“A bridge adds energy to the landscape.” ~ Santiago Calatrava, world-renowned Spanish architect and engineer who conceived the Sundial Bridge’s unusual design
I was in the Redding area (in Northern California) for a wedding last June. With a few unscheduled hours early in the day I decided to do a little exploring, and knowing that the Sundial Bridge was nearby I made that my destination.
And . . . Wow!
Did You Know?
The MS Foundation publishes a quarterly magazine, MS Focus, for the purpose of inspiring and empowering “those affected by MS with the information necessary to make the most complete and educated decisions concerning their healthcare.”
The Winter 2016 edition of the magazine focused on “Making Travel with MS More Accessible.” We are honored to have an article published in this issue, and want to share it here … and hope you’ll share too!
Earlier this month I received an email from Sally James, a freelance writer who has recently been working with one of the UK’s leading travel portals on a guide for people with disabilities, showing how even on a cruise they can enjoy full mobility and accessibility help.
Sally asked me if I would be interested in seeing what she has written, and of course I said “Yes.” And after looking it over, I thought the guides would be worth sharing on my blog.
The TSS Earnslaw, known as the “Lady of the Lake,” is believed to be the oldest working coal-fired steamship in the Southern Hemisphere. 
Named after Mount Earnslaw (the highest peak in the region), she is 168 feet in length, 24 feet across the beam and weighs 330 tons.
After spending hours in a tour vehicle, or wandering through a museum, market or garden, that all-important stop to take care of bodily needs is essential.
When traveling with a wheelchair, knowing where to find an accessible “Restroom / WC / Toilette” is even more important.
Carrieanna recently returned from her very first cruise. It will not be her last!
She and her Aunt Vicki (a cruise veteran) took a seven-day trip to Alaska (the Alaska Tracy Arm Fjord Cruise) on the Celebrity Solstice. Along the way they stopped at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, as well as spending one evening at the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC.
The cruise included MS educational programs, accessible shore excursions and, of course, some amazing experiences — not to mention many photo opportunities!
I asked Carrieanna a few questions about her experience.
… but I have visited a few incredible museums!
Here’s a short list:
In the Netherlands:
In Italy:
In Egypt:
Over the years I have heard that Parisians are rude.
I have never found that to be true — well, with the possible exception of *that one* taxi driver in 2002.
In fact, while visiting Paris in 2009, Carrieanna and I found the exact opposite to be true.
As noted in a previous blog post, we were in Paris to celebrate Carrieanna’s birthday.
After spending a weekend at nearby Murphys, California, some friends and I decided to visit the Calaveras Big Trees before heading home to the Sacramento area.
I believe I first became infatuated with Paris as a seventh grader, when I chose to take French as my foreign language class instead of Spanish, which would have been far more useful, but not nearly as romantic!
However, it wasn’t until 2002 that I actually visited the City of Light, and that’s when I fell in love with Paris. And realized that a 12-day visit was not enough. I wanted to go back someday.
That “someday” occurred in late fall of 2008.
Rich, my sweetheart, wanted to take his daughter (and me, of course) to Paris in April of 2009 to celebrate her 27th birthday.
Because Carrieanna uses a wheelchair, Rich wanted to make sure that she would be able to get around well enough to enjoy the city.
So he and I planned an 8-day trip to Amsterdam – a favorite destination – in November of 2008, during which I was to take the train to Paris for a day to check accessibility.
Prior to our trip we studied the Paris chapter of Rick Steves’ “Easy Access Europe – A Guide for Travelers with Limited Mobility.” (A very useful book; I highly recommend it.)
We also made a fairly detailed itinerary for me to follow, so that I could get as much information as possible in the few hours I would be in Paris.
And finally the day arrived. Rich and I had been in Amsterdam for three days, and on Friday, Nov. 14, 2008, I spent A Day in Paris!
As I wrote in my journal:
“The Adventure begins!
“I rise with the 5 a.m. wake-up call (although I’ve been awake off-and-on since 2 a.m.), and dress carefully for cold weather, and an all-day excursion to Paris.
“Our taxi gets us to Central Station in plenty of time. We go to the Thayles information desk (at Central Station), and get information* about taking a wheelchair to Den Haag and Paris next year. …
“Finally the train arrives, and I’m off to Paris! By 8 a.m. it’s light, though overcast and gray. …
“I found a taxi across the street [from Gard du Nord – the train station], and went to the Hotel Brighton.”
We had already made reservations for a three-night stay in April of 2009. We chose Hotel Brighton, a four-star hotel, because it had handicap-accessible rooms. We were also delighted with the location!
Advertised as being “in the heart of Paris,” Hotel Brighton is located on rue de Rivoli, directly across from the Tuileries Garden. During our stay in April we had a view of the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, the Eiffle Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe from our upstairs suite.
(Here’s a sneak peak of our view in April)
“The gentleman at the Brighton’s front desk was fairly flustered by all my questions,** but was helpful – and grateful for the €10 tip.”
(The elevator at Hotel Brighton. Large enough for the wheelchair – barely!)
“Upon leaving the hotel, I cross rue de Rivoli …
… and head toward the Louvre (parallel to Tuileries Gardens).
“I wandered a little in the area between the Louvre and Arc de Carousel, enjoying being there! I gleaned the information and pictures about accessibility to the Louvre and to the Gardens. …”
[“Easy Access Europe” gives accurate and detailed tips on how to find the accessible entrance, which I visually confirmed.]
“A walk over a bridge across the Seine …
… to the Musee d’Orsay entrance …
(Note the slanted curb cuts.
Wheelchair users will need to be careful to maintain their balance.)
” … where I bought some roasted chestnuts (nothing special) and then crossed the footbridge over the very busy street (Quai Des Tuileres).”
(View of Musee d’Orsay from across the Seine.)
“Back into the garden area …
(Tuileries Garden, with Hotel Brighton in background)
” … where I walk towards the Place de la Concorde and, more importantly, the Musee l’Orangerie.”
(Because this museum was closed for renovation at the time Rick Steves published “Easy Access Europe,” he does not rate its accessibility. I was delighted to find that it was fully wheelchair accessible!)
Here I enjoyed two large oval-shaped rooms, each with four large murals of ‘water lilies’ painted by Monet.
“Two full rooms, wrapped by the water lilies murals. Incredible!”
“Other notables include Matisse, Renoir, Picasso, Cezanne, and other impressionists.”
(Renoir)
“And the garden area contained some Rodin statues. Well worth the visit.”
(Rodin’s “The Kiss”)
“I walked extensively in the rue de Rivoli area, in search of a market, without success. So I caught a taxi which took me to Montmartre and the tourist shops I wanted.”
(Sacre-Coeur)
(While the grounds of Sacre-Coeur are lovely and offer a panoramic view of Paris, the interior is not wheelchair accessible. )
“I found gifts, and a market for bread and wine and chocolate. … and after buying a baguette with tomatoes and cheese for a late lunch, I walked and walked and walked and walked, in search of a taxi.
“I found myself in Quartier Pigalle — not a great area — and finally located a taxi to take me back to the train station.”
(Gard du Nord)
“Right on time, and a full train, we left Paris at 6:25. I napped and reflected on the journey back, grateful for the fun opportunity – Paris for a day! – and aware of the challenges.”
[Future posts will describe our April 2009 adventures in Paris — including our miracle story of getting to the top of the Eiffle Tower!]
*Additional questions we asked at the Thayles information desk:
**Questions asked of the desk clerk at Hotel Brighton (with some responses):
Anything Is Possible Travel 