Back to Paris

Notre Dame

Lucky for us that we live so 'close' to Paris!  Shortly after moving to Germany, we made our first trip to Paris, and at the time we promised the kids that we would go back again soon.  Well, it took us a year and a half, but we finally made it back!

The Louvre

On our last trip we were able to go with my Mom, and so we decided that it would be great to have my husband's mother, Theresa, join us this time.  Hopefully taking our mothers to Paris will make up for all the naughty things we did as children.

The kids getting crepes from a crepe cart.

Unfortunately, the weather was not what we were hoping for considering it was the middle of May, and we had to make do with cold drizzly days.  I never seem to pack appropriately for anything, and we had to stop into Zara and buy the kids sweatshirts.  At least a rainy day in Paris is better than a rainy day anywhere else.

Arc de Triomphe

In order to see as much as we could in the two days we had, we decided to use the hop-on-hop-off bus.  Despite shivering on the open-top bus, it was really a great way to see all the sights.

We were freezing in May!!

Of course, our favorite thing to do in Paris is eat!  We had so much delicious food, and I am starting to drool just thinking about it again.

Everyone loves the Eiffel Tower!

When we were in Paris the first time, we were unable to go all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower due to windy conditions.  I had learned my lesson and also bought the tickets online this time.  Amazingly, as we headed up the tower, the sun finally came out for the first time in two days and gave us great views of the city.  We were all pretty ecstatic to be able to get to the top.

Happy Birthday to me!

 Our trip was in between Mother's Day and my birthday, so we made a stop into the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs Elysees and I picked out a bag that I have had my eye on for awhile.  Needless to say, my bag and I have been inseparable ever since.

Yummy macarons by the Seine River

Parisians have such a bad reputation for being snooty and obnoxious, but we found the exact opposite.  Everywhere we went we found a welcoming reception, even with having our kids along.  The kids love Paris and French food, and they are already asking when we can go back.  Hopefully it won't be another 18 months!

Photos from Strasbourg, France

Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg

Back in the Summer we headed over to Strasbourg, France to check out the Alsace Region, which is famous for storks and wine.   If I remember correctly, it was about a four hour car trip from Ulm. 


We enjoyed this restaurant and got to sit down by the water!

Ryan loved this fountain

We visited the typical tourist sights, did a lot of walking, and poked our heads into a few souvenir shops.  Unfortunately, we didn't do a lot of wine tasting.  Despite the fact that we take our kids everywhere with us, we didn't feel that having the kids along would be a very relaxing wine tasting experience.  I did buy a few bottles to taste at home though!

 



Protesters camping outside the European Parliament

What a lovely bakery window!

We visited the Parc de l'Orangerie in search of storks, and found only a few.  Now that we know what storks look like, we see them frequently in Germany!

This looks much more relaxing than it actually was...
the kids fought over the oars the whole time!

Ryan was really looking excited to try escargot, and he really liked them!  He wanted to order them at every restaurant we went to, but they aren't exactly cheap!  He was also in crème brulee heaven.  Eating regional foods and trying new things is definitely our favorite part of travelling!

Ryan eating Escargot

 

Strasbourg was nice because it was an easy city to visit with kids, and great for a quick dose of French cuisine and culture.  It was a great base for visiting some of the smaller (quainter) towns in the area, and if I had to do it again, I would have only spent one night in Strasbourg instead of three, and then also a spend a night or two in Colmar, which is south of Strasbourg along the 'Route de Vins' (wine road).  Hopefully we will make it back to Colmar, and I also hope to travel much more in France!

 



PARIS!

When we first told the kids that we would be moving to Germany, there was, as expected, a bit of disappointment and angst.  Ryan, was worried about leaving his school and friends.  We quickly tried to think of all the selling-points we could offer to a 6-year-old.  Luckily, we hit upon two things that quickly turned the situation around, and the kids were on-board with an overseas move: LEGOLAND, and the Eiffel Tower.  We made it to LEGOLAND within the first few weeks of arriving, since it is only about 20 minutes away.  Our trip to Paris needed a bit more planning, and we also decided that we wanted to wait until my Mom came to visit, so she could go with us, too.  I liked that idea that since my Mom took me to Paris the first time when I was 18, I could take my Mom to Paris the second time.

Day 1  Palace of Versailles

We are getting pretty savvy about getting around on the Metro in different cities, and we took the train out to Versailles.  We weren't sure if the kids would be interested in the visit, but my Mom said she had always wanted to go to Versailles, so that made it a priority for me.  It was a cold, rainy day, and apparently we weren't the only ones who thought touring the palace was a good idea for a rainy day.  We had to wait in a long line to get in! 

Hall of Mirrors

Ryan, who is 7, seemed to enjoy looking around, and we did our best to pique his interest.  Meredith, who is 4, was not so content, and took a significant amount of cajoling, and our repeated attempts to interest her by saying 'This is where princesses really lived!' didn't help to keep her interested.  It was extremely crowded, and after about an hour we all lost interest and headed to a creperie for coffee, hot chocolate, and crepes. 

Dancing in the ballroom



Ryan enjoyed the audio tour

 

Day 2 The Eiffel Tower

 

Today was the day that Ryan had been excited about for the last six months.  We were advised by friends that we should buy our tickets in advance online, which we tried to do, but failed.  Apparently, they have to be bought further in advance than the night before.  Again we found a VERY long line, but we were determined, and luckily, we had all 'packed our patience'.  It was a special adventure to share as a family, and we promised Ryan that we would bring him back in the Spring and attempt to go all the way to the top. 

 

Seine River

 

Happiest boy in Paris!

 

Sacre-Coeur



 

Les Invalides

 

Riding the carousel near the Eiffel

Gotta have crepes at the Eiffel Tower!

After our Eiffel Tower visit, we let Ryan and Meredith go on some of the nearby children's rides, and stopped at a crepe stand for a snack.  We then let the kids pick out souvenirs, and walked to the Arc de Triomphe, and down a bit of the Champs Elysees.

 

             

 

 Ryan loved the Louis Vuitton store front, which featured golden dinosaur skeletons.  He decided that it must be a girl T-Rex, because it was carrying a purse!  I don't think that it is quite fair than an extinct reptile gets to have a Louis Vuitton purse, but I don't!!

Happiest Grandma in Paris!

 We had a wonderful time in Paris, and it was so special to have my Mom there with us to share the adventure.  Even a cold, rainy day in Paris (waiting on long lines with whining kids) is STILL PARIS!  We had some really delicious meals, one at an Italian restaurant, and one at a French restaurant.  The loved the small French bistro, and having the small courses served over a longer period of time held the kids interest.  They both decided that they like goat cheese, and Ryan discovered that crème brulee is now his favorite dessert.

I can't wait to go back!