The four of us woke up this morning raring to go after a very good night’s sleep. Chloe and Sophie were simply wiped out from the long travel day and my husband and I had pills to thank for our decent slumber. Refreshed and excited, we made our way to Paris where we had a most excellent time wandering through the streets with no particular destination in mind other than a foiled visit to Notre Dame (more on that below).
Category Archives: Europe
France, Get Ready for the Invasion!
In a couple of short days, we will find ourselves back on French soil for several weeks of nomadic adventures visiting family, exploring castles (both Renaissance and sand) and medieval fortress cities, freezing in the Atlantic Ocean from the other side of the pond, and climbing atop ancient Roman ruins.
Au Revoir, Paris
Not to be outdone by yesterday’s adventure, I was determined to make our last day in Paris count. We were out and about for 10 hours. Below is the route we took today. Again, click on the link below to see the entire map. We walked about five miles.
The “Grands Magasins”…Ad Nauseum
How many people do you think would spend an entire day shopping in Paris, only to come home with absolutely nothing? If you answered “none,” you’re wrong. The correct response is actually two, now that Chloe and I have returned home from a day of failing to find things to buy – for her in particular. I saw a bag that I almost bought, but got cold feet. I may have to rectify that tomorrow.
Parc Asterix
In a continued effort to expose Chloe and Sophie to as much French culture (both popular and otherwise) as possible, we took the girls to the epitome of French amusement parks, Parc Asterix, today. We made a concerted effort to stay away from the amusement park that shall remain nameless, because when in Rome…or more accurately as far as the comic strip on which the park is based goes, when in Gaul, do as the Gauls do.
Why I Love Paris
Street jazz in the Marais, with hot sax and trumpet solos, and an 80-year old groupie.
Then and Now
The last time we visited Paris was during Christmas 2006. Sophie was 15 months old, and still babbling and wobbly on her feet. The photo below was taken at the Place des Vosges during her first trip to France.
France Miniature
Twenty years ago, some obsessive-compulsive French creative types decided that they would create a unique kind of park. A utopia for Lilliputians. A way for regular folks to feel what it would be like to be Gulliver. The result was France Miniature, a sprawling place that takes visitors on a meandering stroll across France and 116 of its most famous sites. At 1/30th the scale.
Bastille Day!
Today was a very French Day, in honor of Bastille Day, the beginning of the French Revolution. However, as French as our day was, we encountered Americans everywhere we went. It was actually pretty astounding – a couple of times during the day I would have thought myself back in the States had my eyes been closed. But no matter, I wasn’t going to allow my pesky compatriots ruin a beautiful day in Paris.
Les Catacombes, the Last Harry Potter Movie(!) and the Luxembourg Gardens
What a day! We saw thousands of human bones and skulls, saw the last “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II” before any of our American friends and had a lovely stroll through the prettiest garden in Paris. And to top it all off, there was no drama in the subway today.
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