Felicitations! Vous avez de la chance...maintenant il faut en profiter!

Just wanted to say thanks to all your outpourings of well-wishes. Fed-ex just delivered my tickets moments ago, so now I know it's for real.

Joy, schmoy. You'll get nothing from me but envy and resentment. 6 freakin' weeks!!!??!?! Arrrrrgg...

Bon voyage and bonne chance! You will literally have the time of your life.

I am sure your kids know and appreciate that you are a cool mom. 6 weeks sounds like the perfect amount of time to me - enough to really get immersed and experience France, but not so long that it seriously disrupts things at home.

Please add my well-wishes to all the others.

... and more good wishes from another mom whose family cheerfully waves her good-bye for a couple of weeks each year to travel with a girlfriend. My 12 and 17 year old sons love to snowboard and skateboard (which we do), loll on the beaches of California (when we can), and my husband likes to sail on our sailboat (all spring and summer) and go off-shore with friends. So, the guys "batch" it for a few weeks, mom mentally jumpstarts herself (this fall, Paris for the 1st time and Italy for the 2nd), and everyone is happy. Bon voyage! Linda

Thank you lesli and linda. Don't be envious mr go! I wish we all could live the high life and jet off to wherever we want to go anytime we want to go there. Just do like the rest of us here on these boards - take your trips vicariously thru others until its your turn again!

Congratulations from one mother to another! I am so happy to see a mother doing something just for herself for a change. Just last month I decided to start taking a week-long trip by myself every year from now on, and it does me good to see others doing the same.

My high-school French teacher was inspirational (and taught the language well) because she, although not a native of France, returned to France very often and conveyed to her students an indescribable love for the country and language. I'll never forget her.

I'd love to hear all about your trip on this forum, if you get a chance to post about it. Bon voyage!

That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you. I love hearing about it when ever someone finds a good deal to go to Europe!
I know I'm over joyed by the good find I got for my tickets too. I'll be flying on British Airway, I'm going to Budapest Hungary from Boston, June 8th till July 22nd. A couple of days over six weeks. I only paid $430.00!! I was thrilled to get them at that price, more so, since I'm also going in the high season, Summer. Only 12.5 weeks to go!! I love Hungary. I'll also go to Slovakia again this year. I'll go by Train to get there, trains are so reasonable in Central and Eastern Europe! Anyone out there going to be in Hungary when I'm there? Maybe we can meet for a cup of coffee/tea. Take care everyone, I hope everyone can find a great deal on their air fares too. Alizka

There are eight million stories in the Naked City - thank goodness not all of them require solicited fawning on the occasion of each trip, else we would never get to read any real travel information.

Nevertheless, bon voyage.

Oh come on Levon, why bother reading and then answering the heading at all if you really feel that way?

Joy multiplies when shared. Thanks for an "upper" Crepes, you go_go_go, girl!

Here's another naked story of the city.
All of us saying, have a wonderful trip!

Crepes - Congratulations, and you are doing the right thing! When you are a "senior" like me, you can look back and have no regrets about what you DIDN'T do for yourself. When people put off doing what they really want to do, most of the time, the "right" time never comes. As parents, we devote so many years to our children, and then come the grandchildren (an example, the "grandma" in your family - look what she's doing)!

I was a single mom most of the time my kids were growing up, and believe me, the 6 or 8 weeks I had in the summers while they were at camp and/or visiting their father (with MUCH help from his mother) were a time of "renewal" for me. I finished college during that time, among other things, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Was always thrilled when the children arrived back home, though. You will love living in Tours for 6 weeks, and the time will fly. You can take little daytrips from Tours on the train on weekends to lots of fun places. Have a wonderful time, and keep us interested "Fodorites" posted!

Adding my congratulations and bon voyage a bit late, and wondering, too, what QIXO is. Did you have a chance to answer? I might have missed the info, but I'm certainly curious. I remember Tours as a lovely city, sort of graceful. Wonderful location for daytrips, as well. I really am very envious. J.

QIXO is a airfare search tool that searches multiple airlines at once. You put in your details and it returns the cheapest fares. There is another one like it called Sidestep. You download its software, and everytime you search Expedia, Orbitz, etc, it comes up on the left of your screen and searches as well. It can beat Expedia et al everytime. Google QIXO and Sidestep to get the web addresses.