And back to Paris...
The next day we met Jenn's cousin Katherine and her husband Phillip at Musee d'Art Modern to check out some modern art and to have a change of pace from all of the historic architecture and art we had been looking at lately. It was a beautiful gallery with everything from rare pieces of Picasso and Modigliani, to recent modern artists. The kids only lasted a short while so we headed to Luxemburg Gardens to let the kids run around a bit and enjoy the beautiful weather (the entire time we were in Paris, it was hot and sunny and around 30 degrees!)
Luxemburg Gardens is a beautifully manicured park in front of and owned by the Senate. An interesting fact about the gardens, and which proved to be true for central Paris parks on the whole, is that you aren't allowed on the grass! There are little fences all around the grass and it is widely known that you can't walk on the grass. So what you are left to walk around on is dusty, white dirt/gravel paths making for some very dirty feet and kids at the end of everyday. Not the most kid friendly parks we've ever been to.
That is the Senate building on the other side of the pond. Another beautiful example of Paris architecture and pristine landscaping.
The fun part about the pond is that you can rent miniature sail boats to sail in the water!
Phillip and I grabbed a couple for the kids, seahorse for Averie and a PIRATE SHIP for Carter (he was obviously very pleased, check out his t-shirt!).
Its a pretty simple game, push the boat out into the water with your big stick.
We were pretty sure the stick and Averie would end up in the water, so Daddy helped out.
We learned that once you do your part and push the boat out into the open "sea" the lack of wind that day made the game a little frustrating for eager little kids! But really they had a lot of fun running around the pond trying to end up at the same point as the boat!
Another kid moment, middle of a beautiful park but the pile of gravel calls to them!
What happened next probably made the kids' trip; here we have pony rides in the park!
Does that look like an excited little girl!??! She was so over the top excited! For a girl who asks every day if we can go out in London and see "horsies" this was the greatest thing we could do for her.
Carter, the natural cowboy.
Averie, the natural cowgirl! Her horse was named Tresor (treasure in French). We hear about Tresor almost daily ever since that day!
Phillip was very knowledgeable about Paris having grown up in the city. So walking around the city with him was like having our own personal history guide! Among many other amazing facts, he told us on how Paris got to look the way it does. He explained that old Paris looked similar to the above style of european city architecture (a mish mash of row buildings with tight, narrow streets).
In the mid 1800's a man named Haussmann under the direction of Napolean III developed a new design for Paris. Most of the existing city buildings were torn down and replaced with the typical Paris building you see today which is based on a fairly simple formula; retail at the base, with residential above configured in 4-5 stories of vertical stone wall and then steep sloped roof (mansard roof), on a wide boulevard, thus unifying the aesthetic of the Parisian streets and creating the cafe culture now synonymous with Parisian culture.
Next Phillip and Katherine took us to the Shakespeare and Company bookstore located on the Left Bank. The bookstore was originally opened by an American in 1919. Over the years writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Gertude Stein and F Scott Fitzgerald used to hang out in this bookstore.
Jenn bought a book called Tinkers by Paul Harding. No review yet.
After that we went to get ice cream from Berthillon Glacier, opened in 1954. Best ice cream in Paris they say! It was there that we discovered the wonder of salted caramel flavour ice cream!!
Chillin in the apartment after a long day of site seeing
The next day we headed down to Notre Dame to start the day.
Low and behold there was a playground right there next to the cathedral. So we let the kids be kids.
Carter gave Averie a wild ride on a very loose version of a teeter-totter! It was a bit scary for Mom and Dad but Averie giggled the whole time. We thought she was going to end up in the Seine which was just behind Carter!
When they aren't fighting, they are very cute together!
Behind the cathedral is Jean XXIII Square which was presenting a small art exhibit. Lots of fun!
There was also another small playground so the kids spun round and round for a while.
Jenn spotted a creperie across the street. Nothing gets kids off the playground faster than a fresh Nutella crepe.
Suddenly I was very popular.
On our way back to the apartment we passed by the Hotel De Ville. Another amazing looking building. The building is used for the Paris administration (city hall).
The next day was our last and we headed back to the Louvre to take care of unfinished business. We stopped one last time at the fountain in the courtyard.
Of course, the unfinished business was that the first time at the Louvre we didn't see the inverted pyramid; Dan Brown wouldn't have forgave us. It really was amazing, even if the sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene likely isn't below.
We even managed to get a family photo.
The plan was to meet Katherine and Philip at the top of Mont Martre, but on our way we couldn't resist stopping at Laduree (check out the website!) on Rue Royale. Laduree is said to make THE best Macaron's in Paris. We had eaten our fair share during the trip so we had to try "the best".
We came for the macarons but Carter paused to take in all the beauty!
The selection...
We headed up the street to Eglise La Madeleine (Madeleine Church) to sit on the steps with the lunching locals and enjoy our treat.
Mmmmmmmm. They were every bit as delicious as we had anticipated!!
After our treat we had to double time it up the hill. It was about 30 degrees C that day and we had to cover a long winding path through the streets of Paris up to the top of Montmartre. We had a hot and sweaty ride up a Funaculair (gondala) which helped with some of the stair, but finally we made it....
to Basilique du Sacre-Coeur on Mont Martre.
The steps in front of Basilique du Sacre-Coeur provide a breathtaking view of all of Paris.
Then we headed around the corner from Basilique du Sacre-Coeur to a small square which contained an artist's market in Place Du Tertre. The artists actually work in the square. They work on their own art as well as draw and paint portraits on the spot. Really amazing work as well. If only we could get the kids to sit for a portrait... that would have been a great keepsake!
This artists market has been here for since the mid 19th century, with the likes of Paul Cezzanne, Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Desgas and Van Gogh and many others once creating their art in these booths and drawing inspiration from the area.
Phillip and Katherine took us to their favourite lunch spot in the area. They filled us in on some of the history of this little cafe which was at one time the rendezvous point of the great Impressionist painters Picasso, Sisley, Diaz, Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec and Monet. It is also one of Woody Allen's favorite spots and is used in his Paris flic, Everyone Says I Love You. A sign on the side of the building says: "One of the oldest houses of the butte, located at the angle of rue Saint-Rustique, 9 centuries old, with its paving stones and its central pathway." We had a great lunch, pint and dessert on the patio of this nice little restaurant with great company!
yep, another Nutella crepe for dessert!
After lunch we started down from Montmartre.
Found yet another Macaron store and had to go in once we saw that they sold "coca cola" flavoured macarons... they tasted just like coke bottle gummies! Interesting!
We passed the cafe that features prominently in the movie Amelie and also found out that most of the movie is set in a stylized version of Montmartre.
And lots of yummy french pastries and bread!
All the way down the hill we passed the remaining old windmills perched on the hilltop of Montmartre. At the bottom of the hill was the famous Moulin Rouge, the basis for the 1954 and 2001 films, which of course means Red Windmill in French. This risque cabaret has been entertaining diners since the 19th century.
And that completes our trip to Paris! Overall an amazing experience with many great memories. Probably not a choice vacation for a toddler, but we figured out a formula of site seeing then park/playground pretty early on which made everyone happy! Someday we will have to return for the adult version of the romantic Paris trip! ;)
Mike & Jenn (joint effort) :)
