Tag Archives: EuroDisney

& Now for Something Completely Different!

…with apologies to Monty Python.  We spent the last little while in Paris with our grandchildren, celebrating birthdays and childhood and the beginnings of art.  Daniel, just turning three, takes a marker in either hand and makes the most intensely focused spirals I have ever seen.  Aimee, soon to be six, ponders for 10 seconds, then digs right in and voila – what was in her head is now on paper.  Here is one of our collaborations:

childs drawing of duck

The Queen of Ducks Leads the Tour Group

 We had fun playing drawing games, hide and seek, and telling stories.  We did an abbreviated tour of Paris icons, riding the carousel under the Eiffel Tower, marveling at the Notre Dame gargoyle rainspouts, and, yes, we went to EuroDisney!  The French, who used to (say this with a very thick French R) “…fahrt in the general direction…” of Disney, have evidently decided it’s a fun way to spend a sunny Sunday in October.  It was just as festive (i.e. packed) as any other Disney property we’ve ever enjoyed.  The Small World is just as small, but nicely updated graphically; Space Mountain is so fast and outrageous that I had to check to make sure my earrings were still on afterwards and even Aaron the BadAss Old Skater Dude didn’t want to ride it twice; however the train that goes around the park pales in comparison to the real Metro Train that gets you from downtown Paris all the way out there… 40 minutes, two wiggly children, and no bathroom, oh dear!

Needless to say, not much time for my sketching, and no reliable internet for over a week, so I have a couple of sketchbooks with pages of unfinished sketches going clear back to the Tower of London… but scattered in there are a few that I can share now:

sketch of building

"No Refrigeration Necessary" by Kerry McFall

 This was our view out the apartment window in Paris, where evidently folks put their drinks and juices on the balcony when the fridge overflows (3rd window down on the left)… and it was lovely, crisp autumn weather, so their Oranginas were probably quite frosty!

 

London Pub sketch

"The King's Head Pub, Hornsey, England" by Kerry McFall

 We had dinner at the cafe across the street from this pub one evening before we left for Paris.  Hornsey is one of those old villages that has been gobbled up into London. So now, after a fascinating/exhausting trip from Paris to Calais via train, Calais to Dover via ferry, then bus to Canterbury and eventually to Ramsgate, we are now staying a block from the royal harbour for a few days with a lovely lady named Sarah who has not only functional internet but (gasp!) HOT water!