Goals:

• ☑ Eat at a sidewalk restaurant
• ☑ See the Eiffel Tower 
• ☑ Explore the Louvre
• ☑ Obligatory Pic with Mona Lisa
• ☑ Eat Baguette 
• ☑ Walk A LOT

We have mixed feelings on our time in Paris. The sites were amazing and we checked off many of the familiar and popular sites people expect to experience there. It is also a different culture and language which brings discomfort. Discomfort brings growth and that is one of the things we signed up for on this trip. We were excited to arrive from the familiar, reliable, and English speaking UK to experience the full beautiful and bold audacity of France.

I still remember Lydia’s face lighting up as our train snaked closer to Gare Saint-Lazare. She had caught her first peak at the top of the Eiffel Tower out the train window! I felt bad for her because it would appear and disappear, popping up through the low rise buildings just enough to tease her.

Lydia’s Eiffel Tower experience exemplified every day in Paris. We would experiencing something we had looked forward to then another element of Paris would overshadow that joy. Happy times and Grumpy times.

Happy Times: We didn’t REALLY need to speak French. We wanted to! It seems like everyone in the tourist industry speaks enough English to bridge the gap. The saddest part for me is even when I tried to use my best French their replies would come in English. I suspect they just didn’t want me to bother with mangling and stuttering through their French. It was simply faster and easier for everyone involved to quickly change to English and avoid my inevitable embarrassment. 

Grumpy Times: The ‘outdoor smells’ of Paris. Hint: Some people can’t pay to go to the washroom.

Happy Times: We had a lovely lady offer us discount tickets to the top of the Arch De Triumph. I was wary at first because it seemed like a scam but it worked out. It was something we normally would not splurge on but the view from there is great. We’re learning that in our slow times we need to save as much money as possible. Then in our tourist times we need to spend $$$ to maximize our experiences.

Grumpy Times: Watching out for scammers, pick pockets, and creeps in the crowded streets. When I was alone in Paris 25ish years ago I only had to look out for me. I had my money belt tucked under my shirt, my backpack sealed and locked up tight, and the stink-eye aimed at everyone around me. It is tiring keeping up that consistent level of caution (and stink eye). With two sets of grown up’s eyes it seems easier but the math doesn’t work in your favour with three kiddos to watch out for. Yeah, keeping our kids safe was a little tiring but not the worst. Even when in Berlin or London I didn’t feel the tension I felt in Paris.

Happy Times: The food! I’m sorry to say we didn’t enjoy much in the way of traditional French food. We ate lots of baguette and soft cheeses but had no wine. We did enjoy high quality pastries from Du Pain et Des Idees. If you go to Paris set that bakery up at the top of your attraction list along with the Louvre. Instead of French cuisine we found eclectic vegan restaurants that served varying high quality dishes. Their dishes leaned more towards asian or middle eastern flavours. Heather and Lydia have a special radar for fantastic food places and that worked to our advantage.

Grumpy Times: Days ended with exhaustion. We walked almost everywhere. In the days there we took a couple of cabs and the Metro twice. Our leg muscles were worked hard on the hard city concrete. This is not Paris’ fault, this was our fault for pushing the kids hard. Stumbling across a historic monument isn’t something we’re used to doing in Edmonton. In Paris it happens often if you’re on foot so that is what we did. (I don’t count this in the final score)

Happy Times: Discovering history around every corner. With iPhone in-hand loaded up with Data, Maps, and Wikipedia we were able to discover the history of Paris without the high cost of a tour guide. We basically stumbled across the Colonne Vendôme and learned all about it as we stood there admiring it. Same goes with the Fountaines de la Concorde. Super famous -> Super didn’t know about it.

Happy Times: The Louvre! The Art work and history! We did the some of collection in one day. I tried to focus on what we covered with the children leading up to the visit and during the visit. Playing The Postcard Game helps with this a little (Buy one and then find its’ exhibit) but you can’t be sure which postcards they will have at the gift shop. We lost Lydia again, this time it was her fault. I had a tracking device on her. She was fine.

We also got lost as we tried to find the “Liberty Leading the People” painting. The Louvre is an experience on its own separate from the toils of Paris. It is a national treasure and I feel blessed to have been able to go twice in my life.

Grumpy Times: The smells that buffeted us as we made our way through Paris were probably the worst for me. Smoking everywhere. Smoking on the sidewalks and smoking while we ate outside. Leave a building… …smoking.

Happy Times: WE WENT IN A SUBMARINE!! (They don’t let you take pictures inside)

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Happy Times: The Museum of Music History really was the highlight of Friday. We were exhausted as we made our way around. The child who always insists we move faster had started that rant. Then in the distance we saw a bandoneon player! She played several pieces and answer questions. She completely shifted our day from exhaustion to excitement.

Grumpy Times: St. Christopher’s Hostel was a steal of a deal. We had one room together and were given multiple free breakfasts for all five of us. That saved us $$$. The downsides were: It was and gross. I had to search through the building for a shower that wasn’t flooding because I feared for my foot health. Also where was all water that was pooling up going to?!?! We were situated right above the bar. We knew right away that windows would stay closed until the bar shut down. We can live with that. We could not however live with people yelling across the courtyard at 02:00. “Boooo!!” to you St. Christopher’s Hostel.

Lets tally it all up:

Happy Times: 7

vs

Grumpy Times: 4

So upon reflection we did indeed have more delightful times than distressing times in The City of Lights. Lydia did eventually get to see the Eiffel Tower up close, so I guess the joy was not able to evade her, or us, for long.