Places to Visit--Part 1

Paris Itinerary





Paris is best understood by me geographically as resembling a swirled lollipop starting in the center. It is broken into arondissements which are called neighborhoods by the site that I link to http://www.parisnet.com/parismap.html but seem to me to be more like wards or districts.




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Warning!!! Nudity alert!!! At the bottom of this blog entry is a video of Paris. It contains images of Paris that include naked statues and naked paintings. We always try to maintain a family friendly blog, but we wanted to warn you. In short you will bypass all the notes and go straight to the video.


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Arondissement 1 contains
Louvre http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en
Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/jardin_des_tuileries
Sainte Chapelle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte_Chapelle
Conciergerie
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conciergerie

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Arondissement 2 contains




Nothing that we plan to visit




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arondissement 3 contains




Nothing that we plan to visit

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Arondissement 4 contains

Notre Dame Towers
http://europeforvisitors.com/paris/articles/notre-dame-cathedral-towers.htm
Notre Dame Cathedral http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris
The archaeological Crypt of the Parvis de Notre-Dame http://www.paris-pass.com/att-archaeological-crypt.asp
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arondissement 5 contains

Pantheon http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-pantheon.htm

ParisArenes de Lutece
Arenes de Lutece http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Parks_Gardens/Arenes_de_Lutece.shtml

Coco de Mer Restuarant http://www.cocodemer.fr/

Note: please be careful if you look it up. Trust me, its better to take our site than to just try a search on Google.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Arondissement 6 contains

Nothing that we plan to visit

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arondissement 7 contains




Eiffel Tower http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/




Musee d’Orsay http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html




Musee Rodin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_Rodin




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Arondissement 8 contains




Champs-Elyséeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es




Place de la Concordehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_de_la_Concorde




Arc de Triomphe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe




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Arondissement 9 contains




Galleries Lafayette
http://www.galeries-lafayette-paris.com/

Opera Garnier: The Opera house made famous by "The Phantom of the Opera".http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Garnier


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Arondissement 10 contains
Nothing that we plan to visit




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Arondissement 11 contains



Nothing that we plan to visit




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Arondissement 12 contains



Nothing that we plan to visit




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Arondissement 13 contains
Nothing that we plan to visit




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Arondissement 14 contains
Les Catacombes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris
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Arondissement 15 contains
Nothing that we plan to visit




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arondissement 16 contains




Lady Di underpass (yes, I admit it) & Liberty Flame
http://www.therockalltimes.co.uk:30001/2001/11/19/diana-underpass.handheld.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_of_Liberty




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arondissement 17 contains
Nothing that we plan to visit




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arondissement 18 contains




Sacre Coeur sadly we aren't going there
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris
Here's why and yes I am a wimp and have been called several things worse than that. More on this topic in security.
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Ile_de_France/Paris-99080/Tourist_Traps-Paris-MontmartreSacre_Coeur-BR-6.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187147-d190685-r6314726-Sacred_Heart_Basilica_of_Montmartre_Sacre_Coeur-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=81438




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arondissement 19 contains



Nothing that we plan to visit




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Arondissement 20 contains
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemetery




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Places that I can't locate by arondissement




The Paris Story
http://www.group-trotter.net/france/places/story/story.html




I believe that it is in Arondissement 11.









Bateaux-Mouche cruise
http://www.lovetoeatandtravel.com/site/intl/paris/fun/seine_cruise.htm




It crosses several Arondissments



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Places Outside of Paris

Chateau de Versailles

• Grande Écourie




• Gardens of Versailles




• The Trianons & The Hamlet

http://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/




Last warning!!!! Naked paintings and statues!!!!!


Note at 2:14 in the video there is a shot of my brother Larry cloned as triplets! He's wearing his hair in bangs!


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Medical Preparation

Yet another fascinating trip preparation note!
We are less than one month (26 days) from leaving!
Overuse of exclamation marks is a sign of childish writing which
is something I don't wish to be accused of!

First of all you need to bring all your prescribed
medicines in clearly marked prescription bottles. Don't even think of marketing any of it. As bad as American prisons may be (thankfully, I have missed that experience) overseas prisons are probably much worse. Also that American idea of innocent until proven guilty doesn't apply even in Europe from what I have been able to gather.

Second, you need to bring a spare pair of glasses. Don't look at me on this, do as I say not as I do. The trip has pretty well broken both of us financially, there just isn't room in the budget for that.
On the subject of glasses, Larry suggested a lanyard. My wife Karen thinks that it is a wonderful idea since then she would have no need to worry about me being unfaithful on the trip if I wore one. My thoughts are that it is amazing what some women will tolerate. She really doesn't have to worry, you've seen my picture on the last post. A lanyard would merely be icing on the cake. In all seriousness I gave my word nearly 30 years ago. Besides in a selfish sense, why should I give up heaven on earth for something stupid. Moving on.

Third, alert your medical insurance people that you are going overseas, a few weeks ahead, as I still need to do. Hopefully, they will give you all the information, etc that you need.

Fourth, get some Pepto and Immodium AD, or good reasonable facsimiles of the above. I don't mean to be crass, but strange foods and strange places can do some amazing things to one's digestive systems.

Fifth, watch what you drink and eat. In our case, France appears to be safe, but Israel, I'm not so sure about.

Sixth, some kind of good pain reliever. I don't know how that works over there. Also, I don't read French, Arabic, or Hebrew.

Apocalypse Now!

Finally the Apocalypse or the lifting of the veil. Thousands, I am sure have wondered who we are and wanted to know something about us. Slowly now, there has to be some mystery.

But as an anxious world waits with baited breath or is it bated breath. It is bated breath. Baited breath is what an angler fish uses. I will reveal one tiny tidbit to satisfy our legion of fans. We are paying for the vacation with the money that we make as swimsuit models.

Soon I will get back to the fascinating details of preparation for the trip which prompted so many comments.

Trip Cancelled

Larry and I decided to cancel the trip to Paris and Israel for the following destinations:

http://kiseichu.org/english.aspx

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2128

http://www.recordball.com/

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2CRJ

http://trickride.net/2008/05/worlds-fastest-backhoe-to-appear-at-6th-holley-nhra/

http://www.narutotrek.com/

http://www.komatsuforklift.net/default.php?t=site&pgid=809

http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1808

http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/multimedia/2009/02/gallery_action_figure_museum

I think after viewing you will understand why we changed our minds.

As you can see from the copy of the following email, I'm very lucky to have such a stallwart companion!

Worse than any horror film...scary in reality...hard to fathom!!! Teresa and I have a habit of taking our toothbrushes out of their holder and fixing each other's toothbrush in the morning or prior to going to bed. A few nights ago, I found my toothbrush laying by the sink with no toothpaste on it. That was odd. I wondered to myself...does she wish for me to dry brush? I chose instead to add toothpaste, brushed my teeth and went to bed. Last night, Teresa went to bed at 12:30 and I followed at 1:40 after finishing an old western named "Nevada Smith" with Steve McQueen. When I entered the bathroom to brush my teeth, a HORROR awaited me! It was the DRAPING GOB!!! See attached pictures! It was HUGE!!! It had to be about HALF the tube of toothpaste sitting on my toothbrush! I wasn't sure what to do. Do I flee from the bathroom and hope the DRAPING GOB doesn't follow?! Do I do battle with the DRAPING GOB and attempt to force it BACK in to the tube of toothpaste? I didn't think that would work very well so with great hesitation, I opened WIDE and was finally able to maneuver the entire massive arrangement into my mouth and started to brush my teeth with it. For those who have never brushed their teeth with HALF a TUBE of TOOTHPASTE, I'm here to tell you, it's QUITE an EXPERIENCE! It reminded me of my grandfather who would have a big wad of about fifteen or twenty pieces or more of Juicy Fruit chewing gum rolling around in one big gummy ball in his mouth. I finally got it distributed somewhat evenly throughout my mouth and there was toothpaste EVERYWHERE! If one had seen me, I probably looked like a mad, ravenous dog foaming at the mouth. Rinsing with two gallons of water later, I had the mintiest breath this side of the Mississippi. Teresa, meanwhile during my crisis, was sleeping peacefully in bed. She later told me (while chuckling quite a bit) that she applied the toothpaste in the dark. She must have gripped that toothpaste tube with about 300 foot pounds of pressure! Pray for me that I never have to face the DRAPING GOB, again! Larry

Important Documents

“More people read this shirt than read your blog
0000002 “
Despair.Com T-shirt saying

“Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few”
Despair.Com poster about blogging

“The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe. “
-Dr. McCoy, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home



Here are the preparations you need to go overseas, at least to Paris.
If documentally challenged (there is no automatic checker in open source) you should allow yourself the minimum of 4 months. If as my brother refers to me you are a slacker and procrastinate then 6 months to a year.
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Passport
First, really last you need a passport, or should I say last.
Lets go through the steps.
To get a passport you need a valid birth certificate, which through incredible wisdom and lack of organization I had lost.
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Birth Certificate
Site to look at to obtain a birth certificate http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm

After a 2 or 3 week wait they sent me a form
They wanted the following:
A $12.00 Check
A copy of my driver's license
City of my birth
State of my birth
Signature
My Social Security Number
My Mothers place of birth
I believe my mother's social security number
My father's place of birth
I believe my father's social security number

The state that I applied to(Kansas) graciously allowed me to send all the information. I refer to quote number 3 above. And they only took around 6 weeks to get it back to me.
I had done everything wrong. But unlike many government agencies they send me the check back as well.

The second time, I sent a new check and crossed my i's and dotted my t's correctly. Within 2 weeks, I had my birth certificate.

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Passport
First http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html or key in “passport” at Google.
You have to apply for the form DS-11 which you can print if you have a printer.
Fill out the form
Find the nearest or safest Post Office that works
Look at http://www.usps.com/passport/
Click on locator http://usps.whitepages.com/passport
Find the one that works for you. Call and set up an appointment.
Personally, I had them take my picture there for $15.00 extra.
The total was around $119.00.
That's pretty much it.
You have to have a passport to leave the country legally.
If any of my much more travelled relatives have advice on how better to describe this or improvements, please let me know.

Planning the Trip

Larry has done an amazing job of preparing for the trip. He has been to Paris at least 2 times before, plus many other exotic locations.

My extensive worldly experience consists of 2 hog shows and a rodeo. Here is what I have learned from watching him.

Barebones Preparation

Research

1. Important Documents
2. Transportation
3. Medical Preparation
4. Places to Visit
5. Travel Gear
6. Personal Security
7. Personal Products
8. Unexpected Obstacles
9. Recording of the Trip
10. Gifts
11. Personal Relationships

Financial

1. Currency Exchange
2. Transportation
3. Lodging
4. Food
5. Admissions
6. Gifts

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Chronological Preparations

Before the Trip

Day of the Trip

At Destination

1. Day 1
2. Day 2
3. Day 3
4. Day 4
5. Day 5
6. Day 6
7. Day 7?
8. Day 8?

Day of Return Trip Home

Returning Home

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Please excuse the alignment, I wrote it in open office all lined up, copied it to the blog, then found that the transfer wasn't perfect. I rekeyed it in but can't do multiple indentations, either because of the limitations of the software or my ignorance.

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In my next post, I plan to start with the topic important documents and cover it in detail.