Je T'aime Paris

I must admit that our first venture into Paris with 3 kids was pretty difficult, but we didn't let that deter us as we planned our second trip into the city.  Yesterday, our goal was to see St. Chapelle and Notre Dame---anything on top of that would be icing on the cake.  We spent hours preparing--essentially we were researching where we could feed the kids without breaking the bank.  We also made a commitment that this time we would leave from our local train station, buy tickets early, get the kids up before noon, and get home before midnight.

Navigating the train/RER/Metro system in France is starting to get easier for us and we were able to make it into Paris in around an hour.  Jacob would like to drive in, "It is only eleven miles, Dad!", but I don't think my heart is strong enough to survive driving in Paris.  Perhaps in August when the locals leave for their summer homes:).

Saint-Lazare Train Station

Our first stop was Sainte-Chapelle.  I could have spent hours looking at the stained glass windows and trying to make out the Bible stories illuminated in the glass.   It is impressive that this church was built in only 6 years to house the "Crown of Thorns" relic while Notre Dame took over 200 years to build.  The kids were definitely not as excited as we were, but Bobby and I just chose to ignore the complaining---snacks were doled out to keep their mouths full and quiet.  Note to self, buy lollipops for our next museum trip.

Next, we visited the Conciergerie which is a prison where they kept the most prominent prisoners who were awaiting death by guillotine--Marie Antoinette was imprisoned there prior to her beheading.  The kids were excited about this and hoping to see an actual guillotine, blood, brains, etc.  We were sorry to disappoint them, but I am sure I can pull up some illustrations on the IPad.

Next stop, Notre Dame and a plan to climb the 300+ steps to the top of the tower.  This is what we have all been waiting for---gargoyles, heights, exercise.....a 1.5 hour line....yikes!  It is such a blessing that there is a park behind the cathedral where I rested with the kids while Bobby stood in line (Rock Star Husband!).  After climbing to the top, we all decided it was worth the wait.

We ended our day with a picnic at the beach.  Maddie's comment, "It isn't the beach if you can't touch the water...".  Well, in July and August in Paris, they close the road on the right bank of the Seine and truck in tons of sand to create Paris-Plages.  This is definitely a local scene with Parisians hanging out all day and into the evening.  Our picnic was lovely--the only thing missing was a bottle (or two)  of wine!:)

Paris-Plages

So, we accomplished all our goals yesterday, but most importantly, we fell in love with Paris.  This is such an amazing city with so much beauty, history, and romance.  We will definitely wear our shoes out walking the streets, but we can't wait to come back for more!