14 April 2011

We needed some fun...

After our ill-fated Eiffel Tower-NOT adventure the other night, we needed some fun.

The kids wanted to "see stuff." We talked about what "stuff" they wanted to see. We made a list and a plan. And a contingency plan. And a fall-back in case the contingency plan failed. And on that list was still...

the Eiffel Tower.

The plan consisted of bopping around town all afternoon, not necessarily going in any places but seeing them. Going in was possible but not required. After seeing what they could see, see, see... we would meet up with Dad and Miss C at a set time at a set place. That was the basic plan... I am not going to go into all the contingency fall-back crap 'cuz we didn't need it :) From there, we would go see the Eiffel Tower.

First up... the Stravinsky Fountain at the Georges Pompidou Centre...



We ate lunch while looking at the colorful figures moving in and over the water.
Bummer was they were not spraying.

Then we went to find Nicolas Flamel's auberge (if you are into Harry Potter, this will make some sense to you). I forgot the directions at the house, but we did find the very tiny streets named after him and his wife at this intersection...
 His wife.
 Him.
 And the boys played some funny chanting, clapping game...
sort of like ro-sham-bo...
but in French... duh.

There were some gorgeous signs of spring in the little park at the base of that tower...


Then we went to Notre Dame... and went inside...

Very cool wooden scale model of the cathedral...
incredibly detailed and amazing.
 Super interesting model of how the cathedral was built back in
the whatever hundreds...
 And STILL HAVING FUN!
this was not
"mom dragged us all over the friggin' place"
kind of day...
they wanted to do this and had FUN!


What next? you ask...

But of course...

Sacré-Cœur... the Ice Cream Cone Church!

We did not walk up to it. I tried to talk them into it so I could double-up the stairs work for the day, but they were just not into it at all.
 Q-Man wanted to ride this carousel soooooo badly...
but it was 3 euros! 
and Big G pointed out the the horses looked like they were screaming in pain...
so we said "no" to animal cruelty ;-)




Would you agree with Big G's observation?

To celebrate our triumphantly fun day, we decided that the Arc de Triomphe was a good place to go...

First, they had to fight over the telescope...
which I wouldn't give them any money for.

Got the mega-stairs workout in... 
and NO ONE COMPLAINED!!!!

Baby X took a pic of Q-Man and mommy :)

And I got one of all the kids looking still like they are at least kind of having fun ;-)
pretty sure the spikes are suicide- and homicide-prevention... 
clearly not for aesthetics.

Then we walked down the stairs and went to meet Daddy and Miss C... very close to on time and within the original plan's parameters.

The day's next chapter to follow shortly. Time for bed. Well, past time for bed.

Bonne nuit!


8 comments:

  1. Wow, what an exciting day!!! I have to go back and read about the tower incident, but you can clearly see it through the spikes, which is so cool!

    I think Notre Dame would be awesome. Oh hell, I think all of Paris would be awesome!!! I hope the ice cream cone church serves ice cream :).

    Can't wait for the next day's adventure!!! :)

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  2. I went to Notre Dome when I was in school. I thought we were all going to go inside together, we didn't, so I never got to actually go inside. But I love Sacre Couers! Too bad you didn't go up the steps. They have a lovely square where all the students are painting and will try to sell one to the tourists for way too much money :) Sounds like today was much better than yesterday. Have fun!

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  3. Looks like a great day. Too bad about the Eiffel Tower fiasco, glad there were no "hit by bus" incidents. And yes, those horses absolutely look like they are in pain... poor things.

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  4. The picture of the kids @ Sacre Coeur is awesome! Love it!

    I didn't believe the 5-day-jet-lag thing but maybe its true...

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  5. I am so envious! Yes, those horses do indeed look like they are in pain. I've never climbed the stairs in the Arc, but have climbed up to the terraces around the Ice Cream Cone Church (I love that name!). Great pics - I'm so happy that the trip is turning around for all of you.

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  6. I have been loving all the beautiful pics from your trip, I bet no comparison to seeing it live in person

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  7. Great Pictures! The kids look so happy compared to the ones at the Lourve, haa. I was only gone for a week and I feel like I missed so much of your trip, what the hey?! I went on vacation, I knew you were going on vacation, but didn't know you were going on a REAL VACATION!!! Loved looking at all the pics, the stairs at your place were crazy.

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  8. What a fabulous time you are having! Will you lose all respect for me if I tell you I totally love Harry Potter?

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