Sunday, December 21, 2008

On the road

Today we're driving to my parents in Holland for Christmas, 9-10 hours on the road. Normally I quite like road trips, but we've done this stretch already so many times that I'm not really looking forward to it, although today we'll have a change of scenery because we have to go via Paris instead of Luxembourg. 'Have to' because hubby told me he has a meeting with an architect... As he'd been traveling like crazy for the past couple of weeks, he didn't want to go there on Saturday (2 hours by high-speed train) and come back the same day, but prefers to 'conveniently' combine it with our trip up north.

He had mentioned this possibility a week ago already, but was then still leaning towards going there and back on Saturday. Then this week he said his boss would go, so I was relieved. But of course the boss is a smart-ass and doesn't want to work the weekend before Christmas, so now hubby has to go. In a way he even likes it, because the architect specifically asked for him (and he thought his boss would be unhappy about that), so he's kind of flattered...

From here to Paris is 4 to 5 hours by car. The meeting will probably start around noon, so that means we have to leave around 7 am (if we would have taken our regular route, we could have left around 10 am and still be at my parents' place in time for dinner), hopefully find a secure place to park our fully loaded car somewhere in central Paris (when I mentioned that to hubby he was like 'oh, no problem, it's Sunday'. Yes, but it's the Sunday before Christmas which means all the shops will be open - normally not the case in France - and it'll be very busy!), hope the meeting doesn't last longer than two hours (and what am I going to do in the meantime? I know, I shouldn't say this, many of you might trade in a lot for two hours in Paris) so we can get going again, don't get stuck too long on the 'péripherique' to get out of the city and hopefully still arrive on time in Holland for dinner (another 5 to 6 hours).

Pfff, I'm exhausted already (and I probably have to catch up on IComLeavWe tomorrow)!

10 comments:

Erin said...

I can imagine that not being fun. It would be the same as any of us going to a big city near us. I do love Paris though...

I hope everything goes well, and you make it to Holland safely. I like Holland too. My cousin lived in Haarlem for a while.

..al said...

Hope you have a safe journey!


ICLW Trippin'!

White Picket Fences said...

Good luck on your journey ...just goes to show ...the grass is always greener. Just seems so strange to think of dreading a couple of extra hours to do some last minute shopping! I'd be irritated if it was a city I always went to though, as well.

Merry Christmas!
ICLW!

Petrucia said...

I know it's so hard to find parking in Paris. So I hope you guys had a good trip after all, that your husband's meeting went well and you found parking and something nice to do while you waited. Perhaps you sat in a café, ate a brioche au chocolat and read a good magazine while watching the shoppers frenzy. Now you left me dreaming of Paris...

Cara said...

That all sounds like a lot of energy then...ILCW on the road? Wow - do the best you can to enjoy Paris in the holiday sprit.

Bella said...

While I would love to go to Paris, not during the holiday craziness. I hate crowds, so I fel your pain. I hope the looooong trip goes as quickly as possible!

ICLW.

Echloe said...

Ah Paris. I'm so jealous of you. But not for the driving to Holland. That doesn't sound like fun. Be safe.

ICLW

Anonymous said...

Have a safe trip! xxx

Celia said...

hmmm, if it were me I would park my butt somewhere and eat my way through a box of pastries with a nice book.

That's what I did in Disney World when I got sick of running around.

Beautiful Mess said...

Drive safe! I hope you find something to do and the meeting goes by fast!
Enjoy your day,
-D *ICLW*