We are in Paris!! A perfectly uneventful flight and cab ride and we are here in the apartment. And, oh my, what an amazing place.
We went to the higher end of our budget ($200/nt) but we thought it worth it for the proximity to a lot of the main sights we were focused on as well as the kitchen, living space, and bedroom. (Yes, we are sharing bedroom with the kids. Though it has divider between adult full bed and the bunk-beds we’ll probably keep it open. Not very romantic, but better for overall fun.)
And of course, the views were spectacular from this place. Six windows over two walls in this second story corner flat with views of tiny park and the main attraction for 2018, the NOTRE DAME! The kids went bananas when they could see it through the windows in the living room and again downstairs from the bedroom. We can hear the bells ringing every hour. Best day of their lives. Our son went straight to the portable art station to sketch what he saw. Beautiful!
The kids did a great job on the flight. As will happen, the seating arrangements got shifted a bit so Betsy and our daughter were sitting several rows from Dan and our son. Typically we sit window-middle in front of window-middle. We just couldn’t hand snacks or toys back and forth otherwise not a big deal. The kids barely slept which means the adults didn’t at all and we landed at 8:12am Paris time so let the jet lag begin!
Clear directions to apartment and easy key pick up next door. We unpacked, used the restroom, and went over our plan for the day.
- groceries and lunch
- naps
- Museum pass
- Eiffel Tower (optional but tradition!)
Stocking the place with breakfast and milk and pasta and sandwich materials was first on the agenda. Our Google map came helpful and we all took a stroll down the boulevard and were back an hour later. What a charming and cozy little neighborhood (top of the 5th arrondissement in the Latin Quarter). While Betsy made lunch Dan went out for the museum passes. We were going with the longest option (valid for 6 days) to get the most out of all the line-skipping capabilities but also needed it first thing in the morning for our Context tour.
After a long needed nap we finished unpacking and went out for dinner. After dinner we decided to keep the tradition alive and go to the Eiffel Tower on our first night in Paris. This was the whole purpose of the trip in our daughter’s eyes so it was a priority. We bundled up (a chilly 40 degrees) and took the metro over to the Eiffel Tower, walking along the Seine until it finally came into view and the kids went bananas for a third time.
We did not have reservations. Betsy won that decision weeks before when we didn’t know if, never mind, when exactly we’d be ready to go up the Eiffel Tower.
What if our plane was delayed? What if we took a long nap? What if we didn’t?
Too many variables to lock ourselves down to a specific time. Of course, everything went according to plan so we were forced to clear security and then wait in a pretty slow line for 75 minutes waiting to buy a ticket. The whole time there was zero wait in the reservations line. That hurt. We let the kids run around a bit under the tower itself before they started getting a little antsy. Our daughter soon fell asleep and our son was pretty worn out. We all were. No meltdowns but it was a relief to get on the elevator, go up to the second observation deck, walk around for 15 minutes and then go back down and get home.
Perhaps anticlimactic and at least one possible lesson learned, but we did it. We were a family, together in Paris, and we’d be back at this wonderful tower soon enough.
Talk soon,
Dan & Betsy
Lessons Learned:
- Eiffel Tower on day 1 is a great tradition
- however, let’s consider Eiffel Tower reservations
Full disclosure: We back date our on-trip posts for two reasons. First, to give you a better picture of the day-to-day family travel experience, and most importantly, when we travel as a family we are focused on our own activities and experiences. Upon return home we gather up notes and pictures and then post. Hope you’ll understand:).