This morning we woke up around 9 after sleeping for almost 14 hours.  Ya think we were jetlagged?  After buying our train tickets to Amsterdam from the travel agent next to the hotel, we headed over to the Metro to go to Versailles.

The Transit workers are on strike in Paris so the trains were running on a slower schedule but they were not collecting any fares.  So our ride to and from Versailles was free.

Versailles Palace is an amazing structure where French Monarchs lived.  Much of it’s beauty was destroyed and stolen during the French Revolution in the late 1700s.  I think my favorite room in the palace was the Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed ending World War I.  The architecture was amazing, but being "traveled", over all it pales in comparison to the Grand Palace in Bangkok.  The manicured gardens reminded me of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, except in more of a city like setting.  Much of Versailles was undergoing renovation, outdoor fountains were drained, and a lot of the outdoor statues were covered to protect them from the harsh winter.  I guess we came at the wrong time of year.  I don’t mean to sound like I am taking anything away from this beautiful palace.  It is certainly a must see when you visit Paris

After about 4 hours of walking around the palace, we walked around the city and then headed back to Paris.  For dinner we walked along La Siene (river) and headed to Maison de l’Aubrac, a steakhouse just off the Champs-Eleysees.  If you go here you must try the Aigot Sausage, which comes with unbelievable mashed potatoes (has cheese and garlic blended in).

It was a cold night for a walk, but for some reason walking along the river and looking at the Eiffel Tower seemed to warm it up a little.    Every hour on the hour the Eiffel Tower illuminates with flashing lights.  Check out the video that we took below.  The walk under the tower was slightly more peaceful as it was closed.  That meant that the "street merchants" and gypsies were no longer around.

Tomorrow we hope to make it to Chartres Cathedral and part of the Louvre.  So much to see and so little time. 

-Allen

No not the celeb, the hotel.    That is where we are staying in Paris, just RIGHT down the street from the Eiffel Tower.

So we left Newark Airport about an hour late on Thursday night as there were the usual delays.  The flight started off with some of the worst turbulence that I have ever experience.  It felt like the plane was thrown sideways and dropped about 50 feet while we were over New York City.  Once we got out over the ocean things were a lot better.  After sleeping only about 1.5 hours on our red-eye, we finally arrived in Paris.  Susan was a little bit luckier and managed to sleep all but an hour of the 7 hour flight.

Going through customs was a definitely different than any other place that I have been.  There was a single card to fill out which did not mention if you were there for business or vacation, when you were going to be staying, and how long you were staying for.  It seems like the only information that they were interested in was the flight you came in on and what your address is at home.

We hopped in a cab and in about 30 minutes arrived at our hotel.  When we checked in we were told that our room was upgraded as a 30th birthday present. Our room has a balcony with a view of the Eiffel Tower!  Not bad!

Since we were both exhausted and it was 1pm, we decided to go out and walk around Paris.   This is my second trip to Paris as I was here in high school, but this was Susan’s first trip to Europe.

From our hotel we walked to the Eiffel Tower for a few pictures.  The line was too long to go the top so we decided to walk over to the Arc de Triomphe and then down the Champs-Elysees through the Jardin des Tuileries.  Of course since we are here in November everything was dead.    At the end of the Gardens we came upon the Louvre.  It was too late to go in so we just walked around and headed over to Notre Dame.

Susan said Notre Dame looks just as beautiful as the pictures both inside and out.  The stained glass windows were amazing and the architecture stunning.  The one thing I didn’t see was the hunchback in the tower.    I hope that we will be able to make it to Chartres on this trip as well.  From Notre Dame we walked back to our hotel as it was around 5pm.

We were both so tired that we ended up falling asleep around 6pm and waking up at 10:45 for dinner.

As for photos, I left my Compact Flash card readers and mini-USB cable at home.  In an effort to lighten the load of my backpack, I took everything out and I guess I forgot to repack some essentials.    Hopefully somebody in Amsterdam will have a card reader that I can borrow.

-Allen

Today we celebrated Kristin’s 30th birthday (which was really 11/9) in Morristown NJ.  We had a great time hanging out with the Scranton girls….Stross, Hergs, Heather, V, and Nicole.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTIN!!!

-Susan

Vanessa, Nicole, Kristin, Heather, and me

Today it was announced that Scott Stevens was going to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.  He will be the first player to be inducted as a Devil and certainly not the last.  I am sure that Martin Brodeur and Scott Niedermayer will be following soon.  Check out the article on ESPN.com.

Congratulations Scott and thanks for the many years of hard work and dedication!

-Allen

I flew to Seattle today for work on Alaska Airlines as I had a credit from a previously canceled trip.  They were the cheapest option at the time, so for the sake of being fiscally responsible, I had chosen them.  Normally I would always choose Continental, but I figured Alaska would be OK as they were a Continental partner.  They honor Continental Elite status being part of the Sky Team Partnership.

When I arrived at Terminal A to check in my bag, it DID not receive an Elite or MVP (as Alaska calls it) tag on my luggage.  This caused my bags to get off a little late in Seattle.  Not a huge deal, but it is nice to receive priority for traveling so much.

Going through the security line, there is NO MVP line at Newark Airport.  For the gates to get to the Alaska flight they only honor Star Alliance members with status.  I even showed my Gold Elite Status card from Continental and they still would not let me on the line.  This caused more delays.

When I got on the plane, I was amazed to find out that there were NO TVs or in-flight entertainment included.  You can rent a "Dig-E-Player" for $10 which comes loaded with several movies, TV shows, and music.  I can understand that this is a alternative to spending millions of dollars on a new plane, but how old is this 737 that is has NONE of these features?  IIRC when I flew Alaska from Seattle to Denver there were TV screens.

Also, I was astonished to find out that on a 6 hour flight there was NO food included.  You have the option to buy several different meal packages for $5.  Choices were Tuna Picnic Pack, Deli Picnic Pack, and a Cheeseburger with Chips.  I opted for the Tuna Pack and I must say it was not overpriced.  It came with a small can of Bumble Bee Tuna, a cup of apple sauce, a bag of granola mix, a bag of crunchy pita chips, a bag of 6 organic crackers, an Almond Roca Bar, and a packet of Emergen-C.  I was surprised with the value, but I would think it would be wise for Alaska Airlines to factor in $5 or $10 more per flight so that they can limit the cash transactions taking place on the plane as well as increasing customer satisfaction.  In the end it costs the same, but the perception to the passenger is that they are getting something for free besides a soda and a tiny snack mix bag.

The only saving grace for this flight was the friendly flight attendants and the fact that nobody was sitting in the seat next to me so I had room to work on my laptop (but no power at the seats ).

I have to say that I was slightly disappointed and not looking forward to my flight back home.  For my flights to Seattle, I think I will be sticking with Continental.

-Allen