islandmom

Hi,

I just posted my Monet experience. (Dad and kids chose to stay in the hotel during that excursion. Which is now my number one tip - don't make people go where they aren't interested in going. Everyone will be miserable. Later I'll share how I learned this tip during the major life moment of first spotting the Mona Lisa and how it turned into divorce court - I felt like she was watching us with female sympathy. I now know why she smirks.) Anyway, as I have quiet time away from the kids I'll slowly post a report. I'm most sad that I didn't keep up with the journal and write down each day's experience as they have now all blended together.

First- We stayed at the Golden Tulip St Honore' (spelling?) and one of my guidebooks said that the French don't respect you until you stand up to them. So we had a little tift over holding $1200 on my debit card without asking when I had prepaid the rooms so the next thing you know we had a huge apartment suite for 8 nights. At first it was an adjustment compared to Hawaii resort hotels, but it grew on me. It was somewhat a pain that the bathtub was in a different part of the suite than the toilet. Everything was clean, maybe just a bit old/moldy. The staff was more than friendly and helpful. They do walk in without knocking which was shocking at times.

And I have to tell you this funny story when my husband went down with his French Translation book trying desperately hard to ask for toilet paper one night. He didn’t bother to ask if they spoke English so they let him humiliate himself with charades and butchered words until finally someone said, “Just go get him some toilet paper.” LOL! They were nice enough to provide ice for the room and quick laundry service.

We didn’t like the hotel food. Maybe it is good by French tastes. It was just very bad cooking compared to what we think is “normal” everything is undercooked with lots of runny eggs and cream.

We had a wonderful café table in a huge bay window. I must tell you all we saw of life below the window…..

starrsville

I have so many questions - trains, luggage, diapers, beaches. Guess I just need to be patient and have it unfold!

islandmom

Maybe I should start from the beginning. My husband, my five year old and my one year old left Honolulu, stayed in Manhattan Beach for two nights then on to Paris via Detroit. We all loved Manhattan Beach and the Belemar Hotel. Think my husband was purposely trying to miss the flights because of the unknown. He’s a happy-at-home kind of guy. It didn’t help that I read somewhere the French police may not be so kind to blacks (wasn’t true) but I had briefed him on the importance of always having his passport and being respectful. I was literally running with my bags and the kids and let me tell you I would have left him behind if it was that or missing this experience. Also, the rental car bus in LAX drove off with our luggage. We’ll never fly NorthWest again since they make you pay for tiny snacks now. And they were going to charge me $300 more a bag for a couple of pounds until a flight attendant heard me say it was formula and diapers and let us through. Finally get the baby to sleep over the Atlantic at night (every mother knows how prized such moment is) and some guy passes out seemingly dead in the aisle, all the lights pop on and they actually say, “Is there a doctor on board.” The baby wakes up, the hubby is grumpy and I wanted to run to the intercom and yell “Is there a divorce judge on board??” A priest in full garb runs back and says he’s a doctor and I’m thinking to myself you’re going to give this guy a heart attack when he wakes up. Then I hear them asking him what he took etc. And the tired mom in me is saying he better be dying of something and not just stoned or I’m going to hurt him for keeping the baby up. He was out cold for an hour or more. Later he was drinking and laughing like nothing happened.

The first thing we noticed about the CDG airport. Very quiet and very serious. It was a bit frightening. Everything went fine until we started looking for taxis……(another tip- know where the taxis are ahead of time) some guy in a van asked if we wanted to go to Paris. We were tired, had loads of luggage and tired kids so my husband says great, here’s a taxi let’s go. I’m looking around and there are no other taxis in the area, this guy has an unmarked white van, no taxi light, signs or meters. So I refuse to go with the guy. I still wonder if he was a con-artist or worse. I hope the people who went with him are okay. The taxi section was clear on the other side of the airport.

islandmom

Driving away from the airport I was panicking inside – it looked like the MIDWEST! How could we have spent so much money and exhausting travel to see earth which was the same as anywhere in Kansas? The land looked the same, the trees looked the same, and the roads looked the same. It was so disheartening. And then we see more and more American billboards…Sony, Panasonic, Coke….and I’m thinking….oh dear…what have I done…then we hit the industrial area and my husband says, “This looks like Philly.” and all I can think about is a bath and a nap. Until- the magic! When you come up on the old Paris it is just awe-inspiring- mixture of NYC and Washington DC only too grand to describe. Pictures cannot do it justice. The magnitude and the art is unbelievable!! It’s more of a feeling than a vision also.

(taxi ride about $38E)

islandmom

Paris, where the art of past lives linger in the air as heavy as the ancient, immortal cigareete soot - entering through the lungs, encapsulating the eyes, piercing the heart, reviving the body and capturing the soul.

I wrote that the first day.

On our first morning my 5 year old and I took a walk the the neighborhood (Faubourg St Honore) as the sun was rising. It was grey, cold and rainy. The vendors were delivering their goods to the stores. Men were gathering in the tobacco shops sharing manly secrets. Shop owners were setting up fruits and flowers. We purchased newspapers, fresh bread and quiche. I could actually feel my heart swelling as if I was falling in love. What a beautiful memory!

I had taken Airborne before the flight. I wasn't sure about giving it to kids. The family became very ill from the long flight. The baby was the worst eventhough we kept her in for two days and only took her out at sunny noon hours. Within a week I feared she had pnemonia. My last effort before heading to the hospital was another local Pharmacy. They gave me Stodal granules and said to put 3 in her bottle 3 times a day. That stuff is amazing! She was better by the end of the day! We still were very careful with her though. Anyone familar with a similar US product? We've already used it again at home. Works great!

islandmom

As I said Paris quickly lived up to it’s mystique and never did again disappoint. Even when I was stuck inside with a sick child there was more to explore. As I mentioned our living room had a huge bay window which was pie-shaped in between a monetary and a synagogue. I must apologize to the priests if my buff habits had them saying more prayers than usual.

Out the bay window upon arrival we noticed cats high in the trees and around the fence in the back alley. It wasn’t long before I realized a homeless woman dressed as if she worked on a fishing boat in Maine was feeding them several times a day rain or shine. I began staking her out with my camera. During the week she might have lived under the tree in a small shed. On the weekends she was locked out. Still she did not neglect her charges. Three times a day she would wheel her cart of bags to the fence of the synagogue where she had hidden a long stick. She would use the stick to reach a trash bag full of gourmet cat food pouches. She would open her purse to pull out a large wooden handled knife and delicately prepare three plates of perfectly prepared food for various cats. She would call certain cats to each plate and obviously had her favorites she would wait to see. Then she would clean her nails with the knife, put it back in her purse and put the stick back into place. She would scold and talk to the cats as if they were her children. She would look around cautiously then leave. I hope she didn’t spend all her money on her cats.

islandmom

So back to the practical points. We crashed at the hotel when we arrived at 2pm Paris time since we had been up for a day or so. The flight attendant told me, “You are either a crazy person or a great person to travel from Hawaii to France with such young children.” We awakened at 8pm to not much open in the way of take-out. Groceries were not near-by. I found a wonderful Lebanese stand on the corner of Faubourg St Honore and Avenue Hoche (or one of those similar streets) The man was very kind and we communicated well although neither of us could speak each other’s language. I returned home with my bounty of chicken gyro-type sandwiches. Thank goodness for packing Cheerios, peanut butter crackers and the like for the kids. Also because we would wake at 2:30 am I would often raid the minibar. Bad mistake as the Cokes and Evian were $7 each! Paris nightlife must be fun! I jealously observed candlelit tables of fancy diners deep in cultural conversation up and down the streets as my white plastic bag of take-out crinkled in the wind.

ATM’s were plenty although they give you warnings to hide what you are typing so that added to my already high paranoia.

islandmom

Here’s my biggest tip of all- I saw tipping as my goodwill ambassador work to mend French-USA relations. We tipped well above 20% and received much back in return.

Trying to hail a cab was often frustrating. I’m not sure why they wouldn’t stop for me when it was just me- being a friendly looking, well-dressed blonde. Several times I spent two hours in pouring down freezing rain in Marias. (There is an internet spot across from Centre Pompidou) And I almost died on ST. Michal or near there when I thought the street was one way and it was not because as I leaned my head into the street to look for a cab before I stepped of the curb, a bus grazed my head.

islandmom

Miss Manners is probably trying to hunt me down. I had given an old lady beggar some coins on my way down a street. Then I realized I had to use the automatic bathroom and had no change. I went back to the old lady, gave her $5E and took two 20 cent coins. Surely that must be poor etiquette but she didn’t seem to mind. I’m sure I appalled some French bystanders.

islandmom

I saw the hotel fire. How guilty I felt later that I had only glanced out of the cab to notice the commotion and just assumed everyone was safe. My thoughts resumed to my plans for the day. When did we start just glancing at tragedy?

islandmom

Tulips and Cherry blossoms filled Paris. The photographer in me was furious that due to the Olympic bid all of the hot spots are surrounded with cranes and scaffolding.

There was the cutest character in our neighborhood I wish I could have photographed. He was a feeble old man who dressed too snazzy to be homeless yet spent his whole day grooming his hair and teeth in the reflection of shop windows.

islandmom

The best place we found to pick up quiche, sandwiches or even lasagna was a small shop across from the hotel called 108. The lady would open up very early and was extremely nice although she did not speak English. I found French easy to read as many of the words are similar, just very difficult to pronounce. The kids lived off French bread and fruit from nearby stands. We also enjoyed salads although their freshness standards are different than the US. What the French seem to do best is desserts! Oh my, thank goodness we walked so much. I never eat sweets in the USA. I just don’t like them. In France you can’t pass up the fruit tarts, lemon desserts and chocolate, chocolate chocolate! There is nothing like the dark chocolate of France. Not even Godiva is good enough now.

We did walk to Angelina’s which was perfect for a cold walk from our hotel to the Arc De Triomphe down the Champs Elysees through Jadin Des Tuileries before catching the Louve. Can’t believe we forgot to go back and bring some home!! Do they have a website? Anyway, the 5 year old brought Barbie and we had a delightful tea party with hot chocolate, pastries and monte criscos. FYI- these older buildings have hot pipes running along the walls which little one year olds easily topple onto or grab! Angelina’s had a nice public restroom which you come to treasure in France.

islandmom

A cab driver told me “During the day the Eiffel Tower is just a tower, at night she becomes a beautiful woman!”

We didn’t see Paris at night for two weeks. Due to sick kids, tired parents and time zone changes we were tucked in at 4:30pm. Driving into Paris I must say that as the Eiffel Tower peaked over the buildings it looked like a glorified radio tower. On my first full day I walked from the hotel to the Arc then over to the Eiffel Tower which up close was very dramatic. That first day I got great shots with my wide angle lens of the cherry blossoms and tulips with the tower rising above. I made the mistake of waiting to go up until the whole family was together. Because of the weather, long lines and sniffly kids we didn’t ever go up it.

My kids loved the carousals that are all over France. They do have one right at the Eiffle Tower. Cabs were easy to catch from a stop out front. And the pay bathroom under one of the tower legs was in good condition.

islandmom

So I guess I have to explain the Louve nightmare. My husband was already in the doghouse because in CA he had crushed my $2,000 lens with the luggage. No stores in CA carried the same lens. And maybe the walk from the hotel was a bit too much. I was engrossed in the lifetime moment of finding the Mona Lisa. A large crowd surrounded her so my husband lifted our oldest onto his shoulders in the back of the crowd with the stroller in front of him. I don’t know if it was bad manners or illegal but the security came running over. One of the ladies whisked my daughter away so of course I took off with them. She kindly took my daughter to the very front under the painting and talked to her. I got some great shots. Anyway, my husband didn’t want to be there in the first place then was mad at me he got embarrassed by getting in trouble and didn’t understand why I took off. (Maybe this is why they have metal detectors at museums because if I could have, I would have shot him right there.) And I just felt like that doggone Mona Lisa was staring at us the whole time. Her eyes do follow you. It was creepy. Are we the only couple to shoot daggers at such a sacred locale? Long story short the kids ended up running around outside by the pyramid and I only saw a few paintings and sculptures on the way out. I can’t even look at postcards of the Mona Lisa without getting nauseous. From that point on we came up with the pact that I would explore museums in the morning alone, as a family we would enjoy the warmest part of the day in parks and in the afternoon my husband and oldest would wander the neighborhood.

jlillberto

Great report! Back in the day, we left the kids at home with Grandparents when we traveled. Still think that's a good idea if possible. I can't imagine Paris with an infant. And am sure an infant would be more comfortable elsewhere too.

We were in Paris during the same time but stayed in the 7th. Didn't realize people back home would be worried that the fire was our hotel. Fortunately, our hotel had free internet to use so I was able to calm everyone.

islandmom

Oh and if I wasn't old and married I would have kidnapped the clerk at Shakespeare and Co and made him a movie star. Someone get me a photo of that guy! He must have been an Irish lad and he looked just like Colin Farrel yet with blue eyes. And he was nice too! Someone must investigate this man further. If you are single and go to Paris do not pass this up- I'm not easily impressed.

islandmom

Regarding traveling with the kids- you are right it's not easy, but every time we travel with them we see huge advancements in their development. I personally feel it's worth the effort. And they did fine beside catching colds. We have wonderful memories and photos. Although, I wouldn't turn down a trip with just girlfriends.

islandmom

The whole family enjoyed Versailles! Once again too grand to describe. It was also under reconstruction. You do have to pay separate for the gardens and the castle. Just don’t take a stroller or heeled shoes on this adventure due to the cobble stoned roads!

We took the train from Paris and knew where to get off because others were getting off too. The train station had no bathroom so we went to the TexMex restaurant next door. It looked nice but the food was cheese Doritos covered French cheeses and my taco salad was a Greek salad in a taco shell. Maybe I can move to France and open a real TexMex spot.

You must get the apple flavored candy made with apples from their orchard! I’m still enjoying those yummy delights.

I had a scary experience in the gift shop. I felt a hand rub across my hip like the creepy spin crawling feeling of a nightmare when you are alone in a house and feel a hand on you. Then I realized it was a pickpocket so I grand the hand and pulled in and swung around and it was an 80 year old granny who looked like the Queen of England and her distinguished looking husband. I felt so bad that I pulled her so hard that I just said “pardon” and left.

We also got suckered into postcards and junk from vendors harassing us on the way in and out. One hit me in the head with a flying bird toy.

islandmom

Oh, I have to share my husband’s description of French women. He said, “The women here are like Pigpen from the Peanuts cartoons except they walk around surrounded in clouds of good smelling perfume.” He actually went out on his own and bought me French perfume.

islandmom

One of my favorite mornings was spent at the Museum d’ Orsay (long line at 10am- interesting to watch painters copying the art inside), followed by a snack at Duex Margot’s then book shopping at Shakespeare and Company. St. German area had great shopping. I found an internet spot too. And of course I purchased art from painters along the Seine. I read A Movable Feast beforehand so it made the whole area all the more enjoyable. While I sipped my tea I imagined the men next to me were the modern day Hemingways in deep creative inspiration. It was so funny that while everyone in Cali were actors, everyone in Paris were writers.