Christmas Adventures: Paris

The boys and I snuck away for a day and a night to sightsee Paris - the City of Lights - and were NOT disappointed tourists! An evening boat ride along the Seine provided a wonderful overview of the city and views of many iconic buildings and monuments. Then later, a stroll along the Champs Elysees made for some cool photos of the Arc de Triomphe!

During the day, we did a little shopping and a little exploring, taking in the architecture and more significant buildings and monuments. The best part was just walking around the city to stumble upon fresh crepes and coffee by the Louvre, or a winter carnival alongside the Tuileries Gardens!

It may have only been 24 hours in the city - just long enough to whet the boys' appetite for all the city has to offer - but it was a million little moments for me of time spent together talking, wandering, laughing, eating, and discovering. Worth everything just to walk through the city with these two...

Christmas Adventures: Rully & Senlis

In between lots of good hugs and Christmas celebrations, we did take the opportunity to play tourist just a little... including taking in Rully, the small village outside of Paris where we stayed with our friends in their incredibly cool and cozy, newly renovated home. We loved being in the beautiful countryside and walking by the stone houses, the downtown bakery, and the central cathedral!

But I mostly just enjoyed seeing these two together again:

We also spent a day taking in the nearby town of Senlis and all of its beautiful architecture, including the cathedral and school building. The 4 boys were very accommodating to explore with us and John-Jefferson and his brother Paul-Alexandre were excellent tour guides of their own stomping grounds!

While Hamp kept practicing his photography skills throughout his visit to France, Peggy also shared her skills and some of her incredible photos of our favorite views in Senlis:

Cathedrale Notre Dame de Senlis

Lycee Saint-Vincent (St. Vincent School)

Christmas Adventures: reunions

This trip was significant because of the people I needed to see... my heart needed three, specific hugs:

After sending Hamp off to Norway in August I needed to squeeze him and hear his voice in person tell me that he was happy and doing well, which is exactly what he did!

And I needed to see Peggy in her new house, with her family, and soak up every moment of being with her again.... it is one of those friendships where years may pass but nothing ever changes!

And I needed to see these boys!

I promised to John-Jefferson when he left that I would come see him so I had to make good on my promise and see that these boys will be friends forever.

Christmas Adventures: getting there

One does not undertake holiday air travel without accepting the possibility of winter weather interruptions causing flight delays, and thus crowds of families and weary travelers piling up at airports. (Heaven knows we have had our fair share of not-so-favorable travel karma in our years of flying home for Christmas or Thanksgiving!) So as Sam and I prepared for our departure to Paris to meet up with Hamp and our dear friends, we steeled ourselves to the fact that things may not go smoothly.

I preface this whole story with one statement: we made it to Paris and got to see our family and friends! That being said... 

things did not go smoothly.

Day 1 of departure: Denver

Our original flight on IcelandAir gets cancelled all together due to a severe winter storm in Reykjavik that stranded hundreds of travelers... we are rebooked for the next day on a Delta flight. Fine. Sam enjoys some ice skating at the Denver airport while I rearrange travel plans. We spend an afternoon watching planes fly in/out of Denver and get dinner - try again tomorrow! 

Day 2 of departure: still Denver

Bags are checked and we are at the gate... waiting. It is becoming clear that weather is starting to affect departures and our domestic flight keeps getting delayed. In fear of missing our connection to Paris, we find a Delta agent who graciously moves us to a different flight out on United later that evening. Fine. As long as we can get out we will make it! Meanwhile, Hamp has arrived in Paris and is happily hanging out with John-Jefferson and his family! Thank goodness...

Day 3 of departure: Munich, Germany

In the nick of time, we fly to Europe. This flight, too is delayed but at least we will miss our connection in Munich with a better chance of catching the next flight to Paris as opposed to being stuck in Detroit! Jet-lagged, we wander the Munich airport for what feels like hours looking for a baggage service person (spoiler alert: our baggage doesn't make it to Europe!) but give up in order to book an airport hotel room and enjoy a German beer and Chimney Cake at the pop-up winter market in the airport atrium!

Day 4 of departure: Paris!!!

Finally, we await the first flight out to Paris the next morning. At this point Sam and I are super exhausted, frustrated at the mixed messages regarding our baggage (are they there? will they make it? do we just keep going in hopes that we'll be reunited?!) and just ready to be at our destination.

Despite all of these adventures, I was most grateful that my dear friend Peggy and her family took Hamp in for a few days while Sam & I struggled to get there! I was also grateful that we actually made it to our destination... considering that mere hours after we finally took off, the weather in the US started to take its toll on air travel across the country. Lastly, I am incredibly grateful for Sam - what an amazing and patient traveler! We had a great time together laughing about our travel troubles and he focused on being able to go ice-skating, see a German winter market, and watch the planes rather than pout about being stuck in airports for 4 days!