Spring in London & Paris w/ kids: Climbing, Cooking, & Cold (very cold!)
Apr 22nd, 2013, 07:20 AM
#22
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Great report! Thanks so much for the details on your apartments. We are up to two little ones now and still traveling annually (except for this year - youngest is a newborn), so I'm very interested in apartment reviews!
Apr 22nd, 2013, 04:59 PM
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Mon, 3/25 – St. Paul’s, Greenwich, climb O2
Since the night before was a late one, we had another lazy morning and slept in a bit (probably awake 8:30ish - sleeping in takes on a whole new meaning with kids). Once we were motivated, we headed to St. Paul’s and climbed to the Whispering Gallery. It really works! We would have climbed outside all the way, but it was closed for a few more days, so we had to make do with the Whispering Gallery.
We had read in a book that there was a statue where you could see the burn marks from the Great Fire of 1666, so we went and found it (a guard was very kind and walked us there and explained more about it - apparently a former priest had his statue sculpted with him wrapped in "cloth" ... as the floor collapsed, it went straight through without any arms sticking out to break off, so it remained intact). Then we walked downstairs and saw more of the burned statues – apparently, it got so hot, some of them actually exploded.
After a quick snack break from Paul (across the courtyard), we went back to the tube and headed to Greenwich. We used DLR to get there (which worked out great and had amazing views going through Canary Wharf).
In Greenwich, I had arranged a private half-day tour in the afternoon. We met our guide at the Sir Walter Raleigh statue and were off. Unfortunately, the first part was getting up to to the Observatory, so we were freezing by the time we had completed that walk. We enjoyed seeing the Observatory and the Prime Meridian and learned why it was so important from a historical perspective. We even got to see the various iterations of clocks that John Harrison invented. And were amazed that he was so dedicated to this that he took over 40 years to be successful! (And finally only won the prize after the King petitioned Parliament on his behalf). All in all, pretty interesting historical stuff. Of course, we took the requisite photo straddling the prime meridian! (The 13 yo was particularly excited about this because of what they had learned in school).
Walked down to the Maritime Museum where the kids played in the Children’s Gallery (some good blow off steam time) and we stopped and had tea and a snack and were back on our way. Next destination was the Cutty Sark. Although the building around the Cutty Sark has received negative press, we actually liked it. I thought it was an excellent way to let in the natural light. I guess I liked it from the inside, but certainly understand the criticism from the outside.
We finished up with a walk-by of the market (closed since it was Monday) and Graham, our guide, took us to the bus stop. We had a bus to catch to O2 arena.
Next was the highlight of the day… climbing O2! It is called “Up at the O2” and was one of the highlights of the trip. Luckily, we were dressed warmly, but did manage to purchase the ski hats (which were worn throughout the rest of the trip and since we’ve been home, I have worn it to a baseball game). They give you nylon suits that fit over your clothes – we think this is so there aren’t any strings or bits from your clothes that could catch on the equipment. They strap you into a harness and you are off. You actually attach your safety lines onto a guard wire and have to move your cleat through a series of connecting cleats as you ascend. At the top, you are free to walk around and take pictures (inside a fence). We were impressed watching the planes scream overhead. The down trek is actually more steep (30 degree slope) than going up.
We were the only ones in our group – which made it a little more fun. Our guide, Adam, was great. The whole thing took about an hour from check in, to safety video, to taking off the nylon coveralls. By this time, we were hungry, so we stopped at Las Iguanas in the O2 complex for dinner. All were happy because they got food that was recognizable. Headed back to the apartment for ice cream and bed.
this was one of the days of climbing that inspired the title.... climbing St. Paul's and O2.
links:
Greenwich walking tour: www.greenwichroyaltours.com
Up at the O2: www.theo2.co.uk/upattheo2
Las Iguanas: www.iguanas.co.uk
Since the night before was a late one, we had another lazy morning and slept in a bit (probably awake 8:30ish - sleeping in takes on a whole new meaning with kids). Once we were motivated, we headed to St. Paul’s and climbed to the Whispering Gallery. It really works! We would have climbed outside all the way, but it was closed for a few more days, so we had to make do with the Whispering Gallery.
We had read in a book that there was a statue where you could see the burn marks from the Great Fire of 1666, so we went and found it (a guard was very kind and walked us there and explained more about it - apparently a former priest had his statue sculpted with him wrapped in "cloth" ... as the floor collapsed, it went straight through without any arms sticking out to break off, so it remained intact). Then we walked downstairs and saw more of the burned statues – apparently, it got so hot, some of them actually exploded.
After a quick snack break from Paul (across the courtyard), we went back to the tube and headed to Greenwich. We used DLR to get there (which worked out great and had amazing views going through Canary Wharf).
In Greenwich, I had arranged a private half-day tour in the afternoon. We met our guide at the Sir Walter Raleigh statue and were off. Unfortunately, the first part was getting up to to the Observatory, so we were freezing by the time we had completed that walk. We enjoyed seeing the Observatory and the Prime Meridian and learned why it was so important from a historical perspective. We even got to see the various iterations of clocks that John Harrison invented. And were amazed that he was so dedicated to this that he took over 40 years to be successful! (And finally only won the prize after the King petitioned Parliament on his behalf). All in all, pretty interesting historical stuff. Of course, we took the requisite photo straddling the prime meridian! (The 13 yo was particularly excited about this because of what they had learned in school).
Walked down to the Maritime Museum where the kids played in the Children’s Gallery (some good blow off steam time) and we stopped and had tea and a snack and were back on our way. Next destination was the Cutty Sark. Although the building around the Cutty Sark has received negative press, we actually liked it. I thought it was an excellent way to let in the natural light. I guess I liked it from the inside, but certainly understand the criticism from the outside.
We finished up with a walk-by of the market (closed since it was Monday) and Graham, our guide, took us to the bus stop. We had a bus to catch to O2 arena.
Next was the highlight of the day… climbing O2! It is called “Up at the O2” and was one of the highlights of the trip. Luckily, we were dressed warmly, but did manage to purchase the ski hats (which were worn throughout the rest of the trip and since we’ve been home, I have worn it to a baseball game). They give you nylon suits that fit over your clothes – we think this is so there aren’t any strings or bits from your clothes that could catch on the equipment. They strap you into a harness and you are off. You actually attach your safety lines onto a guard wire and have to move your cleat through a series of connecting cleats as you ascend. At the top, you are free to walk around and take pictures (inside a fence). We were impressed watching the planes scream overhead. The down trek is actually more steep (30 degree slope) than going up.
We were the only ones in our group – which made it a little more fun. Our guide, Adam, was great. The whole thing took about an hour from check in, to safety video, to taking off the nylon coveralls. By this time, we were hungry, so we stopped at Las Iguanas in the O2 complex for dinner. All were happy because they got food that was recognizable. Headed back to the apartment for ice cream and bed.
this was one of the days of climbing that inspired the title.... climbing St. Paul's and O2.
links:
Greenwich walking tour: www.greenwichroyaltours.com
Up at the O2: www.theo2.co.uk/upattheo2
Las Iguanas: www.iguanas.co.uk
Apr 23rd, 2013, 07:25 AM
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Tue, 3/26 – British Museum, Tower of London, Matilda (the musical)
Today was our “ketchup and mustard day” … as my creative child called it. This meant we were going to catchup on all the things we would regret if we missed. (Prior to going, we had done some research together and decided what we definitely wanted to see, what would be nice, and what to skip. Helps me with planning…)
We started the day at the British Museum – full of school groups, but we did one of the Kids’ Trails finding clues along the way. We then did a scavenger hunt with Huntzz – a phone app – but didn’t finish and bailed halfway through. The kids were getting tired and it was getting more crowded, so we decided to be happy with what was done. (We did have fun checking out the souvenirs - like the Rosetta Stone calculator and some other goofy, fun, inexpensive things).
We walked to the Tube (first had to stop at a bookstore and buy “Magic Money” that we had seen in the window…it is made up of the Harry Potter characters for the HP freak in the family). We then headed to the Tower of London. We decided not to do a Yeoman’s Warder tour and instead wandered about by ourselves. The line for the Crown Jewels was long and no one really seemed to care, so we avoided that and instead, walked through the White Tower and saw the suits of armor (crowded, but we had fun finding the mini and the giant suits of armor). We went into the restaurant and had something to eat - we ate a late lunch here since we'd just be snacking all day. With full bellies, we enjoyed walking up on the walls and decided to call it a day. Headed back to the apartment for a break.
Kids ate dinner and I, being the brave and kind soul that I am, took the tube one stop to Uniqlo. We had a bike tour scheduled for Wednesday and given the weather, were concerned the kids would be cold. I found silk long underwear tops for each of them and by the time I got back, it was time to go back out again. I would recommend Uniqlo for basics that you’ve forgotten or discover you need. I was in and out quickly, so didn’t browse much, but could be a good, low cost option if needed (and in this case, was!).
Tonight, we had tickets for Matilda, the musical. We booked too late and couldn’t get 5 good seats together, so we ended up sitting 3 together (me, surfboy and surfgirl #1) in the Dress Circle. Then we had two singles about 5 rows apart on the aisle in the Stalls section. Surfgirl #2 ended up sitting in Row G… but she was behind a Trunchbull sized person – the couple next to her actually switched and had her sit in the 3rd seat in from the aisle so she could see. I thought that was so kind and she had an amazing view of the show. The theatre was small enough that we were able to easily spot each other across the room. We thought the show was great – and in fact, the kids have stolen one of the ideas. During the show, tall swings hang down and they have a choreographed song and dance with the swings in unision or alternating. The surfkids like to do this at home (we have 3 swings) and make the swings all go together or alternate appropriately. I would recommend this for a family – we all enjoyed it, it is age appropriate, and from a book that my kids loved. (In fact, on a different trip, I went to a Quentin Blake talk and he personalized a Matilda print for Surfgirl #1).
Afterwards, we decided to find a dessert so we walked to Covent Garden. Many of the restaurants were closing, but we ended up sitting down at Maxwell’s, which was really good. I think we, once again, had fries and dessert. Maybe a burger mixed in for variety… All tired people, we headed home for bed.
links:
Huntzz: www.huntzz.com
Matilda: http://uk.matildathemusical.com
Uniqlo: www.uniqlo.com/us/
Today was our “ketchup and mustard day” … as my creative child called it. This meant we were going to catchup on all the things we would regret if we missed. (Prior to going, we had done some research together and decided what we definitely wanted to see, what would be nice, and what to skip. Helps me with planning…)
We started the day at the British Museum – full of school groups, but we did one of the Kids’ Trails finding clues along the way. We then did a scavenger hunt with Huntzz – a phone app – but didn’t finish and bailed halfway through. The kids were getting tired and it was getting more crowded, so we decided to be happy with what was done. (We did have fun checking out the souvenirs - like the Rosetta Stone calculator and some other goofy, fun, inexpensive things).
We walked to the Tube (first had to stop at a bookstore and buy “Magic Money” that we had seen in the window…it is made up of the Harry Potter characters for the HP freak in the family). We then headed to the Tower of London. We decided not to do a Yeoman’s Warder tour and instead wandered about by ourselves. The line for the Crown Jewels was long and no one really seemed to care, so we avoided that and instead, walked through the White Tower and saw the suits of armor (crowded, but we had fun finding the mini and the giant suits of armor). We went into the restaurant and had something to eat - we ate a late lunch here since we'd just be snacking all day. With full bellies, we enjoyed walking up on the walls and decided to call it a day. Headed back to the apartment for a break.
Kids ate dinner and I, being the brave and kind soul that I am, took the tube one stop to Uniqlo. We had a bike tour scheduled for Wednesday and given the weather, were concerned the kids would be cold. I found silk long underwear tops for each of them and by the time I got back, it was time to go back out again. I would recommend Uniqlo for basics that you’ve forgotten or discover you need. I was in and out quickly, so didn’t browse much, but could be a good, low cost option if needed (and in this case, was!).
Tonight, we had tickets for Matilda, the musical. We booked too late and couldn’t get 5 good seats together, so we ended up sitting 3 together (me, surfboy and surfgirl #1) in the Dress Circle. Then we had two singles about 5 rows apart on the aisle in the Stalls section. Surfgirl #2 ended up sitting in Row G… but she was behind a Trunchbull sized person – the couple next to her actually switched and had her sit in the 3rd seat in from the aisle so she could see. I thought that was so kind and she had an amazing view of the show. The theatre was small enough that we were able to easily spot each other across the room. We thought the show was great – and in fact, the kids have stolen one of the ideas. During the show, tall swings hang down and they have a choreographed song and dance with the swings in unision or alternating. The surfkids like to do this at home (we have 3 swings) and make the swings all go together or alternate appropriately. I would recommend this for a family – we all enjoyed it, it is age appropriate, and from a book that my kids loved. (In fact, on a different trip, I went to a Quentin Blake talk and he personalized a Matilda print for Surfgirl #1).
Afterwards, we decided to find a dessert so we walked to Covent Garden. Many of the restaurants were closing, but we ended up sitting down at Maxwell’s, which was really good. I think we, once again, had fries and dessert. Maybe a burger mixed in for variety… All tired people, we headed home for bed.
links:
Huntzz: www.huntzz.com
Matilda: http://uk.matildathemusical.com
Uniqlo: www.uniqlo.com/us/
Apr 23rd, 2013, 08:44 AM
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Wed, 3/27 – Fat Tire Bike Tour, Eurostar to Paris
I had arranged a private Fat Tire Bike Tour since our schedule would have been too crammed with the regularly scheduled one (it basically would take an entire day – meeting at 11am and finished about 3pm). We met our guide at 9am at the office, quickly geared up, and were off. It was great having a private tour – because we could be more flexible and work other things into the tour that couldn’t happen with a group. For example, we were able to swing by and see the Changing of the Horse Guards since we were in the area at the time. (We also worked in a stop at Pret a Manger for hot chocolate, croissants, and hot tea). We also had time to stop and take more photo breaks than you could do otherwise.
If you can afford a private bike tour, we really liked it. We could go at our pace (faster with the speedster surfkids), stop for photos, and tailor things to our schedule. Even if you can't do the private one, the bike tour is excellent way to see London and be active and outside!
We finished that about 1pm, headed back to the apartment, ate a quick lunch, and checked out of the apartment. They had arranged for a car service, which was great since 5 people doesn’t always work so easily. The car service was on time and we were off to St. Pancras.
We arrived at St. Pancras about an hour before our departure time and were glad for the extra time! The lines through security were long and the lounge was packed with people. We boarded when our train was arrived and were glad we did, because the late arrivals had a hard time finding space for their luggage. Our seats were on a family car – and there were definitely lots of kids! I had waited a bit since we were still figuring out our schedule, so we were slightly separated – two across from each other at a table – and a single across the aisle on a table (and both of the rest of those tables were filled out with kids and moms), and then the final two behind the table. All in all, they were decent seats, but the kids (not mine) were very loud. We were happy to arrive in Paris. (I thought it funny that my kids complained about how loud the other ones were... they were happy for some peace and quiet!)
We took a car service to the apartment (again, with 5 people, it is easier to pre-arrange) – with a detour to pick up the keys. The kids had fun checking out the apartment (and playing House Hunters International) so we did a little unpacking first. We walked to find somewhere to eat and ended up at an Italian restaurant - Sens'o - on Ile St. Louis. They were great - pasta, wood fired pizzas - we were happy for the leftovers to go home.
links:
bike tour: http://fattirebiketours.com/london
I had arranged a private Fat Tire Bike Tour since our schedule would have been too crammed with the regularly scheduled one (it basically would take an entire day – meeting at 11am and finished about 3pm). We met our guide at 9am at the office, quickly geared up, and were off. It was great having a private tour – because we could be more flexible and work other things into the tour that couldn’t happen with a group. For example, we were able to swing by and see the Changing of the Horse Guards since we were in the area at the time. (We also worked in a stop at Pret a Manger for hot chocolate, croissants, and hot tea). We also had time to stop and take more photo breaks than you could do otherwise.
If you can afford a private bike tour, we really liked it. We could go at our pace (faster with the speedster surfkids), stop for photos, and tailor things to our schedule. Even if you can't do the private one, the bike tour is excellent way to see London and be active and outside!
We finished that about 1pm, headed back to the apartment, ate a quick lunch, and checked out of the apartment. They had arranged for a car service, which was great since 5 people doesn’t always work so easily. The car service was on time and we were off to St. Pancras.
We arrived at St. Pancras about an hour before our departure time and were glad for the extra time! The lines through security were long and the lounge was packed with people. We boarded when our train was arrived and were glad we did, because the late arrivals had a hard time finding space for their luggage. Our seats were on a family car – and there were definitely lots of kids! I had waited a bit since we were still figuring out our schedule, so we were slightly separated – two across from each other at a table – and a single across the aisle on a table (and both of the rest of those tables were filled out with kids and moms), and then the final two behind the table. All in all, they were decent seats, but the kids (not mine) were very loud. We were happy to arrive in Paris. (I thought it funny that my kids complained about how loud the other ones were... they were happy for some peace and quiet!)
We took a car service to the apartment (again, with 5 people, it is easier to pre-arrange) – with a detour to pick up the keys. The kids had fun checking out the apartment (and playing House Hunters International) so we did a little unpacking first. We walked to find somewhere to eat and ended up at an Italian restaurant - Sens'o - on Ile St. Louis. They were great - pasta, wood fired pizzas - we were happy for the leftovers to go home.
links:
bike tour: http://fattirebiketours.com/london
Apr 24th, 2013, 01:27 AM
#30
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Funny you should mention HouseHunters. I was in Paris at the weekend, and walking down one side street, the way was blocked by a cameraman and microphone assistant, camera trained on an over-tanned and hairdyed man with a couple of young women looking up at the outside of the block, and a conversation of rather forced jollity about the building, after which he produced some keys and let them in, pointing out the security arrangements. Obviously a local "we'll find you a home" show in the making.
Apr 24th, 2013, 12:43 PM
#32
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thanks guys... trying to power through it and finish.
It really was a fun trip...I think it helps that kids are at an age where they are interested in things, but yet, we like to be active, too.
Patrick... too funny that you saw the show! The kids like to watch it and we try to find fun cities to see those episodes -
It really was a fun trip...I think it helps that kids are at an age where they are interested in things, but yet, we like to be active, too.
Patrick... too funny that you saw the show! The kids like to watch it and we try to find fun cities to see those episodes -
Apr 24th, 2013, 12:51 PM
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Thur, 3/28 – climb Notre Dame towers, Conciergerie, climb Eiffel Tower, Musee Quai Branly
Since the previous night was relatively late, we slept in a bit and decided to head straight to the Notre Dame towers. We got in line about 9:45am and estimated about a 45 minute line. (Which was a pretty good guess). They have changed the process – instead of buying tickets right inside the door, you climb the equivalent of one or two flights and buy tickets in the gift shop (oh, so convenient to buying souvenirs!). We did purchase museum passes here since we wanted them for the days ahead.
After climbing to the first level, we decided to go on and climb to the top of the South Tower – fun, as always. It was windy and cold up top, but the views were amazing. It was overcast and cloudy, so not the deep blue sky, but we were happy with no rain!
We decided it was time for 2nd breakfast, so we stopped in a café and had tea and hot chocolate, and crepes. Yes, we paid the exhorbitant “next to Notre Dame” prices, but sometimes keeping kids’ bellies happy is of higher importance. We then walked to the Conciergerie and while we didn’t spend a ton of time there, it was an interesting introduction to the Revolution. One thing I really liked was the list of all 2,780 names of people (and their professions) who were guillotined during the Revolution. I think it made it real for the kids - instead of a number (2,780), these were all the names of people - from nobles, to carpenters, to bakers.
We decided to go to the Eiffel Tower while there wasn’t any rain, so we headed to the Trocadero and walked down the steps. I find that is the most impressive way to get there.
We had decided to climb… I’m not sure why… I guess because we hate the long lines with the elevators. The longest part of the line was waiting to purchase tickets – about 10 minutes and we constantly moved, so it didn’t feel long. The nice thing about walking is that you truly go at your own pace and it wasn’t a steady stream of traffic (like Notre Dame), so you can stop and take a break easily. I was glad the kids had decided not to go to the 3rd level, as that made logistics easier (we didn't have to wait in that brutal line to go up or down). It was breezy and overcast – but no rain – so while further away things were hard to see, we didn’t get wet! My photos aren’t anything fabulous except lots of gray clouds.
We stopped at the café and got snacks – French fries, waffle, beer, and caffeine and had a nice little break. We then walked our way back down the stairs. One of the funny things (for those of you with kids…) is that along the way, there were photos of different Eiffel Towers around the world – Las Vegas, etc. I was surprised that surfboy knew the red and white Eiffel Tower was in Tokyo – I asked him how he knew that… Phineas and Ferb. I should have known!
For reference, we would climb again. You aren't stuck waiting in a monster line and smushed in the elevator. While there are a lot of steps, they are wide (unlike Notre Dame) and easy to take breaks at the landings when they turn without holding up people. There weren't a ton of people climbing, so we could go our own speed (faster for the kids, slower for the adults).
We had decided to visit Quai Branly based on a friend’s recommendation, so we used our museum passes again. We didn’t really have a plan, but just wandered around the first level – very fun and interesting things on display. There was a “hair” exhibit, so we walked upstairs to see that. It was a combination of traditional museum ‘stuff’ on display – pictures of famous people with stylish hair of their period, plus wigs, and sculptures, but also had a video of extreme hair styles from today and how they mirror similar ones from history. Finally, we saw the thing that I was really excited about – shrunken heads! Surfgirl #2 (the creative one) wasn't really interested and was a bit creeped out, but surfgirl #1 and I were fascinated - in a macabre way. I was interested enough to come home and read more information about when they were popular and where they came from and a reference to another trip - the Kon-Tiki in Oslo (Thor Hyerdal had a problem finding local guides because they were afraid of head hunters... we saw the Kon-Tiki a few years ago!) All in all, it was interesting, but we were running out of steam by that point, so decided to head home.
We metro’d back to the apartment … stopped at the mini-grocery store on the way … climbed the 70 or so stairs… and ate in.
Steps/stairs climbed? Many.. Notre Dame towers, Eiffel Tower, apartment = tired dogs.
links:
Quai Branly: www.quaibranly.fr/en/
(all the others are obvious ones)
Since the previous night was relatively late, we slept in a bit and decided to head straight to the Notre Dame towers. We got in line about 9:45am and estimated about a 45 minute line. (Which was a pretty good guess). They have changed the process – instead of buying tickets right inside the door, you climb the equivalent of one or two flights and buy tickets in the gift shop (oh, so convenient to buying souvenirs!). We did purchase museum passes here since we wanted them for the days ahead.
After climbing to the first level, we decided to go on and climb to the top of the South Tower – fun, as always. It was windy and cold up top, but the views were amazing. It was overcast and cloudy, so not the deep blue sky, but we were happy with no rain!
We decided it was time for 2nd breakfast, so we stopped in a café and had tea and hot chocolate, and crepes. Yes, we paid the exhorbitant “next to Notre Dame” prices, but sometimes keeping kids’ bellies happy is of higher importance. We then walked to the Conciergerie and while we didn’t spend a ton of time there, it was an interesting introduction to the Revolution. One thing I really liked was the list of all 2,780 names of people (and their professions) who were guillotined during the Revolution. I think it made it real for the kids - instead of a number (2,780), these were all the names of people - from nobles, to carpenters, to bakers.
We decided to go to the Eiffel Tower while there wasn’t any rain, so we headed to the Trocadero and walked down the steps. I find that is the most impressive way to get there.
We had decided to climb… I’m not sure why… I guess because we hate the long lines with the elevators. The longest part of the line was waiting to purchase tickets – about 10 minutes and we constantly moved, so it didn’t feel long. The nice thing about walking is that you truly go at your own pace and it wasn’t a steady stream of traffic (like Notre Dame), so you can stop and take a break easily. I was glad the kids had decided not to go to the 3rd level, as that made logistics easier (we didn't have to wait in that brutal line to go up or down). It was breezy and overcast – but no rain – so while further away things were hard to see, we didn’t get wet! My photos aren’t anything fabulous except lots of gray clouds.
We stopped at the café and got snacks – French fries, waffle, beer, and caffeine and had a nice little break. We then walked our way back down the stairs. One of the funny things (for those of you with kids…) is that along the way, there were photos of different Eiffel Towers around the world – Las Vegas, etc. I was surprised that surfboy knew the red and white Eiffel Tower was in Tokyo – I asked him how he knew that… Phineas and Ferb. I should have known!
For reference, we would climb again. You aren't stuck waiting in a monster line and smushed in the elevator. While there are a lot of steps, they are wide (unlike Notre Dame) and easy to take breaks at the landings when they turn without holding up people. There weren't a ton of people climbing, so we could go our own speed (faster for the kids, slower for the adults).
We had decided to visit Quai Branly based on a friend’s recommendation, so we used our museum passes again. We didn’t really have a plan, but just wandered around the first level – very fun and interesting things on display. There was a “hair” exhibit, so we walked upstairs to see that. It was a combination of traditional museum ‘stuff’ on display – pictures of famous people with stylish hair of their period, plus wigs, and sculptures, but also had a video of extreme hair styles from today and how they mirror similar ones from history. Finally, we saw the thing that I was really excited about – shrunken heads! Surfgirl #2 (the creative one) wasn't really interested and was a bit creeped out, but surfgirl #1 and I were fascinated - in a macabre way. I was interested enough to come home and read more information about when they were popular and where they came from and a reference to another trip - the Kon-Tiki in Oslo (Thor Hyerdal had a problem finding local guides because they were afraid of head hunters... we saw the Kon-Tiki a few years ago!) All in all, it was interesting, but we were running out of steam by that point, so decided to head home.
We metro’d back to the apartment … stopped at the mini-grocery store on the way … climbed the 70 or so stairs… and ate in.
Steps/stairs climbed? Many.. Notre Dame towers, Eiffel Tower, apartment = tired dogs.
links:
Quai Branly: www.quaibranly.fr/en/
(all the others are obvious ones)
Apr 24th, 2013, 03:06 PM
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Loving your report! Our first trip to Europe was when the kids were 9 & 11 and it was all about climbing towers too - we went to Paris and Italy and climbed everything! It's such a perfect age for travel.
Apr 24th, 2013, 07:50 PM
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Me too. Enjoying your organised and well composed report very much.
With two recent trips both to London and Paris (2011 and 2012), your report is reminding me of many things I saw and did, and making me feel as if I'm there again this year.
Thanks for sharing.
M
With two recent trips both to London and Paris (2011 and 2012), your report is reminding me of many things I saw and did, and making me feel as if I'm there again this year.
Thanks for sharing.
M
Apr 25th, 2013, 03:52 PM
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Fri, 3/29 – Versailles bike tour, Breakfast in America
Surfgirl #1 (12yo) was very excited about seeing Versailles and doing a bike tour there. I had neglected to book this (awaiting other scheduling) and Friday was the only day they had room. I quickly contacted our walking tour and they were able to move it to Saturday (thank you Paris Walks!), so we had all Friday to spend at Versailles.
We had to be at Fat Tire Bike Tour's office (in the 7th) by 9am, so we walked out of the apartment about 8:15am and made it with 10 minutes to spare. They took us through a quick orientation, and walked to the RER. The guide handed everyone a paper ticket to Versailles and reminded us not to lose them. (According to him, since that route is a lot of tourists, the ticket police will frequent that route more than other trains with more locals). When we got off in Versailles, we headed to the office – about a 5 minute walk. The office is located adjacent to a square – which is a nice place to wait while he gets everyone their bikes. Since the office is so tiny, he only takes in one person at a time, so it took 15-20 minutes for everyone to get bikes and organized. Finally, we were off!
We rode through town at the beginning and headed to the market. The guide watches bikes (and can lock them if necessary), and gave us about 45 minutes to walk around the market and gather lunch and food. We were extremely impressed with the quality of the produce – we got some amazing strawberries for the kids! We also stopped in a boulangerie and got baguettes for the kids and sandwiches for the adults. We put them in our backpack (some people put their lunches in the box on the back of the guide’s bike).
From here, we rode into the back entrance of Versailles – back by Marie Antoinnet’s Hamlet. We also passed by the Petit Trianon and then around the Grand Canal. We stopped about ¾ of the way around and sat in the grass and had our picnic lunch (watch for the goose poop!) and then were back on the bikes. (We didn't get a chance to go inside the Petit Trianon, which was disappointing).
Unfortunately, the next part of the trip was nicknamed “Flat Tire Bike Tour” because yours truly had a flat tire. I couldn’t figure out why I was pedaling so hard to keep up – I was really working and kept falling behind. I didn’t think I ate THAT much?!? I knew I was recovering from a foot injury, but jeez, I couldn’t keep up with the old people… oh yeah, that was us. Still…
Finally, I looked down and realized that my portion of the tour had changed and called for our guide. Sadly, he didn’t have his pump along with him, so he had to call one of the other guides (there were three groups doing the same tour that day), who rode back and brought the pump. First, they turned it upside down and spun it for about 5 minutes – apparently, he had filled the tires with some gooey bike stuff that will fill a hole. Then he pumped up the tire. It held and we were back on the road again!
It was much easier keeping up at this point… yeah, surfmom isn’t so wimpy! Apparently, I should have had surfdad’s bike, which was named “You could have been walking faster Robinson" (we had fun reading all the names of the bikes. We laughed at the people rowing on the Grand Canal being blown about by the wind. We debated it we would actually row once we figured out how cold it was on the water (since paid for), or if we’d bail (ha!) to save sanity.
We rode back to the office and dropped off the bikes… one by one again. Surfboy was the last to turn in his bike, as he still had energy and literally rode around in circles in the square (rode around in squares just doesn't sound right) waiting for everyone to turn them in. At this point, we walked back to Versailles. The guide gave us our tickets for entry and also for the train home. He showed us a meeting point and a meeting time, but we were free to make our own way back if we wanted.
The line to get in was about 15 minutes and once in, we headed straight to the State Apartments. It was very crowded inside – each of the rooms was filled with people either listening to a guide, or the guided tour (on a handset). After being outside all day, quite honestly, we felt a bit claustrophobic, so we quickly walked through to the Hall of Mirrors. We tried to go to Angelina's (inside Versailles) to get dessert or snack, but by this point (3:30pm), they had hardly anything left in the case. We decided our best bet was to cut our losses and head back to the train station with hopefully an ice cream stop en route.
While we didn’t find any ice cream stores along the way, we ended up in a café across from the Versailles train station, where we had fries, ice cream, tea, and beer. Odd combination, I know, but all were happy with this!
We struggled with the train station – it was extremely crowded and we couldn’t figure out why… we soon discovered the reason. In addition to all the day trippers wanting to get back to Paris, there clearly was a problem with the ticket machines – surfdad’s ticket wasn’t accepted going through the machine. Unfortunately, he was last (we had learned to send the kids in-between us in case there was a problem) and both the ticket purchase machines and the windows were mobbed (and he doesn’t speak French). He was extremely frustrated and these weren’t the kind you could easily jump – they had the solid barrier. A kind man grabbed surfdad and told him to stay close and they just squeezed through together. I guess I would have sent him to buy another ticket, but it was a pain. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones with this problem because there were a number of other people shouting through the barriers what to do as well as people being turned away after they had put their tickets through.
The train back to Paris was mobbed – we stood (smushed) the entire way. Ironically, we saw someone else from our bike tour on our train so that at least made the time pass faster. Luckily, we were able to take the RER all the way to St. Michel and just walk to Ile St. Louis from there, so it avoided transferring lines on the metro at 5pm on the Friday before Easter.
After a break at the apartment … and some re-grouping, we decided to venture out for dinner. We walked to Breakfast in America in the Marais. This is as close to an American diner in Paris that you will find. We had to wait about 15-20 minutes for a table (it was probably 7:30/8pm by this point), but when we left, the line was significantly longer. The kids had pancakes and French toast (yum), surfdad had “CC’s Big Mess” – an omelet with lots of stuff, and I had a special – BBQ pork. I love pulled pork and didn’t pay attention – this wasn’t pulled pork, but was slices of pork with BBQ sauce. I should have stuck with a burger, but the rest of the food was good. Surfboy was thrilled to get a rootbeer float (his favorite), but the girls wanted Berthillon ice cream so they waited until we "got back to the island". Breakfast in America was a fun treat and the kids loved getting pancakes for supper (and ate extremely well!). I would do it again.
We walked back to Ile St. Louis (via ice cream, of course), and everyone slept well after an active day of being outside and then filling our bellies.
links:
Fat Tire Bike Tour: http://fattirebiketours.com/paris/tours/versailles-bike
Breakfast in America: www.breakfast-in-america.com
Surfgirl #1 (12yo) was very excited about seeing Versailles and doing a bike tour there. I had neglected to book this (awaiting other scheduling) and Friday was the only day they had room. I quickly contacted our walking tour and they were able to move it to Saturday (thank you Paris Walks!), so we had all Friday to spend at Versailles.
We had to be at Fat Tire Bike Tour's office (in the 7th) by 9am, so we walked out of the apartment about 8:15am and made it with 10 minutes to spare. They took us through a quick orientation, and walked to the RER. The guide handed everyone a paper ticket to Versailles and reminded us not to lose them. (According to him, since that route is a lot of tourists, the ticket police will frequent that route more than other trains with more locals). When we got off in Versailles, we headed to the office – about a 5 minute walk. The office is located adjacent to a square – which is a nice place to wait while he gets everyone their bikes. Since the office is so tiny, he only takes in one person at a time, so it took 15-20 minutes for everyone to get bikes and organized. Finally, we were off!
We rode through town at the beginning and headed to the market. The guide watches bikes (and can lock them if necessary), and gave us about 45 minutes to walk around the market and gather lunch and food. We were extremely impressed with the quality of the produce – we got some amazing strawberries for the kids! We also stopped in a boulangerie and got baguettes for the kids and sandwiches for the adults. We put them in our backpack (some people put their lunches in the box on the back of the guide’s bike).
From here, we rode into the back entrance of Versailles – back by Marie Antoinnet’s Hamlet. We also passed by the Petit Trianon and then around the Grand Canal. We stopped about ¾ of the way around and sat in the grass and had our picnic lunch (watch for the goose poop!) and then were back on the bikes. (We didn't get a chance to go inside the Petit Trianon, which was disappointing).
Unfortunately, the next part of the trip was nicknamed “Flat Tire Bike Tour” because yours truly had a flat tire. I couldn’t figure out why I was pedaling so hard to keep up – I was really working and kept falling behind. I didn’t think I ate THAT much?!? I knew I was recovering from a foot injury, but jeez, I couldn’t keep up with the old people… oh yeah, that was us. Still…
Finally, I looked down and realized that my portion of the tour had changed and called for our guide. Sadly, he didn’t have his pump along with him, so he had to call one of the other guides (there were three groups doing the same tour that day), who rode back and brought the pump. First, they turned it upside down and spun it for about 5 minutes – apparently, he had filled the tires with some gooey bike stuff that will fill a hole. Then he pumped up the tire. It held and we were back on the road again!
It was much easier keeping up at this point… yeah, surfmom isn’t so wimpy! Apparently, I should have had surfdad’s bike, which was named “You could have been walking faster Robinson" (we had fun reading all the names of the bikes. We laughed at the people rowing on the Grand Canal being blown about by the wind. We debated it we would actually row once we figured out how cold it was on the water (since paid for), or if we’d bail (ha!) to save sanity.
We rode back to the office and dropped off the bikes… one by one again. Surfboy was the last to turn in his bike, as he still had energy and literally rode around in circles in the square (rode around in squares just doesn't sound right) waiting for everyone to turn them in. At this point, we walked back to Versailles. The guide gave us our tickets for entry and also for the train home. He showed us a meeting point and a meeting time, but we were free to make our own way back if we wanted.
The line to get in was about 15 minutes and once in, we headed straight to the State Apartments. It was very crowded inside – each of the rooms was filled with people either listening to a guide, or the guided tour (on a handset). After being outside all day, quite honestly, we felt a bit claustrophobic, so we quickly walked through to the Hall of Mirrors. We tried to go to Angelina's (inside Versailles) to get dessert or snack, but by this point (3:30pm), they had hardly anything left in the case. We decided our best bet was to cut our losses and head back to the train station with hopefully an ice cream stop en route.
While we didn’t find any ice cream stores along the way, we ended up in a café across from the Versailles train station, where we had fries, ice cream, tea, and beer. Odd combination, I know, but all were happy with this!
We struggled with the train station – it was extremely crowded and we couldn’t figure out why… we soon discovered the reason. In addition to all the day trippers wanting to get back to Paris, there clearly was a problem with the ticket machines – surfdad’s ticket wasn’t accepted going through the machine. Unfortunately, he was last (we had learned to send the kids in-between us in case there was a problem) and both the ticket purchase machines and the windows were mobbed (and he doesn’t speak French). He was extremely frustrated and these weren’t the kind you could easily jump – they had the solid barrier. A kind man grabbed surfdad and told him to stay close and they just squeezed through together. I guess I would have sent him to buy another ticket, but it was a pain. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones with this problem because there were a number of other people shouting through the barriers what to do as well as people being turned away after they had put their tickets through.
The train back to Paris was mobbed – we stood (smushed) the entire way. Ironically, we saw someone else from our bike tour on our train so that at least made the time pass faster. Luckily, we were able to take the RER all the way to St. Michel and just walk to Ile St. Louis from there, so it avoided transferring lines on the metro at 5pm on the Friday before Easter.
After a break at the apartment … and some re-grouping, we decided to venture out for dinner. We walked to Breakfast in America in the Marais. This is as close to an American diner in Paris that you will find. We had to wait about 15-20 minutes for a table (it was probably 7:30/8pm by this point), but when we left, the line was significantly longer. The kids had pancakes and French toast (yum), surfdad had “CC’s Big Mess” – an omelet with lots of stuff, and I had a special – BBQ pork. I love pulled pork and didn’t pay attention – this wasn’t pulled pork, but was slices of pork with BBQ sauce. I should have stuck with a burger, but the rest of the food was good. Surfboy was thrilled to get a rootbeer float (his favorite), but the girls wanted Berthillon ice cream so they waited until we "got back to the island". Breakfast in America was a fun treat and the kids loved getting pancakes for supper (and ate extremely well!). I would do it again.
We walked back to Ile St. Louis (via ice cream, of course), and everyone slept well after an active day of being outside and then filling our bellies.
links:
Fat Tire Bike Tour: http://fattirebiketours.com/paris/tours/versailles-bike
Breakfast in America: www.breakfast-in-america.com
Also great tips for what I need to prepare for! Thanks again!
Apr 26th, 2013, 12:07 PM
#39
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Sat, 3/30 – Musee d’Orsay, Musee l’Orangerie, chocolate walking tour, Chez Francis
We started the morning by going to Musee d’Orsay. I had taken a photograph 6 years ago of the girls only in front of the large clock at Musee d’Orsay. When we were in Paris 3 years ago, the museum was under construction and cameras were not allowed. Since surfboy was feeling left out (I had the photo printed onto canvas and it hangs over the kids’ desk), I had to make sure that we could replicate the photo this time. I had emailed the press department about 3 months prior to the trip and received permission to bring a camera in. As it turned out, lots of people had cameras and many were taking photos of the clock. In fact, we had to wait our turn to make sure we didn’t have other random tourists in the shot.
After we took the photo, we walked through the 5th floor and spent some time looking at artwork (unfortunately thought, Degas' Little Dancer was not on display... foiled again). I was surprised how crowded it was given that the museum had only been open for about 30 minutes. However, we had blown past the line in the beginning and once again, were very happy for our museum passes.
After visiting artwork, we walked past the café and little eyes lit up at the croissants… so we sat down and had croissants and tea. Sometimes I felt like our entire trip was spent feeding kids croissants, tea, fries and ice cream!
We spent some time downstairs walking around different areas, but I could feel a lack of motivation, so we decided to leave. We walked over to the Musee de l’Orangerie to see the water lilies. The line was long to get in (and it was cold and windy), but we blew past all that with our trusty museum passes. In fact, once we were past the initial line, we even blew past the people waiting at the metal detector. They weren’t waiting for inspection, they were backed up from the ticket window. We were incredibly thankful for the museum passes when we walked back out (after spending about 15 minutes looking at the water lilies) and someone we had been next to in line was still waiting to pay. We decided that we wouldn’t even go downstairs and see the other artwork. While I know we missed some neat stuff, the kids weren’t interested, it was crowded, and I believe that the forced Art Death March is more harmful than good.
At this point, it was about 12:30 and we had to meet our tour guide at 2:30, so we decided to explore a little and then get some lunch. We walked along rue de rivoli (next to the Tuileries), but didn’t find anything that caught our eye. We walked over a block and ended up eating at Carr’s – an Irish pub. We were one of the first for the day, but they filled up quickly while we were eating there. The food was good (I had shredded chicken in whiskey sauce) and it was a great place to take a break. We walked back to Laduree to get some macarons, but since the line was outside the store, I figured we’d get some on our next stop.
We were a few minutes early, but met our guide, Brigitte, outside the Tuileries metro stop (she was already there – I like that!). This was the tour that surfgirl #2 was excited about – we were doing a chocolate walking tour! We talked to Paris Walks and thought about doing the group one, but since surfboy doesn’t eat chocolate (I know, what is wrong with him?!?), we thought that a private tour might be more engaging for him and a tour guide could be more flexible finding different options for him. We walked through the Tuileries and into the Carrousel du Louvre (the shopping mall) - our first stop was Maison du Chocolat. Brigitte got our purchases, and we headed out from there. We sat down in Palais Royal and tasted our chocolate and learned more about the history of chocolate. We then continued on to 3 or 4 different chocolate stores on our walk. Surfboy had a variety of white chocolate and macarons as we went along. One of them even included a small cup of hot chocolate – yum! By the end, our feet were tired, our taste buds were happy, but we were ready to be out of the crowds.
Since it was the Saturday before Easter, many people were out doing their shopping and the stores were extremely crowded. We had to be flexible and sometimes we were only in a store for a moment while Brigitte collected our samples. There were a few times that we made some personal purchases – a box of macarons to take home, a few more truffles, or chocolate bars. We ended next to the Madeleine, and while I would have like to stop at Fauchon and do some shopping, I could tell we needed to get back to the apartment and away from the crowds.
Sometimes traveling with kids means that plans are cut short, or you can’t do everything you want, but it keeps everyone happy. I’m a believer that I’d rather walk away doing less, but be happy with it, than overdo it and be so tired you have meltdowns and grumpiness. I also like to believe that I’ll be back and I put it on my list of ‘to-do’s’ for next time.
Tonight was one of our favorite restaurants – Chez Francis. We have eaten here each time we’ve been in Paris for the last five times and every time, they’ve been great. Chez Francis is located at Pont de l’Alma – across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. I had requested a window table (you can see the Tower twinkle!), and we were shown to a wonderful round window table with a great view of the Eiffel Tower. We had made a reservation at 8pm and saw the 8pm twinkle as we were being seated. We then saw the 9pm twinkle as we were eating, and walking onto the metro, we saw the 10pm twinkle. Surfgirl #1 had the roast chicken – very good. Tender and juicy and she was kind enough to share.
Years ago at Chez Francis, when surfgirl #2 was about 4 years old, they had run out of ketchup. She was crestfallen. The waiter was kind enough to run next door (they also own Crazy Horse next door) and got her ketchup. She lit up … and we still talk about that!
We stumbled home and headed to bed after a successful day.
links:
Paris Walks: www.paris-walks.com
Chez Francis: www.chezfrancis-restaurant.com
We started the morning by going to Musee d’Orsay. I had taken a photograph 6 years ago of the girls only in front of the large clock at Musee d’Orsay. When we were in Paris 3 years ago, the museum was under construction and cameras were not allowed. Since surfboy was feeling left out (I had the photo printed onto canvas and it hangs over the kids’ desk), I had to make sure that we could replicate the photo this time. I had emailed the press department about 3 months prior to the trip and received permission to bring a camera in. As it turned out, lots of people had cameras and many were taking photos of the clock. In fact, we had to wait our turn to make sure we didn’t have other random tourists in the shot.
After we took the photo, we walked through the 5th floor and spent some time looking at artwork (unfortunately thought, Degas' Little Dancer was not on display... foiled again). I was surprised how crowded it was given that the museum had only been open for about 30 minutes. However, we had blown past the line in the beginning and once again, were very happy for our museum passes.
After visiting artwork, we walked past the café and little eyes lit up at the croissants… so we sat down and had croissants and tea. Sometimes I felt like our entire trip was spent feeding kids croissants, tea, fries and ice cream!
We spent some time downstairs walking around different areas, but I could feel a lack of motivation, so we decided to leave. We walked over to the Musee de l’Orangerie to see the water lilies. The line was long to get in (and it was cold and windy), but we blew past all that with our trusty museum passes. In fact, once we were past the initial line, we even blew past the people waiting at the metal detector. They weren’t waiting for inspection, they were backed up from the ticket window. We were incredibly thankful for the museum passes when we walked back out (after spending about 15 minutes looking at the water lilies) and someone we had been next to in line was still waiting to pay. We decided that we wouldn’t even go downstairs and see the other artwork. While I know we missed some neat stuff, the kids weren’t interested, it was crowded, and I believe that the forced Art Death March is more harmful than good.
At this point, it was about 12:30 and we had to meet our tour guide at 2:30, so we decided to explore a little and then get some lunch. We walked along rue de rivoli (next to the Tuileries), but didn’t find anything that caught our eye. We walked over a block and ended up eating at Carr’s – an Irish pub. We were one of the first for the day, but they filled up quickly while we were eating there. The food was good (I had shredded chicken in whiskey sauce) and it was a great place to take a break. We walked back to Laduree to get some macarons, but since the line was outside the store, I figured we’d get some on our next stop.
We were a few minutes early, but met our guide, Brigitte, outside the Tuileries metro stop (she was already there – I like that!). This was the tour that surfgirl #2 was excited about – we were doing a chocolate walking tour! We talked to Paris Walks and thought about doing the group one, but since surfboy doesn’t eat chocolate (I know, what is wrong with him?!?), we thought that a private tour might be more engaging for him and a tour guide could be more flexible finding different options for him. We walked through the Tuileries and into the Carrousel du Louvre (the shopping mall) - our first stop was Maison du Chocolat. Brigitte got our purchases, and we headed out from there. We sat down in Palais Royal and tasted our chocolate and learned more about the history of chocolate. We then continued on to 3 or 4 different chocolate stores on our walk. Surfboy had a variety of white chocolate and macarons as we went along. One of them even included a small cup of hot chocolate – yum! By the end, our feet were tired, our taste buds were happy, but we were ready to be out of the crowds.
Since it was the Saturday before Easter, many people were out doing their shopping and the stores were extremely crowded. We had to be flexible and sometimes we were only in a store for a moment while Brigitte collected our samples. There were a few times that we made some personal purchases – a box of macarons to take home, a few more truffles, or chocolate bars. We ended next to the Madeleine, and while I would have like to stop at Fauchon and do some shopping, I could tell we needed to get back to the apartment and away from the crowds.
Sometimes traveling with kids means that plans are cut short, or you can’t do everything you want, but it keeps everyone happy. I’m a believer that I’d rather walk away doing less, but be happy with it, than overdo it and be so tired you have meltdowns and grumpiness. I also like to believe that I’ll be back and I put it on my list of ‘to-do’s’ for next time.
Tonight was one of our favorite restaurants – Chez Francis. We have eaten here each time we’ve been in Paris for the last five times and every time, they’ve been great. Chez Francis is located at Pont de l’Alma – across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. I had requested a window table (you can see the Tower twinkle!), and we were shown to a wonderful round window table with a great view of the Eiffel Tower. We had made a reservation at 8pm and saw the 8pm twinkle as we were being seated. We then saw the 9pm twinkle as we were eating, and walking onto the metro, we saw the 10pm twinkle. Surfgirl #1 had the roast chicken – very good. Tender and juicy and she was kind enough to share.
Years ago at Chez Francis, when surfgirl #2 was about 4 years old, they had run out of ketchup. She was crestfallen. The waiter was kind enough to run next door (they also own Crazy Horse next door) and got her ketchup. She lit up … and we still talk about that!
We stumbled home and headed to bed after a successful day.
links:
Paris Walks: www.paris-walks.com
Chez Francis: www.chezfrancis-restaurant.com
Apr 29th, 2013, 05:02 AM
#40
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Sun, 3/31 – Easter…spring forward, Palais Royal, THATLou hunt, Arc de Triomphe
This was Easter Sunday and while I entertained thoughts of going to Notre Dame for early services, my need for sleep outweighed that. This was also spring forward day, so it was even a later day than normal and late morning before we got motivated. We headed to Palais Royal – the kids wanted to play on the black and white columns, so we spent about 30 minutes climbing and jumping on them. They decided they were hungry again, so we went to Carrousel du Louvre and had lunch. We were taking part in THATLou scavenger hunt (Treasure Hunt At The Louvre) and the coordinator, Daisy, was very clear to be on time.
We used our museum passes to enter the Louvre under the passageway from Palais Royal (groups and ticket holder entrance only – we saw someone turned away before us) – we didn’t have to wait at all to go through security. We stopped at coat check and deposited coats, had bathroom breaks and were ready to go! (By the way, if you have museum passes, this is really a great entrance).
Everyone was on time, so Daisy handed out the hunt and we determined our strategy. Normally, people are teams of 2-4 people, but we wanted to stay together as a family, so we competed as one group. (There were about 20-25 people total, so maybe about 8 groups total?) The “hunt” is a list of items to find – each with a different amount of points and some may have bonus points attached. You are to photograph your team in front of the specific item. She also hands you a map of the Louvre with areas highlighted and crossed out. The crossed out areas do not have any of the items you are looking for – I would say about 25% of the Louvre was crossed out, leaving a large section to find stuff. We strategized about where we were going to go and headed in that direction.
I won’t give away any of her secrets, but it is a very fun and innovative way to see the Louvre. If you are like me and end up wandering around a museum reading bits and pieces here and there and get overwhelmed, it is a fun way to “see” the museum. I’m not sure how much we really learned, but the kids enjoyed it. (For the record, we finished in second place - not bad behind a group of enthusiastic 20 year olds!)
Afterwards, the group walked to a local café to share results and have a snack, but since it was Easter, everything was extremely crowded … instead, we bailed on the group and found a cafe near Palais Royal and had a snack. I think it if wasn't Easter Sunday, this might be a nice way to meet people and make friends. She will also match up individual families if you want to do a "private" hunt so that you can find someone to compete against. I think sitting down for a snack/meal afterwards would be fun to compare notes, too.
We took the metro to Arc de Triomphe, climbed up and enjoyed the view and watching the traffic around the Arc. We walked down the Champs Elysees a little bit, but were feeling overwhelmed by the crowds, so we headed back to the apartment. Finally made Berthillon before they closed (we’d been getting ice cream at the other stands on the island, but not the mothership) … so dinner was later at the apartment.
Felt like we didn't accomplish as much as other days, but as the trip winds down, I find we need to adjust days to match energy levels. It worked out great and gave us something fun to focus on and do on Easter.
Links:
THATLou: http://thatlou.com
This was Easter Sunday and while I entertained thoughts of going to Notre Dame for early services, my need for sleep outweighed that. This was also spring forward day, so it was even a later day than normal and late morning before we got motivated. We headed to Palais Royal – the kids wanted to play on the black and white columns, so we spent about 30 minutes climbing and jumping on them. They decided they were hungry again, so we went to Carrousel du Louvre and had lunch. We were taking part in THATLou scavenger hunt (Treasure Hunt At The Louvre) and the coordinator, Daisy, was very clear to be on time.
We used our museum passes to enter the Louvre under the passageway from Palais Royal (groups and ticket holder entrance only – we saw someone turned away before us) – we didn’t have to wait at all to go through security. We stopped at coat check and deposited coats, had bathroom breaks and were ready to go! (By the way, if you have museum passes, this is really a great entrance).
Everyone was on time, so Daisy handed out the hunt and we determined our strategy. Normally, people are teams of 2-4 people, but we wanted to stay together as a family, so we competed as one group. (There were about 20-25 people total, so maybe about 8 groups total?) The “hunt” is a list of items to find – each with a different amount of points and some may have bonus points attached. You are to photograph your team in front of the specific item. She also hands you a map of the Louvre with areas highlighted and crossed out. The crossed out areas do not have any of the items you are looking for – I would say about 25% of the Louvre was crossed out, leaving a large section to find stuff. We strategized about where we were going to go and headed in that direction.
I won’t give away any of her secrets, but it is a very fun and innovative way to see the Louvre. If you are like me and end up wandering around a museum reading bits and pieces here and there and get overwhelmed, it is a fun way to “see” the museum. I’m not sure how much we really learned, but the kids enjoyed it. (For the record, we finished in second place - not bad behind a group of enthusiastic 20 year olds!)
Afterwards, the group walked to a local café to share results and have a snack, but since it was Easter, everything was extremely crowded … instead, we bailed on the group and found a cafe near Palais Royal and had a snack. I think it if wasn't Easter Sunday, this might be a nice way to meet people and make friends. She will also match up individual families if you want to do a "private" hunt so that you can find someone to compete against. I think sitting down for a snack/meal afterwards would be fun to compare notes, too.
We took the metro to Arc de Triomphe, climbed up and enjoyed the view and watching the traffic around the Arc. We walked down the Champs Elysees a little bit, but were feeling overwhelmed by the crowds, so we headed back to the apartment. Finally made Berthillon before they closed (we’d been getting ice cream at the other stands on the island, but not the mothership) … so dinner was later at the apartment.
Felt like we didn't accomplish as much as other days, but as the trip winds down, I find we need to adjust days to match energy levels. It worked out great and gave us something fun to focus on and do on Easter.
Links:
THATLou: http://thatlou.com
