Our Last Day and Some Final Thoughts

Everything went well after Katie and Freddy left us for their flight back to Swansea. We had nearly three hours before our flight was to leave and we spent two of those queueing to check in. After disposing of our luggage, I accompanied Madeline to the VAT office to get her paperwork stamped and drop it in the mail--in France, if you spend 175 euros in one store in one day you can get back 12% of the total purchase price if you file the VAT forms as you leave the country! While we did this, others in our group visited the American Express currency exchange and traded the euros that they still had for US dollars. There was no line at security so we breezed right through and went to our gate where they were beginning to bus passengers to the plane (CDG airport is undergoing extensive construction) so there was no time to grab those last-minute souvenirs for the person that you just remembered!! After boarding the plane and stowing our carryons, all settled down for dinner and either watched movies (I watched 4) or napped.
Arriving in Detroit we passed through immigration (grouchy officer!) and picked up our luggage for customs. Everyone passed through quickly except Madeline who had to declare her Louis Vuitton purse and pay $22 in duty. With an hour to spare, we waited to board our final flight which left 10 minutes late because of de-icing! Deplaning in Evansville after an uneventful flight, we were greeted by happy parents and husbands, gathered our bags, made some exchanges (wine for books), and headed to Owensboro.
All in all it was a good trip! Every adventure has its rough spots but we made it through. No one got sick, none of the kids got hurt. It was good to hear Ryan using his French to get around, and I was surprised that those that had taken French previously tried to use what they remembered, too (and did okay)! They were open to trying new things as far as food goes and travelling by metro and didn't complain when we walked them all over Paris. I enjoyed their reactions on the way to Mass at Notre Dame when they crossed the Pont Neuf and for the first time saw the Eiffel Tower rising above the buildings! I think they were impressed with the Palm Sunday service at N-D; the procession came through the huge center doors which were opened wide and spotlights were on the main altar where the priest glowed in his red and gold vestments surrounded by a cloud of incense!! I hope they appreciate what they saw at the Landing Beaches and the American Cemetery and realize how lucky they are. And I hope they remember their "inside voices". A few asked if I would do it again, and, if every group were like this one, "no" would not be an option!