Our first official day in Paris was busy. We started at the bakery across the street with some warm apple turnovers - so flaky and tasty. Then we hunted around until we found some coffee, not as easy as we expected. We didn't want to sit for a large breakfast so it was a matter of finding a patisserie with coffee. We eventually found one near an ecole (school). The children are still in school, and it was fun to watch them walking with their parents.

After le petit dejeuner (breakfast), we headed off to Notre Dame Cathedral. It was absolutely stunning. I couldn't get over the stone work. The demons were my favorite, as was the statue of St. Denis holding his head. We went inside, and we were early so it wasn't too crowded and viewed the beautiful rose windows and gothic architecture. We listened to Rick Steve's tour on our ipod, so it was pretty slick. Griffin's battery died on her shuffle, so were a bit of a circus act, walking connected at the hip!

When we were finished touring the inside, we ascended the 400 steps to be eye to eye with the gargoyles. It was a spectacular view of the city and helped us get our bearings (well, it helped Todd, I still don't know where we are in relation to anything else - except the bakery across the street). We saw Quasimodo's bell and it was fun to imagine the fictional tale. It was a great backdrop.

When we exited Notre Dame, we continued on an historic walk of the city. We crossed the Seine onto the left bank into the Latin Quarter. We had crepes, nutella and banana, for lunch and walked the winding roads of this artistic area. We wandered by St. Chapelle and the Concierge, but didn't enter because we didn't have our museum passes yet and decided to return later. We sat at a lovely little park by Pont Neuf (the oldest bridge in Paris). The weather was steamy, but a pleasant breezed took off the edge.

An afternoon nap was in order, after all that walking. We woke up at about 6:00 and decided to pack a picnic and take a bus to the Eiffel Tower. We sat about 30 yards from the base of the tower and ate baguettes, cheese, and a "hot dog". Dusk came and the tower was lit up. It was beautiful. We walked under it and took a great picture from beneath. It is an awesome structure. We will be returning to go up it, but today we were satisified with a relaxing evening (our feet were tired from all the stairs and walking). We got home at about 11:00. It was a full day. The city doesn't sleep until about midnight, so we are becoming locals already!

Travel

Well, we arrived at 9:00 am Paris time. We were pretty tired, as we didn't sleep much on the plane. Charles De Galle airport was a breeze to get through and then Griffin helped us navigate the area to find the train to Paris. The only glitch on the way to the apartment was when we exited the RER. We had all our luggage, typical tourist look, and when Todd went to exit the turnstile the doors shut on him and he was stuck on the other side of his luggage. A man tried to help us by sticking his ticket through, but it didn't work and his ticket had been used, so now he was stuck too. There weren't any workers around to help us, but eventually a man with a pass helped the original man take our luggage around the side. It was pretty funny and our inability to communicate was evident during that exchange.

We checked into our apartment at about 11:30. It is tiny, but loaded with character and in a great location. The city sounds float up to us and really make you feel like your a part of the city. We are right above a cafe and the sound of chatter makes for a peaceful background. We went out for lunch after settling in. We had a tasty mozzarella and tomato baquette, creme brulee, and raspberry tart (I have the feeling that our gastronomical events will make it to every blog!). Then we came home and napped for a few hours before rallying for a late afternoon stroll. We picked up some food for dinner and walked down by the Seine and Ile de St. Louis. Griffin had an incredibly tasty mango gelato, it tasted like you were eating a cold mango, and we saw Notre Dame in the distance.

We've seen a lot of dogs in Paris. It is strange, but adds to the feel that people actually live here. Griffin has been our translator and it is a huge help. She hasn't really had a problem; the biggest challenge is just overcoming some shyness. We are ready to explore Notre Dame and perhaps the Picasso Musee tomorrow. We will see.

Ready For Paris: June 25, 2009

I just started packing today and we're really excited to be going at last. We take a plane to Chicago at 2:45. We then go from Chicago to Paris! I can't wait!!!!