Paris, France

During the four day weekend in July, NaNa and Grandpa Owl were visiting us so we decided to take a trip to Paris. We left the kids behind with an awesome nanny. I felt 100% comfortable leaving them with her because I knew she would give them all the love they needed while we were gone. They had so much fun while we were away, in fact, I don't even think the kids knew we even walked out the door.

When we arrived in Paris, we went straight to the hotel to check in, drop off our bags, and park the car in the garage for the weekend. We stayed in a TWO-star hotel. Two star!!! That will never happen again, ever. We thought we found a great deal online, only to find out that we were right next to Gar du Nord, a main train station with a bunch of weirdos lingering around. Money talks, especially in Paris. Apparently we should have spent more. Since our visit didn't revolve around the hotel, we accepted our accommodations and set out to some wonderful sites in the city.

So, here we go...

#1- Montmartre- This was just a 10 minute walk up from our hotel. I love this area in Paris, very artsy and just a fun place to be. We also went to the Basilique du Sacre Coer. It was beautiful inside and out!




#2- Moulin Rouge- Voulez vous!! We tried to get in, but tickets were outrageous, and booked for two weeks straight. So, there was no way. I'm sure we didn't miss much, but it would have been cool to say we went. A picture outside is just as good, right?



#3- Arc de Triumph- We rode on the Metro here and took some quick pictures, but didn't stay long because they were doing a memorial service and it was all roped off. And we were okay with that because we actually climbed the stairs to the top last October. So, we saw from afar and moved on.



#4- Champs Elysees- We walked the strip and stopped for a fabulous meal at Cafe George V. We sat outside, enjoyed the weather, our company and the food. I had the most delicious dinner, beef bourguignon. We even ate escargot as an appetizer. Only in Paris would I have ever tried this! It wasn't so bad. As Julia Child would say, "Bon Appetite!"




#5- Seine Cruise- we took a cruise along the Seine River right at sunset, so it was absolutely amazing to see the city go to sleep. We saw so much of Paris on this ride, and took in so much info, it was totally worth it. And, as the clock hit 11:00 the Eiffel Tower began dancing with lights. BEAUTIFUL!




#6- Sainte Chapelle- This cathedral is covered with vibrant stain-glass windows where each panel tells a biblical story. It's very quaint and hidden between buildings.




#7- Notre Dame- We came here on a Sunday, which was an excellent time to visit a church! We were there for part of the Mass. We sat and listened for a while, but didn't get much out of it since it was all in french. But as we toured all the way around, we heard the choir and congregation sing beautiful music. The organ was amazing and rattled right through my body! I LOVED it!




#8- Louvre- We just stood outside and took pics here. It was the first Sunday of the month, and that meant all museums were FREE, well, most of them...so the line to get in the Louvre was L.O.N.G. really long. So, we opted out, while Yvonne and Al waited in line to see the famous Mona Lisa. Instead, Adam and I took the Metro to Le Cordon Bleu (a cooking institute)...which was closed. It was a bummer, but neat to just walk by and peek in the windows.



#9- Eiffel Tower tickets to the top!- I can't believe how high we actually were. We could see for miles and miles. I bet we could even see all the way back to our house in Wiesbaden!





#10- Rue Cler- a famous street filled with local farmer's market vendors and excellent restaurants. We ate our last dinner here...and saw the LDS missionaries!





That's then end of our trip.

Did I tell you that I love this man? I do! And he's the best thing that's ever happend to me!