ggnga

Hello all,

I have been home since the 29th. Was home 1 1/2 days and ended up in the hospital for a week with a partial bowel obstruction. NG tube and all. No previous problem, out of the blue. Lost any weight I might have
gained traveling but what a way to do it.

I am so thankful I got sick 2 days after return and not 2 days before. It was scary enough with my husband and son sitting accross the room. I am home and feeling much better. Enough about that except to say I will never travel without travel insurance again. That was too close for comfort.

Okay, here I must vent. I will NEVER, NEVER, EVER, take anyone with me again, my best friend, children and husband excluded of course. The amount of stress and even expense taking someone who has never traveled internationally is just not for me.
I think traveling together is one of the hardest things. You really never know someone no matter what you think. I took a coworker and casual friend with me because we shared a lot of common interest and enjoyed long chats etc. It was not good.

The person never looked at one bit of all the information I gave him. I spent much time getting together info and passing it on. He lost the copies of all the reservations etc. I provided. He never looked at one thing so he had no clue about what he wanted to do. I had made an itinerary but threw it away after 2 days. Why do we have to get up before 1030am, why is our flight so early, why do we have to eat so late (after 7pm), the bags are heavy, I don't like the metro or tube I don't ride subways anywhere, its not clean here like at home, absolutely apalled at dogs and cats inside, do you have American beer at a Paris cafe, I need to take a nap in the afternoon after I have slept til 1030am, my feet hurt, I need more salt for everything, the menu must be read to me at least 5 different times before I decide, what is that thing again, can you look at the side of the can and tell me how much sugar is in the Orangina after I have eaten two creme filled puff things.

Enough. I will continue with the real trip report next installment. I really did have some fun and wonderful new experiences in spite of my moaning. One of the best was London tea with with Judy, a fellow Fodorite.

Will continue.

gg

ggnga

Delta--Atl. to NY LGA. OK flight. Refused to let anymore carryons when we got to the door of the plane. I had only a samll bag with my meds. Doug's bag was checked. Stayed at Grand Hyatt NY next to Grand Central Station. It was a priceline bid $140. the hotel has just finished extensive renovation. I loved it. Sleek but very comfortable room, excellent bed.
Fabulous location. We went out for some great pizza and on to the Empire State Bldg. The evening was Mama Mia. I have never been able to see it in London. I enjoyed it very much. It was so good, one of the best shows I have ever seen. The next day walked 5th Ave., shopped a little.
Picked up our bags and took the shuttle to Newark for AF Flight.

Air France was asking for volunteers to be bumped. $150 right then, $800 credit or $400 cash if you were called, promise of next AF flight or 10 pm Continental flight. We agreed, were taken out of line, bags put on stand by, and wisked away to get our $150. Guess what, oh, we aren't doing that anymore. We don't need more volunteers.
However, our original seats are no longer ours and we are last in line to check in. UGH!!! All of that for nothing. We rush through security and get to the gate and get similar seats as we had before. Never again.

Fligh is routine, on time, I slept with my ambien. Doug did not sleep. Still free drinks on AF. food ok.

Arrived at 6:15am, AF coach to Montparnasse. No problem. Hotel is Waldorf Montparnasse on rue du Depart, across from Montp. tower. We were here for 2 night because of location, next day train from Montp. to tours. We start walking..get turned around. it is raining and chilly. We know were are right at it but walk round and around for 45 mins. and 3 attempts to ask directions. finally a lady say the other side of the tower and we find it.
Room is small with small twin beds but ok. Nicely, the rooms are ready and we go up for a nap for a couple of hours since Doug did not sleep. We head out to Tocadero on the metro. Doug informs me he does not ride subways anywhere and this is not acceptable. YIKES!!!

We round the corner and there it is... the Eiffle Tower in all it's glory. The metro is forgotten. Many pictures later we head for a cafe..onion soup, beer, and very good creme brulee. Paris, I love you.

continued..

ggnga

I will just do highlights for the rest.
Hotel-London: Holiday Inn Forum, Kensington. $63 priceline. Wonderful. Excellent bed, Great location.
Very good restaurant across from Gloucester Road tube, Organic pizza restaurant. Excellent fresh salads, pizza and pasta.

Hotel Paris: Familia 101 euros per night with balcony. Street noise not a problem for me, room small but not much smaller than others I stayed in, enjoyed the balcony, Doug's room nicer, mine a little shabby, staff ok.
Good location. Would stay there again. Absolutely loved the outside of the building with the wroughtiron and geraniums.

Food-London: Nothing specific except Pizza restaurant mentioned above. Tea at Claridge's. Beautiful. Lovely time with fodor freind. Food very average. Would try somewhere else next time.

Food-Paris: Tire -Bouchon Rest., 47 rue Descartes in the 5th near rue Monge. Very good fix price starting at 15.50 euros. Escargot excellent, Chicken hunter stye and Beef Burgun. very good, excellent blue cheese walnut salad. I have eaten there on three trips now and it is always good.
Altitude 95, enjoyed it more than Jules Vern. I liked the view better. got a window seat there too, very lucky! Ordered from menu not fixed price. Food was good, dessert excellent. I think is is a good value for the experience. We spent 160 euros
total for two, 1 glass champ., 1 martini, starter, main, dessert each and pitchet of house wine. Doug had the warm chocolate cake and I had a fancy cafe flavored sundae.

Loire Valey, train on own to Tours, full day tour with St. Eloi excursions 5 chateaus. Villandry, Azay le Rideau, Chenconceau, Amboise, Clos Luce.
Wonderful day. Really enjoyed this. Second time with them. Highly recommended. 43 euros

Cotswolds Hotel, The Mews B&B. Nice enough room. Fabulous breakfast. Very nice hosts. 65 GBP. good location in middle of Stow on Wold. Only pub grub here.
Genny Stallabrass - tourgems.com
excellent guide. Wonderful, wonderful time. I love the Cotswolds. Highlights, Warwick Castle,Bibury, Winchcombe, Broadway, Burton on the water and Chipping Campden. Many antique shops. Fabulous cream tea twice.
I brought home Lemon Curd and will attempt to make scones for it this week.
I have my new stock of Harrod's Earl Grey also. Genny and Cotswolds very highly recommended.

One more note, I finally got to the Napolean apartments part of the Louvre.
It was spectacular. I will go again.
Wonderful piano concert at St. Julien
Church. St. Chapelle always breathtaking no matter how many times. Fabulous time shopping and just looking at the separate home decor store of Galleries Laf. Grands Boulevard.

If I remember anything else, I will add it later.
I hope this will provide some useful info for someone.

melissa19

gg,

i'm glad to hear there are still free drinks on air france. did you also have the small seatback video system? movies, cartoons, etc.?

travelling with a youngster next spring. we need to know . . .

thanks! i can't wait to see the eiffel tower, too!

ggnga

AF does have have the seat back screen and many options. I thought the seats were comfortable and the legroom pretty good. The airbus does not have the airvents overhead to adjust and I thought it was stuffy at times.
We got a really huge hassle at CDG on the way home about our carryon. We had a very small rollon with nothing in the pockets, absolutely flat, and a fold up Carnival Cruise Line small/medium duffel. We had to weigh and measure both bags which were of course in compliance but did not get them on without our strong insistance (we had breakable antiques). Others commented they had never had this problem with Air France before. Me either. I was all prepared for British Air and not a peep from them about our carryons.
I guess it just depends on the day and staff.

kvadragon

ggna-

Thanks for the trip report. I am planning to use Genny for a Cotswolds tour next May. Glad to hear that you enjoyed her so much. Did you do a private or group tour?

kvadragon

susanna

Glad to hear you had a good time even though your travel companion was not the best. I too, have sworn off traveling with anyone but my husband, it's just too expensive and far to go to not be having the best time you can...but...I agreed to go to Paris in Feb with a sister in law, figuring she would be somewhat similiar to travel with since she is his sister...WRONG..the little things are starting to surface(not reading anything about Paris, not wanting to stay in an apartment,etc). After reading your first paragraph I am kicking myself for making this mistake again. Don't we ever learn...or at least remember.

ggnga

Hello, This was the second time I toured with Genny. We did a private tour. She picked us up from Heathrow this time.

The last time I did a tour one day, preplanned itinerary on the website,
and the second day a personalized itinerary. However, on that trip I was the only person, just Genny and I, for both days.

I saw so much more than I ever would have otherwise. Genny has lived there all her life and knows all the special spots. She really takes in to account what you express your interests to be and picks up on this even more when you start touring.

Have fun.

hopingtotravel

Complete sympathies on the travel companion! We have good friends we've known for nearly 25 years--even own a piece of property with them. We've stayed with them. We've spent hours with them. Absolutely no way would we ever travel with them!!! It's hard enough for my husband and I to travel together. I'm an early riser; he's late. I'm ready to hit the road and see the sights. He wants to linger. He's also the one who never reads any of the prior info. Heaven help if I get sick in a foreign country--he never even knows what town we're going to next! BTW which chateaus in the Loire Valley did you prefer? How much time did you need to allot?

ira

Hi gg,

I am happy that your illness came after you got home.

>I took a coworker and casual friend with me ....<

As I have often told my students, never loan your notes to a "friend".

ira

Hi gg,

Thanks for your report.

ggnga

hopingtotravel,

I really like Chenonceau. Been there x2. Also Amboise and Azay le Rideau.
We had an hour or more each place to tour on our own. It was not a guided tour by St. Eloi which I prefer. I didn't feel too rushed. If I were doing it independently though, I would want to take time exporing the surrounding town/area. I want to go back and do a car tour and explore the area more. Have fun.

ira, I walked down rue Bonaparte looking for the hotel but never came on it. I was going to check it out for future travel. It was just a spur of the moment thing and I did not have the address or map with me. I really like this area, spent a whole day there last trip just browsing and cafe sitting. This was one thing Doug really enjoyed too, the time spent there people watching and window shopping. I actually did buy some fabulously "French" new eyeglasses there. Can't wait to get the lens in and start wearing them.

hopingtotravel

Thanks. The pictures of Chenonceau have always looked intriguing. I currently have a library book out that is supposed to be on Catherine de Medici and Diana de Poitiers. Hope you are feeling much better.

starspinners

Glenda,
So sorry that you went through that ordeal , but happy to hear you are feeling better now.
I enjoyed meeting you and Doug, too bad he 'let the side down' as a traveling companion.
It's scary that two of the Fodorites I met in London this year ended up in the emergency room.
Judy

ggnga

Boy, did I need spellcheck and a typist on this one. I just wanted to correct something. I just received my credit card bill for Attitude 95, I had written above the total bill was 160 euros but it was only 122 euros. I guess I was thinking 60 euros per person when I wrote 160. It was a really nice experience for the money.

Judy, too bad we didn't meet "He who must not be Named" at our tea. It was so nice to meet you. Maybe again next year, I know you travel to London frequently.