A Week in Paris

We arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport at 8:15 am on a Tuesday and after getting no sleep on the plane ride we crashed at our Airbnb in Clichy for about four hours before hurrying out to see our friends Faraz and Petra. We have missed our friends and the idea of just sitting with familiar faces was all we wanted. The kids wanted to see their buddy Ryan most. The five hour jet lag took about four days to conquer, right about the time that daylight savings stole another hour from us on Sunday. We have now experienced our third daylight savings this Spring...in the US, Brazil and now in France.

We made the most of our week. In complete contrast to our time in Brazil, we have spent very little downtime here in our condo. We have choosen to stay out all day and into the late night each of the past six days. We feel extremely safe and comfortable navigating Paris. We have ubered only twice, choosing instead to get confident very fast on the metro trains. We've ridden at least five trains a day so we're pro's now. Blythe has calmed her nerves significantly when riding the trains. This has been a big money saver too and they are worth every penny due to their timeliness and cleanliness...far cleaner than the New York City subway system.

We bought a Paris Museum pass for six days of access which was the best financial choice. The best part is that kids under twelve are free and all the major museums and monuments are included. We hit Notre Dame the first night with Petra and Faraz along with her parents who were visiting them from Tehran.

We made a day of visiting The Palace at Versailles next, where the kids and the adults couldn't get enough of the place. We plan to return later this month to finish our tour. While their, we ate a late lunch/early dinner in the palace. It was neat to imagine how many amazing people have eaten in the same place...King Louis XIV for sure or possibly Napoleon??? It was worth the royal penny that the formal meal cost and we just might do it again. We hit Arc de Triomphe and enjoyed climbing the famous arch spiral steps all the way to the top for our first view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. We also made our way to the Eiffel Tower for a nighttime ascent all the way to the top to see Paris in lights. The wind was very cold but the experience was every bit the high expectations we set for this bucket lister.

We spent about three hours visiting the Louvre Museum, which wasn't nearly enough time to see even a tenth of what is found in the nine miles of hallways and corridors that you'll find in this massive palace. We did get to see the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo and enjoyed the beautiful colors of the Ruins of Persepolis exhibition. The other art museum that is incredible in Paris is the George's Pompidou Center of modern art. While there the kids and adults alike enjoyed all the various art forms, from sculpture to paintings to photography, Chagall, Dali, Andy Warhol and Picasso line the walls and corridors. The kids were followed like hawks by the security which made the visit uncomfortable. This is because the barriers to the art is very minimal and it wouldn't take much effort for a child to touch or damage a famous piece. Because of this, Erica took the kids outside the museum to play while Petra, Faraz and I finished looking at a few more exhibits.

Due to a little bit of a mistake, we ended up getting to take two river cruises down the Seine River, the riverway that this fine city was built along. We took one trip to stop at night at the base of the Eiffel tower and then again, we met Faraz and Petra, the follwing day for an afternoon cruise on the river. Despite the extra expense, these cruises are worth doing twice. On our way to the second cruise we crossed the Locks of Love bridge. We had to buy a couple locks for all four of us to leave our mark on this city of love. This was Blythe's favorite activity so far. 

We were lucky to spend every day with Faraz, Petra and Ryan. Having friends along your journey always makes these visit a lot sweeter. We loved exploring different routes through the narrow streets everyday as we hopped on and off the metro. You never knew what street market, interesting street busker, or historic marker you might discover. We spent our last day together with Faraz, Petra and Ryan at the Parc des buttes Chaumont, a large twenty-five acre urban park on a beautiful sunny spring day. The locals were out enjoying their last day of the weekend in nature and the kids loved just being kids, collecting beer bottle caps, climbing trees and rolling down the steep grassy hills. It hasn't rained once and we feel pretty spoiled.

Peace and Love