Things finally seem to be falling into place regarding completion of Ship of Fools: Part Deux plans. That's the good news. The somewhat bad news is that there remains a lot left to be accomplished before Continental Flight CO219 departs Tampa International Airport on August 14th.

After countless hours spent online looking over various hotels near the center of the City of Light, and even more hours spent reading online reviews at hopefully reputable sites, I've booked two nights at Hotel Britannique (seen above) in the ler arrondissement. The hotel offers such creature comforts as private bathrooms, air conditioning, and wi-fi access, which are all pluses, but the real selling point was location. The hotel is located almost on the banks of the Seine and within short walking distance to Notre Dame, the Louvre, and no less than three Metro stations.

From the reviews it seems the hotel is classy and certainly has that "French flair" and falls well within the normal rates for such an establishment located in the heart of Paris. All in all, I'm just glad I finally have a booking and can move on to other planning needs.

Thanks to the steadfast work of Arlene and Erica we've also got our transportation from Paris to Barcelona confirmed, if not paid for, and we're happy to be traveling with the Train of Fools on the Elipsos overnight. Sure, it's 12+ hours on a train but hopefully we'll catch up on our sleep after spending 68 hours on the run through Paris and Champagne. And, if not, well, I'm sure the bar car serves Champagne.

So, looking back on the "What do you have left to do?" thread, I can update my list considerably:

1. Purchase airfare from Tampa to Paris.
2. Purchase trainfare to/from Reims. (Doing in Paris.)
3. Book hotel stay in Paris.
4. Get confirmation on visits from various Champagne Houses.
5. Book Train of Fools (Paris to Barcelona).
6. Pay off cruise.
7. Buy clothes and pack them.
8. Arrange for someone to watch the cats.
9. Find transportation from Clearwater to TIA.
10. Book excursions and Palo.

Now, I just need to add all the new things I have to do.

55 days until departure for Paris.

Posted by ThreeCircles at 7:02 P.M. on 6.20.07.