Homeward bound!

Day 15 - 22nd October 2006

After a gruelling 14 days, for the daddies and mummies at least, we are finally going home! Usually i will be a little sad at the end of a holiday, and definitely reluctant to leave the country to go back to mundane Singapore. However this time round, i was actually quite happy to be going back home to rest my exhausted, aching body. And i guess everyone else also felt the same way...

Goodbye Monsieur Phillipe and his minion, Arnaud

Just as we were about to board our plane, there was an announcement that the flight would be delayed for an hour. Now why didnt that come as a surprise at all? We have all become immune to the constant delays that we had to endure throughout the past 2 weeks. Sigh...

Nevertheless, the girls managed to charm this adorable 8 year old French boy who was taking the same plane as us. He was so smitten by them that he came over to where we were sitting and refused to leave their sides! He kept carrying them, hugging them, singing to them and lavishing them with kisses! Whoa..they really have a way with French men!

We're bored!! Can we go now??

Finally after much waiting again...we were good to go!

Because it was an afternoon flight, the girls were bouncing off the walls in the plane. They jumped on the seats (or rather Terelle did), walked up and down the aisles, snacked non stop, yakked with each other, watched dvd after dvd...

Help Terelle! You're squashing me!!

Only this could keep them in their seats!

Yippee we're going home!!

All in all it was a memorable, albeit tiring 2 weeks and a holiday of such proportions with 2 babies in tow definitely didnt come cheap. Many of our friends and family members have challenged us by saying that it was a waste to have brought Terelle on such a trip as she is so young and wouldnt be able to remember anything.

I beg to differ...as you see her entire face light up when she sees something she has never seen before or hear her squeals of joy when she is up close and personal with nature or just watch her as she revels in simply being out and about in different surroundings, all the tiredness is worth it and the money is well spent. And i believe these imprints will be with her for a lifetime.

To paraphrase those Mastercard ads: Holiday with kids - $X. But a lifetime of memories - Priceless.

Chateau de Versailles...Opulent and Obnoxious

Day 14 - 21st October 2006
Today's the last day that we'll be running around Paris, and boy are we glad! After 2 weeks our shoulders have become numb from the weight of the overflowing bags and wriggling babies.

Today's itinerary is a visit to Versailles, the official residence of Louis XIV. Everyone was simply gushing over Versailles and told us that a visit to Paris wouldnt be complete if we didnt see it, so in spite of the constant ache in our battered bodies, we braved the half hour train ride out of Paris to view its reputed magnificence.
Apparently it was so grand, so luxurious, and so expensive to maintain that its upkeep and maintenance, including the care and feeding of staff and the royal family, consumed as much as 25 percent of the total income of France!

But then again...almost everything in France is excessive...

Thankfully the queue was bearable when we arrived so we got into the Palace itself rather quickly. However, we were a little horrified when they told us that strollers and even the baby carrier werent allowed inside. How were we to manage 2 crazy toddlers, who were bent on getting their hands on everything, while trying to explore the extensive palace grounds??

In front of the main facade of the Palace

Well too bad for Louis XIV then! We wont be held responsible for any damaged piece of history, his modern day staff had confiscated the very contraptions we had that could restrain our inquisitive babes!

It was heaven for the girls! There were so many things to see and touch and destroy!!

Kings and queens once held court before this fireplace...and what are the girls doing there?

Playing their favourite, row row row your boat!

While their mummies played the part of the wide eyed tourist to great effect!

Some views of the opulent interior, including the chapel (top left) and the bedchambers of the king and queen

Kara making herself at home and hoping to jump onto the huge 4 poster bed

At the heart of the Palace is the Galerie des Glaces or the Hall of Mirrors; it is located between the Peace Drawing Room and the War Drawing Room. It is a spectacular hallway that contains 357 mirrors, placed in seventeen arcades that match seventeen windows on the opposite wall. These mirrors were of an unprecedented size for that particular era.

Louis XIV had also ordered that the benefits of his government be painted on the ceiling; his painter had him appear as a Roman Emperor, a great administrator of his kingdom, and victorious over foreign powers.

If you ask me, this room simply screams narcissicm! Paintings of himself on the ceiling and mirrors everywhere? Just an excuse for Louis XIV to constantly admire and remind himself how great he was!

The Galerie des Glaces

This section of the Hall of Mirrors was undergoing restoration, but the chadeliers still cast dancing lights all around which lent a rare but surreal atmosphere to the otherwise supercilious surroundings

The largest formal gardens ever created in the grounds of Versailles

At the end of our tour, both the girls had fallen asleep in our arms. We were right at the other end of the Palace, so the guys had to go back to the entrance to retrieve the stroller and carrier, while Evon and I waited on benches at the exit.

When they returned, a snooty guard nearby informed them brusquely that strollers were not allowed in the Palace and that if we wanted to load the babies, we had to do it outside in the cold. Come on, we were like just 3metres away, couldnt you bend your thoughtless rules just a little and spare some consideration to the sleeping babies? The stroller definitely weighs much less than your 80kg frame and if you think you're not making a dent in the precious Palace's floor, why should it??

In the end, we just ignored his ramblings and Caleb wheeled the stroller right past him. We loaded the babies slowly, all the while shooting the guard dirty looks and making sure he knew that we were NOT HAPPY with his attitude. After all, it was our last day in France and we were quite fed up with the Parisians' (some of them) uppity attitude and their efficiency at getting things done, if at all.

I forgot to mention that in Paris, in the hierarchy of privileges, babies are ranked below dogs. Why do I say this? Because when we were outside a cafe along Champs-Elysees and the girls started to climb the steps up into the premises, we were stopped by yet another snooty waiter who informed us in condescending tones that babies were not allowed. We were stunned and incensed when just at that moment, a woman with a dog in tow jauntily sauntered inside.

Perhaps that is why the guard treated us the way he did at Versailles. Perhaps it is an unwritten rule that concessions are not to be given to babies, ever!

We were oh so angry...including Terelle!

Us feeding the girls on the train ride back..they were obviously NOT ENJOYING their food...

I dont blame them, 2 weeks of mushy and tasteless jar food is definitely not appetising!

We headed to St Lazare for some last minute shopping. It was another busy town with tons of people and large department stores.

The flurry of activity, just outside the train station

Figuring out the route to a mega sports store

We didnt buy anything in the end cos everything was just too expensive. As we debated on where to go for a good dinner to round off our holiday, the girls were busy taking the store apart.

Terelle finally helping to do some serious research for a good restaurant, probably cos she was hungry too!

We didnt want to venture far as we were all drop dead tired so we decided to try out this little eatery near the Metro. We were pleasantly surprised when we found out that they served authentic Parisian food and even had baby chairs!

Tucking into a sumptous feast...

...while the girls had a rolling good (bread) time!

And leaving a mess after it all

Somewhere in Paris, among the restaurant circles, we believe we have been blacklisted; because our kids made a huge mess by throwing rice, crayons and papers on the floor, smearing food on the baby chairs and even leaving their artistic imprints on the walls.

Dont track us down please...we are truly apologetic...

Traipsing around Paris once again...

Day 13 - 2oth October 2006
After the awful experience we had with the Parisian train system yesterday, we decided to sleep in today, to rest our bone weary souls and recharge a little, instead of rushing from point to point again.
We set off from the hotel at about 11plus. after a satisfying brunch of Macs, croissants and cup noodles! 1st stop of the day was the Louvre, which we didnt get a chance to visit the week before. After all we had travelled half way around the world, we had to see the Mona Lisa if nothing else!
And what exactly do the girls do in a world renowned museum? Nothing less than monkey business of course!

Kara: Hey Terelle this is blocking our way! *pant pant* im trying to move it...

Terelle: Why dont we just climb over it instead??

Phew! That was some workout! Lets just lie here and watch the world go by for awhile!

All of us were definitely not art aficionados, so most of the sculptures and art displays were lost on us. We basically had just one aim; find Mona Lisa and get out of here! Imagine what a true art connoisseur would think of us - Utter desecration of the world's penultimate art museum!

We had a good laugh over this sculpture though...

Now lets get the measuring tape out so its a fair comparison!

Man in blue: *surreptitiously checking*

Sculptures and more sculptures...*yawn*

Alas, photography was prohibited in front of the Mona Lisa. It wasnt a great loss actually, i think she has been photographed enough already; there are pictures of her everywhere!

I was rather disappointed with the actual painting - she was much smaller than expected, and if u ask me, she didnt really knock my socks off. The painting was dark, she wasnt exactly a beauty and that seemingly beatific smile just seemed to be mocking the viewer. It was as if she was saying "Ha ha came all the way just to see me eh?"

So it was goodbye Louvre after that, dont think we'll be back again in this lifetime!

Us wishing we could take a nap in the stroller too...

Tummies rumbling again, we headed towards a nearby sandwich stand for a quick bite in the Tuileries Garden just next to the Louvre. On the way we caught sight of rows and rows of black and white flags that werent there the 1st time we were here! They must have held some significance for being so stark and devoid of color, however we didnt know who to ask for an explanation.

The girls had fun chasing the pigeons in the gardens while we had our jaw breaking sandwiches, they were so hard i think they would have made a dent in the ground had we thrown them! I was absolutely mortified whenever our jumping, kicking and squealing girls sent a huge flock of pigeons fluttering. Birds are just gross, with their beady eyes and nasty droppings and beaks ever ready to sink into ur flesh... i just abhore them, no doubt about it!

Admiring the Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde

Even the statues echo our sentiments regarding the girls' antics!

Sights on the way to Champs-Elysees

The highlight of the day - shopping along Champs-Elysees! Finally no more boring old and musty museums, hello glitz glamour and plastic money!

This way please!!

Our girls got into the action quickly too!

Louis Vuitton...They start young!

The guide book suggested a tea break in this quaint little cafe called Laduree. Evon and I snuck in while the guys were lost in a sports shop. The cakes were simply adorable, each piece painstakingly handmade with love. But they definitely didnt come cheap! The hubbies were not willing to spend good money popping beautiful cakes down their throats so we had no choice but to just take pictures and drool over them...sigh...

This little boy was drooling over the biscuits that Terelle and Kara were eating so we graciously offered him some!

Mummy!! Stop giving away my biscuits!

Satisfied with our buys, we all trooped back to the hotel. And what better way to end the day than with piping hot chinese food? Back to the trusty old Chinese restaurant!

And here's Terelle looking out for Kara, she's helping her with her bad hair day!

A sad sad day...

Day 12 - 19th October 2006
We were supposed to have a nice, leisurely breakfast in the hotel garden this morning, but everyone woke up late, so it was gobble and go! We planned to cover 3 places today - the DDay beaches, the American Cemetery and the Caen Memorial, before catching our train back to Paris in the evening.

It was almost noon when we arrived at the 360degree cinema set at the top of the cliffs of the Omaha Beach. A poignant documentary about the DDay landings was to set the mood for contemplating the vast stretch of beaches before us.

We were warned by the ticket counter attendant that the machine gun firing during the movie might alarm the kids, so we stuffed their ears with tissue paper and made them wear their beanies to drown out the noise. Terelle, however, was still frightened by the relentless explosions and firing so we had to take her outside the theatre, lest she get scarred for life by the violence and bloodshed.

It was a gloomy day, much akin to the sobre mood of the beaches. The sky was overcast and a biting wind was whipping about all of us.

Terelle trying to catch the wind rushing at her face...

Solemn monuments of crosses and statues dotted the bleak cliffs, like sentinels silently reminding visitors of the tragedy that happened there so many years ago. It was such a sad place, so timeless in its memories, that it seemed like a travesty to even talk loudly or laugh aloud.

Even Terelle seemed affected by the aura of the place, as she thoughtfully contemplates the Omaha Beach

Kara weeping as she lays a flower down for the men who paid the price of freedom

The exact spot where almost 3000 American soldiers died on June 6 1944

View of Omaha Beach from inside an intact German artillery bunker

Note how the bunker faces not towards the ocean, but down the beach. This allowed multiple bunkers to create deadly crossfire patterns that caused high numbers of Allied casualties on D-Day.

I read this from a coffee table book we purchased from the souvenir shop; Im a sucker for these bits of information that can actually allow you to have a glimpse of what might have happened. You can just imagine being there and seeing all the chaos, fear and carnage that fateful day. But then maybe its just me...I have a propensity for the dramatic...

General Terelle atop the humble shoulders of Private Ryan

Yes mdm! I will go through hell and highwater for you!

Remnants of bunkers and pillboxes scattered all over the cliff

We rushed off to visit the American Cemetery next; it was here that the ending scene of the movie "Saving Private Ryan" was shot. If you thought that that final scene was moving, it is nothing compared to the feeling of actually standing there amidst the 3000 tombstones of the valiant soldiers. I have watched that movie 3 times and each time i still cried buckets, so standing there really evoked some pretty strong emotions.

It was a peaceful and beautiful final resting place, with the tombstones laid out in marble crosses for the Christians and stars for the Jews. Each tombstone bore the name of the soldier who bravely gave his life, his age and his regiment.

And for those whose remains could never be identified, the tombstone reads:

"Here rests in honored glory, a comrade in arms, known but to God"

The girls trying their best to decipher the words on the tombstones

An information board near the beach that depicted the DDay landings from air and sea

I would have loved to spend more time in this peaceful place, to do some quiet reflecting and maybe a bit of writing, but alas we had to rush off again. The deadline for the return of the minibus was pressing near and we had to return it at the raillway station before heading for the Caen Memorial.

We would have been able to make the Memorial if not for getting lost en route to the rental office. We drove around the wrong side of Caen for a good hour before finally getting the right directions to the railway station. Hubby and his navigator, Caleb concluded that French maps were also useless...

By then the skies had started to pour; we were tired, hungry and wet...so the thought of negotiating the Caen public transport and carting our luggages halfway around town with the babies in tow became very unwelcome indeed. Eventually we opted to change the timing of our train ticket and take an earlier train back to Paris.

Luck was not on our side that day. Due to some electrical fault, our early train stalled for 3 hours out in the middle of no where. As the hours ticked by, our patience wore thinner and thinner. Cursing the inefficient French for their lousy train systems, we really wondered if it would have been a better idea to have spent one more night in Normandy.

No1 disgruntled passenger on board

We had done everything we possibly could to entertain the kids! We had sung songs, plyed them with biscuits, taken walks outside the train...some kind passengers even gave them some fruits cos they thought they were hungry!

A rainbow in the background..there's hope!

The train company compensated all of us with packed dinners but it was nothing compared to the steaming hot Chinese dinner we envisaged had we reached Paris at 7pm.

We finally arrived in Paris at 11pm, 6 hours from the time we left Caen. Exhausted and famished, we still had to negotiate the Metro to get back to the hotel.

It was a sad sad day indeed...

Way past everyone's bedtime!