Leaving Paris

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The rest of our stay in Paris really was fun. We ate ridiculously good food and wandered the smaller streets away from the worst of the crowds. One afternoon Dad played a game of pick-up basketball with a group of Senegalese and met an Albanian guy named Philippe who recommended the restaurant Bouteille d’Or on the Rive Gauche with a view of the flying buttress end of Notre Dame. The restaurant turned out to be everything he promised, and more. The scenery was beautiful, the food was exquisite and there was a cat sleeping under one of the tables. Mom and I passed up the Louvre for the Jardin des Plantes, a massive botanical garden/ zoo/ natural history museum/ photo gallery/ traditional French garden. I could have spent days there. Depending on the weather, I definitely would do the Jardin instead of the Louvre.
Our hotel, while not quiet by Boise standards, was nice and on a small street off the Place de la République. Dad continued his efforts in learning French and made quite a bit of progress. I think he liked navigating the metro system too; it’s so simple once you figure out how it’s organized. We got Carte Orange passes so we didn’t have to buy a ticket for every metro ride and I think that made things easier, though we had to get an ID photo for the pass, which took me by surprise. At this point I was still having fun translating for my parents and the Mother Duck Syndrome (fear of losing them in the metro) had subsided. I still don’t think I could call Paris relaxing, but it is at least interesting, my senses were constantly over stimulated by the sights and sounds. I can enjoy people watching in Boise, so needless to say, I love people watching in Paris. It's a wonderful city, but in my little Idaho opinion, it's best in small doses.

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Photos

La Tour Eiffel
I liked Mom's perspective on this one, it's different from how I usually imagine the Tour.

Notre Dame
The flying buttresses are the best part of this cathedral, it's a shame they're hidden in the back.

Shakespeare and Company
This is the bookstore in the movie Before Sunset, which has been Dad's favorite since we started planning the France trip.