Obviously, I have been doing a lot of research and so should you. Your research should start when you start "thinking" about taking a trip out of the country. Research what country, or countries, you want to see, the price of airfare and the price of lodging. After you've done all that, research some more.
However, this time your research should focus on the niceties of the people you will visit. Since Betty and I will only be visiting Paris and possibly the surrounding area, that is where I have focused my research.
To start with, Parisians have a reputation for being rude. However, according to my research, Parisians actually place strong emphasis on good manners. For someone visiting as a "tourist" this would be where the reputation of being an "Ugly American" comes in. In my opinion, a tourist cares nothing about experiencing the culture of another country. The just want to visit the "must see" sights, snap a picture or two and complain about how "nothing is like it is in America". Well, duh. To paraphrase Dorothy, "You're not in Kansas anymore, Toto."
Consider this a moment, Americans in general, get upset when they walk into a store or hop in a taxi and find the person working there doesn't even try to speak English. Other countries are the same way, a traveler will make an attempt to learn basic words of the people they are visiting. Hello, goodbye, thank you, please, pardon me and so on. To a Parisian, it is extremely rude to walk into a shop and not say Hello. If you don't greet them, you will most likely be met with rudeness. So, their reputation of being rude is only a reflection of our rudeness to them.
That is just one example of how research can be a benefit in preparing yourself for a trip to another country. Another example is how Parisians approach their meals when dining out. Forget the noisy hurry-up-and-eat restaurant atmosphere we're used to in the States. Parisians typically spend two hours or more when eating out. Waitstaff will not stop by your table numerous time to ask, "is everything okay?" and they won't bring you the check until you ask for it. Here in the States we would consider this poor service but in France it is considered ill mannered to interrupt you while you enjoy a quiet meal. And at cafes and bistros you should expect to pay more to sit outside, that is prime real estate in the restaurant biz. Also, once you sit down that table is considered yours until you ask for the check, pay your tab and leave. So, you could actually claim a table for lunch, watch Paris stroll past, then have dinner at the same place several hours later. That is, as long as you don't ask for your check.
Research is important, with the internet it is extremely easy to learn the habits and customs of different people. I intend to learn all I can about Paris, not so I can plan every minute of every day but so I can learn about the people I will be visiting and hopefully, make my visit more enjoyable not only for me but for them as well.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Intermission and Introduction
After posting my last entry I realized the picture of our passports was the first picture I had posted. I also realized that I really hadn't introduced myself, or my wife. As a matter of fact, every reference to my wife has been "my wife" or "she" or some equally nondescript variation. This post will change that. As the title says, this is an intermission and introduction. An intermission from writing about our Paris plans and an introduction of ourselves.
It all began on a dark and stormy night many years ago. Uh, no, that isn't right. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away .... nope that isn't it either.
Our relationship began in January 1983, that was when I met Betty. We met in a game room, they were very popular before the advent of home game systems. Great place to socialize and spend money and as it turned out a great place to meet a future wife.
After a brief courtship, I proposed, sort of. You see, I met Betty during one of my trips to East Texas, I was actually living in Central Texas, north of San Antonio at the time. Six months after I met her, I called from where I was living and invited her to come out and meet my parents. Oh, and plan on a wedding while you're here. Granted, not the most romantic proposal ever but the result was the same as the most planned out, romantic proposal in the history of the world. Betty flew out, we were married. Simple.
While I know I have pictures of our wedding, somewhere, I couldn't find any that were easily accessible so here is a picture of us a few months after we were married.
Weren't we the cutest couple ever? Actually, looking at that picture I am reminded of a quote by Fred Astaire when he was explained the man's job when dancing, "... make her look good." With my leftover 70s hairstyle and unruly beard, I think I accomplished making her look good. This was the first portrait we had taken and all things considered, it turned out rather well. But anyway, that was us, Rob and Betty, in 1983.
Unlike many couples we know, we did not immediately start having kids. We took a few years to get to know each other and see a little of our country. Betty moved from East Texas to Central Texas, then we moved to Waco for a short period then back to Central Texas. Yes, I know Waco is considered Central Texas but we moved to a different part of Central Texas. Then to California, back to Central Texas and finally to the middle of the U.S. where we put down our roots and started a family.
At that point our life settled into what most couples lives settle into, raising children, trips to the hospital because of the kids accidents, gaining a mortgage, car payments, PTA, Scouting, late night school work and starting careers.
Through all of that, two things were constant, we had each other and we loved to do this:
Through all the years we loved to ride, and still do. Although there was a period when we didn't have a motorcycle, time raising the boys and tending to life in general, we never lost the love of being on two wheels. Once we were able, we bought a motorcycle and rediscovered the thrill of riding. Riding gave us time to be together, without the kids. It allowed us to be a couple again and enjoy discovering what was around the next bend in the road. I believe that joy of discovery is what triggered the travel bug with us. Although we never made it out of the states, we always enjoyed little excursions that would bring about a new place, experience or culture.
Now, with the boys grown, we begin the next chapter of our lives.
Before I end this post, here are a couple more pictures of us, one from a company picnic and the other a portrait taken on Mother's Day.
The 70s hairstyle is gone but part of the beard remains and I am still doing my part in "making her look good."
It all began on a dark and stormy night many years ago. Uh, no, that isn't right. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away .... nope that isn't it either.
Our relationship began in January 1983, that was when I met Betty. We met in a game room, they were very popular before the advent of home game systems. Great place to socialize and spend money and as it turned out a great place to meet a future wife.
After a brief courtship, I proposed, sort of. You see, I met Betty during one of my trips to East Texas, I was actually living in Central Texas, north of San Antonio at the time. Six months after I met her, I called from where I was living and invited her to come out and meet my parents. Oh, and plan on a wedding while you're here. Granted, not the most romantic proposal ever but the result was the same as the most planned out, romantic proposal in the history of the world. Betty flew out, we were married. Simple.
While I know I have pictures of our wedding, somewhere, I couldn't find any that were easily accessible so here is a picture of us a few months after we were married.
Unlike many couples we know, we did not immediately start having kids. We took a few years to get to know each other and see a little of our country. Betty moved from East Texas to Central Texas, then we moved to Waco for a short period then back to Central Texas. Yes, I know Waco is considered Central Texas but we moved to a different part of Central Texas. Then to California, back to Central Texas and finally to the middle of the U.S. where we put down our roots and started a family.
At that point our life settled into what most couples lives settle into, raising children, trips to the hospital because of the kids accidents, gaining a mortgage, car payments, PTA, Scouting, late night school work and starting careers.
Through all of that, two things were constant, we had each other and we loved to do this:
Now, with the boys grown, we begin the next chapter of our lives.
Before I end this post, here are a couple more pictures of us, one from a company picnic and the other a portrait taken on Mother's Day.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Passports part deux
This will be a short post.
Our Passports are Here!
And there they are, all blue and gold embossed. It may not seem like much to some people but to us, they are a reminder that we are actually going to Paris.
See, I told you this post was going to be short.
Our Passports are Here!
And there they are, all blue and gold embossed. It may not seem like much to some people but to us, they are a reminder that we are actually going to Paris.
See, I told you this post was going to be short.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Where to Stay?
Well, since Paris is our only planned destination, the obvious answer would be, Paris.
Before I told my wife we were going to Europe, I spent considerable time researching hotels. I searched every variation of "Good hotels in ____?" that I could think of and numerous matches were given. If you Google "Good hotels in Paris" over 65,000,000 matches are displayed. Over 65,000,000, really? How are you supposed to narrow that down to the one hotel you want to stay in?
While I was busy entering variations of my query, I came across a site that offered short term apartment rentals for less money than hotels were charging. A little research later and I find there is whole cottage industry that rents apartments to vacationers in Europe, actually not just Europe, everywhere. Short term vacation rentals are available in just about every country, as an inexperienced traveler, this was news to me. Thankfully, one of the rental sites had a link to TripAdvisor for reviews.
TripAdvisor is one of many traveler oriented websites that can be found on the web. Others include, Rick Steve's website which strongly favors European destinations, Lonely Planet is a good all around site for destinations throughout the world. Each has user ran forums that contain a wealth of information about anything and everything you could possibly want to know about traveling. If you don't see what you're looking for, just ask a question through the forums and answers will be provided.
I ventured into TripAdvisor and Rick Steve's forums and found what I was hoping to in the way of where to stay in Paris. First, apartments really are cheaper than hotels, but just like hotels it depends on what you think you need. I was able to find apartments that ranged from $70.00 per night all the way up to over $300.00 per night. These ranged from very small studio apartments to three bedroom homes.
When shopping for an apartment, consider the pros and cons. On the positive side, all apartments are equipped with a kitchen and cooking utensils so you can save money by preparing a few meals at "home" rather than eating out. Many apartments have a washer and dryer, this will let you pack lighter and save a little by doing laundry in the apartment rather than going to a washateria. You will be living next door to the locals. What better way to experience a new country than to live among the locals rather than hiding in a hotel.
On the negative side of the coin, there will be no maid to change your sheets and make your bed. You won't have access the hotel concierge and you will most likely not have English speaking neighbors. Or if they do speak English it will be very limited, probably much like your ability to speak their language.
It all comes down to what is best for you.
As I mentioned before, my wife and I like to travel casually. We believe the best way to enjoy a vacation is to slow down and enjoy the surroundings, the people, the food, just not be rushed. So, we opted for an apartment.
Now, there are an abundant amount of agencies that handle vacation rentals, Cobblestone Paris, AirBnB, VRBO, homeaway, flipkey and many, many more. The key to choosing an apartment is to decide what you "need". We knew we didn't need a three bedroom two bathroom apartment afterall, we are not traveling to Paris to look at the inside of an apartment. Once you decide on an apartment, go to one of the travel forums and look/ask for reviews. TripAdvisor is good for this as their members are very active and vocal about the good and the bad experiences they have had during their trips.
So, all of that just to say we found an apartment that I believe will suit us perfectly for our Anniversary in Paris.
Before I told my wife we were going to Europe, I spent considerable time researching hotels. I searched every variation of "Good hotels in ____?" that I could think of and numerous matches were given. If you Google "Good hotels in Paris" over 65,000,000 matches are displayed. Over 65,000,000, really? How are you supposed to narrow that down to the one hotel you want to stay in?
While I was busy entering variations of my query, I came across a site that offered short term apartment rentals for less money than hotels were charging. A little research later and I find there is whole cottage industry that rents apartments to vacationers in Europe, actually not just Europe, everywhere. Short term vacation rentals are available in just about every country, as an inexperienced traveler, this was news to me. Thankfully, one of the rental sites had a link to TripAdvisor for reviews.
TripAdvisor is one of many traveler oriented websites that can be found on the web. Others include, Rick Steve's website which strongly favors European destinations, Lonely Planet is a good all around site for destinations throughout the world. Each has user ran forums that contain a wealth of information about anything and everything you could possibly want to know about traveling. If you don't see what you're looking for, just ask a question through the forums and answers will be provided.
I ventured into TripAdvisor and Rick Steve's forums and found what I was hoping to in the way of where to stay in Paris. First, apartments really are cheaper than hotels, but just like hotels it depends on what you think you need. I was able to find apartments that ranged from $70.00 per night all the way up to over $300.00 per night. These ranged from very small studio apartments to three bedroom homes.
When shopping for an apartment, consider the pros and cons. On the positive side, all apartments are equipped with a kitchen and cooking utensils so you can save money by preparing a few meals at "home" rather than eating out. Many apartments have a washer and dryer, this will let you pack lighter and save a little by doing laundry in the apartment rather than going to a washateria. You will be living next door to the locals. What better way to experience a new country than to live among the locals rather than hiding in a hotel.
On the negative side of the coin, there will be no maid to change your sheets and make your bed. You won't have access the hotel concierge and you will most likely not have English speaking neighbors. Or if they do speak English it will be very limited, probably much like your ability to speak their language.
It all comes down to what is best for you.
As I mentioned before, my wife and I like to travel casually. We believe the best way to enjoy a vacation is to slow down and enjoy the surroundings, the people, the food, just not be rushed. So, we opted for an apartment.
Now, there are an abundant amount of agencies that handle vacation rentals, Cobblestone Paris, AirBnB, VRBO, homeaway, flipkey and many, many more. The key to choosing an apartment is to decide what you "need". We knew we didn't need a three bedroom two bathroom apartment afterall, we are not traveling to Paris to look at the inside of an apartment. Once you decide on an apartment, go to one of the travel forums and look/ask for reviews. TripAdvisor is good for this as their members are very active and vocal about the good and the bad experiences they have had during their trips.
So, all of that just to say we found an apartment that I believe will suit us perfectly for our Anniversary in Paris.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Passports
Applying for a passport is a fairly straightforward process, to a degree. You can go to this website
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html for all the information concerning applying for one. You can pick up the application at almost any post office in the United States.
Once you have your application, read it through before you start filling it out. There are specific directions you have to follow if you want your application to go through easily. The main direction is do not sign the application until you are asked to when you turn it in, and you must turn it in in person. You can turn it in at most post offices but, post offices only accept passport applications between certain hours. As we found out, the persons accepting the application is specifically trained to do so and not all post office employees are trained. So, check with your local branch and see when they accept them.
Information required is nothing that should make anyone uncomfortable providing. Your full name, address, and place of birth. You also have to list your parents full names and dates and locations of birth. Provide a photo copy of your driver's license and a certified copy of your birth certificate, if you don't have a certified copy you can get one from the records office of the city you were born in.
There was a surprise on the application, you must list if you have been married before. If so, you have to provide the date of your divorce. My wife was never married before so for her it was no problem As for me, I was married for a short time then achieved a divorce. I thought I knew where my divorce proclamation was, I didn't.
As I live close to the city that granted my divorce I took a trip to city hall to get a copy of the divorce. As it turns out the city converted all of their public records to digital information. Unfortunately, they only converted approximately the last 20 years, as my divorce was over 30 years I had to go though the process the old fashioned way. I went to the information desk and explained what I needed; I was told to fill out a simple form and they would notify me when they received the documents.
About two weeks later we received a phone stating they had the divorce decree and we could come down anytime to pick it up. Since I was only interested in the date I asked if they could give that over the phone, uh, no. So, another trip to the city to get the information I needed.
I really didn't need a copy of the divorce decree, I just needed the date which I was able to get without paying for a copy once I explained why I needed it.
With the date in hand I was able to finish filling out the application.
Finally, once you turn in your application, either bring a money order or just buy one at the post office. Apparently, payment is not accepted in cash for passport applications. The bottom line for passports, read everything, provide all the information asked for and be patient.
With the passports successfully applied for, we turned out attention to how to get there and where to stay.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html for all the information concerning applying for one. You can pick up the application at almost any post office in the United States.
Once you have your application, read it through before you start filling it out. There are specific directions you have to follow if you want your application to go through easily. The main direction is do not sign the application until you are asked to when you turn it in, and you must turn it in in person. You can turn it in at most post offices but, post offices only accept passport applications between certain hours. As we found out, the persons accepting the application is specifically trained to do so and not all post office employees are trained. So, check with your local branch and see when they accept them.
Information required is nothing that should make anyone uncomfortable providing. Your full name, address, and place of birth. You also have to list your parents full names and dates and locations of birth. Provide a photo copy of your driver's license and a certified copy of your birth certificate, if you don't have a certified copy you can get one from the records office of the city you were born in.
There was a surprise on the application, you must list if you have been married before. If so, you have to provide the date of your divorce. My wife was never married before so for her it was no problem As for me, I was married for a short time then achieved a divorce. I thought I knew where my divorce proclamation was, I didn't.
As I live close to the city that granted my divorce I took a trip to city hall to get a copy of the divorce. As it turns out the city converted all of their public records to digital information. Unfortunately, they only converted approximately the last 20 years, as my divorce was over 30 years I had to go though the process the old fashioned way. I went to the information desk and explained what I needed; I was told to fill out a simple form and they would notify me when they received the documents.
About two weeks later we received a phone stating they had the divorce decree and we could come down anytime to pick it up. Since I was only interested in the date I asked if they could give that over the phone, uh, no. So, another trip to the city to get the information I needed.
I really didn't need a copy of the divorce decree, I just needed the date which I was able to get without paying for a copy once I explained why I needed it.
With the date in hand I was able to finish filling out the application.
Finally, once you turn in your application, either bring a money order or just buy one at the post office. Apparently, payment is not accepted in cash for passport applications. The bottom line for passports, read everything, provide all the information asked for and be patient.
With the passports successfully applied for, we turned out attention to how to get there and where to stay.
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