The Continuing Stooory

Welcome to the blog of Europe, the continuing stooory of a boy who left his mother for the great beyond across the blue.

Okay, enough of the theatrics. Figure it's been awhile, so many of you would probably like an update on what's been taking place on my son's trip to Europe. Every morning when I get up, I look to see what he's been up to that day and every night I look at the next to see what is coming up for the group.

Figure you, my readers, may only want a summation instead of a daily play-by-play. So here goes!

Last we left off, the coaches were preparing for the boarding of the ferry for the channel crossing over to Calais, France then onto Paris. They should have arrived in Paris Tuesday evening (for them). Wouldn't it have been neat to see what it might have felt like for early sailors to leave the shores of England behind and yearn for the shores of France through that rough channel? I can only imagine (dadgumit).

So Wednesday morning they awoke to the beauty that is Paris, the City of Lights, the home of La Vie En Rose, sidewalk cafes, and delicious croissants from your neighborhood patisserie. Their first stop of the day was Montmartre, a village within the City of Paris. The village is so old that the coaches cannot navigate through the narrow streets, so they truly experienced this area up close and personal, including Sacre Coeur and the Artists Quarter, where budding painters continue to gather in the haunts of the Impressionists that lived there near the beginning of the 20th century.

After a light lunch in Montmartre, the group boarded their coaches for sightseeing at Notre Dame Cathedral then a walk to St. Severin Church for their late afternoon concert. The exciting part of the day was just waiting to begin, however, as they left their concert venue to board at Pont d'Alma for their evening dinner cruise down the River Seine. I can hear the accordian now!

Thursday was jam-packed. The morning consisted of two hours at the fabulous Eiffel Tower, where over 200 million visitors have walked through the turnstiles. Did you know there is a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty nearby? If you didn't know that the French were responsible for the wonderful gift we Americans hold dear, you should get out your history books (or search it on the internet). The Luxembourg Gardens were the venue for their lunchtime performance, then onto an afternoon at the Louvre Museum.

My son was especially looking forward to this part.

So today was another early morning as they bopped out of bed to load the coaches for their departure from France. But not all hope was lost, for the venue the next several days is nestled in the beauty of the mountains, cradled near Lac Leman (better known as Lake Geneva). Yes, it is time for the transfer to Switzerland. My son will probably like this venue best - why you ask? - it's because of the mountains, snow, and cooler tempertures.

I can just taste the Swiss chocolate right now. I warned my son to be sure and sample several varieties and explore all that chocolate has to offer here. MMmmmm!

Their visit to Switzerland coincides with the annual Swiss Folklore Celebration, of which they will be honored guests.

But that's for another day.

Saying Goodbye - Looking Ahead

The last remnants of Christmas have been tucked away safely for another year.

This evening my son and I spent a few hours de-decorating our Christmas displays in our home. It's always a little bittersweet but also fun because we spend the time sharing memories and talking about the ornaments and what he will take with him someday when he sets up his own household. It allows us the opportunity to reminisce about our favorite events this year as well.

Makes it so much more enjoyable now that he's old enough to really help out with the clean-up job. When he was little I was usually a little sad because I tended to do the put-away by myself and usually while he was taking a nap or had gone to bed for the night. It's nice to share the job with him now.

However, I must also admit that I love to get the tree out to the curb, clean up the needles, and get the house back in order. Seems to feel so much roomier when that tree is out of the house.

Last year we put up the tree in the family room. This year we put it up in the living room. I think I actually liked it a little better in the living room because I'd walk in the door from work and turn on the tree and hear the Star Spangled Banner from my Statue of Liberty ornament I bought when I used to travel to New York all the time. But then we also spend most of our time together in the family room so didn't see and smell the tree as much.

Next year I'll need to be sure and do more decorating in the family room so it looks more festive. I have so many decorations that it shouldn't be an issue. Time was the robber this year, what with hosting Thanksgiving and doing the Christmas play at church.

Even though it's hard to say goodbye to those warm fuzzy memories, I continue to look forward to what 2009 holds for us. I've a feeling it just may turn out to be a banner year.