Springtime in Paris

April 29-
We had a delayed start Friday with a late lunch/early dinner at a cafe in the Rue Clare area. We decided that to beat the crowds and get a discount on price, we would visit the Louvre in the evening.

Eric's trip was made with a visit to the Mona Lisa. Kaitlyn got bored pretty quickly, but Griffen surprisingly took an interest in the art for a good 30 minutes. Somehow we got separated from Eric & Diane but had agreed on a meeting spot earlier. Turns out Diane forgot her cell phone and they tired of the museum before we did, ending up waiting the our spot almost an hour before us.

Breakfast at our hotel was an extra fee, so we opted for stopping at a local bar/restaurant instead. Fresh coffee, orange juice, croissant, bread with butter and jam. Kaitlyn got to enjoy a coffee while the other 2 had hot chocolate. Jillian munched on a croissant while the other 2 insisted on McDonald's. The food server got a kick out of Jillian's chocolate covered face and gave each of the kids a small piece of chocolate before we left.

After breakfast we split up-Jason and Eric took Griffen and Kaitlyn to the underground catacombs. Diane & I used claustrophobia as an excuse and set of with Jillian to the Luxembourg Gardens.

The catacombs are home to some 7 million bones (yuck!) Sometimes they are piled up haphazardly and at others they have actually been used artistically with patterns set along the walls. Ex-one layer of skulls, layer of arm bones, layer of legs etc. Apparently, the Les Halles district above ground was suffering from contamination of poor burials and mass graves in the churchyard cemeteries; bringing about sickness. Because the ground level in some church yards had risen 10-20 feet from the volume of the human remains in them, the bones were moved below ground.

Diane & I walked around the park-looking at all it had to offer the kids, until Jillian fell asleep at which time we wandered over to a cafe with tables in the sun for a nice bottle of wine. About half-way through the wine Jason called to see where we were-I described our location, raised my hand and he found us. We ordered the kids some Orangina, soda for Eric and coffee for Jason. I told Jason how to get to the park and all 3 kids left with dad and grandpa while Diane & I went shopping.

After a bit-they urge to pee hit us-so find a bathroom. Diane spied a McDonald's--we walked in like we owned the place and went straight for the back, where a key pad was awaiting a code to enter. Luckily everyone exiting just held the door open for those entering and we had a free toilet.

After finding a pair of sandals that I liked but were too much, we went looking for a better price. First we found a nice little bakery with mini quiches for lunch-which they warmed up for us. Outside a shop a beggar approached Diane-she pointed out a penny on the ground for him. Go ahead laugh-it was funny to us with a bottle of wine still in us.

Eventually I found a really cute pair of sandals, and a belt. Never shop with Diane, she is really good at talking you into buying something for yourself.

Meanwhile at the park...Luxembourg Gardens are beautiful. There are park benches and flowers everywhere, a pond with rental sailboats for the kids to push across, pony rides, a carousel and a great park. You had to pay to enter the play area-but as a result it was exceptionally clean and well maintained. The area was pretty much all locals-so the kids befriended some French kids and played with them the whole time. They had a blast.

We stopped off at the Eiffel Tower on the way home-it was way too crowded-so we just enjoyed the view from below. However-typical Kaitlyn and Griffen had to find a toilet. Grandma took Kaitlyn and Jason took Griffen. As it is every where in the world-long line for women, no line for men. As Jason was helping out Griffen, Diane appears out of nowhere with Kaitlyn. Jason yells "What the hell are you doing mom, this is the men's!?" Diane, not knowing any French thought Monsieurs meant women. The others ladies in line took pity on her and let her to the front of the line.

The kids had take out for dinner, grandparents watched the kids and Jason & I went out to a place across from the hotel with a French only menu. We picked out something that sounded safe and crossed our fingers. Jason ended up with an open face ham & cheese sandwich on a bed of salad and a plum. I think the guys next to us were laughing at him-he has gotten used to eating English style and used his fork and knife instead of picking the sandwich up. I had a yummy salad with serrano ham. I stress the salad because for some reason lettuce is hard to come by in England and if you do find it, its not very fresh looking.