Early morning on another hot day. Thankfully, this is the last day of this stuff. Don hasn’t been able to work outdoors taking portraits with his camera because it’s just been too darned hot! That means he’s been home in the afternoons for the past couple of days, which is why we’ve finalized some reservations for the trip.
My dear blogging friend, Linda, had passed along a link to a company that handled apartment rentals in Paris. She used them when she went to Paris five years ago. We were so excited when we saw their offerings and we finally narrowed it down to one in the 7th Arrondissement, near the Eiffel Tower. We emailed them with the dates (which were available for that apartment) and waited for them to get back to us. A day went by. Nothing. We emailed again. Yesterday morning, Don finally called them, and after listening to a detailed message from the company, left a message about our request.
We couldn’t understand why they weren’t responding. So I started to look at other rental companies and the offerings available were not nearly as nice as our first choice. In fact, they were sort of depressing. And there was very little available – apparently October is one of the peak months for tourism in Paris. I began to get suspicious. So I googled a question, “Has such and such a company gone out of business?” and up came a post on their Facebook page where they sadly announced that due to new regulations that had been put into place in Paris, they had to close their company last March. Dang! I was so disappointed. But in retrospect it all makes sense. Those apartments were too nice not to have been snapped up already. Why they still have the website up and running and/or haven’t changed the message on their voice mail, I’m not sure.
Anyway, we had to change gears. We looked at other apartments, but quickly pivoted to hotels. I wanted to stay in the 7th Arrondissement, but everything was too expensive. We loved a hotel in the Latin Quarter that a friend of Rick had suggested, but it was already booked. That hotel (we spoke to them on the phone) suggested another hotel and we called them. I used my limited French skills to chat and he said they had rooms available and we could book them online. But when we looked at the rooms, we were depressed. Brown bed covers, aging brown furniture, very little decoration. It was a good rate and it was in the 5th Arrondissement near the Sorbonne and Notre Dame.
But the rooms. Depressing. I found another hotel that cost a good deal more where the rooms had been decorated by the well known London designer David Hicks and they were light and beautiful. But…money, always a consideration for us. We went back to the first hotel.
And suddenly it hit me. We were going to be in Paris! It would be our 20th Anniversary! I wanted romantic. I wanted beautiful. I didn’t want to feel depressed every time I walked into the room. I’m not 20 years old, backpacking through Europe. I’m 65 and this might be the trip of our lifetime and we deserve some beauty! Yes, it would be expensive. Yes, every part of me was yelling, “but the price!”
But I’m thinking we won’t regret it for one minute.
So we did it. We booked a room for 7 days there, paid a higher price so that we could cancel if something came up at the last minute, and even added breakfast to the mix. And suddenly, I found myself so excited to go to Paris!
Side note: It’s quite near the famous bookstore Shakespeare & Co. Hello!
Then, throwing caution to the winds, we booked two expensive tickets to see Ian McKellen in King Lear in London. It’s a limited run and he has said this is the last big Shakespeare that he’ll do. We had looked at what was playing in London while we were going to be there, and nothing really interested us but this. All of the musicals playing in the West End are also running in NYC. It’s like there’s no difference between Broadway and London. But King Lear? Yes. To have the chance to see him live onstage playing the role of all roles is something we couldn’t pass up.
Don’s art work.
We just have to figure out accommodations in Edinburgh, book the train from Paris to London and we’re in good shape. But I’m taking a break today. That can come tomorrow.
Planning is exciting, but exhausting.
Happy Thursday.
OH MY GOODNESS!!! Ian McKellen doing Shakespeare! Heart be still!!
You both have the most amazing adventures!
I’m very excited at the prospect of seeing and hearing him in person!
the hotel and play sound great … the whole trip will be wonderful! so glad you decided to go for it, to treat yourselves!
kathy in iowa
ps: love the chalkboard and don’s art. you both have many talents!
Don said that drawing planes was hard!
Have you looked at vrbo……vacation rental by owner…….I have used them for several places in Florida but they also have international apts…..have a great trip…..I will be waiting for your pictures…..Virginia in Ala
We already booked the hotel, Virginia and I don’t think it’s worth it for just two nights in Edinburgh! Thank you for the suggestion.
Oh my gosh, I am so jealous (in a good way)! Ian McKellen in King Lear! Paris! The two of you deserve it!
Thank you so much, Tina-Marie!
I’m so glad things worked out. I was so sad that the apt rental place was out of business, but I’m so so very glad you got a pretty hotel. It really does make a difference. This is a trip of a lifetime for you both! Oh my King Lear what a treat. Planning and purchasing tickets etc is so exhausting so I’m glad your taking a day off. I love that you are excited about this trip. Hugs!
I’m sad about that, too, because their apartments were lovely. Nothing I saw elsewhere compared!
Once in a lifetime makes lifetime memories! Ian McKellan….wow! A classy guy and versatile actor. I paid a bit more for nice hotels in England, and I’m not regretting it. We especially loved the pub accommodations in Charlestown, right by the seawall and next to the ship used in Poldark. We’re not Poldark fans, but the views were exceptional and the room was quirky…bedroom downstairs for me, bathroom and small attic bedroom upstairs for one daughter. The other daughter slept on the bed in the upstairs landing. We loved it, and those full English breakfasts! You and Don will have such a marvelous time!!!
Sounds lovely, Wendy. I agree, it’s worth it!
You made the right choice. Once in a lifetime, 20 years of marriage, PARIS!!! Even if you eat bread and water for a year when you come home, you are both romantics and you will not regret it. Also, I’m sure your friends would feed you at least occasionally. :-). And Ian McKellen in his last Shakespeare roll!! Goosebumps just thinking of that! I saw my idol Placido Domingo in a very poor opera at the Met some years back and it was a thrill beyond measure to hear his voice in person. I’m not at all jealous–I’m totally happy just for you and Don!!
Nothing like seeing or hearing someone in person, Nora! It’s worth it!
You two have so much stuff going on in your heads that I can hear the gears turning all the way down here..lol…enjoy your day off!
You’re not kidding!!
How exciting to have your plans come together so perfectly. And to be able to see Shakespeare too! All those yrs ago I went with a group from the college where I worked, a trip through the English Dept. So plays were very much on the agenda. We spent one week alone in Stratford-on-Avon seeing lots of Royal Shakespeare Co. And I’ll never forget being able to sit on stage (!) for a production of “Much Ado” starring Derek Jacobi. Reading about your trip coming together makes he want to go back. Dean and I have both been to England, but before we met. Be fun to share it.
I know well the area where you’re staying in Paris. You’ll love it there. Lots to see and you’ll be close to the river, always a good thing. Our hotel, the first time I went with Dean, was across the street from the Sorbonne and nothing special but then we hardly spent any time there. When I was finished walking for the day, I would head to the Luxembourg Gardens and sit under the chestnut trees and people watch. It was only the last 3 days that he was done with business and we were together all day. Your trip is completely different and I too would opt for a beautiful hotel room in that case. My friend, who lived in Paris as a nanny years ago, booked a gorgeous apartment last year and we’re hoping to nab that one when we go in the spring. Now comes the best part – planning (and thinking about) what you’ll do when you’re there.
I, too, went to Stratford to see Shakespeare. I was very young, my first trip overseas – I think I was 21. But hearing those great actors onstage was heavenly! We’re very near the Luxembourg Gardens, Kay, and I plan to spend time there and people watch, just as you did!
Good choice! This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip & you deserve a nice place to stay. You’re totally justified in spreading yourself for this event. And you won’t regret it once you get home either. I’m sure you can find ways to cut corners in other ways, if you want. Fewer souvenirs or something, maybe. Who wants to lug a lot of stuff back? Especially when your cottage already has a zillion cute things in it. Now you can enjoy the rest of the planning & anticipation. Which is always a huge part of a trip [especially foreign ones]. Peace.
#Resist
#ProtectMueller
We’re cutting way, way back on my birthday and Christmas – we figure this is our present to each other! I plan on buying things over there, but mostly smalls, like egg cups and china – that sort of thing.
I can remember when I was ‘on tour’ when such a baby still age 21 that I really wanted a cuckoo clock from one of the artisans in the Black Forest of Germany; wasn’t cheesy, they were beautifully wood-carved and I have ancestry (very distant, like 8 generations back, but still a connection) in that part of the country, so it had meaning for me. But I let my young self get obsessed about how I’d carry it home when I think it’s very easy to have that stuff shipped back to the U.S. in today’s ‘modern times’. From a reputable seller? Shouldn’t be a prob. I brought very, very little back of anything for myself, with small gifts for everybody else, which today makes me head scratch, but the little things I did keep for myself are pretty precious. You see something your really want over there, Claudia? Don’t deny yourself. Get it. Every time you look at what you bought once you’re back home, you’ll remember the wonder of the trip.
I think shipping is much easier nowadays. We will ship back anything that’s awkward or hard to pack, especially since we’re carrying on. I would love some little things for our home that remind us of our trip.
Just read a squib from a site called “The Active Times” : ‘France is also another country where much of the local population goes on their own holiday in August. As a result, the end of summer sees far fewer crowds, and as the French come back home for September, the travel shoulder season has begun and has more mild weather…Paris is lovely during this time, as popular attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and nearby Versailles are not as much of a pain to navigate. The city also has plenty of other museums, galleries, parks, and, of course, restaurants worth experiencing for an unforgettable trip.’
Yes I know all about August. Most Europeans take their vacations then. A woman I follow who lives in Paris said she was enjoying the relative quiet in the city during August.
Good for you, so excited for you both. It’s all about making memories. Sometimes we have to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. It is going to be your trip of a lifetime and well deserved.
My daughter and I went to Charleston in May and yes, accommodation was pricey but I decided beforehand that we wouldn’t settle for less. I’m 74 but was determined that if I was healthy and fit that Charleston would be done first class. No regrets.
First class indeed, Lea. No regrets!
“Plane to Stewart” – – is that what it says on last line of chalkboard? What does it mean?
The name of our local airport here in the Hudson Valley.
oh! just now on here and it’s all been said! I’m SO HAPPY for you both!
sometimes you just know when it’s right to splurge. and this one is right!
have a good day off! it’s actually cloudy here for a change! YAAAYYYYY !
SO hot here! But it’s supposed to drop to 76 tomorrow. Cannot wait! Thanks, Tammy.
Of all you mention here, the one thing I envy you is seeing Ian McKellan in “Lear.” We saw him, Patrick Stewart and Billy Crudup on Broadway in “Waiting for Godot.” Having seen about 120 musicals and twice as many plays, that show was the pinnacle of our theater-going.
Our travel advice to everyone is “don’t go somewhere and then skimp and don’t forego things you will regret later. Savor the moments and know that some moments have high price tags.” I think your Paris booking is brilliant.
Thank you so much, Brenda!
Brenda’s comment is the last one I’m reading tonight and I should have read it first; she’d already said what I was thinking and trying to say myself! Captured the whole concept of this kind of pleasurable travel PERFECTLY.
Yes, indeed!
Glad that the arrangements are getting settled. This will be such an exciting and romantic trip.
Marilyn
Fingers crossed, Marilyn!