Ferris Wheel Over Paris

Did you know that I'm really afraid of heights? Isabella knows this. But, she is also very aware that I will conquer my fears when it comes to enjoying things she might like to do.

And, so, nauseous and sweaty all the way, we went up in a huge ferris wheel. The views were fantastic. The car we were in was enclosed, but I opted on to look down, I was just too scared.

The guy running the ride left us in for at least 4 complete cycles, so we had plenty of time up in the air to enjoy the view.

Tuilleries Tramp

Again, brains out of the gutter, please.

As it turns out, at the end of our exhausting Louvre visit, we discovered a midway set up along the Rue de Rivoli, complete with rides, carnival games and, you guessed it, trampolines.

Isabella first went on the same style of trampoline she hit up in Montmartre. She tried a few times to do a flip, but never quite got all the way around. She did, however catch some good air and got a nice view of the gardens.

After this, she spotted a whole bunch of tramps set up next to one another. For 3 euros, she was granted 5 minutes of jumping. 20 minutes later, the guy came to tell her it was time to get off. Red-faced and exhausted, she thoroughly enjoyed herself and we headed back home.

A Little Romance

Anybody who knows me at all, knows one of my all time favorite movies is "A Little Romance". It takes place here in Paris and in Venice and is the story of a 13 year old rich American ex-pat girl who meets a 13 year old working-class French boy.

When my mom and I went to Venice in 1989, we spotted many of the locations the movie was shot in. As of today, I have found two or three of the key spots in Paris. The main one, is their second meeting at the Arc du Triomphe du Carrousel, near the Louvre, pictured at right.

Isabella has commented many times over the past two weeks how much romance she is witnessing and how nice it is. I have to agree, being a die-hard romantic, it is nice to see how Parisians show their passion. There is sometimes just a gesture or a hand on a back, but you can see the connection in a way I'm not sure I've seen in the US.

Keep in mind, I'm a sucker for flowers, little notes of admiration or your day-to-day romance. But, this is different and I hope to see the kind of romance we're seeing here back home. It would be nice to live in a place where romance triumphs.

By the way, in the Luxembourg Gardens, we saw a man and his friends unfurl a banner in front of a huge crowd of people and then cheering. As it turned out, he was asking his lady to marry him. She said yes, as I'm sure most of us would!

Below is one of the sweetest dialogues from the movie (which I own, and is also available on Netflix via mail or instantly, in case you have a need to see it):

Lauren King: I used to think, maybe a long time ago, like... like in the time of the pharaohs or Louis the 13th that, there was somebody, made just perfect for me. I mean, when you think about it and consider that your feelings of love, begin when you're about ten and if you live to say 70, well that's pretty limiting because, what chances there that he'll be alive at the same time you are? You know?

Daniel Michon: I feel the same things. I mean, even if she lived in my lifetime. What if my perfect woman lived in India or California or Brazil? What chance is there that I'd meet her when I live in La Garenne?

Lauren King: It's incredible isn't it?

Daniel Michon: Absolutely... incredible. [holds her hand]

The Louvre: Part I

It turns out the Louvre is like a small city. We spent three hours exploring and were done when Isabella realized we had only seen part of one wing.

We managed to see both the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, and Isabella had the audio-tour which she enjoyed. It was amazing wandering around and seeing so many grand pieces of art. Around every corner there was literally another masterpiece.

A quick break in the mall below for a fancy food court meal (Isabella chose Japanese, of course), and we headed back to buy some postcards. We came across a bunch of Monet, Manet and other masters' pieces pictured in the cards that we hadn't seen anywhere upstairs.

And so, we are going back this week to solve the mystery of the location of these paintings!!

Toy Boat Independence Day

We spent American 4th of July in the Luxembourg Gardens. The huge park is filled with a variety of fun things to do. Most of which, you have to pay a fee for, including the public restrooms and at least the playground we found.

The Odeon Metro station had a huge candy kiosk set up in front, so we grabbed a bag and filled it with some treats. Some melted immediately, some were not up to our high taste standards, and some we are still making our way through.

When we arrived, it was lunchtime so we sat in a nice cafe under the shade of the trees and shared a hamburger and frites. The service was less than attentive for our small order, but it was a very pleasant hour.

After lunch Isabella bought herself a mini pink soccer ball and a pink badminton set. Her purchase illicited a free carambar caramel from the old man behind the counter. She played with the ball, and we tried the badminton set, but the birdie seems defective (or we are, I guess).

The pay playground was next where Isabella got to do a zip-line that was poorly thought out since pile-ups were happening left and right. There was also a cylinder that she could run on while holding onto a structure for support.

The coolest part was floating a toy boat in the fountain in front of the museum. It was a little unwieldy and hot out there, but she got right in the thick of things using her bambook stick to retrieve her boat from the pond and push it out for another run.

Happy fourth of July indeed!

yummy!

Having eaten so many heavy things over the past few days, Isabella suggested fish for dinner. We went around the corner to the market.

We had only passed by the fish vendor, never bought anything. Her fish was very fresh and displayed beautifully. We chose salmon.

I cooked it with soy, garlic, lemon and paprika, served with rice and broccoli.

A satisfying meal indeed!

Toys, Gelato and Luxembourg Gardens

This is a really nice toy store we found on the way to a more traditional one that was on Isabella's Paris walks for kids cards.

Rouge et Noir had all manner of wood stategem toys, puzzles and games. It was a nice, calm place, with lots of wood shelves, low lighting and a very kind older woman who ran the shop. What a find.

Down the block, we found the toy store we'd set out to find. Very pink and orange, tons of toys, and crafts. Isabella found a cool mystery in French. Each mystery is one page, you solve it and move on. She is enjoying it and I know it's good for her French, too.

I managed to find two sweaters along the way, and we ate a weird asian stir fry from WokThai. Strange place, but two doors down from the beloved gelato vendor, Amarino, where Isabella got a coffee and chocolate gelato, served in a cone, with the gelato in the shape of a flower.

When we left the gelato place, I noticed a huge gate with an intricte brick building next to it. We had stumbled upon the Luxembourg Gardens. There are playgrounds and toyboat sailing available. We walked around and planned out an official visit since there was too much to take in all at once.

A walk through Odeon showed us some very nice shops and finally to the Metro. When we transfered, I was so tired, I had us get on the train the wrong direction. But, Isabella figured it out quickly so we backtracked. But, I made it through the turnstile, her ticket didn't work, so I made her jump it (with some assistance from me). Yes, I've put my child on the wrong side of the law, internationally. A proud parenting moment!!