We have returned from a fabulous week in Paris. What a wonderful time we had exploring this great city. The kids loved it and we look forward to returning at some point in the future.
The day began very early on Sunday morning. Our flight left Girona at 6:45am, so it was a 5:15am taxi for us. I expected the streets to be deserted, but they were full of people staying awake through the night to celebrate the Saint Narcis festival.
The flight from Girona to the airport outside of Paris is quick, just an hour and a half. The kids read, had a snack, played with stickers and colored pencils, and watched a bit of a movie before we touched down in France.
We gathered our things and hopped on the bus that goes directly to the center of Paris. It is the quickest and most economical way to get into the city from the Beauvais airport. The ride is just about an hour, but the kids enjoyed looking at the French countryside as we made our way towards the city.
Though there are many hotels in Paris, we always prefer to rent a vacation flat. We love using airbandb.com and we have stayed in some really cool places throughout Europe using this website. The Paris apartment was no exception. It was perfect and had everything we needed. We were right on the border of the 7th and the 15th districts, so it was a great location.
We took the metro from the bus depot to the apartment and we were ready to hit the ground running after getting our things settled a bit. Eston was so thrilled to use his Paris map! It came in handy throughout the week and he got to know the lay of the land really well.
We used both the Metro and the public bus system throughout the week. The bus was easier with the stroller (no stairs), but the Metro often gets you closer to your destination. There are great maps available that show the routes of both and it is easy to get everywhere using either system. I know there have been a lot of people talking about pick pocketers on the Metro, but we only encountered elderly people and locals on their way to work or school. We always kept out stuff close to us, but we did not have any problems.
Many stores and things are closed on Sunday, so we headed to the Notre Dame. The kids recognized it from several different books and they had a bit of energy after the morning of travel, so we let them run around the square in front of the cathedral for a bit. The line to go inside was long, so we just let the kids roam outside.
In front of the Notre Dame is the bird area and our kids adored this activity. There is a man who will sell you a bit of bird feed for a nominal fee (I think we gave him 50 euro cents) and the birds flock to you. Eston had birds on his head, arms, shoulders, etc. Aurelia thought it was hilarious. This is a fun and cheap activity for all!
Around the corner from the Notre Dame on the Place Louis Lepine you can find the bird and flower market. This market has been around since 1830 and takes place on Sunday mornings, so we were there a little late, but it was still fun for the kids. The flowers and plants were beautiful, but the birds were much more interesting for Eston and Aurelia!
We grabbed some Lebanese street food (delicious) as we walked a bit more. We walked everywhere--I think we may be one of the few people to lose weight while vacationing in Paris.
We arrived at the Jardin du Luxembourg park in the late afternoon on Sunday. The trees and flowers represented all that is autumn and it was so lovely to see this. Girona's trees are not as dramatic, so I adored taking in the changing foliage in Paris.
This park is one of our favorites. There are so many things to do! It is a large park, so you can just let the kids run loose. One of our favorite activities was the boat pond. It was crowded on Sunday, so we decided to just watch rather than wait in line for a boat. We returned later in the week to rent our own boat.
Kids can take a pony ride in the park! This was not expensive (3 euro for about 10-15 mins) and Eston loved it.
This park also has a vintage carousel. The fee was nominal (I think 1.50 per child) and it was really fun. Eston and Aurelia chose to ride in the carriage-type thing, but the kids on the horses each had a stick and they had to catch these rings from the man in charge of the carousel. Super fun!
Now, this trip to Paris was very different from my previous trips. People are so much kinder when you have children! We had such positive encounters everywhere we went and this made our trip just that much better.
Now, let's talk about food. Restaurants in Paris are not like those in the USA. Thankfully we live in Spain, so this is not a big change for us, but I know some are surprised when places don't have high chairs, plastic cups, crayons, a children's menu, etc. You are in Paris, so get over it. Our kids are not used to having these things in restaurants, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. Just be prepared--your kids will be served water in wine glasses and they will order off the normal menu. We would order one main course for the children and they would put it on two separate plates for us without any problem. Going out to eat an a slightly earlier hour helps as well because then the restaurant staff is not completely overwhelmed. Everyone we encountered was super friendly and helpful. Rory speaks decent French, so I am sure this helped as well, but I think if you go in without the expectation that things are going to be like the USA you will be just fine. Brasseries are a great option because the kids have more options--classic roast chicken, cassoulet, fish, etc.
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