Charles De Gaulle Airport - A French man was holding a placard with my name boldly printed on it.
Me: "Bonjour! I am Aileen."
French Man: "Bonjour! I will be taking you to your hotel. Can you wait here while I get the car?"
Me: "Sure! I will be right here."
After a couple of minutes, he was back with the ride.
Me : So, where are we going?
French Man : "Your hotel is in Versailles."
Me : "Versailles...the home of Marie Antoinette!"
Who haven't heard of Marie Antoinette? Everybody knows her.
When we got to the hotel the chauffeur escorted me to the main lobby.
Then, I saw Ms. G with a sweet smile and said “Welcome to France!”
Me: "Thank you. I can't believe I'm finally here. This is a dream come true."
She knew I was exhausted from the long flight so she handed me my room key and told me to rest.
I took a shower , changed and had my dinner.
The next day , I saw Mr. Jackson and the kids. He brought the kids to the classroom, one of the suite rooms they have reserved for us.
Me: "Good morning Mr. Jackson. Good morning PPB."
Mr. Jackson: "Good morning. I'm happy you're here with us. Do you like France?"
Me: "I haven't been around yet but so far YES I do. "
Mr. Jackson: "You should go out and explore. This is a beautiful place."
Me: "I will. Thanks."
Mr: Jackson: "So I will now leave you here and children behave okay. ?"
PPB: "Okay. Love you Daddy."
Mr: Jackson : "I love you more."
PBB: "Miss you."
Mr. Jackson : " I miss you more."
The children were so attached to him. He was the apple of their eyes and you can see the love and respect they have for him. Their eyes twinkled every time they talked about their dad.
Despite his busy schedule , Mr. Jackson attended to them personally making sure all their needs were taken cared of. He was a very "hands-on" father. He played with them, prepared their food, read books to them, watched movies with them, went shopping with them.. practically he was with them all the time when the children were not in school.
It was pretty clear to me that he was a great dad with so much love for his children. He could live without anything but not without his children. PPB were his life.
If there's one thing that people should not question about ... it is how brilliant he was as a father.
On a Friday night, Ms. G went to my room and asked me if I want to walk around Paris. I was delighted and never thought she would ask. Before I could give my big YES, she gave me some Euros , a city map and told me where to find The Eiffel Tower , Champs Elysees , Arc de Triomphe and The Louvre .
Ms. G: “Just follow the map and give me a call if you have a problem. Getting lost is part of the adventure,” she humorously added.
Me: “ Well, I’m ready to get lost,” I added with a laugh.
The next day I woke up early excited to explore the City of Lights and Capital of Fashion. Armed with not more than 20 French words and a city map, I bravely headed to the nearest train station.
My first destination was The Eiffel Tower. You couldn't possibly visit Paris without seeing the The Eiffel. But even if you have no intention to visit the structure, you will not miss it because you can see its top from all over Paris. It rises 300 meters tall (984 ft).
The lines to the elevator and stairs were unbelievably long. Because of my great eagerness to reach the top , I patiently lined-up. No complaints and endured the scorching heat of summer. Reached the topmost part of the tower and I really felt grand.
Afterward, I took one of the tour ships and cruised the Seine River which flows through Paris from the south-east to the south-west. The cruise was also great to know the culture, history and beauty of the region, known as the birthplace of Impressionism.
Later that day I went to see The Louvre. It was originally a palace but now one of the largest and most visited museums in the world. If you are an art enthusiast, this place is a must-visit for you. There were about 35,000 objects on display, spread out over three wings of the former palace. Some of the most famous works of art in the museum are the Venus of Milo, the Nike of Samothrake, the Dying Slave by Michelangelo and of course Leonardo da Vinci's heavily-guarded Mona Lisa.
Then after, I had my photo taken at the Arc de Triomphe, the most monumental of all triumphal arches which was built between 1806 and 1836.
Strolled along the Avenue des Champs-Elysées ,probably the most famous and expensive avenue in the world. Many famous French and international brands have their flagship Paris store there. Fashion, cars and and music are well- represented.
As a Catholic, how could I miss Notre Dame Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece on the UNESCO World Heritage List that was celebrated by Victor Hugo's novel published in 1831. He used it as the primary setting of his legendary novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame and it is used in all films based on the novel.
I was exhausted but very satisfied with my day tour. I survived to visit all the landmarks I wanted to go... take note..ALONE without a tour guide. I was back at the hotel in one piece at 30 mins past 5pm.
Around 6pm, I was notified that the group will be going to The Eiffel Tower. I showered, changed quickly and waited for the signal to go.
When we got there , we were met by the General Manager. He showed us the entire structure and told us the history of the tower. When we reached the top most part, I felt something different compared to my experience earlier that day. The magnificent lights made the place magical.The moment was just impeccable...the view from the top was breath-taking.
Paris, a lively cosmopolitan was undeniably enchanting. Truly, the most beautiful and romantic of all cities.
Merci beaucoup to the person responsible for making me realize my Parisian dream.
I miss you tremendously Mr. Jackson.
~