Our first full day in Paris and we wanted to get started with our Gothic architecture theme right from the beginning. This meant our private Context tour. We had our meeting spot mapped and our local guide was Pablo, an art historian by way of Spain, NYC, and Washington, DC before working here in Paris. The kids loved that he was from Spain and had a lot of Madrid questions on our way to the meeting spot.
The Tour
With such a high cost ($400+), and admittedly a bit of discouragement over not being able to find a cheaper option, we were determined to make the best of our tour. It was first thing in the morning (9am) which is our preference as it is easier to plan for (wake up, breakfast, go) and also easier to recover from.
We met Pablo at the designated time and place and he was instantly charming and attentive to the kids. He gave us a broad overview of our location within the city and what we would be learning about and experiencing on this (3-4 hour) tour. Notre Dame, the Concierge, and Sainte-Chapelle were on the itinerary and we would be seeing them in that order.
We walked to the square of Notre Dame and from a distance we took a seat and Pablo asked a series of questions of us and the kids and pulled out of his bag some drawing materials for the kids. He asked them to draw a certain number of vertical lines, some smaller horizontal lines and soon enough the kids had each drawn their own Notre Dame. As evident by yesterday’s post this was not their first Notre Dame drawing rodeo. However, they were thrilled to show him that they could do it and they listened closely as he used their drawings to describe what we were seeing in the structure itself. It was excellent.
After a short discussion about the facade with the blessed and wicked to the right and left of Jesus respectively (and Mary!) we went inside where we paced around the massive church as our local guide told about its history and current role for the Paris faithful. He also explained how it was built and our son was on his every word. At one point he pulled out his iPad and showed how the building process progressed and showed close-up views of the altarpiece and many pieces of art. The context was so interesting and helpful, and something we would revisit later in the week when we came back).
The Concierge is famous for housing Marie Antoinette and others during the Reign of Terror and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. By then both kids had fallen asleep on our backs so it gave us plenty of time to ask questions and talk more as adults.
Sainte-Chapelle was gorgeous, as always, and covered by our museum passes we went straight in. Some brief history into the structure, its purely Gothic architecture and it housing the crown of thorns, and soon we left the downstairs with King Louis IX looking us over and went upstairs to the magical chapel and all that stained glass. We nudged the kids awake so they wouldn’t miss it. Small crowd inside but we were the smart ones with a guide in tow explaining everything we could see. We’ll be back for a concert later in the week, but what a beautiful experience, especially with the sunlight beaming through the glass.
After Sainte-Chapelle it had been almost 4 hours and so we said our goodbyes and thanks to Pablo for a wonderful time but not before he offered some local recommendations for bakeries and family-friendly restaurants in our neighborhood (he happens to live in the 5th arrondissement, where we are staying).
Change of Plans
After lunch and a nap we ventured out for the second activity of the day: The Cluny museum. We were ready for unicorn tapestries and to connect what we saw on our morning tour (real heads of statues removed from Notre Dame now housed in Cluny museum) and were quite surprised to find no lines whatsoever. No lines because it was closed. Dan’s worst nightmare. However, we were there on the wrong day, they were closed for renovations….until mid-July. Even though we had chosen not to visit this museum on two previous trips, it was still disappointing for all.
We pulled out our Google map to see what was in the neighborhood. St Sulpice church and it’s giant organ, Delacroix’s house, but what made the most sense was a trip to Luxembourg gardens. The sun was still out and the kids did an amazing job on the tour that morning. Time to implement a “green” afternoon for the family.
Beautiful park on a beautiful day. We went straight to the wonderful playground, which, even on a weekday, was packed with kids and families. Our kids joined right in with our son heading straight for the climbing apparatus and our daughter going for the play cars and slides. A euro or two for each family member to enter but well worth it.
We caught a couple games of pétanque on our way out which was super fun. (When the kids are a bit older we’d like to get a family set for home. Such a simple and fun way to spend time together.)
Last but not least we took a detour on our way home to Berthillon, the best ice cream in the city. It’s pricey, and it was cold outside but we are a determined bunch when it comes to ice cream and gelato. The kids get to order for themselves (no samples!!) and wow, was it good.
talk soon,
Dan Betsy
Lessons Learned:
- Context tour
- cost: very expensive but ideally a regular intellectual tour with group could be cost savings
- guide was very attentive and acted impressed with kids
- Cluny
- check websites of all destination before departure
- we need a pétanque set someday!
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:).