Trip Recap

La Quinta, California: We are home! Another 10+ hour plane ride and our grandchildren are expert business class flyers now.

Not sure how many rows in business class on this Air France plane, but nearly half of them were filled with children. Lots of families returning to Los Angeles from a freezing spring break?

After departing Paris, we were served a few-bite appetizer of goat cheese and artichoke hearts, then they served salad, bread, an edamame thing with some sort of veggie puree, topped with radish and pickled ginger, and two thick slabs of smoked salmon with grapefruit jelly. Next, the appetizer plate was removed and your main course choice (beef or chicken of fish or vegetarian) was served. Then cheese. Then dessert. Champagne, of course. Several times during the flight, Leo and Lucy went to the galley area to "raid" the snack bar. Nuts, candy, snacks, drinks, etc. I stitched. DT is the only one who slept at all.

Arriving at LAX, it was so quiet, but it was 4p. No one in the immigration lines. Freaky. Plus, they just scan your face and none of us had to present our passports. Also, the entire trip no one thought to ask if we had permission to drag children (without our last name) halfway across the world - and back. We did have the paperwork, but no one ever asked. Ten minutes after arriving, we were saying hello to Lenny. He brought us directly to their house and the children had a very happy reunion with their Mom.

We woke way too early Sunday morning, and were on the road to La Quinta at 8a. Little traffic, so we were home in two hours. Then piles of laundry and stacks of (junk) mail.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Hotels were a big issue in planning this trip. It is rare that a European hotel will allow 4 people in a room. Three seems to be the max, and European hotel rooms are small enough already. Also, I do like to use credit card points/airline miles to pay for hotel rooms whenever possible, so sometimes choose whichever hotel will allow points to be used.

HOTEL IN AMSTERDAM: Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsy. Chosen for the central location and the fact was had a glorious stay in the Anantara in Budapest a few years ago. Thoughts: A very nice hotel. We had connecting rooms - one King bed, and two twin beds. We were in the newer section of the hotel and looked out over a small street with restaurants open until the wee hours. The revelry kept DT awake a bit, but I never heard it at all. The children especially loved the beautiful glass-roofed pavilion where they served the breakfast buffet. Goodness, what a great selection and service. Lots of fussing over our grandchildren! We dined in the hotel restaurant our last night and the food and service were splendid.

HOTEL IN BRUSSELS: Hotel Amigo. Chosen for the location and we stayed here a few years ago and loved the hotel. They also are one of the few hotels to offer connecting rooms. This hotel was built as a prison in the 1500s. Since our last visit, they have closed the teeny little bar off the restaurant and added a very large bar (that also serves nice snacks, sandwiches, etc.) in the lobby. A big improvement. This hotel is old-school, and they still have turn-down service with linen mats placed bedside with your slippers and fresh towels all-around. As we had booked "family rooms" (two connecting rooms), they had placed a jar of candy and a TinTin book on the beds for Leo and Lucy, a kid-friendly map of the area, and some-sort of passport to the city. Highly recommend - the staff are amazing. The breakfast buffet at Hotel Amigo is quite nice as well.

AIRBNB IN PARIS: Apartment in Saint Germain. Besides the AirBnB Lisa booked for us in Hawaii earlier this year, this is the first time to stay/rent an apartment through this company. No idea what we would find. It said two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but later we learned it had one toilet (in a separate room, which is typical of French apartments). What? Me Worry? Nope, all I cared was it had a washer/dryer and we would be away already a week - with another week of travel in front of us. (The amenities listed a washer & dryer, but unless it was a combo unit and we couldn't figure out how to use the dryer portion, I'd say there was no dryer. No matter, the heated towel warmers in each bathroom solved that issue - even jeans dried quickly.) Perfect location for the Saint Germain area. Ten minute walk to the river, St. Sulpice, Luxembourg Gardens, a hundred restaurants and very good grocery stores. It is up one flight, but there is an elevator, which we never used. (Maybe all four of us would not fit, as it is very tiny.) It was annoying that there was a code to open the front door of the building, another code to open the door at the opposite end of the foyer to reach the elevator/stairs, another code to open the door to our floor... and another to open the lock box with the key! But, the kids made a game of it and I never had to use a code! Let's say - there was good security in the building. This apartment was expensive, but less than two typical European hotel rooms - and did I mention it had a washer?

NOTES:

The weather was the only downer on the trip, and it was a big one. We just don't have the clothes for 45 degrees. I bought a hat in Amsterdam. Gloves in Brussels. Finally in Paris, there was a UNIQLO (they seem to be everywhere in Europe) near our apartment and I bought a fast-fashion (and cheap) cashmere sweater. It was "my" shade of pink, crewneck and cashmere keeps me so warm. And it worked. I wore it five of six days in Paris. Thing is, it hasn't pilled at all.

Lucile was the only one of us clever enough to bring a puffy jacket, and noted she is wearing the same thing in every photograph of the trip! I noticed a lot of women in Amsterdam and Brussels wearing puffy COATS. (Never in chic Paris.) Scarfs were everywhere on everyone - men included. White sneakers seem to the uniform, but if I go to Europe in the "spring" again, I will wear boots. (First, I will have to purchase a pair of boots... and a proper coat.)

I RECOMMEND:

As we went “carry-on only” - the Mini Jewelry Case from Made by Mary made all the difference. Since I was wearing the same clothes over and over and over and over, it was nice to switch-out the jewelry/scarf. I was able to fit five pair of earrings and two chain necklaces inside and the case is basically the size of two lipsticks. I’m not thrilled with the color of the leather, but it is what it is - and it is tiny.

We had a fabulous cold trip and the Memory Bank had huge deposits over the past two weeks. We told the grandchildren if we have them again for Spring Break, we are going somewhere warm, or even staying in our own desert house. No where needing puffy anything! Spending time with your grandchildren one-on-one is priceless. They are both great travelers - like their mother - who was practically born in a suitcase:

Until my next update, I remain, your well-traveled correspondent.

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