On the road (3) A (hopefully) sunny September road trip to Spain COMPLETED - Page 4 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Love the update so far Cheryl! The Chateaux is beautiful, can't wait to see your pictures. As for the traffic around Paris- I am sad to say that it looks just like the traffic here in Atlanta,Ga USA. They don't like to use their indicators here either. We try to avoid going into downtown as much as possible, but I think it is more stressful for me than for my DH. At least it appears that way. Glad you got through it unscathed. Looking forward to more.
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Yep, I was thinking the same thing! Actually, that looked like a GOOD day on the Capital Beltway here in the DC area!
Love the pictures thus far - can't wait to see the gardens.
What a gorgeous little town. I'm glad you made it before the (likely) huge rush hour of traffic started!!! The cows are so cute - all white! I don't think I've seen that ... maybe ever. Cool!
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What a pain the traffic was so bad - like the other posters it's normal for me. I was explaining to Evan just this morning about why we use our blinkers when driving as he was very quick to point out the truck in front of us that did use it. After about a million "whys" I think he got it.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Great update! I don't think turn signals have been invented in Louisiana yet, so certainly know about driving in those conditions--it's no fun! The pictures of the town are wonderful.
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I think one thing I should point out about the traffic we experienced about Paris is that this was a Saturday late morning/lunchtime, it wasn't rush hour. : We've experienced a lot of cities in rush hour (we thought rush hour in DC was non-existent actually, compared to London ), but we've never seen traffic like this on a weekend in any major city, having driven into the centre of LA on a Saturday and had a quiet journey...
Saturday 4 September – part three: chateaux gardens at their best
I had already decided that we’d just see the gardens here, as I knew that they were meant to be pretty spectacular, so we paid our €6 ($7.80) admission and headed inside. The view that greets you when you walk in is of the chateau and its outbuildings.
Some history of this place: it was completed in 1536 and, as such, it was one of the last grand chateaux to be built in the Loire Valley. It was built by Jean le Breton, who was the finance minister under Francois I. He was also responsible for directing the construction of Chambord, which we had visited in June. The gardens you see today were created in the 19th century.
The fish were desperate to be fed! Our first glimpse of the gardens beyond
The real star attraction of the estate, the gardens, are just around the corner. They’re all laid out into different sections. We walked through the vegetable garden, but this is unlike any vegetable garden you’ve ever seen before. Although it is home to all sorts of vegetables, such as tomatoes, celery, cabbage and peppers, that’s not what catches your eye. What attracts your attention is the way the gardens are laid out with some beautifully manicured hedges and superb floral displays. I guess the fact that no-one’s actually allowed in the individual gardens (you can only walk around them) probably helps to maintain them.
As we walked through, we tried to set up the camera to get a photo of the two of us, as Mark had decided to leave the tripod in the car, but a very kind French couple offered to get a photo of us together in front of the chateau.
We headed next towards the ornamental garden. There’s only real place where you can overlook these garden, but that didn’t stop me from grabbing some shots from the covered walkway next to it. It’s actually made up of grapes and we tried a grape each, although they were a bit on the bitter side.
Showing off my trade secrets how I got some of those shots!
Next: love in its many forms – all made up of plants!
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We try to avoid going into downtown as much as possible, but I think it is more stressful for me than for my DH. At least it appears that way. 
Glad you got through it unscathed. Looking forward to more. 
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Claytrgtshooter (Minnie Lor's Hubbie)
Holly: 
PassPorter Guide Author
: We've experienced a lot of cities in rush hour (we thought rush hour in DC was non-existent actually, compared to London 
in its many forms – all made up of plants! 
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