June 1 to 8, 2015 / Paris, France

After our visit to the Moederland, we made our way down to the City of Lights.

Like London, Paris is a city that you think that you know because at every turn there is either a massive monument or an iconic building that you' swear that you've seen before -- now If only there was a French expression for that... 

Of course to find art galleries on every corner, view scenic vistas down the river, or to just try and look chic with a cup of coffee on a sidewalk cafe, this is where you want to be.

While here, we managed to visit:

• the Musée d'Orsay, which made a great French Impression; and was good value for the Monet;
•  the Musée Carnavalet to learn a bit about the history of the city, especially the Napoleonic era;
• the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, with its buttresses flying and gargoyles glaring;
• Sainte Chappelle, a medieval cathedral with breath-taking stain glass windows; 
• the Eiffel Tower, because you just have to; and
• the Palace of Versailles, home to Louis' 14 through 16 until they were evicted. 

We also managed to stroll down the Champs-Élysées, take a walk through the Tulleries Gardens, command a toy sail boat in the Luxembourg Gardens, and take a sunset cruise on the Seine. All pretty touristy stuff, I know, but it was amazing to see it finally. 

We also enjoyed a nice visit with Jennifer, a schoolmate of mine, and her family in Jointville-le-Pont, a suburb just outside Paris proper. It was so lovely to have a quiet place to retreat to at the end of the day, and our kids enjoyed hanging out with her two children, Theo and Dominique. Thanks again. 
 

Des Photos, SVP!

Voici des photos de notre visite à Paris. Cliquez sur chaque thumbnail à voir un plus grand image.