Europe Trip: Tourists in Paris

Fortunately, our hotel in Paris was so much nicer.  We stayed in Les Halles, and enjoyed Paris from the first moments.  It's so much more familiar, at least to Mary and me, which helped make it a good way to end the trip.

Our first night we walked over to a neighborhood bistro and David had his steack-frites, Sarah had French onion soup (in July???) in a real Parisian cafe, and we began to settle into the city.  Saturday morning, July 3, was the only time it really rained while we were there.  We decided to walk over to the Louvre, which was just a few blocks west of our hotel.  I was afraid the line would be long, given the weather (everyone would want to be inside), but no, it was reasonable.  We saw several famous works of art, and began exploring the Egyptian section for David, when Sarah announced she was tired and wanted to go back to the hotel.  Mary took her there, and David and I headed instead to Invalides, where Napoleon is buried.

On arriving, I explained the history of Invalides to David, and showed him that it's now the French army's national museum.  He was thrilled with the chance to visit it, so we toured the WWI and WWII sections of the museum.  Afterwards, we went to the basilica to see Napoleon's tomb.  On walking out, we found that there was a wedding taking place in the chapel.  I supposed to one of the guards that the bride or the groom had to work there in order to get married there.  Nope, he said, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together in the universal sign of "money."

That night we rode a bateau-mouche, the tour boats that take an hour's cruise along the Seine.  We had a great chance to introduce the kids to the rest of the city and see the major landmarks that way.  I even had the chance to pick out some glorious homes alongside the Seine that would make terrific retirement places...imagine walking out on your balcony and looking over the Seine every morning!

The next day, July 4, we celebrated America's birthday by touring the symbol of her oldest ally: on a cloudless sunny day we toured the Eiffel Tower, and spent more time there than I think in any of our previous visits.  Sarah was *so* excited to tour the Tower, but first we had to wait in line for-freakin'-ever before we could take the elevators up.  We ate lunch on top of the tower from the little fast-food place there, and enjoyed the view before heading to the middle level.  We walked around there, and walked down the stairs to the first level, taking our time and exploring it all.  I didn't remember seeing half of what we saw this one visit.  Late in the afternoon we finished, and walked over to a cafe near the Ecole Militaire to recharge.  A beautiful day of memories.

Our final day in Paris, we went to Notre Dame and the kids were suitably impressed, even awed, by the Rose window and the beauty of the place.  David and I scaled the steps to the towers, and even got to do something new: I never remember being able to go inside the South bell tower before, and see the ancient timbers holding up the massive bell of the cathedral.

After Notre Dame we had our final bistro lunch in Paris and headed to the Arc de Triomphe.  The insane traffic around the circle was notable even to the kids, who haven't even had their first driving lessons yet.  One last meal in Paris that night, then home the next morning out of Charles de Gaulle.

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We truly had a terrific vacation.  We all learned a lot about the Klepping(er) family history that we would not have had a chance to experience just stateside.  The kids were awesome foreign travelers (once we figured out the food situation), and to listen to David, well, you can tell he learned a lot about Europe while we were there.

People who know I didn't study German ask if we had any problems over there.  I have to say, the Germans were universally welcoming and accommodating to my pathetic efforts to speak their language, helping in English almost everywhere.  Would I go back to Germany?  Oh yes.  But I still feel more at home in Paris.  Who knows when our next foreign trip will be, but at least for 2010, the kids have something special to remember.