One of my friends took a trip to France, sort of. (She took many photos of these Guerlain topiaries for me.) It all started when she decided to plan a romantic trip to Paris with her husband. Just the two of them ~ the honeymoon they'd never had. Her husband mentioned it in passing to his mother who took over the plans and my friend ended up at EuroDisney with two small children and her parents-in-law. (At the last minute her husband bailed out.) Depressed, but not quite suicidal, at first my friend spent as much time as possible by herself at the French pavillion, watching a movie about France. She was there, but not there at the same time. She tried to shop, looking at all the French goods for sale, but found herself unenthusiastic. She sampled some perfume at the Guerlain shop and bought a bottle. She sat around in the Disney bistro and watched the French Disney characters who hung out in the Pavillion. At one point the person in a furry Beast costume (from Beauty & the Beast) sat near her and after a long silence muttered in French that he was in hell and needed a cigarette.
Her kids were too young to know they were in France and her in laws were happy to be in the most American place in France. They had gotten a great deal on the travel package where most everything for the kids was free and they could take their time exploring both Disney parks. My friend smiled, took lots of photos and decided not to be frustrated. When her in-laws were exhausted and needed a full 36 hours of rest, she enjoyed exploring the parks with the kids, and when the in-laws were perky again, she plotted to get to Paris, but without success. After all, she was their guest on this trip, and there was so much to see and enjoy right there.
When she got home she eventually told her husband she'd still like a romantic trip to Paris, just the two of them, and he said "What? You've already been to France! We'll go someplace else."
(Photo of bottles with Simone's original topiary photo in background: by Ched)
If you took a trip to France, where would you go? Would you want to go to EuroDisney?
