Sharon and I plan our trips over a year out. Sharon can find deals from where, I have no idea. But a killer airfare from Vancouver BC to Paris, season tickets to the Aachen CHIO Horse show (season being 1 week) for a great price, and hotel reservations, and it was done.
Sharon called me at this time last year and asked if I wanted to go to Aachen again. Well. Duh. Of course I wanted to go to Aachen again. In order to do so, you have to buy tickets a year out. And book hotel reservations. Otherwise you don’t get them. Aachen is a horse show town. Once a year, the German National Horse Show, CHIO Aachen, comes to town. Vaulting, Eventing, Combined Driving, and Show Jumping at the highest levels. People come for the world around for this show. This is a biggie.
We already had a trip planned for later in the year, so instead of our usual 2-3 weeks sightseeing tours, this was just going to be the horse show. Then Sharon mentioned Paris, as she found a terrific airfare. Well, as my favorite place in the whole world, I’m always up to see paris! And Sharon could extend the trip a few days, as is always her desire! Now the trip was leaving Friday the 13th of July (!!), spending the weekend in Paris, the short show, back to Paris for a night, then home. 12 days. Short for our standards! And that is the way it stood for the better part of 11 months.
About a month before leaving, Sharon called me as asked, curiously, when Bastille Day was. I googled it, and it was the Saturday we arrive. So began an intense couple of hours of changing arrangements, as we’d originally planned to stay in the Marais. But Bastille Day is a huge deal in France, and in Paris, specifically, there is a huge military parade, which shuts down the Metro for the duration, and a fireworks show that night as well. So, we changed all our reservations for that night so we could see some of the celebration. And that is the way things stood for the month before we were due to leave.
Monday night, July 9th, I get a call from Sharon, who tells me to sit down, and that everyting is okay, but that she is in the hospital, and has had a mild heart attack! I was convinced that we could be cancelling the trip (and gratefully as Sharon is still with us!), however Sharon, all the nurses, and all the doctors seemed to think the trip was still possible. After a heart catheterization, and placements of a stent, Sharon had a note from her doctor okaying her to fly on Sunday. It was a week of ups and downs, working out Sharon’s restrictions, what we could (and would!) do, and figuring out alternatives. But it is done, and we were going!
DAY ONE – PARIS, OR I AM A SHERPA
We are here, and we are tired! We flew on a Boeing Dreamliner, and it was incredible! I am the Sherpa for the trip. Sharon is not allowed to lift more than 5 pounds, so I am carrying the day pack and organizing our luggage. We’ve cut Bastille Day out of the trip, as well as a planned day trip to Chantilly, but it’s fine.
Following the progress of World Cup soccer game between France and Croatia on our way up to the airport (and getting hung up at the border for half an hour), we heard than France had won. It was going to be a wild weekend in Paris!
We had a great flight and took a cab into the city. We are staying up by the big train stations, Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, since we have a 7:30 train out tomorrow morning. Because of this, I’ve seen a different part of the city. We came in at rush hour, and skirted the main part of Paris, and went above and around the stations, coming in from the East. Traffic was terrible, and this was not a great part of the city. All large cities have sections that are not wonderful, and Paris is no exception. However it is sad to see the grittier side of things.
We got into our hotel early, and were able to get a day room, and we collapsed. Today has been really hot, and we’ve stayed really quiet, only emerging to eat. Now we are watching live french tv and the arrival of the French Soccer team at the airport. The team is boarding a bus at the airport, as we watch, and will be heading for a parade. According to the State Department notice that we got they will use the same route the Bastille Day parade took yesterday – Arch de Trimphe to Place de l’Concorde.
The pictures of the the parade route remind me of the parade in downtown Seattle when the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. It’s wall to wall people, and the city is going insane! What a weekend for Paris. Even though we’re watching tv from our hotel room, it’s fun to be part of it. I thought it was amazing when we were here two years ago, and France played (in France!!) for the championship, but lost. Monday morning, the city was in mourning. Today, a different story!
We’ll head to Aachen and the horse show tomorrow, but for the moment, Sharon’s iPad is trying to speak to her in Chinease while she’s on the Air Canada website. I think our electronics are as confused as everything else this weekend!
Not many pictures, but a few. Until tomorrow.
Suzanne’s Travels 
Have a fun trip! Looking forward to your updates.
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Have a great time guys. Can’t wait for more pictures and details of your days.
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