The final blog

What an incredible adventure. In Scotland we spent some wonderful moments with the family creating very special memories that we have all taken home and will treasure. We visited 7 castles, a wheel and 2 palaces which was not bad considering the amount of rain there was. In France we drove 7,250 km, Neil cycled 40 climbs and fulfilled a dream. Seeing Neil conquer the climbs and sharing in his joy has been fantastic. I wore myself out in Provence visiting as many old stunning villages and markets as I could. And then there was Paris where we soaked up the atmosphere, did as the Parisians do, as well as partaking in the odd tourist excursion. Needless to say we had a trip of a lifetime. We have promised the kids we will be back one day to do things we did not see and to revisit some of the favourites. It will take a few days to stop saying bonjour and merci to everyone (Callum said merci to the Australian customs official when we arrived in Perth). On the way to the airport we all decided it was "a bientot" (see you soon) rather than goodbye to France.

We had a pretty eventless trip home which is just what you want. The Parisian taxi arrived right on the dot and took us the direct route to the airport (or as direct as you can get in Paris). We deliberately arrived early at the airport so it was easy to check in with our mountain of luggage, then headed off to the departure lounge for some lunch and some shopping with the last of the Euros. The kids had quite a bit of energy, even after Neil had them running around the Jardin du Luxembourg in the morning, so I got Heather to do some star jumps and exercises before getting on the plane.





Being a family with young kids we get to board the plane first, this time though we got on the plane and the steward immediately kidnapped Callum and took him into the cockpit. We thought he'd be having the time of his life with all those buttons and sitting next to the captain but when the steward asked to come and get the camera from me she said I'd better come too (this is not allowed only kids are permitted) because Callum had started to cry and ask for Mum and Dad. This is the first time this has ever happened and needless to say no photo of Callum flying the plane. We were on the 380 Airbus so boarding was quite orderly (due to us riff raff being loaded separately from the posh section) and soon we were leaving France in no time (the pictures are from the seat screen).


Taking off


Straight into a storm


Then out the top of the clouds

None of us slept during the first leg


(the kids tested their new sleeping masks and pillows though, just in case)



which had us arriving in Dubai at midnight, then taking off again at about 2.30am. By this time the kids were shattered. As we boarded the flight to Perth Callum insisted in his sleep deprived state that he wasn't going to sleep and he was going to watch movies, then promptly fell asleep sitting up with head plopped on his teddy 'Moo'. Heather followed soon after and both kids ended up spreading themselves over each other and us across all our seats. I managed to catch up on my movie watching and saw 4 films that I've had on my DVD rental list. Unfortunately the trip took its toll on Heather who spent the final hour before arriving in Perth with motion sickness declaring that she hated flying. Perth airport was an absolute disaster with 3 flights arriving at the same time and not enough staff to get everyone through Quarantine without creating a line that snaked around the entire baggage claim area it took up so much room. After about 2 hours we finally popped out of the airport and into a maxi taxi. Perth hadn't changed much from when we left on July 6th. It was cold and pouring with rain, but it was great to be home. The house was left in amazing condition by our house sitter Fran who had cleaned it to within an inch of its life and had put fresh sheets on the beds. She left lovely flowers, stocked the fridge with essentials like bread and milk and even defrosted a meal for us AND there were welcome home gifts from some wonderful friends. It was a perfect homecoming.

Tomorrow there are lots of domestic duties to do, arranging the kids' schooling and holiday activity schedules and generally returning to reality. We will all miss France but its great to be home and we're looking forward to catching up with all our friends.

Until next time, au revoir.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Au revoir France.

Bags are packed (6 pieces 1kg less of the limit), kids are releasing energy outside and the taxi is half an hour away. Two airplanes, two taxis and a day and a bit we will be home.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Our last full day in Paris

Tuesday 25th September

Our last full day in Paris. While Heather was slowly writing her diary this morning I packed. It looks like it will all fit as I brought an extra duffel bag for the return journey, however the problem is weight. Emirates charge 50 euros per kilo for excess baggage so we don't want to go there. I'm confident we will be okay, so much so I bought 2 more kids t-shirts today), with our new trusty luggage scales to guide us. After I finished packing (well nearly) and Heather had finished her diary we headed out for our last Metro ride to see the Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. When we got on the Metro Heather asked her usual question of, "how many stops?" This time we had to go across Paris so Heather's face dropped when Neil answered, "16". The stops flew past as they are so close that sometimes you can see the next station down the track when the line is straight. It was a grey and overcast day so Sacre Coeur wasn't glowing as it usually does in the sun but it was still very impressive.


To get to the top of the hill it is perched on you have two choices. You can either walk the few stairs or take the 100m funicular railway. We took the funicular as the kids love this sort of thing. The kids wanted to go inside the church so we wandered around (another French tourist attraction one way system). They enjoyed the stained glass windows (Callum saw Mike the Knight in one) and dancing candles (Heather's words). It is a beautiful church but I found the gift shop in the actual church down a side aisle a little tacky. After the Sacre Coeur we went and did the ultimate tourist thing and got the kids portraits done at the Place du Tetre. It was very hard choosing between artists as they were all so desperate for your business and jumping out at you. We chose a nice lady that had a good sample on show and was good with the kids. Heather sat very still and her portrait was very glamorous looking making her look like a barbie doll.


Then it was Callum's turn. He did very well at sitting still for the first five minutes then started to wriggle around a lot.


This comes out in the portrait as she had to keep correcting the lines (and Callum's head) and was making the lines darker.


The result was nothing special however it makes an unusual souvenir for the kids. While I was standing watching Heather being sketched I noticed a couple of cartoon artists so I persuaded Neil to get a picture done with him on a bike finishing the tour. It's really cool.


After our quick but enjoyable trip to one of my favourite landmarks in Paris we headed back down the hill, past the scammers and tacky tourist shops at the foot of the hill we went in search for the number 85 bus. I love taking the bus around Paris as they wind their way through the streets and you get to see much more. I've been wanting to jump on a bus since we arrived so when I was looking at the maps this morning I noticed there was one from Montmartre to Luxembourg which was perfect for us. It was a great trip through the streets of Paris and even past several landmarks and was just a quick as the metro. Walking back home from the bus we couldn't resist stopping into our local patisserie for something delicious for afternoon tea.

We are all sad to be leaving France tomorrow after having had an amazing journey. We will certainly return again some time as there is so much we haven't seen, and so much we'd all like to see again. On a positive note, I know Heather is looking forward to seeing her friends and going back to school, while Callum is very excited about seeing his room and toys again. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends again and being able to read signs fully instead of just key words and guessing the rest.

Tonight we are off to our regular cafe on the corner of Place du Vavin that serves meals all day and has been great for us. After our long days of sightseeing, and not having to wait to the usual French opening time of 7pm, it has been a life saver.

Our taxi is booked for 11.30am tomorrow so we will probably let the kids loose in the Jardin du Luxembourg one more time before sitting them on a plane for 24 hours.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Natural History and Paris Wanderings

Monday 24th September

My turn to do a non-cycling blog because Nicola has started packing ahead of departure day on Wednesday. We bought a new set of scales to help with the task of meeting airline weight limits so no ruthless chucking out of stuff just yet, however it is early days.

Today was lots of fun. The predicted rain arrived through the night so we had a soggy start. After breakfast Heather dutifully did her daily journal so we could make our way, with raincoats on, by Metro to the Natural History Museum, and particularly to the Grande Galerie d'Evolution which must be French for "big old building full of stuffed animals". The building was very impressive, located in a corner of the Jardin des Plantes, with a huge five storey hall with a lit roof that changed colour periodically much to Callum's delight. The displays were rather good and the kids enjoyed looking at all the animals, whale skeletons and the like, while learning a thing or two along the way as they did so. We were there for a couple of hours before we emerged back into the gardens to discover that the rain had stopped.







Before we left the Jardin des Plantes we decided to visit the very large hothouses right beside the museum. These were really good too. In places it was like walking through a jungle, then around the corner there was desert with cacti. A third glasshouse had ancient species of plants, one of which rather took Nicola's interest. It had a very odd flower or seed pod (we couldn't figure out which it was) and so it was very unusual. The kids enjoyed the explore through the greenery and Heather was surprised to learn (and is still not entirely convinced) that chocolate comes from trees, at least the cacao bean. She thought I was joking so I suspect she will ask her teacher when she gets back.

After the glass houses, and given the fine weather and having discovered that the Museum of Magic was not open today (apparently it simply disappeared and no-one knows how), we wandered through the streets towards Notre Dame and the Latin Quarter so that Nicola could buy some t-shirts. Just wandering the streets is one of my favourite pastimes so I was pretty content, even so after also having walked around the museum and the glass houses, we were all a bit tired so we stopped for an aperitif (which sounds much nicer than 'beer and juice') at a cafe with a view across the Seine to the Notre Dame.



Suitably refreshed we had a quick look in the Shakespeare and Co. bookshop nearby, an English language bookshop that used to be run by an eccentric guy (he died last year) who offered free board and lodging to aspiring young writers. They would actually stay in the shop and write in the small alcoves all over the rather dishevelled place. Hopefully the new owners can maintain its quirkiness, however I already noticed that they actually had prices on books and a proper till. When we were there in 2004 I fronted up at the till and the old guy simply made up a price in his grumpy way, as he did for all his sales. It was hilarious.

Next we wandered through the Latin Quarter hoping to have an early dinner, however this section of town is horrendously touristy and all the restaurants seemed to offer the identical menu of touristy French food so we kept walking and quickly ended up back in our neighbourhood after another walk through the Jardin du Luxembourg.

After what we thought would be a quiet day at the museum, today ended up being a very enjoyable day wandering around. The museum was interesting and the glasshouses too. The wandering around enjoying the city once again and taking in the odd sight was fun too. While everyone was rather tired and dinner conversation non-existent at the restaurant tonight, it was worth it.
Tomorrow's activities will very much depend upon how the packing goes, and on the weather where rain has once again made its way into the forecast. I have promised Heather one last ride on the Metro so we will end up somewhere.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Family day

Sunday 23rd September

Sunday is family day in Paris so we thought we would join in and do the Parisian thing and hang out in the local park with our family. After a bit of a late start (another Parisian thing) we first went for a leisurely walk through the formal part of the Jardin du Luxembourg designed especially for promenades. While trying to avoid the many joggers who obviously didn't have families we slowly headed for the pond in front of the palace where you can hire a model wooden yacht to sail on the duck pond.


It was lots of fun as once you push the boat out it takes it's own course when the wind catches it, changing several times before returning to the edge. The kids were running around and around the pond with their sticks chasing our 'crab' boat (it had a crab on it's sail). It was priceless.








Amazingly there were very few crashes and the boats never just sat in the middle of the pond or capsized. We did hit a poor unexpected duck that was quite shocked to get a boat bump it's rear. After half an hour of fun sailing we headed for the swings (yes, the swings are closed except for the weekend as you have to pay). They are double-sided swings that you can swing in a huge semi-circle.


Callum isn't a great fan of swings so the semi-circles were not huge but Heather had fun going as high as her brother would allow her, testing his limits. When our time was up we wandered the short distance home for a baguette and brie lunch before returning to the park for more Parisian-style relaxation. We started this time with pony rides.






They did a lovely route of the park taking in some of the lovely statues and sights while the kids pretended they were Woody and Jessie, their favourite characters from the Toy Story movie. After the ponies it was off to the playground. By this time the park was starting to get quite busy as siesta was over and the French prefer to venture out in the afternoons. I followed Heather and she had a ball climbing, sliding and going on her favourite, the flying fox.









Callum went with Neil climbing on everything and playing in his own little world. One thing I did notice from a week ago when we first arrived and visited the garden was the weather. Last Sunday it was warm and sunny, while today there was a real chill in the air and the trees were really in their autumn colours and beginning to shed their leaves. Autumn has well and truly arrived in Paris. After about 3.5 hours of playground we called time and headed for home, via the artisan ice cream shop where your cornets and cups of ice cream are shaped into flowers.


The centre has one flavour/colour, while the petals have other flavours around the side. They were beautiful and delicious. It was a lovely day relaxing in the park and watching the kids have fun.

Tomorrow the weather forecast predicts rain so we are planning to visit more of the many museums in Paris, starting with the Natural History Museum then on to the Museum of Magic.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Science museum, Louvre, Place de la Concorde and a wander

Saturday 22nd September part 2

First thing on the agenda today was a visit to the Science Museum for the kids. It is right on the edge of the Paris city circle so was a 15 minute Metro trip. Our research showed there was a kids section for 2-7 year olds. Perfect we thought as this place has great write ups and is rated the second best thing to do in Paris for kids.


It all looked pretty cool with a big silver ball out front (which has a cinema inside) but I have to say was a little disappointing. The exhibits were quite dated. You can get more high tech stuff on an ipad these days and Perth's Scitech and Sydney's Powerhouse Museum are way better. There was a session time limit. We had no idea of this so when they said it was closing we looked really confused and the kids were very disappointed as they hadn't finished seeing everything. We considered doing another session but the sun was shining and we decided to return to the real Paris.


We headed for the Louvre so we could show the kids the huge glass pyramid which they thought was pretty cool. Then given we were so close to Place de la Concorde and the Champs Élysées Neil decided it was time to do his finale ride. To get to the Place de la Concorde we had to walk through the Jardin de Tuilleries. It is a beautiful garden full of huge grand sculptures and large ponds with fountains.





There were a lot of people out lounging on the garden chairs just enjoying the sunshine. No lounging for us though as Neil had a mission. We got Neil's bike at the Velo Libre station and he rode off into the distance and into the crazy traffic. The kids and I headed back to Place de la Concorde to meet him. It did not take long before we had him back and we were all celebrating his great achievements.


It was here also that I asked Heather to take a photo of Mummy because when I was going through all the photos the other night I realised there wasn't any evidence I had actually been in France, so in front of the fountain that is always a conversation topic between Neil and I in July (I am sure it used to be white and a couple of years ago it was painted, however Neil thinks I'm mad) I had my photo taken. After this the kids had nothing left, so Neil took them home on the Metro while I went walking as I felt like a wander where I could go where I wanted and look at what I wanted. I headed in the general direction of home and took in and absorbed Paris. I walked through the heart of Saint Germain des Pres which was really lively with lots of cafes spilling out on to the thin pavements, and has cute boutique shops. I then went off track a little and ended up at a huge church. I don't know the name of it but it was spectacular.


After consulting my map (I have to go back to paper now we don't have Victoria) it turned out I wasn't far from Jardin du Luxembourg and home so after a quick call to Neil to tell him I was going to be later than planned, I kept going and took the scenic route through the Jardin du Luxembourg to look at the sculptures.


It was a gorgeous walk taking in a very small portion of Paris, but the route I walked through had ever changing scenes. Paris is a truly an incredible city. Tomorrow we plan to explore the added kids attractions of the gardens that are open on a Sunday, being the big family day in Paris.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Champs Élysées

Saturday 22nd September

Everyone knows that each year the Tour de France finishes on the Avenue des Champs Élysées (commonly known just as the Champs Élysées) so while I was riding in the mountains I began scheming up a way I could complete my own pilgrimage by doing the same so today I rode the Avenue des Champs Élysées. It was cool.

Many of you probably know that Paris operates a free bike service called Velo Libre with many stations around the city where you can grab a bike, ride it, then return it to either the same station or another one close to where you are going. After a bit of research we discovered anyone can buy a day pass for 1.70 euros, so today I did and used one of these bikes to ride the Champs Élysées. The bikes can most kindly be described as functional. They are very clunky, industrial strength (and weight) bikes with three speed gears, lights and a lovely basket at the front for your shopping. Not the coolest bike but it did the job perfectly.

The Champs Élysées is a famous avenue is in the heart of Paris. It is cobblestoned and is renowned for it's busy and somewhat chaotic traffic. It was indeed very bumpy and very busy. I began my ride by going up the avenue (and it is upward) towards the Arc de Triomphe before turning around to head back down towards the Place de la Concorde to meet Nicola and the kids for the obligatory photograph. I had to dodge a cars crossing lanes, others trying to park, and impatient drivers turning into side roads in front of me. I had taxis trying to pick up and drop off customers, buses cutting in, and pedestrians crossing regardless of what the colour the lights were. It was crazy and it was great and I loved every minute of it because here I was, little old me, riding on the Champs Élysées! I get it that anyone can do this but I don't care. For a cycling nerd like me it was super chouette!




After the photo at the Place de la Concorde, I rode around the famous green fountain there to make the right turn where the sprinters normally jostle for position for the final sprint finish of each year's tour. Today I was simply focusing on avoiding tourists stepping off the path in front of me. I then finished my own Tour Parisian-style by going across four lanes of traffic so I could make a left turn and return my

What an excellent and fun end to my riding here in France. It's all smiles in Paris.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Viaduct des Artes & Jardin Plantee

Friday 21st September

After our huge day yesterday Neil and I had planned a quiet day in the apartment with maybe a small outing, however the kids woke up all ready for an adventure, asking "what are we doing today?" After a quick consultation with our wish list for Paris we decided on checking out the Viaduct des Artes and the Jardin Plantee, which is an old disused viaduct that has been transformed into art shops in the arches below and a walkway on the top with gardens. It was a great concept, with only one small problem and that was it took us a while to find out how to get up to the walkway. The next minor matter was that was a haven for the homeless. It was nice they had somewhere pleasant to be, but it did mean the tourist experience was diminished a little.


The idea of using what could have become an urban eyesore after the viaduct stopped being used as a peaceful green place to go for a walk/run above the city was great and we walked to the end to Bastille where we had a cafe lunch, and where it became obvious just how tired the kids where from the day before. They hardly ate and couldn't sit up straight. It was raining quite steadily so we headed for home, not directly though as we'd heard about a metro line that has driverless trains where if you sit at the front and watch the tunnel and other trains and stations approaching (and pretend you were driving the train).


It was so cool and the kids had lots of fun, much to the amusement of some passengers, with their train driver role playing. The afternoon was spent relaxing in the apartment and watching the rain falling outside.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Kids' surprise day

Thursday 20th September

The kids' surprise day has arrived. I set the alarm so we could be up and on our way in good time. Heather was not impressed with this and was very reluctant to get out of bed, however we managed to get the kids ready and out the door for the walk through the Luxembourg Gardens to the Metro by just after 8am. This was a little early as the surprise opened at 10am and it would take only a little over an hour to get there. I was more excited than the kids as they had no idea what was happening. I thought some of the signs in the Metro might have given it away but with Heather still half asleep she didn't noticed. After train transfers and a short walk we arrived at our destination at about 9.30am - DISNEYLAND.


The kids both looked excited but they still weren't 100% sure, having no real idea what Disneyland actually was. We walked down Main Street full of colourful shops, with cartoon characters all over the facades. Then they saw the large pink fairy castle which is right in the middle of the park, causing a"wow" chorus from Heather and Callum. Our timing wasn't too bad as by the time we got our bearings and collected maps and programmes of the day's activities we didn't have to wait before being let loose on the ride areas.









Our friends Nel, David, Florrie and Seb went to Disneyland late last year and gave us some great advice on where to go and what was best for Heather and Callum's age group so we headed straight for Fantasyland and the carousel was Heather's first choice, then the dumbo elephant ride, then the mad hatter tea cups, Alice's curious Labyrinth before we queued up to meet Mickey Mouse. They had old Mickey and Donald movies showing while we waited so the 20 minutes passed by very quickly.


Callum gave Mickey a huge bear hug then tooted his nose. The kids had their photo taken with Mickey which was very cool. It was about 11.30am by this time and food was needed, so we headed to Hyperion for lunch in Discoveryland. It was basically a huge room with giant TV screen and tables to eat your American fast food. After another couple of short Disney movies, and with food consumed, we headed for Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (which was highly recommended by Seb). It was crazy and so much fun, sitting in a little spaceship train shooting laser guns at targets.


It was very silly and made funnier whenever I went to get a target Heather would spin our spaceship around. I couldn't stop laughing. Afterwards we rode on some rockets then headed for Autopia where you could drive a 1950's car in a giant slot car route.


Callum drove me and Heather drove Neil (Neil and I had control of the stop/go pedal as the kids couldn't reach).


What a blast! You couldn't wipe the smile off Callum's face and I couldn't stop laughing as we were everywhere but luckily the slot kept us on track. Neil and Heather were on a track beside us so we had a little race. After way too much excitement and everything else in Discoveryland too old for the kids we took the Disneyland train around the edge of the park back to Fantasyland for a relaxing boat trip around 'It's a Small World' then ice creams. By now it was nearly 4pm and one of the highlights of Disneyland started at 5pm - the parade. Heather chose to do the carousel again before we headed back to Main Street for a spot of shopping and to stake our claim to watch the parade. Disneyland works like clockwork and the parade started spot on at 5pm.


It was great fun! It was colourful with lots of singing and dancing to boppy music.


The kids saw all their favourite characters with Tinkerbell hiding on the back of the final float. With most of the crowd heading towards the exit we decided for one last ride on the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast and it was just as much fun the second time around. It was time for dinner so we headed to the only restaurant open in Disneyland and had our buffet dinner with the rest of Disneyland's patrons. After dinner it was about 7.30pm and I was surprised at how well the kids were holding up. With tummies full, bags full of Disneyland goodies, and a headful of wonderful memories we headed back on the train and Metro for home. It was a truly magical family day out and we all had a ball.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Notre Dame

Wednesday 19th September



Today Notre Dame was on the agenda. We all wandered down to the Seine together then Neil and the kids headed to a sculpture park and playground while I went and joined the queue to climb the tower of the Notre Dame cathedral. The queue was the slowest thing I had ever encountered and the kids were on the second playground of the day by the time I had made it to the top. It was well worth the wait though as the view was amazing (something quite different to the Eiffel tower) and seeing the gargoyles so close was really cool.











Once I'd taken in every inch of the view and the gargoyles I headed back down and to the crypt which is under the entrance of Notre Dame. It was truly incredible. It was a city under the city where streets, buildings and signs had all been buried to build something bigger on top. This archeological discovery made you wonder what treasures are hidden away. My next plan was to visit the Sainte Chapelle, a gorgeous church a block from Notre Dame. Neil and I went there in 2004 and the stained glass windows are just stunning so I thought I'd go again. Unfortunately the queue was ridiculous and I'd had enough of standing in the cold wind so I called Neil and we met up for an ice cream. Knowing we have such a big day tomorrow with the kids' surprise I then headed home in the metro with Heather and Callum for a quiet afternoon while Neil went to visit the Musee d'Orsay, easily his favourite musee, particularly to see the amazing impressionist and post-impressionist galleries with numerous works by Monet, Manet, Gaugin, Van Gogh (the list goes on). The gallery itself is a masterpiece being a converted old railway station. Looking forward to a wonderful day tomorrow for the kids, and hoping they have the time of their lives.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad