Europe ‘07

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If you wish, follow the simple procedure below to increase resolution, allowing the entire width of the page to be seen in the viewing area of your monitor. 

For those with Macintosh computers - consult your owners manual.

For those with Windows Operating Systems:

1 - minimize this page

2 - right click on your desktop

3 - select 'properties'

4 - select the 'settings' tab

5 - in the 'screen resolution'  box, slide the bar all the way to the right, increasing resolution to 1280 X 1024.  In the lower right click 'apply' and 'OK'.

Your screen will blink momentarily.  When it comes back everything will be 'smaller' than it was but you will be able to view web pages top to bottom without having to also scroll side to side.

Check these pages and pictures for updates.  Enjoy your visit!   JPM

Day One – Travel To The Iberian Peninsula

Thursday March 1

     Alayna and I were taking a long planned vacation in Spain, followed by a week in Paris with Nicole.  Logan would stay with Linda and Bill for six days, and then he would join us in Paris the following Thursday.

My bags were packed and locked at 11 am even though NWA flight 50 didn’t leave until 9:40 pm.  The checklist had been checked and rechecked several times - newspaper and mail on hold; doors and windows locked; water heater turned to vacation setting; furnace on ‘hold’ at 62 degrees; computer off and unplugged; DVD recorder set for favorites; cats provided for; lights on timers; important documents, tickets, money present and accounted for, and $6.00 in quarters in my pocket to jingle for the next ten hours. 

     Finally, our chauffeur arrived at 6:15 pm and we loaded our gear into the rear of our Volvo wagon limo, with Bill driving and Logan navigating, and headed across I-94 to DTW – Detroit Metro.

     We checked in and cleared security smoothly and met up with the next 1/3 of our group.  Jean & Don Stagg had come from Midland the night before to avoid an impending ice storm, which turned out to be a very good move.  We had almost an hour to wait to board our flight and our departure was slightly delayed as we waited to have the plane de-iced.  It’s been a few years since we’ve flown and the on- -board entertainment - on demand movies, games, and music – keep the passengers who remain awake pretty well pacified.

     Upon arrival at CDG-Charles DeGaul Airport, our plane taxied to a remote area, away from a huge renovation/construction project.  I noticed that as soon as a plane stops moving, people still jump out of their seats, grab their carryon bags from the overhead bins, and stand, and stand, and stand, waiting to exit.  Those next to the window stand hunched under the storage bins waiting to exit.  We decided to sit until the doors were actually opened.

     We deplaned onto the sunny tarmac and boarded a bus, which then snaked through the construction project.  We had a comfortable two hours to make our connection to Malaga, but this detour was shrinking our window of opportunity.  The bus finally pulled up to International Terminal E and we headed in to customs.  We had to wait in one of three lines.  The biggest line was for those staying in France.  The next line was for those connecting to flights out of the country, and the third, and shortest, line was for those who held Swiss passports, and they were gone in seconds.  After we were welcomed to France, kissed on both cheeks, and had our passports stamped at the little customs booth, we proceeded from Terminal E to Terminal D, which is quite a hike.

     We shuffled through the security check, half asleep from a night of dozing while sitting upright.  Still plenty of time to connect, about twenty minutes before boarding would begin, and after walking through the doors just past security, we were right at our gate. 

     There, we met up with the last 1/3 of our party, Karen and Dave, looking a little tuckered out from their flight from Chicago.  But spirits were high and, after a few futile attempts to call Nicole with the wacky French pay phone system that doesn’t take cash, we queued up for our flight to Malaga.

     Our Air Europa flight was full and noisy.  A woman in the row in front of us, at the window, talked to her friend seated at the other window, six seats across.

When the flight attendants came down the aisle with the food cart, Alayna & I decided to split a sandwich and a couple bottles of water.  It ended up costing 7.50 Euro - a little over $10.  Good thing we didn’t get the steak.

     After two hours the pilot snaked through the coastal mountains, and then swung out over the Mediterranean for his approach.  All we had to do was clear customs, and pick up our rental cars, and we'd be on our way to Marbella.  Yes, two cars.  It was cheaper to get two cars than one van.  As for clearing customs, there weren’t any.  You’re in Spain.  C’mon in.

     We made a quick adjustment to driving on a Spanish expressway, and a half hour later found the Marriott Resort in Marbella, right where Google Earth said it would be.  By now we’d all had quite a long day on little sleep.  It was getting dark, we were hungry, and the front desk clerk suggested a place called 'Don Carlos', just up the hill.  We hesitantly gathered at the door of the restaurant, slowed by a glance at the prices on the menu posted there  – expensive.  But we trudged in and sat.  We were the only customers. 

     Having not learned anything on the plane, I ordered water all around.   Long story short, even the little rolls the waiters brought were ala carte and NOT cheap.  Breadman MJM would have been very hungry or broke after a meal here.  BUT, the food was very good, and we all felt much better afterward.

     It was time to head for bed and try to get our biological clocks set ahead six hours.

Day Two Marbella

Day Three Mijas

Day Four Granada

Day Five Gibraltar

Day Six Ronda

Day Seven Marbella

Day Eight Paris

Day Nine Pere Lachaise

Day Ten Louvre mall; in Notre Dame

Day Eleven Ste Chappelle; Le Tour Eiffle

Day Twelve Versailles; Musee D'Orsay

Day Thirteen Louvre Musee

Day Fourteen Musee's D'Orsay, Rodin, Paris Modern Art

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