Globetrotting: to Disneyland Paris and back with TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We left off back in our room at the Notre Dame Hotel.

 

Evening was approaching, and the weather looked kind of iffy:

 

 

It looked kind of wet out there:

 

 

There goes a boat heading up river.  There are a lot of tourist cruises offered on the Seine.  We thought about taking one of the sightseeing ones, but you would obviously be limited to seeing just things that could be seen from the river:

 

 

It was cloudy over to the east as well:

 

 

It was cool having this window to look out.  Look down there on the opposite bank of the river, and you can see how there are stairs and a walkway there.  I thought it might be neat to walk down there, but DD thought it looked creepy:

 

 

Living in Florida, I am used to weather changing quickly, but it was really weird here in Paris while we were here.  One moment the sun was out and the sky was blue, and just a few minutes later clouds would roll in with rain and cold wind.

 

When it looked like we would have a break in the weather, we decided to head out to take a look around our hotel. There were some things around there we wanted to see.  The plan initially was to basically just walk around the block.  We did  that, and didn't see much on one side or around back, but on the east side of the building ,we came across this church, which is called Saint-Séverin.  It's also a Roman Catholic church, and you can see Notre Dame from it.  The Catholics must have run this place at some point:

 

 

Also note that tightly packed gang of people with umbrellas across the way.  Must be some kind of gang or something.  It wasn't even raining that hard.  At most, it was only misting.

 

This side street, which ran next to our hotel, would take us back to Notre Dame:

 

 

It's really faint, but there's a nice rainbow in the sky on the right side of this photo:

 

 

WBI mentioned the Shakespeare and Company book store, and here it is:

 

 

I'm not sure what the story is behind this place.  As far as I could see, it's just a really old bookstore.  It's very cool inside.  There are signs saying no photographs, but I didn't speak whatever language they were written in:

 

 

With having a Masters Degree and all, DD fancies herself as the intellectual type now, so she actually wanted to look at the books on the shelves and perhaps buy one.  I reminded her that we had a TV in our room, but she still wanted to look.  College has changed that girl.  I told her to have fun, and that I would wait for her outside.  I had enough of the musty bookstore smell.

 

I sat across the street and enjoyed listening to the tour guide for this big Asian tour group.  So these people came all the way here from some far away land, and they rush around to see exotic things like a bookstore?  Fascinating:

 

 

This is a look back at our hotel from the place I was sitting outside of the bookstore.  The far right of these buildings is our hotel:

 

 

Still waiting:

 

 

DD eventually came out with a book.  Poetry or something.  Like I said, that girl has changed.

 

The plan now was to spend some time checking out Notre Dame.  We were even going to go in if we could.  I wasn't sure how that worked, but we were about to find out.  After that, we were going to go back to the Eiffel Tower.  The cab driver who took us there earlier told us we needed to see it come back at night to see the lights twinkle on it.  We thought that sounded worth seeing, so we decided to go back there.

 

But first, Notre Dame:

 

 

Our hotel is over there behind those trees:

 

 

A closer look.  Are those Hidden Mickeys up there on the towers?:

 

 

The detail on this western façade of the church is amazing.

 

For example, do you see that row of statues that goes straight across there in the middle?

 

Count them.

 

There are 28.

 

Those are the closest human ancestors of Jesus, as listed a the beginning of the gospel of Matthew. 

 

That's pretty cool that they're all up there like that.

 

Above them is Mary herself.  Right in front of the big round window. Being lifted up by Angels.  On either side of her, on each of the towers, are statues of Adam and Eve.  They've got all the bases covered here.

 

Here on ground level, there's a big statue of good old Charlemagne and his horse over there.  He was a pretty big deal.  Especially to the French.  They don't have as many heroes to make statues of as we do:

 

 

It was past 8:30 pm, and still not dark yet.  In the middle of May.  They had long days here in Paris too.  All those clouds we saw before leaving our room were leaving us now:

 

 

Another look up at the cathedral, this time we're closer:

 

 

There were people heading in one of the doors, so we tried to go too.  A guard at the door was turning touristy looking people away.  It was some kind of church event.  If I knew what it was, I would have said that we were there for it, and maybe we could have gone in. But, I didn't have my papers to show the authorities, so I didn't want to risk it. Besides, the sign posted there said that the place would be open to the public all day tomorrow, and it would be easy for us to walk across the street and come back if we really wanted to see the inside.

 

In the meantime, we could check out the three doors on this side of the building, which I guess would be considered the main entrance.  This center door is intricately carved with figures depicting the final judgment of man.  There are demons and all kinds of other whacky stuff going on there if you take a careful look:

 

 

This is the door to the left of center, if you're looking face on to the building.  This one honors Mary and some miscellaneous Saints popular with the French:

 

 

Take a closer look at the carvings.  Do you see those four over there to the left?  Check out the third guy from the left.  He is holding his head in his hands.  Oops:

 

 

I figured maybe that was John the Baptist.  I remember from Sunday school that his head was brought out on a platter.  But, note there is no platter.  I later read my guidebook and found out that is St. Dennis.  He lost his head over some dispute, and now is immortalized in stone holding it.

 

I was enjoying Notre Dame more than I thought I would.

 

It is amazing to me how much effort was put in to building this place.

 

And all the detail.

 

And consider this:  This part we are looking at was the last part of the cathedral that was completed.  And it was finished in 1250.

 

I like to visit St. Augustine in Florida.  it's the oldest city in America. They're proud of it.  Do you know when it was founded?  1560.  In other words, Notre Dame was already over 300 years old before Ponce Deleon and his squad showed up and started slaughtering the natives.

 

For over 800 years, that cathedral has stood there in Paris.

 

Wow.

 

You know what we hadn't seen yet?

 

Gargoyles.

 

Where are the gargoyles at?

 

We took a walk around the side to look for them:

 

 

OK, there's a bunch of them up there:

 

 

We walked around back:

 

 

This is the first part of the cathedral that was built.  It took them a few hundred years to build the whole thing.  Maybe Disney hired their contractors?:

 

 

The Seine river is over there, right past the flying rat:

 

 

Over on this side of the building, they had this nice statue of Pope John Paul II.  Remember him?:

 

 

There's the Seine- look how there's a door for something that is under the ground.  That would be kind of creepy down there:

 

 

There are tombs and stuff that you can take tours of around here.  We weren't really interested in that.

 

We headed down this path with the plan of crossing a bridge we saw up the river a bit, and then heading back to our hotel:

 

 

Next up, we will be visiting the Eiffel Tower at night.

 

And you'll find out what that giant metal sphere we saw earlier was.

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTGRlJwUHfw

 

 

 

We also got away without carrying a bag, so my wallet was in my front pocket where I could feel it and I tried not to carry much cash with me at one time.

 

 

When I was in Europe and especially Russia I carried my wallet in my front pocket as well.  I'm usually aware when someone puts their hand in there.  

[lightbikes 73]

So sorry you had your pocket picked - that's brutal.

 

But on the plus side that room from your hotel is stunning.

 

And BTW thoroughly enjoying your trip report. 

[Beckers 1,136]

That SMB about being pick pocked. Thankfully they didn't get your cash or passport, let this he a lesson for us all!!

I hope you go into Notre Dame, I went to France in 1999 with high school. When we went to visit Notre Dame, one of the boys wasn't allowed in because he wore a turban and you weren't allowed in with any form of head covering so we all decided to skip it. I should see if I have any pictures from that trip. I remember being served fish with its head and runny scrambled eggs. My poor parents spent a lot of money and I know I did not appreciate the trip as much as I should have.

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Like everyone has already said sorry about being pickpocketed.

I went to London and Paris back when I was in high school for a drama trip. We got to tour Notre Dame and then a few of us went back on our own for Mass. I don't speak French, but thankfully knew when to stand, kneel, sit and genuflect.

Just an FYI it is Saint Pope John Paul II. He was canonized in 2014.

[Beckers 1,136]

genuflect.

canonized

Today I learned 2 new words lol

[bhall 115]

Wiki article on the Shakespeare and Co. book store

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_and_Company_%28bookstore%29

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Today I learned 2 new words lol

See not only are trip reports fun, but they are educational too.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTGRlJwUHfw

 

 

 

When I was in Europe and especially Russia I carried my wallet in my front pocket as well.  I'm usually aware when someone puts their hand in there.  

 

Up arrow for the Seinfeld video.

 

You usually know when someone has their hand in your front pocket? Good to know.

 

So sorry you had your pocket picked - that's brutal.

 

But on the plus side that room from your hotel is stunning.

 

And BTW thoroughly enjoying your trip report. 

 

In the grand scheme of things that could have gone wrong, being pickpocketed near the end of the trip wasn't such a bad thing.

 

I really did enjoy the view from our hotel room.

 

Glad you like the report so far, we still have a bit to go.

 

That SMB about being pick pocked. Thankfully they didn't get your cash or passport, let this he a lesson for us all!!

I hope you go into Notre Dame, I went to France in 1999 with high school. When we went to visit Notre Dame, one of the boys wasn't allowed in because he wore a turban and you weren't allowed in with any form of head covering so we all decided to skip it. I should see if I have any pictures from that trip. I remember being served fish with its head and runny scrambled eggs. My poor parents spent a lot of money and I know I did not appreciate the trip as much as I should have.

 

It was a lesson to me, and it will never happen again.  I was totally on guard the rest of the trip whenever anyone was anywhere near me.

 

Fish with the head and runny scrambled eggs?  On the same plate?  That doesn't sound too good.  You should have had one of those Paris hot dogs.

 

Like everyone has already said sorry about being pickpocketed.

I went to London and Paris back when I was in high school for a drama trip. We got to tour Notre Dame and then a few of us went back on our own for Mass. I don't speak French, but thankfully knew when to stand, kneel, sit and genuflect.

Just an FYI it is Saint Pope John Paul II. He was canonized in 2014.

 

Very cool that you went to mass at Notre Dame. 

 

I hadn't heard the news about Saint John Paul II.  Congrats to him.

 

Today I learned 2 new words lol

 

Awesome.

 

Wiki article on the Shakespeare and Co. book store

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_and_Company_%28bookstore%29

 

Thanks for the link.  I didn't know it had been featured in movies.  But, not in any movies I've seen.

 

See not only are trip reports fun, but they are educational too.

 

That's right.

 

In fact, there may be some information that a lot of you didn't know in the next update.

 

TCD

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Great updates!

 

It's all bringing back so many great memories!

 

I was surprised by how much I liked Notre Dame too.  Wait till you go inside and look around, the stained glass windows are awesome.  The Bell Tower tour is nice too if it isn't crowded, it lets you get a good look at the Gargoyles and Chimeras.  Chimeras are the ones that are not for water gutters, I learned that on the tour.

 

I felt the same way about the catacombs, it didn't really interest me and it seemed like they were always open at inconvenient times so I've never been.

 

I'm ready for more!

 

WBI

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great updates!

 

It's all bringing back so many great memories!

 

I was surprised by how much I liked Notre Dame too.  Wait till you go inside and look around, the stained glass windows are awesome.  The Bell Tower tour is nice too if it isn't crowded, it lets you get a good look at the Gargoyles and Chimeras.  Chimeras are the ones that are not for water gutters, I learned that on the tour.

 

I felt the same way about the catacombs, it didn't really interest me and it seemed like they were always open at inconvenient times so I've never been.

 

I'm ready for more!

 

WBI

 

 

More is on the way!

 

Chimeras?

 

I wonder how many people know what a Chimera is.

 

I do.

 

That was my high school mascot back at good old Willingboro (NJ) High.

 

That high school opened in 1977, and I always figured the school board must have been doing drugs to come up with that for a mascot.

 

I never did go up to the bell tower.  There was a long line for that, and the guidebooks I read mentioned narrow and crowded spiral staircases.  That's definitely not my scene.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Let's finish up with our first night in Paris.

 

We left off walking around the outside of Notre Dame cathedral.  There were nice gardens around here in the back:

 

 

Side view of the cathedral:

 

 

We are heading toward that bridge.  Look how colorful it is:

 

 

Here's a look to the east with a side view of Notre Dame, it was 8:52 pm when I took that photo, and the sun was just getting ready to set:

 

 

We went out the back gate and were on the road to the bridge.  There were some posters on display here, and this one mentioned two of the cities we visited on this trip, so I took a photo of it:

 

 

Check out the bridge:

 

 

Do you see that?

 

Every available space on this bridge was covered with a padlock:

 

 

I would imagine that you've probably heard of this.  In fact, after our return from this trip, it was all over the news that the Paris authorities had decided to remove all of the locks from another bridge on the Seine.  That other bridge is actually the more famous "Lock Bridge," and I'm not sure if the locks were removed from this one.

 

Here's a look down the Seine from the bridge- that's our hotel you see there in the back of the photo, right of center:

 

 

Notre Dame, as seen from the bridge:

 

 

Locks, locks, and more locks:

 

 

When Twin #1 was here last year, she put a lock on this bridge, and posed for a photo.  I took this photo to text to her and let her know that we found her lock.  I think that is where she was standing for her picture.  We really didn't look for or find her lock, though:

 

 

From here, we walked back to the front of Notre Dame for a final photo:

 

 

Then we walked down the street in front of our hotel and found a taxi to take us to the Eiffel Tower.  That taxi ride was memorable. The taxis and the drivers in Paris are not at all like the taxis and drivers in London.  In Paris, they all seem to be independent contractors with a huge variety of vehicles. The guy who drove us was a young guy, and the whole time he was driving us, he was using his iPhone and iPad.  We figured he worked for Uber too.  He drove like a maniac.  But we arrived safely.

 

As we passed beneath the tower, we found out what that giant metal sphere we saw earlier was.  It was the frame for a giant tennis ball:

 

 

OK.

 

Mystery solved.

 

But wait.

 

Why is there a giant tennis ball under the Eiffel Tower?:

 

 

There are words on it.

 

You can't read them because the truck is blocking the way, but I got closer so I could. It said Roland Garros.

 

OK, so who or what is that?

 

It's the name of a little tennis tournament that happens in Paris every year.

 

You may know it as the French Open.

 

But it's called Internationaux de France de Tennis, Roland Garros over there in Paris.

 

I'll bet you didn't know that.

 

And, do you know who old Roland is?

 

A famous tennis player, perhaps?

 

Nope.

 

He was a French aviator.

 

Makes perfect sense that they would name a tennis tournament after him.

 

That's just reinforcement that France is a strange land.

 

Anyway, apparently the French Open was about to start (or may already have started), and that giant tennis ball was there to promote it.  They were fixing to actually hang that thing from the tower.  We'll see a photo of that later on.

 

So here's what the Eiffel Tower looks like at night:

 

 

That photo was taken at 9:49 pm, and it still wasn't completely dark.

 

You can see that giant tennis ball at the bottom of this photo:

 

 

At the top of the hour, the lights on the tower twinkle.  Here's a photo showing that:

 

 

We were glad we came back to see the tower at night. It is pretty:

 

 

 

We took the Metro back to our hotel, and were ready to call it a night. It was only 10:32 pm, but we had had a long and eventful day, and, tomorrow would be the last full day of our trip.  The view from our room was pretty sweet at night, too:

 

 

Check this out:

 

 

We left our windows open for a while and enjoyed that view a lot.

 

And that's how we ended our first night in Paris.

 

I had big plans for the morning.

 

I was going to hit rope drop at Notre Dame.

 

TCD

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

All your photos are great, but I'm especially loving the nighttime shots.

 

Paris looks very clean.  Was it really that way?

 

Did anyone besides me not know the purpose of the Eiffel Tower?  Had to Google it.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Did anyone besides me not know the purpose of the Eiffel Tower?  Had to Google it.

The purpose of the Eiffel Tower is very clearly shown in "Disney's" Tomorrowland :)

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

The purpose of the Eiffel Tower is very clearly shown in "Disney's" Tomorrowland :)

 

With my track record, it will probably take me 5+ years to see the movie.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

All your photos are great, but I'm especially loving the nighttime shots.

 

Paris looks very clean.  Was it really that way?

 

Did anyone besides me not know the purpose of the Eiffel Tower?  Had to Google it.

 

Come to think of it, for a large city, Paris was very clean.

 

I think I've heard the story of the Eiffel Tower enough to know what it's doing there.  Maybe I'll need to Google it too.

 

The purpose of the Eiffel Tower is very clearly shown in "Disney's" Tomorrowland :)

 

LOL.  It was pretty cool that we got to see Tomorrowland the day after we got back to the states.

 

I didn't know that the Eiffel Tower was going to show up in it, so that was a neat surprise.

 

With my track record, it will probably take me 5+ years to see the movie.

 

From what I've heard, it hasn't done too well in its theatrical release.

 

Which means it's probably going to be on DVD/BlueRay soon.

 

For what it's worth, I enjoyed it, and would like to see it again.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We got a good night's sleep, and I was up early, got ready, and headed out at right around 7 am.  We didn't have one of those hot pots or freeze dried coffee in our room, and I have a bad caffeine addiction, so I needed some coffee.

 

My plan was to find a place nearby to get a cup of coffee, and then head over to Notre Dame.

 

I stopped at the front desk, and the same lady who checked us in yesterday afternoon was on duty.  That lady worked some long hours.

 

I asked her where the closest place was to get a cup of coffee, and she pointed around the corner of the lobby and said I could get a cup right here.  Would I be able to take it with me, I asked?  No, she said.  This was a classy joint. They just had ceramic coffee cups, not any of those gauche paper ones us filthy Americans carry around.  I asked her if there was a café nearby where I could get a "to-go" coffee.  She said sure, and told me to head down the main street on the corner.  And then she said that if I must, there was a Starbucks and a McDonalds down the street.  Now she was talking my language!

 

I headed out and found the Starbucks right where it was supposed to be.  I got my Café Americano (that's how you have to order plain coffee in France), and headed back toward the church.

 

And, here I stood at 7:41 am:

 

 

Yesterday, this place was crawling with all sorts of people.  Today I was almost the only one here.  I stood there for a moment and thought about all the things that must have happened in this square in the 800 or so years since the church opened for business.  It's almost impossible to fathom.

 

I was able to head right in, and felt like I had the big old place all to myself.  There are several of these huge stained glass windows, and they are awe-inspiring:

 

 

They actually conduct church services here, and this big area has a lot of seating for such things:

 

 

This area is toward the back of the building.  Everywhere you look, there's a carving, statue or stained glass window depicting some important biblical event:

 

 

There was a display in the back where they had informational signs outlining the history of the construction of the building.  These signs were interesting:

 

 

The reason I came here early is that sign we saw last night saying that there was a daily mass at 8 am.  I was a Catholic for most of my life.  We switched to the Methodist church shortly after the twins were born, but Mrs. TCD and I were married in the Catholic church, and all of our kids were baptized Catholic.  Going to mass had to be like riding a bike, right?

 

It was.  Except for the whole thing being celebrated in French.  I thought I would recognize some words like God or Jesus or Halleluiah or something.  But I didn't understand a single word.  Still, it was cool.

 

And, it was over in a half an hour.  You have to give it to the French for their efficiency.

 

I didn't take any photos during the mass, but this is a shot from my seat after it was over and I was getting ready to leave.  Do you see how there are carved wooden seats in the foreground.  I sat in the row behind those, and we had those same kinds of seats.  It was like sitting in a throne.  I liked it a lot:

 

 

I brought DD back to Notre Dame later, and wanted to show her these seats, but they don't let anyone in here the rest of the day.  Just for morning mass. 

 

Another stained glass shot:

 

 

This photo is taken from near the west entrance to the cathedral- the area you see way in the back is where they had the morning mass:

 

 

After church, I headed out, and went back to Starbucks for another cup of Café Americano.  There was a lot more traffic out on the roads now:

 

 

 

Starbucks in Paris look like Starbucks in America.  Only here, you can buy a Paris mug:

 

 

This is the St. Michel Fountain that we saw right when we arrived yesterday.  It's a pretty impressive piece of art. I especially liked the dragons there at the bottom:

 

 

Since I didn't have a credit card anymore, I had been using cash for our expenses.  We had DD's credit card, but I had enough cash that we didn't need to use that.  But, I was running out or Euros.  There was a Western Union right across the street, so I stopped in there.  I handed them $100 US, and I got back just over 85 Euros.  That was quick and painless, and was actually better than the rate I got when I bought Euros back home.  I noticed a lot of Western Union locations around Paris, so in the future, I'm not going to worry about bringing a lot or Euros with me -they were pretty easy to get.

 

I hadn't had any breakfast yet, so I popped in to a little café on the street. This is what I saw:

 

 

I was thinking of getting a croissant or something, but then I saw those Croque Monsieurs.  I had never heard of those until I had my first one at the Lay Al quick serve in France at Epcot.  Then I had one for lunch at Be Our Guest in the MK.  Now, I'm a regular Croque Monsieur expert.  So, I needed to try one of those.  And, look at the price- 3.95 Euros.  That's less than 5 bucks.  What a deal.  Who cares if it was only 10 am?

 

If you've every dealt with Euros, you know that you end up with a lot of 1 and 2 Euro coins.  I am not even sure if there are paper 1 Euro bills.  I had a bunch or Euro coins, and decided to use them to pay for my sandwich.  The clerk pointed to this machine, and told me to put them in there:

 

 

She heated up my sandwich.  I checked out the rest of the case while I waited:

 

 

I took the sandwich up to my room and ate it there looking at Notre Dame.

 

Man, that was a delicious sandwich!

 

DD had slept in during all of this, and got up when she got a whiff of my sandwich.  She didn't want one, but she wanted some breakfast.  So, she got ready, and we headed back out for a pastry for her.

 

I forgot to mention that last night, before we went to bed, we decided that if the weather was sketchy today, we would take one of those double decker bus tours around the city, rather than trying to do it on our own. The weather had looked OK this morning, but it definitely looked like rain was on the way.  So, we booked a tour on-line on a bus line that we had seen driving around the day before.  What we liked about their buses is they had a retractable roof on the second level. That looked like it would be fun.

 

We headed down along the Seine to the bus stop.  That little speck you see on the other side of the river is someone sitting there reading:

 

 

There were definitely rain clouds down that way.  And check out the person down there going for a jog along the river:

 

 

As we stood and waited for the bus, a couple of clowns came by.  I figured they were up to no good, so I refused to interact with them.  They were gesturing for me to shake their hand or take a photo with them, and I told them to move along:

 

 

There's a boat heading up the river, and you can see Notre Dame's towers there on the left:

 

 

The sky was pretty blue that way, so we weren't sure what to expect in terms of weather today:

 

 

Here we are on the bus.  I would have liked to sit in the front row where those towelheads are, but they were on the bus before we got on:

 

 

The audio system on this bus was cool- you could chose which language you wanted to hear the narration in.  I didn't notice that they had a kid's channel until just now when I got ready to post this photo.  That would have been interesting to listen to:

 

 

The rain started sooner than I thought it would, so it was a good choice for us to be on this bus tour.  One of the first buildings we came to was the Assemblee Nationale, which is one of the houses of the French parliament:

 

 

I am familiar with the French flag, but I didn't know what that red and white flag with the crescent moon and stars was.  I have since Googled that, and learned that those are Singapore flags.  Why were they flying Singapore flags?  It turns out that this was the week for VIP's to visit France. Like me, the President of Singapore had arrived in France on Sunday, May 17: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/president-tony-tan/1853148.html

 

I thought they would be flying Musket Mickey flags in honor of my visit, but someone must not have gotten the message.

 

Rude.

 

That bus took us all over Paris, and we got a little recorded spiel telling us a bit about each place.  I liked it. This square is where they had the guillotine set up and lopped off a bunch of royal heads back in the day:

 

 

That big building over there is called the Grand Palais, and it's a big exhibition hall used for various purposes:

 

 

If you look carefully through the windshield in this photo, you'll see that we are heading right up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe:

 

 

When I had the car in Disneyland Paris, and knew that we were only about 20 miles from here, I told DD that I wanted to drive here so I could drive around this circle.  She didn't think that was a very good idea.  And, now that I was seeing it in person, she was right.  There are no designated lanes.  People just pile in and hope for the best:

 

 

The rain was coming down good now:

 

 

Here's another museum. This one is called Petit Palais.  They had an awful lot of museums here:

 

 

Next we will be going by the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre, and other assorted French stuff.

 

TCD

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

When I went to Paris with my parents, somehow I got separated from them at the Arc de Triomphe.  I was on the sidewalk on the outside of the traffic circle and they were below the Arch inside the circle.  So I walked across the street.  My mother nearly had a heart attack.  Turns out, there is an underground path pedestrians are supposed to use.  Oops.

 

The lady in your picture from Starbucks looks like someone I know.  I wonder if she was in Paris the same time as you.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Cafe Americano?  Are we the only ones who drink plain coffee?

 

Beautiful, beautiful shots inside the cathedral.  It is simply amazing, especially considering when it was built.

[Beckers 1,136]

More is on the way!

Chimeras?

I wonder how many people know what a Chimera is.

Me! But I probably don't count since I was born in the 'boro.

[Beckers 1,136]

Did you get change back from the coin taking machine?

When you said clowns, I assumed you were just calling them names, wasn't expecting people dressed up.

[mommy rainbo.....Bo 41]

Very beautiful.  This part of the trip I like.  

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

When I went to Paris with my parents, somehow I got separated from them at the Arc de Triomphe.  I was on the sidewalk on the outside of the traffic circle and they were below the Arch inside the circle.  So I walked across the street.  My mother nearly had a heart attack.  Turns out, there is an underground path pedestrians are supposed to use.  Oops.

 

The lady in your picture from Starbucks looks like someone I know.  I wonder if she was in Paris the same time as you.

 

Wow.  I can't imagine even thinking about crossing that traffic!  I am on your mom's side here.  That's nuts!

 

That would be something if that lady in the photo is your friend.

 

Cafe Americano?  Are we the only ones who drink plain coffee?

 

Beautiful, beautiful shots inside the cathedral.  It is simply amazing, especially considering when it was built.

 

Calling plain coffee café Americano confused me too.  And they say it in a very derogatory way when you order it.  Which is kind of funny if you think about it.  If they hate America so much, then why are they working in a Starbucks?

 

As is always the case, my photos do not do justice to the beauty and incredible detail of the Notre Dame cathedral.  It is incredibly impressive, especially, as you noted, considering when it was built.

 

Me! But I probably don't count since I was born in the 'boro.

 

I forgot you were born in the 'boro!

 

Represent!

 

Did you get change back from the coin taking machine?

When you said clowns, I assumed you were just calling them names, wasn't expecting people dressed up.

 

Yes, they coin machine gave change.  I was trying to get rid of my coins, and all I accomplished was trading some of the higher denomination ones for smaller denomination ones.  Fail.

 

Those were literally clowns.  I still don't know what they were up to, but I'm sure whatever it was, it was no good.

 

Very beautiful.  This part of the trip I like.  

 

Looking at the photos from Paris, it does look really nice.

 

Too bad I was on edge the whole time looking out for pickpockets and other scammers.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I will have an update posted later today, but I interrupt this trip report to report an interesting development.

 

Just a couple of days after my return from this trip, I got a survey from Disneyland Paris asking about my stay at Davy Crockett Ranch.

 

Like the WDW surveys, this one asked softball questions, and didn't give me a chance to say how I really felt.

 

There was an email address that was provided with the survey for Disneyland Paris Guest Relations, and I sent off a short but detailed email letting them know how disappointed I was by several things at Davy Crockett Ranch.

 

I sent my email on May 27.

 

When I have emailed WDW about something that I was dissatisfied with, I have always received at least an email response within 24 hours.

 

Days went by, then weeks.  And I heard nothing back from Disneyland Paris.  That just reinforced how badly this place was managed, in my opinion.

 

Then, on June 19, I received a response to my email.  This is what the response said:

 

 

Sorry- that screen shot is hard to read.  Here's the text of that email:

 

Thank you for your correspondence to Disneyland® Paris.

 

Please note that we are currently investigating your remarks with the relevant departments. Nevertheless, Disneyland® Paris is contractually required to respond to your remarks through the travel agency or tour operator with whom you reserved your holiday.

 

Please rest assured that our reply will be sent to your travel agent as soon as possible.

 

Once again, please be assured that Disneyland® Paris appreciates the time you have taken to contact us.

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

Great, I thought.

 

Remember, I had booked this trip through Travelocity.  Based on other dealings I've had with them, I figured that would be the last I heard about this.

 

Which was fine.  What could be done about it now, anyway?

 

But, on this past Friday, June 26, I got another email:

 

 

Again, sorry about the small print on the screen shot, here's the text of the email:

 

I refer to the situation you encountered during your recent visit to Disneyland® Paris.

 

To begin with, I wish to apologize for the delay in reply. Please know that this is due to exceptional circumstances thus not standard of practice.

 

Upon reading your email, I was delighted to hear that you have visited Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida so many time and I would like to thank you for choosing to visit Disneyland® Paris and particularly Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch® on this occasion. As such, I wish to thank you for your patronage in the Disney brand. Though, I would like to express my sincere regrets for the situation you describe in your correspondence.

 

It is with regret that I have read your comments regarding your accommodation at Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch and apologise for any disappointment that may have been felt. To satisfy our Guests and offer them more magic, Disneyland Paris has initiated a multi year plan to rehabilitate all its hotels, as is currently the case at both Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch and Disney’s Newport Bay Club®.

 

Furthermore, I sincerely regret if the WIFI was not available during your visit and apologize for any inconvenience felt due to this. Please know that our Cast Members are available around the clock and are happy to assist any Guests with their concerns should they be informed.

 

I was also dismayed to read your comments regarding the lack of recreational activities during your visit. However, I kindly inform you that none of the activities stated in your email are advertised on our website and I would like to clarify that for Davy Crockett Adventure is operated by Paris-Est Adventure. As such, we invite our Guests to consult the website: http://www.aventure-aventure.com/ for operating hours.

 

Please be assured that the quality of service offered is of utmost importance to Disneyland Paris. Indeed, we strive to maintain the high quality standards for which we are famous, and so continue to match our Guests’ expectations at all times. I am therefore sorry to hear that you were dissatisfied with your stay.

 

I can assure you that we do use Guest feedback as an integral way of examining our operations and, where necessary, implementing changes that will benefit the overall Guest experience at the Resort. As such, all your comments will be taken into account and reviewed, by the relevant departments. I would like to thank you for taking the time to write to us to advise of your concerns. We do value such initiatives which enable us to fully evaluate the level of customer satisfaction at the Resort. 

 

In order to enable you to rediscover Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch® when the renovation has completed, I have the pleasure of offering you the opportunity to return to Disneyland® Paris. As such, this offer is valid for 1 cabin at Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch for 2 adults for 1 night including takeaway breakfast and hotel occupancy taxes. To make your stay more enjoyable, Disneyland Paris would also like to invite you for 2 days unlimited access to the Walt Disney Studios® Park and Disneyland® Park during your visit.

 

The reservation can be made by completing the attached form and returning it to the indicated address a minimum of twelve weeks prior to your requested arrival date. This offer is valid for three years from the date of this email as we hope that you will join us in the 25 ^th anniversary festivities. Though, please note that it is subject to availability at the time of booking and does not include any options or transportation costs incurred

 

We hope that you will accept this gesture as recognition of the importance we attach to Guest satisfaction.

 

Disneyland Paris hopes to soon have the opportunity of welcoming you once more to the Resort thus enabling us to restore your faith in the Disney magic.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Wow.

 

I wasn't expecting that.

 

I am not sure if I'll be able to use the free night in the cabin, but I've got three years to figure that out.

 

Just so we're clear, what they're offering to me is pretty substantial.

 

According to this briefing sheet, the current rack rate for one night in a cabin is 281 EUR,  2 two day park passes total 278 EUR, and we know that the current price of the take away breakfast for two is 18 EUR. That's 577 EUR total.  At today's exchange rate, which is very favorable, that's worth $643.30.  That's nothing to sneeze at:

 

 

This actually could be a perfect side trip for a future visit to France.  One night and two days in the parks would be perfect for me.

 

I was on the fence about whether or not I would ever want to return to Davy Crockett Ranch.  Now, I'm off the fence, and hopefully will be back sometime in the next three years.

 

It's good to be TCD.

 

TCD

[keith_h 420]

Overall I think they gave a good response by offering the free night and 2-day park visit. It was also refreshing to see them say that their facilities weren't up to snuff and that they were working on it. I still feel they were passing the buck somewhat on the pool and their response about the CM's always being available. It doesn't matter that it was a contractor running the Davy Crockett Adventure. A customer should be able to find out all they need to know directly from Disney as it is their facility.