Kids in Paris--Day Two

My kids are not early risers. I wake them up at 8am during the week and we leave the house at 8:40 for school, so I was a bit surprised when Aurelia decided to wake up at 5:30am on Monday morning. Rory walked her around the neighborhood in the dark while Eston and I readied ourselves for the day.

We were feeling a bit groggy as we waited for the bus...

 

We rode the bus through the city in the early morning hours, which Eston loved. The streets were not yet crowded and he could see everything.

 Our first stop was the Notre Dame, but this time we went inside. It was just us and a handful of other people, so it was a really nice experience. Eston was comparing this cathedral to the one in Girona, which I loved. I highly suggest taking children to this monument, and you can take 5 minutes or 2 hours to look around inside, as it is free. Aurelia took a quick tour around and then went outside to play, but Eston and I took a bit more time to really focus on the details.

 From the Notre Dame we walked over towards Louvre, but we were there waaay before it opened, so we stopped at a cafe for a snack. Here is a sleepy Aurelia waiting for her morning snack:

 We arrived at the Louvre before opening time and took the opportunity to snap some photos since the place was practically deserted! If you want to take your younger children to the Louvre--do it! Just go early!

 Rory and I debated about taking Aurelia inside the museum. Rory has been the Louvre more than once and Aurelia was beginning to lose steam. We decided that I would go inside with Eston while Rory let Aurelia nap in the stroller. 

Eston was really excited to see the Mona Lisa, so we went straight there. It was not crowded and though he did enjoy seeing it, I think it was a bit anticlimactic. I think he thought it would be a larger work of art, but she is actually on the smaller side. We were walking around the Italian renaissance area when Eston spotted the most beautiful ceiling, so he took a break to admire it. He sat there for quite some time and pointed out various details to me.

I would absolutely take younger children inside the Louvre, but one needs to have a plan. The Louvre goes on for days, so carefully choose which areas you want to see and stick to that. Eston wanted to see the Egyptian area, so we did that in addition to a few others. We were there for about two hours and he was ready to be done at that time. I don't want this to become drudgery for him, so I make sure to check in to see if he is still enjoying himself.

 We stopped off in the museum shop for a couple of souvenirs. I admit, I am a total sucker in a museum shop. I love them and can easily wipe out my budget. The books! The fun games! I picked up a few things that will be Christmas presents for the kids and we went outside to meet Rory in the Jardin des Tuileries.

The Jardins are located just across the street from the Louvre and they are another great place for children. Lots of spaces to run! We were quite surprised to see a goat roaming around.

 The playground inside the Jardins is on the smaller side, but Eston enjoyed it. Most of the things were frustrating for Aurelia because she was simply not tall enough to do them independently. I would suggest this park for kids over the age of 3, but younger ones will have fun chasing older siblings around and such.

 Just outside the playground is a beautiful carousel. Aurelia is now quite familiar with them, so she was eager to ride it. This particular one is gorgeous and it was a bit more expensive than the one in Luxembourg park at 2.50 euro a ride.

 The Jardins have a trampoline area for kids as well. There are 8 trampolines and there was a nominal fee to jump. Eston was keen to do this, but Aurelia was not old enough (according to their rules). She was not happy about this, so we decided to skip the trampolines this time around. They did look really fun, though!

After the Jardins we headed home for lunch and a rest after such an early morning. That is one of the best parts of renting an apartment--the kids can nap in one room while you read, chat, etc in another. We all felt better after a siesta!

We hopped on another bus and headed towards the Eiffel Tower with the intention of taking a cruise along the Seine River.  Our ride ended up being at sunset, which was actually perfect. It made for gorgeous light and the kids loved riding the boat. Well worth the money, in my opinion.

You can reserve seats inside or outside the boat, but we found it more practical to sit at the back where Aurelia could walk around a bit (price is the same). I do have high expectations of my children, but I also try to be realistic. She needs time to have a bit of freedom if we expect her to sit for meals, museums, etc. She loved the boat ride!

We were all starving after the boat ride, but we were in a super touristy area. Instead of eating in a restaurant aimed at tourists, we walked another 10 minutes or so and found a great little bistro. We had a really nice meal and we were exhausted as we took the Metro back to the apartment. 

Here is Eston playing as he waits for dinner: