Photo: The Spring pool from the four seasons pools at Versailles in France.
I was terribly poor in 1985. I was a full time student at GMU, living at home (my folks), just off welfare and single parenting. In January of 1986 I started working at a company called Presearch, Inc. Suddenly I was supporting my kids, supporting myself, out of school, and back in the middle class!
That Memorial Day we camped down near Virginia Beach, at Seashore State Park; myself, a couple of good friends, Scott and Mary and my sister Lisa. On the way home I was talking to Scott about my desire to travel and we cooked up the plan to go to Europe. It was crazy but I followed up the idea.
That next Monday morning, I called a travel agent and laid it all out for him. Hey I'm a poor single mom, just starting a career. I have no money, get me to Europe. He did. I wish I still had his name. The company, International Travel, is no longer around.
We travelled on Peoples Express. Remember them? They were the Valujet of their day (better safety record, though). It was long and uncomfortable, but I was on my way to Europe!
One tiny complication at the airport. We were passing through Newark, so I brought my kids up that far (ages 10, 7 and 2.) My ex was almost so late that I missed the plane, but not quite!!!
8 days was all we had, and no money to pre-plan. The only reservation we had was at the Youth hostel in London (more about that later.) So Mary and I go over (Scott had left a week earlier to see some of the Netherlands.) I did a lot of the itinerary planning. Since there were only two days, we planned only two cities. 4 days in Paris and 4 days in London.
We flew into Brussels, because it was only $199 round trip and meant another stamp on our brand new passports. We took the train to Paris, and I sat, mesmerized, by the window. Maybe I had not gotten enough sleep in the plane, but being in Europe was magical to me. I watched the round hay wheels in the fields, and the french cows,
We arrived in Paris and started looking on the left bank for a hotel. This was not easy, despite my Let's Go. Just about when we were ready to give up, we found the Royal Cardinal Hotel, 1 Rue des Ecoles, Paris. I was to return to the Royal Cardinal years later. The hotel was a little european hotel. The three of us shared a room with a double and two single beds. We did have our own bathroom, and even a bidet, which was interesting but did not inspire me to install one in my own bathroom. The Royal Cardinal provided breakfast every morning, tea, coffee or hot chocolate, delicious french bread and jam. A great way to start out the day!
I can't remember what order we visited things. We saw the Louvre, Notre Dame, and Versailles. We travelled up the Eiffel Tower. Mary went up to Sacre Coeur and Monmarte, and I spent some time wandering in the streets of Paris. After years of struggling just to get through the breakup of my marriage, my mom's fight with cancer, single parenting, and being an older student on welfare, it was invigorating and wonderful. I insisted on a meal at a nice french restaurant, out under the warm August sky. For me those four days, Paris was magical!! I vividly remember walking, just walking, through the streets of Paris feeling happier than I had felt in longer than I could remember. I felt like doors had opened before me, and, indeed, they had!
At the end of day 4, Mary, Scott and I travelled on to England. Again we took a train to Dieppe and then the shuttle (the lowest tech one) to Dover. From Dover we took another train into Victoria station in London. The overnight travel made sleep difficult, but by early the next day we were in the heart of London.
We stayed the first night at the youth hostel in London where we had reservations. This was not a good place; someone tried to break into our stuff. The next night we were at the George Hotel in Earl's court. More expensive than we could afford, but we went into debt to stay safe. They also provided a generous breakfast, and one day I had a full English breakfast. You know that Oscar Wilde said if you want good food in London, eat breakfast three times a day.
It has been 10 years, and I cannot remember all the things we did. Again just walking through the city, together and individually, was great. I bought some real British jeans since my wardrobe had not taken into account the fact that England can be chilly in August.
We all did our own plays. I went to see "Cats" and "The Normal Heart", and Mary hit "Starlight Express." "Cats" was neat because I was in the second row (I got the last seat in the house.) We got to the Tower of London and Westminster Abby; and I spent some time wandering along Fleet Street. Too quickly it was time to return home, but I returned home as a world traveller.