6/10 - Bonjour Paris!

  

6/8 - Quick Note here from the past - I went looking for "what the heck is Ile de la cite" since it was on our tour plan.  What I got was four pages of tour sales before finally finding a page where someone was just explaning the location.  CLICK HERE Turns out that I've been here before - I didn't realize I was on an island when Jeff & I walked across the bridge by Notre Dame and discovered a lovely little Monistary that had been redesigned into a Medieval Art Gallery.  It was wonderful. And the Unicorn Tapestries... I didn't realize until later that these were *different* Unicorn tapestries than the ones at the Cloisters in NYC (which I only just saw for the first time last year).  Looking forward to learning more about these islands!

6/10 - It's the end of a 48-ish (maybe coser to 42) hour period during which I've only had about 4 hours of sleep, Clover has had at least one (probably more tha they believe during the first flight, but still - it wasn't good) and we're trying our best to keep on keeping on.  So... here goes.

We arrived in Paris about 11am local (which may be Greenwich mean or maybe GMT +1... it's 6 hours ahead of VA).  We needed to get the checked luggage, which is a step that always takes a solid half hour from disembarking to getting to transportation, but we've got something like 20 kids & 7 adults, plus a tour guide.

In an IDEAL world the tour guide has done all this before, has walked through every step looking for possible snaffoos, is patient with kids & adults, knows how to manage transporation as if it were second nature, and has plenty of extra time build into the schedule for hiccups, browsing, absorbing important moments and has done all the pre-registration.  PLUS they've planned meals that will sparkle our senses with the local cuisine and delighted our curiosity to sallie forth into the next day's adventures!

Obviously, I say these things because I've got too high expectations and each one of those proved too much today.  So my goal is simply to be open to the opportunity of whatever we are able to accomplish on this trip and make the best I can of the tours that are scheduled while realizing that I may just need to make my own magic at times.

Also - this isn't just me.  The other adults are feeling very fidgety about jumping ship on our guide's leadership and even Clover is looking askance.  The tiping point for the gleefuly joyous other kids came today when at 7pm - instead of the curio shopping they were going to be given time for - they were told we were heading back to the hotel.  Met with grumbles if not actual shouts of outrage or Robespierre-like declaration of "Off with her head!"  No... wait.... that's the Queen of Spades.... Hearts?... Oh Alice!

Pictures... because we did get some GREAT sights today!  What actually needs to be the focus of this trip!

ALWAYS start the best trips with litte alleys and very old buildings on cobble stones!  Take note!  This is fabulous!  Kids in picture are part of tour - trying not to show faces for privacy.

Subway entrance nearesst to our hotel - taking note for return trips (though I kept forgetting and thinking i was the previous stop - Liberte'?)

Evidence to Clover - Magnolia Grandiflora - native to North America - found throughout Paris - is an example of how 18th century trade in botanics has reshaped the ecosystems of the old world.

One of those "Parliament.... Big Ben.... " moments of - here's sometehing that's not as old as the first republic (I think they're still just on their 4th - it's France - they're ALWAYS up for a good Revolution every now & then) - but was rebuil in the 1800s, so it wasn't part of the beheading.  So why are we looking?  It's very pretty.

Gorgeous View of the Seine & le banc gauche

HA!  Notre Dame!  But no - we're not going in Yet!  Will we?  "Not sure.... going to find out.... go find lunch since it's 2:30pm and we'll see what to do when we come back."  We all consent because we're very hungry & tired.  But... looks like candy & mama says "maybe, if you're good!"

So Clover & I walk & walk - evantually finding this mysterious thing called "a restaurant near Notre Dame that isn't crowded and serves something withing a reasonable lunch cost and amount - which proved to be too large actually, but I think they see American & gave us more than we needed.  But Love Dave - he was great - the restaurant was great!  Highly recommend Le Mistral on the north bank (is that Right or Left?  Why is it Droit & Gauche?  Is that coming from the Ocean or Land?  These questions must be answered!)  Provided link even though my laptop is not wanting to view it right now.

Oh look at that thing past my shoulder in the distance..... what?  do you say?  What?

Fabuous.... really fabulous meal.  What a great start to Paris!

We're going to do better than this tomorrow.

In the meantime.... Desert even improved on the meal.  We're going to waddle back into the USA.  They may not let us board the plane.  We'll have to stay in Europe because we've grown too big on rich foods.

Who doesn't like eating somewhere that you can live inside the fishbowl & watch all the predators swim by?

Mmmm..... second caffeine bean drink of the day!  Cafe' au Lait is allowed.... Americano is not... bad American, must get all the fat & sugar & caffeine if you will come sin with us.

Back to Notre Dame... Just leaving these pix here with all their fabuous beauty & meticulous detail.

Because.... ARCHES!

Dragon for Anika....

Jean d'Arc!  We were tempted to go view the "TREASURE" (read: Hoards of gold we could see glistening behind the cashier willing to take our 12 Euro each to see the Plunder of 1000 years).  Good thing we didn't because the group was done and about ready to move on wthout us - we weren't the *last* group - but nearly so.... and we really didn't take a LONG time at all.   Compared to how I usually lurk through each cove in a church I fet the time we took was neglectful.  Really.

I see an optical illusion with the lights... is it just me?  Clover doesn't see it.

For the Parrish Aunts!

This is a VERY special museum - which we didn't go into - but I visited in 2001 and HIGHLY recommend EVERYONE to go see this.  It's the Museum of Medieval Art - with a gorgeous set of Unicorn Tapestries, among other beautiful art. Muse' de Cluny

Dinner..... at an Itaian Restaurant... in Paris... on our first night.... unknown fish believed to be Halibut, smothered in sauce.  (closing my eye and thinking of lunch)

They DID make me a fabulous Cafe' au Lait.  Totally forgiven, thank you!  

Last little HOORAH for the Day!  LOVE LOVE LOVE the bedrooms.  I've been to Europe before... big cities in Europe where rooms are small and the beds practically fit them.  Then the BATHROOMS are non-existant and there's no such thing as kitchen... what is that Heresy?!  But this is really DIVINE considering my experience last year in London.  Yay on the hotel!  City Residence  - No idea what the cost is since it's part of the package, but guessing it must be very reasonable based on the rest of this trip being designed for the bargain planner (which I'm OK with!  I respect & appreciate them keeping our costs down - even if it feels like a MINT to some, it's definitely more reasonable than many trip I've been partty to.

See what I mean?  It's clean - spacious - not overly big, but the shower is great & bathrom is a full ROOM - not a closet.  There's a kitchen sink & refrigerator & microwave.  

Looking forward to staying another night!