Last Day in Paris... with BOTH of my Boys!!

Today (Sunday) was our last day in Paris, and our first real full day together as couples.  Liz & I had decided we'd spend the day down near the true city-center of Paris:  l'Ile de la Cite.  Some of our favorite sights & sites down there:  Notre Dame de Paris, la Conciergerie, Berthillion ice cream, the little park Square René Viviani, the fun little book store "Shakespeare & Company" (where authors can live for free for a year in exchange for helping in the shop and actively writing), and traditional Breton "gallettes de sarrasin"-- crepes made entirely from buckwheat flour. Liz & I both prefer to have at least a checklist, loose schedule-goal, or flexible plan.  However, being too OCD about timetables or to-do lists can be so restrictive and lead you to majorly stress out for no reason, and miss out on all those spontaneous opportunities you can NEVER predict.  Oh yeah, and you might have to stop and change your baby.  So we went with the "loose goals" approach. :)

Josh & Ryan entertained themselves in line

We headed into the city around 11, taking the metro in. We came up on the south side of the Seine right in the heart of the college-y district, and (everyone but me) grabbed a sandwich lunch from a street vendor. Then it was off to Notre Dame, checking out the old-book & poster sellers on the riverbanks on the way.  We decided the day was perfect enough to go up to Notre Dame's "very tippy top" as I put it, which Ryan had done but none of the rest of us.  They only let up a group at a time, and the line was very long, so Liz and I let the boys stand in line while we went off for Berthillon ice cream, which is still, in my opinion, the best in the world.  Sorry, Haagen-Dazs.  You got nothing.  Every year we have come, Ryan & I have tried to find the original Berthillon "salon," where they make the ice cream served all over the city.  Liz had looked it up online and was pretty sure it was on Ile-St-Louis just like the window shop we'd always bought our Berthillon.  This time I was smart and actually ASKED that shop owner, and he told us the address, which is only about 3 blocks down from the window.  On the way, I thought the crepes (sold through another window, through which we could see them being made) smelled amazingly appetizing, and on a whim I asked if these were made with any flour.  The cook, who appeared to be a young foreign student, immediately asked if I was gluten-intolerant, and confirmed that, yes, these were made with 100% buckwheat flour & are gluten-free.  So I enjoyed a piping hot salted butter caramel crepe as we walked.  It's rare that I get to eat so simply, and so commonly (if that makes sense), so I doubly enjoyed my crepe.

Vue of Notre-Dame from Notre Dame

After several false alarms, Liz & I found the REAL Berthillon ice cream salon, complete with the stained wood paneling Liz had read about online.  We decided to bring the boys back later and in the meantime bought a few scoops --mine were bitter chocolate, salted butter caramel & candied chestnut-- to share with our men.  It was fun licking them as we weaved among other shoppers back across the Isle-St-Louis and across the picturesque bridge connecting it to Isle-de-la-Cite.

Notre Dame did NOT disappoint, and the weather was gorgeous!! Warm sunshine, but not too hot.  It's hard to remember that Victor Hugo made Quasimodo up; the story is so ingrained in Notre Dame's history now-- there are even quotes from the book (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) all over the balconies, walkways & towers!  I would love to read a historical fictional account set in Notre Dame's heyday-- perhaps a young monk or acolyte? (if anyone knows of any please pass em on) -- I can imagine so many adventures and holy encounters in that place!  Alternately soaring, menacing, glorious and foreboding... and the bells!  Oh, the bells are so romantic! Heheh... I definitely felt the 400+ steps in my leg muscles!  Ryan & I took turns wearing Liam up, and he was duly admired by visitors from all over the world.  Apparently his charm is international-- like father, like son!

After Notre Dame we rested a bit in the charming little park Square René Viviani, home of Paris' oldest tree. Unfortunately the spot's beauty was partially marred by an inebriated and possibly insane bum singing, dancing and urinating in it... along with the dozen other homeless folks camped out there.  Too bad.  We played around with Josh & Liz's new camera, taking all sorts of crazy-face pictures (that just never gets old!). It's pretty amazing how expressive humans are!  Just mind blowing.  [Mike Mason has a quote on that... I'll dig it up when I get home.]

Taken from Square Rene-Viviani

Shakespeare & Company is a crazy fun little book store that I highly recommend!  I started reading Lois Lowry's new sequel to The Giver, and can't wait to get back to it in the US. We tried to see the monument to the deported Jews of Paris but it was closed... and Liam started screaming bloody hungry murder.  The child refused to nurse and had finished the bottle we'd brought with us.  My only option (besides going back to our apartment) was to get to him to suck a pacifier to sleep and then try to nurse him in his sleep.  Not the easiest thing to do in downtown Paris on a Sunday afternoon.  However, it actually worked!! Thanks to my Ergo and a nursing cover and a lot of walking & patting and trying not to turn beet red as my son screamed loud enough to clear out six blocks, he finally conked out and then ate perfectly in his sleep.  I certainly hope he outgrows this soon.

Amidst all this we made our way back to the Berthillon salon.  There was quite a line... but I think it was worth the wait!  We didn't let our dessert ruin our dinner, though:  I led us all back to that same little creperie, and we all watched in fascination as our various crepes were made:  Emmental (cheese)-ham-and-sauteed onion for me!  Munching them as we made our way home over the Seine's ancient bridges in the gloaming dusk somehow captured all that Paris is to me.  What a great last day. :)

In front of Paris' oldest tree

Peeping through some ruins in the Square

Goofing off

Family pic in Maison Berthillon's Salon de The-- Ryan & I split a "Coupe Belle-Helene" and yet another salted-butter-carmel scoop. :) 

Just for old time's sake, here are pics from our first taste of Berthillon ice cream, also a shared Coupe Belle-Helene, at the Cafe Panis (just across the Seine from Notre Dame de Paris) in February 2010, accompanied by another bald, blue-eyed teething baby...

Paris with the Conqueror, Day 5

the ubiquitous symbol...

Once again, trying to feed The Small King meant we got out the door around 1 pm.  Oh well.  I felt like a super-cool Parisian resident with my Navigo metro pass; no more fumbling with paper tickets for us!  I just waved my pass over the machine in the "Navigo only" lines, and voila!  I'm on my way.  Hehehe of course I still look like a tourist when I stand slightly furrow-browed trying to figure out which metro lines to get on once I'm past the turnstiles...  I can't ever seem to remember off the top of my head, but instead obsessively check the maps whenever I see them.  I wouldn't make it as a secret agent, nope.

My main goal today was to try some Parisian second-hand stores-- something I've never before tried.  A bit of researching had suggested that Guerrisol would be my best bet, since I wasn't particularly set on any one brand or vintage item, but rather would enjoy looking and seeing what I could find.  On my loose "list" were:  French-made/designed children's clothes (I have a whole host of cousins, nephews, nieces, friends' children and then my own that I can buy for-- so much fun), sweaters for Ryan, and leather boots for me.  I didn't find any boots in my size (40/41 are hard to find in Europe, much less second-hand), but that's ok.  I'll keep looking!  I did grab some adorable kids' clothes, though; I absolutely love French styles for children.  I tend to avoid the American teeny-bopper style that's flashy and sequined and prefer more classic simple childish-looking items.  I also did find several men's sweaters by good French brands for 2 euros a pop!  I guess one fellow shopper could sense the deal-hunter in me because he came over so excited to show me a men's coat selling for 5 euros that he knew retailed for over 500 -- he just had to tell someone!  There was also this really stylishly-dressed older man (maybe 65) who was getting sweaters, and I kind of watched what he went for and copied him, since he managed to pull off quite a good look. :)

Our Small King

After my purchasing, Liam was beginning to get heavy, and I was pretty hot from wearing him and all my cool-weather clothing in that overheated store.  It was starting to rain a bit, and a Starbucks beckoned across the street.  I grabbed a black-and-white mocha, refusing to think about the price, as well as a mug of hot water to heat up a bottle for him.  All the workers seemed to be African/Arabic immigrants and they absolutely swooned over the baby.  I've had about a dozen people come up to me and start telling me just how beautiful he is.  I must say I agree. :)

We people-watched (I tried to identify the languages around me) and enjoyed our respective snacks.  I let Liam lick a bit of my goat-milk-yogurt and he couldn't decide if he loved it or didn't.

Afterwards we hopped back on the metro to the next stop of the Basilisque du Sacre-Coeur (Church of the Sacred Heart) on Montmartre hill.  I always enjoy walking up the cobble-stoned streets to this district, lined as they are with stores hawking every sort of tourist paraphernalia, or fabrics.  This time, since I was pretty encumbered with baby & bags, I took the "funicular" (cable car) up to the top of the Butte.  There were some pretty impressive street performers!  One ripped African climbed a lampost, held a soccer ball between his foot & chin while performing acrobatics... another, fully covered in gold paint, sounded exactly like a bird when he moved.

Sacre-Coeur... never gets old!

It was starting to sprinkle as we walked down the hill back into the metro stop.  The metros were P.A.C.K.E.D.  One nice lady was trying to help me --making sure I got a seat, advising me to wait til the next train, etc.  It always does my heart good when a capable young man gives up his seat without being asked, to me as a young mom or to an older man or woman.  Decency in my fellow man is always good to see.  (understatement I know).  Now I'm back in the apartment unwinding and trying to hold off eating until Ryan gets home.  Someone is cooking in one of the other nearby apartments and it's mouth-watering.  French cuisine, you know... Lumiere had it right "the dinners here are never second-best!"

View from Montmartre

Eiffel Tower of Chocolate

Paris with the Liam, Day 4

It was a cold, rainy afternoon 'round here... of course.  I say of course because it was the day I'd planned to meet a friend across town, so of COURSE it would have to be our coldest day yet.  Liam & I had a late start.  I'd arranged to meet her at 14 hr (2 pm), and when I looked at the clock after finally getting both of us fed, dressed & happy, it was 1:20.  The metro system is amazing, though.  We were across the Seine in the outskirts ("banlieus") of Paris 20 minutes later.  The metro went above-ground as we crossed over the river, granting quite a lovely view of the city before dipping back underground.  We emerged in a part of Paris I'd never explored before:  la Defense, which is their new buisness district.  It was completely unlike the Paris I'm familiar with:  towers and new buildings everywhere, and not a church spire or cobblestone to be seen!  I misunderstood my friend's instructions about which metro stop to get off at, so I ended up walking for quite a while in a downpour.  Liam was snug as a bug in a sling under my rain poncho.  I, however, didn't realize how wet I was until I arrived at my friend's house! Oh well, it was cool to walk through another part of the city.  The little township of "Puteaux" was quite nice-- residential  with schools, grocery stores and shops all stacked neatly like in all french towns.  This one just has the advantage of being a short metro ride or walk over the Seine from Paris.

I'd been looking forward to seeing Cecile probably more than almost anything else this trip.  She took a half-day off from work just to hang out, drink coffee (and munch on Trader Joe chocolate-salt-and sugar-covered almonds.  Addicting another continent, one person at a time, oh yeah!), swap babies and catch up.  Centuries-old buildings are great, but you can't put a price on friendship.  There's something so encouraging about seeing someone once a year or so and picking right back off where you left off-- watching them faithfully serve Christ and continue to grow in godliness.  It's like when you both have the same best friend, you always have lots to talk about.  I was glad to see her and meet her new little girl and see how much her little boy had grown (he's a month older than Eowyn).  We got to go pick them up from school/nursery, shop at their local little store, and "bavarder" (chatter/talk).

Around 7, just as it began to get dark, Liam and I hopped on the metro again and got off one stop later towards town in Neuilly, a rather nice suburb in the northwest of Paris.  As has become our tradition, Ryan's CEO Fred & his wife Claire played their roles as amazing host & hostess & treated us to a lovely French meal.  I FINALLY got to meet their 3 munchkins, who have always been off visiting grandparents when I've visited before.  Sweet kids who absolutely adored Liam.  I thought of our little Eowyn when their 3 year old daughter declared herself her daddy's princess. :)  Little girls and daddies the world over...

Dinner was pumpkin soup to start, then pork filet mignon with honeyed gravy, turnips and dinner wines followed by several types of cheese, figs & grapes.  So good.  Claire always impresses me by how amazing she makes simple food taste with a few well-selected spices, and in typical French fashion, it's all presented beautifully.

Our taxi ride home late gave us a beautiful view of the city at night, passing the Arc de Triomphe and going down the lit Champs-Elysees. Our taxi driver said he's lived here 40 years and that sight never gets old.  Paris is one city it's hard to take for granted!

So blessed to be here,
Christina

Day 2 in N'Awlins; the French Quarter-- Wed. Dec 9th

The day was gloriously warm, and sunny! I always feel like I MUST go outside at least a little when the day is nice, otherwise it's like ignoring a perfectly beautiful gift from God! (It amazes me that He puts so much glory into sunrises & sunsets, both of which happen DAILY around the world! And how often are they appreciated?) Anyway, Eowyn & I walked down Royal St. all the way to the French Market, going through Jackson Square, stopping in several shops, and perusing the market. I bought a praline as my local snack, and E & I sat for a little in a park and listened to jazz Christmas carols. It was funny to me to see all the Christmas decorations when it felt like early autumn!

French Market, Old & New

Inside the church, there are flags of all the nations that have ever governed New Orleans.

I thought that was a cool mini-timeline of the city's history.


A copy of King Louis' bible is in the catholic church in Jackson Square-- I think this is a gloss of the Apostle Paul's life, near as I could tell.

I found some postcards, got Nicole & Colin a little bit of their wedding present, and bought Eowyn's Christmas presents at this WONDERFUL little toy store right off Jackson Square. I contemplated the museums and the Tabasco shop, but opted instead on sitting in on Ryan's session. I got to hear a bit before my darling parasite got hungry. :)

We had dinner on the top floor of the hotel-- amazing view & lots of willing arms to hold our precious one! And the food-- shrimp & grits, chocolate-coated strawberries, bananas foster, cheese & grapes-- was AMAZING! So many GF SF options, too! I was quite satisfied!

This fellow programmer, Kendrick, is from B.C. and DROVE down to New Orleans! He was sooo sweet with Eowyn-- I think he was missing his own little guy. :)

We turned in a bit late; very tired, but happy. The day had brought good feedback & interaction for Ryan, and I'd enjoyed meeting people over lunch & snacks & during Ryan's session. The Drupal community is amazingly tight-knit, especially when you consider the diversity & internationality of its members!

1st Night in New Orleans-- Tues. Dec 8th

Eowyn did SO well on the flights over; nursing on take-offs and sucking a paci with relish on landings, meaning that her little ears pressurized perfectly, and she was tear-free. Of course she charmed everyone who could see her, but her fan base was a bit limited as she spent the bulk of our journey asleep in her Ergo carrier. I carried her in that while Ryan used the stroller as our luggage trolley. =D

Our first event was a dinner for the conference speakers, of which Ryan was one. For those who were wondering, this little family trip was one which was work-related. Ryan got invited to speak at conference called "Do It With Drupal," which teaches web-developpers how to use the php-based content management system called Drupal... basically it's a system of code that organizes data that enables you to create webpages that then can do cool things, like be a store, or a blog, or a teaching resource, etc. (I probably said that all wrong, but I think I get the jist & maybe you get the general idea. At this conference people kept asking me "what I did with Drupal" and my answer was "I just try to understand what Ryan's talking about." =D) (MTV, Sony artist sites, and the new Whitehouse.gov all run on Drupal). Ryan was teaching sessions on how to implement and modify his e-commerce "module", Ubercart... basically a chunk of code that allows you to sell stuff online. Since we can and won't always be able to, Eowyn & I tagged along. This is great because we get to be WITH Ryan instead of missing him, we get to meet all these work contacts and get to know the Drupal community, AND we get some fun sight-seeing in the mix.

So back to our first night in New Orleans... Tuesday night. We had a really nice dinner just a few blocks from our hotel (on Canal St.), and I got to put faces with names all over the place. Everyone was super-stoked about Eowyn... apparently Ryan had been putting her pictures in his earlier presentations at other Drupal events in San Francisco & Austin, TX. =D

Conked out for the first part of dinner in her stroller. Yep, she's a tummy sleeper through and through.

It was one of the conference organizer's daughter's 10th birthday, and she kindly shared her balloons with Eowyn, who was a BIG fan!

Family pic by the Christmas tree in the lobby.

Me in our bed in our hotel room (we stayed at the Mariott); I said I was cold & Ryan tossed me what he thought was a blanket at the foot of our bed. It was actually just this narrow strip of material-- purely decorative & not at all warm. We were tired & sleepy, so of course this struck us as extra funny... worthy of grabbing the camera & photographing, even! We giggled for a while.