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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Paris

From Brussels we hopped on the Thayls (fast train) to Paris. One hour and 22 minutes at up to 186 mph. From the train station we transferred to the metro, and after a change of trains, we found ourselves 100 yards from the front door of our next apartment. We booked a smaller place knowing prices would be high in Paris. We were a little surprised though to find out just how small, small can be. Cozy might be a better word as it measured about 270 square feet. But we had a kitchen and a bed for everyone, so it worked just fine. Location-wise it was great. We were 50 yards south of the Seine near the Orsay Museum. Most of the major sights were still a decent walk, but that’s what you get in a city this big. For many people, Paris is a city that represents the finer things in life. Paris just exudes romance and elegance with its commanding boulevards, chic shops, and cozy cafes. And yes, almost everyone has a baguette under his or her arm. We even saw uniformed policemen with their baguettes.

Our first trip out took us to the Latin Quarter. When I first read a Latin neighborhood was nearby, I thought “A Latin neighborhood in Paris?” But we later learned that the old university is in this area and students studying here from all over Europe used Latin as the common language. It was the voice of higher education and so locals referred to the area by its language-Latin. Day two started the weekend, and for Angie that meant one-thing…flea markets. We started small to test the waters, but by day two it was on to Puces St. Ouen and its 2,000+ stalls. No way you can do it all, especially with kids, but we did manage to have fun in some interesting areas we found. We bought a few treasures that will be annoying to travel with, but great keepsakes and memories once we get them home. We also ran into Rod Stewart while shopping. His voice is so recognizable to Angie and I, even though the kids had no clue. We’ll have to play them a few tunes so they can put a name with the face.

After all the shopping it was back to the sightseeing with stops at the Notre Dame Cathedral, Flower Market, Jewish District (for some tasty Falafel), and the Eiffel Tower (more on the tower in another post). We also made it down the Champs-Élysées, which leads to the massive Arc de Triomphe. Another big stop was the Louvre; Europe’s oldest, largest, and second busiest museum (after the Vatican). This was not the kids' idea of fun, but with Disney looming they were willing to make the sacrifice. We just focused on the biggies, such as the Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa (the kids' overwhelming favorite). On our way home we stopped for a quick break along the Seine River. It was very relaxing until Mia lost one of her flip-flops into the river. It quickly floated too far from shore to retrieve, so we followed it down-river until we could flag down one of the passing boats. We finally got the flip-flop back and handed it to a very embarrassed Mia.

Next it was up to Sacré Coeur and the Montmarte neighborhood, the highest point in Paris. This was home to artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Still full of struggling artists, we found the area rich with a culture all its own. Another diversion from the typical tourist stop was a trip to the Paris underground, and I don’t mean the metro. Paris offers a tour of its sewer of all things. This was the world’s first underground sewer and it’s still the largest with over 1,500 miles of tunnels. The home of Disney’s Ratatouille, it was both interesting and disgusting at the same time. It was definitely a strange choice by us, something different I guess, as the best part for Angie and I was stepping back into the fresh air afterwards.

With our final day scheduled for Disney (another future post), it was time to bid farewell to Paris. Our week went by just like that. Paris certainly didn’t disappoint, although we were looking forward to getting out of the hustle and bustle and back into the peaceful countryside.




A look from under the Arc de Triomphe.

Sacré Coeur