Paris - Day 1 - Packing it all in

Bonjour! I'm hoping to capture as much as I can about our trip to Paris. I don't know if it's the jet lag or the dream-like feel of being in Paris, but it seems unreal that just a week ago we were walking around the cobblestoned streets of that fabulous city and indulging in croissants and crudités all along the way. I feel like I've already forgotten so much!

We had a frenzied morning packing and running last-minute errands before my dad took us to the airport to catch our 6pm flight. Everything went smoothly at the airport and did you know they wave you through the security line when you have a kid with you? We ended up sailing through security via the "traveling families" line. I've only seen it at the MSP airport. We were waved through when we went to FL in Dec, but I thought it was a fluke. I guess it's all the time - nice bonus to not have to take out liquids and gels and be able to leave our shoes on too.

Our flight was about 8-8.5 hours long. It was a rough flight for me because Keira was trying to get comfortable and often leaned on me. What made it worse was the big man sitting next to me. I'm pretty sure he was encroaching in my space, so I spent most of the flight sitting straight up in my seat which is never comfortable. On top of it all, the arm rests in the middle seats (our plane had 2 seats, 4 seats and 2 seats across) didn't raise up so our plan to have Keira lie across our laps to sleep didn't pan out. Consequently, I didn't sleep at all and Mark and Keira got very little sleep. Despite all that we had a smooth flight with no delays so we're thankful for that!

Once we landed around 9am Paris time, the adventure began. After walking through the Charles de Gaulle airport to get our luggage and pass through customs, we set forth to figure out the metro system. It turns out that what I read was true - the machines to buy metro tickets don't take our 'American' credit cards, i.e. the ones without the chip and pin capability. Only a few banks/cards in the U.S. have it though my cousin (who works in the credit card industry) told me that most will be on this system in 2015. ANYWAY, we found the SCNF ticket office and got our tickets there. I must admit I was impressed with Mark's ability to speak French, albeit a little rusty. We got what we needed and were on our way. (BTW - for us, getting the discounted carnet, discounted multi-pack of metro tickets, was the best way to get around for the best value. Thanks Mark for figuring that out! We also stopped by the Tourist Information (TI) desk and were able to buy our museum passes which is a tremendous value and way to save money if you're going to visit lots of museums and sites. And, how great that kids under 10 years of age get free admission virtually everywhere!

Here are a couple of photos of Keira on the metro for the first time on our way into Paris. She was really a good little traveler. We had our concerns, but other than not being able to sleep on the plane, she rarely complained. It also helped that she was so excited to get to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower. I think that was the one thing she really, really wanted to see and experience when we initially told her about this trip. She's such a special little girl who really takes everything in and enjoys experiencing new things.

If you looked in Keira's carry-on, you'll see she was very prepared for this trip. In this picture is her stuffed animal, "Princess". Every day she took one of her (six) animal friends out with us to explore this new country.

Anyway, after leaving the metro at the Chatelet Les Halles stop, we got our bearings (thanks to Mark, the awesome navigator) and made our way to the hotel. We stayed at the Citadines Les Halles in the 1st arrondissement (walking distance to Notre Dame and the Louvre). I'd highly recommend it if you need a little more space than a typical hotel room in Paris and if you want some of the comforts of home (kitchenette, bedroom and sitting area)...Then again, this is the first hotel I've stayed at in France, so don't really have anything to compare it to, but I felt it was comparable to a roomier hotel room in the U.S. and was quite nice too. My first view of Paris was breathtaking. It was exactly as I imagined. Gorgeous, romantic architecture and an air of sophistication - that je nais se quoi, I guess.

Once we settled in for a bit, we headed out to start our Paris adventure. We walked along the streets of Paris and one of our first sites is the well-known bridge, Pont Neuf from where I took my first photos of the River Seine. Our ultimate destination was Saint Chapelle, known for its stained glass windows. It did not disappoint. I sure wish I had better camera skills to capture the beauty of this old church. Keira enjoyed all the colors, especially when the sun shone through the windows. (The Museum Pass covered entry.)

Beautiful stained glass of Saint Chapelle

Not sure what this sign meant, but we like living on the edge

After Saint Chapelle we made our way over to Notre Dame. Despite having the museum pass which usually allows for expedited entry, we had to wait in a pretty long queue to get in. But, we couldn't miss this famous landmark, could we? After touring Notre Dame (free entry), we got the crazy idea to climb to the top of its tower (entry fees covered by the Museum Pass). It was a great idea until we saw another long queue. By then the clouds had moved in and there was a definite chill in the air. I've come to the conclusion that it's colder in Paris when the rain moves in even if temps were in the mid-50's. I think it's much damper, so it chills you to the bone, especially when standing in drizzle and the cold for 30-40 minutes. But, that cold was to be forgotten soon as we climbed the 400+ stairs to the top. OMG. I thought I was going to pass out. Of course, Mark and Keira made the climb without issue (I made a mental note to get my butt back into the gym when we got home). And the answer is, yes, it was worth the climb. Check out these photos I took.

Approaching Notre Dame

View from the top of the tower

Gargoyle of Notre Dame - He looks pretty bored

Great view of the city with the Eiffel Tower in the distance

After the 400+ stair ascent and descent we worked up quite the appetite, so stopped at a Crepe stand on our way to the Louvre. I held my breath as we offered Keira her first bite of a Crepe sucre. Thank goodness she loved it!! I certainly wished we had gotten two because I think Mark and I got a few bites total after the munchkin devoured it.

The first of many crepe stands

Our little Parisian enjoying her first crepe

After fueling up we continued our walk down the storybook streets of Paris on our way to Le Louvre. To be honest, I wasn't too excited to go there. I've heard that while it's one of the most famous museums, it's also one of the largest and busiest. I don't generally like to be in big crowds of people and I don't have a true appreciation for the arts like others. Still, it's another must-visit site and I do enjoy sculptures. We visited two sections of this museum, but what made it really worth it for me is the courtyard and being under the glass pyramid. Keira probably enjoyed it more than me and was able to point out a few things she had learned in school. That was great to see! I hope she continues to enjoy art - learning it and appreciating it in a way I never have. Don't be mad my art-loving friends. I'm just being honest. I can see why it'd be an art lovers haven, but that was plenty for me.

The awesome courtyard at Le Louvre

Posing under the glass pyramid

Posing with the Sphinx - something she learned about

Venus de Milo

After this initial exhausting day, we headed out for dinner around 8pm at a restaurant near our hotel called Mirabelle, I think. I was too tired to remember the name. It was good - nothing memorable, but good. It felt weird to not tip, but when in Paris...

Exhaustion hits

Once Keira started dozing off while eating her oh-so-French-meal of chicken nuggets and french fries, we knew we needed to get some rest. And that, my friends, was our first day in Paris!