Loving Paris life

Our time in Paris is coming to an end. Boo hoo.  We have definitely found our mojo in the last couple of days. We were discussing yesterday at breakfast how a month here.....or six, would be great.  There are so many small back streets to explore.  Every arrondissement has a completely different feel and it is  just so incredible to get lost wondering the streets watching the stylish Parisians going about their day.

A trip to Disney Paris was a bit of a highlight for the kids (ahem, for the parents it's a 'nightmare').  There were a couple of rides we all totally enjoyed but on the whole there is way too much time spent queuing for rides....even when you do 'Fastpass'.  I would hate to see what this place is like in 'peek' season....something to be avoided at all costs, I imagine.  If you do go, I recommend the Start Tour motion simulator and the Big Thunder Mountain for a bit of a thrill.  I couldn't stop laughing through both rides. Pure terror and excitement!

We spent an afternoon at the Jardin D'Acclimation in Paris.  In my opinion I would skip Disneyland and take the kids here for something more authentically French.  If the sun is shinning it's the perfect place to take a picnic and spend a day.  There are deck chairs for the adults to kick back and fall asleep in.   Even if you don't want to pay for rides there is a flying fox and a ton of swings, plus loads of room to run wild.  If you like a fast ride be sure to steer clear of the steam train!

In true Parisian style the Eiffel Tower  was closed due to a 'Social Dispute' which was a bit of a bummer.   We had rebooked tickets online.  The conditions were perfect for a visit to the top of the tower.  Blue skies and no wind, something we have seen little of while here in Paris. We took a rather touristy cruise along the Siene instead which was a great way to get some perspective and keep the kids entertained while we sat down for an hour!

There was an amazing meal in St Germain consisting of soufflé for main & dessert.  I had a fish soufflé with chorizo and artichoke (sounds a little hideous but it was so good) to start and a incredibly rich & delicious chocolate soufflé for dessert.  Such a treat.  I took me back to my childhood.  My mum used to make incredible soufflés for weeknight dinners.

There was a visit to Musee d'Art Moderne to see the huge Robert Delauney's which was a highlight for me.  I love the work of both Robert and his wife Sonja; 

the Louvre...oh the Louvre...there's only so much time you can spend there with 3 kids and a thousand other people to navigate.  Our visit was somewhat short and sweet.  Mainly to prevent us being kicked out (there were skids along long corridors and inappropriate activities a-plenty);  

a night tour of the Eiffel Tower....once it reopened...two days later.  It really was magical by night ....aside from the queues inside the tower again!! (Paris what is with the queuing?.....Notre Dame also has insanely ridiculous queues); 

a girls shopping sojourn with Ange. I must admit it was a relief to hit the streets for an afternoon without the kids in tow; 

the gypsies who kept us entertained and on our toes!; 

the fantastic food market in the back alley way of the Marais Le Marche des Enfants Rouges this was one of those golden finds....completely by surprise; 

true hot chocolates at the Cafe Charlot! 

So much more but I'm running out of time.  We are leaving today for Berlin and I've promised Z a trip to the magic shop before we take off.  So I must fly.

Thanks to the Thomas family for a truly memorable time here in Paris.  Enjoy the rest of your trip guys  and see you back in Melbourne.....met milk!  xxxx

To read all of my Paris posts click here.

Oui Oui Paree

We arrived in Paris early yesterday morning after a 5am start from Brugge.  Everything about Paris has been easy. Our Airbnb host was waiting to greet us at the apartment on our arrival.  We marvelled at the position and the whole ambience of our new set up..... a total cliche, I know, but it is so Parisian.  There is even a separate bedroom for Z full of boys toys, as the room is usually inhabited by a 6 year old boy.   We dropped our bags and headed straight out to explore the local neighbourhood while the apartment was being cleaned.  We are staying in the 3rd arrondissement and have a full view of the Republique Statue from our 6th floor position (hooray, we have a lift!).  It's stunning and within walking distance to pretty much everything.... even for little legs.

The Thomas family arrived last night and it's been so good to catch up and for Z to have a few buddies to explore with.

So far we have:

• Spent hours in the  Luxembourg Jardin.  It's a fantastic space for kids and an incredible public space set on over 20 hectares.  There are some impressive playgrounds, the sailing boats  are brilliant.   So simple and it's amazing to watch how much joy kids of all ages get from sailing them.  Then A & I took the wee lads to a Marionette show in the gardens while the big boys headed off to the closest Brasserie for a couple of beers.  We had no idea what was going on in the show but it was funny to us....even if we were laughing when nobody else seemed too be.
• Made a visit to Shakespeare and Company.  Where we literally brushed bottoms with every other person squeezing through the tiny rooms of the book store.  You may remember it from this film?
• Eaten an array on incredible crepes in the Latin Quarter... salted chocolate with ice-cream, sugar & lemon, Suzette......
• Made notes off all the clothing stores we want to head back to after Wednesday when the Paris Sales start!  Timing hey.
• Experienced a lively night in the Marais for the summer solstice, La fete de la Musique.  The music at the bar across the street kept us awake until well after 2am this morning (for anyone who ever came to stay with us in Sydney.....I almost thought I'd been transported back to Kings Cross!).
• Cracked ourselves up using Face Juggler  while sitting in a beautiful courtyard, telling silly jokes.  
• Heard numerous fart references, jokes and unspeakable sounds.  
• Negotiated the tastes of 7 individuals at meal times.  

By evening we have been exhausted and totally crashed out on the couch.
Ready for.....tomorrow.  xx

Dreaming of... The City of Love

I’m slowly getting together some research for our trip.... We are heading to Europe  for 3 months & it's coming around so quickly! 5 weeks to go arrgggghhhh. I'm bookmarking websites, booking tickets and generally getting a feel for some of the things we’ll slot into our days. Paris has been on my radar today and here are a couple of inspiring sites I’ve come across. I’m so excited.  Dreaming of exploring the back streets, cozy cafe’s and  pastries-a-plenty in the city of love. Woo hoo.

Hip Paris
Paris in Four Months
Little Pieces of Light
Carla Coulson’s Paris Favourites
101 cookbooks guide to Paris
Un Jour de Plus a Paris
Petite Passport

As we’re staying in the Marais Part 1 & Part 2 of Carla’s 'My Marais' posts will come in very handy!

If you have any additional tips on Paris I'd love to hear...especially any geared around Paris with kids.
xx

Thanks for all the additional information people. I'll update this post as new information comes to me.  That way I can keep it all in one place and hopefully aid others looking for handy tips on discovering Paris. See 'Read more.'.

Paris dreaming

Paris in motion from cinema23 on Vimeo.
** Slight motion sickness warning!

To all the fun times and future adventures. Happy Monday xx