Day 3 - Just like a Parisian...

 

Day 3

After a much-needed night's rest and a nice breakfast, we were off to the sights and sounds of Paris. The question this morning was not “did you get some sleep?” but rather “HOW did you sleep?” Because we know that all slept and it was better than anything the night before. We actually had to go wake some sleeping beauties up. They nearly missed breakfast but rallied quite nicely. 

After the morning meal, we headed to the metro to get to the city center. Once there, we met with our tour bus or “coach” for the city tour. Our local guide, Jacqueline, was a little late arriving, so Daniele gave the entire bus an origami lesson using our metro ticket. We made a frog! It jumps…cool, huh? Anyways, the local guide and driver took us all around Paris for more than an hour. 

Did you know that 75% of all Parisians live in a flat that is about 650 sq ft, and the tallest a building can reach is 8 stories? Paris is arranged in 20 different districts or Arrondissements, each with its own city hall and mayor. They are arranged in a snail/spiral shape, with 1 in the city center near the river and going out from there. Our hotel was in the 14th Arrondissement, which is why we needed to use the metro so much. 

Did you know that there are 142 museums in Paris? We didn’t see them all, but we did see some familiar spots from a distance. The Obelisk, which was a gift from Egypt, is located in Concorde Square and is the oldest monument in Paris (3,000 yrs old). That square is actually where the guillotine was used daily. There haven’t been any beheadings in a while, so that’s good. We drove by Notre Dame, the Seine River, the Opera House, and the Champs-Élysées. We were able to exit the bus for a short while and walk around the Arc de Triomphe. Kids took some good pictures around there. Which kid said… Mr. Bitt, is this pose tough?  Is it nonchalant? Can you take a flick? So I did… I think. ;)

The traffic in Paris is nuts, just like any big city. But witnessing our driver maneuver around the cars, people, bikes, mopeds, and tourists was neat. Nothing sort of magic. The kids did their best to stay engaged on the bus, a few self-soothed with phones, and some passed out for a bit, but all in all, hopefully, a few learned something cool about Paris. It was nice to drive around and see it all. 

Following the bus tour, we walked to the perfume museum nearby. We learned that the initial perfumes were made from animal scent (civet or beaver) because its musk is so potent. Thankfully, some of the kids bought a little perfume to cover up their musk. It was getting quite ripe! Just kidding…the kids smell lovely… well, mostly. After the educational museum stop and some fragrant purchases, we all headed out for lunch.

The kids had a variety of options to pick from for lunch. Kids got pasta, sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and macarons. And yes, in Paris, a box of macarons is a suitable lunch meal. During this time, several of us made it to the top terrace of the mall, Galeries Lafayette, for some spectacular views of the city. Can you guess which kids said, “I think I can survive in Paris for 12 hours alone…Just might need to study some maps.” Oh boy, they are feeling quite comfortable here, immersed in the French culture. 

After lunch, we headed to the Louvre. This former palace is HUGE and full of all sorts of historical pieces. Did you know that if you spent 1 minute admiring each piece in the Louvre, it would take you 4 months to see it all? We learned that the Louvre was originally built as a fortress, and you can still see the original stones, each signed with a special symbol (signature) from the original mason… ahhh little hearts! Inside the Louvre, kids explored for a few hours. They had the opportunity to see the Sphinx, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, La Libertad, the Mona Lisa, and about 1,000 other great pieces of art.  

We left the Louvre later in the day, which meant jumping on the metro to go to dinner was quite the adventure. It was very clear to us all as we entered the metro platform that we were going to have to get serious about pretending to be real Parisians because that sucker was PACKED full of people. We sorted into our “count groups” and shoved and squeezed our way onto the train. Man, we were cramped in there with arms and elbows going every which way. But the kids took it in stride. And getting off was just as intense…sort of a “ready, set, charge!” mentality to get off. We actually did that twice due to needing a transfer. But in the end, no worse for wear, and it was a good memory. 

We ate dinner at a place called the Starving Club… perfect spot for us! A cool, little, open-aired French restaurant that served us honey and goat cheese on toast with salad, breaded macaroni and cheese balls, and a croissant/French toast dessert. YUM! For the rest of the trip, during dinner time, we are all having a “family meal”, which means no cell phones… just conversations, laughs, and sharing stories. It definitely adds a welcome, fun vibe to the trip and will hopefully add to the memories. 

After dinner, we caught the metro back to the hotel. We had to pack all of our luggage tonight because we are hitting the road again early tomorrow. We will be exploring the amazing palace of Versailles and then taking the high-speed train to the southern French town of Avignon. 

Bonne nuit!