Dec 12

SUNDAY DECEMBER 12: PARIS DISNEY

 
On each tour over the last few years, we have established a bit of a tradition which is to end the three weeks of commemorations with a day to Paris Disney for the kids. Mal and I take turns in being the supervising teacher and last time while I had a day in Paris he was on deck with the whole Disney experience. So this year was my turn. Mal’s day off in Paris took a turn for the worse as his daughter Beth was really ill with gastro. The doctor had been called a number of times so Mal’s day off was to be spent in the hotel with a sick kid. I have in the past tended to endure Paris Disney but this year I felt differently about it all and took the approach that I would have some serious fun! En route we had another sick kid with Nick throwing up in the bus! Bags at the ready dear sweet Lina sat with him and I watched closely thinking that we may have to take him back to the hotel as well. But this lad was determined NOT to miss out and reassured me he would be ok.
 
The kids were place into three groups with a Youth Leader each plus a mobile phone per group and Flo, Amanda and myself formed our own little contingent. We checked our phone numbers to make sure all was fine and off we went. With Flo in charge she made I perfectly clear that I WOULD have fun and that I WOULD go on the scary rides!!!! So there we were lining up for Space Mountain!!! Argh!!! Flo said that if I got through this one the rest would be a piece of cake! As the queue snaked its way around to the inevitable place where my life would almost certainly end, I began to question my sanity in agreeing to this. Well ….I did survive despite my screaming that could be heard across the whole of Paris and then I just couldn’t stop laughing! What a hoot! I was hooked. So after the bone shaking upside down twists and turns of this monster I was ready for anything. So we went on the carousel (a bit lame after that space thing) the spinning cups, another thing and then it was time for some lunch. Sooooooooo expensive for basically crappy food but it filled a gap. Shopping was a must as the opportunities for things for the grandkids for Xmas were just wonderful. Flo insisted that have one last bone shaking moment so it was off to the roller coaster!!!! OMG!!!! Well this one wasn’t in the dark so you could the imminent death that you faced but I have never had so much fun in my life. We both laughed until it hurt and screamed and laughed again. It was a hilarious. So newsflash!!!! Next trip, Mal, I am more than happy to go back to Mickey land and I want to be first on the roller coaster. No more lame carousels for Jules. We purchased photos to prove that we had done this thing and then we realised that we were late for the meeting time I had set!! The kids were all there ON TIME waiting for us….their day had been loads of fun and the excited chatter filled the bus on the way back to the hotel. Poor old Nick was not too well but he had managed to have good day.
 
Back at the hotel Mal and Beth’s day had not been so much fun. She was still very ill and Mal was worried that she would not be able to fly the next day. I got the kids together for a meeting and went through the fact that tomorrow Lorraine and Judy would take on a major supervisory role as the Youth leaders would be breaking off for their trip to London along with Amanda and Flo and I would return to the UK via the bus. So it was crucial that they pull together to support Mal in the process of the long haul flight back to Adelaide. It was Molly’s birthday so a cake finished off the meal. Everyone had an early night as the bus would be leaving at 7.30 for the airport. Connecting Spirits 2010 had come to an end.
 

To December 13th