Paris, France
17 - 24 August
After an easy 5 1/2 hour flight from Toronto to Paris, we arrived to one of the most beautiful cities. Bristish Airways made it extra special by allowing Emma and Hamish into the cockpit and have a fiddle with the controls (thankfully the plane was in park and on the ground). Lina, a Cambodian national, swiftly packed our 4 large duffle bags into her small Suzuki, we were a bit skeptical that the bags would fit, but Lina, in her heels, had it under control. After a push and a shove we were on our way. While waiting for our host Mirella to arrive at the apartment, we sat out at a local brasserie and enjoyed a beer in the warm sun, while the children played a game of chess.
Paris is extraordinary, beautiful with its archeticture, in-depth history, the French and a language which leaves me spell bound. On the other hand, with its beauty comes a counter balance of sorts which makes me question this fine city. The large percentage of smokers and public urination (both human and animal) leaves the senses a little overwhelmed. This can be the breaking point while sitting out on the cobblestone streets of Paris enjoying a wine and taking in the sights. C'est la vie!!
The next day we took in the sights of Norte Dame and The Louve, whilst navigating the streets and getting a feel for where we were for the next 7 days. I pre-booked a Fat Tires Bike tour for us and there we met our guide, Justin, at the base of the south piller of the Eiffel tour. For the next 4 hours we saw more of Paris than we probably would have in the entire week on our own.. The kids got an easy ride being on the back of mum and dads tandem. I was surprised how much information Emma absorbed and retained on this tour, much more than any classroom. A tour I highly recommend!
Bike Tour Highlights;
Eiffel Tower, The Louvre (from the outside), Napoleans Tomb, Musee D'Orsay, Military school, Les Invalides to name just a few.
Our days continued with visits to jardin de Luxembourg and sailing boats in the man-made pond and picnics on the lawn. St. Germain de pres and the magnificent high end fashion houses and all the small rues to discover quaint cafes and shops. The chaotic Champs- élysées, not our cup of tea, but good to see. We went to both The Louvre and Musee D'Orsay with a set agenda in mind and not lasting more than hour and a half in each, to avoid the little guy getting well and truly bored.
Bon Voyage Paris, I look forward to my return.
Tony writes:
What an amazing city, so much contrast , beautiful architecture , wide streets, green gardens all based on a rather violent history. Blood ran though the streets for years. The Emperor widened the streets to allow for better protection against civil unrest and the guillotine went into retirement, not that long ago in the schemes of things.
Tracey has excelled once again with her research and placed us in an apartment in close proximity to the Louvre and Notre Dame. After a little exploring we also found ourselves within walking distance of St. Germain and the sensational shopping, Luxembourg Gardens and really not all that far from the Eiffel Tower.
A short walk to Notre Dame, what an amazing building, the stained glass windows are really something to behold. We were lucky enough to be their during morning mass, the singing and acoustics where simply sensational. Emma decided to light a candle for Grandpa which was quite an emotional moment, it's interesting to see how emotionally sensitive young children can be. Sticking to our usual plan of going everywhere in the first few days, why not see the Louvre, Arch de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower all in the space of 6 hours. We will need to slow down and actually go inside some time soon.
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