Leaving on a Jet Plane

Finally the day is here! My 9-year-old son and I have been planning this trip for ages and today we are actually on our way. No more “5 more sleeps”. No more packing or planning or wishing. Here it is! And we are two very lucky people. Tonight we leave my hubby and 6-year-old daughter for an 11 day adventure in London and Paris (and yes, I’m a bit nervous about leaving her for that long). We will be staying just outside of London with my little sis, her hubby, and their nearly 2-month-old squeezable baby girl.

We will only be with them one day when we catch the Eurostar through the Chunnel to Gare du Norde in Paris. Paris in spring! There we will be staying with a friend and her 3 boys who live right in the city. Then back to London on Friday for a whole week.

We are excited to see the sights and explore these beautiful and historical cities. I know it won’t be long before my son won’t want to leave his pals for 10 days and traveling with his mom will certainly not be cool but, for now, it is still the way to go.

Here are our must sees:

1. The Tower of London – it’s Henry VIII’s 500th anniversary of his reign so there will be lots going on!
2. Versailles – I have been to Paris but never to Versailles so this will be new for both of us.
3. The Eiffel Tower – this is #1 on my son’s list!
4. A Chelsea Football match – we’ll see if my football loving brother-in-law can scam a few tickets for he and my son.
5. Hampton Court Palace – one of my favourite places, the maze, the gardens and with the Henry VIII celebrations sure to be fun.
6. St. Germain de Pres district in Paris – I love this area. A blast from the past with cute boutiques and great restaurants.
7. The London Eye – hopefully we will get a clear day and be able to see the whole city.
8. Canterbury Cathedral – after studying the Kings and Queens of England and reading about the death of Thomas Becket we both want to explore this historical landmark.
9. Museums – Wonderful museums free in London! In Paris who could miss the Louvre or Musee D’Orsay?!
10. Last but not least – THE BABY!! Oh, and my sister too 😉 My son and I are both so excited about hanging out with her. She is so far away so this will be a real treat.

Thanks to the folks at Kodak we are going to be testing this really cute camera too – the new Kodak M340 Digital Camera. So far I love it. It takes great shots and is small enough to fit in my purse. It will be a great way for my son and I to keep a photo journal of our trip! I’ll be sharing pics with you as we go so keep your eyes out for more.