Paris, France - Our Final International Stop

This is a bit of a bloated post... turns out there is plenty to see and do in the City of Lights.

We cut our road trip short by one night and blew right past the town of Tours so that we could get to Paris as quickly as we could. We had a hot date with the U.S. Embassy to secure our temporary passports, without which we would be trapped. Lanquais to Paris is about a six hour drive through rolling plains of alternating lime green and yellow fields with towering windmills scattered about everywhere. It sort of looked like we were driving on the surface of a can of Sprite.

The mood was still a bit somber until we returned from a quick McDonald's (we needed some good old fashioned home cooking) stop to the following WhatsApp message from our host in Tuscany, Giulio. This really lifted our spirits.

We really have been fortunate to meet such wonderful people on our adventure. Our host in Tuscany was particularly kindhearted.

To keep our expenses in check, we sometimes have to sacrifice some pleasantries. This came in the form of two quaint rooms in an Ibis Budget hotel that shared it's entry with a gas station. This is the same chain as the tiny room we booked in Sydney for a one night stay. It is effectively staying in an immobile recreation vehicle with four walls, a bed, and a closet to poop in.

May 2: New Passports
We woke up bright and early to be the first in line at the embassy when their doors opened at 8:30am. We opted for the 45 minute train ride in to Paris. We left at 7am, and didn't make it to the embassy until 9am. (Read below for a not so G-rated description of how we turned a 45 minute trip in to 2hrs.*). Say what you will about other public services (eg DMV), but the U.S. Embassy in Paris was a well oiled machine and just over 2hrs later we left with new passports in hand. We suddenly had an entire afternoon free to start exploring Paris.

Cool to be standing outside US Soil in Paris.

Our first order of business was our first stand up Boulanger for sweet and savory pastries, then it was a leisurely stroll down the famous Champs Elysee. Nicole's target was a L'Occitane to replenish her chapstick (another casualty of the robbery). Five minutes later and there it was. Our luck was turning.

We continued down the way and walked past a movie theater showing Avenger's Infinity War. Over the past year, Autumn has developed a near obsession with all things Marvel movies. Nicole offered to take the boys to a park while Autumn and I could watch it. To our great fortune, the next show was in two minutes. And that is how Autumn can now say she saw Avenger's Infinity War on the Champs Elysee. What a great, but decidedly dark  movie. No spoilers here.

While Autumn and I sat in a nearly empty theater watching super heroes, Nicole took Zane and Bryce to the Eiffel Tower. She met an expat named Janis and had a lovely conversation commiserating about the challenges of living in a foreign land. Janis, having lived in Paris for 18 months, reinforced our perception that the French don't much care for foreigners.

We rendezvoused under the Arc de Triomphe, walked to the Eiffel Tower, then hopped the train back to our matchbox rooms in the burbs. It was a good day.

The metro station entries are pretty cool looking. Sort of Rocky Horror Picture Show looking.

May 3: Palace of Versailles
Our hotel was a short drive away from the Palace of Versailles, a tribute to Royal opulence, and a mandatory stop for tourists. For as grand as it is, we left a bit underwhelmed. Sure it's massive, the "garden" requires a golf cart to visit, and there is gold bling everywhere, but it lacks the context of how they actually lived. You are funneled through room after room of paintings of various nude figures and fancy ceilings. We were hoping to see a larger than life dining room, a ballroom fit for a king, a tour of the kitchen and maid quarters, where they relieved themselves, and where they squeezed in to their corsets. The "garden" wasn't much of a garden. We were hoping for fields of beautiful poppies, tulips, and roses, carefully manicured in a way only professionals could manage. Instead, it is rows upon rows of trees creating a maze of pathways hiding fountains that were not spitting water.

We did have a good time on the golf cart and had a nice picnic lunch. However, having spent time at the numerous parks in central Paris along with the Louvre and d'Orsay, in hindsight, we would probably pass on the effort to visit Versailles.

There was only so much damage a 9 year old could do at a maximum speed of 3mph. 

When the line is 1 hr to get in to the palace, and all your tech devices have been stolen...

Puzzle books!

A room with 43 chandeliers. Because, 42 is just not enough. 

The palace was fascinating for Zane and Bryce. 

We have decided to add a small wall in front of our bed at home. Thanks King Louis for this great idea.

May 4: Notre Dame, Shakespeare
Our Ibis Budget sacrifice paid off handsomely with our two bedroom apartment we rented in the heart of downtown Paris. We found ourselves within walking distance or short metro rides to most of the major attractions. Before heading out for more adventures, we spent a couple hours at the local Starbucks to take advantage of the free WiFi (while we're no fans of their coffee, we do appreciate the fact that their WiFi is free, and they are everywhere). Autumn finished English! Three down, one to go!

Couple shots from a morning run through the city. I love morning runs. No crowds, brisk air, great light. 

We were also able to fully unwind all the bookings we had for Eastern Europe, and have booked a good portion of our travels through the East Coast.

With the afternoon free, we set off on foot for the Notre Dame that sits on an island in the Siene River. Quite by random luck, we entered the church on the first Friday of the month and happened upon the Crown of Thorns ceremony. Apparently the Notre Dame is home to the actual relic that Jesus wore. A nun encouraged us to join the procession and so we did. That is how we ended up touching the Crown of Thorns.

Our next stop took us to a wonderful (all English) bookstore called Shakespeare and Company. Bookstores are usually the one place that everyone enjoys. Autumn stocked up on a couple of books for our long journey home.

May 5: Park Day
Paris has an overabundance of boulangeries, churches, tree lined boulevards, museums, souvenir hawkers, and merry-go-rounds. Today was a day to seek out a special merry-go-round that gives the riders a baton to skewer metal rings as they spin around (for those back in Calif, don't miss the merry go round at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. The ring toss is equally fun). We found one in a positively lovely park called the Garden of Luxembourg. It also happened to have one of the best playgrounds on our world travels. Sure, there was a modest fee, but well worth it.

This was a super old timey merry go round with suspended horses.

The ring delivery device was totally manual. 

One of the better zip lines we've seen. It was on a track that went in a loop. 

Our next stop was probably the most curious of our entire adventure, a taxidermy shop. That's right, a store that fills dead animals with stuff. As it turns out, it was a really cool place full of fairly exotic and impressive beasts from polar bears to lions, owls to peacocks, butterflies to beetles. It was like walking through the ultimate zoo mannequin challenge.

https://youtu.be/9Ey-FBhCnFs

The day was still young, so we grabbed some snacks at the corner store (and by snacks, I also mean a small bottle of vodka and a couple bottles of grapefruit juice - it's called a Greyhound), and plopped ourselves down in the park in front of the Louvre for some people watching. The day was brilliantly clear and the temperature was perfect. We pit stopped at yet another great playground before heading back to the apartment for much needed rest.

It was another great day.

It's hard to make out, but that statue behind me is awfully proud of his manhood.

May 6: Immersive Art Museum, a Cemetery, and the Eiffel Tower
Autumn spent the morning taking her Spanish final. Woohoo! Autumn is done with school! Holy moly, we have a high schooler!

More morning run pics. I particularly liked this public restroom facility. Frankly, even with all the free public facilities, Paris particularly stinks of urine. 

Let's face it, going to art museums can be brutally boring. Even for the kids. So it was with great delight that we found (by reading those inflight magazines nobody reads except us) a new museum that projects high definition images across every wall and floor surface throughout a large abandoned steel forge. It's called L'Atelier des Lumières.  It was mesmerizing, and regrettably too short. We could have stayed there much longer.

Nearby was a huge cemetery. Nicole loves a good contemplative walk through a cemetery, so that's what we did. Our plan to do some rubbings didn't pan out.

Later that evening we left the boys to check out the sparkling lights on the Eiffel Tower. We were fortunate to have no crowds, so we took an impulsive climb up the tower to the second floor.

It's surprisingly big, and one of my favorite structures in the world. (Sagrada Familia may be my actual favorite. Golden Gate Bridge is pretty sweet too. Bayon Temple comes to mind as well)

After it gets dark, there is an hourly light show that makes the tower sparkle. It's neat.

[Editor's Note: Here is a switch in First Person Perspective... I wrote the first couple days, Nicole wrote the last couple days. Divide and concur!]

May 7: The Louvre
It had to be done. All 35,000 pieces. 8 miles of corridors (if laid end to end). And one wry smile. The Louvre. It’s THE art museum right? It’s famous right? Millions of people visit this one place every year, so we had to join the bandwagon. We were dreading the crowds, the souvenir salesmen, and the security but as it turns out, the blogs were right and just by going through the underground mall entrances, we were inside in less than 10 minutes! The kids were not looking forward to this day, and I must admit it wasn’t my first choice stop in Paris either so we headed straight to the Egyptian relics to avoid some crowds and see “some cool stuff”. The sphinxes and writings were cool to look at but with so much to see we had to move on pretty quickly. Also, we got lost along the way so were behind schedule already. Venus de Milo was next on deck and we saw some very cool statutes along the way. Some are a bit odd though and most lay around in their birthday suits. After Venus we decided to have lunch. I think this was my favorite part of the day. We all plopped ourselves down under the pyramid and proceeded to unpack our “new” backpack full of picnic favorites. We must have looked a bit strange but within a few minutes others joined in and we were having cheap eats in a very fancy old palace!

The bronze statue was likely the happiest sculpture we have seen on this trip. Goose strangling is not advisable.

Touring on a budget results in some of the best picnic spots on the planet. 

With full bellys we felt we could take on the throngs around the Mona Lisa. On our way we passed the Winged Victory (my favorite piece of the day) because it felt so strong, proud and feminine. Then, after some hiking through forests of soft naked ladies and religious guilt ridden paintings, we found the room. There she was, behind bullet proof glass, a railing, so as not to actually see the brushstrokes, and a few rows of tourists. We faithfully waited our turn for a front row viewing, took our selfies and turned to escape the crowd. A consensus among us formed….we are not sure what all of the fuss is about. The Wedding of Cana is across the way and it is way more impressive. We read one theory that she is famous for once being stolen, but I am not so sure this is true. A highlight of this room though was the commentary we all had of the characters in the paintings. We are pretty sure the Mona Lisa is having a staring contest with Jesus but none of us will place a bet on the winner.

It's surprisingly small and underwhelming. 

You could stare at this for a while trying to find all the cool vignettes. 

https://youtu.be/ui6nxGZ2lu4

Fortunately plenty of seats around.

We thought we would finish our tour by seeing the small square on the map represented by the “Americas and Great Britain”. Turns out to be about a dozen paintings and all from London. So underwhelming it was, that there was actually a small puddle of vomit at the entryway. Seriously, we had to tip toe around it.  By the end of our hike, maybe 3 of the 8 miles in all, we were tired, thirsty and ready for a nap. We all feel no need to return to this “famous” place but satisfied we had made the journey. A bucket list item is checked but we are just not fans of that kind of art.

Dinner... Burrito and Modelo. Very respectable burrito it was.

May 8: Steve's B-Day
Steve’s birthday and all he wanted to do was hang around a park, eat and sketch. So we did just that! But first, the Sacre-Couer. Beauty of a church on a hill over Paris and the scene of a mugging Steve endured some 20 years ago (I think the French are out to get him). Today was peaceful and lovely though really. After seeing the inside (the kids felt it looked all too familiar) we found a great spot on the steps in the park below to enjoy another picnic lunch with another baguette and red wine, of course! We meandered down the Rue des Martyrs and ended up taking a bus to the adventure playground at Les Halles. Steve was able to sketch, Autumn and I shopped and the boys played until they were sweaty and tired!

Steve got mugged on those stairs 20 years ago. He had to conquer his fears and return to the infamous spot.

For dinner, I treated Steve to a night at a traditional French neighborhood bistro and it was yummy! The waiter was a delight and even had the crowd sing “Bon Anniversaire” while he brought our glorious chocolate lava cake.

Locals only restaurant in a back alley. 

Final sunset abroad. Our apartment was on the third floor above the Japanese Restaurant. 

May 9: Musee d'Orsay
Our flight out wasn't until 6pm, so we had nearly a full day for one last international exploration. Our last day in Paris was a morning spent at the Musee d’Orsay. The kids were dreading it, but as it turns out, this is the art we like. Van Gogh is just amazing and the building itself is just stunning. We had traditional French crepes as our last lunch by the Pompidou and wandered for a bit for one last baguette and some chocolates before catching our shuttle to the airport.

The d'Orsay was a much more accessible museum.

The stonework on these statues was incredible. Autumn said the statue on the right is her in the shower. 

They do make a good crepe in Paris.

Oh my gosh! This is it! Our last day on foreign soil!! No more foreign languages. No more money conversions. No more metric system. And no more feeling like a stranger! Well, I am speaking just for myself, but it hasn’t always been a comfortable ride. I will miss it though. For 10 months every day has been a new challenge and every day my family has risen above it all. They have all proved to be tough, and caring, and thoughtful, and smart, and funny and totally creative! We’ve all taken the lead when necessary and pulled the others through when it got to be a bit much. We’ve all grown so much and in so many ways that I cannot wait to read this whole blog over again and discover even more. BUT WAIT, there is more!!! This adventure is on to a new land, a great one, and we are about to learn about it’s beginnings, it’s middles and it’s present. We may not see foreign currencies or need to convert kilometers to miles, but we will have to figure out some new cities, and roads and even grocery stores. This new chapter will be one of comparisons. How are we all alike? How are we different? What do we prefer? What new friends will we make? What old friends will we see? Which foods will we enjoy the most? I'm looking forward to delving into our land and comparing accents along the way, y’all!

Au Revoir Paris....

Hello Boston!...

All for now...


* It helps to board the train going in the correct direction. Kids... Off the train now! It was about this time when my intestines decided it didn't agree with last night's meal. Twenty minutes later, about halfway to Paris, all the locals got off the train after an announcement. Seems there was a problem with the train. Kids... Off the train now! We boarded another one about ten minutes later. Now my bowels were in a full on war. Next stop... Kids...Off the train now! What? No bathroom? Kids... Back on the next train! Sweat accumulating on my brow. Next stop is a transfer station, definitely facilities here. Kids... Off the train now! What?!!?!? The restroom is outside the station. But where? Forget it, there is a fancy office building. My look of panic must have appealed to the front desk lady and she pointed behind her. Phew! Another train ticket later and we were back on track.