Recap Day 2

We started with our bus tour. Monique was our guide and we picked her up not far from the hotel. We drove to the Bastille where the prison used to be. Now there is a Colin with an eagle in top to represent a revolution of 1830. We also saw the modern Opera built to house contemporary shows and larger audiences. Next through the Latin quarter past the Sorbonne, the oldest college in France and one of the most prestigious. From there we went up to the Pantheon which houses the tombs of many famous folks such as Louis Braille and Marie Curie. From there down the hill to the Luxembourg Gardens which is near Luxembourg palace built for Marie de Medici and which now houses the Senate of France. There's a nice pond inside for kids and a popular place for folks to spend time, like in Central Park.

Our next stop was Les Invalides where Napoleon's tomb is. The gold on the dome is replaced every 7 years at a cost of $10 million. We had a ball negotiating with the street vendors to buy some souvenirs. The kids were duly impressed with my negotiating skills and I told them that's a great reason to get really good at the language! We stopped briefly in the courtyard for a snack and restroom break , then on to the Champs de Mars to see the Eiffel Tower and Peace memorial. We didn't have time to stop for pictures there and planned to stop across the river but street closings due to a fire and the resulting gridlock changed our plans. We headed toward the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Élysées. We didn't get off because it was now snowing! A quick pass by the Opera House known from Phantom of the Opera and then to the Louvre for lunch.

The kids enjoyed the shops at the louvre including the Apple store and McDonalds :). Then we met back up to head across the Seine to the Orsay art museum home of impressionist art like Monet and Degas.  The building is beautiful with lot of light and is an old train station. It is well known for its train clock and beautiful interior.  We gave them just over an hour to explore the Impressionist art and most everyone found something they liked.

From there we hopped on the Metro up to the Opera area to do some quick shopping.  However when we got off so did two undercover police officers and a gang of gypsy girls who had tried to pickpocket Manh.  Fortunately he had followed my advice and kept his money and valuables inside his coat and they didn't get anything.  But the undercover police officers saw everything and had to interview Manh and take his information.  The kids thought it was hysterical, they were taking "selfies" in the metro trying to get pictures of the gypsies and the cops unobtrusively but of course they were very noticeable. It was a good reminder to keep hands on our bags and stay safe.

We gave them some time to shop around the Opera area.  The kids were looking for scarves and hats because it is so so so very cold here.  A few headed to Starbucks :)  Then after free time we had a 15 minute walk to dinner, near Montmartre.  We had beef bourginon and steamed potatoes with chocolate cake for dessert.  Yummy!

Then of course more walking back to the metro, to get to the boat tour.  We debated going up the Eiffel Tower instead, but it was a 2-hour wait so we decided to visit a souvenir stand first and then get on the boat.  Even though it was frigid, I made the kids go to the upper deck outside and take pictures of the city lit up and all agreed it was worth freezing for.  We waited until 9 pm so we could see the Eiffel Tower go all sparkly, which just amazed the kids.  Such a beautiful sight!

Then (of course!) more walking back to a metro station to head back to the hotel.  We have some pretty tired kids, who walked probably 10 miles today, but they just LOVED it and had a great time.  They are going to have such good stories to tell you when we get home.  Tomorrow we head to Avignon on the train, which will be a great experience for them as well.

À demain!