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Published: July 22nd 2009
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Champs Elysees
Very picturesque, but even better from the middle of the street where you can really see all the trees. Unfortunately, you would have to risk getting run over to get the image. Next time we come, we will make sure to see what it looks like at night. I'll bet it is unbelieveable! Full day in Paris. We woke up around 9 and enjoyed a breakfast and coffee at home. The flat is a wonderful refuge and the functional coffeemaker was a big hit with Sonia. The kids enjoyed playing on the computer as the parents planned for the day. We had run out of steam a bit in the trip planning and Paris is really not that well planned-out for us. We checked our email and realized we had fraudulent credit card charges on one of our cards (sadly, we didn’t really find this terribly surprising after our experience in Rome). Cancelled that card and then back out into the world. We started by braving the Paris Metro. A short trip took us to the Arc de Triomphe which is quite impressive. We then backtracked down the Champs-Elysees enjoying the wide boulevard and flashy stores (the Romans could learn something here). We stopped in seeking restrooms at McDonalds and marveled over the pastries available in the “McCafe” section. (Lauren’s comment: “McDonald’s is not supposed to be this nice.” For the curious, the PC name for “French Fries” is simply “Frites”.) We veered off and crossed the river towards the Hotel des Invalides (not
McCafe?
Couldn't resist photographing this coffee and pastry bar in the Mccy D's on the Champs Elysees. Why don't they have this in the states?? actually a hotel for invalids - as we learned with the “Jardin des Plantes” nothing in Paris actually means what it says”, passing the beautiful Petit Palais and Grande Palais. We then turned again towards our primary objective, the Eiffel Tower. For Andrew, the iconic Eiffel Tower was to Paris as Big Ben was to London, and he was so excited when its base came into clear view. The lines for the lift were long but manageable, but Lauren convinced us that the true experience would come from climbing the stairs. They were numbered and there were 700 of them but we made it (to the second of three levels—the top level was available only by lift). The views were great and it was enlightening to see the inner structure of the thing up close. So much of it is actually made of relatively small pieces of metal, somewhat like a giant erector set. Andrew felt compelled to remark that if the Eiffel Tower were on top of Mount Everest, then that would be really cool and really scary. We descended and headed back towards the Champs-Elysees, now pretty worn out. It was hazy but persistently hot. The breeze was
Arc de Triomphe
Looks barren up close because of the sand and the wide open spaces, but it is beautiful from further away, like when viewed from a bridge over the Seine or from the Eiffel Tower. good though which was a godsend as we were climbing and descending the tower. Exhausted, we caught the metro back to the Marais district, bought some pastries and wine and headed home. We relaxed for too long. Picking a dinner spot was taxing, which is really silly since we have a plethora of wonderful restaurants in the square just outside our front door. We ultimately decided on a café just feet from our front door but had to wait too long for a table and the kids melted down from hunger before we sat down. But the food - best we have had on the whole trip by a mile! Mussels, and shepherd’s pie and sautéed vegetables. Even Andrew proclaimed his cheeseburger better than any he had ever had… Unsolicited entertainment in the square as well, including a very nice live jazz band as well as a fire juggler (like Dustfinger from “Inkheart”). Kids rapidly asleep after a 30 second walk home.
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