Paris disillusionment... we've seen it here on this forum.. from Margie. to Ziana's rant, and more recently mdtravel - - now with "Mitsuko" it's a syndrome!
May 4th, 2009, 03:16 PM
#102
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I should share... we loved the American Breakfast in Paris - or whatever the name is. It was up the street from our apartment and we did enjoy it. Shrug.
We went to Paris for the first time in June of 2007. Unfortunately we left LAX on a Thursday and did not get to Paris till Sat afternoon and were re-routed to Chile of all places (true story) We were on a tight schedule and only ended up in Paris Sat afternoon - Monday around 12:00 noon. I did not really enjoy my time. I was not enchanted at all.
I realized my jet-lag and short time might have impacted it but really had little desire to return when the world is so large and there are so many places to go!
Well.... we had over 5,000 in Airfrance credit that had to be used and while tossing this and that around we finally settled on Paris for a variety of reasons - and stayed December 22- Jan 2 of 2009...
What a difference... I fell 100% head over heels in love with the city... I found it to be magical - perhaps the slower pace - the shopping at the markets and cooking in my apartment...the museums - the Christmas decorations -the Notre Dame on Christmas Eve... who knows what it was but I fell under her magical spell.. glad I had the chance to re-visit.
We went to Paris for the first time in June of 2007. Unfortunately we left LAX on a Thursday and did not get to Paris till Sat afternoon and were re-routed to Chile of all places (true story) We were on a tight schedule and only ended up in Paris Sat afternoon - Monday around 12:00 noon. I did not really enjoy my time. I was not enchanted at all.
I realized my jet-lag and short time might have impacted it but really had little desire to return when the world is so large and there are so many places to go!
Well.... we had over 5,000 in Airfrance credit that had to be used and while tossing this and that around we finally settled on Paris for a variety of reasons - and stayed December 22- Jan 2 of 2009...
What a difference... I fell 100% head over heels in love with the city... I found it to be magical - perhaps the slower pace - the shopping at the markets and cooking in my apartment...the museums - the Christmas decorations -the Notre Dame on Christmas Eve... who knows what it was but I fell under her magical spell.. glad I had the chance to re-visit.
May 4th, 2009, 05:46 PM
#103
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Mom DDTravel,
So interesting what you wrote about trip #1 and #2 to Paris. It makes all the difference in the world if you can experience a city, any city at a slower pace. I think that explains much of why we didn't enjoy our visit this time around. April in Paris was mobbed with tourists ( us among them) and because we decided to stay at our old haunt in the 6th, it was hard to escape. My mistake.
We've also visited Paris in the middle of the winter, and the beginning and end of the summer, and those visits were much better because we weren't constantly in lines and crowds everywhere we went.
So interesting what you wrote about trip #1 and #2 to Paris. It makes all the difference in the world if you can experience a city, any city at a slower pace. I think that explains much of why we didn't enjoy our visit this time around. April in Paris was mobbed with tourists ( us among them) and because we decided to stay at our old haunt in the 6th, it was hard to escape. My mistake.
We've also visited Paris in the middle of the winter, and the beginning and end of the summer, and those visits were much better because we weren't constantly in lines and crowds everywhere we went.
May 4th, 2009, 08:05 PM
#104
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Sorry Weadles, I didn't. I've gotten bad about not writing reports because one, I get slammed with work as soon as I get back. And two, we wing it as we go and I so seldom know what restaurant we ate at, etc. I know people look for that sort of thing, but like in Marrakesh, it was some no-name hole in the wall that a local who we befriended suggested. Have no idea how exactly to send someone there, but the rabbit tagine was great.
But if you had questions about places to stay, or how to get around, I still have a lot of that kind of thing in my head.
But if you had questions about places to stay, or how to get around, I still have a lot of that kind of thing in my head.
May 4th, 2009, 09:41 PM
#105
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Weadles I have decided that slowtravel is for me... it killed me in ways to be in Paris for 10 nights and not go to Brugge or here..or there...but in a way we were forced because our youngest got pretty ill... I have to say I will never return to less then 5 nights in a city/place in most cases... it was really lovely.
