Paris - Day 3 - Museums and the Eiffel Tower

Understandably we slept in on Day 3. We were all tired and I think we all slept really well - I know I did! There is something about being on vacation too - not having to worry about work, housework, etc. It helps with relaxing and getting good sleep. After sleeping and a slow start we left the room around 11:00 to explore more of what Paris had to offer.

Our first stop was Musee Rodin (covered by the Museum Pass). As you can imagine this is a museum dedicated to the works of Auguste Rodin. I didn't realize how many of his works I knew. There were also some works by Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh among others that were also in this museum. I actually really enjoyed it and that's coming from someone who doesn't know much about art and doesn't generally enjoy visiting museums. Not only was it fun to see the art, but the museum (an old mansion, I think) and the grounds were really pretty and fun to explore too.

Keira loved having her own camera and taking pictures

Here's one I recognized - The Kiss

Keira thought seeing the "duck butt" was hysterically funny

Family photo in the gardens at Musee Rodin

During Day 3 we also walked over to Musee de l'Armee which is a national military museum where Napoleon's tomb is located in the church dome. It was pretty amazing to see all the artifacts including armor, swords, guns, lances, etc. It was quite the collection! As for Napoleon's tomb - holy cow that thing is huge and gorgeous. I thought Napoleon was a small man so maybe his horse was buried with him.

Outside the Musee de l'Armee (rain droplet on the lens)

Amazing 

Can you believe there was armor for children?

Under the church dome

Napoleon's tomb - so ornate and enormous

To refuel and wander we walked over to Rue Cler and enjoyed all the markets. We stopped into a cupcake shop and I loved the banana cupcake!! I think the shop was called Berko. We also bought some fresh raspberries and Keira devoured them. It's a fun area to wander in to see what it might be like to live in the neighborhood and go to the market. Plus, according to many of the resources I referenced, it's considered one of the best street markets in Paris.

After Rue Cler we decided we needed to go back to the hotel and rest. We were all pretty tired. We ventured back on the metro and hung out in the room for a bit. Around 7:00 we ventured out for dinner at Cafe Entienne which was nearby. Despite it being a little smoky, it was a pretty chic and fun pub to grab a quick bite. Then we made our way to the thing both Keira and I were most looking forward to - la Tour Eiffel. Following a metro ride and a short walk...there we were. Shortly after this first photo, the tower lit up and Keira exclaimed, "This is the most amazing thing ever!!!" and that made everything worth it. You can hear her delightful giggling in the video below too. Such a beautiful sound.

First photo in front of the Eiffel Tower

I finally figured out how to use the camera at night

Because the line for the lift (elevator) was super duper long (we were unable to get advanced tickets as this monument is not covered by the Museum Pass) we decided to get tickets to walk up the stairs to the first level and go from there. Yes, we paid money to climb the tower. By my count it was about 350 stairs, give or take a few. Before I go any further, let me say that I have an insane fear of heights (and birds, but that's another story). It was a long climb for me. Mark and Keira were fearless and quickly made their way up the stairs. After all the stair climbs and walking I made a mental note to get back in the gym because it all seemed effortless for Mark and Keira while I not only freaked out over the height, but also huffed and puffed my way up. The effort was worth it! It was amazing.

One of the great photos of the city from the 1st level

Unfortunately, I didn't have the nerve to continue the climb and it was getting really late so we didn't go any higher. (Keep in mind that we went to the top of the fake Eiffel tower in Las Vegas years ago and I nearly hyperventilated going up that in an elevator.) Plus, I couldn't imagine trying to go back down. Just descending from the 1st level almost had me in tears. I white-knuckled the handrails on both sides and did some deep breathing exercises to compose myself. It's a wonder how I've done some of the dare devil things I've done (sky diving, zip lining, etc) because heights are one of my biggest fears. Good thing Keira is fearless like her dad. There were glass sections in portions of the first level that allowed you to see straight down through obscure glass. Mark and Keira stood right on top of the glass and relished in my inability to do so. Despite the fear and terror, I'm so glad we went up the tower. I'll never forget it.

Fun on the metro on our way back from the Eiffel Tower - all smiles!

And that is the end of Day 3!

Paris - Day 2 - Saint Malo, Mont St. Michel and Dinand

You'd think we'd sleep in after all the travel and lack of sleep from the previous day(s), but that's not how the Favre family rolls. Instead we woke up at 5:30am on our second day and were on the metro by 6:30 to catch a train at Gare Montparnasse - that'd be the station for the 'super train' as I call it. We grabbed breakfast on the way - nothing like a pain au chocolat to start the day!

Riding the train was a wonderful way to see all the countryside of France along the way. It was a very easy and comfortable ride despite being a 3-hour trip. Once again, Keira was amazing and didn't have one complaint. Her iPad, stuffed animal friends, crayons and paper kept her sufficiently occupied.

Settling in with Princess Puppy and some Cheerios to snack on

Staying occupied with the iPhone

We arrived in Saint Malo and were greeted by our tour guides and also met up with a couple of gals from Canada. I have since forgotten their names. I'm horrible with names. We used Westcapades (Westcapade Tours) who specializes in the Bretagne (Brittany) region among other tours and destinations/events. Our tour guide spoke perfect English, albeit with a lovely French accent. I'd recommend them - the van was very comfortable and the info they imparted was just enough - not too much talking and not too little.

The first town we visited on our way to Mont St. Michel was Saint Malo. Those of you who are into celebrity gossip mags might recognize this name as one of the locations in which Johnny Depp filmed Pirates of the Carribean. Unfortunately, he was no longer there by the time we arrived. That would've been icing on the cake! However, the town itself was icing on the cake. It was so quaint and just perfect. I had the best pain au chocolat avec amandes of the trip at a little market along the street. I really should've been better about writing down the names of places. Oh, well. Anyway, we walked along the wall and were able to take in many, many views of this beautiful town. I wish we had more time to spend there and I wish it hadn't been so cold (damp and windy), but I enjoyed the time we had.

Saint Malo

Up on the wall

Enjoying French pizza - Keira loved it!

One of the many beautiful structures on this trip

Following our walk around Saint Malo, we got back on the van to travel to Mont St. Michel. It looked amazing from the distance and was even more magnificent up close. I have to admit I was a little hesitant about making this trip because it'd be a full day excursion, but I'm so glad we did (thanks Mark for planning this!). It's something you should see if you can.

Finally getting a little nap in

Another major climb and descent - lots of stairs on this trip

A little sword play - pretty sure Keira would win

Keira took this picture. She's a budding photographer.

The queen of her castle, or monastery

Another photo by Keiraboo

One of my fave pics of Keira at Mont St. Michel

Many shops in the town to explore

What a great excursion this was!

Apparently here it's ok for them to hold hands

Day 2 ended with time in another town called Dinand. Unfortunately by then, the rain clouds were completely overhead and it was just too cold to bear. We didn't get to explore much of the town, but did find a cozy pub to hang out in. It was a wonderful way to close out the experience.

Family photo in the pub

Warming up by the fire

She found a little heart-shaped cracker

Our adventure ended in Rennes where we caught the super train back to Paris. By the time we got back to our room and in bed, it was near 11pm so it was a long and wonderfully exhausting outing for us. Before we went to bed we agreed not to set our alarm!

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!