Paris. We had a great time there over Easter break. But mostly the weather wasn't so great - cold, rainy, windy, even some hail. There were a lot of people there. A lot. The lines were long, very long, just about everywhere. The lines we did stand in were worth it, but there were a few times we just skipped it if the line was too long. Good food. Crepes. Green beans were even really good. Cappuccinos.
Day 1
We left Stavanger on Thursday a little after lunch. It was nice not to leave on the early flight - we got to sleep in, have a good breakfast, I had time to straighten and vacuum. After a short layover in Frankfort we were on to Paris. From the airport we took a train into the city and then the Metro to our hotel. We checked into the hotel, left our bags, and found a cafe not too far from the hotel with food that we all enjoyed. Then it was back to the hotel and to bed.
Day 2
Friday began with breakfast at the hotel. Strong coffee (I liked, Stepler less so), croissants (or 'sants to Rory), jam, and cheese. Cereal and yogurt were also available. We then took the Metro to the boat dock for the river tour that we'd planned. We rushed to get there for the first tour at 10:30, arrived in plenty of time, bought our tickets, and went through the turnstiles to board the boat. Or so we thought, we were then told there might not be enough people to make the 10:30 tour and we were stuck inside the turnstiles. So we started hoping for more people, finally enough people showed up, and we were able to board the boat. Despite the light rain, we sat on the top of the boat, but it was cold. So we didn't last up there. Highlights of the tour included: the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower. Rory is a fan of boats so it was a great way to see lots of the city.
After the boat tour we headed in the direction of the Louvre in search of lunch. It was a windy walk. We found lunch in a cafe just outside the Louvre. Then on to the Louvre. It was raining, no big deal, we were headed inside, long lines, but we were able to bypass them because we had a stroller. We walked around some. Rory fell asleep in the stroller. We found the Mona Lisa. Crazy crowds there. Crazy. The stairs and elevators in there don't mix with a sleeping toddler in an umbrella stroller. Stepler went on to see a few more things while sleepy Rory and I hung out in the snack bar. She slept. I watched the people go by.
Then we walked and walked. To the Ile St. Louis. We wanted a smaller supper so we bought quiche, a ham croissant, and a pastry with tomatoes and olives. The sun came out and it wasn't as windy so we ate outside on a bridge. Then we had ice cream! Rory was very excited about the ice cream. We walked back to our hotel.
Day 3
We took the train to Versailles. We should have bought our tickets to Versailles prior to getting there. But we didn't so we stood in line for an hour to get tickets. The couple behind us in line were college students from Boston. Then we had to stand in another line to get in. I suggested Stepler go to McDonald's so he could go to the restroom and get Rory a Happy Meal. About when I thought he should be getting back, I put Rory, who was wearing a yellow rain coat, on my shoulders so he could find us - it worked. Rory was a champion, eating her hamburger in line and finished just as we were getting to the entrance door. We walked through, we saw the art, the furniture, the hall of mirrors. Rory liked looking out the windows to the backyard. And for some reason she was looking for someone named Tom in the art. We finally found his statue just before we got to the exit. Unfortunately the weather was not good for visiting the backyard so we skipped it. We walked around the town a bit, stopped in at a bakery for a strawberry tartlet, and went on to Starbucks for lattes.
We'd planned on going to a Vietnamese restaurant for supper that night. I'd read about it in the guidebook, it wasn't too far from the hotel, and I haven't found any good Vietnamese here in Stavanger. But it was closed. I was devastated. Temporarily. We found another Asian place for supper. They had Vietnamese srping rolls, Coke in a can, and no crowds. It worked.
Day 4
We encountered another closure - the Picasso Museum is closed for extensive renovation. We went to the Musee d'Orsay. The line was so long that we couldn't find the end, even if we'd wanted to stand in it. Spring break + Easter + free addmission = looooong line. We skipped it and just started the walking tour we'd planned for the day a bit early.
We walked a lot, headed in the general direction of the Eiffel Tower. We were going to have a picnic at the park in front of the Eiffel Tower. It was too cold and windy. We found a cafe for lunch. It was quite tasty and there we discovered that Rory likes quiche a lot. (She used to not touch eggs. She still hates egg yolks from boiled eggs.) While walking to the Eiffel Tower Rory fell asleep. The lines were tremendous, we didn't want to stand in them and with Rory sleeping we weren't going to try climbing the stairs either. So we kept on going. The Eiffel Tower is still very impressive, even if we didn't go up it.
Got to the Arc de Triomphe and Rory was still sleeping so just Stepler went under the roundabout to get under the Arc. Ominous clouds were building, but sleeping Rory and I did a little window shopping. Then it started raining. Then the hail came. Luckily Rory was under her stroller and I had an umbrella. I also stood on the side of a building which protected us from the wind. And it didn't last too long. By the time Stepler returned to us, Rory was awake and we headed down the Champs Elysees for more window shopping and to look for a cafe for an afternoon treat.
Afternoon treat found. Then we headed towards the restaurant where we wanted to eat supper. It was a pretty long walk to get to the restaurant so we just took it all in as we walked there.We stopped at a park so Rory could run around a bit. Our supper destination had a line. The restaurant was called Breakfast in America so we decided to skip the line and return in the morning for breakfast. We found another place for supper.
Day 5
Breakfast in America indeed! Yum. Stepler has said it's one of the things he's missed the most while living here (we used to eat breakfast out a good bit after our long weekend run) and this restuarant satisfied the craving.
After that we took the train to Montmartre to see Sacre Couer. Beautiful. Lots of people. Big hill. Worth it. A mass was going on when we went through the church. I felt like I shouldn't be there. We went through the touristy area there to see the artists and the shops and got Rory some lunch.
Back to Notre Dame. Rory fell asleep. We walked around Notre Dame. Stepler took photos of the building and the flowers outside. We had crepes from a street vendor - nutella! We crossed the river in search of the English bookstore. Found it. Wonderful place, but not surprisingly, very crowded. When Rory woke up we went to a park so she could play a bit. Monday was the best day for weather by far and we all enjoyed being out in the sunshine.
Our supper that night was at a restaurant called Marathon. Very good grilled meats. Bad service. Bakery treats on the way home as we walked through the Ile St. Louis again. Yum. Found a non-cheesy souvenir t-shirt for Rory. (Earlier that day we'd done the cheesy thing and purchased a beret for her.)
Day 6
Up early to take the second train of the day to the airport. Checking in with Luftunsa is never fun for us. Got checked in, made it through security and to our gate with time to spare though. We were back in Stavanger by lunchtime. Also nice. Plenty of time for a nap (Rory), to start the laundry and restock the pantry.
These vacations when we are always on the go and seeing as much as we can are great. But it's time for a (much) more relaxed vacay. We've just booked our next trip - to sit on the beach or by the pool in Croatia.
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