Day 19: They All Fly Home!

They fly American from Paris.

"It's everything I expected and more," Katie said today clearly enchanted with Paris. 

I have to say, after all the saving and planning and drama, I can't image anything she could say that would have sounded any better. With those few words, I knew is was all worth it.

She saw the Mona Lisa and other artwork that captured her imagination. She and Mariah ended up having an adventure of their very own when they accidentally got separated from the group. A few minutes fantasy for two school girls on their own in Paris.

Katie's text at 11:35pm our time.

Awesome.

They head for the airport tomorrow morning. They have a long ride home in two shifts. Part one from Paris to Chicago and then a layover and part two Chicago to San Francisco. I can hardly wait! More when I see her. May time past swiftly and safely.

Here are a few interesting stats from their trip:

• To fly from San Francisco to Rome: it took 12:31 minutes (but really longer because of the bad weather and their emergency stop in Peoria).
• Once they made it "across the pond", they traveled 2454 KM or 1,525 miles by coach. That's about 25 hours of driving.
• They went to six countries: Italy, Austria, Switzerland and France and then they just drove through the corners of Lichtenstein and Germany.
• They stayed in nine different hotels (and four nights with their Italian families).
• They ate at least 57 meals that we did not have to prepare!
• The hottest day was 97 degrees in Vatican City and the coldest was 61 degrees in Salzburg, Austria.
• The flight home from Paris to San Francisco is about 12:40 minutes (with a five hour layover in Chicago).

American Airlines	041	Paris	Chicago	7/17/12    12:15:00 PM (Paris Time)	7/17/12    2:25:00 PM (Chicago Time)	8 hrs, 10mins
American Airlines	2427	Chicago	San Francisco	7/17/12    7:00:00 PM (Chicago Time)	7/17/12    9:30:00 PM (San Francisco Time)	4 hrs, 30mins

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People to People Itinerary: TUESDAY, JULY 17 Depart from Paris for the United States

• Say goodbye to Europe! Have a nice flight back home!

From Italy to Austria to Switzerland to France. Booyah!

Day 18: The Eiffel Tower! Finally! Mission Accomplished!

Paris!

Today is the last day of the trip and their last day in Paris.

They barely arrived and yet they need to do as much as they can in the little time they have left. They will get to the top of the Eiffel Tower (finally, Katie, finally!) and then move over to the Louvre.

Katie says they haven't had any time to shop and didn't get to buy anything in Montmarte today. I guess they are always running late and are behind all the time.

I did get a great text this morning at 5:35 my time that has pretty much made my whole day!

Katie said wherever they went, she could spy the Tower and poor Mariah may need a new arm because Katie smacked her so hard with excitement! We may owe Mariah a dinner or something. Sheesh.

Mona.

The had escargot today and when Katie told me the story, it started like this, "How come I always have to be the spaz when it comes to eating?" (a question long asked and never answered). "Everyone had a strategy for eating their snail. Some people swallowed it with water, some chewed quickly and drank some Coke, so I planned out my strategy," she explained.

The aspiring escargot.

"I got my snail and started chewing. I had my drink ready. It didn't taste that bad. Not at first. But then - it was pretty chewy - the taste started to change. And this juice started coming out. The juice tasted terrible! So I swallowed. And then I choked," she said pausing.

The cooked escargot.

"Not a little a lot!" she exclaimed. "My throat must be small, and well, it's still sore and I still have a really stuffy nose, but anyway, I choked and then it all came back out. On my plate. It was disgusting and the thing really looked like a snail when I coughed it back up. The whole table was grossed out."

That's my girl. All class.
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People to People Itinerary: MONDAY, JULY 16: Paris, France

• Admire a dazzling view of Paris! There's only one place to go: take the elevator up to the top of the Eiffel Tower (899 feet) which was built for the 1889 World's Fair to commemorate the French Revolution.
• Enjoy a guided exploration of one of the most important art collections in the world, the famous Musee du Louvre. You will visit the principal parts of the museum - including a look at Leonardo's masterpiece, Mona Lisa.
• Today is your last evening in Europe! Gather for your farewell meeting! Share the best moments and most memorable experiences of the past weeks. What was YOUR favorite highlight and why?

The Louvre.

Day 17: Paris! Starting with Versailles, Ending with Montemarte!

The Palace of Versailles.

Bonjour!

Katie says today they do not get to see the Eiffel Tower but I think maybe they may get a peek. Her excitement is near a crescendo as the inch closer to The City of Light.

Today they see the Palace of Versailles. Of course I keep hearing Al Stewart singing his song (does that mean I am old?). Now that I read the lyrics, I understand more about what they mean.

The Hall of Mirrors.

I didn't realize the end of King Louis XIV came with the French Revolution (now I hear Les Miserables in my head) and Napoelon rose to power.

Next the itinerary is vague as it speaks of a guide providing an orientation to the city Hemingway called "a movable feast." I found the quote but I have no idea what the kids will be doing!

Ernest Hemingway's posthumously published memoirs of his life in 1920s Paris, called "A Moveable Feast", did much to bring the term to the general language: "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

After touring, the kids will head to Montmartre where they will see the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre and get to shop around an area that similar to The Village in NYC according to websites. It's where you can find the Moulin Rouge which ends my musical tour of greater Paris as I think of Nicole Kidman in that great musical.

When Katie called, she confirmed they didn't get to see one little ounce of Bastille Day (what a stinking shame). They spent more of their time in transit and they weren't really tired enough to go to bed but it was time to be in their rooms to get started nesting. I told her to throw open the windows and listen (it was 9:17pm) and she might her the pop of fireworks somewhere in town.

She's excited about tomorrow and so anxious to see Paris. It looks like the will have a very busy next-two-days. I can't wait to hear all about it!

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People to People Itinerary: SUNDAY, JULY 15: Paris, France

• Explore the magnificent Chateau de Versailles, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on your own. Built during the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, it was the seat of the royal court from 1682 to 1789, when the French Revolution put an end to the monarchy.
• Voila Paris! A French guide will now join you for an orientation of the city Ernest Hemingway called "a moveable feast."
• Visit the historic Montmartre area, a haven for artists and writers before WWI. Marvel at the white Basilique du Sacre Coeur, which is the second highest point in Paris. Take some time to discover this area's treasures in small groups.

The Basilique du Sacre Coeur.

And, but of course, The Moulin Rouge!

Day 16: July 14 is Bastille Day in France!

The kids were supposed to play baseball today with The Bootleggers in Argancy. But it's been cancelled. Someone didn't do the math properly because our kids arrive in Paris for Bastille Day!

Foot fest in Austria. Every year, France celebrates the 14th of July as Bastille Day, also known as “ La Fête Nationale.” Bastille Day symbolizes the overthrow of the monarchy and the beginning of a new French Republic. On July 14, 1789, the common people of France stormed Bastille, a military prison, to show their opposition to the tyrannical rule of the French aristocrats. Traditionally Bastille Day is celebrated with a military parade, the largest of which is held on a famous Paris street, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, where the head of the state and other prominent people are present.  In France people celebrate the holiday in different regions by organizing local dance and fireworks displays during the evening. The history of this celebration is rooted to the significance of the birth of the republic.

While they will be in transit a portion of the day, I hope P2P have figured out some way the kids can participate in the celebration. When they day is over, they head to their final hotel, the Quality Inn Rosny-sous-Bois right outside of Paris. Maybe they will at least get to enjoy some fireworks!

Folk dancing lessons.

Judy, the delegation leader, send along a few photos of the kids (and Katie). Love getting them.

I also discovered they ate at Burger King today in Lucerne! I saw a charge come through for the most expensive fast food ever.Katie called and said they wanted American food so badly they decided to eat there. P2P gave the kids money - 10 Swiss Francs - but the food cost more than that so Katie had to charge and now she's got 10 Francs she can use anywhere because they are in France.

Luzerne Burger King

Katie said Lucerne was amazing and they did get to see the Lion of Lucerne. It was as beautiful and tragic as it appears and she couldn't stop taking photos of it. They did spend a lot of time in transit and were feeling pretty squirrely when they got to the hotel (she called late and was wound up and pretty silly). It was a great call and the excitement about France was tangible.

Bonne Fête Nationale!

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People to People Itinerary: SATURDAY, JULY 14: Paris, France

• Share a real People to People Moment with a French baseball club and enjoy a friendly game together.
• Enjoy your lunch in Argancy with your new French friends, from the baseball club "The Bootleggers!"