So off I went to have a 4-hour nap, while Nana and Denny hit the town. Good for them.
Later that evening, I arose for a gorgeous dinner of duck breast with orange sauce, mixed vegetables, champagne with black currant (?) in it, and dessert a la framboise (raspberries). It was magnifique. I don't exactly remember what Nana and Denny had, or else I would relay that as well. The restaurant was beautiful, with lots of antique furniture and red satin drapes (? don't really know how to put it) on the walls, and lit candles on the tables. It was awesome.
And here is where I shall end my account, so I can start again with the rest of Les Aventures du Paris tomorrow, when I have more energy.
Then, the next day, it was off to Paris! We did not ride the Chunnel, but we took a train to Dover and then a ferry to Calais. What an amazing ferry ride! My ferry ride to the Isle of Wight was basically half an hour of lined-up chairs, crying kids, and nothing to do. But THIS. No, THIS was amazing. It was like being in a great big floating airport for an hour and a half. Nice restaurants, bars, awesome gift shops, lavish lounge areas, and a wonderful view of the ocean as we sailed along. I think everyone had a blast.
However, we ended up pulling up to Calais a leeeetle late. Which caused all something-teen of us to miss the last train to Paris. So we stayed at the "hotel" across the street from the train station: The Bansai. Ha. It was some sort of hybrid between a dorm and an RV. The beds were not as nice as those at the youth hostel I'd stayed in the weekend before, the hallway reaked of _________(<-fill in the blank), and the "shower" was a nozel that lifted out of the sink so you could bathe yourself whilst basically standing in the toilet. It was a scream. Nana and Denny were quite the troopers, however. Probably better than I was. We all got eaten alive by mosquitos while we "slept," and my face was amusingly distorted the next morning from all the swelling. Ha. Also, my poor roommate lost her wallet at the restaurant we ate at that evening (which was actually quite good), and so she and I had to troop down there at 11:45--after it closed--and try to explain to the non-English speaking owners that we had "perdue quelque-chose" (lost something). No luck. No wallet to be found. Leann was a very big girl, however, and immediately began her plans to simply return to England first thing in the morning to cancel all her cards and let her parents know what had happened. Bless her heart. One good thing, other than dinner and a place--however makeshift--to lay our heads that night, came of the Aventure Du Bonsai. And that was when Roxanne, in her attempt (as she flipped through her translation book) to request her room en francais, ordered "twin boys" in her hotel room, instead of twin beds. Ha! How classic! Later that night, we found a cute American boy from Florida who proceeded, after hearing the story, to knock on Roxanne's door and announce to her that "his brother was on his way." Too funny.
Then, wayyyyy too early the next morning, we were off to the Paris. Well, kinda. Our decision to go ahead and change our train tickets instead of just buying new ones cost Nana, Denny, and myself another missed train. Joy. Lots of trekking up and down cement staircases to different platforms, confused attempts at dialogue with conductor-type-people, and aggravating the very classically French-looking ticket lady behind the counter when we, again, requested to reschedule our departure times. (She had short, curly dissheveled hair with pursed lips, tired but alert eyes, and a very large and pointy French nose. I wanted a picture of her.)
And so, finally, we arrived in Paris somewhere around 12:30. I was quickly fading from Pixie (new nickname, a la Dr. Frost) to Grade-A Please Go Take a Nap Gremlin, so Nan and Denny fed me and sent me off to my hotel room to sleep and recuperate. Yes, I know. How, you say, does one NAP in Paris, in good conscience? But I'm afraid I would have only spread the negative energy I was harboring, rather than actually enjoy myself. So off I went to have a 4-hour nap, while Nana and Denny hit the town. Good for them.
Later that evening, I arose for a gorgeous dinner of duck breast with orange sauce, mixed vegetables, champagne with black currant (?) in it, and dessert a la framboise (raspberries). It was magnifique. I don't exactly remember what Nana and Denny had, or else I would relay that as well. The restaurant was beautiful, with lots of antique furniture and red satin drapes (? don't really know how to put it) on the walls, and lit candles on the tables. It was awesome.
And here is where I shall end my account, so I can start again with the rest of Les Aventures du Paris tomorrow, when I have more energy.