Less Than Two Weeks, the count down begins

After wrapping myself in the mourning cocoon the last wee while it's time to get back into full excel spread sheet planning mode. Now I am down to excursions, train schedules and clothing choices.

Don't laugh, but I am bound and determined to only travel with 3 suitcases plus carry ons on this trip. The high in Dubai today is 33 degrees, but it is only 8 degrees in Paris so I am wondering if I will be able to accomplish this. Especially now that my little dude has discovered the art of dressing up. He looks sharp in his new suit and is insisting on wearing it at dinner every night. "Practise for Europe" he tells us.

Wallace Drinking Fountain Paris

Planning the excursions is much more interesting. The kids have had a hand in planning the trip from the very beginning and have come up with some interesting ideas. For example, Liana has been researching Paris and came up with the Wallace drinking fountains where we can fill our water bottles with clean drinking water. According to her research, after the Franco Prussian war of the mid 1800's there was much poverty in Paris and an English philanthropist designed these fountains so that the poor would always have a source of fresh clean water, and they are still used today. Being as Paris is our last stop, we will probably fit into that destitute category. Move over Tour d'Eiffel, we're coming for the water fountains.

Liam's first suit

Meanwhile, Liam has been burning the midnight oil with his "not for parents" guide book to Rome. You gotta love Lonely Planet's genius marketing on that one! He tells me he is a bit too nervous to try putting his hand into the Hand of Truth (apparently there was an incident where some sweets were eaten last month that he thinks may put him into the realm of danger) however he has discovered that the wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus (Rome's twin founders) is used as the emblem of FC Roma. Am I sensing an Italian soccer game in his future?  What he doesn't know is that I have discovered a gladiator school near the Colosseum where they teach small groups to fight using authentic gladiator weapons and gear. Ohhhh, yes!

Juliet is always excited.

So all in all, we're all systems go. Final details hopefully falling into place. It's been five years in the planning. It will seem strange when it actually begins.

But it can't start soon enough for the kids who are bursting out of their skins with excitement. Juliet wakes up every morning with a bright cheery statement that "Today is Europe!" Soon she'll be right.