Travel Notes
September 2, 1984 - Day 33
ENGLAND - UNITED STATESLondon, England - The Royal National HotelGrandfather Basil caught up with us in the lobby, ditto for Mr. Nocon, Thelma and her husband, Eddie, too. We all had a nice chat with Keith Totilo, the owner/manager of Eurobout, wherein we praised Earl and Bart to the skies. Keith is utterly charming and good-humored, lots of experience as a Tour Manager and claims to have brought a woman on a tour of London -- and she didn't even have a passport! Turns out he's related to Earl, who happens to be the son of his half-brother : charm runs in the family, obviously!end of travel diary 1984
Sunday, September 2, 2007
[EUROBOUT CONTINENTAL CAROUSEL - 1984] DAY 22
Travel Notes
September 1, 1984 - Day 32
FRANCE - ENGLANDParis, France - Hotel IbisEarly rise and shine for the trip to Dunkirk, where we catch the boat back to Ramsgate. Lots of addresses were collected, including Earl and Bart's mailing addresses. We filled out evaluation forms to rate their performance, both Ma and I had the same answers, even though we filled out the forms separately. I gave the thank-you letters to Earl and Bart along with the evaluation forms, then bounced off to attend to last minute packing details.Paris - Dunkirk : coffee stopWe finished the rest room stop within the 20 minutes allotted - a first! This despite LONG line leading to the ladies room. I saw Earl read thank-you note on the bus; he sent me a smile and said it was much appreciated! I think certainly he deserves it, and all the encouragement he can get - it's like being a doctor -- on call throughout the tourist season.An hour into the trip, Mr. Nocon presented Bart's tip and made a speech, then Grandfather Basil added a few bon mots of his own, and then led us in a filksing to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne", the sole lyrics being "Green leaves, there are/Green leaves, there are/Green leaves, there are green leaves...". At the port entrance, Bart kissed my cheeks, European style "for luck, a safe journey, and speedy return". Before long, there was a last-minute, spur of the moment photo session with Bart - "22 days we had, and this only now?!" he exclaimed, acceeded with good grace and enjoyed it as much as we did.Of course, after all the days of recording the mileage for Grandfather Basil, I forgot to take down the final reading in the general excitement! Augh!Dunkirk - Ramsgate, England : on the ferry, disembarkationAu revoir to the continent and hallo to a quiet crossing and an excellent lunch. Francy and I met on deck and were joined by Grandfather, who, while walking us up and down the deck, ran into the rest of the granddaughters and Evelyn. Then back inside for some talk and duty-free shopping. Earl distributed his extra purchases around among us so he could get them past customs. We teased him about having to remember who were holding his bags, or face losing them forever!Ramsgate - London ; en routeWhat a noisy ride it was from Ramsgate up to London! When, during a lull, Truding called for "the Chicken Dance" and Diana sighed, "No Bart, no Chicken Dance," Earl produced a cassette from his bag and had our new driver play it. From the moment I heard the first few bars, I *knew* it was Bart's original tape -- and let everyone know it as well! As the music played, lots of hopeful plans were spawned. One of the best was Diana's plan to open a Chinese restaurant in Jeddah (!!) where Grandfather would be the doorman, Joe and Rita would be the manager and cashier, respectively. Jun would be the "Moulin Rouge" dancer!Earl's tip was presented as we neared London, and Grandfather Basil did the job with flair and panache. He also suggested Eurobout install toilets in their buses, where no one had to pay a single pence, pfennig, schilling, mark, lira, or any other form of currency, which concept was received with much applause from all!London - The Royal National HotelOur last wait for Earl while he checked our rooms and made breakfast arrangements. After all the merriment on the bus, we were quite subdued - then, as we all piled out onto the sidewalk, the champagne from last night, finally went to my head and I bussed Earl's cheek as I got the hotel forms and breakfast cards. This was witnessed by Taiwanese granddaughters and many ooohs and ahhhs were heard, with Diana encouraged to follow my example, and suddenly, everyone was hugging and kissing everyone else!
September 1, 1984 - Day 32
FRANCE - ENGLANDParis, France - Hotel IbisEarly rise and shine for the trip to Dunkirk, where we catch the boat back to Ramsgate. Lots of addresses were collected, including Earl and Bart's mailing addresses. We filled out evaluation forms to rate their performance, both Ma and I had the same answers, even though we filled out the forms separately. I gave the thank-you letters to Earl and Bart along with the evaluation forms, then bounced off to attend to last minute packing details.Paris - Dunkirk : coffee stopWe finished the rest room stop within the 20 minutes allotted - a first! This despite LONG line leading to the ladies room. I saw Earl read thank-you note on the bus; he sent me a smile and said it was much appreciated! I think certainly he deserves it, and all the encouragement he can get - it's like being a doctor -- on call throughout the tourist season.An hour into the trip, Mr. Nocon presented Bart's tip and made a speech, then Grandfather Basil added a few bon mots of his own, and then led us in a filksing to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne", the sole lyrics being "Green leaves, there are/Green leaves, there are/Green leaves, there are green leaves...". At the port entrance, Bart kissed my cheeks, European style "for luck, a safe journey, and speedy return". Before long, there was a last-minute, spur of the moment photo session with Bart - "22 days we had, and this only now?!" he exclaimed, acceeded with good grace and enjoyed it as much as we did.Of course, after all the days of recording the mileage for Grandfather Basil, I forgot to take down the final reading in the general excitement! Augh!Dunkirk - Ramsgate, England : on the ferry, disembarkationAu revoir to the continent and hallo to a quiet crossing and an excellent lunch. Francy and I met on deck and were joined by Grandfather, who, while walking us up and down the deck, ran into the rest of the granddaughters and Evelyn. Then back inside for some talk and duty-free shopping. Earl distributed his extra purchases around among us so he could get them past customs. We teased him about having to remember who were holding his bags, or face losing them forever!Ramsgate - London ; en routeWhat a noisy ride it was from Ramsgate up to London! When, during a lull, Truding called for "the Chicken Dance" and Diana sighed, "No Bart, no Chicken Dance," Earl produced a cassette from his bag and had our new driver play it. From the moment I heard the first few bars, I *knew* it was Bart's original tape -- and let everyone know it as well! As the music played, lots of hopeful plans were spawned. One of the best was Diana's plan to open a Chinese restaurant in Jeddah (!!) where Grandfather would be the doorman, Joe and Rita would be the manager and cashier, respectively. Jun would be the "Moulin Rouge" dancer!Earl's tip was presented as we neared London, and Grandfather Basil did the job with flair and panache. He also suggested Eurobout install toilets in their buses, where no one had to pay a single pence, pfennig, schilling, mark, lira, or any other form of currency, which concept was received with much applause from all!London - The Royal National HotelOur last wait for Earl while he checked our rooms and made breakfast arrangements. After all the merriment on the bus, we were quite subdued - then, as we all piled out onto the sidewalk, the champagne from last night, finally went to my head and I bussed Earl's cheek as I got the hotel forms and breakfast cards. This was witnessed by Taiwanese granddaughters and many ooohs and ahhhs were heard, with Diana encouraged to follow my example, and suddenly, everyone was hugging and kissing everyone else!
[EUROBOUT CONTINENTAL CAROUSEL - 1984] DAY 21
Travel Notes
August 31, 1984 - Day 31
FRANCEParis - City TourAlors...what does one do on a marvelous morning in Paris? Mais naturellement, one goes for a walk with Grandfather Basil, of course, to talk about everything under the sun. Next on the agenda is a hearty (?!) Continental breakfast. City tour next avec une vraie, une tres jolie Parisienne is our city guide. I made it a point to mention how entertaining she was, when we met Earl for lunch! Then there was the chance to shop at Galeries Lafayette and Les Printemps, with everyone loaded to the gills with Paris clothes and souvenirs by the end of it. Such very, very interesting comparisons of who bought what, for how much, and where!VersaillesFinally, we got our "class picture" in front of the King's Balcony, and I am going to get the autographs of my personal favorites as soon as the picture comes out. Oh dear, I didn't realize Frank was behind me, so all you can see is his hat! Versailles is an interesting place -- like Hampton Court, the place is shadowed by the tragic fate of its last queen; at least we didn't meet Marie Antoinette's ghost walking through the gardens or the hallways! We did get to see the state bedroom and a lovely official portrait of her with her four children - I never knew she had four; and how hard it had to be to give birth to a royal child -- at least eighty courtiers had to be in the same room as witnesses to the event!The gardens are in full bloom today. The hedges and topiary are something truly amazing.ParisBack to the hotel to rest, then dress for dinner. We were scheduled for a bateau-mouche ride on the Seine before the late show at the Moulin Rouge. Regrettably, snails were faster than the service of the waiters, but the food was worth waiting for, even if we barely made the boat. We had to wait for the Nocon group and Evelyn to come in from downtown, where their restaurant also had slow service, yet somehow Bart managed to get us to the quay on time without acquiring a gendarme as escort!Paris seen from the river is delightful. Even delinquents throwing beer and juice down into the boat from two bridges could not ruin the experience. There was even a full moon out as we passed the Eiffel and Notre Dame, fat and yellow and bright to silver the surroundings of the floodlit cathedral.Off to the Moulin Rouge, Montmarte - the red light district of Paris (the demimonde). It was warm inside, and perhaps a trifle more crowded than in the days of Toulouse-Lautrec, whose prints adorn the foyer. There were three bottles of champagne per table, and a show to match or surpass anything in Las Vegas. The Moulin Rouge, is, after all, the home of the "grandes cocottes" of can-can fame!The bus was filled with laughter on our way back, and quick thinking from Earl had us looking out the windows on the right instead of left, thereby distracting us from a car accident. Mr. Lee, our resident rum imbiber, was very strung out, claiming he didn't want to go home after "seeing so much milk"! Grandfather, bless his proper English heart, engaged him in scholarly argument on the proper way to refer to the mammary endowments of the ladies of the chorus, and what with one thing and another, we got to the hotel by 2:30 am.Being too excited to sleep, i spend the better part of two hours composing thank-you letters to Earl and Bart, with stationery bought at Galeries Lafayette. We leave Bart at Dunkirk tomorrow. He'll go back to Brussels to replace the broken window we got in Barcelona. For our part, we head back to Ramsgate and eventually, London...and then we scatter for home or other destinations.Earl gave his "tips on tipping" spiel this morning -- but we showed him we were nearly 800km ahead and presented the envelopes that had been going around in Lourdes!
August 31, 1984 - Day 31
FRANCEParis - City TourAlors...what does one do on a marvelous morning in Paris? Mais naturellement, one goes for a walk with Grandfather Basil, of course, to talk about everything under the sun. Next on the agenda is a hearty (?!) Continental breakfast. City tour next avec une vraie, une tres jolie Parisienne is our city guide. I made it a point to mention how entertaining she was, when we met Earl for lunch! Then there was the chance to shop at Galeries Lafayette and Les Printemps, with everyone loaded to the gills with Paris clothes and souvenirs by the end of it. Such very, very interesting comparisons of who bought what, for how much, and where!VersaillesFinally, we got our "class picture" in front of the King's Balcony, and I am going to get the autographs of my personal favorites as soon as the picture comes out. Oh dear, I didn't realize Frank was behind me, so all you can see is his hat! Versailles is an interesting place -- like Hampton Court, the place is shadowed by the tragic fate of its last queen; at least we didn't meet Marie Antoinette's ghost walking through the gardens or the hallways! We did get to see the state bedroom and a lovely official portrait of her with her four children - I never knew she had four; and how hard it had to be to give birth to a royal child -- at least eighty courtiers had to be in the same room as witnesses to the event!The gardens are in full bloom today. The hedges and topiary are something truly amazing.ParisBack to the hotel to rest, then dress for dinner. We were scheduled for a bateau-mouche ride on the Seine before the late show at the Moulin Rouge. Regrettably, snails were faster than the service of the waiters, but the food was worth waiting for, even if we barely made the boat. We had to wait for the Nocon group and Evelyn to come in from downtown, where their restaurant also had slow service, yet somehow Bart managed to get us to the quay on time without acquiring a gendarme as escort!Paris seen from the river is delightful. Even delinquents throwing beer and juice down into the boat from two bridges could not ruin the experience. There was even a full moon out as we passed the Eiffel and Notre Dame, fat and yellow and bright to silver the surroundings of the floodlit cathedral.Off to the Moulin Rouge, Montmarte - the red light district of Paris (the demimonde). It was warm inside, and perhaps a trifle more crowded than in the days of Toulouse-Lautrec, whose prints adorn the foyer. There were three bottles of champagne per table, and a show to match or surpass anything in Las Vegas. The Moulin Rouge, is, after all, the home of the "grandes cocottes" of can-can fame!The bus was filled with laughter on our way back, and quick thinking from Earl had us looking out the windows on the right instead of left, thereby distracting us from a car accident. Mr. Lee, our resident rum imbiber, was very strung out, claiming he didn't want to go home after "seeing so much milk"! Grandfather, bless his proper English heart, engaged him in scholarly argument on the proper way to refer to the mammary endowments of the ladies of the chorus, and what with one thing and another, we got to the hotel by 2:30 am.Being too excited to sleep, i spend the better part of two hours composing thank-you letters to Earl and Bart, with stationery bought at Galeries Lafayette. We leave Bart at Dunkirk tomorrow. He'll go back to Brussels to replace the broken window we got in Barcelona. For our part, we head back to Ramsgate and eventually, London...and then we scatter for home or other destinations.Earl gave his "tips on tipping" spiel this morning -- but we showed him we were nearly 800km ahead and presented the envelopes that had been going around in Lourdes!
[EUROBOUT CONTINENTAL CAROUSEL - 1984] DAY 20
Travel Notes
August 30, 1984 - Day 30
FRANCELourdes to Paris - en routeOh, my eyes. We were off at nearly the crack of dawn, for the long haul drive to Paris. At barely one hour into the trip, Earl and Bart had to scout for an open gas/petrol station for Carmen, who was in a state of urgency. Miraculously, we found a gas station with open restrooms, but once Carmen got down, everyone else decided to take advantage, too. Earl's comment of "Try not to think of running water. . ." was not much of a help! People stocked up on sandwiches, soft drinks, and canned goods at a supermarket in the next town, and the next road stop was after a toll gate for an impromptu safety check by French highway patrol. Something to do with the broken window. The picnic lunch stop, was a change after roadside restaurants. We were blessed with beautiful weather - blue skies and warm sunshine, a cool breeze to take the edge off the noon sun.The ladies' room was a source of unwitting entertainment. The toilet was a porcelain "squat-as-you-go" affair, essentially a porcelain-lined hole in the ground with two raised steps for the feet. Ma was first in - but she's seen similar before, so no particular reaction. My own equilibrium held fairly well until I passed Carmen. I burst into giggles when she asked how it was; told her to see for herself and went away grinning. Couldn't help it, but I would have paid good money to see the expression on her face!As each of the ladies emerged, she would be met by bland, deadpan looks before the comrades-in-distress broke up in conspiratorial laughter!While all this was going on, Bart had himself a little rest, and a well-deserved one. Earl was bustling about confirming reservations for the optional tours in Paris, and I am determined to enjoy myself up to *here* before the tour ends! I will miss the nice people : Basil and Rita Jackson, Joe and Maria Silveira, Bart and Earl. I'll always think of them fondly, even if we lose touch with each other.Paris - Hotel IbisThe "family" is on the entire fifth floor, and Lois announced that her and Angy's room overlooks a cemetery, good Lord. The illuminations tour is set for nine tonight, and Earl has an expression on his face that would indicate that Paris holds warm memories for him. Looking out of the windows after five minutes in the bus during the tour, I am inclined to agree with Earl; there is an ambiance about Paris that justifies its reputation as a city of romance and romantics.First we drove down the Champs Elysees, "The Avenue of Diamonds and Rubies", stretching from the base of the Tuileries Gardens to the Trocadero, the Eiffel Tower, the Place de l'Etoile, and the Eiffel Tower. Fantastic perspectives - it's wonderful to sight along its length from the Carrousel Arch in the Louvre courtyard, up the Place de la Concorde and the Arc du Triomphe : car headlights and tail-lights are like ribbons in motion.Then the bus stopped at the Place de l'Etoile and we all had a chance to walk under the Arc d'Triomphe of Napoleon I (The Great) where we had time to read off the names of various generals and campaigns. We also passed through possibly one of the narrowest gaps in the city : a pair of arches opening into the Louvre courtyard. Bart says it is all in the speed and the timing of the traffic lights - I suspect knowing the bus is certain to fit between the walls is also part of the magic!
August 30, 1984 - Day 30
FRANCELourdes to Paris - en routeOh, my eyes. We were off at nearly the crack of dawn, for the long haul drive to Paris. At barely one hour into the trip, Earl and Bart had to scout for an open gas/petrol station for Carmen, who was in a state of urgency. Miraculously, we found a gas station with open restrooms, but once Carmen got down, everyone else decided to take advantage, too. Earl's comment of "Try not to think of running water. . ." was not much of a help! People stocked up on sandwiches, soft drinks, and canned goods at a supermarket in the next town, and the next road stop was after a toll gate for an impromptu safety check by French highway patrol. Something to do with the broken window. The picnic lunch stop, was a change after roadside restaurants. We were blessed with beautiful weather - blue skies and warm sunshine, a cool breeze to take the edge off the noon sun.The ladies' room was a source of unwitting entertainment. The toilet was a porcelain "squat-as-you-go" affair, essentially a porcelain-lined hole in the ground with two raised steps for the feet. Ma was first in - but she's seen similar before, so no particular reaction. My own equilibrium held fairly well until I passed Carmen. I burst into giggles when she asked how it was; told her to see for herself and went away grinning. Couldn't help it, but I would have paid good money to see the expression on her face!As each of the ladies emerged, she would be met by bland, deadpan looks before the comrades-in-distress broke up in conspiratorial laughter!While all this was going on, Bart had himself a little rest, and a well-deserved one. Earl was bustling about confirming reservations for the optional tours in Paris, and I am determined to enjoy myself up to *here* before the tour ends! I will miss the nice people : Basil and Rita Jackson, Joe and Maria Silveira, Bart and Earl. I'll always think of them fondly, even if we lose touch with each other.Paris - Hotel IbisThe "family" is on the entire fifth floor, and Lois announced that her and Angy's room overlooks a cemetery, good Lord. The illuminations tour is set for nine tonight, and Earl has an expression on his face that would indicate that Paris holds warm memories for him. Looking out of the windows after five minutes in the bus during the tour, I am inclined to agree with Earl; there is an ambiance about Paris that justifies its reputation as a city of romance and romantics.First we drove down the Champs Elysees, "The Avenue of Diamonds and Rubies", stretching from the base of the Tuileries Gardens to the Trocadero, the Eiffel Tower, the Place de l'Etoile, and the Eiffel Tower. Fantastic perspectives - it's wonderful to sight along its length from the Carrousel Arch in the Louvre courtyard, up the Place de la Concorde and the Arc du Triomphe : car headlights and tail-lights are like ribbons in motion.Then the bus stopped at the Place de l'Etoile and we all had a chance to walk under the Arc d'Triomphe of Napoleon I (The Great) where we had time to read off the names of various generals and campaigns. We also passed through possibly one of the narrowest gaps in the city : a pair of arches opening into the Louvre courtyard. Bart says it is all in the speed and the timing of the traffic lights - I suspect knowing the bus is certain to fit between the walls is also part of the magic!
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