We had a long and crazy day today.  A Murphy’s Law kind of day.  It was bound to happen at least once during our extended vacation and sure enough, today was the day.

It started this morning with rain.  We’ve had so little of it during our vacation that it threw me completely off guard as we prepared for the day’s activities.  My plan was to visit the Catacombes, the old underground ossuary, and Chloe’s number one sightseeing priority.  We made it there, in the pouring rain, only to observe the incredibly long line resulting in a 90-minute wait.

After some very speedy regrouping, we decided to postpone our visit to the skeletons until tomorrow and visit the Cite des Sciences et de l’Industrie, a huge science museum in the northeast part of city.  It was a lot of fun, especially for Sophie, who always tends to be more open to new experiences than her older sister.  That said, even Chloe found something to like.

After spending a relatively calm afternoon in the museum, we made our way to the Latin Quarter for dinner, via the Pont Neuf, which despite its translation as the “New Bridge,” is actually the oldest bridge in Paris – built at the end of the 16th century.

And what would an evening walk around Paris be without stopping to admire the delectable chocolate treats at a place like Maison Georges Larnicol?  Yes, your eyes do not deceive you.  That pig you see below is made of dark chocolate.

We were in a bit of a rush to get home from dinner because my husband was running late for a call back to the States.  And that’s when everything went to hell in a handbasket.  In the subway.  I had forgotten how crazy the Parisian subway can get when the train is running late and people attempt to pile into the first overcrowded train that enters the station.  Instead of following our instincts and changing our route or waiting for the next train, we tried to pile in ourselves.  We made it in and since we were only going one stop we thought it’d be ok. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The problem arose when everyone behind us tried to pile in as well.  It quickly went from being annoying to being dangerous.  And Sophie (and Chloe to a lesser extent) was in danger of being crushed (I’m exaggerating of course, but only slightly).

That’s when Hero Papa stepped in to save the day.  He literally started to scream and push at all the crazy people trying to get on the train so that we could get out.  His face red with fury (extremely rare for him) and determination, he pushed his way out with Sophie in his arms, and Chloe and I followed.  We both continued to yell at everyone standing in our path.  We were like crazy people.  I wish we had taken a picture of the scene.  The irony, of course, was that everyone was in a rush to get home after a long day’s work.  But believe you me, that train was going nowhere because of all the idiots (Chloe’s word, not mine) who refused to acknowledge that there was no way the doors would be able to shut in order for the train to leave the station.  It was like being in a cattle car.

Needless to say, we took an alternate route home, ate a few yummy chocolates along the way to make us all feel better and made it back to the apartment safe and sound, and almost in one piece.  Chloe’s new baseball cap, the one she’s wearing in many of our photos, fell victim to the mob.