This morning I ran to the Porte Saint-Denis (an arch that is the historic entrance to the city) this morning. I forced myself to stop running every time I checked my map, and I didn't fall. Progress! The arch was satisfyingly ancient looking. I love finding old monuments plunked right in the middle of a bustling modern city. It's such an eclectic look.
We left our apartment around 9am and dropped Leslie off at the air conditioned Musee D'Orsay. Then Jeff, the kids, and I went to the Eiffel Tower for a family picture. The one picture I for sure wanted from our time in Paris was one of all of us in front of the Eiffel Tower--not a silly awkward selfie like we took before, but a good one. We got the kids ice cream as a reward for dealing with family pictures (even though we ended up taking better pictures after their ice cream because the sun was behind us, casting us into shadow at the Trocadero). We walked to the other side of the Eiffel Tower, the Champs de Mars, so the sun was shining on us instead of silhouetting us. We were melting hot and Amber was DONE with pictures before we even started round two. But we did our best and I'm getting better at being satisfied with whatever pictures our best efforts turn out.
We walked down the Champs de Mars all the way back to Orsay and the heat nearly did us in along the way. Jeff carried Amber on his shoulders almost the entire 30 minutes! We met Leslie at the museum at 1pm and then walked another 10 minutes to find a restaurant for lunch. I had a delightfully fresh filling smoked salmon salad with smoked salmon, citrus wedges (grapefruit, lemon, orange), tomatoes, hard boiled egg, cantaloupe arranged in a flower shape, lettuce, and balsamic vinegar. Yum! 16 Euros well spent. Rose bumped the table as we were getting ready to leave the restaurant and the glass carafe d'eau (water pitcher) crashed to the floor, shattering and slicing Rose's leg along the way. I cleaned off her blood and taped my last segment of pre-cut maxi pad to the cut. We almost survived our first sit-down restaurant of the trip without disaster!
We were all too hot and tired to do anything else after lunch so we went home and rested from the HEAT WAVE.
Jeff and I got spaghetti ingredients from our corner Franprix (mini market) at 5:30, and we ate dinner by 6:15pm.
After dinner, a feeble scripture verse, and dessert (Milka ice cream bars), Leslie and I took the 2 big kids out on the town tonight. Our plan was to check out the Louvre for an hour or so and then see the sparkly Eiffel Tower in the dark. When we arrived at the Louvre however, we discovered that it was FULL to capacity and not allowing any new entries (and wouldn't be allowing new entries for the rest of the week--all of the time slots were reserved). We regrouped and rode the metro to the Trocadero to await the lighting up of the Eiffel Tower. Sunset wasn't until 9:44pm, so we had about 80 minutes to burn when we arrived.
It was blazing hot: 103 degrees today. The kids and I went wading in the fountain, and it felt so good!! Apparently when it's super hot in Paris, people swim in the fountains. We were happy to join in. Jay and Rose ended up getting their clothes soaked but had a blast in the water. I waded up to my knees and got my shorts wet while sitting on the side of the fountain. Jay tripped and cut his toe on a part of the fountain, and I doctored him up using baby wipes and my last two bandaids. He didn't get back into the water after that. Eventually (we were there at the Trocadero for over an hour) the sun set and the Eiffel Tower lit up. The anticipation in the air felt just like waiting for fireworks on the 4th of July. It was magical. Up on a terrace above the large fountain, a live band was playing Elvis Presley covers and a mass of people were dancing wildly. The entire Trocadero area was crawling with crowds of sweaty people. The smart folks took a dip in the fountain, but the fountain-dippers were surprisingly few for such a large crowd. Many people were dressed up, up, up for an evening Eiffel photo shoot. I saw a bride and groom in full white-dress, black-suit regalia. There was some sort of fluffy sequined evening dress. There were the "casual fashionistas" trying not to look like they were trying. Then there was the rest of us, wearing what was comfy to sweat in and enjoying the moment.
First the tower lights turned on, right at sunset. Fifteen minutes later, right on the stroke of 10pm, the Eiffel Tower lights started dancing and sparkling. It was so exciting! We joined the crowd in clapping and cheering. After a few quick pictures, we rode our tired bones on the metro home to Jeff and a sleeping Amber.
We left our apartment around 9am and dropped Leslie off at the air conditioned Musee D'Orsay. Then Jeff, the kids, and I went to the Eiffel Tower for a family picture. The one picture I for sure wanted from our time in Paris was one of all of us in front of the Eiffel Tower--not a silly awkward selfie like we took before, but a good one. We got the kids ice cream as a reward for dealing with family pictures (even though we ended up taking better pictures after their ice cream because the sun was behind us, casting us into shadow at the Trocadero). We walked to the other side of the Eiffel Tower, the Champs de Mars, so the sun was shining on us instead of silhouetting us. We were melting hot and Amber was DONE with pictures before we even started round two. But we did our best and I'm getting better at being satisfied with whatever pictures our best efforts turn out.
We walked down the Champs de Mars all the way back to Orsay and the heat nearly did us in along the way. Jeff carried Amber on his shoulders almost the entire 30 minutes! We met Leslie at the museum at 1pm and then walked another 10 minutes to find a restaurant for lunch. I had a delightfully fresh filling smoked salmon salad with smoked salmon, citrus wedges (grapefruit, lemon, orange), tomatoes, hard boiled egg, cantaloupe arranged in a flower shape, lettuce, and balsamic vinegar. Yum! 16 Euros well spent. Rose bumped the table as we were getting ready to leave the restaurant and the glass carafe d'eau (water pitcher) crashed to the floor, shattering and slicing Rose's leg along the way. I cleaned off her blood and taped my last segment of pre-cut maxi pad to the cut. We almost survived our first sit-down restaurant of the trip without disaster!
We were all too hot and tired to do anything else after lunch so we went home and rested from the HEAT WAVE.
Jeff and I got spaghetti ingredients from our corner Franprix (mini market) at 5:30, and we ate dinner by 6:15pm.
After dinner, a feeble scripture verse, and dessert (Milka ice cream bars), Leslie and I took the 2 big kids out on the town tonight. Our plan was to check out the Louvre for an hour or so and then see the sparkly Eiffel Tower in the dark. When we arrived at the Louvre however, we discovered that it was FULL to capacity and not allowing any new entries (and wouldn't be allowing new entries for the rest of the week--all of the time slots were reserved). We regrouped and rode the metro to the Trocadero to await the lighting up of the Eiffel Tower. Sunset wasn't until 9:44pm, so we had about 80 minutes to burn when we arrived.
It was blazing hot: 103 degrees today. The kids and I went wading in the fountain, and it felt so good!! Apparently when it's super hot in Paris, people swim in the fountains. We were happy to join in. Jay and Rose ended up getting their clothes soaked but had a blast in the water. I waded up to my knees and got my shorts wet while sitting on the side of the fountain. Jay tripped and cut his toe on a part of the fountain, and I doctored him up using baby wipes and my last two bandaids. He didn't get back into the water after that. Eventually (we were there at the Trocadero for over an hour) the sun set and the Eiffel Tower lit up. The anticipation in the air felt just like waiting for fireworks on the 4th of July. It was magical. Up on a terrace above the large fountain, a live band was playing Elvis Presley covers and a mass of people were dancing wildly. The entire Trocadero area was crawling with crowds of sweaty people. The smart folks took a dip in the fountain, but the fountain-dippers were surprisingly few for such a large crowd. Many people were dressed up, up, up for an evening Eiffel photo shoot. I saw a bride and groom in full white-dress, black-suit regalia. There was some sort of fluffy sequined evening dress. There were the "casual fashionistas" trying not to look like they were trying. Then there was the rest of us, wearing what was comfy to sweat in and enjoying the moment.
First the tower lights turned on, right at sunset. Fifteen minutes later, right on the stroke of 10pm, the Eiffel Tower lights started dancing and sparkling. It was so exciting! We joined the crowd in clapping and cheering. After a few quick pictures, we rode our tired bones on the metro home to Jeff and a sleeping Amber.
Jumping at the Trocadero
First, pictures from my run:
Paris has a canal.
City streets.
Boulevard
Running under the arch
That's the Porte de Saint-Denis at the end of this road.
A random big church popped up during my run. The sign said Saint-Laurent. It was a bit dirty and dilapidated, but I still enjoyed the architectural variety it lent the street.
I wonder if the rooms in those buildings feel curved.
Scary sight: Amber sprinting alongside the metro tracks.
Some metro stops have escalators, some do not.
Sweaty bus ride, ho hum.
Waiting for our bus with the Seine and yet another palais (palace) in the background--I lose track of all these royal buildings, but I think this one was the Grand Palais. As if they aren't all large and grand, haha.
Not working. And lightroom crashed on my computer so I can't even brighten it up.
Jay was intrigued by the all of the tourists posing like they were holding the Eiffel Tower, so I took one of him.
I am so glad the pink boots made it to the Eiffel Tower. They are part of this family after all.
I asked a nice lady to take our picture in half French half Spanish (it was supposed to be all French, but nothing brings my dormant Spanish out like an attempt at conversing in French).
Eiffel ice cream!
That ice cream melted FAST in the 103 degree air, much to Amber's dismay.
Walking down the Trocadero steps towards the fountain. We almost abandoned our photo quest and jumped in the fountain right then and there, but we knew we'd be going to an actual restaurant for lunch and we didn't want to be too sopping wet for it, so we resisted. Barely.
We took lots of bench-sitting rests and water breaks.
Yet another selfie fail. Bright sunlight thwarts me every time.
Jeff prides himself on his headstand.
Our best family Eiffel Tower picture. I kind of love it: reluctant Amber, suspended between sweating parents, dutiful older children grimacing into the bright sun, random red tour bus messing with the background.
That heat. So hard.
Amber ate baguette while riding on Jeff's shoulders in the heat. When I lifted her down later, Jeff had wet breadcrumbs on his neck and hair--his sweat had soaked the crumbs! Eeew! Hah!
Walking past the back side of the military museum at Les Invalides on our way to lunch.
My beautiful smoked salmon citrus salad, complete with cantaloupe arranged in the shape of a flower and a cherry on top.
This metro car had metro controls printed on the console. Jay had fun pretending to drive.
The Louvre's entrance has an entrance. Palaces.
In the Louvre courtyard
The closest we got too the Louvre!
Metro stop with tile frames to make the ads look museum-ish. I liked the effect.
Crowds.
Paris has so much charm and ambiance.
Jay was in his element. (my photography was not--finger in the corner, really??)
After we got out of the fountain, the circular part turned off and suddenly those big cannon-type shooters at the top jetted water out sixty feet down the massive fountain. It was like a fire hydrant spray and I was very glad not to be wading in the landing zone, haha.
Jay the narwhal.
I brought our binoculars and the kids had fun trying to read the words written on the Eiffel Tower.
Such a magical evening.
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